Girls Latin School - Liber Annalis Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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-,E ...... 5, ,M ...... 5, Girls, Latin School ...... be ,ld ...... ...E had never won it. Now they would do it or die in the attempt. After all, they were an ambitious crew. A mere champion noise-making title was not enough to satisfy them. The biennial play of 1936 was The Brontesf' given for the first time in Latin School history in the hall of the Public Latin School. The use of this hall marked a great event in the life of the Girls' Latin School, for it is a beau- tiful hall with very line acoustics. The end of the year was drawing near. College boards! The terror inspiring sevenths held in preparation for those about to go to the guillotine were themselves really worse than the guillotine CC. E. E. BJ, for those emerg- ing found that their heads were still on their shoulders, and their senior year had arrived. CLASS I In September of 1936 again a throng of girls filed into that low red brick building in the Fenway. Yet there was a difference: this year the heroines of my story, instead of wee, pig-tailed tots, were the tallest girls, those with an air of familiarity toward their surroundings. They were now seniors. Seniors! They had reached that state Where there were no privileges for students from which they were barred. This new mantle, however, settled comfortably over their shoulders, and by the time the first assembly, from which Class I marched first in a body, was over, the cloak fitted as if it had always belonged to them. The class officers this year were very businesslike young ladies, who di- rected class meetings, proms, and parties in the most eilicient manner. The list includes Norma Norlund, president Patience Sanderson, vice president Hazel Hartwell, secretary Katharyn Nagle, treasurer. Possum, quia posse videntur, shouted the ardent enthusiasts of the fall hockey season, to cheer their classmates on. After this event Cwhich, by the way, they wonb worried Virgil teachers began to smile and say that perhaps all hope of teaching Class I to use their classical Latin was not lost. Yet not all the senior subjects were progressing as well. In the chemistry laboratory perplexed pupils tried to master formulas and valences and such mysteries as the electronic theory. Experiments popped, and test tubes broke, and still these mad chemists worked on to produce nitrogen where only oxygen wanted to be produced. January brought with it the young aviator, Ben Baker, and his flight into South America. In Riding Down the Sky, the gayest operetta imaginable, the songbird of Icd had the leading role, while the president and the villain, to say nothing of the beautiful ladies, were all members of Class I. 'AChin up a little higher. Now, smile. That's right. Now a serious one. No, those were not stage directions, they were merely mutterings of Purdy's photographer, trying to make raving beauties out of all the Girls' Lat- inites. And strange as it may seem, the photographer did make everyone look pretty and caused remarks like this to be heard, Oh, look at Betty's picture. Why I never knew she was that good looking! Well, be that as it may. fPage Fiftyj

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Class of 1937 ing dormant, was awakened and revived over the very important matter of class elections. Potential politicians and lobbyists sprang up over night, and such campaigning as was carried on was worthy of a far more important election, but these far-sighted citizens of the Democracy of Girls' Latin School were intent on securing good leaders to steer them through the perilous waters of Class II. CLASS II The phrase, The dignity of the .Iolly Juniors, had echoed through the corridors of the school for decades. The newly initiated juniors decided to put this quotation to test, and found it false. In the first place, in spite of meticu- lous research, they could not find one drooping drop of dignity extant, because they believed in being natural and enjoying life, and dignity did not seem to go with it. In the second place, the word jolly implied carefree The jun- iors gave one ghostly glance of dark-encircled eyes at their heaps of history books, and decided that, since junior and history were synonymous, the juniors were not jolly--except once in a while: at the Prom, for instance. For this, history and everything else was gaily neglected. Why on earth had they spent four and a half years in Latin School, if not for the Prom, the unfor- getable Junior Prom? The class ollicers for the junior year were Susanna Hollis, president Hazel Hartwell, vice president Margaret Keefe, secretary Mary Healy, treasurer. Together they managed capably a difficult year, involving programs and financial problems. The day for the choosing of the rings came. The girls were offered their choice of a gold .Iabberwock on either onyx or mother-of-pearl. Since black and gold were school colors, they chose the former combination. They are still very careful to wear the rings when they go out. For what reason? With the ring they are trademarked. Everyone knows they come from Girls' Latin School. Those who do not recognize it as a school ring are immediately curious. There- fore, in times of embarrassing silence, the ring saves the day and provides con- versation. Example- Person: What is that queer thing? G. L. S. G.: Guess. Person: Cattempting a microscopic scrutinyj A butterfly? G. L. S. G.: fscornfully or disappointedly according to her naturej No, a dragon! Person: Cwith increasing interestl Oh! Silence a moment. Person: ftimidlyj Is it Chinese? G. L. S. G.: No, it's the Jabberwock. Person: Cdawn breakingj Oh, your school ring! Why, I- And then the conversation is started, and proceeds smoothly. All's well that ends well. After the gym meet, all juniors, yellow and brown beribboned, took a solemn vow to win the championship in the meet in their senior year. They CPage Forty-ninel

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Class of 1937 On the first day of April the girls all got a chance to find out their class- mates' childhood weaknesses. Perhaps it was a teddy bear, or a doll. or a floppy-eared calico dog. but whatever the toy, each senior on Baby Day re- sembled her sixth class sister very strongly. Short dresses and rompers were the vogue, and there seemed to have been a race to see who could carry the big- gest lollypop. Now take that marching more slowly. There's no rush. Orders from the gym teachers. Not for the gym meet, for that was over and forgotten long ago: but this marching meant much more to the class of '37, Class Day! Afternoons of practice and preparation all culminated in the beautiful ceremony that Class Day always was. How impressively the seniors sang their song, the essayist declaimed, the poet read, and the class president welcomed. Ending with the always popular Class Day prom, the day was one long to bf: re- membered by every senior. Greatest of all days-graduation day. Need a historian record the de- tails of a day so vital in the lives of all the girls? My saga is ended, and my farewell glimpse of the class of '37 finds them walking away from the red brick building, with shining faces, clutching tightly a large white scroll tied with blue ribbons. Clio's musing voice here ceased. Slowly she rolled the gilded scroll. Suddenly, from a great distance, there burst a mighty, deep-throated roar of thunder. Was Zeus in fury? Clio wheeled quickly around. The rumbling thunder continued, but Zeus was nowhere to be seen. The air.was sunny: there was no lightning. Mercury, she shouted. Wake up quickly. The president is very sick! Call Aesculapius! Mercury appeared in the doorway, and laughed merrily. Without a word, he pointed to a television set, a very sensitive one, possessed only by Pres- ident Zeus. Clio quickly understood. Rushing up to it, she dialed, Schola Latina Puellarum, Bostonia, U. S. A. And immediately, before her eyes she saw the members of the graduating class clapping tirelessly and cheering vehemently. They had just heard her broadcast. A sigh of joy and relief escaped the lips of Clio as she hastened away to finish a hangover game of badminton. MARY LOUGHLIN HOPE NEWMAN fPage Fifty-oneb