STUDENT: "Teacher, why is this night unlike any other night?"

TEACHER: "It isn't."

STUDENT: "Teacher, why is this year unlike any other year?"

TEACHER: "It isn't."

STUDENT: "Teacher, why is this war unlike any other war?"

TEACHER: "All wars are hell."

But this is our war and our year and it's different. At least different than expected or advertised. There have been war years before, in fact the classes of 1918 and 1943 which share the festivities with us today saw their class day ceremonies filled with uniforms. But then, in those days, there was a certain pride attached to the wearing of a uniform.

How hard it is to say with packaged words what we felt this year and feel now. How difficult to articulate to those who are here for their twenty-fifth and fiftieth reunions that we, in our own peculiar ways, are trying to remain faithful to our own ideals. But these, once again, are the big words of blasphemy which have become unpronouncable this year. "Ideals." Humph. The tooting of ideals comes to so little in the end.

WE HAVE learned about hypocrisy and perhaps think too much of ourselves for having unveiled the forked tongue of the Establishment. We have, like each new batch of rebels, tried to tickle the testicles of society in order to shake something loose, inject a little jism, a hopeful seed into the metallic womb of America.

There, now that's what I think it's all about. Some, in fact many, may differ. Even among my peers there are those who might have phrased it differently, who don't jive to this gibberish. But who are they to tell me what to say?

MOTHER: "Well Johnny, now that you've graduated what do you plan to do?"

GRADUATE: "Well, I..."

FATHER: "Yes, son, your mother and I have been thinking and we feel that after your $16,000 education it's time that you made something of yourself."

GRADUATE: "Well, Dad I..."

FATHER: "Now before you say a word I just want to remind you that there's still a good place waiting for you at the B&M family business. It's nothing fancy, but doughnuts perform a vital..."