Ishpeming High School - Hematite Yearbook (Ishpeming, MI)

Page 28 text:

ll among parents and faculty that we, the mem- bers of this class, do not want to work, The facts, however, contradict this contention. A little more than three-quarters of the class have jobs of one kind or another. The aggregate sum of the weekly earnings amounts to almost 8300, an average of 32.75 per student a week. Most of the money made by the girls is earned by taking care of children, doing housework, and working in various business establishments in the city. Due to the war-time shortage of clerical help, the school makes its contribution to the war effort by arranging the schedule of classes so that students may have the after- noon for part-time jobs. One girl is employed at a local bank, and another is engaged in otlice work for the principal. The chief exertions among the boys seem to be delivering papers, clerking, and bringing in wood. One boy is employed at one of the banks. Of interest to note is the fact that 85 of the class have daily chores to perform, The health of the school child is watched from the time he enters school until he is grad- uated. By cooperating with the various local social service agencies, the school is able to provide many protective measures. As proof of this is the fact that 102 members of the class have taken the tuberculin test, and 85 have been vaccinated against smallpox. Other school examinations have revealed hearing and vision dehciencies, and these facts have been called to the student's attention. This year, acting in the interests of national defense, the physical training program has been extended to include commando type training. designed to build up endurance and resistance. The entire physical education course has been stepped up to provide the necessary wartime training. All students participated in the physical ed- ucation classes, with the exception of 9 girls and 4 boys who ere excused from regular gym activities upon a doctor's recommendation, Spe- cial gym classes, known as corrective classes, provide special training and care for those with recognized posture defe-cts, etc. Initiative is the priceless quality which causes- one to undertake voluntarily a search for solu- tions to problems that confront him. Initiative --it couldn't have been the Social Science De- partment!-has encouraged us to delve into the working of this great democracy of ours, and we find that three-fourths of the members have seen an election and have examined its work- ings, 44 per cent have visited a city council meeting, and one out of every five has seen a court trial, The class members have also recognized the value of travel as a means of furthering edu- cation and culture. From the records we see that almost '75 per cent have visited the points of interest in the Upper Peninsula, and over one-half of the class- have visited Chicago and Milwaukee. To one not familiar with the geo- graphical separation of the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan, it might seem strange that only 34 per cent have seen Lansing or Detroit. Two seniors have been privileged to travel from the east coas-t to the west coast, while one has traveled to the southernmost part of the United States. Out of the entire group Page Twenty-Four i only two have taken trips by plane, although many have had airplane rides. While travel by car is for has beenj most common, with the railroads providing the second most popular means of travel, jeep riding is comparatively new, but already 43 of the class have been for- tunate-or unfortunate-enough to have experi- enced this novelty. Many members of the class show evidence of some cultural background, 42 having visited large museums, 44 a large college campus, 35 an aquarium, and 31 a state capitol. One out of every four has seen both an army camp and a war plant. The point of interest that has drawn the largest percentage of the class is not the Field Museum nor the aquarium, but the zoo, Ironically enough, the scenes nearest home are the ones last visited. Only a very few of the class have ever been underground in a mine. However, with these figures and facts before us, it cannot be said that we don't get around much. It is to be doubted whether any elements of the t'regular curriculum are more truly edu- cative than the activities associated with mu- sic, forensics, and recreation and the like. It is because of this that the school encourages par- ticipation in the various extracurricular activi- ties. Virtually all of the class, 96 per cent to be exact, enjoys attending various athletic events in which '78 of the class like to take part. Ninety-four per cent Gnd a great deal of pleas-ure in outdoor life, hiking, camping, fish- ing, and the like, and well over half, 63 in all, derive a g1'eat deal of entertainment from band, orchestra, and vocal organizations. A somewhat smaller number, 67 per cent, indicat- ed a liking for various other activities. The val- ue of these so-called extracurricular activities is brought out by the fact that the army and navy are as interested in a student's participa- tion in them as they are in his academic work. In these unsettled times some mention should be made of the immediate future of the grad- uates, For many, the army is waiting with open arms. Twenty-four of the boys will have reg- istered for the draft by graduation time. Ten have already tried to enlist in the various ser- vices, including the Naval Air Service, the Uni- ted States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, the Army Air Forces, and other branch- es. One member of the class was accepted, and is now serving with the armed forces. Having satisfied graduation requirements before leav- ing, he will be entitled to his diploma at this time. One boy has been successful in enlisting in the Naval Reserve under the V-12 program. The girls also have shown an interest in the auxiliary services of the armed forces. Of course, the age limit excludes all of them at this time. However, 40 girls have indicated that they would like to join the WAAC's, 13 the WAVE's, 5 the SPAR's', 5 the Marine Aux- iliary, and 1 the WAF's, Although most of us have not been able to enter service yet, we have not neglected other ways of helping. During the bond drive of last April, the seniors purchased stamps and bonds averaging 51.65 per student. It was mentioned earlier that the average weekly earning was 52.75, which shows that 60 per cent of our earnings was invested in war stamps and bonds.

