
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 14, 1990                   TAG: 9006140498
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JACQUELINE JAMES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

250 GRADUATE FROM NORTHSIDE

Three students who would have graduated Wednesday with Northside High School's 28th class were not present, but they were not forgotten.

Lisa Barbieri and David Severs both were killed in car accidents, Barbieri last August and Severs a few months later. Wesley Igoe died after a swimming accident the summer before his class started at Northside.

Wednesday, the three students were remembered by their 250 classmates during a moment of silence at the beginning of graduation, which was held at the Roanoke Civic Center Auditorium.

No other class at Northside had had three classmates die before graduation.

"It's a terrible feeling to look over and see they are not in the seat they should be in," said Courtney Romano as tears welled up in her eyes. Romano was close friends with all three, who also were remembered during a baccalaureate ceremony.

The commencement addresses were delivered by Jason Life, David Thompson, Melissa Hunley and Mark Flory. The two main themes echoed by the four were respect and leadership.

Flory, the valedictorian, urged his classmates to maintain high values, to attempt to become leaders and to encourage others to do the same.

Flory graduated with a 4.125 grade-point average and will attend the University of Richmond on a full scholarship. He plans to major in science or biochemistry.

Principal Donna Henderson called this year's graduates a "special class."

"They did things that other classes didn't do," Henderson said after the ceremony.

For example, she explained, the school's National Honor Society helped support a family in Roanoke County for a month. They helped the family purchase a refrigerator and a handicap ramp and also provided them with food. Although the Honor Society took on the project, other students and some parents helped out.

"Where will you be in four years?" is one of the questions that the salutatorian, Life, asked of his classmates.

"Will you be the head of a business, in jail, dead or still hanging out at the mall?" Life said, evoking laughter from the audience. "Regardless the direction we chose, we must become leaders."

by CNB