Old School

On Sunday, August 21, I spent the day in Portland attending my 40th high school reunion with about 80 of my former classmates from the Lincoln High School Class of '71 (above: that's me in the bottom right, with legs extended in my kick-back-and-relax position).

Although I spent my freshman and sophomore years at Jesuit High School in Beaverton, I transferred to Lincoln -- the oldest high school in the Pacific Northwest -- for my final two years. Established in 1869, Lincoln High School is located in downtown Portland across the street from the iconic Multnomah (now Jen-Weld) Stadium.

To say that Lincoln was a complete switch from Jesuit might be the understatement of the year. An all-boys school, Jesuit prided itself on its academic prowess, which was considerable. Very regimented, the school was governed with a tight grip by the "soldiers of Christ," those priests and noviciates of the Society of Jesus who served as teachers, administrators and coaches at the school. Lincoln, on the other hand, was fresh, progressive, loose, diverse and -- well, let's face it, folks -- less difficult than Jesuit.

It was a better fit for many like myself during the turbulent '60s, when baby boomers came of age following the assassination of President Kennedy, his brother, Bobby and Martin Luther King, along with the Free Speech Movement and Vietnam protests. Plus, there were girls!

Speaking of old schools, the reunion was held at Kennedy Elementary School, another old facility founded in 1915 in Northeast Portland. Owned by those Northwest brewmeisters, the McMenamin brothers, the school is now a popular microbrewery and watering hole that features a movie theater and hotel.

The reunion started at noon, and my goal was to connect with as many people I didn't know in high school as possible -- as well as many I did know. Though well-intentioned, I'm sorry to report that I was unsuccessful in talking to everybody, but I did have have the opportunity to catch up with many of my former classmates.

My high school reunion was, appropriately, quite educational -- a most enjoyable learning experience and one I won't soon forget.