Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts - Mohawk Yearbook (North Adams, MA)

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THE AXIS we were given a pleasant surprise in the form of a reception during which we were supposed to become better acquainted with the teachers and seniors-and we did! Besides this entertainment many other social affairs followed, such as a Hallowe'en party given by the Juniors to the Seniors which was of course an enjoyable affair: a mock wedding by the Seniors: the Senior class play, The Light, etc., etc. Then, too, we were introduced to man-dances. When first we heard that phrase, with blank faces we said, Man- dances, why what on earth? Little did we realize how ignorant we were showing ourselves, but when we were told that each year the girls were allowed four dances to which they could invite men, our blank expressions turned to those of amazement, and needless to say, delight-for who does not enjoy a good dance? and these were indeed good! With all of the good times there were many occasions in which sad lessons were taught, for instance, that young men are to be entertained in the social room and not in the music and reception rooms: that going to the kitchen to recover a forgotten some-thing might prove alarming to all: that walking into a room after lights out, dressed in white and carrying an umbrella might be a Seri0US matterg that sleeping on the front porch, no matter how melted one is, is absolutely forbidden, and that the clothes- closets are most certainly not the places in which to try to conceal one's-self in a great endeavor to be a minus quantity- Trying and hard were all of these experiences to us but because of them we came back the next year all the wiser. We must not forget the Glee Club! After we had been well-started on our careers, as Juniors, we were told by the dignified Seniors that had we any voices at all we must not be surprised, if we received an invitation to join the Glee Club. Some of us were chosen, and with fear and trembling in our hearts, we went, but we must con- fess that our voices were meek and mellow at first. How- ever under the leader-ship of Miss Searle and Grace Cor- coran, our possibilities were developed. Twice a week we attended rehearsals which culminated in the Glee Club Concert on May 20th. Finally came commencement! What excitement on the part of the Seniors and almost as much on the part of the Juniors, for, were they not to assist in the exercises, which were impressive from beginning to end? What did we see? Were those tear-stained faces at the dormitory on the last day of school? Surely the Juniors were not weeping, for were they not coming back next year? But, yes, it was the Juniors! Why? Because they were grieved at the thought of parting from the friends they had made in the Senior class, for they had become indeed, our friends. Thus ended our first year at Normal School. During our summer vacation it was announced that Mr. Murdock, who had been principal of N. A. N.S.for twenty- four years, and whom all of us had come toesteem greatly, had resigned. Could this really be true? Yes, indeed it was true and to our great sorrow we found that we should have him no longer to help us over stony paths. Our deep regret was lightened a great deal, however, when we learned that our Mr. Smith of the garden, and Botany class had been honored by being elected principal. When we returned to the dormitory, it was with a tiny feeling of-shall l say superiority?-for, were we notthe dignified Seniors? This year, the girls of '22 found that they had no time in which to weep because they were away from home 'un they had done the previous year, for now, they must com- fort the new-comers and help them forget that feeling of homesickness. We have found the Juniors a jolly bunch of girls who have stood by the Seniors loyally-and incidentally they have become expert ticket-sellers, for affairs such as plays and Glee Club Concerts. The first thing that we did in launching our class as Seniors, was to hold an election of officers which resulted in Dorothy Reynolds, President: Sadie Murphy, Yice-presi- dent: Anne Curtin, Treasurer: and Vivian Berry, Secretary. For the Glee Club, Lillian Kent, Leader: Dorothy Rey- nolds, Pianistg Sadie Murphy, Secretary: Clara Thurber, Treasurerp and Jane Kerr, librarian. After the performance of our official duties, one thing followed fast upon another. First came the house-warm- ing given in honor of our new principal and his wife, on the second Friday after we came, all of the girls gath- ered in the gymnasium after dinner. From here, the stu- dents, carrying lighted Japanese lanterns, marched to Mr. Smith's home, around which they formed a semi-circle, and sang songs to those within. As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Smith realized what was happening, they came to the door and af- ter thanking us extended a