Medina High School - Medinian Yearbook (Medina, OH)

Page 23 text:

During our Sophomore year it was decided that a gymnasium was needed. We sold tags and helped in the big carnival by having a baked sale in the afternoon and by selling pop-corn at night. During our Junior year we successfully put thru a lecture course and gave $30.00 to the Athletic Association and some to the Soldiers Library Fund and also paid for having our room re-decorated. During our Senior year Otis Wheeler came with us. We had a long flu vacation this winter but finally finished our educational endeavors at M. H. S. in March, 1919. We have certainly enjoyed our school life together with the teachers and Mr. Conkle and will look back with joy at the happy days we spent at “Old Medina High School at the Corner of Broadway Street.” The March class of 1919 is indeed fortunate, not in having selected me as its Valedictorian, but it is fortunate in that it will not be necessary to have spoken anything that I may write, and that this will only appear in the Medina High School Annual, which will be read mainly by the students of Medina High School. It is for these reasons that I do not feel that great re- sponsibility and duty that usually rests upon the Valedictorian of attempting to express the spirit, ideals and aspirations of his fellow class members. Having thus been left to speak my mind without fear or favor, I might enter into some lengthy or verbose discussion on some theoretical, theological or sociological subject that no one would care to listen to, and certainly care less to read. But inasmuch as I have neither the inclination nor the ability to intelligently discuss the same, and being fearful of being accused of plagiarism should I attempt the same, you may rest assured dear readers that I will not burden you with such an attempted discussion. Feeling, as I have indicated, that I am writing this for my classmates, I am wondering if I cannot in some mean way ex- press for them in these pages something of that thankfulness that lies deep in the hearts of all of us at this time. In using the word thankfulness, I wish to incorporate the word “appreciation” in its fullest meaning, for to be thankful for anything we must be able to appreciate as well. We feel that the year 1919 has brought forth many things for which we indeed should be thankful, chief of which, of course, is the fact that the great World War has ended, but just as thankful that the American people awoke to their duty and responsibilities in time to save civilization for Western Europe and protect it for all the world ; thankful that this great American nation, having realized the grim truth and its responsibilities, proceeded, as only as the American nation can, to put into execution its reso- lution and determination ; thankful indeed that the hundreds of thousands of American boys realized and accepted this great re- sponsibility and so gladly and freely offered the supreme sacrifice to uphold the traditions of this great American nation ; thankful that this great American nation having awoke, and having set out to accomplish certain things, did accomplish all of those

Page 22 text:

January Class History By SYLVIA SEDGWICK In September, 1906, nine five-year-old infants started to kin- dergarten under the careful eye of Miss Ella, this intellectual group consisted of Katherine Hemmetter, Louise Jones, Eliza- beth Spitzer, Sylvia Sedgwick, Wanda White, Elmer Fulmer, Robert Ferriman, Lucille Hunt and Beatrice Longacre. We were taught to sing “Good Morning, Dear Teacher, to skip, march, draw, etc. Some of us were rather stiff in one leg when it came to skipping but managed to get around the circle. We then went thru the four primary rooms and by the time we entered Mrs. Wright’s room, we could name all the countries of Europe, South America, states and capitals, do long division, etc. It was in this room that we received a half bushel basket full of stick candy from the janitor for keeping our room so clean. In this room Mildred Campbell was added to our number. In the fifth grade we were separated. Part of us were sent to the High School Building and others went to the Watters Build- ing. We started our sixth year in the new Garfield Building and were very proud indeed. Occasionally some one would be sent to Miss Wheatley for marking on the immaculate white walls or for some other equally terrible offense. In the seventh grade, due to crowded conditions, all the extra bright students were put ahead and got thru the seventh grade in one-half year. All of us were included in that exclusive bunch. Nondas McNeal was added to us here. In January we were sent to Miss Drake. Here we learned to write notes, checks and everything there was to know about running a bank. In this room we started our theatrical stunts which occured every few weeks on Friday afternoon. Everyone had to have his turn in reading an essay, singing or speaking a piece. We went to Miss Wheatley with trembling feet but soon found out that she was the best in the bunch. The girls started domestic science this year and treated Miss Wheatley, the janitor, and the boys with their culinary concoctions. Earl Stoup came all the way from Lester, Ohio, to join our noted group in this year. As the year drew to a close and we had finished our 150 “best problems,” the SB’s gave us a farewell party and we were the finished pr oduct of Miss Wheatley’s careful training. She took us on one cold morning to our future abode, the High School. We had heard terrible stories about getting lost in this huge edifice of learning and other awful things that hap- pened to Baby Freshmen on initiation day and we were surely scared. We marched down the aisle amid much applauding and laugh- ing and had to be introduced and otherwise made fools of. Teddy Ewing came from the County Infirmary to join us. We soon learned to enjoy life here and worked hard on our new studies. We didn’t have many parties, due to the war and because we were so small in number.

Page 24 text:

things in a true American way, driving straight at the work in hand in an enthusiastic, business-like, and thoroughly American manner; thankful indeed that these brave men of this great American nation so gladly and freely offered themselves for the protection of their brothers in France and Belgium, and so gladly died in upholding the right as God gave them to see the right; thankful to the kind Providence that returned to this country and to their homes those millions of brave American lads who were so willing and eager to bleed, yea, even to die, to uphold the honor of their country. And I am thankful that the March class of 1919 realizes and appreciates the responsibility resting upon each one of them to maintain the honor that these wonderful lads have brought upon this great country, and that each and every one is fully deter- mined to do his or her best to protect Americanism, even as those before us.