VIDEO: Last day at old Souderton Area HS


By: Tony Di Domizio

SOUDERTON — Once upon a time, in 1931, Ike Feingold walked into a brand new Souderton High School.

On Wednesday morning, Feingold, who, at 93, is the oldest living alumni, was there for a bittersweet ever-after as he closed and locked the doors to the 78-year-old landmark forever.

"The only thing I have, at my age, is memories," Feingold said. "It's been 76 years since I've been back here. I never thought I'd live this long to see it."

Feingold, who graduated in 1933, was not alone in the historic goodbye. He was joined in the closing ceremony by Bill Maza, who, at 94, is the oldest living former Souderton Area High School teacher, and biology teacher Tony Cipriano, the longest tenured faculty member of the district, spending 43 years of service all at Souderton Area.

Together, all three took huge, gold-painted keys and "locked" the high school one last time.

Feingold was a quarterback for

the high school's football team, on top of his other honors as a guard on the basketball team, captain of the tennis team and captain of the affirmative debating team, where they debated whether or not the U.S. should officially recognize Russia.

His fondest memory is when the football team became the first to beat Lansdale High School in 1943.

"Afterward, we changed and put new clothes on, and the people of Souderton put us in their cars and we drove through Lansdale, blowing the horn," he said.

After high school, Feingold was drafted into the Army in 1942. He spent four years as part of a transportation division in London.

Wednesday brought back a lot of memories for Feingold. He said the day wasn't a sad one, as students are moving to a better high school, something that he called rewarding.

In his day, there were 38 in the graduating class. He was blown away when told Souderton Area recently graduated 493.

"I can't envision being in a class like that today," he said. "When we were in school, we were all poor and we adjusted accordingly. The class was close-knit."

Maza started teaching at Souderton in 1946. "It's the greatest place I ever was in," he said.

The former industrial arts teacher led his students in the building of the stadium. They installed the seats. They dug the ditches and holes for contractors. They put up the scoreboard.

"It's a sad, sad day, and yet a glorious day," Maza said. "I never dreamed that I would be here. This is a hallowed place, a hallowed place."

Souderton Area High School Principal Sam Varano opened the short closing ceremony, focusing on the thought that there's a lot to be said for an old building with old memories.

"Today ends an era of a building," Verano said. "To paraphrase Dr. Seuss: Don't be sad it's over; be glad it happened. 41 North School Lane is no more."

There has been a great culture created at the school, based on the fond memories that will live on, Verano said. "I wish everyone the best of luck as we move to the new building," he said.

If the high school walls could talk, they would say many things. Then again, he said, one may not want to know everything the walls would say.

"If they could talk," he said, "they would be proud of the community here. It's just a different feel being in Souderton. This place had a lot of meaning to a lot of people. It will never be the same."

Sophomores and juniors who took their final steps out those doors minutes earlier looked on from the grassy front yard.

They applauded the closing, each cheer a support of the memories locked inside.

"It's all going to be new," junior Laura Berry said. "We're going to be seniors and it's going to be hard to remember we're in charge, but we'll be just as lost as everyone else."

The big thing she'll miss about the school is "The Knuckle." That's the place in the school where all the hallways meet, where the old 1930s building and "new" 1959 structure were joined and, coincidentally, where all the students would meet as a crowd.

Each and every sophomore and junior standing there watching history unfold Wednesday also anticipated being the next Ike Feingold, walking into a brand new Souderton Area High School in Franconia in September.

"When I got here, I entered the school and thought, 'Aw, man, this is it, never again.' I'm going to start a new chapter in a different school," said junior Carlos Rodas. "I am going to miss it. There's a bunch of history here, and I'm glad to be a part of it."