Hammond High School - Dunes Yearbook (Hammond, IN)

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THE CONSTITUTION TEMPLE of LIBERTY By Barbara Gabrys The Constxtutlon IS a legal document that estabhshes a successful system of government Its precnsxon and brevlty are admxrable Mllll0nS of words have been devoted to 1ts governmental prxncxples Great jurnsts have mterpreted the meamng of the COHSIIIUIIOH 1n almost all 1ts parts As a frame of government nt has stood the test cf t1me, war, and depressnon It IS based on truth, and, llke truth, lt laughs at the assaults of tm'-e Ir a nutshell, the Constxtutnon was formed for the purpose of perpetuatmg Amerxcan hberty by umtmg the States mto a f1rm Umon All other alms were subordmate to the safeguardmg of the hberty that had been won by the Revolutxon It was evmdent after the Revolutnon that Amerncan hberty would be lost unless the States banded themselves together to preserve xt Lnfe and the rlght to enjoy lxberty come from God The guarantee of the rnght to enjoy hbertv, the power to mamtarn lxberty, must come from the human heart and soul The Constltutnon IS tlus guarantee It enables the Amerxcan people to exerclse thelr power to mamtam thelr hberty aga1nst forelgn attack or mternal d1ssens1on The framers of the Const1tut1on saw the lnght of 11berty dymg m Amerxca as the States quarreled and threatened to dxsband It was a new Declaratnon of Independence whxch the CODSIIIUIIOH makers prepared for the approval of the people-a declaratxon that thelr hard won llberty should not pernsh, but should be made perpetual by jommg the hearts and souls of the people of all the States m an mdestruc table Umon These framers of the Const1tut1on were chosen by thenr States to meet together They were soldlers, planters, lawyers, physxcrans, merchants, and judges Some of them were rlch and others were poor Bemg human, these delegates had human faxlmgs They were devoted to State and local mterests Those from large States were bent upon exerclsmg the strength of large States Those from small States shrank from a Umon that mxght make them the pawns of greater States The commerclal North and the agrxcultural South had clashmg mterests All the States had been dnsappomted by the fanlure of such central government as we exerc1sed under the Artncles of Confederatnon They were susp1c1ous of any proposal for a natlonal government They were also fearful of losmg thexr hard won l1bert1es After many jarrmg sessnons, rn whxch mlsunderstandmgs, jealousles, and selfnsh sectxonal mterest bore down thelr effort to agree, the delegates were almost m despanr Fmally they found a way to make Amencan L1berty forever secure In the Constxtutnon we f1nd solace and securxty nn the next most nmportant thmg 1n lnfe-our lnberty Every word 1n the Constltutxon serves to safeguard us 1n our lxfe, lxberty, and pursu1t of happlness Every Amerncan, as he studxes the marvelous framework of the Con stltutlon, can say wxth truth and prlde Th1s was made for me ustxce IS a guardnan of lnberty my rrghts and nmmumtnes are made secure agamst tyranny Your rnght IS safeguarded aga1nst my wrong doxng your widow and your chxld are protected when you are gone People long for harmony The framers of the Constntunon saw that a central government would brmg the States mto common accord on all natnonal questxons, whale removmg other vexatxous causes of dxsagreement The very fact of equahty of States was a guarantee of domestlc tranqunllty The separated States were not strong enough to ward off forexgn aggress1on Dxvlded, they 1nv1ted mvasxon and conquest, umted they COIISIIIUICCI a nat1on capable of defendxng ntself Even nn 1ts mfancy th Umted States became a powerful nat1on through un1on of the States The CODSIICUIIOD provnded thns umty Freedom ns the hvmg mortar of America s umty It belongs to all of us, and because we are a nat1on of 1nd1v1duals, freedom has many mterpretatxons wlthm the pattern of our danly l1ves A Sunday stroll m the park can be a symbol of securxty nn a land where freedom has long been accepted In Amenca, we accept freedom of relngxon as an unallenable rnght under the proposmon that all men are created equal before God Th1s truth IS the spxr tual base of our freedom Today, throughout our 48 States, stand some 250 000 churches, representmg almost every known creed, denommatlon and faxth for freedom means a faxth for every seeker, and 1n th1s land, wherever and however rehgxous ser vices are held freedom means the rxght of every man to seek God m hrs own way Freedom means more than castmg a vote and abndmg by the wxll of the majorlty Our system of government demands of every cntlzen a deep sense of personal responsnblhty and vngllance for freedom works luke a wheel, wnth government at nts hub Between these men who guard our lnbertnes and the people they lead, there must be a constant mteractlon along the spokes of publlc opmlon The Constltutxon has helped make America a land of opportumtywhere energy, enthuslasm, and an economy of free enterprlse have converted our natural wealth mto the h1ghest standard of lxvmg on earth Behmd every pay check recelved hes a vrtal meamng of hberty the rnght of every man to choose h1s own trade No matter what h1s trade or profess1on ns, every worker has a chance to become the boss Free enterprlse IS the economlc d1v1dend of freedom In