Mattanawcook Academy - Pine Needles Yearbook (Lincoln, ME)

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MATTANAWCOOK ACADEMY 7 can be used for a better World, or to destroy every living thing on this earth. It is up to you! -M. A.- THIS POST-WAR WORLD During the recent war one of the things most talked of was the post- war world. This new world was going to be a world of peace and would have many wonderful things in it, such as an airplane in every garage, luxurious cars, and strange, new houses. The strange part of it was that no one seemed to know how this was coming about. Oh, it was to be a won,- derful world all right, but if most people were asked how it was being made possible, chances are that those asked would not know the answer or would say that our leaders are smart enough to work everything out to per- fection. My, wouldn't they have to be masters of affairs, these leaders of ours, if they got the world out of the mess it is in today! In our own country, strikes in labor are frequent and long lasting, but strikes are only one of our problems. In Europe, millions are starving and many will die because there is not food enough for all, and no crops will be harvested until fall. There is hatred, unrest, and misunder- standing throughout the world. Indeed, it would take several mas- terminds to make our post-war dream come true. The question that should be in the minds of all of us now is what we as individuals can do to remedy the situ- ation. Well, perhaps you've given a little money to the Red Cross and oth- er organizations for foreign relief. That, however, is doing very little. Did you give any clothing when the drive to provide clothing for those in Europe was on? How about backing those organizations that have adopted French children? One of the most important things that we, as individuals, can do is to support the United Nations Organiza- tion and ask God's guidance for it. This organization seems to be the only hope for a world peace. The United States, as a Christian nation, should set an example for the rest of the world by making the UNO the tool of peace and the manifestation of our post-war dream. -M. A.- BUCHE PLUMA No doubt you have neither seen nor heard this word before! But most likely you've seen and heard what this word refers to, many a time. Buche Pluma is a Puerto Rican word meaning a bunch of feathers, or in good American slang, a bag of wind. Now, do you know what I am writing about? Where do you find bags of wind? Look around any classroom, and what do you see? That's right-two or three wind bags! What are they doing? They are, as you might say, putting it over. When they raise their hand or when the teacher asks them a question, they usually ask for him to repeat it at least three times. Then they say a word, clear their throats, say another word, f'ah a little, and ask the teach- er if that was what he meant. If it isn't, as usually is the case, they start all over again and in the end have every- one in the class, including the teacher, all mixed up. Then no one knows what the original question was! A wind bag can usually do this a- bout twice, or three times at the most, and then the teacher begins his at-

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EDITORIALS There just has to be a war to clear the strained atmosphere between Rus- sia and the Allies. As long as the Reds are communistic and we are demo- cratic, there will be international fric- tion. Thus spoke a high school dent. Did it occur to you to wonder why He's he's who stu- that person believes as he does? never been to Russia, perhaps never even talked with anyone has traveled in Russia. Where did he get the idea that war is inevitable? Tough brainwork isn't required for the answer to that question. The idea came from magazine articles, news- papers, radio commentators, motion pictures, and bits of conversation picked up here and there. It is the combination of the thoughts of a great many people, some well informed and others not so well informed. There is an untold amount of danger in a nation of people who do not take the time and effort necessary to spend in getting to the core of a matter. It is in such a nation, that propagandists find their most fertile fields-in a na- tion where people quote commentators and authors as if the statements they deliver are indisputable, in order that they may make themselves appear very apprehensive. There is one real method of form- ing an opinion that can be justly called the opinion of an individual. Collect- ing facts, many facts, about a situa- tion and the nation or peoples involved gives a person a strong foundation up- on which he can base his conclusions. He will have his own opinion then- something that he will be able to de- fend against criticism. This all points to one fact which cannot be denied-we must rely on ourselves for vital decisions. We as a nation need more thinkers! -M. A.- ATOMIC POWER Atomic power is the greatest dis- covery that science has ever made. It is the greatest, because it can be used for more purposes than any other dis- covery. It will entirely revolutionize the world and man's way of living. How do we know, say one hundred and fifty or two hundred years from now, what the future generations may have for physical characteristics: what they may have for food, and what clothes they may be wearing? Do we know if there will be any kind of life on this earth? Will everything and everyone have been blown to bits by this great power? Those are the things we must think about and very seriously too, as high school students. In three or four years, atomic energy will be at its highest degree of power, and this is the time when most stu- dents will be going out to start lives of their own. They should be very care- ful in considering what they would do, if and when they should ever come in contact with this great power. It will most certainly be up to them and to their offspring. A great man has said, Man's pro- gress compared to the progress of sci- ence, is as to that of a turtle. Think what these words mean and the great significance they have. Atomic power

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8 PINE NEEDLES tack. Teachers easily detect a wind bag g when they do, you've never seen a redder face than that of the guilty one. After class the wind bag starts blaming it on the teacher, because he couldn't hear him, and the teacher shouldn't ask such hard questions. What does the teacher think we are,-geniuses ? Not likely! The wind bag should have studied his lesson. It would have saved him a great deal of embarrass- ment and a great deal of talking, al- though a wind bag never tires of that! Outside of school you see a great many wind bags . These are people who think they are just about the nic- est inhabitants of the earth, higher than anyone elseg and actually they have nothing to be proud of. Those people usually have their share of skeletons in their closets. Buche plumas -with empty minds! If you are lacking something to do, look around and see how many wind bags you are able to see. You see many more than you ever thought there were? I'm not surprisedg did you ever think that you might be one? If the shoe fits, for your own good, put it on! -M. A.- Let's take a walk! Come with me for a stroll through the halls of Mat- tanawcook. There are a few things that I would like to point out to you. Are you noticing the classrooms as we pass them? Do you see the unusual- ly large number of students in each one? Surely you must admit that the seating space is used one hundred per cent. How can that teacher effectively instruct so many students? It is a mys- tery, but it is absolutely necessary that she do it. Do you realize that there is only one homeroom teacher for every thirty-five students? This is why the classes are large-too large for effic- ient study. We'd better move since the bell has just rung, and the corridors soon will be filled. How many boys and girls are jammed into this small space! You are staring wide-eyed at the groups of students filing into the hall now. No, they are not high school stu- dents 5 they are attending the eighth grade. Are they glad to be in the high school so soon? I think notg to make their school less crowded, they for- feited their only opportunity to be the oldest members of Ballard Hill School. Perhaps by now you have guessed the object of these remarks. It is to make you aware of the great need for more space for Lincoln's students. Where can we find that extra room? If the number of students at Matta- nawcook were decreased, the problem would be solved. Still, we cannot re- duce our enrollment when conditions in the elementary schools are so badly in need of repair. A new school-a junior high school -is the ideal solution of the problem. Where else could the seventh, eighth, and ninth grade students secure the type of education they should have? In what other way could the enroll- ments of both Mattanawcook Academy and Ballard Hill be lowered? The idea I have presented to you is well worth your sincerest considera- tion. Action should be taken while there is still time to build the best school possible. Think about it a lot! Talk about it! Do something about it!