Mabel Dean Bacon Vocational High School - Torch Yearbook (New York, NY)

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PROPHECY T was a brighl spring day in April, I96I. As I was busy designing spring hals, I decided lo lreal myself lo a lrip lo California. I made arrangemenls al lhe lravel bureau and lhe airporl, and lwo days laler was palienlly wailing for my plane. When il arrived, I rushed in, only lo slop shorl al lhe sighl of lhe avialrix. Much lo my amazemenl il was Slella Mavricakey, a former sludenl al Manhallan High School. Afler we recovered from lhe shock, we exchanged experiences. She lold me lhal lwo new millinery leachers had been added lo lhe facully: Mrs. Mary Fachell, nee Mary Marames, now married lo an aclor, Roberl Fachell. The olher is Mrs. Helen Fairchild, nee Helen Ramoin. Suddenly we were inlerrupled by a passenger who lurneld oul lo be a slow- away on lhe plane. Afler invesligalion, lhe slowaway proved lo be Melina Couce, who look parl in our senior enlerlainmenl as lhe cakewalker. When she recognized us she suddenly fainled. lncidenlally lhe nurse who ,adminislered firsl aid was no olher lhan Concella Agueci, who said she owed her occupalion lo lhe lraining she received in lhe medical room of Manhallan High School. We spoke of old limes and enioyed many, many laughs logelher. By lhis lime we were already al Chicago. I bade goodbye lo Slella, Melina, and Concella, and disembarked. I The Blanche-fleur learoom allracled my allenlion, reminding me lo enler and have some lea. Here, Dorolhy Polak and Mary Vernieri, lhe lwo successful proprielors, were in conference wilh lhe lwo wailresses and were unable lo see me. Afler a hearly meal, I conlinued on my lour lhrough lhe big cily. On Revenue Road a lighled sign read, Madame Helen Planlalile, Dress Designer. My need for new clolhes made me enler. A lall, blonde, middle-aged woman approached me and asked if my firsl name happened lo be Pauline. She said she had known me al M.'H.S. Then I recognized lhe designer as Helen Rozek, who was voleld lhe mosl allraclive in our gradualing class. Helen had a bound- less knowledge of lhe whereabouls of many old acquainlances. She informed me lhal Lillian Gazzola was married lo lhe very prominenl Chicago deparlmenl slore manager, Mr. Bernard Mason. Helen had also received a leller from Helen Jacobs, who was in England painling a porlrail of lhe Queen. The leller menlioned lhal Vivian Hyman was privale hairdresser lo lhe Queen. Afler an enjoyable visil wilh Helen, I boarded lhe nexl lrain for Sacramenlo, California. When lhe lrain arrived, lhe firsl lhing lhal caughl my eye was a boy selling lhe Sacramenlo Daily. I noliced lhal lhe fashion column was ediled by Pearl Di Franco. A glance al lhe lhealre column revealed Lola Scaglione as lhe suc- cessor lo lhe noled comedian, Joe Penner, who passed away in l94l. I began lo lhink my eyes were deceiving me, for in lhe adverlisemenl column lhe follow- ing was prinled: Chrislena's Kolonics' lalesl discovery! Use Krislie's new Hair Tonic, guaran- leed lo grow curls on a bald head overnighl. I purchased a bollle and mailed il lo my husband lo see if lhe adverlisemenl was deceiving. The holel I slayed al was The Holel of Wonders. During my lwo weeks' slay nolhing exciling happened excepl lhal I received a leller from my husband lelling me of lhe good resulls of lhe lonic. The holel beauly parlor looked very 47