Amerlca we are free to mvent, free to try out new ldeas and new methods, free to back up the other fellow or go mto busmess on our own, free to take a chance We are encouraged to do these thmgs and through thxs encouragement we have made our country great When you are free, the human desrre for self lmprovement shows ntself To 1mprove your own lot you must do somethlng better than others do lt If you succeed, you benefnt If you do not succeed, you can always try agam, nf you have the character, and farlure need never be permanent Talent among 1nd1v1duals cannot be produced by ed1ct or order The creatlve mmd must d1scover ltself The creatrve mmd grows by ntself, and nt can do thls onlx 1n the favorable cl1mate of personal freedom Our great men were not chosen or appomted to greatness Gwen a chance, they selected themselves and forged ahead of thelr rrvals Hope of reward or fear of pumshment are the factors that motxvate human efforts Through the Constltutxon, Amenca provxdes the maxnmum opportumtxes for reward, w1th the penaltles 1xm1ted to personal msecurnty and busmess bankruptcy We do not face a fxrmg squad when we farl The lnfe of Benjamm Franklm, one of our great est men, lllustrates thns fact Manv have been great m one thmg but he was great m many thmgs He was what a cmzen of a free and democratnc country should be He was a product of Amencan Freedom Thomas jeffersons theory was that nf God put good matenal mto them, freedom and llberty would brmg lt out Educatlon IS another gateway to freedom Our hbertnes are enumerated for us m the Bull of Rlghts, but the meamng of freedom must be dlscovered by each chlld himself He must learn to llsten as well as speak He must gam tolerance and understandlng of races and creeds not hns own If he rs fortunate enough to go to college, he must use thus pr1v1lege not only for self xmprovement but to prepare for leadershxp m a world where declsnons have become mcreasmgly dlffxcult The hbertles gnven us m the Constntutxon are not wlthout 1'6Sp0I'lS1lJll1tl6S It means jury duty, and volunteer commumty servxce work It means acceptmg offlce, and wrestlmg vuth down to earth local 1ssues long after the town has gone to bed It means knowmg your government whxch ns really a hfe long quest w1th the ever changing 1deas, attltudes, and laws It means takmg a more actnve part through votmg at every electron, or even more so, gettmg into polmcs It means keepmg track of your representatxves and wr1t1ng them when ever you thunk lt IS necessary Surely lf ns worth a httle tnme and effort on our part for all the hbertnes we rece1ve through the Con stntutnon The Constltutnon IS Amerxca's freedom To each of us xt may convey a dnfferent personal meamng No matter how we see xt, the Const1tut1on has gunded our way of hfe, and today sustams our hope for a better world T1me does not wear down nor eat away the eternal truths of the Constxtutlon Instead of fadmg w1th age, the glory of the Constmtutnon takes on new splendor wxth the passmv of the een tunes The faxth of our forefathers gave them strength to plan for the ages Wxth equal fa1th, we mav hand down to our posterxty our bnrthrlght the Constntutmon Page Twelve . . .. - . - . . , . . . . . in. ,, - 3 . . . 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FREEDOMS FOUNDATION COMMITTEE: Mr. Bolt, Mr. Coleman, Miss Waterbury, Miss Taylor, Mr. RGPPI Mr. Reed, Miss Kennedy, Miss Strange, Miss Schubkegel, and Miss Mc- Granohan. Mr. Hill is not pictured. Hammond High Wins Freedoms Foundation Award In a year that saw Hammond High take athletic and scholarship honors, an announcement came from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that appropriately topped things off. The official message read: The trustees, directors, and officers of the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge announces with pleasure the selection of Hammond High School by the Distinguished Awards jury to receive a principal award for an outstand- ing achievement in helping to bring about a better under- standing of the American way of life in 1953.,' The Freedoms Foundation, a non-profit, non-sectarian, organization, aims at accumulating each year outstanding ex- pressions, projects, and programs which further the under- standing of Americanism. The National Awards Jury includes state Supreme Court jurors, service club executives, and offi- cials of the various veterans' organizations. Like any other worthwhile project, Hammond I-Iigh's Foundation contribution was the product of considerable hard work. In November of last year, a special committee of faculty members fMiss McGranahan, Mr. Bolt, Mr. Coleman, Miss Kennedy, Miss Waterbury, Miss Taylor, Mr. Reed, Mr. Hill, Miss Strange and Miss Schubkegelj began work on an Ameri- canism bundle. Through the year such articles as copies of the Dunes and Herald, essays, texts of speeches, art work, musical programs and photographs were added to the collection. Said Principal O. L. Rapp, The collection of data was so large that it is difficult to remember everything that went into it, but it reflected the fine character of the sudent body in general. The Freedom Library and the George Washington Medal will be presented to the school this fall. Warren Hildebrandt and Miss Frances Taylor were selected to take the Valley Forge Pilgrimage Trip. What America Means to Me By Stephen