Madison High School - Bulldog Yearbook (Madison, ME)

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20 M. H. S. BULLDOG 'I947 The Garden of Maine because of its beautiful, rolling potato fields. Of course, we can't forget our lobsters and clams which are well known and greatly liked by inhabitants of other states. ln summer, people of other states do notice us. Our beautiful resorts, spacious hotels and crystal lakes attract vacationists from all over the country. We have many noted summer resorts in Maine such as: Bar Harbor, Moosehead Lake. Boothbay Harbor, Camden, Old Orchard, and Lake- wood where famous novelists, artists, and actors come for their vacations and perhaps stay for the entire summer. Directors bring their well-known Broadway plays and eminent stars to our theatres. In the winter, there are the many sports such as skating, skiing and tobogganing. Adults and children alike hurry home from work and school, climb into their ski suits and make a dash for the long, rolling ski trails. Everything is not play in our lovely Maine, for we have our sober side also. There are the famous Pepperell and Bates mills known throughout the country for their sheetings and bedspreads. We supply other parts of the country with various things such as stone, timber, lime, cotton. and wool cloth and hay, oats, and potatoes. Maine authors are read and admired throughout the world. Among the most prominent of these are: Edwin Arlington Robinson, Kenneth L. Roberts, Robert Peter Tristram Coffin, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Mary Ellen Chase. These are just a few of Maine's im- portant assets. Remember, when next someone says. Are you from Maine? to reply Yes, and proud of it. JOAN FITZGERALD, '48 PEACETIME ATOMIC ENERGY When one thinks of atomic energy . he automatically connects it with atomic bomb and destruction. This may be due partially to the impressive reports of this subject by the various newspapers and magazines and the exaggerated effects of the bomb. The atomic bomb is, no doubt, very powerful, but it does not devastate whole cities in a single stroke. To the awakening public, atomic energy is coming to mean not destruction, but unlimited power. Some of the experi- ments which have been tried would be im- practical for widespread use: nevertheless. they are a beginning. The controlled release of atomic energy is thus a matter of present-day importance, The most obvious method of producing energy from atomic lission is to heat a cooling agent in the chain-reaction unit and pass this heated coolant through a heat exchanger which heats steam to turn a turbine. The revolu- tionary process above, aside from the plant itself, would be identical with the plants in standard use. This would necessitate the use of a shield Weighing tons to protect workers from the radiation of the cooling agent. Therefore, the use of atomic energy for powering cars and airplanes of ordinary size is not in sight. There are, however, two decided advantages in the use of atomic power. The rate at which the fuel is consumed in proportion to the energy released is extraordinarily low and the rate at which the power is developed is easily controlled and highly flexible. In areas of high transportation rates, the amount of energy in one carload of uranium would equal the energy in thou- sands of carloads of coal. Until we become more familiar with atomic energy, atomic power plants would have to be operated by health supervisors, trained specialists in radiological problems. lf present developments are indicative, medicine holds the greatest promise for,use of atomic energy in the near future. The use of radio-isotopes as tracers have had phe- nomenal success. ln case of an injury, these tracers are used to trace the extent of blood flow to necessitate a minimum of amputa- tion. Radioactive iron is being used to trace red blood cells in shook cases. Sr-39, the strontium isotope, is being used to de- termine the healing of bone fractures. Only two radioisotopes have proven their therapeutic value since the discovery of artificial radioactivity in 1934 by Joliot

