Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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A FASCINATING PLACE By:- J. Evans (3G) Amusement parks are common in most countries in the Western world. The United States, in particular, has many such attractions. Probably the largest and most popular is Disneyland, the original Magic Kingdom or its h igher, Disneyworld. These fabulous establish- ments, in California and Florida respectively, are iden- tically built, each covering a massive area of land, and each is a fascinating place. Each of the parks are divided into sections, large kingdoms and lands . These range from the dusty forts of Frontier Land to the castles of Fantasy Land and the French shops of New Orleans Square. Of all the Lands probably the most popular is Tomorrow Land . The rides and buildings represent things of the future — rockets, trips deep into space and through uncharted waters in submarines and all are very fun and exciting. Space Mountain is the newest attraction and brings in most of the people. The Matterhorn is a huge man-made mountain through which run roller-coasters. In the Haunted House a run-down, old house is beset by ghosts and skeletons. New Orleans Square is built to resemble the old French Quarter of New Orleans. There are also boat rides. In short, there is a place for everyone in the Magic Kingdom . One is fascinated by the way the rides inside the buildings are made. One of the attractions, for in- stance, is Pirates of the Caribbean . This is situated inside what appears to be a large house, but inside in dark tunnels, sight-seeing boats travel and lakes, trains, forts and ships are shown, often with mechanical figures. There are even waterfalls and caverns so that it is surprising that all fits inside the buildings but thanks to the engineering, it does. The whole park is spotlessly clean, which is sur- prising in such a visited place. The gardens are in per- fect order and nowhere is there any sign of disrepair. The fact that it is an amusement park is forgotten after eating in one of the many fine restaurants. At night there are fireworks and parades of electric floats. In short, the place is very active at night. The great wastage of electricity is forgotten completely. Even the best places have problems, however, even if they are not readily seen by the visitor. True, the trash problem is well contained but it must be a difficult job keeping ii up. It is discontenting, to say the least, to see a queue a long as Front Street going to see an exhibit, but the wait 13 always worthwhile. Even at Disneyland, a pickpocket might infiltrate the crowds, and in the ex- citement and confusion, it would be fairly easy and it does happen The monagement must have great problems, keeping everything clean and in good repair and thus employs fiundreds of people, but these are not thought of by the visito. I would cctainly recommend and stay there myself for a day or, as it is easy to do, a week. It is most enjoyable and truly fascinating. THE CITY By: S. Shepperd (3G) Above all, cities are masses of civilization. They are terminals for an influx of population from the neigh- bouring countryside. They are colossal, yet intricate, seemingly alike, yet interesting. How many people have seen a city once, and then don ' t make a return trip sometime in the future? Not too many. The reasons for coming to the city are many. They serve as a business centre for a whole continent, or a shopping arcade for the people, or even a place of residence, if you care to put up with the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the city. Do people really notice other people in the city? Does one notice that besides yourself on the sidewalk, there are hundreds of others, each moving in his or her own direction, intent upon his or her own specific pur- pose? And what is that specific purpose, that one must walk, dodge and elbow briskly through the rushing crowd? Perhaps he ' s going to catch the subway up- town, the city ' s great graffiti-covered, mass transit system, going from everywhere to everywhere every few minutes. Or maybe he ' s going to work nearby, in one of the magnificent buildings, masses of steel, con- crete, aluminium and glass, stretching so many seemingly endless stories above you. Or still, maybe, he ' s going for lunch — a bagel and coffee in one of the hundreds of small coffee shops in the city. Or perhpas he ' s going to walk to the corner of the street and procure for himself a steaming hot soft-pretzel from the umbrella-covered cart for a quarter. Wherever he ' s going, it ' s likely to be part of the everyday life in a city, a routine one adjusts to, a commonplace event, as com- mon as the steam issueing from the manhole-covers and vent-holes in the street. The scene here is the same, basically, as in any city, with a few differences. It could be happening in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, London, or anywhere, but those few minor differences are what gives each city it ' s own character or personality. Cities are the focal point of mankind, they are gleaming metropolises of civilization and technology. 20

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WHAT INDEPENDENCE WOULD MEAN TO THE YOUTH OF BERMUDA When one exannines the likely effects of Independence upon the youth of this Island, one must realize that we, the youth of today, are the adults of the future. It will be upon us that the woes and burdens of Independence will fall. The question foremost in many minds is Independence from what? From that swaggering, inhuman task- master, Great Britain, or from the prosperous lives and high standards of living enjoyed by Bermudians todays Our present position of autonomy is as close as one can come to Independence, bar associated statehood which Britain will no longer grant, without going over the brink. Islands to our south, most bigger, some with mineral wealth, have attempted Independence for many of the same obscure reasons that today ' s proponents of In- dependence have put forward. Nationalistic feelings, a feeling of belonging, a national flag, a national anthem — these effects of Independence upon other Islands have been for the worst. As their econc ' -e.s deteriorate, unem- ployment and poverty increase, resulting in social and political unrest. How, ask international economists, can Bermuda manage to survive the troubled waters of recession and depression with such a delicate economy? International companies, which make up practically half of our economic base, are very sensitive to the in- ternal affairs of the countries in which they have set up headquarters. Such companies will stay, providing jobs for thousands of Bermudians directly, and many more indirectly, as long as they are not forced out by constantly in- creasing tax burdens. It is the belief of some that such firms should be compelled to pay for the cost of Independence. If taxes on such exempt companies rise drastically, we will see a dramatic decrease in the number of firms based here. Following on the heels of this departure will be unemployment and poverty for many Bermudians. The cry will then go up for economic diversification. Tourists, while also