Page 27 text:

ll My PRESIDENTS ADDRESS In behalf of the Class of 1943, I most cor- dially extend our heartiest greetings to you our parents and friends. Having reached this goal which is of course but a milestone in the life which lies ahead of us, we pause to pay tribute to those who have made possible this commencement week. We are deeply indebted to the faculty and the Board of Education for their patient guidance and careful planning. Above all, we are exceeding- ly grateful to our parents whose insight and understanding kept many of us in school when we may have wished to drop out and go to work, join a branch of the armed forces or some such similar action. We may have grumbled and complained a bit along the way, but now when we can look back over our school years, we would not exchange them for anything. The Class of '43 is faced with one of the most perplexing problems that has ever con- fronted a graduating class, That is the prob- lem of our future educational training. The girls, of course, may continue their education just as prior to the war. In fact, it is impera- tive to the war effort that the girls do attend college. Manpower Commissioner Paul V. Mc- Nutt says that 65,000 young women must enter schools of nursing between June 1943 and July 1944 in order to meet the civilian and military needs. The fields of science and engineering are also open to women. Girls who excel in mathematics and science are well fitted for these professions. Their problem, then, is not one of limitation, -but rather one of deciding whether they should continue along these paths of fu- ture preparation, or should enter at once into the immediate fields of the war industries' or of the armed forces. Both are vital and the rightldecision undoubtedly lies with the indi- V1 ua . The problem which the boys face is even more confused and indeterminate, Many of the boys have already registered for selective service. Others will be eighteen before the summer is over, and will probably be drafted next fall. It is a very small minority of the boys in the class who will be eighteen after December of 1943. Some of these boys' could enter college for the summer term. With the present ac- celerated courses of study offered by the col- leges and universities, a boy might be able to finish two semesters by the end of the present year, However, no college or university will give a student the assurance that he will be permitted to finish a second semester. Many of the boys from las-t year's class did not do so. Only a few of the boys who did not attend col- lege are still in town and but a few who went to college are still there. All of this latter group say the same thing, It's no use going to college. It's just a waste of money. If this is true, then we can readily see that for most of us there isn't much chance of trying to continue our education along the normal pat- tern. For us who are either in the draft age or are near to it, there is but one course. As soon as we are inducted into the service, we can try to enter one of the many branches of specialized training offered by both the Army and Navy. There we can gain much in tech- nical skill and training. In the meantime both girls and boys can find things to do, Every one of us can pitch in and help defeat those, who by their greed and sel- fishness have disrupted the peaceful mode of living in all civilized nations. There are hun- dreds of ways we can do our bit toward win- ning the war. If we believe in our democracy and our American way of living, we must fight to keep them. In this task we shall not fail. -WILLIAM GRAY CLASS HISTCRY-STATISTICS The Class of 1943 continues' the custom of presenting something of the historical and sta- tistical background of the group, From an analysis of these facts and figures-, we hope to ascertain the trends of our community, and the resulting needs. This is the democratic ap- proach to the planning of an educational curri- culum. Since education and democracy have grown and developed together, it is now more vital than ever before that we should follow democratic procedures in determining our edu- cational policies. This class had its beginning as a unified group in Septembe1', 1930, when 157 were en- rolled in the kindergarten. Out of the 110 who are graduating in the class, 70 per cent are products of the Ishpeming Public School Sys- tem, the other 30' per cent having attended other schools at one time or another. According to Webster's Fifth Edition Diction- ary, the word education implies not only teach- ing, but also discipline and breeding. When we think of breeding we think of home back- ground, Delving into this, we find that either one or both of the parents of 41 students were born in foreign lands. This accounts for the fact that 15 per cent spoke no English at home prior to entering school. Today, after twelve or thirteen years of schooling, this is true in only a few cases. The English strain predom- inates in our class, with the other nationalities ranking in the following order: Finnish, Swed- ish, Italian, French, Norwegian, German, Irish, Danish, Greek, Scotch, and Austrian. The parents of 60 of the students' are of the same nationality. About 1 in 8 has only one parent living, 8 having lost their mothers and 10 having lost their fathers. Divorce is not common. In spite of the fact that there are numerous jobs' open to women at this time, only 12' of the mothers are working at full time 'obs. - J Many of our families were represented in the last war. The fathers of 30 seniors served in that war, and at the present time, only 1 fath- er is in active service, Forty-two fathers are registered for the draft. Thirty-seven members of the class have brothers serving at the pres- ent time, with a total of 47 brothers. It has long been the consensus of opinion Page Twenty-Three

