Page 57 - 1936

standout performance of practically all of our representatives. At the conclusion of
the season we felt more than sure that the following year would show a wonder
team in the persons of our men.
Following the football season, we enjoyed our first vacation at Thanksgiving.
This passed quickly, only too quickly, and we were soon back again with our collec­
tive noses to the grindstone. The soccer enthusiasts reported to Coach Tom Florie,
and enjoyed a successful campaign in spite of very little practice. Again there was
a predominance of Juniors on the team, showing the versatility of our athletes. The
major interest during this period, however, was in the preparation for the Christmas
plays. Much to our surprise, some of the brawniest of the football players joined
forces with the less formidable of our numbers and turned in convincing perform­
ances as exponents of the Thespian art.

During all this time we were visiting various and sundry classrooms daily.
"Whit” left us frozen with terror with his ferocious desk-pounding and long
silences after one of us had made the unforgivable sin of forgetting bijou, caillou,—
or voir, pouvoir—. Then we had a playtime period with the long-suffering
"Newkie” almost every day, while "Willie” plunged us to the depths of despair
each Friday with his caustic comments. Some of us slept through Chemistry, while
a few more tried unsuccessfully to persuade "Coach” to be reasonable. Altogether
the time passed quickly, but we were glad to bid the "walls so tall and stately” a
fond farewell for our real vacation at Christmas.
Getting reaccustomed to the rigors of school life after the holidays was some­
thing of an ordeal for many, especially to fellows like Talcott and Newcombe, our
ladies men. These fellows wore a somewhat harried air as they shuffled about
sullenly from class to class. But to the majority, the reopening meant the beginning
of the final drive in preparation for the Mid-year exams. Also, the trackmen began
their winter campaign, followed by the swimming and wrestling teams. Mr. Freeman
took charge of the basket ball program, and some very fast games were played under
his guidance. And the various clubs began their activities once more.
Very shortly after our return the spectre of the Mid-year’s began to over­
shadow everything else. Those unfortunates who had neglected to study now began
to scurry frantically about, trying vainly to regain their lost ground. "Newkie” was
having his day, flunking our daily tests with monotonous regularity. "Whit” had an
evil gleam in his eye. And pervading the whole atmosphere was a feeling of unrest,
of apprehension. However, when at last the long-feared tests were given, we found
that they weren’t so bad after all, and almost everybody passed them satisfactorily.
It was a great relief to get them out of the way, though.
The real winter term now set in. Shortly after the exams, one of the heaviest
snowfalls in New England’s history was recorded. Then the inevitable outcropping
of "bull-sessions” came along with ringmaster Sanderson in charge. Several
ingenious first formers rigged up an electric alarm clock to a storage battery under
the front pulpit in study hall one evening. "Newkie’s” classes became things of
delicious anticipation. "Jit” made his famous "Little Willie” speech, aided and

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