CLASS DAY ORATION Equipped with a glistening white armor, mounted upon a mighty black charger she rode, that maid of France, and follow- ing her as she rode was a host of loyal country-men. Somewhere within the confines of their Nation a city lay besieged by a bold and powerful enemy whose native land lay just beyond the chan- nel. It was imperative to French Union and French Liberty that the mighty fortress of Orleans did not fall a prey to the assaults of its Briton foes. Joan of Arc, inspired by the traditional bravery of her race, and fired with undying love for her country, dared to ride into the very midst of the fray and save the day for a victori- ous France. At length she gave up her life for her Nation, but her glorious acts will never be forgotten, her life forms, without doubt, the brightest spot in French History, her deeds have in- service into the hearts of the citizen of every Nation. We need spired and will continue to inspire patriotism and a desire for men and women today of the same caliber as this Maid of France. As the Americans of today, we are living in an age when greater problems are confronting the human mind than have con- fronted men since the beginning of the world. They are the prob- lems of a Reconstruction period which must necessarily follow a great World War, such as has torn the Nations of the Earth assunder and has caused them to look to a new generation to re- establish and rebuild that civilization which was the work of cen- turies. Upon our shoulders and upon the shoulders of coming generations must fall the great burden of these problems. The men of today ha.e served and are serving well the age in which they live but they cannot but leave much to be yet accomplished. How may we, coming into citizenship in such perilous times, cope with the situation as it stands? The answer is, thru service. And what does Service mean? It means living our life in such a manner that the world may be better for our having lived. We remember the name of Napoleon Bonaparte, that greatest mil- itary genius the world has ever produced, but we do not love or respect it. He conquered whole armies, he established a mighty Empire, but he did it to magnify his own name and give it a place in the pages of History. Then, when his power was withdrawn it fell and vanished from the face of the earth. On the other hand, we have Abraham Lincoln, that great American patriot and states- man, whose life was a life of service, whose thoughts were not centered all in self, and who through his devotion to the great cause of Liberty and through the great service he rendered to his Nation in her hour of need, has built for himself an immortal name, which will endure through all time and will grow greater with the passing of the centuries. The true metal of Service is devotion to others. Selfishness is that dross and alloy which gives the unsound ring to many an act which has been called glorious. It is not valor alone, which meets a thousand ene- mies upon the battlefield or scales the walls in some forlorn hope that is of gold. It may be, but more often it is that greed of fame, lust of plunder or fear of shame, that prompts the action. It is the spirit that gives itself for others, the temper that for sake of country, of duty, of kindred, nay, of pity even unto a stranger, that will dare all things, endure all things, risk all things and meet death itself, that counts. We have spoken of the problems which are of so much importance to the Nation today. ln both the Industrial and Political World we find that turmoil and those disturbances which must come from the transition now taking place. We can no longer live as we have always lived nor can we live according to the custom of our ancestors. Progress and advancement prohibit it. Yet, we want no autocracy of either Labor or Capital and the most socialistic of us do not desire our Nation to resemble Russia of today, but in this Construction Period following the Destruction of the past few years these and even more dangerous points must be passed be- fore we can again enjoy t'he blessings of uninterrupted peace. We, each and every one, have our place to fill in this World Program. No one can do it for us, even if they would, and we cannot do it ourselves unless we are willing to sacrifice personal feelings and personal ambitions for the good of many. In other words, we must serve-serve to the very best of our ability and in our service remember those words of the Master of men, Whosoever of you will be chiefest, he shall be servant of all. Our class of this year has chosen as its motto one which we believe should be t'he motto of every loyal American citizen if he is to leave to posterity a heritage of which it will not be ashamed. That motto is the one Latin verb, Servamus, meaning We Serve. Servamus, -if that word could become the watchword of every American citizen and if their lives could become the embodiment of its spirit, we could gain a glimpse through the mist surrounding the Present Age and in those future times perceive a new and better America, an America in which a glorious era of Peace had dawned which made happy the life of every individual and placed America more truly than ever before at the head of all nations. A glory shines before us of what mankind shall be, Pure, generous, brave and free, A dream of man and woman Diviner still than human solving problems old, Shaping the age of gold, Ring bells in unreared steeples, The joy of unborn peoples, Sound your trumpets far off blown, Your triumph is your own. GERTRUDE HESTON, '20.
Are you trying to find old school friends, old classmates, fellow servicemen or shipmates? Do you want to see past girlfriends or boyfriends? Relive homecoming, prom, graduation, and other moments on campus captured in yearbook pictures. Revisit your fraternity or sorority and see familiar places. See members of old school clubs and relive old times. Start your search today!
Looking for old family members and relatives? Do you want to find pictures of parents or grandparents when they were in school? Want to find out what hairstyle was popular in the 1920s? E-Yearbook.com has a wealth of genealogy information spanning over a century for many schools with full text search. Use our online Genealogy Resource to uncover history quickly!
Are you planning a reunion and need assistance? E-Yearbook.com can help you with scanning and providing access to yearbook images for promotional materials and activities. We can provide you with an electronic version of your yearbook that can assist you with reunion planning. E-Yearbook.com will also publish the yearbook images online for people to share and enjoy.
