Windsor Locks High School - Herald Yearbook (Windsor Locks, CT)

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THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD 25 JUNIOR PRIZE ESSAYS. THE VALUE OF AN IDEAL. (First Prize.) It probably seems a little strange to be talking of ideals in this practical world of ours which has no time to spend in foolish fancies or vague dreams. Yet the foremost of our captains of industry and the poorest laborer had at one time in their lives a vision of the place they would like to occu¬ py in the world’s affairs, say twenty years hence. Every one does not attain his goal, but some do reach it, and if some can, all can. History tells us of great people who had visions and ideals about the future. A legend says that the night before Sir Launfal set out in search of the Holy Grail he had a vision of how he would find it. In his book “Utopia” Sir Thomas More visualized the future England that he wanted to see. Of course some of his ideas are absurd, but many of them have been adopted, and the reforms suggested by them have worked out very successfully. Prominent men in our own history be¬ came great because they set their goal and then worked hard to obtain it. ' iheodore Roosevelt visioned a place for himself in world affairs. He attained the place, but not until he overcame great phy sical and mental difficulties. Many of the leaders in the business world of to-day were poor boys. They rose to positions tney now occupy by always Keeping in their mind the goal they hoped to reach, and the perfection they wisned to attain. If such men as these found it necessary always to keep in mind a vision of what they wanted to be, it is just as necessary, ana perhaps even more so, that we Hign School Students know what we want to ao, and decide upon our careers before we leave school. The reason why a particulor vocation must be decided upon can perhaps best be told in the words of a prominent educator who in an address to a group of students said, “There are two ways of shaping your career. One is to drift with the tide, the other to have a definite goal. The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going, but it jostles the dreamer to the side lines.” This man is one of the leading men of affairs and has attained his position with¬ out help from others. His advice can be observed with great advantage by we High School Students. After a career is decided upon and a goal set, the next thing is to tram and fit our¬ selves for the vocation we nave chosen as life’s work. In order to do this we must choose the studies best adapted to our special case, cultivate the habits that will best develop our powers of thought, con¬ centration, and determination, ana picking the friends and associates, whose influence and companionship will all tend to make us the kind of people we wish to be, remem¬ bering that a man’s character is judged by the people he associates with. When our goal is fixed and our training begun, we will gradually broaden our views, forget our own petty desires and take an interest in the things around us. Then we see the world as it really is and our place in it. Experienced people tell us that this is a process of disillusionment for we then be¬ gin to see for the first time the true nature of our goal; over what sorts of roads we must travel, and what expendi¬ ture of effort will be necessary in order to obtain it. This process will probably change our whole order of living but we will become adjusted in time. At graduation from High School or Col¬ lege most of us begin to feel this change for then we start upon an entirely new era in our lives. Up to that time we have measured ourselves with boys and girls, we know their mode and understand tnem. But what the world expects of us we have yet to find out. Just now we were Seniors in High School, prominent figures in our little world—finished products. Now we are novices again as green as in our first school years studying a problem that seems jo have no rules and is not accompanied by a set of answers. Presently we recognize

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24 THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD JUNIOR CLASS NOTES. The Junior Prize Essay Contest was held in Memorial Hall, June 2, 1922. The judges had a difficult time trying to decide which essays should take the prizes. The Junior girls are very much interested in athletics—especially baseball. Several of them recently went to Suffield to attend a game. Suffield School vs. W. L. H. S. Our worthy class president Nathaniel Pastore played an important position on the team. As we watched from the bleachers we were thrilled with his fine playing. During parents ' week, we sat during school hours very nervously for fear that some of our parents might come and visit. None of them did, however, as most of us suffered great lapses of memory during that time and forgot to extend to them an invi¬ tation. Elva Metelli and Dorothy Groves are con¬ sidered the best entertainers in the class. They have memorized numerous poems for every occasion for the English teacher as a result of whispering. Frey promises to recite them for us some day soon. The Juniors have enjoyed this year’s work immensely and when we receive our report cards with the word “Promoted” written across them our happiness will be completed. We congratulate the Seniors on reaching the goal of graduation so successfully. We have enjoyed our association with them and we will miss them next year. We hope they will have the greatest possible success dur¬ ing life. SOPHOMORE CLASS NOTES. One recess, just before Easter vacation, Miss Eastman gave our class a “maple sugar” party as a surprise. Our hostess read the poem, “Sugar Making in Old Ver¬ mont.” Needless to say we spent a very enjoyable recess and all were sorry to hear the bell ring. In Biology we are studying “Cleanliness,” and we’ve had at least one practical appli¬ cation in the case of a few persons with dirty hands! What would happen if:— “Don” Wallace payed less attention to Junior girls? Clara Blodgett ceased blushing? “Joe” Conroy came to school on time? Aldo Metelli became angelic? Gertie Cone stopped practicing art? Mary Byrne lost her voice? The Sophomore the Freshman girls have combined to make a baseball team. At a meeting, “Joe” Wallace was made “Cap¬ tain.” We have had quite a little practice and feel sure of success in the game which we expect to have with the Juniors. Teacher in Biology: Under what heading does a fish belong? Bright Soph: Under Water. The report of victories for our boy’s base¬ ball team seems to be rather discouraging. But after playing the Juniors and Seniors the score showed there was yet a chance of success.

