Versailles High School - Portal Yearbook (Versailles, OH)

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The Spirit of Progress Is the spirit of progress dead among the people of Versailles and Wayne township? Are they not able to see why and how soon we need a new school bailding? Are they keeping open minded by being content to send their children to the same old building that they themselves went to? Who will answer these questions? A new school building is needed in Versailles, that is an established fact—but when will the new school building be erected? Each year the enrollment in the high school increases. In 1920-21, there were ninety students in 1922-2.1 there were one hundred fifty. This means an increase of 66 2-2 per cent; at flu same rate in 1928 there will be two hundred fifty students. Will ibis latter number be required to go to the same building that was not capable of handling the ninety students in a way that would make them get the most out of their high school life? If this condition must exist, then we will guarantee that the Seniors of ’2:1 are thankful that they escaped before congestion became so great that electric lights simply had to be installed because there were so many members in the classrooms that they (the pupils, not the rooms) sat in the windows and darkened the interior. What does the usual visitor see when he visits the building? Does he see the pupils working in well-lighted, properly-ventilated and heated rooms, or is it just the opposite? To illustrate our point, dear reader, imagine you are a visitor to Y. II. S. for the first time. You come to the school ground and are impressed with what? With the beauty and spaciousness of the -plot, or a small site of which the most beautiful things are the trees—and these take up all the space so that the pupils have no place to play. Our visitor strolls around the block, sees the puddles of water on the ground, the cracks in the wall, decaying bricks, blank windows, the fire escapes so far from the ground that you are reminded of the topmost part of a scenic railway—only there is nothing scenic about this setting. But lest external appearances deceive, let us guide you, as a visitor, to the inside entering at the north door. You begin to climb stairs—up, up, expect-ng at every step that the frail boards will break thru, they having been worn by the feet that used them for forty-seven years. Reaching the second floor you are drawn to the library to witness the process of finding a book that is not near either of the two windows, and with the day very dark. You visit the office of the superintendent, the only room that is comfortably and properly lighted. Rut you realize that the third floor is the main object of interest and you go up another (light of stairs, finally mounting to the pinnacle of glory—the third floor. You see a number of rooms, grouped around dark, narrow halls. »u go into the assembly room, tin largest one, first. Here you see an intricate network of wires leading to sockets where occasionally an electric light bulb is placed to furnish illumination. If you happen to stand on the register you are almost asphyxiated bv the dense clouds of smoke coming up from the furnace. You see the floor, always littered with small pieces of paper, because splinters sticking up make it impossible for the janitor to sweep clean. Here and there whole strips of the upper layer of wood peel off the floor, leaving streaks of a lighter color. The walls are almost black—again due to the previously-mentioned furnace. And the ceiling! It looks as though it had had a contagious

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So much for the dark side; let us turn to the brighter one. Ssome teachers and professors see our difficulties and are glad to help us. We know they dislike to interrupt classes, and they are justified; they keep down the dislike and help us get our group pictures taken; they are willing to give advice, are really interested and conscientious enough to behave themselves during the “photographing ceremonies”, can and do get their material written on time; sit quiet at staff meetings—but the type is rare. As to business men who refuse to listen to our plea for ads on the excuse that they are too busy or the price is too high, let them withdraw to their shells and live their existance. Now we’ve tried to tell our story, just as we have seen it; someone will rise and say that the writer is a crank, a reformer, who doesn’t know what he is talking about; such criticism flies over our heads, an editor must be impervious to such remarks. We realize that the success of our Annual depends not on this talk, but on our ability coupled with tin necessary co-operation of pupils, teachers, and parents. If anyone else outside has anything to say, we hope they will say it and keep still; critics’ remarks will follow us - but our job is not one that shows the best qualities of human nature; on the contrary, one phase of the liberal education it offers is that it points cut the utter irresponsibility of the average student, who slips through leaving the work for one person. We hope that our position will lx understood for we truly believe that the Annual has come to stay, that each year it will be better and better, prized always, a memento to tin class that publishes it. IRA RROWX. ’21.

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(Vsease and was going thru the process of scaling off. If classes change while attention is riveted on the ceiling you will get your eyes full of the scales—for the ceiling is jarred! The desks are cut up—but that is due to the alumni and alumni-to-be. You now go to the Sophomore room to see the display of snakes, toads, spiders—constant reminders that school days create strange bed-fellows—. Now yon go into the chemical laboratory— but the only unusual features are tin antiquated stove and the still, the latter used in experiments only. Quitting this room you meet seventy-five students in the hall at once, detour, and almost go thru the floor, built over an «.ld stairway. Another marvel comes to light—notice the good will and feeling shown by the line at the drinking fountain. A line stretched the entire, length of the hall, moving forward as soon as each student gets his drink! No crowding, no pushing, a very orderly group! You look into room twelve and ask why those pupils are congregating in there in class time. Then the line at the fountain must be broken to get water to sprinkle on your face when you learn that that is a class room you see. After recovering from the shock you are shown into the diminutive room, shudder, ask where the fire escape is, and shudder again when you hear that there is no fire escape—you did not look for such cruelty and carelessness in a Christian, civilized country. The Freshman room is next visited. This is our nursery—and a capable nurse always watches our babies! Here you see a great hole in the ceiling, made that memorable day when a sudden jar shook much of the plastering down to the level of the startled students. On the walls are seen the effects of rain storms on a leaky roof. You gaze in wonder at the monument marking the place where, several years ago, a young student fell thru the floor, or part of the way thru, history relates. Hut you cannot stand any more of this. You rotter down the still more tottering stairs. You are overcome with a half-hour visit; think of tin students who must go four years, or longer, in this building! Belated reports say that a new school is to be erected soon—but we are cynical— only seeing, itself, is believing. People of this community, when will we see it? -Hi—