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M. H. S. BULLDOG 1947 'I9 EDITORIALS CHOOSING A VOCATION Have you chosen your vocation? Or don't you know what field to enter? Ask yourself these questions: l. In what Held does my interest lie? 2. Am I capable of successfully com- pleting training in that course? 3. Is money my chief obstacle? Classmates, there's no ceiling on oppor- tunity today. Business and industry are crying for men and women of ability for high positions. It's only logical that the young men and women with the most training, initiative, and education will be the first to procure permanent positions. Thus, it is necessary for high school grad- vatcs lo become skilled in a particular Held. There are several ways in which one can work his way through college-with- out selling magazines, too. Write to the college which you prefer asking for infor- mation on opportunities that will cut down expenses. Then, of course, there are the summer jobs. In one summer one can earn his tuition to college easily now. Perhaps you haven't discovered the right course yet. There are always the fields of business administration, law and medicine. Right now more than 120,000 nurses are needed to fill vacancies. In this air and atomic age the electrical, aeronautical, civil, and chemical engineer- ing courses are important. You boys scoff at the thought of busi- ness administration, foreign trade, or com- merce. You say, Aren't there any outdoor occupations? Certainly. There is the building in- dustry including masonry, carpentry, and architecture. Conservation is an intensely interesting and wide-spread field. Study of soil, forest, fish, and game conservation would interest any young American. The American Forest Industries can provide further information on this. Girls and boys alike may obtain good paying positions once they have studied psychology to obtain a job as a personnel manager in the huge department stores. The psychologists who are employed in the state institutions may not be paid as well as the personnel group, but they may prove to have a more interesting occupation. Did you especially like sociology? Social welfare workers are greatly needed. This also is interesting work. There arealso numerous advantages for girls in merchandising, dress designing, art. foreign trade and diplomacy. Yes, the sky is the limit for opportun- ities in this age. Explore the different fields-find out what you'll be happiest doing. You may spend the rest of your life in this occupation. Choose well--choose an occupation that will make you happy. GLORIA FRANKLIN, '47 ARE WE PROUD OF MAINE I-Iave you ever been to Maine, the play- ground of the nation? If not, you have missed a rare treat. Maine, according to the people who look in on us, is still holding her own against the Indians. We, the people of the Pine Tree State, believe that we have ad- vantages equal to if not superior than those of any other state in the Union. We are not trying to make any rash statements, but have you ever considered the various bene- fits and resources which Maine has? There is the scenery. In the early autumn, do you ever take your camera and go for a walk over the hills, snapping pic- tures of the beautiful foliage in our great forests, or take a canoe ride into the center of one of Maine's beautiful lakes where you can lean back and let your glance wander over the distant purple-blue moun- tains, harmonizing so beautifully with the rainbow coloring of the sunset? What would you do at a great dinner without our Aroostook potatoes? Aroo- stock county, although located in the northernmost corner of the state, is called

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M. H. s. nuunoc 1947 21 and Curie. These two elements are phos- phorus-32 with a half life of 14.3 days and iodine-130 and-131 with half lines of 12.6 hours and eight days respectively. Radioactive phosphorus has been used in the treatment of polycythemia, the over- activity of the red blood corpuscles, and such neoplastic diseases as different types of leukemia. On the former, radioactive phos- phorus therapy has resulted in the almost complete remission of a vast majority of patients. On the first type of leukemia, therapy produces freedom from X-ray sickness and prolongs life about six months. The treatment of the other form of leu- kemia by P-32 is no better than therapy by X-rays. I-130 and-131 are used in treat- ment of hyperthyroidism and thyroid can- cer. Nearly every patient suffering with hyperthyroidism recovered upon being fed large doses of radioactive iodine. The use of the iodine isotope on thyroid cancer allays the symptoms for awhile. At the present time it can only be stated that radioactive isotopes are curative agents in cases of hyperthyroidism and polycy- themia. One tends to be disappointed by the seeming failure of isotopes in curing can- cer. Cancerous tissue has been shown to contain more amino acid than normal tissue and experiments are being conducted to synthesize amino acid containing radio- active elements. In that way, an entirely new field would be opened in the fight on cancer. The surface of medicinal uses for isotopes has just barely been scratched. On some diseases, isotopes have proved themselves superior to X-ray therapy. The atomic energy power plant is but a practical theory that will be tested in the near future. No one knows how wide this scope is. In fifty years, atomic energy may be obsolete. One can be positive of one fact, science never retreats but always forges ahead. NORMAN WESTON, '48 The National High School Poetry Associa- tion has accepted for publication in its Anthology the following poems written by the Iunior English Class, under the direction of Miss Evans: ODE TO AN ORNITHOPTER You birdlike wonder of the sky Held there, as if by strings of God Who guides and safely brings you home Where man keeps watch through day and night That once again you may fly off, O'er hills which pass beneath your wings Where worry of the toilsome world Is left below and soon forgot. Joi-IN HALL, '48 TREES Oh, you beautiful trees All alone You stand day in, day out Whispering. I wonder what you say About us. Why are you so mournful Ev'ry day? Don't you ever tire? Why not smile? You sway when the wind blows Then you sigh. Now you're coated with ice, Weighted down. Now, you giants, speak up For yourselves. LENA THEBARGE, '48 THE TREE What dost thou do, O tree? Why dost thou shed thy leaves? Why dost thou delight to revel in mock Solemnity on the weakness of the human race Or reach thy leafless arms in supplication To that God who seems so near? NORMAN WESTON, '48 TREES The weather-beaten trees their silhouette I see Against the still snow-covered face Of earth's own woven robe of White. Next spring when weather's warm again, The buds will come once more in green To clothe the trees throughout the summer months. WILLIAM KENNEDY, '48