Comments & Editorials 13
Editorial (1965)

Former editors of the magazine have expressed the hope that it might see "more radical changes", and with this edition this has to some extent been realised. It has now been redesigned with the intention of bringing new interest to a well-established project. Thanks are due in this respect to Mr. T. D. Plenderleith and the illustrators, whose work has formed the basis of the new design, and especially to Mr. M. Kennedy, who both originated the scheme and guided it to completion

The aim originally entertained by the editors was to exclude from the magazine all extraneous material such as Sports Results and the like; but it was later felt that in order to preserve its customary role as a reflection of every aspect of school life, these details should be included as before. The division into sections has to some degree, however, compensated for their retention.

It had been hoped that an improvement in content would have accompanied the improvement in appearance; but in neither quality nor quantity can the literary contributions be said to have surpassed, or even equalled. those of former editions. And it is significant that this same complaint should have been voiced so often in the editorials of the magazine. The root of the trouble obviously lies in a general apathy and not, as has formerly been suggested, in "contempt" for literature or self-consciousness about writing poetry. Students of the Arts no less than of Science are to blame in this; but, to our minds in any event, it is heartening to see this continuing specialisation in the face of the increasing emphasis on a wider but necessarily shallower education.

A course in modern politics would perhaps be the one justifiable expression of this trend towards a more general instruction: the interest shown in the School Election bears witness to an awareness of the importance of political matters and of their part in modern life. This event was remarkable for the triumph of fact over fiction! Startlingly enough (when one recalls 1964 election results in both Great Britain and the U.S.A.), the St. Nicholas electorate returned the right-wing element with a handsome majority.

To return to the magazine: the best of the submitted entries, both in poetry and in prose, have been included, as before, in a literary section. We hope that in future years the process of change and improvement begun in this issue will be carried to completion.

P. JORDAN, L6A D. M. DUMVILLE, L6A