Ilion High School - Class of 1903

Ilion Citizen - September 26, 1902

School Notes

Article 1

School Notes

The sum of $520 has been received from the state for the maintenance of the teachers' training class.

A set of beautiful stereopticon slides on the museums and palaces of Paris, prepared by Prof. Bickmore of New York, has recently been received by the school. These slides are furnished by the state without charge. This is the second set on Paris now in possession of the school.

Fifteen more students are registered in the high school this year than last. There are 64 boys and 66 girls. The proportion of boys is thus seen to be very high, and the remark sometimes made that boys do not remain in school on account of the shops has little force. The fact is a man or woman needs an education no matter what his occupation is to be and the high school of today enables young men and women to get at home what they were formerly obliged to go away for and to get at considerable expense.

The Mu Iota Lambda, the girls' society of the high school, began its work, for the year, September 12th. The following officers were elected for the first half year: President, Marion Hakes; vice president, Anna Reilly; secretary, Jessie Hartford; treasurer, Mae Webster. The work for the present will be the study and reading of Tennyson's "Princess". The programs are varied by the discussion of different points, by music and by collateral reading. The meetings are held Friday evenings from 7:30 to 9 'o'clock in the high school study hall. Last year a careful and profitable study was made of the "Idylls of the King," and now the society is looking forward to an equally interesting year's work.

The graduating class of the present school year is made up of the following students: President, Ross Rudd; vice president, Sarah Clark; secretary, Juanita Beach; treasurer, Louis Webster; Arthur Arnold, Earl Avery, Laura Burke, Myrtle Clayton, Leroy Fake, Antoinette Hoefler, William Jones, Robert Mentz, Earl Rice, Enid Remington, Albert Sherman, David Springer, Fred Smith, Edward Staples, Reese Taylor, Ray Tuttle, Rose VanNamee, Evan Woodard, Annabell Zoller. There are 23 members, 15 of whom are boys. This is a larger number of boys than have graduated before in any one year. About one half of the class will enter college or professional schools. Some other students could earn a regents' diploma this year, but prefer to wait for graduation until they have completed one of the school courses. No student is advised to graduate except on a course diploma. On the other hand the custom of graduating on 48 academic regents counts is so firmly established that students are still permitted to graduate on this basis where they insist upon it. The only objection to the regents' basis is that the subjects taken need not necessarily be grouped in such a manner as to prepare for higher courses or to give the highest training. The plan of the regents is to require certain studies, but to leave about half of the work to be laid out by the local schools. Too often this optional half has been taken by students without any definite purpose in mind except to get counts. The school is aiming to set a better policy as rapidly as possible.