Forest Hills High School Newspaper

Muriel was a reporter for the Forest Hills Beacon.  She found a May 5, 1944 issue in which she was a contributor.  The paper had a series of ads enticing students to consider attending various colleges and vocational schools, including: Pace Institute, Long Island University, Brooklyn College of Pharmacy, NY Institute of Dietetics and Heffley and Browne Secretarial School.  The editorial on May 5 was "democracy" and many of the feature articles related to the war.  Here is a sampling:

Editorial

Thinking for Democracy

We, who dwell in the peace and security of Forest Hills, have a choice to make.  A crumbling world has left us, so far, untouched. The collapse of values throughout most of the West is, to us, but a story.  Even the stimuli that war industries give to most of our country is lacking in primarily commercial New York City.  In short, we can act and think as if times were virtually normal, and we can, if we choose, limit the change in our lives merely to buying war stamps and eating rationed foods.

An essential difference between a totalitarian and a democratic state is that, while in the former, all thinking is done by a group of leaders, in the latter, it is the duty of every citizen to think things out by himself, scientifically, that is by seeking all the truth, and by drawing impartial conclusions from it.  Up until now, most of us have been content to let others think for us, and we have thus lost the habit of independent thinking.  The example of the motion picture, "The River," which started a chain of laughter rather than a train of thought, is a case in point.

If we are to take the path that most of our allies and countrymen have already begun to follow, that of hard and independent thinking, we must start at once.  It isn't as easy as the soft headed thinking which brought on the present war, but in the long run, it is easier and cheaper than a third world war.

Foster Children Crave Letters from Students

Since the beginning of the war, thousands of children have been orphaned and left homeless.  Most of us here have been exceedingly fortunate in escaping from the terrors of war, and cannot fully realize what it is to be completely deserted.
Through the generous donation of our school, we have been able to adopt two children who are receiving an education, a home, and a chance to continue their childhood with our aid.  Our two foster children are Ann Marie Ugier, 6, and Denis Thorely, 11.
To make their lives a little pleasanter we are requested to write to them at the following address:

FOSTER PARENTS' PLAN FOR WAR CHILDREN, INC.American Headquarters55 West 42nd StreetNew York, N.Y.

Pupils to Hold Victory Forum

Forest Hills will participate in an inter-school conference, simulating the postwar United Nations' peace negotiations, to take place on May 12, at the International House in New York City.

Each school was assigned a country to represent and instructed to select eight delegates for the conference representing regions as follows: North America: USA and Canada; Latin America, including Central America and Mexico; Western Europe to the Rhone including the British Isles; Central Europe including the Balkans, Czechoslovakia and Poland: Germany, Russia, Near East, including Iran and Egypt; West Africa and North Africa; South Africa, India, China, Japan; Southwest Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand, Malay Peninsula, and the Dutch Colonies; Scandinavian Peninsula, including Denmark.

Forest Hills High School was alloted Russia, and twelve delegates are now in preparation for the event.  They were picked from the Foreign Affairs Club and, under the supervision of Mr. Henry Wepner, are meeting during the ninth period on Thursday afternoons.  The subject will be broken down into four panels with three students assigned to each panel.  The four subdivisions follow: first, a discussion on the most effective method of preserving the peace in the interests of the region assigned; second, a discussion on the most effective method of achieving a universal high standard of living; third, the way in which the assigned region has achieved "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: for its people; fourth, what difficulties will be encountered in trying to realize the ideals of the Atlantic Charter.

For the prevention of oversize panels, three Round Tables will be installed in each panel.  All regions will be represented at each table.

"Wear it with pride!" The Forest Hills Senior badge