This sign has been passed down from former English teachers and now hangs in Mrs. Gifford’s room. Photo by: Isabelle Miller

By Isabelle Miller

Posters with the saying “Keep Calm and Carry On” are seen all around Plymouth High School. This saying has many different meanings to PHS staff and students and has a rich history.

“Keep Calm and Carry On” originated in World War II era in England as part of a series of similar  posters to boost the morale in London and other large cities that were being bombed by the Germans. It was part of a set of three posters that were commissioned by His Majesty’s Stationery Office in 1939. The first two were posted all over England with the sayings “Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution, Will Bring Us Victory,” and “Freedom is in Peril, Defend It With All You’re Might.” The third poster “Keep Calm and Carry On” was reserved to keep up public spirits if the Germans invaded. That never happened of course, so the poster was never formally released.

Keep Calm and Carry On is a universal slogan that means different things to different people. To senior Morgan Hite, “It means that when something happens and you kind of freak out, but then contain yourself and carry on with your day.” To junior Kristina Bannow, “Really I think it means don’t stress over things in life. Keep calm and go on with your life.” And to senior Kyle Barry, “Relax, stay cool, and move on with whatever is going on that’s causing a lack of tranquility.”

Keep Calm and Carry On is a very inspirational phrase that means a lot to many different people. Seniors Nathan Mahn and Morgan Hite show their support for Keep Calm and Carry On. Photo by: Isabelle Miller

The KCCO slogan has sprung up in classrooms all around PHS. Three classrooms currently sport this poster on their walls; Mr. Kozlovich, Mr. Hatcher, and Mrs. Gifford. Seniors Jose Baca and Nate Mahn, as well as freshman Elizabeth Wickens all own T-shirts with variations of the slogan, such as Keep Calm and Spell On and Run! Zombies! There are other humorous variations such as Keep Calm and Live in a Pineapple Under the Sea, We Don’t Keep Calm it’s Football Season, and Panic and Freak Out!  While these variations make the slogan a little more humorous, the original phrase holds different meanings to some of our staff and students.