South High School - Tiger Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

Page 12 text:

five and one-half hours of half-hearted application; it means being self-sacrificing, something very difficult for the average person. The student who graduates from high school with the ability to enter the university, and who has been wholly or partially self-supporting, is truly a man. We are proud to say that a large per cent of the students at South High are of such caliber. T HE man who, today, invents a practical device is looked up to with respect and admiration. This man is original; he has new ideas and works them out. In our high school we believe that originality is discouraged rather than fostered, and wish for the sake of future “Tigers” to say a word about it here. Many of our English teachers insist that the student write upon the subject assigned, which is all very well, but why continually give them topics that they can moralize upon? In treating such lofty subjects as Portrayal of Character, Success, or Rocks in the Sea of Life, the student, in many cases, knows very little about them. He writes what he believes the teacher expects, not what he knows or thinks about them. We were once given the subject, How to Make a Wireless Telegraph”; instead of writing an essay on what we thot would appeal only to some one directly interested in such work, we wrote on “Wireless, a Triumph of Modern Discovery.” Later, upon inquiring why barely a passing mark was given when there were but few corrections upon it, we received the reply that it was not upon the topic assigned. Perhaps this teacher was right in demanding the work assigned to us, but why not let us write on another phase of the subject which appeals to us more? Oftentimes when a student disagrees with a teacher, he does not proceed far before he is cut short and must keep his original ideas to himself. Next time he wishes to disagree he will think twice before he speaks, and then undoubtedly he will not venture to voice his sentiment. Much could be accomplished if the teachers devoted a little more time to attempting to develop originality, in other words, to getting the student to stand upon his own feet.

Page 11 text:

As„ we look back on the past months which we have spent, gathering a flower here and a blossom there to form a product which, tho bearing the name of an Annual, we trust will be, in the hands of the classes of 1913, at least, a perennial; we forget the maddening moments when our mental powers refused to work, the sinking sensation when we noted the chronic omissions of double plusses on our report cards and we remember, above and beyond these painful circumstances, the fun of it all. And, patient subscriber, we trust that when you have made your critical way thru these pages, you too will forget the clumsy spots, the crude attempts at literary “style,” the shortcomings of its elegance, and say, “They did their best, bless ’em, ’cause it’s a jolly old book after all.” T HERE, is one class of students at South High to whom much credit and respect should be given. The student who works his way thru high school should be honored more than the football or baseball hero, or even the valedictorian. Much of his time must be spent at the shop or store so that he cannot engage in athletics. He, perhaps, would like to secure high marks, but this also is denied him, as sufficient time cannot be devoted to his lessons to ensure such success. He would like to go to the football, the interclass basketball, and the baseball games and yell for his class; he would enjoy taking part in the games, but he must quench his enthusiasm on all such occasions, as his employer demands that he be steady if he wishes to hold his job. Going to high school means to him more than merely spending

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€ssap on J ames Names are very peculiar things. Sometimes they are ill-fitting and sometimes they suit the person to whom they are applied. Names are given to distinguish individuals and families. There are many names that are just as suitable as those in common use, but we should smile if we heard them. Some parents name their children May, June, and August. Why could they not just as well call them February, July, or December? There are persons whose surnames are Gale, Frost, Cloud, or Storm; but we never hear of Miss Cyclone or Mr. Tornado. Almost every day we encounter Mr. White or Mr. Black, or Mr. Gray, and Mr. Green; it seems strange that we never meet Mr. Yellow or Mr. Turquoise Blue. I remember Mr. Sand, Miss Snow, and Mr. Clay; but not Mr. Mud. Why would Miss Ice not be an appropriate name for some damsel? In South High we meet girls named Rose, Lily, Hyacinth, and Daisy, and even Violet and Fern. It would be just as appropriate to name boys Onion, Cauliflower, or Carrot. We find families named Stone and Wood; why not Cloth and Paper? I have heard of Mr. Deer and Mr. Hunter. In South High we have Miss Fish and Mr. Fisher. Girls are called Ruby, Pearl, and sometimes Garnet; but never Topaz or Sapphire. I know' girls named Olive and Hazel; they could be called Cucumber or Hickory, just as well. Probably if all parents had as many children as the old woman who lived in a shoe, instead of numbering them as she did, they would give them names as strange as some of these. Agnes Tollefson. — o —