Scranton Central HS December 1956 Yearbook (Scranton, PA) - Full Access

Living in our own private worlds, we often fail to notice some of our companions whose lives have differed from the conventional pattern. Two students at Central High School spent their first ten years under the shadow of Fascism and Communism. Aida Zukowski, a petite fifteen-year old, was born in Buenos Aires, Argen– tina. Having come to this country only five years ago, Aida retains deep impressions of her life in South America. Jonas Dovydenas, a typical American teenager, was born in Lithuania and spent five years in war– time and postwar Germany. Jonas has recently become a citizen of the United States. These young people's own comments follow: "On December 7, 1951, my family and I left the port of Buenos Aires, Argentina , on a journey that would take us to the land that we had heard so much about and believed existed only in fairy tales. On the S.S. BRAZIL we discovered that these were not merely dreams of an imaginary land, but wonderful realities. 16 A View of Argentina's Capital Building VIEWS OF TWO The panish Memorial The fact that we could not speak any English did not bar us from meeting many wonderful people; they were sweet, encouraging and understanding. From the ship's cap– tain to the last mate, each was proud of being an American and tried to impress this feeling upon us. All showed us that we were going to a country in which the word "Freedom" had a meaning and that we should leave our fears behind us. As the ship neared the dock on the morning of Christmas Eve, the Statue of Liberty stood there, proud and erect, guiding us into this promised land of hers. An indescriba– ble feeling swept over us, a feeling we were later to recognize as one of security, joy, freedom, and excite– ment. The buildings, the automobiles, the who!e activity of New York City, left an everlasting impression of this country on our minds. The snow, a thing which we had never seen before, covering the countryside and icicles hanging from the mountain ledges, made our jour- ney to Scranton unforgettable. The United States not only pleased us but also amazed us, for it is dif– ferent from life in Argentina. In Argentina the school systems are set up so that boys and girls attend dif– ferent schools. The school day is divided into two shifts, one from 8:00 a. m. to 12: a.m. and the other from 2:00p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The pupil must spend the remainder of the day pre– paring his lesson. Free public edu– cation ends at the age of twelve, and most boys and girls learn a trade afterward. At fourteen these teen– agers are ready to tackle any adult job and, because of this, responsibili– ty comes to them early in life. In Argentina dating does not start until boys and girls reach the age of sixteen and, in some cases, a little later. Most dating is done in groups, and dating hours until the age of nineteen or twenty are from eight to eleven o'clock at night. In Argentina there are no sororities or fraternities, but youth centers are plentiful. A typical South American family of four lives in an extra-clean apart– ment which consists of a small patio, two large rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Labor-saving appliances are not moderatly priced; therefore, coal stoves and iceboxes are still Aida Zukowski IMPRESSIONS