New Castle High returns graduation to Cathedral

May 26, 2006

By Pat Litowitz
New Castle News


New is nice, but family and tradition are crowd-pleasers.

That’s what New Castle Area School District officials discovered when they wanted to move graduation ceremonies from the Scottish Rite Cathedral to the auditorium in the new junior-senior high school.

“We rethought it and looked at the concerns parents had,” Superintendent George Gabriel said. “We really reconsidered.”

For approximately 200 New Castle seniors, that means the show is back on the road. Make that down the street and in the Cathedral.

“We’re very pleased that they’re coming back,” said Rich Sbarro, president of the Cathedral Foundation. “We understand what they were trying to do in the first place.

“It’s not like we did anything wrong.”

In April, high school principal John Sarandrea sent letters to the parents of graduating seniors. He informed them they would receive four tickets per senior to attend graduation exercises at 8 p.m. June 21.

Unlike past years, the ceremony was to take place in the newer, yet smaller, auditorium. The Cathedral seats approximately 2,800 compared to 1,100 at the high school.

Parents, such as Desi Scalfari, disliked the idea of bucking tradition. However, it was the restrictions on attendance that upset her. That meant family and friends would be prevented from watching her daughter, Carlee, graduate.

“I took it so personal,” she said. “I felt angry that I didn’t have a voice.”

Scalfari told her parents, who live out of state, not to attend because she could not promise them a ticket.

Gabriel said he, too, was troubled by the thought that the graduates would not have full family support.

“I would be heartbroken if I couldn’t see (my nephew) graduate next year,” he said. “This graduation is one of inclusion. We didn’t want to exclude family members.”

Sbarro said the Cathedral will not profit on the event. The district will be charged $1,415 for use of the facility. That represents a discount of approximately $800.

“We would love to donate the building more,” Sbarro said. “The (building’s) lighting and so forth is a substantial expense.”

Scalfari said she is glad that the district has changed its stance.

“There are so many people that are relieved,” Scalfari said. “There were several teachers who told (my daughter) they were excited it was going back to the Cathedral.

“It is a part of tradition here in New Castle.”