Horace Mann High School - Horace Manual Yearbook (Gary, IN)

Page 31 text:

One hundred years ago in 1849, leisure time amusements of young ladies and gentlemen were likely to be spelling or husking or quilting bees, house warmings, and square dances. In the schools, scrolls of merit, embellished with mottoes to hang in the best parlor, were awarded to praise-worthy students. The 1949 high school pupil’s notions of desirable pastimes may have al¬ tered, but modern Horace Manners still prize rewards of merit if they come in the shape of the coveted scroll of membership in either Jun¬ ior or Senior Honor Society. To rec¬ ognize scholarship as a worthy goal is the main object of these two or¬ ganizations. To be deemed worthy of membership, a candidate must meet other rigid qualifications — character, leadership, and services to the school—besides ranking high in his classes. Town meetings and public gath¬ erings where men displayed forensic feats have ever been dear to Ameri¬ cans. Small wonder then that debate remains a popular pastime in 1949. Constructive thinking brought about through a serious consideration of both sides of a controversial issue is the goal of the Debate Club. Al¬ though many newcomers partici¬ pated in debate trials this year, the teams won sufficient laurels to en¬ courage the new aspirants. In addi¬ tion to engaging in two debating leagues, the club sponsored several discussion meetings for pupils from various Gary high schools. One of the veteran debaters, Joel Yonover, brought distinction to the organiza¬ tion when representatives journeyed to Purdue to take part in the annual Indiana State Legislative Assembly for high school students. The Hor¬ ace Mann delegation introduced two bills; one on Fair Employment Prac¬ tices; the other in behalf of World Peace. Both failed to pass, but Joel was voted one of the three outstand¬ ing speakers at the convention. This distinction won him an appointment on the Steering Committee which will run the 1950 convention. In 1849 chess was much esteemed by all ages and types. What a sur¬ prise to find that our very up-to-date teenagers find this brain-teasing pas¬ time a delight. A small but enthu¬ siastic group of boys form the Chess Club. Many preliminary practice bouts take place before the yearly championship tournament begins. Bill Bachemeyer, president, again won the championship. Not with pick and shovel did Bill dig up his golden reward, but with wily strat¬ egy and those little black and ivory statuettes. Other members are even now practicing in hopes of taking the laurels away from Bill in 1950. Who does not long to see himself in print ? The urge to write finds ex¬ pression at H.M. in three publica¬ tions. The Penman, a yearly publica¬ tion, prints the best of verse and short prose bits written by junior and senior authors. In March many a lad and lass can be seen scribbling industriously ; many a scrap of paper covered with rhyming words lies forgotten on a study hall desk. Al¬ most everyone dreams that his poem may be accepted for that slim white booklet. An American institution, the newspaper, which has flourished since the days of Ben Franklin now provides an extra-curricular outlet for other budding writers. The Mann-U-Script, which keeps Horace Mann up-to-date and well-informed on the current school happenings, offers pupils of all grade levels a laboratory course in writing. Be¬ sides news, the paper carries many extra special features that add spice to the context. Fashion news, record ratings, and clever classroom quips are just a few of these. The staff, which consists of about twenty stu¬ dents, found a deficit threatening their project, but did not despair. With the aid of Mr. Reising, the sponsor, they assembled talent from ail Gary high schools for a Benefit Show, the likes of which would have amazed the panhandlers of ’49. Prizes were awarded to the best acts. The show was a huge success in two ways—it helped the Mann-U- Script pocketbook and it gave a won-