Lansingburgh High School - Odyssey Yearbook (Troy, NY)

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Salutatio Curatores, praesis facultatis, magistri, parentes, condiscipuli et amici, hodie, nos- tro die ultimo in hac carissima schola, vos salutamus. Est dignissimum ut nobiscum conveniatis et vestra praesentia laetamur. Per quattuor annos, parentes, nobis aux- ilium tam argento quam animo dedistis. Nisi vestro auxilio fido niti essemus, in hoc loco non essemus. Nobis, curatores et magistri, dedistis opportunitates discendi, consilia sapientia, acres exercitationes. Iuvenes territi, nos adstamus apertae portae quae in latiores vias viae ducat. Rogamus ut maneamus ad nos aequo mente quod ad finem probatum ab vobis, nostrae scholae gloriosum, omnibus, bonum gratias pervenire contendemus. Itaque pro vestis beneficiis plurimis gratias maximas habe- mus. -AGNES M. BECK My Literary Angels One man has said, A good book is a good friend, while yet another, Books are good enough in their own way, but they are a mighty bloodless substitute for life. But I hold with Bulwer-Lytton who phrased these words: The wise QMinstrel or Sage! out of their books are clay, but in their books, as from their graves they rise, Angels-that side by side upon our way walk with, and warn us.. Perhaps literature might be considered the greatest of the fine arts. Certainly it is the most useful, serving not only as an inspiration, but also as teacher, guardian, friend, and servant. It has served assid- uously throughout the years to guard the mighty words of the Prophet of Nazareth in the greatest of all productions, the Bible, to guide and lead us in the paths of right- eousness. It has served when we are dis- couraged with fighting against great odds, to better strengthen our determination to fight and win by reading the story of John- son's plucky battle against all mortal limita- tions. And if we are in a mood for fun, that inimitable Tish, to my mind the great- est of all merry-makers, is ever ready to take us through a series of unheard-of ad- X entures. What more could one want than the constant devotion of these diverse friends? But one might make the mistake of choos- ing poor companions. If a man can be judged by the quality of his friends, he can also be judged by the quality of the books he reads. For a man is as liable to be corrupted by his books as by his compan- ions. On the other hand he is likely to be elevated. What a blessing that one may meet with the embalmed soul of Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Franklin even in these mod- ern days! Their wisdom has not decayed in the passing of years. It lives yet to walk with and warn us in our daily con- tacts with life. And, in truth, though many of us read solely for pleasure, literature can be trans- lated into life. From biographies we learn how others have faced the same problems of life which we must now deal with. From fiction much the same sort of benefits, worked out on a more idealistic plane, may be derived. Poetry helps us in our apprec- iation of nature, and all terrestrial beauty, while history gives us a clearer insight in- to present-day politics. Are these bene- fits not considerable? On the other hand, if one is not looking for counsel, but merely for entertainment, this, too is easily acquired by lovers of books. What delight can be compared with an evening spent in their society? At any time of day one might set forth on The Royal Road to Romance with Rich- ard Hilliburton, or if one prefers the long ago, Aeneas or Ulysees are eternally eager for adventure. D'Artagnan, Porthos, Aramis, and Athos, too, are always willing to stage an enlivening scrap for an even- ing's -diversion. Or if romance and love are desired, neither Romeo and Juliet nor Priscilla and John Alden will exclude you from their company. Wherever lies your interest, literature furnishes the society you demand. In whatever walk of life you are, books may be your companions in a lonely hour until at last, as we grow in years, our circle of reading contracts, and we find our solace is all contained within the covers of the one Good Book which is the guide of youth and the staff of old age. There was a time in Greek and Roman days when books were so valuable, fortunes and lives were given as a ransom for them. Christians were burned to death to save the Bible, and it is said that Jerome ruined himself to buy the works of Origen. Today 12

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there is no excuse for passing culture by because of the sacrifice entailed in owning books. They are so easily and cheaply bought that even the most impecunious may purchase them. Moreover, libraries, free for the public, are in general use all over the world. The Congressional Library in Washington will soon have a million vol- umes, the British Museum already contains a million, while the Bibliotheque National of Paris houses three times that number. To choose one's companions from such a quantity is a mammoth task.. Bacon has said, Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chew- ed and digested. Perhaps it is wisest to take those deemed by established critics as worthy to be chewed and digested. Probably those works most lauded are the Bible and Shakespeare. When Stanley set out on his long trip to Africa, he was forced to take a minimum amount of books. Four or five were selected but at the end of his journey, having been forced to lighten his load, he had but one left, the Bible. After all, the scholar knows that the fam- ed books contain, first and last, the best thoughts, and that the great novelists are consciously, or unconsciously, teachers of morals. The problems of love and greed, temptation and sin, that they discuss are as old as life itself. Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter shows the necessity and greatness of repentance and confession of sin, while his House of Seven Gables proves that the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children. In Victor Hugo's Les Misera- bles the peace coming from righteous action is glorified above physical happiness and comfort. Silas Marner, by George Eliot, shows that murder will out and truth shall prevail. At a time when doubt had entered into the soul of the English people, Tennyson came forth with his beau- tiful Idylls of the King. This is an alle- gory showing the conflict between the sen- sual and spiritual sides of our nature. Throughout all time the poet and the writer have gone hand in hand as our divinely ordained teachers. Books are sacred. They are not things of convenience to be placed about a room to make it look home-like. The true man of letters has for his library a deep and abiding affection that can never be under- stood by those unfortunates who are unap- priaciative of books save for their material va ue. The latter, however, are more to be pit- ied than censored when we think of all the delights they miss. For the companion- ship, the diversion, the consolation, and guidance of these silent servants is be- yond all estimation. And so I say with Channing, God be thanked for good books. -AGNES M. BECK Modern Views of Education On one occaslon Aristotle was asked how much superior educated men were to those uneducated. As much, said he, as the living are to the dead. In the last four decades a greater change has taken place in education than any since the beginning of time. Previous to this time education was the priviledge of the upper classes only, but now it is within the reach of both rich and poor alike. The history of education, like the history of the world, is one of countless mistakes, with much noble effort and many noble results. Some of the parents of today recall the grammar schools of their day-the bare wall, the single dictionary as the library of each room, and the curriculum, which no- body had dreamed of enriching-reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, English gram- mar, and United States history, nothing to attract the eye, no enjoyment except at recess, no music, no intellectual food outside of the regular studies except an occasional address of five minutes by a more or less illiterate mayor. or perhaps the superinten- dent. Not only the parents' view, but also that of the students has changed. They see the full value of education and realize that they can face the problems of life more easily if they have it at their command. Many things are done today to make it more pleasant for children to go to school. Not only high schools, but also grammar schools give public entertainments, and also a certain amount of student government is allowed. This takes away the old thought of school as a prison, with the teachers as the guards, watching every movement of the inmates. It tends to develop the power of cooperation, and also gives a practical train- ing in citizenship. Music is another thing l3