Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts - Mohawk Yearbook (North Adams, MA)

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Elan NCE upon a time there were thirteen little princesses who came from all over Berkshire County. They came from near and far-mostly near-to a palace on the edge of a sleepy little town of that County. The duty of these princesses was to obtain knowledge so that they might be worthy of the most noble calling in life which they would reach by passing through four gradual stages. During this period many strange and fantastic adventures were to befall the innocent young princesses. From the moment they entered the palace gates the spell was cast on them by the sixteen fates who were to rule their lives through the next four years. The first thing that came to pass was that the princesses who had passed through the first stage disguised themselves for a week so they no longer were beautiful princesses but became like witches. The next test bestowed by the head fate, who emphasized that this test would be given every year, was the climbing of a steep precipice known as the Mount of Greylock. With great hardship this trial was surmounted with valiant courage. It was a tradition in the palace that on the eve of October 31st. the novices could try to force their superiors to submit to their will. The success of this adventure gave the princesses courage to go on to greater trials-but not all trials, for the spell of the fates was lifted for one exciting evening when they were allowed to join in the gaiety of Christmastide. Back under the spell of the fates once more, the princesses came through a most enervating experience-that of examinations. After that great victorydthey were allowed to dress in the most royal finery and be escorted to a dance by young princes in the uniform of their country. The first stage was brought to a conclusion by a second period of examina- tions. The most courageous were to start a second stage in the following fall. On the eve of All Souls' Day, our heroines were tortured and racked by the new arrivals, who were revenging the strategy used by the maidens when they initiated the pea-greens. The thirteen princesses continued their second year by courageously climbing the Mount of Greylock, as they merrily observed the innocent freshmen wrestling with the unknown mountain. Being a year older and a year wiser, the young maidens decided to demonstrate their initiative by conducting a fabulous Ball. Invitations were sent to the most elegible princes in a neighboring village called Billville, but the giant ruling the princes locked them 28

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mores. Then together we became practice teachers oscillating between heights of success and depths of despair. Now together on this day we are preparing to make farewells to the school, but not farewell to our cohesiveness. Years will Contribute to the growth of our plant, but they will never remove from our mem- ory thoughts of college days together. What of the Class as individuals? Implanted in our memory will be the out- standing personal characteristics of each which have been unselfishly shared between us. Without the laughter and gaiety of some, without the seriousness and foresight of some, without the turbulence and restlessness of others we would not so successfully be waiting on graduation day for the climax of four years of enlightenment, pleasure-and disillusionment. We are now prepared to enter independently into the world, to face with strength problems of life. Never, as a result of our education and of our oppor- tunities of cohesive toil, will life present to us unsurmountable problems. Our education has been for living, our living has been an education and now our life will be education, not merely class room but universal, as we accept the positions oEered wherever we may go or in what ever field we may enter. Lucille Brown Light 27

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in the dark dungeon of Williams College and only thirteen couples attended the Ball. ' When the exhausted heroines had recovered sufliciently from the increasingly difficult examination period, they were blindfolded and led to a second castle more dingy than the first, where they were to begin their work in the most noble cause by observing the habits and characteristics of tiny gremlins. The princesses say nothing of the examination period following this, except that they passed into the third stage. Some of the thirteen left to build castles of their own, leaving only nine princesses. The rest realized that now they were irrevocably caught in the. Web spun by the sixteen fates. . Some of -the fates had decided that the maidens should commence their third stage by working at the other castle. The news coming from the minstrels like a bolt of lightning nearly caused them to return to the loving protection of their homes. But the courage that carried them through the first two stages did not waver now, and the princesses plunged into the thankless task of leading millions of little gremlins along the road of light through learning. They showed the gremlins how to sing, draw, read, and write, their main success being the definite ability shown in memorizing twenty-five names and faces. Infrequent trips to the upper castle were made to give the Freshman Reception, the junior Prom, and the memorable Stunt Night Program, at which the fates laughingly applauded The Princess Who Wouldn't Laugh. Proud of this success, the princesses were fortified enough to begin the final stage of their work. Too busy with extra-curricular activities, the now mighty senior princesses discounted the assignments given by the fates as only minor detail. The scope of their plan involved a psychological drama in honor of the incoming Freshmen, marriages, training castles, more marriages, and senior proms, banquets, Year Book deadlines and graduation. Now from the four stages of the spell cast by the fates, the princesses suddenly were awakened on one Sunday night as they climbed the step and received the recognition of their endurance and labor. The spell had been broken and they are now oil to find their way in the world-in the most noble calling,-or other- wise. Moral: Beauties sleeping for four years wake up to find their hair in pin curls. 4 h Marjorie Stockwell I ris Cavazza 29