St Marys High School - Salute Yearbook (New Baltimore, MI)

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?vr 010' ga 3: and Yfour Q10 q is only proper that after four years of study we pause briefly and make an examination of conscience. take stock of what we are today and compare ourselves with what we were four years ago. In other words it is fitting that we ask ourselves the question: VVhat have the four years at St. Marys given us? In the first rush of the many things that come to mind we can only say in answer: St. Mary's High School has given us very many things-pride in ourselves and our heritage, a flaming love of democracy and our country. training in character, a solid education, a home, friendships with boys our age from all over the country and warm associations with priests, who have been like real fathers to us. These and other things has St. Mary's High School given us during the four years spent here. If we were asked which of these things, in our opinion, are the most im- portant either now or in our future lives, I imagine that offhand most of us would hesitate before answering. As we think over the many aspects of our training, of the friendships and associations We have made, and of the solid education we have received, all of them seem important and very dear to us. liut after taking deeper thought, I believe that our answer would be something like this. Four years ago we looked forward to a life of gayety and merrymaking after graduation. To us, like to many others imbued with the modern philo- sophy of pleasure-seeking , success in life was synonymous with a lot of money, a big automobile, and what the world calls a good-time. These to us seemed the things worthy of effortg while the greatest evil that could befall us was the ridicule and laughter of the world should we fail to fall in line with wordly standards. Thanks to the untiring efforts of our educators, these ideas of success have changed. Today, we understand that success is measured not by the size of the pay-checks, nor by the size of the automobile, nor the applause of the world, but by hardships, sacrifice of self, by the problems that are squarely met and successfully solved. We have learned that our most important-our only business is to serve God and save our souls: all else is secondary and must be made to serve this most important end. In short, we have learned that the Catechism must not only be memorized, but-and what is most im- portant-lived. Today we understand that the success of every decent man depends on sacrifice, hard work, and persevering purpose. In a word it means the cross-and no cross no crown. Only hard, faithful and sinless labor brings the happiness and peace which the world seeks in its good-times. This truth seems so unreasonable that the world will not accept it. It is the truth ex- pressed divinely in the startling words that tell us that he who seeks his life, i. e. his good times, shall not find it, but he that shall lose his life. i. e. make sacrifices for a decent observance of the Ten Commandments, shall find hap- piness. Yet it is one thing to know the principles of decent living and quite another to live according to them. This we know from personal experience. How often have we not made resolutions to observe the rules of St. Mary's only to fail in a moment of weakness. These failures have taught us not to be over- felt-A s 'fwlit

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,J -1 E C7444 Prophecy 6' UXYN the highway of life, with all its detours and tribulations journeys the class of I9-lo. XYill all of them achieve their individual goal and not turn away or will many follow the hazardous detours? l.ct us look down the highway -into the future--to see what awaits us. The year-l9oo-the place-the grounds of our Alma Mater, St. Marys The quiet of the afternoon is suddenly interrupted by an explosion caused by Fr. ti. liowalewski, who once again. after JO years, failed to complete the experiment on hydrogen, The onlookers, brilliant Drs. l'niewski and l'rzy- bylski are admiring Rev. Kowalewski for his perseverance. .N scene of a heated debate between Mr. lf. Sendzik, mayor of Chicago, and Mr. Z. lironkowski, honest mayor of the big little city, Hamtramck, is being presented in the library. They cannot seem to agree as to which of the two is a better mayor. The adjoining reading room of the library is occupied hy .Xdmiral lf. Solarczyk and Mr. F. XYiniarz, accomplished pianist. apparently engrossed in deep reading of their respective vocations. .X gale of laughter is heard amidst the gathering in the Castle, where Msgr. Herman, present rector of St. Iylaryls. Rev. A. lfgolik, head of the Department of Theology and Mr. R. Borowski, successful automobile manu- facturer are reminiscing about the good old days. Many pleasant and amus- mg memories are recalled-memories which will never be forgotten. The recreation room of Noah's Ark presents the Rev. XY. Sienkiewicz, our class magician, who appears to be stupefymg his audience. Mr. Przysiezniak, distinguished Polish interpreter, Mr. nl. liucia, prominant lawyer and Rev. R. lirys, a Cleveland pastor. They still think Rev. Sienkiewicz has an invisible assistant. Also in the recreation room we find Mr. XYilk. singer of cowboy ballads, struming on his guitar while Mr. Porzadek, city emblamer, and the Rev. A. llizynski. authority on marriage cases, are employing their skill and ability in a game of ping-pong. .Xt the entrance of the renovated gymnasium stands Rev. .'X. Marzec, who appears to be thinking of the hours spent in practice in this gymnasium to bring glory and fame to St. Mary's through sports. He is presently joined by Mr. N. Gadzinski, owner of a chain of restaurant cafes and Rev. Uleksyk, professor of the classics. It does not appear difficult for them to recall the many happy hours they spent here. livening is drawing near and the sun is slowly setting over our beautiful Urchard Lake. All of the classmates are gathered in the auditorium together to part once more. A beautiful speech is rendered by Mr. Samulski, civil engi- neer, who achieved fame after rebuilding the war torn countries. Mr. N. l.u- binski, notable lawyer. offers Mr. Samulski his congratulatiams. As the gathering is beginning to disperse. the beautiful refrains of the beloved classic The Hells of St. Marys' is heard as rendered by Mr. li. urczewski and his nationally known orchestra. Tears gather in many of the eyes as they say, good-bye. K From a distance the class is able to be seen walking down that highway -the highway of life. You, class of -lo continue journeying along the straight road. avoid all the detours, so that we may have another happy re- union once again--for eternity.

