Our Lady of Mercy School - Lore Yearbook (Detroit, MI)

Page 50 text:

46 Humanities’ Aim Is Appreciation of Combined Art Forms Literature is a great art form. There is a danger however, at least in our country, of perceiving it as the only significant art form. Art and music are often, even if unconsciously, viewed as decoration or background-atmosphere, a proof of being cultured. Perhaps the most significant thing our humanities program can offer the students is a greater awareness, and therefore appreciation, of the contribution all art forms make towards man’s understanding of himself, his sense of beauty and his relation to the world. A program of strictly English can, and does exist, but should it, should anything for that matter, exist alone within its own cubicle, void of any relationship and unnurtured by any force? Sister Mary Clare Yates thought not. Her viewpoint, when presented to other English Department Members, resulted in ‘‘Humanities,”’ a program unique to Mercy. Starting with the Freshmen, and then, in the second year, expanding to the Sophomores, the department restructured itself under the close supervision of Dr. Robert Graham, into the present system. Essentially, the program is an attempt to bring to mind, or to strengthen our awareness of the dignity of being human, the wonder of being human, and the realization that man is not a segmented being, but a whole person, possessing the heritage of the past and the hopes of the future. During the Freshman year, teachers and students strive for exposure and awakening of the interplay of literature, music and art. They explore man in complex and manifold expressions of self, looking at his highest attributes. The Sophomore program gives students the opportunity to gain insight into and appreciation of the creative expressions of man, from Medievel times to present. Throughout the course of the year, art, music and literature are identified by the style and characteristics unique to the specific times studied. The Humanities core members, Sr. Mary Kevin, Sophomore art; Sr. Mary Linda, Freshman art; and Miss Karen Sidley; music; combine with the rest of the English Department members in presenting the strident interplay of this field of study. — Sister Mary Linda

Page 49 text:

Above right: English department fac- ulty: Sister Mary Clare Yates, De- partment head: Mrs. Christine Thomas; Sister Marian Schultz; Miss Julie McMahon; Miss Louise Sculdo; Mr. Erwin Slava; Miss Kathleen Du- ross; Sister Mary Kathleen. Above left: Miss Sidley; Miss McMahon and Sr. Marion prepare evaluations. Left: An English student enjoys the free- dom of the new Resource Center. 45

Page 51 text:

Above left: Sister Linda supervises freshman first stages of art work. Above right: Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 4517 is discussed. Lower left: Miss Kathleen Duross finds ceramics as interesting as her students do. Lower right: Carol Montrose finishes up work on her stained glass window. Opposite page upper left: Humanities core mem- bers: Sister Mary Kevin, Sister Mary Linda, Miss Karen Sidley. Op- posite page above right: Freshman diligently cuts a block print.