St Vincent Ferrer High School - Yearbook (New York, NY)

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HIGHLIGHTS GF IVIY SENIOR YEAR ...,...I. CLASS OF JUNE 1948 As I jumped out of hed hright and earIy one September morning, pieasant thoughts raced through my mind,-fI am a senior. This is the Ioeginning oi my senior yearI Qn my way to schooi, I met some oi my ciassmates. We were very happy to start otf the new term hy attending a Mass of the Holy Ghost. As I walked over to schooi with my cIass from the church, I noticed the newcomers. I thought to myseiiz they are prohahiy wondering whether they wiII IiIce it. Will the giris Iiice them? The nuns-are they strict? The courses-are they hard? After schooi had reopened and We were settied, the strangeness oi new experiences soon wore oti in the daiiy routine oi schoiastic life. We determined to maice this, our Iast year at a memorahie one. For a whiie things continued much the same. The freshmen resented their name, tor they are reaiiy juniors, you Icnow. The seniors ot the iast term appeared to Ioe woricing hard, hecoming more sure ot themseives as the days went hy. During the second weeIc, we eiected our ciass officers. Our annuaI Retreat opened the third week oi schooiwan especiaiiy desirahie time tor such an activity. Holy Mass preceded hy the recitation of the rosary, began each day. Qur spiritual director this year, Reverend Harry A Burke, OP., thriiied the retreatants with his tine conferences and heIpfuI answers to our Question Box. Un tile Iast morning, aII the girIs who had not tormery heen received into tue Angeiic Vvariare of St. Thomas Aquinas were soIemnIy enroIIed. At the end of the Retreat, the Sisters presented aII tae girIs with a Rosary Novena hooiciet.

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school time arrived again all too soon. But once we returned, greeted by the friendliness and warmth which are synonymous with Saint Vincent's, our attitude changed. The first activity of the new term was a Retreat conducted by Rev- erend Harry Burke, OP. It was during this time that most ot us felt closer to Goc. than, perhaps, ever before. Following this spiritual refreshment, we returned to the task ot school work with renewed zest and resolutions tor the coming school year. Qur second activity was the Halloween Dance, which was a huge success. It was the unanimous opinion that the playground never looked prettieri- a tribute to the senior girls' artistic ability and cooperation. Un December 9, with deep sorrow in our hearts, the entire student body attended the funeral of Sister Mary Florenceys mother. We were dispatched by swift Greyhound buses to St. Antoninus Church, Newark, New Jersey. There, an exceptionally fine appearance was presented by the girls, bedecked in their jaunty berets and all in complete uniform. This latter fact is especially noteworthy, since none of the girls knew of the arrangements until they appeared tor school at the regular time on Tues- day morning. l suppose in a narration of school events, the holidays hold a major interest, and this article will not attempt to be original by skipping over them. The pre-holiday parties at SVI: are like the get-togethers ot one big happy family ,-1 visiting from classroom to classroom, each one beautifully decorated in appropriate colors, and merry wishes being scattered like rice at a wedding. Arrival back at school on January 5, 1948 was a sad experience after all the holiday fun thistory-making blizzard included, 3 l can see no use tor deception. But soon we were getting into the proper spirit ot things again. Then, before we realized it, examinations came into full swing. Sister began making final announcements regarding the YEARBOOK, graduation tees and such necessary things, while offers of positions were made by guest speakers of various outstanding firms ot the city. Those last few days, as we glanced often at the attractive General Electric clock adorning the wall of the typing room i- our class gift to our own SVP i- each one agreed that many good times were had here by all, and though the days Went slowly, the years went fast, much too tastl ww t 2 1 ' X S - vi W A 3 if .' img' A, -ev'-eh V5 sfifri-'E' 'Q ,. f ,,,,f.ww ' . Mi mf :.,3.wmwmvf fW'5T A V I V L K 4 gwiwmsgzigiasx aw, , I x . JI? Q '.iil'i.S155itW'5 , ' .X .11r-- ' . -1, g, 5 mg.,-rw 5 ' 'i ' , ' K . W ,4,'2.wsw H sv is f A V1 . . . , 1.-xl r' I I L. . I N as . C. 1 ,WI'YfSf5'i5 ff5'QifH1l,L 55:5 1 , j - y

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September 20 was a never-to-be-forgotten clay, because St. Vincent Ferrer High School was requested to be present at the Polo Grounds to talce part in the Archdiocesan Holy Name Rally. One of our own class- mates, Helen Harte, had the signal honor ot being chosen to represent St. Catherine Laboure in a special shrine ceremony honoring Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. The Blessed Virgin was represented by Rita lVlcElligott ot the Dominican Academy. The girls attending this private high school on East 68th Street are also taught by Sisters of the same community as our own Sisters here at SVF. Before lcnowing it, Qctober 5 had arrived, and the high school girls in full uniform marched in the annual Rosary Procession, praying Maryys chaplet, carrying roses, and singing hymns in her honor. Toward the end of Qctober, there was great excitement throughout the school, for we were having a Halloween Dance,-four first dance of the school year. Cardinal Hayes, fourteen-piece orchestra provided music for the gala occasion. Not only socially but financially, this affair was the most successful held so lar by the high school. The seniors were especially elated over it, because our Yearboolc Fund was greatly increased as a result. November soon arrived, and the Glee Club figured prominently in singing the Mass on November 13 in honor of St. Thomas Aquinas, Patron of Catholic Schools. About this time, also, we had a very interest- ing assembly. Mr. Cortez Peters gave an outstanding demonstration in typing. The facts which he presented to us on this subject were further emphasized in another assembly later, when we saw a motion picture on typing technique.