Enfield High School - Echo Yearbook (Enfield, CT)

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Mrs. Josephine E. Epstein Mrs. Ida Bryant, Miss Jean Davis Mr. Walter Sugalski, Mr. Joseph Lamana 13

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Homemaking, Mrs. Judith A. McCarroll Mrs. G. Cassidy Mr. Anthony G. Perrone, Supervisor of Music Mr. Leonard D. DeMaio 12 Mr. Raymond S. Smith Miss Marie L. Robideau, Librarian

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CLASS HISTORY 1963 1959, and there we were, ready or not. Perhaps some of us more ready than others, and perhaps some of us not quite ready at all. But no sympathy, for we had just passed our junior high and grammar school years, and logically enough, this was high school. Four full years which were to draw us out of our child- hood, and send us into the big world. Oddly enough, in look- ing back we realize that much of the preparation we got for facing life was not merely found behind doors of didactic learning, but in human relationships and experiences pursued oftentimes, much to the chagrin of our teachers, in the corridors and hallways of our alma mater. Yes, much has been sought in these four years, and much has been lost. But as we graduate most of us would readily concede that, that which has been found has more than offset that which has been missed. As a flower that opens to maturity loses its dewdrops of bud-life, so have we unfolded into a larger world, more mature and minus the mist of ignorance. When the summer season nears its end and a new school term is about to begin, one usually hears sighs of hopeless complaints leak from youth, who have spent two solid months in school-free ignorance, which is bliss. But the new prestige of being a high school student created too much impatient excitement that summer for many of us to be able to feel sincerely sorry to see it pass. The excitement of the freshman year is incomparable to any other perhaps the last month of the senior year. The new privileges we were to receive, as proof of our maturity (the individual responsi- bility of getting to the classes independently, and the closer re- lationships with instructors, which was to grow in the following years), seemed to make our heads swell with the importance of being of high school status. Although we were the only class in the building, going in the afternoon, there were still many new friendships to make, as we encountered others from Hazardville Memorial and St. Joseph's schools. It seemed, toward class election time, as though we might stay in these factions, for each group supported its own candidate. Nevertheless, electing Ray Mercik as our President (who was solidly backed by the female electorate), Fred Olshafskie as Vice-president, Jack Sporck as Treasurer, Carol Colarusso as Secretary, and Nancy Neelans as Student Council representative, we were well enough represented so that by the middle of the year, we had begun to accept each other and to identify ourselves as one class, Freshman. Though we did not have many activities to grow into be- cause of our unfortunate position of being the isolated class, we, nevertheless, seemed to find plenty of extracurricular activities to occupy us. In the stricter disciplines of science and Latin (we can now interpret the Dead Sea scrolls), we were proud to have been represented in Miss Glista's Freshman Science Fair by Sylvia Savage and Susan Morse’s exhibits of a power pump and the growth of the chicken embryo (we no longer eat eggs for break- fast). Carol Colarusso and Barry Scherr represented our school at Weaver High in Hartford that year in the State Latin Competi- tion, with Barry's winning Honorable Mention. They say that Latin trains the mind in discipline and order, and this certainly must have some truth in it, for Carol's mind and work have since been a great source of pride in our class. As our freshman year came to a close, and the first petal withered, we were perhaps a little wiser, only a little though, for the approaching sophomore year would find us not as wise as our junior, and much less so than our senior years. But having left a few mementos behind we would move ahead with a fairly clear conscience that we had progressed, in our status, if in nothing else. The sophomore year is a strange one. Almost like the middle child in a family, who exists mainly out of his own contrivings, never too sure how much his presence is desired, but, nevertheless, a necessary step toward other things. To help us through this in- between year were the new Freshmen, who joined us in our afternoon travail. Perhaps it was this added psychological drive that saw us through fairly successfully. By this time, we had be- come much more interested in the application of our skills, both academic and athletic. Our continuing successful basketball team, supported by Fred