Smith Academy - Echo Yearbook (Hatfield, MA)

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SMITH ACADEMY 27 WHAT OF THE FUTURE? In all the history of civilization there never was an age of greater convenience than the present. Countless generations have built up for us a world of immeasurable opportunity. Discovery and invention have enabled us to travel like the wind itself across land or sea in this modern world. The radio weaves its mysterious path through the ether waves, and makes it possible for us to tune in any station in the country, or across the sea. But, as we consider the war-torn world of today, we find ourselves asking: What use is all this magic? What good are all the scientific discoveries, if they are to be used for new methods of warfare? Moments of reflection have led us to the conclusion that all the greatest things in life can be mis- used, and become a power for evil instead of for good. For example, ambition, the desire to pos- sess and surpass, to be more than other people are, has left a blood-stained trail across history. Nevertheless, in spite of the ruinous meaning that ambition can have, none of us who hope to amount to anything can be without it. It is one of the most powerful driving forces of our life. Again, the urge to fight can express itself in sheer savagery, or it can have a meaning far beyond the realms of physical violence. Pug- nacity may appear in a gunman, contentious and reckless; or it may appear in a group of scientists who are battling some plague, like tuberculosis. Pugnacity may wreck a cafe in a riotous brawl, or it may go into a pulpit to fight a social evil. All of these instincts can be abused, but they can also be made the most valuable part of our equipment for life. They should be neither surrendered to nor cast out. They must be harnessed and made to work for us. The plight of the world today makes us realize how great is the necessity for honor, unselfishness, and loyalty — for all those traits of character, which help us to harness our instincts and make them work for good, rather than evil. Abra- ham Lincoln clung to his ideals of justice through all adverse criticism, because he felt that his ideals were sacred. George Washington and his troops withstood the horrors of Valley Forge with such memor- able fortitude because they felt their loyalty was sacred. Martyrs have gone to the stake rather than lie, because to them their honor was sacred. This element of nobility i n character is not something- that can be assumed for the occasion and then cast off again. It is some- thing that must be woven into one ' s inner consciousness... It is that sure and sensitive taste that makes us instinctively shrink from any action that might violate those qualities we hold sacred. Our education has already laid for most of us the roots of our mental and moral training. And we must nurture and encour- age those roots. We must remember that every time we crush a selfish or disloyal impulse, we have strengthened not only our self-esteem but also our value to the world as a whole. Each of us leaving school today has something in which he is personally in- terested; and it is natural for us to put our own interests first and foremost. How- ever, this terrible conflict in which the world now struggles shows us very clearly how dangerous it is to try to live contrary to the rules. It is dangerous to individuals, to nations, and to the peace of mankind in general. Therefore, we should remember that our individual interests must be bal- anced in some way with community inter- ests. Otherwise, our American way of life can not long survive. VERNA SKORUPSKI, Third Honors.

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26 PURPLE AND WHITE ECHO Honor Essays A PURPOSE IN LIFE At this time of graduation, in spite of many cares and anxieties, a surge of pride and interest stirs in the hearts of us who graduate. The reassuring strength of this formality is an inspiration for a lifetime of work and good purpose. We who are grad- uating do not claim to see clearly before us the purpose of each individual life, but it is clear to us that each must do a job and work with a purpose. There was an idea and a purpose in the mind of Benjamin Franklin when he ran away from his home and went to Philadel- phia. He was born the fifteenth of seventeen children, in a poor family. Therefore, he had no special advantage, and knew he could not achieve his purpose if he stayed at home. Franklin ' s life was outstanding in many ways. He was known as America ' s patron saint of common sense, for in everything he did and said, and in every- thing he wrote there was evidence of plain common sense. The life and achievement of such a person as Franklin is impressive; for his was a life with a purpose, and it has had an influence upon the American people for two hundred years. Living at a different time, and with a completely different idea, but alike domin- ated by an intense purpose, was Florence Nightingale, English philanthropist and social worker, who was born in 1820 in Italy, in the city of Florence, for which city she was named. She was dominated by a desire to use her talent for the benefit of humanity. Her social position was such that she could have had a life of ease and pro- tection, but on all this she turned her back for a purpose which dominated her life. Our own day is greatly indebted to Florence Nightingale. The modern trained nurse, with all that she means to health and com- fort, was invisioned by this courageous pioneer with purpose in her life. Today, we are beginning a new life, and we are all making the right kind of a start. But — have we the power to see our purpose through ? Ten years, or even five years from now, will we still have the same faith, the same enthusiasm, and the same purpose? It is not hard to be a good starter. We all know persons who are forever starting off on a new enterprise in a veritable splurge of enthusiasm. But all too often both the enthusiasm and the purpose fade, after the first difficulties are encountered. Great people, like Benjamin Franklin and Florence Nightingale, did not achieve suc- cess in a moment. Their lives were success- ful because they patiently did the thousand, small, uninteresting jobs that needed to be done, and did each well. We must remem- ber that we cannot leave one small task uncompleted, or the whole structure of our purpose may collapse. Living with a pur- pose is truly a matter of seeing each task through to the very end. We have a difficult task before us. There is a war to be won, a peace to be made, and a world to be restored. We know that there is always a struggle between the good and the bad, between those who would build and those who would destroy. It is our pur- pose to seek the good and to support it, undaunted by obstacles that will confront, us. Our graduation is a reminder that there is work to do, and that we who now grad- uate have a responsibility made greater by the graduation; that there is a job for every one of us, and that we must each do our part with faith and purpose. IRENE ZELEWICZ, Salutatorian.