Page 29 text:

Ll It would seem from this that our class has faith in our way of life, as well as a well-developed thrift instinct. A great many of us have taken part in the victory garden program. Last year 32 worked in gardens, and for the coming year, over 50 have indicated their intention of doing so. The school has also done its part in further- ing the war effort. This year for the first time, classes in mechanical drawing have been opened to girls, and 5 senior girls' availed them- selves of the opportunity, Recognizing the need for trained mechanics in industry, and the ad- vantages to prospective servicemen of a back- ground in auto mechanics, the school instituted a course in auto mechanics, in which 11 boys took part. For those interested in and plan- ning to enter aviation, two periods a week were devoted to training along this line. Ten boys Tl and 9 girls seized this chance to learn the fund- amentals of aeronautics, aerodynamics and re- lated subjects. A class in radio code communi- cation was also begun this year and 6 boys and 11 girls enrolled. Thus the school is doing its best to keep the student conversant with the prevalent industrial and commercial openings. In tracing the history and compiling the sta- tistcis of this senior class, we have brought to your attention the fact that many new edu- cational opportunities have been opened to us this year, and that a favorable number of sen- iors have availed themselves' of these privil- eges. Throughout the year we have been urged and encouraged to learn as much as possible, along as many lines as- possible, in order to fit ourselves for whatever lies ahead, whether it is to serve in the armed forces or to serve on the home front, -J. ROGER JOHNSON CLASS GIFTATORY-f-PROPHECY INTRODUCTION 'Tis nineteen-hundred fifty-threeg Our class has scattered far. lVe've traveled over land and sea To China, Spain, Dakar. Tonight we gather here to tell Of things our class has done. Each one throughout the world did well And erred not a one. We're gathered here to give our gifts To classmates who have done Much work to bring the Freedoms Four To each and every one, Our costumes represent the lands From Maine to Timbuctoo, For there each freedom now expands, And nothing is taboo. We've made them free from want in Greece, In China, free from fear. In Spain they have religious peace, - Free speech may all hold dear. In India is freedom too, Equality of man. This step of ours we'll never rue, We fought before the fight began. Smce equal freedom is sublime, A We've used some freedom too. A song, a proverb, slogan, rime Be in these gifts for you, Helen Agrella, journalist, a package of tums to help her digest the news-. Jeanne Amell, designer, will find use for this pencil to complete her designs on the one who is the apple of her eye. Constance Anderson, housewife, a balloon to make her Shortnin' Bread rise, Because Dorothy Anderson has won fame as an artist, we give her chalk to portray the White CliH's of Dover. . To Donald Andrew, eminent politician, we give this glue so that he will continue to stick to his promises. To Anthony Barbiere, international trader, we give this wire fine, For in all his days of salesmanship he has never run out of a line. When Nellie Beauchamp becomes a taxicab driver, she will need a lamp post to defy the law whey they say, You Can't Take It With You. To Elizabeth Bertucci, builder of morale Through the writing of mystery thrillers, We give this feather to help tickle the spines When out come her new killer-dillers-. Ralph Bietila, professional ski rider, will find this anchor useful to prevent him from being Gone With the Wind. We give this fine comb to Grace Blocken, pop- ular beauty operator, to comb out the best of gossip in her shop, To Rose Carello, social worker, this paint flipstickl to use when she goes on the warpath against crime and poverty. Since we've been banking on June Corlett, banker's assistant, to Save to save America. we give this map as proof. Betty Dawe, U. S. Senator, this tray will give her an opportunity to serve her country. To Frances DeCaire, designer in the South Sea Islands, this pair of overalls so she can be certain she will coverall. To Donald DeRoche, forester in the Ever- glades, this sniffer lnosej for Where there's smoke, there's fire. William Eliason, detective, axe to use when he's On The Trail of the Lonesome Pine. In order to trump up business Douglas Erick- son, doctor, will need a worm to put in the apple a day that keeps the doctor away. To Esther Erkkila. famed nutritionist, we give these vitamin pills to help her always re- member her A B C's. For Kenneth Exberg, F. B. I. Agent, we give these sun glass-es to wear so that nobody will recognize him When the Lights Go On Again All Over the World. To Betty Farley, baker, we give this yeast to raise her spirits because all her Johnnie Doughboys found Roses in Ireland. William Flaa, radio technician, may need this comb to help him Over the Waves. Page Twen ty-Five