Appleby College - Argus Yearbook (Oakville, Ontario Canada)

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.r? ji( ,. » ' Silver Smithing is time- consuming and requires patience and yet, ironically enough it is highly fascinating. '

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Silver Smithing Workshop Mr. Kielman, the craftsman who taught the silversmithing workshop, originally came from Holland. It was there that he learned his craft, gold and silversmithing. He has been doing this work for a living most of his life, and he is one of the best, if not the best in his field. Appleby was very lucky to have a workshop run by Mr. Kielman. It was Mr. McConnel who organized the workshop. He applied for a grant from the Art Council of Canada which paid for 75 0 of the costs. The school paid the rest, so the only thing the boys in the workshop had to pay for was the silver used in the rings. It was Mr. McConnel ' s goal to run a silver- smithing workshop at Appleby after he himself participated in one in Toronto. The instructor there was Mr. Kielman, so naturally Mr. McConnel wanted him to do our workshop. David Durdan ' Too many people these days lack the ability to express themselves both verbally and artistically; the workshop has given me another media through which I may express myself. ' ' It ' s a satisfying ex- perience to see something you have made yourself and say, I did it and J did it all myself. '

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The bell rang in a distant hallway and ended the hours of the school day. Jamie collected his assortment of books and turned to make his way out of the small schoolhouse. He managed to exit from the classroom without being caught in the current of the rushing older boys. Once he had been sent sprawling, his books carpeting the hallway, and now he was wary to keep his distance. Out in the schoolyard he felt a surge of elation, but then it was ended as soon as it started. His father stood waiting for him a few feet from the gate, half hidden by a tree. He was dressed in overalls, covered in mud and his shirt showed the signs of strenuous work. Jamie glanced around, spotted the group of boys snickering, and quickly walked to his father ' s side. Some pebbles struck him in the back, but he kept on. Together they turned and walked towards their farm at the edge of the county. Jamie looked in desperation at the endless flat horizon of the prairies, and noticed his father was idly chatting. ... and the sow ' s almost at that time y ' know son, soon we ' ll have piglets by the score. He noticed Jamie ' s thoughts were elsewhere so they continued in silence. Once at home Jamie ran to his room to change his clothes for chores. He glanced out the window and spied the enormous waves of the sea and the furious storm whipping the water into a frenzied dance. Lightning flashed and Jamie ' s dad called him to the barn. In the barn Jamie grabbed the bag of oats and lugged it over to the pig stalls. Carefully he poured the grain into the feeding trough. The avalanche cascaded downwards, the snow engulfed trees and whole towns. The entire valley would soon be filled when the pig snorted and Jamie grabbed at the oats bag. He worked through his chores quickly, not minding them much because his mind was in another world. Out in the fields he dug trench after trench with his hoe, braving the scorching sun and the dives of the enemy birds. At supper the clanking of cutlery on china indicated the uneasiness of the family. Halfway through eating his potatoes, Jamie ' s father asked him if he could walk him home from school the next day, he could finish work early. No, Jamie screamed in his mind. Why? The problems I have, trying to explain why you come in dirty clothes, reeking of the barn and the earth. They tease me about you, about how poor we are. Just once, please let me be like the rest, to stay with everyone else. No one else ' s father comes to the school, why me, there ' s no reason! But to hurt your feelings, the embarrassment, isn ' t there a way out? Jamie continued eating in silence, and his father finished eating hi s potatoes. At school the next day Jamie cringed at his classmate ' s teasing, and the day dragged on as usual. Nearing the final bell, he readied himself for the inevitable. He felt no anger at his classmates, no resentment; just envy. The bell rang, the school day ended, and Jamie cautiously made his way to the door. Outside he checked the yard three times, and his father was nowhere to be seen; it was as if his father had read his mind. He felt a tingle up his back, and Jamie realized he was free, for the afternoon. He dumped his books and ran to the group of boys gathered in the centre of the dirt schoolyard. As he joined them Jamie became aware of a huge wall of separation between him and the others. Everyone stared at him, their faces blank. Soon one shouted to him, and gradually all were yelling at him to keep away and get lost. He turned and someone pushed him into the dust. Jamie scrambled up, grabbed his books and ran down the long road towards home. A tear reflected in his eye, and he gathered his thoughts once again. The tear fell to the ground, discarded, as Jamie trudged through the snow against the sharp icy wind. He climbed over huge ice cliffs, and plowed forward in the glistening snow, and clambered across frozen lakes to reach home. Jamie by Rasko Ristic