St Josephs Academy - Academia Yearbook (Portland, ME)

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Sadie Nissen. Front, kneeling: Barbara Hanley, Anne M. erry. Back: Marilyn Lee, Angeline Bouchard The Christmas Star, ably directed by Mrs. Duval, Judy-Lee Weymouth, Nancy M frepresenting Our Lady holding the Di- vine Childj and Norma Brown. Speech Class Mrs. Sadie Holden Nissen was engaged this year to instruct Junior and Senior Groups in Speech Improvement and Dramatic Interpretation. Classes were held Thursdays t roughout the season, beginning in October. On December 19th, forty-three pupils appeared in a program presented In the Spirit of Christmas for teachers, students, parents and riends. The combined classes, neat in Academy uniforms accented with Christmas corsages, made an at- tractive verse-choir speaking Gloria In Excelsis impressively. Each student was Cast individually in recitations or plays. Holiday humor highlighted several se- lections, but The Christmas Star, climaxed by a compelling Nativity Tableau, will remain longest in the memory of participants and audience. Colored moving pictures of the Christmas program, shown when classes were resumed after the holiday recess, were viewed with interest and many a chuckle as the participants saw themselves in action. Long-range planning for Spring Speech Presentations began when the Academy grounds were deep in snow. Anne Marie Thomas, Blanche Riley and Mary Brown began to prepare for the University of Maine Speaking Contest-Blanche also representing the Academy in the Spear Contest. The Stage Is Yours, a semi-public program scheduled for May 19th in the,Academy Auditorium, will display the results of the Thursday Speech Sessions-also affording the participants another valuable experience of speaking before an audience. Varied selections have been chosen, including The White Cliffs of Dover by Alice Duer Miller to be interpreted by the Verse Speaking Choir and solo read- ers. On the lighter side, there is The Persecuted Maiden, a miniature melo- drama by the Seniors and Help Wanted, by the juniors, assisted by Mr. Robert Carson. Each pupil will gain self-confidence and poise by speaking alone in play- lets, poems or monologues . . . briefly or at length. The Glee Club and vocal soloists always add charm and balance to Speech Recitals. The sincere good wishes of their Speech Teacher go with the Class of 1954 as they leave St. -Ioseph's Academy for further education, or a life dedicated to a profession, a home or the church. May they always remember they are human be- ings with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech.

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The Sodality of the Immaculate Conception The Sodality of the Immaculate Conception held its first meeting this year on September 30. The officers elected last June: Nancy Conneen, Prefectg Sheila Lor- ing, Vice-Prefectg Marlene Webber, Secretaryg and Doris Soule, Treasurer, were eager to begin a new Sodality year with a new Moderator, Sister Mary Alacoque. Reports on the Summer School of Catholic Action at Boston were made by Nancy glaonneen, Sheila Loring, Marlene Webber, Noreen Michaud and Mary Agnes artin. Our particular aim this year was to build up our apostolate. On Saturdays a group of girls volunteered to go to one of the institutions for the sick, elderly, or blind to read or entertain. In November we undertook the project of selling Christmas cards to help bring Christ back into Christmas. For Thanksgiving and Christmas we made up baskets of food and clothing for the two needy families who received them grate- fully. On December 8 a special program for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which was the beginning of the Marian Year, took place in the Study Hall- Perpetual Rosary all day followed by a program in the evening. Two girls were appointed to say the Rosary every day as a special devotion for the Marian Year. Our annual three-day retreat, conducted by Father Fay, S. J., was held in January. During February the Catholic Truth Committee set up an elaborate display of books and pamphlets for Catholic Press Month and conducted a short skit based on the Song of Bernadettef' Father Conneen gave the Sodalists an excellent talk on vocations during Vocation Month and the Publicity Committee presented a skit, Vocation Room, during the last meeting of the month. We are looking forward to the May Crowning on World Sodality Day and the election and installation of officers for the coming year. The social events of the year were: a movie, The Robe 3 a TV partyg a mid- Lenten social in Marchg and a dance held in May. As we leave for the summer holidays we utter, with fervor, the Sodality aspira- tion, Mary, with your loving Son, bless us each and every one. NANCY CQNNEEN, '54

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