MAY 17, 1960
Presenting..»
Miss Loretta Westler
(As Interviewed By
Frances Pannulla)
“The life of a professional
dancer is not always filled with
glamor, tinsel and ballyhoo,”
Loretta Westler, a first-semester
Highacres bacteriology major,
who is also a dancer, said during
her interview. “It involves careful
preparation, scheduling, practice
and strict discipline, where one
must be aware of the principles
of morals, self-respect and dignity
(for no matter what a person has
achieved in life, wholesome per
sonal values must predominate, or
all is lost in the end). Nor is a
dancer made overnight. One usu
ally begins during the flexibility
of childhood when muscles and
stage poise can be more easily
developed. It is usually hard
work, involving the old slogan,
“The show must go on.” Phili
sophically, it has to do with
“appearance and realitiy.” By
this comment is meant that even
when one is tired, unhappy,
moody, and feels least like
performing, this reality must be
ignored, and an energetic, enter
taining and vivacious appearance
must be substituted,” she
continued. i
Loretta gave the following ac
count when asked when and how
she became interested in dancing,
and why she gave up her
full-time career for a college
education:
“My life as a daneer began at
the age of eight, at which time
I immediately developed aspira
tions to be a famous dancer. The
following years were character
ized by much hard work, with
hours of practice and exercise;
however, I did love every moment
of it. My first real engagement
was at the age of eighteen and
was a very trying experience.
During the next few years my
dancing career continued on a
part-time basis, for I held a
secretarial position full-time. I
was not satisfied with this, for my
aspirations in dancing were still
with me, and last October, I
managed to obtain contracts in
New York which enabled me to
begin as a full-time entertainer.
“Thus, I was faced with the
decision to make a complete
change in my life: I decided to
take a chance at a full-time
dancing career, realizing that
many insecurities, hardships and
other problems might result. The
following months, up to the time
I started college, were spent
traveling from state to state,
covering the area from Canada
down to the Carolinas. Traveling
around as a dancer proved to be
exciting and rewarding in certain
ways at first, but later all this
became comparable to a common
place job held by any average
individual. Moreover, it lacked
the more important things in life,
such as home life, permanent
friends (not just casual acquaint
ances whom you would meet here
and there). Most important was
the realization of the necessity of
a college education to broaden my
outlook on life, as well as to help
raise my social status. Conse
quently, I began college in
February with the aid of my
parents, together with the money
a r n e d on week-ends through
dancing jobs.”
I asked Loretta this question:
Now that she is in college, how
Our Versatile Professor Steel
(By Don Spina)
During these last few weeks of
the spring semester, one may
have observed the outdoor classes
held by one of our distinguished
professors, James R. Steel, Jr.
Students have had the opportu
nity to see him teach in the
classroom, but few know much
about his other numerous
activities
Professor Steel received his
B.A. at the University of Penn
sylvania, and went on to receive
his Master’s Degree at Duke
University, North Carolina. This
year marks his sixteenth year as
an instructor for the Pennsylva
nia State University. During this
time he has taught physiology,
botany and zoology, and has been
the advisor of’ the Highacres’
Natural Science Department.
One of his main hobbies is
music. He has a serious, enthu
siastic interest in the composing
of music. Professor Steel’s great
interest in this art can be
exemplified when we remember
the “Evening of Tropical Music”
which was held in the Student
Union Building, during this
spring semester. Because of
stormy weather on the evening
scheduled for its presentation,
very few people were able to
attend, but this did not stop
Professor Steel’s desire to satisfy
those few who did attend. He ran
a complete program, and at a
later date, he held the entire show
over again. (How much more
conscientious can one be concern
ing the students’ cultural
interest!)
His subtle, droll wit has brought
many a chuckle from his students
and colleagues. One of his
colleagues has mentioned that
Professor Steel should run for a
political oifice because he knows
so many people and is so popular.
Many alumni drop in on the
third floor, where Professor
Steel’s office is, for a chat on the
old “Mummy Club” (which for
merly was a club where ancient
Egyptology was discussed). Peel
free to visit, on the third floor,
for anything that has to do with
music, flora and fauna, old cars,
or railroads.
