la high 61

March 2010
Vol. 1, Issue 1


.
L. A. High School

• Class of Winter ‘61


• Class of Summer ‘61



Do all of you remember me
this way?

I remember you.

Tell me what you
remember.

Let’s keep the


memory alive forever!
© 1999 Alfred Bolliger, with permission.

Ind ividual Highlights


L.A. High Memories

L..A. High Memories 1
By Emerly Hattori Gueron (Su ‘61)


When you travel West on Olympic Blvd. between West Blvd. and Rimpau Blvd., you may miss our alma mater,
Classmate Memories 2
L.A. High School--at least the one that I recall across a span of five decades. You may miss the magnificent

building with a central tower that it once was, but is no longer. Its aged brick had a rich texture of shimmering
terra cotta and sienna. You may miss it because it was a victim of the Sylmar Earthquake and was condemned
Most Likely to Succeed 2
several decades ago.

You may miss it if the wind is not blowing from the East. If it is, you may be in luck. Mysterious things have
Next Reunion
been known to appear on the gusts of the East Wind. ―The sound of the East Wind blowing through the naked
branches of the cherry-trees in the Lane‖ once carried Mary Poppins to the doorstep of the Banks family in
Planning Meeting 3
London.

If you listen careful y past the whispering wind, you may hear a crowd of young teens sitting on the bleachers
at half-time. I think I see Romeo Kasarjian and Joni Davis leading us in a rousing cheer, ―Ali bevo ali bivo ali bevo
Basketball and Life 3
bivo bum‖… Smell the rat-a-tat-popping of each kernel as the popcorn lady vends her bag of heavenly corn.

I‘m standing behind a new student from South America, as she teaches us the lyrics of a popular song, El Hombre
Marinero. We are taking Spanish and are eager to learn.
What Days Those Were 3
When I drive by in December, I am carried back to the sounds of the A Capella choir singing O Holy Night

wafting from the school auditorium. Maeve Udel has us spel bound with her powerful voice. The scene changes. I
am now singing carols with the Taylor sisters, Joan and Carol, from house to house on Christmas Eve. L.A. High‘s
Tennis for Life 4
neighbors are pleased to have us caroling for them on their doorsteps. We are offered hot chocolate, perfect for a
cold windy evening.

Another evening, I find myself sitting in the audience watching a performance of ―Tea House of the August
Moon,‖ directed by Joan Taylor. That must be my freshman year. I wonder at how these students can remember
Back Through the
their lines. I would be frightened into temporary amnesia. Joan later tells me that stage fright is normal. She says
she lays flat on her tummy behind the props, ready to whisper forgotten lines to anyone needing a prompt. I stil
Halls of LAHS 4
think they‘re pretty courageous to be up there entertaining all of us.
I encourage you to drive by slowly and just before you hit Rimpau Blvd. on Olympic, if the wind is just right,

you may find, like I have, that you can go home again. You may recognize the splendid brick school on your right.
Let the fun begin!
A Passion of One’s Own 5
If you happen to catch the last showing of ―Tea House,‖ be sure to say ―Hello‖ to Joan for me.

―Cannibal cannibal sis boom bah, L.A. High School rah rah rah…‖
Proud with a

YOU CAN HELP

It costs money to put on a Reunion! Bob Ostash, our very capable Treasurer, is accepting seed money
Capital “P” 5

donations which are being used to defray all the miscellaneous expenses we are incurring. If you want to
contribute, please mail a check (payable to LAHS 1961 Reunion) to Robert Ostash, 1417 Val Verde Place,

Glendale, CA 91208. Thanks for any help you can give.

Committee Updates 6

---

Blue & White…Now & Then
Page 2 of 6

Most Likely to Succeed
Classmate


By Mark Nadel (Su ’61)

Memories

By Stanley
Benson Viltz
(Su ’61)

I recall teachers: Mrs.
Vail, history (my
favorite); Mr. Bondi,
Biology/Sex Education

