Odessa Montour Central High School - Odessanean Yearbook (Odessa, NY)

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Michele Koloski’s Big Come Back She Made It Back for The Start of School! Michele Koloski, O-M Sophomore, was finishing off the 1986 1987 school year last June. She took the Math RCT, passed it, went home expecting to have a pleasant summer on Sky Line Drive. When Michelle went to sleep that night she had a seizure and was taken to Schuyler Hospital. A trip was immediately arranged for Elmira. At St. Joseph’s Hospital, Michele got an EEG and a CATSCAN. The CATSCAN showed a growth in her brain. Next was a trip to the Arnot-Ogden Hospital for a Magnetic Resonance Image. This showed two tumors. An operation was discussed. The doctors warned that Michele might lose motor activity on her right side and a loss of her speaking ability. Yet, the operation had to be done. On June 28th, Dr. Kung, a neurosurgeon, spent 10 1 2 hours operating on Michele. He removed two turmors on the left side of her brain. One was the size of a plum. Michele was out for 8 days after the operation. In her condition, she should have been in a coma, but she woke up! She had to be given pain killers because the whole left side of her skull was opened up. Michele went home after three weeks. Tons of cards flowed in. Stuffed animals came in droves. Friends put out donation cans in Montour Falls to help out with the horrendous bills. Many came to visit. Cards came from churches saying that they were praying for her. The speedy recovery was amazing! When September rolled around, Michele was here for the first day of school. Michele walked around the halls of O-M with her splashy clothing and big smile. Great to have you back, Michele. 16 MICHELE K

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Rich, in his work clothes, puts the point across. Making a Difference Rich Garza at O-M On September 30, our school was visited by Rich Garza, an exprofessional football player, who brought an important message to our school about drug abuse. As a child, Garza knew that he wanted to be a pro athlete and he almost destroyed that dream through the use of drugs. In high school the recruiters saw flaws in his behavior. He had started drinking and doing drugs in the tenth grade. He let himself become a victim of peer pressure and his actions made him uncomfortable. Garza had to make an important decision. He had to decide to do drugs or play football. He made the right choice and ended up with a football scholarship which led to positions on the front lines of the Denver Bronco, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Antonio Gunslingers. Using his experiences, he catagorized his peers and students into four groups. These are the Slaves, the Social Users or 'Weekend Warriors’, the Experimenters, and the Non-Users. In 1982, he said that he 'put his trust in God’ and overcame his drug addiction. Since high school he became a new a new person who realizes his mistakes. Today he is retired from football and visits schools and rehabilitation centers telling his story and urging students not to make the same bad decisions that he made. All of 0 M turned out and learned how Rich made the decision to turn his life around. GARZA 15

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Above: Lovely Angela Viclcio la caught by the camera in the chorua room. Below left: Senior Maria Parrott ia learning to cook breakfaat for John. Below right: Tiffany Fair and her ’boyfrienda’. Above: David Starkweather and Bouncer Bill Warner are working on the map of Schuyler County. Below left: Janet Thomaa volunteera as the aecond period Guidance Office helper. Below right: Liaa Meyera and Carol Robinaon are on their way to aee Mr. Fowler. Freahman Maggie Wood and Chriaty White Chri ie Starkweather are going over aome of Mr. Lemak'a impoaai- |n thc nior Lounge, ble homework. Stacey Reynolda. up top. and frienda. Garth Melendez checka out all the action. CANDIDS 17