DeSales High School - Salesian Yearbook (Geneva, NY)

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All new ideas have humble beginnings, whether they be movies, lives or high schools. DeSales' history began in the 1910's, a time that gave birth to such innovations as Mack Sennett's creation of slapstick comedy. Around the same time that actress Sarah Bern- hardt was seen on movie screens throughout the country in Queen Elizabeth, DeSales High School graduated its first senior class - total: nine people. In 1912, those nine people had enrolled in a new two-year business school, located on the second floor of St. Francis DeSales grammar school on Exchange St., staffed by a faculty of two nuns and named DeSales High School. And so the show began; quietly, humbly and proudly. While movies were being perfected during the Twenties, DeSales was growing. Its enrollment, as well as its faculty, increased. So while Edward G. Robinson was busy working on the set of Little Caesar, the two parish pastors, in the summer of 1929, decided that DeSales High School needed a home of its own. When the stock market crashed in October of that year, the new high school was far from completed. Needless to say, DeSales, or rather the parishes, found themselves heavily in debt. Even though high school funds were diminished by the widespread unemploy- ment of the parishioners, DeSales survived. As the world rose slowly back to its feet, the movie industry found they liked those 'Musical song and dance' flicks. While 1935 saw Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance their way through Top Hat, D. H. S. graduate created his own classic when he wrote the words and music to our Alma Mater. Like DeSales, this original creation is unique. That was forty years ago. The Forties came along and brought troubles for everyone. The United States found themselves in the midst of a world war. DeSales' yearbook, The Salesian, illustrated those hard times through pages devoted to DeSales students who had gone off to war and had died for their country. Even so, the American film indus- try sought to provide an escape from those harsh realities with its popular musical films. The comedy found its place, and rightfully so, as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby led viewers down The Road to Morocco.' ’ As if the immediate war troubles weren't already enough, DeSales High School was the victim of a fire that completely destroyed the wooden front building of the school. The loss was tragic and unable to be properly replaced, due to severe war rationing of building materials. Still DeSales got by. With the end of the Forties and a return to peace, high school life turned to the less drastic things of life as students' interests ranged from sports to Old Clothes Days, May Days to proms, senior plays to cars. War films became as popular as the American flag. This generation saw itself being entertained by the unfortu- nate occurrences of the previous war years when such movie greats as Frank Sinatra and Burt Lancaster appeared in From Here to Eternity. During this time DeSales demanded attention because no one was pleased with the cramped conditions of both the stu- dents and faculty. The DeSales community took the opportunity to initiate a drive which was a huge success. The Catholic commu- nity supported it wholeheartedly, and replaced the classrooms, library and lab that were lost in the fire of 1943. Their enthusiasm went further as supporters raised money to build a gym for DeSales. The DHS basketball 'Stars' now had a home court of their own. The Saints were in the limelight with the biggest gymnasium in the area. DeSales was proud of its new school additions. t

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American complacency disappeared during the Sixties. The British invaded America with its rock groups. The Beatles, by far the most popular group, even found themselves starring in two films - Help” and A Hard Days Night - which drew crowds and made the two movies box office hits. DeSales High echoed these changes in the styles of the day as women raised their skirts and men grew their hair. Sports were all important and more students than ever were heading for college. The late Sixties were charac- terized by demonstrations, riots and student unrest. New vocabulary and strong feelings arose with words like hard-hats,” grass, radicals, hippies and draft-dodgers. Arguments and shouting were every- where. D.H.S. students reflected these changes. They took interest in society and its problems on a greater scale. Refusing to merely accept the values of their parents, they realigned their thinking, changed and chose their own. New films took a different approach as directors tried to shed new light on old subjects. The list is endless, with such films as Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Graduate,” Woodstock and Midnight Rider. Still parents and children, senators and congressmen, and so many others continued to battle it out. Paul Newman's last words in the Sixties film, Cool Hand Luke,” come close to summing up the problem of the times: What we have here, is a failure to communicate. When the Seventies arrived, the storm had subsided. Films returned somewhat to tear-jerking movies, like Love Story” and made-for-T. V. movie, Brian's Song. 1974 flaunted its splendor when Robert Redford and Mia Farrow starred in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.” DeSales took a new approach to education. Students were introduced to a rotating schedule, and liked it. The English department was updated and offered students the opportunity to study the required subject in the way they felt best, whether it be Drama, Novels, Creative Writing, World Literature, or Journalism. What's more, students became job-oriented, but still remained interested in extra-curricular school activities. Art class and Home Economics came to DeSales, girls sports were revived and Chaplain Fr. Simon created the DeSales musical. However, inflation rose and so did the cost of education. It was no secret that DeSales was financially in trou- ble. Tuition rose from $150-$200-$350, but the problem remained. Decreasing enrollment coupled with increasing tuition proved fatal. On January 20, 1975 DeSales Board of Trustee's President Martin Eades announced that DeSales would close in June. The Senior Class of 75 would become the last graduating class of the 62-year-old High School. Since that announcement, the Geneva Public School System has devoted much time and effort to making the transition of students from DeSales to Geneva High School as smooth as possible. Also since that announcement a large number of parents, students, and alumni united together in a final effort to give DeSales one more chance at existence. They started an organization called the S.O.S. - Save Our School - which put that final effort into full swing, racing against the March 12th deadline, trying to raise $115,000-plus needed to keep our school open. The local community, aware of DeSales' place in Geneva, supported their efforts. The outcome? Well, we all know the outcome now. On this day we're making DeSales history. We have written another chapter in the history of DeSales High School. Let us hope it’s not The Last Picture Show” to be produced by the Salesian. Lorrie Ventura Class of '75