american public schools were all significantly impacted by world war ii in the words of lt general brehon sommervell then commanding general services of supply "the job of the schools in this total war is to educate the nations manpower for war and for the peace that follows" columbia high school met the challenge primarily with curriculum changes designed to prepare boys for service in the military the science department developed courses in aeronautics in biology students studied the effect of flying on the human body a new modern history course emphasized the "historical background for an understanding of the forces which have caused this global war of the necessity of destroying that for which our enemies stand and of the magnitude of the international problems which face the world" even the music department offered a new program "to train pupils in the informal singing that grows out of wartime needs" columbia had its own victory corps with the objective of encouraging pupils "to take some active part in their own communitys war effort while they are yet in school