Western High School - Occident Yearbook (Bay City, MI)

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A gig Same Ahuantagrs nf a Glnllrgr Ehuratinn ',.',Ei6,' HAT are some of the advantages of a college education? They are lx 1 manifold but to me three points stand in prominent place: 111 As tx i the young man or young woman just entering the higher institution, In it 3 for the first time in his life Ends himself removed from the fostering Mgt FQ, influences of the home, a college career offers opportunity for a more giadual transition from the life of dependence on others to that of self-dependence. Q25 The associations formed in the higher schools are more than likely to make for one's practical advancement. 133 College life af- fords opportunity for the broadening influence of a new social environment. The three points mentioned do not take into consideration the benefits derived in the way of character building. mental diwipline and others of equal or even greater importance, but they are, nevertheless, items of no secondary importance. The student who enters the business world directly from high school has sud- denly thrust upon him the responsibility of self-dependence. Mother no longer tucks the covers and father's stern but hurried commands no longer guide him in paths where ripe experience points the way. Today he is dependent upon the wis- dom and judgment developed through years of practical experience: tomorrow he must depend upon himself. The abrupt change, it is obvious, has decided disad- vantages. -- On the other hand, the student who enters the higher institution finds that though the home no longer ministers its kindly services, the college substitutes many of its fostering infiuences and paternal ministrations. If we may risk the indulgence of a thread-bare figure and compare life to a voyage, the college ls the quiet recess lying between the home from which the young man casts his moorings and the more boisterous sea. Through these four years of more or less independent life. he must learn at least in some degree, to go it alone. VVhatever and wherever one's business, it is well to have a few friends out of town. Harvard University friends made Roosevelt governor of New York. and that gave him the presidency. De Pauw University friends made Albert Beveridge United States senator, and Marshall Field, to use his own words, made his millions through his friends out of town. Ten years after his graduation from college the friends one makes in his Alma Mater will: be doing things in other communities. and whether his business is poli- tics, medicine, law, merchandise or what not, the industrial inter-dependence of the times makes necessary a few friends out of town. The young man who has never been away from home is, for reasons too obvious to mention, very likely to believe pretty earnestly that the University was created and is operated and maintained for the glorifi- and editl-cation of himself. That is a most unfortunate conviction for any youth to be encumbered with, for the world has some theories of its own on that score, and is more than likely to make junk of any young man who persists in the belief that he has an undisputed title at all times and under all circumstances to the right of way. Ex-President Taft tells a good story of a fond mother who accompanied her young hopeful to a boys' private school. On entering the office the good mother said to the principal: Now Willie is a good boy and we desire that you deal gently with him. We never beat him except in self-defense. That it was a good thing for William to get into a different social environment is evident. The home too often neg!-ects to take into account the fact that there are cer- tain social rights that must be respected. Here the influence of college or university life counts effectively. The boy learns in the social laboratory of the college that there are others. FRANK A. GAUSE. 37

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f'f W 2 'fiififff s 5 1 H 1 T S fi i - I f .5 3 ii. fi . if' , 5 f S z 5 E Q 3 i ? 2 Q 5 E iii i i :if b ibbs iifgfifm A 5. gf: , i ' .M ,gi,Y,fI..?fszQw.I1+L?.,3s --n-.M-,i, A1 IRENE MARGARET MCLEAN A rosebud set with little wilful thorns. JULIUS JOSEPH KAISER Never dejected while another's blessed Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth. FEARNE ISABELLE VVRIGHT Just being happy is a fine thing to do: Looking on the bright side rather than the bl-ue.

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Qiztnrg uf the Qllann nf 1915 LASS '16, one September day, found itself all huddled together in one N corner of the session room listening in awe to Mr. Hunter and Miss I, Schroeder explaining the subjects Freshmen were allowed to take. 'I English and Algebra being required, our choice was limited and it did 'f o not take us long to decide. As Freshmen. we did not organize. VVe kept up a good standard and devoted much time to our studies. lu' ', wr 'S 54fE.. MNi7- 5 ii, ffl Qi' After making for ourselves a good record in our first year, we entered the Sophomore class, and at our first class meeting elected officers as follows: Presi- dent, Nelson Gilbert: Vice-President, Hattie VVilder: Secretary and Treasurer, Harold Bement. On May lst we undertook to present a May Day program, it being the first of its kind ever presented at YVestern. It was a great success and we hope that the plcsentation' of the May Day program by the Sophomore class will' become an es- tablished custom. On becoming Juniors the first thing we did was to elect new class officers which were as follows: President, Clinton Bristolg Vice-President, Annetta Neal: Secretary and Treasurer, Clarence Shaver. Next we began our campaign for raising funds for the Senior send-off. The first thing we did was to give a Junior supper and hop, which was a social as well as a financial success. Nei-rt we gave a carnival. This was something new and different and proved a success, besides adding a few more dollars to our treasury. Then last, but not least, came our play, which was entitled, Mrs. Briggs of the Poultry Yard. It was a scream from be- ginning to end and was enjoyed by all. We then ended up the school year by giv- ing the Senior send-off at Linwood. Last fa,!'1 we assumed the position and duties of dignified Seniors, and to our great disappointment we had double sessions. We elected class officers once more. This time with Clarence Shaver as president, Clinton Bristol as vice-president, and Homer Nichols as secretary and treasurer. We next proceeded to ask for Senior privileges but in vain. U At the beginning of the football season the Senior girls, under the direction of Miss McKinney, proceeded to raise money by selling red-hots and crackerjack at the games and by various other methods, in order to purchase and present to the school blankets for the football team. In February the girls gave a musicale in the High School auditorium at which they took in enough money to finish paying for the blankets. The next most important event was the giving of the Senior plays at Eastern High School auditorium. Instead of one three-act play, we gave three one-act plays, entitled Tea Cups, The Mousetrap, and Quits. The experiment proved to he a grand success. VVO have now come to the end of our career as a. class. We will no longer hear the musical voices of the teachers as they question us on our lessons, or cal-l us down. No longer will we hear the soft buzz of the paper wad as it joyously travels through space, or enjoy the intoxication of seeing the victim squirm. It is like leav- ing home: we do' not realize how much We really like it until we leave. - -CHRONOLOGICAL COMMITTEE. 38 K