Maynard High School - Screech Owl Yearbook (Maynard, MA)

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THE SCREECH OWL 20 in g sand bag reinforcements. This flood has done $500,000,000 worth of damage and is the thir- teenth Mississippi flood in less than half a century. Engineers and scientists say, “There must be no more ’ What can be done and how? One day last April at Memphis, Tennessee two million cubic feet of water swept past every second — the volume of ten Niagaras. A few days later, at Vicksberg the great- est river levee gave way, pouring forth two-thirds of the nation’s drainage from the Mississippi and its two hundred and forty tribu- taries. Today a warning of a coming flood can be forecast weeks ahead. That is what unquestionably saved hundreds of lives. The first warn- ing was in August, 1926, when the waters of the rivers in Kansas and Oklahoma were raised by heavy rainfall. Scientists say the causes of this flood were the heavy rainfalls in Mississippi Valley, melting snow in the Rocky and Allegheny Moun- tains, and heavy silt deposits in the beds of the rivers. Every year the levees have been built nearer the centers of the rivers, making these rivers much narrower. Deforesta- tion has also helped create this enormous flood. The government is now con- structing concrete levees at a greater distance from the centers of the rivers than the old sand levees. This will make the rivers more like large lakes. At present the Mississippi’s crest is falling back to normal. Walter Carbone, ’27. THE AGE OF SCIENCE We Americans are now living in a scientific age. We can readily pride ourselves on being citizens of the greatest mechanical nation on earth. We have more railroads, telephones, elevators, electrical plants, automobiles, and more fac- tories than any other country in the world. Young children show their liking for mechanism at an early age by playing with toy trains, model bridges, and many other such toys. Boys, and even girls, take an in- terest in this particular work and spend hours poring over scientific magazines and working out experi- ments. A person in the present age showing any signs of interest in such matters is encouraged. This view is quite different from that of past years, for an inventor was then scorned and laughed at and called a waster. Men have risked their lives and many have even died for the scien- tific cause. Only a very short time ago one man flew all alone across, the Atlantic Ocean. He is now winning renown and fame from all the world. Why? Because his daring feat is now offering a new opening in the scientific world which will be a great help to man- kind in the near future. Inventions we now hav e such as the telephone, the radio, airplane, electric lights, and many others are so essential in a person’s life that we wonder how people ever got along without them. How easy it is to take down a receiver, repeat a number and in two seconds talk with somebody in another part of the town. But stop and think of the number of dis- couraging years that Alexander Graham Bell had to work in order to perfect such an invention for our benefit. No reward is too gre?.t for men who spend their lives for science.

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THE SCREECH OWL 19 nent (watch it during rainy What will make Ruth Wilson weather) ? look cross. EXCHANGES j We are glad to acknowledge the following exchanges : “‘The Hebronite” — Hebron, Neb- raska. “The Echo” — Wlnthrop, Mass. “The Tatler” — Nashua, N. H. “ Drury Academe ” — North Adams, Mass. The Sagamore”— Brookline, Mass. “The J abberwack ” — Boston, Mass. “The Golden Rod” — Quincy, Mass. “The Templeton Tempter” — Bald- winville, Mass. “The Voice” — Concord, Mass. “The Red and Black” — Newport, R. I. “The Signboard” — Springfield, Mass. WHAT OTHERS THINK OF US “The Scheech Owl” Your first edition is well bal- anced. The Poems are novel and interesting. But why not have more editorials by the editor him- self? “The Templeton Tempter” “The Screech Owl” Your magazine Is new to., us, and we congratulate you upon your in- teresting material. Each depart- ment is well-written, but why not enlarge them? Your poetry is very good. A table of contents would improve your magazine greatly. Come again! “Drury Academe” “The Screech Owl” The Screech Owl is, fortunately, of a quieter tone than might be in- ferred from its spectacular and rather flaming title. This is a new magazine and we feel confident that it will soon make itself heard. The first issue displays promising literary and poetic contributions. We hope the publication will soon be in a position to carry cuts and illustrations as these seem to be the only missing factor in a well- organized paper. “The Tatler” CAN SCIENCE CONTROL THE MISSISSIPPI FLOOD? Having achieved great conquests on land and air, we wonder if science can leash the mighty waters that rise and break their bounds. All that man has done is to watch this great flood rear its swollen crest and thousands seek safety by swarming the levees and by pil-

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THE SCREECH OWL 21 One of the most popular ques- tions of today is “Are there any new inventions possible ? Have we discovered them all ?” There are new inventions possible and the answer to the latter question is ' “No” for I believe that from a scientific viewpoint we ' are yet a backward nation, for there are just as many more unbelieveable things to be discovered. “Those who refuse to go beyond fact rarely get as far as fact.” Doris L. Dawson, ’30. SCHOOL NEWS wmmm ' A ” HONOR ROLL FOR FOURTH TERM Sylvia Ahola, ’28; Alice Fearns, MO ; Ruth Foster, ’2 7 ; Mark Kelly, MO ; Signe Kivinen, MO ; Arne Ol- 111a, MO; Salme Wirkkanen, MO, JUNIOR PROM One of the most successful af- fairs ever held at Maynard High was the Junior Prom of the class of 1928, which took place on April 29. From the first chord of the grand march until the strains of the last waltz had died away, everyone thoroughly enjoyed himself. The hall was beautifully deco- rated in blue and gold, the class colors. The members of the class, led by George Tucker, President, and Jeannette Johnston, Vice- President, entered the hall at eight o’clock and the customary prom- enade was held. The matrons were Mrs. Joseph Tucker, Mrs. William Johnston, Mrs. Fred Hill, Mrs. A. R. C. Cole, and Mrs. J. P. Fog- well. The reception was followed by dancing which continued until one o’clock. During intermission, punch was served by members of the Sophomore Class. The success of the prom was due in a large degree to the efforts of Miss Kennedy, class teacher, who was assisted by the officers and by the committees appointed by the class. E. F., ’28. ASSEMBLY NOTES A very interesting program was presented on May 27, in recogni- tion of Memorial Day. The enter- tainment included essays and poems and songs which were given by Virginia Lawson, Helen Brown, Harold Glickman, Michael Phillips, and Martha Jantti. Sylvia Ahola introduced the entertainers. Miss Wallingford was in charge of the program. The pupils and faculty enjoyed some moving pictures on June 3. They were in charge of the Science Department of which Mr. Reardon is the teacher. The program was both interesting and educational. SENIOR ACTIVITIES FOOD SALE The Senior Class held a success- ful food sale at Fearn’s drug store on May 14. The committee com- posed of Marion Peterson, Mary Sheridan, and Margaret Moore, wish to thank all the patrons and undergraduates who helped to make this food sale a success.