An amazing high school yearbook, the 1944 “Aquila”, for Tri-State High School, Tule Lake … a Japanese Internment Camp in WWII.
An amazing testimonial to normalcy amongst abnormal (and unjust) conditions.
On September 14, 1942, Tri-State High School opened its doors to 2400 students — not, as you would picture it, a big, beautiful school as were our former schools, but twenty tar-papered barracks, with benches to sit on and books to be shared, and crude, big, coal stoves to keep the students warm.
Slowly but surely the school spirit began to appear, and the first dance, “School Daze Swing,” was held on October 15. Student body and class officers were elected; Hellow Day, weekly rallies, and inter-class track meets sponsored by the Boys’ League brought the activities into full swing. Student activity cards and annual subscripts were sold; a scholarship fund was raised. Student body officers were elected and installed for the next school term. Climaxing the year were the Junir Prom and the Senior Ball.
On the morning of February 2, 1944, a group of boys and girls strolled up the sandy yard of the new school building. Many new faces were seen in the hallways, and in the offices of the boys’ and girls’ counsellors as anxious students settled down to their studies.
(George Takei was a Tule Lake internee, though he never attended high school there.)
(via BoingBoing)