Christopher Columbus High School - Anchor Yearbook (Bronx, NY)

Page 10 text:

Walter J. Degnan The years since you first entered Christopher Columhus High School--the ones than you perhaps thought would he endlessQhave passed in quiclc succession so that now each of you is to talce his place in the hroader world outside these com- paratively sheltering walls. Throughout the hitterest periods of man's sojourn on this earth, he has always looked to the youth oi the land lor a more successful solution ol the prohlems of manlcind. VVe're loolcing to you. VVhat is your contribution to an hadly shattered world to he? Are you going to exercise your duties as intelligent citizens? Are you determined to have a voice in the affairs of this nation'-a voice lllal will he determined hy an awareness oi the welfare oi all and not hy personal aggrandizement and selfish interests? Today your minds are clear, your vision unhlurred and your hearts are mindful Qi l needs and rights ol others. Your schooling in this great America of ours has helped malce you that way. The lruils ol your experiences are still to he har- vested and erica is dependent on this harvest. XVAI -TER J . DEGNAN Administrative Assistant wil J 1- ij, -- - ' K.. X s , -:ig D E M , ,. . '.' . , . g J

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lo see exlenclecl inlo line posl-war periocl ancl expanclecl even lmeyonci wllal llne war llas enloreeci. ll seems lo me lllal we slloulcl relleel lllal cluring lime lorly years preeecling lllis war Illc consumer priees ol aulomolliles. radios, wasliing lllilClIillf'S. flillllillg. lools. and a lllousancl ollner eommoclilies eleereaseel, wllile llle qualily ol line goocls prociueecl ancl line wages ol lime worlcers wiio proclueecl lllem inereasecl. All lliis willloul priee liixings ancl eeilings. ancl lime vasl apparalus necessary lo enloree any elliorl on llie parl ol llie governmenl ol a eounlry as large ancl as complex as ours lo clireel. regulale. ancl eonlrol lime millions ol exellanges lllal oeeur claily among Ilie people ol our eounlry. xxillifll way are we going? iiilial is lime prolmlem el earl: ol us ami no one oi us may eseape llle elleels ol our answer. l musl say lo you lllal l liope you will resisl llle lencleney lo lel yourselves lie persuaclecl lllal any person or group ol people in a eenlral governmenl slmoulcl or can rio your llminlcing ami planning lor you. Ylillf' lurmoil ol lree men in a clemoeraey. engagecl in Ilie lnarml. ancl perllaps never emling. lasli ol lrying lo limi a lmalanee lxelween social regulalion ancl incliviflual lreeclom seems lo me lxeller lllan llle comparalive ease ol lile in a prison. in spile ol llle lavl lllal in prisons loocl. slleller. ancl elolliing are proviclecl lor all. lxlosl ol llle lllilllilllif lllal goes inlo a cleeision almoul lllis prolxlem is summed up lay an olmservalion lllal i lnearrl llle lale Governor Allrecl if. Smilll malqe some years ago in lllese worcls: You lcnow. we clonil xvanl a Dielalor over imere. Xve woulclnil wanl liim even ill ine was a goori one. ,louis Ni. l,0l'GllRAN. Prineipui 5

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Elsa G. Becker You. the graduates ol June 1945, now leave us to join many hundreds ol Columhus hoys and girls who over the past four years have made a hrave contrihu- tion to the victory that seems very close. They have set a standard ol high accom- plishment: some ol them have made the supreme sacrilice. No hranch ol the armed service is unaided hy our boys, ol whom many hundreds have joined the Army. the Ninv'y'. the Air Forces, the lxlarines. the Coast Guard. the lxlerchant lxlarine. Nlany lmoys and girls are serving the cause ol' the Four Freedoms he-hind the lines. worliing in lactories and lalxoratories to reinlorce the lighting lront. And many others are training. under great pressure. at maximum speed. in nursing schools and colleges in order to equip themselves with the slcills our country continues to need. .N great ideal unites you to those who have preceded you out of the shelte ol your Alma lxlater. into a war-torn world. That ideal is the securing ol a lasting peace among nations. a peace lounded on justice and mutual charity. For the lullillment ol this purpose and this ideal. America needs every ounce ol availahle ahilily and devotion. This is no time to olller anything less than your h A . venture in strange lands and the glamour ol spectacular services may he th iswer lor some ol you: hut undoulmtedly lor others the heroic sacrilice is to a un- dramatized vvorli that lies ready to your hand on the ' . ont. The -. ntia thing is to give wherever America needs you most. a 6 to give a x . hav ol your highest slcill. tl is not lor the survival ol . mere nation o vor Q are lighting: hut lor the preservation ol spiri al ' es vitho t ' exisle S- which no nation or world is worth saving. . ,. 6 O E .,u,l Q 0 on - . ik . i , M? -t