2
THE GRANTONIAN
February 10, 1967
Memorial murals tout
.^dnnu.a.1iprina liotidau aduancei with hearti, ftoweri
“Hello, young lovers, wherever
you are!” St. Valentine’s day is sched­
uled for February 14 again this year.
It appears that although the methods
of celebrating and the public’s opin­
ion towards a holiday change vastly,
certain of its aspects must remain
relatively the same.
The name and very little else of
the holiday can be attributed to St.
Valentine—or rather three St. Valen­
tines. First was St. Valentine, a doc­
tor and a priest, who was beheaded
in A.D. 269. Then came St. Valentine,
a bishop and martyr, who was also
beheaded, this time in A.D. 273.
Thirdly was a little known martyr in
Africa.
Actually, the holiday that we know
is a survival of a February 15 Roman
festival. Lovers are tied in with the
holiday because it was believed that
birds began to mate on this day.
One old custom was for the young
people of both sexes to gather on the
eve of St. Valentine’s day and draw
the name of a member of the opposite
sex from a common hat. This person
then became their valentine for the
year—exchanging gifts, perhaps even
becoming engaged. Apparently mod­
ern young people don’t like games of
chance and have replaced this custom
with one allowing a basic freedom:
that of choice. They prefer to ex­
principles, personality
of William Fletcher
by Gayle Fleming
change valentines with whomever
they please.
Originally, the valentines ex­
changed under this procedure were
of a sentimental, romantic nature.
However, this charming custom has
been replaced by the sending of off­
beat, off-color examples of mass-
ouie cenôorôkip for ôtudentô criticized
A few years ago, back when we
were reading those movie magazine­
scandal sheets, I remember reading
an article about Sue Lyon, the star of
the controversial movie “Lolita.” It
seemed that she was not allowed to
attend the gala premiere of her own
movie because she was not yet 18—
the legal age to see a so-called “adult
movie.”
Even then, in our innocence this
seemed like a pretty stupid law. If
you wanted to see a movie bad
enough there were ways of sneaking
in, and most of the movies were
trashy anyway. But now, this isn’t
the point.
Why should a whole countryful of
high school students and teen-aged
people who riot, who serve in Viet­
nam and other troubled areas, who
protest and burn draft cards, who are
Eagle Scouts, band members, debu­
tantes, student nurses, NHS members
and who are all innately capable of
good judgment be restricted from
choosing the movies they pay to see?
For good, enjoyable entertainment
we can see a Walt Disney animal ad­
venture or a good, wholesome musi­
cal. Is the law made to bar us from
seeing the unpleasantries of life such
as out-of-wedlock pregnancy? There
are more pregnancies among teen­
agers than in any other age group.
We know what’s going on, and seeing
cartoon elephants isn’t going to hide
the “raw and seamy side.”
Although a number of the adult
movies are trashy and on the line of
being obscene, there are also the art
films, war stories, romances and all
varieties that are great movies but
^Jlie Grantonian
contain things that “teenagers really
shouldn’t see.”
An argument for the over-18 regu­
lation is that teenagers would copy
what they see in the movies. Would
a girl get pregnant just because she
saw “Splendor in the Grass”? What
about the bad influence of the Hunt­
ley-Brinkley report? Would you go
out and shoot a dozen people just be­
cause you saw it on the news?
The time for a change in this regu­
lation is long overdue. Today’s teen­
agers are old enough and intelligent
enough to decide what is trash and
what isn’t.
Separate classes begin
for education in health
The health classes are trying a new
program this year. Instead of co-educa-
tional classes as this school has always
had in the past, there are separate boys’
and girls’ classes. We were one of the few
schools in Portland that still had co-edu-
cational health classes.
The teachers will also take the
same class for the whole year. Usual­
ly at the end of the first semester,
the gym classes move to the port­
ables for health and to different
teachers. Now both the teachers and
the students make the move to the
portables or to the gym.
Several points have been brought up
for and against this system by the health
and gym teachers. The majority of them
agree that there is freer and sometimes
better discussions in the one-sex classes;
but they also agree that discipline is
harder.
“When there are boys in the class­
room, girls start acting like ladies
and boys act like gentlemen,” stated
Miss Joan Egbers, co-chairman of
the physical education department.
“Yet, because there are no boys in the
elass, we can talk a lot more freely,”
continued Miss Egbers.
Mr. Dennis Sullivan, co-chairman of
the physical education department, also
agrees that the program has its good
points.
Published weekly by the advanced jour­
nalism class of Ulysses S. Grant high
school, room 203, 2245 N.E. 36th Avenue,
Portland, Oregon 97212. Phone 288-5975.
Printed by Modern Typesetting company
with a circulation of 3000. Second-class
postage paid at Portland, Oregon. Sub­
scription cost $2.00 per year.
