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

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28 THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD OUR WORLD TODAY Our World Today—can you see it by looking about you on a clear day; can you understand the world by traveling around it; or can you comprehend its destiny by reading a newspaper? It may be that these methods would give you a satisfactory answer to these questions but I believe that the best view of the world situation today can be found in the mind of man. Man, whose mind, from the very beginning, has given us our inventions, our business, our massive cities, our commerce, our freedom. our misery, and yes, our very destination, has now given us the most complex world problems. As Daniel Webster once said, Man ' s Mind is the great lever of all things; human thought is the process by which human ends are ultimately answered. Now, man has discovered Atomic Energy and is wondering what will develop from this new and dreaded discovery. One cheerful note is the scientist ' s progress toward peaceful uses of atomic energy; such as, propelling ships, driving turbines and saving lives in a hospital. But man ' s only fault is net found in his war-like attributes. Another serious fault is his love of money. All too many people forget their creator and make money their God. These materialists cannot be expected to notice the simple, good things in the world; such as, a beautiful sunset, a rainbow, or a moon-lit night. Another man-made problem. Communism, is now the greatest present-day threat to the freedom-loving Western world. It is too bad that the unrest in the world now, and eventual peace or war lie in the hands of a few men hiding behind the Kremlin walls. Since the United States is the leader of the democratic world, it is our job to do all we can to reap the benefits of our great democracy and protect these oppressed people if necessary. Nowhere in the world do any other people experience such benefits as our high standards of living and excellent educational opportunities, but foremost in our heritage are the freedoms granted to us by our constitution. In summary, I believe that the basic fault in the world lies in men, and their motives for doing things. Therefore I believe that the only way the world may be improved is to have more men of higher quality. This high quality can be obtained largely by education and God ' s grace. The poet, Alfred Noyes, had the correct thought when he said: I Build us that better world, O, not diminished By one true splendor that they planned on earth And that ' s not done by sword, or tongue, or pen. There ' s but one way, God make us better men. Louis Gai.lerani ' 53 PageD U

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THE HIGH SCHOOL HEHALI) 27 Furthermore, there is freedom of choice in our American heritage which allows us to choose where we may worship, where we may live, and where we may work. These are our sacred rights passed down to us from the founders of this great nation. So let us not destroy this great heritage, but let our object be as Daniel Webster once said: Our Country, Our Whole Country, and Nothing But Our Country. And, by the blessing of God, may that country itself become a vast and splendid monument, not of oppression and terror, but of Wisdom, of Peace, of Liberty, upon which the world may gaze, with admiration, forever!” Dolores Cappanari ' 53 OUR TOOLS The most important tool that we have in life is knowledge. To some people, an education means just a diploma. Although this may be true in one way, in another way an education includes far more. Education should really have three objectives. First and foremost is knowledge or the assembly of a body of facts. This knowledge, furthermore, helps distinguish often between what is right and what is wrong. The second objective of education is skill. In earlier days, skills were taught in the home but in this generation they are taught in schools and in industry. A third, but important, objective of education is the development of the whole being or personality. It goes without saying that a good personality always helps in later life, no matter what occupation a person enters. During current years, education is encountering criticism in three distinctive fields. First, people attack the standards of achievement. They say that until pupils meet a certain standard they should be repeatedly failed. A second area in which there is criticism is in the methods of teaching. Some people think that the teaching techniques are based upon the theories of the require¬ ments of a few who are going to college. Of course this is not true because modern methods of teaching are based on research and experimentation. More and more, the trend is away from the older classical and cultural subjects of the curriculum, by replacing them with vocational subjects and those related to life in the society as a whole. Note the many schools today offering courses in homemaking, industrial arts, driver training, and pre-marriage guidance. Third, criticism arises over the relation of education and religion. However, most schools feel that religious education should be cared for by the particular faiths, and public schools should teach respect for religion and a high code of morals and ethics, but leave to the churches themselves their own teaching of their history and creeds. As a closing, I would like to say that education, our most important tool in life, is the backbone for our national prosperity, achievement and unity. Francis Mocklis ' 53 ON CNI Page

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THE HIGH SCHOOL HEKALI) 29 VALEDICTORY OUR HOPES FOR TOMORROW We, as high school graduates, have hopes for tomorrow. Yes, and we look forward to having them come true. In the horizon we see a peace-loving country with ycung and old citizens working to preserve this tranquillity. This country is America. We, the graduate, can assist with this peace by sustaining high morals and standards in everything we perform. Whether it be in our work or our play, let us try to keep friendship. About us today we have problems and questions arising over the peace negotiations with certain countries. The unsettled disputes in Korea are far from peace. Do we as Americans want this situation or problems to come before us? No, I think not. We love our liberty and freedom. Therefore, it is our sincere hope to continue to spread the light of peace and friendliness to all. Another hope for the future is the inspiration of unity. During the early founding of our nation, the bond of unity kept the colonies together against a common enemy. This trait is justly exemplified in George Washington ' s FAREWELL ADDRESS. The Unity of Government which constitutes you one people is also now dear to you. It is justly so; for it is a main pillar of the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquillity at home, your peace abroad, of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very Liberty, which you so highly prize. We could say that unity is enough, but do we dare stop here? Faith, which is the stepping stone to success, is truly needed in any enterprise. Furthermore, let us inspire people to look to the future, as our forefather did, with faith in ourselves, in our country, in humanity and in God. Let us consider our class motto, TODAY WE FOLLOW, TOMORROW WF. LEAD as a guide which will help us keep our peace, unity, and faith for the future. Therefore, classmates, as we leave our four years of high school behind us, may we go into the future as leaders with high hopes and high spirits. Ruth Pomkroy