Ursuline Academy - Servian Yearbook (New Orleans, LA)

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INTO THE UNKNOWN A CONTRAST It is early morning, August third, 1492 Three small ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria are at anchor in a Spanish seaport. This day is a reward for Christopher Columbus, for it is the culmination of many months of failures, trying to win over support from various heads of government to back his plan for reaching India by sailing west. There are not many people watching his preparations for de- parture, just a few women, sailors, and children standing on the docks, laughing at the undertaking, and scornfully saying that Columbus will never return. He now bids farewell to the crowd. The crew, not more than one hundred men, lift anchor. The wind fills the white sails and slowly carries the three little wooden boats out to the Atlantic Ocean and on to the unknown. Four-hundred and seventy years later on February twentieth, 1962, another ship is about to emerge on a journey. The tall gleaming space-ship, Friendship 7, glints in the early-morning sunlight at Cape Canaveral, Florida. After three longs years of hard work, this is the day that an American astronaut will circle the earth. Millions all over the world, child- ren in classrooms, adults in offices and stores are anxiously glued to televisions and radios. As zero min- ute approaches, a feeling of apprehension builds. Then, slowly but surely, the rocket climbs to the bright blue sky and into the unknown ocean of space. --Betty Ann Rivet '64 TIME When I stop and think of time My mind begins to blur. I think of present, and of past And also of the future. Then I think of what it means To live from day to day How can I find tomorrow? Surely, there must be a way. But each time I come to tomorrow I find it isn't there Because tomorrow becomes today. I can't see how that is fair. But if I could get to tomorrow I know I would not stay. For everyone knows that you can live Only in today. Noelie Pilie '65 A MEMORABLE DAY Although my friend had never mentioned out- right that she was considering being a nun, the day she told me she was entering I wasn't at all surprised. It was strange but I actually felt that I had known it all along. It seemed as though it just couldn't be any other way. After the initial shock of the announcement had passed I made supreme efforts to keep my mind from realizing the void that would come. We live and laughed away those months creating the warmth of golden mem- ories in our hearts and minds. At last the night before she was to leave arrived. She and I and a few other friends gathered for her last night among her friends. This was a good distraction that made the night pass lightly and quickly. On the morning of her departure- we all went down to the Chapel to receive Holy Communion. I realized that morning that this reception of Our Lord would symbolize a union Ann and I would always share though many miles apart. Then we both promised to re- ceive Our Lord every day possible as though we were still side by side at the Holy Table. Strange as it may seem, the miles vanish like mist between us when we meet in prayer. Linda Calongne, '62, Let Him Who is Without Sin Cast the First Stone. Peggy Lowrey '6 Our Lord was walking pensively through the streets of a small city in Palestine. It was hot. The sun shone on His gleaming red-brown hair. If a person should have happened to pass, he might have halted, fixed in his step, to gaze in amazement at the majectic figure, almost unconsciously the thought would have run through his mind, This is a great man! Suddenly, there was a noise, a bustle, a shout in the quiet path. A boisterous crowd wove its way through. the village and then hesitated at the square. Our Lord looked on. A sobbing woman was pushed into the open, roughly, unfairly. Our Master could no longer be a by- stander. He looked with sympathy, and even sorrow on the unfortunate woman, an adulteress. The throng was set in its purpose. This woman had committed a base treachery -- the punishment was stoning, and the Jewish law knew not mercy. For this Jesus came. He confronted that crowd with a challenge. Let him who is without sin, he said, cast the first stone. That multitude was dumbfounded. Every man of it shrank away. And guilt pursued them. Since the incident centuries ago, many crowds have pushed forth many persons accused of some infamy. These words of Christ stand to condemn their actions. People, so eager to condemn others, see not the need to reform themselves.

