By Marjorie Wertz
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, November 28, 2004

As scissors snip and sewing machines whiz, the sections of an American flag are pieced together by a small group of student volunteers at Greater Latrobe Senior High School.
It is tedious work. Strips of bright red and white must be sewn with care, while 100 individual white stars, 50 for each side of the flag, are cut out by hand, ironed onto the blue background, then stitched to keep them firmly in place.

The American flag committee consists of students enrolled in Mary Maggiore's Clothing I class and includes Sarah Ridge, Megan DeFelice, Heather Thomas, Katie Schildkamp, Roxanne Royster, Staci Zimmerman, Hope Orzehowski, Caitlin Hewitt, Danielle Gaffney and Jordan Jaffe. Maggiore hovers, ready to give advice and praise.

"These students are doing this flag project during their study halls and after school," said Maggiore. "There is a pride with the flag project and that's why the students are really into it. But it's not just about sewing. It's about cutting and accuracy in order for the flag to be perfect. They're doing a fantastic job."





"The flag will be sent to Iraq to fly over one of the military installations," said Orsehowski.

When the flag is completed, the students will present it to Laura Yuhaniak of the Soldier's Angels Network in Latrobe.

"We asked Ms. Maggiore to make the flag that we will send to Sergeant William Crowley, in Iraq," said Yuhaniak. Crowley, of Latrobe, is with the 458th Combat Engineers stationed at Camp Victory North, Baghdad International Airport.

"He was home on a two-week leave recently. He and his wife, Connie, came to our benefit dance. I told him that we wanted a hometown flag to be flown in Iraq for all our hometown men and women serving in the military," said Yuhaniak. "Once the flag comes back from Iraq, we would like to have it fly over the Latrobe Municipal Building or at the American Legion. When Crowley's tour of duty is over we want to present the flag to him."

The student volunteers said they wanted to do something to show their support for the soldiers.

"I thought it would be nice to take part in this project so I can say that I helped the soldiers," said DeFelice, 16.

Royster and Zimmerman, seniors and close friends, work on sewing projects outside of school at Zimmerman's house.

"This flag is for a very good cause," said Royster.

For Zimmerman, the project hits close to home. Her cousin, Eric Zimmerman, in the U.S. Navy, is patrolling the waters around the Middle East.

"My cousin was back home and he told me there were a lot of problems with fishing boats. The fishermen want to fish where they aren't allowed," said Zimmerman. "It was the second time he's been over to Iraq and he may have to go back again for six months."

The American flag isn't the first project completed by the students. Each student in Maggiore's Clothing I classes made a neck cooler as a practice project for community service. The coolers will soon be on their way to the soldiers in Iraq.

"The coolers were made in four sections and filled with granules that, once wet, will expand and stay cold," said Ridge, 16. "We made 60 neck coolers and placed them in small plastic bags with notes saying that we're now part of the Soldier's Angels Network."

It took about three class days to complete the neck coolers.

"In the second semester, the students in my Clothing II class will make more coolers to send to our soldiers in Iraq," said Maggiore.

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