Greater Latrobe High School - Latrobean Yearbook (Latrobe, PA)

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ORANGE AND BLACFK 15 And add to the fame of our Class, Twenty-one. Our tasks seem gigantic as backward we gaze, And we ask how we've done it in growing amaze. So let us be glad while together we stay, For soon we shall drift from each other away. Our boat stands with sails blue and gold all unfurled, Just ready to take us into the world. But though each one goes from his schoolmate apart, We still shall be joined close together in heart, As longingly backward we turn our fond glance, And wave a farewell as our vessels advance. -A Senior. OUR CLASS ADVISER I am not a writer of high sounding verse: I write from the heart and not for the purse. Sincerely trusting that when I'm through These thoughts will be your convictions too. I know a teacher in L. H. S., Who is not four feet high, but not much less But, though she is not very tall, you know, When she steps in, things have to go. She's the queerest mixture of nature to me The same-yet different, and you'll agree That the starry brightness of summer skies, Have shared their luster to form her eyes. 'They hold a spell of mystic light When they look into yours, you just want to recite Everything correctly, from the Greeks of yore Through the French Revolution and then some more. Her voice is as soft as the mountain breeze, As it whispers softly among the trees. Yet it has a ring that makes you feel That the heart that prompts it is true as steel. Her brow is high and smooth and white As a bare white cliff on a winter's night Although piled with rain and snow together It remains unchanged through all kinds of weather. Her fairy-like form as she goes about Puts every selfish thought to rout. With sweet disposition and gracious mien This gentle creature is often seen. -G. O. H., '21, DEMOCRACY At the present time, we are con- responsible for its origin? When and tinually hearing about democracy, or, where did it begin? These and many perhaps one should say, about living other questions relating to this sub- up to the spirit of democracy. Just ject are worthy of consideration. what does the term mean? Who is The Pilgrims were the originators

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14 ORANGE AND BLACK SCHOOL LIFE Yes, we're leaving these halls of learning, These rooms where we've had such good times, And our hearts call out in their yearning- Call out, in the following lines: We entered, you know, as Freshmen, Oh! they were the good old days, And we gazed with awe and wonder At the Seniors' dignified ways. And the teachers we thought were splendid, And their knowledge beyond belief 5 But our pride in them somehow weakened When the marks came out 3 such grief! When one is a Sophomore, you know, He's getting up in the world, And we had to be careful indeed, Or, in fact, we would have been spoiled. We were bright, and, of course we knew it, But our teachers we could not foil, So We settled right down to endure A whole year of hard work and toil. But as Juniors our real fun began As we chattered and smiled all day long Eager for fun and a jolly, good time And our work we performed with a song. Oh yes, of course, we had work to do,- There were treatises, themes, and reports: But they were not hard when we really tried, At such tasks we were all real sports. Then Seniors one day we found ourselves, So quickly had time passed away 3 We have made the most of this, our last year, By being happy and gay. But now the time has come to part, We must each go our separate way, These four pleasant years at L. H. S.,- These years We'll remember for aye. -M. E. M., '21 THE CLASS OF '21 Like a vessel ill port stands our Class, Twenty-one, Through the years it has sailed with its prow for the end, O'er the ocean of High School from Grammar School land And now all the crew disernbark on the strand. Way back in the 'teens when our ship iirst departed Some good things of High School were not even started, So our wonderful class set about school improvements, We even were first in all sorts of good movements. Our many improvements count up by the ton,

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16 ORANGEA D BLACK of this spiritg they were oppressed in England. In Holland these people realized that their children were grow- ing up as Dutch children. They look- ed to America, then a new world, as their one refuge. In the new country it would be possible to worship as they pleased and surround their children with only those conditions of which they approved. Our forefathers real- ized, however, that they must be welded into one complete body so that they might work as a unit with the purpose of helping or benefiting ev- ery one. In order to carry this idea into edect, they drew up and signed the Mayflower Compact, so called be- cause it was all completed right on the Mayhower. That was the real be- ginning of democracy. That Compact provided for all these persons being on an equal basis and for their Work- ing together iu the carrying out of plans which would affect the entire body. Their Compact was their idea of what a government should be rath- er than their opinion as to the form of such government. Isn't that, after all, the real mean- ing of Democracy? It deals with the spirit of the government while such terms as monarchy or republic refer more directly to the form. Theodore Parker defines democracy as not meaning I'm as good as you are, but You're as good as I am. This defi- nition illustrates exactly the true meaning: the true meaning of the word-not a definite form of govern- ment, but, rather, an idealistic atti- tude relating to its spirit. America stands for liberty. Recent- ly, we had an illustration of a country which stood for growth, control, and, above all, power. We have seen how that country progressed. Germany did not lean toward democratic tendencies. Her leaders Were selfish and eager for personal gain. American leaders propose to keep away entirely from that idea. It is natural and necessary that we have leaders, but just be- cause a person occupies a higher posi- tion than some of his fellow citizens that does not imply that he is per- sonally better than they. It means simply that he is for the time being the expression of their mind, hope, and power. America is the only nation which experiences a constant and repeated rebirth, that is, it is the only nation which, from generation to generation, indoctrinates strangers with the prin- ciples of the American family and de- velops foreigners into naturalized citi- zens. These strangers come to us vol- untarily, seeking something which We have to give and about which they have dreamed dreams. In the major- ity of cases, they come seeking liberty and justice. To us, it is diflicult to realize just what that means. We were born in a liberty-loving nation: we did nothing to create itg this privi- lege comes naturally to us. But to the foreigner, it has been bought with a great price. I-Ie has left his home, his relatives, and his friends and has come to a strange continent where he does not understand ther language or the customs. He pays an exorbitant price for libertyg realizing this, we should appreciate to the highest de- gree the privilege which we have ob- tained without an effort. When foreigners are naturalized, they pledge allegiance to the United States and loyalty to the American government. To them that often means that they are expected to be loyal to a certain set of persons such as a ruler or a body set in authority over them. That, however, is not the American idea. To us, it means that they shall be loyal to certain prin- ciples, ideals, and objects in life. The only reason for our having a President, Congress, etc., is that we may have a means by which these ideals may be promoted. Loyalty to America does not mean ceasing to love one's native home. It means dedicating oneself to the place to which he goes. We cannot dedicate ourselves to America unless we be- come in every respect and with every purpose of our will thorough Ameri-