European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 12, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Oesterberg High school Netherlands togetherness at a Small school 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. A they get a new baby they write you a letter. They get married we get invitations to the wedding. Its almost like letting your aunt or Uncle know Quot he says. Kantoris Case is not unique. His colleagues can. Tell. Similar stories. 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 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 �?T91. Wearing mortar boards and a flowing Black Robes marched Down the aisle of a dutch military auditorium. The ceremony symbolized Small. Schools everywhere As it conferred diplomas on students who will begin to teach others a lesson a school does no to have to be Large to be Good. The new graduates say the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. A a Friendship Means a lot to me Quot says Suzanne Hagelin class valedictorian. A in moving around a lot you. Come to value Friendship More  her commencement speech was titled  Hagelin who will major in pre med at the University of Washington in Seattle spent All her High school years at Oesterberg and saw classmates come and  you know everyone from grades nine through 12. There Are no cliques Here a she says. A ,. Not having the resources of a larger school often forces students to stretch themselves creatively when Hagelin discovered the school did t offer gymnastics. She went off Campus took lessons at a dutch club and became Oesterberg High school s entire team. This year she won Dodds Central european gymnast senior optional. ,. Her classmates agree that the almost country school a atmosphere is beneficial to learning. A i work better in a Small environment Here it s one on one Quot says Ken Greenough who will study Small. Business management entrepreneurship at Becker College in Worcester mass. Class president Todd Lesher who also edited the school yearbook and newspaper views his three years at Oesterberg most favourably a. A culturally it s been fantastic Quot says Lesher a self described a individualist Quot who also lived three years in Germany and three years in saudi Arabia. Quot the open mindedness of the dutch a they re More accepting of 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. In Counselor Penni 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. Quot toward the end of senior year they kind of Stop being High school students Quot Ellis says. A 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 world strikes them. They wonder a i Don t know if i want to do this or not a a  Chris Nunley can speak for Many students everywhere when he looks Back on his High school career. 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 scholarship from the school plans to study sports Medicine at Texas tech University in Lubbock. Kantor who also was senior class sponsor Calls teacher student relationships at Oesterberg High a a second set of Parent sort of  ,. Quot 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 . A i find them very opinionated which i Don t think is bad. There s few who have lukewarm views. I Don t think there a a kid in that group who Hasni to developed a set of values for  says he and his colleagues Are pleased when former students keep in touch be it a wedding or birth announcement. Sometimes the news is shocking. Kantor knows one letter almost by heart. Quot or. Kantor i want you to know something. You were right. I 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 learn something and i wanted you to know i decided to become an English major in  it s the sort of thing that makes him and his Small school colleagues feel Good. Above valedictorian Suzanne Hagelin 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. W i v j a a amps photos by Jim Derheim Page 4 a the stars and stripes wednesday june 12, 1991