Worcester High School of Commerce - Caduceus Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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lAWCEP Class Oration, 1956- A Earle a. Stharns THIS IS AMERICA — THIS IS OUR COUNTRY Today, as we appear in this auditorium, our parents see us as the youth of the High School of Commerce — their own sons and daughters — reliable, self-confident, blessed with vigor and knowledge, endowed with a seemingly indomitable will, and possessed of sufficient training to raise our ambitions to a level whereby they may become an initiative and creative force. It is an inspiring sight, indeed, and one that should rei,2;n supreme in their minds. But somewhere in the shadows of their intellect lies another picture, up to this point a negative, undeveloped, a mere seed, remaining in this state for sometime until the realization that their sons and daughters have grown up causes it to develop and blossom forth — showing us as we shall appear tomorrow — the youth of the world — our reliability becommg unsteady under the thrusts of repeated difficulties, our confidence waning because of our failures, our vigor and knowledge proving inadequate to atone for our defeats, our indomitable will becoming pliable after many disappointments, and our ambitions dashed against the rocks of despair when we meet life ' s hardships face to face — a very unpleasant picture indeed. It is only natural that our parents ' love for us and the numerous sacrifices they have made on our behalf cause them to see these two pictures. Today, due to the depressing times and cloudy outlook for the future, the latter picture is more prominent in their minds. Recollections of what they have been through and the thoughts that the same conditions face us can hardly free their minds of disturbing elements. I could do nothing more worthwhile at this moment than to comfort the minds of our parents by reminding them of the pictures that exist today in my mind — pictures as true as history itself — as human as life itself — as dramatic as death itself — pictures which will show that the dreams, hopes, and plans for their children ' s lives should not crumble or be torn asunder upon the mere premonition of national disaster, nor should they be regarded as mere inanities due to the existence of a synthetic photograph fabricated in the min .l through tar-tctched suppositions of conditions in the future. [26]

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COMMEIC: Earle Stearns and Richard Schiller were chosen to represent Commerce High at the Colby Contest in Maine. All the school was very proud of the work both the boys did. For the first time, one of the prizes went to a Commerce boy, Earle Stearns was awarded third prize for his recitation of My Account with the Unknown Soldier , by Harry Emerson Fosdick. The Girls ' Debating Society was victorious over the Boys ' Assembly Debating Society in the annual debate. The only members of the ' 36A class that were on the teams were Regina Dzikiewicz, on the girls ' team and Earle Stearns on the boys ' . Adele Jozefowski, the only three-letter girl athlete at Commerce, was chosen manager of the Girls ' ' Varsity Hockey Team and Christine Imbimbo was elected captain of the team. The Blackfriars received the support and used the talent of many members of our class. Among those treading the boards this year are Arlene Rocheford, Douglas Porrell, Olga Sear, Regina Dzikiewcz, Gustav Erickson and Arthur Hedlund, all of whom distmguished themselves in their work in the various plays in which they participated. The boys were outstanding in their athletics this year. During the earlier part of the season they gained the Basketball Inter-High Title and later in the year held second place in the Inter-High Football series. William Koch, captain of the Cross Country Team and George Badger represented Commerce in the annual Thanksgiving day race at Newark, New Jersey. And thus the first chapter of our adolescent life draws to an end. But, before we can finish it definitely and conclusively, we must mention the Prom that is to come in January and is to be held in the Auditorium — the first school Prom ever to be held there, a Prom that will create an appropriate ending for our four years at Commerce High. Then we will be able to turn the page that ends the first chapter of our youth and look forward to the many more that will soon be history to us, just as our first one now is. [25]

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We students, basing our logic on the past history of our nation, bear an optimistic viewpoint of the future, and assure ourselves that our lives will not be so forlorn as our parents have pictured them. It is my duty this afternoon to show our outlook not to be the folly of inexperienced youth, but the result of intelligent study, and thus relieve their minds of that picture with all its unpleasantness. Never was there a truer saying than History repeats itself. From the beginning of the world there have been periods of depression as well as prosperity. The life of our nation offers us a concrete example. We find that at the time previous to its birth, the thirteen colonies consisted of people who had fled European countries due to persecution of one kind or another. As the first permanent settlers in New England were Pilgrims who had fled the religious persecution of England, hereditary as well as personal hatred was carried by the colonists against the same nation which at this time under the tyrannical rule of King George III was exercising a policy of despotism over the colonies. There appeared to be no avenue of escape, as the people were crushed under the heavy taxation program of the monarchy. But we all know what finally happened. The Boston Tea Party in 1773 was the first open display of the colonists ' determmation to have a nation of free people. In 1775 came the outbreak of the Revolutionary War with Paul Revere making his historic ride; and the indomitable will and vigor of a trained individual was revealed in the personage of George Washington, then commander-in-chief of the Continental Army who despite lack of men, munitions and supplies, and that dreadful winter at Valley Forge, managed to outsmart, outgame, and outrun the highly polished British Forces until superior England finally fell in defeat before an army which was retreating during the greater part of the War. Shortly after the close of the war the colonies in possession of a Declaration of Independence and a Constitution elected George Washington as the first President of the United States ; and so we have the beginning of a democratic government only because the colonists would not be denied their just rights. We find our nation from this point developed very rapidly and progressed smoothly until the crisis of 1861, when during the administration of Abraham Lincoln, the Southern States were breaking away from the Union and threatening to dissolve all that had been accomplished by the Spirit of ' 76. Lincoln having been inaugurated March 4, 1861, was forced to declare a Civil War in April 1861 which continued until 1865. The United States was in no condition to wage war against the Confederac) ' and most foreign observers felt the Confederates would be successful, but Lincoln ' s fighting courage drew enthusiastic support from the true Americans, and finally his troops, under the direction of capable generals like Grant and others, decisively defeated the Confederates. The collapse of Lee ' s forces near Richmond on April 9, 1865 closed the South ' s campaign, and the Civil War came to an [27]