Have you ever wondered what our teachers were like when they were kids?  You know, things about their looks, their popularity status, and whether they gave their teacher a hard time or not.  
Well I had a chance to ask Mr. Richard Wiener  Phys. Ed. teacher about his days in high school. If you hadn't known, Mr. Wiener had gone to school at Von Stuben and graduated in the year 1964. As a student at Von,  Mr. Wiener played on the basketball  as a starter whose position was guard. He informed  me that his team did well. They have won many games during the season and been to few postseason games for playoffs. As an athlete, he did very well not only is basketball but as well as in baseball. He had been an all-city baseman his sophmore year and an all-city shortstop in his junior year. He raved about his outstanding performances on  the court as well as on the diamond field. 
As Mr. Wiener did well in sports he had told me that he was an average student academically . Back then he was the president of the Letterman's Club which was a club for athletes.  He also told me it was easier being an athlete than it is being a coach because  "when your athlete you know what kind of performance you'd like to put out and when your a coach all you  can do is just hope that you will perform well.


Mr. Colton, our budget director, graduated from here in 1970.  From what I was able to find out, his favorite subject was math, more specifically algebra-trig. 
During his four year high school career Mr. Colton took four years of English, three years of Social Studies, four years of physical education, three years of both math and science, one year of art, one year of music and one year of an accounting course. 
	Mr.  Colton was accepted to Von Steuben on a different basis than we are today. Back then, our high school was  a neighborhood school--not a metropolitan school. Since Mr. Colton lived in the neighborhood he was accepted.  During his first two years of high school, he was lazy and got bad grades.  His last two years, however, he realized how important education was and started studying which led him to getting good grades.  Though he was lazy his first two years, he never in his four years at Von Steuben got in trouble.  Mr. Colton was  involved in extra curricular activities. He was on the student council and on the baseball team during the years he was in high school. 
	Our assistant principle went to school with a few other people who work here at the school today; they include Mr. Weiner and Ms. Yanow.  Mr. Colton even had some teachers who  taught at Von until recently. For instance, Mrs. Jackson, one of his teachers, taught here until a year ago when she retired. 
	Though most things were the same at Von when Mr. Colton went here as a student, some things have undergone changes. When Mr. Colton was going here, the students had nine periods and each was forty minutes long. Back then, the school day began at 7:45 and ended at 2:45.  Mr.  Colton told me that since he went here there have been many changes in the curriculum. One major change that he remembers most is the math and science requirements. Back in the late 1960's you only had to take at least one year of either of these two subjects and two years of the other- as long as the years taken between the two classes added up to three.  
	Back then the school was called Von Steuben  High School and another change that Mr. Colton remembers is that the building was in much worse shape than it is today.  Also, the student body was much less diverse.  Mr. Colton told me that back then there were very few behavior problems, in fact he dosen't remember any in particular.
	Though there are differences in the school between then and now,  he says some things are still the same. When Mr. Colton went to school, just like today, there were  no metal detectors. So, from what I've heard besides the fact that back then they had shorter days, throughout the years Von Steuben has improved greatly. We should all respect this by making the most use out of this school as we can.  
	Mr. Colton, our budget director, graduated from here in 1970.  From what I was able to find out, his favorite subject was math, more specifically algebra-trig. 
During his four year high school career Mr. Colton took four years of English, three years of Social Studies, four years of physical education, three years of both math and science, one year of art, one year of music and one year of an accounting course. 
	Mr.  Colton was accepted to Von Steuben on a different basis than we are today. Back then, our high school was  a neighborhood school--not a metropolitan school. Since Mr. Colton lived in the neighborhood he was accepted.  During his first two years of high school, he was lazy and got bad grades.  His last two years, however, he realized how important education was and started studying which led him to getting good grades.  Though he was lazy his first two years, he never in his four years at Von Steuben got in trouble.  Mr. Colton was  involved in extra curricular activities. He was on the student council and on the baseball team during the years he was in high school. 
	Our assistant principle went to school with a few other people who work here at the school today; they include Mr. Weiner and Ms. Yanow.  Mr. Colton even had some teachers who  taught at Von until recently. For instance, Mrs. Jackson, one of his teachers, taught here until a year ago when she retired. 
	Though most things were the same at Von when Mr. Colton went here as a student, some things have undergone changes. When Mr. Colton was going here, the students had nine periods and each was forty minutes long. Back then, the school day began at 7:45 and ended at 2:45.  Mr.  Colton told me that since he went here there have been many changes in the curriculum. One major change that he remembers most is the math and science requirements. Back in the late 1960's you only had to take at least one year of either of these two subjects and two years of the other- as long as the years taken between the two classes added up to three.  
	Back then the school was called Von Steuben  High School and another change that Mr. Colton remembers is that the building was in much worse shape than it is today.  Also, the student body was much less diverse.  Mr. Colton told me that back then there were very few behavior problems, in fact he dosen't remember any in particular.
	Though there are differences in the school between then and now,  he says some things are still the same. When Mr. Colton went to school, just like today, there were  no metal detectors. So, from what I've heard besides the fact that back then they had shorter days, throughout the years Von Steuben has improved greatly. We should all respect this by making the most use out of this school as we can.  





