Forster Secondary School - Spartalogue Yearbook (Windsor, Ontario Canada)

Page 27 text:

Page Twenty-Six “THE SPARTALOGUE” — 1959 LIBRARY STAFF First Row (left to right): Pat Churchill, Katherine Tritjak, Marianne Jane, Dorothy Churchill. Second Row (left to right): Leisha Nazarewich, Miss Philpot, Sandra Tobin, Marjory Ollett. Third Row (left to right): Miss Mitchell, Karen Slote, Diane Bowen, Elaine Dockeray. BOOKS YOU SHOULD READ SON OF COLUMBUS The story starts at the monastery of Ha Rabida where Fernan, the son of Columbus, goes to school. He has not seen his father for many years because Columbus is a very important person in Spain, and has a great deal of work. Fernan manages to see his father, and as a result is given a position as page for the Queen. Here, he makes a new and lasting friend in Tahaka. After working in the Queen ' s service, they are privileged to sail with Columbus. The story then goes on to tell of their adventures in the new world. When the time comes to leave these new lands, he is forced to leave Tahaka with his father. The story is concluded with the eruption of the Peak of Teneriffe which is actually the sunrise. —Hans Baumann THE CITADEL The Citadel is the story of a struggling young doctor in a small mining town, who gradually reached the peak of his career only to realize that he was helplessly caught in the clutches of a lust for money, and a strong desire for fame. The ambitions that shone so brightly when he was young became mere forgotten fancies of his youth It is the story of a slow rise to fame, and a rapid weakening of character and beliefs. —A. J. Cronin. THE SILVER BRANCH The Silver Branch takes the reader back to ancient Rome, to the overthrowing of the great emperor Carausius, the famed little emperor . The story is full of vivid action, cunning plots, and exciting battles. —Rosemary Sutcliff. THE SILVER PENCIL If you would like to turn back the clock to the early years of this century, read The Silver Pencil by Alice Dalgliesh Here is the story of Janet Laidlaw, who grew from a child to a young woman through many changing scenes—in exotic Trinidad, the British Isles, Canada and the United States. She possesses a gift for words and fulfils the fond expectations of her father, who gives her a silver pencil when her writing is published. She eventually becomes an American citizen and the story ends on a note of promise for the future. —Alice Dalgliesh. ALBERT SCHWEITZER. MAN OF MERCY The story of one of the truly great Christians of our time is simply and beautifully told by Mrs. Berrill. Here she has given us an account of the great man ' s life from childhood to the present. It is the wonderful example set by Doctor Schweitzer that makes the work as excellent as it is. Definitely good, and a true inspiration, this book is a must for all serious readers. —Jacquelyn Berrill.

Page 26 text:

