St Marys Academy - Illuminatio Yearbook (Inglewood, CA)

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GREECE THE. DISCUS THROWER BY MVRON, AND THE RUINS OF THE THEATER AT ATHENS BELOW A MODERN AMERICAN ATHLETE, AND THE ENTRANCE TO THE COLISEUM AT LOS ANGELES WHERE THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN 1932 WILL TAKE PLACE. Tzvciity-eight

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EUROPE IN CALIFORNIA Spain; Josephine Hcssel, Portugal; Hazel Sill, Germany: Helen Perry. France; Calhenne Kelly. EncLind.] Against the roof of hewed logs came the intermittent swish of moisture laden pine boughs. Around the unprotected corners of the lodge nestled high in the Sierra Nevadas, rushed the wind, a roaring demon. It dashed the great sheets of water again.st the rough sides of the low, sprawling building. The rather forlorn drops of rain that retained enough vitality to roll down the window panes, saw within the cabin a sight which struck terror to the innermost depths of their watery beings. At one end of the long room, the cheery blaze from the hearth cast its rosy glow and filled the hall with warmth. But what are a room, a fire, and comfortable lounges without witnesses to the fact that there are a room, a fire, and comfortable lounges? Such might be compared to a pipe without tobacco, or a wine glass without wine. But in this room there were witnesses — several most characteristic witnesses. If you doubt that thev were characteristic, answer this question : What species of animal loves best a glass ready to his hand, a pipe between his lips, a roomy chair to hold his most ungracefully sprawling figure, and a fire to caress his extended legs? Do you doubt that they were characteristic? Turning away from the window, a tall, blond, blue-eyed son of the Vikings addressed the assembly in general. What a day! Reminds me of my homeland — Nature frowned on Norway, vou know. A highly colored individual replied : So I have heard, and it certainly is frown- ing on us now. He half-disgustedly turned to the fire. Eh, bien, but it is dreary. With a shrug of his thin shoulders, M. Gaston Cerveaux eyed the fair Scandinavian. The latter answered the challenge: But did my hardy forefathers allow drizzle and appalling mists of a late fall day to prey upon their spirits? They triumphed over nature and wrought a nation of peace and unit). He paused, dreamily lifted the poker, and began to stir the tire. Then he con- tinued, more to himself than to the others: ' In all the wide world ' round, are no waves so gladsome as those of Oresound ' . That surely expresses the true theme of the Scandinavian countries. Though the weather alone tends to make the Swedish people melancholy, are not we all occasion- ally inclined to such characteristics? A stranger once asked a Norwegian boy, who was plodding along the road, what the people did when it rained, and the answer was, ' We sing. ' Yes, we sing when it rains, and when we work, we sing too. W e may be pessimists, but we can still sing. Again he paused — this time to fill his pipe, and with the smoke curling lazily upward, he resumed his reveries: Scandinavia dwells in an all-picturesque setting, but life there is not all scenery and unforgettable sights. With a dash, winter is upon us, bringing its downy blanket of snow. This challenge is met by the distinguishing characteristic of Swedish youth. Skis and bob-sleighs are brought forth for the annual inspection. It ' s quite .surprising the age at which the children enter into these sports. Once every four years Finland, Norway, and Sweden unite at Stockholm to contend in the great Northern Games. Ski-jumping and ice-skating arouse as much enthusiasm and rivalry as your major football games. And do your sports cease with the melting of the snows? asked a much inter- ested gentleman. Tit ' enl ' -scirn

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Hardly, laughed the narrator, fully awake to the interest of his listeners. Summer brings bicycle-riding, boating, and regattas. No, our national sport is not skiing, but association ball, a game something on the order of, and bearing some resemblance to, football. Then, too, I almost forgot to mention another attrac- tion which brings thousands to our summer resorts — horse racing. Humph, roared the professor, nothing but sports, such a place in which to take up one ' s abode. Now, I The shadows in the corner shifted, and from their depths suddenly emerged the youngest member of our genial company. Last winter in the mountains of Cali- fornia my frat ' made whoopee. We had the best time in our lives — skiing, taboggon- ing, ice skating, everything! It was great! Such being the case, I think I shall spend next winter enjoying the sports of my homeland, without leaving this country, came from the fair face wreathed in a cloud of smoke. ' ou mean you will most certainly be cured of your nostalgia. Monsieur spread his hands most eloquently, but received no reply. In the silence that followed, a man ' s ruddy face was silhouetted against the fire- light as its owner leaned forward and stirred the embers with a dry stick. Will Norway be represented in the Olympic Games in California next year? came from somewhere in the room. The reply issued from an unexpected quarter: Eh! Eh! Did someone wish to be informed concerning the great games of our Hellenic ancestors? The four great festivals of the Olympic He was fairly started, and there was no stopping the flow of rhetoric. He had removed his spectacles, passed his long fingers once, twice, through his somewhat tangled hair, and precariously balanced his great book upon his knee. Pythian, Isthmian, and Nemean games were of greater efficacy than the Amphictyonic Council in promoting a spirit of union among the various branches of the Greek race. Compressed action surged beneath the cloud of passive submission that lay over the room. The professor continued : The famous festival was first celebrated at Olympia, on the banks of the Alpheus, in the territory of Elis, and near the ancient temple of the Olympian Zeus. These games were held every four years, and the interval which elapsed between each cele- bration was called an Olympiad. The whole festival was under the management of the Eleans, and was frequented by spectators from all parts of the Grecian world. There was too much repressed energy in the room ; something was about to burst. Glorious youth, represented by Bill, rose to the surface, with: Frankie Wyckof is in line for marathon laurels in 1932. It was a brave attempt, but that was all. The learned man with the mussed up hair was strides ahead of the fastest runners of ancient Greece or of modern Cali- fornia; nothing but a catastrophe would stop him now. During the games all hostilities were suspended throughout Greece Then the catastrophe occurred. The ponderous volume, balanced precariously on the professor ' s knee, slid, and with a crash toppled to the floor. He leaned over to retrieve the huge bulk ; as he did so his spectacles slipped from his nose, and he dropped his pencil. Very effectively then, and in less time than it takes to write it out, the professor was silenced. Breaking the subsequent stillness came: Speaking of athletes — well, Ireland might boast a bit of her own crop. Yes, came the quick retort, but, old friend, the Irish, as a rule, are rather clannish, aren ' t they? That is, they devote tiieir talents to themselves alone. Mr. May was not to be pacified: Tu ' ciity-iiiiie