Touring the two schools was a high point of the weekend. The Willowbrook principal spent two hours telling us what a "state of the art" building we had enjoyed. The update that was done 45 years after we attended, mostly met new building codes such as wider stairways and upgraded technology. Do you believe we were able to learn anything without the use of a computer!!? The painting on the wall in the huge gym I think is new. I remember many basketball games enjoyed on the balcony of this gym with the pep band that my friends played in. I even sang a solo of the "Star Spangled Banner" at the beginning of one game. I had notes because I was so afraid I would forget the words! I don't think I used them though.
This is the new track that was added. Mary Ann would be pleased to see that they had the records for girl's athletic achievements hung up as well as the boys. The low ceilinged old track was in the basement and now has been converted to a weight room that far surpasses any that the YMCA or Bally's has. There is room in here for a running long jump as well as a pole vault.
This is by far may favorite room--the choir room. It even has a plaque to honor the first choir director who was so great at mentoring students and helping to create first rate choirs. They were able to keep the skylights in the room also.
I do not know why the picture flipped, but I can't figure out how to rotate it in the program. This is York and it was great to see how the update to it tried to maintain the older feel of the original architecture.
They kept the wonderful ornate ceiling outside the auditorium.
This area used to be an outside courtyard. I remember running across on cold, snowy days from one side to the other. Now they have it covered and it is an open courtyard that allows light into the rooms, but keeps students protected from the weather.
In one of the halls they had a couple cars that were decorated in the style of the plaster cows (Chicago), guitars (Cleveland), etc. There also was a couch that had been turned on one end with the bottom exposed and pieces from the reconstruction of the school placed inside. The front had been painted to look like skyscrapers. Interesting....
It was fun to see old friends. Jan on the left I did not know well, but Marsha Vanmatre Brigham was my roommate at Northern for the first semester of my freshman year. She quit to go to work to earn money so she could get married the next summer.
This is Marion Wolf Washer, the daughter of Elise and Emil Wolf who were good friends of my parents. It was good to see her after more than 50 years.
There sure were a lot of old people there, but we all had a good time. :-D
