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

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This is of course a very mild illustration when contrasted with Victor Frankl's experiences in a con- centration camp, but it brings Nietzsche's aphorism down to a level where most people can identify with it, for very few people have endured such punishment as his. Nietzsche's major premise is that suffering of some kind is a part of life, which few people would dispute. Frankl, in his book Man 'S Search For Meaning, shows that suffering is not only a part of life, it also makes life more complete. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete, says Frankl. Rilke states, How much suffering there is to get through, for he view it as a mere stage on the way to a full life. Another important premise is that man wants to survive in completeness and, if possible, to gain something from all this suffering. Frankl says, One could make a victory of those experiences, turning life into an inner triumph or one could ignore the challenge and simply vegetatef' The important thing is to choose the hard path that will lead somewhere, for if you decide to stop cycling when the legs get tired, don't expect to gain much from the ride. There are infinite reasons for being subjected to pain but in the end the goal is the same. You want to prove what kind ofa man you are and that your body. mind, or emotions can take anything and in doing so you become the sort of complete person you are striving to be. You will always be aware of the limitlessness of your mind's capabilities and what you have experienced, no power on earth can take from you. Says Frankl, Whatever we had gone through could still be an asset in the future. Whether your suffering is a one-mile run or twenty years in solitary confinement, if it hasn't killed you or your mental ability to choose your own path and think your own way, then it has made you stronger. . . . DAVID CHERNUSHENKO . . .

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Gavin lnce Langmuir Writing Awards First Prize Essay Perseuerance - On a Bike or in a Prison Camp veryone has heard such expressions as, hard work will do you good or you appreciate good things most after you have experienced bad, and while some people will agree with g g this advice, others may DOI, Usually such advice comes from a well-meaning parent trying to ' make you tougher and a better person. Friedrich Nietzsche coined a phrase to the same effect only his wording was a little harsher. What does not kill me makes me stronger, is the way he chose to express the idea that whatever suffering one endures during his lifetime will actually help him or make him a better person. The idea of suffering must be examined so as to determine the validity of Nietz- sche's statement, for suffering includes the concepts of physical pain, mental stress, and emotional trouble, When undertaking a lengthy physical activity such as a l00-mile bike ride, all three forms of suffering surface. For the first 50 miles there is no pain whatsoever. but by the 75th mile the mind develops a concern for physical problems and pain - Will the legs be strong enough to finish the ride? When they reach a point of extreme pain and scream at you to stop, it becomes necessary to turn off the suf- fering ofthe body and call on the emotions for help. The emotions can be counted on to say things such as. prove you're a man or show you've got guts, until about the 95 mile marker. At this point you've almost arrived but, not only is the body suffering now, even the emotional encouragement has reversed itself saying, What the hell are you doing here or give it up you foolish masochistf' Now you're running on empty and only sheer willpower and mental ability, to block out the pain and think ahead, will get you through. Lfpon arrival there is no elation, for it takes awhile before the actual accomplishment sinks in. When at last you have recovered, there is nothing but good feelings as you have proven to yourself that the mind can override the emphatic pleas of the body and the emotions. Your endurance has made you stronger in all three ways: The body is more physically fit: The emotions are saying, What an achievement! and the mind is now capable of encouraging the body to go to even greater heights as it is now aware ofthe ov er-all capacity increase.

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FIRST AND SECOND PRIZE POEMS Danny s First Barthday A wade-eyed chtld Tears open another gxft and gurgles lnnooently Unaware of eyes Jealous Evaaively hidlng the sweat and spate of Minimum wage work behind This wonderful day Seemg his reality too close to therr memories They shallowly smtle to protect has mnooenoe Too qunckly had they lost thenr own College Athlete Two hundred pounds of restless muscle Wnth seholarslup letter cheerleader and marks Guaranteed Sleeps through class and dreams Of the pros Thmlung not of his chances Ambltnously Two hundred and fifty pounds of hstless memones With only his sympathy and pnty Guaranteed Sleeps through lnfe and dreams Of what mtght have been Relatxng to his lonely beer has college days Regretfully Douglas Grant Q 1