St Marys Academy - Chimes Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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every one of you for it. -Another festive day in this month is May Day. The year wouldn't be complete without this happy frolicking on the lawn and I must say that I think you are all expert dancers. It is only at graduation time that I become truly sad. I regret to see the seniors leave, but don't you think for a moment that I lose contact with them. I'm always my busybody self, eavesdropping at every alumnae meeting to hear all about your col- lege life, your new positions or your own little Never forgef . . . families. The only disappointment comes when I check my roll book and find so many absent. You know you're not being fair to me, because I like to hear all the Current news, too. In closing now, I just want to remind you that I'm watching you all the time and it makes me very happy to be able to boast about you to the guardian angels of other schools. Remember, let me have my fun. Good-bye for now. By Guardian Angel 5x4Ocl, as told to VIRGINIA GILLIGAN, '51 THE W0 0DEN LAD Y FIRE CONSUMES PLEASURE LINER 'TA- DOUSAC' ON SAINT LAWRENCE! ELEVEN CI-IARRED BODIES FOUND. UNKNOWN NUMBERS INJUREDI BOAT COMPLETELY DESTROYED ! GN AUGUST 15, 1950, the newspapers all over the world Haunted these headlines. I wonder how many readers knew the ironic story behind those bare, cold facts-why the Tadousac came to such a tragic end in a bed of fire? Why she never completed her second voyage? Why she, the Tadousac, never saluted the Wooden Lady ? On August 13th, the new boat made her maiden voyage up the Saint Lawrence River. Among the spots of interest on the voyage was the statue on the coast by the village of Taclousac. Many years ago, a young French Catholic, stricken by a fatal disease, promised to erect a wooden statue to Mary Immaculate on the Saint Lawrence if she would obtain for him ten more years of life. The French- man, who was a skilled craftsman in his line, carved Our Lady and placed her high on the promontory which juts out into the bay of the great river at Tadousac just across from the wilds of Labrador. Mary did more than keep her half of the bargain. The young French Catholic lived to give twenty years of his life to glorifying God. And so, through the years, the pleasure liners, plying the Saint Lawrence, have always stopped at the statue on the high rocks at Tadousac to pay homage to Mary, Queen of All.the Amer- icas -Queen from the barren wastes of Canada across the stretch of territory even to Guadalupe, MARY CATHERINE MIRALLES, '52 which covers plain and mountains, from North to South. Well, on that August 13th, four hundred pas- sengers-Catholic, Protestant and jew, waited with bated breath to see the magnificent display of ship lights, which were always focused upon the majes- tic statue, and to sing the poignant strains of the Ave Maria as they drifted past the Guardian of the old Saint Lawrence. But the passengers waited in vain. No lights were shown, no hymn was sung. The reason? The Captain of the Tadousac was a materialist, and did not want the newly christened ship to be behind schedule on her first voyage, so he stated he could not waste the time. After all, he scoffed, she's only a Wooden Lady. So, the proud little ship, with all her power, steamed up the Saint Lawrence and ignored the Wooden Lady. Then, as the Canadian twilight fell, the boat turned around to go back to Montreal. On the return voyage that night, a priest on the boat reproached the Captain with the question, Don't you know that besides four hundred people, you've disappointed the Mother of God? The Captain then condecended to allow the Ave Maria to be played, but not from any love of Mary. Later that night the Tadousac went into dry- dock and prepared for the voyage of August 15, 1950. But that voyage, as we'know, was never completed and the haughty vessel and its Captain never received another opportunity to salute and pay homage to Mary Immaculate, the Wooden Lady, Queen of land and sea. Thus, was verified the thought contained in that age-old prayer, There are none that can withstand her power.

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for your violin, your music. You said you needed it. It was your best friend. What about all those people? Suppose they never have any music. Most of them can't even read notes but they find com- fort in knowing that they can turn on their radio at any time and have some lilting melody to brighten their day. They realize too, Bill, that they may come to a show such as this and see youths like yourself filling the places of those who are growing old. Bill, let them be content in knowing there will always be someone who can give them the happiness that music brings. They need you. They depend upon you. Will you help them? I took up my cherished violin and allowed them to guide me onto the stage. Silence seemed to Hll every Corner of the room and, pretending I was again in the solitude of my room, I lifted the bow and let my soul fill its every motion. I was Wherever you are, I will always be . . . so completely lost in my own dreams that as I finished I was amazingly awakened by the pro- found sound of thunderous applause. Mr. Morgan announced that the applause meter registered No. 15 as the winner. Why, that was my num- ber! He also declared that contestant No. 15 was a blind boy named Bill Sommers. Blind? Blind? I heard from the audience. They didn't pity me. I had won by myself! They needed me! Tears of triumph and peace surged down my face and I whispered a prayer of thanks to God who had replaced my eyes with the glorious gift of music. I could hear Mom and Dad proudly cheering me from their front-row seats and yes, there adding hers was Peg and even those silly girl friends. 