The Belles of Saint IVIary’s
May 26, 1941
Banquet Highlights
A Successful Year for
Literary Societies
Sigfma Lambda’s Win Coveted
Trophy. Bell and Castleman,
New Presidents
The Sigma Lambda’s and E. A.
P.’s climaxed a successful year with
a brilliant banquet at Colonial Pines,
May 14. This was the highlight of
the year as far as the literary socie
ties are concerned, for announce
ments are made concerning the new
presidents, winners of the short story
contest, winners of the cup, and the
new members were initiated. Next
year the Sigma Lambda’s will be led
by Allie Bell and the E. A. P.’s by
Ann Castleman. Both girls have
done outstanding work in the socie
ties this year, Allie being the winner
of the short story contest.
The Sigma Lambda’s walked away
with all the prizes. Allie Bell’s
Tomorrow’s Gift took first place,
Johnny Norman’s Plot Me No Plots
second, and Mary-Gene Kelly’s Tan
gled Wills third. This put the Sigma
Lambda’s ahead by a comfortable
margin. They also won the poetry
contest with Mary Francis Wilson’s
Push. These victories gave them the
cup for 1941. This is the first time
the Sigma Lambda’s have had their
name engraved on the cherished
trophy.
The new members were so busy
being initiated they didn’t have time
to eat. The Sigma Lambda’s initi
ated Sophia Redwood, Janet Kelly,
and Betty Bronson, and the E. A.
P.’s initiated Mary Wright Holland,
Olivia Anne Smith, and Louise Tay
lor.
Toastmistress Mary White presid
ed over the banquet and presented
the program. The old members gave
two skits: one entitled, “We Leave It
To You,” the other “The Old Maid
and the Robber,” both of which add
ed to the entertainment furnished by
the new members.
Ann Seeley Gives
Piano Recital for
Music Certificate
Performance of First Movement
of Haydn Sonata in E Flat,
Highlight of Program
Ann Parkinson Seeley, pianist,
gave her certificate recital on May 13
in the auditorium. This was the last
of six certificate recitals in the Music
Department this year.
Ann opened her program with a
Bach Two-Part Invention No. 4
which was very fast but also very
melodic. The most effective work in
the first group and possibly of the
whole program was the first move
ment of a Haydn Sonata in E flat
major. The keynote of the perform
ance was clarity, whether in the long
cadenza-like scale passages or the
shorter lyric sections. Ann’s spacing
of the chords of the main theme was
excellent.
In her second group Ann played
two works by Schumann, Knight
Rupert and the Prophet Bird, and a
Brahms Ballade in G minor. Al
though the Ballade demanded much
more control, strength, and technical
ability, the Prophet Bird proved
even more effective. Ann’s interpre
tation emphasized the underlying
mysticism of the work. Her excel
lent phrasing gave it continuity and
meaning.
The last group included two Pre
ludes, Opus 32, No. 12, and Opus 23,
No. 6, by Rachmaninoff. The har
monic balance which Ann achieved
in these works did much to empha
size their rich and colorful tone. An
explanation of the nature of her in
terpretation of the works is very
difficult, for the emotional current of
the works is so complex. Ann seemed
to understand not only this complex
ity but also the inherent beauty of
the Preludes. The program ended
with the Polonaise in E minor by
MacDowell, a brilliant contrast to
the Preludes and to the program as
a whole.
Anne Johnson, soprano, assisted
Ann; she sang Sylvelin by Binding
and two Grief songs. In the Boat
and A Swan.
Ann is a pupil of Mr. Donald
Peery. She has studied piano at
Saint Mary’s for four years.
SHOULD AULD ACQUAINT
ANCE
“The condemned man ate a hearty
breakfast,” says the newspaper. It
is a comforting thought. But the
inevitable idea occurs; how did he
decide what he wanted? This par
ticular feature writer is in much the
same situation as the condemned
man. Having developed a reputa
tion for avoiding subjects assigned,
we were approached for the last time
by the editor and told with mock
tearfulness, “This is your last fea
ture. Write on anything you want.”
Revenge is sweet. It is much easier
to change a subject assigned into
something else than it is to plunge
into a blank sheet of paper with free
license to write about anything on
earth. Inevitably—because the avid
Belles readers would be surprised if
we didn’t—we choose to discourse
upon the close of school.
Commencement is a controversial
subject. The gentlemen who come to
make the solemn addresses tell us
that it is the end. We have had so
many “lasts” in the last week that
the idea of commencement seems a
little impossible. After four years
we have been to our last class. We
have advanced from the gay, encour
aging atmosphere of Miss Lewis’
classes where we were first struck with
the electrifying idea that we were
analyzing Hamlet’s motives—and
that that was truly a sign that we
were becoming adult, to the darkness
visible of Paradise Lost and the real
ization that a little knowledge (in
Grendel’s classes) is indeed a dan
gerous thing. We feel a bit futile,
somehow, to realize that with our
tediously done outlines and our howls
of sophisticated amusement at Vic
tor Hugo’s melodrama, comprehen
sion of the progress of French litera
ture since Villon’s lyrics, we could
not, in all probability, conjugate
aller. We have taken our last exam,
heard the study hall clock clank at
three minutes past the hour, and for
the last time mentally cursed the
carefree souls who signed in and out
from shopping and the little store
while we wearily made out imagi
nary income taxes and explained to
Mr. Guess the foundations of capi
talism. We have finished going to
assembly and getting our feet caught
when the person in front of us sits
down. We have been to our last
literary society meeting, and our last
morning Chapel service.
