St Johns University - Yearbook (Queens, NY)

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Q1 hifi' H ' ' 45 E kann!-'V 7 i ?-1-1 '-'- T ix Q C.: ifk 7,516 51, . ' f 1 A V l fb All 2 :Q even if we had to remain after two-thirty. The saddest part was that this class came the last period in the afternoon. We had many a tete-a-tete long into supper time, 'fnon sine multa ira, however. Not a theological topic failed of discussion in Christian Doctrine. Father Corcoran presided. How we feared that man. Someone said The hardest thing in the world is to discern whether Father Corcoran is kidding you or hauling you over the coals. Not a head would turn, nor a hand move with- out a command. Vlfhenever a chap became unruly a stern voice said, Go out please ! Father McGilicudy listened to our weekly orations. Remember the day we stood seven in a row before the empty chairs, exclaiming as a unit, VVe are slaves and accompanying the words with gestures? Around her form I draw etcg For Graham was censured for Modernism. Thank God the press didn't get the speech. In the annual Contest for Oratory, Curran harangued the Public on Americanism and Graham on 'fModernism. It was the tercentenary of the Bard of Avon's death when we were Sophs. Revivals of Shakespeare were everywhere. Nor were such aspirations wanting to the men of St. Iohn's. The program for the Olio read Graham as Hamlet, Callahan for Horatio, Curran for the first grave digger and Ryan the second. Curran experienced difficulty while clothing himself in the garb of a menial. He was a beautiful grave- digger. A college man is apt for all circumstances. Ryan looked like a busi- ness man in disguise. An under-class man told Graham he looked like an old maid. Arthur tripped gayly to and fro, loose and careless. Curran received honorable mention for next in merit for the Bishop Loughlin medal. He was the winner of the medal for highest average. Gro- gan was next. Curran and Grogan were again named for highest honors. Carey, Giovinco and Ryan for high honors. We had completed half our col- lege course, and with the usual hand shakes and revoirs, we adjoined for the summer. A 33

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X,-S'S ' Q H E iifg-T lr ati Q' , ,,,4 . ,........ X -. 2 .V 2 12 5 A ' ' s Q -'f -. la il ll' - ' 'R 106 H-3 W if 1. E Esfx , l -iff: .i r 5 -- E While, in a class history, it is no place to offer tribute, it would be unjust to pass lightly over a man whose nobility was prevalent in every act. He was a master of Latin and Greek. He was just and kind and it was sorry news, that one year later, announced his farewell to St. john's. We were back to the old days of fourth year when we hit chemistry. Glass was never meant for the likes of Curran. Test tubes and beakers should be made of the same material as retort-stands. That youth would mangle glass a dollar's worth at a blow. It's enough to make anyone mad, especially, when there's cost to it. As a result, Curran schooled him- self in the art of all art's profanity. VX7e all learned soon and when Curran led off-we answered-Amen. Callahan's chemistry classes were consumed in the mending of broken glass. Arthur could convert a test tube into a beaker or a stirring rod into a gas bottle. He was always armed with forceps Che called them scissorsl holding glass of some kind over a Bunsen flame. One day Arthur had carefully stowed away the result of an experi- ment. He was waiting for the copper sulphate to crystalize. Three days passed and Art. jubilantly took out the evaporating dish to show the beauti- ful crystals. He dropped it. Mortal ears can ne'er hear a sadder or more vociferous expression of grief. VX7ith trembling and fear we encountered Fr. Wfood in history. Arthur was the chosen one and received the undying name of Piccolo Dulce? Arthur would be asked who the second king of Rome was. Of course, Numa Pompilius was the gent, but Arthur couldn't just say whether it was he or Tullus Hostilius. The face registered internal struggle. With Liller's pencil in hand, Fr. VVood turned to Arthur and smiling, benignly advanced, lfVhat's the matter, my little sweety? I am not sure Father. Fr. offered him a formula. Pick one, take the other. You are sure to be right. The class used the formula many times with prolific results. One would be surprised to find how splendidly it may be applied with positive success. What relief to have Fr. Reilly in Greek. We imitated the style of Demos- thenes and censure-d Eutropius with the eloquence of Chrysostom. Nothing could phase us in Greek. Ben Jonson said, 'Shakespeare had small Latin and less Greek. Compared with us, Shakespeare was a puppet. What was unconquerable to this Class of Precedentsf' the class of 'l8? . We met Father O'Neil in Latin Composition class. For some unknown reason we were not particularly favorable to Cicero. He was rather beneath us. Father F. would have his way and we would be Ciceronians in style 32

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