Page 32 - 1960

28
The Wise Old Owl
with Jerry Rogers
The rebirth of "The Wise Old Owl" as an high school column was, I hope, a subject of school-wide interest. Some of these articles were possibly humourous, others slightly pointed jabs at various persons and groups around the school. Next year it is hoped that a school newspaper will be organized with unlimited freedom to express all opinions, to create controversies, and to provide' subtle humour. Having thus written this brief explanation, I will now gather some of the anecdotes from my columns.
"It appears that maybe Collingwood will have to be content with a pair of dead lasts in the Tudhope-Thompson, since it would take an extremely poor entry to place below Coli ingwood ." After this was printed, I was besieged by a horde of female track stars who demanded that I make a public apology for writing that they would finish last. since they captured the Thompson trophy for their very first time.
"A great controversy has arisen in Collingwood concerning this town's recreational facilities. As a result of a special meeting dealing with this situation, the C. D.C .I.'s Vice-Principal, Mr. Murch, heads a committee to conduct a survey around the town to see .what the people want as recreation. For a town of Collingwood's size, there should be some form of recreation building for the younger people of the community. If the townspeople do decide that there is a need for recreation, how many more months or possibly years of bickering w:ll it take before they finish their project?"
"On Friday, a mild Initiation Day was held at the C.D.C.I. Mildness in dress of other years, that is. Thi.s year, the lucky Grade Niners did not wear any of their fathers' old underwear or their mothers' dressesj they wore nothing similar to that, just a simple sign bearing their name and form, and a hat of the opposite sex.
It was arranged that only students of Grade 12 and 13 would be able to initiate the Niners, but many a Grade 11 student was seen sporting an "Official Initiator" badge on his or her clothing. This was also the year of the absence of lipstick and other initiatory gestures towards the fortunate Niners.
The Initiation Dance with the appeorance of Jack Ruttle, the popular disc jockey from Barrie, brought waves of students and some teachers to the first evening dance of the year.
All and all, Initiation Day was a success."
"The Boys' gym classes have one way of getting into conditionj run the cross-country. You either got into condition through this or you nearly dropped dead with cold and fearful exhaustion. The race, itself, was not one of extreme length, but the real breaker was the weather conditions under which it was run, unfavourably wintry •••
The bitter wind sliced around your exposed legs and nipped at your cheeksj snow whipped through your tousled hair and your heart pounded as if it might burstj your oody became wracked with cutting pains and at long last, the finish Iine showed ahead and you panted past the smiling athletic teacher.
But later in the warm.th of the locker room, you were heard to say1 "It was not as difficult as I thought1 but I don't want to run it cigain." - .. ·' ·