Medina High School - Mirror Yearbook (Medina, NY)

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1930 The Mirror each to do his work. VVithont cooperation, efficiency can grace no society, no matter how well conceived or how sincere ill its intentions, because unified effort is the keystone in the arch of organization. -John Condon Assuming Responsibility 'Wy-.1 NE of the most important tlnngs the high school does for the pupil is to teach him to assume responsibility. By this is meant the power to make decisions and act for one's self. This is a necessary attribute, for when his education is finished, there will be no one to direct the boy or girl to see that such and such a thing is done. The employer tells his employee to do something, and he expects it done. He does not come- around five or six times to remind tl1e clerk of his task. If he had to do this, the man in question soon finds himself out of a situation. There are many ways in which this training may be acquired, but some fail to take advantage of these opportunities. There are two types of students: the first, which, when an assignment for several weeks ahead is given, goes ahead and does it immediately. The second waits until the night before the work is due and then scurries around trying to find the data, and has to hand in a slip-shod, incomplete report. The latter pupil has no initiative, he is still a candidate for the ruler method of teaching. There are many cases of this sort. A certain group just pass a course with the minimum of effort, while others go ahead and do extra work. Sometimes, their industry is not noticed, but how often it is, for it is bound to show up in the quality of work done. At all events, it has its reward in future life. Almost everyone in school at some time is given some task to per- form. If he does this well, the pupil at a later date is recompensed by some post which he desires. If he fails, however, he is noted as one of those people who cannot be depended upon, and, henceforth, as far as offices are concerned, he usually falls into obscurity. In college the coveted managerial positions are obtained by those who do not have to be directed to perform every duty, but who go ahead 011 their own and carry out necessary duties. In most schools and colleges there are a certain few who seem to be in eve1'ything. Their rivals often object to this seemingly ovcrbalanced scheme, and blame the success to pull or luck. The fault usually lies, however, in the disgruntled ones, for the office-holders have generally worked hard. lVhether one goes to col- lege, normal school, or to work, he wants to participate in some social activities, and in high school is the place to learn how to assume the responsibility -necessary for carrying out the little duties whose fulfill- ment leads to social success. Page Twenty-seven

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rs. The Mirror 1930 To Our Passengers ELLOIV students, as you glance at the title, To Our Passeng- ers, you will undoubtedly say, I am not a passenger. In 1'eality you are not, but on your trip through this volume imagine yourself as o11e. Each one is a passenger on the ship, UM. H. S. You are too weak to sail through Life 's storms, and must remain in the har- bor. Each day you are lured out farther and farther from the harbor, and finally the day arrives when you leave the harbor and sail upon the sea of Life. You are then your own admiral, the old has been left behind. Those rear-admirals have completed their task and turn to new passengers. The day arrives when you, an admiral, drift into the ship 's cabin. Your glance is attracted to the book shelves where a fascinating volume stares you in the face. There you see in gold letters, upon a fancy green cover, the following title, The Navigation Aid of 1930? The account contains the best efforts of the l11ldSl1lpIl1611 of 1930. Perhaps you are a. member of t.he crew to whom the volume was dedicated. If you were, your appreeiations were extended to Rear-admiral Ferguson, the faculty sponsor, a11d to Admiral Brown, Superintendent of Schools, who have certainly done their best in guiding the midshipmen, The Mirror Staff, in their work. -The Editor 1 Cooperation E I N the common run of school activities, in the humdium ey ents of scholastic life, there lie opportunities for every student not only to secure an education, the prime factor in his presence at edu- cational institutions, but also to help equalize the spirit of the school in which he studies. In school life there are many activities, much toil, and a great deal of difficulty that is avoided quite easily if a person wishes to avoid it. By a constant habit of backsliding and an avoidance of details that are necessary to the effective running of any organization, he can smooth his ow11 path, but at the same time disrupt schedules and overburden others with his own unperformed duties. Owing to this fact more than to any other, most school activities are conducted with a great deal of needless friction. There should be no necessity for the constant repetitions of entreaties and for the continu- ous prodding of malcontents, who choose to destroy the spirit of school organizations and to limit the extent of benehts from such organiza- tions. In life, the most obvious Way is always the easiest, but we should remember at the same time that the most obvious is not always the most logical. Beyond a doubt the conception of organization is efficiency and cooperation, but cooperation can not be obtained Without the Will of Page Twenty-six

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-V The Mirror ,I930 The rewards of such achievement, however, are far more reaching than in mere college or every-day social life. Everyone wants to get along in his chosen field. So, remember that the chief difference be- tween a business executive with a salary of a hundred thousand a year and a man clerk who earns three thousand is that one has learned to assume cares and make decisions. If the clerk were to change places with the president for a day, he would be hopelessly at sea, not only because of an insufficient knowledge of the business, but also because of the inability to judge and to have the courage to make decisions. The clerk has been accustomed to be told exactly what to do and has lost the power of thinking and acting for himself. Thus, while school life may at times seem dull an dthe petty tasks unimportant and trivial, just re- member that you a1'e learning to assume responsibilities and keep a pluggin' away. -John Smeltzer. Music in Medina High School The man that l1atl1 no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils! The motions of his spirit are dull as night, His affections dark as Erebus- Let no such man be trusted. E consider ourselves civilized people, but exactly what is the dif- ference between a civilized and a savage man? There is nothing but a difference in appreciation of beauty. VVith the splendid course in theoretical music offered in M. H. S., none of us should be savages. The first year of Music takes up the study of Music Theory, the foundation upon which the next two years' work is based. Music Theory deals with the different keys, scales, rhythms and some simple transpositions. Don 't think for a moment that it consists of the tire- some do, ri, mi, fa, etc. It is much more interesting. By ear train- ing, one learns to hear music correctly and to be able to place it properly on the staff. VVhere do some of the boys who go down the hall, singing in such per- fect harmony, get their training? They must have been students in Music II or Harmony I. After one studies harmony, he is able to harmonize a melody for four voices-bass, tenor, alto, and soprano. It deals, however, with only the three principal chords, the foundation of all music. The third year of music deals with advanced harmony fsuch as may be heard in Miss Cooper's room Tuesdays and Thursdays after schooll. Page Twenty-eight