Our "Technical" High School
Another memorable year at Cass Tech High has come to an end, and soon many of us at Cass will leave, and start out to build our future. The road will be long and rough, but our 3 years at Cass will give us hope and encouragement along the way
Cass means many things to it students. Concerts, hard work, Mary Pish, sports activities and clubs are all part of Cass Tech. To a senior, Cass is many fond memories; to a freshman, a new opportunity. From its creation in 1907 to today, Cass has played an important part in the development of its students and their country. We have a school we can well be proud of.
Our "technical" high school, with its various curricula, has turned out many students who have gone on to earn national acclaim for their work. We at Cass should feel honored to claim a concert band which is one of the very finest in the country, an art department which continually wins awards in every type of contest, and many other students who bring pride to our school by earning scholarship awards. Our football, baseball, basketball and swimming teams have proven themselves also, perhaps not always ending the season on top, but by displaying, throughout the seasons, the type of sportsmanship which distinguishes the champion from the ordinary player.
The Detroit of today is an ever expanding, ever modernizing city. Cass Technical High School is a very essential part of Detroit. The new Civic Center, the slum clearance projects, and the great Expressways all signify a Dynamic Detroit. OUr school system, too, has shown great progress. Functional and beautiful new elementary schools and high schools have been built. However, technical training in our city is represented by facilities that were built 37 years ago and which have changed very little since. Looking back over this period of thirty years, it is seen that Cass' scholastic influence on the industrial capability of the city has been tremendous. Now, as ever, the industrial corporations eagerly employ Cass graduates. But industrial expansion is now even greater than the expansion of the city in general and Cass' facilities are still mainly as they were 30 years ago. The day of the unskilled laborer is over. In the near future, every man and woman will need some essential technical knowledge in order to survive. While the responsibility for providing adequately skilled citizens is that of all the schools of the country, Cass must carry an added burden. Being the only technical school in Detroit, the industrial capitol of the world, it is the job of this school to train its students to meet the city's demands. To do this requites any array of curriculums comparable to leading universities.
During this past year, scientific achievements by many countries of the world have further exemplified the need for a technical high school in our modern age. Last September the Arts and Sciences curriculum was added to our list of Scientific courses. The Arts and Sciences curriculum offer accelerated and advanced classes to the top 2 to 4 percent of the sudents in the city
Cass is, however, much more than science and mathematics. The importance of culture is frequently emphasized through art exhibits, symphony concerts, and dramatic productions.
Cass years should be, and usually are, among the happiest years of our lives. We cherish the friendships formed and the memories of happy occasions and important events. Assemblies, the Student Council dances, the R.O.T.C., fashion shows and Cass Open House will represent Cass, years after we have all graduated. We should be proud of the tremendous spirit which prevails at Cass, a driving spirit, an overwhelming spirit, a friendly spirit. Drawing students from every part of Detroit and it suburbs, our school is composed of almost every color, religion and nationality. All attend classes together, eat together and probably most important work together in harmony. This is something wonderful, and yet, it is as it should be. There is no room in America for discrimination and prejudice. We at Cass can be proud of the examples we are setting for other in overcoming these obstacles to democracy.
Many of us are now graduating from Cass to move on in the world; many have done so already, and many more are sure to do it in the future. But let us all always remember Cass Tech, our school, born out of prophesy to build a better future.
Harrison L. Engle
Class of June, 1958
