Once a Saber, Always a Saber

Many of us have heard the saying “Once a Saber, Always a Saber”, but what does it really mean? This saying shows our endless school pride, the many memories & the great people you encounter while at the Central Dewitt High School. Did you know that Mr. Pickup once was a history teacher here, and is now our principal? Did you know that Kayla Lancaster our girls soccer coach once walked these halls as a student? Or that Mr. Grell coaches the same wrestling team that he was once a part of? In addition, Susan Bormann now coaches teachers in classrooms she used to be a student in. These stories are living proof that your time here matters, that we are all Sabers, and that no matter where our lives take us, we are Always a Saber.

Matt David

Once a Saber always a Saber. What a saying. One of the ones we laugh at everyday whenever someone says it. I hate to break it to Mr. Pickup but one of his signature catchphrases is more of a joke to the students now. Until it’s not…

My name is Matthew David and I lived in DeWitt for 14 years of my life. This year, my junior year, I thought nothing would be different. The arts programs were practically in the palm of my hand and I could tell I was on the verge of great success in theater, speech, and choir. But one day over the summer, my mom wakes me up and tells me, “Matt we’re moving to Madison in September, I got a new job.” My soul was crushed thinking about leaving the place I (still to this day) call home, about leaving all the friends I’ve ever had behind and having to start over left me feeling sick to my stomach. I was in tears a majority of the day and that news led to a great time at the Mississippi Valley Fair.

DeWitt may seem like a terrible place to be, but trust me it’s one of the few places I would consider calling home. It’s all I’ve known for a majority of my life. As many of you know I’m usually an outgoing guy, I like to talk and I’m kind of arrogant sometimes. But for the first month here, I think I could count two hands the amount of times I struck up a conversation with someone, or even said something in class. This has been the greatest challenge of my life so far. Saying goodbye to basically everyone I’ve ever loved, not knowing where relationships would’ve ended up by senior year, everything cut off so quickly and violently and leaving me in shock. But after that month, I turned around. I thought, this isn’t what DeWitt wants my legacy to be. This isn’t who I am. I’m Matthew David. So I started opening up, I started auditioning for stuff and making connections.

This place means so much to me. I’ve met some of the most influential people of my life there. I try to come back pretty often, but still I ended up so far out of the loop that when I come home it feels like it’s been years, not months. This move has been so difficult for me yet, at the same time, I’ve grown into something I could’ve only hoped to grow into in Dewitt. My skills have grown, my interests have deepened, and my personality has sharpened. All of these good things have happened because of leaving Dewitt, but Madison has a lot of competition when it comes to being my home. I won’t have the memories of waiting in line behind Ekstrand before school every morning, of making tunnels in the huge snow drifts from the parking lot, of having the worst voice crack of my life during the 7th grade Geography Bee, of choking during the biology section of the science bowl, of having my first lead in a musical, of being one of the worst goalies on our soccer team, like ever, and above all it will never allow me to be a student at Central DeWitt again. But at the same time, I think I’m okay with that. I’m okay with making new memories in a new place because in the back of my mind, I know that if things don’t work out I always have somewhere to go where people work always have my back.

Because, well, ya know, Once a Saber Always a Saber.

Miss. Miah Betz

I grew up roaming the halls of the old Central DeWitt High School on roller-skates while my mom was working in her room on weekends. I attended high school in the transition and completion of the new building, graduating in the auxiliary gym in 2014. Many of the faces you see in the district today were here when I was born, or when I attended school. Mary, the school secretary would calm me down and help me find my mom, Mrs. Betz (FCS teacher), if she wasn’t in her room when I got off the bus after school in elementary school. Mr. Greubel took me to Florida to perform in the Orange Bowl my freshman year. Mr. Olson coached me all four years in cross-country and track, while challenging me in the classroom. All of these people, and many I did not list, assisted me while I was a Saber, but they also shared lessons and motivation to last a lifetime.

I was involved in many activities while I was a Saber - band, choir, chamber singers, track, cross country, NHS, FCCLA, FCA - I loved each and every one of them. Being involved helped me to meet people from each grade level and the surrounding communities. Extracurriculars improved my leadership skills in a safe environment, and these skills have assisted me while at college. Not only did the school give me opportunities to grow, but the community was extremely supportive of the school district. Saber Nation truly has the best fans packed into the bleachers, and a tremendous legacy of performing well. Since attending University of Northern Iowa, I have learned other schools’ athletes and musicians from around the state recognize who the Sabers are. Each Saber should be proud to have that title!

I hear similar reflections from various alumni. Central DeWitt Community School District was a great place to grow up, whether in DeWitt, Grand Mound, Low Moor, or Welton. Every visit home, there is something new developing and making the community better. I hear about how respectful students are, and I often thought about how wonderful it would be to work in a district like the one I grew up in. Well, I am extremely lucky a position opened up exactly when I would be graduating, and I have been anxiously waiting to walk the halls I once walked as a student.

I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to a community that gave me so much. I think those that come back to the community feel the same way. It is a bonus that I chose a career which places me directly in the spot where many of the most influential people to me, once stood. I cannot wait to meet all of the students and new faculty during this semester. Most importantly, it is great to be a Saber... ALWAYS!

Zoey Brokaw

CDHS was more to me than those four walls, for those four years, primarily because of the instructors that were incredibly instrumental for my growth academically, musically, and as an individual. The sole reason I was so open to take on choreography for the musical the school year after I graduated, is because I knew exactly of the group of people I’d be able to work with again. I find myself still in awe of how graceful my teachers were whilst handling such imbalance, and immaturity. There is not a day that goes by, nor classes or lectures or lessons that I sit in on, that I am not utilizing traits my past teachers instilled in me to insure success in soaking up whatever content I can. To pass up an opportunity to see those teachers in action once more, and to take a small part in carrying out their technique in delivering instruction, would have been nothing short of ridiculous.

This past month, I was able to student teach in a 7-12 choir classroom in Waukon, Iowa. At first it seemed absurd to me that I was essentially in charge of a classroom with only one semester of college under my belt, but I also felt oh-so-very excited, and relatively prepared to be in such a position. Obviously, through Mr. Greubel, and Mr. Uttech, I was able to witness the demands of having to schedule literature you’re not too sure of, constructing a lesson schedule that causes as little of inconveniences possible (still not exactly sure if this is physically possible), and having to figure out how to set up a space where students feel comfortable enough to create. But, as the person who had to schedule, construct, and create themselves, I was nothing but downright put in my place when it took more than the 20 minutes allotted in a heavily busy day. By the third day, it become very apparent that I’d have to take my wins, and leave the daily defeats behind, else I’d be beat to the ground every single time I returned to campus at the end of the day. I’m thankful for the instructors that I know had thousands of defeats circling in their mind day-to-day, but still had it in them to celebrate our tiny victories as if it meant the world to them, because I know in those moments, it did to me.

Outside of the arts program, I also credit my teachers at CDHS with swimming lessons. Now, I’m not talking about the ones at the DeWitt Aquatic Center, but the kind that helped me stay afloat during the times that I was so far into the depths of my mind, that it simply seemed much easier, inviting even, to drown. But thanks to a few teachers who definitely went above, and beyond their job description, I found the fight to breathe again, to search for the surface, and to continue despite the struggle. They taught me that life has never, and will never be a walk in a park, but a consistent battle to stay afloat with high, and mighty waves one day, to peaceful treading the next. Nonetheless, their swimming lessons absolutely saved my mind from surrendering to the tidal wave that life loves to provide for us, but to taking on the challenges as opportunities to do more, to do better, every single day.

- Klaire Petersen