Paris High School - Arena Yearbook (Paris, IL)

Page 18 text:

Explanation of the Theme On the first of June. 1933, Chicago will throw open the gates of its second World's Fair—a Century of Progress Exposition. For one hundred and fifty days thereafter, the story of mankind’s achievements in the past hundred years will he thrillingly depicted. A century ago. Chicago was a straggling frontier village. Today it i a world metropolis. Although it chances that Chicago was incorporated as a village in 1833, the Exposition is not solely intended to he a colossal demonstration of exultation on the advancement of Chicago, within the limits of a century. This is truly in every sense an Exposition belonging to the world. The one great motif of a Century of Progress is the rise of mankind during the last hundred years,—the most outstanding hundred years of scientific discoveries, of miraculous improvements in li ing conditions of the people of the earth that ever has heen seen. The motifs used for the 1933 Arena are the same as are being used by the World’s Fair Board on their literature concerning the World's Fair. The star, Arcturus. on these motifs has a special significance and a direct hearing upon Chicago’s Exposition in 1933 of a Century of Progress. This pin-point of light in the constellation. Bootes, which only the student of astronomy knows how to locate, is approximately forty light-years distant from our earth. Forty times the distance that light travels in one year; and in a single second light moves 186.300 miles! When the great Chicago Fair of 1893 opened its gates to the world, Arcturus flashed forth rays which are destined to reach us at the very time the still greater Chicago Fair of 1933 gets under way. Those who have planned the forthcoming Exposition intend to sound the signal for its official commencement by causing an Arcturus beam to impinge upon a photo-electric cell that will, in turn, transmit its power to instruments that will open the doors to the science exhibits. Thus are the two greatest of world's fairs linked by the path of a star ray,—certainly a demonstration of the progress attained by science in the interval of forty years. As the Century of Progress Exposition is the outstanding event during the year in which the class of 1933 will graduate, we have chosen this as the theme for the 1933 Arena. Just as the purpose of the Exposition is to trace growth and development during the last century, so we have attempted to trace the growth of our school during the century. Mary Jane Weberg “33.