Mount Vernon Seminary - Cupola Yearbook (Washington, DC)

Page 7 text:

To the Tlass of 1358 When the history of our day comes to be written, surely your Senior Year, 1957-1958, will be recognized as a time of special challenge and significance for it was the year of the first man-made moons, the Sputniks and the Explorer. It is as explorers that we salute you and wish you Godspeed as you start on your individual orbits, not into outer space, but into the still wider limitless country of the mind and of the spirit. Will you remember and carry with you on your journey these R ' s of which an English visitor reminded us, responsibility, resilience, resource? They will serve you well in your day-to- day endeavor as well as in moments of high adventure or of peril, and yet alone they are not enough. Our prayer for you is that to these will be added the assurance that underneath are the everlasting arms. ' Our pride in your past achievement and our loving hope for the future go with you all. 3

Page 6 text:

K A key is an instrument used to unlock doors, trunks, drawers, and many other containers. There are keys everywhere, whose sole purpose is to be the medium between you and what is behind the door or in the trunk. These are tangible objects, which can be seen and felt. Some keys, however, cannot be directly seen or felt because they are invisible symbols. Every girl that comes to Mount Vernon is given a ring upon which many symbolic keys are attached. These keys are the media between her and Mount Vernon life, whether it be class, sports, or outside activities. During the years at Mount Vernon, more keys will be added on to this ring that will unlock doors to the future. Some keys such as honor, loyalty, and integrity are used for a lifetime. A girl ' s citizenship at Mount Vernon teaches her the use of these character building keys, as she learns to adjust to group life, and what it requires of her as an individual. It is obvious that textbooks are keys also; ones that unlock the massive door to the labyrinth called knowledge. Everyone is given the keys to the portal; the test comes in finding one ' s own way through the labyrinth after having unlocked the door. Through the years at Mount Vernon the friends that you make are the keys that move the bolt on the door of happiness. Behind this is the savor of life itself, for what would life be without friends? School life offers many opportunities to enjoy the company of classmates at games, picnics, or dances. Some of the happiest hours spent in your life will be those working with your classmates on group projects. Each graduating Senior has formed her own permanent key-ring that she will carry through life. Mount Vernon may have given her the basic keys; it will be up to her what she does with them in the future. In the following pages we would like to show how these keys represent different aspects of Mount Vernon Life 2

Page 8 text:

I promise on my word of honor, To hand in work that I have done myself and to receive no help from parents, friends, or other students unless my teacher is informed; to copy no work from other students, either in daily assignments, or in tests or examina- tions; to copy no material from books or periodicals without indicating the source. To be prompt in attendance at Chapel, classes, activities, Physical Edu- cation classes; to report promptly to Study Hall or Library during study hours and to remain there throughout the period; to observe the rules of quiet, order and no communication with other students in Study Hall and Library. To observe all rules concerning permissions; to fill in completely and cor- rectly my permission slips and to go only to such places and with such persons as the slip indicates. As one of the most important keys at Mount Vernon, our newly established Honor Code gives the true meaning of citizenship to every student. To it and its deepest meaning we dedicate the 1958 Cupola. Last year the Honor Code was introduced to Mount Vernon on an experimental basis. Be- cause of its success, it will remain, becoming a tradition and a guide for future citizens. The Honor Code is more than a set of regulations; it is a character building key to community life. By its pledge, every individual takes upon her- self certain responsibilities that lead toward maturity. These responsibilities are based upon self- discipline, the essence of true character. The girls who feel capable of accepting this self-discipline by taking the Honor Pledge are deeply aware of its significance. The Pledge to abide by the Honor Code is voluntary; this personal acceptance being the foundation of its success. 4