St Dominic High School - Torch Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

Page 15 text:

A BACKWARD GLANCE September eight of 1950 saw a group of anxious freshies settle in at St. Dominic's High, with Sister Mary St. Henry prepared to guide us through the year. Election gave us Joan Centkowski, presidentg Kenneth Bate, vice-president: Samuel Hood, secretary, and Richard Garcia, treasurer. Initiation on Halloween had all the horrors suited to the day and made us swear to have our turn. The Advent wreath ceremony re- rinded us daily of approaching Christmas. The program which followed candle-lighting included a dramatization of The Night Before Christmas, an amusing memory to all of us. The sophomore bazaar, Holy Week singing and ceremonies, May coronation, class picnic, exams - and our first year was at an end. Sophomore year with Sister Mary Ivo brought many firsts--the first school skating party, the first sophomore dance, the first Red Cross Club, the first variety program, where for the first time Philip and Frank presented their theme song, Cheap Bananas. Our officers were: president, Joan, vice-president, Ernest: secretary, Marilyn, and treasurer, Dolores. There had been several departures from our class ranks, but second year had brought us Sylvia and Ernest. Third year saw the enrollment of many new members: Ivy, Patricia, Jasper, Henry, Luther, Ted, Mary Ann and John Barnes, and the return to our ranks of Tom Coyne and Carl Cullotta. Our class officers were: president, Marilyn, vice-president, Coleman, secretary, Sylvia, treasurer, Miriam, and historian, Philip. Sister Mary Florina was our home room teacher. Class activities had for their primary goal the raising of funds for our junior-senior banquet. They included the Mr. Touchdown USA dance at Thanks- giving with Frank as Mr. Touchdown, a hot dog luncheon in January, a Valentine skating party, several impromptu dances and intra-mural basketball games. Other events of the year were an intra-mural volleyball tournament, our Christmas party, the May coro- nation, the Glee Club program Show Business with Ernest as Garth Oddfrey presenting the various performers in his television variety show, the class picnic at Fox Lake, and - the highlight of the year - the banquet. Senior year at last! Floralee and Sebon were our only newcomers. We were keenly disappointed to learn that our beloved Sister Mary Charles Box-romeo was too ill to serve as principal and was recuperating in faraway Colorado. With her, too, but teaching, was our Sophomore teacher, Sister Mary Ivo. With Sister Mary Margaret Anne, our antici- pated senior teacher, also changed, it was hard for us to welcome their successors, Sister Mary Eduardus, Sister Mary Marian and Sister Mary St. Joan of Arc, as well as the new Freshman teacher, Sister Mary Aloisa, who replaced Sister Mary Consolina. The first event after our election of officers was Freshman initiation. Father Raymond took us in a jam-packed bus to Lincoln Park for the mdrning ceremonies. The motley- looking Freshmen were good sports even through Fools' Court held in the auditorium that afternoon. A Halloween dance at the Swiss Club House, a carnival sponsored by the Sophomores, and a party at the Riverview skating rink in November were our principal social events before Christmas. A prominent feature of the fall was the installation of a handsome new heating plant. During the process winter coats and mufflers came in handy. Arthur went out with the old furnace and all the shiny gadgets became Sister Mary Charline's special care. About this time we lost John Barnes to the Air Force. Christmas came quickly. Carols and the long line of flickering lights through the corridors and up the stairs to the auditorium ended with the lighting of school and class candles at the lovely Crib. The Seniors as verse choir told the gospel story of the Nativity, while tableaux presented by the other classes made it very real. Solemnities over, Christmas parties were in order. A glittering tree, music, gifts and refreshments sent us all home in high spirits. Less romantic were the blue-jeans-and-levi sessions during the vacation which transformed our classroom to the clean freshness of a green and yellow springtime.

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5VY 'W4:,Zyw 5 4. 'J ii., 'N F 1 9 K 1 Ltr. ae-F - f ,, 1 Q '- , Qx . J ilfiv eo-N. - X.. N, V X .T-.4 G s 'Ri FRESHMAN CLASS - Sister Mary Aloisa, B. V. M. , Home Room Teacher CLASS OFFICERS: President, Nicholas Ranieri, Vice-president, Joseph Vitellog Treasurer, Carmine Bottigliero, Secretary, Patricia Parsons Top Row Boys: Robert Emperado, Nicholas Ranieri, Coleman McDonough, Roger Marquette, Richard McPherson Second Row: Adrian Martinez, Ronald Brocato, Vernon LaPaglia, Joseph Vitello, Carmine Bottigliero Third Row: Kenneth McCoy, Alvin Fiala, Murelle Cameron, Dominic Panzica, Robert Clark Fourth Row: Lee Chesney, Richard McCauley, James Coyne, William Crowley, Saverio Giametta Top Row Girls: Vesta Brookens, Elsa Garcia, Shirley Mitchell, Gwendolyn June Second Row: Gloria Clark, Joan Siena, Kathryn Jordan, Mary Neal, Rosetta Bell Third Row: Margaret Brady, Janice Washington, Rosa Rosada, Mignon Garrison, Mildred Colston Fourth Row: Tanya Garrison, Jennie Ponce, Merle Mcliirchy, Beverly Williams, Rose Sanchez Fifth Row: Patricia Parsons. Brenda Jung, Mabel Williams, Cathleen Kennedy, Jacqueline Swichtenberg

