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Our Professional Photographer

In partnership with Josleyn Photography, photographer John Zembillas and associates were present at all four of our 40th Anniversary Reunion events.  He took over 700 shots, and these are available for you to enjoy and even purchase! 

  • Click on the link below.
  • Then follow the instructions on the web page.  You'll need to click a link at the bottom of the page.  On the next page, click "Chesterton Reunion."  That's us!  
  • You can view photos in slideshow format and make purchases in shopping-cart style.
  • The photos will be online and available for purchase through July 31, 2009.  


Most of the photographs featured on this page were taken by John Zembillas.  He has  posted them here for you to enjoy a sampling of his work during our big weekend in July 2008.  Visit the above website to see hundreds more of his photos!





The Friday Reception:  July 18, 2008

We received alumni from four decades of the CHS Speech & Debate Program at an informal cocktail reception at Trinity Hall on the grounds of St. Pat's in Chesterton.  The atmosphere was relaxed yet emotional!  It was great to see old friends and mentors reunited for the first time in decades. 

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It was all hugs and smiles!
Bob Kelly and Brian Showers

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Jim Skeffington
with former coach, Reggie Korthals

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Liz Fox and Emily Lawson

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Glen Percifield
with Lee Schoonover

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Carm Hise and Catherine Keane Shea:
then and now!

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Diana Eagen, Pam Wycoff, and Tom Marlowe

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A teary Beth Howard Roach
with her Mr. Wycoff . . .





The CHS Open House:  July 19, 2008

On this morning, we hosted an open house for all to see the "new" CHS.  There were welcome speeches in the auditorium, a couple current speech team members performed their nationals programs,  and then everyone walked over to the speech & debate "wing" (yes, wing) to tour the rooms and see the old pictures. 

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Jeff Lanter, master of the alumni database, presented a humorous summary of the reunion committee's detective processes and an overview of the program's statistics.

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2008 Senior Melissa Penfold
performed her national-qualifying
oratory.

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2008 Senior Zak Stemer
performed his national-qualifying
humorous interpretation.

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Then, in the speech & debate wing, it was time to put our memories to the test!  We attempted to put names to faces -- decades later! 

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Jeff Lanter and Garth Shaner
remembered when . . .





The 40th Reunion Gala:  July 19, 2008

This was the big event, and it was not disappointing!  We had a beatiful ballroom at Trinity Hall at St. Pat's, where
our biggest crowd of the weekend gathered to hug, laugh, cry, eat, drink, hear the honorees, and then dance the night away.  And everyone looked so great!  The highlight of the evening was the speeches given by the 6 veteran coaches ~ wish we had video taped them!  (Don't worry; we're keeping notes for the 45th reunion.)  We also honored Mike and Sue Harris and thanked them for their role in founding the team.  The roses were lovely and the laughter was endless . . . and it was all over too soon.

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Master "detective" Jeff Lanter escorted veteran coach Barbara Funke and reunion chair Cassie Radabaugh downstairs to the ballroom.  (Though this ballroom was no church basement!)

This was a big moment of the weekend, as the coaches were ushered into the ballroom to see their fantastic tee shirt quilts!

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Each of the six veteran coaches received a tee shirt quilt made from their own speech and debate tees!  Pauline Gotch was the craftswoman. 

Jim Cavallo had the oldest shirt -- and significantly depleted his wardrobe by surrendering his stash!  (The coaches weren't told what we were planning . . . just to hand over the shirts!  You can imagine their surprise!)  Mr. C's quilt is pictured above.

Below is Barbara Funke's quilt, whose was the largest.  You see, she had every tee shirt from her coaching career. 

How many shirts do you recognize? 
How many do you still own? 
How many do you still WEAR?!

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Joe Wycoff was one of six veteran coaches who were honored  -- 
and had great things to say!

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Mr. C. laughed till he cried!

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Mike and Sue Harris
were honored as our program founders.

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Parents of our deceased alumni were invited to celebrate with us on Saturday night; we remembered them through their families!  Here, Pauline Gotch enjoyed the speeches and kept Paul's spirit alive.

(Of course, Pauline also played a major part in our reunion planning, as she made the tee shirt quilts for each of the six veteran coaches!)   


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Glen and Letty Percifield
were first on the dance floor!

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Alumni signed blank books for each of the 6 veteran coaches. 


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Sisters Terry Cavallo 
and Carol Biel
especially loved the roses!

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What a team!  Reunion chair Cassie Dommer Radabaugh with her "essentials," Jim Zorn and Jeff Lanter.  Jim was the first to come forward and volunteer to help with the reunion project.  And techno-guru Jeff worked more hours than all other volunteers put together. 



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The Sunday Picnic:  July 20, 2008

This was the perfect finale to our magical weekend!  We had a picnic at the pavilion at Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve with lots of sunshine, perfect temperatures, beautiful flowers, and barefoot children!  Everyone was basically exhausted from the night before, so we just relaxed and enjoyed a few last hours together.  Then there was that difficult scene in the parking lot when we had to say farewell  for another 5 years . . . .

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Terry and Jim Cavallo
join a crowd of
Jensens and Amundsons!

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Mark Jensen
with one of his four angels! 

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Dey Dommer, Greg Lanter,
and Andy Beckett

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Jim, Cassie, and Bob came to be known as "the joint chiefs" during the tedious, hilarious, 13-month planning period for the 40th Anniversary Reunion. 

This is a portrait of contentment and exhaustion!




See you in 2013.








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