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Today's Poll!Students get lesson on Great Depression from those who endured it
Helias students decked out in 1930s-era garb entertain residents with a chorus of “God Bless America” Thursday afternoon, at St. Joseph Bluffs. They were part of a group of 73 students in Mike Jeffries’ advanced placement American history class visiting residents at retirement communities. Photo by Kelley McCall.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Virginia Ford, 95, talks with Becky Thompson on Thursday at St. Joseph’s Bluffs during a visit by students to find out what living during the Great Depression was like.
Erin Hoerchler sings and plays the piano as a group of Helias students entertain residents of St. Joseph’s Bluffs with a chorus of “God Bless America” Thursday afternoon. They were part of a group of 73 students in Mike Jeffries’ advanced placement American history class visiting residents.
Five dollars was a lot of money 80 years ago. A family scraped together that cash for an uncle to eat on while traveling to work at a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. But that was stolen from him, and he went hungry.
Lucas Weiler learned about this story from his family history while studying the Depression era in Mike Jeffries’ advanced placement U.S. history class at Helias Catholic High School.
This week, students in four of Jeffries’ classes dressed in period clothing. And Thursday afternoon, more than 70 students visited elderly residents at Villa Marie-A Stonebridge Community and St. Joseph’s Bluffs.
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Comments
wow 1 year, 2 months ago
Am I missing something or is this Mitt Romney version of events? This looks like Nurses, Socialites and other well to do people are trying to represent the hard times of the Depression Era. This is the same thing Mr. Romney is doing when he references his wife being in touch with working class women in the work force and what Ms. Rosman (may be wrong spelling) correctly pointed out by saying it's not Ann Romney's fault, but since she was born and married into wealth. She "ANN" isn't the best woman or even a woman WHO HAS AN GRASP OF WHAT it feels like to struggle being a working woman and mother. It may not have been the intent, but when I see this NT picture... I see the strong similarities in the unture picture of what Romeny is trying to pass his wife off as and this photo's untrue representation of who truly struggled during the Depression.
Oh well. JUST FOR THE RECORD..I know they can and will do better, which is why my vote is for "O" and "Joe". And I'll follow that up with a vote for Hillary to run things the next go round.
tonto_goldberg 1 year, 2 months ago
Research? Are you serious? They got married in college, right? We know that, but food stamps, WIC vouchers, flipping burgers? I don't think so.
Mitt Romney's father was George Romney, chair of American Motor Company, governor of Michigan, and a 1968 GOP presidential candidate. The toughest couple years of Mitt's life would have been his 2 1/2 years as a Mormon missionary in France. There were riots in France and the mail was not getting delivered - thus, no money from home for a little while. Mitt became acting president of the Mormon mission in France following the death of the president. He also greatly encouraged the other missionaries and they made a lot of converts.
spelchek 1 year, 2 months ago
"'We know that, but food stamps, WIC vouchers, flipping burgers? " -- Mr. Obama was on food stamps? WIC vouchers? Flipping burgers?
PatsyDecline 1 year, 2 months ago
That's really weird.
I see some HS kids wearing old clothes and apparently enjoying it somewhat.
I also see a young lady listening rather intently to a senior citizen. Call me crazy, but I see that as a good thing.
Wow indeed.
spelchek 1 year, 2 months ago
Allow me to use a Democrat MO: The reason why wow has beef with these kids giving back to their community and Mitt Romney is because they are white.
asb 1 year, 2 months ago
These kids cannot, no matter how hard they try, begin to represent the Depression. It didn't get it's name for the effect it had on money, it was the lowest moment in our history after the civil war. WOW has it right, this cute, not accurate, and happy skit atmosphere diminishes the suffering brought to millions for years due to the unregulated greed of financial gamblers. And, why the race slam on WOW? Nothing about race or minorities was in his post. And the reason Mrs. Ford is smiling at the young nurse is because she thinks it's her birthday . . . sorry Ginny, I couldn't pass it up.
JCLifer 1 year, 2 months ago
Guess they didnt have minorities back them?
wow 1 year, 2 months ago
It appears as if I'm not the only person who can see ghosts of the past. No matter, I'm sure these kids learned a great deal from participating in this event and although that is an important fact. My earlier statement/opinion stands unchanged.
As for the early Romni years....I'm sure there were some momenst of discomfort... but I don't see this family ever STRUGGELING like common every day people. Nor do I begrudge the Romini family for their success. But I also don't see any of them as the poster children for knowing what it's like to make ends meet, when you have no ends to make meet. The biggest issue the Romni's faced may have very well been solving where the Dog was gonna ride as they travelled to one of their vactation homes.
spelchek 1 year, 2 months ago
"STRUGGELING" "vactation homes" Oh my.....I'd wager these private school kids giving back to the community spell better than you. They probably have better attitudes too. Who is "Romni"? Is he the same as Romney who ran businesses and eventually a state before running for the highest position in the land? Please don't tell me he's another corrupt inexperienced community organizing corrupt Chicago politician! That would be bad. It would also be very hypocritical for a president to send their kids to private school while touting public education and teachers unions. Wouldn't it?
asb 1 year, 2 months ago
Really? Obama corrupt? I'd like to see serious examples, you know, the ones the GOP must've missed in the last election. And since when is community organizing a bad thing. An organized community of involved informed citizens with a stake in their lives and futures needs a lot less government help than square miles of folks with no say, no future, and no hope. While you're digging up Obama's corruption examples, why don't you poke around the definition of hypocrite; your picture is sure to be featured.
evenkeel 1 year, 2 months ago
Tonto. Are you serious? Is the American experience only legitimate if you received food stamps and WIC vouchers and flipped burgers? Oh my, please forgive those of us who were raised in committed, stable 2 parent households! We are so out of touch! We are not on-board with the new dominant American culture: the Obama dependency culture!
Liberals are not content anymore to simply define deviancy downward. Evidently these days liberals also define normalcy downward too. The liberal standard has now become: "If you have not spent part of your life suckling on the public teat you are out of touch."
asb 1 year, 2 months ago
Where have you been hiding Even? The last few years have seen normal downgraded for millions due to poorly regulated financial gamblers (yes I said that about another time and circumstance earlier today, good catch). Maybe Mit wount ba such a Target regardaley money ifen he dint keep sayin' how he and the misses "feel yu pane." Hint: except for Graceful's twitches, you don't usually make points noting other folks' typos.
JMO 1 year, 2 months ago
Excuse me, but I was raised in a committed, stable 2 parent household and I flipped burgers. For the first first year of my son's life, I got WIC, while working full time for the state, which shows how well they pay. My son has been raised in a committed, stable 2 parent household and he's looking for his first job, which will likely be flipping burgers. Do I think Mitt Romney is a bad person? No. But I don't think he has a clue what it's like to struggle to make ends meet, public assistance or not. Frankly, I think very few politicians do, whether they be Republican or Democrat. The average person doesn't have the finances to run for office.
JMO 1 year, 2 months ago
I'm not sure why this thread took a political turn. Really, isn't it praiseworthy that this teacher is getting kids so involved in learning? Where better to learn about the Depression than from people who lived it? Both my parent's lived through the 30's and nothing that I ever read in a book was as meaningful to me as hearing them talk about the hard times their families went through first hand.
Oh and Wow, these kid's aren't dressed like socialites. I've seen photos of my mom's clothes from that era (maybe closer to the late 30's, early 40's) and even some actual dresses she kept, and that's how she would have dressed to go out shopping or whatever. Right down to hat and gloves. It might have been the only decent dress she had, but she told me once a lady wouldn't have dreamed of going out looking unkempt. And she was a waitress.
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