Buxton School - Yearbook (Williamstown, MA)

Page 23 text:

T is very hard to look back and see yourself growing up. I see a young boy, tall, thin, and afraid. Afraid of what? He doesn't really know and around him there is a sort of a wall Cknown as a cover- up mechanismj to hide his fear. The wall that was once impenetrable begins to soften and melt away. This took time and care, but the result: a mature young man now able to face life and say, 'I have won at last and life is what I make it from now on. Sk wk bk Ik ik First of all, I think it taught me how to live with other people - something that I probably would not have gotten so soon at a public high school, or at many other boarding schools whether they be co-ed or not. This was because of the freedom that was allowed to us and the daily almost minute to minute need for cooperation that this freedom entailed. The fact that the school is small does of course have some dis- advantages, but this very smallness is instrumental in helping its stu- dents tme in particularl to what is the most underlying goal of secondary education: to learn how to live with yourself and with society as a whole. By being small it makes it easier to get these techniques of relations established in dealing with only a small group before this generalized society is tackled. But while this was going on we did not lose contact with the 'outsidef Thus it was not the great ivory tower that is so easy for a school of this kind to become. Pk Sk Ik if Ik First of all I remember gaining a firm sense of values and from them an ambition to, in some way, fulfill my new found ideals. I gained the self-confidence necessary to try to put my plans into effect and I learned to see what an obstacle or situation required to be surmounted. Of course I was taught an ample amount of scholastic knowledge so that my foundation in such matters was sufficient for a college. As I look back I regret that I have been unable to maintain closer ties with the school that has meant so much to me and so much for me. Ik ik Ik Hk lk The greatest contribution that Buxton gave me was to loosen up inwardly. It also gave me confidence and made me approach subjects which before I would never dare lay my hands on for fear that I would not be able to keep up with the others. Buxton reminds me of a chicken where one has a place of warmth under the wing and yet the individual is left free to develop and think the way he wishes. page lwmly-one

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,F - . .. In lhejall, our ,rporl.r lime iw devoled lo Joccer. Everyone parfzczpalef and our aflernoomr are eifher .fpenl in praclzcing or playing game: wilh olher nearby .rchool,r. W e have our .rhare of wine and lo.f.fe.r, bu! we derive our real enjoymenlfrom gelfing logelher wilh lhe kidf of dzferenl .rchoolm and playing lo lhe be.rI of our abilizfy. Unlike lhe Jpring, wifh il.r lennzlr, ba.reball, lrack and Jwimming, lhe valuew gained ,from our .fall program cenier around leam play and cooperafion and friendl If compelifion. fllwo in lhefall came our jfrwl mounlain climb, which wa.r .ruggemled al brealqfawl by one of lhe leacherw. Clawew were cancelled, .randwzchef were hawlily made, and lhe whole .fchool hiked up Greylock Ilouniain. A few dayw laler came alumni weekend, which wad' of greal inlerewl lo everyone and parlibularffy lo fhe people who had been al ihe .rchool during paw! year.r. Thilr wa.r lhe firwl lime lhe graduaz'e.r had come back a.r a unil. If wa.rfa.rcinaling io walch ilze eye.r of ihe newer .rludenz'.r, lheirfriend.r, and fhe old limer.r all uniling in reminilrcing. T he alumni compared nolea' on whalBuxlon had meanl io lhem during lhe year.r .rince lhey had gradualed. Excerpla' from wha! .rome of fhem wrolefollow. page lwenly

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At Buxton the timid students, skilled or unskilled, join in all ac- tivities. The new students try new things, become somewhat proficient at them, and if they have the chance to use these or similar skills again a sense of confidence is there. Buxton gives the student a chance to try many new skills and to develop abilities which in a larger school he'd never have the chance to try, much less develop. Also the Buxton student has a chance to develop a rounded mind in a wide field and while doing so manages to apply himself to his studies in such a manner that a college acceptance is practically assured. l 1 lVl1en llze leavew begin lo lurn yellow and Ilze air lakem on a brzlrlc clzill in llze earlqjall monllw, and fhe people have grown lo know eaclz olher and fnd a place in llze group, llzen il i.r lhe cumlom eaclz year-for ll1e .rfudenlw and lhe jacully lo combine llzeir efforlw in .rome .rorl of crealive endeavor. Qf all llze man-made device.r lo bring people logellzer .rucce.rqfully, a play will1 il.r llzourrandm of inlricale parl.r lil' by all .rlandaratr lhe mom! gralilfzfing in llze end. Une of llze mo.rl inlerewling and maluring a.rpecl.f of fl!!-J' .rclmol Iii' il.r concenlralion on llze drama. Drama, by il.r nalure, demandm an ex- ceplional amounl of cooperalion and drive jrom boil: .rludenir and jacully, and llziw lzaw been achieved lo .fuclz a degree here llzal we lzave been able lo lake .ruch plalw a.r Berkeley Square, family Porlrailf' and Ilze JIad- woman ofCl1aillol on llze road. Tlzzir lam! cva.r given in five loevnw and cva.r very cvell received. page Iwenlg-Iwo