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Semester exams were next, then retreat. Father Bilstein, S. J. , of Cleveland, was our director, and we tried hard to make the most of the three days of prayer and quiet. Father Raymond's Valentine dance followed quickly. Frank and Carl and the Junior president, Anthony Cutrone, graced the occasion with their barber-shop harmony. The Irish honored their saint with a skating party, and everyone turned Irish for the day. Glee and play practice prepared for the great day, April 28, when the boys did a mystery farce, DROP DEAD! with Coleman the alluring madamoiselle, Frank, the un- suspecting victim,, Jasper, the star athlete and harassed student, and Harry as Dizzy adding complications to be resolved by Henry, the dignified professor. THE BELLES OF ST. MARY'S with Floralee as Sister Josephine, Dean of a girls' boarding college, Miriam and Sylvia as the snippy little twins and Marilyn, the capable president of the Student Leadership Council, made us realize the sense of responsibility and leadership for which our high school training should prepare us. The two short plays were supported by four beautiful choruses by the Glee Club, a girls' quartet, a boys' quintet, and the Greco- Marsalla specialty, Cheap Bananas. May was crowded. Crowning, with Marilyn as queen, Dolores, maid of 11011013 Patricia, Floralee, Miriam and Sylvia attendants, was a beautiful and devotional tribute to the Patroness of the Marian Class, and a fulfillment of our motto: To Jesus Through Mary. School picnic, class picnic, banquet at the Normandy House, class day with Mass and Holy Communion, breakfast served by the Freshmen, an afternoon program featuring our class history, will and prophecy, the blessing of our class rings, and the unveiling of our picture, all kept us busy up to the great event of graduation on June 6. The girls were lovely in white caps and gowns and the boys correspondingly handsome in navy blue, with class colors of medium blue and whiteg yet all felt that the long-desired day had come quite too quickly, bringing with it the realization that boyhood and girlhood days were over and the loneliness of being on our own. SPORTS In the fall of 1952 when Father Raymond LaBate came to St. Dominic High School there was no sports program. He immediately undertook its organization, and was ready with a football team when the season opened. Captains were Henry Washington and Leonard Lapaglia, and players included Ernest Washington, Philip Greco, Anthony Maniscalco, Noble Patterson, Clifton Coleman, Jasper lmburgia, Frank Marsalla, Anthony Cutrone, Gene Marshall, Henry Peck, Robert LaScola, Leroy Austin, Frank Traina and Luther Walker. St. Dominic's won six games and lost two. The 1953 season opened with en- thusiasm and a few new players, but injuries brought our efforts to an abrupt end after the first five games. The basketball season found us ready with both a senior and a junior team. We wound up with second place in the North Side Parish League, and third place in the All-City. Gene Marshall, Henry and Ernest Washington, Jasper lmburgia, Clifton Coleman and Frank McBride were high point players. It was fine preparation for the 1953-54 season when, having won the North Side trophy with no games lost, we faced Corpus Christi for the city championship in the Parish League. When we trimmed them 45-42 our Torch really flared for they had had a record of Championship for five straight years. Jasper and Ernest were picked to play with the City Parish League All Stars of 1954. Softball rounds out the year-'5 sports. Last spring we won nine out of twelve games played and are doing equally well this season. In the fall of 1953 Father organized the Parish Bowling League and his Kool Kats, Rough Riders, Alexians and Torches have met in competition every Thursday evening at the Chicago Arena. The season closed with the Kool Kats out in front and Father Raymond holding top score. Anthony Cutrone, Vincent Immordino and Frank Marsalla were high among the boys. The problem of transportation to games and practices was solved for us in the summer of 1953 by a shiny new green bus chauffeured by Father Raymond, That, and full outfits of handsome suits, make us wonder whether Father is a Houdini or a highwayman. At any rate we owe him more than we can ever pay, and wish to express to him our deep apprecia- tion for all that he has meant to us in every phase of our school and spiritual lives,