Olschafskie, Joe Javorski. William Carlander, Michael Dowd, John Jasminski, and Frank Pillirteri began to de- velop some star players. This was a time of development all over. Even our cheerleading squad started to practice the fine art of arousing excitement and rallying support for the team. Many of the girls on the Junior Varsity that year became close friends, and have continued to do splits and shouts on the floors, and on rhe fields together. Sheila Gourlie, the captain that year, has re- marked on the fun the girls had mixing personalities and cheers. I’m sure the green and white of the uniforms that came to be so coveted, were a soothing ingredient. Speaking of color — how many of us remember the beautiful trees in the front of the school, as seen every autumn through Mr. Scherr’s algebra and geometry class windows? Myra Holmes That year in class elections. Jack Sporck was promoted a notch to the presidency, while Jeff Thomas, William Carlander, and Susan Morse completed the slate. We also rated a promo- tion in our Student Council representation, where our members got some practical knowledge of the workings of leadership which was perhaps to help them in their future offices. Jean Eddy, Jacqueline Vabalas, Joe Javorski, Jane Reynolds and Jack Sporck were these, and with the exception of Jane, who moved away in her senior year, I believe there is not one name there listed that has not been listed several times in the past. Carol Colarusso not only won the Latin II prize that year, but also branched out to capture the American History Award. So, as the view from Mr. Scherr’s window changed its ap- pearance, and the trees turned from autumn gold to winter bareness, then to spring buds and juicy green leaves, so too, did we change our appearance upon entering our junior year. Our junior year thus far had been our most dynamic. We accomplished much, and not the least of which was the partici- pation of Robert Lidak, A1 Nash, James Mokriski, Thomas Dignam, Ed Deni, Robert Delnickas, John Jasminski (who made the All-Star Team), William Carlander, and Thomas White, who along with the Senior members of the football team won the acclaim of SUBURBAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS. These games were well attended by the students, but who can forget that terrific outpouring of the grandstand crowd when arch rival Longmeadow High was defeated that autumn day? That was a veritable sign of school spirit, that old bogey we had been chasing for years. Everyone was much heartened, and with the building of the new high school in progress we were sure everything from now on was on the way up and out. Yes, on the way up and out: our spirits were up and our attitudes were formed and out. We were no longer the excited and timorous freshmen that had entered, but were now more confident and willing to assert ourselves in more fields. One field which perhaps required some assertion was the area of dramatics 'THE ANDERSONVILLE TRIAL, a dramatic account of a Civil War trial, was the object of many hours of rehearsals. Edward Miller, Donald Aitchison, Sylvia Savage and Myra Holmes helped to support this extremely successful under- taking. This was also the year of the Prom, working on which required less assertion than it did the desire for a fine social event for people to attend. Jean Eddy, Chairman of the project, Frank Pillitteri and Dorothea Manton, were among those who prepared for us an evening of Lollipops and Roses. The awards that year were several; among them our business world honored Thomasine Gatto for stenography, and Robert Lidak for bookkeeping skills. Jackie Vabalas received the Leader- ship Medallion, and there could have been no better choice. Among the many tests we were to take that year, including the College Boards for many, were the National Merit Exams in which William Doreski and Jack Sporck received Honorable Mention. Others of our junior class headliners were Varsity Cheerleaders, Elizabeth Heath, Betsy Baker, Sheila Gourlie, and Mary Gennusa; Basketball Team, Javorski, Jasminski, Carlander, Olshafskie and Pillitteri; and toward the latter part of the year, the representatives to BOYS’ STATE, A1 Nash, Joseph Javorski, Frank Pillitteri, Jack Sporck and Edward Miller (who went on • to win a place in BOYS’ NATION), and as the representative to LAUREL GIRLS’ STATE, Carol Colarusso. Many fast friendships were solidified in the junior year, not only among students, but also with teachers, and we became more aware of what had been accomplished thus far, and what was left yet to be done. While acquaintances and friends were graduated that year, we stayed on, in an attitude of wonder and some awe at the thought that we, too. would be in caps and gowns the following year. These solemn thoughts were assuaged somewhat in that critical month of June, for we had moved to attend Continued on pa%e 55