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

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:fl umnae Eleanor Haulin, '41 Alumnae THIS is the last time I shall have the pleasure of bringing to you, McMainians, the activities of our big sisters. So, without a mo- ment's hesitation, let's start with a flash! La Reine Gladden, a psychology student in the Newcomb College academic school, was elected 1941-42 president of the college student coun- cil at the polling conducted on the campus. She is a member of the Young Women's Christian Associa- tion, the Cotillion Club, and Kappa Alpha Theta, national academic sorority-and has also served as junior representative on the college judiciary board. A credit to McMain? Positively!!! A number of our girls played ac- tive parts in the Spring Fiesta. Helen Charbonnet, Margaret Gadsden, and Althea Livaudais were among the pretty young ladies selected as maids. All of you who went to the City Park stadium for the opening of that season saw the beautiful old-fash- ioned dresses they wore. Perhaps you also noticed that Dorothy Ecuyer was that very accomplished pianist who accompanied the singer from the Newcomb school of music. The selec- tion was by Stephen Foster, one of my favorite composers. One of the girls who assisted in receiving at a reception held by the New Orleans Art Association in the Delgado Museum was Katharine Eustis. These girls were dressed in ante-bellum costumes, too, and looked as pretty as a picture. There was also the cotton fashion show held at the Roosevelt Hotel. Among the lovely models were Katherine Balmer, Louise Nelson, and Martha Albright. Shirley and Jerry Liddell were on the coach in the parade held in the French quarters on a night in Old New Orleans. Surely, this shows their pride in their own city. And can you blame them? The New Orleans chapter of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority had a tea dance at the Orleans Club in honor of new members. Among the members attending the dance were Carol Fraser and Elleonora Perriliat. Shirley Dunlap and La Reine Glad- Forty den-pledges-were also there. Quite a lovely group, don't you agree? When it comes to receiving honors, McMaini.ans are always around, and this time was no exception. Catherine Waddill was elected the prettiest at Dominican, which shows that a num- ber of our big sisters have beauty as well as brains. Congratulations, Catherine! Speaking of honors reminds us of Margaret Schmachtenberger. It is Expressions of a Shut-In On A S pring Day Oh! for a stroll in some secluded dell Where dwell the strange yet wondrous beauties round,' A passer-hy could hardly hope to tell In worthy words, the glories that abound In Nature, who unleashes all her might Of primitive design on all alike- The urgent calls of hirds in winged flight To mates in verdant treetops of great heightsg Young saplings through whose veins do strongly flow The life renewed, to give a sheltered hower To lovers young, in love's first feverish glow That' bursts for'er into impassioned flower. To all of these my hungry soul takes wingsy List' to my quieted heart-it sings, it sings! Leah Singerman, '36. very rare for a girl to enter, much less graduate from, Tulane in the school of Chemical Engineering. Well, the long and short of this tale is . .' . Margaret was one of those rare ones, for, in June, 1940, she completed that course! If that isn't wonderful, fellow McM.ainians, what is? Now, let's turn to an entirely dif- ferent field. Suppose we talk about singing. Of course that brings to our minds only one thing or, perhaps I should say, one person. A Miss Dorothy Busch, formerly of McMain, is now singing in New York! Among the up and coming actresses of our day we find Dora Harrison, Joan Brooks, and Evelyn Stolaroff. In the play, Berkeley Square, pre- sented .at Dixon Hall, Dora was Helen Pettigrewg Joan was Lady Ann Pettigrew, and Evelyn was the maid. According to all reports it was a huge success. But then, how could it have failed to be anything but that, with three such starlets taking part? April the first was a. big day in Beatrice Kernan's life, for that was her wedding day. In the weeks be- fore the ceremony, several showers were given for her. There was also a luncheon at Arnaud's in Mrs. L. C. Andrews's fthat is now her namej honor. June Gahrs, Nellie Ivy, and Carolyn Barbier are also married, while Eloise Costley and Theone Heric are engaged. Theone's hus- band-to-be is Sherwood Collins of the U. S. Engineering Department in Panama. I don't suppose any of you have ever worn donkey earsg in fact, you woul-d probably laugh and declare such ,a thing impossible. But it isn't. Mary Sue Strahan, Louise Nelson, and Carolyn Robbert Wore them when they were initiated into Alpha Sigma Sigma-an honorary society for the promotion of school spirit. Mary Sue was last ye-ar's head of Newcomb's Y. W. C. A., is the 1941- 42 vice-president of that student body, .and a member of the Phi Mu Sororityg Louise is Newcomb repre- sentative to the Tulane Rooter Clubg and Carolyn is president of the Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. Among those elected to the Assets was Elleonora Perriliat. Now, we hand our congratulations to Carolyn Robbert because she has been elected cheerleader for the third time at Newcomb, and Dorothy Ecuyer because she has been made campus night chairman for 1941-42. These two certainly manage to stay in the limelight. In her McMain days Carolyn was the president of her class, while Dotty was presi- dent of the student body, as most of you will remember. It looks as if they were born leaders. The sponsors for the three com- panies of the Tulane Naval Unit are Dorothy Ecuyer, Louise Nelson- another limelighter -and L etty Miranne. They were present at the presidential review of the unit held annually on the University's Found- fContinued on page 443 E - C - H - O - E - S

