The Hallowed Halls of RUHS

Thank you, thank you, thank you – to Melaney, Nancy, Mary and Joanne, for the wonderful reunion. It was great to see so many classmates and to hear everyone laughing and having a good time with each other.

The tour of the high school may have been the best activity of the reunion. The school is not nearly so large as in 1964-67. It still has the original lockers and many alum walked right to theirs. The floors are carpeted and the bases of the stairwells are now storage rooms. The math room door seems to have disappeared -- at least it’s not where we remembered it. The school gives off a warm and fuzzy appeal I don’t remember, perhaps because it’s a middle school with lots of décor on the walls, desks arranged in small clusters so students can talk and learn from one another. Just think of all of the teaching time our teachers wasted keeping our eyes and bodies front and center, our mouths shut, and making sure we stayed seated in alphabetical order.

Do you know what you were doing when the school’s PA announced President Kennedy’s assassination? I was in freshman gym class, someone else was in math. We knew something serious was up when teachers were called out of the classroom and came back grimfaced. Then we heard the announcement on the PA…

On a lighter note, we now know that Tommy Abbas spent all of his extra time in the library studying. He also noted that he is now tall enough for the back row of the reunion class photo.

When Kathie Peterson, Mary Yocum, Karen Cunningham and I were in the old band room, we all marveled at Mr. Moore’s influence and his great patience with the many young musicians who passed through his life. For the nonband members, playing with Doc Severinson was a great honor. Accompanying Pat Boone on the Battle Hymn of the Republic at a Portland Rose Festival also rated highly. During the tour I heard a lot about Dalton Clark’s mentoring of the budding young men in our class, and the important role of the dean of boys. . .

Mrs. Gregg from eighth grade met us at the school, along with the “Wolves 1962” and “Wolves 1963” yearbooks. She says she remembers all of her students. She began teaching just a few years before we were in eighth grade and taught a wide range of subjects including art and music, and served as a counselor. She’s retired from the school district, and still very active, teaching guitar at the community college and enjoying her artwork.

It’s been a lot of fun looking at all the old and new photos Melaney has posted. I am finding that most of the names are right on the tip of the tongue – for the others I have relied on my dear mother’s careful recording of them on the back of the photo. Still, there are a few folks who may remain unidentified. Let Melaney know if you recognize them.

Thanks for the memories!