Highacres Associate Degree Students
Available For Employment'
In June, approximately twenty turers of electrical and electronic
engineering associate-degree equipment and electrical mainten
graduates from the Hazleton ance, and instrument departments
Campus will be eligible for of various industrial concerns.
employment with various
industries.
During their final semester,
students were interviewed by per
sonnel representatives of various
companies in a program set up by
Mr. Richard H. McKinstry, assist
ant professor o f psychology.
Some cooperating companies that
have conducted interviews with
our students are these:
Sandia Company—Albuquerque,
New Mexico. Babcock and Wil
cox Barberton, Ohio. Potomac
Edison Co. —■ Hagerstown, Md.
Federal Aviation Agency—Jamai-
ca, N. Y. New Jersey Zinc Co.—
Palmerton, Pa. Landis Tool Co.—
Waynesboro, Pa. I.B.M.—Paugh
keepsie, N. Y. U. S. Naval
Weapons Plant Washington,
D. C. Hazeltine Corporation
Great Neck, L. I. Penna. State
Univ. Ordinance Research Lab
University Park, Pa. Bell Tele
phone Lab —N. J. Dorr-Oliver
Hazleton, Pa.
The drafting and designing
technology curriculum is intended
to prepare detail or layout
draftsmen and junior designers
for manufacturing industries as
well as for the many concerns
engaged in installation or erection
The electrical technology cur
riculum is designed to prepare
graduates for technological service
with electrical utilities, manufac-
does she find time for her studies
and still accept part-time work as
a dancer? To this she responded,
“Being an academic student as
well as an entertainer means
planning and organizing my life
according to a rigidly disciplined
schedule. It means utilizing con
structively every possible moment
that is free, even limiting my
social activities.” She concluded
by adding, “I am convinced that
no success that I may attain as
a dancer will ever compare in
importance with the achievements
that I will make in my college
life.”
HIGHACRES COLLEGIAN
PROFESSOR JAMES R. STEEL,
JR., teaching a Zoology class
while he uses a structural model
of the organs of the human body
as an aid in teaching.
Final College-Community
Chorus Concert to be Held
The Pennsylvania State Univer
sity College-Community Chorus
of Highacres will present (date to
be announced later) an Annual
Spring Concert, conducted by
Miss Pearl Garbrick.
The selections are these:
Sacred Service by Ernest Bloch;
The Main Deep by A. Gordon
Wilcox; Chorale on Wisdom by A.
Gordon Wilcox; Madrigals; The
Silver Swan by Orlando Gibbons;
Welcome, Sweet Pleasure by
Thomas Weelkes; Your Beauty, It
Allureth by Thomas Weelkes;
Now Is the Month of Maying by
Thomas Morley; To Thee the Holy
Ghost by Wasner.
The members are as follows
Soprano voices—Edwina Roland,
Cathy Clyde, Antoinette Curcio,
Margaret Lloyd, Mrs. Stanley
Lloyd, Grace Purdy. Alto
voices Elizabeth Esher, Eliza
beth Bodenstein, Jeannette Feld
man, Charlotte Phillips, Susan
Schwartz. Tenor voices
Edward Davis, Joseph Jumpeter,
Richard Allison, Ronald Rickert.
Bass voices—Gordon Wilcox, John
Schmidt, Basil Augustine.
Interviews by the personnel of
the various companies consisted
of a group meeting of interested
students in the morning before
the scheduled class, at which time
company officials described the
nature and use of their products,
explained their industrial proc
esses, and pointed out the types
of job opportunities available.
Following this, individual inter
views were scheduled throughout
the day.
The following is a list of
graduating associate degree
students:
David Antolick, ET; John P.
Beccone, ET; John H. Benner,
ET; Leslie G. Bogert, ET; Rocco
E. Carsia, ET; Rocco Ditolvo,
DDT; Donald C. Driesbach, DDT;
John R. Drosdach, ET; John F.
Gogal, DDT; Eric J. Hagstrand,
DDT; George R. Hardish, DDT;
George J. Hayden, ET; Ronald A.
