Auburn High School - Arrow Yearbook (Auburn, NY)

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a THE -ARROW In thinking of June we do not forget that it is the month of commencements. The majority of schools and colleges hold their graduation exercises in this month ot months. The tired schoolboy throws aside his books and prepares for two months of blissful happiness. To many, June is the best time of all the year, for with its glorious fresh- ness, its weddings, and its commencements, summer is in its prime. There is no struggle for existence and no drying up of that which has existed. The leafy month of June is, to my mind, the queen of beauty and happiness. -LAURA REED, '33, -iAl- Nqthzhg Ventureei, .Nqthzhg Have Our doubts are traitors And make us lose the good we Oft might win By fearing to attempt. Many opportunities have been lost in the hurry and scurry of the world be- cause someone did not exert himself to do the task that was set before him. The moment came but no decision was made and immediately acted upon. History quotes Bonaparte as saying, One of the principal requisites is an accurate calculating of time: for if your adversary can bring a powerful force to attack a certain post ten minutes sooner than you can bring up a sufficient supporting force, you are beaten even though all the rest of your plans be ever so good. , But one acting on the spur of the moment may not know whether he is act- ing in the right or in the wrong way. Lindbergh, however, came to the conclu- sion that the best way to know the difference between right and wrong was to train himself to do the right thing at all times. One would do well if one fol- lowed these words. Often, one does not act upon his resolutions because he fears to undertake the task. However, the person who ventured to accomplish a certain project never thought in the beginning that the task was impossible. He had faith that the impossible would be made possible. What one wants with sincerity, what one aims for, he gets if he is willing to pay the price. ' -ALBERTA MEAD, '32. Page Twelve l l

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THE -ARROW EDITORIAL I Carryzhg 012 What do students do after graduation? Regardless of the nonchalant atti- tude some students have toward commencement, an attitude as if they were accustomed to being graduated every year of their lives, it is an occasion of un- usual significance to all of them. They have anticipated it for twelve long years, more or less. Parents have made it their children's supreme purpose by persist- ently relating to them the present day necessity for a high school diploma. VVhat do the thousands of students do each year after they have accomplished this purpose? Many have further ambitions. Some are intent on becoming lawyers, doctors, or teachers. Some are desirous of becoming civil or electrical engineers. Others hope to have successful business careers. But what about those who have no further design? They will work, of course, but will they strive to gain a higher round in the ladder of life, or will they be content merely to live and let George do the important things ? Adults seem to delight in assuring young people that school days are the best in life. If the best in life is passing a few minor tests of ability and building and preparing to build castles in Spain, the statement is true. If the best in life is facing courageously life's barriers, accepting and subduing life's challenges, and achieving something worth while, the statement is false. Life is interesting for what one gets out of it. Man gets out of life just what he goes after and what he puts in. 'The best attractions in life are the opportunities for service, the struggles for achievement, a happy home, and an honorable position in society. Graduates should not be satisiied with the one accomplishment. They should work toward new and higher goals that will bring them satisfaction. They should carry onward toward perfection. -ROBERT YoUNos, '31. 1? A .-.- Tlze .Cgajjf Jlfonilz of une The month of june is a happy month. Then the trees and flowers are fresh- est, the roses are blooming, and sunshine smiles on every living thing. Besides the beauty of nature in June, our thoughts turn to the bride. This is not a modern notion, but a very old idea which dates back to a superstition of the Romans, who thought that May was a particularly unlucky month for wed- dings, but in june, when the moon was full, no bride could be luckier. Many think that the Romans named the month of June for Juno who was the patron saint of marriage. It is more probable, however, that the word comes from jun- iores , since June was dedicated to the younger men. -- Page Eleven LT A

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THE JRROW Poetry 271 the 'Teeny Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the best and hap- piest minds. Poetry redeems from decay the evidences of the divinity in man. Merely because a poem has been written by a fifteen-year-old does not mean that it has no connection with Shelley's definition of poetry. The fact that the metre is not perfect, that the theme of it has been used time and again does not signify that it is useless even to consider it. In spite of its stilted phrases, its time-worn expressions, it, nevertheless, has value. It is much more apt to have captured that mysterious something that constitutes real poetry than the bril- liant composition of some world-weary introvert who writes because it is the clever thing to do. Poetry in the 'teens is the frank expression of the thoughts and feelings of the writer. The youthful poet has not yet acquired the cloak of cynicism and worldliness that hides the true thought and purpose of poetry. It is useless to deny that some verse written by young writers is utterlv with- out literary merit. That, however, can be explained in part by the reminder that all writers do not 'write because they like to or because of some force that urges them to express themselves, but, like some older scribblers, because they think it smart, because they have enjoyed some verse written by other youngsters and are under the delusion that they also can compose. This verse is not born of any burning desire to explain some emotion but is merely imitation. Then, too, one must take into consideration the fact that these yo-ting 'people have not had the experience older writers have had. They are writing about emotions they have never experienced, subjects thev do not understand. To ap- preciate their verse it is necessary to go back in spirit to the 'teens again. For hundreds of years poets have been writing on the glory of a rainbow, but think of what a sense of beauty a rainbow mav awaken in a sixteen-year-old: think of what it may symbolize, before you smile at the clumsy attempt to put that feeling into verse. D It is difficult to criticize the poetrv written bv these young people. In point- ing out some error to them, however kindly and impartially you do so, you may ruin your opportunity of becoming of any help to them. What you, with your superior knowledge, think trite and unnecessary, may seem to them to be the love- liest, most inspired part of the poem. There again, excessive praise can be as harmful as criticism. These young poets realize that theirs is no work of genius and flatterv makes them think you are not a competent judge or else fmost ter- rible sin of all lj that you are secretly laughing at them. VVhat then, is the wav to be helpful? I dare not suggest any decisive manner except perhaps. first of all to win their confidence. They will take their outbursts to those whom they admire and will gratefully accept help. There is no set standard for those who would be helpful. Some of these poetic youngsters are shy and reluctant to show their treasured verse: others are entirely too proud and willing to exhibit what they believe to be works of genius. Between the two there is, I suppose, a happy medium. That, however, does not simplify the 'problem of how to be helpful. Howard Mearns, the well-known educator, has written a book on the subject called Creative Youth . In it are the poems written by some of these aspiring Page Thirteen