Pinnell High School - Pinnell Yearbook (Lebanon, IN)

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LIBRARIANS JOURNALISM

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THE VALUE OF HISTORY As history is taught in almost all schools in the United States, from the elementary through college, we wonder sometimes and are challenged some- times about the values of history. I believe the basic and most important value derived from the study of history is the understanding of our heritage, from whence we came, why we live as we do today, and how we have developed along the way. We are given a greater understanding of social and economic conditions in the past and the present. Some teachers maintain that we study history for the light it can shed on problems of our own time. As it is often said, history repeats itself, so we should profit by the mistakes of the past by avoiding these same mistakes in the future. We teach history in order to develop patriotism. In almost every country, history has been taught to make children love and respect their own country and admire its great heroes. At its best, history is studied and taught so that people may learn to square off their beliefs and attitudes toward other peoples and nations of the world. Perhaps through history we might come to a greater understanding of foreign peoples and their cultures. History is a source of new ideas and how life may be made better in the future. History may be used to help the student build and broaden his own point of view and his own outlook on the world. In summing up the values of history, we might say that it is of value in understanding our heritage, our way of life, a help in avoiding the mistakes of the past, a source for understanding other peoples of the world, and a power in broadening our own viewpoint. J ack Mills

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THE AIMS AND PURPWES OF TEACHING COMMERCIAL SUBJECTS The Commercial subjects offered in Pinnell High School are elective and are primarily vocational, but it must be remembered that many students use them in their personal work, too. Bookkeeping, Shorthand, and Typewriting are offered to juniors and seniors. In the shorthand class an effort is made to train students in taking and trans- cribing dictation. A knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting is essential to all who wish to understand our modern economic system. All types of business men, store- owners, farmers, professional men--are required to prepare government reports, such as income tax returns, sales tax returns, and social security forms. These government reports must be based upon adequate business records. The primary aim of a course in typewriting is the development of typing power for personal and vocational use. There are other aims of the course, to be sure, such as the related learnings having to do with syllabication, capitalization, punc- tuation, and methods of expressing numbers, but these are secondary to the primary purpose of learning to type. Whether the student wants to use the skill for typing personal papers or for getting and holding a job, the early learning is based on the same fundamental principles. In second year typing the student receives a great deal of training in cutting stencils and doing mimeograph work which will prove beneficial in almost any type of office work. The most vital interest of all students is the preparation for earning a living, and many young people will seek initial employment in some business or office position. The work of the Commerce Department is planned to help the student for the present as well as the future. Frances Coons