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

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PROSPECT What a mess this old world is in! The President of France assassinated, the Lindbergh baby kidnapped and brutally murdered, another jolt in the stock market, depreciating money standards, a war in China, and depres- sions all over the place — all results of the hectic and foolhardy existence we are now living. What possible gain is there in this mad search for pleasure, fame, and money? It can only bring to us as much as it brought to the Romans — a broken empire and a ruined civiliza- tion. It would seem that after a few centuries of learning our lesson we might meet our ruin more prettily. But history repeats itself and paves the way through the eternal cycle. That is, unless we do something about it. But what can we do? We can return to a better and simpler form of living. Although it is foolish to recommend radical changes, it would be a good idea for governments to tear down factories and all other signs of our material ‘‘culture,’’ and send people into the country to grow their own grain and make their own bread, to make their own living from the soil. This should be done not in the manner of a Tran- scendental revolt, but as a practical project. If people’s desires are limited to the outcome of potato crops, their tragedies to blights and frosts, and their enjoyments to mild, country pastimes, life would certainly be far less complex. We are not to blame for the present situation, nor are our fathers. It was indirectly handed down to us from the War. And as something that can’t be helped, we should make the best of it. It is, looking at it from one angle, a good thing. The world is full of fighters, and there’s no telling what they might do if they had nothing to fight against. We should be glad we are living today, for we have a job to do, such as no age has had before us. We can exert our influence so that civilization will progress, or we can hold it to its present comparative nothingness. Depression, you say. You’re lucky. The other day a Boston newspaper said that the longest period of depres- sion that the world had ever known was the Dark Ages, and that lasted scarcely eight hundred years. RUMPLESNITZ The significance of the word “Rumplesnitz” is to be found in Hey- wood Broun’s essay entitled “The Fifty-First Dragon.” In the essay Broun tells the story of a youth who was not particularly bright and not particularly dull, even as you and I, but the poor fellow had what we would call today an inferiority com- plex. He attended a school where he failed miserably in this jousting.

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Published by the Pupils of Maynard High School MAYNARD, MASS., JUNE, 1932 STAFF Assistant Editor. - Jeannette Gruber, ’32 Business Manager. Sidney McCleary, ’32 Assistant Business Manager. Bradford Case. ’33 Circulation Managers Stanley Wojtkiewicz, ’33 ; Willis Stockbridge, ’33 - Literary Editors Edith Priest, ’32 Paul Wilson, ’33 Ruth Weir, ’33 Dorothy Glickman, ’34 Ruth Bishop, ’33 Elmer Salenius, ’35 Alumni Editor Rita Bariteau, ’33 Joke Editors Simmon Seder, ’32 Norvin Laubenstein, ’31 Boys’ Athletics Exchanges James Malcolm, ’34 Virginia Collins, ’32 Girls’ Athletics Faculty Adviser Sylvia Nyholm, ’33 Vena Field TABLE OF CONTENTS Editorials.. Pag e 6 Literary Department 8 Altimni Notes 15 Athletics 30 Exchanges 32 “OnTheSpot” 33 “The Wise Old Owl” 35 “Pickings” 38 PRICE PER COPY, 25 CENTS

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THE SCREECH OWL 7 mock combats, and classes of a like nature. As a last resort the Head Master decided to try the boy at dragon-killing-, and, arming him with the magic word “Rumplesnitz,” sent him out into the woods. With the aid of his magic word, the boy slew fifty dragons but, facing his fifty-first dragon, he forgot his word. He killed the dragon, but in doing so was dis- illusioned concerning the power of his word and lost all his confidence. The fifty-second dragon overcame the youth, and feasted on the dragon- killer, armor and all. A great many of us have our ‘Rumplesnitz,” the magic charm that helps us go ahead and win. It may be a word, a mascot, or an act we go through before attempting a task or entering competition. Expressing it in a different way, we may say that it is the thing which has helped us attain false confidence. In the case of our dragon-killer, it was only that; but for most people it is more a habit that has grown upon us than something we look to for per- formance of miracles. Even though over-confidence trips blithely along before disaster, misfortune may be avoided if we realize that our favorite superstition and charm merely helped us gain assurance, and it can be out- grown with no harm. AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, WHAT? Each year, high school seniors are confronted with the serious and sometimes perplexing question, — ' ‘After High School, What?” Those who choose to enter college, soon find themselves facing a similar question —“After College, What?” For many years the Bryant Stratton Commercial School of Boston has been helping both high school and college graduates to answer these questions in a satisfactory manner, enabling them to capitalize the train- ing already acquired, but which, too often, has not fitted them to enter positions that will immediately give satisfactory returns, or furnish de- sirable entrance to worthy careers. To those who choose to enter busi- ness, Bryant Stratton affords un- surpassed facilities for securing a training that will lead to successful careers in the business world. Young men, as a rule, find it to their advantage to secure the train- ing of the Business Administration Course, which because of its com- prehensive scope has largely sup- planted the General Business Course, so popular in former years. It is well worth the short extra time necessary for its completion, as it includes training in both executive and ac- counting subjects. The young man who shows signs of leadership and has an aptitude for Shorthand and Typing will find such ability a valu- able asset, enabling him to meet the increasing demand on the part of business executives for young men, who, beginning their business careers as secretaries, may develop the ability to assume the more important obliga- tions of executive positions. Capable young women, who in addi- tion to a thorough high school educa- tion acquire such training as Bryant Stratton affords in the Secretarial Course, multiply their value and their opportunities, both with regard to the more desirable positions and larger salaries. Graduates of the Maynard High School are not required to take en- trance examinations; and will be en- abled to advance as rapidly as individual ability and the standards of the school permit. Those who have had commercial training will be per- mitted to enter advanced finishing courses. We suggest that students inter- ested in a business career write to Principal L. 0. White, at 334 Boylston Street, Boston, Mass., who will be pleased to supply full information. (Advertisement)