St Marys Academy - Chimes Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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Eight o'clock found us in quite a state for, at long last, we would meet Perry Como. jan com- plained of butterflies in her stomach, Phyllis, squirming in her seat, kept assuring Father Cassel that she wasn't the least bit nervous. Father, delegated as our esteemed photographer, said, while checking his equipment, HI feel like a spy for N.B.C.l' Of all, Bernie was the calm- est-that is, when she wasnlt biting her nails. Since Nick had arranged the entire meeting with Perry's agent, we expected little or no trouble. At last-oh blissful moment-out HE walked. Much to our surprise, Perry was dressed very casually in slacks, sport shirt and sweater. He put us all at ease immediately by telling us of his interest in golf and the stiff neck he had received that afternoon while playing. Hearing this, Mrs. Becker helpfully said, When my Howard goes golfing in the cold weather, he always wears his long underwear. The laughter with which this remark was greeted put all of us completely at ease. Grate- ful to Mrs. Becker for this timely exercise of her perfect savoir faire, we endeavored to assume a nonchalance as we launched into our request for an interviewf' With a delightfully sincere simplicity, our Perry obliged. The Como family, consisting of five all told, resides in Sands Point, Long Island. The chil- a trip abroad through . . . dren, Ronnie, David and Terri have- already begun their music careers with piano lessons. Ronnie, the eldest, boasts of the privilege of being an altar boy at their parish church, Our Lady of Fatima. Perry earnestly believes that faith in God, more -than anything else, has been the secret of his succcess. Starting in 1933 with the Fred- die Carlone band, our gracious host's popularity grew until, in 1943, he cut his first record for R.C.A. Victor, ftGoodbye, Sue. Since then, his record sales have skyrocketed. Disc jokeys throughout the nation daily play his platters. He has topped the million mark with eight of his recordings, while numerous polls have accorded him first place among the nation's vocalists. Being a very grateful man, Perry Como ex- presses this gratitude by donations to various charities. Cardinal Spellman recently bestowed on Mr. and Mrs. Como the titles of Grand Knight and Lady of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem in recognition of their Catholic Action and never-failing good example. Perry's advice to all young aspirants, regard- less of their field, is typical of his complete trust in God.- Be yourself, strive continually to im- prove, and always keep faith in Godf' Letters fo Joan June 20, 1954 Dear Joan, This is the life,--a ship, the pride of the crew and the passengers! Every part of it is truly ship shape ! The inviting aroma of delectable, well-prepared meals is constantly filling the air in the vicinity of the kitchen. We don't know the meaning of boredom. At night there is dancing, bingo, or horse racing. During the day, there is table tennis, shuffle board, . swimming, or the movies. Often, we twho don't get seasickj look over the endless stretch of water. I have seen vast expanses of flapping ripples and jumping waves receiving the sun's golden gift and Betty Eichner, '55 witnessed the fierce, raging battle between the upper and lower sea worlds. The angry sea has even lifted its uncountable, wrinkled hands out of its boundary to touch the soft arc of the sky. I wish we could see all this together. Love, Betty June 22, 1954 Dear Joan, ' We arrived safe and sound. But, it wasn't quite so simple as those few words would lead one to believe. A few eager beavers started the powerful, vibrant words, We'll reach Cobh at 5:00 A. M. The ship

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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.

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was a hot bed of excitement. The long lost wanderers cried and joked as they searched the night for some beam of light. They wanted so much to sleep on the fact that they had seen something of Ireland in the tar-like darkness. Actually we had been sailing about ten miles off the coast for about five hours. At last, we were going to set foot on the Isle that lay stretched there like a beautiful patch quilt made of different shades of green. As the tender, a combined barge and tug boat, ploughed over the restless water to the voluminous folds of hills, we stood entranced, drinking in the' beauty unfolding before our eyes. Two elderly fishermen, whom we passed on our way, typified the friendly and jovial Irish people as they bid us welcome to Ireland. Love, Betty June 30, 1954 Dear Joan, Scotland is great! I have noticed that darkness doesn't fall upon the British Isles until about 10:00 P. M. The sky slowly travels through the graduated colors of darkness until it reaches its black goal. Yesterday, I was introduced to Scotland's capital, Edinburgh. At one end of Princess Street, the most beautiful street in the world, are some Grecian pillars and a pointed obelisk called Cleopatra's needle. These two structures give an eerie appearance to the miniature plateau. On one side of the street are numerous stores but on the other, about one-half a mile away, is Edin- burgh Castle, ruling from a dark, steep cliff. From the castle you can see the famous Firth of Forth River. I walked down the Royal Mile, the street which the queen takes from the castle to the Palace of Holyrood House, her residence in Edinburgh. The royal buildings aren't so elaborate as one would supposeg on the contrary, they appear gloomy. However, it must be remembered that some of them date back to the thir- teenth century when the strength and fortification, rather than the beauty of buildings, was consid- ered. Scotland undergoes three distinct changes as you travel toward the North. You pass over the plains, lowlands and then the scenic high- lands. I especially liked the jutting, steep cliffs. But, no matter which section you visit, you find glorious scenery and hospit- able people. Love, Betty Back in Ireland, July 28, 1954 Dear Joan, I went to another Irish dance last night. They are the greatest! I still can't get over the older, mar- ried couples attending the dances. They have the same songs as we do fbetter late than neverlj but they are played in a faster tempo. The quick step takes the place of our jitterbug. I learned how to do the Siege of Venice, a set dance. Really, that was about the only Irish dance they did. Ireland is full of contradictory settings. A few of the people still ride in horse-drawn carts, others zoom around in automobiles. Due to the width and conditions of the roads, the cars are lighter and smaller than ours. There still remain a few thatched- roof houses in the country. Near the city, new housing projects or schemes are springing up. Cath- olicity is evident in many ways in this country, for example, the name of the project near us is called nCnoc Mhuire,n which, translated into English, means WAssumption Park.n The people travel miles to attend Hurling, the national sport. It can be compared to our field hockey