Paul remembers @ 50 years

Our friend and class advisor, Paul Hendrick, reminisces about our graduation ... looking  back 50 years.  Thank you, Paul... for the memories and, importantly, for the care, concern, friendship and direction you provided to our class. 

From: paul hendrick [mailto:paulhendrick@fuse.net]
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2014 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: reunion

 How strange to see those familiar cards with Cleon's message to your class.  It was a great and unexpected honor to be asked to read his message at your graduation.  Up to this point, class advisors had no part in graduation ceremonies.  Remember, I took Tom D'Amico's place as your advisor and when he left to become an administrator I  took over as graduation sponsor beginning maybe with the class of 1966 or 7.  At that point, we also made a switch to have students' names read aloud w/in graduation, something that did not happen at your graduation nor had it earlier.  We had the class advisor read the names of the class as they processed down the aisle toward the stage.  Of course, it was impossible with classes that size to totally link names to an individual, but there was at least recognition that these were the people processing.  

It took a lot of work from us teachers of seniors because - if you remember - you processed not alphabetically but by height - the seating chart was set up with the class surrounding senior choir, within which were clustered members of ensemble.  Once we placed you in your seats at graduation, we would practice the recessional first - you guys moving rapidly and hopefully keeping in line.  Once all out, we turned your around and had you process in at a more dignified rate - John Achzehner and Rosella  Honekamp would give you a tap on the shoulder  when it was time for you to start processing.  

It was such a huge affair, much more impersonal than Class Day, that the only effect we could strive for was uniformity and dignity.  We asked you (ordered?) you not to wave your programs, no matter how hot it was in the UC Fieldhouse....and you didn't.  

(I'm amazed today that we lived in a world where - when we polled the senior girls on whether they wanted to wear short white gloves on Class Day, they always chose to do so.)  

I think your class was the first when we had the junior class put on a reception in the quad - punch and cookies - after Class Day awards.  Some of the guys in your class headed off God knows where - maybe the punch bowl - instead of in front of the  school where the Class Day photo was taken, so a lot of those guy are missing from your formal picture.  That was too bad.  I think once I became in charge of all that stuff, we added the class advisor to the grouping of class officers in the front row.  I'm not in your picture.)  

Anyway, long story short? or getting longer?  The message from Cleon was on two file cards -  my handwriting is on the top and those are my slash marks to indicate where I wanted to pause.  Someone else's handwriting indicates who accepted your class by the Bd of Ed from I think it was Art Vigard, retiring vp on behalf of Cleon.  Anyway, it was an honor to do it and to be onstage for your graduation.  Remember only Steve Claybon received his diploma personally and accepted on behalf of the whole class.  Then four junior girls in matching dressed carried diplomas up the center aisle and distributed them in a "bundle" to first person on the aisle to pass them down.  

The teachers of seniors had met in the Jones Room.  They would have a section of the diplomas - I'd' read off the names in each row from my seating chart and they would pass them to one person who would tie them up in a bundle and that's how you got diplomas by height instead of by alphabet.  A lot of people worked very hard in a very short time to make it special for you.  

Best - Paul