Eleanor McMain High School - Echoes Yearbook (New Orleans, LA)

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The International Conference of Rotary AT present, our attention is turned to tne Pan Ame1'ican countries, and our art classes at McMain under the direction of Miss Peters, worked on their latest unit-masks, head- dresses, and costumes for the Inter- national Conference of Rotary held Monday, April 21, at the St. Charles Hotel. The headdresses, each 1'epresent- ing the natural resources of a Pan- American country, were as follows- leather, from Argentina, was repre- sented 'by a bull's head decorated with all the prize winning ribbons. Bolivia exports tin, and our students worked this idea out in a geometric designg coffee leaves and coffee beans formed the headdress for Brazilg cop- per, from Chile, was portrayed by a headdress worked into huge copper threaded circles. Everyone wishes for a headdress like that of Colum- bia--made of emeraldsg Costa Rica sends us tuna fish, hence the two Hshg eight stalks of sugar cane formed the chapeau of Cubag the immense headgear for the Dominican Repub- lic was made of tobacco leaves, al- though the headpiece of Ecuador was not so large, it was attractive, being made of small panama hats. Stalks of rice decorated the headpiece of El Salvador. Guatemala's hat was two huge bunches of bananas, and, since Louisiana and Haiti a1'e com- petitors in cotton, the head covering from Haiti was symbolized by two bales of cotton leaning against each other. From Honduras we have a bunch of coconuts. Mexico's head- piece was silver ore, while Peru's was gold orc. Nicaragua's gift to the conference was an immense pineap- ple. Shells of various sizes were Panama's contributiong the headpiece of Paraguay was different kinds of citrus fruits. From our own United States, the headpiece represented agriculture with various vegetables decorating the crown, a sack of wool was the hat of Uruguay, and the fam- ous black gold or oil was the cha- peau of Venezuela. Canada's head- clress was made of furs. But the headdresses were not all that were made for this conferenceg the art classes also made masks de- Famine, Death, picting Pestilence, Intolerance, Power, War, Greed and Tbirt V-eig bl . 4 7 ,D ' V N-2 Fire-all the disastrous consequences that are caused by war. The process in making these masks and headpieces is most fascinating- first, clay is shaped into a design, then the object is covered with cello- phane. After this is completed, a layer of crushed brown paper is put over the design, and two more layers of the paper are put on with the aid of paste. When this is finished, the mask or headpiece is either painted or covered with colored paper in the same manner as the process with the brown paper. All costumes for this conference were designed from authentic pic- tures of our Pan-American neighbors. Each outfit, having been created by the art students, was complete in every detail from the shoes to the hats, a few costumes were originals, having been worn by the natives, others were made in the art classes, or by experienced dressmakers, but ALI. were designed by McMain's own students. Congratulations to Miss Peters and her art students for their very ex- cellent work! 'lf ,lf Sis Miss Hester's first course class is at present being taught Creative Floral Designs by Mrs. Witherspoon of Newcomb. Miss Hester's classes have just finished Carnival Posters, masks, and designs for costumes. As special work, Valarie Fitzgerald and Nancy Lockwood are making an il- luminated poster of the Spanish- American War Veterans' definition of Americanism for our principal, Miss Leckert. Pk ak Sk Miss Doize's classes are now doing designs of action taken from photo- graphs which will be painted in water colors. lk Pl: Pl! At present both art rooms are dis- playing beautiful water color paint- ings by contemporary artists. Among the displayed are the following: Winter by the Sea and Brighten- ing Siene by John Wharf, Skating in Central Park and Sponge Fish- ing-Bahamas by Winslow Homer, The Cobblers and Sunset by Jules Merving Wild Horses painted by Allen Saalsburyg The Flying Codonas by John Stuart Curry and Summer by Max Weber, Nobody's Cast by Peggy Bacon and Harlem River by Preston Dickerson. Vera Barton, '41. Cordell Hull is an extremely cautious speaker, striving always for scien- tific accuracy. One day, on a train, a friend pointed to a fine flock of sheep grazing in a field. Look, those sheep have just been sheared, he said. Hull studied the flock. Sheared on this side, anyway, he admitted. -American Magazine. E-C-H-O-E-S

