Ambridge Area High School - Bridger Yearbook (Ambridge, PA)

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Introduction The youth portrayed in this section is the youth of America. They represent the thousands of sophomores, juniors, and seniors all over America; they fill the halls and classrooms in every public high school. Those students are getting or have received the education that will be needed to make them better citizens of a democratic America. Some of these young men will be the fighting men in the immediate tomorrow. That tomorrow, however, is only temporary, lasting but a few minutes or possibly a few hours of the real and permanent tomorrow. That real and permanent tomorrow, extending through years and decades, is the one that really counts. Those students will then take their places in the future of their country. Professions of everyi sort will receive the high school graduates. They will become doctors, lawyers, nurses, stenographers, factory workers, housewives; they will go into every field open to them The high schools are trying to help those young people in the preparation for those careers. Some, of course, will need further training and will go to colleges and business schools, but the majority of the graduates won't go beyond high school. Those students who will not go farther in their schooling will have already taken their places in the mills, offices, and homes when the doctors, lawyers, and nurses have completed their advanced training. For those who must step directly from graduation into jobs, their high school education will have to suffice. It is the solemn duty of those students to obtain all the education that has been made to Classes available to them. The world of today isn't a very pleasant place in which to live. Thou sands and millions of sophomores, juniors, and seniors all over the world are fighting for their lives or lying wounded and starved, in the streets of their beseiged countries. For some of the youth of Belgium, Holland, France, England—yes, and Germany, Italy, and Japan, the war is already over. For others it won't last much longer, but when the peace is declared, the armistice signed, and the gun fighting over, another fight will begin, a fight to regain the peace, happiness, and freedom that was taken from them. A few will go back to school, when the schools are rebuilt, but practically all of them will just have to get along the best way they can. Those boys and girls will never have the chance to taste the success and freedom from want as the American youth will. America's youth may not fully appreciate their tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades now, but when they can lay a high school diploma in front of their employer, they will see then the difference it makes and they will indeed be thankful for the opportunity they had. Their parents and older brothers and sisters are handing them a job to do and they dare not fail. It is the task of rebuilding a new nation, a new world. If they tail, their children will have to start all over again. A very few men ruined the world, but there are thousands of American young men and women. They can help themselves and others to regain their freedom and happiness because they were given the chance to learn how. —Mary Elizabeth Carver — 20 —

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Senior Class of 1945 Strano Towcimok Mortimer Three years ago we Seniors entered this institution of higher learning as Sophomores. Our life in the Senior High has been a happy and active one. As Sophomores we populated the balcony, better known as Peanut Heaven. Now as Seniors we occupy Orchestra seats. A few privileged Sophomores served at the Prom that year two seasons back. Then, last year as Juniors, we gave one of the nicest Proms in history. For months before the Prom the Math and Art classes collaborated on the decorations. The Math classes cut, measured, and pasted cardboard into all kinds of pretty shapes. The Art classes painted the shapes that the Math classes had made. Then, several days before the Prom, Mr. Mock got busy with his committee and put the decorations up. The night of the Prom we danced in our Starlight gym. Our Junior Class play, A Full House, was considered very good and we played to a really Full House. The play was very capably directed by Miss Gertrude Lee, our former Dramatics Coach. The cast included the following: Mary Ellen Cormack, Joe Lesondak, Buffie Carver, Harold Thomas, Jeanne Ditz, Gladys Lindsey, Constance Augustine, Bill Connor, Dick Matson, Bill Oko-wasky, Conrad Davis, and Leona Halloway. Estelle Seyboth was the prompter. Now that wfe are Seniors, we have the jobs that we used to envy last year's Seniors. Our two biggest tasks are to edit the Silhouette and the Bridger. Besides them we have other minor duties. Oh! and we mustn't forget we are supposed to set a shining example to our underclassmen. Through these three years in the Senior High School we have been very capably led by our advisers and our faculty as a whole. Our advisers, or Steering Committee as they are called this year, consist of Miss Forcey, Miss Duffy, and Mr. Mattuch. Also, our class officers lead, direct, and set us a good example. They are: President Alfonso Strano Vice President Martha Towcimak Secretary Niland Mortimer Now, as we are preparing to leave our Alma Mater, we think back to all the good times we have had and wonder just what the future holds for us— this wartime graduation. • — 22 —