susceptible to high prices, come to this Island to escape the pollution and industrialisation of their cities. If such changes take place the tourist will soon seek another place in the sun, thus hastening the death of the goose that laid the golden egg. Under the Status Quo however, barring unforseen international occurences, both tourism and international companies should be able to be maintained at present levels, thus maintaining, if not increasing, our present high standard of living. What is wrong with our present position as a dependency? It is nothing to be ashamed of. We should be proud to be the inhabitants of Bermuda and the subjects of Her Majesty, The Queen, It should be realized that our lot could, on one hand, be much worse, while on the other, it could not be much better. There is no case here of Britain robbing us of our wealth. We pay no taxes to Whitehall, our expenditure to Britain being confined to the maintenance of a Governor. This Governor has the sole interest of looking after Ber- muda, with a view to defense and internal security, while providing us with a little pomp and pageantry on special occasions. For this moderate expenditure Britain provides us with worldwide representation at the United Nations and other organizations where the interests of Bermuda are in focus. Also taken care of is our external security. Britain provides a certain stability, something very much appreciated by exempt companies. Upon Independence we would become completely responsible for defense, external affairs and internal security and all costs and expenses that accompany them. The strengthening of internal security forces would be a priority in the view of events following independence in other former colonies. We should ' earn from the lessons shown us by the Seychelles Islands, the latest colony to leave the family. The Government ' s Green Paper on Independence gave a summary of the initial costs of such a move. The figures quoted ranged from $1,777,000.00 to $1,907,000.00. This would be just for the privilege of Indepen- dence. The recurrent annual cost could be much higher allowing for inflation in all areas except those of defense and internal security. As a member of Bermuda ' s youth, I wonder if Independence is worth so great an expenditure. It would be a bot- tomless pit into which we will forever be pouring increasing numbers of nollars without realizing any real benefits for Bermuda and her people. It will ultimately be the young people of today who will bear what may be the greatest mistake in our history. In- dependence. by David R. Evans 5H Heat Expressionism 19

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WINTER EVENINGS By:- D. Judah (3G) A winter evening begins at about 4 o ' clock. It is then that everything begins to beconne darker. It is then that the wind and the rain become noticable. It is then that the fire is lit. It gradually becomes darker and, by 6 o ' clock, one cannot see anything outside except for the light and warmth radiating from other people ' s houses. Everyone is bored. What can they do? They cannot go outside to play. They cannot go down to the beach for a swim. All they can do is sit around the fire. It is now that the games come out of cupboards. A season ' s dust is brushed off of the box and then everyone settles down to play. Perhaps it is ludo, or perhaps it is a jigsaw puzzle. Either way, everyone is now happy. There are shouts of misery as someone is sent back to the start, and shouts of happiness as someone finds two pieces that fit. Soon it is supper time. Everyone leaves the warmth of the fire and gathers around the dining-room table. What is it tonight? Everyone is happy when they see roast beef and a jug of steaming gravy being put onto the table for they are cold and hungry. Again, there are eager faces when hot coffee is brought from the kit- chen. Now everyone settles back down in a comfortable armchair in the living room. The fire had died and someone must venture outside for more wood. Who will it be? Not me, says someone hopefully. I did it yester- day. After a long argument, someone rises from their chair and moves slowly towards the back door. Soon the fire is again burning brightly. Suddenly the lights flicker and go out. Oh no, not a power cut again! Someone lights some candles, but it is too miserable and gloomy to stay up for long. Gradually the large room empties as people drift towards their bedrooms. Soon the dying fire is the only thing left. The only things to be heard are the creakings of trees and the rain pattering on the windows. The end to yet another winter evening has arrived. FIRE By:- Mark Aub. ' ey{3G) As I look back upon that night, my heart quivers and I turn white. From where I stand I can still see that lonely mansion set upon that ominous hill. It was terrible lying there on the ground, the flames dancing in my eyes and the sirens screeching in my mind. Yet, I will try to pull myself together and relate to you the story which I have told reporters countless times. It was a Saturday night, no different from any other Saturday night. Everyone was home except my orother He was out at some party, who knov s where? Three days later his body was found to be amongst the vic- tims of one of those ' mass murders ' of those times. I went to sleep fairly early, my Chow lying contentedly by my bed. The rest of the family were downstairs, wat- ching television. Huh? I ejaculated as I woke with a start. It was my dog — he had pushed his cold nose against my face. In my waking glimpse, I could see the smoke billowing in- to my room. FIRE! the word was scarcely uttered before everything flared up around me. Everything had happened so quickly that I just sat there, bewildered as to what to do. It was my dog ' s whine which awakened my mind. But the smoke had closed in on me so quickly that any chance of escape seemed futile. I don ' t know what did it, perhaps it was the bite upon my leg which my dog gave me, or perhaps it was the sudden realization that I had to get out of there then or never. But it doesn ' t matter, because in half a second. I had grabbed my Chow and smashed through the nearest window. Thirty feet below I landed on my right leg. I have never felt a sensation as grotesque and horrifying as when my leg broke at the knee and several blood vessels popped. I was barely aware of that which followed, since I had elapsed into a state of shock: but I remember it as follows. I rolled (ny dog still in my arms) two hundred feet down the hill, flames flickered occasionally in the background, and I could hear faint moans echoing in the distance. When most of my faculties of reasoning had return- ed. I found myself lying on my dog. who was whining terribly. Theie we lay. illuminated by the flood of light from our burning house. The ground was cold and hard, and tiie air was heavily laden with smoke and sirens, the moon wasn ' t out that night, nor were any stars, but the ne ghbours from miles away say that it was the brightest night that they had ever seen. Nothing was salvaged from the fire, and the house was completely destroyed. No one has found out what started the fire, and no one ever will, for, only the ashes tell the truth! 21