Mattavi, DDT; Robert R. Pekala,
ET; Joseph J. Rodzewich, DDT;
John J. Seroka, ET; Walter M.
Spencer, ET; Richard E. Thomp
son, DDT; Fred W. Troxell, Jr.,
DDT; William J. Zeleznock, ET.
Great- Literature Course
Completes Active Year
The fifteenth semester of the
Highacres Great Literature
Course completed the current
semester on May 3 with the
discussion of Plato’s Theaetetus.
This literary club meets at
Highacres on periodic Tuesday
evenings. The other books dis
cussed this year were Herman
Melville’s Moby-Dick; Euripedes’
Medea; Ernest Hemingway’s The
Sun Also Rises; John Woolman’s
Journal; and The Little Flowers
of St. Francis of Assisi.
Plans are being formulated to
continue next fall with the
reading and discussion of ten
modern novels and other books to
be decided. Membership is open
to all except day-time students.
Professor Andrew Kafka
moderated this course.
Hazleton Campus Salutes
Its Alumni Association
(Continued from Page One)
Tamaqua, John P. Donald, engin
eering aide with the Pennsylvania
Power & Light Company in
Hazleton, Nicholas Grazio, engin
eering aide also with the Penn
sylvania Power & Light Company,
Dominic Landro, engineer, with
Landro and Company, Hazleton.
Charles P. Gallagher of Hazle
ton, a “graduate” of the earliest
class when our Hazleton Campus
was founded, left us in ’36 and
went on to get his B.S. degree in
Education at the Main Campus.
Mr. Gallagher writes: “I was a
member of the first undergradu
ate class when classes were held
in the Markle Bank & Trust
Building.” Mr. Gallagher is now
a Special Agent with the
Prudential Insurance Company.
Two former students are in
communication work: Paul Cer
ula, ’4B, is WAZL News Director
and Director of Public Relations
in Hazleton; Ramon S. Saul is
Sports Editor, Standard Sentinel
in Hazleton.
Two other former Highacres
students now on the Main Cam
pus were heard from. They are
Carol Mastroianni and A 1 Hinger.
Carol writes that she has just
finished student teaching in the
third grade. Al, who is holding
a job as engineering aide with the
Ordnance Research Lab at PSU,
is continuing his education to
wards a B.S. in mechanical
engineering, and raising a family,
writes that his is a busy life.
From Alburquerque, New Mex
ico, came news of John A. Smith,
’5B, who is working as a staff
assistant with the Sandia Corp.
Ted Minor writes from Long
Island, New York: “I am em
ployed as a staff assistant by the
New York Telephone Company. I
am also teaching evening classes
in marketing at the Nassau
Community College on Long
Island.”
The response o f Highacres
graduates to the Hazleton Cam
pus Alumni Association’s mem
bership drive has been tremen
dous. Former students, also heard
from are Carl Dragonette ’57,
Joseph Ondo ’5B, Robert Ulrich
’57, David Kashner ’59, George
Mishkin ’59, Thomas Dougherty
'56, William Halcovage, Jr. ’56,
Ronald Stauffer ’59, John Roland
’57, Joel Hoffman ’59, Francis
Bodnar, William Smith, John
Martini, Don Billig, George
Lucas, Joseph Zoba ’5B, Thadeus
Jaworski ’5B, James Deebel ’59,
Max Hartman ’5B, Salvadore
Matsuk ’55, Joseph Fetter ’5B,
Eugene Yachera ’59, Robert Gritt
ner ’5B (now in Biloxi, Miss.), and
Robert Hnat ’59.
Mr. Leonard Tyahla ’5B, staff
assistant with the Sandia Corp.,
Alburquerque, New Mexico for
warded this suggestion to the
H.A.A.: “I suggest you might
complete a file on past graduates
of Highacres consisting of their
present positions and locations.
With such a listing, future grads
may contact an alumnus regard
ing details of a specific corpora
tion or location.” This suggestion
is well worth noting in connection
with obtaining a better job.
The officers of the H.A.A.
extend their greetings and best
wishes to all alumni everywhere.
