1916 Yearbook
Source URL
Title
1916 Yearbook
Description
St. Philip Neri Society
IF A WEALTH of talent and a pleasing diversity of temperament
in its members have anything to do with realizing the aims of
a literary society, then just a brief acquaintance with the members of the II Rhetoric class would readily incline one to the
belief that the Society of St. Philip Neri, composed of these
budding rhetoricians, was, from the very outset, an assured
success. For "Variety is the spice of life"; and with the dramatic ability of men like Crowley to entertain us; and with the gentle grace and
bubbling wit of the youthful follower of Delsarte, Philip Kelly, to season with
rare condiment of humor; the solid and substantial lessons taught by the pens of
Wheelan, Skelly, and the brothers O'Toole, there has never been any room for
monotony in our Thursday morning sessions. Debates on topics currently discussed, mock trials, and sham political conventions have helped to make the programs instructive, as well as amusing; while the society has appreciated quite
as highly for their educational value, the contributions of more serious pens, as
it has relished for the freshness and originality of their humor the brisk stories
of Hurley and Healey.
But, from all this, what permanent good has resulted? Apart from the
passing entertainment and the incidental information furnished by the various
numbers on the program, have these latter conferred on the student members
any lasting benefits? It is hard to measure accurately a student's progress in
orderly thinking and in his ability to express himself, speaking or writing, in
clear and concise sentences. Yet during the past year one could notice marked
improvement along these lines. With constant practice, awkwardness, hesitation
and jerkiness of speech have in a great many cases become less obtrusive; tongues
that used to seem tied have, little by little, become loosed; and wrinkled faces
bent over halting pens have gradually been smoothed out into smiles of triumph,
as ideas after struggling long to be born, are gradually clothed in something
better than the mere rags of expression. The members have at least begun to
develop in themselves the habit of expressing their thoughts clearly and orderly
in plain and vigorous English. And in so doing this they have hit the inner ring
of the target at which the ambitions of their literary society were levelled.
The officers for this year are, Ralph Coryn, president; Arthur Mallon, vice
president; Herbert Healey, secretary; Clarence Gross, parliamentary authority;
E. O'Toole and Mathias Hannon, literary censors, and the committee on programs
is composed of James Skelly, Andrew Epping and Ralph Coryn.
IF A WEALTH of talent and a pleasing diversity of temperament
in its members have anything to do with realizing the aims of
a literary society, then just a brief acquaintance with the members of the II Rhetoric class would readily incline one to the
belief that the Society of St. Philip Neri, composed of these
budding rhetoricians, was, from the very outset, an assured
success. For "Variety is the spice of life"; and with the dramatic ability of men like Crowley to entertain us; and with the gentle grace and
bubbling wit of the youthful follower of Delsarte, Philip Kelly, to season with
rare condiment of humor; the solid and substantial lessons taught by the pens of
Wheelan, Skelly, and the brothers O'Toole, there has never been any room for
monotony in our Thursday morning sessions. Debates on topics currently discussed, mock trials, and sham political conventions have helped to make the programs instructive, as well as amusing; while the society has appreciated quite
as highly for their educational value, the contributions of more serious pens, as
it has relished for the freshness and originality of their humor the brisk stories
of Hurley and Healey.
But, from all this, what permanent good has resulted? Apart from the
passing entertainment and the incidental information furnished by the various
numbers on the program, have these latter conferred on the student members
any lasting benefits? It is hard to measure accurately a student's progress in
orderly thinking and in his ability to express himself, speaking or writing, in
clear and concise sentences. Yet during the past year one could notice marked
improvement along these lines. With constant practice, awkwardness, hesitation
and jerkiness of speech have in a great many cases become less obtrusive; tongues
that used to seem tied have, little by little, become loosed; and wrinkled faces
bent over halting pens have gradually been smoothed out into smiles of triumph,
as ideas after struggling long to be born, are gradually clothed in something
better than the mere rags of expression. The members have at least begun to
develop in themselves the habit of expressing their thoughts clearly and orderly
in plain and vigorous English. And in so doing this they have hit the inner ring
of the target at which the ambitions of their literary society were levelled.
The officers for this year are, Ralph Coryn, president; Arthur Mallon, vice
president; Herbert Healey, secretary; Clarence Gross, parliamentary authority;
E. O'Toole and Mathias Hannon, literary censors, and the committee on programs
is composed of James Skelly, Andrew Epping and Ralph Coryn.
Date
1916
Rights
St. Ambrose University, 518 W. Locust St., Davenport, IA 52803
Identifier
http://cdm16810.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16810coll2/id/3488