Ripples Annual 1940~41 13 Greene County, Arkansas

THE DISCOVERY OF THE CLASS OF 1941 WAS AN ACCIDENT.

FOUR YEARS AGO EARLY ONE MORNING ON THE TENTH OF JULY 1938, THE FACULTY OF LAKESIDE HIGH SCHOOL WERE STROLLING AIMLESSLY THROUGH THE CORRIDORS. SUDDENLY THEY CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF SOMETHING NEW AND STRANGE. JUST INSIDE THE FRONT DOOR, HUDDLED TOGETHER IN MUTE EMBARRASSMENT AND ANXIETY, WERE THE MEMBERS OF WHAT BECAME THE CLASS OF 1941. TO THE CASUAL EYE, THEY SEEMED MERELY A GROUP OF ORDINARY BOYS AND GIRLS, WELL DRESSED, REASONABLY GOOD-LOOKING AND BADLY FRIGHTENED.

DURING THE FIRST YEAR, THE FRESHMEN'S INTELLECTS WERE FOUND TO VARY IN KEENNESS FROM SPONGES TO RAZORS: BUT, ON THE WHOLE, THEY TURNED OUT TO BE VERY SATISFACTORY, AND SOME WERE A SOURCE OF GREAT JOY TO THEIR INSTRUCTORS. AT THE END OF THE YEAR, A TERRIBLE DISASTER BEFELL THE FRESHMEN. ALTHOUGH IT WAS INSTIGATED BY THEIR BENEVOLENT FACULTY AND INTENDED TO PROVE OF LASTING BENEFIT TO THE, THEY SUFFERED GREATLY. MANY HAD THEIR GROWTH RETARDED A YEAR BY IT, AND A FEW, PERMANENTLY DISABLED, LEFT THE FRESHMAN CLASS FOREVER. THIS DISASTER WAS CALLED "FINAL EXAMINATION", AND RANKS AS ONE OF THE WORST MASSACRES OF THE TIME.

WITH THE COMING OF THE NEXT JULY, THEY RECEIVED A NEW NAME. BECAUSE OF THEIR SKILL IN ACQUIRING THE CUSTOMS OF THE SCHOOL THEY WERE RENAMED SOPHOMORES, AND THE PROCESS WAS CALLED BY A NATIVE NAME "PROMOTION".

IN THE THIRD YEAR, OWING TO AN OLD EDUCATIONAL CUSTOM, THE SOPHOMORES BECAME JUNIORS, AND HTEIR PROMOTION MADE THEIR SENSE OF IMPORTANCE INCREASE OUT OF ALL DUE PROPORTION.

THIS WAS A YEAR OF HARD WORK, AND THE DREADED ORDEAL OF EXAMINATIONS WAS PASSED WITH FEW CASUALTIES.

AND NOW, WE COME TO THE FOURTH AND GREATEST YEAR IN THE HISTORY OF THE CLASS. THEY AUTOMATICALLY BECAME SENIORS IN JULY. WITH THE GAINING OF THIS TITLE, THEY BEGAN TO TAKE THEMSELVES MORE SERIOUSLY THAN EVER BEFORE. AND WHEN I SAY "SERIOUSLY", I MEAN "SERIOUSLY"! AS THE YEAR DREW TO A CLOSE THEY WERE POSITIVELY DIZZY WITH DIGNITY.

ALL THIS WAS LOOKED UPON WITH FRIENDLY AMUSEMENT BY TEACHER-EXPLORERS WHO REGARDED THE RESULT OF THEIR