Central High School - Snips and Cuts Yearbook (Charlotte, NC)

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sents a school from its different points of view. This was our first attempt at anything of this kind, and we were discouraged by the multitude of obstacles that presented themselves, but after some hard work we managed to sur- mount them. This alone would have been a featherin our caps, if We had done nothing else, for the work connected with such an enterprise is anything but easy. It may appear to those that read these facts that We are trying to leave the impression that we have accom- plished something out of the ordinary, but such is not our intention. What We do mean is to show that we have Worked to make our school what other high schools are, and What our's should beg to create an interest in the school that it may obtain more studentsg and to more clearly set forth our attitude towards the welfare of our school. JAMES I. MCCALLUM, JR., '10. :-UNL 2NxN.,fff'-- - - ' . -' XS,-jzfa 'wigs-0 mer, W' ' -,I f 'f 5 J, W 13

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Hrngrrzz in Ihr High Svrhnnl CLOSE observation of this year's High School Work will show that much has been done by the students to bring our standard up to the level in which the other high schools rank. When We speak of raising our standard We do not mean educationally, for since the addition of the eleventh grade our standard along educa- tional lines is parallel with that of other high schools, but what We do mean is that We have striven to bring our school into the circle of real high schoolism by organizing the societies and organizations common to high schools. The first step taken in this direction was to organize a literary society. Before the addition of the eleventh grade, the tenth grade held monthly class meetings, and after the eleventh was added We formed a literary society, in which both tenth and eleventh grades met the fourth Friday of every school month. Some of the most pleasing programmes Were arranged, which were a pleasure, not only to the students, but to the numerous visitors that attended these meetings. The second step, and one which is just as important to the welfare of the schools as the former, Was the or- ganization of an athletic association. Up to this time ath- letics in our school had been practically dead, although several years ago a foot ball team was organized by the tenth grade, but since that time nothing has been done in the athletic line. Under this head the different depart- ments of athletics taken up Were as successful as could be expected, for the association is in its embryonic form and it remains for those Who follow us to keep the ball rolling. The third and most important step was to get out an Annual Magazine. This, we consider, the most important of our numerous undertakings, because a magazine repre- 12

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Uhr Nveh nf EI Ziuninezz Qlnurm in Q9nr High Svrlgnnl HE AGE in which We are living is largely commer- cial. The people of our Nation are to a great extent dominated by this commercial spiritg We feel the throb of business life about us on all sides, Business life has become very alluring to the majority of young people, and there is an ever increasing tendency to dispense with classical culture. Never before in the history of this country have the girls in our schools felt so constrained to equip themselves for business lifeg for upon their shoulders frequently rests, to a degree, the support of the Whole family. Labor-saving machinery has in a great measure blocked the avenues that were once open to young men of untrained minds. Then competition is now so keen that the man who achieves success in busi- ness life must obtain necessary equipment. Impressed with these facts the boys and girls, failing to enjoy in the graded school advantages for business training, drop out before they have reached the high school course. By so doing they deprive themselves of the classical training that would be acquired if they completed the high school work. The introduction of a business course at the begin- ning of the seventh or eighth grade, and its continuation through the high school would serve to retain many girls and boys Who, under existing circumstances, leave the school in search of business education. This results in the incurring of greater expense to the young people, a loss of possible culture, and a measure of just reflection on our graded school system. The conclusion is unescapable that our graded school system, while doing excellent Work in many respects, does not fully meet the requirements of present day conditions. LILLIAN SHAW, '10. 14