Reading Memorial High School - Pioneer Yearbook (Reading, MA)

Page 29 text:

What Would We Do Without Vou? The class of ' 84 has been especially fortunate in having two very dedicated and talented people serving as its advisers for the past two years. Ms. Lanouette and Ms. Robison have helped our class achieve success in all our junior and senior class projects: the haunted houses, the junior buffet, the senior play, and the proms. Ms. Lanouette and Ms. Robison have given of their time unselfishly and have been there whenever we needed them for advice. More importanly, they have become our friends. Secretary Brian Casey. Treasurer Brett Matthews, Vice President Linda Miola, President Sean O ' Connell 25

Page 31 text:

In George Orwill’s 19B4, Party Members comprise approximately fifteen percent of the pop¬ ulation. The Party is com¬ parable to what we recog¬ nize as the upper and mid¬ dle echelons of society, and is composed of an In¬ ner and an Outer Party. The Inner Party is perhaps two percent of the population of Oceania, the nation in which Orwell’s story takes place. The Inner Party is second only in power to Big Brother, the apex of the hierachial pyramid and the guise in which the Party presents itself to the world. The use of a figure¬ head enables the people to attach all of their loyalty to one person. Orwell de¬ scribes the relationship between the Inner and Outer Parties in the fol¬ lowing manner: Below the Inner Party comes the Outer Party, which, if the Inner Party is described as the brain of the state, may be justly likened to the hands. Directly beneath the Party are the Proles, whom Orwell describes as “the dumb masses”. They are followed by the slaves, who are not considered a permanent or necessary part of the structure of society, because they con¬ stantly pass from con¬ queror to conqueror, as a result of the constant state of warfare. There¬ fore, the Proles are consid¬ ered the lowest class. Based on this simplified explanation of the caste system in Oceania, one might attempt to assign the name Inner Party to the senior class leaders, Outer Party to the senior class, and Proles to the underclassmen. It is true that most of the power of the senior class resides in the hands of a few, howev¬ er, it is there by virtue of general consent. Reading High is an example of de¬ mocracy — a government for and by the people, with power derived from, and used for the general good of, all people. In addition, there is very little of the rigidity of class separation which we see in Orwell’s novel. In Oceania, Party Members rarely, if ever, interact with the Proles. At RMHS, seniors may be Party Members in one sense of elitism, but not in the sense which Orwell de¬ scribed. The underclass¬ men, as well as our class¬ mates, are our friends and our peers. PARTY MEMBERS