HIGH LIFE
September 23, 1927
HIGH LIFE
Piihlif^lied F>i-Weekly by tlie Students of
TiiE Gkeexsboro High School
Greensboro, N. C.
Founded by the Class of ’21
Chakter
IHEMP.Erv
March
1925
Filtered as Sei mi l C i l‘^s Matter at tlie
Post Office, (Treensburo, N. C.
STAFI’,,,
Editor .1. I). McNairy
Miinaf/iiifi Edit(,r . . . Dick P>urroughs
Ell si ness Mamujer Fd Davant
Asst Business Mgi- Jack Kleemeir
A ssociafe Editors
Henry Biggs Louis Brooks
Emma Griffin
Carlton lYilder
Clyde Noreom
John M. Brown
Assfisl-iin t Editors
Ella May Barbour Irene McFadyen
Margaret Britton
Art Editor . . .
Margaret Betts
Ed Turner
Ti/pists
Virginia Simmons Ruth Stinnett
Jules Squires Theresa Marks
Reporters
\Trgiuia IMcKinney Francis IVilliams
Mary L. Benbow Margaret Ziglar
Frances Cartiand M. Geogheghan
Margaret Kernodle Eugenia Isler
Helen Miles Elvie Hope
Mary H. Robinson Ernest MTiite
Effie Scales
Faciilty Advisers
IMrs. Alma Garrett Coltrane
Miss Nell Chilton
Miss Mary Harrell
UPON READING THE BAROMETER—
Now that the battle is over and the
subscription drive is ended, it is es
pecially timely that ive take stock,
count our gains and losses, and note
the trend. Particularly did this re
cent campaign offer an excellent oppor
tunity for barometric reading.
Two local high school publications,
])ossessing a degree of national reputa
tion, sought the support of this student
liody ; the rates were cut to a minimum ;
every appeal was made.
AVe make these few' observations:
that the senior class proved itself able
and willing to cast aside traditional
dignity in an effort to rally school sup-
])ort; that the support was shamefully
lacking throughout the lower classmen;
that several among the faculty w'ere
lukew-arm; that only about $308 was
collected.
There can be no excuses for this void
of spirit. The barometer is reading
exceptionally low’. AA^e only hope our
team wdll be more wTioleheartedly sup
ported.
William Blair says the old maxim
of ‘‘Keep your shirt on” doesn’t
always hold, especially is it not true
Avhen a crowd of lady teachers get
hold of your coveted “Sunday
best” shirt, for then it is darn
nigh impossible to keep it on.
9.^
Another axiom falls to the dust.
Someone said that “History re
peats,” but Ave hav'en’t seen any
thing of those half-holidays this
A'ear like the ones Ave enjyoed tAvo
A'ears ago Avhen the Aveather Avasn’t
half so hot.
Homespun is going to be mighty
good this year, Ave believe. The
first remark ye honorable editor-
in-chief, Carlton AVilder, made
upon his return to school AA'hen
speaking of his vacation Avas,
“There are more pretty ladies up
there. The climate is just right
for beauty.” You all knoAV the in
fluence of beauty, especially femi
nine, upon AVlider’s mind and in
spiration.
Joseph Hendricks
He had been Avith them only nine
months, yet his classmates chose
him for their president. In this
brief time he had so impressed him
self upon the minds of his felloAV
classmen that they thought enough
of him to make him their leader
during their most important and
hardest year.
Joe Hendricks is one of those fcAV
people Avho appear in our school
life Avhom Ave can honestly and sin-
cerelv admire. In one Affiar in a
C- c.
ncAV school he has achieved honors
that only a feAV can achiev'e. Be
sides being on the honor roll for
CA'ery montli, he has gone out for
tennis, made the team and -noAv
Avears the letter of the school. He
is a member of the Homespun staff
for this year. He has a remarkable
ability for Avork.
Possessed of a brilliant intellect,
a clean and AA'holesome mind, a Avin-
ning personality, and a hearty,
cheerful disposition, he is truly a
leader among men. His quiet, un
assuming Avays have endeared him
to the hearts of all Avho knoAV him.
The Senior class has chosen him
for their leader; a better choice
they could not hav'e made.
