East High School - Quill Yearbook (Des Moines, IA)

Page 13 text:

Q so vt' rv..-fn--U. -. ' e 2. .e.......'. -,,-.,.v,.-. ,..,.--.l-.f, V. - .. l V., -J V --,y . ,I if' . n : . ss 5 ' ,4 - 3: H .. . :ww ' F -1 Q' 1 - A I' w f' xii., lyk ,. . 4 Q . niiwnnl s f . H ,- S9l'gg'6ZlllllZ Ralph Whittle URJING the summer, confirmation of the death of Sergeant Ralph Whittle was received by his parents. A year ago the twenty-sixth of iast October his parents were informed that he was slightly wounded. Repeated inquiries of the War department failed to amplify this information. Vari- ous comrades of his wrote that they had seen him, no two at the same place. As time went on these comrades returned to this country, but could tell nothing definite, as to his whereabouts. So matters went on, his friends alternating ,between hope and despair. Last summer, almost a year after he had been killed. his folks receivefl a letter from a German officer, Whose duty it was to keep track of the relatives of the dead and wounded. He enclosed papers found in his cont, by the soldienwho had killed him. Among them was a letter to nis sister, znfl addresses of Des Moines boys, his companions. y Ralph Whittle was a graduate of this school, Well lemembei ed by many of the faculty. . L .J

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2 een 4' we all know that fresh air is the best remedy for everything, why is it that we absolutely refuse to take a bit of it into our lungs? How can our brains be expected tc- be at their best when they are not properly nourished? Which class will be the first to report that it had ALL the windows up ALL the period? Just get Clare ice KL Co. to put on their coats and keep quiet and then ask the teacher if she can't notice an improvement in the recitation. The East High Spirit N THE Fall a great part of theschool's interest is centered in football. And with football come pep meetings. East High has been having pep meetings this season which have have been more or less animated, but not over enthusiastic. Our ex- cellent yell leaders have worked hard and valiently, giving both time and energy trying to instill in us a true spirit of -pep. But their efforts had been almost in vain as we did not respond with any depth of feeling. However when three bells rang Monday morning after the Storm Lake game every student at East High went into the assembly room with more interest and enthusiasm than shown so far this season. We had felt that our team was almost invincible, they had won every game of the season up until this one and we were over confident. We did not realize that they needed backing, and we had accepted each victory assuredly. But when that fateful report reached us Saturday night that our boy's had been defeated, had lost the chance for the state-champion-ship, we began to Wonder. Was it their fault or ours? Perhaps we had not shown the right spirit, perhaps if we had done our part the game might have turned out better. It was well that those three bells were rung at eight-thirty Monday morning. East High had awakened! East High had begun to think! We had met our first defeat but we were by no means conquered. We didn't blame our boys. We knew there was nothing the matter with them. We knew they lhad done their part, it was for us to do ours. To be sure they had lost. No matter whose fault it was, they were still our boys' and we were for them through and through. East High regained her lost pep, her true spirit that morning. Years ago that same spirit had been predominant, and then for a time it had lost its vim. But it was there lurking in the background, only waiting for the right time when it should come forth again. Now the old spirit, the old feeling has come. When was there ever such an assembly before? Since when had we shown such pep? Not just a few of us, all of us! We were as one single voice, one feeling, one power, one spirit! East High that spirit has made you what you are. Katherine Kountz, '22. Page Ei ghtt

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. Mell Bollinger ECAUSE Mell Bollinger contributed an unusual share of kindness, friendliness, and happiness to the atmosphere of our school life, his death has brot to East High an unusual amount of real sorrow. It has been hard to have him go from us because it was particularly pleasant to have him with us. His friendly smile, his jolly gieetings, his love of funl. his quick re- sponse to the needs of others, his appreciation of every little kind- ness, his whole-sruled enthusiasm for friends and school,-the-so are the things which endeared him to both faculty and student body of East High. He fought his losing fight with sickness as gamely and as bravely as he had fought upon the gridiron, and he Was ready tcm accept unconiplaixiiiigly the outcome. Strengthenecl by faith and by the sacraments of the churchg he faced the great moment, not afraid to die. His were the merry heart and the brave spirit which find life always worth While and which do not flinch before death. For his gayety and his bravery he has been clear to us and his days among us will be a happy memory to us all. Miss McBride.