Manual Arts High School - Artisan Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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The Passage between Arl and Administration building. By Judith Still Several significant phases of life were brought to a climax in the W ' 19 semester. The war came to an end, releasing America ' s young men from the necessity of her defense, a devastating epidemic closed school ' s and public places for recurring periods and somehow the feeling increased that the basic organization of the school was completed. The second decade saw here, as in the country at large, new desires for independence, for excitement, for living for the hour. It saw a resurgence of creativity, of students writing their own plays, of building new curriculums, and of finding new worlds to conquer increasingly attempts were made to orient the incoming students to what existed and was recognized as effec- tive, rather than to continue jo feel that basic founda- tions were still being laid. The careful, meticulous work of the first decade began to be replaced by a that ' s good enough attitude. The admonition was constantly reiterated to try harder, to do more careful preparation, be more serious minded. In this decade Manual students showed great sin- cerity as they attempted to keep moral standards high. In the great drive to fight the rapidly developing fra- ternities and secret societies which came to the fore, Manual led the way in exposing and speaking out against their harmful activities. As it was a problem which concerned the students, Dr. Wilson wisely placed the responsibility of coping with it entirely in their hands. The counsel readily accepted this responsibility, as the publications of the period indicate. There is no place for sororities and fraternities in a school that prides itself on democracy, one article warned. Still another proclaimed the wide-spread sentiment to do all in their power to get rid of societies which were detrimental to the interest of the whole student body and destructive to its spirit of fellowship. Looking back we are impressed by the great enthusiasm ex- pressed in all projects and activities undertaken in the roughnecking of the stage crew, the lunches on the lawn at noon, the get-it-done spirit of the print shop gang, the hilarities of the Officer ' s Balls. But in all this, Manual ' s theatrical productions seem to stand out as the heart of school life. There were many plays presented, the majority of which were stu- dent productions in nearly every detail. One remem- bers not only the plays, The Old Curiosity Shop, Leave It to George, El Extranjero, and the fabulous oriental production, Yellow Jacket, put on by the Player ' s Club, but also such plays as Penrod and the Charm School done by the Senior A classes. Everyone took delight in the numerous noon plays sometimes presented on the tennis court, in the several faculty valudeville productions, and in the operas in- troduced by the students. For added entertainment there were delightful puppet shows, gala May Day festivals, a dahlia show with 75 exhibits and, at one time, a circus with every attraction from bearded ladies to wild men from Borneo. Manual Arts first prize winning drill team organized alter World War I. 1 € • Yellow Jacket was a play presented by Manual Arts Players Club.

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And this goal was realized, for Manual ' s self-govern- ment program was written up in text books and maga- zines (as well as in a book, Manual Arts Life, to be found on library shelves today.) Dr. Wilson was called upon to lecture at summer sessions all the way across the country — Columbia University, Berkeley, Stanford, and throughout the Southland. In every subject of curriculum the living quality of the values to be obtained in that subject field were emphasized. And the end result of this enlarged view was that Manual Arts soon received city-wide and even state recognition for their cooperative activities. Drama productions attracted critics from all of the city papers. The art department and manual training classes were enthusiastic participants with the drama and music groups in presenting plays, to which administrators came from all over the district, to see what was offered and how it had been accomplished. Music groups were invited to entertain civic organizations. Marion Morgan, who was later to achieve international recog- nition for her dancing group, was called upon to pre- sent her girls at school and city functions. Many well known theatrical names in both production and per- formance fields had their first experience in dramatic self-expression on Manual ' s stage. Debaters and forensic speakers placed high in wide spread competitive examination — and, of course, in athletics from the beginning, the school established the reputation which has continued through the years of being a formidable rival in all sports. In but two year ' s time she had produced a city championship football team, the first of a long line of champions — Yes, Manual Arts was going right down the field. Strangely, the lists of the officers and members of these early clubs do not include names of those who became well known fliers in later life. » M a i) S ' 18 Manual Arts establishes new C.I.F. record and won 3rd. in the State High School meet at Sacramento, April 27, 1918. But most important of all was the provision from the very beginning of a self-governing program that reached into every phase of