The Independent-News, Volume 88, Number 6, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 6 February 1964 — Page 4

A Very Serious Problem

The problem that has the Town ul dkerton 'alki: „ i a very seriou. problem Thvi-b ar, this pro- iem sboukl be met with a serious frame of mind. It ione that probably you nor 1 can give the > ompkte ans'.vm to, one that is Byond ti e <. itrol of M'ho>|. Chun n and hoi • The big question i> v. h l be dune atmut it? Os ionise, everyone kn >ws that ia. mg this an > is a u/e rumlsT M ' r but tor env p'; ■ "-e ii a! a._< Combine » ■ ' * ' , uma I mothers that Hie giowmg im e plentiful .n the > ^mmumlir among the teen age girls, and x>u have a ’ pei i entHgc f stiKhnts I: >ppmg hum high school for this reason. Where do< s the blame ' •’ 7 Is it the school? I- it the church? Is it the home? Is it the kids themselves? Is it us as an environment? Just what is the blame? It is probably a combination of all these things It can be a different fault in each case. Much determines the course a young person will travel while going thro gh the teen years of life. Much can determ mo whether the course will be smooth and happy, or whether it will he rough and scattered with sadness. Probably the large 4 number of these cases can be blamed on the home In many ir -lances, the parents have little interest in the whereabouts and activities of their children In many ca es. parents are m no better shape than Ihc children eventually find themselves in. as their marriages have gone by the wayside earlier and their interest as parents is only half what it should be, not that of a father and mother both. Some of the blame must be placed on the environment of the children. The life we live in these days is a faster and wilder type of livnig than was known even in the post war years of the forties. One major change has come in the case of the teen ager and that is a car. Fifteen years ago around any school house, one would find the faculty's cars and maybe a junker or two driven by a much more fortunate kid There would also be a crowded bicycle rack and the sight at the beginning amt ending of a school day would be that of walking students, not those racing to a car to be the first uptown or out on the roads. What has caused this great increase in cars? Weil mu-tlx the parents It may keem strange to the teens of today, but not too many years ago. dates were such a- walking your girl friend to the movie on Sunday afternoon or an evening. a stop at the Dairy Bar or Drug Store aflewards fui Coke, and then walk home. School plays and even dances were alt> nued bv -l « <-”'s on foot, almost unheard of now days Even those tew who did have access to cars used to double and head for a movie m South Bend Plymouth < r DaPorte. The same format followed, a stop for refreshments afterward* mxi then home It wasn't a stange thing for a person to be home from a date at 10.3 U or 11:00 pm. Now davs the dates are more of a just get in and ride basis Other influences are easier to come by such a alcoholic beverages for those under age. Many aren t even interested in going any specific place This r partly the fault of the parent as many don’t know and don't care whe their children are The < hod catches >< ni< «■ the blame In one respe t, th.may be justified. II * epi» < -ery slight penalty if a penalty

at all for a mother of a child, either married or unwed, to set out a couple of months after the birth of R child and thin return to . < bool. Getting a high । hool dip *ma is too ca y. Why lei tin who have chosen the life of parents .it such ui early age to ’< turn to school for the dlplon a. ? It may seem hard 1 >r one Lu say such an this, but stop and think, are w< r;u ••ur. gmg udi action with a rub such a.s this. Ju, t what mflu- nee can m< 'her of high ISK hool age have on other stu<ic".’ in a-• hooi if they g l l these pe< ml privileges. A si ho<d B limited in wuat th.y can teach oi wnat policy h.vi . an follow m thr < la.-sroom m matters such as this It docs not <cm to be the education t■ at is lacking, but the commoi sense An o<«a ional movie and visit from a doc toi or nurse on diseases isn t going to slow down thes ■ students. In fact, many make jokes of such matters. A church is limited in what they can do. No church tan forte a pci son to attend and even if the person does attend, it is still their minds that mu t make the de< ision a- to how their live, will be lived. The helpful influence of the Clergy and the Bible can do a lot of good, but only if it is wanted. Taking a girl in her teens. 16. 17 or so, and forcing the responsibilities of motherhood and family life on her can be a serious step The remainder of their lives will lie affected by such an early starl in family life. Add to this the responsibility that a boy must face who is this age and has to take on th* responsibility of raising and supporting a family Since when have jobs been that easy to find that a good one can be procure!! at any lime" Many men 20 or 30 years older are looking for the<e jobs 100. and a boy al this age certainly is not in a position to secure a more advanced position. In most cases, the couple is too dependent on his or her. or both, parents, and without their help they oouldn t make this adjustment It is hard, at any rate, as the high percentage of almost one out of every three marriages ending in divorce will verify. These boys and girls are taken from a life that should be the direst and most enjoyable for them and thrust into the life of parents before they are the age of a high school graduate. Still unknown is the answer to this problem. It will take a combined effort of everything we have mentioned to straighten this out. Certainly any Clergyman in this area is willing to talk to any confused teen ager who feels they cannot receive this treatment at home Even if the teen agers were to try the home, they might find that a much deeper interest is waiting ’here for them than they believe Hie problems they face at this age may be only a drop in the bucket to those that are waiting for them in the matter of months if they continue to go astray in their thinking and actions. TRI K4I*P%S TO MEET TfHRSBAV The Epsilon Chi Chapter of Tri , Kappa will hold their February meeting Thur«day evening, Febuary 6, at 8:00 pin., at the home । of Mrs Iceland Welch. Co-host-esse* will be Mrs Genevieve Daily and Mrs Robert Ga miner. Plans will be completed for the husband - party whi< h will be held n Salut ’ax February 1?> Mi Rohrer’ committee fm the Senior Girl 7 May T< a will alw make plans for ihiw cumb g event.

