Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School - Echoes Yearbook (Peterborough, Ontario Canada)

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EDITORIALS Education in the There is probably no more frequent topic found in school editorial columns than that of the merits and values of education. The majority of these articles are highly idealistic in nature and usually regard education as something which has a high intrinsic value In view of the frequent attacks made upon higher education these days it is worth while for any one, and particularly for us students, who are probably not Vely often credited with any deep thought on the matter, to consider this vital problem carefully. It does not require any great deal of investigation to realize the need and justification of higher educa- tion for the young people of today. The world we are soon to enter is a world full of the most dis- tressing and acute problems. Difficult and complex questions of international relationships, social justice, capital and labour for example await us. So familiar have many of them become to us that in many cases we have ceased to search for causes and solutions, and have accepted them as ebullitions of a highly complex and chauvinistic civilization. Yet even a disinterested glance will show that their dissolution awaits only the unhampered and concerted effort of men armed with the weapons which education offers. This amazing and enigmatic difference which separates what may often seem the obvious solution from the sordid reality of the present day world with its blundering statesmanship and ap- palling lack of the finer sentiments of mankind, is something which frequently baffles and discourages the ardour of young people into silent acceptance. The question of how to get the most out of our education and how best to fit ourselves to be of some use other than mere personal existence is one which faces us all. Few generations may claim to have been brought up in a more turbulent and threaten- ing era than the present one. It is equally true, however, that if few have been called upon to face more difficult and discouraging problems, few have been offered such tremendous opportunities to make their age one which will be remembered as one of reconstruction and achievement. ' Surely any honest student of to-day should re- alize the responsibility which lies on the shoulders of himself and his fellows. Unfortunately far too many realize the fact too late or fail to grasp it at all. It should be the cherished desire of every alert and intelligent youth of to-day that he may possess some ability or talent which may enable him to par- ticipate in that great war on the black side of human existence which men from the time of Aristotle, through a series of giants such as Spinoza, Goethe, and Voltaire, to name but a few, have been waging. Not that he may aspire to the heights reached by these stars in the firmament of man's triumphs, but World of Today that he may be one of the thousands of spirits, who' guided by these Titans in every age, have striven to carry out their ideals with sincerity and unselfish- ness and spread again and again a redeeming light over the shady tale of man. It is largely upon the education of the youth of to-day that the success of tomorrow depends. Many of our present day problems are largely the result of ignorance-and its two evil children, bigotry and credulity. Ability varies in individuals, but one thing we can all do. We can at least be determined that when we leave our schools and enter the world, we will do so with minds that are open and trained to thinking for themselves. We can leave with the avowed intention of refusing to fall a prey to the children of ignorance and thus adding ourselves as inarticulate flotsam and jetsam to the burdens ac- tively intelligent men are striving to throw off. If education does this, then it is not in vain. Students! Don't waste your abilities. The world has grim need of them. Remember, the great prob- lems of to-day will not be solved by blunderers. Your brief period in school when the need of your life are still provided for you, is the time of your great opportunity and once its all-too-brief space has slipped away, it never returns. The last generation lies buried throughout the fields of France through no particular fault of its own. It is largely because of their generous effort that we still have the means of education at our dis- posal. Whether we use them or not is up to us. Is the day soon to come when the world will repeat the words of Alfred de Vigny, perhaps best left un- translated: Heureux celui qui ne survit pas a sa jeunesse mais qui emporte dans la tombe son tresor et ses illus- . ., ions. Not if the youth of to-day realizes its duty. R. Dick Fascism: A Question and Answer Probably no word is so frequently on our tongues and in our minds at the present time as the word 'Qfascismf' Almost daily, from our radios, from every newspapers, from the books and articles we read, it is flung at us, and the activities of its leaders form a large portion of the daily news. Two of the world's leading European powers have adopted it as their form of government, a third on the other side of the world is, to all practical purposes, a fascist state, a desperate war is being waged in a fourth in its interest, and a fifth is at the present time being forcefully turned into a fascist nation, Page Thirteen

