Trinity College School - Record Yearbook (Port Hope, Ontario Canada)

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The Camera Club This year has been a difficult year for the camera club. It has been in many cases a year of lost opportunity. As always the club has tried hard to get the camera buffs in the school to- gether for film shows, audio-visual lectures and contests of which there are generally about five a year. The first contest this year was a general con- test for black and white prints taken over the summer. It was quite successful since there were a considerable number of entries and some very good prints. Since then we have had only one other con- test which unfortunately was not as successful as the first. But the club is still plodding along. On November 24th we all went to a photo sem- inar in Toronto by Freeman Patterson. Every- one agreed wholeheartedly that it was an ex- cellent presentation, and it certainly will be on the club’s agenda next year. 6

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So Much for Creativity Over the last mid-term break I visited the Royal Ontario Museum, in order to see the Chinese Exhibition. After queueing up for nearly two hours, I made it inside, and before me was the most beautiful artwork I had ever seen. The Flying Horse, The Jade Suit, The Dancing Actor: these exhibits and a host of others held me fascinated. I marvelled at the ability of an ancient culture to pro- duce such wondrous works of art. While thinking along these lines I realized my own creative futility. This essay concerns my lack of creative ability and my ef- forts to discipline myself to some creative plane. In grade nine I took art with Mr. Blackwood. It took me the whole year to create ONE “masterpiece”! It was the Union Jack with a glass of champagne in the mid- dle. This was my way of expressing that I thought the Commonwealth of nations was decadent! So much for subtle implications! Since that fateful day I have not dabbled in many of the fine arts! In grade ten I tried to do a little photography. I tried to “capture a mood” as so many photographic seminars preached. I just couldn’t develop any semblance of art. In this same year I also took up debating and found that my emotions could sway no person. I didn’t give up after this; I just stopped trying. Since then I have attempted nothing creative. I have done some reading since then and leading psychologists state that by re- citing a certain mantra or chant you can stimulate alpha waves within the brain which are supposed to be indicative of a person’s creativity. With this thought in mind I took up yoga in the hope that my alpha waves would perk up. To tell the truth, I think they’re on strike! A few weeks ago I sat down with the intention of writing some half-decent poetry. I got the page in front of me and my mind went blank. Some people say that creativity is a matter of mental discipline. I thought that my mind would be in fine disciplinary shape after I wrote the Cambridge entrance exam, but still no results! I wonder why it is that I cannot create something original and pleasing to the senses. I want to make something from my hands. A lump of clay which in most people’s hands is potential art in mine is a lump of clay! You have often heard the pen is mightier than the sword. My pen is only useful as a successful blot maker. I suppose I shall have to realize I am no creative genius. I do not have the artistic flare. I rest easy in one fact. I can appreciate the arts. I love to go to theatre and hear the opera. I think watching someone work at a potter’s wheel is like watching a baby develop in God’s hands. Out of a lump of clay the potter produces art! I mar- vel when I see ballet because I realize how hard it would be for me to do those things. I revel at coordination — it seems to be a God-given gift. I will never create “objets d art” as I saw at the Chinese exhibition but I thank God I had the chance to see them and feel the creativity that lies behind them. Tim Brown 5

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We also had the Walkers down at the school for a couple of very good slide presentations. They are a husband and wife team of photojourn- alists and are extremely good photographers. {Thev showed us various photographic tech- niques and a fascinating colour slide presentation on the U.S.S. R. Right now two colour slide projects are under ;wav for Founder s Day. These are presentations approximately eight minutes long on a topic of the bov s choice. With the year half over we can only hope for I bigger and better things. Our aim is to encour- age the beginner and coax him along with our contests, and give him any extra help he may need. For those who are more sure of them- selves, the facilities are here for your most am- bitious photographic endeavours. It has been an up and down year for the club. All the potential is here; it only has to sur- face and show itself. I’m sure it can, and I’m sure it will. C. Hardinge 7