Martin Van Buren High School - Futura Yearbook (Queens Village, NY)

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zz 5 00 Saou 517146 Hy. . . x xdvgmf s,,f,- ,,,, ' 3? ,' 4 T ' Q5 X aft' nav lv V l - Y if lll ' lf ,Q l lb is tow CB X xqsg X Cv, w x he Xxx - , . yo C f t ', X BE rj , g 1 Q I 'ffpiifiilsfbf QM :,,'::f X ,Xb N X w .e F Q11 X X me i f IA7 I, an ,X Q y X M, H il. - Y,,.. 16 Here it is-1959! We are nearing the end of the Fabulous Fifties--ten years which repre- sent a decade of outstanding achievement and world progress. To the gradu- ates of '59, however, the latter part of the Fifties has an additional sig- nificance-the fond memory of our years spent at Van Buren High. We remember our consternation at the immensity of Van Buren as we entered for the first time-its spacious halls, modern classrooms and labora- tories, its tremendous auditorium and gym. Could we ever forget the irrita- tion at constantly finding ourselves on the stairway leading to the roof instead of to the third floor? Reminiscences of our first few days in Van Buren bring to mind the warm smile and friendly greeting extended to us by Mr. Hopkins, our principal. Those of us who entered Van Buren as freshmen will recall the first G.O. elections. How small and inadequate we felt then, looking up with envy at the candidates sitting on the stage, never dreaming that one day we ourselves, or perhaps our friends, would have the same opportunity, yet it never seemed quite the same once we were up there. Familiarity dulled the glamor some- what, but, slowly, something of more intrinsic value began to form-a sense of leadership and responsibility. Then come the birth of the G.O. We'll always remember the wonderful iob done by Mr. Weissenberg, our first G.O. adviser. He was succeeded by Mr. Radwin who has carried on in the spirited Van Buren tradition. Soon the many committees were formed-Elections, Turkey Mountain, Publicity, Enter- tainment, Ticket Sales, Art, and Social Service, the student body turned out in large numbers-and we were in business. Could we ever forget the honors bestowed upon our school, our own BeeLine winning a Columbia Press Conference Award, the city baseball championship, the cross-country awards, and honorable mention in the contest sponsored by Parents Magazine for our Creedmoor Toy Drive? We will never forget Marty, our typical Van Burenite, who brought tears of laughter to our eyes with each new issue of the BeeLine, nor will we forget celebrating Martin Van Buren's birthday every year on December 5. June 1957! That was the date Futura, our first yearbook, made its debut. Mid-terms, finals, Regents-these were strange new words that we were soon to become accustomed to. Then, one day, we heard about Arista and found ourselves diligently doing our school work and rushing around trying to get service credit.

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cause of scientific advances. The atomic era had begun in the previous decade, but it was in the Fifties that it began to come of age. The force that had made the Korean War so ominous now metamorphosed itself into more productive forms. ln Shipping- port, Pennsylvania, the first reactor to be used for the production of commercial elec- tricity was built. The atomic reactor also proved to be the ideal unit for powering ships both above and below the surface of the sea. The great destructive power of the atom was recognized not only in the form of a blast but in invisible fallout, and efforts were made to curtail the testingof atomic weapons. However, not all the advances in technology were confined to the military. lndustry took giant strides in automation, and civilian electronics came to the fore. We began what may well be called a second industrial revolution. Another revolution occurred in the field of consumer goods. There was increased mechanization in the kitchen, a car and a television set for every five people, and air conditioning in many homes. The burden of the housewife was lightened with the introduction of new methods of packaging and the increased use of frozen foods. Maior breakthroughs also occurred in the field of medicine with the development of the vaccine against infantile paralysis and the discovery of more powerful antibiotics. Encouraging progress was made in the field of atomic medicine in approaching a cure for cancer. The Fifties were a decade of economic prosperity and expansion. Industry grew rapidly as indicated by the increase in national income from S277 billion in 1950 to over S360 billion in 1958. A large measure of this growth was due to a rapid increase in population from 150 million people in 1950 to 175 million in 1958. This increase of 25 million in eight years compares with one of 9 million in the decade 1930 to 1940. The labor force grew from 40 million in 1950 to 66 million in 1958, because of large population gains in the Forties. The nation grew rapidly and an atmosphere of optimism was generated, as indicated by the increasing birthrate. This feeling of optimism was further strengthened when the economic growth trend proved strong enough to easily overcome two minor recessions which occurred in 1953-1954 and 1957-1958. ln essence, in this decade the world was vastly different from that which had con- fronted returning veterans after World War ll. It was a time of rapid industrial develop- ment and of an upsurge in economic optimism. There was an atmosphere of vigor and of looking toward the future with confidence. It was a decade of great scientific achievement, both pure and applied. Man learned new means of lessening the burdens of life and of eliminating life completely. Perhaps these scientific achievements created more problems than they overcame, for if this decade lacked, it lacked in the social and political areas. It lacked in not being able to find solutions for the problems it posed, it did not teach man to live in peace with himself. Such was the decade in which the class of '59 obtained its education. The full influence that the Fifties have had on our lives is as yet indeterminate. Future decades will tell the story, a story whose recurrent motif will be- The Fabulous Fifties. STEVEN RINNER

