University of Illinois High School - U and I Yearbook (Urbana, IL)

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Response to the Hatchet Oration sf I receive this hatchet with the greatest of pleasure. l am humble because I have the honor of representing the .Iunior Class on this auspicious occasion, and I ani full of pride because I realize that this year's -lunior Class has come to the standards symbolized by the hatchet. I feel it my duty to put this symbol to use in explaining the circumstances of this year's Junior and Senior classes. As each class enters University High, it might be compared to an insignilicant ripple on the ocean of life. lt is like the slow but sure forming of a wave. As Juniors, the class has reached its crest. lt recognizes its obligations and sets forth to meet them with the vigor of youth. This is a high point in the career of a high school class. As a Senior Class the crest is passed, and it believes that it has ful- filled it duty to the school: it can feel proud of its accomplishments and watch the lower classmen work. The Class of '45 is an especially good example of the preceding statement. Two of its most industrious and intelligent members, seeing the error of their ways, found it convenient to move out of town. One of these members lzcijifvnczi to be the illustrious president of the class. Unable to find a replacement for such an indispensable personage in its own ranks, the class was forced to till the void with a post-graduate student to lead it to success. Ilut even with the excellent leadership of a post-graduate student, the class saw that its only way to avert bankruptcy of the U AND l was to enlist the aid of the Junior Class president in selling advertisements. When the Senior Class received the abbreviated axe last year, it apparently believed the latter was an instrument for rug-cutting, because, for some unexplainable reason, it managed to expend approximately twenty dol- lars more than the amount received. Luckily they, as industrious Juniors, had been able to accumulate enough money for their retirement as Seniors. On the other hand, this year's Junior Class has been able to set some notable goals for its successors. Through energetic projects the class has been able to set a record for receipts ty and expendituresl of class funds. lt set another record for donations to worthy causes, and still another for excellent entertainments given to the school. In addition, it sponsored the most successful play in the history of University I-Iigh School. The Seniors, nevertheless, unable to trust other organizations had to be affirmed and reaffirmed of plans for sponsoring the junior-Senior prom. In conclusion, I wish to SEQ' that, although these records will probably never be broken, we of the Junior Class hope that our successors will strive continually and hopefully to come up to these standards, and that they will be as eligible in the receiving of the hatchet in the following years as we have been eligible this year. VVILLIAM H. GRAHAM Page Twenty-three

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Hatchet Uration s-s Ladies, Gentlemen, Seniors, Friends, and last and least, Juniors: You have assembled tonight to witness the transference of this little implement from the custody of the exalted and distinguished Senior Class to the hands of the un- worthy juniors. The Seniors know that this polished object of wood and steel is a hatchet, symbol of authority, to the Juniors it is merely an axe. What does this beribboned instrument, steeped in tradition, mean to the Seniors? I shall tell you, partly for your information, but mainly for the belated education of the juniors who have existed in ignorance much too long. H stands for humility, for the freedom from pride and arrogance with which we, the Seniors, have lived and ruled our kingdom, University High School. We have brought honor and distinction to its halls. .el stands for the outstanding athletic ability which has been exhibited by our great class. All of the eleven members of this year's illustrious varsity basketball team are Seniors, three of whom were so outstanding, that they played on last year's county championship team. T is for two, the two years that this prominent class has had possession of this hatchet. In the entire history of University High School, we are the only class which has had this object for more than one year. C is for the courage which the Class of 1945 exhibited in procuring this tool just two years ago tonight. H stands for happiness sfor the happy domain in which we Seniors have lived throughout these last four years. Never has there been a moment of sadness or despair in our happy group. E stands for the efficiency that has been exhibited on many an occasion. During the basketball season, our boys worked as one, and as a result we won the county championship. Our Junior prom and our yearbook with its many problems of selling advertising, taking pictures, and compiling material, are examples of how we all worked together with great results. T stands for tact and toil. We labored diligently in the classroom. achieving successes such as no other class has ever done or ever shall do. Now, we come to the shred of a word, axe. Here, A stands for the absurdity with which these adolescent Juniors have tried to undertake impossible tasks, such as the fusf-Us. X stands for all the missing quantities which the Juniors do not possess but envy in others. E stands for total failure and for the extent to which the Juniors try to exaggerate their emotions. VVe Seniors know that E stands for the end of the Junior Class when they try, mind you I said try, to emulate our accomplishments. It is with commiseration, compassion, and condolence for our beloved Senior Hatchet, that, as the chosen representatives of the honored and esteemed Class of 1945, I now present to you this instrument. Here is your axe, my children. Guard it well. May you sometime prove worthy of it and of your predecessors. JAMES G. CARD Page Twentg two

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NGreat Ual-cs from Tiny Acorns Grown S-'u Any relevancy which this quotation bears to the Senior Class of 1945 is not accidental but altogether probable. Ahem-so you don't believe us? Well, let's look into the future to see the Class of ,45 in the sixth decade of the 20th century. tlianfare, please, Tonylj Charlotte You tell me yours, I'll tell you mine Allen is being featured daily on her modernized Good XfVill Hour. joseph Ambrose, Thomas Buda llenner, 'llony Fay, and Henry Alabama Hamilton, bachelors-in-waiting, are now living in their Park Avenue penthouse. janet Anderson is now appearing in the traveling Charles Atlas Show, prov- ing that VVomen, you too can be strong. Klaus Brain llaer, who suffered a mental relapse, is now raising pigs on his lllinois farm. Roberta Bubbles Bloom is touring Europe as the featured star of the llallet Russe. Professor lfrances Brigham, Ph.D., has finally completed her new book, hvkvlllllllll and Mary and lf' james Card and his happy little family can be seen riding on their motor bike built for seven. Catherine Clinic Christie, noted surgeon, is now working on her new experiment which concerns turning a man into a robot. Willaiii Hotel', Danielson now owns a chain, not of hotels, but around his ankle. P.S. The ball comes with it. llarbara The Shape Dobbins is Hipping coins to decide which admiral it shall be. Martha They used to call her Fatty Dodds has just been elected Miss America for the fifth time! Clinton Flashbulb Granger is now Chief Photographer for john Powers' models. jean Hannagan is wearing a threadbare navy wool gabardine skirt which she swears she made when she was a Senior in Uni High. Elizabeth Chem Harding has just informed lletty Crocker that more vitamins are obtained from biscuits made with nitric acid than with baking powder. Shirley Giggles Harris is now known as The Smile. Albert VVindy Helton, who has been in the Air Force since l945, hasn't learned to lly yet. Doris I hate peoplew Hershbarger has finally left her hermitage to become a teacher of economics at Uni High. Kent Long time, no see Hobart, who is a missionary to a south sea island, arrived in Champaign with grass skirt, suntan, and tennis racket in tow. Marilyn Ace Hudson has just completed a round-the-world rocket trip in the record time of tive hours, twenty-six minutes, eight seconds, three ticks, and two tocks. Jeanne 'lLanky,' jackson is the American Ambassador to France. As a pas- time, she works as a chorus girl at 'llioliez llergersf, Page T'zc'r'ufy-four