The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-02-18
VANDALISM IN
The HIGH SCHOOL
Superintendent Sheep Seems To
Have Lost His Grip On
Wild Youth

ne eleIndl eDull1I1On OF youth
overflows in many forms at, the
Elizabeth City High School. 1t
breaks out here and there in un-
expected variety. It's 5ubiquity is
a constant source of vexation to
apprehensi1e teachers, manifest
ing itself in many stunts ca1cu-
lated to annoy-sometimes full
some and banal, or ingenious,
adroit and daring.
: Since school were begun, it has been
the custom and delight of pupils to play
pranks on teachers. Those who stand
greatest in disfaYor are usually the
greatest victims and the most harrying
schemes are plotted against them. The
perpetual energy of youth must have
an outlet and lacking intelligent direc-
ton from older heads, it usually finds
a safety valve in deVising and performing
tricks calculated to arouse greatest con-
sternation among the objects of their
disappfoval. And SO, at the Elizabeth
City high school, youth and humor over
flows, surreptitioasly spending it's ener-
-gy in the performance of juvenescent
plots Of revolt and revenge.
But adolescence seeking an outlet is
not always content to spend itself in
the pursuit of harmless pranks. Some
more bolder than the rest, enlarge the
extent of their capers and many deeds
designed purely for the fun they afford
the perpetrators, culminate in repulsiYe.
falnas-ass ililE
example for younger observers. Not
content with the mere annoying things
that lose their glamour under the careful
application of spring of elder or an
effective yardstick, many pupils vent
their spite in acts which eventually re
quire unnecessary work and expense
in repairs to damaged property. The
scope of mischief has enlarged in the
Elizabeth City schools until vandalism
is rampant.
No matter how unpopular Professor
Sheep may be among his pdpils and re-
gardless/ of the extent which he has
fallen in their disfavor, it affords no
justifying factor on which to base an
excuse for some of the things that are
done Jas an expression of defiance to his
authority. Suppose he did say to their
Merry Christmas and others a residence
in a warmer cline, as the pupils retoRt,
is it not enough to call him by the ven
omous names with which he is charac-
terized in their minds.
Anxious to escape the watchfnl eyes
of Professor Sheep as he eagerly OBJ
serves his charges, some of them not
long ago painted their class room doors.
The janitor scrubbed the paint away, to
find it replaced the next morning. One
morning the door to the Professors Of
flee had been removed and it was later
found in the garret. Considerable time
has been spent in replacing doors, which
are repeatedly removed, or covered with
boards.
Professor Sheep says nothing is safe
in the high school. Articles in charge
Of teachers or left in the drawers of
flagrant offense of borrowing occurred
asst Monday night when the building
was entered and.nine dollars were taken
from a teachers desk. The teacher had /
collected some money for school photo
graphs made by local Photographer. 1t I
vas up to the teacher to make it good.
Nothing was left but suspicious which
,o,,IJ not +bo robhnre
Slow to stop it is a simple problem.
The fostering of the destructive spirit
S a harmful factor among the future
itizens of this community. 1t is some
hing inevitable where, there is no YES
ige of constructive influences to devel-
'p the leisure hours of youth. With no
fairgrounds, no gymnasiums and nowhere
o go except to movies of fascinating
andits creeping cautiously forward with
,nives in their teetl5 it is no wonder
hat youth runs wild. Supplement such
N attraction with the healthy, construc
i've force of an organization like COM
nunity service and the youth of Eliza
eth City will find more pserviceable
method of spending it's spare time.