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THE SY MBOLISM OF THE URSULINE RING Once again another senior class has reached a long awaited day - Ring Day. For all, this is a joyous occasion. It is a day that every senior will cherish and remember for the rest of her life. I To an Ursuline girl, her ring should be a con- stant reminder of all that she has lived up to and of all that she will have to live up to when she is placed face to face with the outside world. St. Angela's lilies re- present the spotless purity of youth. Today it is very hardto remain pure and pleasing to God be-CauSe of the many temptations put upon youth. But an Ursuline girl should be able to withstand these temptations not be- cause of what others may say about her, but because she realizes she is glorifying God and giving the best ex- ample to all around her. St. Ursula's palm of leadership and victory stands for virility. Every one of us should strive to be a leader, not to be led. Not all will be called to be leaders in a big way, but each one of us will be called to be a leader in our own special way - a leader in good example. The palm should remind us to think inde- pendently and to have the strength to stand up for our own convictions and what we know to be right. The shield and sword typify strength of soul. These are the symbols of battle and should remind us that the biggest battle of all is the battle against ourselves. The links and the helmet are reminiscent of chivalry - the dower of an Ursuline girl. They symbolize courage - courage to do and say what we know to be right, and fairness - fairness in our dealings and in our convictions. We should weigh all evidence before forming conclusions, especially when these conclusions involve the good name of another. We should also have respect for authority and for our fellow men. The book represents all that Ursuline offers in knowledge, human and divine. It is through our dedi- cated Ursuline mothers that many of us will go on to college and get degrees. Some will enter the religious life, and still others will choose either the married or the single state. But one thing you can be sure of is that whichever road we take we will have benefited greatly from the teaching and guidance of our Ursuline mothers. And so, as we anxiously await the moment when Reverend Mother will place the rings on our fingers, we cannot help remembering all, who have at different stages of our lives, helped us to take the steps that have led to this wonderful night. Much love and thanks go to our parents, family, friends, and to our chaplain. But most of all to our dear Ursuline mothers who through their patience, teaching, and understanding have made us worthy of wearing the Ursuline ring. May we always be the best examples of Christian womanhood and live up to the ideals of Courtesy, Loyalty, and Courage. . . . Sherron Fonte '62 RETREAT IMPRESSIONS Unglue a student from the T. V. set, disconnect her telephone and radio, isolate her from honking horns, school bells, and a never-ending round of activities-- put her in the country for three days away from it all on a re- treat, request a magnificent retreat master, and if she takes her retreat seriously, she may find herself matured five years when she returns. She may even find T. V. boring and some of her old activities not so interesting. For many fortunate people decisions come easy Many are born equipped with road maps. They come to a fork in the road and unhesitantly know which one to take and then, confident in their decision, speed on down the road never looking back to question their choice. There are a few people, however, given road maps with- out signpostsg and when they reach the fork in the road which inevitably comes after graduation or any problem, they are forced to stop. All of them take a road. Many are successful, but some keep wondering. I can most accurately be placed in the latter category, for decisions come hard. That is why retreat has meant something special for me. It offered an opportunity- for seeing things more clearly. Anyone who took this opportunity could not measure the retreat in any terms but those of immense profit. It is surprising how people of this era get so wrapped up in new inventions, crazes, and fads. They become so blinded by distractions that they can't have insight into even small problems and decisions. Removed from these obstacles they become amazed at the signposts that miraculously appear. In this modern age life moves rapidly, but on retreat there were no worries, no tight schedules and people actually hadtime to think about more important things. Father's talks were so fascinating there was no time for boredom. That these days were so happy is a proof of the fact that we do not need the fast pace of our day and age nor modern inventions and activities to keep us happy. Father gave the reason for so many mental institutions when he said that people fail to live each day at a time. Yesterday there were two World Wars but that is in the past. Tomorrow the Russians may press the button but that is in the future. Today is the present. This second is ours to do with what we will. Because of the many new ideas and outlooks I received during re- treat I came home feeling sorry for the billions of people in the world who hadn't been there. Linda Lapara '62 BIRTH OF FAITH A star peeping through the black veil of night. The persistent echo of whispering wind. The flash of lightning through an ebony sky. The glow of an aurora sunrise. Dale Nix '65

