Studs Terkel returns to his alma mater, McLaren school, prior to its destruction to gain reactions on the loss of a newly created mural by the school children. Terkel provides the reactions of the student artists who can't understand why they were told to complete the oceanography mural when it was to be destroyed with the building. He also talks with parents, teachers and administrators about this loss. Parents pledge $500 to create negatives of mural to save as photographs.