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AMERICA AMERICAI The fhoughf of going fo fhe wonderland was already quife fhrilling. I had only vague ideas abouf fhe New World, consisfing mainly of divorces, movies an-d Indians. I could never undersfand how one person could be divorced so offen. There was a joke fhaf Shirley Temple was fhe only acfress in Hollywood who never had been. American movies were so full of beaufiful acfresses and elaborafe scenery wifh which our own could nof compare. When I saw fhe Big AppIe , fhe vogue af fhaf fime, if seemed fo me like a iumping and ierking exercise, so differenf from fhe graceful walfz. When I visifed museums and saw painfed Indians, I wondered whefher fhere were sfill some on fhis confinenf as in fhe days of Columbus. America, I had fo discover youl America, land of beaufy and opporfunifyl I gazed af sighfs of splendor along fhe banks of fhe Hudson River, and never dreamed fhaf my fhoughfs would go back fo fhe Rhine, comparing fheir beaufy. Camping days were full of new ex- periences. Living ouf of doors was somefhing I had never done before. I felf like a pioneer finding new freasures while exploring fhe pafhs. Swimming, my favorife sporf, was more enioyable in a beaufiful pool in school. This was one of fhe reasons why I was af once caplivafed by fhe American schools. Besides, fhere are such chances of learning fhings wifhouf cosf, fhaf everybody should 'lake advanfage of fhem. Therefore, I exclaim, America is rich in beaufy and opporfunifyl Americal You have changed my fasfe. Insfead of eafing polafoes and sfarchy food af every meal, I have developed a liking for salads and vegefables. The word dief enfered my vocabulary-a fhing formerly unheard of for healfhy people. Though I have never gafhered enough self confrol fo reduce, I have acquired a knowledge of vifamins and calories. My firsl' ice cream soda and Chow Mein cerfainly Americanized my fasfe. Americal Your skyscrapers are awe inspiring, fhough living among fhem a few years makes one forgel' fhe firsl' impression of New York's beaufiful skyline. A bus frip on Fiffh Avenue, wifh fhe bus wending ifs way along wifh four ofher rows of vehicles, was like a sighf-seeing four. While looking down upon fhe rush- ing masses of people, I could nof help fhinking of fhe calm and less crowded sfreefs of my nafive cify, Cologne. The subway was a new way of geffing fo disfanf places. A new experience was seeing people from all counfries assembled fhere. The confrasf of poor and rich neighborhoods iusf one block aparf made a new buf sorry sighf. More pleasanf is Times Square wifh ifs endless masses of colored lighfs and counfless movies. To me New York remains an American Wonder Cify. Americal When you opened your arms fo a shy Iiffle girl you gave her a new home. You made a free and differenf person of her. lnsfead of clinging fo mofher's apron sfrings, she has become independenf and self-confidenf. You faughf her 'Io folerafe and nof fo condemn people foo easily for fheir acfions. For all fhese fhings I am lhankful. I am happy fo be in Americal HILDE JACOBY 46

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fempfing, so I wenf in for a permanenf and a manicure. The hairdresser was Rhoda Kurfzman, who now had very dark brown locks +o replace her former lighf brown ones. She fold me fha? she had used Kris'rie's Anfi-Kink and dye com- bined. My nexf acquainfance was Angelina Gianaffasio. I fold her of all my school chums whom I had mef and asked her if she knew of any ofhers. She said some of our former oufsfanding dressmakers were greaf successes in promi- nenf dress esfablishmenfs in Pennsylvania. Among fhem were: Dorofhy Terrone, Clara VreH'os, Helen Theris, Gina Tersago. She also fold me fhaf Bella Gefsos has an inferior decorafing shop of her own, and where fo find Sarah O'Hara and Lucy Taurozzi, who are fhe head de- signers in a millinery esfablishmenf in Sacramenfo. I wen+ fo visif fhern and was surprised fo find fhaf Sarah has eighf daughfers, four of whom are frained in 'lhe millinery field. Affer a shorf sfay wifh fhe happy family, I decided fo refurn home. On my way home I enjoyed fhe beaufiful scenery of fhirfy of fhe Unifed Sfafes. A+ an upsfafe sfafion, fhree people boarded fhe frain. One was fhe noforious bandif, Rufh Henfschel, escorfed by fhe female sheriff, Margie Feniello. She was assisfed by her secrefary, Anne Herz, who held fhe handcuffs. We had a long chaf and Rufh gave me some hinfs on becoming a bandif. I fhanked her kindly and bade her goodbye a+ fhe Ossining sfafion. Finally fhe frain reached New York Cify, and I decided fo fop off my adven- fures af fhe opera house. Affer I had purchased my ficlcef and seafed myself in a comforfable seaf, fhe opera commenced. The orchesfra conducfor was Rachel Passione. The famous opera sfar was Lucy Crefello, who had developed a rich colorafura voice. She was singing fhe role of Dalise, in fhe opera The Soufhern BeIIe, wriffen by Marie Geffo. Af fhe end of fhe performance an auburn-haired woman approached Lucy for an inferview. If was none ofher fhan Emma Quirino, our Torch Edifor. I decided fo end my advenfures al' fhis poinf, and affer bidding goodbye fo my friends: llrefurned home and wondered whaf new advenfures would befall me and my former classmafes befween now and I98I. PAULINE SCHITTONE ..,.,. 9.233 48