Peru High School - Narcissus Yearbook (Peru, IN)

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FAITH in EDUCATICN by J. P. CRODIAN NE sometimes comes to feel that on the shoulders of the school is laid the burden for all that is wrong in modern life. Confusion in government, confusion in business, confusion in morals-all are laid at the door of the school. There is apparently, too, little realization of the fact that the school is only one of the cooperative agencies which support and advance civilization, and that it cannot take the place of all. We are molded and shaped by the forces of our environment as a whole, not altogeth- er by any one part of it. The neighborhood, the home, civic influences, movies, radio, popular literature, newspapers, personal examples and influences in business, in the pro- fessions, in politics, in public and private life-all of these work to set and determine standards. I do not believe that any attempt to justify what education in the American high school has accomplished can be complete or accurate that does not take into account the fact that the school has to do its work against many things in our life that tend to de-educate. We try to develop a certain intellectual and yet all about our students are powerful maturity, appeals addressed to the immature mind-the more sen- sational of our newspapers, a Hood of cheap magazines, bad movies, a whole equipment for developing and fixing a stock of ideas at a permanent childhood level. We try to speak of civic responsibility, and yet we know how much there is against us in American life. We work for character formation, in an age that is confused and uncertain regarding its own ethical standards. We cannot judge the results of what we do as though formal educa- tion were the only force at work in our lives. What hap- pens to the individual is the result of the complex inter- relation of the whole battery of forces, of which the school is but one. I do not believe that, judged in such terms as these, we need to apologize for our results. The American high school, like all human institutions, has its limitations and its failures, nevertheless, the officials of the school always look to the future for ways of improvement. Let us not forget this fundamental fact: that it has opened the door of increased opportunity, usefulness and happiness to millions of American citizens. Our system of education, broadly conceived, is and must be the main reliance of our country for its future. Out of these troubled times there comes a new challenge to us, a challenge to our faith in education. NARCISSUL1933 J. P. CRUDIAN High School Principal Sixty-five years ago the Southern states found them- selves in a condition of destitution such few regions have faced. Every institution was bankrupt, currency was without value, the best of the South's young men were dead on the battle field. What lay ahead was a rebuilding from the foundations. It took a generation for the South to be able to satisfy the elemental necessities of its life. It could do very little beyond that. But as hope came back, and the people began to have a little leisure for thought and for anticipation of the future, they began to be con- scious that among a self-governing people the road to ad- vancement must lie through education. Governor Aycock of North Carolina spoke with the voice of that generation when he said, in a phrase which embodies a whole philos- ophy of education, We in the South are too poor not to educate, and, today, in the midst of our difficulties, those who have a genuine faith in education and in what it means to a self-governing people must agree that we are too confused, too depressed, in too much trouble not to educate or to seek an education. The school can no longer live apart from the realities of American life. The American tradition, American as- pirations, the conditions of American life today-economic, political, moral, aesthetic-must be subjects of study in the American school. A large number of educators of to- day believe that education will be far more significant in American life in ten years than it is today. The American people have not lost their faith in education. They are clamoring for more education. They see that education is indispensable. Modern society does not welcome the rough diamond. His popularity vanished with the fading of the frontier. Education, that is, refinement, has become The immediate jewel of our souls. 5