We have stopped practicing. We
have only a fond, nostalgic attach
ment for the “pinkies,” and a satis
fied feeling that when Aunt Mar
garet asks us to play for her we can
play two whole pieces from memory
(this does not apply to Cecilia Cer
tificate Student, who undoubtedly
will not even wait for Aunt Mar
garet to ask her). We have read our
last word of parallel reading. Le-
gouis and Cazamian are only memo
ries—and not very clear ones at that
according to the spelling corrections
on our reading cards. We have taken
our last (necessary) light cut, been
to our last girl-break, had our last
Saint Mary’s date. It is all very
final, so final that yesterday someone
actually had the audacity to start
reading the sentimental schoolgirl’s
classic, “On Leaving College.”
There are many lovely things that
we can now safely let settle in our
memories to sink in or to vanish—
things like the nitrogen cycle and the
course of Paul’s missionary journeys.
There are many lovely things ahead.
From three year’s previous experi
ence we, in a prophetic tone, know
that the school part will leave us
with happy memories of the parlor
Bishops, that we will enjoy the play
and the recital and the art exhibit
as our last dose of culture. And if
we are “typical” as the Bulletin says
we should be, we will weep when the
handkerchief flutters to the ground—
provided we see it and are not too
engrossed in “a Virginia License”!
WE POINT WITH PRIDE
To have completed one year of
college education is commendable,
but to have completed two years and
to present oneself as a candidate for
graduation is a feat. Thus it is with
admiration that we present the fol
lowing as the graduates of the ses
sion 1940-41. Good luck, old gals!
We’ll miss you lots!
Caro Bayley, Margaret Little
Blount, Edna Earle Boykin, Mamie
Burnett, Mary Chambers, Elvira
Cheatham, Mary Emily Claiborne,
Mary Martha Cobb, Mary Strange
Collins, Adelaide Curtis, Anne
Davis, Martha Ellen, Janice Fitz
gerald, Katharine Fleming, Helen
Ford, Amine Galbreath, Jessica Gra
ham, Sarah Locke Hardison, Sue
Harwood, Virginia Hassinger, Chris
tine Hatfield, Betty Hilker, Jinnette
Hood, Katherine Kirby, Margaret
Kitchin, Sarah Jane Kitchin, Gale
Lamb, Sarah Lance, Nancy McKin
ley, Page Marshall, Jean Meredith,
Isabelle Montgomery, Leila Morrison,
Martha Newell, Sue Noble, Cather
ine Powell, Anna Jean Rodgers,
Winifred Rosenbaum, Helen Roys
ter, Ann Seeley, Marjorie Stenhouse,
Ellen Stucky, Margaret Gold Swin
dell, Daisy Dean Tart, Mary Taylor,
Elizabeth Toepleman, Bettie Vann,
Betty Wales, Edla Walker, Mary
Alex Wells, Mary White, Mary
Frances Wilson, Anna Wood, Gray
Woodard, Mary Sievers Woody, Bet-
tie London Wooten, Emily Sehenck.
ALUMN.® NEWS
The wedding of Lossie Taylor,
’39, Wilmington, and Charles Ed
wards Noell, Durham, took place
in Saint James’ Episcopal Church,
Wilmington, at 8:00 o ’clock on the
evening of April 19. May attended
her sister as maid of honor, and
Mrs. George Stronach, of Wilson
(Teeney Clark, ’35, Tarboro), was
matron of honor. Bridesmaids
were Betty Sibley, ’38, Wilming
ton ; Lillie Robertson, ’38, Wil
mington; Mrs. Thomas Grainger
(Alice James, ’37), Wilmington;
Helen Noell, ’38, Durham, sister of
the groom; and Toddy Boykin, ’40,
Wilson. After a wedding trip Mr.
and Mrs. Noell will live in the Uni
versity Apartments in Durham.
Dr. and Mrs. A. W. Tucker, of
Shanghai, China, announce the en
gagement of their daughter Maria
Washington Tucker to Paul Ham
ilton Waring Webb, of Washing
ton, D. C., and Columbia, S. C-
The wedding will take place i»
Raleigh in September.
Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel I. Bear,
of Wilmington, announce the en
gagement of their daughter, Janet,
to Emmett Howe Durham, of Wib
mington.
Mr. and Mrs. Julien K. Warren,
of Trenton, announce the marriage
of their daughter, Etta Burt, te
Alan A. Marshall, of Wilmington,
on April 26 in Trenton. Etta Burt
attended Saint Mary’s in 1933-34.
Her sister. Prances, ’39, was maid
of honor.
Dr. and Mrs. Robert H. Bellamy
have issued invitations to the mar
riage of their daughter, Margaret,
to Harold D. Alexius, of Wilming'
ton, on May 17, at Saint James’
Episcopal Church in Wilmington-
Margaret graduated from Saint
Mary’s in 1937.
Nancy Oox, ’29, of Raleigh, and
Dr. Samuel Holbrook, of States
ville, were married by Mr. Henry
P. Kloman in the First Presby
terian Church in Raleigh, at 5:0d
o’clock on the afternoon of May
Dorothy Balsley, ’37, of Greens
boro, and Harold Suggs, of Fay'
etteville, will be married on Ma3^
31 in Greensboro. Marilyn Reaves,
’39, of Greensboro, will be a brides
maid. The Suggs will live in Dan
ville, Va.
* * *
Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Stoney,
Morganton, announce the engag®'
ment of their daughter Mary Wit'
son Kistler to James BraxtoB
Craven, Jr., of Greensboro. Ti*e
wedding will take place in Aug^®’’
in Morganton. Mary Wilson is noV
a student at Wellesley.
Miss Sarah Vann, Miss Olive
Cruikshank, and Mrs. Henry f-
Kloman attended the meeting of ,
the Woman’s Auxiliary of the
Diocese of North Carolina in Char
lotte on April 29 and 30. More than
half of the delegates at this meet
ing were Saint Mary’s Alumnffi.
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