Kensington High School - Compass Yearbook (Buffalo, NY)

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THE CLASS OF 1954 HAS VALIANTLY VOYAGED JUNIOR YEAR We slip, we slide, we gloom, we glance, To vie with skimming swallows. We like to dance, so trust to chance - Let Homework seek the shallows. Before we knew it our vacation had drifted by and we were jovial juniors. A few dauntless students - Amelia Del Prince, Paul Storm, William Raymond, Leonard Otminski, and Annette J. Arendt, enrolled in the newly launched Greek class, a two-year-in-one course. The girls' sports activities commenced with basketball displaying the tactics of Joan Mueller, Lois Koenig, and Carol Vann. Dave Eckel emerged from a cloud of dust, leaving his opponents behind, and won All-High Cross Country honors. We restlessly awaited the football season and then responded with enthusiasm to the skit pre- sented by coach Markham and team members Gert Dentinger, Joanne Stockman, and Carol Crotty, as well as the cheers led by Marilyn Tropman and Faye Becker. When the basketball season started, Roger Sei- bert, Donald McPhee, Alexander Papafagos and Roger Bock showed dexterity in manipulating that most-elusive ball. Gordon Reining, Norman Mruk, and Dick Robin- son splashed their way to All-High swimming honors. June exams were approaching when Bob Kelly, as Henry Aldrich, Gary Young, Pat Schrack, Joel Crandall, Lucy Silvaroli, and Marilyn Tropman won everyone's heart in the spring play, What a Life! Shortly thereafter Rose D'Amico and Virginia Sla- winowska gracefully entertained us in the water carnival. Several good infielders-Pete Catania, Roger Bock, Carmen Rossi, and Hudson Schnell, showed what training and patience can do on the baseball diamond. We realized the proximity of exams when our admirable Junior Officers, Tom Webb, Marilyn Tropman, Faye Becker, Gary Young, Barbara Mark- ham, and David Eldridge assumed their duties. Carol Crotty, Gertrude Dentinger, Anton Schwarzmueller, Pat Geyer and Pat Schrack enter- tained at the Junior Day Program. At the long-awaited Prom, King Don McDonald and Queen Gerry Heck reigned over their class- mates for one glorious and unforgettable night. Sandra Betz won her third Attainment Medal, with Annette Arendt, Jean Rich, and Jeanette Spranz as runners-up. We passed the final hurdle, June exams, and anxiously awaited our return in September, when we would be dignified Seniors. SENIOR YEAR Now out again we sadly scan The wide expanse of river. A four years' span since we began - We wish it were foreverl September Song was the swan song to summer vacation. After a ten weeks' absence from school, we entered Kensington as Seniors. We chuckled when we saw bewildered freshmen strolling with great uncertainty through our halls for the first time. We were glad to welcome several new members to our class who had transferred from Fosdick- Masten Park High School and who during the year helped to bring many honors to Kensington. Among these Joyce Cameron placed first in the city in the Girls' Declamation Contest. Daniel Goulding won three first places-the city, district, and zone- for his oration on the Constitution. Kenneth Schneider was winner of the Knights of Pythias city-wide speaking contest. Our own Pat Schrack placed first in the Voice of Democracy contest, while Sandra Betz won third place in the Atlantic Union essay contest. lt was during the football season that Kensington held the first of its after-school dances. This dance, the Beat Bennett Bounce , preceded Ken's game with its traditional rival, Bennett. The Seniors handled the dance, with Don McDonald and Faye Becker as co-chairmen. Cross Country, another fall sport, included as members of the team Seniors Dave Eckel, Roger Bock, and Bill Roberts. With the arrival of the Yuletide season came the annual Christmas Pageant. Featured in this pro- gram were sopranos Phyllis Kolbe and Delphine Jarzebinska, and male voices Paul Storm and Allan Hyde. lt was also during the Christmas season that we held another school dance. Santa's SnowbalI Continued on Page 163

