Newspapers / Saint Mary’s School Student … / Oct. 29, 1939, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of Saint Mary’s School Student Newspaper / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
k The Belles of Saint Mary’s The Belles OF SAINT MARY’S Editor Exchange Editor Business Manager Faculty Adviser . STAFF Virginia Trotter Erwin Gant Cornelia Clark Mary Willis Douthat Gertrude Carter Helen Kendrick Rebecca Barnhill Julia Booker Page Ganna way Margaret Swindell Elizabeth Tucker Hortense Miller Ann Seeley Laura Gordon Martha Kight Mary Swan Dodson 1938 Member 1939 Phsocioted College Press N. C. Collegiate Press Association THE HALL coujsrciL A new governing body lias been installed as a part of our Student Government—the Council of Hall Presidents. This is a direct step to ward a more complete plan of Student Govern ment in the school. It is a movement that places more power and responsibility in the hands of the student body, yet we still hear a few words of protest against this improvement. A few are questioning its soundness. They are asking what will happen if it doesn’t work. Fortunately, the founding fathers didn’t allow such a consideration to deter them. Let us understand once and for all that this Hall Council will be a success if we want it to be. There is no way it can fail if we back it to the limit, for it is a body that is planned and instituted by us. Student Government unques tionably depends upon the cooperation of all for smooth functioning. If the few who doubt the ability of this Council will put that same energy into backing it, we shall no longer have reason to worry over its success. Naturally any plan that gives more pmver to the students will also demand more responsi bility from them. After all, girls of seventeen to twenty must accept their share of responsi bility. Getting behind this Hall Council and taking personal pride in backing it, can turn the trick and prove our stuff. HIGHWAY The road to good grades is by no means an easy or comfortable one. For most of the new girls it has been so far a combination of hard work and an unusual amount of studying. If you are discouraged, don’t give up so soon and begin writing home for permission to drop that subject which requires more work than you had planned for. Divide your study hours and ar range time for certain subjects. You can judge how much studying you need now that “Test Week” is over and monthly grades are circu lating. Remember, the adjusting grades are the hardest to bear. “FIRST IMFRESSION’^ Each Sunday many visitors come to Saint Mary’s. They may have traveled for many miles, or they may be citizens of Raleigh. Since the chapel is the center and heart of our school, they often worship there. As they take part in the services or listen to the music as it searches in every darkened corner, they will form a “first impression.” Naturally, it will bo the most important, for it will remain fixed as their conception of Saint klary’s. If scattered murmuring or undertones should catch their attention, the impression would not be so nice. The services as a general rule are short, and it should not require much effort on the jiart of the students to refrain from those few whis pered words which are so disturbing. This is an appeal to you to cease this annoying habit. If lack of reverence doesn’t prevent this talking, common and decent consideration for those who do have it should be a good excuse. Published every two weeks by the student body of Saint Mary’s School . . Joyce Powell . . Erwin Gant Miss Kate Spruill Mb. C. a. P. Moore LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor : I know this subject has been mentioned sev eral times before to the student body, but it seems to me that it should be brought up again: it is the subject of loud talking among students going and coming from chapel, especially on Friday nights, and I think they would do much better if they stopped to think. Everyone knows how much disturbance it creates on Friday night when talking begins just as soon as the service is over. Certainly it isn’t very helpful to a reverent feeling to hear people “shhshing” on every side. Then, too, in the morning loud talking outside the chapel disturbs those who have already begun their worship. Anyone who has been to chapel early knows how bad it really sounds. There has been some improvement lately, but there is still room for a great deal more. It’s not much to ask, so why not let’s have quiet just for the short time of going in and coming out of chapel. Becky Barnhill. Dear Editor : Pro and con, a great deal has been said about the Hall Council. Even after the group dis cussions of last week, confiicts of opinions still exist. Having heard a number of these, I would like to try to clarify the misunderstand ings by a review of the Hall Council and its functions. Ever since I have been at Saint Mary’s I have heard the questions: “What have little regulations to do with honor? Why should they be classed with stealing, cheating, and lying? Is the breaking of minor rules a reflec tion upon character?” With these and other problems in mind, the school has sought to distinguish between dormi tory regulations, and those rules which do defi nitely involve honor. This deliberate divorce of dormitory from Honor Council jurisdiction does not remove from the former any require ments of honor. In matriculating at Saint Mary’s, each girl automatically accepts citizen ship in our Student Association and the re sponsibility that citizenship embraces. The Hall