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

Page 16 text:

A Mere Chronicle Of Memories? Many times in the past my mind has worked on two interrelated questions, and I am sure that these same questions will demand much contemplation in the future. But now, on the eve of graduation, on the eve of the most profound change in my life, the implications of these two questions assume new and more direct connections with my life: Of what use is my past? What will, what can, the future bring? Of course, there already exists in my mind a promise to cherish forever in my heart the remembrances of my past, especially the remembrances of my high school past. It is a promise that I will unfortunately keep, for cherished memories will undoubtedly be locked away in my heart as loved but impractical mementoes are locked away in lockets, safe from the relentless passage of time, but ever susceptible to the creeping mildew of uselessness, brown¬ ing lace around a picture of fondly remembered but meaningless experiences. But are experiences, any experiences—momentous, ordinary, physical, psycho¬ logical, or otherwise—impractical, useless, and meaningless? Are things past, things learned by doing, accepted by feeling, assimilated by being—are things past only mementoes and memories? If so, then such experiences, such mementoes, are impractical, useless, and meaningless now. If so, then life is nothing more than a chronicle of memories, significant, exciting, and useful only for the instant of experience. If so, then the future is independent of the past and the is of today and the will be of tomorrow will soon be the was of yesterday, equally insignificant, equally impractical, useless, and meaningless. But life is more than a chronicle of memories; experience is more than impractical, useless, and meaning¬ less actions; and the past, the present, and the future are more than unconnected, unrelated moments in time. One remembers how great June 17, 1968, was, but one can always feel in himself now the effects of the joys, the disappointments, the hopes, the fears, the successes, and the failures—the experiences of the four years pre¬ ceding that date in memory. These effects are the true wealth of experience, the importance of the past so mistakenly thought to be remembrance. For life, life beyond mere biological existence, is more than a one¬ dimensional travelogue of what has been; it is a multi-dimensional creation of experience, a continuous re¬ sponse to what is based upon what has been, constantly changing with each new experience, always exciting in its change, and always significant. Memories, originating after the action, are by their very nature dead, stagnant, dimensionless, and fading. They are ever dependent upon conscious recollection, upon conscious reeval¬ uation, and ultimately upon unconscious readjustment. But experiences, spawned in the heat of action, originally vital, profoundly intricate, and influential on life, are independent of the conscious mind. Unseen, unrecalled, they continually shape our attitudes and our lives, oblivious to change because independent of the conscious mind, they are insusceptible to human forgetfulness. And that is again their true wealth. Experiences are continuously felt, continuously active, whereas memories are only intermittently recalled, each time older, dustier, and less distinct than the last. Experiences, because of their continuous influence, their permanent effects on life, remain vital, profound, and influential parts of life now, whereas memories must remain as occasionally recalled melancholy joys of past life. Few of us remember the occasion of our first success, the first time we walked alone, the first time we said something more than yes or no, but undoubtedly the experience remains. The feeling of personal pride and the happiness of outside recognition continue to spur our drive for additional success, continue to tell us that success is something to strive for, and continue to help define for each of us what success is. This con¬ tinuity, this vitality, this feeling is experience and it is life. And what of the future? Our life now is a continuous product of the past, our life in the future, a continuous product of the present become past. Consequently, the same reasoning holds. The true importance of the future will be in the effects of its experiences—not in the memories it inspires. Upon graduation, a moment in time between a definite past and a hopeful future, our experiences reflect the potentially profound effect of the past four years. Certainly we must fondly remember how we learned, but what we learned must be more than fond remembrances. Certainly our friends and teachers will remain forever in our hearts, but what they taught us must remain forever in our lives. Certainly the fun we had must remain forever as • a memory, but the life we had, the fun and the despair, the accomplishments and the failures, the gained knowl¬ edge and the discarded opinions, the good and the bad—all the aspects of life—must forever remain as influential experience. Certainly graduation is an important date in our diary of memories, but four years of experiences are more important dimensions in our lives. Of course, these thoughts are not all the implications of the original two questions. However, the other implications will uncover themselves upon further thought, for the thoughts too are part of the high school ex¬ perience. But for now, and for the future, let us work, assured that what we do and what we have done are important to us and to what we are. VO Page

Page 15 text:

Miss P. Logan and Mrs. F. Hamblin assist the superintendent with his work. Mrs. W. Cooper, Mrs. D. Smith, and Mrs. R. Cole help to meet the administrative duties of the school. Custodians Mr. F. Gragnolati, Mr. E. Cormier, and Mr. P. Paoletti make additions to improve the school. The student custodians help with the maintenance of the school. Left to right are D. Bongiomi, R. Iskrzak, J. Uchneat, R. Armitage, and P. Bongiomi. Cafeteria Personnel Mrs. E. Raggio, Mrs. J. McKeown, Mrs. D. Colone, Mrs. R. Wal¬ ters, Mrs. G. Prindle, and Mrs. F. Stanger, Jr. prepare the daily meals. LD Page

Page 17 text:

The members of the business board are (l. to r.) S. Johnson, C. Lose, R. Smith, L. Chicoine, T. Shea, M. Curry, P. Camarco, and advisor, Mr. O’Brien. Business Board Mr. O’Brien indicates the important features of a sales receipt to T. Shea, V. Cencak, and C. Lose. R. Smith, C. Lose, and T. Shea do last-minute filing and recording. Mr. O’Brien explains the break down of page prices 13