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MELISSA'S BIRTHDAY. It was November 13, her birthday. Melissa was home some time when the phone rang in the den loud and clear. She dashed into the room, turned on the light, and lowered the radio. By the time she found the telephone buried under a pile of cushions, it had stopped ringing. She put the phone on the coffee table and turned the radio back to its former volume, then pickedup a magazine and started to read. But in a few minutes she put the magazine down again. She couldn't keep her mind on reading. Here she was, stuck at home baby-sitting. It was her birthday, too. So what was she doing about it? Nothing. Her parents had gone to a party and had left her at home with her three small brothers. It was terrible. She had had to turn down three invitations to parties tonight just so she could baby-sit. She was brought back from her thoughts of how unlucky and unhappy she was by the recurrent ringing of the telephone. She stilled the radio and lifted the receiver. Hello, she said. No one answered. Hello ?. . . Hello?. . . Who's calling please ?. . . Is anyone there? Still there was no answer. Then Melissa heard some one hang up the other phone. Maybe it was a wrong number. She decided not to worry about it any further. Be- sides, she would rather just sit around and feel sorry for herself. A few minutes later the phone rang again. This time it was Melissa's mother. She was calling to find out if Melissa had put the children to bed and if everything was all right. Melissa told her that it was and trying to sound sincere, told her mother not to worry about anything but having fun at the party. Melissa hung up and decided to try to be brave and read again. This time Melissa was interrupted by a news bulletin on the radio. The music stopped and an announcer said: All residents of Jackson City are asked to be on the lookout for a mental patient who escaped this after- noon from the Jackson City Sanitorium. He is about six feet tall and weighs about one-hundred ninety pounds. He is believed to be armed and is dangerous. If he is seen, please notify the police or the hospital officials immediately. We now return to the program in progress. The music resumed. Melissa began to read again. But true to custom the phone was not going to remain quiet. Again it rang. Melissa answered. This time a deep masculine voice answered, Is this the Nelson residence? Melissa said that it was. May I speak to your father? He's not home right now. May I take a .... Then may I speak to your mother? She's not home either. Is there any message? Uh - - - No message. He hung up. Melissa froze but tried to con- centrate on her reading. About a half hour later, after staring at a tomato paste advertisement for most of the time, Melissa suddenly started. There was someone in the basement. She was sure that the sound she had heard was the squeaking of the basement door. Then suddenly there was a terrific crash. Someone had stumbled over the shuffleboard equipment in the dark. Whoever was down there was in the playroom. What should she do? Maybe it was just the dog. If her father had not chained him to his doghouse he could have come in through the little door made for him in the basement door. It was probably just Roscoe, she thought. Maybe I ought to put him outside. But as she rose from her chair she thought of the mysterious phone calls and of the news bulletin. What if it's not Roscoe? What if it's a person? What if it's that man? Then what shall I do ? There is nobody home but me. What if something were to happen? Then, summoning all her courage she crept to the top of the basement steps. ls anybody there ? She called. No answer. Then she heard Roscoe bark. She felt reassured. Then suddenly. . . she heard the footsteps. They seemed to be comingntoward the bottom of the steps. She reached for her brother's baseball bat in the broom closet where she had put it when she had cleaned the kitchen. If anyone had to protect the home it had to be she. Her brothers were her responsibility. Slowly she began to descend the steps. Her heart was in her mouth as each one creaked beneath her weight. The sound had never seemed to be so loud before. There seemed to be about three times as many steps as she had remembered. Her heart was beating furiously andthe noise of her heart- beat seemed to be reverberating through the whole house. Her head felt as if it were expanding and contracting and as if it would burst. Her knees were like water and she felt that they would not support her much longer. Her hands were clammy and the bat was slipping from her grasp. Her breathing was hard and forced. The footsteps in the playroom had stopped - - - at the foot of the stairs! She was almost at the bottom now. She reached the last step and said a quick, silent prayer, then stepped into the playroom. Suddenly she felt a very large hand on her shoulder. The bat slipped from her hands. She screamed hoarsely and blacked out. When she came to, she opened her eyes to see her father looking down at her. Lord, Melissa, I'm sorry we scared you. We planned this surprise party for your birthday, but we didn't plan to scare you like this. Then Melissa looked around. She saw all her friends. They had all been invited to her party. They had made the noises getting into the playroom. And she had nearly died of fright. She felt all right now and sat up. She was ready to celebrate her birthday. ' -- Margaret Gravois '64