St Ignatius College - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

Page 24 text:

IGNATIAN But as my name is difficult to say, I won't mind if you call me Spang for short. Well, Father Spangf' said Alma Mater sweetly, I hope that you can make a better case For your compatriots than the others did- The French and Spanish scarce are in the race. And then there poured from Father Spangemacher A list of names that seemed to sneeze and coughf- Reichling and Sweigert, Hartman, Freechtle, Schott Von Egloffstein and Jung and Kieferdorf. Enough ! cried Alma Mater, who is next P I am,', a voice replied, and lo, behold! A jolly priest, his red hair pretty thin, Not quite a youngster, not exactly old. He looked across his spectacles and laughed So heartily that at a glance you'd tell he Had a sense of humor. What's your name ? I'm Father President, my name's Trivellif' And Alma Mater laughed, she couldn't help, He looked so merry and he spoke so wittily. Continuing he said, You think me Irish, Hut nothing doing, I was born in Italy. And I contend that Italy stands first Among the honored grads of St. Ignatius. You don't believe it? What a strange idea! You must have evidence? Why, goodness gracious! I'm willing if you've got the time to spare 5 I'm not the sort of man a task to shirk, But if I named them all you'd think I cribbed The list of soldiers fighting with the Turk.

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ALMA MATER AND THE BOYS 'Tis true there's no French blood within my veins But now that teaching French is all the vogue, I follow fashion and as best I can Irnpart the accent with a little brogue. I come to tell that out of all your students The French stand first in all collegiate gloryg To tell their names, their honors to recount Would be a splendid but an endless story. The list is legion, but I fear fatigue Would fall upon you e'er their names I'd say- I need but mention famed Achille Artigue With Duraind, Rouleau, Francoeur and Mahe! He ceased, bowed, vanished, in his place appeared A gallant haughty don who scarce would deign To bow to Alma Mater e'er he said With flashing eye: I come from sunny Spain! What though your Spanish graduates may be In numbers few 5 their quality resplendent Proclaims them great beyond each other race, Wise, virtuous, in every way transcendent. What other nation that you've harbored here Could hope, by best of fortune, to prepare as Fine a list as one that should contain Gonzales and Corbala and Carreras ? He went his way, and as he went a noise Like the explosion of a fire cracker Announced to Alrna Mater the approach Of a German father, Joseph Spangemacher. I represent the Fatherlandf' he cried, And grinned as every merry German ought Q

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ALMA MATER AND THE BOYS Doctor Pescia who'd ever forget Or overlook Charley Lastret? There is Henrico Costa To help out the roster, And Constantine Bricca, you bet. Campodonicds name makes me leary But itls easier to say than Caglierig The Rossis are twins, There's a brace of Gianinns, And I could give you more, but you'd weary. This sing-song over, Alma Mater yawned, As who should say, I've wasted time enoughg But suddenly another caught her ear By tapping his finger on a box of snuff. A sturdy little man, in prime of life, The pink of health bright glistening in his cheek, Named Dionysius, called, who knows? After the Syracusan or the Greek. I'm not quite sure how he got the nameg I've heard surmises curious and quaintg Suffice that of the other two who bore it One was a bloody tyrant, one a saint. He spoke in measured words of honeyed tone, Waxing a bit sarcastic now and then: Dear Alma Mater, why should you be bored With the loud chatter of these foolish men? They speak of Frenchmen, Germans, Spaniards to Italians and, if I mistake not, Dutch- I tell you that the glory of your name Relies not, never will rely on such. 0,