Page 52 - 1913 November - To Dragma

TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI 57

them, and employment bureaus have been established in many of

the schools.
Childen are excluded from the centers, as they are preeminently

for those of maturer years. A l l classes and conditions are repre-
sented, all taking interest in one another and in their community.
" I never realized before," remarked one woman, "that people who
are so different are so much the same."

The effect of the civic clubs upon street boys is illustrated by the
following incident. A merchant in the vicinity of whose place of
business is a social center, one month after its opening met the di-
rector on the street. "The social center," said the merhcant, "has
accomplished what I had regarded as impossible. I have been here
nine years, and during that time there has always been a gang of
toughs around the corner which has been a continued nuisance. This
winter the gang has disappeared."

"They aren't a gang any more," replied the director, "they are

a debating club."

Governor Hughes of New York, and other prominent men, are
realizing the importance of the social center. They have addressed
them several times and are lending their aid in other directions. I t
is to be hoped that the movement w i l l continue to increase in all
parts of the country-

After this long survey, let us now turn to New Orleans, and see
how much impetus our Southern city has received.

There are nine evening schools in New Orleans, No. 1 in Cal-
liope, near St. Charles avenue; No. 2, at St. Claude and St. A n n ;
No. 3, boys' department, Spain, near Rampart, girls' department,
Mandeville, near Rampart; No. 4, Annunciation, near Bordeaux;
No. 5, Bermuda and Alix, in Algiers; No. 6, boys' department,
Bienville, near Prieur, girls' department, Prieur and Palmyra; No.
7, Magazine and Terpsichore; No. 8, Constance and N i n t h ; No. 9,
Carrollton avenue and Maple. A l l of the courses are systematic and
lead to certificates. Two of the schools offer commercial courses,
and No. 1 is a high school. I t has a f u l l secondary curriculum and
allows specialization along any line. The work done is of good
quality. Miss Ruby Perry, instructor of bookkeeping in the Sophie
B. Wright High School, but also a member of the night school fac-
ulty, said on this subject: "There is no comparison between the
work done by the day and night pupils, because the work done in
evening schools is so much better. The students are maturer,
many of them being men who are trying to increase their
business proficiency. A l l the students have practical experience and