Forest Hills High School - Forester Yearbook (Forest Hills, NY)

Page 6 text:

ij., . w 55:3 142 'X ., ,P , . M -5 r 1 1 'Y' ..5 s , Q15 .'b' vs 29 fu!

Page 8 text:

Principal s Message Dear Seniors: Youth has become the popular topic of widespread dis- cussion. There are those adults who are fascinated with the new 'iyouth culturen. Others feel that they ought to try to bridge the gap between the generations. Still others utter Cassandra-like predictions about the decadence of our youth and civilization. Perhaps this preoccupation results from the fact, to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, that the good Lord must have loved the young, He made so many of them. Those of us who have daily contact with our Hillites wonder about these facile generalizations. We see the youth in large numbers as so many individuals who pos- sess the wide range of opinion, perspective and philoso- phy that is prevalent throughout the community. The se- rious reader of history sees the continuity among youth in the development of contemporary thought and attitudes. Public opinion polls show this trend with some variation evident in each of the age groups. Youth is distinguished today by its heightened concern and involvement with the grave problems of society. Our awareness of this involvement is probably sharper be- cause high school youth a decade ago seemed far re- moved from these issues. While the problems of war and racial inequality have been the most widely publicized, there are many indica- tions that other issues are coming to the fore among the younger citizens. The poisoning of the atmosphere and the waters of our planet is rapidly becoming the prime problem. While we are striving to achieve universal peace, we are in danger of succumbing to the polluted air, rivers and oceans. Have we created a great technolo- gy which has liven us unprecedented material comforts and ever-increasing leisure and which simultaneously is destroying life on earth? The positive strength of youth becomes apparent be- cause youth is not accepting doom. It is frequently opti- mistic. It does not yield to dire predictions with fatalism. It has undertaken to correct the evils. It understands the problems and proceeds to attack them. Your readiness to combat the destroyers of life bodes well for your future. I am confident in you because you are neither frightened nor intimidated by these problems. You have demonstrated your ability to understand these forces and your eagerness to undertake a search for solutions. I wish you well as a senior class and as individuals. May you enjoy good health and happiness in the years ahead. Sincerely, 7 Principal