Richmond High School - Shield Yearbook (Richmond, CA)

Page 4 text:

FOREWORD WE PRESENT THE “PAGEANT” as but part of an endless procession that is passing before us. Life is an eternal drama; the stage on which the scenes are enacted is the world itself; we, our ancestors and our children, are the actors. History depicts myriad scenes in the pageant of the world that flash across our memory like parts of a cinema. The actors enter the stage, hold the center for a short time, then pass beyond, each leaving something for which to be remembered. Named the “Pageant” because of its appropriateness in connection with the theme chosen by our graduates for Senior Day, and because of its value as a permanent title for the record of the drama of Richmond Union High School, this book carries as its theme the Mardi Gras, the pageant which at present is probably the most outstanding in the world, because of its color, gaiety, carnival spirit and interest. We may no more than suggest the glamor of it. Space prevents us from using all the adjectives that might attempt description of the processions, with their medley of pomp and bombast, grotesque proportions, delicate concep- tions, rags and tatters, richness and profusion. Just as no word picture can cover the whole events of one Mardi Gras, no piece of writing as small as this can convey all that is of interest in one semester at Richmond High. Our purpose in giving you this book is to establish a record and present a hasty view of the life of our school during the Fall semester of 1934. Occupying the center of the stage during the past semester has been the Class of January, 1935. On them have we turned the spotlight, although many other features that attract our attention pass before our eyes. Incidents of importance, fascinating personalities, intellectual accomplishment, music, art, sport, and humor appear on the stage. In the Mardi Gras, Comus, the spirit of American pageantry, pre- serves the flames of his traditional glory through all interruptions. Comus, the symbol of elegance, offers his cup with no loss of ancient dignity on a twentieth century stage. So also do we establish the “Pageant”, that it may be maintained as a permanent record of the drama, term by term, as it takes place in Richmond Union High School.

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DEDICATION “The world’s a theater, the earth a stage, which God and Nature do with actors fill.” So wrote Thomas Heywood several hundred years ago. This is our reason for giving you the “Pageant”: that a small portion of the drama that is being presented on the stage might be viewed with just a little more vividness, thoroughness, and interest. To those actors and actresses who, we regret, are passing into the wings of the stage, the Class of January, 1935, do we dedicate this book.