, Dan Nye
een
Isrein
roug up nn
By DAN NYE
Brothers & Sisters,
Since we were small we have
accustomed ourselves to receiving
some sort of reward for our good
deeds, from gold stars in
Kindergarten to the honor roll in
high school, recognition has been
given us by our parents, teachers,
and community in order to
encourage further good deeds.
Our bad actions have been
punished by anything from a
good spanking to a loss of
privileges.
We have thus been brought up
in a make-believe world where all
good is rewarded and all bad
punished.
Tonight, this changes.
Very soon, maybe even
tomorrow, we will discover that
very few people are going to care
if we live or die. We, the class of
71, shall go the way of every class
and find out that the world is not
at all as we have been led to
believe. We shall see that no one
really cares if we make $4.75 an
hour or if we get an "A" at
college. Our good deeds will be
met with total apathy, if not mild
scorn.
In addition we will see wrongs
go unpunished and many, if not
rce
By JERRY MANN
This school should, but sadly
doesn't, fulfill it's commitment to
the community and to the
students. I view the latter, the
,chool's commitment to the
students, as foremost in
importance and zts comrnHment
to the community only
secondary. It must be this way or
the entire educational process
becomes stagnant and immobile
as we are wmmssing here and
throughout this country. 'Io
provide the students width an
environment which is conducive
tc~ learning and a curriculum
which is varied and liberal is not
asking too much. This is nlost
cer tatnly within the range of
possibility for the Shelton School
by:-,{ C m.
But this type of education
cannol exist if the administrators
ears
and educators insist on
reinforcing the petty fears and
absurd hang-ups which now
premeate the main body of our
affluent society.
These fears and hang-ups are
inimical to the learning mind.
They adversely effect the
intellectual, emotional, and social
growth of the individual. They
have no place in the school. They
should be there. One widely held
myth is the belief thal exposure
to another way of thinking, is
sure to breed radicals who's only
goal is to see the destruction of
existing society. But there's the
contradiction. It's not the
exposure and understanding of
different ways of thinking that
initially fosters social revolution.
Just the opposite. It's the narrow
and confining view of life which
present education supports that
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an
ignites the fire o1 social upheaval.
Another school practice which in
reality is counter-productive to
the educational process is the
belief that as an incentive to learn
9
ma
our
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ers
puc
up
le
By GAlL HASBROUCK
Twelve years ago as we were
entering the first grade the
schools in North Carolina were
closing their doors to all students
both black and white. They were
protesting a Supreme Court
decision saying that the schools
must integrate. School board
members in that state requested
an additional two and one half
years. The Federal Government
intervened and said that it would
be impossible, they must integrate
and they must do it now. So the
Governor of North Carolina
promptly closed the schools.
Throughout grade school we
saw our country show its military
strength through word and action.
We saw them pull a bluff in 1961
during the Cuban Missile Crisis
and we saw the Vietnam conflict
escalated to such a point that you
couldn't even pick up a
newspaper without being
confronted with the bloodshed
taking place there.
Gall Has Brouck
iw i i in u al i
Page 14 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, June 17, 1971
Jerry Mann
elievewo
most of us, will be completely
bewildered at the shattering of
our ideals in the stark reality of
the REAL world. Some of us will
seek obscurity in a total
conformity to whatever society
demands. Others will take their
newly found freedom of being
away from direct authority and
abuse it to its utmost in order to
"show the world". Others of us
will revert to childhood and
scream and kick against the wails
of a cage we can't even see.
Some, how many no one
knows, will stop amid the
confusion of the world and ask
"what is right?" These ones, as
they ask themselves this question,
will discover life's real meaning.
They will find that the true and
real joy in performing any task
comes from ones" personal pride
and gladness in helping humanity
through one's deeds, and not in
the false pride brought on by
society's acclaim for one's deeds.
They will realize their own
limitations as well as the fact that
they cannot change the world or
even another human being, but
that they can find peace, true
peace, by being honest with and
by knowing themselves. They will
see that it is not a Bachelors
degree in a prestigious job which
makes for happiness, but an inner
peace in knowing that your doing
what's right for you.
