Boston College - Sub Turri Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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that we were to spend much extra time in the laboratory. But the time was destined to pass quickly, for besides chemical actions and reactions we found that many other things could be enjoyed in the laboratory. The commonplace test-tube proved to be a magical wand that could work wonders. Some of our members became so learned in the science of chemistry that they wrote whole pages about experiments that they had never performed, while others produced fireworks of every description. Our second dance at Catholic Union Hall was a very gratifying success in every way. In the literary field we were again represented by McGrail, Sullivan, and Taylor, all of whom had now become regular contributors of the Stylus, and who were considered among the literary lights of the college. At the trials of the Marquette Debating Society held in January, Murray and Sullivan were chosen to represent the society in the intercollegiate debates. At the beginning of the second term the latter was also chosen president of the Marquette, Barry having held the ofiice during the first term. And soon after, both again secured a place on the Oratorical Contest, in which contest Murray was the victor for the second time, thus establishing a college record. On the fifteenth of May we banned all study and gathered at the Hotel Lenox for one of the most enjoyable banquets of our college career. It was this afl air that brought out much of the latent talent of the class, and notably the poetic talent of McDonald. Many had for a long time suspected that Mac was a poet, but when his poem appeared on the menu all doubts were settled and we were sure that he was not. . About the middle of June books were again laid aside and the halfway mark of our college course was successfully passed. Junior year found us all together in one happy family instead of divided into two branches as we had been in Freshman and Sophomore. Many familiar faces were missing, seven members having cast their future lot at Brighton. Father Barrett, S. J., was to be our new guide, but we had become barely acquainted when he was called away and in his place came Father Fortier, S. J., under whose guidance we courageously approached our first philosophical studies. And for the third time we chose Dawson as class president. Philosophy proved vastly difl erent from Latin and Greek authors although our proficiency in the former tongue became a cherished possession with us when we learned from Father Fortier that our textbooks were to be entirely in Latin. Another formidable thing that confronted us was the circles, not mathematical but philosophical, which consisted in passing through a third degree conducted exclusively in Latin and with the unfortunate subjec t seated in an isolated chair and facing an icy examiner.

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' cat ' ' and Mr. David Cronin, S. J., we were given a steady and sub tantial diet of Ars Poetica and Odyssey; while we partook of trigonometry under Father McGivney, S. J. The desert on the menu was sujapHed by Father Lane, S. J., who carried us to the sublime heights of EngHsh poetry, and then passed from the sublime to the ridiculous (or worse) by compelling us to attempt poetry ourselves. And, strange to say, while most of us succumbed in the first line, three of our members seemed to enjoy the company of the muse, and the effu- sions of McGrail, Taylor, and Sullivan appeared unblushingly in the Stylus. At the trials of the Marquette Debating Society in January the class was honored by having Messrs. Sullivan and Barry chosen to represent that society against Clark College. The subsequent victory of the Marquette in that debate — due in no small measure to our candidates — gave us our first laurels in the debating world. We were likewise distinguished in the annual Oratorical Contest which took place in March. Just to see what it felt like to be in illustrious company, Murray and Sullivan entered the contest against the pick of the college, and to the surprise of all the former was awarded the prize. Upon the fourth of April we retired from these activities and laid aside the work and worries of the classroom to begin the annual retreat. This was conducted by Father Lane, S. J., and will long be remembered as one of the most impressive and beneficial retreats of our college career. At a critical point in our Freshman year it came as a message of hope and encouragement that served and guided us constantly thenceforward. In recognition of his services on the public platform Mr. Barry was chosen president of the Marquette debating society. And as a fitting climax to our already numerous victories in debating Mr. Sullivan was awarded the medal in the prize debate of the Marquette. All in our Freshman year! We had indeed hitched our wagon to a star, and after Mr. Mackenzie had romped home first in the race for the classics medal, Freshman became a proud and notable preface to our collegiate biography. So phomore brought us together again on September IL The roll call was answered by all except three of our former classmates. Our new professors were to be Father Gaynor, S. J., and Father Devlin, S. J., who were to con- tinue the process of training so strenuously begun in Freshman. In the labora- tory we were to be introduced to chemistry under the guidance of Father Cusick, S. J., and the mysteries of mechanics were to be dispelled by Mr. Kiehne, S. J. Soon after the regular course had started we came together and unanimously reelected Mr. Dawson to lead the destinies of the class during our second year. At the start we discovered that our hours of labor were to be longer and '

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It was in Junior also that, besides a reform in textbooks, another reform was instituted in the matter of late-comers. One of the prime conspirators in this matter was Mr. Deasy, the class beadle, and things long to be remembered are his cold, vigilant stare when anyone stealthily opened the door after nine o ' clock, and the condescending grace with which he accepted the numerous stogies with which we all paid tribute to him. In the latter part of January, Murray, Sullivan, and Quirk were chosen in the Fulton trials to represent the seniordebating societyin its intercollegiatedebates. The next thing to claim our attention was the Junior Prom. In an interest- ing election, Brennan, Cogan, Desmond, Murray, and Quirk were selected as the committee to take charge of this important function. After extensive preparations it was held on the evening of January 30th, and resulted in the greatest social success of our college life, and still retains a cherished place in our memories. In the prize debate of the Fulton two of our members appeared, Messrs. Sullivan and Murray, and the latter was awarded the medal. Later both appeared in the victories against Georgetown and Fordham, the team in the latter debate consisting entirely of Juniors, INIr. Barry being the third repre- sentative. ' ' During Junior we were represented in the literary field by Sullivan, Mac- Kenzie, Higgins, and Taylor. At the annual Home Night we enjoyed a delightful entertainment with all the fun and jollity that the alumni and undergraduates could crowd into a few fleeting hours. In the Oratorical Contest we were represented by Quirk, Sullivan, Young, and Fitzgerald. On May 29th, we again gathered for our class banquet, this time at the Quincy House. While in many respects this banquet was like previous ones it was in many other respects the most notable one we had ever held. We were again delighted by the prophetic vision of Taylor, and the singing of Lynch, while Quirk, McDonald, and Brennan offered everything possible in the line of entertainment. The election of class officers for our last year in college resulted in a spirited contest for presidency and the election of Murray. Boston College Night at the Pops came as a fitting social climax to a year that had been from the start a preeminent success both in the social and academic worlds; and amid the light and music at Symphony Hall we renewed our pledge of mutual loyalty for the last year of our collegiate life. Senior opened with an inspiring talk by our new professor, Father Brett,