-THE SPARTALOGUE” — 1959 Page Twenty-Five ONE AGAINST THE WORLD Slouched over the rail of the Carona was a well-built lad, obviously a crewman of the clipper. He was a fair¬ haired youth of about seventeen years of age and weighing close to one hundred and fifty pounds. The boy ' s name was Zefferim Aleas, better known to the other members of the crew as Pete, a nickname which was more convenient than Zeffer. His only living relative was a twin sister whom he had not seen for many years. She was incessantly writing letters to him which he thought was indeed thought¬ ful even though it did not lighten his feeling of solitude. As his eyes dropped onto the water he caught sight of a soggy paper cup as it danced to the music of the waves, splitting as the bow of the ship sliced through them. While he stared, he also wondered if such an object could ever be lonely. If so, could it be as lonely as he? The ship was carrying a cargo from the mainland to a few desolate islands twenty miles away. This was not Pete ' s first voyage; nevertheless, they were all the same. He had many duties for which he was responsible; one of them was checking the supplies daily. This day, as every day, he had completed all his chores and stood idly near the ship ' s side. As he peered into the misty fog a strange sensation overcame him. Pete was unable to see more than three or four feet in front of him because of the haze. In spite of this he knew that his vision was becoming blurred. He could feel his eyes burning red and filling with tears as if he had been preparing onions. Then the veins in his hands began to swell until he thought they would explode. Beads of sweat trickled down his brow despite the cold tingle which raced throughout his body. Desperately he grasped the rail for fear of falling into the icy ocean as he became weaker and weaker. Suddenly it was not fog which surrounded him but curling smoke which seemed to seep through every pore. Was this his imagination? With his last ounce of strength gone, he collapsed to the damp deck. Pete opened his eyes. The waves began to break closer to the deck now and the soothing spray must have revived him. After a minute or two, he realized that he was still lying on the deck. Even though he wanted to stand, he could not. His arms and legs were paralyzed. He could not yell for help. What was this everlasting plague which swept over him? Help, help, please someone help me! he pleaded. But his cry for assistance was only internal, for no sound was heard; no one came to his aid. Then, after what seemed a lifetime, Pete could see two of the ship ' s first mates hurrying towards him. They carried him as steadily as possible, regardless of the persistent rocking of the boat. Among the few words Pete understood, as they mumbled between themselves was the fact that Pete was probably suffering from the results of a drunken binge. Pete knew better and although he tried to explain to them what had happened they could hear nothing. From this excitement, Pete was exhausted and fainted in their arms. As Pete opened his eyes again he could see the captain of the Carona and the ship ' s doctor stooped over him. What happened lad. did you have more than you could take? asked Captain Briggs sarcastically. No, no you don ' t understand. Well, you just rest awhile and I ' ll come back later to see how you ' re getting along. This was the opportunity Pete wanted. Now he cou ' d clearly recall what had happened the night before and account for its occurrence. But this was impossible. He was unable to think of any logical explanation. It was now March the eighteenth and three days elapsed before Pete had any reason to be concerned about what had happened. Because he had recovered from the ex¬ perience he loosely referred to it as a dream or a result of overwork (although he knew the latter was not likely to be the cause). Rather unexpectedly Pete was summoned to the captain ' s quarters. He did not waste any time for he knew that the captain only invited members of the crew to his cabin on very essential matters. As he entered the small but cozy room he noticed a direct change in the man. Captain Briggs was never a happy fellow yet never as sullen as this. Pete knew something was wrong. I have something for you, Pete. What is it, sir? ' A telegram. Promptly yet rather reluctantly he handed Pete the note. The boy ' s eyes scanned the words. Then, with tears streaming over his cheeks and wonder on his face, Pete ' s limp body slumped into the nearest chair that he could reach. The telegram stated that the youth ' s twin sister had been burned to death, while trapped in her bedroom of the five-roomed house in which she had lived. The captain remained silent even though he wished to express his condolences. In Pete ' s mind ran the solution to the mystery of his previous attack. From the men he had discovered that the fantastic sensation had occurred ap¬ proximately ten forty-five in the evening on a Friday night; from the telegram Pete learned that his sister died between ten forty-five and eleven o ' clock on Friday evening the fifteenth of March. Now Pete ' s twin sister was gone. No one remained for him to really love. No one remained to truly love him. As he aimlessly ambled down the decks he realized that he was alone, just one against the world. —Carmen Eaton, 1 2B. MIRAGE The student sat slumped in her seat, chewing her pencil and gazing morosely into space. A blank sheet of paper in front of her seemed to glare accusingly. Behind her was the menacing Tick, Tick of a clock. Suddenly, somewhere, a piece of gum cracked. As if it were a signal, the girl straightened up and began to write furiously. Yes, childhood is the happiest period of one ' s life, ran the words across her page. I can speak, with veracity, only of myself, and of the children who grew up around me; but some of the happiness that was mine must belong to every child, for children are children everywhere. Perhaps the care and love which I received are not given to every child, nor do all the children in the world have the material advantages of a Canadian; but children, no matter what nationality, have two common benefits. These are a lack of emotional responsibility, and a sense of wonder. Being something of a patriot, I would like to deal first with the advantages of childhood which seem peculiar to North America—mayhap even to Canada. The first of these is tender care, and love. In these days when war Continued on Page 50

Page 28 text:

