Yeshiva University High School For Boys - Elchanite Yearbook (New York, NY)

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he found that it was diflicult to explain the color wheel to students shouting Speewack and test- ing newly made paper airplanes. Physical education was still taught by Mr. Sarachek and the Sophomores still vied for the position of secretary. This position was finally won by Wild Bill Lefiingf' To break up the day there was a study period. This was held in two places. One was the library, sometimes called the study hall. The other was Room 204 in the new dormitory, sometimes called Palefski and Lustigis room. Even though its capacity was limited, Room 204 competed very keenly with the study hall for membership. As the spring drew near and the days grew nicer, the Sophs could not resist the outdoors. The roof and the river became the places of study. One of the most exclusive organizations of the school was formed in the spring of 1952. This was the Hobo Club. consisting of such stal- warts as Harvey Rosen. Phil Podelsky. Milty Pollack, Sim Storch. Mel Simon. and Marty Hirshman, which met each day on the roof. Membership was restricted and many Sopho- mores found it hard to fit the requirements of this organization. fu-ii' The spring also aroused a great interest in baseball and the more enterprising members of the class started baseball pools. This venture soon disintegrated because of the administra- tion's interest in the moral standards of the stu- dents. The streets around the school were not quite friendly to these boys. Ignorance has an un- fortunate result in bigotry. It was this bigotry which was the cause of one of the memorable events in the Sophomore year. The dormitory hummed with the sounds of school life. Some students were standing in the halls talking. Others were in their rooms doing their homework or planning on doing it as soon as they finished the comic books stacked on the desk. Across the street, the lights of the small prefabricated buildings illuminated the streets below, while in the main building there was a steady murmur of those who were diligently studying the Talmud. Suddenly the placid scene was shattered by screams and shouts from the dormitory. In front of the building, a young student, surrounded by a large group of his classmates, shakily told how his friend was attacked by eight boys and how ,Mi x V, X xr ki. j l pw' A 'tiff 'ff' ks , as pw ' - ,, r lj li X rn I A ' ,gg M535 -1-131. ffl 'fl 'g if . sw M -g ' ' mfr .f- 'rim xi' , 'N -Q, gfiw' .t if tv av. .. a f is ' T if A N Kiw i. il xr J u iqii ff, ix' 0 R i xi .fly . ,. ,gg Q If 'X mil If 5 , A' if f . i ua ii . CQ 'fe g e e r g a e we - . , 1 -- , - smm - ! Shzfi., ' 1, W ' N' ma Ignorance has on unfortunaie result in bigotry 22

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such as M1 Co Cootchf' To aid theQr candidate. the Sophornores sought to impress upon the lower termers and the teachers that they were kindhearted. They sheltered the pigeons. who frequented the window ledge of ltoom 405, by bringing them into the classroom. This streak of kindness was particularly annoying to Dr. Hoe- nig, who constantly remarked, L'hl lt was on the fourth floor that the Sophomores first encountered Charlie His famous toot left a great impression upon them. The Sophomores found that the second part of their day had changed. Their instructors and courses in secular study were altered. They were now taking a language. The Sophomores found that whether one takes French or Spanish one must flllljtt Dr. Charles. Doc , held different opinions of the two classes. He believed that while the French class was made up of good boysfi the Spanish class consisted extensively of bums and loafersf' In giving homework, Doc proved his abil- ity to recite the alpha- bet. Dr. Charles, star pupil was Bernard Ko- sowsky and Bernieis star pupil was Does daughter. Another course taken by the Sophomores was Regents Review. This was taught by Nlr. Lich- tenberg. Many of the students left the class with circles. polygons. and various triangles Dr. Charles Mr, Frankel Mr. Lichfenberg dancing before their eyes. During this year. the Sophomores grew greatly attached to Sir. Lichtenberg. This affec- tion stemmed from his constant desire to aid the student. The Biology class was the very peak of the day. Each student anxiously awaited this period. where. led by the amiable Sir. Frank- el. the Sophomores would delve into the mysteries of nature. All ol the members of the class had full confi- dence in Rlr. Frankel but none had more faith in him than did Harvey Rosen. who would help Mr. Frankel illustrate his point by standing on his head or by obtain- ing samples for thc test for diabetes. Many students feared the Bio Regents. The wiser members ol the class reassured them. how- ever, that the skeleton in the back room was not that of Oscar. a former llunkee, and that Mr. Frankel would not carry out his threats of physi- cal violence. Their cultural education continued with some minor changes. Klusic was still taught by Xlr. Grossman. The Sophomores. who believed that he does not read the test papers but weighs them. were greatly shocked when they were asked to explain the connection between the Twenty-Tliird Psalm and St. Nlatthew's Passion. Xlr. Spivack tried very hard to teach art. but 21

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he was chased by them to the dorm. They had vowed to return with more of their friends. Someone shouted, Fightl!', and the word echoed through the halls of the dormitory. Homework stopped. Comic books were thrown aside. The empty halls were immediately filled with run- ning, stumbling students, all rushing toward the main building. They poured out into the streets. The noise reached the buildings across the street and soon those doors opened and the buildings were empty. In the main building, Gemorrahs were hurriedly shut. In the Chem lab, experi- ments were inteirupted and test tubes were thrown aside. The street was crowded with angry students. The traffic stopped and they still came from the dormitories, laboratories. and class- rooms. Two students ran out of the dormitory wrapped in towels, still wet with the water of their showers. Down the street another mob formed, and as the two groups met, the tension rose to a crescendo. At the edges of the crowd, the Sophomores and Freshmen, their pride wounded by the older boys who had pushed them aside, scurried around trying to see what was happening. Then, above the noise of the crowd, the sound of sirens could be heard, and as suddenly as the mob appeared, it dissolved. After a few moments of excitement, the steady murmur resumed. The incident was almost over but it was not to be forgotten as unfortunately similar happenings occurred throughout the four years in T.A. ' IW. Typical Scene In High School Dormitory The school year was drawing to an end and the dreaded finals were coming closer with each passing day. A preview to the English finals and Regents were the T.I. Hnals that were to take place beginning May 30th. At this time of year the dormitory gained sudden popularity. With the door shut, a small group of students crowded around the desk of the renowned i'Matt and T. I. Students Studying For Finals Patts' room. It was in this room that a T.I. stu- dent had to learn courses in ten hours that were taught for six months. The night ran by and the students were aided only by mustard and pickle sandwiches. They worked on. The Hrst ray of the sun peeked over the horizon. They were finished. They had studied all they had to know. A system had been devised and each member of the small study group, seating ar- rangement in hand, exhausteclly fell asleep. In the dormitory social hall, the chairs, tables. and couches were littered with these drowsing stu- dents. Empty packages of cigarettes were every- where. At nine o'clock, after some last minute studying, they entered the test room and at eleven it was finally over. The T.I. finals lasted three days. After these, the English finals and Regents started. It was an endurance contest and when it was finally over, they all made resolu- tions that next year would be different. The students slowly moved away from the building. The halls emptied. The last few stu- dents reluctantly left the building. The halls were again silent, save for the sound of the slow methodical movement of the caretaker. Outside. the sun was a golden ball on a scarlet horizon. In the streets, buses and automobiles moved swiftly by. It was getting dark and the lights in the tenements were being turned on. I had a long summer in which to rest and prepare myself. for they would be coming back next year. 23