The Magpie Sings the Great Depression:
Selections from DeWitt Clinton High School's Literary Magazine, 1929-1942

The Planetarium, illustration by Edward Rofheart (January 1936)

Recreation: Then and Today

Jernee Johnson
Melina Cruz
Jennifer Braxton

Growing up in the 21st century, one would think that it is almost impossible to run out of things to do. There are so many sources of entertainment like 3-D video games, portable CD players and of course, television, just to name a few. Teens must be cautious never to utter the phrase, "I'm bored" while in the presence of a member of a previous generation. Otherwise they will find themselves bombarded with a slew of comments and looks of complete disbelief from members of the older generations. From their articles written in the Dewitt Clinton Magpie it can be inferred that Erwin Schrom, John L. Sullivan, Jack Frank, and Robert Blackburn would most likely be some of those elders.

Their articles, The Planetarium, "Thumb Fun", Sportland, and Block Dance 1937, were written in the late 30s—a time of great economic crisis in the United States. Their narratives are perfect examples of people truly appreciating their opportunities for recreation. Each writer found creative ways to entertain themselves despite the presence of tragedies of their time like "Black Friday" and the dustbowls of the Midwest. However, the methods they used probably would not hold up today.

The Planetarium describes the reaction of a student during his visit to the Hayden Planetarium. "I woke up to the fact that I had really arrived" he says. Schrom's article tells that Hayden encompasses a great semi-sphere overhead and even had nice lighting and relaxing music. One can guess that it would pale in comparison to a 21st century version. In today's high-tech world, most planetariums are places with massive over-head screens showing various vivid, computerized images of the sky. Nevertheless Schrom's visit evoked feelings of sheer awe. Thus proving that life for youth, though it had its troubles, was still meaningful.

Block Dance 1937, illustration by Robert Blackburn (January 1938)

This is further illustrated in Robert Blackburn's piece, Block Dance where he describes a community party in Harlem. "Block dances, which had their so-called debut in 1914, have continued on in Harlem through the hectic turbulence of both the post war boom and the tragic depression," Blackburn states. That is not surprising. Block parties were described as a great opportunity for the whole neighborhood to talk, laugh, drink, dance and just have a great time. The major difference in comparing back then to today is safety. Harlem in the 30's, as described by Blackburn, was a much safer and more carefree place then it is in today. The events were held at night whereas a similar event would be uncommon today. In addition government permission would be required and several police officers have to be present as well. This is a big difference in comparison to block parties in the 30's when none of these things were needed

Young adults did things in the 1930s that people would not normally consider wise today. John L. Sullivan, for instance, wrote in his article, "Thumb Fun" about how he and his friend hitchhiked all the way to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Sullivan wanted to visit the city's Whaling Museum in order to learn more about 19th century whaling. His parents actually gave him permission to do this—something the average parent today would not even consider. The teens ended up traveling in four different cars during their trip to New Bedford, one of which they learned later had no breaks. "We kept heading for New York and not once did we brake. When we got off the truck I noticed a small rod hanging from under the truck. The driver came and examined it and he said, 'Well what do you know, we did not have any brakes'," Sullivan writes. Riding in a car without brakes certainly could have hurt Sullivan and his friend. However, from a modern point of view, they were endangered further by not knowing what kind of person they were riding with. Yet Sullivan and his friend did this for amusement without the sense of fear that is common to modern teens.

Hot Dog! Nature! by David Forer (June 1936)

Another factor that seems unusual is the destination that inspired Sullivan's potentially perilous journey. It is rare to finds a teen today who would be so enthusiastic about going to a whaling museum or even who knows what a whaling museum is really all about. Most teens would only be interested in viewing scenes depicting the art of catching whales if there were some sort of special effects taking place. Events that teens are interested in today can definitely be contrasted to that of the 30's.

There are some forms of recreation were similar to that of today. Frank's Sportland describes the "unholy fascination that bred in casinos." People took part in activities during the 30's such as gambling. "In Sportland, you didn't spend a nickel at this establishment, you spent nickels." They wanted do something that would get their mind off of the events that surrounded them. They basically wanted to have fun despite the tragedies that were occurring. They felt in a way that they had to gamble in order to try to win a few dollars because they did not have much money. But at the end, they ended up losing more than they gained because the men began to see the realization of how many coins had recently taken their departure. They felt that gambling would help them forget about their problems but in the end they only left with more

One may say that modern-day teens have become a bit jaded by their 21st century lifestyles. They take for granted the blazing technology and luxuries that come with it without realizing the possibility of their comfort and security one day vanishing—as it did for kids in the 1930s. The Great Depression served as a wake up call for them that nothing in life is guaranteed and chances for fun and entertainment should be seized.

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