Council, a new governing body, is not a proctor system in which sole responsi bility rests upon the Hall President, but is still a matter of responsibility for every girl. Also it is a mistaken belief that the creation of the Hall Council diminishes the importance of the Honor Council. The Hall Council has juris diction over minor offenses, while the older body remains the “Supreme Court” which deals with such serious matters as lying and cheating. The Hall Council is a progressive step in line with the Student Government. It is not, as some believe, a scheme of inflicting more and worse punishment; this year’s rules are the same as last year’s. And if the students consider the penalties unreasonably severe, it is through their new Hall Council that they can modify them. The right of the Hall Council to question any girl it wishes is a necessary right, for often a violation must be judged on its individual merit rather than a mechanical case. It insures each girl the right to defend herself in cases that are not the routine, lights- out-at-eleven, sort. As for routine regulations, many do not real ize how precious are the jirivileges now ex tended to a dormitory. Formerly—and it w'as not so long ago—the faculty was in charge of discipline enforcement. Rules were rigid, and only with Student Government were such privi leges as lights until eleven allowed. They were granted then only with the understanding that the students regulate them and see that they are not abused. Now by means of the Hall Council the students are attempting to live up to this condition and to see to the enforcement of dor mitory discipline; only by regard for it can we keep our often unappreciated privileges. So the question remains: Can we prove ourselves worthy of the dormitory privileges given us and can we prove ourselves capable of more and more self-government, more and more re sponsibility, year by year ? I am convinced that the Hall Council can do untold good, but only with the cooperation of the whole student body. I think, too, that if this strengthening of Student Government is understood in its true character and purpose, it will be wholeheartedly supported. As a third- year girl at Saint Mary’s and a member of the student body, I welcome it and hope every girl here will do the same. Mary Willis Douthat. AND SO WE GET THE MAIL A stranger at Saint Mary’s, passing the din ing hall some morning, would doubtless be startled by the mad rush of students after breakfast. She would see the whole student body racing hurriedly down the path, dashing helter-skelter over the grass in the direction of East Rock. If she followed to see where the fire was, she would discover herself being led to the post office, where the crowd slows down and forms into a line stretching the length of the hall and out the side door. At the front of the line, behind the post office window stands Miss Sutton busily passing out letters. A buzz of voices fills the air, eager, excited voices: “Have I got a letter in my box?” . . . “Oh, I have!” . . . “Betty, do you see anything in 144?” . . . Some of the voices drop to bitter disappointment, “Oh, my mail box is empty!” “I haven’t gotten a letter for three days.” When you happen to be lucky enough to have a place in line, with mail waiting for you at the other end, it’s very interesting to watch the murmuring swarms and to notice the expres sions of your classmates. Margaret Jordan, calm and confident, gazes over the bobbing heads and after glancing at the four letters in her box, takes her place in line. Mary Taylor, her black eyes sparkling, scurries into the post office, scurries out again, and scurries into line; Mamie and “Sug” are beaming at each other— John Earle and Dave have sent extra fat let ters this time. It is really pathetic, and usually obvious, if some of us are being temporarily forgotten by our families or forgotten (period) by some other important people who are sup posed to remember. It is then that our faces become grim and grave and we stride back to our halls in silence. Miss Sutton is quite used to this daily Saint Mary’s drama. She recalls the days when the letters were given out in a very different way. , “During the recreation hour after dinner,” she tells us, “Miss McYae would sit in the par lor calling out the names and handing out let ters around a table. At one time the Saint . Mary’s mail was put in a box just off the cam pus. Some girl given the responsibility of get ting the letters and giving them out as she returned to the main building. Then there was ■ a time when the mail was received in the dining room, too.” The post office is now opened three times a day. Tibbie Tucker, Miss Sutton’s able assist- ■ ant, helps her each morning. Miss Sutton alone hands out the newspapers after lunch, and Tibhie does it before dinner at night. The post office involves much more respoiisi- ' bility than the handling of letters, however. Miss Sutton has charge of the classroom sup plies, sees that the welcome “packages from home” are sent to our rooms, and has our dry cleaning sent out for us. In spite of responsi bilities and busy days, she finds time to be a friend to all the girls. IDEALS What does Saint Mary’s as a whole stand for? What have I done to keep her standards , high? (Have you ever asked yourself these ' questions?) The first one can be answered thus: Saint Mary’s stands for Honor. Honor is the most •
Saint Mary’s School Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 29, 1939, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75