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

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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

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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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searing rays on the Roman village below. In the narrow main street between the bakery and the fruit market, a little woman struggled through the jostling crowds. She suddenly cried out as a stream of boys charged out of the adjacent gymnasium and engulfed her. Damn brats! Don ' t they have any respect for their elders anymore? I think I spotted that Greek boy among the others. He must be the bad influence on all the rest. She trudged along, muttering about the decadence of youth and how the world was never like this in her day. Suddenly she heard the rumble of a chariot behind her and leaped aside. She had been relieved of her groceries by a kinky haird youth who had guffawed in glee at this, his latest, prank. Ides of March driver , she cursed aloud as the lumbering vehicle disappeared down the road and around the corner. Passing the amphithreatre she saw a mass of toga- clad youths. Some were chanting songs, some carried Get out of South Judea banners. She walked by in silent disgust thinking. Why should they bother caring about those heathens? In my generation we certainly wouldn ' t think of . . . She opened the door of her split-level villa and stepped into the centre of the atrium which drooled marble and Greek Provincial furniture. From the im- maculate condition of her home she could tell the children weren ' t home yet. Poor Flavivs was having so much trouble with that New Math ! She would have to inquire about a tutor. As usual there would be a fight tonight with the older boy over the purchase of his own chariot. However they kept telling him that in their day no one drove until they were at least fifty years old and so that would automatically apply to him too. Well, she and Gaius were going to the Catullus wedding so the children would have to fix their own sup- per and there certainly would be no time for arguments tonight. She opened her closet door and selected her gar- ments for the evening affair. Carefully she slipped into the beaded toga she had bought at Saxus of Quinque Avenue. Did that nosey neighbour of hers, Shirley, ever turn palatine purple when she found out where she had bought it and what unmitigated nerve she showed buying the same thing the following week! She sighed and wrapped her worn coat about her shoulders. Other men buy their wives huge coats of bear and fox, she mutter- ed, all he can get me is this little mink rag . He was downstairs yelling at her. How long does it take you women to get dressed? I ' ve been waiting down here for an hour . She appeared at the top of the stairs and glared down upon him. Don ' t you rush me, she scowled. He shrunk back into the shadows in fear. Is this what I married he murmured, citing a phrase that men would continually ask themselves for centuries to come. He followed her into the cool night air and they slipped into their four-door chariot and sped away. JUNIOR POETRY FIRST PRIZE THE FLY I gazed up from my bed at the light Caught in the shade was a fly, Fighting for freedom from its doom. I lay there staring Too lazy to try save it, Too lazy even to turn away my head. Frances Hoiubek SECOND PRIZE NOVEMBER I like November And do you know why? Because trees lose their leaves, And the birds fly by. Flowers grow wilted, The trees are bare; And the wind whistles by Without even a care. The days grow colder Light snow may fall. The road beckons southward As if starting to call: Come hither, come hither, The south welcomes you. If you ' ve nowhere to go, Come down to Peru. But magic is also In the fall air; Darkness comes early And streets will be bare. I like November For it is the sign That winter is coming — A favorite of mine! Carolyn Kate re