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26 THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD that our training was not for ornament or personal gratification, but to teach us how to use ourselves and develop faculties worth using. We learn to be alert, absurd. Gradually we settle to our tasks, and heeding the advice of those who have gone before, develop our determination, conquer our pride, work earnestly and hard, and in time attain our longed for goal, reflecting the credit upon ourselves and our Alma Mater. Margaret Hart, ‘23 -(o)- THE SOLDIER BONUS. (Second Prize.) Many of us have forgotten our country’s entry into the World War, and how our brothers and friends went away to camp and then were sent “over.” Many have forgotten the German drive in the spring of 1918, and how anxiously everyone waited each day for the news and the “Killed in action list.” They were certainly excit¬ ing times, and everyone was happy when word came that “our boys” had won the decisive battle and that the war was over. Then the soldiers were discharged from the army, and given $60.. with which to buy a complete civilian outfit. You do not have to be told how far it went if you will recall the high war prices. Shortly after the soldiers were home, hard times set in and former employers did not make good their promises of the “old job back.” Thousands of the boys, who were given all kinds of promises, are walking the streets, in debt and many are disabled. Then the first ray of hope came. Certain men in the Capitol at Washington thought of giving the soldiers a bonus. A few months later the ex-soldiers learned that all men who served on this side were to receive $1.00 for every day’s service and $1.25 for every day spent on the other side., the first sixty days not to be counted and the limit to be $626.00. What a help this sum would be to them; some almost destitute and others living at the expense of their parents! When the Bonus Bill was first intro¬ duced the President told all ex-soldiers that he was in favor of it. But after the Secretary of the Treasury handed in his statement, the President decided the coun¬ try could not afford it. However, the bill was passed by the House of Representa¬ tives, thus greatly encouraging the ex¬ soldiers. But will the Senate pass the Bill? Will the President sign it? These two ques¬ tions are of vital interest to these young men who have given so much for the free¬ dom of the world. That, my friends, is the situation to-day. The question of greatest concern to us all is: Will the Senate pass the Bill? We ask, why, indeed, should the President not sign it? We feel that it is so little to do for those who were willing to give their all that the neace and safety of the world might be insured. Even mo re, they gave freely that we, who sit here to-day, might enjoy our present state of peace and happiness. Did they hesitate, and argue, and debate, and change their minds when our need for their sacrifice was great? Can our money, as represented by the Bonus, be compared with their lives? We are reminded here of the man who was ill. He was in great pain and called the doctor in the middle of the night. The doctor cheerfully came and relieved him. But when the man was well and the bill for the visit arrived he forgot to pay it. Shall we forget to pay? Shall those who represent us at Washington forget to pay what little lies in their power? Even tho the Bonus Bill is passed, we as a nation can never repay the debt of honor we owe our ex-soldiers. It is so small a part to give towards what we owe, yet we are so loathe to give it. Let us not commit this crime of ingrati¬ tude, by refusing our ex-soldiers the com¬ fort and aid they might receive thru the passage of the Soldiers’ Bonus Bill! Addie Wadsworth, ' 23 -(o)- Jarvis M. Morse (W. L. H. S. ’18) will graduate from Yale University in June, and expects to return next fall to do post¬ graduate work. He has been awarded the Cutler Fellowship in History.