At Greenfield-Central there was a terrible lack of unity in the art department at one time, and Sandy Hall became, I felt, a victim. When the principal called her in and dealt the blow that made her jump at the chance to teach at the junior high (where she has been an enormous blessing), I went in to Mr. Albano’s office and protested. What I tried to tell him was this: “That woman, whom , I understand, you must support as she is the department chair, will not be here very long. She has ambitions and is using this school as a step to somewhere else. Sandy Hall is a blessing to every student in her classroom. She has our students at heart and will stay here for them through thick and through thin—and she is a professional artist and is fantastic with stage painting. If you don’t also give her some encouragement and support, I feel sure you will regret it.”
And that prophecy came true at the end of that school year when the chairperson left, took the second art teacher with her, and Sandy went to the junior high. Fortunately, I was able to continue to use her services to drama, and Jeff Weiland, carpenter, 3-D artist, etc., became a second blessing as he and Sandy worked together in children’s theater. I had learned so much from Gail Sturm and continued to learn from the associations with the other wonderful teachers who worked with Hancock County Children’s Theater, the organization that took over that north wing of Greenfield-Central High during the month of June each year. During my ten years, we did some wonderful shows ranging from Peter Pan, Finean’s Rainbow, Wizard of Oz and Hello, Dolly to shows like Hooray for Hollywood (Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Davy Crocket) and an original historical pageant, Sing Out, America, attended by the Governor of Indiana and recipient of a state proclamation, thanks largely to the work of Linda Quick.
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When word of the first opening in art was out, a former gifted student whose father was my surgeon and whose younger brother Jon was to become valedictorian and, as Cornelius Hackl in Hello Dolly!, be a pure gift of delight to me, applied for the job. When she was passed over, I objected. In the office they asked, “Are you sure you want her father in here every week about something or other?”
“I have no differences with Doc. What do you mean?”
“I mean he was in here constantly about Jon’s playing time on the basketball floor.” (I believe Jon was the only member of that team who played college ball.)
When Beth Gabrielsen was passed over for the second art opening that summer, she called about a recommendation for Indianapolis Tech High School. I asked her about her interview at G-C, and she mentioned that she had told them of her intention to go back to school for a doctorate in a year or two.
“Don’t mention that in your Tech interview. In the first place, you don’t know what the future holds. In the second place (even though the person they hire might be released by them in a year) they are looking for someone who will stay their whole lifetime. Act as if your dedication to that job would consume your greatest passion, and you’d be there forever.” I wrote her a somewhat florid letter of praise, and she gave them five years of youthful dedication, during which her wonderful parents were an enormous blessing of support to drama in that school. Margaret and I had the joy of seeing her final gift to them of Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. From there she went to do mission work in the Soviet Republic, and recently married, moved to Africa, where she will serve God wonderfully in some capacity, I am sure.
