Red Bank Catholic High School - Emerald Yearbook (Red Bank, NJ)

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SENIOR HISTOR Y If anyone had been able to foretell that first, warm September day, what the next four years would hold, no one would have believed it. Who would have be- lieved that for us, the seemingly interminable four years ahead would bind us to- gether so closely. Our class was united in the joys of victory, friendship, and accomplishment. We relied upon each other for strength in moments of defeat, tragedy, and loss. The class of’71 was never known for mediocrity. Once we got down to the every day business of high school life, our natural leaders stood out in the crowd. We elected Rick Conley and Annie Quinlan to represent our class. The class of 1971 was the biggest ever enrolled at R.B.C. Under Rick and Annie we hustled: collecting bottles for the bottle drive, trying to out-clap the Seniors at pep rallies, getting ads for Annie Get Your Gun, and even mastering the intricacies of Algebra I. Summer vacation came and went, and we found ourselves back in the school- yard — minus the convent, a familiar landmark, and also minus a few good friends. Tragedy had struck when a new member of the clan. Joanne Cordaro, was killed in the crash of a small, private plane. We began that year with a surge 01 Sophomore spirit. We were no longer the babies of the school. Under the leadership of Rick Conley and Fran Lewis, we pushed to the top of all the drives and exhibited the strongest Casey spirit ever. We added our firm support to make Guvs and Dolls a success. Was it possible that two years had gone by? We were upperclassmen! We had learned a lot; we strove to learn more. With the reality of our first try at college boards, we studied hard. But we Juniors never let too much study interfere with our knack for having fun. The prospect of driver licenses, class rings. The Snow- ball, and our first Prom, Scarborough Fair, kept the air buzzing with excitement. Big winning seasons in football, basketball, and track were results of the great school spirit fostered by our officers: Jim Redmond and Annie Quinlan. Again the class of Tl was there to lend a helping hand to the cookie drive for Vietnam and obtaining ads and boosters for Pajama Game. Our one great loss, and the one most felt by the students, was the news that Sister Mary would not be there to meet us in the fall. With her went a part of “old tradition'’ at R.B.C., but we were adaptable, and welcomed the challenge of change. We began our Senior Year brimming with optimism. We were greeted by our new principal. Sister Percylee, and also many innovations. New horizons were opening up when, suddenly, just as the football season got under way, tragedy struck again. Our classmate, and football player. Jim Lemig, was killed in an au- tomobile accident. The entire Senior class attended the funeral, and the tragedy of his death served to bring us closer. The never-idle Seniors occupied themselves with worries and college applica- tions, and all our other last-minute duties. Yet, we still had time for planning the big events of the year — our graduation, our Prom, and our weekend class trip — a novelty at R.B.C. Even our pep rallies gained a new dimension bon fires at White Road Field. Also the candy drive and Marne would not have been the successes they were if Seniors had riot lent their enthusiasm to the tasks. Our class was the first to boast seven sets of twins. We distinguished ourselves by reforming the structure of the Student Council by providing more representa- tion. Dave Manyak was chosen President, Senior Class President, Jim Redmond, and Senior Vice President, Ricky Preston. For the first time, class representatives were added to the Council. They were: Kevin Dempsey, Mary Beth Keale, Tony King, and Yvette Parron. Some have left our class. Those of us who remain . . . friends . . . remember the good times. And though we cannot forget, time heals the memory of the sad events. We look ahead to the future, and the contribution we will make, however small, to the lives of our brothers. Now, as we leave the source of our initial light, we realize that others have come to take our place. We must be strong enough to break away without losing any of our brilliance. We must share a spark of that light with everyone we meet, ancl if we can do this, our goal has surely been recognized. “For it is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness '

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THE CLASS OF DAVID MICHAEL MANYAK Student Council President FRANCES MARC.ARl I I IW IS Student Council Vice-president JAMES CHARLES REDMOND Senior Class President I REDRIC A ANN PRESTON Senior Class Vice-president 11