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

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26 THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD —my chance will come.” He did not have the opportunities that are offered to us, but he made good use of all that were given him. We all know that his chance did come and he grasped it. The example of his great success in life and everything he undertook to do, ought to convince us that opportunities are worth while and teach us to grasp all those which present them¬ selves as we pass, “Out of the Harbor, into the Depths.” Lauretta Rooney, ’23. - (o) - ADDRESS OF THE VALEDICTORIAN EDUCATION THROUGH SCHOOL IN¬ STRUCTION It is well to make a distinction between schooling and education. A man’s school¬ ing is reckoned by the number of institu¬ tions of learning which he has attended, or from which he has graduated, while his ed¬ ucation is the knowledge which he has at hand and uses. A person’s education is due to competi¬ tion. Few people would become educated if it were not for the fact that in order to get a position they want, they must strive to know more than the one who now holds it knows. And this person’s knowledge is what he has gained through schooling plus his experience. Hence it is evident that each generation must know more than the preceding one and in order to get a job in this advanced age a person must have a good education. Many of the people who have been fair¬ ly successful without much schooling say that the idea of going to school so long is all foolishness. They declare that Frank¬ lin, Lincoln, Edison, Ford and other men rose in the world with little or no schooling. The conclusion they reach is, “If others have made good without much schooling, so can the children of to-day.” But in reaching this conclusion they have overlooked something. Although these im¬ portant men did not go to school very long, they were well educated in their line of busi¬ ness. Feeling the lack of schooling they educated themselves by studying after their day’s work was done. The people who make this criticism also owe their success to their education which they obtained chiefly through experience. One may ask then, why not have everyone get his education in this manner. The answer will soon come to them if they try to educate themselves by such methods. It is very difficult to settle down to study after working all day and experi¬ ence is a strict teacher demanding a long and hard course. Among the different ways of getting an education, attendance at school is the best. There the student has the opportunity of getting the most out of his studies as his mind is not troubled by anything else. He also has the assistance and guidance of the teachers who show him what is most im¬ portant in the subject matter. They ex¬ plain what is not clear to him, which, if he were studying alone would cause perplexity and waste of time. The association with the other students also adds a great deal to a person’s education. He discovers how de¬ pendent he is and how much can be accom¬ plished by cooperation. But here the ob¬ jection is made that some subjects taught in school are impracticable. Perhaps they will not be of any direct value, but, of what use are gymnasium exercises, and yet they are considered very beneficial. One never takes these exercises with the idea he will ever use them but that by taking them he trains and developes his muscles. And so it is with these “impracticable” subjects. They train and develop the mind just as athletics and exercises develop the body, and enable the student to concentrate on mental tasks that are before him and ac¬ complish them. You never hear a man complain that he went to school too long, but you often hear him say that he wished he had gone longer. Would Lincoln have gone to school longer if he could? Of course he would. The fact that he studied shows that he would, and if he had, he would have gone through life happier and not so worried as he was. Spending money for an education is the best possible way of using it. The income on the capital invested is large. A glance at the income tax reports shows that few are on the list who are not educated, and the. stock cannot be taken away from you. Since the education needed by the average individual is greater than ever, and school¬ ing is the best way of getting an education, the children of to-day must attend school longer than their predecessors. The means of getting this schooling ik better than ever before. The conditions of the working man are better; grammar schools are everywhere, every town of moderate size has a high school, and most states support a university. And let us hope that the time is not far off when every one will be able to obtain the education he wants.

