Vineland High School - Record Yearbook (Vineland, NJ)

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None of us will ever forget the time in our sophomore year when Colonel Carlos Romulo came and told the tragic story of Bataan. The dynamic little Filipino drove straight to the heart, bolster- ing our outrage against the Japs, and strengthening our determination to help win the war. Many did help, too, by joining in the Victory Corps Program, helping with rationing, buying stamps and bonds, and doing Red Cross work. The class of our second year in high school was sobered somewhat by bad news from the war fronts, but wc settled down to our task, and made ready for the next year. dluuinrs As Juniors wc were very much impressed with our importance; and we felt definitely superior, but in the presence of seniors, our insignificance was almost overwhelming. Still, being Juniors put a certain zest into our lives, and wc started the school year eager to go places. The assembly given by the class was another decidedly on the side of comedy. John Beer proved himself a great magician, and Maurice Grccnblatt enacted a typical day in high school. Others in the assembly included Frank Iula, Joscphync Madrechesia. Alan Molof, and Mary Bixiones. Early in the year several members of the class of ’45 began to distinguish themselves in football. Among these were Allan Bernard. Lou Guaracini, Eddie Oliva, Clarence Claypoolc, and Walt Wolf. In basketball Carl Haught was already a star. Others, Joe Bonjorno, Eddie Oliva, Mary Bixiones, and Richard Brewer were outstanding in the band and orchestra. Richard Brewer and Jack Lirio were also members of the cheer leading squad. It was in 1943 that the Hi-Spots began to show evidence of drastic changes. Not only was the paper itself enlarged and improved, but the staff was entirely revised. The Hi-Spots was now to be edited exclusively by the journalism class. There were two outstanding stage productions to highlight that year, the senior play. Ready Made Family, and the combined effort of the Choral and Dramatic Clubs. An Old Kentucky Garden. The latter, a hit, starred Clifford Pollard, and included many other members of the Junior Class. Social events of the year included the Prom, of course, a Leap Year Dance, and a Christmas Dance (with Alex Bartha’s orchestra present), which was not held until February. Nobody will ever forget what caused the dance to be postponed, cither. There was such a wide- spread epidemic of flu and grippe just at Christmas time that schools were closed early and our va- cation time was extended considerably. In the middle of the year Miss Beakley left V.H.S., and Mrs. Bradway and Mrs. Payne took over her duties. Mrs. Krammc took over some junior English classes. How wc used to like to get her talk- ing about Texas! Remember the evaluation after Easter? Everyone was on good behavior, and wc made a special effort to keep the school in good order. But it was a little nerve-wracking to sec so many strangers walking around observing everything, and perhaps requesting you to appear for an interview. Some juniors were outstanding in the Public Speaking Contest and came away with honors. Edvigc Pallavcr made history by winning the first prize in both her junior and sophomore years. Others in the contest were Judy Rosenberg, Jack Lirio. and George Lezcnby. Almost before wc realized it, the end of the year was approaching, and the great day arrived when wc juniors officially moved to the auditorium—Red Letter Day and moving-up exercises! How thrill- ing and yet how saddening that experience proved to be. Senior Day was another memorble occasion. It was fun. but still, who wants to have the school taken over by seniors? One day of that was plenty! Exams were over; wc all knew the results--mostly good—and wc future seniors left V.H.S. till it was time to take up our books again the following fall. £ rmnrfi September 9, 1944 Seniors at last! Well, the biggest day of them all was here, and wc who were very nonchalant, or rather too proud to show our excitement, went about the first day of our last happy year of high school as calmly as the most experienced of veterans. Wc, who could justifiably be called a truly war time class, were a very happy group, but yet a very somber one. Often, during the course of the year, wc were to be reminded, as in the case of receiving supplies for our yearbooks, that wc were to be inconvenienced, even though our sacrifices—if wc may call them that—were nothing compared to the hardships that many of our friends and old classmates experienced while serving in the armed forces. 79

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Along the U. $i. §s . Huihiuaif iFrpshmpn r It was September 1941, and the day had arrived when we, the new freshmen class, were to enter V.H.S. Most of us were a little worried, but we soon found out that there were no grounds for our fears. This was just another school, larger and more systematic, but still an ordinary school with noth- ing about it that would make even the most miserable freshman tremble. With a minor amount of confusion and a maximum of independence, we adapted ourselves; and all but a very few avoided dis- astrous encounters with seniors. Being freshmen proved to be a rather discouraging experience, though, and not many of us en- tered school activities. Rather we went about our business and let school life flow around us. Impressions of that first year have long since grown dim and faded, but perhaps the things that will stand out as one of the high lights is the memorable assembly presented by Pegasus, a take-off on Shakespear's “Julius Caesar. That bit of comedy delighted our freshmen souls, and helped bring us nearer to actually enjoying life in high school. We recall proudly that George Gleason, a mem- ber of the freshmen class, was in the cast of the play. And shall we ever forget our first experience with the “patch test? This measure toward bet- ter health standards was put into practice for the first time in 1941, so in due time we were all patched. Came December 1941, and Pearl Harbor. At that time none of us realized what a big thing it was the United States was getting into. The war came as a shock to us, but not until much later did we begin to feel the realities of the terrible conflict, for it was to continue even after our years in high school were ended. The class was not organized in that first year, but toward the end of the second term we began to take an interest in things, and elected class officers to take office in the sophomore year. The president was Solve Serra: Vice-President, Evelyn Weddick; Secretary, Armida D'Angieri and Treasurer. Edvige Pallaver. nphnnum's What a comfortable feeling to know that one could no longer be the butt of the very doleful jokes of upperclassmen, a not-to-bc walked on, inferior creature to be shoved aside! All this was in the past: and the future, as a sophomore, looked bright. The year started off with a note of regret, though. Mrs. Clippingcr had left us, and we missed her; but we were glad to welcome Miss Rossi as our new principal. There were many changes and many new faces around V.H.S. in 1942. Miss Rose Sternberg became a very capable adviser of Student Council. Two new Physical Education teachers took over in the girls' gym. Miss Louise Pio and Miss Isabelle Trautwein. Things started happening immediately. Gym schedules were revised, and two new clubs were formed. Bowling Club and Riding Club. Our Spanish teacher. Miss Karibjanian, joined the Waves, and presently Mr. Caponigro came to teach Spanish. The Spanish Club was formed, and in that year the Spanish Club held its first “T Dance. At last the class of 1945 began to make itself known, and to take part in activities. Under the direction of Miss Fiamingo, sophomore adviser, our class presented an original assem- bly program. The skits were written by Armida D'Angieri, Mary Bixioncs. and Marie Vraila. Those who took part in it were Frank Iula. Richard Brewer, Marie Vraila, Louis Dc Zutti, Mary Bixioncs. Armida D'Angieri, Maurice rcenblatt, and Rose Marie Smaniotto. This assembly, a straight comedy, completely whacky, is remembered as being a smash hit with most of the audience. The senior play. Almost Eighteen, also stands out as a big event in the year 1942. When we were freshmen, the year before, the class ahead of us had decided to have handbooks made to help us get settled in V.H.S. Those were delivered to us early in our sophomore year. About the middle of the school year an epidemic of small-pox began to rage, and consequently there was an epidemic of vaccinations. Mass vaccination was undertaken in all schools, and for weeks following the most popular trend in conversation was, “How's your vaccination?” A lot of us were not very happy about the whole thing, though, because it is possible to get very sick from a vaccination. 78

