Mount Vernon Seminary - Cupola Yearbook (Washington, DC)

Page 9 text:

We cannot help but feast our eyes on a mass of colorful threads ranging from pure white to vivid reds — threads of athletic activities; reds of courage and victory and white of occasional defeat, all woven into the shapes of hockey sticks and point cups. How great is this part of our life which has taught us to love good- sportsmanship, teamwork, and competition! The tapestry, with all its color, its growing pattern and design, represents one smali portion of our life; small but meaningful and comprised of memories and knowledge which have been given us by parents, friends and the many fields of activity as Mt. Vernon. And so, this section of the tapestry of life completed, we can only look ahead knowing that the section which follows, though longer and perhaps more difficult, will be more easily woven from the experience that we have already had. Mrs. Bruce Silcox We, the class of 1956, wish to express our gratitude for all the understanding and guidance you have given us, Mrs. Silcox. The endless hours of patient assistance that you have devoted to our class projects and to each of us individually have not gone unnoticed. Your quiet presence has been a constant source of strength and your wise suggestions have helped us when we needed help most. From each member of the Senior Class come love and good wishes in appreciation for your unfailing kindness throughout the past three years. 5

Page 8 text:

The Tapestry of Life The tapestry is our life. We are the weavers. Parents, teachers, time, and circumstance develop the pattern. The tapestry is long, intricate and unfinished. It is woven of many threads, gathered, a few at a time, from each person we have met, each experience we have known. The tapestry is woven in many sections, much as our lives can be sectioned into chapters, and in the end, the indeterminable end, the sections make up a whole. The portion symbolizing our life from its beginning through four years at Mt. Vernon is finished. Let us look now at our tapestry and analyze its parts before we remove it from the loom and give each graduate her copy. At the base of the loom, the first threads represent love, guidance, and understanding. They came, of course, from our parents who with patience, taught us the fundamentals of weaving; of life. What unbounded gratitude and devotion we owe them for selecting such durable and high quality thread. Higher up on the loom, a change can be noticed. The design is no longer plain and simple but has assumed a more complex nature. This is the result of our early school years when we learned more difficult weaving methods. The design in this section is more varied that that of the first. The influence of our parents on our earlier weaving, however, can still be seen. The changing pattern indicates our beginning to think for our- selves, to devise and try new and original techniques. There were mi stakes, many of them. They weren’t unnoticed, nor could they be taken out. We could only attempt not to repeat them. Still higher on the loom, the design takes on a more irregular pattern. This is expected, since, as we ad- vance in years, our knowledge and interests are broadened, our ideals and beliefs are changed, and our personalities are influenced by the world around us. Our years at Mt. Vernon are particularly noticeable. This part of our tapestry, so painstakingly woven, is flecked with vivid color and the flaws are subdued by the intricate design. As a whole, it appears to be perfect. On close examination, the network of threads is involved and seemingly entangled. It appears that some persevering and skilled weavers have nearly mastered life ' s most difficult tasks. Stepping back again to get the full perspective of these last four years, we recognize a general pattern throughout; a pattern, cut by the faculty and modeled after tradition and the growing demands of the twentieth century. In one corner of this section, we distinguish influences of various school activities. A gold thread denotes Optima; an outline of a cross, morning chapel services. Members of Prep Players, Lend-A-Hand, and Social League have developed designs of their membership in these organizations which have made indelible im- prints on their lives. In another corner, the warp and woof are more loosely knit. A tighter weave has been tried out, abandoned, begun again and gradually made to resemble the grain of the rest of the section. This maze of gayly colored threads speaks for itself. It represents the underclassmen and is symbolic of the rapid change from the first to the fourth form. 4

Page 10 text:

Table of Contents FACULTY Page 7 Throughout the years they shape, with careful pre- cision, the patterns of our lives and secure them firmly to the tapestry. SENIORS Page 12 These four years have been like a tapestry with all of our experiences woven into it. UNDERCLASSMEN Page 4l Gay, carefree, with the laughter of ingenious youth, they supply a jumble of brightly hued threads for our tapestry. ACTIVITIES Page 47 In these intricate designs we seem to hear voices raised in song or soliloquy and see the gifted writer at work. SPORTS Page 63 These are durable threads, equal to any test; the spirit and sportsmanship that strengthens them will never weaken. ADVERTISEMENTS. Page 7 1