Saint Alphonsus High School - Arrow Yearbook (Dearborn, MI)

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Arrows find joy, work while in 'thick' of year The Arrow breathes a sigh of relief. Ah! First quarter is over. He begins to clear his head of all the frenzy of the first days: football games, Homecoming, adjusting to new teachers, new classes, and a new year. He takes stock of his surroundings: quarter marks are in, the Junior dance was a success, and Thanksgiving vacation has come and gone. He starts to relax for a moment, but it is a very tiny moment. New adventures are waiting for him — waiting to snatch him up and lead him on a merry chase through high school. Basketball. There’s a thief. It robs the Arrow of time— morning practice, night practice, Tuesday games, Friday games. It robs him of energy — hours of laps and pop and chips dinners. It robs girls, too — hours of cheering, clapping, and watching. But this Thief gives also. It gives a sense of joy, a sense of belonging, a sense of responsibility to team and fellow Arrows. And then comes, not a thief, but the ultimate giver: Christmas! Christmas gives happiness in decorating class- rooms, joy in giving presents, and peace in caroling one winter’s night. At midnight Mass the Arrow finds a hopeful, silent joy: that next Christmas will find him safe and happy, not bogged down and trapped in college studies or not trapped by enemy crossfire in Viet Nam. Ah! Christmas! Tinkling bells, impromptu tobaggon trips, A Visit to My Farm.” The Arrow returns to school rested. Again he relaxes for a moment, a very tiny moment. January. Two weeks of school, then EXAMS: tests in seven subjects crammed into two days — but the Arrow, at the same time rushes to prepare a feastday luncheon for the principal and to preview a movie of this year’s musical. It is a cold January. The Arrow ices over as he runs to the AB, and wears coat and mittens in World History. But the cold soon begins to grow on hint. He becomes “numb” to the cold. But other things happen. He starts to warm up to — Mardi Gras! He starts to warm up to — March of Dimes. He starts to warm up to — “Half A Six- pence.” Auditions. Nights of, “No, Dennis: it’s one, two, three, four: IF I LOVED YOU.” Afternoons spent breathing deeply, crossing T’s. Finally the suspense is over. Lots of happy faces, some sad. The Arrow pulls through and marches on. He marches on to City playoffs. All-city swim teams, engineering awards, scholarships, forensic contests. He marches on to a Lent of denial, but also a Lent of Giving: of self, of time, of money, of heart. And so the Arrow continues his way through his high school year; it is just one of his twelve years in school but it seems like an individual lifetime. A tiny mirror which reflects all the hopes and downfalls in a life. But this year is almost over. He prepares now for the final part.

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