Somerville High School - Radiator Yearbook (Somerville, MA)

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CLASS POEM By Annette Jervis “VERS LA VIE” At the Fine Arts Museum of Brussels is a bronze statue of three youthful figures stepping forward vigorously, hand in hand. Their atti- tude is one of eager confidence as they start out “toward life.” The statue is called “Vers la Vie.” “Vers la vie!” Toward life Go the three, hand in hand. Stepping forth, heads held high, Eyes intent on a splendid goal. Here in bronze the artist caught The spirit of eternal youth Confidently, eagerly Setting out — vers la vie. Toward life. Onward toward all the good That consecrated effort can achieve, Upward toward what ideals Aspiration can conceive, Gallantly march The throngs of youth. Throughout the ages it is they Who scale new heights and pave new ways. • Honorable Progress is their sacred trust: To advance world-wide co-operation, To answer the challenge of their own ideals, • • To further causes just and noble, To sense the glory in a worthwhile pur- pose. Steadfast they raise their glorious standard: Faith — a confidence in God and goodness, Hope — a confidence in self and destiny. Love — a faith in others of their fellow- men. Now vers la vie! Toward life! It is we Who claim to-day; it belongs to us, The immediate to-morrow is ours. This moment in time is ours to mold. For this moment we are the history-makers, The workers, the present influence. Here is our responsibility! Here, our call to service! Vers la vie! Toward life Now WE are stepping forth With heads held high and Eyes intent on a splendid goal — God help us to achieve! CLASS ODE Words and Music By William A. Tesson SHALL WE FORGET? Shall we forget, in golden, mellowed years, Experiences of joy and mayhap tears; That there were days we laughed • away our fears ? Shall we forget? Shall we forget? Shall we forget that things do sometimes seem What they are not? and howsoe’er we scheme, Each one must blunder if he sails Life’s stream? Shall we forget? Shall we forget? Shall we forget that youth must have its fling? Shall we forget that youth must laugh and sing? Shall we forget we each have done some thing We would forget? Shall we forget? Shall we forget that Life is, too, a school Training for Life Eternal — and the rule Should golden be lest we should play the fool? Shall we forget? Shall we forget? Twenty