Sawochka This essay by Stephen Sawochka won first prize for boys in the American Legion Auxiliary Contest. Americag what does it mean to me? A land of justice? A land of fairness and equality? A land of freedom? Freedom, that's the word. It seems to be a synonym for America. But what does freedom mean? Maybe, if I can think of a few ex- amples, I can explain what freedom is. Maybe I had better take the word letter by letter. F, the first letter of freedom, what can it mean! It could mean freedom from fear. I know that I am always protected by the world's most capable government, which is backed by the world's bravest and most competent citizens. This is a treasure that most people do not realize the true value of, until they lose it. R could stand for freedom of religion. I always have the right to go to any church I choose without threat of punish- ment. This is probably the most important freedom guaranteed us by the Bill of Rights. E might stand for my right of entreaty or petition. I am always at liberty to appeal to a higher authority any decision which involves me. The second F. might stand for the principle of equality. I was born with the same rights as the next fellow. I shall have the same chances that he will. I can either turn out better or worse, depending on what I, myself, do. D might stand for domestic tranquility. This assurance of a peaceful, calm and unified country plays a leading role in my freedom from fear. I can let the letter O stand for my freedom of public oration. I always have the right to express an opinion about any subject, even governmental matters. This holds true as long as I do not bring harm to another by false statements. M might stand for my right to attend public meetings or assemblies. I have the right to attend any meeting, political or otherwise, whenever I please. Now that I have given a few examples, maybe I can better define freedom. But still I can't give a satisfactory definition. I don't know why. I-that's the key to a good definition. I am an individual. An individual makes freedom. I make freedom. Without the individual there can be no freedom. Therefore, freedom must be the right of an individual. America thrives on freedom. America is for the individual. The individual is what makes America great. A Promise for Tomorrow By Kit Bishop This essay won first place for girls in the essay contest spon- sored hy the American Legion Auxiliary on What America Means to Me. A Our America, this land of democracy, did not spring up overnight, in one day, in one week, or in one year. She has roots more than two thousand years old. It began on the hills of Galilee with a gentle prophet preaching to the multitudes and urging them to do unto others . . . Thus he voiced the need the people had always recognized but had been too inadequate to express. It was a dream of equality among men. This dream grew and took shape until finally, after years of struggle, it became the basis of a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. 1 Today the word America has many connotations. To the newspaper editor, it means a land in which he has the perfect right to dispute the administration's views openly, without fear of punishment. To the falsely accused, it is the preroga- tive of being innocent until proven guilty by a fair trial. To the immigrant it is one teeming, bewildering mass of friendly, gullible, hustling, bustling, laughing, crying people. To a small child, America means nothing more than par- ades, flags flying, or a mother drinking coffee hurriedly some November morning so that she can go to the polls and vote. To the storeowner it is a system of free enterprise in which competition stimulates improvement. To the farmer America may mean government price support and government aid in times of flood or drought, but it also means a farm run by himself, for himself, for his own profit. To some it is sitting in church on Sunday morning singing hymns led by a minister, while in other churches may be heard the soft incantations of a priest or rabbi. But wait, you say. What about America's mistakes? You have told only her good points. It is true. We have our crime, our graft and corruption, our racial segregation. They cannot be denied. But we also have our younger generation. They may benefit from all that has gone before. The inventions of the great scientists, the words of the great orators, the thoughts of the great philosophers, the accounts of deeds of great soldiers and statesmen-all these have been willed to them. Stop! you say once again. This heritage is not Amer- ica's alone. The rest of the world has a share in it also. Yes, but into the hands of America's youths have been deposited the highest living standards and the greatest facili- ties for advancement in the world. They have the opportunity to channel past greatness into future greatness. They have the power to perfect this dream in action that is America, to make the true meaning of democracy a reality to every American citizen. It is indeed a challenge and a promise. A promise for to- morrow! That's what America means to me! 1. The Gettysburg Address by Lincoln. Page Eleven

