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

Page 31 text:

THE AXIS 31 Not much in the line of school work could be expected from the Seniors between the night of the play till the end of the week. Why? Were we not expecting to start on our long planned and hard earned trip to Washington? It would be an everlasting task to try to tell here of the won- derful time that was enjoyed by all who went. Suffice it to say that we did have a never-to-be-forgotten time. We tried to do justice to our chaperons, Miss McCormack and Mr. Cummings, and f rom their reports it is taken for grant- ed that we did. Miss Baright, owing to her health, was un- able to accompany us, but she was with us in our thoughts every minute. The Senior class has become interested in debating this year, and has given two debates before the faculty and stu- dent body. One was an inter-class affair, the subject of which was, Resolved, that France is justified in occupying the Ruhr Valley and in controlling the industrial resources of that par't of Germany. The affirmative side, Ruth Clarke, Pauline Johnson and Florence Mack, won against Elizabeth Cooke, Katherine McMahon and Louise McDonough. The second one was a challenge from the Juniors, the subject being, Resolved, that all Japanese immigrants should be prohibited from this country in the future. The affirmative side was put forth by the Juni- ors. Marguerite Brown, Mildred Brown and Etta Guillotte, and a forceful team it was! It had to be, for it beat its opponents from the Senior class, Ruth Clarke, Pauline Johnson and Florence Mack. Next year's Juniors will have to make a very exceptional class to put anything over on the Seniors. We have found out what our Juniors are made of. The first division of Seniors is working its hardest to live up to the excellent reputation made by the second division in its teaching. Our teaching is nearly over and whenthese next three weeks have passed we will be alumnae instead of members of N. A. N. S. Oh yes! The next to the last Senior dance was almost forgotten. It must not be, for it was one of the most en- joyable dances during our two years here and will probably be remembered as such. We are now looking forward to the Senior Promenade, the biggest event of all. The next time we are heard of will be the last time, as a class. Even though it be the last time let us hope we will be remembered as having been a small credit at least to the school. Gladys M. Hall '23 Fltbletiw hy were Tuesdays and Thursdays during the Junior year and Mondays and Wednesdays when we had risen to the rank of Seniors looked forward to with so much pleas- ure? Why, those were the days we had gym. Enough said! What good times we had those first few weeks of school in 1921! What walks and games played on the lawns of Taconic Hall! Miss Skeele surely did have patience and perseverance when she tried to teach us tennis. Perhaps she didn't know what she was tackling, but she courageously held out until some of the girls learned the game. Notwith- standing these good times, we longed for the day when our instructor would put on the bulletin board a notice to the effect that Juniors will meet in the gymnasium. 'Gym,' dress required. That day finally came, but still wc weren't satisfied. Why can't we use the ladders and bars? In due season we did even that, but the fun we had at the time didn't carry over the following two or three days when we found that we couldn't stir unless our stiffened muscles fairly creaked. We survived, however, and soon we found that we could do most anything without becoming lame at all. Of course all this time our basketball practice had been proceeding. It wasn't long before Miss Skeele suggested that we challenge the Seniors to a game of stationary. We did! We were beaten!! They won!!! At intervals d'uring and especially toward the end of the year, we were shown queer looking tables like this: 2 A Ex. Up etc. After a while we learned to interpret even these fairly well, for we knew we'd see more of them when we be- came Seniors. The crowning event of the year was Field Day when Ju- nior I competed with Junior II and furnished a grand good time for all. When we returned as Seniors, and learned what it meant to really work, we still looked forward to gym day. We carried on about the same kind of work as the past year with the addition of teaching experiences both at Mark Hopkins and with our own girls. The Junior-Senior games began earlier and were more nu- merous than the year before. We challenged the Juniors and barely carried away the honors of our first game of basketball. We have Miss Skeele to thank for our success in the line of athletics and we still have to show her of what material we are made when we enter our own schools next fall. Let us hope that when she ever has a chance to visit us, she will have no reason to go away disappointed. Gladys M. Hall lEItbt1l1g65 Since the last issue of THE AXIS the following exchanges have been received: ' The Taconic, Williamstown, Mass. Alpha, New Bedford, Mass. Pocumiucl-f, Deerfield, Mass. Orange Pcals, Orange, Mass. Nclop, Turners Falls, Mass. Unquify Echo, Milton, Mass. Drury Academe, North Adams, Mass. We like the editorial entitled The Power of a Smile in the October Axis. It is a worth while idea to publish poems, etc., by well known authors which have especial bearing upon the month in which the magazine is issued. '- Taconic To the Alpha: Your paper contains some very good short stories. To the Pocumtuck: The cuts are very good, also a well arranged Literary Department. To Orange Peals: Your paper is quite complete. The cartoons are especially interesting. To Netop: This is a splepdid little paper. It contains some very good short stories. To Unquify Echo! We welcome your booklet. It is a pleasure to add if fn mn- Na+

