St Johns Academy - Aquila Yearbook (Plattsburgh, NY)

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has, we believe, no answer. Anil it is with the deepest and most sincere regret that we leave you to rely upon your own scanty resources in the future. Our sympathies go out to the instruc-tors who must contend with you for one year more. But, however, we eling to the vain hope that il' you strive to imitate the outstancling example ot' punetuulity, stucliousness, goocl manners and mental aiehievements ot' the Class ot' Forty-one, your teaehers may iinfl it in their hearts to say oi' you when your Senior year is enflecl: Well done, girls and boys! lVl1ile you have not been at substitute for the Class ot' Forty-one, you have ilono your best to be an imitation ot' them. liionnno IJUQUICTTIC 'ell

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CHARGE T0 .I U NIORS Today, as the illustrious Class of Forty-one stands on the thresh- hold of departure from good old S. J. A., about to go forth from the halls of our Alma Mater into a world where our own sense of responsi- bility is to be substituted for teachers and rules, we are filled with a sense of obligation to outline for the group who so hopelessly aspire to fill our shoes certain rules of conduct which if followed with care should have the effect of making life very much easier for teachers and others who unfortunately must bear for one more year their unwelcome' presence within these walls. Need you ask of whom l speak '? Let us look back to a September morning of 1938, the opening day of school. Well it is that we Seniors l'QlllQ1lll7Ql' that day. lnto these halls we came as Sophomores, with our position of superiority over all the other classes firmly established. But on that same day into these halls 031118 the Class of Forty-two, a group of wild-eyed, terror-stricken individuals, one after another, wearing a facial expression which bore the immaterial label lost',. Though your numbers seemed endless and though we scanned each face for the sight of even one who might under our careful guidance and direction for three years emerge a likely prospect to be trusted to carry on the traditions of scholarship, deportment, punctuality and ability estab- lished by the Class of Forty-one, our efforts were fruitless. There you were, future candidates for the present Junior class, poor, bewildered, unsophisticated, homesick children thrust upon us, devoid of even the slightest vestige of intelligence. Of course we who are about to leave you, realized the responsibility which Fate had so heartlessly wished upon us, and we rose to that responsibility. VVe consoled you with words of wisdom and encouraged you to bear up and carry on despite your shortcomings. We even took some of you out evenings in an en- deavor to improve you but, alas, the task was impossible. This year, as in all the years that we have been with you, in all matters of any importance which have been performed here, we have led and you have blindly followed. iWe need not recall the many out- standing demonstrations of your absolute and undisputed inability to carry on in this institution where we leave off. But the Class of Forty- one would fail in its duty if it failed to charge you to return to S.J.A. in September of this year, determined to live up to the ideals which we have set for you. The question of what is to become of you without us

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RESPONSE T0 THE SENIORS Valiant seniors, you are most magnanimous in allowing us this great privilege of addressing' you on tl1is memorable day. Although you have made a courageous attempt to reign supreme at our Alma Mater for the past year, have you done anything' more than attempt it? Ui' course, we couldn't expect. you to do as well as we shall do. But then, worry not: for we promise not to use you as a precedent. How could we follow your example! Shall we enumerate? ln our years at school, we have all l1ad enough sense to take no chances on hroken legs-other peoples' broken legs-hy leaving our desk drawers open continually. Neither have we ever heen disowned hy any of the teachers. How does it feel? l'p to the present, our class has shown marvelous cooperation in school activities. Did you envy our splendid team work and, in a mo- ment of weakness, decide to turn the Green and White over to us for production? Note how we demonstrated harmony and class spirit 'in our first issue. Just look at yourselves, posing there on the stage like a lot of animal crackers, reminding us of a trip to the zoo. And those brush- cuts!! What we have to say about them can he summed up in a quota- tion from a member of the faculty: So much ti111e spent on the out- side of the head indicates what little the inside holds. Without question, our future will he much more brilliant than yours, we have heen duhhed the 1'llusfrifm.w class of 1942. Not for a moment, would we dare mention the adjectives frequently linked with your name, dear class of '-ll. Yet with all your faults, we know you have been fortified in your years at Saint John 's to go forth as valiant defenders of right Over might. Wie wish you success as we follow you in memory for we are the happier for having known you. XVILLIAM FAGAN '42