Officers are William E. Kahler
’56, President; Andrew Kavalecs
'59, Ist Vice President; Joseph
Lona ’57, 2nd Vice President;
Remo Molino ’59, Secretary; Wil
liam Mace ’59, Treasurer. The
Faculty Committee members are
Andrew Kafka (chairman), Frank
Defina, Frederick Esher, and
Thomas Kidd.
P.S. To those who have not
replied we ask this:
WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
GREETING FROM THE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
The leaders of health and
health education within a few
years will come from our college
students of today. Are you
helping to make a better commu
nity life since your leaving
college or your completion of
your course ?
Our great reward is to hear of
your success and achievements.
We like to see your continued
interest in us, wherever you are,
to greet you any time you can
return.
Leah Kostenbauder
PAGE THREE
An Alumnus Reminisces
(Continued from Page One)
Hazleton area. Jim Kennedy,
after his two years at the local
center, continued his education in
the field of medicine and is now
a pediatrician, with offices in the
Northeastern Penna. Nat’l Bank
Bldg. Donald Carter is a member
of the local Social Security office.
His wife, formerly Alice Itter,
also a member of the first class,
is an instructor of the handi
capped children in Carbon County.
Frank Mondick is employed in the
engineering department of the
Pennsylvania Power and Light
Company. Tommy Pugliese is on
the teaching staff of the Hazleton
City Schools. (See some of these
alumni in the old basketball
team’s picture.)
Personally, I have been em
ployed, since 1951, as a Special
Agent with the Prudential
Insurance Company.
It is my intent to contact the
members of the first class of the
Pennsylvania State University in
Hazleton and try to have as many
as possible attend the Alumni
Dinner-Dance on May 28. I would,
and I feel the rest of the members
who can attend, look forward to
the opportunity of making a visit
to the various buildings and
seeing the classrooms and the
facilities in general.
This visit would enable us to
better appreciate the vast prog
ress made at Highacres in
contrast to the rather primitive
facilities we found when we first
entered the classrooms of the old
Penn State Center so many years
ago.
In addition to the serious
aspects of our initial college
training, we enjoyed many experi
ences of a humorous nature. The
instructors in our early years
were well qualified in their
respective fields, and all of us
I considered ourselves very fortu-
I nate to have teachers of their
I caliber to give us a good start in
our educational career.
The many stories of the fabled
“absent-minded professor” are fa
miliar to all. We possessed such
an instructor whose antics, on
many occasions, provided the hu
morous aspects that added a note
of lightness to our daily class
room experience. The instructor
referred to had the responsibility
of teaching both the chemistry
and algebra courses. Quite often,
the professor would forget that
the class in session was algebra
and discourse on length on the
field of chemistry. In reverse, in
the chemistry class, he would
elucidate on various algebraic
problems. We, the students, per
haps unfairly, would allow him to
continue these erroneous discus
sions, then, would advise him that
he was presenting his material to
the wrong class.
In dress, he was the stereotype
of the absent-minded professor.
He was advanced in years and
very proper in his demeanor. Yet,
he wore a cap (rather unconven
tional at that time.) As previ
ously mentioned, the classes were
held in the old Markle Bank
Building. On many mornings, the
professor would board the ele
vator with the students, very
politely tipping his cap to the
ladies present. When the elevator
stopped at the floor on which our
classes were held, the students
would get off, the professor would
again tip his cap to the girls
leaving the elevator, and continue
on upward. He later would
appear, apologizing for his
lateness in getting to ■ :ss.
I remember especially a test in
chemistry conducted by this pro
fessor. We had an idea of one of
the questions that in all probabil
ity might be asked. It required
a long discussion. Some of the
students, not having prepared too
diligently for the exam, figured
out a solution: they had one of
the students well versed in
French write the answer in this
language on the blackboard on
which the exam would be written.
Of course, those who were
familiar with French had an easy
time on this question; those who
did not, including me, were at a
loss.
Finally, may I convey my best
wishes to all alumni and to the
present Highacres student body. I
enjoyed sharing this bit of
nostalgia with you.
“ ‘Easy come easy go’ is a
saying as applicable to knowledge
as to wealth.”
—Herbert Spencer.