Page 33 text:

MISS ISARIIZHT AF'l'l-fl? Tl-ll-I PLAY Glibc Senior lpluy Thr drorliufit' instfncl is ll'l'l1 nigh llllf'l'I'Sllf.H I , IJ, Iurnfy. What an excited group the Senior class was when the name Of our class play was given out! It took much thought to lllvli one suitable for our class, but finally The Twig of 'I'horn. an Irish fairy play, was decided upon. TIN' play could not be produced without the services of milllb' Uilltllltll' actresses. Ut' course these were not ditlicult to tind with such :1 large number of talented Seniors. Soon the work of rehearsing lregan in the reception room of the dorm. Oh! What times we had! It seemed that the girls would never know their parts, and that the Irish dancers would never be able to keep their feet from being mixed up with those of their neighbor. However, Miss Bllrlllht encouraged them by saying that peasant folk were not supposed to be experts. Whereat the girls went to work with at will and after a while they could sing and dance The Fiddler of Kerry to perfection. So rehearsal after rehearsal came and went for several weeks. The words came to stay. The dances and songs grew familiar and the girls had even learned their cues, when we were told that the real stage was being prepared. Then arrived the work of furnishing and decorating the Stage hllivh YN as accomplished by borrowing numerous things here, there and everywhere, until, before we knew it, we had a typical Irish kitchen arranged. When we had had 11 few nights of practice on the stage, and had learned how to nll the larger space and to shut the doors after us. our dress rehearsal came. This was the Hrst time the members of the cast had tried on their costumes and they, of course, presented a funny sight, but it didn't take long to get used to each other in the strange togsf' The rehearsal went otl fairly well so that all felt quite satis- fied. 2'-5 they still had the matinee for another practice. The next afternoon the play was given forthe scliool chil- dren of the city. They seemed very much pleased with it, so this encouraged the girls. Everything went ot? well, ex- cept that the girls had failed to provide for refreslnnents to be served to the wedding guests, However, the guests re- fused to be cheated out of their treat, so before they went on the stage, each one slipped a cookie up her sleeve. Oonah passed what she thought was an empty plate, but what was her surprise to see a cookie appear on it. She remained calm however, and saved the day. You may be sure the refreshments were not forgotten in the evening. At last Wednesday night, the time for the real perform- ance, came. Such hurrying, and skurrying about you never saw. Getting into a costume and having everything just right is really a troublesome bit of work, as we learned to our sorrow. Then the make up! This, however, was made easy by the aid of one of our very eflicient and most obliging Juniors, Etta Guillotte. Finally everyone was ready and the play began. Uh, if I can only remember my part! What do I say first? Don't forget that cue, Such were the bits of conversa- tion heard here and there behind the scenes. Miss Baright had told us that no one in any of her plays had ever been prompted, and the Normal expected every actress to do her duty, so we determined that this precedent should not be broken by us. Needless to say, each one did her part nobly and the play went oil famously. As usual, everybody said, it was the best. ever. One of the pleasing features of our unusual play was the singing, behind the scenes, by SOITIQ of the Seniors during Aileel's farewell to Oonah. Thus ended the successful play of the class of 1923. K. .IfL'.l.rCl,l07'L '23