University of Western Ontario - Occidentalia Yearbook (London, Ontario Canada)

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3' 153' MARION ATKINSON ROBERT ANTHONY Honwur Fr n li and Enqliwh Honour Bu ine 5 Admin SHEDDFN ONT Gamma Phi Bela LONDON ONT Comm rce Clulw He-.4 Linn Clul Quarterly Review ol Commerce Le Cercle Fmngais S. L, M. Glee Cluli Deliatinq Society Garette S. A. A. A. K. Psi GEORGE BISSETT Honour Business Admin. ST, THOMAS, ONT. D. U. Senior Ruql-y Commerce Clul. Disciplinarian Commillee lnterlaculiy Sports IVY' 3 BARBARA BALFOUR Secretarial Science LONDON, ONT. Badminton Year Executive Commerce Clulw Pi Bela Phi DOROTHY BERE Honour English LONDON, ONT. French Club Hesperian Clulw Kappa Alpha Theta HOWARD BLACK Honour Chemistry LONDON, ONT. Aw HARRY ACRES General Arts LONDON, ONT. Inierlacully Sports Glee Club Occidentalia Social Democrat's Club Rho Theta Chi Gazette Qliditor in Chiefl :yi GRAHAM BLAKE General Arts HANOVER, ONT.

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194.2 Szffle what has all this to do with democracy? Well, just this. I am trying to show that Fascism is not something which is peculiar to only the German or Italian mind, but it is a deadly parasite which will eat at the intellectual tissue of any person who exposes an unprepared mentality to its ravages. Reason topples and comes crashing to the ground and nothing remains save the violent nihilism of a power-seeking ruling cligue. A cligue which hopes and intends to expand its power into world dominion at the expense of human freedom. The Fascist state of mind is dangerous and must be tamed. lt is present in this very room. You and l and every one of us possess it to a greater or less degree. To us it is particularly dangerous because we little suspect when it is about to deal a knockout blow to our own intellects. There is but one way of combating this paresis of the brain and com- bating it successfully. We must fortify our reasoning processes against the ravages of illogical extremism. For then and only then can we begin to feel secure, and even this security can be disturbed by some would-be dictator outside our own immediate sphere. The answer is the building up of a democratic attitude in our own minds -an attitude which is based chiefly on tolerance, for only when we are tolerant do we behave as true democrats. lf we believe in democracy we believe in it not only for ourselves but also for others, regardless of race or colour. Democracy does not imply merely the rule of the majority, true demo- cratic decisions are not arrived at by the simple procedure of counting heads. This is not enough. The best organized of small extremist groups has little trouble in swaying the minds of the large masses of the people whose only real desire is for peace and security in which to conduct their own lives. Because of the tremendous complexity of the issues at stake they have never as yet become well enough informed as to what form of government would give them the greatest freedom without degenerating into blind followers of a self-styled Messiah. Education is the key to permanent peace. Education as to the democratic spirit. We must not only foster in ourselves and in others a growing spirit of tolerance, but must be prepared to fight to protect our right to that spirit. We have been happy behind the walls of Western because of the guiet scholarly life we have led. Our professors have been kind to us in pointing out the road we should follow to true education. lt is now our problem to walk that road in search of truthg but we must carry cudgels with us as protection against the reptiles lurking behind every tree and stone. The way can and will be hard, we shall be disappointed and disillusioned and at times we will grow bitter and a soul-destroying cynicism may seek to envelop us, but if we keep our eyes raised to the shining haven at the end of the road we can retain our ideals and perhaps do something to improve a world into which we were born. BGB COLUCCI, Class Valedictorian.

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I, kt JACK BOCKING Honour Bioloqtcal Scxence ST. THOMAS, ONT. MARGARET BOUGHNER General Arts ST. THOMAS, ONT. Clxo Clulu ROBERT BOUGHTON General Arts ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA Aww GLEN CAMPBELL General Arts RODNEY, ONT. Orpheus Sotglety JOAN BOWMAN General Arts LONDON, ONT. Gazette Players' Gutld WOYIlQD'i5 C'O1ll 1C1l Occidentalta DORINDA BRICKENDEN Honour French and Spanxslu LONDON, ONT, London Llttle Theatre MARY BURTON General Arts LONDON, ONT. Undergraduate Women's Counctl Basketball Soccer Gazette SWlIU1'I1lI'lQ Track 'Wi af'- 'WB P 5 2 WWWQ.. MORRIS WEARING BA., MD. LONDON, ONT. l we ,f 5 l l 5 I V a ,515 ad N -