Wells High School - Crimson and Gray Yearbook (Southbridge, MA)

Page 13 text:

DECEMBER, 1947 not mention the great power words have, or the effect different words have on people. To a beggar, a kind word is like bread in his mouth and an insult is like a knife in his heart. Both words, as defined by the dictionary, are a combina- tion of articulate sounds, but each has a dfferent ■effect. Can you imagine what effect a statement like, I ' m sorry your son is dead, would have on an anxious mother and father? It certainly wouldn ' t be a joyous one, would it? A man is recognized as either a scholar or just a workman through his choice of words. As soon as ■a man speaks, his character is revealed, and the effect his choice of words has on people determine their opinions, which control his success. The memory of men like Caesar, Lincoln, and An- thony lives on through their great speeches. They soon would have been forgotten had their choice of words not been effective. The power of words has not often been empha- sized. Have you ever realized that words have the power to declare war or establish peace. Without words, we probably would have to use the sign language. Can you imagine the difficulty we would have expressing our exact ideas? We would not be able to enjoy entertainment such as radios, books, and plays, if there were no words. I have learned that words have a great deal of power and effect, have you? Boys ' State HAROLD PETERSON ' 48 Town meetings, Senate, House of Representatives, District, Superior, and Supreme courts — what do they mean to you? Do you know the procedure and duties of these branches of the government along with other offices and officials? To teach high school boys a bet- ter understanding of the Constitution and what is ex- pected of those who make the laws and also what those who obey the laws should do is the object of the American Legion ' s annual Boys ' State. For the third consecutive year this event was held on the beautiful and extensive campus of the Univer- sity of Massachusetts at Amherst. On )une 22 over 450 boys from the farthest tip of Cape Cod to the northernmost town of the state congregated at the Athletic Field House of the University to register for a full nine day program of education and enjoyment. The registration separated the boys into two par- ties, Nationalist and Federalist, and also put the boys from towns and those from cities into separate sec- tions. Each floor of the dormitories and the barracks was seperated into different towns and cities named after famous places of both World Wars, such as Marne, Normandy, and Okinawa. These three and nine others made up the four cities and eight towns that were organized. After a period of getting acquainted with boys and lodgings, the first meal was served in the Uni- versity mess hall, followed by the regular nightly as- sembly in the Auditorium. Taps ended the first day at ten o ' clock with still just a vauge idea of what the next few days were to bring. For the next nine days, with the exception of Sunday, reveille sounded at 6:15, followed by break- fast from seven until eight, then an assembly where the orders for the day were given. On the first day caucuses and conventions were held and candidates for the various offices of Boys ' State were nominated. The offices were the same as in any state: governor, lieutenant-governor, down to the least important of- fice of a town. The following days, after the officials had been elected, this period, beginning at ten o ' clock, was used for classes, discussions, and demonstrations of procedure from an obscure town meeting, right up through the Senate, House, and Supreme Court. At 2:30, after the afternoon classes, came the most important part of the day for most of us. This was the athletic period held on the spacious athletic field in the very adequately equipped Field House. Many less important events and places made the stay pleasant and humorous, such as the college can- teen, the summer school co-eds, and the rolling of a shot-put ball at night on our fourth floor at Thatch- er Hall. Most of the boys wlil agree, however, that the best part of it all is just being able to get together with all the other fellows from the state and to have a swell time for nine short days. Girls ' State SHIRLEY CIRARD ' 48 Every year the American Legion Auxiliary sends a girl to attend Massachusetts Girls ' State. Girls ' State was started three years ago to teach the young peo- ple of America all about Gover nment, its functions, and its powers. Everyone arrived at Girls ' State June 21, at State Teacher ' s College in Bridgewater. Approximately 250 girls took over the college. After we were registered, we were taken to our rooms in the dormitory. Here, we got acquainted with our roommates, and then we went down to the mess hall for dinner. We were introduced to our counselors and the director gave us our instructions for the day. Our registration cards informed us which party we belonged to, either the Federals or the Nationals. The group was separated into towns and cities which operated as such. The citizens of each town elected their own of- ficials, and nominated people for the higher offices such as Governor, and Lieutenant Governor. We took part in political campaigns, caucuses, and then final elections, three days later. That night we had the inaugural ball and we were allowed to stay up later than the usual ten o ' clock. The governor conducted all the meetings from here- on. We held a court scene with a jury, lawyers, and witnesses who were Girl-Staters. Everything we learned was essential and it taught us, as no other method could, just how government affects our life, liberty, and happiness. % Cht s

