Mount Pleasant High School - Derrick Yearbook (Mount Pleasant, MI)

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V2ri The 13th Annual Homecoming at Mt. Pleasant High School was a glamorous four days of Father and Son Banquet, snake dance, bonfire and pep rally, homecoming parade, thrilling game, and dances. On the night following the Father and Son dinner, a great snake dance was led by MPHS cheerleaders from the high school through the city to Island Park, where a huge bonfire gave a spirit of excitement running throughout the student body and faculty . . . Pat Archey and her court in an array of pastel-colored formals highlighted the parade Friday afternoon. The princesses were Elizabeth Sweeney, junior; Sandra Williams, sophomore; Margaret Sweeney, freshman; and Gayle Mortensen, eighth grader. Constructed by the seniors, their float was a creation made by stuffing thousands of pink, yellow, and white dinner napkins into a chicken wire frame. Leading the procession was the high school band in their new blue and white uniforms . . . The rivalry between MPHS and Alma ' s Panthers provided excitement for the Homecoming game itself.

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I I a jTRDNGER nation VOTE YE5 One of the most controversial issues in modern Mt. Pleasant times ended Nov. 23, 1954, as the city ' s citizens voted to erect a new high school. In four previous attempts, the proposal was de- feated at the polls. The fifth ballot carried by a surprisingly decisive 2-1 margin. Out of 2348 votes cast, 1513 were for the new school. Nega- tives numbered 835. The new school is being built on the south- west site, which received 1447 of the votes cast for the building ' s location. Bonds secured in the amount of $1,500,000 will probably be paid off in 14 years. In campaigning for the school, civic groups openly gave support. Full page ads listing hun- dreds of boosters were run in the Daily Times- News by the businessmen of Mt. Pleasant. A number of articles entitled Your Schools were also run. A film strip, So Many Children , showing actual classroom conditions in the city ' s schools pointed out the real need for more space. Even the students got in on the act. The day before the clinching vote, a parade consisting of the high school band, college band, and floats made by high school students made its way through downtown Mt. Pleasant. Marching high school and elementary students carried posters urging a Yes vote for better education. Perhaps one reason why the bond issue was not passed on an earlier ballot was the arguing on the choice of sites. This situation prompted one man to say that If we haggle over sites, we ' ll never get a school. We need a new school no matter where it ' s built. A victory dance was held at the MPHS gym the night following the fifth ballot. Mr. John Wiley, assistant principal, rang the bell atop the present high school at 10 o ' clock in honor of our late principal, L. C. Wendt. Mr. Wendt vowed that he would personally climb up and ring it if we ever got a new school. So the building that was but a year ago just a dream to students, faculty, and civic-mi.ided citizens, is now rising skyward. The new school . . . a monument to those who fought for it . . . an institution to prepare tomorrow ' s citizens for tomorrow ' s world. % },.-■■ £ ' - -fv kwi

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