The Belles of Saint Mart’s
^' The BELLES '''
OF SAINT MARY’S
Published every two weeks by the student body of Saint
Mary’s School
Editor Beppy Hunter
Exchange Editor Erwin Gant
Business Manager Miss Kate Spruill
Faculty Adviser Mr. C. A. P. Moore
STAFF
ViROiNiA Allison Helen Kendrick
Theresa Anderson Mart Kistler
Sue Berry Martha Lewis
Julia Booker Trick Martin
Betty Brandt Mart Lily Moore
C0RNE1.1A Clark Lucy Pittenger
Mart W. Douthat Joyce Powell
Page Batman Aylett Putney
Mary Gault Mallie Ramsey
Vivian Gillespie Ernestine Rich
Katherine Hardison Dorothy See
Merrie Haynes Hallie Townes
Althea Hooff Virginia Trotter
1938 Member 1939
Fissocided Cblle6icite Press
N. C. Collegiate Press Association
DO YOU BELIEVE IN HONOR?
“Honor is a nice sense of what is right, just, and
true with a course of life correspondent thereto.” Per
haps we can make an interesting application of Web
ster’s definition to something that has been going on at
Saint Mary’s for the entire year. It is something that
has been noticed, especially in the last month, by both
faculty and students. It is something that seems to
contradict both parts of our definition. It is, namely,
the failure of students to report light cuts when trusted
to do so. This is going on all over school, but we will
take Holt as an illustration because it is the only build
ing for which figures are available.
Not long ago, an unofficial record was kept of the
lights on in Holt after eleven o’clock. It was found
from the record that there is an average of 10 lights a
night, or 300 lights a month. Four light reports a
month is the most a room can have and still keep below
the punishable number. Subtracting four for every
room from the 300 for all of them, we have 184 light
cuts above the 116 exemptions. If we divide the 184
lights among the 58 girls of Holt, we have three lights
for every girl—three lights above the two allowed be
fore the offender is sent to study hall! And there were
exactly two girls in study hall from Holt this month
for lights!
We have an Honor System at Saint Mary’s because
there are people who believe that there is such a thing
as honor, who believe that youth, more than any other
age, “sees visions” and “dream dreams.” Ordinarily,
and elsewhere, leaving lights on after eleven would not
involve one’s honor, and while there are other reasons
why one should not disobey light rules, honesty is not,
usually, one of these. But when teachers and hall
presidents trust us to report ourselves without sugges
tion from them, the question does become one of honor,
pure and simple. We are being trusted, and if failure
to keep that trust does not show a lack of honor, then
few things do. Perhaps the light situation is not
typical of the students’ idea of honesty. For the future
of Saint Mary’s honor system and for the future of the
girls here, we will believe that it is not. One way of
making it believable is to correct this situation.
TOMORROW
IS THIS YOU?
The day of new resolves and dreams is always “to
morrow,” that day which, set apart from the present
and reality by a night, is to be characterized by a new
outlook supported by new determinations.
Tomorrow may mean, to some, the day when old
hurts may be nursed again, when wounds which could
be healed by the night of rest, are reopened. It can
better mean that time when all the sorrows of the past
are forgotten and a new, happy, unbegrudging attitude
is adopted. Most of the worries of the day before will
melt into nothing, if left alone.
Tomorrow’ may also be the day in which the hap
hazard, lazy methods of the day before are continued.
It is ever so easy to begin the new day w’here the other
left off. It is just as easy, however, to begin the new
day as though there had never been another and to
adopt the best possible attitude, for the individual and
for her associates.
Tomorrow, too, is usually the day about which all
resolutions are made. (We heard, once, of a man who
carried his resolutions out!) The attitude of begin
ning each day with a clean slate and high resolves i9
excellent. One should remember that yesterday’s woes
are buried irrevocably and that all hopes must be based
upon the idea that tomorrow’ is another day.
The Saint Mary’s dining-room looks like a hotel
lobby on mornings when people wander in to breakfa'st
any time after 7 :30 that suits them. And when Mary
and Susie come strolling in after everyone is seated,
the serving must start all over again. This not only
disturbs the head of the table but the other girls also-
Little effort would be required to get up five minutes
earlier and be on time. And breakfast is not the only
occasion for stragglers; dinner and supper have almost
as many. Why shouldn’t Mary and Susie be more
thoughtful for a change and try to be prompt at meal
times ?
And then there are Jane and Helen who usually hold
up church every Sunday morning. Announcements
must be heard and letters are important, but talking
above the noise those girls make coming in fifteen
minutes late is hopeless. So everybody waits whila
they are seated, and all announcements are repeated.
Second semester would be wonderful if Mary, SusiOi
Jane, and all others having the same fault would be
more considerate of others, and stop causing the con
fusion that results from a late arrival.