Midwood High School - Epilog Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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NEW DIMENSIONS TN DB Promethus gave man the gift of fire, and for this trans- gression of the law of the gods, he was nailed to a cliff in punishment. The anger of the gods was aroused for they doubted that man could cope with this force, a force which really belonged only to celestial beings. Perhaps the gods were right. For the children of fire are the steel blade of a sword, the oily shine of a gun barrel, and the tearing, crashing, violent impact of a bullet destroy- ing everything in its path. But—we must also remember that the driving force of a turbine, the precision of a sur- geon's scalpel, the symmetry of a Greek vase, and the warmth of an incubator are also children of fire. Thus, fire can be used for good as well as evil purposes. Today man- kind surpasses Promethus in his ability to produce dynamic and more powerful forces. He is stepping into a new dimen- sion of power in which he again takes life and death into his hands. The speed of a jet plane, the detection and cure of disease, are projections of this new force.

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From the unprecedented moment at Hiroshima, through the voyage of the Nautilus, to the launching of Russia's earth satellite, has come an era in which man is confronted by a new, dynamic force of the gods. Today mankind has profound knowledge of these forces. But — this new fire can be bent to his will. He can open the door to an era of new dimensions in prosperous living. No longer must man be content with merely holding his own against the ravages of nature. He can bend this new force to his will. Now, the trackless desert will no longer be a useless waste, but instead will become a source of abun- dance in food. Now —the possibility of escape from the age old-problems of illness and poverty. Now — the elimina- tion of jungle competition for existence, the real cause of war. Now — the prospect of fulfillment, growth, cooperation, peace. Or—he can continue to bring forth new dimensions in destructiveness — the complete annihilation of all mankind. Man must learn to handle hostility and destructiveness within himself. Though man is the master of celestial forces, who, in turn, is the master of man? And man the stumbler and finder, goes on, man the dreamer of deep dreams, man the shaper and maker, man the answerer. Audrey Eisenberg