EDUCATION: 'TIGER TERRITORY' GAINS NEW GROUND

The ceremony designating the future site of a new Central High School "Tiger territory" was filled with the enthusiasm of students and memorial tributes to the Cape Girardeau School District's former schools.

More than 100 people were on hand as school staff, students and Cape Girardeau Board of Education members took part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the high school.

The school, which will be built east of Interstate 55 and west of Kingshighway along a gravel section of Silver Springs Road, is scheduled to open in fall 2002.

"It's amazing to know people actually believed in us enough to actually do something like this for us," said Stephanie Koenig, 15, who attended the event. "I'll have lots of memories from the old Central High School, but I'm looking forward to being in the new building."

Student representatives from each school brought a cupful of dirt from their campuses that later was ceremoniously combined with dirt at the site. Organizer Julia Jorgensen said the event was meant to provide the campus with a sample of the district's educational tradition prior to the arrival of students.

"We declare this soil ready to begin creating a foundation to continue an educational tradition that dates back over 125 years," said Jorgensen. "Tiger fame will flourish here because we remember where we came from, we know where we are and we now what the children of Cape Girardeau deserve."

Most of those participating in the event expressed excitement over the construction of a new building and continuation of a long-range plan created in 1996 by committees of district staff and local residents.

And then there was the thunderous, high-octane evangelizing of Central High School Athletic Director Terry Kitchen.

Kitchen 00 a Central High School alum well known for his ability to combine a fiery, motivational speaking style with an abundance of school spirit -- invoked the blessings of God upon the school throughout the construction and occupancy stages.

"Not only is our state and our nation under the protection of God, but this school is under protection of God," he said. "We need to get off that fence post. If we believe that our high school is the best high school in the state of Missouri, we need to call on God to rain down his blessings upon our school and to ask Jesus to walk the hallways with our kids."

Kitchen's words were greeted with cheers and applause by many of those present. Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Steska said any other speech would have been out of character for Kitchen. Steska said he appreciated Kitchen's "willingness to sincerely ask the blessings of God in our schools."

Sophomore student Sara Lane, 15, will be among the first class of graduates when the new high school opens.

"It's an amazing feeling, knowing we get to be the only class to have the honor of starting in the old building and graduating from the new building," she said.

Lane and several classmates memorialized the occasion by donning protective head gear, grabbing ceremonial shovels and posing for pictures. They also put their signatures on attendance sheets that will be among articles placed in the school's capstone..