Page 48 - 1933 Hartridge

Commencennen+, 1932
JUNE the ninth proved a glorious day for the Seniors as each one had passed all her exams. We watched them walk down the aisle with a feeling of pride and a desire to follow next year in such worthy footsteps.
Dr. Moment opened the exercises with a prayer, after which Miss Wells introduced Miss Ada Louise Comstock, President of Radcliffe College. Miss Comstock’s talk on
China was very interesting.
Then Miss Hartridge addressed the graduating class as follows:
MEMBERS OF THE GRADUATING CLASS:
Men have been so busy creating ugliness on this earth of ours of late—ugly houses, ugly roadsides, ugly cities in the material world; ugly books, ugly plays, ugly pictures, ugly sounds in the world of letters and of the arts; ugly conduct in the world of deeds, of politics, and finance—that 1 feel as if I am sending you forth
on a quest of beauty.
Do not let the ugliness hide from you all that is beautiful. There are still un­ spoiled fields and hills, lakes and streams, if you se-ek for them; still lovely trees and clouds, flowers and stars: still lovely bird songs at dawn and dusk.
The weariness of ugly books and plays you can escape. And if the cheap ruth­ lessness of realtors and radios, the blatant selfishness of politicians, the brutish­ ness of the underworld spoil all else for you. turn your quest of beauty into a war against ugliness. J should wish you well in that fight.
But there is beauty still among your fellow creatui‘es, strive as some of them may to bring about what is ugly—-beauty in the lives of many who go their peace­ ful ordered ways unnoticed; beauty in the effort of many to share with others who are weaker than themselves; beauty in the patience of many who are passing through a time of heartbreaking sti'ain, with hunger and want ever present in their lives or in their thoughts; beauty in the courage with which many wage a never ending war against stupidity and license, cidme and disease; beauty, and pathos too, in the hope with which many greet each new day.
1 like to think that you will look for beauty everywhere, that you will find keen joy in the purity of a line, in the richness of a color or a substance, in the
the
To us you have given much happiness. Some of you have won your way through very real trials in the path of learning; some by force of character and charm hav-e made your student government at Oakwood simple and easy; some by generosity and consideration have lessened the problems of daily living for others,
Our love and our interest are yours always, and in the future as in the past our school is your school.
We left the auditorium in deep thought because this commencement had seemed more than usually impressive. As we said good-by to our friends, we thought of the
life they were about to face, hoping that their success would continue to be as great as it had been at Hartridse.
The members of the graduating class were; Bettina Blanding, Mary Bridges, Marv Helen Crusan, Lucie DuBois. Harriet Frances Franklin, ^label Mapes Howell, Mary
Middleton Rowland, Marion Butler Shallenberger, Jean Smithers, Ruth Lippincott Still­ man, Kathryn Bernice Taylor, I’rances Whitwell.
B. H . , ’33.
Page Forty-six
mystery of a perfume or a note of music; that you will add to the beauty of world if you can and in whatever way you can: that in any case you will bring to it not only understanding but the bravery and selflessness through which some wrongs may be set right, and the love and pity that will make others less cruel and
difficult to be borne.
MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1932: