Woodrow Wilson High School - Saga Yearbook (Middletown, CT)

Page 14 text:

What we did... CLASS HISTORY 1955-1959 Because most of us were at Wilson during our eighth grade year, we missed the exciting feeling of being freshmen lost in the maze of strange rooms and corridors of a new school. Since we were familiar with the upperclassmen, teachers, and the idea of examinations, we settled right down and began making a name for ourselves. We freshmen first made the front page of the Margray with the headline, Class of ’59 Presents Veterans' Day Program. That November, 1955, Shirley Davis, Anton Petras, Margaret Inglis, George Holroyd, and Marc Teichman presented a program over the public address system honoring our many fine servicemen. These were the first words of the Class of '59 to be broadcast throughout the school. It was the beginning of our long climb to success and recognition. We became officially part of student government when we elected our class officers. Anton Petras was chosen president; Margaret Inglis, vice-president; Jane Turner, secre- tary; George Holroyd, treasurer; and Donald Briggmann, representative to Student Council. December '55 saw John Jarzavek, Mike Golensky, and Arnold Nielson donning grease-paint in the Sock 'n Buskin production of Arsenic and Old Lace.” In March Mary Lou Blacha was elected photography editor of the Margray. And that same spring Pamela McConochie had the distinction of being the only freshman on the cheering squad. In the literary field, Margaret Inglis, Leah Kmietek, and Dan Ryan won honors in the regional and national scholastic writing awards contest. Our first big dance, the Freshman-Sophomore Hop, was held in the school gym on April 20th; its theme being April Showers. Tony Petras and Don Patenaude headed the dance committees as general chairmen. In June, as we ended our first year at Wilson, we sadly bade farewell to the old school. Much of our success was due to the guidance of our advisors, Miss Alice Dempsey, Miss Gladys Glidden, and Mr. Ouellette. Our sophomore year was one of monumental change. In September '56 we became the first sophomore class to enter the newly built senior high school. We now ex- perienced the strange feeling of new classrooms, new systems, new teachers — feelings which we had missed as freshmen. We wasted no time in electing as our sophomore officers; Jack Cubeta, president; Mike Golensky, vice-president; Sue Lewandowski, secretary; George Holroyd, treasurer; and Anton Petras, representative to Student Council. We held our first semi-formal, The Snow Fantasy,” in the new cafeteria on Feb- ruary 1, 1957. In keeping with the theme, the school and town were blanketed with many inches of snow. The success of the dance, in spite of the weather, was due to the efforts of the committees under the general chairmanship of Jack Cubeta. That spring Don Briggman made athletic headlines by being the only sophomore on the varsity basketball squad. Literary honors went to John Jarzavek, who received a gold key, and to Pat Rau and Harry Zlokower, who received honorable mentions, in the Hartford Courant Scholastic Writing Contest. Legislative honors went to Pam McConochie, Sue Blasco, and Doc Briggmann who were elected to the Advisory Board. Later that May, Robert Gula, Margaret Inglis, John Jarzavek, Jim Kelly, Ray Myjak, Dave LeBoeuf, Anton Petras, Anthony Gioco, and Suusan Lewandowski were elected probationary members of the National Honor Society. Many sophomores were elected to fill executive positions in school activities for their junior year. Bob Gula was elected news editor of the Margray, Mary Lou Blacha was made head majorette, Dave LeBoeuf was elected president of the Audio-Visual Club, Shirley Davis became advertising mananger of the Margray, and Margaret Inglis, Ray Myjak, Bob Gula, Barbara Davis, and Tony Gioco were appointed to the Scholarship Committee. September, 1957 began the year of the Asian Flu, the year when the Class of '59, as juniors, became upperclassmen. In October, we elected Jim Kelly, president; Joyce Solito, vice-president; Judy Kutzner, secretary; Anthony Gioco, treasurer, and Robert Dickerson, representative to Student Council. Our representatives to the Advisory Board were Sue Blasca, Pam McConochie, Shirley Davis, Barbara Davis, and Don Briggmann. Literary awards that year from the Hartford Courant Parade of Youth Scholastic Writing Contest went to Allen Kubat, Jim Kelly, John Jarzavek, Harry Zlokower, and Dan Ryan. The Russell Library sponsored and essay contest on the subject, Wake Up and Read. For their essays Dan Ryan and Mary Schukoske received first and second 10

Page 13 text:

CLASS OF 1959 OFFICERS PRESIDENT William Lefco VICE-PRESIDENT William Dowling SECRETARY Judith Kutzner TREASURER Anthony Gioco REP. TO STUDENT COUNCIL Robert Dickerson 9

