Girls' Basketball

State Journal-Register

Two weeks ago, Sylvia Staley attended the Illinois State Girls' Basketball tournament at ISU, in Bloomington. She was there to cheer on the SHS girls' team, which qualified to play for the first time in history. 

Sylvia found one of her SHS buttons and wore it proudly. The Lady Senators entered the the tournament with an 18-game winning streak. Alas, they lost to Freeport, played a consolation game, and settled for fourth place.

Sylvia felt they played well, displayed good sportsmanship, and received much encouragement from team members and the coach. After the game, she spoke with the coach, Brad Scheffler. 

Brad is third in a Scheffler-SHS dynasty: his father is Mark Scheffler, former principal, and his grandfather is Herb Scheffler, the varsity basketball coach when we were freshmen.

The SJR site has a story and short film of coach and players at the Freeport game. Thanks to Sylvia for the news and her support of SHS girls!

Paddy Day

Top 'o the day t' you. Thanks to 

Judi Dunkel Headrick for the note, above,

And to Harriett Smith Sidoli for

this little charmer of an animated card.

Did you notice that the O'bamas

perpetuated a Chicago tradition

by tossing green dye 

in the White House fountain? 

Lois Body

On March 23, 2009, Miss Lois Body will turn 95. To put her life in perspective: in 1914, the year she was born, Charley Chaplin made his film debut, and Babe Ruth played his first game for the Red Sox. All of Europe fell into the first World War, the Panama Canal opened, and the last known passenger pigeon died in Cincinnati.

She's lived through seventeen U.S. Presidents, one Great Depression, and countless recessions. During her 30-year career at SHS, she taught thousands of students, marked endless sets of papers and exams, and somehow always managed to be alert, cheerful, and supportive, even of her least committed charges.

Today she lives in a resident home in Watseka, near her birthplace, a farm in nearby Woodland. Her life has diminished, but she still enjoys receiving notes and cards, which the staff reads to her. If you could please take a moment to write her, that would say that many '58s remember her well.

Address: Miss Lois Body, Iroquois Resident Home, 200 East Fairman, Watseka, IL 60970.

A Request

 

We received the following post today:

Dear Springfield High School Class of 1958,

My name is Seena Tabibi and I currently attend Springfield High School as a student in the class of 2011. In the past month or so, a group of Springfield High School students and I started a "Rally Against Childhood Cancer" for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Then our group created a Facebook cause as well as a Facebook group to help us raise awareness and donations for cancer. I would be glad if you could help us spread the word to people whom you may know.

Click here to reach the Facebook group.

Thank you for your help,
Sincerely,

Seena Tabibi
March 9, 2009

John Sowinski

John Sowinski, pictured here in our 1958 yearbook, died from a heart attack on Saturday, March 7 in Springfield. He was 78.

Sowinski attended St. Patrick High in Chicago, served in the Marines, and earned a B.S. and M.S. in education from Eastern Illinois University.

He joined the SHS faculty in 1956, teaching history and economics in the Social Science department. He coached tennis and was assistant coach in football, for coach Willard Duey. Sowinski served as head football coach in 1962-78. He had 9 winning seasons and a career record of 76-69-8.

He then became manager of field service in the State Employees Retirement System. After retirement in 1987 he worked as a coaching assistant at Sacred Heart-Griffin for 22 years.

Among city coaches, Sowinski holds the fourth best-winning record and positions in two sports Halls of Fame, for Springfield and the state of Illinois. For a full story, see today's SJR.

Pluto Day

Are you ready for this?

Pluto is a planet once more.

At least in the state of Illinois.

The IL state legislature has so ruled.

Why? Because the discoverer of Pluto,

one Clyde Tombaugh, was born in

Streator, Illinois. He is the only planet-man

ever born in Illinois, so by gum,

the state will recognize him

by declaring March 13 as Pluto Day.

I'm not kidding. Here's the story.

As for Pluto the Disney character,

He has no known connection to Illinois.

Yet.

Back to the Sixties

A little bit of spring in the air today,

So it's time for nostalgia.

Several classmates have recommended a site:

Take Me Back to the Sixties.

It's a slide and music show, well done.

It's more Fifties than Sixties,

But fun to watch.

Tip: set your browser window

to avoid the ads at top and bottom.

Strange College Courses

A friend sent me a link to

The Fifteen Strangest College Courses in America.

Some are doozies.

Did you ever have a strange course

in college?