Blumenhof High School - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Blumenort, Manitoba Canada)

Page 9 text:

THE BURDEN OF THE WORLD “Bowed by the weight of centuries he leans Upon his hoe and gazes on the ground, The emptiness of ages in his face, And on his back the burden of the world.” Edwin Markham Markham’s burdened labourer was the symbol of the cruelty of the Industrial Revolution. Nowadays, a more fitting picture of the world’s burden-bearer is a man reading the newspapers. He leans on his foam- rubber arm rests and gazes into the eyes of starving children, he frowns back at angry mobs and blanches at the horrors of modem warfare. We cannot afford to let the emptiness of indifference creep over our faces. There is too much to be done. Is it too far-fetched to think that we might find the keys to peace and civil order as we study our own history and that of the world? At least we can study chemistry and biology so that those children can be fed. A high school education should make a person a more responsible burden-bearer for the world. Mr. G. Klassen STRIVING FOR MATURITY Webster’s dictionary defines the noun “maturity” as “a state or quality of being mature; ripeness; full development.” This is a state which none of us can claim to have achieved. Our present experience is more appropriately described by the verb “mature” for it means “to bring or hasten to matur¬ ity.” When the doors of our high school open in fall, a group of eager young people crowds into the grade nine room. They should be used to school by now. Nevertheless, this is a new experience. This is high school. They are not quite sure what is expected of them. Instead of being the oldest group, they are the youngest. Everything seems to be so different! This period of uncertainty does not last too long. After a few months of observation and a bit of experimenting, they have found their places in these once strange surround¬ ings. We say they have matured. Life will continue to present new situations to us. We can accept them as challenges to be overcome, or as circum¬ stances to be avoided. What our individual reactions will be will depend on what level of maturity we have reached. I trust that this school year will serve to boost us towards that fuller maturity that we need to meet the vicissitudes of life. Mr. Martens PAGE 7

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Principal ' s Message Various sources today tell us that the attitude of youth throughout the world is characterized by “so what” and “I don’t care”. We are told that the resulting anxiety, tension, and even loneliness reflects boredom — boredom in an age when society offers youth unprecedented oppor¬ tunities everywhere they turn. If the above is true, would you not agree with me that our affluent society has failed to satisfy some basic human need? Could it be that the goals of life presented to young people have been misleading or non-existent; that the meaning of life has been lost? Why, may we ask, produce a constructive life if we came from no where and return to nothing? If nothing matters in the end, then nothing mat¬ ters now. We cannot define proper objectives until we know why we are here. To this I offer only one solution. A lowly Gali¬ lean, and yet One who promised to “be with you” till the end is the answer. As we identify ourselves with Him, as His purpose and mission become ours, we are given true purpose. He has called us to be ambassadors. We are asked to abandon self and to serve mankind. In this way everyone, including youth, can live for a future meeting of the Re¬ deemer while at the same time His personal Commission gives intense meaning and purpose to life NOW. G. Doerksen PAGE 6

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Professor Doerksen of Blumenort College Walking encyclopedia Carpenter of the future high school? Moonlight meditations Wonders never cease 1 1 ! 4 « 1 1 M B i