Midwood High School - Epilog Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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Every year may see us nearer our century, the century of the common man. And once having named it, such it will be, for hope and aspiration have risen in the breast of common men the world over. However, just as many of us have grown callous at the suffer- ing and pain, the desolation and poverty of Europe, so have we forgotten our heritage, or have been deflected from it by those who fear a century of the common man. We must make our heritage the heritage of all humanity. How- ever, since many Americans have forgotten our ideal, or been prop- agandized to scorn it, the unscrupulous traitors of our country may band together men who will be dupes for those who wish to prevent the betterment of mankind. That will be a great tragedy for we will find that post-war planning will be taken out of our hands. I have hopes that this will not happen. In every high school of the country, boys and girls are rediscovering our heritage. They are aware of the forces molding the world today and they are forming their own ideas of what they expect the future world to hold for them. As the twig is bent so is the tree inclined. And we have been bent to the proposition that all men are created equal and therefore each man has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit Of happiness. FLORA MURASKIN .-- 64 la N 4 9 X-'Xl .IT-C' ' f.? '-I QR I Q ' .F 'ml 5

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M Tl-HSISA BY THE PEOPLE 1 AND EOR TI-IE PECPLE QV, Govmxmmr V W or mt PEOPLE I HAVE A GOODLY HERITAGE lPsalm xvl. 61 I have a goodly heritage. I share my heritage with millions of other Americans. That heritage includes freedom of speech, free- dom of religion, freedom of writing and freedom of assembly. Well, you may ask, what do all those freedoms mean to a man who hasn't enough food to eat, a home to sleep in, clothes to wear? And you are right. Those freedoms aren't enough. They are half way toward our ideal of comfort, freedom and education for every individual. We have an even more precious heritage--our idea of progress. We do not live in a static or finished society. 4

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gafzwasvyEHoLD How Gooo AND 1 SPLEASANT IT IS FOR BRETH- gg QREN TO DWELL TOGETHER ,I 9 f5sQQIN UNITY lpmverbs cxxxnl. 11 Nida, darling, the world is becoming narrow. We are being shut in from all sides. People of simplicity must extend themselves to take up the slack of decimated invites. Those who monopolize our days tell us we must forget. They expect and get the same work that they have had in the past. Those are the thoughts that occupied Nida's mind when the teacher quite neatly aroused her. Now, Nida was a very conscientious girl. It was evident that perfection was her goal in every task. Nida had been acting much like any other high school girl until now. She was living her nor- mal life with vague concern for rationing. She liked it because it was novel. The change was abrupt. Today Nida sat wearily in her desk chair looking out of the large windows, across to the col- lege campus. It would not have mattered where she had turned her eyes, for today she was looking only with her mind. Nida, have you the quotations from five books that you have read? Nida thought hard. She must cover up. This is one from MAGIC MOUNTAIN. 'The true nature of time proves to be nothing more or less than a silent sister, a mercury column with- out degrees to be used by those who want to cheat.' Will you explain that to the class? He'll not be able to cheat, ever. It was apparently a simple remark in tone, yet intensive. The emotions of Nida seemed to form like a cloud. It had in such a short time crowded everything from her mind. Nida had a flexible 6