Vol. 70, No. 2 — February 3,1967
Co-Editors.................. . Gayle Fleming
Elaine Wolfe
Editorial Assistant ... .Barbara Earnest
1st Page Editor............. Cecile O’Rourke
2nd Page Editors........... Gayle Fleming
Generalities
Elaine Wolfe
3rd Page Editor....... ;Mary Jane Hulett
4th Page Editor.............Cynthia Froom
Reporters.................. .
Cindy Barrett
Recent graduate Beth Boylin and part­
Marilyn Best, Mike Cochrane, Casey
ner took honors in the International
Coughlin, Cynthia Evans, Mike Hoff­
House of Pancakes pancake eating con­
man, Marilyn Leonard
Business Manager........................ Lorna Viken test at Portland State college. They
Circulation . . Bonnie Brown, Julie Ferry
gulped down 219 pancakes in a half hour.
Photographers ...................Blake Rlscoe
>
Cynthia Evans Their prize—two free dinners at the In­
Adviser........................................ Willard Mohn ternational House of Pancakes and all
the Alka-Seltzer they need.
produced, standardized humor.
But even these slightly sullied tra­
ditions can’t stop cupid — love shall
overcome. So let us say, as we dip
our arrows in LOVE POTION, “Hap­
piest of Roman festivals to all and
three cheers for each of the St. Val­
entines!”
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor:
The General Council is the voice of
the student body, but some of the stu­
dents of Grant would rather be voiceless.
There will still be roads open for petition
if the General Council is abolished, but
none of the roads will provide the easy
access given .the student body through
the General Council.
And this is only one of the important
dividends afforded the students through
the General Council. Other advantages
include the following: 1) A voice in stu­
dent government; 2) Safeguard system
of checks and balances; and 3) Leader­
ship training.
Experience is important in making
anybody or anything a success. Trial and
error is one way to gain experience. The
General Council admittedly has tried and
erred, but these mistakes give this branch
of student government the basis on which
to build a better framework for the bene­
fit of the students.
Granted, the General Council has been
less than effective in discharging its leg­
islative burden this year. But remember
what Ralph Barton Perry once said, “De­
mocracy is both the best and the most
difficult form of political organization—
the most difficult because it is the best.”
We-must not abolish this organization,
but rather we must stand behind it and
improve it and produce the best student
government possible.
Sincerely,
Ralph Bakkensen
Memory of William Thomas Fletcher,
Born XXVII March MDCCCIXXVI,
Died IX of July MCMXXIII, First
Principal of Ulysses S. Grant High
School MCMXXIV. Teachers and stu­
dents were his friends. He trusted them
and they trusted him. By precept and
example he taught that good citizens are
the nation’s strength, and that life itself
is a sacred trust.
The memorial of virtue is immortal,
because it is known with God and with
men. When it is present, men take ex­
ample of it, and when it is gone, they de­
sire it. It weareth a crown and trium-
peteth forever, having gotten the victory.
Striving for undefiled rewards, honor­
able age is not that which standeth in
length of time nor that is measured by
number of years.
Those are the inscriptions beneath the
two murals placed on either side of the
auditorium stage. Though you may be
one of the few who have bothered to read
these inspiring words, it is still doubtful
that you can comprehend the degree of
respect in which Mr. Fletcher was held
or the pride of the students and adminis­
trators who unveiled* the murals in 1932.
An article in the Grantonian of
September 8, 1932 began, “Under
the extended hand of those blazing
gold figures which represent the as­
piration to victory of young men
and of young women on the me­
morial murals, 1800 of the student
body stood with bowed heads in
their assembly hall last Friday
Though perhaps slightly emotional,
this passage expresses the feeling of one
at the first presentation of the murals.
He goes on to say, “These young
people bowed their heads in rever­
ence to the memory of a man whom
most of them did not know, but
whose personality and deeds live in
their minds.
“It was to this man—William Thomas
Fletcher, principal—and to his memory
and to the brilliant success of his life
that two mUrals, carrying on to those he
taught and to all who attend his institu­
tion, his principle and his ideals, were
dedicated.”
Carl Hoeckner, an eastern mural artist
and a member of the faculty at the Chi­
cago Art Institute, painted the memorial
murals. It was revealed at the time that
they portrayed a striving of young men
and women toward their goal — ideal
manhood and womanhood.
On November 17, 1932, exactly one
hundred years after the Oregon educa­
tional system had its birth, the students
held an open house to allow others to see
the murals as part of the celebration.
An article in the paper the. previous
day foretold, “As long as Grant contin­
ues, these murals will be admired and
appreciated not only for their beauty but
also for the high ideals of which they
symbolize.”
___ — J -
Seniors Judy Woodward and Ley-
UllCIKCSpCCirC SC6neS made ton Jump from Mi'S. Margaret Hub-
bard’s Shakespeare classes are painting backdrops for the ‘Taming of the Shrew*
production. The play will be shown to students on Thursday and Friday and a
night performance will be held Saturday.