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i. i 1 Q I X 1 I 3 .fr 1 -vu.-v -oo.. r ' J, A Festival of Pan-Americana NTAKE one cowboy chorus, one group of southern belles, numer- ous Latin-American beauties, blend together with appropriate -music and dances, season with a lovely queen and her maids, and you have the for- mula for one of the loveliest pageants ever presented by McMain High School. The McMain Spring Festival this year added its contribution to the Good Neighbor Policy of the Unit- ed States by choosing Pan-American- ism as its theme. Queen Columbia ruled, and the representatives of the various nations of the Western Hem- isphere came to pledge their friend- ship. Patricia Callahan was a beau- tiful and gracious sovereign, and her six charming maids were Kathryn Nelson, Margery Mendes, Gayle Bal- dinger, Virginia Rush, Rachel Fort- na, and Frances Guidry. The first half of the program was devoted to the United States and was called We're All Americans. Three dances typical of this country were performed-a gay country dance, a military tap dance, and an old-fashioned barn dance that was greatly appreciated by the audience. A tribute to the famous American cowboy was made by a group singing well-known Western songs, such as: Wagon Wheels, Saddle Your Blues to a Wild Mustang, and sev- Daphne Roy, '42 eral others, ending with the peren- nial favorite, Home on the Range. For the c-oncluding numbers of this part of the program the Glee Club sang We're All Americans, and, while six soldiers fMcMainians in uniform, of coursej performed a drill, rendered There's Something About a Soldier. The navy had its turn as a group of sailors swabbed decks with the Glee Club cheering them on to the tune of I Saw the Sea. The act ended with a thrilling tri- bute to the American flag called You're a Grand Old Flag, sung by the Glee Club with members of the Junior Red Cross, the soldiers and sailors acting as color guard. Between the acts the songbird of McMain, Etta Mae Palmisano, sang Estrellita in her usual delightful IY12.l'1Tl6l'. The second act opened with the stage darkened and bare but for a large American fiag in the back- ground with spotlights thrown upon it, and waving as bravely as though it were flying in the wind from the top of the highest flagpole. Stand- ing before the effectively lighted and displayed fiag, America sent her messengers to extend an invitation to all the nations of the Western hem- isphere. Each representative 'made her entrance to music identified with her country, and was announced by a commentator. Several performed dances native to their land-among them a Mexican. hat dance, a Cuban rhumba, a dance of the Dominican Republic-and the whole group joined in the Latin-American conga. In the midst of the gaiety of this dance, a symbolic note was intro- duced by the appearance of the three demons: Famine, War, Pestilence, and their followers. The Western nations were subdued for a while by these forces, but the spirit of Pan- Americanism was strong enough to overcome them, then the entrance of America brought new hope to the countries, and their representatives arose to sing, gladly and thankfully, God Bless America. This tribute to international co- operation was made possible by in- traschool cooperation among teach- ers and students. Special credit goes to the art, speech, and gym teachers for their excellent direction of the program. Laurels also are due Mr. Kirst and the orchestra, whose, fine musical accompaniment helped to carry out the theme. Time- ly in its relation to national policy and entertaining in itself, this pro- gram with its gay music, lightheart- ed dances, and the optimistic hope of its theme served as a fitting wel- come to spring. To You Iennie Bell Germann, '41 Days are long and hours years As I wait and dream of you. I long to hold you rlose. Alas, Your home is in the blue. Some time in long Eternity 1'll meet you once again- And whisper tenderly, At last- I did not wait in vain. Dim ples Muriel Bonie, 41 A dimple here- And a dimple there Those dimples, you just love to wear! Whene'er you laugh Or even speak, They dance across Your rosy cheek. E - C - H - O - E - S Thirty-seven

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music Jane Warren, '42 liditor's Note: Musir is an indispen- sable factor in life today. It is not only a source of enjoyment for those who ap- preciate it, but also an integral part of eduration and vulture. Thus it is easy to see why hooks about musir and its romposers have been written, why the Metropolitan Otlera Company was begun, and why musir is such a perfect hack- ground for any piece of pageantry. The following accounts of these three uses of music may give some idea of the :fast importance of music in everyday agairs. jane. We Are All Americans NOTHING arouses our feeling of patriotism so much as bright and stirring march music. Therefore, to provide just the right note in carry- ing out the theme of the May festi- val- We Are All Americans -Mo Main's orchestra and chorus per- formed the new very popular pieces of patriotic music. The effect? Just add to the bright pageantry and colorful music that signify patriotism the shining gaiety of a royal May court, and there you have it-a deep feeling of gratitude because We Are All Americans! Although patriotism is a broad sub- ject to