70th Anniversary Celebration a success: Alumni re-visit Von Steuben

From: Xpression, Nov. 2002, Vol 70 #2
By: Jessica Levin, Editor-In-Chief

On October 11th, 2002, Von Steuben had it's 70th Anniversary in the old halls of Von. There are many memories and fun times in this building, with traditions coming and going from the memories of these past students.

When they came back to the school on this day, all their memories rushed back to them and they shared their memories and their current occupations with the newspaper.

When talking about the history behind the school, we find out that the first class to graduate from Von was in June of 1934. There was no one from this graduation class at the reunion, but there was someone from the class of 1935. Tim Sulivan was a student here in 1935. He remembers Von as, "One step up from a country club."

Many people from this era thought that way. Yet during the 1930s and 194s, many traditions started and ended.

During this time, the senior class had something called a "sparrow." This little birdie was the holder of all gossip for the senior class. On Fridays during 3rd period, the senior class would meet in the auditorium, to have a free period. The "Sparrow" would then give the gossip to someone in the office, and someone in the office would read the gossip to the seniors in the auditorium. They would not know who the "sparrow" was until prom, and it always surprised them.

This tradition didn't last very long. The memories that the classes of the 1950s and 1960s were all about gym class. Most of the alumni remember the uniforms they had to wear. These uniforms were one piece jumpsuits with an elastic waist. The school also issued all students swimsuits. They were tank suits and you had to get to class early in order to get one that fit.

Back in the 1970s, there were many fun memories for the alumni. Yet, the one memory that sticks out the most was one in Mr. Saltzman's class. If you took his class, there was one way you could get an A for the entire year. If you memorized Hamlet's "To Be or Not to Be" soliloquy, you Aced the class. Many of his prior students remember doing this and passing the class with an A. Currently this task is only worth one extra test score of an A.

With all the students Von has had over the past 70+ years, there have been many success stories. There are currently lawyers, executives, company owners, and other important professions. One of the more successful alumni is Jack Block, who has worked for Disney and Warner Brothers. He played a significant role in each company when they were developing characters.

This reunion brought back many memories for the alumni, and they were all glad to relive them for a few hours. The school was alive with old friends, new experiences, and a lot of laughter from all the graduates