Somerville High School - Radiator Yearbook (Somerville, MA)

Page 25 text:

Soon it became apparent there weren’t any peaceful settlements. The war chief of Mars arose, and gravely strode to the middle of the council. “One planet may live; and one must die! This is my solution. In one month, one man will be selected from Earth, and one from Mars. Here on this asteroid they will fight it out with stones as primitive man on Earth did. A guided missile with a cobalt bomb will be placed at the apex of a triangle two piles of stones and a club, with separa- ting space of one hundred yards. So it was agreed. As scon as word reached Earth, contests of wrestling, judo, and hurling took place. After all sorts of physical and mental tests the best specimen of manhood that could be found was Wyatt Thomas. One month later Wyatt arrived on Aste- roid 15, and found the Martians already waiting. After final good-byes and good luck wishes, the other Martians and Earthmen took off and both men were left alone. Wyatt glanced at the powerfully sleek mis- sile, poised and ready. Near it were placed two levers, put there by the Earthmen who installed the missile. One lever was red; one lever was blue. If the red one were pulled, in an instant Mars would be reduced to dust. The blue lever would do the same to Earth. With this frightening possibility burning in his mind, Wyatt studied the Martian, whose name he learned was Zeus. Physically, due to the lower gravity of Mars, he was nothing to the well-built Wyatt. After many hours of vigorous fighting Wyatt reached his last rock. This he hurled at the Martian, and broke into a frantic run for the levers. “Must get to that lever! Can’t let Earth down!” thought Wyatt. “All those people; my wife and children.” No more than five yards from the lever he was hit by a stone. He fell, temporarily paralyzed. Zeus calmly walked by Wyatt, pausing only long enough to glance a sarcastic smile at at him. Then he stepped up to the levers. In an instant there was a blinding flash of light and the two men stood horrified watch- ing Mars being reduced to atoms. Then, with tears in his eyes, Zeus ex- plained to the bewildered Wyatt. The Mar- tians had known years ago such a fight as this might take place someday, so Zeus trained for a long time in that particular type of combat, which explained his re- markable ability to throw stones. Yes, the Martians had had it all planned and figured out except to one small detail. Zeus was colorblind. THE BEST LAID PLANS Peter Vidito ’60 “Sure, it sounds like a riot; but what if we get caught?” “Look, we won’t get caught. Who’d be looking for us in the middle of the night?” “You’re soft!” “Shaddup! Who’s talking to you ?” “Awright, awright, don’t get touchy. I just don’t go along with the idea, that’s all.” “Nobody asked you to, stupid. Listen, you guys, if this goes off all right it’ll be the best stunt since Pinky Mahoney parked the principal’s car in the frog pond; boy, what a mess that was! Now, who’s in ?” “Count me in.” “Me, too.” “Me three.” “O K.” “Then it’s settled. I’ll meet you all you know where at twelve tomorrow night. They left quietly. Eddie, the organizer of the plot, Dom and Lefty, the planners, and Stinky and Slob, the brawn. The next day came and went. Well into the night five shadowy figures drifted to- gether to the appointed spot. “Everybody ready ?” “Yeh.” “O.K., let’s go.” They jumped the wall, darted across the lawn and disappeared behind the house. “See anybody around ?” “Nope.” “Good . . . Bob, Jerry, do your stuff.” The two larger boys bolted forward toward a small building to the left. They took po- sitions, one on each side. “Holy cow! This thing weighs a ton.” “Shaddup, you’ll wake the chickens.” Nineteen

Page 24 text:

“Mother, don’t be absurd.” In her stateroom that night Susan was restless and looked worried. “Susie, dear, what is the matter?” “Mother, please don’t call me that, that foolish name.” “Then, Susan, what are you so unhappy about? You ought to be happy. You’re just back from a wonderful trip and now we’re going home to Daddy.” “I’m miserable. I can’t decide whether I like Gus or Nick. They’re both so cute.” “When we get home you’ll soon forget, them.” At the sight of the Statue of Liberty Susan went from the deck to the dining room to have her lunch and say good-bye to Gus. She ate slowly and pensively, and ling- ered as long as possible, but Gus was nowhere to be seen. After they disembarked, father met them with a big hello and many questions about their trip. In the way through Customs, Susan chattered excitedly about the trip and her new love life. Suddenly, she spied a hand- some young Adonis just ahead of them in the line. “Mother,” she whispered, “I’m in love!” MUSING Michael Grossman ’60 “No school for four days straight, but of course we’ll have to put up with Uncle Harvey’s jokes all Thanksgiving Day. I really can’t complain though; I guess the Pilgrims would rather have put up with Uncle Har- vey’s jokes than their hardships. I must be pretty lucky to live around here with all my friends and family, and lucky even to go to school. The Pilgrims couldn’t go to school very much. There was always something to be done at home—planting, cultivating, then the harvesting. In winter, everyone worked hard, just to keep warm and get food. I wonder what this place looked like three hundred years ago—Log cabins and turkeys and Indians. They probably have Thanks- giving to make you think of these things. Besides, my mom is a good cook. THE CONTEST Warren Mahady ’59 In 1970 A.D. some of Earth’s overcrowded population was sent to colonize Mars, be- cause Mars was the only other planet in our solar system on which men could survive. Man had reached the highest point of civi- lization. War had long been outlawed with the invention of the devastating cobalt bomb, powerful enough to obliterate all forms of life on earth. If you have studied astronomy you know Mars is void of almost all water. Using its polar caps to irrigate the deserts for centu- ries gradually reduced the water on Mars to emergency rationing. Meanwhile, Earth had been revolving closer to the sun for centuries, and its oceans had gradually dried up. By 2000 A.D. the water shortage reached a crisis on both planets. With both planets’ water supply almost gone, it seemed the only source of water lay on Venus. But there was only enough water on Venus for one planet to to survive. If both used it, it would dry up soon and both planets would die. Earth and Mars both had the cobalt bomb. With the missile radar warning system, there could be no surprise attack on one planet without the same, instant retaliation upon the attacker. So I bring you to 2000 A.D. on Asteroid 15, located halfway between the two planets. The leaders of Earth and Mars are gathered to discuss peaceful means of solving the gravest problem ever to face the two planets. Eigktoen

Page 26 text:

“We’ll wake ’em up anyway, picking up the whole coop. Whose hare-brained idea was this anyway?” “Shaddupand lift!” With a grunt and shudder the henhouse began its journey to city hall. “This is gonna be a scream.” “Yeh, if my back holds out.” “Quit beefin’, we’re almost there.” The pillars of the city hall looked strangely gray in the darkness. The henhouse was lowered on the landing just outside the front doors. “My achin’ back.” “It will be worth it to see the mayor and rest of his entourage pull up ...” “His what?” “His entourage; you know, him and the rest of the Geritol set there.” “Oh!” “I can see it now.” ‘What is the meaning of this. The frivolity of the younger people of this town towards their betters is beyond me!’ Ha, ha, boy, what a panic.” “Awright; now let’s get out of here before we ... Oh, hello, officer... COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS Peter Vidito ’60 The days grow shorter and colder. The ripened crops wait in the fields. The season of snow draws close and we joyously await it, well provisoned. Our hearts are thankful for the beauty and peace which surrounds us, for our loved ones, both near and far, and for all the gifts that God has so abundantly bestowed upon us. The smell of cooking fills our nostrils as we enter the door of our house; apple dumplings, fruit cake, hot cider, plum pudding, and a turkey. We gather together at the table and give thanks for such bounty, then descend hungrily upon the feast. If you had your choice of being either an electron or a proton, which would you be? “I’d rather be a proton, because you’re in with the bunch.” Susan Kaup, ’60. “I’d rather be both and get in good with Miss Damery.”—Stephen Skerry '60. “I’d rather be a proton, because you’re not always going around in circles.”—Paul Papluca ’60. If you were shipwrecked on an island, what would be the first thing that you would miss? “Company.”—Kathleen Rollins ’59. “Food.”—Joanne Naimo ’59. “Men!”—Elaine McCoy ’60. “My Mother.”—Angela Natale ’60. What would you do if the government asked you to move to the moon? “I’d go, to escape homework.”—-Patricia O’Connell ’59. “I’d ask someone to go with me.”—Patricia Ryan, ’60. “I’m a Sophomore.”—Susan Smith ’61. “I’d tell them that I’m not capable.”— Loretta Chandler ’60. “I’d explain that I’m not the colony- founding type.”—Nancy Swett ’60. If you could do anything that you wanted, what would you do right now? (fifth period). “Oh, boy, what I’d do!”—James Dumas ’60. “Go to Algebra.”—Evelyn Maloon ’60. “Go home.”—Ruty Ryder ’60. “Be a practice teacher.”—Fred Dargie ’60 Twenty