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Washington. D. C. By Stanley Kaminski Wednesday morning April 14, 1954, at 11:01 a.m., was a memorable moment in the lives of many Hammond High School students. The shiny diesel train was ready to take us to our national capital, Washington, D. C., and to that giant metropolis, New York. On the train many of us chatted, some sang, some read, and others looked at the scenery as we passed innumerable farms. It was a trying experience to sleep on the train, the road bed having been laid out purposely around curves and along rough stretches, somehow we survived the night. Washington at last! We arrived at the Union Station by 6:00 a.m. Thursday and walked to our respective hotels lo- cated only one block from the Capitol building. After we were assigned rooms, we had breakfast and took an all-day sight- seeing coach tour. We saw many of the governmental adminis- tration, executive, and judicial buildings. We saw marble and granite memorials to great men. XVe also toured in Virginia's historic towns which were near the capital. Mount Vernon was particularly awe-inspiring. Our evenings were free, many went out to see what they had failed to see during the day, some stayed in their rooms addressing post cards, and others congregated to talk and to have parties in their rooms. Many were very tired. The weather Friday was humid and we toured only a half day. We had an opportunity to see Senator Homer Cape- hart that afternoon. We left Washington that evening for New York. We felt that we would like to stay and enjoy the beauty of magnifi- cent Washington but we were on our way to another great city. That same evening we arrived in New Jersey and took the ferry across to the big city. We were driven to our hotel which was located at the center of Manhattan Island. It rained intermittently that Saturday. Our busses were glass topped and we could see quite a lot. Since our trip was merely sight seeing, and not touring, we left the bus only to see the United Nations Building, to board the boat for Bed- loe's Island and the Statue of Liberty, which we admired des- pite the torrents of rain which drenched usg to eat lunch, and to see the Empire State Building and the Church of St. John the Divine. Our evening in New York was free and many of us went to the television and stage shows on Broadway, the same street on which our hotel was located. Easter Sunday was a glorious and beautiful day. Many found churches nearby and attended services in them. Some went to the beautiful Saint Patrick's Cathedral. Most of us watched the Easter Parade. In the afternoon we took a yacht cruise around the Island of Manhattan. Throughout the trip scores of clicks could be heard wanted from the cameras of the enthusiastic tourists who souvenirs of the very enjoyable excursion to the Eastern coast. Sunday evening we left for New Jersey, via the Holland Tunnel, and headed for Indiana. Everyone was slightly fati- gued from continuous action of the day, and sleep was no problem. Monday morning brought thoughts of the homework which had to be made up, the daily grind of school work, the realization of the rare opportunity that we'd had in taking the trip, and the pleasure that we had gained from it. It must have taken the next few weeks to recover from the journey, but I have heard of no one who regretted spend- ing the reasonable price for the trip or taking the time to see such really memorable places in our great country. Pictures by Stanley Boleski There is a Destiny . . . . By Warren Hildebrandt It must be true that every student in America is taught that our government was formed by ambitious, educated and courageous men. These men performed as soldiers, diplomats, explorers, and politicians. But it seems to me that in all cases it was not the great- ness of men that made America what it is today, but rather, it was what could be described as luck, of fate, or the wish of God. I believe all of us agree that it was the spirit and courage of the Americans that helped them win the Revolutionary War. But doesn't it seem more than coincidence that New York didn't fall to the British because Lord Germain went grouse hunting and forgot to send to the British officer, General Howe, the instructions for the invasion of New York in 1777? 1 It also seems strange, since the continental currency was worthless, and the soldiers were in rags, that General Wash- ington defeated General Cornwallis and his army at Yorktown, in one last effort to win the war. Certainly, under the prevail- ing conditions, the Americans could hardly have been able to fight another battle. It must have been the help of God that aided General Washington in winning the Revolutionary War against extremely difficult odds. But our luck went further than just the Revolution. It stayed with the American people through many decisions, es- pecially in the federal government. What was it that caused America to elect a president rather than to have a king? What kept the men from becoming dictators, once in office? Was it Congress and the Constitu- tion? If so, what brought them into existence? The answer to this question may be public-minded men. But weren't those men just following the word of God? Of course! And if men love thy neighbor, it is possible for all people to find peace and prosperity. It is the chance to do as one pleases, within reason, and the chance to be helped by others or to help others, that has come to mean America to me. 1. A History of Our Country-by Muzzey Page Thvrleen