Mondovi High School - Mirror Yearbook (Mondovi, WI)

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THE CLASS HISTORY By Joseph Pape In the early part of September of the year 190S the class of 1920 consisting of a multitude of small girls and boys, started its educational career by entering the first grade. Never in the history of the school was there a more active, brighter or keener band of children. Of those who enrolled at this time only the following are now graduating from Mondovi High: Samuel Ilium, Clarence Thompson, Sanford Ede, Edith Luetscner, Agnes Armour, Raymond Evans, James Brown, Foirest Hurtley, and Joseph Pape. While in the third grade with Miss Neale we left our studies long enough to have a group picture taken. Some of the students still have one of these preserved as a relic, that is to them, the greatest class that ever started making History. In the fifth grade we lost one of our beloved classmates, Raymond Helwig, who was taken from our midst by the stern Reaper. Under the supervision of Miss Nogle we took a leading part in the High School Circus which added to the credit of M. H. S. activities. We passed to the sixth grade in good lcpute and many students joined us for ttie seventh where we evi- denced the fact that we were champion spellers and won the beautiful pennant which still decorates the walls of this memorable room. In the eighth grade we listened to many splendid lectures from Miss Anna Smith, which perhaps we did not fully appreciate then, but the true value of which we have oftentimes since realized. During this period, we purchased class pins to set us apart from the common herd, and felt important enough to hold a Declamatory contest with the seventh grade in which Edith Luetscher and Samuel Blum carried away the honors of second and third places. From these worthy speakers we expect to add another chapter to our His tory at no far distant date. One balmy September morning away back in 1916, when the very atmosphere was filled with the hazy tang of burning wood some fifty-five learned individuals marched into the portals of Mondovi High. Here we were soon to be taken off our high pedestal on which we had felt so secure in the grades. We were to be subdued and dubbed as “Only Freshmen can, until we should come into a proper state of submissive servitude. By the time the sophomores had finished with us we were very, very humble indeed. Well do we remember the trying ordeal of passing from room “B into the main room before the august assemblage awaiting us there. A wicked gleam of mirth was in the eyes of our upper-classmen and if any one had laughed outright we would have perhaps grown faint with fright. Our greatest fear in those days was not that we might fail in Algebra, but that we might not be able to secure a seat in the main room. What if we

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we know that the less attention that we pay to them, the less active they become and the less mischief they do. ‘ If it be possible for a family to live happily together, if it be possible for a community to be at peace, there is no kind t reason why the sum of the communities that make up the nations that make up the world should not live happily together and be at peace. By what means can international peace and amity be secured? The only way is for the nations to get together. Th i old bad dictum of imperial Rome. “Si vis pacem. para bellum,” If you wish for peace, prepare for war. must be disregarded for the new and true dictum. “If you wish for peace, you must prepare for peace.’ It is not beyond the resources of civilization to devise a plan by which duly accredited representatives of the different nations of the world can be brought together for the friendly settlement of common differences and the establishment of common interests. Modern invention has made the peoples of the world mo-e than ever interdependent. and modern invention has made it more than ever necessary that the whole world should be kin. One- let the representatives of different nations get the hab’t of meetin- together, talking together. eating together, the spirit of mutu 1 standing will be created and misunderstandings will cease. If i were left to the rank and file of the peoples of the world, such a solution of the problem would soon be brought about. It is only held back by the actions of petty politicians who in every country are cursed with an exaggerated belief in the importance of thei- own existence. The same plan is feasible with regard to intranational disputes which are ma’nly industrial. Capitalists and labo-ers alike make the mistake that disputes between them concern only tlmmaelves. whereas then concern, even more, the public. Let this fact only be propei lv realized and. whenever industrial diffe ences aris°. representative of the three parUes affected will meet together, knowing that a reasonable settlement is imperative in the interests of all. It will not be lone before thp sharp divisions of capital and labor will disappear and industry will be placed on a cooperat’ e b sis. We dare not despair of the world. All statements to the contrary notwithstanding, despite the blackn -s of tb o-esent outlook, men are matching on. Unless historv is a lie. t 0 law of life is th law of progress. With the poet we believe that “through the ages one unceasing purpose runs’’ and that “the thoughts of m°n are broad ened with the nroeess of the suns.” Tt esnemalW behooves us who are now leaving the little world which is called schoo1. for he 'argei world which lies before us. to catch the vision of the brighter da' that is com’ng and to labor hard to hasten Rs advent: that da “when the war drums will throb no longer «nd the battle flags will be furled in the narliament of man. the confederation of the world. ’ and when the ideals of human brotherhood will become accomplished facts.

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should ever have to stand! We suggest right here and now. that if a new school house is ever built that there must be seats enough for all, especially the Freshmen. The Sophomores initiated us with a splendid reception at which, though their intentions were kind, we suffered all the agonies of the overly conscious at an unusually formal function. • Realizing the great need of having class officers to guide us through our Freshman year, we elected Samuel Blum, president; Agnes Armour, vice president; and Vilas Wright, secretary-treasurer. Despite the obstacles existing in our class, we sent Samuel Blum to represent us at the Oratorical League. When we were growing into Sophomores the United States entered the World War and a shortage of capable teachers became apparent and we we.e compelled to face our struggles with two teachers short of the former quota. We have many times felt the lack of what we otherwise would have had in our 3rd and 4th years. During this year the following class officers were elected: Grayce Winter, president; Elizabeth Pinkney, vice-president; and Agnes Armour, secretary-treasurer. We gave the usual annual reception to our Freshmen f.iends, and tried to make them happy. Several members left us in this year, including Laura Anderson, Berval Cleasby, Fern Gueldner, Paul Kenyon, Galen Isham. Vayle Nogle and Adella Alt. In the Junior year we woke up to the fact that our high school days were passing rapidly and that we must become more active if we were t» reach our goal in the allotted time. We were well enough known to be represented in the Oratorical Contests ar.d in the H. S. Basketball and Baseball teams. We not only battled with the terrors of war, our thoughts largely devoted to the dangers of our loved ones on the battlefields, but influenza became prevalent, and all school activities were abandoned. School closed for eight weeks, and many sorrows were in our homes on account of the distressing conditions. Yet we wer e held to the mark and expected to conquer all and move onward. Finally, we had the pleasure of holding our annual Junior-Senior reception, in which one of the features of entertainment was a play entitled “Daddy,’’ which is said to have possessed real merit. Odin Aase, Hattie Bie ecker, Marion Harmrn and LaVergne Claf-lin left our band with the closing of t’his year. Our new officers elected were: Sanford Ede, president; Samuel Blum, vice-president; and Raymond Evans, secretary-treasurer. With our country at p?ace, influenza checked, and having learned many valuable lessons, our Senior year became truly our banner year. Several of our number starred in Debating. Oratory, Stock Judging, and Athletics. We won first place in the State Stock Judging Contest at Madison through the correct judging of Roland Claf-