Brooklyn Technical High School - Blueprint Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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Oasis by PETER LAURIDSEN, 713 Illustrated by Hector Tomassi, 712 In the middle of a war-torn, battle-scarred area, raggedly plowed by shot and shell until it presented a picture of utter desolation, there lay a small field, somehow still unscathed by the claws of this mad war-fury of mankind. Here all was serene and quiet. The outside din and devastation did not seem to penetrate this last outpost of nature. It seemed indeed quite another world to the young soldier who weariedly stumbled onto this oasis of life, so surrounded by death. Instinc- tively he felt that here he could get the rest that every fiber of his body seemed to be crying for. Here he could sleep and be in harmony with everything that lived. Here at last was a field where everything 6 lived and was ton- tent to let live in peace and harmony. Private john Doe awoke after a re- freshing sleep. Stretching lazily, his eyes still heavy with sleep, he heard a humming drone. The thought of airplanes flashed through his mind, but it proved to be merely a honey bee angrily buzzing J U43 -alight around. Presently the bee alighted on his hand, which, as he stirred in wakeful- ness, had covered the flower the bee was earnestly draining of nectar. Instinctively he raised the other hand on its errand of destruction in an offensive defense against a potential sting. Meanwhile high over head, returning from a successful flight over enemy terri- tory, a lone plane really was passing. The patch of green, unscarred by shell holes, did not escape the watchful eyes of the young pilot. Its peaceful contrast to sur- rounding evidence of destructiveness caused the pilot to nose down his plane for a closer lookg and then his scrutiny disclosed the helpless enemy. Ha! Another feather in his cap, and an easy one at that! Back on the ground reason had taken

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The Awakening by LAWRENCE HAAS, 812 Illustrated by john Sanchez, 810 In the Northern Ramapos there stands a small cliff on the side of a moun- tain, All about it the virgin hemlock tow- ers high above the forest floor. There is a small crevice in the side of the cliff, long battered by winds and gales. In the trees above, brightly colored warblers are singing merrily, while throughout the forest, sunbeams are widely scattered. One beam falls on the crevice, lighting the entrance. Slowly, two eyes open, two nostrils scent the warm pure air, the ears that are not hear the singing of the birds above, and a small body begins to live. A young timber rattler, having slept throughout the winter, awakens to the joys of spring. Happily, he vibrates his tail, and the buzz- ing sound that he hears pleases him. Slowly, and rather awkwardly, he moves toward the entrance and as he nears it, warm beams of sunlight fall upon his body, He pauses. Then he moves on to- ward the forest floor. The going is slow, but why hurry? As he enters the forest, the friendly shadows close over him. He stops! His sensitive tongue has picked up the sound of tramp- ing feet, and before he can turn about, two boys break through the brush. They see him and stop short. He sees one of the boys cutting a limb from a small maple. He does not understand what is going on. His nervousness causes his tail to rattle, giving off a buzzing sound. But now it does not please him. Suddenly he finds himself pressed to the ground. He thrashes his body about wildly, and finds himself loose, striking in every direction. Then he ceases. His brain is numb from a heavy blow, Life is slowly ebbing from his body. He is dy- ing, but he does not want to leave the pine scented forest, he wants to hear the birds singing, the frogs croaking, and the l. He is dead. In the Northern Ramapos there stands a small cliff on the side of a mountain, and all about is virgin hemlock, and as soft shadows of evening fall, the crickets and katydids can be heardg but above their sawing is audible the buzzing of a young rattlesnake, as it calls to its mate, calling in vain. 5

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control of johnny's actions just in time to stay his hand. Why should he be the one to bring death to this peaceful spot? He need only keep still, and the bee wouldn't sting, but keep on making honey for an- other man. Can the essence of thought be trans- ferred through space without use of words, sounds or visible signs? Who knows? Wliyf did the pilot think of All In a Day friends, and home? What caused him to reflect that no harm could come to him by leaving the oasis of peace undisturbed? The bee and the pilot simultaneously gained altitude, one to find a fresh flower, the other to return to his base. Once again the sun was shining and a light breeze floated over the tiny bit of earth, which by some unseen force had been dedicated as a sanctuary of peace. by HAL BLOOM, C42 Illustrated by Hector Tomassi, 712 Whew! Am I glad that's over? Never did like shop lecture. Someday I'll quit school and I won't have to go through all this. Oh, well, no time to mope around, with that math test coming. I might as well face the music. Well, here she is, 5W8. May I exit more joyously than I enter. Better be quiet or old Hawkeye will have me taking de- tention on my program the rest of the term. Here come the papers. Hey! Give me a clean one this time. I'm sorry Mr. .l--H---, but you see--. Yes sir, Yes sir, I'm sorry, sir. Someday I'll tell that guy what I think of him. What's today's date? You're crazy- that was yesterday. It must be the fifth 'cause we started school the first. How well I remember that! Wow! Look at that first problem. Hey, Mr. J-, we never had that. Sure I was here Tuesday but --. We did. Yes sir, I'll keep Nun-M quiet. I The tangent is the mean proportional between the-the-theggosh, I don't know what, Psst, hey, Curley, how do you do the first? Don't sit there making believe you don't hear me, you rat, because-. Oops--no that wasn't me, Mr. I-M. Might as well try the others. Ha, this looks easy. This equals that, which equals both of them, making the first similar to the third and the fourth similar to the second, which means-. Hey, what am I getting myself into? Quick, Petey, what's the second? Come on, give me a break. Hold your paper up a little, will you? Xxx S - - iff 7