Roosevelt High School - Echo Yearbook (Ypsilanti, MI)

Page 12 text:

'IIE IILIXIIT gives evidence of that unity in that every grade and department of the Roose- velt School of the Michigan State Normal College has contributed to its pages. One part of our book which merits earnest consideration is the photography. Mr. Leonard Menzi, photography adviser, has labored tirelessly in producing pictures which fulfill all the requirements of good pictorial art. He has been extremely careful to have all the accessories harmonize and to achieve natural- ness in every particular. These characteristics can be secured only by an artist cigaftsman, and Mr. Men.zi's work is unmistakable proof of his photographic a iity. President McKenny in discussing the 1932 Adventures in Cfreative Expres- sion made the following statement: What the world needs is creative thinking, and creative expression. There is genuine evidence that Roosevelt is success- fully moving toward the objective of creative thinking. Clifford Woody, pro- fessor of education- of the University of Michigan., said: I can see the whole philosophy of education underlying the different aspects of creative work. THE EDITORIAL STAFF CREATIVE WRITING We believe that the impulse to create is inherent in the child, even at a rather early age. It remains for educators to provide an inspiring atmosphere in 'which children feel free to share their experiences and ton say through the realms of language, music, art, and the drama, thoughts that perhaps have never been expressed in this particular way before. Interests in. language creations may prove to be more difficult to build than some others. But once a child realizes his power over words, once he hears the genuine praise, and senses the sympathetic interest that the discerning teacher should at all times manifest, there is often no limit to the facility and effective- ness of his language expression. It is our conviction that more than the so-called best work should be included in our book. Not everyone can, or will become a great writer, but everyone should have an opportunity to try his skill at word and sentence manipulation. If children are encouraged, their expressions will be spontaneous, and sincere, and often very delightful, even though not mechanically perfect. It is the spirit of the creation that counts. While space this year does not permit us to .print a selection by every child, we are recording a large number of representative pieces. S. W. S. CREATIVE ART In Art, to foster the child's desire to express himself throu-gh various mediums from the kindergarten to the high school, has been our goal. Assembly programs, the sciences, literature and the every day experiences of childhood furn.ish much of the motivation in free experiment. Compositions for friezes, illustrations, commercial art and design, both real and abstract, in black and white, color and clay have been developed. The love of handicraft has also been expressed through pottery, stage decoration, pup- petry, bookmaking, etching, and textiles. In addition. to the many mediums available in the class room, salvaged materials have been used. Regardless of the perfection of the finished product, the subject material, the mediums of expression, the underlying ideal of all the art work of Roosevelt School is the sympathetic encouragement of creative ability H. F. S. 8

Page 11 text:

1 TRUDUCTIU MANS remembrance of all things is ex- ceedingly brief when he ventures a backward glance. Only a few haphazard facts will stand out through the fog of lost recollections. Thus it is that to explain how the 1933 Hillcrest in its 1933 dress had its inception is a task fraught with peculiar diiiiculty. 'For long years the faculty of the Roosevelt school has recognized the im- portance of stimulating creative talents. Few outward evidences of this activ- ity remaing only the satisfaction experienced by the creators themselves proved the worthwhileness of the time and effort given to creative endeavor. One of the early evidences which we have of creative effort in our element- ary dlepartment is the expression of a child voicing her deep interest in the Huron River. Down in the -Huron Valley where the waters How The Willow trees' branches bend lowg They seem to kiss the water as they sway to and f rog The birds build their nests in the branches high And they sing and sigh as the waters pass by. The river is flowing down to the sea, The wind is blowing the willow tree, The river winds in and out, winding, winding all about. The trees sway to and fro while the winds softly blow. Ellen Pray, age 8, May 1920 In 1931 the Creative Writing Club edited a booklet of prose and poetry. ln 1932 the scope of this volume was broadened to include photography, music. and art. At the beginning of 1933 Principal Paul J. Misner announced a new policy to unify the publications program of the entire school. Advisers and pupil as- sistants were chosen to work in the fields of creative art, music, dramatics, sci- ence and invention, human relationships, play and writing. After serious consideration of the manv problems involved, the Senior Class decided to cooperate with the aforementioned organization in the publication of a combination Hillcrest fthe former annuall and the Creative Adverzfzores, In subscribing to this policy the Seniors feel that they are initiating a desireable departure in the field of high school yearbooks. With the administration they recognize that an annual should represent a unified school. The Hillcrest of 1933 , 7

Page 13 text:

WHEN puplic schools were first estab- lished in the United States, each par- ent and pupil's chief concern was the mastery of the three R's Since peo- ple in general were unable to secure more than a very elementary education., this emphasis on fundamentals was thought necessary. It was natural, also, that the in.dividual who had learned his readin', ritin' and 'rithmetic should be held in high esteem. Slowly, however, people awakened to the truth that more than this was nec- essary for a clear understanding of the finer things of life. The cultural subjects, music, literature, and the sciences, were introduced into the schools, and children were taught that appreciation was another goal to be desired in or.der to fulfill the demands of complete living. All people do not possess the same type of creative ability .nor the same de- gree. Some excel on athletic fieldsg some in art, literature, or musiqg and others like Pasteur are able to develop a scientific principle which contributes to the health and happiness of all mankin.d. Each one has it in him to create something and should make his best attempt to do so. In Roosevelt one of the best examples of our emphasis upon this important phase of education is this Hillcrest, a glorified adventure in creative expression. This publication ,provides an excellent opportunity for every student to show his creative ability. Each one has been urged to contribute what he had to this cause and make Roosevelt outstanding in the field of progressive education. Catherine Pittman, age 16 Rough Rider Editorial, Oct. 7, 1932 9