cordial invitation to come in. We did so, and found that the faculty had arranged a very delightful evening for all. Refreshments were served and all felt that they knew both Mr. and Mrs. Smith the better when the time for leaving came. However if such an affair should ever occur again, future dormitory Seniors, let us, the wise class of '22, give you a bit of advice. Ncrxr believe after it is over and you have returned to third fioor-never, NEVER believe that a bed has fallen out of one of the windows! Then, of course, we felt that we must have an acquaint- ance social for the Juniors, believing that we should do unto others as we had been done by. In between these social affairs both Juniors and Seniors were becoming settled and accustomed to their new work- the work being entirely new to the Juniors-and the thrill of really and truly teaching being new to the Seniors, Could it possibly be that these staid, hard-working mem- bers of '22 were the same frivolous girls of the year before? Yes, indeed, it was true! and oh, Juniors, we hope that the incoming class of next year will never cxpre:-as them- selves about you, as Seniors, as we have heard you speak of us-the deadest bunch-never do anything but study! Wait, oh wait, until you begin teaching. There will be no chasing about the halls from 9:30 to l0:l5 for you then! Toward the end of October it was decided that it was time to introduce the Juniors to man-dances, so we plan- ned to combine one with a Hallowe'en party. The gym- nasium was appropriately decorated and there the dance was held. All declared they'd had the best time ever A Was it because it was lem: formal than usual or what? This was the first of the four dances which wc arc allowed yet each of those that followed was equally enjoyable They were given in the reception room which looked so pretty and homey with its pink-shaded lights, and glow- ing lire-placc. We owe our Mother Yan many thanks for trying to help us make these dances thc sin-11-sscs that they were and this is not all for which we are ghlh' ful. for was it not she that was forever proposing picnics and the like for our pleasure? Perhaps nothing more important happened, than when we decided that instead of the Normalogue. we would earn money enough to go to Washington we certainly worked to earn the money, but were able to accumulate only enough to get us to Boston. Warning to thc Juniors, if you de-

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18 THE AXIS Ilvy Qbratinn A rare old plant is the ivy green! NVIIAT could bc more appropriate and fitting than the ivy to leave to our Alma Mater as a living memorial of our class? The ivy whose qualities of independence, strength and courage should be examples, and are examples of the characteristics of our lives. We are about to go forth upon our first great adventure and if we can carry with us lessons and ideals gained from this littlc plant, what more could we ask? When we first entered school we seemed for a time to be groping in thc dark this little plant will be, butafter a while, we seemed to take root, as it were, and there we clung and, like the ivy, we soon began to grow in many directions, broadening our minds and our inmost selves in general while we grew familiar with the intricacies of lesson plans, project method, and socialized recitation. After all this growth, we are still seeking for more which will be gained by going forth from our dear Alma Mater to help others understand and appreciate ideals for which it stands. The ivy plant itself symbolizes the class as a whole and each little tendril stands for a member, who like this vine, will take a different pathway while she still holds in her memory the dear faces of the kind instructors and the pleas- ant memories of the happy days spent at Normal School. To every one there openeth A way, a ways, and a wayg And the high soul climbs the high way, And the low soul gropes the lowg And in between, on the misty Hats, The rest drift to and fro. But to every one there openeth A high way and a low, And every one decideth ' The way his soul shall go. Annc Curtin 1IvQ llbuem Upward, forever climb upward Symbol and emblem of love, Thrive in God's golden sunshine And His gentle rains from above. Tell those in the field we are coming To build up the movements so new Tell them we'll work to the finish And serve our profession so true. Onward and upward forever May we climb to a glorious height And be ever like this green Ivy, And help make the whole world bright. June L. Kerr Glaze ipisturp nf 1922 Was there ever a class like '22? Indeed there never was one! The teachers thot it too full of fun. Were they right? 