North Central High School - Tamarack Yearbook (Spokane, WA)

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at NORTHERN LIGHT 29 I g fl iff? lt- x 4 s . - - W. 1 G' 5 'L' 5,35 ,X X - W' V -I i lff. l i N l ,L g , , MZJMM NI' , , ml lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Illlllllllllllll llUllIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIllIlllIlUlllll1Ul1lllllll1Il.l.lLUm ENTER YE THE KINGDGM OF BCDOKS First Prize, News Literary Contest. N BOOKS, Richard de Burg once said, I fmd the dead as if they were alive, in books I for- see things to come-all the glory of the world would be buried in oblivion, unless God had provi- ded mortals with the remedy of books. Surely there exists in the world today no greater blessing to man than books. Nor is there a greater tribute to the works of man than a great book -a book which grips the soul and makes us feel the better for the reading of it-a 'book which serves us in times of sorrow as well as in times of joy. A book nobly wrought shows the touch of the divine in man. No greater monument to a man's worth can be raised than a book-a book in which he has poured forth the noblest aspirations of his mind or the spir- itual revelations of his soul. Wliat is more wonderful than that the thoughts of a life time should be made visible unto all mankind, that black dots upon a white page should bring before our minds the most beautiful images or the most divine and uplifting thoughts. More remarkable than the telegraph or the telephone, a book not only annihilates space but time and brings the voice of David and Homer, the sages, the poets, heroes and philosophers across the seas of the ages. No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting. Further, the great books that have stood the acid test contain the wisdom of all ages and they stand ready at all times for man to tap their wondrous stores of knowledge. In considering the worthwhile books, the question is often asked, What books are wor- thy, what books are worthwhile ? We must recognize the fact that there are many books of great value to others that have no message for us. The wisest man cannot select books that will suit others best. But keep this in mind: any book which persists, from one gen- eration even to the next, has some vital quality in it. If we examine its vitality, we shall find that it is based on truth. After all, the books which can make us see that we are but dwarfs of the men we might be, a mere burlesque of the men we intended to be, that we are but starved and stunted possibilities of what we might be-- the books which will open a rift in our lives and give us a real glimpse of our undiscovered forces, these are for us good books. This, too, remember: books of the hour are confectionery and partaken of too much are only a dissipation of mental power. On the other hand, great books rightly read become mental possessions. They make for mental and spiritual growth for they are the staple food of the mind. Again, books are a world in themselves. If the spirit moves us to know and associate with great and noble men, without formality or ceremony, we can do so through books where we shall always find them in their best moods. Plato is never sullenl' says Macaulay, Cer- vantes is never petulantg Demosthenes never comes unseasonablyg Dante never stops too long, no difference of opinion can alienate Cic- ero, no heresy can excite the horror of Bossuetf' Through our books, whenever we so desire, we can enter the House of Commons and listen to the thrilling oratory of O'Connell,of Ed- mund Burke, Disraeli, Gladstone or VVright. They will admit us to the flow of our Senate where we can hear the matchless oratory of Webster, Clay, Calhoun, Sumner or Wilson. They will pass us into the Roman forum where

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28 NORTHERN LIGHT organization is made up of those who excell in English. And thus every whim of the new student desiring to receive recognition is satisfied. If athletics is not his choice he may resort to literary work. But whatever his choice he should strive to receive honor in some form or other, for after all it is the honor students of high school who make the honor men and women of the world. ....,.o.. VVI NNI NG HONORS TUDENTS who do exceptional Work in scholarship, athletics, mu- - sic, debate and other activities are doubly repaid for their Work by the experience they receive. But, as they have been of great service to North Central, by winning hon- ors in these activities and thereby making North Central what it now is, it is altogether fitting that they should be given something in recognition of their endeavors. Letters, med- als and honor awards a1'e the result. Such awards cannot be judged by their in- trinsic value but by the service that they rep- resent. They show that the possessor is a person of exceptional ability, a worker, one who has worked not only for himself but for the school. They serve as an incentive to others to strive for honors of equal degree and as an everlasting reminder to the winner, of the appreciation of two thousands students for valuable service rendered. They should be worn and treasured as such. The gold medal offered by the Delta club to the athelete who proves himself to be the best sportsman in North Central is an honor that an athlete can win. The man who wins this medal is without a doubt the best athlete in the school. Ability, aggresiveness, observance of training rules, the inspiration that he gives his teammates-all the qualities that build up the players-are considered by the committee which consists of the grand master of the Del- tas and members of the faculty and athletic board. Because of the strict judging, the medal is highly valued and should be the goal toward which all athletes aim. Other medals and letters offered for athletic supremacy are of proportionate value. A sec- ond team letter is given as a reward for a sea- son's hard work in helping develop the first team. The presentation of this letter often marks the start of a star, especially when it is won by a lower classman. First team letters mark the finish of a season's work in which the winners have shown exceptional ability. Awards offered for scholastic work are too often considered to be less desirable than ath- letic awards. They represent as much and Q I possibly more work than is done on the athlet- ic field for a letter. A school with a wonder- ful athletic history may be known all over the country, yet if its standard of scholarship is not high the school itself cannot be considered to be of high caliber. It is both the athletic and scholastic records which North Central has made that makes it the school that it is to- day. Letters won in music, prizes presented for mathematical proficiency, rewards won in debate, in fact all honor emblems should be valued and cherished for the service that they represent. The desire of some few students to wear letters not won by them lessens the value and desirability of such awards. .-...olei- FAREWELL T IS with indefinable emotions that we, the graduating class of January 1922, pass from the por- tals of our alma mater, North Central. We know not whether it is the joy of graduation, one more step toward the goal of success, or the sorrow of losing a great and magnani- mous friend that flushes our cheeks as we look from the past to the future. Be it a feeling of hope or regret, there is one element that pre- dominates and that is pride, not in ourselves but in our foster mother. Behind us are conquered fields, before us the mute future. Bright as our fortune may may be, there is one star of a dazzling bril- liance whose rays will never be dimmed by future conquests and that star is North Cen- tral. As a charming memory of youth it shall continue to linger in our minds to the last pas- sing on. May the future be as bright and as glorious as the past. We are the victors of the day. As we step to the mound with a blare of victorious trum- pets to proclaim to the world our conquest there forms behind us the ranks of our relief. To them we leave the new day and the new honor. F' ' , 1 F- A 4 Lf - ra-,lm-31. get '-595, uf-2 .......o.-o NORTHERN LIGHT At last the much heralded Northern Light has been placed in your hands and lies before you, subject to your inspection and criticism. If the work is worthy, commend it, if it is a failure-but we hope it is not. We believe that it represents North Central in a manner that is fitting and proper. Keep it as a treasured remembrance of your school for it stands for everything that is for the better- ment of North Central and is a bitter enemy of all degrading influences.

