Valparaiso High School - Valenian Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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12 HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL. “THE THREE GREAT FACTORS OF LIFE.” ADA KOESSLER. SECOND PRIZE ORATION. There is no poem in the world like a man’s life; for real life, even the most common-place, is strong-featured, if we look at it attentively. No poet would so dare to mingle sweetness and strangeness, simplicity and peculiarity, sub- limity and pathos, as real life mingles them together. Na- ture resorts to a thousand expedients to develop a perfect type of her grandest creation — man. To aid her in this, she has three wonderful factors — heredity, environment and will. When a piece of coal is thrown into the fire, we say that it will radiate a certain amount of heat; this heat is usu- ally supposed to reside in the coal, and to be setfree during the process of combustion. In reality, however, the heat energy is only in part contained in the coal. It is also contained in the coal’s environment; that is, in the oxygen of the air. The coal alone could never produce the heat, nor could the environment; the two must meet, must be combined. In the organism, or man, lies the principle of life, in the environment are the conditions of life. The one cannot exist independent of the other. Down to the last detail, the world is made for what is in it; and by whatever process things are as they are, all organisms find in nature the complement of themselves. Man finds in his environment provision for all capacities, scope for the exercise of every faculty, room for the indul- gence of each appetite and a just supply for every want. We bring into this world with us different gifts; one re- ceives gold, another granite, a third marble, most of us wood or clay. What heredity bestows is determined outside of ourselves. No man can select his own parents, but every one can, to some extent, choose his environment, and so great is his control over it that he can so direct it as to either undo or modify the earlier heredity influences. It has been well said that “from the same material one man builds palaces, another hovels — brick and mortar will be brick and mortar until the architect makes them into some- thing else.” “It is in ourselves that we are thus or thus,” says Iago. “Our bodies are our gardens, to which our wills are gardeners.” So we may plant nettles or roses; supply it with one kind of herbs or distract it with many; either to have it barren with idleness or fertilized with industry. The power and authority of all this lies in our will. Heredity bestows, environment encourages or discour- ages, but will perseveres and accomplishes. The musical talent of his father gave to Milton the genius for music in verse; the influence of refinement and culture thrown about him in youth developed the genius; but the Puritan determination of the man made him one of the grandest poets. Lord Byron inherited from both parents a blood all meridian;” on one side rich in the enjoyment of luxury and pleasure, on the other side tingling with vehement irritability. Never was a poet born to so much illustrious and, at the same time, to so much bad blood. His mind was cast in a dark and moody mold, and he believed him- self predestined to misfortune. Being at war with himself,

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HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL. 11 CAST OF CHARACTERS. The Queen, ... Landy Montague, ... Hamlet, - Ophelia, - ... Romeo, - - Juliet, - - Bessie Clifford Kathryn Lederer Eugene Eaton Abbie Duggan Cleve Stalbaum Ada Roessler SYNOPSIS OF SCENES. ACT 1. Scene 1. Elsinore. A room in the castle. Hamlet is persuaded by the Queen to go to Verona for a visit. Scene 2. Verona — a garden near the castle. Romeo and Juliet are interrupted in their love-making by Lady Montague who sends her son off to Elsinore to repair his fortune. ACT II.— A Few Weeks Later. Scene 1. Verona— a room in the palace. The Queen welcomes Hamlet to Verona. Scene 2. Elsinore— a room in the castle. Romeo sells stock in the White Gold Mine to the Queen. ACT III. Scene 1. Verona— a road. Hamlet makes love to Jul- iet. Scene 2. Elsinore — a room in the palace. Romeo trans- fers his affections to Ophelia. ACT IV. — Some Years Later. Scene 1. Elsinore — a room in the castle. Romeo plans Hamlet’s return to Denmark. ACT V. Scene 1. Elsinore — a room in the castle. Scene 2. Elsinore — a room in the castle. Hamlet is made King of Denmark. © © SENTIMENTS OF THE CLASS OF 1905. I. Jest es like es not some day, Things’ll start to come our way Don’t no two folks think alike Where the lightnin’s goin’ to strike. S’pose we ain’t so fond of learnin S’pose we sometimes do some shirkin’ Some day luck’ll strike us hot Jest es like es not. II. Jest es like es not some day We’ll wake up to hear folks say: “Always knowed you had it in you, Though we’ve often talked agin you.” Then we’ll quietly remark: “Dogs that bite don’t always bark.” Then we’ll show’em jest what’s what. Jest es like es not. III. Jest es like es not some day,— Course we don’t jest know the way, Fer no feller knows, we reckon, Jest when luck is goin’ to beckon Still, some day, we’ll fool ’em all; Might be spring time, might be fall, But we’ll be right on the spot. Jest es like es not.

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HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL he was torn between an element ot perversity and injured pride, and his exquisite susceptibilities together with the noble influences native to his soul. With such a tempera- ment it is not strange that at times he thought “Too long and darkly, till his brain became. In its own eddy boiling and o’er wrought, A whirling gulf of phantasy and flame.” With all his endowments, Byron lacked the one control- ing power — will — by which he might have become a pure intelligence, a serene and joyous force. The poverty of his parents made it necessary for Shakes- peare, at an early age, to help support the family. Little or nothing is known of how or when he received his edu- cation. He learned his best lessons from the school of ad- versity. Goethe once said of him: “Shakespeare always hits the right nail on the head at once; but I have to stop and think which is the right nail before I hit.” He was the man who could seize common occasions and make them great. He worked everything into his plays. He ground up the king and his vassal, the fool and his fop, the prince and the peasant, the simple and the profound, honor and dishonor — everything within the sweep of his vision he ground up into paint and spread it upon his mighty canvas. Will and determination made him the chief literary glory of England. “You will be what you will to be; Let failure find its false content In that poor word ‘environment,’ But Spirit scorns it and is free. The mighty Will, that force unseen, That offspring of a deathless soul, Can hew the way to any goal, Though walls of granite intervene. 1 The river seeking for the sea Confronts the dam and precipice, Yet knows it cannot fail or miss: You will be what you will to be.” SHAKE HANDS WITH FATE. ' Tis a sad old world, and a bad old world; It is scarce worth while at all. Its sorrows cling and its friendships sting, And even its joys will pall. But dear is life, for all its strife. And love is better than hate; You’ll find a grace in the surliest face, If you just shake hands with fate. With light in your glance and right in your glance. And your lips in a curve to the sky; A spring in your walk and a ring in your talk. Sure, hope will not pass you by. The path that you will winds over a hill, But it leads to an open gate; So trill you a song to lure love along. And just shake hands with fate.