'Tis doubtless true! Yet, here's to the good old class of '22! oN THE 14th of September, 1922, the North Adams Normal School witnessed the coming of a class, con- sisting of 28 girls, never equalled in the twenty years of its life. Have we not been told so by good authority many times since our arrival? Indeed we have! On the first day here, we were called upon to fill in some mysterious cards-incidentally becoming acquainted with each other. The girls at the dormitory found that much was to be learned about life at Taconic Hall. Oh, those rules- both written and unwritten that had to be observed! Were there ever so many must nots thrust upon a group of innocent girls at one time? Never! The worst of all to us seemed to be the one which read!- You must not go down-town without a hat! It is a certainty that that rule has received more than one blessing from the class of '22, in its two years at Normal School. After the rules and regulations were learned, the events which followed were much the same as those of any class during its junior year, here. First the Class officers. elected, were as follows, Ruth Carpenter, Presidentg Julia Salametry, Vice-presidentg Gwendolyn Purcell, Treasurerg and Lillian Kent, Secre- tary. After this was accomplished we felt like a really truly class. And then began the real work! When we were told that we were to have Geometry, Arithmetic, Music, etc., our first remark was,- Oh! we've had some of those in High School, and our expectations were- that they would be easy. Such a vain, deluded idea! We were introduced to the queerest Geometry of which we'd ever heard, and the Arithmetic! What was it we were supposed to do? Teach them, our future charges, how to play Store-arithmetic and Number Games? Truly this was the funniest kind of work, but before the year was over, it was indeed far from funny to our poor harassed souls! As the year went on, we were introduced to handicraftg one half the class working with Miss Lamphier, while the other half worked with Mr. Cummings or Miss Pearson and vice-versa. By the time we had completed our courses in these classes, we felt quite proficient in making raffia baskets t?J book-ends, animals for Noah's Ark and paper tearings. Such book-ends and animals-some of them even winning first prizes at the annual North Adams Fair. The Botany class, too, of which we heard much, altho it sounded more than dry to our uncultivated minds, proved to be especially interesting even when we were dragged to the garden to rake, hoe, and cultivate the soil, in which to plant the tomatoes and geraniums which we had guarded so carefully during the long winter. Occasionally a few of the girls felt that a vacation was necessary if it happened to be quite warm. They were, however, gently reminded by Mr. Smith that they had taken the vacation and would therefore have to go to the garden after school and con- tinue their work of trying to help Mother Nature along. They alone can vouch for the great pleasure derived from working alone and perhaps, doing double the work! Soon after we had become a bit accustomed to our classes and new-found friends, for they were friends,

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20 THE AXIS cide on a trip, don't set your goal too far away. From this point on you may imagine us working like Trojans earning money. Oh, how much that one word means! Before our Thanksgiving vacation, the Juniors held a Fancy dress party for the faculty and students. All attended dressed as ridiculously as possible. Who will ever forget the appearance and costume of Mr, Smith? Next on December 3rd, an Afternoon Tea was held in the reception room at the dormitory, for Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Murdock. The room was very prettily arranged with pink- silk shaded lights, wicker chairs, small tables scattered here and there and rugs covering the unusually good dancing floor. The very thought of the refreshments which were served by the girls in their dainty light dresses makes our mouths water even now. During the after- noon, the guests enjoyed the music of Mrs. Marshall and her son with the violin and 'cello and of Mr. Padden at the piano. For a time there were no unusual events and then one day we heard the word, Summer-School. What was this? Were we to have a Summer-School here? Sure enough! In due time the matter was definitely settled and we were told that there was to be a five weeks' course -from July 10th to August 11th. What better place could one choose than the Berkshire Hills? Those who attend this summer session will gain much from the surroundings of N. A. N. S. as well as from that which they will be taught within recitation walls. About the first of March we started work on the play The Three Chauffeursf' It was well chosen and when finally presented-those who saw it know how it was given. But what times we did have setting the date for it, and getting characters that could stay with us thru it all. It was during the time that we were rehearsing for our play, that two of our girls, Milly Boyle and Peggy Brennan were forced to give up their parts and leave school because of illness. We were all deeply grieved