Medill High School - Medillite Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

Page 97 text:

THE MEDILLITE 95 to come to heel by a vigorous will, the servant of a tender con- science one who has learned to love all beauty, whether of Nature or of art, to hate all vileness, and to respect others as himself. Such a one, and no other, I conceive, has had a liberal education, for he is, as completely as a man can be, in harmony with Nature. He 'will make the best of life, and Life will make the best of himn' Life and such a one will getqon together rarely, Life as his ever-benei- cent mother g he as her mouthpiece, her conscious self, her inter- preter. , a - May we, the two-year graduates of the Joseph Medill High School, of the mid-yearx class of 1929, realize that this real education is a matterofucontinuoils progress. We appreciate the opportunity of our two years' workrin' Medill. Many, of us will strive later to fin- ish a four-yearicourse and then go on to college, but whether we have that privilege' or not, let us 'never cease to acquire knowledge and convert it into power and real living. Let us keep our minds alert and eager for fresh explorations in these delightful fields of learning which our teachers have but opened to us. , Let us go in and possess their wealth, and then let us use that wealth to bring aid and joy into the life of our world where no man liveth to himself alone. 1-ill- p g Commencement a Memory For the last time we have assembled as one. After tonight each will go his or her own way perhaps never to cross one another's path again. so With what a mixed feeling we sit and watch our classmates perform their number as we look upon each other. What will our future hold for us and the others? Perhaps there will be a gap for years and we will meet again and once more begin our friendships, perhaps not, so we try to leave behind us the most pleasant memories, for what remains of people but memories? , . . ,J .5 X 1 . The memory of tonight and what hag,gb,peQ9n tonightlyvillbe iri the minds of all of us forever. For many'of,,1is .this willibe the last -commencement and the best. To those f0f'w,1gom. it will not be the last one, it will be a memorial one. How1,hard'it is to say the last goodbye but we try and smile. What lies b'ehi'n'd the smile and what behind the question? f ' . iT1.f'l.lsi ' r b Commencement, graduation, anotheridspetech, another song, our diplomas, then goodbye, and all is a memory, ,Q .,,,. ' , ' REBECCA' -SHERMAN

Page 96 text:

94 THE MEDILLITE A Liberal Education By Angelo Aquila s vMr. Johnson, members of the faculty, fellow students, parents, and friends. 2 .. Education is a problem which arose five hundred thousand years ago and which will endure as long as man endures. The first educa- tion was that of one of our Neolithic ancestors, sitting over the fire teaching his boys how to fashion flints, while his mates were teaching the girlshow to prepare skins for clothing. With this idea in mind, let us consider by way of illustration this supposition: that it were perfectly certain that the life and fortune of everyone of us would, one day or another, depend upon his winning or losing a game at chess. Do you not think that we should all con- sider it to be a primary duty to learn at least the names and moves of the pieces, to have a notion of the gambit, and a keen eye for all the means of giving and getting out of check ? Do you not think that we should look with disapprobation amounting to scorn. upon the father who allowed his son, or the state which allowed its members, to grow' up without' knowing a pawn from a knight? b 1 Yet it is a very plain and elementary truth, that the life,.the for- tune and the happiness of every one of us, and more or less, of those who are connected with us, does depend upon our knowing something of the rules of a game infinitely more difficult and complicated than chess. It is a game which has been played for untold ages, everyone of us being one of the two players in a game of his own. The chess- board is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the universe, the rules of the game are what we call thezlaws of Nature. The player on the other side is hidden from us. We know that His play is always fair, just, and patient. But also we know, that He never overlooks a mistake. 1 To the man who plays well, the highest stakes are paid, with thatsortpof overflowing generosity with which the strong show delight in strength.. And one who plays ill is check-mated without haste but withoutaremorse. , Whatfl mean' by education is learning the rules of this mighty game. In other words, education is the instruction of the intellect in the laws of Nature under which name I include not merely things and their forces, but men and their ways, and the fashioning of the affec- tions and-tlie will into an earnest and loving desire to move in har- mony 'with those laws: , i' 1- ' i , That inan, I think, has had a liberal education, who- has 'been so trainediiiif-youth that his body is the ready servant-bf his willy-and does -Withfeasel-and pleasure all the work of which fit is' capable: iwhose intellect is like a steam engine, with all its parts of equal strength, and in smooth-working order, ready, too, like an engine, to be turned to any kind of work,-to spin the gossamers as well as to force the anchors of the mindg whose mind is stored with a knowledge of the great and fundamental truths of Nature and of the laws of her opera- tions,--one who is full of life and vim, but whose passions are trained

Page 98 text:

96 THE MEDILLITE Valedictory, June, 1929 ANNIE BRODSKY Mr. Johnson, members ofthe faculty, parents, and friends: Tonight is the last meeting of the class of June, 1929. This day has long been expected. As freshmen four years ago we thought of this night with joy and sadness-joy because of our journey in life would be completedg sadness because of the parting with our friends and classmates. But we are ever growing, and Nature is growing with us. Science tells us every change is improvement. ' One of the greatest figures of mythology is Prometheus, who brought fire from heaven that men of skill and industry might begin their long journey toward truth and power. He was the fire-bringer, and every great or useful man and Woman since his time has been a. light-bearer. Looking back over the long course in history we can see the past because it is illuminated by the lamps with which man and women have lighted the darkness of ignorance. Looking back we can see the lamps lighted in the valley of the Euphrates thousands of years agog the kindling of the lights in the valley of the Nile: the Light of the world in J udeag the great light that shone in Ahens and on through the ages until the present time. But what of the lamp of our day? Will it be as bright as those of the past, or will it be so dim that the future generations will not be able to see what we have done? Many people say that all fields have been explored, but that is far from the truth. The greatest field of all open is that of science, whether it is medicine, chemistry, or phys- ics. Can the thousands of people be saved from the two most dread- ful diseases, cancer and heart failure? Can Burbank's work be car- ried on to greater perfection? Is Einstein's theory correct? No an- swer has as yet been found, but sometime, someone will find these. and other answers and make a name for himself and his country. The fields of social science, criminology, and the prohibition question are still in their infancy and need bright lamps to illuminate them. Avia+ tion and engineering projects should be advanced. This is and should be the age of progress, not of warg of defence, not of destruction, of life, not of death. International affairs are drawing more and more the greatest minds of the world. The prob- lems of the Orient, disarmament, the payment of the debt of' the lasts war, and the prevention of future wars need attention. Why may not. someone from the class of T29 show the way? In the years to come when this class will be scattered far and wide, how many new lamps will begin to twinkle, how many new' names will be added to that list which has done so much for human- ity? But tonight we think not only of the future and the glory it has in store for us, but also of the present, and so we part. To you, Mr. Johnson, principal of Medill, in behalf of our class, I give you our sincere gratitude for the helpful and sympathetic guid- ance during the past year, your first year at Medill. May your guid- ing hand long continue to assist the future classes.