cover, there are many musi- cal compositions expressing practical- ly every phase of Americanism. For instance, You're a Grand Old Flag voices the popular stress laid on ap- preciation of the Stars and Stripes and was played to express just that part of American patriotism. Also in keeping with current interest in the military is There's Something About A Soldier, the song that has remained popular for several yearsg the navy was represented by We Joined The Navy . Since no patrio- tic program is complete without My Own United States , it is obvious that we, at McMain, included that se- lection, as well as the well known God Bless America . Americanism today, more than ever means a good-neighbor policy with South and Central America. Part of the Pan-American Pageant, pre- sented on April 21 in accordance with that policy, was again performed for the festival. The orchestra fur- nished the South American rhumba and conga selections which made the pageant so typical and realistic. Jane Warren. E-C-H-O-E-S The Metropolitan Performs in N. O. To the artist and poet, the spring season is inspirational because of its wealth of new natural beauty, but to the music lovers of New Orleans, April connotes the Metropolitan Opera. As in former years, the Company was presented to enthusi- astic audiences with great success. World renowned singing stars, bril- liant scenery, and carefully selected operas marked this season as the most delightful of the Metropolitan's visits to New Orleans. Madame Butterfly , often called the most stirring of Puccini's operas, was presented with the famed stars, Lucia Albanese, Irra Petina, and Richard Bonelli, in the leading roles. The tragic story of Madame Butter- fly and her steadfast loyalty to her American husband, Lieutenant Pink- erton, was unfolded with musical and dramatic perfection. That the audi- ence was properly appreciative was quite apparent in the applause which acknowledged the tender, impressive, and touching selections throughout the opera. Not only did the leading characters interpret their parts mag- nificently, but also the supporting cast contributed much to the pictur- esque tale of old Japan. Madame Butteriiyu made a lasting impression on all who witnessed the presentation of its pathetic story. In the tragic French opera, Ma- non , the memorable characters of Manon, Des Grieux, and De Bretingy were portrayed by Jarnler Novalna, Roaul Jobin, and Ezio Pinzer, re- spectively. The striking drama of the fickle Manon's love story and her tragic death at the conclusion of the opera was made more intense by the excellent cast and scenery. The ex- quisite melodies which recurred throughout the whole performance, helped to create the effect that has made Mahon so famous. The Italian Cavalleria Rustica- na , with Stella Roman and Armand Tokatyan in the leading roles, re- ceived the applause which always greets its performance. The drama of the tragic results of Lola's fickle- ness and Turiddu's firey love for her was told in a single act that wove to- gether the stories of four powerfully created characters. The swiftness with which the events moved to the grand climax, the dramatic quality so excellently brought out by the cast, and the striking music of this opera brought real enthusiasm from the audience. The ever popular Inter- mezzo well justified its place as a favorite with music lovers. As a perfect conclusion for a splendid series of performances, the Metropolitan presented Pagliacci . From the melodious prologue to the very climax, the characters in the play within a play were superbly portrayed by able and experienced singers. The opera, in which a group of players find that their famous Columbine and Harlequin is be- coming a reality, has a musical score which is as dramatic as the libretto. The success of this opera was due to the impressive music, the sy-mpathetic interpretation of characters by the stars, and the beautiful scenery. Ex- celling as it did in every respect, Pagliacci was a grand finale for an event to be long remembered by all who appreciate the ageless works of true masters. Jane Warren. The Boyhood of Edward MacDowell By Abbie Brown QQTHE Boyhood of Edward Mac- Dowell , a young dreamer who was to become one of the greatest American composers, is a fascinating book, and although the title may be misleading, the story contains data covering the entire life of this Quak- er reared lad. The author, Abbie Brown, explains this when she says, But he never grew up as most peo- ple dog he was a boy always. He never outgrew the things that keep people young-animals and fairy tales, fun and exercise, nature and music. Abbie Brown reveals many un- familiar bits of detail of MacDowell's lifeg although he is known to us for his musical genius only, he had an- other great talent--art. When study- ing music in France, he was offered a three year scholarship to a famous art school with all expenses paid: this offer he rejected in favor of fContinued on page 445 Thirty-nine