West High School - Hesperian Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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ywlANV entertaining stories of school life have been written, depicting individual triumphs of courage and heroism, based upon single events, or having the broad background of manifold phases of school activity; but no story that has ever come to the writer's attention lias equalled in human interest the annals of the year now closing at West. We have achieved great victories, as hard fought and thrilling as any ever storied in prose or poem. We have tasted defeat, (but not dishonor), striving to our utmost ability. We have laughed together in comedy and burlesque. We have been united by the bond of a common sorrow in bereavement. We have rejoiced in the power of the conqueror, and felt the humility of the vanquished. The most serious Senior and the most frivolous Freshman have alike added an experience that cannot be matched in variety and interest by any bit of fiction ever written, for they have lived! And it is good to have lived in West this past year. In retrospect, one fact looms big before us. The school has grown; grown physically, grown mentally, grown morally, grown in spirit. Yes, grown in spirit; for our great school has a soul, which we denominate the WEST SPIRIT. 'Pile West Spirit is the spirit of her sons and her daughters, in essence the spirit of youth. But it is more than that. It is tin spirit of youth augmented by all that is best in youth, with all that is base or mean eliminated. It is the apotheosis of moral courage sublimated by enthusiasm, and permeated with the consciousness of power to achieve even that which is called impossible. So that if the West Spirit of this year shows growth, it means that you who have lived in West have put more that was good into the school than has been done before; and by the law of compensation, have received more that was good from the school than have your predecessors. The experience of triumph is always pleasing; and there is always born an ambition to eclipse past glories. So just as you who have led this year have achieved much, there is engendered in the hearts of you who are to lead next year, the desire to press on to greater things. And a greater and better West Spirit will result, if, even more than was done this year, you place your talents at the service of the school, for higher scholarship, better athletics, more correct conduct, and purer morals. May the West Spirit inspire those of you who will remain with enthusiasm to win higher laurels for the school! And may it be the inspiration of those of you who leave, to do great and good things for your country, as you have done for your school! Pane Seven