\
By PAM AARON
Staff Correspondent
Gerald Wyecallis, curren y serv-
ing as Acting Superintendent as well
as maintaining his position as Cur-
riculum Developer in the Dallas
School District, will assume the
position of superintendent of the
district, effective July, 1985. He will
then continue in that position for
four years.
The decision to appoint Wycallis
to the position was made at the
{8September 10 school board meeting,
at which time board members voted
54 in favor of his assuming the
position.
Holding down two positions hasn’t
always been easy, admits Wycaliis,
but he does admit to finding the
variability somewhat exciting and
looks toward the position of superin-
tendent as one with even more
excitement.
The complexities and diversities
inherent in dealing with a school
district are what interest Wycallis
the most while he feels challenged
with gathering information on
numerous subjects and making
decisions that have far-reaching
effects. Wycallis finds that each day
comes with its own problems and
one never knows what will cross the
desk tomorrow.
Wyecallis received his undergradu-
ate and graduate degrees in Ele-
mentary Education from the Uni-
versity of Scranton. He taught
briefly in Sydney, New York before
aveturning to the valley in which he
as born and raised. He is pres-
ently completing his Supervisory
certificate at St. Bonaventure’s in
i Olean, New York.
The Wycallis family currently
resides in West Pittston. Wife,
Judith Ann, teaches in that area
while sons, Gerald (J.J.) and Mat-
thew, are students there.
Since one of the stipulations set
out for the assumption of the Super-
intendent’s position is that the can-
didate be a resident of the district,
the Wycallis family plans relocation
to the district prior to Mr. Wycallis’
At Misericordia
taking his post.
Wycallis admits to being a little
surprised over his sudden nomina-
tion at the September board meet-
ing. Although he had expressed a
definite interest in the’ position, he
had remained equivocal, especially
as the board was planning a search
to interview other qualified candi-
dates before next year.
The fact that Wycallis would
assume the role of school superin-
tendent next year came as a sur-
prise to many on the Dallas School
Board as well, since most of them
were under $li¢ impression the deci-
sion had been to continue the search
for alternate candidates.
At one point, the board was con-
sidering a program of selection
offered to them by Dr. Raub of the
PSBI, the agency procuring and
screening those who would be eligi-
ble to be interviewed for the Super-
intendent’s position.
Dr. Raub believed that, given the
size of the district, as many as 60
applicants could be selected for
interviewing. The cost of the service
was to have been between $3,000
and $3,500, to which some of the
(See WYCALLIS, page's)
By DOTTY MARTIN
Editor
Virginia Major walked across
the hallway and sat down in the
only chair available. She took off
her high-heeled shoes and lit a
cigarette. Next to her stood her
middle child, Judy, as the two
women from Huntsville waited
somewhat nervously to enter the
Miss America Ball at Convention
Hall in Atlantic’ City Saturday
night, or actually, early Sunday
morning.
It had been a rather exciting
week for the Majors, but this
particular day was marred with
disappointment. Gina Major,
Mrs. Major's eldest daughter,
reportedly had a better than
average chance of making the
Top 10 finalist sin the 1984 Miss
America Pageant, but her child-
hood dreams were shattered
when her name was not among
the 10 called at the onset of the
pageant. Gina would not be Miss
America 1985 and, although she
would spend the next nine .
months serving out her reign as
Miss Pennsylvania, that some-
how did not seem consoling
enough to a woman who had
followed her daughter’s career
as closely as Virginia Major had
followed Gina's.
‘I guess this is how any
. mother would feel,” the ¢8-year-
old mother of three said, almost
as if trying to justify her feel-
ings. ‘After you’ve laughed with
.them, you've cried with them,
you’ve been through everything
with them.....”” Her voice faded
with the memories.
Mrs. Major expressed disap-
pointment for the nearly 300
people who had made the trip to
Atlantic City to support Gina. It
was not, however, disappoint-
ment in her daughter that she
was feeling, but rather disap-
pointment in the situation: She
was very proud of Gina Saturday
night — that was written all over
her face.