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We remember the shows in which many of us participated- Time Out For Ginger, Highlights, Showcase of l957, and Cyclorama. We saw the birth of our teams, Cheerleaders and Twirlers. Cheering our teams on to victory was always part of our school life from the very beginning. We remember the many hours the boys spent practicing baseball, basketball, track and tennis in hopes of winning a major letter, and the after-effects felt by the girls after kicking and iumping for hours in their tryouts for Cheer- leaders. February 24, 1959 was a memorable day. Twenty-five hundred Van Buren students cheered at the Garden for our basketball team. As sophomores, we welcomed Mr. Denn, our new principal, who, in very short time, became inseparable from our image of Van Buren High School. How can we forget the dances-the V-B Bounce, Mardi Gras, St. Patty's Day, V-B Bop, Twirp, Victory, Winter Carnival, Junior Prom, and the Senior Dinner Dance. September 1958-we were now seniors, ably led by Steve Raymond and Paul Frieser, and our senior adviser, Mr. Rappaport. We awakened to the fact that we were now to choose a college and career. Soon we found ourselves engulfed in a torrent of college boards, scholarship exams, applications, interviews, references, and anxious waiting and worrying. We were seniors! How could you tell? Certainly not by our fantastic display of senior hats, buttons, rings and keys, nor by the sudden all-knowing look about us. Who can forget those frantic last-minute touches before being photo- graphed for the yearbook? Then came Senior Day and the Senior Show and those hilarious costumes you never thought your friends had the nerve to wear. We unveiled Semavabu, our senior mascot, at the Senior Dinner Dance. At long last we reached the semi-climax of our high school days-the Senior Prom in the magnificent Terrace Room of the Statler Hotel-the introduction of the Prom Committee amidst soft music and billowy chiffon. And finally-graduation-the pride, the sorrow at leaving, the tears and good-bye promises, the wishing of luck, happiness, and success-and those words at the end of the ceremony, Will the alumni please stand and sing the Alma Mater. And as voices rose-loud and clear, you knew that the tears on your cheek were not tears of sorrow. They represented your wonderful high school years -years that could never be recaptured and yet never lost, for they had molded the foundation for a wonderful future. You knew that these precious years had taken their place in a never-to-be- forgotten part of your heart-a part especially reserved for the Fabulous Fifties. JO-ANN LOVE -. i ff: QDISON ' I tl E -' f A25 - xi - .o., S T ' ' 'fflil ltxzi-:sw kai. Qi 'rel 'ft as 4, y Q W ff Q41 ui 'T T' :JV '1Hw's Wiov' ' ilillllt, . f 1 f pflf, ,I '11 . fi ' gg. V I N nqafdbu-Fee if I 1 I Q N 4+ ll' .CV 31 X 1 , t ,vw 1 QQ' f i x , ,w l r 0,555.5 iff mel' KR X73 S f ll' W an vb , 6' - f o f fl 2 ls' A 49 , N Q n .C ff 5 .l. i 17