Saint Laurent High School - Milestone Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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and other planets. I thought of what would happen if earth suddenly lost this source of heat and light. The film showed asteroids drifting aimlessly through space, and various planets, empty and barren, which set a mood of utter desolation. Mystery was an interesting aspect of the film as it displayed comets hurtling through space and bizarre worlds such as Jupiter with its moons and Saturn with its rings, also Pluto a forbidding and distant world. I feel you cannot view this film, and not think about the creator of this strange, hidden world. Who could pos- sibley have created a world of emptiness and vastness, and yet not have created one living being? What was His purpose in creating two worlds, one of life and love, and one of solitude and infinity? If, on the other hand, the planet known as earth was created when an as- teroid ' s fragments settled here, we should be happy to have such a world, where we enjoy the wonders of sum- mer and winter, day and night, unlike the moon where one side endures perpetual light of two hundred and twelve degrees and the dark side an equal amount of coldness. The idea is quite depressing when I think that space, with its infinite size, should be so forbidding and lonely and this only makes me question, why, and for what purpose, if any, The Almighty, if he exists, created this vast, emptiness known as Our Universe . Lionel Dubrofsky and each time a new discovery is found the gap bet- ween man and God widens. There are still, however, several unanswerable questions: Who or what is behind the creation of the world beyond our earth, the universe, something so im- mense and so perplexing to the eye of even an astron- omer? Why are there galaxies and meteors? Why are they so plentiful and so distant, but most of all, why are they there? All these questions come to mind when we get close up, and with the help of telescopes, nearly right in space. When, however, one falls back to earth, the universe again becomes something distant, minute and unimportant. Materialistic sights and sounds take over and vanquish the wonder in man ' s mind, reducing the planets and stars to unmeaningful and unnecessary bodies which are nice but have no use. To go back on another trip, however, through the universe makes man want to delve into the mystery of its creation more than before. The need to find the source of its immensity and strangeness. The feeling cannot be lost and there comes a great faith out of the doubt, for doubt does cause faith and from this faith comes a feeling of a power too great to imagine, for someone or something great enough to create the uni- verse is unimaginable to Man. Ann Otto The universe in its immensity is an awe-inspiring subject to all mankind. Man begins to wonder at the size, the distance and the chance of there being other life in distant timeless space. All the romantic ideas of the stars, sun and moon are shattered when one is cata- pulted upwards ino their midst. How would lovers feel, if, on looking upwards at the stars and moon, they had only visions of burning spheres and reflecting globes? While we do not see them as these, there may come a time in the future when all men will be scientifically trained and every child will know the number of rings around Saturn, the path a comet takes, and what makes the sun burn like a fierce oven. When this does happen all mankind will suffer. There will be no more romantic thoughts and everyone will be concerned with knowing and being familiar with the empty yet full world of space. Was it not better when the Egyptians worshipped the sun, and the Wise Men read a sign from God in a glowing star? Then there was true belief in a superior being, one who made all the heavenly bodies for beauty. Now the people of the world are turning into skeptics The universe around us is one of the greatest mysteries that has ever interested mankind. From primi- tive man to modern man the stars and planets have filled humans with awe. Primitive man watched the sun rise and set, day after day, season after season, and wondered why it kept on going. He saw the moon and the stars give him light when the sun disappeared. A comet or nova filled him with fear, for it was unusual and incomprehensible. Modern man has solved many mysteries of the universe, but as his knowledge grows, more mysteries appear. He now knows that the stars are actually suns, but he wonders if there are habitable planets in their solar systems, too. He finds that there are other planets in our solar system, and wants to know more. He, like primitive man, wonders how the universe was formed. Primitive man, to explain what he saw, incorporated the universe into religion. The ancient Greeks created Apollo, the sun-God, who set out every morning in his golden chariot, to race over the sky. The moon was deified also. A comet or nova was a message from the Gods. 46

