Altoona High School - Horseshoe Yearbook (Altoona, PA)

Page 15 text:

gx 1.- J. sh- ,-v , My 9 fi .H Y f, f' ., vu -.we Qvxs..-x.1wvx.f','-,fwsx DR. A. BRUCE DENNISTON YOUTH TODAY FACES A WORLD OF CHANCE You young people of today live in a world vastly different from the one in which your grandparents grew up. Added to the influences of these times are, among other things, radio. television, and a new kind of newspaper which has had to compete with these new comnnmica- tion devices. l believe that it is no overstatement to say that you seniors have had no first-hand experience of anything but the uHbI10I'lH21l.,, Your short life of eighteen vears has spanned a depression, urgent preparation for war, then war, a short period of readjustment, and again preparation for the defense of our American ideals. As one who believes that our American sys- tem of individual initiative, individual rewards, and individual liberties has more to offer you than any other system so far devised, I am na- turally concerned that vou be well equipped to understand the operation of this system. And so through literature, history, economics, etc., we have tried to give you perspective and a glimpse of the fundamentals upon which our system is based. From reflecting the thinking of great authors of literature, from considering the history book wherein is stored the memory of things said and donef' you will find that change and progress are not always the same thing and that the latter is a slow process, and that through all times there have been sincere men who took opposite views on questions of great human importance. How- ever, that which has endured has done so only because it has stood the test of time. May you, by evaluating the pressing problems of today against this background of the past, gain some vision for the future.

Page 14 text:

President IRECTOR ' Few people realize the responsi- bility carried by the nine men who comprise the Board of School Direc- tors for the School District of the Citv oi- Altoona. These nine men super- vise the expenditure of 32,850,000 this term and oversee a school system that has over 11,000 students and 600 pro- fessional and non-professional em- ployees. School district property, evaluated by a nationallv known com- pany this term, is appraised at a re- placement value of fi518,483.000 and sound value of 313,869,000 The Board continued its program of renovation and improvement of school buildings, including new roofs for four buildings, modern lighting in five buildings, remodeling of heating plants, etc. As a final note, the 1951-52 year marks the first time in local history that a Woman was elected to serve as a director. PAUL R. REYNOLDS Producer OF THE TELECAST W. H. Burchfield Gwynne Dodson David Getz WV. F. Lehmann 'QS J. K. MCNHII Jr. Marjorie March Frank Marsh Roy F. Thompson

Page 16 text:

MR. JOSEPH N. MADDOCKS SCHOOLS, LIKE PEOPLE, MUST KEEP UP TO DATE Your theme this year implies that schools, as well as people, must keep up with the times. Not onlv must the textbooks and equipment be ad- justed to the changing conditions, but what is more important, the philosophy which the school seeks to inculcate in each student must be one that will serve him well in these increasingly complex and troubled times. It is the aim of our school to impart to each graduate a philosophv of living that will promote progress and real liv- ing. not onlv for the individual but also for all mankind. Heal living means satisfactory dailv contacts with people. people as individuals. people as groups, and people as nations. Heal living means awareness of the spiritual as well as the phvsical, the cultural as well as the me- chanistic. Any good nhilosophv of living recognizes that life is filled with stress and strain. for the essence of life is struggle and striving for the better wavs and the better things. VVhen the light and will for advancement and betterment go out of an individual or nation, the end is in sight. Security and freedom from care in every step of our lives from infancy to senility, either through government or group action, is im- practical and absurd. It destroys the incentive for Work and increases the tendency to sloth. In the long run, each man-not the government -is responsible to himself for his wav of living and what he contributes to life. Onlv bv awak- ening the inefficient and slothful with an inspira- tion for real service-to oneis self as well as to others-can the world make trustworthy growth. Genuine progress can be achieved onlv through sustained and honest effort. Chaos is upon the world todav and a real challenge faces everv member of this class. May the lessons learned in the Altoona High school equip you for a future of progress, achievement. and a good life.