Williston Northampton School - Log Yearbook (Easthampton, MA)

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Ye ACG The Log, Williston Academy's yearbook, serves to give the departing students a memento of the days spent in the classroom and on the athletic fields and of the nights in activities and evening study. There are many annual events which vary little in appearance and in production, but each year there is one fad which separates this year from all others. This fad of unusual hats or the delicate spinning of diamond-embedded yo-yos is something which distinguishes a class and which recalls to the members of this class the adventures and struggles in their last year at preparatory school. Unbeknownst to the students, the theme of this year's yearbook was introduced in a chapel talk, and the students elaborated upon our theme, The shadow of Mount Tom, that magic mountain with the happy trick, with stories, conversations, and raillery. For this reason the Log staff presents to the class of 1959 this theme in hopes that it will express the one characteristic which will distinguish this class. To sum up our theme, we present the following article by columnist Edward E. Whiting of The Boston Herald, '93, written after his thirtieth reunion at Williston Academy: Whiting's Column june 16, 1928 Williston is an American school. It is a New England school. It was founded in 1841 by Samuel Williston, who made a good deal of money, as money was reckoned in those days, in cloth-covered buttons. He was a God-fearing man. There are many schools in New England with similar traditions, and for a good many years they have been graduating classes of boys who go thence into colleges, or business or pro- fessional life. And how many high schools are there, scattered about the country, training youth to know the truth and love it? And when you think of them all, what do you think the prospect is for our country? Every good school accumulates traditions and customs, and there is an atmosphere which gathers about these American institutions, and when the old boys come back after many years, they find this atmosphere still there. Something grips hold of them as they wander about, looking for old landmarks. Williston is in the shadow of Mount Tom - that magic mountain of western Massachusetts that has the happy trick of looking much higher than it is. Its summit is but twelve hundred feet above sea level, but it rises abruptly at one end from fertile plains. Looking down from the summit, these plains, marked ol? in rich farming lands, look like giants' checker boards. Looking up at the trap-rock cliffs of the mountain, from below, one breathes deep in awe at the strength of the Lord. The mountain has been there so long and it stands so firm! We think to live for a few years in the shadow of a great hill is good for a man, or a boy. The hills tell of the glory of God, and the strength of His arm. Rich men's sons go to Williston, as to all good schools, and they find something there. At Williston they find something of fine tradi- tions, and they breathe in the echoes of the eternal voice of the New England hills. Poor men's sons go there, and they are close to the same traditions, and they hear the voice of the same hills. Maybe there comes to them all, rich and poor, advantaged and struggling, subcon- sciously the thought that the voice of the hills and of the valleys is the universal language, older than man's wealth, more enduring than caste, nobler than any rivalries of mankind. Some thing of the Spirit of God is in our New England schools.

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N Q ,1-1 - f ,v - '7 1 ' 1' MOUNT TOM AND FORD HALL, THE SENIOR DORMITORY LZ-be 49f9 PRESENTED BY THE SENIOR CLASS OF WILLISTON ACADEMY EASTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS 3 Y