Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-06-08
FORTY-SEvENARE
GIVEN DIPLOMAS
PRETTY GRADUATION EXERCISES
FOR CLASS OF 1912 HELD AT
OPERA HOUSE LAST NIGHT.
PROF. WILCOX SPEAKS
Iowa City Educator Made Interesting
Talk on "HoW is the High
SchooP'-Hartman Presents
"Sheep Skins"


"Sheep Skins"
Graduation exercises of the class OF
1912 of the Ottumwa high school were
held at the Grand opera house last
might. The theater was filled with
proud parents, delighted relatives and
pleased friends OF forty-seven young
women and young men, who, on the
acceptance Of their much-prized di
plomas, brought to a close success
full public school career and RELOCATED
to history the estimable title of senior
The selections rendered by the entire
high school chorus gave evidence OF
the great musical attainments Of the
student body. Prof. w. G. Wilcox, Of
the Iowa state university, in an ad
dress pointed out to the graduates and
to the audience just what the high
school accomplishes and is capable OF
accomplishing in his discourse on
'''How High is the High School," s.
P. Hartman, Of the school board made
some very appropriate remarks pre-
Iceding his presentation of the sheep
skin" emblems as a closing feature OF
the program. The forty-seven elated
graduates closed the evenings cere'
monies by singing the class song, the
hurting of hundreds of purple and
white streamers into the audience and
finally. the rendition Of those char
acteristic vocal productions OF lusty
Threats, the class yells.
Chorus Program. -....
The pretty scene that greeted the
eyes of the audience as the curtain
first assembled brought forth abund-
ant applause A stage full of smiling
young women, gowned in pure white,
and a smaller group of elated young
; men, seated in close arrangement,
needed no stage effects to round out
the picture.
The first musical number, Went
wich's "Waltz Song" marked the be-
ginning of a very pleasing period OF
song. The entire chorus participated
in this selection. The Boys Glee
club, with the assistance Of Miss
Bertha Wormhoudt the talented so
prano of the class, then gave two
songs that met with approval because
of the musical ability displayed. To
Mrs. Theodosia Harrison, supervisor
of music. the success Of the chorus
work is due in great measure. The
glee club under her instruction, scored
heavily in it's rendition of Calm is
the Lake" and Down Amid the Clover
and the Corn" Miss Wormhoudt de-
lighted the audience with solo work
in the first song.
"Jerusalem," given by the entire
chorus, was another example of the
musical attachments Of the chorus.
Following this part of the program,
the curtain descended in order to allow
the undergraduate members OF the
chorus to leave the stage.
In accordance with the usual Gus
tom. the graduates marched IN upon
the second raising of the curtain. Each
entry was met with applause. Prof.
A. w. Stuart introduced the speaker OF
the evening, Prof. w. c. Wilcox.
Prof. Wlcox's Address.
Prof. Wilcox endeavored to point out
to the audience and student body, just
How High is the High School" Not
only did Prof. Wilcox laud the work
of the high school, but he was equally
strong against some characteristics 'o1
the institution today. He declared
that although the high school Is a
wonderful school, it still is lacking IN
features which many people have per-
mitted themselves to believe 1t has or
should have. One of the underlying
points in his discourse was the state
ment that you can't put pig IN the
high school and get anything out of 1t
but pig, although it may come out
in different form. In part he said:
when. in this city Of Ottumwa,
forty-seven young women and young
men graduate from the high school.
there comes a thought into their minds
and into your minds, Does 1t pay?
The answer Is that 1t does. Other
wise none Of you would be here. In
consideration of that question, How
High is a High School, there IS q
world of things to be remembered.
There are some things the high school
cannot do. 1t cannot make up to any
student the lack of birth. A high
school cannot change the characteris-
tics of a person born into this world.
It can only try to make something out
of that birth, try to mould those char
acteristics.
"You take a pig for instance. 1t
goes in one door of a packing house
and when it comes out. 1t issues
through several doors in the forms OF
picked pigs feet. bacon. hams. etc. 1t
! has changed form and appearance but
when you taste it, what do you get.
Nothing but plain pig. So, If you send
pig to the high school, you are going
to get pig out again. If you parents
wish to have son that will be power
! full and leader in his community, the
high school is the place to develop
that power but 1t cannot be done
without that son has the stuff in him.
I "You are going to get pig for pig,
man for man-just according to what
you send into the high school. The
! high school is to develop character.
istics for learning, manhood, woman
hood, and all that is good.
! Home Training.
But. there is one thing that the
high school cannot do. 1t cannot take