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69 I 'ig 5734 -, -f 4 fb E9 confident. to place our trust in tiod As we look forward to the crosses that will be placed on our shoulders whether we want them or not, we tremble. XVhat if we weaken and cast the cross down? Human nature is weak and abhors suffering-yet that is no reason to fail Christ. VVe, therefore. have 2. request to make of our friends whom we are leaving to continue their studies in these hallowed walls. 'Remember us in your prayers-please. lint that is not all. Our superiors know that a Catholic view of life is of little value to him who does not form habits of living' daily according' to it. Care was taken that these too were formed. Habits are defined, by the philosopher. as constant dispositions that tend to influence one repeatedly to perform similar actions. Such dispositions were formed in our minds and wills during our four-years stay at St. Marys XN'hen. four years ago we came to St. Blary's, we were strongheaded. and even stubborn. VVe felt important. But these illusions were soon dispelled. VVe soon learned that there are such things as discipline, order and subordina- tion. The program of our daily activities was mapped out for us according' to which we were expected to live. Uh! we didn't like it a bit-stoo many rules. too many bells. not enough freedom, too much like slavery-we called it facism. Our superiors we dubbed joy killers -old foggies, who forgot that they were once young. Yes, we resented this tedious routine. All our complaints, however, were futile-we just could not have things our way. Now, we must admit that our superiors were wiser than we. They knew that one day we must deal with people who will show us but slight con- sideration and who will not be servile to our commands. They knew that it is much easier to fall into strongheadcdness and selfishness, than to break these habits later on or to be in constant war with others. ln other words. all these rules were calculated to help us to become the men we wish to be. XYe've learned Christian standards and values in the classroom. Their applica- tion was a matter of discipline and effort in the concrete circumstances in which we found ourselves. The high school age is the time for concentrating on the formation of mental habits: such as those of industry, attention, and self-control. If good mental habits are not laid down during these formative years they will be learned less perfectly and with great difficulty later. ln many instances they will not be learned at all. XYe had the good fortune to study at St. Marys where the circumstances for the formation of such habits are more favorable than in the city. The daily program is a great help in the matter of habit formation. The time for study is a sacred thing. There are no outside distractionsg it was useless to think of the good shows in the nearby theaters-we just could not attend. so why worry about it? And when in the midst of the solution of mathematics there was no call from sis to help wash the dishes. No Quizz Kids on the radio to distract us-no meeting the gang' in the corner thug' store. Nye could there- fore concentrate all our attention on our studies. This sounds unattractive- yet we lived through it. and we are glad to have had the opportunity to attend St. Klary's. XYe feel better prepared to face life.