SHAMOKIN - The Shamokin Area High School alumni held their 132nd annual reunion May 23 at Masser's Banquet Hall, Paxinos.
President Sandra Dilliplane Rossnock (1992) sent 440 letters to alumni scholarship winners asking for a "selfie" of themselves and what they are now doing. The 39 who responded were included in a slide show.
Rossnock presented the Class of 2015 to those attending the banquet, welcoming them to the Alumni Association. Tyler Candelora, denior class president, presented the class pennant to the association.
Entertainment for 202 alumni, seniors, parents and friends was presented by the senior cChoral students under the direction of Mary Anne Brennan Stump (2000). They sang two musical numbers, "Wooly Booly," a 1965 hit by Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs, and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing), a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington.
Mary Anne Pitorak Miller (1974), with the help of attending seniors and Bill Korbich (1954)'s grandchildren, coordinated the prize drawings.
Todd Nye (1989), vice president, recognized anniversary classes and where applicable, their contributions to the education and general Funds:
- 1945 Class: One class member donated more than $400. A check for $1,408 was given to the association.
- 1955 Class: Nine members attended, presenting $2,227.
- 1960 Class: One member presented a check for $555 for the education fund. Two members attended from the Class of 1970.
- 1975 Class: Two members attended. A 40-year reunion is planned for Aug. 15, and memorial contributions will be collected then for class adviser Charles Bartol.
No members attended from the classes of 1950, 1980, 1985, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010. One member from the diamond anniversary class of 1940 attended.
Two members from the silver anniversary class (1990) presented a check for $250.
- Twenty-five members from the golden anniversary class (1965) presented a check for $1,140..
The class of 1956 has presented a check annually for $195.60 and encourage other classes to make the same effort.
Al Fecko from the Class of 1936 was recognized.
The distance award was presented by Nye to Carol Lark (1965), who came from Carmel, Calif.
Eugene Boughner (1960) and Haas '75 presented the alumni scholarship awards. These are awards for four years. Forty-six students took the test. Seven awards are from the Coal Township Alumni Association, and eight are from Shamokin Area High School Alumni Association (SA).
Recipients' yearly awards amount, college choice and their major emphasis are:
- 1st - Brett Long, (CT), $3,000, Drexel University, engineering.
- 2nd - Jacob Snyder, (SA), $3,000, Bucknell University, engineering.
- 3rd - Elizabeth Kapushinski, (CT), $2,500, Seton Hill University, biology/psychology.
- 4th - Joseph Deptula, (SA), $2,500, Penn State University, civil engineering.
- 5th - Zachary Koharski, (SA), $2,200, Misericordia University, physician assistant.
- 6th - Graeme Shappell, (CT), $2,000, Messiah College, music education.
- 7th - Casey Wilson, (CT), $2,000, Bucknell University, engineering.
- 8th - Richard Brown, (CT), $2,000, Lebanon Valley College, music business.
- 9th - Zachary Moyer, (CT), $2,000, Penn State University, civil engineering.
- 10th - Megan Dimmick, (CT), $2,000, Penn State University, bio med engineering.
- 11th - Stephen Latsha, (SA), $2,000, Penn State University, undeclared.
- 12th - Megan Kerstetter, (SA), $1,800, York College, nursing.
- 13th - Jarret Willis, (SA), $1,500, Bloomsburg University, biology.
- 14th - Rhiannon McKinney, (SA), $1,200, Penn State University, pre-med.
- 15th - Jasmine Coleman, (SA), $1,000, Delaware Valley University, livestock science management.
Chris Venna, high school principal, reported the school's Stock Market Team placed in top 1 percent in the state (out of 2,865 teams). Teacher Dave Kopitsky was named Teacher of the Year by Economics Pennsylvania.
He reported on students' scores on advanced placement exams, new athletic equipment, students' athletic successes. music and arts and year-end programs.
Boughner acknowledged Korbich, who is retiring as treasurer of the sssociation after 20 years of service. Haas presented him with a money tree in appreciation for his many years of service.
Named to the education (scholarship) committee for a five-year period were Haas, Frances Brennan Culp (1963), Dr. Raymond General (1991), and Jeffrey Clutcher (1978), who will serve the unexpired term of David Donmoyer until 2018.
Approved as officers were: Nye, president; Tammy Linton Glowatski (1987), vice president; Jamie Hoffman Bordell (1975), secretary; Gregory Dwulet (1968), treasurer; Clutcher, registrar, and Helen Jane Murphy (1943), historian.