Woodstock Collegiate Institute - Oracle Yearbook (Woodstock, Ontario Canada)

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instance, I formerly studied physics and chemistry simultaneously, instead of in sep- arate years. Here our annual field day is held in the autumn, but in my last school we held ours in May and had a May Queen cor- onation as part of that day's activities. Woodstock although a small city, is an ideal place in which to live. Woodstock Collegiate Institute is one of the best schools that I have attended and I hope to continue my education here until I graduate. Chiyoka Takeda 12A The Robot Bomb On the night of Iune 12, 1944, a lookout on the south coast of England heard a sound like a distant motorcycle engine. Looking up, he saw what appeared to be a small aeroplane with its tail on fire, coming inland at high speed and at a low level. This was the first appearance on the stage of history of the robot bomb, the weapon of the next war. The rocket, like many so called inven- tions, is not new to war. The ingenious Chinese used it centuries ago, and its use by the British in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 has been immortalized in the line, by the rocket's red glare . Warfare is a thing of which we are not proud. It is a stigma on our civilization. Nevertheless, warfare is a time of stimulated advance in many fields. This has been par- ticularly true of the field of science in the war just ended. Radar, new drugs, the full real- ization of the potentialties of the aeroplane, and many other things are a beneficial legacy to coming generations. The roots of all these forward steps lie back in the days of peace, and among them was the germ of the ideas embodied by the Germans in the robot bombs. Even before Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon , men speculated on the possibility of travel through the solar system. To this end, International Rocket societies were organized. The German government has always fostered scientific research and it carefully encouraged developments in the field of rockets. The Germans concentrated all their researches on the isolated Baltic is- land of Peenemunde. When war broke out in 1939, the Germans had advanced far THE ORACLE enough in this field for Hitler to boast of his secret weapon . Now the British were not altogether in the dark as to this secret weapon and soon discovered by good fortune and patient re- conaissence, the base at Peenemunde. It was decided that this viper's nest must be destroyed at all costs, and accordingly, on the night of August 17, 1943, 500 R. A. F. bombers devastated the island. Most of the technicians and scientists were killed and much of the models, equipment and data were destroyed. This single blow set back German research six months, and saved Britain as an invasion base for D-Day. British Intelligence kept the Allied Su- preme Command informed of German pro- gress, and even before the first bomb was launched against London, a great decision had been made. Rather than set forward D-day enough to capture the launching sites on the French coast before the Ger- mans could use them, it was decided to sac- rifice the city of London. As is was, constant Allied Air attacks, excellent defences, and Montgomery's breakthrough in Normandy, spearpointed by Canadians, combined to save London. The V-1, or buzz-bomb, was not a true rocket, and had only a limited range. Its successor, the V-2, was a true rocket and at the end of the war the Germans were almost ready to launch the mightly V-10 against North America. To those who say, it can't happen here note the following. On March 19, 1945, six U-boats put out to sea. They planned to launch robot-bomb attacks against the Atlantic Seaboard. Fortunately, concentrated efforts disposed of them all be- fore they could do their work. German scien- tists said that in six months they could have been bombarding America with the terrible V-10, enhanced by their own development of the Atomic Bomb. The next war, and we pray there will not be one, may be a Hpushbutton war . Buried deep in underground burrows, men will launch super rocket-bombs against each other. One such bomb may lay waste a whole city the size of Detroit. Defences? Radar could give only thirty minutes warn- ing of a bomb launched against us from across the Atlantic. A whole broad contin- Twenty-Seven

