Greenfield High School - Evergreen / Exponent Yearbook (Greenfield, MA)

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THE EXPONENT 11 clergymen. Every Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has been a col¬ lege graduate except John Marshall whose course was interrupted by the Eevolutionary War. Indeed the American College has rendered a service of greater value • to American life in training men than by promoting scholarship. It has affected society more thru its graduates than thru its contributions to science. It is within the bounds of simple faith to say that the American Col¬ lege has rendered civilization of the entire world a greater service in pre¬ paring men for moral and religious work in foreign countries than all other American agencies and condi¬ tions have rendered. The American College represents the greatest and most direct work which America has done for the world. Would it not be wonderful to feel that you belonged to an institution about which such grand things may be said. I have already mentioned my own idea of the principal value of a col¬ lege course (that of preparing one for a life work). The value I con¬ sider second to this (one which was. given as a reply to Mr. Cooper’s questions to the college graduates) is the opportunity to form the finest kind of friendships both with the teachers and with one’s classmates. There are only a few among us per¬ haps who are yet developed suf¬ ficiently to appreciate the worth of true friendships. But certainly there is not one among us who will not some day discover that friendships are the choicest fruits of life. In conclusion I wish to quote a summary by an eminent author of the offer of the college as he sees it. “To be at home in all lands, and all ages, to count nature a familiar acquaintance and art an intimate friend to gain a standard for the appreciation of other men’s works, and the criticisms of your own, to carry the key of the world’s library in your own pocket and feel its re¬ sources behind you in whatever task you undertake, to make hosts of friends among the men of your own age who are to be leaders in all walks of life, to lose yourself in generous enthusiasms and cooperate with others for common ends, to learn manners from students who are gen¬ tlemen and form characters under professors who are Christians—this is the offer of the American College for the best four years of your life. Gordon C. Willard. HISTORY OF THE CLASS OF 1920 First Two Years Now it came to pass one spring, that in a certain town in the Con¬ necticut Valley a multitude of chil¬ dren were bidding farewell to their childhood days. For they were about to pass out of the Grammar School and enter into High School. And they thought it fitting to cele¬ brate. So they said one to another: “Let us prepare this evening a party which shall gloriously assist in sere¬ nading the teachers.” And it was agreed and was done. The party met at the appointed time and was conducted by the lead¬ ers thereof to the homes of the teach¬ ers. And at each they paused, and rendered sweet music, for which they were rewarded with gracious smiles and few delicacies. And it so happened that they had with them a flag—a flag of white with the numbers 1916 fastened thereto. And a great desire came to them to see it float from the top of the High School. But the task was great and surrounded with difficul¬ ties. So again they assembled and consulted one with another: “Who shall enter into the depths of the building and climb to the flagpost thereof?” Then Moppy the Carson- ite answered and said: “Power and courage are with him who fliest this flag in high places. Thinkest thou that when surrounded by snares, a Carsonite should be overtaken with fear? That way of thinking be far from me who shall laugh thee to scorn.” And he plunged into the darkness. Time passeth and sud¬ denly he appeareth having accom¬ plished his task. And all the people praised him and lifting up their voices, shouted for joy. But those things are not hid from the princi¬ pal. Wherefore having learned of this, great was his displeasure thereat.

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10 THE EXPONENT ciate a college education in its full sense. I do not mean to imply that it is best for everyone of us to go to college. Certainly there are some to whom books are uninteresting and learning is hard. Such I believe will find better advantages thru indus¬ trial training than by striving for mastery of theoretical knowledge. But these individuals, I believe are comparatively few. To the rest of you, especially those who have de¬ cided not to go on to college or those undecided as to their career I wish to make some very brief remarks as to what I believe a college education offers. At various times during the past year our Principal has posted for our benefit, statistics concerning the money value of a college education. Some of us have studied them while more have passed them by as a mere juggling of figures. Of course it is certain that a col¬ lege education is a fine investment in just dollars and cents, if that is what a fellow is after, and it would be unnecessary for me to give you a long list of figures supporting this point; but I will merely mention one fact, Dean Holmes of Penn. State College after much effort in gather¬ ing statistics has discovered the fact, that the money value of a college course of four years is 20,000 dollars on a financial return of 5,000 dol¬ lars per year for every year spent in higher training. Charles M. Schwab the steel mag¬ nate, has often been quoted as not favoring college education, but he de¬ clares now that he is not and never was against such education. He says: “Whatever may have been true in the past, there is no doubt that to¬ day industrial conditions favor the college man. Old crudities are dis- anpearing, science is dethroning chance. Business is conducted on so vast a scale that the broadening ef¬ fects of higher education, gained thru proper application, write a large figure. “But the college man who thinks that his greater knowledge gives him the privilege of working less hard than the man without such an educa¬ tion is going to wake up in disaster. I regret that some college men enter industry with an inflated notion of their own value. They want to cap¬ italize at once their education and the time they spent getting it. neither knowledge of the classics nor mathematical proficiency can be con¬ verted over night into a marketable commodity. “Higher education has its chance later, when the college boy has mas¬ tered all the minor details of the business. Then, if he went to college with serious purpose, and studied hard and systematically, he has the advantage of a thoroly trained mind to tackle larger problems, a mind which should be broader and more flexible because of its greater powers of imagination and logical reason¬ ing. I shall now turn to a report of Clayton S. Cooper an author who has written several books on various sub¬ jects relating to college. Mr. Cooper once asked 100 college graduates from various parts of the country what they considered the most important values received from their college course. Thirty-six re¬ plied “The Influence of the profes¬ sors. ’ Twenty-one replied, “Broader views of life.” Eighteen replied, “Friendships formed,” and seven re¬ plied, “Training and ability to think.” The remaining answers were scat¬ tered. Are not any one of these values great enough to repay the glorious four years spent in higher study? I think that my idea of the worth of a college course is well presented by a student from the schools of Mines in Colorado who says. “The chief value of my college training was the giving me a vision of a life- work instead of a job.” Invariably when one asks a college professor what he considers the most irhportant contribution of a college to a man’s life, he will reply, “Learn¬ ing to think straight.” It is ability to think and think straight that counts in any walk of life today. The American college represents the enlarged and enlarging intellec¬ tual life of the American people. It has trained one-third of all our statesmen and best authors, and one- half of our physicians, lawyers and