Waving to the crowd
{nilss Post/Eq Campball
convertible as she rides in the
Miss America Parade on the
“Gina told me just last Friday
she had prepared as best she
could for this,” Mrs. Major said,
as the crowd at the door of the
“She told me she was prepared
to do her best and, if she won, it
would be great. But, if she didn’t,
she would continue to make her
personal appearances and con-
tinue her role as Miss Pennsyl-
vania. She really did have a good
attitude about things.”
Gina may have done her best,
but it was Sharlene Wells, Miss
Utah, who took the ever-famous
runway walk as Miss America
1985. A Mormon who grew up in
South America, Miss Wells won
the crowd over with a Spanish
musical rendition on a golden
harp. During the ialent perform-
ance, Miss Wells acted almost as
if she knew she was going to win
the crown, looking as pleased
ica’s Mary Lou Retton looked |
after a 10-point vault during the |
1984 Summer Olympics in Los
Angeles. 3 ;
Although Miss Major appeared
stunning in her royal blue strap-
less evening gown as the Miss
America 1984 Pageant entered
into thousands of homes across
the United States, she and 40
other pageant contestants intro-
duced themselves, took a short
walk on the runway and were not
to be seen again until the final
portion of the contest when all
the hopefuls were reunited for
the conclusion.
Gina’s introduction of herself
as Miss Pennsylvania was met
with a loud roar and round of
applause from ue balcony sec- |
tion of the 25, (i: 3=at Convention
Hall as the 300 people Mrs.
Major spoke of let their home-
town favorite know they were on
her side. Miss Major’s support-
ers included two busses of fellow
employees of her mothers from
the Acme Warehouse in Forty
Fort, a group of family and
church friends, 80 people from
the Philadelphia area where |
Gina was employed as a public |
relations: consultant’ with Straw= |
bridge & Clothier’ Department |
Store prior to being named Miss
Pennsylvania, some friends and
some college classmates from
the Lehigh Valley area.
Although those 300 people in
the balcony and the hundreds of
Back Mountain residents who
had tuned into the national tele- |
cast may have been sitting on
the edge of their seats during the
Top 10 countdown, Mrs. Major
was spared the suspense. The
names of the Top 10 finalists
were supposed to be released at 8
(See GINA, page 8)
y JOAN KINGSBURY
w tf Correspondent
With the celebration of the 60th
anniversary of the opening of Col-
lege Misericordia this weekend, it is
appropriate to reflect on what the
college was like in its early days.
Sister Marianna Gildea, RSM, a
member of the first freshmen class
who graduated in 1928, has agreed
to share her experiences with us.
The following information is taken
from Sister Marianna’s “College
Misericordia Flashback.”
Although the ‘99 plus acres of
farmland” on which College Miseri-
cordia was to be constructed was
purchased by a group of local men,
then transferred to the ownership of
the Sisters of Mercy in 1914, con-
struction of the college was delayed
due to World War I. By 1920, Phila-
delphia architect Ferdinand Durgan
was contracted to commence work
on plans for the college. Construc-
tion began with the building being
ready for occupation in the fall
0f1924. On a ‘raw, cold” September
15, College Misericordia was dedi-
mated. That college building is today
‘ne central part of the administra-
tion building.
College Misericordia opened its
doors on September 24, 1924. Sister
Marianna and 14 classmatesm in
addition to the few transfers from
other colleges, comprised the entire
student body.
“Four freshmen were from
Ashley; Mary Higgins, Angela
Carey and Helen Laffin from St.
Leo’s High School, Margaret Davis
from the public high school. Anne
Czulegar and Freda Thalenfeld
were from Wilkes-Barre Public
High School; Mary McCarthy and
Elizabeth Evans were from St.
Mary's; Dorothy Kane was from St.
Ann’s Academy, Frances Murphy
was from Sacred Heart High School
in Plains, Margaret Allen was from
Pittston, Mary Schoonover and Rose
Fleming were from St. Agnes High
School, Towanda and Fanny Spiegel
and Marianna Gildea were from
Luzerne High School. Three of the
first students were Jewish, two
were Protestant. The remaining stu-
dents were Catholic.
