Northampton High School - Nesaki Yearbook (Northampton, MA)

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The Senior Looks at His Job N reaching the end of our high school course, we have also completed an important phase of our life. As graduates, We have a right to entertain certain aims and to expect their fulfilment. Our greatest desire, as We step from the supervised routine of school life to the uncertain and ruthless ways of the outside World, is to find our place as a cog in the huge wheel of life. Unless we are to continue our education in college, we hope to obtain a job without the loss of our optimistic spirit, our ambitions, or our ideals. If we are fortunate enough to get any work, we are concerned to have it measure up to certain standards. The wages must not be so low that we shall become discouraged before we begin. Physical ' K surroundings must be generally satisfactory, or our EDNA O- JEFFERY health will be threatened. The hours must be such that we shall have time for pleasure and relaxation, Above all, the position should be one in which we can feel that we are developing and making some advancement, for only in this way can our chosen work hold our enthusiasm and give us true satisfaction. But the conditions in the world of work are not ideal for youth, and we must realize this. Although we are justified in our expectations, we must open our eyes to the existing situation. For instance, there are three million young people between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five on relief, and there are thousands of others who are roaming idly around the country. There is, also, a continuous outpour of graduates from the many schools all over our land. To make things all the more complicated, the labor world is over-crowded, and the various professions have too many appli- cants knocking at their doors. All this leads us to ask if there is anything that can be done to improve these conditions. Yes, there are ways in which such an unfavorable state of affairs may be bettered. In fact, outside agencies are already enlisted in our behalf. The problems of the youth of to-day are officially recognized by the Federal Government. By an execu- tive order, in June, 1935, President Roosevelt established the National Youth Administration and set aside fifty million dollars to carry out his plans. The objectives of the Act are the finding of employment in private industry for job- less youths, the training for industrial, technical, and professional employment, the providing of Work-relief upon many projects, and the giving of funds for continuing attendance at high school and college. This program is not adequate, but it is a step in the right direction. The success of the Act needs the support and coopera- Twenty-four

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,J f if wr Y f f , ,ff-5Y,m: ,, , , , , x? ,W-,AMY Y W H f Qepasemetwin 1 65' c X.f ' ' T 'c 9 ings, which, in turn, would pave the way for a better understanding of the classics. It is not surprising that the student who plunges into Macbeth after deep contemplation over nothing more taxing than Little Orphm Annie is a trifle puzzled. Nearly everyone realizes the value and importance of a civics courseg for a real comprehension by young people of the problems of government should lead to better government in the future. The alert teacher develops his subject in the light of present- day events, bringing in the historical part as a necessary background, and stressing human reactions to the course of government, for after all, it is people we ought to be learning about, rather than dull facts alone. We should be shown the why,' instead of the what, particulars instead of generalities. The feeling that a subject is an assigned task should not be allowed to become general, for in this way lessons become drudgery-and drudgery does not lead to understanding. The actual growth of a student's mind comes when what he is learning concerns his own daily life, when something has a purpose real to him, and by that I do not mean the purpose of getting so many extra credits. If one is driving ahead under his own power, no work will ever be distasteful. In this instance the teacher's influence may be a tremen- dous factor in arousing interest or inspiring effort if the instructor is one whose per- sonality and whose interpretation of his subject make him worthy of the high tradi- tions of his calling. For the classroom trains the mind. One learns how to pursue an orderly train of thought, how to grasp new ideas quickly and how to apply them. Thus have we laid our foundation, and assignments have ceased. Now we have to begin work on our own initiative. This is where we are at a loss, The tendency nowadays to keep children young makes it necessary for us, upon graduation from high school, to have more training in higher institutions or to develop a little more wisdom with age before we are really ready to become men and women. Twenty-ilfree

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EQCLASSHC O Qu Q MYTMS if Qs e a tion of the state and local governments. It is heartening to learn that Worcester and many other communities have begun to help. Even the common people of the United States are youth-conscious. They are willing to try to supplement the action of the National Youth Administration. In addition to these organized forces striving to help us, there are various ways in which we must prepare to aid ourselves in obtaining and keeping a job. We must safeguard our health so that we shall have the strength and vitality necessary to fulfill the demands of our employment. Of course, it goes without saying that our personal appearance should always represent us at our best. We should try to cor- rect any obvious personality faults. We should study how to meet people and how to carry on intelligent conversation. By our attitude, we should show an alert interest in our prospective work. We must remember that many people judge us by our daily actions, and it is quite possible that some one whom we favorably impress may recom- mend us for a position. Besides, we should acquire a definite knowledge of what pre- paration we should make for our life of work. It is advisable to develop skills in more than one field, because such a person has many more chances to gain employment. Above all, we should keep on studying in order not to forget what we have mastered. We must keep our technical or professional abilities alive until we can use them in an actual work program. Finally, we must practice perseverance. In spite of all dis- appointments, we must go on living a normal life in a mental and physical sense. This means we have a difficult task to perform, whether we find a job or not. Yet it seems to us that the inevitable outcome of the combined efforts of the National Government, the local governments, and private citizens will be the making of a place in the revolving wheel of industrial life for those of us who are eagerly awaiting our opportunity. Twenty-five