Page 15 text:

prize respectively. On the school library level also in conjunction with the library, Miss Gilbert presented John Jarzavek with a book prize for the best junior book report. Jim Kelly was general chairman of the Junior Prom held February 14. Its theme, Holiday of Hearts, lent itself to the decorations of hearts and cupids which lined the cafe walls. Amid flowers and by candlelight, twelve juniors were inducted into the National Senior Honor Society. They were John Jarzavek, Margaret Inglis, Ray Myjak, Sal Maz- zotta, Jane Turner, Harry Zlokower, Bob Gula, Michael Golensky, Susan Lewandowski, Dave LeBoeuf, Tony Gioco, and Jim Kelly. In the spring, scholastic awards went to Margaret Inglis and John Jarzavek who received the Bishop McFarland American History Award; Ray Myjak, Dave LeBoeuf, and Jim Kelly won a first grant at the Northern Connecticut Science Fair for their ripple tank; John Jarzavek won the Harvard Book Prize, and Jack Cubeta was presented an award as the most outstanding shop student in the junior class. As in our sophomore year, many of us as juniors were elected to executive positions for the senior year in a number of activities. Among them were Dave LeBouf, again president of the A. V. Club; Mary Lou Blacha, again head majorette; Pam McConochie, head cheerleader; Harry Zlokower, president of French Club; John Jarzavek, editor-in- chief of the Margray; Bob Gula, managing editor of the Margray; Janet Linderme and Margaret Inglis, news and feature editors, respectively, of the Margray; John Jarzavek, president of the National Honor Society, and Dan Ryan, president of the Latin Club. Seven juniors were elected to key positions in Student Government for their senior year: Michael Guiffrida, president of Student Association; Pam McConochie, secretary of Student Association; Sal Mazzotta, director of Student Council; Donald Briggmann, director of Advisory Board; George Holroyd, treasurer of Student Association; Karlene Newsome, director of Scholarship Committee, and Jack Novak, captain of Service Squad. With a sigh of relief, we welcomed our summer vacation, thus ending a very successful school year. Resuming classes after the summer, we realized that this was to be our final and most active year at Wilson. Bill Lefco was elected president of the senior class; Bill Dowling, vice-president; Judy Kutzner, secretary; Anthony Gioco, treasurer; and Robert Dickerson, representative to Student Council. Senior members of the Advisory Board were Sue Blasco, Jack Cubeta, Shirley Davis, Susan Lewandowski, Jane Turner, and John Prete. Early in November, '58 Mr. Copeland announced the names of the additional seniors who would join the other members of the class in the National Senior Honor Society. They were Jeanne Bellerose, Mary Schukoske, Janet Linderme, Frances Misenti, Gary Burr, Karlene Newsome, Richard Usanis, and Dan Ryan. The Christmas card sale, under the chairmanship of Sal Mazzotta, was a huge success. Outstanding salesmen were Dick Bula, Pat Rau, and Dick Kellish; all of whom received their Sagas free for a job well done. The money earned by this class project was used for our caps and gowns and other graduation expenses. Members of our class again won many honors. Pam McConochie was chosen as the Wilson recipient of the D. A. R. Good Citizenship Award. Gary Burr was named as candidate to the Merchant Marine Academy. Allen Kubat was nominated as an alternate candidate to the Air Force Academy in Colorado. Dick Goodman won first prize in the Lions' Club Talent Show. Wayne Kensel attended agricultural conferences in Illinois, Iowa, and Pennsylvania and placed in various poultry judging contests. Dan Ryan won first prize for his editorial at the Connecticut Scholastic Press Association Conference. Captains of the teams for the Senior year were Don Briggmann, basketball and soccer; Tony Petras and Bob Dickerson, co-captains of football; Bob Gula and John Prete, co-captains of tack; Ron Russo, captain of cross-country; and George Holroyd, captain of tennis. Our Senior Ball was an immense success with many couples attending. Its success and the success of our senior year was due to our advisors. Miss Linda Rufleth, Miss Ella Rufleth, Mr. Straub, Mr. Champagne, Mrs. Dunlap, and Mr. Akerley. At last came the day for which we had been waiting and preparing since the first day of our freshman year. That Sunday in June we made our last appearance as Wilson students. In caps and gowns we realized, as we received our diplomas, that our student days had come to a close. We were no longer Wilsonites, but we would always hold Woodrow Wilson High School close to our hearts. 11