“On the first day, a dark blue bus
with College Misericordia printed on
the side in gold letters picked up the
day students in Wilkes-Barre, Luz-
erne (Sr. Marianna’s hometown),
Fernbrook and Dallas.”
Although the girls did not wear
uniforms the first day, their dark
blue uniform trimmed in light blue
buttons and a wide blue belt and
white lace collar soon became rec-
ognizable. (Students discontinued
wearing the last evidence of a
school uniform, a blazer, in 1960.)
All the girls were in liberal arts
studies. They studied history, logic,
religion, Greek literature in transla-
tion from Homer to Theocritus, then
Latin literature, anatomy, hygiene.
Dr. James J. Walsh taught Physiol-
ogical psychology. Agnes Berry was
gym teacher; Julia Janice Koons
gave some instruction in aesthetic
dancing.
Salat fins dl
Since the college had no car at
first and since Sister Marianna
occasionally drove her family’s
model T. Ford, Mother Catherine
McGann, Den, relied on her to
transport Dr. Walsh, who came in
from New York two days per month
to teach, to Dallas from Wilkes-
Barre. Her description of driving a
Model T, ‘on a heavily crowned
road half a century ago” is quite
interesting.
“Old Fords had only two gears,
high and low, controlled by the left
foot pedal. Power steering and
power brakes were unknown.
‘Chains were used instead of snow
tires. The gas was fed by a small
hand lever on the steering wheel. To
start the motor, it was sometimes
necessary to get out and crank it by
hand. To make the hill in Shaver-
town (on Pioneer Avenue near St.
Theresa’s Church) on high was
quite a feat, especially in bad
weather. The speed was never more
than 35 to 40 miles per hour.”
Although she drove occasionally
when hers was the only car in the
lot, Sr. Marianna, like many of her
fellow students, rode the streetcar
to Dallas. Although the streetcar did
stop near the grove at the college,
this cost an extra fare, so most of
the girls got off in Dallas and
trekked up to the college.
By the fall of 1924, Sr. Marianna
and her classmates were well-
acqainted with college life. The girls
also sponsored many social affairs;
dances, teasc, debates. Basketball
was played, with the girls wearing
the gym suit of the day — middy
blouses and bloomers. The college
had formed an orchestra whose
members wore high hats, capes in
school colors of dark blue, light blue
and gold. This small group of stu-
dents felt “that they were the col-
lege, that we ran the college,” so no
one ever missed a social function.
(See SISTER, page 8)
Leading the way
The award winning Lake-Lehman
Band, under the direction of John
Miliauskas, copped yet another
honor as it was awarded First Place
in the 1984 Miss America Parade on
the boardwalk in Atlantic City last
Tuesday.
The parade, which kicked off Miss
America Week. in Atlantic City,
consisted of ‘bands, lavish floats,
various civic organizations, as well
as all 51 Miss America contestants.
In the parade, the band preceded
Miss Gina Major, Miss Pennsyl-
vania 1984, who is a former member
of the Black® Kdnights Marching
Band.
The trip, sponsored by the Lake-
Lehman School Board, included
three buses of parents, friends and
administrators who accompanied
the band on the trip.
The buses arrived in Atlantic City
at approximately 1 p.m., allowing
before the start of the parade at 8
p.m. that evening.
Traveling to participate in a
parade of this caliber was certainly
exciting to the students, expecially
since Miss Pennsylvania, or her
family, is known by many of the
band members: The honor of
Tournament
Dallas Area Tournament of Bands
is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 30, at
the Dallas High School football
AN
of Bands
the tournament is expected to con-
tinue until approximately 7 p.m.
(See DALLAS, page 8)
marching in front of Miss Pennsyl-
vania, combined with winning first
parade one the Lake-Lehman Band
members will remember for many
years.
Inside The Post
Calendar ............. : 16
Classified .......... 14,15]
Cookbook ............. wD
Obituaries .............. 2
Perspective ............ 4
SCHOOL vers vriscsereoness 12]
Sports ............ 3,10,11¢