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stant consideration of others, called courtesy, may lead to something greater, even to that divine im- pulse which makes a man lose his own life, to save another’s. There are now in this compound of character the elements of determination, filial love, and cour- tesy, three traits by which every person is judged, but there are still essentials left, so once again, by the aid of educated will, another substance is added to the crucible of characters. Trustworthiness — how much that word stands for! Business is stable just so long as it is honest. Modem business and advanced civilization could not exist without a feeling of mutual confidence. If it were not so, imagine the chaos. There could be no banks. There could be no paper money, and all exchanges would have to be in cash. When people begin to carry large sums of money, the lower stratum of men begin to rob. Robbing would lead to plundering; then nothing would be safe; looting would mean that mob rule would become common, and then life would lose its sacredness. This country is today on the very brink of such conditions, and the outcome will be determined by individual char- acter, the greatest hope of society. Hand in hand with trustworthiness goes fidelity, fidelity to those who love and trust us; fidel- ity to self and personal ideals. Students leaving school are fired with hopes and aspiration for the future, and fidelity to those ideals will mean their realization; loss of them, failure. Is not patriotism, or fidelity to the ideals of our country a part of good character? This nation has for its ideals good citizenship, good education, solid government, and happy, contented people. When economic and civil affairs are turned upside down is when patriotism really shows. Organiza- tions in this country which pledge themselves to uphold the government have an enrollment of at least three millions, yet the anti-government groups number even more. All about are radicals, crying against every form of government; if their cries are heeded, all will be lost. On every hand, people with ideals differing from ours are smashing the law, kidnapping, and murdering our people. This is what youth must face. It is the young people who must contend with these fiends. Are red- blooded Americans going to sit back and let such horrible afTairs continue? There must be produc- tive action, and rigid enforcement of law, better still obedience of law. The laws of a nation are like the girders of a building; they hold it together. If the roof is to stand, the girders must be strong. When rats destroy the structure of a building they are killed, yet the framework of our nation is being undermined, and respectable citizens seem unable to cope with the invaders. Per- sonal opinions must not interfere with national safety. Regardless of one’s own feelings, while a law is a law, it must be obeyed. Laws there must be, and laws must be obeyed, if there is to be any peace and happiness. A German officer during the last war said, “I do not fear the American army; I do not fear the American navy, but I do fear the spirit of the great American people when they are once aroused.” Now, is when the American people should be aroused; right now' is the time that there is a great need to fight crime. It may seem that now every substance is in the compound, but there must be no omissions. Is any element necessary for character still lacking? Yes, that element which makes all the difference between a strong character and a sublime character. Fundamentally, man hungers and thirsts after righteousness and truth. The youth of today ques- tions everything of the past, and because of this the older generation says he has no reverence, no religion. This is not true. He is thinking more deeply and sanely than ever before on serious questions. The outward signs may be lacking, but inwardly, he hears the voice of God; he sees his own imperfections in the light of the perfect; he loses his self-conceit; he sets a higher and nobler goal for himself; he finds his place of labor, and of rest, and life, which has seemed trivial and insignificant, begins to assume poise, dignity, and grandeur. “A simple trust in God is the most essential ingredient in moral sublimity of character.” Fellow Classmates: If we give our best to the world, the best that the world has will be given back to us. Do we possess those traits of character which will enable us to give our utmost to the world, and which will help us in our small way to meet this great need of the land? Have we a do-or-die spirit? Are we always patient with others? Is our word as good as our bond? Are we true to those we call friends, to our ideals, and to our country? Above all, have we reverence? In other words, have we been educating our will as well as our mind? Since the need of an educated will cannot be over- estimated, and since no one of us can answer, yes, to all these questions, let each member of our class take for his motto, “Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law.” Nineteen

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CLASS WILL 1932 We, the Class of 1932 of the Senior High School of Somerville, in the Common- wealth of Massachusetts, being of sound mind and memory but knowing the uncertainty of this life, do make this one last will and testament, hereby revoking all former wills and testaments by us, if any time heretofore made. To the Class of 1933, we bequeath this magnificent building and the long-suffering faculty, with the hope that they won’t create any more havoc with both than we did. To future National Honor Society Presidents, we bequeath the power to get a special period set aside for meeting purposes. To future patronizers of our Cafeteria we leave all the bottles and other ware which we have found unbreakable. To Class Editors of the years to come we bequeath the sum of $000,000 for a few magic typewriters that will write a whole set of excellent notes, thereby giving the most honorable editors more time to figure out the why of this and the which of that. To those who have classes or study periods near the music room, ear mufflers to relieve the agony of listening to the—er—beautiful strains of melody which issue forth from the aforementioned music room. To those who weary from trudging the corridors from the East to West buildings, roller skates (which they must provide themselves) to relieve their sufferings; and to those who sigh heavily before attempting the long walk up the stairs from the lunch- room to the drawing-room (this article is especially for heavy eaters), the idea of in- stalling elevators to rob them of their sighs. To the orchestra, continued success at the annual concerts. To the budding chemists of this worthy institution, we bequeath laboratories with chemicals which we hope will not make the majority of the students pass out. To the Rip Van Winkles who find school a pleasanter place to sleep in than home, a rest-room bountifully supplied with cushion-covered lounges and deep, soft reclining- chairs. To these all-too-plentiful sleepyheads we also bequeath a system of velvet-toned bells which will not startle these honorable personages out of their honorable wits. And to show that the “deceased” have no hard feeling toward the lower classmen, we leave in their possession a motion picture film of the favorite guestures of the mem- bers of our distinguished faculty. In testimony whereof, we hereunto set our hand and seal and declare this to be our last will and testament in the presence of the undersigned witnesses this twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirty-two. Signed by its executor, Evelyn E. Paton. Witnesses: Elsie Jacob, Lennart Swenson, Marguerite Herman, Florence Thebedo. Twenty-one