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NARCISSUS, 1933 G. W. YOUNGBLOOD Superintendent of Schools N the early history of our country, school cities were divided into districts administered by school commit- tees. These groups looked after the certification of teachers and their election, selected textbooks, superin- tended buildings and grounds and directed the instruction. After more than a century of evolution in school admin- istration citizens came to believe that the schools of a city could be better managed by a group of people called, in many states, the Board of Education, but in Indiana Peru Public School System By G. W. YOUNGBLOOD called the Board of School Trustees. The Board of Edu- many as forty-three members. work more economically and large body, consequently the reduced until a board seldom cation in some states had as A few persons can always more efficiently than can a number has been gradually has more than five members. Peru has only three. The members of the Peru Board of School Trustees are elected by the city council for a term of three years. The Board of School Trustees, as the representatives of the people, determines the general policy of the school system. After a policy has been determined its execution rests with the executive officer employed by the Board, the superintendent of schools. He directs the school organiza- tion and supervises the instruction given therein through his principals and supervisors. The Clerk of the Board keeps necessary records and furnishes information for the administration of the finan- cial matters of the Peru School City, and for the purchase of supplies. The stenographer, Miss Dora Toepfer, attends to the correspondence of the superintendent and assists the clerk in record keeping. The public schools constitute the greatest institution in Peru. Approximately twenty-five hundred children attend the Peru Public Schools, of Whom eight hundred fifty are in High School. It is through the schools that our democ- racy has existence. Government by the people would de- teriorate Without publiC schools. fcontinued on Page 282 BOARD OF EDUCATION A. H. COLE J. H. JENKINS ROSCOE COOMLER GLADYS MCITOWELL President Treasurer Secretary Clerk 4

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NARCISSUS, 1933 s History of Peru I-ligh School LL schools must have a history, even so with our high school, but judging from the number of applications that I had to make, I began to doubt if ours could be collected. But finally, after unearthing a term paper by Kathryn Loughran on the subject and after obtaining an interview with Miss McDowell, I found that I had a good portion of the interesting information about the past of Peru High School. All of the public schools of Peru were originally held in the Central School Building, which stood where our present school is located, until 1893, at which time the School Board asked for an appropriation for the building of a high school. The money was not obtained and the Board leased the brick building at the corner of Broadway and Sixth streets at S800 per year. This building was located where West and Stevens book store now stands, and at the time of leasing was being used as a livery stable. This building was used until the present edifice was erected in 1910. People at that time came to school, not to obtain the social advantage offered, but to gain an education. In testimony of this fact I offer the statement of the Prin- cipal of the year 1899. Then the rule of conduct for pupils is simply, 'Be stu- dious, be courteous, be young ladies and young gentlemenf Such pupils are welcome and sought for, all others will be excluded. A further testimony may be found in the size of these classes. The first class was graduated in 1870. There were seven members, John A. Faust, George Chamberlain, Mary E. Miller, Joseph A. Faust, Alice fLovelandJ Morill, Richard H. Cole, and W. B. McClintic. The last surviving member of this class died in the fall of 1926. There was no graduating class in 1874. The smallest class was that of 1881, containing only three members. The greatest difference discernable between our school of today, and the school of' that date is in curricular and extra curricular activities. Ours are most extensive, theirs were most limited. In general schedule their choice of subjects was limited to four courses, namely: English, 6 Latin, Science and Mathematics. All of these subjects and more are now contained in our College Entrance course. Their extra curricular activities were confined to the High School paper, literary contests, and in a small meas- ure, athletics. This may seem to have been a rather elaborate program, and the student might be considered fortunate but it should be remembered that they had no athletic equipment, no gymnasiums, no athletic field, and no funds. The only event on record was a field contest between Peru and our ancient rivals, Wabash. On the appointed day, a special train conveyed the Peru delega- tion to Wabash, where the exercises took place amidst the greatest enthusiasm, resulting in a victory for Peru of 45 to 27. fThis information was taken from, A Manual and Course of Study, dated 1899.5 The school paper was not always known as the Peru- vian. Oh, no, its name at that stage of its existence was The High School Echo. It was published once a month and at that time 118995 was quite popular. No informa- tion is available as to how or where it was printed. Just thirty years ago our predecessors originated the year book. At that time the high school was located on the present site, although it was a different building. The two upper classes had their assembly hall on the second fioor, while the other two classes prepared their lessons on the first floor. Before the edition of the annual was started, the campaign for a name was begun. In the upper assembly, two factions developed, one contended that the name should be The Peruvian, while the other group tried to present the advantages of having it called The Narcissus. The leader of the Peruvian faction, after a talk with the upper assembly, decided to put it to a vote, and The Peruvian received the majority. Not being satisfied with these results, the opposing leader, after an influential talk to the lower assembly, called for a vote. The results were unanimous for The Narcissus. By this interesting episode, our year book acquired the name that it now bears. fContinued on Page 401