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12 THE EXPONENT Then it came to pass that the opening of school drew near. And the Freshmanites assembled and thronged about the grounds. And it happened that a stranger appeared before a group of girls and said, ‘‘I am Dorothy Taylor come from the wilderness: I heard your people call for aid and I came to your as¬ sistance.’ And the girls were timid and afraid for they knew not the blessings she was to give unto them. After that the principal called out and said, “Enter into the house of learning and partake of the banquet of knowledge.” Fearfully they en¬ tered and flocked wheresoever they were directed. The next morning they gathered together again at the school. And the principal commanded a magnifi¬ cent reception to be given them. And at the entrance of the Fresh¬ manites, the multitude of upper classmen lifted up their hands and gave loud greeting with much clap¬ ping. And some were embarrassed and losing their way strayed into the wrong fold. Whereat in stern tone the Princi¬ pal did command them to repair to the balcony and to sit among their own; for the “first shall be last.” In like manner was spent the next few days of school, the Freshman¬ ites committing many errors. But working diligently they learned how to devise ingeniously all that there was need in the work. And soon they were able to pass notes as skill¬ fully as any upper classman. And thus it came about that many were forced to stand upright on their feet. And their faces were turned towards the scene without the window. And the voice of the teacher said unto them: “Detentions and pink slips are granted to thee, and I shall give thee afternoon sessions, and work, and low marks so that none of the schol¬ ars before thee nor after thee shall be like thee.” And the offenders gathered to themselves many books and prepared to endure the worst. And after the tumult and newness had ceased the Freshmanites gath¬ ered together in a great room. And the leaders thereof were elected. And so it came about that they chose Henry Woodard for President, and Helen Field for Vice-President and Kathryn Ryan for Secretary, and George Fosmire for Treasurer. And after this they were ready for the other work of their class. And they were not backward, but joined in many things. And among these was the orchestra which would have failed utterly but for them. For with James Lawler at the violin, and Edgar Streeter and Hall Ward at clarinets, and George Fosmire at the drums, sweet was the music heard therefrom. And they also formed a fife and drum corps to assist at the athletic games and great was the in¬ spiration given thereby. And they did their part in athletics and in war work. And in all social activities, and especially at the Freshman Re¬ ception, they acquitted themselves with credit and thus passed the first year. And in the course of time their second year began. And the leaders this time were Thomas Kitson, presi¬ dent; Helen Nolan, Vice-president; Donald Gauthier, treasurer; and Kathryn Ryan, secretary. And this year passed much as the first. But no longer were they Freshmanites and great was their joy thereat. ' And by this time the World War had broken out. And great was the industry of the 1920 class. For they were well represented at the front. And among them was the former class president, Henry Woodard. And so it came about that a pa¬ triotic league was formed. And im¬ mediately could be seen throngs of girls knitting and making trench can¬ dles. And many of these were 1920 girls. And the boys formed a mil¬ itary company. And some went onto farms to till the soil thereof. And thus each did his share. And the time passed gradually by to the final exams. And all worked diligently and acquitted themselves with credit. And thus ended their second year at High School. Elizabeth K. Loomis. JUNIOR YEAR And it so came to pass that upon the month of September the class of ’20 again met, and great was the excitement, for among us there came a new head.