Four generations attend Kimball High School graduation

Kimball High School graduation took place on May 17, 2014. Among the students who tossed their hats triumphantly into the air was Shelby Vogel, a fourth generation Kimball graduate.

Shelby's great grandmother, Martha Mossberg graduated from Kimball County High School in 1936. Then there were only ten students in her graduating class.

"We had classes like English, math, history, the normal classes, but we had sewing, and typing too," Mossberg said.

While Mossberg attended Kimball County high school the only sports were basketball and track and field. Mossberg recalled that parents weren't very involved in school activities then and remembered that she pretty much walked everywhere.

As for after high school Mossberg worked cleaning houses and married around the age of twenty-four. One of her children Elsie, now Vogel, also graduated in Kimball.

"We didn't have any girl sports, just boys, and we had a sock-hop at least once a week. I also remember going on band trips out of town. It was all really fun," Elsie said.

Elsie Vogel graduated in 1960. She recalled there being quite a few differences between school then and now.

"One thing was that the school didn't serve lunch. You either brought a lunch or walked home for lunch hour. The dress code was very different, we had to wear skirts, the girls did," Elsie said.

There was more parental involvement during Elsie's high school days. She was a member of pep squad, not to be confused with cheerleaders. Pep squad would wear matching jackets and attend games. They sat together and cheered and aided the cheerleaders in getting the crowd excited. Elsie said that her mother, Mossberg, would drive her and her pep squad mates to games so that they could cheer.

"Only a few of us had cars and so when you went anywhere you would ask people to ride with you, or be in your car. We talked to each other as a result," Elsie said.

Elsie Vogel went to business school after high school, then married and had children of her own. Todd Vogel, graduated in 1980. In Todd's high school days Elsie recalled that she went to his sporting events and participated as a parent that way.

"We went to his games and well, I would try to help with homework, but it was too hard. I bet it's even harder now. When I was in high school we had study hall, you could do all your work there. I don't recall ever having that much homework," Elsie said.

As her grandmother and great grandmother recalled their high school days, Shelby would interject occasionally, expressing her opinions on the differences in generations.

"Things were so laid back and way less strict when all of them went to high school. I just wish it was a little less strict for me," Shelby said.

Shelby is a participant in several sports, as well as a high academic achiever. Most would say of teens today that they start careers in high school.

"In sports, you have to make good grades or you won't play, so everyone tries to do well because they want to play," Shelby said.

Compared to the generations before, who didn't even entertain women's sports, teens today have a large undertaking when it comes to making grades, athletics and other extracurriculars.

"We were talking the other day about how one minute they expect you to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life and the next you have to raise your hand to go to the bathroom," Shelby said.

Students now have a lot more expected of them than the generations before them. In the years past, college was considered something that the well off children did. More and more in recent years, college is commonly the next step after high school.

"Back then in high school you had a lot more room to just be a kid. They didn't encourage mistakes, but it wasn't the end of the world if you made one either," Elsie said.

Shelby shared her story about this year's senior prank.

"Like with those hay bales we set up, all it said was 'Class of 2014' and our names. Nothing bad, but we still had to ask permission for that. We were told that it would have gotten taken down if we hadn't asked," Shelby said.

Where some people might see that as stifling and that kids should be allowed to be kids, it must be considered the times in which this is occurring. Unfortunately with the increase in school violence, innocent senior displays of pride could be a potential threat. Where most students have no malicious intent, it takes a mere one person to choose to abuse that kind of trust.

Shelby plans to attend college and major in elementary education. Her family attended graduation at the high school, Mossberg's fourth graduation in Kimball to see her great granddaughter achieve the same feat she had back in 1936.