Amherst News-Times, 2001-06-06

              St. Joseph's wins vehicle — Page 5|    Special graduation section — Pages 11
 1 ; 1
Amherst News-Time
Wednesday, June 6. 2001
Amherst, Ohio
Graduates told to 'shoot for the stars'
'-'   <"•   C X
*"* ,C H H
I T
S <  X H
- rt h
rj c-i   o 3.
r -3 —
w 5>
<   **l   -v
PJ "> G>
M
H
-3
B   7
by YVONNE GAY
News-Times reporter
Students in the graduating class
of 2001 from Marion L. Steele High
School were encouraged to shoot for
the stars during Sunday's commencement ceremony as parents,
friends and relatives cheered.
"Graduation day is always emotional for me," superintendent
Robert Boynton told members of the
audience who had filled the Palace
Theatre in Lorain on the cloudy afternoon. "It's a day of reflection, remembering, and a day of sadness
because we must say goodbye."
As Boynton continued his speech,
he also encouraged graduating seniors to thank those people in their
lives who have touched them, before leaving them with a few words
of advice.
"Work hard, nothing in this world
worth having comes easy. Be yourself, and do the right thing," he said.
"I wish you joy and happiness, and
most importantly good health."
Sunday marked the end of more
than 1,600 hours students had spent
in school throughout their academic
years. It also marked the end of
principal Fred Holland's career and
that of music director Randy Border. It was a day of reflection and
new beginnings.
"This class is filled with genuinely nice kids," Holland said. "I
can't think of a better group of people to (end my career with)...Work
hard, be nice and have fun throughout your lives."
Before he and fellow colleagues
distributed diplomas to the 286 students on stage, Holland pointed out
several accomplishments this year's
class will be remembered for, and
marked those successes as "tremendous achievements."
Among their many achievements
Holland said, this year's class included 10 national merit award winners, four national merit finalists,
two All-Americans and five All-
Ohioans. He also pointed out that
students were responsible for helping raise $25,000 for Wigs for Kids,
and were awarded more than $13
million in scholarships.
"Don't be afraid to step out into
the world," class valedictorian
Gretchen Zsebik told fellow stu-
CONTINUED on page 6
ds
Seniors at Marion L. Steele High School enjoy the traditional cap toss in the air    Lorain,
after graduating Sunday, as well as greeting their classmates outside the Palace in
J
Class of '31 first to 'wear' tradition
For many seniors leaving
Marion L. Steele High School
Sunday, their ceremony
wouldn't have been complete
without the tried and true cap
and gown. Sure, many graduates fussed over the "uncomfortable" flat caps, and expressed displeasure toward the
long, lightweight gown, but in
all many donned the outfit
with dignity and pride.
However, this graduating
class was probably no different from students graduating
from Amherst High School 70
years ago. For many seniors
who were introduced to the
cap and gown concept at the
high school in 1931. the outfit was not exactly a welcome
addition.
"My recollection is that we
had mixed feelings about the
decision to have the caps and
gowns," Valerie Gerstenberger.
a local Class of 1931 graduate explained. "At first it was
a great disappointment to the
-oris who would be cheated
out of a new while dress that
was standard apparel for high
school graduation ceremonies."
To take a closer look at
the history of the cap and
gown, Ohioans need to look
ao nattier than their own
back yard. The I-ratcrnal
Supply Company, formerly
known as CE. Ward Company in New London, Ohio,
which was also known as
"The Robe Capital of the
WoM* tmm co*pssry began
aps ml gowns hi
1927, and supplied much of
the area.
The company has gone
through several changes over
the years and the cap and
gown department was eventually purchased by Oak Hall
Cap A Gown in Salem, Vs.,
in 1982. Since that time the
company underwent a name
change and refocussed its
business to fraternal regalia.
According to Keith Bailey,
who has been with the FSC
for more than 20 yean, the
gowns were originally modeled after college institutions.
The colleges modeled their
gowns after universities and
robes of dukes and earls in
Europe and England," Bailey
explained.
According to Gersteaberger,
her graduating class was the
first to wear the now traditional cap and gown. Yean
before that, graduating young
giils were expected to wear a
crisp new white dress, while
the boys donned tidy suits.
According to Gentenberger.
just before graditttion day
MriffTtf had their body measurements taken, and later
inailed -hem to C£. Ward.
While students waited for
their $3 rentals to arrive
many tried to convince themselves that they "would look
just like college graduates."
That is, until the eoSor arrived
— grey.
"•Why coaMa't they ha
CONTINUED en page I
Valeria
«X1
Mrgar, ngre, ana test njgn tc
•as Of ant am *UT*nerB| npi
tha now tra-JUonal cap em
Hospice residents
'served' by Shupe
students who care
by YVONNE GAY
News-Times reporter
Kathy Schieferstein, a sixth-grade
teacher at Shupe Middle School,
cried all day last Wednesday.
"I am so proud of them,"
Schieferstein said, her voice still
brimming with admiration. "They
really worked They helped each
other. They knew what they had to
do and they did it. I think they're all
very special."
Earlier that day Schieferstein,
along with teachers Cindy Fox and
Lisa Harcula and 54 sixth-grade students armed with flowers and
shovels, boarded a bus and headed
to the New Life Hospice Residential
Center in Lorain. The trip was the
result of the middle school's Points
of Life exercise, a year-long educational program that encouraged students to choose a different characteristic each month.
In December, students at the
middle school chose "compassion,"
and ended ;ip helping needy families
throughout the area. This month, the
word was "service," and students
wasted no time deciding what they
wanted to da
"My grandfather passed away one
year ago today and I stayed with
him," Schieferstein explained.
"Something at the hospice was spe-
cisL I've
Joseph offers a homelike atmosphere that provides acute inpatient
care, respite care and residential
care. The 13 room center is staffed
by hospice nurses and personnel 24
hours a day.
As she volunteered every Thursday, Schieferstein said she shared
some of her experiences about the
hospice with her students and discovered she had something in common with her young pupils.
"What I discovered was that
many of the kids fell comfortabk
talking about death," the sixth-grade
teacher said. "Some kids had relatives at the hospice, and many of the
students weren't afraid of
death...So, when (service month)
rolled around everyone said right
away that they wanted to do something for the hospice."
After calling the center,
Schieferstein said weeding was suggested, ao she took that idea back to
the classroom and U blossomed iato
an entire landscaping project.
1 asked the students how we
were going to raise the atoaey for
the plants, and I suggested placing a
can in the class room sad taking
kids to put money ia it when *hey
got the chance," she
They wanted to do a
the car
bring in
■*-
■a
However, fearful
wash alone would
New Life Hospice Canter of St
gested a bate mm to
CONTINUED <M
—-