Grafton High School - Re Echo Yearbook (Grafton, WV)

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(Uu' draftmt ffityh rlunil There are many people in Grafton who do not lealize that Grafton ha no High School building. The building used for high school purpose is inadequate for the needs of the pupils in the grammar school, leaving out of consideration the high school pupils. Ten years ago the number of pupils attending the Central Grammar school was so small that there was enough room in the grammar school building for the high school pupils, then numbering sixty. With the succeeding years the attendance on the grammar school has grown in proportion to the attendance on the high school, and instead of sixty pupils in the high school, and three teachers, there are now one hundred and forty pupils, and six teachers. The increase in pupils has caused an increased demand for room, so that the auditorium has been partitioned off into three class rooms, all unsanitary and crowded. Some of the rooms are lighted and ventilated by two windows, both on the same side of the room. The rooms on the third floor are so situated as to be veritable fire-traps. The stairway leading from the second to the third floor is very steep, narrow, and almost totally dark; making it necessary, in tire drills, to station some one on the landings to guard against accident. Since the new courses have been placed in the high school, it is necessary for the pupils at the expiration of every forty minutes, to change their class rooms. This change of classes always necessitates a trip up or down stairs, and this causes a loss of both time and energy. No one can really appreciate the inconvenience and danger unless he should come to this same building and follow us for one day. He will then say loudly, that all class rooms in a high school should be on one floor. In former years, there was only one course of study offered to high school pupils, and consequently, not much room was needed for libraries, reading rooms and labora- tories. Since that time this course has increased to three, English, Commercial and Preparatory, making the possibility ot necessary apparatus simplv out of the question. We are try ing to study science with a textbook and no apparatus, because we have no place to put it. We hear,often, remarks as to why High School pupils do not do more scientific work, the answer is simple: There is scarcely room to accommodate the pupils, and therefore, none for any appartus to work with. We are trying to study English under the same difficulty; we might get a library if we had room for it. The literary society, one of the most important and helpful exercises of the school, had to be discontinued, because there was no room large enough for all the pupils to assemble in. While we all know that athletics is used principally as a drawing card to High School, we also feel that it is the duty of a school to educate its pupils physically, as well as meniallv. W'e really have no pretence at a gymnasium. Before the third floor was cut up into small class rooms, the auditoruim was large enough for basket-ball practice; now we have nothing. Does Grafton, think you, realize that her future citizens are being sent to school in a place unfit for any purpose; that in just such measure as she has meted out to her High School pupils, it will in turn, be meted out to her? Although Grafton has a large debt, it she will give us our needs, we, as future citizens, will show her just how far our strength will reach, in liquidating any indebtedness incurred in our behalf. Right always wins, and we know that we will have a High School Building in the future, but—How long, O Graftonians—how long?

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THE BOARD OF EDITORS AT WORK.

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Siograpluj THOMAS J. HUMPHREY was born at Cairo, Richie County, January 25, 1867. He moved to Meadland,Taylor County, in 1876. where he attended the country schools. Later he entered the Fairmont Normal, from which institution he graduated in 1887. After graduation he taught in the country schools for three years. He then served as principal of the Webster schools for two years; was principal of the West Grafton schools for three ye?rs; was principal at Philippi for three years. In 1899 he was made head of the Department of Mathematics in the Fairmont State Normal School, which position he held until 1901, when he accepted the princi-palship of the Fairmont High Scnool. In 1908 Mr. Humphrey was made superintendent of thEiGrafton City Schools, which position hetholris at the present time. Besides his school work, he has been County Superintendent of Taylor county for two years, and has been conducting county institutes since 1895. He is a member of the County Book Board, a member of the West Virginia Educational Association, and also of the National Educational Association.