	If you had a choice between Mather and Von, which would you choose?        Back in the 1960's all perspective freshmen, including Caryn Feinzimer, would have chosen Mather.  It was the newest neigh-borhood high school. Unfortunately for Caryn , she had to attend the closest neighborhood school - Von Steuben.  Caryn, however, made sure she enjoyed her high school life.
	Caryn was a  well behaved and a smart student. She was (surprising) the only girl in her Calculus class. But she wasn't a stay at home "nerd"  doing homework 24/7. She was occupied with many school-related activities.  She was a member of  German Honor Society,  National Honor Society, Student Council, Junior Prom committee, Pep Club, Girls' Glee Club. She was an editor for yearbook, was involved in the science fair, and was her division's secretary. She also worked for Mr. Dudovitz as an after school secretary. But everything definitely wasn't all school for Caryn. She attended Deborah's Boys Club (near Kimball and Lawrence). On weekends, she would go dancing constantly. She sure had everything well balanced; a great school and social life.
	Caryn told us about how different Von was when she was a student here.  Students were allowed to make their own schedule for next year. There were many classes to choose from, like typing, cooking, shop, and study hall. The dress code was stricted. Girls were not allowed to wear pants, boys  couldn't wear jeans, all shirts had to be tucked in, and long hair (Beatles inspired) was not appropriate. The biggest difference is pro-bably swim block. Girls had to wear school-provided tank suits that were almost always  stretched out. Guys, well, they didn't wear hand me down trunks - they swam naked! But not everything about Von is different. Caryn swears that the cookies in the lunchroom are exactly the same. 
	Today, we teenagers expect our senior prom to be a magical night at an expensive hotel with a bunch of post-prom parties to follow. For the class of 1966, not only was the junior prom held in the gym, but their senior prom were held on tennis courts. No hotel dining room; no dinner; no professional pictures. That was it. By choice, the rowdy teenagers hanged out on Rush street, went  to various hotel parties, or went dancing again gettting pictures taken at the Knicker Boxer. Even with the lack of "magic" on Caryn's prom night, she remembers one special moment very clearly. Her prom date took her to a nearby beach and surprised her with painting their names in a heart on one of the rocks. 
	After high school, Caryn attended Washington University in St. Louis and later fulfilled her dream of becoming a math teacher. It wasn't until later, in her career, that she started teaching computer classes. She has taught at six different schools during her career including Von. Caryn is also happily married with two older sons and a daughter.
	Now, how do we know Caryn? She's none other than ....MRS. YANOW, Computer Workshop teacher extraodinaire! Surprised? Now see if you can find her in this photo below.     











	
	Von Steuben's newspaper has been evolving since its debut in 1933.  It started out as the eight page Von Steuben Journal..  El Buho or "The Owl" was Von's Spanish newspaper but isn't known to have ever been in print.  The sole copy of its first issue mysteriously disappeared before going to print and has been a mystery ever since. 
Fortunately, the Von Steuben Journal, later named the Xpression, has a long history.  "To be the voice of all activities at Von Steuben,  to encourage student participation in school government.  To foster scholarship, sportsmanship, and school spirit, and to encourage student opinion" was the policy of the Journal.  More catchy was "All for Von-Von for All" slogan of the comical Scitter Scatter department, Von's weakly digest, featured below:

A PLEA-	Please don't consider this column a joke-it is much funnier than that.  
THE NEW DEAL-	

The only persons who can really say, "We do our part," are the  barbers.
Also featured in the early newspaper were responses to and from the editor of the paper and the principal.  Through out the years Von students have reported on many exciting topics such as the free throw champion of the world, meeting Duke Ellington, interviewing astronauts, and even saying hello to the president of the United States!  The Von Steuben Comics were an insert put in for a short time with cartoons by Barry Greenberg, or "Curly".  And here are some more legendary headlines that has captivated Von for more than 60 Years.
	

1930's:  First Girls Swim Meet
	   Margret Goldberg Burned Arm in Hot Cocoa  Accident
	   Included advertisements for stores such as Marshall Fields

1940's:      	Miss Hudd, Von's First Principle Dies
	 Girl's decendant of Baron Von Steuben Attends School Named for                     Ancestor
	 Ruth Holland breaks jinx, Becomes Council's First Girl President
	  New Sound Device Makes Steuben Record History
	  Experimental Class Travels Around World with  Books 

1950's: Track Team, the Ponies, Win Important Meet
	Make Christmas Colorful for Veterans 
	 North Park College and Gingiss Bros.  Advertised	  
	  PTA Reaches Goal Membership: 100%
	  Graduates Hold Mother's Day Tea

1960's: 4A Proverbs Invade Steuben
	 Steuben Holds "Basket-Ball"
	 Steuben Scientists Sweep District
	 Vonites Attend Marraige Workshop
	 Steuben Rooms Remodeled
	 Strike Yields Promise of More Teachers, More Benefits 

1970's: Von Class Disolved 7 Staff Members Cut
	 Swim Team Wins Championship
	 Crosscountry Shatters Records
	 Ten Win City Music Honors
	 Eights Awarded Science Honors
	 20 NHS Inductees

1980's: Hispanic,   Asian,enrollment rises
	Birth Control: The Facts
	 Book Baning Spreads in Schools
	 Von to Cancel Most Night Events
	 Von to Board: "We're Integrating Now!"
	 Council to Start Drug Program   

1990's: Fight Boredom, Hangout Online
	Homosexuality in the Military is Nothing New
	Von Steuben , is Now 60 and Still Going Strong
	From Underwear to Beer, Sex Sells
	Girls are In Charge
	Equal Pay for Equal Work = Fiction