Wilmington High School - Mirror Yearbook (Wilmington, VT)

Page 19 text:

You owe it to the generations of realists who have preceded you, the very people who now criticize your idealism, to offer your solutions, your ideas, and your ideals. And when you make your offer do not accept rejection. lVlerely understand the basis of its origin and continue towards your goal whether it be peace, love, or a nourishing meal for someone who needs it. These goals are achievable , you will say. Ten thousand years of human experience have proved you wrong , the realist will reply. Who cares? So what? Perhaps your goals will be unachievable. But in striving for the impossible goals you will accomplish much more than those who attempt only the achievable. And when you are forty, or sixty, or eighty, and your idealism has been diluted by life's pain, show your yearbook to your children or your grandchildren. Then it will be their turn to ask, Why can't we just love everyone? David Larsen CHRIS SIIVIPSON--Art 84 Spanish. DAVID LARSEN--History.

Page 18 text:

NORIVI SHULIVIAN--Special Education. IVIERT LEARNARD--Custodian. I have spoken with many of you either as a part of class or in private conversations about many of the social problems facing our country. Without exception you have asked, But why do we have to have wars?, Why do there have to be poor people? , Why can't we just love everyone? . Your idealism has been evident. So has your frustration. You have the answers now. But there is a problem. The problem is the process known as implementation . It is during this process that ideas, good ideas, are slashed, distorted, folded, spindled, and mutilated to suit the realistic visions of those people we call pragmatists. These pragmatists are forever telling the idealists, as they will someday tell you, Your ideas and solutions are too extreme, too flimsy, too idealistic. They are simply not practical. You will be accused of thinking with your heart instead of your brain. Be prepared for these accusations. Be prepared for set-backs. These realists will seem hard and callous. They will appear to by cynical, pessimistic, and insensitive to the needs of the people you seek to help. They will be older than you. They will be your parents, your teachers, your bosses. You will find yourself hating these realists. You will feel that they are the only obstacle between you and instant success. They will of- fer discouragement. Do not accept it. They will offer despair. Do not accept it. They will offer hopelessness. Do not accept it. They will offer experience. Take it! Realists, in most instances, will have experienced the problems that fit your solutions. You need them. Without the challenges they offer your ideas and ideals will wither and decay. You and your allies will spend your time convincing yourselves that your way is the only way. But realize as well that the realists need you. They need your freshness. They need a new perspective unobscured by years of anger, failure, and frustration. 14

Page 20 text:

I may be absurdly idealistic, but I think that a public school can be a positive, productive institution. Like everyone else, I sometimes feel like a victim of the undefinable, but omnipotent system . The banging of the lockers, the buzzing of the bells, the swarms of notices, and the clutter of attendance sheets grate on my nerves and dampen my spirits. The feelings of hostility and apathy frustrate me to death, forcing me to ask my- self, What's this all for? What are we doing here anyway? At times like these, I can only answer my own question by grinning wryly and clenching my teeth. I don't think school has to undergo such periods of despair. If I pretended to ignore the disenchantment I see, I would be a hypocrite. If I resigned myself to it, I could not be an educator. The process of learning is very exciting to me. When we share our insights and knowledge, we are discovering, as we discover, we come alive. In a public school, every individual must work to create the possibility for discovery. When we don't, we have only ourselves to blame for its absence. During times of involvement in learning, I never hear the lockers bang or the bells ring. I don't sense any feelings of apathy or hostility. lVly teeth relax their grip on each other, and my wry grin turns into a happy smile. Kathy IVIacridis KATHY NIACRIDIS--English. 16 BERTHA BOYD--Home Economics.