We can glean a view of student life at St. Aloysius Academy in the 1890s through the infrequent articles in the local newspapers.
June 12, 1895 St. Aloysius' Youths
The St. Aloysius Academy will give a picnic to its members and those of the St. Alphonsus boys' choir today at Bay St. Louis. They hope to have a fine time. ... The St. Alphonsus baseball club will play a match with the St. Stanislaus College team, and hopes to carry off the laurels for the occasion. ... [SSC won 12-2.] There will also be a swimming match between the schools. ... the members of the party ... will go on the train at 7:55.
June 26, 1897
Last night the pupils of St. Aloysius College gave a musical and dramatic entertainment at the Grand Opera House. The audience, which filled the opera house, was an appreciative one and listened with marked attention to the various numbers. The students in turn acquitted themselves with skill and elegance. St. Aloysius College enjoys a most enviable reputation ... The programme consisted of comedies, vocal and instrumental selections and a drama, entitled "Malediction," the plot of which was laid in Spain during the Mohammedan war. ... During this period, school enrollment remained stationary. To quote Brother Macarius in A Century of Service for the Sacred Heart in the United States: The old patrons were faithful, but few others were attracted to the school. It was about this time that the public schools became very popular because of their more sumptuous buildings, better equipment, and more accentuation on athletics and ... a chance for social advantages which [parents] thought could not be received in Catholic schools. |
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