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

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THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD 17 THE LAST RACE (A Short Story) Johnny burns was running his last race. He knew it, the fans knew it, and the sports writers knew it. It was a marathon, twenty-five miles of hard concrete road, lined with a few spectators along the way. It was a tough race for a young man and still tougher for a man who would never see thirty-five again. Everyone said that Johnny would be finished long before he reached the finish line. But Johnny knew better; he had practiced and trained for six weeks, jogging his daily ten miles, chopping wood, swimming, and riding a bicycle. Little by little he had built up a strong body and great endurance. But a man who had been found half dead in the street from want of rest and starvation does not recover very quickly. True, he had been cared for by an old friend of his, Jim Johnson, who had trained him for the Memorial Marathon race; nevertheless, a man does not recover quickly from two long years of near starvation. These were the thoughts that ran through his mind as he began the last long ascent that led into the city, the end of the race. Suddenly, he felt the first signs of weakness come over him. He knew that as soon as he began to feel tired, the pain would spread all over his body and he would be finished. Drops of perspiration ran down his pain- wracked body, and his aching feet began to bleed. Far away, as if in a haze, he could see the first three runners. Every step was torture, but he managed to keep fifty yards from the third runner. He saw a refreshing clump of trees beside the road and longed to plunge into their cool shade. He turned to the right, and looked for a place to lay his aching body down. Suddenly, he looked down the road and realized that he was at the top of the hill. Before he knew it he was running again, running like a man re¬ freshed and rested. Yard by yard, he won back the distance that separated him from the leaders. His feet pained him, but still he fought on. He was going to finish the race. Ahead of him he saw the leader and realized that he had passed the other two runners! It was then he knew that he was in the city. By a super-human effort he gathered all his strength for the final lunge at the tape. Gone was all the pain, the tiredness; he knew he was going to win. He breathed a joyous sigh of relief as the tape parted across his chest. He wanted to sing, to dance, to shout, all at once, for Johnny Burns was a champion! Joseph Molinari, ’40. THE CLASS TRIP The members of the Senior Class of the Windsor Locks High School anticipated for many weeks the coming of May thirty-first, for on that day they were to journey to New York City. In spite of the heavy downpour of rain that greeted us that Friday morning, the spirits of the class members were not at all dampened. Our first destination after arriving in the great city was the public library where we spent a few minutes in walking through the immense reading rooms and in looking over the many interesting exhibits. Complying with the wishes of many of the girls, we next visited Woolworth’s Five and Ten Cent Store, where a great many souvenirs were purchased. Page

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16 THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD EDITORIALS ▼ THE IMPORTANCE OF A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION TODAY Some pupils look upon high school as a place to while away time until they can leave school, while others are really eager to learn. In the first place those that do go through high school obtain a better background, besides the material things which they learn. They are better able to live in this troubled world today, to cope with its difficulties. Textbooks, discussions, conversations, and the exchange of ideas inspire, promote, and broaden the thoughts and the belief of high school pupils. Textbooks are perhaps especially important because if they are prejudiced, they give a wrong idea of things. For example, there is the story told of two schools, one German and the other French, situated on opposite banks cf the Rhine. In the French school, pupils read in their text¬ books things that made the Germans look barbarous. In the same way the German pupils read how cruel the French were. Thus after school was over, the pupils stood on either side of the river and called each other names. How can there be peace in the world when even children feel this way toward each other? High schools should not only offer the right textbooks an unbiased information, but also higher education should give a basis for discussion and the interchange of ideas between students and teachers. Thus a high school should give a pupil access to sound, unprejudiced information and strive to teach greater tolerance for others while also developing a true love and loyalty for the best standards in one’s own nation. In that way, and only in that way, can we ever hope to break down the deep-set prejudices of races and nations and eventu¬ ally have peace. Angkla Gragnolati, ’42. THE TRIALS OF A SOPHOMORE Oh, such a glorious year that freshman year was! We took plenty of abuse from those upper-classmen, but it was fun. Greenhorns”, they called us; indeed we were green, but it was a pleasant green. If each class had a class song, the sophomores could adopt, ’ Just an In-between”. We are still looked down upon by the proud seniors and by juniors. The freshmen look over our heads to those higher-up. We are commonly known as ’ sophisticated soph¬ omores.” Even our subjects are harder. Last year we were able to go out once in a while at night, but now we just grind away the time, buried deep in geometry or Caesar or something just as puzzling. Sometimes, during the day, we sophisticated sophomores” get so annoyed that we are ready to turn cartwheels in class, and typing is often so exasperating, for as soon as you’re told you can have three mistakes, you’ll make four. You freshmen just be thankful that you are freshmen. When I was in your place I was told that and I never believed it. Now that I know better, take my word for it and get as much out of your freshman year as you can. Cecilia Buckley, ' 42 . oo Page

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18 THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD Our appetites then warning us that it was almost lunch time, we hastened to the Automat where everyone had a very pleasing lunch. After lunch we visited St. Patrick s Cathedral, which is one of the most beautiful structures of Gothic architecture in the world. In the early afternoon we enjoyed a very interesting tour through Radio City. It was certainly a thrilling experience to stand seventy floors above the streets and be able to look down upon the huge metropolis from the top of a skyscraper. A tour of the city under a registered guide had been scheduled for the afternoon. The tour began with a drive along Fifth Avenue and Riverside Drive, a visit to General Grant’s tomb, down to the Battery and the Aquarium, a glimpse of the Normandie and the Queen Elizabeth tied up to their docks, then up Broadway, by the many beautiful churches and Columbia University, and even through the Bowery and the Ghetto sections. It was a very inclusive view of the city for such a short time. After a delicious dinner, we hastened to the famed Radio City Music Hall where a very entertaining program was presented, with the world famous Rockettes performing on the stage. Later in the evening a few of the members of the class went to see Robert Ripley’s Believe It or Not show. All too quickly time had sped on its way and we soon found ourselves again on the train ready for the trip homeward. To say the least, the trip proved to be a real success and one that will long be remembered by the members of the Class of 1940. Ellen Root, 40. In Appreciation The Herald Board and the Class of 1940 take this opportunity to thank all who hare cooperated in any way to make this issue of the Herald a success. o CM Page