Somerville High School - Radiator Yearbook (Somerville, MA)

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1— Lois Fitzgerald, James Bertelli, Stello Marino. 2— William Hickey, Mr. Radochia. Richord Wall. Class Day Left behind as a memory for us.” Stotius Eorly in the school year the Seniors went to the polls and elected as their Class Day Committee: Lois Fitzgerald, Stella Marino, James Bertelli, William Hickey, and Richard Woll. Jomes Bertelli was later chosen chairman. On the morning of June 4, Class Day, the Seniors assembled in the auditorium where the exercises were held, including the reading of the class poem, the class oration, and the singing of the ode. After Mr. Sears had accepted the Class Gift, a check for the benefit of o school war memorial, he was presented, by the graduating class, with o farewell gift, on the occasion of his retirement os Principal. The Seniors then went out to the campus, where the traditional planting of the ivy and presentation of the colors to the incoming closs took place. That afternoon, a baseball game was played between the members of the foculty and the Seniors. To complete the doy of festivities, dancing and entertainment were held in the gym. And so ended o memorable Closs Day. The Closs Day Committee, in behalf of the Senior Class, wishes to thank the following teachers without whose oble assistance, the success of Class Day would not hove been pos- sible: Miss Hall, Miss McCarthy, Miss Ritchie, Miss Welch, Mr. Colbert, and Mr. Radochia.

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Class Oration Faith in the Future Surely no closs has ever graduated at a more critical time in the history of the world than this class of 1946. Todoy the people, the community, and the country are faced with emergencies that demand a definite acceptance of responsibilities by the citizens of America—her youth in particular. Too many of us feel, perhaps, that to accept these moral obligations to our land and our wov of life is useless. Useless because of an impression—false, fortunately— that the forces of evil have torn down ond ore continuing to tear down the foundation of democracy, its institutions and voried opportunities; useless, because it would be eosier to stand aside ond let things take their own course; but, useless, more so because such people lack faith in the future. One moy ask, But how can we accept these responsi- bilities, and how can we see them through? The answer tc such c guestion may readily be found in our own souls if we but search for it. These responsibilities can be accepted and these same responsibilities can be met if we all hove a strong, undying, and unyielding faith in the future; a trustful faith that those men who have devoted their work, their time, and even their very lives to the cause of democracy sholl not hove struggled in vain. But faith is of little value if not sufficiently substantiated. And to find that needed verification for faith in the future we have but to turn to the time-worn pages of history. There we find the history of democracy os contrasted with that of destruction ond totalitarianism. All through the oges it has been strongly borne out that the forces of right have overcome the destructive evil of Genghis Kahn, Attilo, Alexander the Greot, Coesar, Napoleon, Hitler, and hosts of others who have sought to rule the world and to enslave its people. Their evil thoughts ond dreadful ideals hove wasted owoy just os surely os their bodies hove decoyed in the dust. The teachings of Christ, the struggles of our Pilgrim forefathers, the ideals of Wash- ington, the trust of Lincoln, ond the greot hopes of Roosevelt on the other hand withstood the test of itme. Some none too thoughtful persons seek to divert the faith of youth in its own future by stating that any one graduating from school in this era is too strongly handicapped at the very outset ever to succeed. Unfortunately this is an idea that is too wide-spread, for time has proven such a statement to be utterly false. If these self-styled prophets were preaching fact, then the yellowed pages of history would reod differently than they do. Beethoven would never possibly have become a musician, if these prophets spoke the truth; for Beethoven was eccentric and deaf at the very height of his coreer. Pope, had he listened to such trite talk and falsehoods, would hove died unknown to the world; he was a hunchback. Byron could never have succeeded with a club foot. And, to modernize the focts, the late George Gershwin could never hove become one of America's greatest composers because of the tumor on his brain. No handicap can thwort success no matter how greot that hondicap moy be. On the contrary, it is lack of faith in overcoming that handicap that tends to blur the future. We have lived in a world that had literally gone mad with jealousy and power. We ore now living in a world in which every notion must unite to stamp out the forces of tyranny forever. And with a firm faith in the future this dream can be realized. America today is truly the last best hope on earth . Within its boundaries lie the hopes of freedom loving people of the world. If ony one of us fails to keep faith in the future, in his own future, the country's future, the world's future—he has fallen ond failed all that is right ond democratic. When a people foil to have faith in an ideal, a goo I, or even a dreom, that ideal, that aoal, and that dream will most certainly never be realized. Therefore, in the light of all this, in the light of all the teachings of history and religion; in the light of our responsibilities to ourselves, our country, and even our responsi- bilities to the entire world; the greatest duty America demands of its youth—the graduating class of 1946 among them—is to hove foith in the future. A faith backed by fact and firm foundations. Faith in America! BERNARD MOULTON, '46 §

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The Beacon On The Hill 1946 Words and Music DON ROM AY '46 Andante