European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 12, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Assignment graduation �?T91soesterberg High school Netherlands St s a Small by Randy Pruitt. Staff writer seven years have passed since Steve Kantoris first class graduated from Oesterberg High school in the Netherlands. Kantor a teacher of English speech and. Drama says six of those former students still write to him. Quot they get a new baby they write you a letter they get married we  to the wedding. Its almost like a letting  aunt or Uncle know Quot he says. Kantoris Case is. Not unique his colleagues can. Tell. Similar stones. Memories of High school at Oesterberg a stay with students Long after class rings Are tossed in drawers Long after their Falcon yearbooks have gathered a layers of dust. A sense of family quickly emerges at this 10-year-old school one As enduring As a dutch master s painting. The of togetherness was apparent last week when All 26 members of the class of 91, wearing mortar boards and a flowing Black Robes marched Down the aisle of a dutch military  ceremony symbolized Small. ,. Schools everywhere As it conferred diplomas on students who will begin to teach others a lesson a school does thave to be Large to be Good. ,. The new graduates say the advantages far outweigh. The disadvantages a a a a a Quot Friendship Means a lot to me Quot says . Class valedictorian. Quot in moving around a lot you come to value Friendship More  her commencement speech was titled  Hazelm who will major in pre med at the University of Washington in Seattle spent All her High school years at a Oesterberg and saw classmates come and go. Quot you know everyone from grades nine through 12. There Are no cliques Here Quot she says. A a. Not having the resources of a larger school often forces students to stretch themselves creatively. When Hazelm discovered the school did no to offer  went off Campus took lessons at a dutch club and became Oesterberg High schools entire team. This. Year she won Dodds Central european gymnast senior optional. Her classmates agree that the almost country school atmosphere is beneficial to learning. A a a a a. "1 work better in a Small environment Here it s one on one Quot says Ken Greenough who will study Small. A business management entrepreneurship at Becker a College in Worcester  a. A a class president Todd Lesher. Who also edited the. School yearbook and newspaper views his three years a Oesterberg most favourably. \ Quot culturally it  fantastic Quot says Lesher a self described Quot individualist Quot who also lived three years in a Germany and three years to saudi Arabia. Quot the open mindedness of the dutch a they re More accepting of a differences in people the a censorship of the government a the fact they can put up billboards of half naked people and people won t scream and yell and have a protest or . A Lesher will attend. Colorado state University where he will study engineering and music. A in Counselor pen Ellis office area colourful College recruitment posters Beckon seniors about As subtly As. Uncle Sam s Quot i want you Quot placards. College Wise past graduates have done Well Cal tech Vanderbilt Rice. Harvard the air Force Academy. A Quot toward the end of senior year they kind of Slop being High school students Quot Ellis says. Quot the reality of. Graduation hits and it has different effects on each one of them. Some can hardly wait to go on with their lives. Many go through regression almost. The reality of being an adult and going into the adult  them. They wonder i Don t know if i want to do this . Quot seventeen year old Chris Nunley can speak for Many. Students everywhere when he looks Back Cut a his High a school career. A a a a. A a a a a a if i had it to do Over i would try to learn More than i did. At times i was Lazy Quot he says Nunley who received a $750  the school plans to study sports Medicine at Texas tech University in Lubbock. Kantor who also was senior class sponsor Calls a teacher student relationships at Oesterberg High a Quot second set of Parent sort of  in the states most kids never get the kind of custom service they do Here Quot says Kantor who gives High grades to the recent Batch of graduates. Quot i  very opinionated which i Don to think is bad. There a few who have lukewarm views. I Don t think there s a kid in that group who has t developed a set of values for  Kantor says he and his colleagues Are pleased when former students keep in touch  a wedding or. Birth announcement. Sometimes the news is shocking. Kantor knows one letter almost by heart. A a emr. Kantor  you to know something. You were right. Did hate English every single Day i was there. I dreaded studying Macbeth i dreaded the Canterbury tales but As hard As it May be for you to believe i did a learn something and i wanted you to know i decided to become an English major in . Its the. Sort of thing that makes him and his Small school colleagues feel Good. A above valedictorian  was the entire gymnastics team at Oesterberg High school. Left graduates Ken Greenough left and Chris Nunley both played soccer fora local dutch team. Below senior class president Todd Lesher will attend Colorado state. A amps photos by Jim Derheim Page 4 the stars and stripes wednesday june 12, 1991