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SECOND PRIZE THE EVILS OF MATERIALISM The trouble with our modern society is that a man ' s acceptance and success is measured in money. The fact that this is the criterion in the western world leads man to steal, lie, cheat, rob and murder in order to achieve this level of acceptance. What has happened? Where did man fail? What went wrong? Why is it that when you talk of a friend you are asked what kind of a job he has, how much education? People are not interested in his intelligence or his wel- fare; they simply want to know his economic, and in a way, social status. Why is it that the criterion of success isn ' t a life you find challenging, a job you get satisfaction from, people, friends that you make happy and make you happy in return, but a split-level house, two-car garage, a good address, one or two latest model, chromiest cars, a private school for your children and wall-to-wall carpets? What has happened to change the values of society into those where security no longer means the assurance that you are loved and cared for, but that you are loaded down with Life, Health, Car, Liability Insurance and every other kind of financial security that can be imagined? Was man always this materialistic? Did he always pui such an inflated value an money? Perhaps there was a time when man ' s truest enjoyment came from nature and .fellow man, but in this modern age I see so many people taking refuge in the premise that materialism brings happiness. How much happiness can you derive from a thing ? No matter how many clothes, cars, jewel-encrusted goblets and Eiffel Towers you possess, they are still only things . They don ' t grow, breathe, live, change, respond. And common to all things , the pleasure and happiness you get from them will dwindle and thoughts of more exciting and beautiful things will fill your mind. So many young people are disillusioned by the pros- pects of materialism. When I ask students their ambitions, the answer invariably is fame and fortune , wealth and happiness money and success , or some variation. Little do they understand that money will not lead to happiness, but au contraire will lead to frustration and unhappiness because they will be up to their necks in payments for things that have long since lost their ability to please, and which they couldn ' t afford to begin with. Materialism is a trap into which the unwary and unhappy too often fall. Lured by the vain promises that materialism will be a means to their opal of happiness, success or recognition, they find that it is an end in itself, an end from which there is no escaping. Mary Louise Holubek CAN MONEY MEASURE SUCCESS? Can money measure success? This question raises another query — what is success ? The dictionary defines it as a termination of affairs; attainment of an object according to one ' s desires, now often with parti- cular reference to wealth or position . Immediately the question of money arises. The origin of the word money is of special interest in this case. It was named after a special power of the goddess Juno and meant warning . Indeed, today money is worshipped as a goddess was in ancient times. Does the majority of people in the world strive primarily for material wealth? Unfortunately it does. Therefore once one has earned a considerable amount of money, success has been attained. From the point of view of a person who works seeking emotional satisfaction, money definitely is not a measure of success. To this individual, only the extent of his own sense of fulfillment and humanity ' s appre- ciation determine the degree of his success. This person is often financially poorer than his opposite, since he will take any job at any salary if he feels that he can do it well and benefit mankind by his efforts. By defini- tion he is successful since he has achieved his goal, al- though his family may starve in sufferance of his beliefs. Thus opinions are in conflict. I do not believe it is right to generalize in this situation. Rather, upon consider- ing both points of view, one must agree that the solution to the question lies within the individual, depending on his goal in life. This conclusion is based on the assumption that success can be measured. I feel that since success is abstract it cannot be reckoned. Does a smile gauge happiness? There can be joy without a smile and a smile without joy. The same principal applies to the validity of money as a measurement of success. Sheila Chaplin THOUGHTS ON THE FILM OUR UNIVERSE Deep, vast, empty. These were the impressions which swept over me upon viewing Our Universe . The idea of space being endless in depth sent a shiver through me, as I saw the vast emptiness and loneliness of space. Amazement was my second reaction as I saw the wonders of the sun. The film showed how the sun, by constant nuclear explosions, sends out rays to the earth 45