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In practically every country small groups, more or less active, bearing the name, Uft1Sl'l.Sfl'H have ap- peared. The question naturally arises: Is there any pos- sibility of fascism becoming a powerful political force here in Canada and the United States? Fascist is often mistakenly regarded as something new, something peculiar to the twentieth century. The truth is that fascism is one of the oldest stories in the world's history. A small but violent minority of the people in a country, under the direction of a few leaders, seizes control of the government and maintains itself in power by the systematic destruc- tion of all who dare to oppose it. All the fundamentals of the fascist creed may be found in the Works of Machiavelli and Nietszche. An unbiased view of fascism can scarcely fail to re- volt the liberal-minded thinker. In place of the ideals of freedom for which men have fought and died through the centuries we find whole nations ready to immolate themselves and those who oppose them to the mad mania for power of a single individual. Dictators, it has been remarked, are a sort of regression to childhood. Fascist countries are cases for psycho-analysists rather than for the League of N ations. Despite the desperate veil of propaganda thrown over them, the results of fascist economy and rule in general stand as proof of the failure of fascist rule. Italy and Germany, renowned through the ages in the worlds of art and philosophy, are more artistically and intellectually sterile and barren to- day than at any time in their history Education in both countries has become mere rote and in- culcation in which the schools are primary grades for the army, bent on instilling everything-even mathcmaticsfwith a pro-fascist bias. This, as Mr. H. G. VVells has pointed out, is the one new thing, and the most invidious one, about fascism. A liberal education would be deadly to its existence. Aristotle, 2300 years ago foresaw Mussolini, the more truculent of the present fascist leaders, who has also, by the way, the distinction of being the world's leading apostate. The tyrant, Aristotle says, must needs make war to keep his subjects occupied. -words which explain Ethiopia and Austria better than whole books could do it. But to return to our original question: Is there danger of fascism in North America? In answer to this let us quote Mr. George Sheldes: The fascist more than any person living today represents the socially and economically deaf, dumb, and blind ruling class, stupid, perverse, de- termined only to remain on top and to crush all op- position. This group is well represented in North America: there are many interests here who would welcome fascism as a means to exploitation and power. What, you may ask, can be done to prevent it? There are many ways, but one applies particularly to us as, students. The fascist governments of Europe are rapidly preparing a nation of mentally- castrated youth by means of which to keep them- Page Fourteen selves in power. The first generation of them in fact will soon have reached maturity. Probably the best protection against a fascist outburst in this country is a body of alert and in- telligent citizens determined to stand each by him- self and not to be gulled and sacrificed by a vicious minority. Neglect to prepare this body is a danger to the well-being of the nation. Fascism may be considered as representative of the problems education must face and solve. It is only by taking our opportunity when it is offered that we can make use of it. Such, at least, is the belief and hope of one who still prefers to say Pros1't to Heil R. Dick Music Appreciation M usic, sister of sunrise and herald of life to be, Smiled as dawn on the spirit of man and the thrall was free, Slave of nature and serf of time, the bondman of life and death, Dumb with passionless patience that breathed but for- lorn and reluctant breath, Heard, beheld, and his soul made answer and com- inuned aloud with the sea. A. Charles Swinburne The words, written by the most purely lyrical and musical of the great English poets, express more clearly than anything we could say the great part music should play in our lives. In our schools the attitude towards music appre- ciation in the past has been curious. Considerable attention is given to developing a taste for poetry and prose, and in a lesser way, for painting. Yes, music, at once the most direct and universal artistic approach to the mind, is almost neglected. Many of our students are indifferent to music, not through lack of appreciation, but simply because they have never heard the best, and have no idea of its qualities. In the end it comes down to the question: Is our education complete without a certain familiarity with the field of great music as well as with the other branches of art? In other words, should the person who counts himself as broadly educated be as familiar with Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as he is with Macbetli. We can see no reason for the neglect of either. We should no doubt be shocked to find a graduate of our school who had not heard of Hamlet. Yet we should be little surprised to find the same person wondering whether Til Eulenspiegel was the name of a mountain or a brand of cheese. There is little doubt that Strauss' masterpiece would be readily enjoyed and understood by him - much more readily, perhaps, than some other things. We feel that, to be complete, education must make us familiar with the best of the wor1d's music. The greatest of musical masterpieces, like the best of the world's books, must become our intimate friends. Nor can we forget the words of Plato: How can he who is harmoniously constituted ever be unjust. R. D1eK