Woodbury High School - Warrior Yearbook (Woodbury, CT)

Page 15 text:

 Finally, the non-partisanship and the permanence of mathematics should be emphasized. Mathematical studies are free from all prejudices, passions, sentiments, and feelings. Democratic mathematics is the same as Republican, Methodist mathematics is the same as Catholic, and Chinese mathematics is the same as American. Ruclid’s theorems are as true now in English as they ever were in Greek. The fundamental ideas and rules of procedure in mathematics are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Mathematics will endure forever, for, in the words of Kepler, The Laws of Nature are the mathematical thoughts of God.” Classmates: This business of saying farewells, is at all times a sad one. There is, added to the sorrow of parting, a tinge of jealousy of those who have yet another year within the walls of High School. We have long looked forward to this night, but it seemed far distant. Now that we’re actually graduating we feel reluctant to leave the shelter of school and go forth, into what seems to be another world. To the faculty we wish to express our appreciation for their kindness to us. We charge the present and future students of Woodbury High School, to continue to uphold the high traditions of the school, so that, in later years we may point to it with pride and say: That is our school.” In return, let us all strive for success, to the best of our ability, so that our school may be proud of us. And now, farewell, and stand fast! SALUTATORY ESSAY Oscar Lovdal Members of the School Board, Supervisor, Faculty, Parents and Friends of the Class of 1932; We welcome you to these, our graduation exercises. We assure you, that it is largely through your efforts that we are able to have these exercises tonight, and we thank you. The Importance and Development of Forestry. When the Colonists first came to America, they found here, forests, unequalled in any part of the globe. Yet, instead of being a help, as the forests are to us today, they were a continuous menace. Forests covered the land needed for the raising of crops and they harbored Indians and wild beasts of equal ferocity. To these early settlers the supply of timber seemed endless and it is not to be wondered at that they cleared the forests ruthlessly, with little or no thought for the future. Today we know that forests are vital to a nation’s existence. Let us consider a few things that forests do for us, in order that we may realize how important they really are. In the first place, wood from forests is used in structural work, and in this work no good substitute for wood has been discovered. Steel and cement, which are replacing timber in the building of bridges, require a vast amount of lumber for their manufacture and transportation. Enough sawed lumber is used in the United States every year, to make a board walk, three feet wide, and extending six times around the world. This does not include the amount of timber used for fuel or in paper making. One daily paper in New York consumes no less than twenty-five acres of spruce forests for each of its Sunday editions. These are direct uses of forests and even if it were possible to do without these, it would prove even more difficult to dispense with the indirect uses. Secondly, forests are necessary at the headwaters of streams. The trees break the force of the rain drops, and the forest floor, acting like a large sponge, absorbs rainfall and prevents runoff floods. The Spring uprising of the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers is due largely to the lack of forests at their headwaters. The third important influence of forests is that which they exert upon the climate of the country. Large bodies of timber land tend to make the climate more moderate. It is often noted that it is warmer in Winter in the forests than it is outside in the open field, while in the summer, the reverse is true. For a long time, scientists in this country would not accept the theory that forests had any influence on rainfall. Recent investigations have proven quite conclusively, however, that rains in the interior of Continental America are dependent, to a large degree, upon the presence of large bodies of timber, standing in the track of prevailing winds. The fourth reason why it is necessary that forests be maintained is in order that birds and animals may continue to live in them. If the birds are killed, insect attacks increase almost immediately. Lastly, the value of forests as health resorts must be considered. Statistics prove that the condition of sixty per cent of the tuberculosis patients going to the Adirondack mountains is vastly improved. .in ufun » .f n ........... r i n P r i i - i ‘ Page Fifteen

Page 14 text:

 Commencement ibbresses; Valedictory Essay The History and the Value of the Science of Mathematics Sidney S. Platt Mathematics is a science which deals with magnitudes, quantities, numbers, and their rela- »» tions. As long ago as Three Thousand, B. C., the Egyptians knew a great deal about mathematics. Many of their methods, to be sure, were cumbersome, but Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry were all understood, to some extent. The Babylonians, too, knew something of the science, and they made use of it in their study of Astronomy. The Greeks worked out a theory of numbers, but they were chiefly interested in Geometry, and they left little to be discovered in that field. Although the Romans made little contribution, the Hindus and Arabs developed to a creditable degree. Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and even Astronomy. It is not fair to give the Arabs credit for our modern system of numbers, as is usually done, for the Hindus invented it, and the Arabs merely borrowed it. The results of this Oriental study were carried to Spain, by the Arabs, and in a short time, Europe began to take an interest in mathematics. The Renaissance gave new birth to Mathematics, and from this time forth development of the science was fairly rapid. Descartes, who lived in the seventeenth century, made elementary Algebra practically what it is today. Other great names in the history of mathematics are those of Kepler, whose contributions to Geometry were epoch-making; Newton and Leibinitz, who practically remade higher mathematics, by their discovery of the principles of Calculus. Though the work of these masters left little to be done in regard to the fundamental theories and principles of mathematics, these later centuries, have been by no means idle. They have evolved many new methods and applications, some very difficult, and beyond the reach of any but scholars; others, which have as their object the simplifying of the lower branches of the science. The invention of the Arabic numerals was one of the very first steps in simplification. In order to appreciate this fact, just try to keep your accounts in Roman numerals. Any one who has studied Geography, Physics, or Astronomy knows that he has had much use for mathematics. He knows, too, that he has used numbers, not as abstract things with no connection to the concrete afairs of life, but, rather, as a means of finding out certain very definite facts. This phase of mathematics which considers theories and principles, only as they are related to the material world, is known as Applied Mathematics.” Pure Mathematics treats of theories and principles for their own sake.” The student who masters the multipication table is studying Pure Mathematics; it makes no difference to him whether he is considering grains of sand or the solar system, for two times eight makes sixteen, in either case. The tendency at the present time is to make mathematics, as studied in the schools, more practical and to give problems which have a definite relation to the life of the pupil. There are two principle values of mathematics, as encountered in school, namely; the practical values, and the mental values. Most of us spend our time working, earning money, with which to buy merchandise of one variety or another. In buying, a knowledge of mathematics is not only practical, but essential, if one does not wish to be cheated. This incident, from my own experience, is offered in illustration. Once there lived in my neighborhood, a woman, who knew nothing of mathematics. She went to the market to buy some meat. She took the meat, and paid one cent to the clerk. She then stood waiting for some change. The meat man, who knew something of mathematics, told her she hadn’t given him enough money. Some clerks, knowing her deficiency would have taken advantage of her. More people than you imagine, are in a similar plight. Of what use is mathematics in training the mind? Mathematics, because of its being pure logic, stripped of all sentiment and prejudice, stands out as a fine subject with which to train the mind. Common sense and observation tell us that something worth while does happen to the boy who uses his mental powers methodically and vigorously. He is forming a habit of thinking in an orderly fashion. Is there another habit more valuable? Page Fourteen

Page 16 text:

These considerations help us to see that a shortage of timber would be almost as disastrous as a famine in food-stuffs. How can we prevent such a shortage? Forestry is defined as, the raising of repeated crops of timber upon soils unsuited to Agriculture. Its object is, to discover and apply the principles according to which forests are best managed. In 1881, the Division of Forestry, now the United States Forest Service, was first organized as a branch of the department of Agriculture. It was established in order to carry on investigations in regard to forestry and the preservation of trees. For several years the Division of Forestry was nothing more than a department of information. It was not until 1891 that the Yellowstone Park Timberland Reserve,” was created by a special proclamation of President Harrison. Since that time the United States Forest Association has made rapid progress and now, from 2,600 to 5,000 people are in its employ constantly. The United States government now controls slightly more than one-fifth of all the forests in the United States. This is fortunate because our forests are not apt to be so quickly depleted, when owned by the government, as they are, when owned by private individuals. Progress is also being made in state forestry. Not less than thirty-two states are actually engaged in state forestry work. The cooperation of the Federal government with the state governments under a provision of the Weeks Law,” which appropriates small sums of money for forest protection, provided the state will appropriate an equal or greater amount, has done much to encourage the establishment of systems of forest protection. Communal forestry, or the ownership by the commuity, of tracts of timber land, is one of the most promising possibilities of forestry. Massachusetts has fifty-six such forests and doubtless other states will take this method of adding to their revenue and of transforming waste land into something much more useful. In Germany and Switzerland many of the smaller towns own communal forests from which a substantial revenue is obtained. The City of Zurich, for example, has in its possession a forest of nearly 10,000 acres, from which a net revenue of 7.50 per acre per year is obtained. This of course, is an exceptional case, for even in France, where forests are exceptionally well managed, a yield of little more than 2 per acre is obtained. In the United States, if cheap land is planted, the forests well managed and cared for, there should be a yield on this investment of from four to five per cent interest based on present stumpage value. Of course, in time, because of our diminishing timber supply, even greater profits may be realized. One of the greatest drawbacks to forest development is that of taxation. When timber is taxed five to six per cent of its full value per year, as is done in some of the western states, the forests are soon cleared, because the taxes eat up all the profits. A great deal of work is being done at present, to protect the forest from its enemies, the greatest of which is fire. This is done through education. The various states are also building up fire protection forces composed of look-out men, patrolmen, and rangers. Insects are also serious enemies of the forests. If it becomes known that an insect has made its appearance in a forest, every possible effort is made to prevent its spread, Federal and State governments cooperating. It has been estimated that 100,-000,000 damage is done annually, by insects. Today, every civilized country in the world, with the exception of China, has some sort of forest policy. Forestry is fast being recognized as a profession, not only highly honorable, but one absolutely essential to the permanent prosperity of the nation. In the words of Theodore Roosevelt: A people without children would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost as hopeless. Forests which are so used that they cannot renew themselves, will soon vanish, and with them, all their benefits. When you help preserve our forests or plant new ones, you are acting the part of good citizens.” CLASS DAY SPEECHES CLASS GIFTS Irma Judson—Brewster Reichenbach To Florentine Curtiss, who, as you may know Is very, very quiet. We give this loud horn, hoping that she. May be able to cause a riot. Page Sixteen