Fordham University School of Education - Grail Yearbook (New York, NY)

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Interracial Club Quest speaker. Those of us who were Evening Session stu- dents partook of an entirely different tradition in social activities-punch-substituting for the traditional Nedick's Orange Drink at all our functions. This distinctive feature of Eve- ning Session socials was a living exhibition of the philosophic principle of the analogy of be- ing. Succumbing to the preferences of its various authors, each edition of punch was distinctively different from all past and future batches and yet exhibited certain basic features common to all. This common element derived from the fundamental ingredients of all re- cipes, grapefruit juice and gingerale. Those of us who stayed after ten on Wednesdays, attracted by the coffee and cake the Interracial Club offered at its meetings were rewarded with benefits far in excess of our original anticipations in joining the organ- ization. Dedicated to the Christlike devotion of seeking social justice in interracial affairs, the club succeeded in making Chrstians of many of the bigots in the School. ln it, many of us were first convinced of the urgency of the problem of interracial justice and through it we made our small contribution to the ad- vance of justice and charity in the world. The object of the club is twofold-self- education in the problem of social justice for the minorities and practical aid in its solution. ln our forums, discussions and lecture series we learned the various subtle ramifications of this great contemporary problem and convinced ourselves of its pertinence in our lives. By our educational programs, charity drives, and the help and cooperation we offered together agencies in the field, we attempted to educate other students in the school and provide service to our fellow members in the Mystical Body of Christ. ln our third year, largely through the efforts of Mr. Sullivan, a Morning Session group was organized within the structure of the previously existing Philosophy Club and in Senior year it became a separate entity. It would be difficult to treat of the aims and activities of this truly Catholic endeavor without speaking of the leading spirit in its activities. Mr. Sullivan, its moderator, has for many years devoted much of his effort to this problem and it is through his personal interest and the interest he developed in his students that the club has enjoyed its great success. interracial Club. Columbus Day saw us sailing up the river to Bear Mountain for a repeat performance of our freshman outing. ln this we did exactly what we had done the year before. Section B aided and abetted by expatriots from other sections one again defeated section C in a free-scoring Softball Game. The girls once again romped through a contest to the amuse- ment of the bystanders. We went boating, Morris Dancing and explored the Nature Trail as before and once again Lois Johnson fell off her horse to round out a perfect day.

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W if This is how we made the Dean's List. A week later, on the l9th, we were assem- bled for our second retreat in St. Andrew's. Profoundly thankful for this brief respite from class, we took full advantage of the oppor- tunity for spiritual gain and emerged refreshed from this period of introspection, and with an increased awareness of the great realities- of our existence, our purpose in life and in the means to attain it. The traditional post-retreat communion breakfast was held in the cellar of the Woolworth building. During this time we viewed the indifferent fortunes of the football team with the impartial interest of the intellectual. We had succeeded in convincing ourselves that the main purpose of a university is educational. However, there was always the N. Y. U. game and this year we were not disappointed. Led by Langdon Vira- cola, the Madow trophy winner, the Rams spurted to an easy 26-O victory and we rejoiced at the Junior-sponsored Goblin Strut. Then came midterms. With the aid of No-Doz tablets and the usual eleventh hour effort, we managed to squeak through. We immediately resolved to mend our ways and do something about these studies at least for the first three or four days after the exams. Then our lounge social was at hand. Shat- tering all tradition, we charged only fifty cents, engaged a seven piece band, made money on the affair which couldn't be called a dance be- cause of the fire regulations and as the final indignity-served cider. Great was the con- sternation at Nedick'sg and Mr. Shattuck called a special meeting of the board of directors. Heads rolled in Miss Scanlon's office at the haughty disdain for long established custom and the class of '5l possessed a treasury. With new respect for tradition as a result of the effects of this deviationism we planned our Sophomore Christmas Dance. Calling the projected affair the SnowBall,', we started a tradition. Hoping to sell more tickets, we de- cided that something new was in order. Some- one had the idea of a beauty contest. At least twelve people have since laid claim to being the originator of this idea. At any event, we decided to elect a Snow Queen, and accord- 38 ingly supervised a schoolwide selection of nom- inees. lf a Sophomore hadn't won we would have been crushed. Hawking tickets, ordering refreshments, planning decorations, and making posters oc- cupied much of our time preceeding the affair. Gloria Petrilli became a billboard artist, Joe Pessarelli a ticket entrepreneur and Millie Fusco a dietician during this period. The traditional Christmas festivities inter- vened for a while to capture our attention. We sent each other Christmas cards, sang carols and drank Nedick's Orange Drink in celebation. On December 28th, with the financial issue still in doubt, some fifteen of us led by Dan Moriarty, Lois Johnson, Anne Brun and Joan Dowling assembled to put up decorations according to a master plan concocted by Ray Connolly. With Lou Staiano and John McCul- ,lough swinging from the roof beams, the work proceeded without much progress. Discarding various plans to suspend networks of structural steel on picture wire as an overhead support for the crepe paper streamers that composed the roof, the committee finally succeeded, after some twelve hours work, in constructing the roof. The major portion of our work was done, or so we thought. Morning found us once again assembled in the gym. During the night the streamers had stretched and were now re- posing gently on the floor. We were shattered. Finally completing the job about fifteen min- utes before the dance was scheduled to begin, we scattered for home, resolving never again to hold a dance in the Gym. For days afterward, Joan Dowling and Gail Bartenburger exhibited peculiar hand twitches which, upon close in- spection, were found to resemble those of a person weilding a stapling machine. That night the ohing and ahing of the three hundred couples in attendance amply rewarded the members of the Decorations Committee for their efforts. After spending a full thirty minutes Hohing and ahing lthe Band was latel they started to dance to the strains of Frank Alfieri and his Blue Flames. After a while, Mr. Alfieri's compatriots stopped And this is how we worked for the three days.