George Mason High School - Mustang Yearbook (Falls Church, VA)

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You Were Here. Classes

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FACULTY Page 12 l'III'lBl+2 Y. 'IHXYLOR B, ION PARVICY RUTH ANN KRIZ Bookkccpcr Secretary' Nurse CAFETERIA STAFF MRS, BI..XKl'fNIORId NRS. DRISKO MRS, IIXYICNS FLOYD P.-XYNIC Chief Custodizm

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Page 14 ear lfary, I guess this is the list entry. Graduation is over and the class of '55 is going its separate ways. Thumbing back through the pages of the five years that I've kept my diary, many things stand out. Remember Falls Church High, and the long hikes down to Hillwood Square? Gosh, we were all excited about changing classes, going to football games, and seeing our own class on the Sth grade football team. Then we ended the year with a dance, the very first we had given. Flipping further through the pages, I see the words pickle factoryf' Good old Iefferson! The 9th grade had arrived! We were Freshmen! There was Mr. Greene and his blackboard. Remember those names and all those checks and the daily Hrehabilitation hall ? Miss Knoxwas our Principal. Our class had a knack for explosions,', fire extinguishers and radiators in par- ticular. Iackie Dietz and Iudy Fruland represented us on the first annual Sweetheart Court at Madison. We worked on the Garnet and Gold Glitter, our junior high newspaper. School dances were held at Madison, and we danced to the music of the Faculty 5. Re- member the Mustangs' undefeated season of touch football? At IV basketball games, the cheerleaders were all 9th graders, two of whom were Ann Albaugh and Donna Hinshaw. We also saw Ralph Havens in his first year of basketball, on the IV team. Smitty and Tasker represented our class on the varsity basketball team. George Mason Iunior-Senior High School-that was the namc they gave to our brand new school. VVC were sophomores now, and Hthe honeymoon was over. From our class, Gail Hodges was secretary and Iudy Fruland, treasurer of the Student Council. English classes were held, in of all places, the boys' Exam Room and the present T eachcr's Room. In phys ed something new had been added-Tumbling. Squash was the cry as bones squeaked, creaked and crunched. GM's first play, Our Town, was presented to a de- lighted audience. The Class of '55 was well-represented in the cast by Dick Fisher, Theda Fulton, Ann Bill- ingsly, Carolyn Yates, and Margaret Tabor. In all sports, we showed our skill. On the football team were Havens, Smith, and Tasker. Havens, Smith, Tasker and Berger were on the basketball team when GM won the District Tournament in our own gym. We went to the State Tournament at Lexington. Baseball and track claimed Havens and Tasker. The girls looked good, too, with Fruland, Atkins, and Hodges playing basketball and softball. As the year ended, we looked forward to being Iuniors, and putting on the prom. September, 1953, and we were Iuniors! Real work began. VV e were raising money for the Prom like mad. Remember selling hot dogs and eokes at the Birthday- rama, so we could afford to give the Seniors the best Prom ever. Mr. De and Mr. Sniegoski were our long-suffering sponsors. You ean't get blood out of a turnip will always be remembered by students of Mr. Harmon. Our beautiful class rings arrived and were we proud! The Dramatics Club presented The Hasty Heart and Dick Fisher from our class received the Best Iune ll, 1955 Actor award at the Drama Festival at Charlottesville. VVho can forget all the work and fun that went into The Blossomtime Follies? Our sports leaders showed their dramatic UI ability with Iohn, Ralph and Iudy Fruland taking leading parts. Remember Clem 8: Pansy, Hambone, Rastus, Doris Hawes' pantom- ime and the Yog's rendition of Dem Bones with Don Iones at the piano? The Prom was a tremendous success. Even the Seniors were astonished at the way we changed the gym into a New York penthouse! Havens set a new record for the 880 at the State Tournament at Charlottesville. Our football team with the help of Breit, McQuary, Tasker, Harrison, Feagin and Iones won the District G Group III title. In basketball Ebert, Tasker, Berger, Breit and Havens upheld the honor of the Class of l55 as the team went to the District tournament. Atkins, Hodges, Koontz, McGillis and Fruland played on the girls basketball team. We came in third at the District Tournament, and Iudy Fruland was named the 'toutstanding player. Exams came and went, making us seniors! Hooray ! ! Our Senior year and what a year! We gave the Homecoming Dance and Lydia Munson, captain of the cheerleaders, made a beautiful queen. Our poor sponsors, Mr. Snodgrass and Mr. De, really had a hassle on their hands getting all 57 of us to decide on one kind of graduation announcement. Our basketball team won the District Tournament at Ashland. They went to the State Toumament at Blacksburg and placed second. We saw a lot of Virginia that season between Ashland and Blacksburg. Io Watkins reigned at the 1955 Sweetheart Dance with Donna Hinshaw as her attendant. Our thanks to the Iuniors for making our last Sweetheart Dance so beautiful. Donna then was crowned as Queen of the Cherry Blossom Dance, which was, put on in honor of the Seniors by the Freshman class. The 4'This is Your Strife presentation for class night was our next project. At Class Night we realized that we were really leaving, as we handed the Iuniors a lighted candle, symbolic of the Senior Class spirit and leadership. We were measured for caps and gowns and graduation rc- hearsals began. Some of us wondered if we really want- ed to leave. The Prom was beautiful, just as we had expected it would be. Then exams were all over, parties were frequent, good-byes and good luck from all our teach- ers, and finally Graduation! It has been lots of work and more fun! Our thanks to the faculty for their help, we'll miss them and all the kids. We've received a lot from George Mason in these four years, and in return we hope we've left some- thing to make it a better place for the kids that will follow us. So diary, I guess that's the story of the Class of '55, From FCHS to Iefferson to George Mason-well, world, here we come! SUSIE Samoa Editors note: The Top Twelve were selected by the members of the Senior Class.