(LOL!); Mr. Leyba, Latin
[he was] (Sooo sarcastic).
Do you wonder whatever happened to Corinthian Class President Vernon Spaulding? Our class
I recall Urrea Jones
running up and down the
poll also voted him ―most likely to succeed,‖ and his life as a soldier and physician shows that he
stairs; Victoria Bennett
has indeed fulfil ed that prophesy. After L.A. High, Vernon went to Cal, from which he graduated in
swooping into classes,
1965 and then on to Howard University Medical School, where he joined the Army Medical Corps.
late, and attracting the
While in Medical School he re-connected with a girl he knew when he was 14, Paula Cady. They
attention of the guys;
stories about what went
have been married for 43 years and have two married children and five grandchildren. His mom is
on in the tower; the
stil living in L.A. so he hasn‘t lost al his L.A. roots and he reports that until recently he has kept up
Centurions and
with Madison Richardson, who also went to Howard Medical School, Urbane Bass, Paula (Phil ips)
Effervescents; the deaths
Leftwich, and Joan (Cummings) Clark.
of Jessie Brown, Larry
LeFall , and James
Booker.
After graduating Howard, Vernon completed an Internship and Internal Medicine residency at

Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. in 1973 and a Gastroenterology Fel owship at
I recall riding to school in
Letterman Army Medical Center, San Francisco in 1977. He is Board-certified in Internal Medicine,
John Duncens’ ‘47
Gastroenterology, and Health Care Compliance; a fel ow of the American Col ege of Physicians
Chevy and pitching in for
gas with four others to
(FACP); and a Certified Physician Executive (CPE).
get $ .50. On other
occasions, Olvin
While in the Army, Vernon started losing his hearing. Nonetheless, he went through Airborne
Moreland speeding
training and missions. Through combat-related activities, such as jumping out of planes, he
down Adams Blvd. from
exacerbated his hearing loss—eventual y requiring a cochlear implant. He retired from the U.S.
ELAC after a track meet,
like there would be no
Army in December 1996 as a Brigadier General and a disabled veteran, and received the
tomorrow. I recall being
Distinguished Service Medal and four awards of the Legion of Merit for over 31 years of military
Claude Ward’s
service. His military assignments included ―Commanding General‖ of Eisenhower Medical Center–
girlfriend, and learning to
Fort Gordon, Georgia; Senior Administrator of the Department of Defense‘s (DOD) Tri-Care Health
like football, baseball, and
track and field.
Program for the Southeast United States; and Senior Medical Planner for DOD‘s Medical Support to

the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
I recall not really being
accepted because I was
After retiring from the service, Vernon joined the faculty of the Medical Col ege of Georgia (MCG) in
about three years
January 1997, and serves as the Vice President for Clinical Activities and Professor of Medicine.
younger than my
classmates, and I was not
After the reorganization of the MCG Clinical system under MCG Health, Inc., he became the
allowed to do everything
Corporate Compliance Officer for MCG Health Inc. In 2002, he returned to the clinical practice of
they were able to do.
Gastroenterology while continuing to be involved with a variety of academic medical functions, and
Nevertheless, I have fond
retired from MCG as Professor Emeritus in July 2007.
memories of the old
building, and when I drive
by now I am saddened
He continues to be active in the MCG Gastroenterology Training Program as a volunteer physician,
that the campus is so
and continues to serve our military veterans as a part-time physician (Gastroenterologist) in the VA
different.
hospital system. In addition, his time is spent on other community volunteer projects with his wife.

He reports that ―we also enjoy golf, travel, bridge, and visiting friends and family…nothing
exciting…a little boring--but happy.‖

---

Page 3 of 6
Blue & White…Now & Then






Basketball and Life
NEXT REUNION








By David Lewin (Wi ’61)
PLANNING MEETING





My strongest memories of L.A. High have to do with sports, which may seem surprising in






view of my subsequent academic career. I played on the L.A. High Basketbal Team,





specifical y the ―B‖ team, for one year and then on the varsity team for two years. During
The next reunion planning





my senior year I finished fifth in scoring in the League (averaging 17.8 points per game).
meeting will be at David Lewin’s
home on Saturday, May 1, 2010.





I vividly remember traveling to ―away‖ games at Washington, Fremont, Dorsey, Jefferson,
The meeting wil be gin at 11 am wit h a
and Manual Arts High Schools, which together with L.A. High constituted the Southern
―me et and g reet‖ a
nd should concl
ude
League. Some of those schools had the reputation of being rough and tough. Indeed, when
by 2 :30 pm. Dave‘s address is 1716
we played Manual Arts that team‘s leading player was in jail for an al eged stabbing incident
Che vy Chas
e Drive, Beverly
Hil s, CA
and another player was in the hospital as a result of having been stabbed. On another
902 10. His
phone
number is (310)
occasion, that one involving an L.A. High-Fremont High footbal game, a post-game fight
206 -7666.



ensued among fans and as a result Fremont was suspended from league play for one year





and L.A. High was put on probation for one year.