Page 12 text:

THE CRIMSON AND GRAY Editorial The Unsung Hero RONALD SHERIFFS, JR. ' 48 I feel I make no mistake in calling this man a hero. To many people he is a traffic policeman; in my eyes he ' s a hero. Oh! I don ' t mean that he ' s done a spectacular feat. He just does h ' s daily job efficiently, and has done it for twelve years. I suppose that everyone is wondering whom I ' m talking about. I know the older students must have guessed by now. I mean, the one and only Mr. L ' Homme. To 1735 small children who go his way to attend Marcy Street and Notre Dame he ' s their hero. Sure, I admit he bawls them out a lot, and yet, they still like him. They know that he is doing it for their own good and take good care of them. In addition to the grade school children are the 543 high school pupils. Those who have been at Wells for a year or two know him for what he does. So this article is written for the new students, and to remind the old ones. After the new ones go on up the school ladder to graduation, they will grow to like him. He is always on the job, rain, sleet, or snow. Mr. L ' Homme has piled up a good record. There has ne,ver been an accident at his post. That is really good, considering his post is at the intersection of Main, South, and Marcy Streets where both foot and road traffice is especially heavy at noon. A cheery greeting to Mr. L ' Homme is the least a person can do in recognition of the fine service tihs man is giving the town. An Appreciation Of The Art Class DON CRENIER ' 48 The bunny, the North Star and the wise men, papier mache figures of graduates of 1946 — every- one looks forward to seeing these in the window of the Art Class at Mary E. Wells High School. Every year about ten days before Christmas, and again be- fore Easter, our class, directed by Miss Claire Birtz, sets up their items of seriousness and fantasy. As our school days fly by, people our ages and older ask the familiar question, When will the picture win- dow be ready? True, the figures aren ' t being created by experts but by kids who think and act like us. They first gather a great quantity of brown paper of a certain degree of thickness which is soaked in tubs of water. Then a skeleton form of wood is made to form the basis of the figure. The pupils apply the wet paper to the skeleton, layer after layer, each covered with paste. This gradually hardens. While it is still malleable, the artists smooth and work the paper into shape. After many painstaking, precau- tionary measures, they smooth and work the paper into shape. Noses, eyebrows, hands, lips — all have to be coaxed into being. .The final O.K. is given by Miss Birtz. Next the students paint the figure. This process, to obtain artistic perfection, takes two or three weeks. Indeed a lot of skill, as well as work, is required to complete this task. For everyone who is looking forward to a joyful Christmas and the old familiar decorated window, let me wish Miss Birtz and her art classes a happy Christmas. Ah! To Be Teacher ANNE MALONEY ' 50 Students, have you ever thought what you would do if you were teachers for one day and had all the teachers for pupils? I think I would take over this job with sadistic glee — not that I don ' t think teachers are the greatest people in the world, don ' t misunder- stand me! To reverse our situations would be my idea of heaven. Teachers seem to take a great deal of interest in giving you a large amount of homework every night — not that I mind homework. Oh no! Homework doesn ' t bother me a bit. It does seem that every time one teacher gives me a lot of homework they all do. Then when the teachers have given us practically the whole book to learn and I stay up half the night studying, do you think the teachers call on me? Ah no! My hand is up in the air the whole period, but she calls on everyone around me. The next night I feel it hardly worth while studying so I go to bed nice and early and get up chipper and gay. When I get to school, horror of horrors, who does the teacher call on first but me! A few minutes later I begin my long solitary walk to the office and come back with an hour ' s detention ahead of me. The time I have an engagement on a school night it always seems that I have more homework than ever before in my life. For these obvious reasons I would like to be teacher for just one day. Words HELEN BOUCHER ' 48 The dictionary definition of word is a single articu- late sound, or a combination of articulate sounds or syllables, uttered by the human voice, and by custom expressing an idea or ideas. The dictionary, as usual, is accurate; but it does

Page 14 text:

THE CRIMSON AND GRAY Literature What Do I Look Forward To In High School? JOAN LAKIN ' 51 Here in high school I ' d like to accomplish things I didn ' t accomplish in grammar school. (Sort of start anew.) While I ' m busy doing this. I look forward to games where I can shout my lungs out and get rid of some of that extra energy which otherwise I ' m bound to use during some class when it doesn ' t quite fit in. Dances and socials don ' t rate second to this — no siree, not with me. High school is what I dreamed of in grammar school and I am going to make the best of it. True Love DAVID BOUDREAU ' 48 She is beautiful, about the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Her hair is blonde, soft, and lustrous. Her eyes are big and blue. Her hands are soft and pink. When I hold them, they are always warm. I love her voice; it makes me stop whatever I am doing to listen. Whenever she speaks to me, it is with all the sincerity within her. When she speaks to me, it is to me alone. On Sunday afternoons when we go walking, she always wears the black shoes and blue coat that I gave her for Christmas. I feel proud when I walk along with her, because everyone who passes by notices her and smiles. Every night when I come home from school and open the front door, she is there to greet me. Her soft arms about my neck proves she really loves me. She is the most wonderful kid sister a fellow could have. If I had one! The Strife BARBARA ST. MARTIN ' 49 There was a warrior brave and true,. A sword of steel at his coat of blue. He had seen many a bloody fight, But none as fierce as the one this night. Returning from a battle on the shores of Kree, He met a foe as brave as he. Their swords were drawn without hesitation, All others had been killed, and they held the fate of a nation. The strife went on from night till dawn, Nor did they stop at the next morn. They fought in the sun and their throats were dry, Ready to dispair they looked toward the sky. A re you curious as to who won? I ' m sorry but now my poem ' s done. Forced Decision NITA LaROCHELLE ' 49 The morning was cool — the sun had not, as yet, absorbed the dew drops that were still dancing upon the leaves. The quiet streets of Allenville seemed bright and merry. Nevertheless, Edward Broadwell could not breath in all this surrounding glow. Five years ago at about this time, the neighbors had still been complaining that the two Broadwell boys ' merry laughter at 6:30 in the morning always woke them. up. In the space of 780 days, a life time had occurred. He and his brother. Bill, had gone to enlist in the Air Corps, but on the way to the examination center at Elmbrow, they had met with an accident which left Eddie hospitalized for eight months. When he returned home quite well, but not well enough for the Air Corps, he started working at the Brooks Aircraft Factory at the opposite side of town. Since he too, like his brother, was a licensed pilot, he had a great many ideas about designing and bettering airplanes. In practically no time he was an em- ployee. Being with airplanes increased his interest to a large degree and apparently decreased his disap- pointment of not being able to be in the service. Although he never confided his thoughts to anyone, he still had hopes that some day he and his brother would again reunite as pilots serving for the United States of America. Never a day passed without Eddie spending at least two hours doing every exercise imaginable. By exercising daily, his physician had said he might be able to bring his bones into their correct position, thus making him a well man again. Night after night he could be seen in the basement, which he had turned into a gymnasium while his parents looked on admirably because he had such faith; yet they bore very hopeless expressions. Even their physician had been very doubtful of his recovery, but had encouraged Eddie so as not to put him in too low a state of mind. Finally, after six months of continuous exercising, his cramped posture had returned to its familiar posi- tion and Eddie was completely well. The first thought that entered his mind with his returned health was to enlist in the Air Corps imme- diately and hoping that some day he ' d fly with Bill. For that request he knew he could do nothing but pray for and praying had gotten his health back so Eddie couldn ' t possibly imagine why it couldn ' t bring him to his long-missed brother. Nevertheless, even though his body and mind were filled with anxiety for the Air Corps, he permitted himself to be urged into staying at the factory for another week because he had designed a new part for a P-32 and as he said, After all if I ' m going to fly a P-32 some day, 1 want to make sure that that rud- der is exactly the way I want it to be. Meanwhile, Bill had gone ahead and joined the Air Corps. It was during that long week that First Lieutenant Bill Broadwell had met with fate during his second bombing mission to Berlin. On that twen- ty-third day of |une, Eddie had remarked, Golly, mom, there ' s only three more days before I ' ll be in and then I ' ll be getting nothing but closer to Bill. It ' s