St Ignatius High School - Ignatian Yearbook (Cleveland, OH)

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Commencement Ceremonies Senior Prom The Final Fling The coming of May once again meant the time for seniors to throw on tuxes, grab a date and dance the night away at the Senior Prom. Like most other years the 1984 Senior Prom at St. Ignatius was a large success. Dancing to the beat of Pieces of Eight, the seniors and their dates had a rip- roaring good time. The only negative point about the prom was the malfunctioning of the air-conditioning system which made for a very hot evening. After the dance itself, the crowd headed to the student center for After-Prom, w'hich was put on by the Loyola Society and the Father's Club. It featured casino type gambling and play money and turned out to be a large success. After the After-Prom, students flocked to their own private parties. All in all, the 1984 Senior Prom was a good time for all. The evening can be summed up in one sentence by Mike Rolf, It was good. Above Left: Senior Tom Flandera poses for a picture before leaving for a party. Left: Bill Fikter. Jim Klemens. et. at., pose for the camera as someone yells, Hand CheckT Off to Start Another Journey The grand finale of a four year tenure at these hallowed halls came to a momentuous climax. For the second year, the commencement ceremony was held on the campus of our sister institution, John Carroll University. The weather was overwhelmingly receptive to all who were present. With accompaniment by the band, the graduates, preceded by distinguished faculty, marched to their seats. Mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters were seen pointing about and citing the famous words, 'There he is! Then, they were all treated to words of wisdom from teacher and friend, Mr. Jim Skerl. Bob Redmond and Chris Rolitsky, salu-tatorian and valedictorian respec- tively, also addressed their classmates. Several awards recognizing commitment to the Ignatius community were presented. Finally, the long-awaited moment was now upon the Class of 1984. With an anticipated heart, each individual rose and advanced to receive his diploma. He was also welcomed with a warm handshake of congratulations from Fr. Welsh. In these brief moments, special images of the past four years were envisioned. The status of alumni had been achieved, but they would be Ignatius men forever. On this unforgettable day, St. Ignatius embraced the Class of 1984 and then with open arms watched them embark on yet another exciting journey. Both teacher and friend, Mr. Jim Skerl addresses the class of 1984. 24 Wildcat Recap

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Irene Delights All Musical Dances Its Way to Success Grand Debut Mr. Znidarsic When spring arrived at St. Ignatius, the Student Center echoed with the sweet voices and dancing footsteps from the cast of the spring musical Irene. When the curtain went up in early April, large audiences were entertained by this light-hearted comedy. Irene told the story of an ambitious young girl who opens a piano store in New York. Falling in love with an affluent young gentleman, she begins a series of adventures in which she meets an assortment of colorful characters. The musical comes to a delightful end when Irene admits to herself and to oth ers that she is not a high class countess, but just a girl from Ninth Avenue. The male lead was played by Senior Matt Litzler. This was Matt's first time on stage, but he overcame his inexperience to put on a fine performance. The female lead was played by Kristen Koma, a young but experienced sophomore from Magnificat. Excellent direction by John Znidarsic, entertaining performances by the cast. excellent musical accompaniment by the pit orchestra, and skillful work by the crews made Irene a delightful musical for all. Kristen Koma pleads to God to give her a more active cast. 1 ll Last year, St. Ignatius graduate John Znidarsic returned to the Student Center as a director on the same stage on which he performed as a student. Mr. Znidarsic played the lead role of Charlie in the Harliquin production of Where's Charlie in 1979, John's senior year. Mr. Znidarsic fulfilled the high expectations by producing excellent presentations of You Can’t Take It With You and Irene. His creative interpretation of the fall play and skillful choreography in the spring musical made the two shows some of the most successful in the history of St. Ignatius dramatics. A 1983 graduate of John Carrol University, Mr. Znidarsic hopes to go ahead to graduate school or to take part in a major theatrical production. His energy and vitality adds excitement and flare to the drama program. When Mr. Znidarsic eventually leaves St. Ignatius, his presence will be missed, but his contributions will not be forgotten. I've already told you- you're too short to play Dracula. Hey. does anyone know where the piano teacher is? Spring Play 23

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Teachers Depart Can They Be Replaced? When students returned to school at the end of August, they found new faces inhabiting the familiar halls. Once the initial confusion of coming back to the classrooms had passed, students realized that several teachers had departed. St. Ignatius suffered a great loss with the departure of Fr. Lawrence Ober, S.J. Fr. Ober combined brilliance with a deep unselfish care for all students. He is pursuing further studies at Oxford University. The departure of Duane Drotar also created a void in the St. Ignatius community. Duane Drotar used his secular and religious knowledge to create a diverse and unique senior retreat program. He lead senior retreats everywhere from the solitude of a New York monastery to the clamor of Times Square on New Years Eve. Duane Drotar, now working in the Urban Community Schools, Though the distinguished presence of Fr. Larry Ober no longer graces us, the memory of him has been carved deep in the walls of St. Ignatius. Fr. Ober defined the ideal teacher. Always the intellectual, he used his creative insights to encourage students to develop their own creativity. He possessed a deep understanding of both the problems of the world and the concerns of his students. His deep affection for others caused them to view themselves as unique individuals. Who could forget the interesting homilies that displayed his sense of humor? All these qualities distinguished Fr. Ober not only as a teacher of history, but as a teacher of men. continues his leadership and guidance of young people. Also leaving was Ross Piche, a long time member of the English Department. Mr. Piche greatly encouraged creative thought and writing to his students. The Math Department lost two teachers at the end of last year. Mr. Mihalko, who taught geometry, was known for his prayers, his devotion to the Potato Lady, and having died at least once. Mrs. Bindel tried to teach algebra and almost succeeded. A former member of the science department, Mr. Apostulik's temper was as short as his hair. Also, the beautiful Mrs. Ann Caldwell gave up after a valiant try in the Spanish department. All of these seasoned instructors gave a little part of themselves to the quality of education at St. Ignatius (that is why most of them left.) Fr. Ober delivers a captivating homily at the Baccalaureate Mass. G.B.O.C.Wins Plans New Ideas The election of 1984 involved two of the most competant slates the school has seen in a long time. Therefore, the decision was made even more difficult. The two slates were G.B.O.C. (Greg Golonka, T.J. Brookover, Tom Orange, and Matt Clemens), and T.K.F.M. (Vince Tinnerello, Chris Koehler, Rob Fisher, and Blaise McDonald). T.K.F.M.'s main idea was to separate the offices of the student council and senior class officers, each having different functions, student council involving themselves with things that they normally would, and the senior class president being concerned with direct interactment with the senior class. The victor, G.B.O.C., won on hard work and new innovative ideas. Some of these were the bringing back of girl cheerleaders, the improving of rallies and intramurals, and keeping the senior lounge open. All in all, both slates worked very hard to be elected and either would have been an excellent choice. Greg Golonka. Tom Orange, and T.J. Brookover throw Matt Clemens in the snow. Fr. Ober Leaves School Loses One of its Best Teachers Arrivals Departures 25