New Britain herald., 1927-04-30
H. 5. PUPILS SHOW
 POLITICAL SKILL
Banoting for Glass Officers Has
 Made Interesting History

To the outsider who has never had the opportunity of going 10 the Senior High school for its three year course of study. the school is nothing more than any other school with its buildings, teachers, black boards, chalk, boys and girls who dress better than their parents or older brothers and sisters. But 10 the 'old grad and the pupils of the school the place is small com munity with all the fundamentals of community life.
 At an age in it's existence fhe school began to organize clubs. hold assemblies of the student body and to vote on questions of the school. The students showed much of the American democratic spirit when they would work hard for their candidates during the election period but If their candidates lost they would assume the attitude of good sportsmcn and cooperate with the victor.
 As far back as could be remem- bered the students annually voted for officers for their class. There has always been a fractional spirit about these elections. In the early days when all the students of the school were housed in the academ- ic building facing Franklin square the battles would be between those who represented themselves as the 'old American stock" and those who did not. During the cleo tion open hostility would be shown on many occasions but q general desire for fair play would always be felt since this was the attitude asked by Principal Louis r. Slade and his predecessors.
 The enrolment of the school in- creased to such proportions that it was necessary that a new building be built on Bassett street which would take care of pupils electing the commercial courses. Then the rivalry between buildings followed. The principal contest would be for the presidency Of the senior class. If q pupil was to be chosen for any honor'the seniors first thought was whether he was in the No- cational or academic building.
 This growing breach between the two buildings was healed when Principal Slade ruled that each building be given 9 turn in receiv- ing the honor. The vocational build ing would elect the president and secretary and the academic build- ing would elect a vice president and treasurer. Then the order would be reversed during the following year. Later all the first year students were housed in the vocational build ing and the upper c!assmen had their headquarters in the academic building.
 Just as matters were beginning 10 look peaceful, the high school fra ternities and sororities began to get control. These organizations did not limit their wo"l. 10 any particu- lar branch of eAtrt curricula actiNi- ties. Work was done in the cleo
 
 captains and to aid fellow members 70 gain honors and privileges on the athletic field.
 Their work brought down the disapproval of the school au'hori- ties and high school fraternitios were barred from the school. Their influence continued to hold and with few exceptions all honors went 10 a member of q fraternity.
 A sad sidelight to their work was in the failure to elect William r. Burns, considered the greatest ath- lete in the history of the school, 10 the captaincy of the football tean, because he did not belong to 1h" fraternity in power. He came back the next year and fought just &s hard, but he never had the oppor- tunity of graduation Tor few months after he played sensationa1ty in victory over the Hartford High school team he died. Sub,itutes were often elected over regulars in a bal tie for the captaincy. because of fraternity control.
 After years of undesirable pub licity brought about by the fraternl- ties, the authorities once again voted to recognize the fraternity and to have it function under faculty con- trol. The fratcrnities still have con trol although their methods are different than formerly.
 A student cOuncil was organized at one time. It was to be composed of members of the student body and delegates from the faculty. The students did not seem to take the proper attitude and the organi- zation was disbanded after short life.
 The oldest members of Welsh Sun day schools include woman SS