Local elementary students write poems and draw pictures about war and peace[7] [Click inamge to enlarge]

Community Involvement

When the Center on the Study of the Causes of War and Conditions of Peace was founded and dedicated, the local schools in Logan wanted to get their students involved. Not sure how a group of elementary students could get involved, Mrs. Alice Chase had a discussion with her class. They came to the conclusion that the eight-year-old's first step towards world peace was to "learn to live peacefully and pleasantly with each other and with our families."[1]

The elementary school children in the Cache Valley area decided that they wanted to do their part and have their voices heard concerning war and peace. With the help of their teachers, third grade students wrote poems to submit to the annual Peace Convocation held at the Chase Fine Arts center on the campus of Utah State University.

The Herald Journal interviewed a third grade teacher at River Heights Elementary School and when asked about their efforts concerning the war she said "We decided that anyone can use fists and push others about just so long as he is bigger and perhaps more of a bully, but it takes brains and maturity to talk out difficulties."[2]

A student of the third grade class, Billy Weston, wrote a haiku with his thoughts of peace. He wrote,

"Now dreaming of peace.

It's beautiful, but don't wake.

It might be gone, then."[3] 

Many other students from around the Logan area wrote poems similar to this to submit to the Center on the Study of the Causes of War and Conditions of Peace. 

Dr. Chase looks at the poems and drawings donated by local elementary school students[8] [Click image to enlarge]

Community Education

As community involvement began to decline, Dr. Daryl Chase found it critical to keep as much support throughout the Logan area as possible. In response to the seeming lack of interest, a conference was held that was co-sponsored by the Utah State Board of Education and the Center for the Study of the Causes of War and Conditions for Peace.

In a letter sent out to the schools by Dr. Chase noting the key speakers of the evening he invited all of the "teachers and administrators of northern Utah school districts.”[4] The topics of the seminar were to be given by three men. Dr. Chase spoke on "Why Should Our Schools Emphasize Education for Peace?” Dr. Bell, a professor at Utah State University addressed the conference on "The Responsibility of Schools to Become More Assertive in Developing the Child's Views on the Conditions for Peace and the Causes of War." The final speaker of the evening was another professor at the University by the name of Dr. Winget. He spoke on "Current Curriculum Emphasis on Education for Peace."[5]

Dr. Chase said "that he believes we must make a contribution to the cause of peace by beginning with young children in teaching the conditions for peace, in stopping children from stereotyping those of other nations and races and helping them to get the idea that all children, all over the world, have similar needs and desires to those felt by our children in our schools here.”[6]

Dr. Chase was truly a man who wanted to do his part in helping others understand people and their culture. Because of his efforts in the Center on the Study of the Causes of War and Conditions of Peace he brought a lot of national and international attention and recognition to Utah State University.