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Modern man, though he has discarded the old ideas of Gods, has not discarded religion. Though now we do not have an easily visible God like Apollo, most people still believe there is a God. The mysteries of the universe, at the moment, can only be explained by presupposing an all-powerful being — in other words, a god. One great mystery is the formation of the universe. There is not satisfactory solution backed by facts. Some- one will say that it started with a big bang and God had nothing to do with it. But that does not explain the origins of the bang . There must have been something before the bang , since matter cannot be created be created out of nothing. If a God is included, then it is possible. Another argument is that the universe has been here forever, and God had nothing to do with it. This could be accepted but for one small item. Human beings are unable to grasp the idea of time stretching into infinity, and so turn to God as a reasonable alternative. This also does not explain where the galaxies that are moving away, started from. Their movement implies a big bang , which does not follow the timeless theory. As man looks at the universe, he is overwhelmed by the insignificance of himself and his planet. It is the overpowering feeling that gives him the sense of God ' s presence. This feeling will continue as long as there are humans to sense it, and man will continue to worship God. John Sutherland SENIOR DESCRIPTION FIRST PRIZE EVENING VISTA A summer evening casts a spell on the wilderness, changing lakes to shimmering gems, forests to thick deep- green carpets, and streams to silver lace. The only sound that fills the air is the musical tinkling of water as my canoe glides across the glassy surface of a moun- tain lake. A delicate, wraith-like mist is beginning to form along the shore, while a shimmering path of light leads across the water and into the rich, gold-red mass of molten sun on the horizon. The evening sky, an immense blue-black vault, surrounds the treasured sunset. As if enchanted, the deep forest silently drifts by, giving way to more forest, and more forest. From within the wall of sleek evergreens lining the watery thoroughfare comes the muffled boom of a distant waterfall. A mountain, rising amidst the woods, proudly bears its green vest- ments. Like a sorcerey ' s crystal ball, the lake contains an exact image of the mountain submerged in its un- fathomable depths. As my canoe takes me closer to the cottage perched on the shore, the signs of civilization begin to pollute those of the wilderness: the water, beginning to smell of outboard motor oil, is now pockmarked by discarded papers and rusty beer cans. The bottom of the canoe grates on the stones of the dirty, murky shoreline. Bright, garish electric light irritates my eyes as I walk toward the cottage. Nearby a small group of people cluster about a bonfire, burning paper and other trash. A blaring transistor radio interrupts my thoughts, and I notice the strong reek of gasoline, probably used to start the fire. Do I feel sad as I look back the way I came? I can see neither the mountain nor the stately trees nor the tranquil lake, for the distance has been shrouded by night. Still that evanescent memory haunts me. Jeff Wiseman SENIOR NARRATIVE FIRST PRIZE RE-AWAKENING The glare sent a sensation throbbing through his head. A creased lid opened, slowly, cautiously . . . the viewer testing a set. But it was all familiar . . . rows of paperbacks . . . peeling walls . . . and the cat. The green slits shot back at his stare. He did not stir. Coffee odour wafted through the doorcrack. His muscles contracted then, like those of the feline, stretched languidly through is frame. It all came back. Passing through on the reel of his mind, he was again transported to the scene. The words ... ' it was slaughter ... it was slaughter ' , tossed on the crests of his thoughts . . . then drowned . . . drowned in the urge to forget, the desire to run. And so he escaped. Uninvolved ... he saw nothing ... he knew nothing. The trite voice drilled — ' The man was worthless — devaluation due to default of color — a half-man ' . But satisfaction would not come, and he prowled the alleys and perched on the barstools, roaming until memory faded. He felt his body swing towards the cat, but as sanity caught him by a jagged fragment of his conscious- ness he collapsed on the bed. The animal spit a glare of apprehension, then returned to its slumber. Aloud he muttered, ' Someday I ' ll trade you for a stone lion ' . He received no reply. The cat arched at the doorslam, but was soon reclaimed by its apathetic drowse. Roslyn Heitner FIRST PRIZE — SENIOR HUMOUR THE FLAWLESS PERFECTION OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS The sun climbed higher into the sky and then seemed to linger aimlessly when it reachd its meridian casting 47