They will realize and perform
their responsibilities as citizens.
not of a town, state, or nation,
but as citizens of the world and
their every deed will be directed
towards improving the lot of all
the people not just a select few.
These people, while they may not
be leaders in a political or social
sense, will be leaders in their own
way, because of their willingness
to help those less fortunate.
It is this type of person we
should all strive to be, and to do
this we must realize before it is
too late, that the world is not the
idealistic place we have been led
to believe it is, but in spite of that
it IS possible to achieve an inner
peace so great as to nullify the
effect of all the evil of the world.
For if we are ever to find our God
- no matter who or how we
believe in him, we must find him,
not just within a church or
religion but within ourselves and
in union with our brothers and
sisters in love throughout the
world.
In grade school we were
shown films of children our own
age who had never really had time
to be children. They came from
war or weather torn countries
where they were forced to take
on the responsibilities of their
younger brothers and sisters
before they even had time to
grow up.
In the Spring of 1967 we had
finally finished the eighth grade
and according to all state
regulations no more formal
an
ups
there must be a immortalized
student at the head of each class
who serves as a collective goal
towards who everyone strives.
This produces not only people
alienated from themselves but
also a fair amount of so-called
"failures."
None the less in the face of
impending doom the school, as an
institution, will not take the
necessary steps in order to bring
sanity to education. They seem
content in their policy of
isolationism. But it's a
psuedo-security in the belief that
remaining static is the best way
face the multitude of changes
which now confront the school
and the race of man in general.
There can be no security in such a
policy. There can only be security
when the school positions itself in
the forefront of change.
This time in history must be
acted upon and allowed to evolve
with or without the aid of
established education.
wor]
an
on
By SUPT. LOUIS GRINNELL
Your class motto "We have
only just begun" is very
appropriate because the meaning
of commencement is the
beginning. The question is where
do you go from here?
Elizabeth Campbell, the
famous English actress around the
turn of the century said, "I don't
care what people do as long as
they don't frighten the horses in
the street." I guess a lot of horses
are being frightened and our age is
being referred to as the age of
anxiety. This may be true, but 1
think we could, also, refer to it as
the age of the big excuse. We can
think of excuses for everybody
and we can just understand each
other to death. We have built in a
education was necessary. But we
didn't quit school and go to work
to support ourselves orour
family. We didn't have any
responsibilities except for our
school work and our friends.
In the tenth grade we learned
that in the United States that year
4.5 million people Would become
involved in a life of serious crime.
And that two out of every one
hundred people would become
victims of those criminals before
the year was out.
And when we were juniors
studying U. S. History we were
again reminded that people
starved to death in the world;
they not only starved to death in
China and in Pakistan, but they
starved to death in the United
States and they starved in
Washington state.
Two new words entered our
vocabularies this year. Pollution
and Ecology. By now all of us are
familiar with these words and we
all know one hundred and one
ways to cure the problem
ourselves.
Now before 1 close lets go
back to the south. Those same
students who had to fight to even
be able to start to school are now
finally graduating twelve years
later. One girl while walking home
from her graduation was gunned
down in the streets and killed.
Our class motto was well
chosen for, compared to other
people our age in different parts
of the world or the United States,
We Have Just Begun. But we
aren't starting with a clean slate,
it's our job to pick up where
, others have left off. We simply
build on what has already been
constructed, or we tear that down
and build on the rubble.
morles are
aln
come more precn
By LARRY OLLI
Well, friends, classmates,
parents, teachers, and those
concerned :
We've finally made it, to this
day anxiously awaited by each of
us. Through l 2 years (tninimum
of 1 2 years), reaching this day has
been the number one objective of
our going to high school.
Regardless of the many other
facets of a high school education,
graduation is and has been the
ultimate goal.
The thoughts and feelings
concerning this day are, l'm
certain, as great in number and as
varied as there are people seated
in this gym tonight. Regardless of
the individual visions and personal
.joys of this day there are two (2)
Larry Olli
onng,
I
big framework of excuses and
understandings that take the
responsibility from people and
gives them a complete
explanation of why they aren't
going to do anything. The
problem is that if we are going to
mat nt ain freedom, democracy,
and civilization, the responsibility
is going to be with the individual.