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O'ER THE GLAD WATERS OF THE DARK BLUE SEA FRESHMAN YEAR We come from haunts diversified To join in one endeavor, Our tongues are tied, our eyes are wide, 'Twill not be so forever. The first main event in our freshman year was a Hallowe'en party for the girls Prizes were awarded to Dianna Danitz, Marilyn Tropman, Joanne Stockman, Gert Dentinger, Annette Hagen, and Lucy Silvaroli for their winning costumes Pat Kelly was the lucky girl who won the Kensington school ring. Arlene Hartman, Delphine Jarzebinska and Pat Geyer helped to supply us with the musical entertainment. Our first football season brings back fond memo- ries of Mr. Meegan's enthusiasm at our pep assem- blies and the many song lyrics written for us by Mr. Hayes. Ann Butler was the most determined sales girl in the football ticket department. Our first Christmas Pageant dazzled us all with its artistry, and we were proud to recognize in its cast our own classmates- Herman Kuebler, Bob Kelly, Ronald Sobczak and Charles Hoshal, who appeared as rosy-cheeked heralds. Michael Di Pota and Richard Smith furnished valuable assistance on Miss Panzica's projection staff, while Anton Schwarzmueller and Joel Crandall became WKEN technicians thus early in their careers. Even as spindly-legged freshmen we had a fine representation in the field of sports. Many of the boys went out for the different teams. Mermen Gord Reinig, David Koch, Tom Rooney, and Darrell Chalcraft comprised the Freshman Swimming Relay Team, which was All-High. Another freshman relay team was made up of Rich Robinson, Tommy Webb, Jerry McNeil, and Ronnie Russell. These little sprinters also made All-High. Cross Country was another of the sports in which some of the boys participated, with Rog Bock winning a major letter for his tennis playing. Mary Sullivan won a swimming medal, Pat Schrack was on the Debate Team, and Blowtop Hearn will go down in history as one of the out- standing personalities in Mr. Reilly's home room. The boys were not the only ones constantly in the pool. Our girls presented a wonderful display of synchronized swimming in the Water Show. Gert Dentinger, Norma Prell, Sheila Graham, Lucy Sil- varoli, and Gerry Campagnola were just a few of the many graceful mermaids. The honor roll leaders for our first wonderful year at Kensington were Sandra Betz and William Raymond. SOPHOMORE YEAR We chatter, chatter as we go To join the brimming river. Our teachers chide, they're soon decried. We babble on forever. As slick sophomores we started out by watching Dave Eckel, Rog Bock, Bill Roberts and Gary Young represent the school in cross country. When the Yule season rolled around, Dave Eldridge as a shepherd, and John Tita and George Walleshauser as kings showed skill in representing the sophomore class in the Christmas Pageant. As the January exams crept down upon us, everyone buckled down to real study and after the smoke of Regents week had cleared away, Sandra Betz, Dolores Crapsi and Maxine Ralicki were found on top of the sophomore honor roll. We started the new term by seeing Rog Seibert, Ralph Wiepert and Tom Webb perform skillfully on the basketball court, followed by strong stroking Darrell Chalcraft, Dave Koch and Dave Eldridge helping the school splash its way to the Syracuse Cup. Ronald Stockinger proved to be one of the mainstays on Mr. Millard's Chess Team, while Tom Wiegert and Norm Mruk helped keep the Robert T. Bapst Tennis Cup on Ken's trophy shelf. On March l7, when all good Kensingtonians become Irish, Joel Crandall and Arthur Cologgi tooted along in McNamara's Band. Kensington's spring produc- tion was Thornton Wilder's The Happy Journey which featured such fine thespians as Pat Schrack, Marilyn Tropman and Bob Kelly. Pat Schrack went on to win first place in the city-wide Girls' Declama- tion Contest. The fairer sex showed that they also could swim in the Spring Water Carnival. Beverly Burg and Sheila Graham's clown act was especially amusing. As spring wore on towards summer, third base on Ken's baseball team was aptly covered by Pete Catania. Honor roll leaders were Sandra Betz, who was awarded the Sophomore Attainment Medal, Dolores Crapsi, Jeanette Spranz, and Monica Prolejko.

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. Language sense and nonsense . . Fine Arts your thoughtsl AMBORSKI . . smile . Business MARY LOUISE ARCHER , . . Secretarial Her buoyant spirit ANNETTE ARENDT ...... Classical Brilliant mindj genial disposition I ' BARBARA ATTRIDGE . . , Science, Language RITA ATZROTT , . . General A true and constant friend MARIE AXEORD .... Secretarial A heart that's free WILLIAM AYERS . Science Silence is more elegant than words JOAN BARBEAU . , . Science A pleasant personality DANIEL BARGNESI ..,,.. Business He made a thousand friends' MARY ANN BARONE . . . Secretarial GERALDINE BARTOSZEK . . . Busine A wilderness of sweets JUNE BATTEL .......,. Secretarial All merry, bright and gay FAYE BECKER rt The loveliest girl in the world SYLVIA BEDNAREK , . I Secretarial Poised and easy going MARGUERITE BEER ..... Science She has won many friends