TRR photo by Tom Kane Mathew Peloquin, following tradition, hands a rose to Megan Bosque during the processional of the Sullivan West/Narrowsburg graduation last Friday evening. (Click for larger image)

Narrowsburg graduates 26 in separate ceremony

By TOM KANE

JEFFERSONVILLE — “We couldn’t go to Narrowsburg to graduate, so we brought Narrowsburg here,” is the way graduating senior Rob Taylor explained it.

He referred to the large Indian head, symbol of Narrowsburg school spirit, that was transported from Narrowsburg to the 1938 gymnasium of the Sullivan West/Jeffersonville high school. He referred also to the large and supportive crowd in attendance there during the graduation ceremony.

On June 28 and 29, the Sullivan West School District divided the graduation of its seniors in two. Seniors from Narrowsburg, who attended their senior year at Jeffersonville, graduated in an evening ceremony on Friday, June 28 and seniors from Jeffersonville graduated in the morning of Saturday, June 29.

Since the Narrowsburg building is in the middle of a major renovation, the gym could not be used for the graduation.

“We feel comfortable here in Jeff,” said Narrowsburg senior Evan Kraack. “It’s like a second home to us.”

The graduates were lauded by one of their teachers, John Ogozalek, whom they chose to be the keynote speaker.

Ogozalek recalled how this class protested vehemently, using knowledge gleaned from a social studies class, when the school board decided to move all Narrowsburg high school students to Jeff because of the renovations.

“They tried every way they could think of to reverse the decision,” he said. “They spoke at board meetings, they gathered signatures, they protested in the time-honored ‘American way,’ but when the time came, they went to Jeff and did their best to make the move work.”

Ogozalek praised the seniors and urged them to follow their consciences in the future, when they might disagree with authority or the powers that be.

“Never be afraid to speak your consciences,” Ogozalek said.