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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

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66,5 euiew.s .. .nn, cou, Editor's Note: Vacation is just around the corner, and we book lovers are planning to spend murh time, reatl- mg. lVe give, in this issue, a few sugges- tions for light summer reading, selevtea' from the unique Lafcadio Hearn rol- leetion at the new Howard-Tilton Me- morial Library ou the Tulane University campus. Because of the zfividness and charm of his style and, the beautiful and delirate descriptions, Lafeaflio Hearn holds such a high place in the interest of his readers, that we have reviewed sei'- eral ol his best books, hoping that you will read these and return to sthool next autumn, alter having reabed a rieh harr- est of neu- thoughts and ideas. Jeanne. The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn THE letters of a man are a true in-- troduction to his character, no biographer, no matter how skillful, can portray the life of a man better than can his own correspondence. Elizabeth Bisland, realizing this, col- lected the letters of her famous rela- tive and, with a little necessary editing and a brief introductory biography, published them that the world might gain an insight into the thoughts and feelings of a great man. Elizabeth Bisland, following the lat- est trend in thought, reveals only the circumstances under which the genius of this man developed, omit- ting the weaknesses and sordid details sought by the curious. Lafcadio Hearn early cast aside the authority of his aunt as well as that of his teachers and, wandering rest- lessly, traveled in Europe, until at the age of nineteen, penniless, deli- cate, half-blind, and without a friend, he cross to America, where he served an author's apprenticeship, living in New York, Cincinnati, Tennessee, and New Orleans, and finally in the West Indies. Then, as a master-Workman, he left for the Orient where he lost his faculty for vivid, glowing descrip- tions of the tropics, yet found an- other style in which to portray the feeble, ghostly things in this soft, dreamy, pale, gentle, visionary Japan. His queer, charming sketches win our admiration because they are exquisite, sensitive, and original, and because they bring tears to our eyes and remain long in our memory. In the last stage of his life, Hearn- happy with a devoted family-con- E-C-H-0-E-S ceived the deepest love for Japan- his adopted fatherland. Despite the bitter permutations of life, Lafcadio Hearn kept to his ideals and beliefs, it may be truly said of him, as..Miss Bisland with sy-mpathy and tenderness exclaims, he was among those who strove for the im- memorial grandeur of their calling, were dazzled 'by none of the great world-lights, and used their gift as a stepping-stone to no meaner life, but clear-eyed and patient, still pursued art singly for her own immortal sake. Jeanne Marcoux, '42, 2 . . 5- Q- ,-irfp., in, ' ,gf LAFCADIO HEARN Chita: A Memory of Last Island Lafcadio Hearn LAFCADIO HEARN'S realistic novel, Chita , depicts scenes as- sociated with Grand Isle, a place fa- miliar to all natives of Southern Louisiana. The plot is based on a tidal disaster which the author wit- nessed while spending the summer of 1884 on that island. Through his vivid descriptions of the islands, swamps, and bayous of our Pelican State and through ex- citing but sad incidents, the author reveals a melancholy tale of a small, Creole girl, Zouzoune, who was found after a terrible wreck. There is no evidence concerning her identity, and she is adopted by the kindly old couple, Feliu and Carmen Viosca, who name her Conchita, the name of their own child whom they had lost years before. Soon, from a frail, delicate child, she develops into a healthy, strong, and sun-tanned youngster, living a carefree life on a small island among a group of Spanish settlers. At first, she dreaded the cruel sea because it had taken her beloved mother from her, but through Feliu's careful train- ing, she learns to swim and to love the water. How Chita's father dead, suddenly appears and how he is drawn to the island unaware of what he will find there, is told stir- ringly by the author. The local color, characters, inci- dents, and situations are presented with interesting realism, and the plot is written in the usual skillful man- ner so characteristic of Lafcadio Hearn's style. supposedly Helen Davis, '42, Glimpses of Ghostly japan Lafcadio Hearn UGLIMPSES of Ghostly Japan teems with the local color of that quaint land of Buddhas and high priests. The author, Lafcadio Hearn, very lucidly depicts Japanese folklore 'by cleverly unfolding the deep mysteries of a strange people. Enchanted by the wierd, Eastern atmosphere, the reader is carried away into gloomy temples where good and evil spirits dwellg he is fascinated by the romantic legends of beautiful Japanese girls and hand- some young samurai who lend a tinge of sentiment to these fantasies based upon divination and passional karmas -the binding together of the living and the dead. The author tells of the sinifi- cance of bits of Oriental poetry, which, unless clearly analyzed, would paint a very vague picture in the Westerner's mind. Every word is a complete thought within itself. Peo- ple of the lower as well as the upper classes write poems that are inscrib- ed upon the walls of the humblest houses. Treated in like manner are ' Forty-one