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

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1:11 L.JI.' I 'CDI-8 1.9.1.4 A 'uzatzon of Another Sort Chirp! Chirp! Chirp I and Birdie Young soliloquizes on the possible dan- gers of his falling from the nest and the marvelous feats of his older brothers who have accomplished the most diflicult task in the world-learning to fly. Soon he, too, will have accomplished that task, but, of course, the knowledge and strength with which to attain this end will not just drop from a clear sky, so Mother Bird takes great pains to teach Birdie Young first the primary then the elementary and advanced steps of that great art which even men-until recently-were not able to acquire, namely flying. Have you seen any Birdie Youngs at East High School? Surely, you must have, for all our students are nothing, more or less, than Birdie Youngs. Dear East High is the soft, cozy nest, and the entire faculty is combined into one loving creature-one of God's noblest creations-the Mother' Bird. Learning to fly, however, is not the lesson our Mother Bird holds in store for us, because East High is not a school of aviation. Here our chief, lessons consist of learn- ing to climb gradually. .lust as Birdie Young contemplates the height of his nest and the consequent danger of his falling, so the students of E. H. S. are contemplating the loads of responsibility they will soon be shouldering when they enter college or the business world. East High students may also marvel at the wondrous feats of their elder brothers, for large is the number of Lee Township grads who have made good. Sometimes Birdie Young thinks that Mother Bird is really giving him far too many lessons in the art of flying: how easy it seems to be able to fly, after all! Only one unsuccessful attempt proves to Birdie Young that he was mis- taken. In like manner, our overwisc students feel that our Mother Bird is just stuffing them full of all kinds of useless knowledge which can not possibly benefit anyone. Why waste so much time? Couldn't the course beeasily short- cned to three years? There is no need for all these unnecessary bits of polish. English in not such large doses, a little less of Math, and by all means a great cut 011 history would absolutely strengthen the wings of all the Birdie Youngs. Cunningly, Mother Bird smiles to herself and encouragingly adds, Fly away, foolish birdie. Fly away! and many of the braver Birdie Youngs, taking things entirely too much for granted, fly away, that is, attempt to fly away, but with little success. After long periods of struggle those birdies, not too proud, come back to Mother Bird beseeching her to begin all over again and teach them to fly the right way. To this Mother Bird, being a mother, kindly con- sentsg but alas! Those too proud to go back die with the knowledge that they were unable to take pride in the greatest accomplishment of featllerdom- flying. Boys and girls act much like the spoiled birdies. Believing that Life holds more in store for them without an education, many students leave school. Soon, however, they discover the mistake of a lifetime, and those quick to realize it go back to school all the better students from that brief, telling ex- perience. Not caring to acknowledge that undeniable fact, the rest continue in their little game of hide and seek with Dame Fortune, few ever reaching the piunacles-just as the birds-and none having the satisfaction derived from higher learning. It is queer that we are often rude and refuse to open the door when Op- portunity knocks. Hark! She may be knocking now! Page Nine

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3 X Which Way Do You Tumi? It is generally conceded that a person will seldom lay down a book by Hamlin Garland once he has started read'ng it, so effectively do these books hold the reader's attention by their extremely interesting style. llaving lived with the pioneers and been a pioneer himself, Mr. Garland relates from actual experience the joys and hardships of the early settlers. Histories do not give all of the history of the settlement of the Middle YVest and however complete they may bc, they fail to leave in the mind of the average reader a clear knowledge of the period. Novels written with historical back- ground impress one with the history of a pa1'tieular period in American history since the facts are interwoven with the characters and plot of the novel. Today Mr. Garland's works arc to be found in all public libraries and schools throughout the United States and as a result, students in the East or elsewhere may know as much about the carly Middle YVest as we who live in its center. From all appearances, at least, the golden corn is responsible for the prosperity of Iowa and not her industries. Those who know Iowa say, that east, west, north or south, nowhere in the world is there a better land for the industrious, and that is the reason it did not take two or three hundred years to settle it and to develop its farms which reap such golden harvest. There were no trees to cut d0XV11 or rocks to remove from the soil before the hardy men and women who made the Middle Nvest guided their plowshares through the virgin sod which nourished the waving prairie grass. Hamlin Garland was only a boy during the period that the Middle WR-st was being settled, yet he made the decision then to be an author when he should. grow to manhood. No living author has so well portrayed the people who struggled to conquer the prairics as Hamlin Garland has done. As we know him today, he is a man of imposing stature, friendly character, and a kindly countenance. Members of the Quill staff who acted as ushers when Mr. Garland gave a lecture at the Hoyt Sherman Place in June, 1927, found that he had a mighty handshake. Because the experiences of a boy and girl are told in his books, A Son of the Middle Border, and A Daughter of the Middle Border, girl and boy alike enjoy to read them. Not every student intends to be a writer, for the simple reason that he does not have that inclination, but he may be able to excel in something else. YVhat- ever one may do best, that work counts for nothing if it is 11ot gone into with the idea of putting one's all into it. Hamlin Garland had a definite mission in mind, that of preserving to young Americans the traditions and customs of the early middle west. He saw in himself a literary trend and with self confidence, which is needed by all who would succeed, he strove to educate and prepare him- self for the task of writing stories which would keep for Iowa the history of its forefathers. VVhen today we see his works widely read, we see a challenge to the stu- dents of Iowa high schools, that of producing literature which will distinguish this period. The Middle West needs participants in business and trade, but she also needs writers. VVhicl1 way do you turn? Page Ten