Seniors get their caps and gowns
by Maralyn Fink
On Tuesday I went to St. Johns High School for the distribution of the cap and gowns to the senior graduating class.
Many smiles were on their faces even though this is not the best of times.
Mark Horak and Chris Ervin were on hand to help with this project. This took place between 12 p.m.-2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
It was a rather cool and windy day, but no one seemed to mind.
Congratulations, Seniors, on your accomplishment!
Bailey Padgett’s final Senior thoughts
Growing up, we are always told that the final months of our senior year will be filled with memories that we will hold onto forever, such as spring sports seasons, spring break, prom, senior spirit week, the last day of high school, and of course, graduation. So, for the past 13 years, we have been growing, learning, and maturing, always looking forward to these last few moments of fun with our class and being able to get recognition for all of our hard work. Being the class of 2020, it was always the joke that we saw the future with 20/20 vision, however none of us saw this coming. Nobody was prepared for this epidemic, the senior class especially, as it forced us into many goodbyes that we were not ready to say yet. The cancellation of the rest of the school year, although needed, has been difficult to come to terms with and has been an emotional roller coaster to say the least.
When the bell rang at 2:37pm on March 13th, we had no idea what was in store for us. At that point, maybe we were in denial, but we all figured we would be back after a few weeks off and our patiently awaited senior spring break vacations. However, this was obviously not the case. Hearing that our vacations would not be able to happen was very sad, as many planned to go with friends we would soon be parting with, following different paths after graduation. For me, although I was a little upset by this, I was more worried about what this cancellation meant for other future plans. As going back to school began getting delayed more and more, my heart continued to get heavier. The idea of a random Friday in March being my last day at St. Johns High School was a very odd circumstance to wrap my mind around.
I was missing seeing my friends everyday, going to soccer practice and being with my team, and even taking tests and doing homework, which I never thought was possible, especially with senioritis rapidly spreading throughout myself and my peers. Then we heard the news that we all dreaded; school had been cancelled for the remainder of the school year. My heart broke. All my high school memories, good and bad, began rushing through my mind right as I heard the news. In that moment I would have done anything to get just one more day in that building with the people I have grown up with, even if it was just for closure.
Not going back was difficult for me to comprehend, as I have never known a spring not in school. I had no idea what to expect and was deeply saddened by this, but I still had hope for my final soccer season. As I had suspected however, spring sports were the next thing to go. I was devastated, as soccer has been a huge factor in my life since I was 5 years old, and my dreams of having a senior night with the 10 other seniors on the team was not going to be fulfilled.
All spring sport athletes, the girls on the soccer team included, had been working so hard during the off season and during tryout week, and for all of the seasons and tournaments to just be taken away in an instant was very defeating. Sports were one of the only things we could focus on to stay sane during these confusing times of the pandemic and without them, we only had two more things to hope for, a rescheduled prom and graduation. The senior class as well as the rest of the high school know that the administration did and is still currently doing all they can to salvage as many of our memories as possible. Although it is still sad it is not all going as planned, we appreciate all of the hard work they have put in and continue to put in during these times to help us. As there is still hope for a later graduation ceremony and some variation of a prom, I have not allowed my spirits to drop too low. Although I was very sad when all this began, knowing this is all happening for a reason has really made a difference in my attitude towards the situation. Until this is over, the senior class will continue to help each other stay positive, looking forward to what is to come in our futures, as we are all still Redwings and always will be.
It would have been easy for those of us in the senior class to slip into thoughts such as wondering why is this happening our year and to have bad attitudes as a result of missing out on so much, but we know coronavirus is affecting so much more than just our school year, and we have had great support from the community and all school administration as well as were given gifts of senior yard signs and shirts.
Everyone has allowed our feelings to feel valid during these times and that is something we greatly appreciate. Although there has definitely been some tears shed when I think about all that my senior year could have been, I know in my heart that we will all get through it together.
COVID-19 took away the remainder of our senior year, but the memories that the class of 2020 did get to make throughout our time at St. Johns will never be forgotten. This unexpected turn the end of high school took for the senior class taught us many things even though we cannot be in the classroom. We are able to see that we are strong, and together we can overcome obstacles bigger than we ever imagined.
Although we are forever changed by this experience, we are still the St. Johns High School class of 2020, and our futures are brighter than we could have ever seen with perfect vision.
