Medina High School - Medinian Yearbook (Medina, OH)

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22 Cl )c Annual can teach even our potatoes to shoot. Since this war is to be fought with bread bullets we can all, even the girls, become muntion makers. It is said that an army travels on its stomach ; let us furnish transportation. And let us remem- ber always that in fighting famine we are fighting the enemy just as surely as if we were in the trenches. There will be heroes in overalls as well as in khaki. But to increase the food supply is only one phase of the food problem. We must not waste it after we have produced it. It is said that the United States throws away enough to feed France. Without doubt we have been more waste- ful than any other country. (It is a downright disgrace; something must be done). Here is where all patriotic women and girls will come to the aid of their country. While speaking of waste there is another matter to be con- sidered. What do you think of a country which, in the face of a famine, uses hundreds of millions of bushels of perfectly good grain for making beer and other alcoholic liquors? Public opinion should rise to the occasion. Although, the food question is of such immense importance, it is by no means the only thing to be considered. The industries must be speeded up ; the railroads must be prepared to handle excess freight ; the shipyards should work double time. There will be no room in this country for a slacker. This is time for united effort ; not a time for strikes and labor troubles. Moreover, it is foolish to speculate on a possible superfluity of harvest when a famine is star- ing us in the face. In short, the first consideration of every patriotic citizen will be his country. So shall we win the war, and win in the shortest time and with the least suffering. We, the class of 1917, have completed our work at Medina High School. It is hard for us to realize this. Now that the time has come it is not easy for us to leave. We are about to enter a chaotic world; we are facing a life that makes no promises. In sharp contrast to the uncertainty of our future plans we see the happy life of the past years. When we consider that from now on, our welfare depends wholly on ourselves, we appreciate, as never before, the efforts which have been made in our behalf. At this time it is impossible for us to fully express our gratitude to Mr. Edmund, the teachers, the School Board, and our parents ; in the years to come we will each of us do our best to deserve the interest which they have shown in us. What may come in these years no man can know. It is a period of transition, of uncertainty. Our Country is engaged in war — but she is fighting that wars may cease to be. We, the class of 1917, are about to enter that fight. We do not clearly see our way — it is certain that our work will not be easy; but now, more than at any other time in our history, the closing lines of our national air are a solace and an inspiration : “Then conquer we must, For our cause it is just And this be our motto : In God is our trust.’’

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Mentor Department 21 plainingly and support the government. True patriotism carries with it some real sacrifice. And it would be well to remember, in this connection, that nothing worth while is ever gained without sacrifice. Our ideals of liberty may be infringed upon, but let us remember that it is those very ideals for which we are fighting. If at any time we feel that our hardships are many and unbearable, let us consider the lot of the soldier. I know of a young Canadian, a university graduate who specialized in forestry. This young man had brilliant prospects. Where is he now? “Somewhere in France” digging trenches — work that an unskilled laborer could probably do better than he. When last heard from he was suffering dreadfully from rheumatism, brought on by standing in the mud and icy water of the trenches. He is a man fitted to be of great service to his country in his chosen profession, but all his prospects have had to be sacri- ficed for the time being. And in the end he may stop a German bullet. Again, if we think that our lot is hard, let us remember the sufferings of the brave ones at the front. There is another qualification of patriotism which should b e mentioned. It is every one’s duty to keep himself or herself well informed on matters of im- portance. It would seem that every person would do this as a matter of course. So I thought until I happened, not long ago, to hear a conversation between a couple of our citizens. They were speaking of the food situation. “Well,” said one, “if food is so scarce, I think that we had better keep it at home and let the Allies take care of themselves. Evidently that person did not realize that if the Allies should be beaten by starvation, as is probable if we withhold our food supply, it would devolve upon us to fight the common enemy alone. What is there between us and a German invasion of our shores but the British fleet? From a purely selfish standpoint, to say nothing of the humanitarian side, it is our duty to feed our allies. Prussianism must be crushed ; now is the time. The day is past when the whim of a selfish monarch will be allowed to precipitate a world war. If we wait until our European friends are beaten we shall have to fight alone, and the suffering and horror of war will be pro- longed. So it is clear then, that our present imperative duty is to increase the food supply. No one is patriotic unless he is doing his bit. If peace were to be declared right now, the food situation would still be more serious than it has ever been before. And we are preparing for at least three years of war ! How we are to do this has been clearly pointed out by the President. The farmers will, of course, be first in this battle against famine — and they will need help. Now we can all help by raising everything possible for our own needs and more. Do you realize that if every family does this it will release, in the aggregate, many shiploads for export? And except in the large cities, this is entirely possible for most families. The plot of ground need not be large. Do what you can ; every bit will help. We must all become truck farmers. Uncle Sam will for- give garden plotters. But perhaps some of us have more taste for fighting than for gardening. In that case we can fight weeds and bugs and blight. And we

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Senior Department 23 Class History By Leland Longacre As I look back over my school life, a slight remembrance comes to me of my happy days, when, carefree and joyous, our Kindergarten class consisting of Dale Coons, Oral Watt, Metta Dell Green, Leo Bartuneck, Wynne Boyden and myself, found our way to the I. O. O. F. Building where Miss Ella Canavan patiently awaited our arrival. When we were all seated in a circle around her, we greeted her with our daily song of “Good Morning To You.” After nine months of untold patience given by Miss Ella in teaching us the rules, games, and regulations pertaining to Kindergarten work, we started out in life to gain our education in the grades. Our good fortune continued in the first grade under the instruction of Miss Dawley. During this year Inez Brockway entered our class, adding one more to its enrollment. After we had learned to read and spell, we were promoted to the second grade under the instruction of Miss McDougall. During this year we had some sad experiences ; one instance which I well remember was when two of our boys were taken into the hall and intro- duced to a whip, the cause for this severity being their propensity for whisper- ing and throwing paper wads. We were next promoted to the third grade and began more advanced studies under the instruction of Miss Tubbs. We shall never forget the smile that she used to give us each morning as we stepped inside the door. During this year Lester Campbell and Harold Baque entered our class. The last year in the Primary Building was one of the best I have ever spent in school. After four years of faithful work under the supervision of Mrs. Wright, we left our old home to take up a new one in what is now known as the High School Building, and in our struggle forgot the days of slates and also of timid- I. O. O. F. Building, into the fifth grade where Miss Warner, besides instructing ity. On account of the overcrowded school rooms we were again sent to the us on various subjects, started us on our music career by teaching us the art of singing. In this grade Welthene Fenn entered our class. After Miss Warner had instructed us nine months, we proceeded to the High School Building and sang a few songs for our sixth grade teacher, Miss Lacy. She received us with so much joy that she decided to likewise instruct us during our stay in her grade. During this year two more lively pupils came into our class, Elizabeth Branch and Raymond Bennett. During the seventh grade, under the leader- ship of Miss Drake, Marie Hurlebus, Mabel Thompsett, Irene Bostwick, Mahlon Walker and Derwin Nettleton, joined us. It was here we began to learn a little touch of business by writing promissory notes, but when we entered the eigthth grade under the supervision of Miss Wheatley we found that we did not know as much as we thought we did ; in other words we were too con- ceited. Ruth Gill, Ruth Gilbert, Zola Turner, Bryan Case and Harold Waite entered our class in the eighth grade, increasing our number to 23 — that means “SKIDDOO.” Our school life was not all joys. Our last year in the grades was suddenly broken by the loss of a class member, Floyd Baylor, who was called from us to a better land. The class of 1917 was the first to have an eighth