The Aquinas 1932-03-22

              VOL. I, NO. 10 ST. THOMAS COLLEGE, SCRANTON, PA., MARCH 22,1932
Varsity Letters Will Be
Awarded Students of
College.
A new annual event on the St.
Thomas college calendar to be known
as "Varsity Day" will be instituted
this spring, the Rev. Brother Gregory,
Dean of Freshman and faculty
director of athletics has announced.
Although no' definite date has been
set aside, the celebration will be held
some time near the feast of St· John
Baptist de La Salle, May 15'.
The purpose of thf~ event is to revive
interest in the varsity letter at
the college. The letter is one of the
highest honors the college confers.
No effort will be spared to make
"Varsity Day" one of the most memorable
of the college year. Appropriate
exercises will be observed and
the varsity letter and other prizes will
be awarded to students who have distinguished
themselves during the year
by outstanding services to the college.
As far as possible, the program will
be as nearly worthy of the feast of
the Holy Founder of the Christian
Brothers Order and the purpose of
that occasion. All students and every
member of the faculty are expected
to participate in the celebration.
The committee, which will g~aran~
tee the interest of every department
of school activity, will be comprised
of Mr. Jack Harding, chairman, Mr.
Frank O'Hara, Mr. Jerome Casey,
Esq., Mr. Edward Kropp, and a
member from each of the senior and
junior classes.
Although it is yet too early to state
:lefinitely the order of the program
In "Varsity Day," the following outline
is under consideration:
Opening exercises: the awarding
)f honors, which will probably be of
~hree degrees - highest honor, the
Varsity T; second honor, the minor
varsity monogram; third, honorable
mention. 1n addition to the letters,
distinctive pri~es are to be awarded.
Plans are underway to hold the
exercises in a local theatre in order
that the program may have added
dignity. Men distinguished in the
activities, whose representatives at
(Oolltinuec1 on Page 3. 0,,1. 5)
local argumentators. Mr. Joseph F.
Noone, of the senior class, was chairman
of the debate. The subject debated
was, Resolved: "That Capitalism,
as a System of Economic Organi~
ation is Unsound in Principle."
The second debate of the current
home series b r 0 ugh t together
the ancient rivals from New York
state, Canisius, and the St.· Thomas
debaters. The decision of the judges
in this affair was in favor of Canisius.
"The topic debated was, Resolved:
"That the several states
should enact legislation providing for
compulsory unemployment insurance."
REV. BROTHER GREGORY
Five From Lackawanna, Three
From Luzerne Among Those
Who Succeeded in Tests.
Nine St. Thomas Men
Pass State Bar Exams
Debating Teams Hold
Two Contests In City
The past few weeks saw the St.
Thomas college debating teams swing
into action on two occasions in debates
held in this city. On March
eighth, the Negative team opposed
the forensic squad representing Ursinus
college of Collegeville, Pa.,
while the Canisius· college team of
Buffalo came to Scranton on March
eighteenth, for a, return engagement
with the Purp~e and White affirmative
debaters.
In the debate with Ursinus college,
the decision of the judges was contrary
to the hopes of St. Thomas admirers
and the first" defeat of the cur~
rent year was registered against the
Contestants
For Oratory
Prize Named
Eight Stu den t sWill
Compete for Honor in
Contest.
VOCAnON CLUB PRESIDENT
tion of the officers of the Vocations
club to secure outstanding members
of the Lackawanna county bar, the
will give an address on "The Re- medical profession, journalism, and
ligious Life." the other more important avocations
The moderator and president of to address the members at frequent
the Vocations club wish to take this intervals and to thus enlighten them
opportunity to correct an impression as to the many phases of these various
which seems prevalent among the walks of life. In addition to thio
student body of the college. The highiy instt:uctive program, interestofficers
of the society desire· it· to be ing short discourses are given weekly
made known that although the club by members of the club on the difsessions
are pervaded by a religious ferent religious orders that exist in
atmosphere, membership is by no the Church today.
means restricted to those students The club holds its meetings each
who plan to enter the priesthood or Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 in the
higher religious life. The club pro- senior classroom, main. college buildposes
to aid. each student in the· ing. All students interested in
proper selection of his vocation and vocational guidance are invited to
.v<.rith this aim in view it is the inten- Iattend these sessions.
Father Gallagher, S.J.,
Gives Sermon on Religious
Life.
VarsityDayToBe HeldInMay
~
ANNOUNCES VARSITY DAY Interest In
School Letter
To Be Revived
Vocation Day
.Services Held
By Students
On Friday, March eleventh, St. Final eliminations of the annual
Thomas students participated in the college oratorical contest were held
nation-wide observation of "Voca- in the college auditorium during the
first week of March.
tions Week" by attending mass at The Senior class elimination was
the Cathedral at 9 A. M. The mass,
which was cele?rated by Rev. Dr. held Tuesday, March first, in which
Joseph Gavenda, was for the inten. ten members of the class contested.
tion of vocations among the students Out of that number, Carl Haarmeyer
and Emanuel Laster were chosen to
and for the increase in general of re-liO'ious
vocations. Rev. John J. Gal- represent the Senior class in the con-b-
MR. THOMAS GAVIGAN te t
lagher, S.]., preached the sermon. s .
