Regis High School - Regian Yearbook (New York, NY)

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REVEREND JAMES B. MAHONEY, S.J. REVEREND FRANCIS X. DOWNEY, S.J. FR. MAHONEY, S.J. 1920- i 922 Regis made many substantial gains under Father Mahoney's leadership. Among these was an increase of student literary endeavor. The bimonthly Regis maga- zine became a monthly, a change which spurred on Regis literati to new conquests in the realm of the pen. Regions, contending with over 6,000 other students in a federal essay contest, capturing first prize and eight other awards. Solicitous for the social side of school life also, Father granted certain evenings for friendly gatherings of the students. As events proved, these ear- nest endeavors of Fr. Mahoney were but the preparation for his career in the foreign missions, where he nobly labored and died for Christ's little ones. FR. DOWN EY, S.J. 1922- i 923 Although Fr. Downey, S.J., served but one year at Regis as Pretect ot Studies, he effected many improve- ments. Of these, two are particularly worthy of mention, namely the Annual Senior Retreat and the Homeric Academy. Both have become part of our tradition. The Seniors have always regarded this Retreat as a final preparation before entering upon their life's work and its success has been widespread. As for the success of the Homeric Academy it is easily witnessed by the splendid symposium conducted each year in which its members defend the twenty-four books of the Iliad. Twenty-two

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TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF LIBERAL EDUCATION T is with deep satisfaction that we, who have enjoyed the broadening educa- tional process that prevails at Regis, note in large group of modern educators the tendency back to a pedagogical system of large objectives and and wide horizons, the system which is known as liberal education. To our fellow American youths who are destined to benefit by this new trend to- wards an ancient view of man's development we extend hearty congratula- tions. If the parent of some lad about to enter upon his secondary education were to peruse these pages, he or she might be curious to know precisely what are the advantages to be derived from liberal education. A glance at the accomplishments of Regis High School during its brief twenty-five years of existence will cast light on this point. The curricular work at Regis must inevitably result in a marked im- provement of memory, judgement and the art of expression on the part of the student. There is an immense amount of fundamental grammar--forms and rules of the ancient and modern tongues-to be learned accurately and permanently. The memory, that faculty which Wordsworth prized so highly, feeling that she had eyes, is thus stengthened. Moreover, there is considerable memorization of succinct fruits from the lofty tree of classical literature, if a thing of beauty is a joy forever, this effort carries its own reward in the possession in our mental storehouses of the priceless gems that have been polished and faceted by the immortal workmen of the pen, By reading their works attentively we converse as it were with the great ones of antiquity, the result must be that we are infused with some of their vision, some of their judgement regarding human affairs. Another important training is acquired from the constant endeavor to render classical writings gracefully in our own idiom and the yet more dif- ficult work of expressing our thoughts in an ancient tongue-transferring freshets from one stream bed to another, as it were. Such tasks cultivate the ability of searching patiently until the right word or phrase be found, an ability which marks every accomplished master of expression. But, fully to appreciate the cultural value of the course at Regis, we must look beyond it to the years of college which will see the fruition of the promise early given, There, in his Freshman year the student drinks deep from the waters of the Hippocrene-the sacred stream fabled to give poetic inspiration-in holding converse with the minds of such great men as Milton, Shakespeare, Keats and Newman. In his Sophomore year he will be trained in the power which can be woven into words to influence others. A nation which has made a best seller of a modern book entitled How to Win Friends and Influence People may well reflect upon the importance of a course which seeks to ascertain and utilize the principles which have guided the greatest lContinued on Page 231 Twenty-one

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TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF LIBERAL EDUCATION lContinued from Page Zll orators of all time in this precise endeavor in influencing people. By means of this study of rhetoric the Region finally acquires such a mastery of words as will enable him to affect the lives of his fellow men. This ultimate fruit of the course in humanities-that of influencing others-suggests immediately the prime importance of a training of the will which progresses parallelly with the intellectual, imaginative and emotinal development which we have described. lf leaders are being made, they must possess the right sort of leadership. Else we shall have the blind leading the blind. ln fact this character training is the principal objective of the education given at Regis and indeed of the entire Jesuit educational system of which Regis is a part. From the first day of class to commencement every student must make daily progress in the great truths of his faith. He is taught his absolute dependence upon his Creator, his complete nothingness without Him. Moreover, he learns to appreciate more fully the supernatural destiny which the eternal love of this Creator has assigned for him-the ultimate end of all his efforts on earth-namely, everlasting happiness in the con- templation and love of the Divine Essence. He is taught to view all life's purposes in the light of this one great end. He is further instructed in his equality with his fellow man and in the duties of justice and charity con- sequent upon this equality. What use he shall make of the wealth he pos- sesses or may come to possess is made clear to him when he is taught that with regard to the material goods of this earth his is but a stewardship, he holds them by a right which is entirely subject to the absolute right of the Creator. His use of them, therefore, is to be in accordance with the Creator's purpose in fashioning them. At Regis the Sodality and Guard of Honor flourish. Every week Mass is held at which the entire student body receives Holy Communion. Such communal worship, besides being very pleasing to our Lord in itself, tends to give the student a lasting relish for the higher life and leaves him at gradu- ation with firm habits of spirituality which are the safeguards of his character and conduct in the future. The extra-curricular activities, which numbered over twenty-five this year, bring him, the Region, into intimate contact with his fellows, present the necessity for cooperative endeavor and end to produce the poise, affa- bility and generosity called for by social life. lt is therefore with highly trained minds and up-lifted souls that her graduates go forth from the portals of Alma Mater. That is why she com- mands their undying gratitude and loyality. JOHN R. MCCARTHY '39 Twenty-three