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Stories and Essays o The House of Tomorrow We are entering a new agel lt is one of atomic energy, modern inventions, huge in- dustrial developments, and the planning of a world peace. All this is of great import- ance to the average housewife. War brought many women out of the kitchen, and the assembly line taught them to appreciate ef- ficiency: consequently they are vitally con- cerned about the House of Tomorrow. What will it be like? The modern kitchenfworkshop of the home, is a housekeeper's paradise. An el- ectric dish washer is a very important feat- ure. How much time and drudgery one of these eliminate. The refrigerator has re- volving shelves which enables the house- wife to see instantly just what she wants. There is no need to remove all the contents to reach that small dish of fruit in the very back corner. And the Presto Cooker! That is why Mrs. Housewife can have a delicious dinner prepared in such a short time. Vege- tables are cooked in two or three minutes and a roast is ready in much less than an hour. The living room is really full of sur- prises. Push a button, a glass wall changes its position, and there you have a new room! It can be made larger or smaller as you wish. The furniture in the room is of metal or plastic materials that stand up under any number of jitterbug parties. Remember how the old furniture used to look even more worn than usual after a iam session by the teen-age crowd. The wall next the garden is completely built of glass, perhaps, and there are no chilly draughts either. For a cozy evening by the fire, the housewife just draws the easily-cleaned glass curtains. Many other improvements are revealed in the modern house. lt is lighted throughout by fluorescent lighting which eliminates glare. The bathroom has non-skid tubs and showers. There are no heavy wool blankets on the beds. ln their place are light, electric- ally heated ones. The furniture in baby's nursery is unbreakable. Crayon marks on the walls can be removed with soap and Twenty-Six water without doing any damage to the sur- face. There might even be a Baby Tender! The modern house is built for the family rather than have the family adapt itself to the house. It is aplace where young and old can work, play, and entertain their friends. Edgar Guest said,- lt takes a heap o' livin' in a house to make it home. The House of Tomorrow is, indeed, a home. Isobel Hart l3B. My Native Land British Columbia, my beloved native land, is the third largest province in the Dominion. The wealth of the fruitful Okana- gan Valley, the yields of mines and fisher- ies, the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, the humming industries of Vancouver, Canada's largest Pacific port, and the pulp and paper towns of the coast are all well-known. Nat- ure in her grandest mood, paints the beauty of towering mountains, dense forests, and mighty rivers. On Canada's Pacific Fron- tier the pride and vigor of the New World is revealed. There too is apparent sincere loyalty to the Empire. Two years ago l migrated east and adopted your province, Ontario, the land of treasure! Her wealth in nickel, copper, iron and gold, from mines whose names are world famous is beyond a king's ransom. Her rolling acres of tidy farms and wood- lots surround numerous thriving industrial cities. Power developed from the natural resources of Mighty Niagara plays a leading part in developing her industries. Besides the Great Lakes, thousands of acres of scenic parks invite an ever increasing flow of tourists to enjoy varied recreations. This is Ontariof-proud of her history and loyal to the traditions of true democracy. Perhaps you would be interested to hear of a few of the sharpest contrasts between my former school and yours-the high school tnot collegiate? where l went, with about two hundred. The pupils had only four grades, not five as we have here. ln it, our teachers moved from one classroom to another while the pupils remained in their home forms. I prefer the rotary system of W.C.I. as it adds variety to the day. I have noticed also sev- eral slight differences in curriculum. For THE ORACLE

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ent to strike at. Travelling faster than sound. Invisible to the naked eye. Inaudible to the ear. What could we do? Our only hope lies in preventing even the most remote in- ception of war by supporting all world peace organizations to the limit. -Bob Ackmcm. 13A- Reflections Of An Army Nurse Dawn was breaking in a rosy glow as we poked our tousled heads from our tent on a battlefield in France. We Ctwo other army nurses and IJ had arrived the night before by troop transport. We were the first Canadian girls to reach the front, and there was much to be done. As the guns over the hills were barking, I knew that before many hours the homesick and weary casualties would be brought to us. We had been issued khaki Coveralls, regulation boots, and steel helmets Cwhich we used for wash basinsl, and as I pulled on my boots over my heavy wool socks, I prayed that we might help some boys to life and love again that day. I know that the other girls prayed too, for I saw dark- haired Ieanette cross herself and murmur a few words as she stepped from the tent. Within half an hour a lad of nineteen was brought to us. Wounded in the leg by sniper bullets, he was sobbing heart--brok- enly as the orderlies carried him into my tent. On asking if the pain was very bad I received the reply, No, but we're advancing and l'm going to be left behind. I gave him morphine and then began to dress the wound. As his leg had a compound frac- ture, I knew that he needed immediate hos- pital care: so I listed him as one of the first to return to England. Then I gave him a cig- arette, and as I left I heard him say to the picture of a teen-ager he held in his hand, I'm afraid we can't go skating this year, but maybe next winter, Sis. All day long the casualties poured into camp, and We worked mechanically, with tears in our eyes and lumps in our throats, caring for them. At five-thirty a hospital' orderly told us to prepare the most serious cases for the trip to England. The Hospital Transport, Twenty-Eight which had landed on the strip at Nantes, would be ready to leave in two hours. As I strapped a tow-headed youngster onto a strecher for the short ride in the lorry, which would take him to the strip, he grinned at me and said, You know, Sister, this is the first time that I have called a girl 'sister' without having my face slapped. Even while pain was wracking his body, he could exchange a joke with his buddies and me. When the soldiers had all been loaded into the plane, I obtained permission from the CO. to step in and make sure they were all comfortable. As I passed number I4 a young boy grasped my hand and whispered, Please, Sister, kiss me before you go. You see, I can read a medical chart and I know that I may not last long. I-Iow could I re- fuse his plea? It seemed the least I could do for him who had risked his life for me. I have many other memories of my life as an army nurse, but my first day in France is the most vivid of them all. Donna Dawson l2A Cupitimidit'y February fourteenth tSt. Valentine's Day to youl lies in wait just around the corner. It is, literally, the only red letter day in the year. A day set aside for the young in heart though old in body. No matter how old or how youthful you are, this is one chance to show your affection for that certain some- one. Ture, some foul, villainous fellow, how- ever, takes this opportunity to take a dig at 'someone he dislikes. St. Valentine's Day is a fine opportunity for the easily embarrassed to take their heart in their hands and pass it along. For the more dashing, particularly a practical joker, 'tis a chance not to be denied. Im- agine the confusion one could create with a few innocent f?l valentines. Whether your intentions are honourable, or if you are just curious, now is the time to see who is chas- ing whom. Then there is the person who fools us all. His name is anonymous. To the business man, Valentines Day is a golden opportunity. Though your valentine may cost five cents or five dollars, he must make enough money to last the rest of the year. But shux Valentir1e's day comes but THE ORACLE