February 2026: Underneath the Arches

Dear friends,

Mrs. Raskob wrote in her diary about the architectural plans for Archmere, stating, “Recently, I read that every real home should have four rooms, each one contributing to the maintenance of our lives - a dining room to nourish the body, a music room to strengthen the soul, a living room to stimulate the heart, and a library to cultivate the brain.” She did not give the reference of the quote; however, the idea that “every real home should have four rooms” might have come from an Indian Proverb and concept of how to live a balanced life popularized by author Rumer Godden. Godden wrote: “There is an Indian proverb or axiom that says that everyone is a house of four rooms, a physical, a mental, an emotional and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.” 

Margaret Rumer Godden OBE (December 10, 1907 – November 8, 1998) was a British novelist, poet, and children’s book author who grew up in India when it was under British rule. She did not start to have her work published until 1936, and the proverb was referenced in her memoir “A House with Four Rooms,” published in 1989, so Mrs. Raskob’s inspired quote did not come from reading Godden’s work but some other that may have referenced the proverb. We may never discover Mrs. Raskob’s source of the quote; however, it summarizes nicely the formative educational work accomplished at Archmere. Students mature and evolve in body, mind, heart, and soul, becoming aware of and balancing between the “four rooms” in them. Certainly the resources needed to create that balance have changed over the years, as advances in every area of our lives have required us to continuously learn and adapt. We at Archmere have adapted a version of Mrs. Raskob’s quote, and incorporated it into the second sentence of Archmere’s mission statement: “Nurturing body and soul, mind and heart, Archmere focuses on the whole person through academic excellence, faith reflection, social development, and service to others.” In an interesting way, the Archmere mission reflects the sentiments of the original author of the proverb, underscoring the timelessness of certain fundamental ideas about a “good education.” 

In recent years, the value of a liberal arts education has been challenged in favor of technical, skills-based study in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. While this trend seems more prevalent in higher education, high schools have also adopted experiential learning initiatives, career pathways and certification programs, and other skills-based learning for students who have particular technical interests. These are excellent, alternative educational programs to the traditional more balanced liberal arts curriculum for those pursuing careers and livelihoods in these areas of technical proficiency that are important in supporting our communities and way of life. The challenge, however, is to be sure that our children, while they are still children with developing brains, have the opportunity to study and experience the content breadth of a liberal arts education, because it also teaches valuable skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, effective communication, collaboration and partnership, historical context, and an appreciation for a variety of thoughts and ideas from around the world - a sense of empathy.

A few weeks ago, on the way to Archmere, I was listening in my car to a Serius XM radio station, “40s Junction.” The song, "Underneath the Arches" caught my attention because of the lyrics and the song title. The song was written in 1927 in Derby, England, and became popular in 1932 during the Great Depression. Bud Flanagan, composer and lyricist, with additional lyrics by Reg Connelly, who performed it with his vaudeville partner, Chesney Allen. The lyrics describe the experience of homeless men sleeping under the arches of Derby's Friargate Railway Bridge during the Great Depression.

(Original Words)

I immediately thought about the year 1932 - the year Archmere opened its doors for the first time. It was a challenging period in history, with 25% of the population in the U.S. out of work, losing their homes, living in “Hoovervilles” and having to frequent soup kitchens. The collapse of the banking system and the agricultural system created widespread poverty and hunger and desperation among so many people. Yet, underneath the arches of the Patio, a new educational venture attempted to grow hope amidst extreme despair.

We are in the second week of the Lenten season, when our Church asks us to pray, fast, and give alms, reflecting on our lives. With the example of those early Norbertines who managed to keep Archmere’s doors open in the first few years of operation, we pray for the same fortitude to face our own challenges. When we consider the thousands of people who suffered from hunger and homelessness during the Great Depression, and the number of people around the world today who are in need of basic living necessities, may our fasting make us more aware of their needs and spur us on to help. As we consider the generations of people who have believed in an Archmere education and supported this work with their many gifts, may we be generous in our support of this work and other programs within our communities that provide support and help to others. We can be grateful for the Archmere experience that has provided all of us with valuable life lessons, preparing us for every good work.

I posit that the sustaining success of Archmere Academy, a school founded in the heart of the Great Depression, has been the commitment to fundamental principles: a strong Catholic faith, grounded in the daily prayerful cadence of the Norbertine Community and a fundamental belief in a liberal arts education, so that students can explore their interests and understand their skills and talents. At Archmere, liberal arts education does not exclude the “STEM” focus that has gained momentum, as the value of technical degrees has been validated with higher paying starting salaries and clearer career pathways. Archmere has always maintained strong STEM programming and continues to do so in applied technical areas of biology, computer science, robotics, and engineering. At the same time, beginning in 1971 with the visual arts and 1981 with the performing arts, Archmere has provided educational opportunities “for every room of the house” for high school students. At Archmere a liberal arts or STEM educational approach is not an either-or, but a both-and. The educational experience offers each student the opportunity to develop his or her physical room (the body, the dining room), mental room (the mind, the library), emotional room (the heart, the living room), and spiritual room (the soul, the music room). The Indian proverb suggests that a person should enter each room daily to provide a life-balance (a very liberal arts approach!)

As a result, Archmere graduates are prepared to deal with the challenges of college life and realistically assess the world around them. More importantly, they have been given the opportunity to deepen their faith and personal spirituality, so that they are able to first appreciate all that has been provided for them “underneath our arches,” so that they might help others throughout their lives who are living “underneath the arches” of hopelessness and despair, as the original words of the Depression ballad captured. May this Lent be a time of prayer, gratitude, and action, helping our fellow neighbors who are in need and recognizing the many blessings we have been given.