Our Library Grows
To one aaJio is acquainted Avitli
our library, it Avould seem impos
sible that in 1920 it Avas only a rude
beginning Avith a dictionary or so
and a set of encyclopedias. With
that as a start, it steadily greAv,
adding mostly reference books and
texts Avhich Avould be of use in the
lass room until noAV Ave find a neAA^
collection of books Avhich Avill be
of interest to the reader Avith a
most discriminating taste. Be
sides containing some popular fic
tion it has the modern classics Avith
such authors as Bennett, Dreiser,
GalsAvorthy, Hardy, HoAvells,
James, and Wells.
In reading the Avorks of these
authors one Avill find a certain
pleasure and joy that comes only
AAuth an understanding of the best
in literature. They represent the
best that is to be had in modern
literature. We hope our library
will continue to groAV along lines
that Avill be of interest to us as
readers as Avell as of value to stu
dents.
Another First for Greensboro
Greensboro heads the schools of
North Carolina again for the year
1926-27. 'This is very gratifying
to our city, particularly to those
aaAo are in authority in the schools
and liaAT spent their time and effort
toAvard securing for the city
schools more financial backing, bet
ter teachers AA'ith better salaries,
and better equipment. AVhile Ave
do not have as fine a building as
some other cities, Ave have better
financial backing per capita for the
number enrolled, thus being able
to secure good teachers and good
principals. We have good at
tendance of students and measure
up in the other qualities Avhich
place us above the other schools.
Greensboro is justly proud of
her school system and of those aa'Iio
have placed it first in the state.
Miss Tillett’s prayers have been
ansAvered. There’s a man in the
English Department, and he isn’t
so bad looking, either.
The Average Student—And
Who He Is
If one AA'ere to make a thorough
study of high school life in relation
to the number of students w'ho par
ticipate in extra curricular activi
ties he Avould find less than fifty
per cent of the student body inter
ested in any of the actB'ities and
far less than this taking an active
part in any of them.
If Ave consider literary lines first,
Ave find practically the same stu
dents Avho Avork on High Life also
Avork on Homespun, take part in
the debates, lead their classes in
scholarsliip and in the business of
the class. If Ave consider athletics,
Ave find a squad of about fifty noAV
out for the football team from a
group of over four hundred. These
same boys make up the baseball,
the basketball, and the track team.
Under no conditions do Ave ever find
a large per cent of the boys taking
part in athletics.
AVe might gather from this that
the students are interested in
studies and spend all their time in
attaining scholarship. Yet out of
OATr nine hundred students Ave
hav'e never had as many as a hun
dred on the honor roll one month.
We find the majority merely pass,
Avhich is all they wmnt.
Thus Ave surmise that the aver
age student is one Avho never takes
any active part in either literary
or athletic activities, subscribes to
the publications once in a Avhile,
doesn’t care Avho runs his class af
fairs nor hoAV they are run, doesn’t
have any interest in Student Gov
ernment, goes to a game noAV and
then and cheers half-heartedly, goes
to classes half-dazed, and has only
one desire in school—to get “by”
Avith the least possible Avork and
effort. He is enthusiastic over
nothing, supports nothing, and has
no pep or spirit over anything.
This is not peculiar to our school
alone, but seems rather to be the
rule over the country. The school
that is different is the exception, not
the rule. Secondary education
fails as long, as it continues to pro
duce students of this type. It has
failed A'ery vitally Avhen it does not
create in the student something
more than a spirit of indifference.
.-M
Congratulations
We rejoice AA'ith our neighboring
city of High Point in the fact that
they have built a new High School,
AAdiich is fully fitted for its purpose.
This shoAvs a most progressive atti
tude on the part of the citizens and
school officials, and is to be highly
commended.
Eealizing that a properly equip
ped school is of vast importance,
and that Avithout it neither it nor
pupil can do their best, they have
forged ahead and built a school
that is well among the finest in the
state. Not only have they minis
tered to the required academic ac-
thuties, but they have made alloAV-
ance for diversified extra-activities,
Avhich are necessary to a properly
rounded development. In the
small as Avell as the larger things,
they have looked ahead and pre
pared to the best of their ability.
The example that High Point
has set should be a beacon light
AAdiich Avill lead Greensboro and
other schools of the state to a more
adequate school system.
at ’EM AGAIN
ILaa'us at a Homespun staff meeting
that Louis Brooks Avas propounding his
idea of romance. He w'islied to make
the AA'hole theme of the magazine “ro
mance.” He w'anted each issue to be
on romance. He eA'en desired that
eA-eryoiie read “The Royal Road to Ro-
inanc'e.” As he explained it, he and
Biggs had framed this idea of ro
mance.
