Meade High School - Genesis Yearbook (Fort Meade, MD)

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A PROFILE CDF CGUFRAGE if 'Q ff As high school students, most of us nev- er have to think about death and its finality, because we are just starting to concentrate on living. The death of Meade student Steve Singleton last May brought that reali- ty home. His death touched the lives of everyone at Meade. lf you didn't know him well enough to cry a little for yourself, you could cry for your friends who did. But there were not many students at Meade who didn't know Steve. Steve had a lot of odds stacked against him from the beginning. He was born with cystic fibrosis, and he and his family had to live with the fact that Steve probably would not reach adulthood. When Steve was criti- cally injured in a car accident, his recovery was complicated by the disease, and his death was eventually caused by those M. ft V complications. He was one of the more popular students at Meade. Although he stood only about 4 feet 10 inches high and weighed 90 pounds, most ofthe kids did not know he had cystic fibrosis. There was no reason for most of us to know, because in spite of his impairment, Steve worked hard to get the best out of life. From the outside, he really didn't seem much different from a lot of high school students. He was a JV wrestler in his freshman year, and he play- ed varsity soccer and lacrosse for Coach Hart. Steve maintained a B average and worked weekends at Blob's Parkin Jessup. When Steve was 7, he was a cystic fibrosis poster child. But Steve was different. His extraordinary courage to excel in the face of the odds against him was incredible. Steve's funeral was held a few days after E Mm f .yzt . +V' .1 ff' 1 , ,uri -nr gn- ai 4. W in he died on May 10th, and all students were granted permission to attend by the admin- istration. The little church filled quickly with family and close friends, so the remainder of the people - somewhere around 200 - stood outside the church's open windows to hear the eulogy. The day of the funeral was warm and sunny, and that is an appropriate way to remember Steve. He was not a saint. He did wrong and right, and he had doubts and fears just like the rest of us. But we should never forget the example of courage and determination Steve Sing- leton has set for us. In the words of his mother on the day of the funeral, Let's keep Steve alive in love. H- Singletom f' 57

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lt's The PRlNciple That Counts This year Meade is very sorry to be losing one of its most popular and respected teachers. Mr. Michael Prin has been teaching social studies at Meade for six years and has served as Senior Class Advi- sor for the Classes of '81, '83 and '84, Mr. Prin has demonstrated enthusiasm, spirit, energy, and most importantly, a genuine caring for his students. t'Working with stu- dents - thatls what it's all about, says Prin. Social studies teacher John Smith has long been a friend, carpooler and partner in crime with Mr. Prin. He sums up the situa- tion this way: I doubt it will affect our friendship. l'll miss him, though. lt's going to be hard to find someone to fall for all those practical jokes. Mr. Prin is 31 years old this year, and has opted to take a new position with the De- partment of Defense. When asked why, he replied, f'I'm just ready to move on. lt's time for a new challenge. The students at Meade wish Mr. Prin luck. He has certainly met challenges at Meade with a high de- gree of professional excellence. 1.1. A Working out the two week notice A Mr. Prin demonstrates his inexhaustable spirit while helping the Class of '84 sell buttons. 56 X Prin A Mr Prin has been a dominant factor in successful senior proms at Meade,

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