school organization, abun- dant evidence of the responsibilities given to and accepted by their council is apparent in the minute record books of those early days. A complete financial report at each meeting, motions made and debated at length on expenditures and school policies, committee assignments and reports, discipline problems acted upon — all give significant evidence that these fourteen to sixteen year-olders were given exceptional oppor- tunity to take responsibility and exercise ingenuity in solving problems. Small wonder that California ' s politi- cal and professional pages as well as those of the whole country, glitter today with the names that filled the Artisans of high school days. The Self-Government policies were described in the first volume of the Manual Arts, a predecessor of the Artisan. Members of the self-governing bodies in other schools bear the name of ' sneaks, ' ' tattle-tales ' or ' gum- shoe detectives, ' and it is considered a disgrace to be- long to this organization. But in a new school with plenty of school spirit back of it, we are putting self- government where it is respected and the members are among the most popular people in school. We want fellows who can go out for football or track, fellows who can go up to the biggest bully in the school and not only show authority but enforce it in person, if necessary. The decade of democracy in action reached its climax in MA participation in World War I. A beautifully de- signed Roll of Honor presented by Mr. Bowditch Blunt in memory of Gordon Sutton of Manual, occupies a conspicious place on the wall of the administrative building. The names of fourteen faculty members, men and women, appear upon it. Five hundred and ten students and alumni are recorded there, for service to their country. The students who remained at home shaped their activities around conservation, bond selling, and sup- port of all of the civilian drives of the war period. They adopted twelve French war orphans, corresponding with them and furnished money for their support. The W ' 19 portion of the Artisan held stories of the boys in the service when the war was over, and the boys came home , the student body welcomed their own with deep pride and emotion at assemblies and home com- ings. Thirteen of Manual ' s young heroes did not return, among them members of the Olive Street and Vermont Avenue pioneers. Manual ' s World War I heroes.

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Boys ' Dietetic class which was held the Practice House. Practice House before it was completed. ■■■ Yell leaders of S ' 25. The championship team with Coach Sid E. Foster. May Day festival of S ' 25. This enthusiasm for the dramatic was also extended into the student body politics of the 20 ' s with great demonstrations in the halls before elections. Intense partisanship was exhibited, with the result of mob scenes, processions of drummers and bands, and even impromptu orations by the more spectacularly-minded students. Of course this energy was also put into quieter channels for more constructive results. Manual continued her honorable record in debat- ing, dramatics, R.O.T.C, publications and athletics. It was during this period that the scholarship societies of 21 schools established the state CSF of which Manual Arts was a charter member. Then, too, the inventive spirit of the school exhibited itself in the shoD work. The Auto Body Shop is to have finished a speedster with a body designed and built by the sheet metal shop. There was at that time a Cosmotology class which operated a beauty parlor open to all, while the Home Economics Deoartment sponsored bazaars to buy furniture for the Practice House. The Prac- tice House had been constructed and completed during the middle twenties, plans for it having been drawn by a former student, Richard King. It was the first in Los Angeles to be used every period, and it could boast having a fine Boys ' Dietetics class. All during these years the school was very crowded and much was going on. Two buildings, Senior Hall and English Hall, were opened, organizations such as the Knights, A.B.S., and a Girls ' Rifle team were formed, the merit system was established, the colors purple and grey were adopted for the school and the Alma Mater was intro- duced. It is significant that Manualites supported all of these with a furious, fighting spirit. The students also gave their support to the community and world- wide activities and were constantly conscious of the people who were in the news. To Manual, at that time, came people like Rudolph Valentino and Paavo Nurmi, the star athlete of the day. Noted per- sonages were frequently interviewed for the weekly newspaper, giv- ing everyone a feeling of importance in the world at large. Thus, students felt inclined to take an interest in world affairs. Yes, this was a fighting student body, in spirit and in action. On the athletic field it also built up a sterling reputation. There were victories in football and track. Particularly outstanding was its vic- tory in the 1925 state track championship, where the four man relay broke the world ' s speed record. Yet there was unitv beneath this wild excitement, personified by the much loved Dr. Wilson who was ever present among the students, striding proudly through the corridors or sitting in attendance at club meetings. He was a patron of the new outlook toward further education which emerged toward the end of this decade and a symbol of the pride in the old school. 13