St Marys Academy - Chimes Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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last very long for reasons which I'm sure are easily surmised by you, gentle reader. My final collection is at three o'clock-dis- missal time. Thatls really funny! I may get all of SOL but at least, I get something to add to the rising funds. And so at the end of a Monday, I feel like john W. Snyder and I look like G.I. Joe on his return from battle. Oh yes, I almost forgot, I also conduct a loan agency, which does a thriving business. Every girl, when her bank account is nil, pays her bills from the class dues. This has proved to be very beneficial, since each one pays, as soon as she can, the amount borrowed plus. Some of the girls ride home on the class dues they gave me that dayg but -the next day it comes back two- how proud We should be of . . . fold. Now and then, thirst prevails, and a few cokes are bought, or hunger strikes and the crowd moves to the local snack shop on a loan. This isnlt too helpful to me, because up there, we are inclined to go a little overboard. Even so, the -treasury is reimbursed promptly. At present, we are engaged in saving for our Senior prom. So, I have limited the loans to no more than 5045 per person. You see, we're going to have the best prom ever, because we are the UACESJ' Please don't think Ilm complaining about being the Senior tax collector. I'm just telling you the honor and fun it is to be treasurer for the H43 ACESY' Our Democracy EMOCRACY, a form of government, is a way of life that it sometimes taken for granted by the people who benefit from it. The American people realize what it is to fight for the freedom they know and need. Men have died so that their families and friends could enjoy life the way God intended it to be enjoyed. Anybody can just exist, but it takes a strong kind of person with the backing of a good gov- ernment to have the luxuries that will make his life happy and useful. Education is a main factor of American power. panic-stricken, I realized I was . . . ANNA BONELLI, '55 The happily playing children of today will be the serious, fighting men of tomorrow. They will be taught to decide for themselves, to know what they want in life, and to achieve and main- tain their goals in the best way possible. Today, men are dying for the right to be free, while in other parts of the world, men are de- voting their entire lives to building a govern- ment beneficial only to themselves. The will to work and be educated, combined with the desire for freedom, will keep America the most pow- erful nation in the world. Trapped I COULDN'T MOVE to the left. I couldn't move to the right. I was trapped. He knew it and so did I. I had gotten out of a lot of tough spots before this one, but now I did not know of a way out. There just wasn't any. His men were all around me, and, if I made ANN BEHAN, '55 one bad move, I was done for. But with all my carefulness and planning, he still got the jump on me, Then, getting up from my chair, I said, Gee, Uncle Sam, I don't -think I will ever beat you at a game of checkers!

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COLLECTING OLLECTING! That's my job, and it has been all through high school. fAnd I'm not referring to trash or knick-knacks.j Up until junior year, it wasn't taken too seriously, but in my third year, we all settled down to business. That was the year of your prom. As you may or may not know, proms require money, and lots of it. The weekly dues were upped to top notch and taxes were imposed on all un- fortunate members whose articles were left on the tops of desks or in lockers. We became rich over night! Then, after a whirlwind of planning, we held our prom, the one, the only, Christmas Rose Cotillionf' And over night we became poor! But, as we all agreed, it was well worth the money spent. Then, after all bills were paid, we really began to save again. We spent these savings on Senior Day, which turned out to be wonderful. We 'fAces had a marvelous time and so did our Buddies And now Senior year is here, and for a change, I'm collecting class dues. Let me attempt to describe to you a normal day of TRYING to collect these dues. Let's say itis a Monday morning and there's a handful of girls standing around, waiting for the 8:45 bell. I walk in and ask if anyone has class dues. Somebody screams, f'What, again? I just paid 254' last week. CI guess she has forgotten that dues are a weekly occurrence.J I explain this to her and she comes up with a quarter. I express my thanks. In the meantime, everybody else has sneaked into a huddle of conversation hoping I won't see them, but I do, and as I approach the circle, I hear a welcoming voice say, Oh, no! Not again! I just bought a dress last Saturday and I'm broke. Come around next week. CThis is usually from a girl who is one week in ar- rears.J I leave her and move on to the next. She stands there laughing. HI can give you 124' now and maybe the rest tomorrowfl I take it! ! ! Then, to find some change! After I give her back 136, she decides she wants to pay 1545 in- stead. And, of course, she wants her change in nickels, so