Thomas Jefferson High School - Aurora Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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OUR PRINCIPAL x J 1'J J

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RANDOM THOUGHTS AT GRADUATION y Well, if's come af lasf. For us, foday marks fhe end of four years of fraining fo help us cope wifh life. As we doff our caps and gowns and grasp onrr diplomas morg+nQrmly, we realize fhaf we are on fhe fhresholdiof a grim fufure. Individually, our fufures may seem brighfg each of us will, no doubf, carve a niche for him- self along fhe road, buf fhe burden of carrying fhe world fhrough ifs presenf crisis has been shiffed fo OUR shoulders--for now if is OUR world. As we see if now, if is nofhing buf a seefhing cauldron of infoler- ance, hafred, and iniusfice. For four years, we have carried liffle responsibilify ofher fhan our fexfbooks. We have devofed liffle or no fime fo serious problems or fhinking. From fime fo fime, fhere has been inoculafed in us cerfain ideals and fenefs of democracy. We have lisfened half-hearfedly, and undersfood vaguely somefhing abouf unemploymenf, slums, and world- wide evenfs. We were confenf fo leffhe years slide by, basking in aurosy glow of confenfmenf. Buf even as nighf musf fall, so day musf break. and--fhe awakening. Af lasf, we have pierced fhe misf, only fo be greefed by a chaofic civiliza- fion of hideous war and world-wide ferror. This is our greaf fesfl Are we, as graduafes, prepared fo go unflinchingly' info fhis roaring fire? Are we ready fo apply where we can, our science, our language, our mafhemafics, our hisfory, our economics, all we have learned? Can we prove fhaf four years of high school have nof been in vain? We Jeffer- sonians can answer yes fo fhese guesfions, wifhouf fear of confradic- fion, for all during our school careers we have learned fhe guiding principles of our nafion: Life, Liberfy and fhe Pursuif of l-lappiness. Lef fhese fried principles guide us in carrying fhe message of hope and charify fo fhose weary and hearf-sore individuals who were forced fo forgef democracy and brofherly love. We shall prove fo our feachers and fo fhe skepfical world fhaf youfh is nof all giddiness and gaiefy, buf rafher responsibilify and readiness fo sfand by ifs convicfions. Lef us help prove fhaf democracy can survive. Lef us assail fhose hafe mongers, wifh books of learning rafher fhan wifh bullefs and bayonefsl Whefher we confinue our formal educafion or do nof, lef us all work side by side, in harmony and undersfanding, fo help make fhis world a beffer place in which fo live. SHIRLEY BARSKY 7

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BADE US GOODBYE WITH WISE AND KINDLY WORDS DEAR GRADUATES: Since fhe beginning of fhe war, we have been receiving more leffers anol personal visifs from our gracluafes fhan ever before. The faculfy is nafurally very much grafifiecl fhaf in spife of fheir preoccupafion wifh fhe nafional emergency, fhe fhoughfs of our alumni furn back fo fheir Alma lvlafer. We hope fhaf you, foo, will feel fhis urge and will keep in fouch wifh fhe school: fhaf you will fell us of your successes: and fhaf you will reioice wifh us in fhe accomplishmenfs of fhose Jeffersonians who come affer you. ln shorf, we feel fhaf when we now say Goocl-bye, if really is Au revoir. ' Sincerely yours, LU DWIC5 KAPT-IAN 9 E i