U.S.S. LANE ACTIVITIES

MATH CLUB AND TEAM

Did you ever wonder how an atom bomb works? Did you ever want to know how to do a cryptogram? Did you ever consider why trolley tracks were put where they are? These are some of the topics that are discussed at the Math Club every Tuesday afternoon. All the discussions are held in the simplest high school math language and everyone enjoys and understands them. Besides the knowledge that is gained each week, everyone has a good time; there is an informal and friendly atmosphere, and parliamentary procedure is not followed. The faculty adviser is Mr. Manheimer, the head of the Math Dept. At the end of each term a colossal party with refreshments and entertainment is held; the club is lucky to have some of Lane's best actors as members and everyone enjoys their humorous skits. Many of us Seniors who have belonged to this club have found it informative and entertaining.

Last term Lane ended up in fourth place. This was not in basketball or swimming, but in a team much less publicized, the Math Team. There's not much to watch at a Math meet; it's a game that taxes the brain, not the muscle. Five students from each school in the Interscholastic Math League get together in groups from two or three schools (Lane meets with Forest Hills High School and Far Rockaway High School). They each get the same six problems to work on and each person on each team that gets a right answer scores one point. Lane scored 37 points last term. Here's hoping the team's score will increase in direct proportion to the number of meets played.

Fred Bohne

THE LANE FORUM

The Lane Forum is a discussion group guided by Mr. Sondak of the History Department. This group takes up subjects of current importance. A question is posed and the discussion begins. The Forum is an extraordinarily stimulating group because it is comprised of the more-likely-to-debate students of Lane. Very little coaxing is necessary to get a meeting underway. The topics for the meeting are generally front-page news, and ideas are varied and valuable. At times, guest speakers attend the session to add still more information. The regular procedure for a meeting, however, is having a topic debated on by an appointed pan~, pro and con, and then afterwards throwing it open to the entire meeting. Satisfactory conclusions and answers are not always reached, but views, opinions, and factual material are given and received by everyone.

This club is worthwhile both educationally and socially. Its educational values are obvious. Socially, it is experience for public speaking and yet stirs-up a conscious-ness that what the other person is saying may also have value, as well as what you have to say. I would recommend the Lane Forum very highly as an extremely enjoyable and profitable part of the Lane students' extracurricular activities. It is a very painless way of learning a great deal.