she can be the first in line for the cokes at lunch time. Since then, a few more LETTY REMV, '55 girls have arrived. Once in awhile, somebody comes up and hands me a quarter before I even have a chance to suggest it. CI never come so near to fainting as when this phenomenon oc- curs.j As a rule, I PLEAD. I continue on my way, resolutely joining each circle. I get a few answers such as: Just put it on my bill. or My tuition will handle this. QThat's what they thinklj Then a girl runs up with a five dollar bill. UI-Iere, mark me down for the last four weeks and -the next week after thisf' I do, and there goes my change! Usually, after I lose all my change, I get another bill and I have to shake the bank for some small change. This is quite a job, but I get it! And so on my way,-out into the hall. There, I'm greeted with, Scatter! She wants moneylu QThank goodness I can run a little. I usually catch up with one or two unfortunates.J I'm in luck if they happen to have their pocket- books with them, otherwise, I just get an I.O.U. or a solemn promise to get it at lunch-which, by the way, is eaten up by the time I get there. Then, the last of my collections for the morning takes me to the powder room where everyone is taking off lipstick, taking down pin curls, putting on f'Trimfitl' socks, and polishing 'fsaddle-shoes. I usually get rich here because I take a firm and unyielding station by the door and nobody gets out without enriching my coffers. This is how I play doorman! While I am standing there, somebody comes up and points to my lips. This is to inform me that I have lipstick on. So,.I rub it off, still holding out the other hand for money. Another helpful soul tells me that I have the wrong socks on and so I try to change them. It is when I bend down, that I usually end up in the hall. By this time, the bell has already sounded, and I close my book Cfor awhilej and go to assembly. My next collection starts at lunch. This is murder! Everybody pays me in food. QI'm kidding, I love it.J If I ask for dues, I get two spoonfuls of ice-cream Qworth sp a spoonfulj or a couple of sips of coke. fThis runs about a nickells worth, too.J This collection doesnlt

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66 EE, VM SO EXCITED. If it's the last thing I ever do, I'll ask him a ques- tion!l' squealed Phyllis. t'Speaking of questions, Bernie, don't forget to let me see the ones you've prepared, said Nick, the man responsible for our interview with Perry Como. At this point, Father Cassel, our talkative padre, chimed in, f'l'm hungry. f'How about a date, Father? questioned Mrs. Becker. Quite taken back, Father was embar- rassed when offered a chocolate bar as a second choice. Munching contentedly, Jan inquired, f'YVhen shall we get to New York? I'm famishedlu When aren't you, dear? Youlll eat us out of house and home! The car made a turn for the worse as Phyllis, who had never before seen New York, shouted in her high-pitched voice, '4Look at that skyline! Regaining his composure, Nick, our capable driver, promised Phyl that the interior was even more spectacular. I'll tell you what Weill dog to make this trip a little more interesting we'll eat in the restaurant of the C.B.S. Building. 'fEating where the stars eat! l' quoted Phyllis. How exciting! Do you think we might see any cowboys?7, 'YI doubt it,'l said Bernie sarcastically. '4We might see Howdy-Doody, though. With this, Father Cassel broke into a chorus of 'tIt's Howdy-Doody Time' and all the rest of Howdy's fans joined in. Having passed through the Lincoln Tunnel, we found ourselves in the midst of New York's 73 A MEMORABLE MEETING JOANN BECKER, ,SS PHYLLIS LIVOLSI, '55 BERNADINE NICKELS, '55 bustling traffic. Since, as is usually our pre- dicament, we slow-moving Philadelphians were behind schedule, Nick hurriedly parked the car and directed us to the well-known restaurant. Hastily surveying the menu, everyone's eyes lighted up, except Bernie's, at the delicious sug- gestions. Our disgusted editor sighed All this appetizing food and I have an upset stomach! This always happens to me! Please order a bowl of broth for me, Fatherfy Ummmm-this sounds good, but so does this. Mommy, do you think I could order both?i' whispered Jan to her shocked Mother. Mrs. Becker answered the question indirectly by giving the patient waiter a single order. Having finished ordering, the contented group settled back and began to converse. 'fBernie, would you please give me those ques- tions now? asked Nick. Oh, jan, where is the list? I gave it to you, didn't I?l' After several minutes of futile searching, jan, crimson with embarrassment, remembered that the question sheet was still in the car. Well, that's all right, reassured Nick, 'Kwe'll get them later. Oh, here comes the foodlil The delicious meal finished, a happy and well-satisfied group followed Nick through sev- eral passages, arriving finally in Perry's studio. Watching the preparations and then the tele- vision broadcast was a revealing experience. Each of us was amazed at the work, time, and effort that are necessary for the production of a fifteen-minute program. Unity is important and so is a spirit of coordination.