One other member of the staff’ nuldly
wondered \A'h.y Brooks and Biggs w'ere
so interested in romance. Miss AValker
responded that perhaps they had had a
successful summer.
“Oh, that isn’t the half of it,” re
sponded the sagacious Mr. Biggs.
“Yes,” put in another editor, “the
other half just AA'on’t do to publish.”
But Ave are still w’onderiug AA'hy
Brooks and Biggs are interested so
A'itally in romance.
Are Ave the happiest people on earth?
Are w’e happier today w'ith all onr Avon-
derful mechanical inventions, time-sav
ing and space-conquering machinery
than our grandfathers who kneAv noth
ing faster than a stage-coach? Does
our leisure mean anything to ns?
These are some of the (luestions wdiich
I often ponder as I see the speed-craped
Avorld rushing about as though the luil-
lenium w'ere only a few- minutes oft’.
There is such a huri’A’, scurry, scam
pering in life that the nerves have been
ruined, the senses deadened. The peo
ple of today are living at such a high
tension that he delicate senses off
beauty, of culture, of love, and of the
other finer spiritual (pialities fail to
resiKuid wdien exposed to any of these.
ATiat more could w’e expect in a civili
zation that puts its faith in inoneA', in
bonds, in mechanical perfection and
not in the depth or the heauH or the
spirituality of life?
MTien the Avonderful invention of
teleA'ision Avas made, a man stood before
this machine Avith Avhich he Avas able
to see the person with Avhom he Avas
speaking several miles aAvay and ex
claimed, “Alas, noAv that Ave haA'e this,
AA'e IniA’e nothing o say.”
It seems to me that the real value,
the real aim, and the real depth of
life has long been lost sight of by the
mass of the people. Even if they
never had this appreciation of life, they
have done nothing to advance or cul
tivate it.
Even in our oavu school life the ath
lete, the person of physical proAvess, is
honored far more than the scholar or
the poet or the writer. We banquet
our athletes, Ave give them medals, let
ters, honors, glory, publicity, because
in the confusion of modern existence
they are able to AA'ithstand it and re
tain a certain amount of physical
strength. Yet our real scholars have
onlj' a little star to Avear Avhich is
hardB' ever mentioned, much less no
ticed. If he achieves a certain amount
of popularity in other lines he is given
the privilege of buying the pin of the
National Honor Society, AA'hich he in-
significantlj' Avears. Our Avriters AVin
cups and laurels, publicity and praise
for our school, yet the individual is
never heard of nor honored Avith any
Avord. His Avork is knoAvn and forgot
ten as the impersonal greatness of the
school.
For What?
A year ago he Avas one among us.
Yet noAv look at him. TAvelve months
ago he AA’orked, staj'ed home at nights,
and enjoyed that peaeful slumber Avhich
only conies before daAA'ii and makes
tlie SAveet flush on the face. Yet aTcaa'
him noAA’. You Avill find not that hearty,
cheery, boyish smile, but a tired,
sleepy, Aveary look.
M hat has caused the great change?
For Avhat? Ed Stainback Avould an-
SAver, “For This.” Let Ave are intent
upon iiiA'estigating it to the fullest limit
and to spare no detail hoAA'OA'er minute
it is that Avill throAA' light upon this
great (aitastrophe. His fraternitj' ring
Avhich he Avore so proudly is gone and
noAv adorns other fingers. Instead of
having fountains pens, pencils, papers
and other things in his pockets Avhich
Avould be of us, he fills them Avith la
dies’ jeAvelry, especially Avith broken
beads and crushed ear-bobs.
IIOAA' considerate, Iioaa’ kind, Iioaa^ Ioa’-
ing and gentle he used to be AA’hen he
helped his students after school. But
noAA' as soon as the old gong rings
Avhich breaks the prison chain he
bounds out the door Avith the leap of
a mighty beast and is gone in a AA'hiz-
zing noise.
101 Avhat has Mr. Blair bought his
new car? 'While Stainback ausAAmrs,
101 Ibis’ Ave shall still probe, inves
tigate, unveil, and inquire, “For
Mdiat?”
C. W. Phillips asserts in chapel
that he is just “crazy” about us,
and particularly about our teach-
eis (these pretty ueAA' ones, you
know) and we suspect that Ave’re
about crazy too, but perhaps it is
from the heat or from the fact that
we have been studying too hard
this hot AAMather.