Northampton Area High School - Amptennian Yearbook (Northampton, PA)

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holding an advantage in any way. After about ten minutes of suspense the judges returned and Att. Everett Kent presented the prizes. Isle gave a few introductory re- marks and then awarded Grace Lauer and Elmer Shafer the STO prizes and Pearl Isesher and Jacob Kaslovsky the S5 prizes. In his remarks Att. Kent plainly stated that none of the contest- ants needed to feel down hearted if they had failed to obtain a prize, for after having Hnished their parts in such a fine manner. the distinction and honor they had gained for themselves was a reward in itself. He also stated that it had been exceedingly difficult for the judges to decide just who had merited the prizes, but they had at last decided on the four mentioned above. The following are the two first prize orations: INDIVIDUAL EFFICIENCY NDIVIDUAL efhciency is, or ought to be, the highest desire of every life. To be competent. capable and efficient in some department of human endeavor. is a most laudable ambition. To be healthful. intelligent. contented, happy and at the same time use- ful, is the unvoiced aspiration of every heart. To leave the Wo-rld purer, holier, happier. richer and better than you found it, is a purpose as lofty as it is worthy. In short. to run th-e race of life successfully and win honorably bv reason of merit and efficiency, is an ambition that ought to find a habitation in every human soul. Efficiency is the science of self-management. It is the difference between wealth and poverty. power and weakness, health and disease. Efficiency makes kings of us all. Yet -it is estimated that seventy-three men out of every hundred are in the wrong jobs: that 'most men utilize only about a third of their mental and spiritual forces. Does not this show us that the American people should strive for efficiency? The American slogan is efficiency. WVe aim at world-supremacy. And the world-master must be first a self-master. England has had the efiicient navy, Germany the efficient army, France the efficient house- hold, Italy the efficient art, japan the efficient hygiene, Scotland the ef- ficient thrift. And America? The eiiicient NERVE. We will try anything, and try for anything. Our destiny lies in our daring. Our nationls flag is the stars and stripes, because we aim at the stars,-and smile at the stripes! -21-

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THE ORATORICAL CONTEST 0 NE of the most instructive public performzances of our high school is the Oratorical Contest. held annually on Lincoln's Birthday. This Contest -is always looked forward to as the time when the best along the lines of elocution that the Senior Class contains is brought before the public as well as the time whensome one can earn a grand prize besides the honor of being able to speak. This year's contest was one of the grandest successes that our high school has had along this line. Every member acquitting him or her- self in the very best style. Thru the entire performance in which eight persons spoke each between 800 and Iooo words, there was but one slight stumble on one word. This, as every one will testify, isavery good record. The eight mem-bers, whom the class had chosen as the contestants were Margaret Kanyuck, Pearl Lesher, Edith Nieman, Grace Lauer. Daniel Kocher, Jacob Kaslovsky, Williani Strauss and Elmer Sh-afer. As usual four prizes were offered, tw-o S10 gold pieces. one for the best girl speaker and the other for the best boy and two S5 gold pieces for the second best of each sex. The subjects were as follows: Margaret Kanyuck ............. To Him that Hath Pearl Lesher ....... .. America, the Cruciblel' Edith Nieman .L. .. A Homeless Nation Grace Lauer . .. ..... Individual Efficiency Daniel Kocher .. ........ Made in America jacob Kaslovsky .. . A Nation VVithiu a Nation NVilliam Strauss .. ........... A Ship at Sea Elmer Shafer ......................... Amierica's Achievements For about an hour and a half a crowd that nearly filled the audi- torium was entertained by the speaking and music of the high school orchestra, then followed the nerve racking wait for the judges' deci- sion. During this time the orchestra tried to relieve the audience and contestants, but it was of no avail. So grandly had each one taken his part that nothing could quiet the great anxiety that prevailed. Even in the large audience o-pinion was greatly divided, none of the speakers -QU-

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just as America is efficient, the individual must be efficient. His first great aid to efficiency is a definite purpose. Dr. Vlordan quotes: The world stands aside for the man who knows where he is going. This is absolutely true, and he who is not driving toward some definite end, seldom gets to any destination worth reaching. Aim before you fire and remember that 'Klt is the shot that hits which counts. A blind man does not malce a good carpenter. He cannot saw to the line, or hit the nail on the head. And many of the mis- fits of life are merely blind carp-enters. They have strength to do the work, but they fail to see the nail they would hit or the line to which they should hew. Purpose makes effort efficient. Scientists tell us that there is enough energy in 'fifty acres of sunshine to run all the machinery of the world. But the trouble is. We can't focus it to a point and hitch it to the world's work. So many a man of boundless energies lacks the sun-glass of a settled purpose: as a result he never concentrates his power to a given point, and hence fails in emergencies to burn a pathway through all opposition to the desired end. Sailing, not drifting, is the motto of the man who wins and who serves his day and generation. The young man. who really serves the best interests of the race and rounds out a career of efficiency, must face life's problems with a high and dehnite aiim. Greatly begin! Though thou have time For but a line, be that sublime. Not failure. but low aim is crime. The second great aid that will help to give efficiency is energy. But in order that he may be energetic he must have Health and Equip- ment. The first step toward efficiency is to safeguard life and health. The United States Steel Corporation has expended since nineteen hun- dred and six CIQOGTH, more than five million dollars CSS5.ooo,ooo.ooD. on sanitation and precaution as expressed in the slogan Safety First . Consequently, serious and fatal accidents have been reduced forty- three per cent, and over twenty-three hundred employees now escape injury every year who would have been killed or disabled without the benefits of this Safety First campaign. The individual must have a sound body, in order that he may em- ploy his miud to do efncient work. This must be the product of proper care, rest and recreation. VVith all the safeguards to health that -22-