Niverville High School - High Lights Yearbook (Niverville, Manitoba Canada)

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POLITICAL COMMENTARY With the fall of the Conservative gov¬ ernment in February, caused by two non - confidence votes of the Social Credit and Liberal parties, the spotlight of Canadian affairs centered on the coming election set for April 8. Since the election is not even a month away, the various political parties are busy setting up their election platforms. The Conservatives, led by their pro- Canada, sometimes anti-American Prime Minister, the Right Honourable John Diefenbaker, have centered their election speeches on the obstruction which the Liberals accused in their parliamenta¬ ry efforts. With a pack of agricultural promises thrown in for good measure, and a sidelong swipe at the nuclear arms question the Conservatives present to the people of Canada a varied program. A bit different from the Tories, plat¬ form the Liberals have in their slipshod way made a stand on the nuclear weapons controversy. Mr. Pearson maintains that his government, if elected would fulfill our country ' s NATO and NORAD commitments even if it meant accepting nuclear weapons for our overseas troops and squadrons. As far as whether or not we would accept a stockpiling of nuclear weapons on Canadian soil, nothing definite has been stated. The Social Credit and New Demo¬ cratic Party are the only ones who have made a definite stand on the arms question. Both are definitely against them. With accusations from the United States and with new ones, both pro and con, coming from all parts of the world, especi¬ ally the Soviet Union on the maybe-maybe not nuclear stand, it looks as if nothing will be definitely stated either way. Here ' s hoping the election will provide a strong, government for a staggering Canada. -Wayne Podjan DESCRIPTIVELY... Slate grey haze expanded and entwined itself amidst the eternal frosty, white mist creeping about in the still of night. So innocently yet cunningly did it give birth, it lay unaided and unnoticed to human souls, yet watchful fingers kindled and nursed it until the first spark was transmitted and its breath was exhaled with vigour mount¬ ing in height. Time crept on while all slept, except the mystic glowing eye which began to find itself among the under¬ brush hugging the dry underbrush and snuf¬ fing the life of undeveloped foliage. It grew with amazing rapidity, crushing and devour¬ ing greener and taller pastures. Fluttering wisps of wind hounded its scent leading a ranger to aid. But the air had grown dense, as smoke and greedy, wild, searing flames exploded from its mouth leaving behind a helpless ranger and death to tell its tale midst charred timber. -Elfrieda Dyck

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A student reflects: It had started to rain overnight and many small puddles were already seen on our driveway. Birds were huddled under the leaves of a tree, looking just as un¬ happy as I did. In the distance, I heard the honk of a car but soon everything was quiet again. The flowers outside were drooping from the rain and didn ' t look as bright as they usually did. Quietly I climbed back into bed to fall asleep and forget about the rainy day. - Betty Doerksen Commenting on a world of color: At the approach of evening the scorch¬ ing wind dies down to a cool whisper and that brazen ball of fire sinks slowly into the west. First there is only a tinge of pink searing the silver edges of the clouds, but then, as the sun descends closer and closer to the vivid horizon, there is a violent explosion, darting spears of colors in all directions. Twilight draws the cur¬ tain on this splendid scene. In the east the moon, accompanied by its legion of stars, begins leading its way across the sky and peace pervades over all. - Reg Friesen Living vividly: Sweeping down the swiftly flowing river, we gazed completely enraptured at our surroundings. Monstrous poplars, oaks, and jack pines loomed over us. Animals, the like of which we had never seen before, calmly ambled along the banks, unheedful of our silent canoes. Upon reaching the river ' s end, we stood on the shore and stared at the vast sea of water, so vast that we could not see the other shore; so vast, indeed, did it appear that we thought, Surely this is an ocean. There we stood, as if in a trance, gazing for hours, it seemed, over the huge waves as they tumbled and rolled in. As dusk fell, we concluded that never again in our lives would we behold such an awesome sight as that. A Boy! She rushed to the washroom where she could try her new per¬ fume. She had found it in her coat pocket and had not been able to locate the giver. As soon as she was in the washroom, she opened the bottle. The most beautiful smell evaded the air. It was diesel fuel. - Helen Harder - Marie Rudd

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LEMENTARY