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Many seniors well remember the magazine sale question— finally defeated by a scant two-vote majority. That was early in the school year, hut we were not discouraged. Instead, we were determined then to do what we believed to be right, though hardships were certain to come our way. Who will ever forget the most violent hurricane ever to he experienced in these parts, blowing down trees and causing so much damage that all the schools in the district were closed the next day, or the Senior Class play presented under the direction of Miss Florence Ferlanic? It was given De- cember 1. in the school auditorium and was a great success. The proceeds added a backbone to the class treasury of approximately five hundred dollars. Football season came and left before we were aware that the winter months were upon us. Mill- ville heat us for about the first time in eighteen years. The basketball team paced by Carl Haught brought Vineland its first Camden Suburban League basketball championship. Carl, climaxing his fourth year of varsity competition, set a new scoring record of 1,026 points during his high school career, a mark certain to stand for sometime to come. In the second semester, the war and world affairs were brought closer to us through the Rotary Club's program of weekly speakers. Their experiences were indeed profitable to us and always inter- esting to hear. Before going on further we must not forget the eventful weeks before Christmas vacation. Lois Keen, most cooperative senior, planned and held a food sale that was successful to the extent of a $17.50 profit. The Christmas program, planned and presented by students of Mrs. Payne's seventh and eighth periods college prep English classes gave V.H.S. students an insight to Senior originality and ability. The evening of December 15 was the date of the Senior Semi-Formal, a heartening social success. Frankie Testa's orchestra played in an atmosphere of dim lights and colorful decorations of Christmas holly and cvcrygrccns. Mr. Homer Fleming, popular boys' gym teacher, left V.H.S. after four short months for another position where the housing problem was not so acute as in the Vineland area. Not long after that we lost our girls' gym teacher. Miss Jane Driscoll, to the government for whom she became a physical in- structress. As our own contribution to a more total war effort, the Junior Red Cross did its many tasks such as rolling bandages, holding collections in cooperation with the Student Council. Many boys served as mail carriers during Christmas time to relieve the manpower shortage—and maybe to make a bit of pocket money. Onward we marched down the V.H.S. highway, and before we realized it, the winter months had retired and in their place came an early spring. With this rebirth of nature our class—in fact the school—became aroused with the excitement accompanying thoughts of the fast approaching annual Junior-Senior Prom, which took place May 18, and was a gala event. It was on Thursday, April 12, that the “most unkindcst” blow of all was dealt our senior class— the school—the entire world. Our President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, passed on. We had special memorial services in assembly the next morning in honor of the great humanitarian, and schools were closed at noon in deepest respect and mourning for the man whom most of us had always known as President. Truly our class was the first actual war class. Not only did we enter V.H.S. as freshmen the year the United States declared war, but we were graduating with the death of a man who had died in service to his country and on the eve of world peace. April passed on into May. Exams came and went. Close at their heels came the final approval which marked us as graduating seniors. The confirmation of the fact that we were actually graduating caused us to don the usual dignity of those about to leave their high school days behind, which we ac- quired as smoothly as the slipping on of our caps and gowns. As usual, during the latter part of every school year strains of “Pomp and Circumstance could be heard throughout the school, and we Seniors in our caps and gowns were practicing for the big day. No longer were we a part of the underclassmen who looked at the seniors with envious glances as we ourselves had done in previous years. We were they -the graduates of 1945—only we found it did not feel as good as we thought it would to be getting out. The idea of leaving the high school we had grown to love—the high school which had been the center of many ot our good times during the past four years—actually saddened us as did the thought of closing this book of our life forever with the bac- calaureate services and finally commencement. And now, realizing the task of rehabilitation of this war-torn world and the preservation of world peace which confronts us, we straighten our shoulders and lift our heads while we march “Forward” as the hymn to which our graduation song was written by Betty Sprague, tells us to do. Graduation day is upon us, and we have come to the end of our V.H.S. highway. Perhaps each of us will take one look backward quickly before we turn upon our main road of life. 80