Medina High School - Mirror Yearbook (Medina, NY)

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Q Q Q Q THEMIRROR Q Q Q Q every day and performing faithfully daily tasks that often irk us. As the memory of our school days is one that will linger as long as life lasts, let us try to make it as perfect a picture as possible for memory's art gallery. -Marion Haak The General High School Courses ,gm ORF often than not the student graduating from the eighth grade and entering high school is utterly at sea as to what he will do to gain a living in the years to come. He is confronted with a bewildering number of subjects from which he must choose those which will be most useful to him in his particular vocation. Yet how can the entering freshman choose, when he does not know what career he wishes to pursue as his own life work? No doubt many adults are even yet filled with vain regrets about the profession they would have taken up if they had had, in their 'teens, some experienced person interested in their welfare and capable of giving much needed advice, or if they had had some of the opportunities their children have today, or if, on the other hand, they had made better use of the chances then open. There are many misfits today in every profession, who might have been successful, had they found in their ,teens the type of work for which they were best adapted, and had been prepared to do that work. Our Medina schools today are seeking to keep us from falling into these pitfalls. This is accomplished, in the first place, by offering three major courses of study: the academic or general high school course, the classi- cal or college-entrance, and the commercial. In each of these courses the first year's work is very similar, and may be called exploratory. The subjects generally include English, biology, civics, and mathematics or an elective. By studying these gen- eral subjects the freshman gains a foundation from which he may branch out into the field that seems most interesting to him. 1 say interesting, because the individual who is not deeply interested in his work does not, and can not, give it his best efforts. Furthermore, if the freshman never completes his high school educa- tion, he has at least learned from his biology the rudiments of physiology and hygiene, and the fundamental facts of plant and animal life. His English has introduced him to the best types of literature to which to turn in leisure moments, has given him experience in addressing a g1'oup of classmates on some topic of current interest, of conducting a meeting according to parliamentary procedure, and has trained him to express himself clearly, convincingly, and fluently whether in speaking or in Writing. His civics has prepared him to become an intelligent voter and a law-abiding citizen. Meanwhile, the elective subject gives Page Twenty-six

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Q Q Q Q THEMIRROR Q Q 1 Q The Value of the New York Trip HE trip t.o New York City during Easter vacation proved of great value to the Boys, Club of M. H. S. lYc-eil The boys were the guests of the 'Brooklyn Y. M. C. A., where they were able to observe first hand work of that fine organization. A thorough inspection of the HY building was one of the first things on the program. A fascinating trip to the busiest harbor of the world also figured in the adventure. There, all were filled with awe when they saw some of the world's largest vessels. A clear idea of the immense amount of international commerce that centers about this mighty metropolis was given to the youthful observers. Various excursions about the city gave the boys an opportunity to view many of New York's points of interest. The nearly completed Empire Building, the tallest in the world, showed them how sky- scrapers are really constructed. The efficiency of the traffic system was clearly shown on these excursions. Two great engineering feats were also viewed, the newly constructed Hudson River bridge and the Hudson tunnel. The novel features of these two structures were closely inspected. Altogether, the Boys' Club derived much benefit from the trip. Busi- ness, buildings, commerce, traffic regulations, and many other things of which only New York can boast, filled every moment, and the boys re- turned so enthusiastic that their one topic of conversation was 'fthe trip to New York. School Spirit VV HAT is school spuitl? VVe hear it spoken of every day in our school life, and yet, there are those of us who go through the motions of a cheer leader with only a hazy idea. of the true gold that lies beneath this surface veneer of true school spirit. But to some of us this means a great deal more. It means loyalty to one 's school not only at a football game, but also in the preparation of our everyday work and in the advantageous use of our opportunities. This type of loyalty serves a two-fold purpose-one gets the spirit of cooperation as he yells for the football eleven, while for himself he reaps the product of higher marks and a greater fund of knowledge. A sufficient proof of one's genuine school spirit consists not only of one's attendance at a football game, but also one's attendance at other high school functions and his cooperation with both teachers and students. It's easy enough to be loyal when one sees the football team bringing home a victory, but the true loyalty lies in being on the job Page Twenty-five

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lr Q Q Q THEMIRROR Q Q 1 Q him a taste of art, music, a foreign language, or an industrial course, and may thus help him decide upon his future vocation. That explains why the freshman year's work is often called 'texploratoryf' By the second, or at least by the third year, the student should have some definite ideas as to what he likes best. Having formed these ideas, he specializes in those subjects which most appeal to him. For example, let us say the student is interested in the commercial subjects. He may specialize in that field by taking the regular com- mercial course, or he may take the general academic course and branch out into the commercial field for his electives. Likewise, the students interested in classical, art or music courses may study foreign language, drawing, music, history or science as electives. This brief outline may give some idea as to what the student may do to graduate from high school. The times call for men who have special- ized in a certain line, and the more proficient a man is in his single course, the more successful he is bound to be. Medina High School is not a machine into which boys and girls are fed like so much raw ma- terial to be ground by a. four-year process and then turned out as dupli- cate copies of a single mechanical product. A thousand times no ! When our diploma is handed to us, we as human individuals leave our Alma Mater to take up the challenge of a richer, fuller, and better life. -Vlfinthrop Curvin Around the School Clock with Home Economics HE Home Fconomics department of Medina High School is J 'xg -' 1 - made up of three different groups of students. The first group is composed of High School students, the second, Junior High School, and the third, Pre-Vocational students. THE PRE-VoeATIoNAL XVOHK At nine o'clock every morning the Pre-Vocational group comes over from the Central school. They are instructed in Clothing, Home Nurs- ing, Foods, and Drawing. These girls spend at least two periods in the department every day. Mondays and Tuesdays are spent in the sewing room. There they are given a general knowledge of garment construction, renovation, and wise clothing selection. Their first project is to make a white smock. On Wednesdays they are taught how to care for and prepare dietaries for the sick in the home. The foods class meets every Thursday, and is taught not only how to prepare foods, but also how to plan and serve meals, what to do in emergency cases of fire, burns, etc., and how to use and care for the equipment in the laboratory. In the drawing class on Fridays the girls make their own recipe Page TWBIIYZY-SBVEII