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28 PURPLE AND WHITE ECHO ON THE YOUTH OF TODAY RESTS THE DEMOCRACY OF TOMORROW As groups are gathered today all across this country for high school graduations, practically all are welcomed with similar formality yet with different words because of different community interests. Yet all cherish one thing in common, and that is their country — a country in which so many things so widely different are possible. This country, the United States of Amer- ica, was the hope o f the world in 1918, and in the years immediately following, and it has been the hope of the past generation. In the last few years, the world has turned to our country again with hope that we could do what they have failed to do. The tremendous productive capacity of our coun- try has been put into action with results that astound us all even the men who knew this capacity best but failed to appreciate how great it was. In a two-year period our industries have turned from the production of the goods of pea?e to the materials of war. Tanks, airplanes, guns and transport are sliding down the ways daily and roll- ing out of factories in a volume which nearly anyone would have thought impos- sible only a year or so ago. We are doing whatever we can to help win this war and then we are going to do whatever we can to improve matters on the home front. As we graduate from school today, millions of Americans are spread out to cover practically every spot on earth in large or small forces, in cities and coun- tries in far-away places, on major or minor battlefronts of the war some in places we never knew existed. These Americans go into battle with an important factor which the Axis soldiers cannot have. They go with the feeling that they are fighting for the right to have some- thing to say about the way they live in time of peace, although, under military rule in time of war much of that freedom is given up for war efficiency. The Axis sol- dier has never reacted to that inspiration, for he has never known what that freedom meant. His life has always been one of making his bow, hour by hour, to someone high in authority, whether he wants to make that bow or not. To question authority of the dictators might easily mean his own execution. This inspiration is going to be just as important in the determination of pcst-war events as it is in determining the outcome of the war. When the destructive fores now at work winning the war can be turned to good purpose, perhaps these people will have an opportunity to see the life for which the Americans are fighting. It is the youth of today which has the most at stake in the future. The youth and young adults of today are putting in the punches and firing the guns which will win the war. We graduates are the ones who will be the most affected by what goes on during the period of reconstruction and peace which is coming. We are the ones who will benefit the most by turning all this destructive power back to g ood pur- pose. We are the ones who have the longest and greatest stake in turning all our factor- ies back to making the things which add joy and pleasure to the day at work. We will be expected to help to make it possible for more people to have better and more comfortable homes in which to live. It will be our task to promote better living condi- tions throughout the country, and indeed, throughout the world. We believe the young people all over the earth want a more democratic world after this war. We are not going to be just a war-weary people when the last battle is won. We are going to be ready then to turn to the things which are of real benefit to mankind. In that direction and to that end we are going to turn back to good purpose all the power which is now used in destroy- ing the forces which prevent a free, demo- cratic way of life. The future is ours, and it is for us to determine what it shall be. On the youth of today rests the democ- racy of tomorrow. MARY MAJESKI, Valedictorian.