Taking his topic from the fact that On the following day the Junior
the day was dedicated to St. John Condition Exams To.cl~s eliminati~n was held. James
B . d L S 11 h f d f • 0 Mara was picked to represent the
aptlste e a a e, t e oun er 0 . Be Held This Week Junior arts class, winning the J'udges
the Brothers of the Christian schools,
Father Gallagher preached a stirring decision in a close contest with Rob-sermon
on "Christian Teachers." In Students Who Fail to Apply For ert O'Brien. In the science division
the course of it, he paid special tno- These Tests Will Have to of the Junior class, Gerald Friedman
ute to St. John Baptiste, saying that won the right to participate in the
the world and the church owed him Repeat the. Courses contest by the decision of the judges.
a great debt of gratitude for his The judges of the Senior and Junior Within the past few weeks, nine
founding of such a great order as the The schedule of the college for eliminations were Brother��· Gregory;· St. Thomas graduates successfully
Christian Brothers. He also cited the the next few weeks includes the Brother John and Prof. Diaglou. passed the Pennsylvania State Bar
fine work being accomplished by the regular condition examinations which Thursday afternoon the Sopho- examination. Five of these men will
Brothers throughout the world and will be given on March twenty-third, more class elimination was held. be admitted to practice law by the
held them up as perfect exemplars of twenty-fourth, and twenty-fifth. Competition was close and spirited. courts of Lackawanna county, three
real Christian teac.1}ers. These tests will be held for the Leon Harter was adjudged the win- by Lu~erne county courts, and one
Father Gallagher explained that purpose of giving the students who ner, defeating Edward Horan by a was admitted by the courts of Westthe
vocation to Christian teaching received conditional marks in the close margin. Dominick Motsay won moreland county. ~
was the highest of callings. He com- mid-year examinations, an oppor- the Sophomore science division' The Lackawanna county's new lawyers
pared it to that of a surgeon, saying tunity to prove that they have judges of thiS contest were Brother are: Patrick]. Walsh of Olyphant,
that while a surgeon might have the mastered the material in which they Flamian, Doctor Walsh and Prof. James W. McNulty of Throop, Josphysical
life of a youth in his hands, were delinquent last January and DuChesneau. eph P. Moran of Jermyn, Samuel
the Christian teacher had the spirit- thus obtain credit in their respective The Freshman elimination took Friedman of Jermyn and, Maurice
ual life and held the responsibility of courses. place on Friday. Ross Tarantino of Glacier.
moulding young souls into the service According to the rules of the col- Arts II, won the right to represent Those successful from Lu~erne
of Jesus Christ. . lege those students who received a the Freshman arts class in the con- county are: John B. Morrissey of
He then outlined the three factors mark ranging from sixty to sixty- test by winning the judges decision. Wilkes-Barre, Carl ]. Burke of P~ttsnecessary
for a vocation to Christian nine per cent. in the semester Joseph Haggerty, also of Arts II, was ton, and William A. Corcoran of
teaching. They are (1) the right in- examinations are listed as having picked as the other Freshman contest- Plains.
tention, i.e., one must have the de- conditions. Any student who does ant. Joseph P. Sheridan of Olyphant,
sire to become a Christian teacher; not receive a passing grade in the These students will represent their who is remembered for his fine work
(2) ordinary ability, i.e., fitness in conditions examinations, or who fails classes in the annual college oratori- as right halfback on the college footnature
and grace; (3) no dependents, to register for the tests will be re- cal contest, to be held in the Acad- ball team, was admitted to practice
i.e., there should be no one depend- quired to repeat the course. emy Theatre during the latter part in Westmoreland county.
ing upon the teacher for support. In connection with the condition of May. The date will be announced We congratulate these men and
Following the mass, benediction examinations, it was announced that in a later issue of the Aquinas. wish them luck that they may be
was given by Father Gavenda. The they will be given June thirteenth, The contestants must present their successful in their chosen profession.
St. Thomas observance of "Voca- fourteenth, and fifteenth, for those orations to the committee for accep- We feel sure they are capable of the
tions Week" was under the auspices who fail to just make the grade in tance and approval before April first. position they have earned and that
of the Vocations club, which ar- the finals to be held earlier in that A prize of twenty-five dollars will be they will carry on the standards set
ranged the program. month. presented to the student who shall be by other St. Thomas graduates.
judged the best orator in St. Thomas
college. The judges, who will be three
prominent Scranton citi~ens, will be
Vocations Club Lecture named in a later issue.
Series Largely Attended
The Vocations club of St. Thomas
college has been steadily forging
ahead in its activities during recent
months until today it takes its place
as one of the leading societies of the
college. Within the past few weeks
two important meetings have been
held by the club. On March first,
Mr. Richard Donnelly spoke on
"The Holy Priesthood," and on
March eighth, Mr, Joseph Haggerty
lectured o~ "Vocational Guidance."
At .some time during the early part
of April the members of the club are
to have the pleasure of hearing the
Rt. Rev. Monsignor Paul A. Kelly,
pasto!-, of St. Peter's Cathedra}, who