Mabel Dean Bacon Vocational High School - Torch Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 44 text:

0 0 , .1411 ,xgmerccan Qrfzi Imam By MARION MARRONE, June '49 The American girl l am referring to was loorn of immigrant parents. She is the girl who not only has the problem of speaking a foreign language at home and trying to improve her own spoken English, hut also has to present her own ideas of life to her parents who cannot understand her language or her thoughts and dreams. She would like to he ahle to have her parents meet her friends, especially hoys, without her motherys saying, Hes a hoy. You shouldn't speak to him. She would like to have a gathering of friends in her home, to hold a ujam session or a party, without having her mother worry, There will he so many boys in the house. Vvhat will the neighbors say? These are just two of the problems an attractive and lively girl has to face if her parents are from the small towns of Europe, where, having led sheltered lives them- selves, they cannot allow themselves to give their daughters the freedom which other American girls seem to enjoy. What can an American girl of foreign parentage do to win her parents over to the American view of wholesome hoy-and-girl friendships? In the first place she should convince her mother of the desirability of her hoy friends: that is, she should make it clear to her parents that these boys are the type she would he proud to have as her own sons. If permission is granted once for a party to he held in the home, all the guests should act like well-mannerecl young ladies and gentlemen. The good behavior of the young people will convince the parents that the hoys and girls with whom her daughter wishes to associate are trustworthy and likable, They will certainly then he disposed to grant permission for future gatherings in the home. VGQEW 40

Page 43 text:

me mxf jing eam By GERDA GRUBE, Iune '49 The time is drawing nearer when we will graduate. Have you ever wondered what our school will loolc lilce, let's say fifty years from now? Let us pretend it's the year 1999, and we've come haclc to visit dear old Mahel Dean Bacon. lt's a hright sunny day, and as we turn the corner we see a startling sight. There before us is a huge glass huilding, three hy four hloclcs long and Fifty stories high, with an enormous entrance which slides open when you come within three feet of the electric eye. Ahove is a big, hright sign with the name Nlahel Dean Bacon Vocational High School flashing on it. Come, let us go in. No, don't use the escalator: it's too slow. Weill talce the jet propelled tuhe elevator. As we wallc clown the long halls. we notice glass lioors and walls. Let us go into this room. The class has just entered.,On the walls is a continuous row of huttons. As the girls push the huttons, we see chairs and some- thing that loolcs lilce a recording machine come out of the wall. Overhead is a loud spealcer from which the teacher conducts her class. There is no tallcing or jolcing. A television screen holds everyone's attention. A recording is made when each student recites, so the teacher may refer to any of her worlc. Motion pictures and television are used for many lessons. Where is our lunchroom? Why, there isn't any, because now all our meals con- sist ol pills which give us a well-balanced diet. On the top lioor of the school we find a large room equipped with an automatic soda fountain, a hand. and a floor ol smooth plastic. Here the girls enjoy themselves during free periods. Oh yes, there have been quite a few changes made. in the gym we find a glorious swimming pool, Hooded with sunlight. On the roof is a large parlcing field. All the girls have their own helicopters. There are never any late students in school now. Have you noticed the way the girls dress? Their clothes are different from ours, aren't they? What would you say to wearing plastic tights, vests, and plastic hoots in all those colors? The girls wear their hair much shorter than the new loolc prescribed. The reason for this is to permit them to slip on their liying helmets. Loolcl There goes a senior. You can tell them hy the neon lights on their senior hats. Yes the next fifty years are really going to he something to marvel at. What did you say? Oh. lim sorry, Mrs. Cassileth, I didn't hear the question. Yes, I guess l was day dreaming. What ahout? Oh just the changes that the next fifty years may hring to our school. 30

Page 45 text:

7 0I'l'l0l'l'0lfU If 20,94 By HELEN MASSENBACHER. june '49 VVhat can you expect from this younger generation? is what some people are saying. It is up to us to prove that we can raise our children so that this question will not apply to them. Some ways in which we can improve ourselves are: to become more intelligent, to eliminate prejudice within ourselves, and to practice democracy in our daily lives. As always, prejudice is still a major problem, and a threat to world security. We must help to reduce this problem. If each individual did his part in respecting people of other races and religions, it would help. Another means of helping is to raise our children without any trace of prejudice and to encourage them to play with children of other races and religions. It is very foolish to judge a race or religion by one had person. Getting to lcnow more people may help you overcome prejudice, as prejudice always springs from ignorance. Right now there are not too many countries in the world that are fortunate enough to enjoy a democracy like ours. We must appreciate this fact and try to help our country by malcing our democracy worlc. We should not talce advantage ol all the freedom that we have loy abusing it. We hope that our country will lceep up and improve its practices, and that other countries will establish democracies too. We hope that this will he accomplished for the good of 'future generations. We cannot overcome prejudice or talce a useful part in our government unless we are intelligent people. Every parent must act intelligently to raise the children of our next generation. It is our responsibility to educate our children properly, so that they in turn can become intelligent people and responsible citizens. It is everyone's duty to he a good citizen. We must he ahle to accept new ideas and methods. ln order to prevent a future war and malce this world a hetter place to live in, we must all strive to improve ourselves and feel directly responsible for events of future years. The present and future are ours. V609