Brockton High School - Brocktonia Yearbook (Brockton, MA)

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tial store of destruction, misery, and desolation-hangs like a grim shadow over our heads, it is sheer folly for any one to shirk his responsibility of being well- informed on all the facets of world affairs. The peace, which we all hope and pray will be concluded amicably in the near future, will not be merely a paper peace. lt must be born of understanding and trust throughout the world. Much of the trouble in the world today, ranging from petty bickering to serious differences, stems from a deep-rooted distrust of that which we do not fully understand. As the years roll by, the pattern of world consolidation is apparent. With every passing year we draw ever nearer to that Utopia which is the aim of so many thinking men-a United States of the World. No world union can be split by the differences which today mark our intercourse as separate nations. Disputes between Russia and Great Britain, between the United States and France, will assume an aspect much the same as bickering between Maryland and Wisconsin, between Utah and Kansas. It is plain to see that the first and foremost requirement of world federation is harmony and understanding between the members of such a union. Such an understanding can be achieved only if each person makes it his solemn duty to educate himself in the customs, living habits, and government of our world neighbors. Obvi- ously, such a task extends far beyond the high school level, it is a task which requires study and research throughout one's adult years. Such a study, how- ever, is not confined to the perusal of huge and imposing tomes. Countless remarkable books and papers of compelling interest have been written on a great many such subjects. World travel, either in reality or in the pages of a book, is one of the most thrilling of human experiences. He who avails himself of this opportunity will find the experience not only enlightening and gratifying, but he will also be rewarded with a better understanding of the problems of his international neighbors. There will come-there must come-a day when peace and harmony through- out the world will be a reality. How, though, can we look for universal agree- ment when factions within our own country insist on carrying on seemingly endless debates and disputes in the blind pursuit of their own selfish ends? A great deal of the blame for this quarreling and lack of cooperation rests with the common citizen, even though he has no immediate contact with the trouble. Any really concerted action on the part of the people of this nation is certain to bring tangible results. No individual or group can long resist an active protest from those who really control the fate of our nation-the voters. Failure to exer- cise this power of the vote is a great weakness in our American life today. An amazing number of Americans make no effort to take advantage of this, their greatest heritage. In the last national election a little more than a third of the eligible voters throughout the country took the trouble to go to the polls. What makes this all the more remarkable is that other nations-supposedly second rate democracies-have put America to shame in the task of getting out the vote. lt is imperative that our great nation-the chief exponent of the rule of the common people and the acknowledged leader of the nations of the world- remedy this disgraceful situation. The main cause of this negligence on the part of millions of American citizens is lack of information on the issues involved. There is nothing that can detract more from interest in an election than an insufficient understanding of the importance of choosing capable men for public office. The average person stays away from the polls, not through malicious unconcern, but through an awareness of his ignorance of the issues involved. The remedy for this situation does not lie in refraining from voting, but in setting to Work to acquire information essential to intelligent voting. In order to preserve a really worthwhile democracy, this nation must increase through education the number of clear thinking people, intensely interested in all national and international problems. There is no greater menace to the future of our nation than widespread ignorance and indifference among the masses. We have received a firm foundation for the tackling of these problems. ln a few years we shall be eligible to cast our first votes. Realizing our responsibility to our government, today we are determined that our education will be a con- tinual process, for we must not be dead weight in the world of the future. We must have clear heads and cool judgment, for in the youth of today lies this nation's only hope for domestic and international harmony. 22

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Cjfadd Orafion by FREDERICK IOSEPH BUMPUS EDUCATION-THE TASK OF A LIFETIME I feel that in being chosen to deliver the class oration, I have been entrusted with the responsibility of bringing before you, to the best of my ability, a message of real significance for all here today. A former New England president has summed up my theme briefly and well. In the words of Calvin Coolidge: The school is not the end but only the beginning of an education. Our education has just begun. As we, in many cases, end V our formal education, we should realize how completely true this statement is. Education is a process not of few years, but of a lifetime. If we, upon the completion of our formal education, are to throw away all pursuit of learning, our years of work and study have been in vain. The world, espe- cially in this age of research and progress, is a place of constant change. In ten years, many of the facts and crafts which we have learned will have been sup- planted. Only those who keep abreast with the constantly changing pattern of the world-political, scientific, and cultural-will be fit to do their part in guiding the destiny of our nation. With a firm foundation, the continuation of our studies is essential to a worthwhile contribution to world peace and harmony. Ii we wish to accept this responsibility, we must never adopt a smug know it all attitude. Such an attitude is a tremendous threat to all. The motivating force l.-ehind America's march to wealth, influence, and power has been a dissatis- faction, an insatiable desire for something better. With this realization that nothing is perfect-that everything can be improved upon-comes a feeling of humility and tolerance, mixed with the urge for constant progress. Our education has shown us the value of the finer thingsg it is for us now to follow the example of our own pioneers-through study, reading, observation, tolerance, under- standing, and a firm belief in God-striving for the ideal of universal peace and cooperation. Our English classes have aimed at the development of an interest in great literature-both classical and modern. A real appreciation and understanding of all types of literature is a great gift to any man. Not many of us will now be tempted-even when we are no longer obliged to study the works of really fine authors-to disregard this wealth of education and enjoyment and to content ourselves with a perusal of cheap scandal sheets and pulp magazines. We must not lose the value of the contribution to civilization found in great literature. Throughout history, one of the first harbingers of the downfall of the world's great empires has been a decline, not only in literature, but in all types of culture and enlightenment. A study of the rise and fall of educational accom- plishment reveals a remarkable parallel to the rise and fall of the fortunes of all mankind. If the present trend toward the cheap and vulgar in all types of reading continues, we shall face one of the greatest possible dangers to world progress -internal corrosion. We cannot allow this to happen. It is our duty to continue to cultivate the literary tastes so carefully instilled in us during the past few years. A headline in a recent magazine read: Are You Smart Enough to Be a Citizen? Our classes in social studies have equipped us to face the world and its prob- lems-economic, social, and political. Nothing is more important in this day and age when One World has become a household phrase. The day may soon come when we shall truly be citizens of the world. The expediency of the United Nations is being put to the test. The choice will someday be ours as to what type of world organization will best provide and preserve universal peace. Only those who are well-informed and who keep abreast with world affairs will be fit to judge in this crucial moment. As the atomic bomb-with its poten- 21

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