High school reunions bring out the best memories from long ago
The Davis High Class of 1976 has donated a “Spirit Rock” as part of its 50th reunion
I love the notion of class reunions.
Folks who have gone away from the local high school to set the world on fire, then return home to the town that gave them a head start in life.
A couple of years ago my class at Davis High School had one of those significant reunions that ends with a five or a zero and all I can say is that those in attendance were glad that everyone was required to wear a name tag.
“Bill, is that you?”
“No, I’m Susan.”
Because I could not get a hair appointment in time, I actually missed that reunion. In fact, I’ve missed all of my reunions.
I mean, how much fun is it to hang out with a bunch of old people?
I do, however, remember my actual graduation night well.
It took place outdoors on the quad at what was then a nearly brand new Davis High School on 14th Street, replacing the historic one on Russell Boulevard that is now the Davis City Hall.
My proud father, who was immensely happy to see that my 2.25 GPA was good enough to earn me a diploma, was there with Mom and my four siblings, three of whom had already gone through this song and dance.
Although I was pretty casual about a ceremony I basically regarded as a waste of time, I was shocked when I started to tear up when the school band launched into Pomp and Circumstance as we graduates marched in to take our seats among the folding chairs stolen from the cafeteria.
The top 25 students in the class got to walk across the stage first and receive a beautiful new dictionary, even though those of us who didn’t get to walk across the stage were actually the ones who needed a new dictionary.
In the rush to get the whole family into our Ford Ranch Wagon, Dad forgot his camera and had no way to record this grand event.
Discouraged but not defeated, Dad spotted a photographer for the local newspaper and offered him five bucks to snap a photo of me when my name was finally called and I got to walk across the stage to shake the hand of Superintendent of Schools Dean Lobaugh.
Which is why the next day, much to my embarrassment, my photo was on the front page of the local newspaper instead of that of the class valedictorian.
Fast forward a handful of decades and I’m happy to report that the proud Class of 1976, truly the Spirit of ‘76, America’s bicentennial year, will be holding their 50th class reunion the weekend of Oct. 2-4.
This, by the way, is not my graduating class by a long shot. These folks were barely out of diapers when I graduated from Davis High School.
For those too young to remember, the bicentennial was a big deal, though no one was creative enough back then to have a cage fight on the White House lawn.
One member of the Class of 1976 sent a note to remind me that streaking became a national phenomenon about that time since we no longer had to worry about Watergate or the energy crisis that sent gasoline prices soaring to nearly 60 cents a gallon.
I do, in fact, remember a streaker around that time who sprinted down the east sideline of Toomey Field one November night, causing a comical commotion during a lopsided Causeway Classic.
Security quickly corralled this clothing-optional criminal, threw a towel over his private parts and escorted him out of the stadium, never to be seen again.
Today he’d be deported to El Salvador.
When these Class of ‘76 youngsters were in high school, the town of Davis was about half the size it is now. Homes cost a 10th of what they command in 2026.
As someone who grew up here, I keep telling myself that when I was in elementary school I should have been collecting real estate instead of baseball cards.
Most members of the Class of ‘76 still live in California.
The Golden State holds 153 of these graduates, followed by Washington with 10, Nevada with 7, Colorado with 6 and Oregon with 5.
Wrote one member of the Class of ‘76, “This was the year many of us graduated from Davis High School and called Davis home for the last time. But these formative years were when we developed and shaped our minds for entering the world outside our comfort zones.”
A group of these folks have scheduled three full days of activities including - you guessed it - a pickleball tournament in honor of a game no self-respecting Blue Devil would have played in 1976.
In addition to many gourmet meals, there will be tennis, cycling, golf, birding and Berryessa boating. (Go to dhs76reunion.com).
Wrote another organizer of this classy reunion, “If ever there was a time to come back to where it all started for us as young adults, this is the event. We all experienced good times and sometimes difficult times, but our time at Davis High School helped build who we are today and the values we took with us during the next 50 years of our lives. Who wouldn’t want to look back and share some of those memories?”
As a gift to their alma mater, the class is donating a “Spirit Rock” to be placed on the Davis High School quad along with a bronze plaque.
Says the plaque, “In honor of the enduring spirit of Davis Senior High School and in celebration of the Class of 1976’s 50th Anniversary Reunion, we dedicate this Pride Rock to inspire future Davis Senior High classes representing the timeless ideals of unity and perseverance.
“This gift affirms our DSHS Values of Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Determination, Empathy.
“Dedicated with pride by the DSHS Class of 1976 and CORE Construction, commemorating our nation’s 250th anniversary.”
Go Blue Devils.