to have them leave us, and we hope that some day they may be able to return and finish the course. The returns from the play were very good which of course, pleased us-for were we not still working for our trip? And then, before we knew it, the 28th of April was upon us and we were started on our merry way to Boston- taking Mrs. Van Etten and Miss Baright with us as chap- erones. Dormitory girls, be fore-warned-do not tell the town girls to be sure to be on time, when you start on your class trip next year, or else you may never hear the end of that bit of advice-who knows what may happen? We are thoroughly convinced that no group of girls ever enjoyed a trip as we did that one. In the hrst place our selection of chaperones was A No. I. How could it help being so when the class of '22 chose them? Also, on this trip we were being educated in many ways, which is of course always a pleasure. We,as a class,are indeed glad that we broke one tradition and started the idea of a trip instead of a Year Book-for it is truly far more educational. Then, last but not least, of our social affairs, came the Glee Club Concert. Oh, those Monday and Thursday noon rehearsals! Would the real thing ever come? At last it did and because of the great efforts of Miss Searle, much pleasure was given to a good-sized audience. There is one event which will ever remain fixed in the memories of those of '22, and that is the 25th anniversary banquet. Who of us can ever forget the assembly room, looking so beautiful with the banners from the year 1897 to 1922, and its rows and rows of beautifully decorated tables. The whole affair has made an impression which cannot easily be forgotten. And now we are looking forward to our graduation exer- cises which are to come on the 22nd and 23rd of June. We are also thinking seriously of our schools over which we are to preside next year. With fiuttering hearts we have waited long for the Superintendents who should set the seal of our future for us. Some have been set and some have not, but still we live in hopes, knowing that positions will be found for those of '22-for, the knowledge which they have at N. A. N. S. must not be wasted. Lillian E. Kent Glass llbrupbecg IT WAS late in the June of 1942 that I hurried across the lawn to greet my former class-mate, Julia Salametry. She had written me from Tokio saying that she had at last been persuaded by her fellow missionaries, to take a much needed vacation after her ten years of faithful service in the foreign lands. She added in her letter, that she would arrive in San Francisco on the ship, Sarah Louise, about the fifteenth of the month then come directly to Benton Harbor. It had taken me a very short time to radio my invitation to her for a month at the ranch. And now she was here! I began to run as I saw those black eyes peeping from under the brim of a very ordinary black hat for I knew they belonged to the Jule who had graduated from Normal only twenty years ago, as much as they did to this Jule. We had no sooner emerged from the Hood of our first greetings than my guest urgently requested me to have mercy on her and give her something-yes, anything to eat! lest she starve herself to death. As I glanced at her, I could not help thinking how far from starving she actually looked for the life of a missionary evidently agreed with her. However, we walked arm in arm to the kitchen where we duly raided the cupboards. Jule, I said, after our supplies had been collected, I believe in self service, such as we had in Hayes Cafeteria long ago. You pick up your lunch and march thru that door to the library, It is almost five o'clock and at five sharp, I have a surprise for you. We had just comfortably seated ourselves in the coolest corner of the room when a loud buzzing broke the still- ness. I jumped up, adjusted my instrument, then looked toward my guest to see the effect on her. In no time we heard the words repeated, Chicago University, Doctor Chapin's lecture on 'One More Link for Darwin's Chain' . . . . Chicago University , etc. . . . I answered Jule's inquiring look by the word Radio, but before we could discuss it, we heard a well-known voice announcing the speaker: It gives me great pleasure to be able to introduce to you, this evening, one who is known throughout the world as a lecturer and the greatest woman scientist since Madam Curie,-Doctor Chapin whose career particularly interests me as we are both graduates of North Adams Normal School-Doctor Chapin. During the applause that followed, I managed to hear my companion whisper, but who introduced her? Her question was soon answered for as the clapping ceased we heard Doctor Chapin's clear determined voice begin: President Palmer, Friends: When I came to you to- night, I fully intended to preface my talk withashort des- cription of my adventures in the African jungle while in quest of first hand material on Mastodons, but, because