Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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Q 1, S I if if Q Q 2 . THE IMPORTANCE OF LAUGHTER There is something in this world which is free. This something may be shared by an unlimited number of people, or by just one person. lt is always being used, but it will never run out. You can't see it, taste it, or touch it. Many people rely on it without even realizing it. This something has been with man ever since the very earliest of times. Many people aren't aware that laughter and happiness fthe two often go togetherj play a vital role in almost everyone's life. Laughter is one of the most important things in the world. lust stop and think how our lives would be without it. Laughter is usually associated with happiness. In today's society, happiness is a much sought-after commodity. Modern society is based on commerce and industry. lobs related to these two fields are either very boring and depressing, or are very fast-moving, where the employee is under constant pressure to meet certain deadlines. Either type of job tends to build up a great deal of tension within the individual. People need a release, both physical and mental. Laughter provides this release in much the same way as crying does. Socially, laughter is an excellent way to break the ice. At a party, a good joke or fun game that gets everybody laughing seems to drop the tension level to zero. At a movie theatre which is showing a comedy film, people are much more friendly toward strangers than they are after watching a violent crime drama. The reason behind this is that they have all been laughing, and they feel loose and happy. Laughter is very important. As a good-natured person, l shudder at the thought of a world barren of the sound of laughter. - Roger McMechan THE VOYAGEUR 27

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MY FIRST DAY AT PICKERING My first day at Pickering was like being born again. I had to make new friends and I had to remember the teachers' names. Once I had that accomplished, I got to know my roommates and the other boys in the corridor. As I walked into the classroom, everybody stared at me. My first class was easy because the only question the teachers asked me was What is your name? Many of my classmates asked me where I lived. That night I couldn't sleep. The bed was different from the one at home. I had to sleep in the top bunk. Cl don't like sleeping in the top bunk because when I was small I always fell offl. The next day I got up with my roommates at 7:30. I went to breakfast for the first time. It was neat because I could eat with a lot of my friends. The day was going fast. It was lunchtime, and I sat at the corner table of the dining hall. After lunch we had free time. I sat in our room listening to the radio. Then I went to my afternoon classes. At 3:30 I went to sports, and after that I took a shower. It was supper time at 6:00. The supper was good, and so was the dessert. At 6:30 it was time for After-dinner baseball. We played until 7:00. Then we had study until 8:30. At 8:30 we played around the corridor, and at 9:30 the lights were out for the night. -Gary Schuster 3.5. -. f 'fl 1. 45-I 'mi cv- . .

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THE l.AST BUS As she stood waiting for the bus, her mind drifted back to a time when she and Bob had been happy. The tears slowly trickled down her face. She began to wonder if there was still any love between the two of them. I approached her slowly, realizing that, although she would probably treat me with total disregard, I had to explain. I knew that if she would see it my way, we could work on it together. I drew closer, and I could see the tears streaming down her face. She turned sud- denly, as if startled by my presence. Then, just as suddenly as she had turned toward me, she turned away. The thoughts of what I should say went through my mind. I walked away, toward the coffee shop, and I could see from the corner of my eye that she was watching me. With a sideways nod of my head, I motioned for her to follow me. She slowly smiled and picked up her suitcase. She moved into step beside me, and as I looked at her, I could see the tears disappearing and her smile growing. We sat down at a back table, and she began to gaze into my eyes. Bob, she said. At the same time, I said, Sue We looked at each other and laughed. I could see that she was quite saddened by our sudden departure from each other. By then we had finished our coffees, and still the sad look was In her eyes. The public address system announced that the last bus was now leaving for North Bay. She looked at me and kissed meg I didn't know what to say. She ran towards the bus and got on quickly. She sat in a window seat and stared blankly through the glass. I heard the diesel roar to life, and waved once more. As the bus siowly backed up, I could see her mouthing the words: I love you. - Derek Benness . ,, ye, 5, .P , pgi yg, H I . . , 'yi ' f -, 1 . Y , 15 I P x.. -' f V I ' .. Q , ' , .. . 1. I gl . JI, l 2 tv fx ' V ,f i ' f i z . , 71 .f ' - -3' ' If e ,. , f I 5 A'-I 1 1 ' ' A' I lf' Eff ' 6' ' 1, r W ' F! I , -ff S f 9' if A 28 LITERARY N V