All Saints Commercial High School - Excelsior Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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ers. Uidnvt their parents go limp over Rudy Vallee and Rudolph Valentino? T he bobby soclcsers are not potential law brealcersg they are just a group of merry, laughing youngsters who manage to lceep out of trouble most of the time. lf a girl or boy gets into trouble it certainly wasn't because they wore bobby soclcs that caused the damage. Those scatter-brained jitterbugsll Just what harm is in that jumping around? lt's a very good way to get rid of their animal energy. Certainly the partners are lar enough separated to prevent any snuggling. Remember how the dancers, when mother was a girl, used to snuggle up to each other? America need not be frightened at the antics of her youth. She may just recall the Charleston and Blaclc Bottom of the previous generation. Those Charlestoners are now dignified, subdued parents. Can she not expect as much from this present generation? From reports in newspapers and periodicals retuming service men were convinced that the youth of America was in a pretty bad shape. This repu- tation turned out to be the worlc of our zealous sensational news reporters who lhought a crime committed by a teen-ager was more sensational news than one committed by an adult. Thus the glaring spotlight of public opinion has made it rather uncomfortable for our youth. Yes, there have been crimes committed by some very young lollc, but these children probably had innate criminal tendencies anyway. How about the rest of the young people? Are teen-agers really hanging around julce joints, drinlcing and gambling? Are young people racing down the road to perdition, pleasure bent, indulging in all sorts of unmentionable evils? Of course Notl Young people are pretty much as they always were- lresh, smart and smooth. Perhaps there are times when they do exasperate their seniors but these youngsters remain solid underneath. They certainly aren't turning into gunmen. They are just happy lovable people. perhaps a scrious group at times for theyyve been through a war which has left its marlc. These julce joints we hear so much about usually turn out to be the corner ice crcam parlor where the gang meets at 5:15 to have a small colre and per- haps a hig romance. Sure, the teen-agers love the movies, but pictures are a source of good as well as evil. They learn history along with romance. and if the parents insisted upon the Legion of Decency choice there would be nothing to tear. No, indeed, America need never fear for her youth. There is no case against them, for they have done no wrong. AUDREY WOR1'li '47

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AMEHIEA5 YUUTH llats oll' to the teen-agersl rl-hey are the cream ol Americas tomorrow. Amid the chaos and turmoil of the recent glohal war, Americas youth stood lirm and unafraid. True, they were too young to enter into the actual conflict but they did what they could. Nothing was safe when they led a salvage drive. Vxfhat matter if Mother could still use that old iron lcettleg it could he put to hetter advantage in the scrap drive. American youth was never too young to malce sacrifices., When our boys in the service needed help most, our youngsters were giving up movies, calces and candy and huying with their treasured money stamps and honds. They sacrihced their precious leisure hours after school to talce a man-sized joh in order to lift the tremendous hurden of lahor shortage. America will never forget how generous and proud her youth was to he an blood donor. Many and many a pint of treasured young hlood found its way across the ocean and onto the hattle front. Here is something which everyone should rememher. American youth had no part in hringing ahout the past vicious warl lt was not the greed or the jealousy of the teen-agers which caused it. But, it certainly was the courage and hlood of the teen-agers who won itl The lands of the war-torn countries have heen hathed and hlessed with the crimson hlood of American hoys and girls. Many of them did not lcnow why they were Fighting, hut-Htheirs nol to aslc the reason why-theirs hut to do and die? Just when our teen-agers were old enough to appreciate life to the l ull they were hurled into the jaws of a paralyzing fear and death. lndeed America may he proud of her youth for they have heen tried in a crisis and they were not found wanting. Now that the tenseness of war has been relaxed, the eyes and minds of the adults have hecome critical when they turn to the teen-agers. All of a sudden there is much headwagging and wondering about the young hoys and girls. The youngsters have heen on their own a great deal and they have developed a rather independent attitude, hut under the rough surface their characters are still sterling. They are enjoying life hut isn't that a priv- ilge of exhuherant youth? .lust loecause they dress Hsharpn is no reason to cause parents to loolc on in holy horror. Franlcly, though there isn't much lueauty in the teen-ager,s regalia it is more comfortahle and more modest than the costume worn hy the Hljlappern not so many years ago. Of course, they swoon ahout Franlc Sinatra and Van Johnson-every generation has its swoon-

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