Benton Township High School - Scenic Yearbook (South Bloomingville, OH)

Page 8 text:

THE VALEDICTORY There Can Be No Moratorium ln Education Parents and friends, the class of 1950 welcomes you to this commencement service.. Your presence here tonight speaks of your faith in us and your interest in our school. This appreciation which you show by your presence makes us realize that you sincerely believe in our class motto, Knowledge Comes But Wisdom Lingers. Each epochal turn in the long trail of civilization has been marked by different sign- boards of education. On these signboards may be read the whole story of progress. Along the oriental routes were stones of tradition and tunnels for caste. Classical nations later built roads for statehood, which even yet are strewn with their marvelous achievements. Out of the medieval wilderness was blazed a path upon which only a few scholars who could read its mileposts were privileged to travel. The social efficiency viewpoint then opened the roads to the masses as it turned their faces toward a larger horizon. Universal edu- cation is the signboard replacing all previous ones. This principal of-educating everybody dates back to Colonial days. In order to escape the conflicts of adversity waged with ignorance, superstition, and persecution, our forefathers came to these shores and founded this free government. They soon discovered that such a government could not thrive except in an atmosphere of intelligence. So they laid the foundations for universal education by establishing common schools. The primary purpose of the school of yesterday was training for college: consequently, it served only a select group. The school of today reaches out a beckoning hand to all the children of all the people. The public high school is the great concrete expression of our democracy. Last year its enrollment, according to statistics, was over 6,460,000 pupils. The expansion of its curriculum to include vocational courses, trade and industrial education, homemaking, com- mercial departments, science, health and physical education, art, music, and social science subjects as well as classical courses, shows its constant adjustment to a more complete and balanced program in response to changing needs and conceptions. The establishing of evening schools, supervised summer playgrounds, continuation and part time classes, and classes for handicapped children marks further attempts to equalize educational opportunity American public opinion has spoken in no uncertain terms. It desires an institution of secondary school grade to minister to all American children, not to a small group of lead ers alone. The sustaining motive of public education has many phases: It has an economic phase. We believe an educated citizenship will run a better government. It has a political phase. We believe it will make men more productive. lt has a strong moral motive. We believe education will help men to behave in a seemly manner and improve their chances of living together in peace. The state in promoting public education is not actuated by motives of philanthropy and charity. It is trying to provide for the economic independence of its citizens, an in- dependence which is finally won by the efforts of the individual. The state acts under the influence of self interest and hope of perpetuation. If the state is to prosper and become great, it must be sustained by the intelligence, the moral stamina, and the political sagacity of its citizens. There is no philanthropy of altruism in such an attitude. When the state invests in the public school or in public health, it is looking for sub- stantial benefits to itself, although such benefits may come indirectly. 7

Page 7 text:

MAXINE JOHNSON Class Officer .......... Orchestra . . . Drainatics. . . Glee Club. . . . . . Sextet........... County Music Program. . . F.H.A.......... .. NORA HART Class Officer .... . . . Dramatics ........ Glee Club. ........ . County Music Program. . . . . F.H.A., ..... .. VYONNE AMERINE Drarnatics........... GleeClub......... .. County Music Program. . . . F.H.A.......... .. ANASWINE Class Officer. . . . . . . . . . Drunutics. . . . . . . . . Glee Club. . . . .... . . . County Music Program. . . 1 .H.A. .... . . . . . . . JUNE UNGER Class Officer ..... . . . . . Orchestra. . . . Dramatics. . . . . . . . . Glee Club ..... , . . . . . County Music Program. . . F. H. A .... . .... . . . GEOR GE CUL P Basketball ........... Dramatics. . , I 1 4 6

Page 9 text:

The public school is an effort to enable every child born under our flag to do four things well: 1. To become an individual in his own name and right. He wants to be separate, distinct, and different from every other individual. He does not desire to be merely one of the group, or a specimen of a kind, but an entity which has a value within itself. Such an individual is steadfast and will not change his outlook as does the weathercock, with every puff of the wind. Z. To become a self determined individual. If he succeeds in this he will be able to carry his own economic load, to sustain his own moral attitude and vote his own tick- et. The old apprentice system put the individual in a groove from which he could not es- cape., except by almost superhuman effort. The public high school sets the youth on a plane of opportunity. Within the limits of his ability, he can determine for himself the direction his life will take. On that level he can free himself from economic slavery. 3. To become a co-operative individual. Co-operation implies equality. Without equality there can be no co-operation and society becomes stratified and one group sits astride the neck of another. In America we have been looking toward a different kind of a civilization, one predicated upon the Declaration of Independence, and we have set up the public school to sustain it. 4. To become a participating individual. Democracy means participation: our whole governmental fabric rests upon that basis. Every citizen has his part. This is, in brief, what Horace Mann and Thomas Jefferson said the school would do for a free people. This, too, is the philosophy which has pushed it forward and caused the Amer- ican people to pour out their money in almost unlimited millions. In all past civilizations the course of rise and decay has followed a simple, regular order. First, there has been struggle, then a rise, then decay, and finally, destruction at the hands of cruder and more rugged peoples. Such would have been the destiny of Amer- ica too, but for the two major forces controlling American lifeg namely Our democratic form of government and our determination to provide universal and equal opportunity for education. Under our democratic government every farmer's boy may see in Lincoln the con- crete proof that he may aspire to any level of eminence for which he is qualified and can properly train and prepare himself: in Rockefeller a similar proof that it is not unrea- sonable for him to aspire to power and material wealth. These are only examples that show the stiznulating opportunity offered by a demo- cratic system of education. The disproportionately large numbers of leaders and men of ability in American life of the past who have risen from less fortunate surroundings prove that training and edu- cational opportunity must be provided for all equally, so that the problems imposed by present day civilization may be met with the full force of all the intelligence of the whole nation equipped with the best known training. Nothing less will suffice to hold the tide of American civilization at flood. The story of education in America is a story of real importance to all young people who are being graduated from our free high schools. The promise of the constitution has been fulfilled by furnishing to all equal opportunity for education. We believe the permanence of our political institution, the soundness of our moral, ethical and religious principles and our material prosperity are dependent upon this equal opportunity. Let There Be No Moratorium In Education. --Norma Hart- - 8