1 think adults generally listen
to the moral statements of youth,
such as - love of mankind is
beautiful, prejudice is bad,
poverty should be irradicated,
bigotry is unkind, pollution is a
problem, hate is bad, war is evil,
peace is good, etc. These ideas or
major thoughts that apply to us yearbooK)
all and which have been relive our
undoul~tedly entering and recall the
re-entering every graduates mind o f o ur
throughout this day. memories are
First, is the realization that more precioUS
after tonight this 12 year and we are
campaign and experience will be school in its
over. Next fall we won't be The
returning to these lockered halls most preVa
and tunneled walkways as has everyone's
been the tradition for 12 years, of what the
Our high school days will become individuals.
a memory, a completed chapter choice of
of the past; we'll never be able to been quite
re-act the times, re-do the prescribed
p roblems, re-create the school, and
excitements, or re-schedule the this is no
events. Only through our this time on
memories (and the Saghalie, exists. Our
interests
dimension 0
resp onsibilitY'
The
open to us
include:
1. Further
pursuing
working
school,
technical
college
universitY'
2. Work
8to5
most
grandpa
requnre
which is just another name for
society, wants youth to tell us
about things we don't know,
mainly how to solve these
problems we all know exist. There
are no easy solutions to tough
problems. For here like Through
3. Travel "
greater
today
past, it t~
but the
the
person.
4. Marriage
forever
to engage
new allC
anything
us, is
make
others
choice
5. Ar
obligatr
boys.
high our
importa
varies
armed
choice an(
Louis Grinnell
6. Playing
although ~
as a
fulfills a
person
for
check.
the enjoym~
life that
desirable.
Along
certainly
and choices a
With
and
paths, we
the Looking Glass, Alice found In a
that conclusions were written first exposed
Life ?
and introductions last. 1 don't
know what some of today's provide for,
and live
hang-loose, uninhibited RegaZ
philosophy covers up, but 1 hope chosen or
whatever it is will be positive and
beneficial to our democracy, is
future
So be consistent. If you reject matter
materialism, then you should
the
reject the idea that someone else
precepts weren't invented or should buy your bread. If you spend his
conceived in 1971 or 1871 or in want to preserve the environment future will
71 A.D. 1 think the establishmcnt, and your thing is pollutionof the preS
control - start by throwing your Scott
pop cans in the proper recepticle, quite well:
If you believe that the love of , ,The
mankind and the brotherhood of weekend,.
men is paramount, then start with
[
end, folio
and was a
Frora
that,
future
your parents and your own
brothers and sisters.
Of course, it's easy to reject
society and drop out. There is no
effort needed at all, but no
rewards of any consequence are
available. The workers and
builders will be here long after living,
those who do nothing but sit class,
around rapping and whining
about their lot in life. Those who In
are afraid to face life and drop to you a
from one
out through the drug scene are members
finding out the beautiful baloon is
filled with hot air. us all,
Perhaps mankind is not so far what I
the
removed from the old simian
thirst or the amoeba on the beach
as to be Godlike. But each of you
can do something to make a great
nation a little better. It won't be the
have
easy. It will help to improve your Well,
skills through on-the-job training, I'd like to
college, trade school or whatever at the pa
to increase your ability tolike to
contribute to a better society, parties
The new world is going to require year
an honest day's work. I know
everyone hopes you will feel and
internal satisfaction and happiness and
with your job, but this won't be
required. You'll have to grow and with us
and have I
strew most of the rose petals you Also
find in your path from now on. appreci~
1 hope each of you will do as
well as your parents have done for parents
A
this country and this world. It's a
little better because of their congratl
efforts. Of course, they've had an and
opportunity you haven't had as the
yet - they've paid a price and here
they've paid a bill. Maybe
somewhere along the line, if you to ,,it
haven't already done so, it might
be relevant to thank them for it. SENIOlt
