Holyoke High School - Annual Yearbook (Holyoke, MA)

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the bitter. But, Nature forbids tliis unbalanced distribution of her favors. We must lose at times if we would win at others. It is certain that in our struggle for success, we are confronted with two factors: the mundane and the spiritual. We must not be deferred from our initial objective by these forces—rather must we compel them to serve us. We are going into a world that believes it certainly doesn’t need us and probably doesn’t want us. Ours is the task to convince the world that it DOE',S’ need us and really should welcome us. How can we do it? Now. with chosen career and a knowledge of right and wrong, we must seek an attainable objective. There appears to be none! Business and the professions appear to lx1 crowded. But, such is not the case. We are assured by the best authorities that there is a woeful dearth of excellence in every business and profession; indeed, so rare is excellence that it is conspicuous wherever it is revealed. There IS room for efficient, industrious, creative youth, and always will be. Conditions are in disorder; international animosity abounds; and economic chaos threatens. But, depression is ephemeral, as history has proven again and again. Despite conditions we shall retain our courage and look to the future as our predecessors did, with the wel- fare of those who are to come after us in mind, and so the cycle of life goes on. We shall give the world the best we are capable of and that is excellence. We have the equipment—learning—and that is the chief means of combating the competition of civilization. Now. that higher education has become a necessity, we specialize in one field that we may challenge competition. But we must not permit our choice of a vocation to interfere with our hereditary obligations. We must remember that our sole purpose in education is not merely to win over the illiterate and the unskilled. We must assume the responsibility that goes with civilization and its progress. Every fragment of knowledge, which we have gleaned from our studies, has been compiled for us. from the actual experience (and self-reliance) of others. So—with this inherent and deep-rooted sense of duty, let us enter into the arena of life with a feeling of reverence and humility. Let us weave these fine emotions, which we necessarily feel, into our design for living. The mist of uncertainty is rising. We discover ourselves among the foothills of life. Ahead, loom lofty mountains, future obstacles, which we are equipped to overcome and over w hich we shall pass. ttrenty-one

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Class Oration—Our Choice JOHN J. BRESNA1IAX KEY chapter in our book of life has been closed. The time has come to meditate our future, to map out our course of life, to ponder our social heritage, or to terminate formu- lated plans. Let us take inventory. AVhat has made the present day and a bright future possible for us.’ The sacrifice of our parents and the American system of school- ing evolved through years of experimentation by the minds of creative thinkers. To the present day all we have, we owe to someone else; our greatest debt is to our parents, to our teachers, and to all the great who have made history. They have given us without hoping for material reward. They have helped mould our minds and characters for the best; they have assisted us to lay the foundation for our future life. We must now build upon our training and education. Still, we have a freedom of choice—as concerns our future. At the crossroad of life specimens of life’s offerings are spread before us. These are an honorable career, a mediocre existence, or a vicious, degraded life. This last offering we shall immediately eliminate, as no sane, decent human being will hesitate to discard this choice. May we consider then, the two other courses possible for us to choose: success or mediocrity. How will non guide your choice? In making a selection we must consider the subsequent payment, for we are subject to an immutable law which governs our existence. This law is compensation. We must take the bitter with the sweet, for every sweet hath its compensating sour; every good, its evil. Be the pay- ment for our choice immediate, or deferred, pay we must sometime. There is no escape; it is as inevitable as Death itself. “What will you have?” quoth God, “take it. and pay.” So, then, look well to your choice. Be equipped for your chosen work. Be ready to pay for what you take; then make the gallant fight for success and happiness. Conform to the law of Nature, and your chances for success are augmented. Violate it and you are doomed and forced to pay dearly. “Commit a crime and the world is made of glass.” says Emerson. IIow true that philosophy is! A perfect equity adjusts itself, too, in all phases of life. Man seeks greatness. He would have but one side of nature, the sweet, without twenty

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Of Graduates AILEEN F. CASHV We shall leave Holyoke High School's halls today. Classrooms and teachers we shall leave behind; And places where we learned the sciences Or literature or languages or art We may hut see as high school memories; And we'll look hack to different hours we spent In different rooms with different hooks and pals, And ponder on the things that we have done— Pranks we have played or lessons we have learned, Teachers we liked or teachers whom we dodged When we had broken rules or “skipped a class. Here we have studied subjects we enjoyed And needed and just had to take, and too. Some have attended clubs and all made friends. Some have watched games, the while our athletes played To bring new laurels to the school they loved, And we have cheered for them and sung school songs. Now some of us liked dancing, so we danced; And some of us liked hiking, so we hiked; And some of us liked bridge, and so we played; While some of us would rather sit and read Or study than do any of these things. Yet this holds true for all who venture forth. Each one has found some pleasure coming here And something learned no matter what his course, And we, ambitious and expectant, go Into the world to seek our fortunes there. Our paths shall vary as our schooling did— To other halls of learning some may go, For further knowledge in their chosen fields; Some may return to Holyoke's halls again Some may find work, and some may travel on To larger cities where adventure calls. Shall we be disappointed with the worldf Shall we find visions not so bright when near? Shall we with adult understanding learn The earth is not the place that youth has dreamed f Perhaps—perhaps, but we'll have courage then, Determination, and farseeing eyes, That, as we work, we may look through the years To see beyond the present, to the world Of youth and dreams we build in our own hearts. We must'make good! The older ones will say, “See there, that crowd of youngsters, will they do As great things as their fathers did before? Then may we laugh and answer, “Greater things! We are the Future of America! And like Ulysses, wandering afar, We seek a haven in some new found star; We strive to go above the common throng And keep alive our stirring victory song; The land has need of us, our strength, our life, To make a world of peace—to end all strife; Keep this in mind—each life is but a part Of the great life that is a nation's heart, Whate'er our work, we'll try to give the best, To keep America above the rest And honor Holyoke High School by our deeds.