Virtues of a Rail Splitter ■ \ Abraham Lincoln TOLERANCE^ A-HUMILIiy / ' 'iA-AbT -aiARiTy ■ ■ ip SWIC Jo » ■ '■ ''7 - //A- . ™ i'- ~-c- .. , -** . z \ . 1 — 4 ' ~~ 'ft L ’ < — l .... v® -- —*■ * ■ •“ I BP": Vy

Voice of the People 1 appreciate Mrs. Smith’s taking the trouble to an wer my letter in The Voice of the People. However, I never expected my opinion on the mailer of all-mghl prom activities to meet with argument from the age group to which Mrs. Snnlh ia 58 graduate I belongs. Il was meant for the parents of adolescents who have the divine responsibility to see that their youngsters are kept out of water that is over their heads until they are of an age to manage by themselves Nowadays there seems to be a tendency to throw young people into the social waters to 'sink or swim ’ I ve never advocated that method of teaching the young how to swim, myself I’m sure my young respondent by Uie time she has reached my age and had my experience in raising a family, will change her views somewhat Kight now she and I are looking through opposite ends of a telescope; naturally we don’t see things the same way. However, as I said before. I appreciate her answering my letter. At least she thought nbout it My thanks also to those of you who telephoned or wrote to me that you agreed with my views. Mrs V. A Keiper

Honor Rolls For Semester And 3rd Period At WHS |)t<4 ingulnhrd Honor Roll <trade 12 ’ Scmmter Honor Holl 3rd SK Wwk> •Mary Ann Stepro Sharon Smith Grade 11 •William Btcrly ’Terry Keck Grade 9 •Marjean Cole Krguliir Honor Roll tirade 12 Carlo* Arce Sally Beagle# Jeannie Fry Sharon Savoie •Sue Shield* Grade 11 Carolyn Bodford •Terry Lute 'Virginia W».«v tirade 10 ’ •Tim Gardner •Waller Johnson

Grade 8 •Wanda Aw aid Bradley Capes •Larry Kaser •Linda Keck •Jennie Safar •Collette Weller 'Mike West hues •Barbara Wilson Grade 8 •Nancy Chapman •Lmda Daube •Koy Johnson •JuEllen Lute •Patric McNorton 'Tom Mellin •John Stasko •Marilyn Stoner llonorahe Mention Grade 12 •Ruth Frailey •Ellen Frame Bernard Hutchins

CROSSWORO PUZZLE

ACROSS 1. Lowest point 3. Quean of fairies; pOM. 10. Leave Off, aaa syllable 11. Adam's son 12. Degraded 13. Immense 14. Bushel: nbbr. 15. Having a tail 17. Eskimo knife 19. Wound mark 20. Manuscript: abbr. 21. Weakena 23. Epochs 25. Muse of poetry >7. Put out 30. Knights 32. Wild ox 33. Argent: •yin. 35. Secular 87. Demand, aa payment 88. Repulsed <l. No good: 81. 42. Incite 43 Leaps over 45. Flexed 46. Glacial ridge 47. Besides 48. Thin; riplng

•Sally Beagles •Jeannie Fry Grade 11 ( ’Pat Baker ( Marilyn Hiatt •Bob Lute •David McKesson •Becky Williams tirade 10 •George King tirade 9 Sharon Bellinger •William Hiatt Jim Hostetler •Evelyn Theobold Hi diddle diddle I m watching my middle And hope to whittle it soon. With those good things to eat I won't master the feat Till my dmh runs away with th< upoon.

11. Vesturs It. Java tree 82. Ona^ sharp 24. Dispatch 24. Spoken 28. Rural area 29. Sharp tastes 81. Bride's prized pusses, sion 83. Ox-carL India

DOWN 1. Cloudy 2. A wlnf 8. Circular plate 4. Notions 6. To take oft weight 8. Hindu prince's title 7. Touch end to end 8. Cover with Jewels C. Snow vehicle! 12. Mistreat

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Antw«r T» Pvilla 7% 34. Insurgent 36. Stop 39. EnclotUFM 40. Nobis* man 44. Guided