Portland High School - Totem Yearbook (Portland, ME)

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a TH E, Totem To THE SEN1oRs: There are certain elements of character which it seems to me that young men and Women should always hold before themselves as an ideal. They are: C15 the ability to make a living honestly, ,C25 a clear sense of morality in all relations, but especially in relation to the opposite sex, C35 a firm faith in God and man, C45 a spirit of service towards individuals and towards society, C55 a cosmopolitan spirit of open- y rnindedness towards all new knowledge, C65 a reverence for all that is fine in nature, in man, and in manis works, and C75 a ujust measured, and continuousv sense of humor. Do not un- derestimate the importance of this last faculty, for it is that which molds, softens, and blends the others into a serene and harmonious unity. It saves our labor from sinking into drudgery and our morality from hardening into me- chanical obedience to narrow codes based on our individual prejudices. It prevents our sen- timent towards the other sex alike from evapo- rating into a cloudy and indistinct romanticism and from congealing into a sour misanthropy or misogyny. It steadies our worship of God between the extremes of over-wrought emo- tionalism and dead Pharisaical formality, and poises our attitude towards man between those of credulity and suspicion. It enables us to regard crudeness without contempt, ignorance and pro- vincialism with tolerance, and ungratefulness with equanimity. Such a sense of humor you cannot have, unless the germ of it is born in you. But, Senior, if you have that germ, fail not to give it the best watering, and its up-growth the best direction and pruning, which you know how to give it. LUCIEN P. LIBBY. E93

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The Torem To the Student Body: Because of the flaw in the diamond, because of the tainted spot on the apple, because of the withered petal on the rose, and because of the one boy or girl in a hundred who goes wrong, some people would throw them all into the discard with the assertion that there is no virtue in any of them. , This attitude of mind is brought about by the emphasis put upon the weaknesses of human nature by the press, the movie, and the public speaker. Let the spotlight of publicity be thrown upon the ambitions, the aspirations, the achievements, the honest deeds of the youth of the nation, and a right-about-face state of mind would soon follow. Since the agencies of publicity are in the hands of their elders, boys and girls have but one means of demonstrating that the accusations hurled against them are unjust -that is the power of example. Man judges man by his words and acts. God judges him by his thoughts as well. Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. ARTHUR W. LOWE. ESI'

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i n -Q5 TH E TQTEM f m W 1TH Us TODAY E HAVE W W E101