THE SPARTALOGUE” — 1959 Page Twenty-Seven BOOKS YOU SHOULD READ continued From Page 26 GREEN LIGHT—L. C. DOUGLAS This novel by the famous author of The Robe ' pro¬ vides the reader with another warm and thougnt-provoKing experience. It has ail the excellences whicn we nave come to expect from this writer—interesting, believable characters, tense and often mysterious situations, and a worthwhile message. As we follow the unusual path of a disillusioned young surgeon who travels under an assumed name, we are held in suspense as he is nearly discovered, and yet we almost hope that he will be found out. Any mature reader will find this an absorbing book. AUGUSTUS CAESAR ' S WORLD This is a history book for those who do not like history books. The author has set down in the most interesting manner possible the most interesting facts available about Ancient Rome. These are some of the eye-catching chapter titles: We Still Call It Sunday, The Love Story Ends, Stepsons and Stars, Horace and the Country Mouse, Philippi and the Ghost, and Bloody Fingerprints. Read this book, look at the illustrations, and agree that Ancient History can be fascinating! JUNGLE CHILD Imagine the danger and excitement of a childhood spent in the jungles of India! What must it be like to keep elephants for pets, and bathe them in the shallows of a river, commanding them to use their own trunks as portable showers? What fun it would be to scout the surrounding area with a capable guide and instructor along to teach you about curious insects and animals in their own environment! In a vivid, exciting manner, this author has given us the opportunity to experience such thrills as she herself did. No fictitious adventure story could be livelier or more interesting than this true account of a very unusual childhood. THE F.F.O. The idea of a school paper was born last fall, and germinated for several months in the minds of a few students who organized a staff among themselves, and discussed their ideas with teachers. Although there were a few sceptical individuals, most people seemed to think that a school paper would fare well, especially since it would be something peculiar to our school, and thus it would be a fine example of Spartan superiority in the world of journalism. Plans were roughly made, and the idea of a school paper was presented to the Ecclesia. The idea fired their imaginations, for when we asked them for seven and a half dollars as a loan to start the paper, they gave us fifteen. Then came the Christmas holidays, and while Spartans were, for the largest part, enjoying vaca¬ tions, the F.F.O. staff worked hard and long, planning ow to make the paper a success. At first, the members of the group were appointed to positions on the staff by Ihe editor, according to his idea of their abilities; later, elections were held for the numerous posts. The F F.O. has now a fairly large staff. There are people about whom you will probably hear little in connection with 1 e paper, and who have worked hard to help the students make the paper a success. Mr. Steadman has offered much sage advice and has generously given materials free for our first edition,- Mr. Krol has given advice, guidan-e. and assistance; Miss Scarfone was the first teacher approach- o concerning a school paper; and Miss McIntosh and Mrs. Letourneau have both helped immensely with elimination of errors, and possible legal difficulties. The most patient labourers of all were the typists, Irene Marshall and Lynn Peters. The F.F.O. has, in the short space of one year, become well-known and highly popular. It caters to the sports fan, the comic fiend, the girl or boy with a problem for that often original and occasionally sensible advisor, Dorothy Dixie, and the hunter for the school ' s headline events of the week. This year has seen great strides in the development of the school paper,- the next will see even greater strides, and whether or not the paper will trip over its shoelaces on those monstrous steps we have yet to see. —John McKenzie, Editor. FRENCH CLUB For the first time in Forster ' s history, a French Club has been formed under the direction of Mr. MacDonald. This club consists of grade 1 2 and 13 students who meet in the Music room each Wednesday at noon. Here, they eat their lunch and converse with one another in French. During their lunch, they are frequently shown pictures or slides of France. This has proved to be very interesting as several students are present at each meeting. Supervisory teachers are Mr. MacDonald, Miss Scarfone, Mr. Cayen, Mrs. Letourneau, and Miss Goldstein. —Marion Patrick. CAMERA CLUB The activities of the club were greatly expanded during this year. The few active members of the club were responsible for taking the graduate pictures for the Spartalogue. The club now has its own camera and electronic flash. During this year the dark room equipment was greatly expanded and used extensively. A highlight during this school year was the informative talks given by Mr. Galbraith to Larry Whitson, Fred Fox, and Randy Scott. These talks covered the proper method of taking portraits, the composition of a picture and the use of the new dark room, drier, framer, and print washing equipment. INTER SCHOOL CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Many students have thoroughly enjoyed the I.S.C.F. meetings that have been held since last September. This is the first year in the last three that this dub has been held. Dick Riseborough has done a wonderful job as president and has been very ably assisted by Pat Maddison, our vice-president. Pat has also taken over the Missionary Minute , giving us interesting information about mission¬ ary work at home and abroad. Harold Hetherington and Linda Mann are on the Youth Council for Windsor Youth For Christ . At many pleasant meetings, we have enjoyed hymns, scripture-reading and special speakers. We have also enjoyed parties organized by the city I.S.C.F. executive, including a Roller-Skating Party in Essex. The first week¬ end in May was reserved for a camping trip to Proud Lake in Michigan. The motto of this inter-denominational group is To know Christ, and to make Him known . We sincerely hope that the students will continue this organization and help it to grow in the future. —Margaret Howell.