30th Reunion

THREE DAYS, THREE EVENTS, and 30-YEARS TO CELEBRATE

A Great Start
October 10, 2008… (Day 1)

The advantage of attending a Happy Hour Mixer as a prelude to your 30-year High School Reunion is that if you find yourself at a loss for remembering the faces that anxiously approach you, there is a ½ price drink with your name on it waiting at the bar with your new best friend, Jose, the bartender. As long as Jose keeps those fruity drinks in your hand you will continue to smile, chat and nod with anyone who is so happy to see you in spite of the fact you don’t remember them… well that is how I thought it was going to go but…

Continuous liquid in a large glass wasn’t necessary for any of us that attended El Cap’s 30th reunion Happy Hour, held at El Torito in La Mesa. I barely finished one drink as I was so busy hugging, laughing and visiting with old friends reminiscing about our days of Black and Gold. Everyone had a great time getting reacquainted and talked with excitement about the following night’s festivities.

Organized by our own David Aguilar, not only did 20 of our classmates show-up but one of El Cap’s favorite teachers, Coach Till attended as well. He looks great and was all smiles. It’s funny, when we were in High School all of the teachers seemed to be so incredibly old, like 40 or 50, didn’t they? I guess at 17 anyone over 20 is ancient.

If this Happy Hour was any indication of how the main event on the 11th is going to go, then we are in for a fantastic time. There seems to be something special about a 30-year reunion, I could feel it in the air.

I can hardly wait!

The Main Event
October 11, 2008…(Day 2)

I’ve got three words to describe the Reunion Dinner event, Fabulous, Funky, & Fun!!

It was a magnificent night in America’s Finest City (well Duh it is San Diego)…not to mention the great view of a departing Cruise ship followed by a glorious sunset. Then the rise of the moon which made the bay sparkle as its light seemed to dance off of the water which just added to the ambiance of the night.

An Amazing turn-out for a 30th Reunion, over 130 people attended this soirée, most of which hadn’t been to any of the previous reunions.

There were decorations of black and gold everywhere, photos of graduation day, various school clubs, and special memory boards of those classmates who are no longer with us. Even the black and gold flower arrangements were dressed in casual western attire for this auspicious occasion Thanks to our very own Tammy (Paugh) Hutt, of The Flower Hutt in Lakeside. Marty Miles was kind enough to bring his laptop and a projector with screen so we could view our Senior Annual contents in a bigger than life format all night which was very cool.

It was a real who’s who, or whom, of El Capitan 30 years ago. It seemed that every organization, sports team and club was represented. From Cheerleaders, still perky and beautiful, to Football, Baseball, Basketball, & Track stars reliving their glory days, along with Band Geeks and Drama Kings and Queens – not to mention the lone faculty representative, the One and Only Mr. Hansen. Oh the good old days…

Even before dinner the sounds of squeals, high-fives and laughter filled the room as old friends finally recognized each other and began to share stories of High School adventures and play catch up on each others life. It was so cool.

As I made the rounds I did my share of squealing, hugging and laughing as I too found old friends in the crowd. It was so weird to see everyone after such a long time. I didn’t feel like any of us had grown up at all. It was like lunch-break on the quad. Only a couple of times I found myself at a loss to remember someone, which is all kinds of awkward. They sure seemed to know me and were anxious to chat. I kept frantically searching my memory or what’s left of it, for some clue as to how I knew them, was it band, or English class? – argh very frustrating. I finally found myself playing what I call the 7-degrees of Kevin Bacon travel game. It applies to every situation where you find yourself talking to someone you don’t really know or can’t remember but they seem to know you so you start randomly throwing out the names of other people trying to find common ground. Then when you are lucky enough to find a person that you both do know, you can switch the conversation immediately to that person., where are they now?, how are they doing?, blah, blah, blah…and suddenly the pressure is off of you and it’s much easier to chat and then bid farewell. I’ve had to do that at many a business mixer because let’s face it, I’m getting old and just don’t remember things anymore.

After dinner the visiting and taking pictures continued as people made the rounds from table to table. The food was very good and I think everyone got their fill. When the D.J. pumped up the Old School tunes, there was quite a crowd on the dance floor… It’s always a good time dancing to the classic YMCA by the Village People! Even people who hadn’t had their dancing shoes out since High School were on the dance-floor having fun. You knew it was going to be a long night when Mr. Hansen removed his jacket and danced the night away without even breaking a sweat. You go Mr. H!

As part of the Reunion Committee, I know what it took to bring this event to life. The entire committee under the direction of our esteemed leader, Susan (Whitfield) Rust, is to be commended on a job well done. Countless hours were spent planning each detail and they did an amazing job. Take a bow group you deserve it!

In talking with people the most popular reason that they decided to attend this reunion and not the others was due to the causal attire theme. I personally believe that it made the atmosphere much more relaxed and fun. It was like a well organized house party with a tremendous view. I wish we could do it once a year!!

There were also a fair number of Committee spouses and Alums who arrived early and helped out and stayed very late to do the same, you know who you are, and we Thank you so much for your help. It was greatly appreciated.

Special Thanks to Sharmaine (Battaglia) Hamilton Candy Fortner for assisting at the sign-up table. You made the night so much more enjoyable for the committee members by handling that task. You did a great job.

Don’t forget that we are all gathering again in 2010 to celebrate our 50th Birthdays together!

I look forward to seeing everyone again in 2010. Let’s eat cake and Party. Remember, 50 is the new 30!

Vickie Bradeen