'God bless them a1l,' I breathed as the curtain rang down. AT YDUR SIDE I AM THE GUARDIAN ANGEL of Saint Mary's Academy. I see and do many things. I'm always around, but you seldom think of me. I am the one who calls a Sister to the telephone when you are going to have a test and need a few precious minutes to study. Sometimes I even man- age to persuade a Sister to postpone a test. Remem- ber the last English Literature check-up when you were racking your grey matter but couldn't possibly recall who was the greatest poet of the sixteenth century? Well, I was the lifesaver who pestered the Holy Ghost to inspire you. And it worked too, didn't it? You can be sure that this type of work is rather nerve shattering, but the next time honor cards are awarded, listen carefully, because I applaud the loudest and longest for all of you. Of course, I have a great many other duties. I am kept very busy at basketball games by those annoying shots that teeter on the rim and I simply must fly like lightning from the bench and give them just the tiniest tap in for two points. During the hockey season I am always sore and bruised. I get so, as you would say, beat up trying to help you drive that evasive ball into the cage for a goal. Every year I look forward to Christmas time. It is so much fun then at the grammar school Christ- mas play when all the young ones look so unnatu- rally innocent, and the carols frequently make me cry. How I love prom night when the marble hall is magically transformed into a huge pink cloud with your sparkling eyes providing the starlike light. I was very happy to receive a new charge this year. I mean the new building, or course. Many a day, I was seriously contemplating requesting God to spare me an assistant, particularly when those workmen kept running up and down the shaking roof beams with nothing to hold on to but my poor wings. However, thank God, the men, my wings, and I are still intact. Yet all the trouble was surely worth it. just look at the new building and you will see what I mean! A really critical period is play time. I have to be in so many places at once. Someone on the stage will completely forget her lines, and I have to whisper them in her ear. Then a stagehand will, at the same time, involuntarily turn into a juggler with a tray full of glasses and I'll have to steady her lest your emoting be suddenly inter- rupted by a loud crash. The month of May is also a happy time around St. Mary's. It is inspiring to perch in the highest tree on the front campus and watch the lovely you form to honor the patron of our school, Mary. I am always proud when I show this to jesus for He is very pleased with the homage paid to His Blessed Mother and He blesses each and

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lVhere Juniper meets F ilbert WIN PHILADELPHIA NEARLY EVERY- BODY READS THE BULLETIN is the much publicized slogan of what many consider Philadelphia's finest newspaper. Having decided to investigate the whys of this statement, we arranged for an interview with Mr. Richard Slocum, Secretary and General Manager of the Bulletin. We were received very cordially. Mr. Slocum, a very tall and impressive' gentleman, answered our inquiries completely and compre- hensively. We began with the following question: Jane and Pat: Mr. Slocum, many girls at St. Mary's are interested in journalism. Are there any jobs open to the high school graduate in that field? Mr. Slocum: Definitely, Pat and jane, a high school graduate fits very well into a newspaper office. One thing I would recommend to every girl is that she learn shorthand. One never knows how handy this may be in any job. Secretarial jobs are very important in the business world. The secretary is many times the brains behind the boss. A man needs someone to take care of all the little details for which he doesn't have time. Per- sonnel jobs are open to girls with high school training, especially to the girls with pleasant voices. Theirs is the job of selling the newspaper and of soliciting ads for it. You'd be surprised to hear that some of the girls with the most pleasant voices are the ones with the homely faces. Espe- cially now, that the draft is in force, we expect to have more women in our office. Naturally, all the men will be glad to have them back. Jane and Pat: Mr. Slocum, do you consider Journalism an overcrowded field? Mr. Slocum: My answer to that, girls, is very brief and to the point. I don't consider any field overcrowded if the candidate shows ability. There is always room for the person who is talented and has the ambition to do the work. Jane and Pat: What do you think of the School of journalism as compared to the English courses offered in Colleges? V Mr. Slocum: I would recommend the English Major from the college every time. A broader background is offered which is extremely impor- tant in any literary field. I would advise the aspir- PA1- HARTSOUGH, '51 JANE RAFFERTY, '51 ing journalist to take all the English' courses available as well as other courses that can be fitted in. jane and Pat: How does a paper gather all its news from the various cities and countries? Mr. Slocum: Let us glance over this latest edi- tion of our Bulletin. First of all, you see at the head of each news item the place where the article originatedg e.g., up in the left hand corner is a dispatch from Washington. In Washington we have stationed three men whose job it is to wire us of any new development. We have one man in Pittsburgh, another in Baltimore, and perhaps you have heard of our famous European correspondent, Morley Cassidy. We are also affiliated with several news syndicates, such as, The Associated Press and the United Press. These are large organizations that have reporters throughout the globe, and they sell us news. They also send us pictures such as you see here which can be readily identified by the small print underneath that says 'Wire Photo.' These are sent over the telegraph by a process similar to that of television. I know that your senior class will enjoy watching this process when they make their visit on january 31st. Jane and Pat: Could you let us in on some of the inside information on those popular comics, Mr. Slocum? Mr. Slocum: Having six children myself, I know just how popular those funnies are. Here's something you can boast about when you go home. Look at the comics for this coming Sunday while I illustrate my answer to your question. Comics, girls, are not created by the Bulletin. They are bought from syndicates such as King which is the largest. It would be too expensive a proposi- tion for a paper to deal personally with the artists. The designer of our most popular cartoons has a contract for 3150,000 a year. There are also men not under contract to any certain syndicate and these free-lancers try to sell their own drawings. We use many of them in our Fun Book. Tell your friends who have artistic or creative ability that it is a wonderful as well as a high-paying field.