The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1948-06-09


Torch. a national Catholic maya
zine. The author, a member of
the 1913 graduating class of
Nazareth College, Rochester, N.
Y, is the daughter of an Austin,
Texas. physician. Majoring in
science, she has earned scholar
ship as medical technician at the
u. S. Marine Hospital, Staten
Island, NY. Nazareth College is
conducted under Catholic aus
pieces, by the Sisters of st.
Joseph
BY Georgia Conner
The day 1 received THE LET
TER accepting my application to
Nazareth College, Rochester, N.
Y, new phase of my life began.
a new hope was born in my heart.
Being Negro, and having
heard of and read about so many
of my people who had been re-
fused admittance into white"
colleges didn't allow myself
to hope for, to plan on, or even
to think of being accepted.
Then when the letter came and
knew everything was all right,
then l knew how very much I'd
wanted that message to read
"Yes"-how very much I wanted
to believe that there were good
white" people-because slowly
but surely, 1 was beginning to
doubt such fact.
I thought constantly of the job
confronting me, of my being the
first colored student to attend
Nazareth College, but l couldn't
have Analysed my feelings about
undertaking such a job.
| l was frightened at the pros
pect of possible snubs, | had all
kinds of wild imaginings, and l
was amused, or at least l tried
to be amused at myself for being
Frightened. And then, | longed
somehow for theadventure. the
excitement that was undoubtedly
to come from 1t all. I constantly
told myself was reaSy for what
ever came.
| I never doubted that my coming
would meet opposition from at
least half of the ccllege-such
was my state of mind during the
rest of the school years, through
the summer, and up to the first
day at Nazareth.
| On that first day at college, l
had a rude awakening-much to
my delight. No one seemed in the
least surprised that / was there;
there was no great rejoicing as
| walked into the dormitory foyer
where the girls were gathered,
nor was there strained silence
dramatically filled with hate, as
I'd expected.
Rather, no one paid the least
bit of attention to me except for
a chorus of His" and a number
of smiles-and l must admit l
felt more than little foolish
after all my defense build-up and
anticipation.
| Mother, who had made the trip
with me to protect" me, went
down to arrange for my trunk,
and got into deep conversation
with the father of one of the
girls.
So l went back to my room
and found that my "suite-mate"
Gas we were tocall ourselves
afterwards) had arrived, and
decided to make my first effort.
I gathere up all the little cour-
age that 1 had, said a prayer,
put on my very best smile, went
in, and introduced myself. To my
amazement she smiled back, made
me sit down and we began to
talk.
Then a few of her friends came
in and after a confusion of in
Productions, ordinations over the
room, and bits of news, we
decided to go and look over the
rest of the buildings (you
| notice say "we"-because it
seemed | was automatically ac-
cepted even now as lone of the
gang"). Then it was time for
dinner, and we all sat together
with the other girls whom l met
and who afterwards introduced
me to their friends-on ito the
night until bedtime.
And that was the beginning
of my school year, which was to
be as happy as that first day.
AS the year progressed, l stopped
thinking of them as white" but
personalities good and bad-as
Jane and "Mary''-as SISTER
and Father.
But life was not all sweetness
and light, and there were some
problems which had to be faced
and solved-some l have solved.
and some I haven't as yet been
able to.
One problem centered around
the one other girl from the South
attending the school. / was sure
she wanted nothing to do with
me and l decided 1 wanted no.