Classical High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Springfield, MA)

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Left: Jerry Saslav parted his lips for Lau- rie Moquin to paint them with lipstick. Below: Jim Bondioli romantically sere- naded Monique Rowtham under the moonlight. Lett: Dion Woods reminded gang members to protect their ‘turf’. Be- low: The Jets found playtime between rumbles. Feature 9

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Below: Celebrating their victory, Torentha Clark and Darryl Matthew lifted Drayton Brown e in high spirits. Right: “We are number one, we are the Jets!” The setting was New York City. Two gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, met in an alley anda brutal conflict began. As a result, two gang members were dead, leaving a young girl caught in the middle. Her boyfriend became the next victim. There she was kneeling down beside him, his head in her lap. Slowly she rose, tears flooding her eyes and began fo say, “Chino, how do you fire this gun ... ?” Sounds real, doesn’t it? Well, the audience at “West Side Story’’ was stunned by the in- tense drama and the amount of work that was put into the production. The endless hours of practice put in by the choreographers, musi- cians, and students from all four city high schools, Classical, Commerce, Putnam Voca- tional and Technical, was comparable to that of professionals. The play was shown from May 410 to May 15 at Duggan Jr. High School. Mr. Mark Todd, the director, commented, “It was the combined talent of the four high schools that pulled this show off. This city has many talented youth and “West Side Story” proved it.” When asked which performance was most exciting, Monique Rowtham, a senior, replied, “Every night was just as exciting as the night before but the different audiences helped to make each night a new experience.” The general response from all who participated was, If there’s another play like that one, we'll be there!” Above Right: Terrell Winston and Henry Pagan set the date for the rumble. Above: Gerelyn Starzyk got a big kick out of making up David Labigalini. Right: Shaundolyn Slaughter warned Angel Rivera to “be still.’ 8 Feature

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Arriving At A Good Education The city bus’ engine roared as the enor- mous vehicle, filled with passengers, jour- neyed down the artery known as State Street. Inside, several Classical students chattered about the latest trivial events while others sat in their seats spellbound at the thought of another exciting school day. A radio in the back of the bus blasted hara- rock music and the downtown buildings out- side became a blur as the large motor vehi- cle zoomed by them. Suddenly, the bus came to a full stop in front of Classical. The doors whisked open and through them poured myriads of Classicalites wno were relieved to have finally arrived at their desti- nations. This description of a bus scene was prob- ably typical of the ones many Classical stu- dents experienced throughout their years in high school. Although many of us felf that taking the city bus was more of an annoy- ance than a pleasure, it was a small but important part of our lives in which we shared many unforgettable moments with our friends. The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority regu- lated numerous bus routes throughout the city and most were within easy access to students. Passengers seldom had to wait more than fiffeen minutes for a bus to arrive and the vision of one approaching the bus stop was a welcomed sight, especially on a cold winter day. Of course, not all students were trans- ported to school by the city bus. Those of us who lived in certain areas of Springfield had the privilege of riding on private, yellow school buses for free. Other students who lived within proximity of Classical could sim- ply walk to school each day. Probably the most fortunate students were those who could drive their own cars to school or ob- tain rides from parents or friends. Students who traveled to school by these various methods, however, were in a minority when compared to the great number of students who took the city bus. Although we as students likely didn’t give much thought about the means by which we came and left school each day, the memories that we have of these journeys will surely be cherished in the years to come. Top: “Of course I’m sure this is my car,” Talbert Swan repl ies innocently. Above Left: What mode of transportation did Ka- ren McGibney take to make her so happy? Above: Ann Makucha and Anita Terzi smile when they see their bus arriving. 40 Student Life