DeMoleys while some girls joined Jobs’ Daughters. Most Jewish boys and girls pledged the many high school fraternities and sororities in the area which offered a wholesome social life and the opportunity to meet people of our own faith. Judy and I chose Kappa Sigma Tau which was a National Sorority with chapters all over the country. It was a great way to meet people not only outside of our school area but clear across town in northwest. At first Judy wanted no part of a social group that would allow her to meet “Jewish boys” since she was quite taken with Tony Russo. But after a while, she saw it as a way that she could take him as her date to various events without her parents’ knowledge.
Both Judy and I tried out for Cheerleaders and made the squad, while Jenny joined the Glee Club. Tony made the football team and Billy was a star pitcher on the baseball team. The Eastern High Ramblers were No. 1 in football and baseball that year as in many years past, evidenced by the cases of trophies on display in the front entrance hall to the school.
When we entered Eastern, the United States had already been involved in the Korean War for over a year. Less than ten years after World War II, our boys were once again being drafted within weeks after graduation. Many of my brother’s friends were already serving their country, and even though my brother and Judy’s brother Mike were both in college, they were drafted in 1952, but neither served in a war zone and were honorably discharged two years later and returned to school.
Although the Korean conflict didn’t have the overall effect on us that World War II had, our country was at war once again, and the families that had relatives serving overseas were once again apprehensive.
High school was quite different than our carefree days of elementary and junior high. We were growing up and our outlook on what was ahead of us and what we wanted to accomplish in life was on the horizon. We took ourselves seriously and began planning for the future. From day one, our studies were geared to whether or not we planned to go on to college after graduation. Some of the students opted to transfer to vocational high schools where they were taught a trade so that upon graduation, they could enter the workforce immediately. Others planned to go on to college whether they had selected a particular field or not.
One day as our junior year at Eastern was slowly coming to an end, Judy and I were hanging out with Jenny Kiata, Billy McAvoy, and Tony Russo, and we started talking about what we were thinking of doing with our lives.
“I definitely want to go to Juilliard to study opera, and I hope I get accepted.” was Jenny’s response, but then we all knew that. She had a magnificent voice and was the Eastern High Glee Club’s undisputed star.
Fascinated with planes since he was a toddler, Billy McAvoy planned to make a career in the military. “I’m joining the Air Force. I’ve wanted to become a pilot for as long as I can remember, and I’m eagerly looking forward to graduation next year. I can’t wait to fly those sleek new jets that you see and read about in the paper almost everyday.”
Tony Russo was totally into cars. It was all he talked about. He had done a beautiful job restoring an old coupe that his father bought him, and his dream was to open an auto body shop or gas station, but his parents were dead set against that idea. “My parents want me to be a lawyer, can you imagine? I don’t do that well in school. I work better with my hands, and thinking about four years of college plus four years of law school boggles my mind. Getting through just four years of college would be tough for me.”
Changing the subject, Tony playfully posed a question to Judy and me. “Well what are you girls going to do, get married and have lots of kids?”
Judy and I looked at each other and laughed. “No smarty pants. You know I want to be a teacher. We’ve certainly talked
Both Judy and I tried out for Cheerleaders and made the squad, while Jenny joined the Glee Club. Tony made the football team and Billy was a star pitcher on the baseball team. The Eastern High Ramblers were No. 1 in football and baseball that year as in many years past, evidenced by the cases of trophies on display in the front entrance hall to the school.
When we entered Eastern, the United States had already been involved in the Korean War for over a year. Less than ten years after World War II, our boys were once again being drafted within weeks after graduation. Many of my brother’s friends were already serving their country, and even though my brother and Judy’s brother Mike were both in college, they were drafted in 1952, but neither served in a war zone and were honorably discharged two years later and returned to school.
Although the Korean conflict didn’t have the overall effect on us that World War II had, our country was at war once again, and the families that had relatives serving overseas were once again apprehensive.
High school was quite different than our carefree days of elementary and junior high. We were growing up and our outlook on what was ahead of us and what we wanted to accomplish in life was on the horizon. We took ourselves seriously and began planning for the future. From day one, our studies were geared to whether or not we planned to go on to college after graduation. Some of the students opted to transfer to vocational high schools where they were taught a trade so that upon graduation, they could enter the workforce immediately. Others planned to go on to college whether they had selected a particular field or not.
One day as our junior year at Eastern was slowly coming to an end, Judy and I were hanging out with Jenny Kiata, Billy McAvoy, and Tony Russo, and we started talking about what we were thinking of doing with our lives.
“I definitely want to go to Juilliard to study opera, and I hope I get accepted.” was Jenny’s response, but then we all knew that. She had a magnificent voice and was the Eastern High Glee Club’s undisputed star.
Fascinated with planes since he was a toddler, Billy McAvoy planned to make a career in the military. “I’m joining the Air Force. I’ve wanted to become a pilot for as long as I can remember, and I’m eagerly looking forward to graduation next year. I can’t wait to fly those sleek new jets that you see and read about in the paper almost everyday.”
Tony Russo was totally into cars. It was all he talked about. He had done a beautiful job restoring an old coupe that his father bought him, and his dream was to open an auto body shop or gas station, but his parents were dead set against that idea. “My parents want me to be a lawyer, can you imagine? I don’t do that well in school. I work better with my hands, and thinking about four years of college plus four years of law school boggles my mind. Getting through just four years of college would be tough for me.”
Changing the subject, Tony playfully posed a question to Judy and me. “Well what are you girls going to do, get married and have lots of kids?”
Judy and I looked at each other and laughed. “No smarty pants. You know I want to be a teacher. We’ve certainly talked
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