Saint Mary's College - Stage Coach Yearbook (Raleigh, NC)

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Prologue This book is opened by eager hands, and these pages are turned by young hearts. . . . We take a moment to recall . . . to think . . . to appreciate life and traditions at St. Mary ' s and now to reveal the search for knowledge, se- curity, and our inner selves. We turn every page slowly, sometimes stopping, but then mov- ing on . . . touching upon the shadows of strength and depth, and gazing upon the rich- ness of gold, symbolizing time and tradition. Our hearts, once filled with wonder, amaze- ment, and challenge — now burst with reward, success, and pride. (§nr hM In the stillness of our chapel, our best loved tradition, we find a special place, a solitude in which lies the very core of St. Mary ' s. Here we quietly sit, gazing silently at the flickering candles ' light as it casts long shadows, reflecting the intangible aspects of life. Looking around us, we catch glimpses of bowed heads, folded hands, and thoughtful stares. A tear is quickly brushed aside, lest it fall and burst into tiny droplets, breaking the spell of our wonder and of our world — a tear symbolizing newly found joy or hidden gratitude; a tear standing for sad- ness, relief, or maybe just a heart ' s release that we failed to recognize before now. We rise . . . slowly . . . and walk out — ready to resume our place at St. Mary ' s; sunlight meets our eyes, and we blink to ease the suddenness of reality. We forget momentarily the well of emotion in- side us, pushing it aside until another time, and replacing its effects with a smile and the urgency of our filled obligations. . . .

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St. Mary ' s unfolds itself to us on opening day. The old girls frantically dash up and down stairs, across the campus walks, in and out of rooms — and within a few hours, it is hard to realize one ever left St. Mary ' s three months before. The peals of laughter almost vibrate the build- ings themselves, and yes . . . it is good to be back again. This wild and frantic spectacle is tempered by another phase of that first day as we watch the new girls walk excitedly, yet hesi- tantly, up the steps of Smedes. Within minutes, however, the doubt is erased, and a warm and cordial greeting lights a gloiv to each new face. Somehow we feel they are glad to be here, too. Another reassurance is present when we meet our counselors who are throughout the year our guides to life here, our example to folloiv, and most important, our unforgettable friends. Tradition in the form of the New Girl-Old Girl Tea provides our first opportunity for meeting the faculty and for establishing a special friend- ship with our Big Sisters. From the first hello, the year begins, and soon each of us settles to a routine of our own. It is not long before we IC?gari£0 of X t past wrlrnm? m . . wonder how we manage to fit ourselves into so demanding a day — but finally we lose ourselves in our work, in newly acquired interests, in new responsibilities, and in old traditions. We learn to give of ourselves in countless ways, and in serving, we learn to appreciate the results of our efforts.