A Sleepy Hollow Spring Chorus
We thought you might like to hear this short meditation from Rev. Matt Olson at the south end of Sleepy Hollow State Park at dusk amid the chorus of spring life.
A Look Back Again – Remembering Fred Lewis
with Barry Bauer
This week we get a look at the other side of the window at the Post Office circa 1960s. That’s Fred Lewis serving up stamps and weighing packages for the customers. You’ll notice that the window has bars in it. They must have been very cautious in those days.
Fred’s son, Frederick, was a local lawyer before becoming a judge. Frederick also played in a bagpipe band.
Letters – Readers react to sale of Wilson Center
We certainly hope the school board doesn’t make a decision on the Wilson Center based on such little community awareness as there is at this point in time. Few people can use the “Zoom” method for Board Meeting input.
We have lost beautiful historic buildings, especially the old schools that St.Johns should have been proud of….please don’t add this one to the list for the sake of additional monies!
If put to a public vote, it seems the answer would be to keep it with an alternative use!
Thank you
Elmer and Jan Upton
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It would be a sad commentary for our community to see the Wilson Center demolished. So much work has been done to bring the auditorium back to life. The dedicated efforts by many in the community to renovate that facility would be for naught. I hope other plans for this building will have priority.
Thank you,
Helen Monson O’Dell
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I am writing as a RBW alum from the Class of 1960. Our class was a part of the community fund raising efforts to restore the auditorium to it’s previous prestige, for the St.Johns citizens benefit.
Many surrounding towns have let developers
remodel and repurpose school buildings, that have been vacated and put on the real estate market. Currently Sparrow Hospital is working on plans to do this to the former Eastern High School, preserving it’s historical importance to the neighborhood and the city.
It is a shortsighted mistake to allow the highest bidder to tear down a structure which occupies such honor and history in
St.Johns and Clinton Co.
Respectfully submitted,
Dottie Harris Spousta
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Thanks for the article, Maralyn. Even though we moved for work to Grand Rapids, I keep in touch with SJ friends and read the St Johns Independent online, too.
My comment is about the need for public activity places, shared cultural life such as music and drama, and the purpose of history in defining a town’s life. The trend since the Sony Walkman and now the mobile Internet has been more and more personalized, private, and fragmented life; less involvement with others and more involvement with oneself. That is why the RBW theater and gym are the antidote to fractured community life.
The difference between a living and a dead community is public gatherings, efforts with others to put on events and displays, and stopping to visit with others instead of being plugged into one’s own world. Keeping physical traces of our past in use today is also valuable.
Maybe you can’t get dividends every month, but the intangible dividends of having roots and meaning really are priceless. Kind of like those cities ruined by bombs or by natural disasters, when there are only new things rebuilt all around, there is little flavor of the past left; only blah modern sameness.
So here’s hoping that the St. Johns leaders have faith in the future and can carry the RBW legacy forward to those who follow.
Guven Witteveen, Grand Rapids
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I just read the bids for our alma mater and am disturbed that the county, having placed the highest bid, only wants the land and would plan to demolish the historical building.
I know that I don’t carry any weight around St. Johns, but I sincerely hope that the building will be kept intact with community use of at least part of it, especially the auditorium, and, as long as the façade/appearance of the building is retained, rental living quarters could be designed into the project.
Rose Mary (Kissane) Eldridge
Class of 1960
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I do not want the Rodney B. Wilson school torn down.
There are many uses for the building. If not a school, perhaps as attorney offices. It could also be used for performances of local musicians, other educational or informational presentations in the auditorium. Local desk employers could establish meeting rooms, clubs could do the same.
There is a lot of hidden beauty behind the metal lockers which were installed to cover the limited (yet larger) wood door lockers behind the metal lockers. The original interior colors of the building should be restored as well.
We must not let this building or property to be a source of money for the city. I have more to say, including comment about the importance of Rodney B. Wilson’s Painting in the teachers office. His father wanted his son remembered.
Sincerely, Bob Sabo
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I’m on board for doing what we can to save that building. It would be a shame to let another building be demolished under the guise of progress.
The court house could have and should have been built out on Townsend Rd by the jail. The county owns all of that land out there.
Marilyn Dershem Speer
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Do I understand correctly that after 14 years of fund raising and reconstruction, the entire building is to be torn down?
Exactly who is proposing this, and why?
Glenn Schultz
Class of 1968