Manlius High School - Mirror Devil Yearbook (Manlius, IL)

Page 17 text:

The High School and National Defense ☆ 'We arc now in this war. We arc all in it all the way. Every single man, woman, and child is a partner in the most tremendous undertaking of our American history. We must share together the bad news and the good news, the defeats and the victories—the changing fortunes of war . . . Address to the Nation—President Roosevelt, Dec. 9, 1941. ☆ The schools hold an important section on the battle line of war. They must use every device known to develop mental and spiritual preparedness. A steady flow of educated citizens, for the task ahead, must be maintained. The school program must be related to the war situation, otherwise young people may be tempted to leave school prematurely because of its apparent remoteness from the world struggle. Just how are the high school and the high school student related to this situation? First of all, in the curricular program of the school, there are marked adjustments. The studying and discussing of war and peace aims of past wars and the present war in history classes, enable the future citizens to better understand and avoid the pitfalls of yesterday and today, and to help create a world situation in which some of our present evils are eliminated. In agriculture classes the high school boys study the world situation as it affects agriculture, and in turn familiarize adults with the emergency program, assisting them in improving their farming practices. Girls in home economics classes are taught, as the homemakers of tomorrow, how to wisely buy and prepare and conserve foods, as well as household commodities. Vitally necessary to the school and the student are the extra-curricular activities. These activities are co-operating whole-heartedly in the defense program. For example, students at M. T. H. S. were not compelled in any way to buy defense bonds or stamps, yet every student is sacrificing a few of his candy bars or movie tickets and buying regularly; not with money received from his parents for that purpose, but with money saved through some personal sacrifice. Within ten days after an appeal was made, every student in our school either had started a defense stamp album or had purchased a bond. We are justly proud of the letter from the White House, congratulating us on our “fine interest in the defense program. Athletics has an important place in the program. Sports build one up physically and morally, essential factors in this crisis. The many clubs of our high schools, may, and are .contributing their share. The F. F. A. encourages Victory Gardens, and collects scrap metals, the G. A. A. gives lessons in first aid—and each wages its own war on waste, conserving old paper and tin cans. Yes, the high school youth is co-operating! The Youth of Today are the Citizens of Tomorrow !