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THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD » 25 like the greater part of any work if we wish to succeed in it. it is our attitude towaru tnat deteimines our success. It is our meal or motive that ennobles it. Wheth¬ er our work is drudgery or a delight de¬ pends on our reaction to it. li it is drud¬ gery we are not toliowing our vocation and we cannot expect success, lhe service we are rendering is not 01 tne quality it should be. We are spending ourselves in vain, those ol us who nave cnosen the wrong work become discouraged ana ask ourselves: Wnais tne use oi trying. ' wnhe eacn day the work becomes more and more distaste- iui. They become ground-down on tne grinuscone ox me, while those who are do¬ ing the work tney were destined to do, become ponsneu up. mere is plenty ol lncuon in me without increasing it by try¬ ing to do something day alter day, tnat goes against our disposition. it is easy enough to fail. Then why in¬ vite lailuie by cnoosing a good paying po¬ sition now just because tne one we snouid uo, aitnougn it has a good future, requires time and perhaps money tor preparation? It is not the present salary tnat counts but the future. INeither is it tne money reward aione but the satisiaction tne work gives. Through service, ’ we are told, we lind life. Tnen it cenaimy is important tor mgn scnool pupils to cnoose caretully tne vocation oy whicn tney may oest serve the world ' s need, ' tney snoum remember that it will be their work years, pernaps even tor tne rest ot tneir lives. Margaret Carroll -to)- -OUT OF THE HAKJJOK, INTO THE DEPTHS.” “Out ol the ltai oor, into the Depths.” This is the adage tnat we, the Class of 1923, have chosen for our motto, what a world of meaning it emoodies! 1 will try to explain it, especially with regard to what it means to this class. Four years ago, when we entered the Windsor Locks High School, our only am¬ bition was to graduate. Now we have at¬ tained that longed-for goal but everyone of us is already making plans for another destination. In high school we worked hard to attain the heights, but we traveled together. We all bore the same burdens, trials and pleasures. To-night, eighteen of us are here together for the last time. Now each ,one must choose his own separate course, w e cannot rely on the assistance of our teilow classmen, or the advice of our elders; we must learn to pilot our own ship. It was easy enough to follow the ngnt course, or to be rescued from perils vvnen we were in the harbor, but now we are launching far out into the ocean of life where the storms are frequent and fright- tul. Our chief object is to learn to over¬ come these storms or hardships. How are we to do it? We can follow the examples of our predecessors. Other people have succeeded, and, “Where there’s a will, there s a way.’ Let us be determined to leach the highest possible goal, and suc¬ cess will be ours. The great secret of success is Prepared¬ ness. This was clearly demonstrated dur¬ ing the recent World War. Some countries were lully equipped with both skill and ammunition, while others had to spend time and money in preparing to endure misfortunes that had already come upon them. Now is the time for us to prepare for all the trials that the future holds for us, for this is the beginning of a new era in the history of . the Class of 1923. We hope it will be a period of Renaissance or an Awakening to new responsibilities. We have had eight years of grammar school training, and, now that our four years at Windsor Locks High are drawing to a close, we feel that we are prepared, but anyone who has the opportunity to continue his course in the educational field should make every effort to do so, for one cannot receive too much education. It will prove to be one of the greatest assets of our lives, and it has proven itself worthy of all the efforts that are necessary to ob¬ tain it. Opportunity knocks but once. Perhaps it is knocking at eighteen doors to-night. The ouestion is, “How many will respond?’ We all hope to succeed, but unless we learn to grasp opportunity we are lost. The advantages offered to the high school graduate to-day are exceptionally valuable. The important requirement of any position of responsibility or high standing is a high school diploma, and oven a college educa¬ tion is available to almost any student who has the ambition to work for it. It would be well for everyone of us to heed the advice of Abraham Lincoln. His motto was: “I will study and get ready and

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THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD 27 Members of the Board of Education: The class gratefully appreciate what you have done for us in the past four years by your faithful help, advice, and interest. Parents and friends: To you we are greatly indebted. By your generous and loyal support you have en¬ abled us to obtain our high school education. Undergraduates: We thank you for your co-operation in all our undertakings. On every occasion you have served us with a willing and cheerful spirit. Classmates: We are still members of the Windsor Locks High. In a few moments we shall be graduates and may we be as credible to her as alumni as we have tried to be to her as members. Now we are about to leave the harbor for life’s journey and let every one have a definite port to sail to. Before lifting up the anchor to set forth, we bid you all farewell. Nelson Parmelee, ’23. JUNIOR PRIZE ESSAYS. INDIAN RIGHTS. In the early days from the time of Col¬ umbus until the Indians were pushed from the coast, every white man landing in this country was welcomed by the red men. In return for this welcome the Indians re¬ ceived cruelty and injustice. The white man kept pushing him westward. This oppression caused many wais and mas¬ sacres. Very seldom was the Indian paid for the land seized or treated fairly in any way. In 1775 the Continental Congress resolv¬ ed upon a plan to care for the Indian pop¬ ulation. The red men were told to go to the other side of the Mississippi, but the majority of them resisted. When the Government tried to force them, it met with stiff opposition. Finally, however, the Indian had to go into the west. This plan was no better than before, because the settlers who come inland from the west coast were as bad as the others and con¬ tinued to oppress the Indians. In 1830 the government gave territory to the Indians in Oklahoma and the Da¬ kotas. There were various opinions among the Indians. Some were satisfied with a reservation and others were not. The lat¬ ter had much trouble with the United States and caused 1 the historic battles with Custer’s troops. At last the Indians were subdued and peace reigned over the coun¬ try. We had made over one thousand treaties with the Indians and as General Sherman said. “We broke all of them.’’ Then Captain Pratt, not satisfied with seeing things standing still, opened a school for the Indians. They showed such intelligence! that they were admitted to Hampton Institute, Virginia, in 1878. Out of the first three hundred students only twelve failed. Since then they have showed such marked progress in their edu¬ cation and industrial development, that many other Indian colleges have been built. At present only one-fifth of the Indians de¬ pend on the Government for support. There are now three hundred and thirty- six thousand red men in the country and they are pleading the right to vote. Most of the Indians now have an education fully as good as their white brothers and so they claim the rights of a citizen. The Indian is 100% American and has an edu¬ cation. Should color make the difference? Why should a race of people who have all the requirements of a citizen be declared ineligible? The Indian race is worthy of our deepest interest. Here are a people full of natural pride and bound together by a natural feel¬ ing much stronger than we ourselves know, who are looked down upon and misunder¬ stood. It is a nation being reborn and w.e do mot even give it the idle attention of our leisure. It is just beginning to feel the freedom of life under law. If the sorrows and wrongs of the past do not affect us, let us at least sympathize with the hopes of the future, for the Indians are a race of men that showed their great love and loy¬ alty to their native land by sending seven¬ teen thousand five hundred men to France to fight for a liberty that they are not allowed to enjoy themselves. Joseph Conroy, ’24.