Strong Vincent High School - Spokesman Yearbook (Erie, PA)

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There were hypnotic chord spins, chords of radiant beauty and dynamics in fine control. These phrases were only a few of many used by Wesley E. Woodruff, a severe music critic, to describe the Strong Vincent A Cappella Choir. We can Well be proud of such a fine group as this. Still other confirmations of their ability lie in the fact that the National Broadcasting Company listed the Choir as one of their ten best programs of 1939, and that due to the huge success of their singing at the World's Fair last May they were asked to return the following October to sing in the Temple of Religion, a request which they were unable to fulfill. The Choir practices for one hour every day and learns not only to sing notes but also become more adept at sight reading, at interpreting the words, at pitch and guality. The A Cappella Choir was organized in the Fall of l932 with Mr. O. L. Grender as the director and Mr. Anderson as the business manager. Each year since then it has mounted one more round of the ladder of success. This year it made its fourth annual trip to New York City where the group again sang at the World's Fair and over a nation- wide radio hook-up. En route to the great city the Choir presented several concerts at various cities and towns through-out the central and eastern part of Pennsylvania. ln addition, the Choir sang many times at home in Erie and the neighboring vicinity. The Choir has its own constitution, issues its own paper, and elects its own officers and advisers. The officers this year were Evans Davis, udic id fAe present. The following week the Academy A Cappella visited here. The concert was a great success and one of the factors was the guest artist, Andrew Lindstrom. Andy was a member of the Choir last year and is now studying at St. Olaf College. l-lis amazing tenor voice and remarkable stage personality thrilled the audience and sent them away singing his praises. The two choirs appeared together again in the Spring Concert. The Strong Vincent A Cappella Choir has established a reputation for the school from coast to coast. The voices of these seventy young people have gladdened the hearts of many people, and A CAPPELLA CHOIR-Row 1: Sprickman, Lavery, Blood, Ennis, LaKari, Dytche, Swanson, lenkins, Turner, lane Feist, lean Feist, Costa, Offner, Kalagian. Row 2: Reuschling, Bacon, Pundt, Berg, Steiner, Shreve, Cleveland, Smith, Zielsdorf, Washlohn, Tiffany, Skinner, Slater, Miller, Little. president, William Smith, vice president, lane Schaoht, treasurer, Violet Mae Karaisz, secretary, Rigmor Berg, corresponding secretary, Richard Pimley, historian, Dora Blood, librarian. Mr. Gustavson is Faculty Manager. The advisers are Miss Wilson and Miss Connell. The Strong Vincent A Cappella Choir was the guest of the corresponding Academy group for the first Christmas Concert at which Noble Cain was Finton, Kovalchek, Myers lones, Rocco, Heidt, M. Myers Blakeslee, McKee, Shufflin Gardner, Dwelle, Leone Seelar, Seachrist, Dahlstrand Marabito. Row 3: Brown Larsen, l-luster, English, Boyd Kirkland, Christensen, Eaton Saint, Rubner. Row 4 Comer, Allison, McGee Atkinson, Curtze, Babbitt Morey, Reed, Landi, Schon bein, Reeder, Holden. Twenty-four GIRLS' CHORUS--Row 1 : Pell, Phillips. Row 2:

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uziinedd raining Many students secure positions immediately upon graduation because those who have success- fully completed the commercial courses offered at Strong Vincent are able to go directly into business. Those who plan to continue their education will find that the training they have received, will be useful to them in their college work. The com- mercial course is definite vocational preparation, and the commercial field includes preparation for a variety of occupations. When Strong Vincent was first established, the commercial studies were few, but during the past ten years they have increased greatly. The Typing and Shorthand classes, under the direction of Miss Esler, Miss Forsberg, Miss Lange, and Miss Warfel, are always filled to capacity. The courses in Typing and Shorthand consist of two years. The typing classes are under the capable direction of Miss Ester, Miss Forsberg, Mrs. Donahue, and Miss Warfel. Mathematics is of vital importance in the com- mercial field as well as in the academic field. Two years of Bookkeeping furnish some knowledge of accounting, and are taught under the guidance of Miss Schade, Mrs. Donahue, Mr. Wick, and Mr. Schenck. Semester courses are taught in Busi- ness English and Commercial Law. Graduates in commercial work should have acquired the training which will enable them to work successfully for other people, as well as to manage their own affairs more efficiently and wisely. Business training provides the student with the knowledge of the business world, and also trains them to save money and invest wisely. In addition, the students in commercial fields learn to cooperate with others. In bookkeeping class, students check their figures on an adding machine. The office practice group turning out a school stencil . . . cooperation provides extra experience An advanced typing class transcribes their shorthand notes. Twenty- three .41 l

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65 0 fAe Milla! i i Mr. Grender, the director, deserves much praise. The Girls' Chorus is one of the finest examples of team-work in our school. Each girl of this group of about forty must drown her own individual vocal qualities and merge them into one perfect whole, a difficult achievement. Each day the girls spend fourth period working toward this end, and toward the Christmas and Spring Concerts when their efforts are made evident. Many people have remarked on the faultless blending, the pure quality, and true tones of the Girls' Chorus. Several times a year the group performs at neigh- boring towns, over WLEU, for the P.T.A., and for Row 3: Lohse, lames, Dundon, Blundin, Fiero, Sam Kalagian, Bourne, Foesset, Munn, Haworth, Johnstone, Karaisz, Humes Shufflin, Schacht, Kirkland. Row 4: Doud, Owen, DeMatteo Kay, Saverino, Wollman, Davis, Yaple, Ford, Shepley, Pimley Carne, Herron, Allen, Roesch, McNamara, Nagle. 1 1 I many other organizations. They are also active earning money to finance their trip to Cleveland in the Spring to be present during the opera season. One of their popular methods of earning money is the sale of pop-corn after school. Being a self-governing body, the Girls' Chorus, which was organized in the Fall of 1930, elects its own officers and carries on its own busi- ness. This year Margaret Allison was elected president, Virginia Boyd, secretary, Mae Myers, treasurer, Susan Missimer and Carolyn Curtze, librarians, and lune First and Alice Saint, robe chairmen. Miss Galinsky is their able director, Miss Kohout their adviser. All work and no play, the old saying goes, makes for dullness, and so the girls hold several social events during the year. The robes of the Girls' Chorus carry out the school colors for they are white poplin with red and black collars, cuffs, and buttons. Gone are the days when it was considered sissified for a boy to sing in an organization such as GLEE CLUB-Row Long, Tidd, Franklin, Koeck, Nichols, Si- antcne, Lusk, 2: Hines, Schitea, Lasky, Rose, Shepley, Richardson, Car- Martin Lalohn. Row Hervey, Swen- Whitney, Lucas, Gallelo, Row 4: Liebel, Marklow, Loeffel, Hoh, Carne, Luciano, , McNamara, Davison. Munn wenty-five Strong Vincent's Glee Club. Cften many of the school's most capable athletes are among its mem- bers. Singing is an excellent outlet for the emo- tions and particularly in such a group as the Glee Club where the music is of the best, and varies greatly in type. The singing and the fellowship are valuable additions to a boy's character and the musical knowledge acquired is helpful. These boys work hard every sixth period for the Christ- mas and Spring Concerts, and for their ap- pearances in Erie and the neighboring towns. Comparatively speaking the Boys' Glee Club is a new organization for it was started in Feb- ruary, l935. It, too, is a self-governing body and this year's officers were William Allen, president, Milan Munn, secretary, Frank Whitney, treasurer. Mr. Grender is the director of this zealous group of boys.