Catholic Central High School - Banner Yearbook (Fort Madison, IA)

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HIS T 01? Y Benefits of History History, history-and more his- tory, seems there's no let-up. Why, I'm sure I could have defeated Lee myself. He ought to have given up a long time before he did. VVhy-- Say, stop and come to bed. Don't you think a fellow wants to sleep? VVcll, if you'd have to prepare nine paragraphs of history for tomorrow you'd study too. R, A. AALGER Aw! what good is history going to do you, and besides-if you want to study, kindly do so with less noise. VVhy I know that book from cover to covcr, and since you're bound to keep me awake, I'm going to tell you a thing or so about history. No you don't. I gotta study. Besides, I know as much as you do any way. All right! What does history mean? That's easy! VVhy, history is -alwell-ia- There now! You don't even know the first question. Listen to me and I'1l tell you the gist about history. Consider now for a few moments 'the excel- lence and importance of the study of history. Let us take, for an example, our own picturesque U. S. A. How did it become such a grand and glorious repub- lic? VVhy is it the hallowed sanctum of each and every American patriot? To answer these questions satisfactorily we must needs roll back the curtain of the remote past and trace the origin, growth, development, and progress of this great nation of ours, once a vast wilderness peopled by savage tribes. When our forefathers landed on that memorable day in I62O they faced a monstrous undertaking, but they spurned no sacrifice, they suffered untold hardships, trials, and sorrows a hundredfold to lay the foundations of a new nation. Heartaches there were and failures too, but never discouragement or surrender. No, each unsuccessful effort seemed but to spur them on to higher and greater aspira- tions and hopes, till finally they triumphed and eventually bequeathed to us this beautiful America, which we gaze upon today with boastful pride and pro- claim 'the land of the free and the home of the brave.' And now you are going to ask me how I come to know all this. VVell, were it not for History, you and I, in fact, the whole world would be at a loss to know the why and the wherefore of this great republic. There would be no such thing as real patriotism, for one cannot love what one does not know. Therefore, the very first and greatest advantage derived from the study of any history, but especially that of one's own loved native land, is to know it better that we might love and esteem it more. -NORBERT ROSE '28. ' I it ONE HUNDRED AND ONE

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IS THE STUDY OF SPANISH IN THE HIGH SCHOOL A WASTE OF TIME? Is anything studied in the Grade School, in the High School, in College. or at a University, a waste of time? Yes, and no! Yes, if a subject is pursued just for the sake of filling up a schedule, then it is a positive waste of time. If a subject is added to one's course just to follow the line of least resistance, it is a waste of time. But no, if a student in choosing his subjects has a definite end in view, be that either informatory or simply cultural. Both ends are laud- able and justify a stuflent's choice of subjects. Now t11e knowledge of foreign languages is par excellence, highly cultural, especially must this be said of the German, the French, the Italian, and the Svpanish. Of these French and Spanish are almost needed in the southern part of our country, I mean needed by business men, professional men, bank ern- ployes and such whose daily work brings them in contact with those who speak these languages. Apart from this commercial importance of foreign languages, their cultural value should be considered. Is it not better to be able to speak more than one's mother-tongue? Is not every study an asset, a resource that bears interest a hundredfold? Moreover, every language has a literature wherein are expressed the best thoughts of the best minds of all times. VVhat a fountain of knowledge is thus opened to us! The same may be said of tl1e Spanish. The Spanish nation, like every other, has had its great luminaries, its keen minds, its entrancing sing- ers who from the fullness of their overfilled souls sang of the beauties of their native hillsg fired with martial airs the patriotism of their fellowmeng deplor- ed in pathetic lyrics the wrongs suffered by their people at the hands of oth- ers, gave praise to God in pious hymns and songs and above all perpetuated the history of their country in their incomparable Epic, the Cid. If all this and much more can be garnered into a receptive mind by the careful, thorough study of Spanish, why should it be a waste of time? -CARL SUPER '28. ONE HUNDRED

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ONE HUNDRED AND TWO