Westwood High School - Chipmunk Yearbook (Westwood, CA)

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school and a better “Chipmunk it will be because of the interest they took in what seemed at first a hopeless project. Some of our readers may wonder why we do not print a picture of our High School, and perhaps a little explanation should be given. Our High School building was not started until late in the summer, and was not ready for occupancy until 6 January. The students were then transferred to the new building, but the scaffolding and props were left up for the use of the painters this summer. The painters have not come yet and the scaffolding still remains with 11s; so that a picture of our school now would scarcely be artistic. When our next annual is published, however, we will try to give an idea of the place where we are spending some of the happiest days of our lives.

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Editi HE “CHIPMUNK’- has at last come to press. Sev- eral attempts in the earlier part of the term were made to agitate the question of a high school paper hut, either through lack of interest or too much business elsewhere, the idea was abandoned almost as soon as introduced. Any thought of a high school annual did not occur during the first semester, as many things occurred which kept the students close to studies. During the first month or so of the term, finishing touches were being put on the new building and the noise and con- fusion of things made it bad enough for pupils to attend to their duties without attempting a larger field of work. Then, just as school had begun to follow a reg- ular routine and to settle down to bisines?, the “flu” epidemic broke out and school was closed for a lengthy period of time When high school again started con- fusion reigned again and lost time had to be made up in order that required subjects might be completed. Again no mention of an annual was made and until three months before commencement work was carried on much as before. Then a suggestion was made in “Par- ii amen try Drill” that we have a high school paper and steps were so partaken that a staff was elected. For several weeks little or no work was done, owing to rushed conditions among the members of the staff. Then the question was again taken up in Parliamentary Drill and it was proposed that we turn the paper into an annual. Work began in earnest then, when it was found that we only had a week or two in which to get our book to press. But everyone willingly responded and in a few days all cuts were ready and twelve days later other material was sent to press. What we can do has been shown in the past few 5 Drial weeks, but what we intend to do is to start at once next year and have a much better annual to put before you. And if present school loyalty continues next year's annual will be a record breaker. The editorial staff wishes to thank all the students for their aid to the Chipmunk” during the past few weeks. Owing to the scarcity of time it has only been by the untiring efforts of everybody that we are able to have an annual at all this year. The paper may not be all that could be desired and many errors have been made on the part of the editor from the lack of experi- ence. but. were we to have another chance, without doubt we could do better. From all indications we will have an annual next year and we are open for pointers from everyone. If there are any criticism to be made let them be made next year for the betterment of our paper; or it may be possible that the critics themselves will get a chance to show what they can do—if so. so much the better. To Mr. Walker, the school gives its hearty thanks for it was he that made possible the annual. Our first plans for the paper were very crude and unfinished and we had little hopes of support from anyone save the school body itself. However, when the editor had a talk with him he gave such encouragement and support that if the annual amounts to anything it will be through Mr. Walker’s help. He gave us much good advice and through him we secured the services of Mr. Pratt to whom we owe the fine work on the plates and art pages. Everything that could possibly be done to get the paper out on time has been done by the above men and other members of the office force. To all these we wish to say that if next year we have a better, bigger

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Valedi HE days of slow and pains taking preparation for our journey into an unknown future are finished. The time has arrived when we must leave the halls of this institution forever. Now we stand at the margin of that great unexplored ocean the world. At this point must we cast aside all aids, break asunder all ties which have bound us to our Alma Mater and plunge into its depths, to sink or swim. We are not, however, leaping into an uncertain future without adequate preparation. Let us take inventory of our stock in trade, the aids without which we could not hope to succeed. First, we have youth, which meets all obstacles with a light heart and a cheerful smile. We have ambi- tion and hope, tin companions of youth; ambition to raise high ideals and aims, and hope which prompts us to continually strive to realize those ideals altho many times defeated in our purposes. Second, we have an education with all that the word implies in this modern day and age. Our choice of educational institutions could not have been more happy than when we decided to prepare our mental equipment at Westwood High. Here we have received training of incalculable value. Here have our erring feet been guided upon the clear path of mental and moral uplift and our minds furnished with an incentive toward the higher things of life. Today we start out to test our knowledge and put into practice our ideals. We muel answer for the use we make of our lives to each other, to the school, and to the world. And so we face life with its temptations and trials accoutred with youth, ambition, hope and an education. Lacking these we should be wrecked uoon the treacherous shoals of life before the voyage had fairly started. But as we today step from school life 7 ctory into the world, there is a precept, obedience to which is essential to our success and now is the time we should realize its importance. John Ruskin once inquired of an artist whose paint- ings combined excellency of drawing with beautiful col- oring how he obtained that effect. The reply of the artist was: “Know what you have to do. and do it. ‘ This.’’ writes Ruskin, “was concise and comprehen- sive. comprehensive not only as regards the branch of art to which it is temporarily applied, but as expressing the great principle of success in every direction of human effort: for 1 believe that failure is less fre- quently attributable to either insufficiency of means or impatience of labor than to a confused understanding of the thing actually to be done.” From these words of the great thinker we realize the value of choosing a definite goal, to gain which we should bend every faculty. We realize the wisdom of obtaining a clear conception of our duty, for the words apply to duty and may be paraphrased to read. “Know your duty and do it.” The aim of all education is to enable us to know our duty. As students of Westwood High we have every qualification for this and the ques- tion arises. “Will we?’’ The importance of our answer cannot be overestimated Before making the start in life we must not be without a realization of our obligations. Without this comprehension, without some supreme purpose in the world, our lives become as aimless as the course of a ship upon an uncharted sea, beaten and buff- eted from place to place, until the God of Storms sends it, with a final sweep of his awful ha d, beneath the troubled waves. In the professions our duty is clear and easily recog- nizable. If we are to become great lawyers, doctors, teachers, or authors, our duty is to perform our chosen