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I 1 30 NORTHERN LIGHT I we can hear Cicero or to the rostrums of Greece where we may listen to the magic elo- quence of Demosthenes. Nor is reading a matter of wealth, for the poorest boy can converse freely with the great- est philosophers, scientists and statesmen the world has ever seen. Through books he may revel in the intellect of Plato or of Socrates. The ragged bootblack can act in Hamlet with Shakespeare. The day laborer can listen. to Homer reciting in the Grecian groves. The ditch-digger may follow Caesar in his cam- paigns, or Alexander in the conquest of the world. Milton will cross the threshold to sing to one in rags, the story of Paradise. The psalmist will enter the meanest hovel to repro- duce his immortal chants. Do you wish to travel? You can do so without a steamer or a train by reading the books of travel. You can go to London, visit the Buckingham Palace or the National Art Gallery. Perhaps you would like to visit and inspect the tomb of Napoleon or promenade through the Champs Elysee. Go to China, if you will, and sup with the Mandarin or watch the Geisha girls dance. In the world of poetry, Emerson, Riley or Longfellow, and many other masters and princes of poets have a message for you. O, the world of books is here, enter and par- take of its wisdom and its pleasures. Taste of the fruits of good works. Great books, like the soul of man, are immortal. Like man, they are the salt of the earth. The Kingdom of Books beckons. Why falter? Life is short, and I wonder that the stones do not cry out if we heed not the call of one of the earth's greatest blessings. . However full days or weeks or years have been of trouble, or even sin, the miracle, the great conversion, may be Wrought by the per- usal of great books-immortal works-and all the unrest, the trial ,the sorrow shall be lifted, the burdens removed, and the soul caught up to ineffable joy and life and light.-Robert Zimmerman. imolol. WHERE THE B IG FIRES BURN Second Prize, Ne WS Literary Comes: ILL MCGREGGORS eyes were blinded by the blood colored 11 sun, which, in setting, cast a m,Q,H 53532, fiery glare over the huge column 'f'3j'fm'3 'i' of smoke that rose from the Q' If ,t , I ,QI 3.55 i 9 Bear Meadows fire. In the crimson light the billows of smoke boiled and writhed like things alive, ever changing themselves from shapless mas- ses to fantastic forms. Forms which faded into nothingness even as they were forming. As Bill sat there on his horse, watching this pan- orama of nature spread out before him, there lioated across on the still, fragrant air, the delicate musical tinkle of a bell in the sheep camp, hundreds of feet below him. VVith a deep sigh, compelled by the beauty of the scene before him, and the very joy of living, he picked up the reins, and by a gentle touch of his heels, started his horse down the trail to the camp. As he neared the bottom of the hill, a break in the trees before him revealed one of nature's rarest pictures. A tiny lake lay between two towering crags, which, in the fast deepening dusk. cast huge, vague shadows on the surface of the lake. The wierd, low call of a mourning done reminded him that nightfall was near, and brought him from his reverie. He hurried on, and entered the 4 1 sheep camp. Soon the two herders came in, and they all sat down to supper. After the meal was over, Bill delivered his warning. Say, fellows, the boss sent me up to tell you that it's best to get out. Fires are getting big and it ain't safe. The sheep men looked at one another in disappointment, for this loca- tion was good grazing land, and they hated to leave it. As the moon stole from cloud to cloud, and the embers of the fire slowly faded, they went to bed. Next morning Bill rose early, and after a hasty breakfast, started up the hill opposite the one he had descended the previous evening. The ranger was in high spirits. The pure mor- ning air invigorated him, and every fibre of his body thrilled to the joy of living. As his cayuse buckled to the work of climbing the steep hill, Bill leaned forward and patted its now dampened shoulders. Well, old top, snap into it, ,cause this is your last ride this season. When we get back to the station you'll be turned out, and you sure deserve it. The horse's ears lay back for a moment as he caught the familiar tone of his master's voice. Perfect understanding existed between him and Bill. They were old pals of the trail. The crest of the ridge was reached just as the sun came over the top of MacLinder Butte.