Columbia High School - Mirror Yearbook (Maplewood, NJ)

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SENIORS 1962

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m irror an dddlti d ord vi ors FRANCESCA A. PALMINTERI Editorial Advisor EDWIN FAUST Business Advisor RONNIE DURCHLAG Editor-in-Chiej Page Ten WATSON JAMES Business Manager

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daSS J4htor 1959-1960 y A bevy of apprehensive smiles entered the halls of Columbia on that bright Sep- tember morn in 1959. Our sophomore year was filled with many new sights and impres- sions. Of course, the orientation program played an important part in the early weeks of our first year at Columbia. Upperclassmen permitted us to cheer at the football games and taught us how to clean the tables in the cafeteria. Triple lunches, omitted periods, split studies, all served to confuse us and forced many cowardly students to long for the quiet security of junior high. New opportunities in the form of exciting subjects, clubs and varsity sports pleasantly burdened our already complicated schedules. As we cheered the Cougars on to victory, we mumbled the unfamiliar rhymes and mouthed the words of the Alma Mater. However, the perceptive Sophomore Class soon learned that thy motto is our motto and our cry, ’Excelsior!’ ” The girls worshipped the suave, sophisticated senior boys, who seemed so far beyond their reach; the boys worked hard to attain eligibility for varsity teams. Columbia offered a new world, both academically and socially; and as we extended our greedy fingers to catch each drop of experience, we optimistically anticipated our eventful junior year. 1960-1961 Confidently the mighty juniors returned to the hallowed halls of CHS. We could bully” the silly sophs and laugh at their bewildered expressions, positive that we had never been guilty of the same mistakes. However, our inflated egos were depressed when confronted with the P.S.A.T.’s, a forecast of future problems. But our worries were tem- porarily cast aside as our Junior Night production overshadowed all the other exciting events of our intermediate year. Cowboys and Oklahoma belles, bedecked in shirts with stenciled surreys, trooped up to Gruning’s en masse at dawn. The lucky few who had their licenses obligingly piled the poor pedestrians into their cars and drove through the town honking and singing. More and more of us received our licenses, permitting us to progress to our senior year even faster if not more safely. 1961-1962 From the day we entered school in the fall to the day on which the last letter of acceptance arrived and our final plans were made, almost every experience of our senior year hinged on college. S.A.T. scores, Achievements, catalogues, and writing samples were the words on each frantic lip. If popularity were measured by visitations, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Fleming, and Miss della Sala would have won a prize. Senior boys no longer captured the interest of the girls—the suave, sophisticated heroes of the youngsters were our classmates. Classes were a challenge, each teacher preparing us for the world ahead. An honor study program went into effect, our football co-captain was named to the All State Team, and we played host to several foreign exchange students. Mr. James Hopkins, who for many years capably headed the Departments of Industrial Arts and Driver Education, retired from the faculty. Once again Columbia was evaluated and accredited by a committee of educators appointed by the Middle Atlantic States Associa- tion. At last it was our Coat Girl and our Cougar who presided at the games. We were the big guys”, yet we discovered to our chagrin that we still had a long way to go on our road to adulthood. Although we didn’t feel different or look different when we graduated in June, we were different. We will always remember and be grateful for the wonderful times, the friends, and the knowledge we acquired at Columbia; and we will travel on, bent on bigger but never better things. Page Twelve