Newton High School Class of 1958

                         Thanks to Dan Morrison for this photo picturing several members of                      Newton High School  Class of 1958.  

 Please email or comment if you can identify any of the folks pictured above.

"Why do books have to be depressing in order to be considered great?"

"Why do books have to be depressing in order to be considered great?" asked Deron when he was in junior high school. A thought-provoking question . . . .

On Writing A Shakespearean Sonnet

Having tried her best to craft a sonnet à la Shakespeare (in response to her English teacher's writing assignment), Marash Girl was excited to learn what the teacher had thought of her efforts. How disappointed she was (Marash Girl . . . and probably the teacher, as well) when Marash Girl's sonnet was returned, and Marash Girl saw no comments, but rather the sixth letter of the alphabet, capitalized in red ink, at the top of her paper. Vahan Topalian's response? "Don't worry about it! She would have given Shakespeare an F!!!"

AP Chemistry and Anti-Semitism in Newton High School in the !950's

Teacher JCH (addressing the brightest kid in the room) asked Abe to stand up in Marash Girl's high school AP Chemistry class, and for no apparent reason,laced into him. "You and your people . . . " he began. And continued in a diatribe, the details of which Marash Girl prefers not to remember. Marash Girl, unable to tolerate the anti-Semitism, stood up and addressed the teacher. "You can't talk to him like that!" she exclaimed. The bell rang. The members of the class, with no comment, headed out to the hall so as not to be late for their next class. Two weeks later, report cards were issued. Marash Girl had averaged straight A's in that chemistry class, but that's not the letter of the alphabet that appeared on her report card. Can't imagine why!!!

FEEDING THE DUCKS

Marash Girl learned about metaphor early on in life. The metaphor? "Feeding the ducks!" Do you, dear reader, know to what this metaphor refers? If you graduated from Newton High School, you may recognize the reference . . . A prize for the first correct answer!!!!