Ionia High School - Ionian Yearbook (Ionia, MI)

Page 25 text:

W e are thankful that all of the discoveries have not been made, and that the greatest heights have yet to be climbed and remain a chal- lenge to the world. The whole wide world waits as the peaks wait for the pathfinder—for the feet of the triumphant mountaineer. The discovery of America, the invention of the printing press, the telephone, wireless telegraphy, the railroads, steam navigation, the airplane, the discovery of radium, electricity, the abolition of slavery, and the marvelous progress of education are some of the tokens which have been brought back by those who have preceded us. But on the unsealed heights which lie before us are the obtaining of a universal peace, the banishment of preventive illness, abolition ot poverty and the waste of war, the doing away with illiteracy; India, China, Africa, South America, crowded countries, spacious continents are all a challenge which will precipitate the conquest of the ages. The challenge of the heights is in our ears, the pinnacles beckon, we must quit the pine-clad valleys of selfishness and press on with new vigor towards the triumphs for which all the ages have been struggling. In ascending the heights thus far we are greatly indebted to our parents, the Board of Education and the taxpayers of this city for their assistance and especially to our teachers, who have been our faithful guides. And as we go forth from this institution and from your further guidance, we hope that, as we attempt higher altitudes, we may so achieve that you will not be disappointed.

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JJrestfrent’s Willard Meader There is an Indian legend which is told of a chief who called some of his braves together in a council and he said to them, “Over the desert and beyond the mountain there is a great sea. Go as far as you can, but return before tho morrow and bring a token of the place which you reach.” They set out eagerly at the break of day, but, while the sun was still high in the heaven, one of the braves returned and placed at the feet of his chief a piece of a cactus plant showing that he had been as far as the desert. It was just turning to darkness when the second brave returned, bringing a twig of a maple tree as a token of the foothills. It was well along into the night when the third brave returned and gave his chief a branch of a Dwarfed Oak, showing that he had reached the timberline, where only the hardiest trees are able to grow. But it was not until the next morning that the last brave returned to his chief empty-handed. His chief was sur- prised and asked, “How far have you been, where is your token?” To which the brave replied, “I have been to the summit, and I return with a vision of the great land the arising sun shining out upon the vast ocean.” Some of our number who started with us on our scholastic journey returned early from the task and stopped at the eighth grade. They have something to show for their efforts, but, comparatively speak- ing, their token is of the waste and the desert. The members of this class have pushed on to the foothills of a High School education and are now confronted with the challenge of the heights. And as we strive to reach the summit “The Horizon Widens as We Climb.” When we were Freshmen we thought we had all the knowledge that could be imparted to us. But as we passed on through our High School career we began to realize that our present achievements were small and that we must push on to a wider horizon. It is said that “Nobody has yet stood on the roof of the world. The real sky-piercers have never yet been climbed. On almost every continent the loftiest summits wrap their clouds about them and stand defiant and triumphant.” It is perhaps humiliating in these days when such wonderful inventions and discoveries are being made to find that, after all, we have not discovered everything, but it would be simply crushing if we were assured that nothing remained to be discovered. Life has a new meaning when we reflect that there are dizzy heights which have never felt the proud heel of the conqueror from the foundation of the world to the present day. Who does not experience a thrill when they realize that these heights in their desolate grandeur await the pilgrim feet of the pioneer to break all records for conquest? It is contended that the first man to ascend Mount Everest will be a greater benefactor of his race than a successful polar explorer.

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Claaa postit Robert Bills. It’s time to say good-bye To our old High School here. We really want to sigh Now that parting is so near. We know what we are leaving, And what pleasure and delight We found when at our games To win we had to fight. And soon we will be parting From the friends we hold so dear; But our memories will not die For those we’ve met while here. And when the years have passed, Though we’ve strayed far away We’ll recall the faces of the friends We knew in our school days. It’s time to say good-bye To the tasks here begun; But we haven’t time for sighs; There are great deeds to be done. And some day, I am sure, That in this class of ’21 There’ll be some to reach the goal. They’ll keep fighting till it’s won.