All Committee chairs wil provide a





The most ―educational‖ part of this sports experience was being exposed to schools whose
pro gress rep ort on t heir acti vities. It is
student bodies were almost 100% Black—Fremont, Jefferson, and Manual Arts, in particular.
exp ected t
hat the Si te Select ion

My recol ection is that L.A. High had fairly even numbers of Blacks, Asians, and Whites and a
Co
mmittee
wil ann
ounce a

much smal er number of Hispanics when we were there. Put differently, a multi-ethnic
reco mmend
ation

for the Re
union

(multi-racial) society was ―normal‖ in so far as my high school experience was concerned,
loca tion and date!
Anyone
who wa
nts
and I learned about this mainly through sports. A ―peak‖ experience in this regard involved
to a ttend is welco

me. We

want al
of
a pre-season basketbal game between L.A. High and Fairfax High during my senior year.





The Fairfax team was filled with players with whom I‘d gone to school at John Burroughs
your suggestions and input!





Junior High. One of the players on the Fairfax team, the only Black player, was Henry






McPherson, who could (and did) dunk a basketbal and who later became a physician
This wil be a pot luck lunch. Please





working and living on Long Island, N.Y. During the mid 1980s, I ran into Henry in Manhattan
bri
ng a sala d, main dish, or dessert for
and we ended up spending the better part of an hour reminiscing about our high school
6 t
o 8 peopl e. The Reunion

experiences and the L.A. High-Fairfax High basketbal game in particular.
Committee wil provide the drinks,
nap kins, ute nsils, pl
ates, cup s, etc.
Social y, my closest friends during high school were Max Levy, Neil Fond, Ollie Haas, Bil
We wil be l
ooking
for volunt eers to
Hoyt (who transferred to L.A. High from New Trier High School in Chicago), and Richard





Brown. Richard, who later became an attorney and who served for about five years as
help clean up after the event.





President of the (then) Los Angeles Angels Basebal Team, was a member of the L.A. High






class of 1960. He and I remain very close friends to this day. While I hung around, so to
Please RSVP to Harold Hyman





speak, with various other students, including a lot of girls, I didn‘t actual y begin dating in a
(Ma uiHarold @aol.c
om) if

you can

formal sense until after high school. Let‘s just say that my maturation process was slow, at
atte nd the
meeting.


least during high school. Make of this what you wil !









What Days Those Were…Recalled by Joe Hooven (Su ’61)



At the beginning of each semester, we were issued textbooks by our teachers. We were told that we had to go to the

Bookstore and purchase book covers, and cover our books to prevent their being damaged. In Algebra class, Mr. Richmond
handed out new Algebra textbooks to each student. He then told us that we had one week to purchase book covers in the
Bookstore. Furthermore, he said he would be checking each student's book to see that it was covered.

A week passed and Mr. Richmond, true to his word, announced that he would be checking to see that each student had

covered his new Algebra textbook. He strode along each row of desks, checking each textbook. He came to Larry Cohen and

noticed that Cohen didn't have a book cover.

Mr. Richmond asked Cohen why his book didn't have a book cover. Cohen looked up at Richmond and asked him, “Why
doesn’t your book have a book cover?” Richmond hesitated, and then told Cohen that he didn't take his book home with him.

Cohen looked Richmond straight in the eye and said, “Well, I don't take my book home with me either!"

I can still see Claude Ward, Richard Montoya, and myself laughing. To this day, every time I think of this incident, it brings a

smile to my face. Those were the days…

---

Blue & White…Now & Then
Page 4 of 6

BACK THROUGH THE HALLS OF LAHS
BACK THROUGH THE



By Vickie
HA
LCar
LSver
O (Su
F L‘61
A )
HS


The class of 196l meant something to me that
at f irst I couldn‘
Byt ex
Vi pl
c ai
ki ne: som
Car et
v h
erin g
(Spe
u r’m
6 an
1) e ntly
etc hed, vivid, even magical. Why have these
nam
es
Th an
e d
cl f
asac
s es
of r1em
96l ai
n
m ed
ean itn de
so libl
m y
eth en
in gr
g t aved
o me on
my
t m
h e
at m
ato rfiyr--
st w
h
I cen
ou lso
dn‘m
t an
ex y
pl I‘
ai ve
n: kn
so o
mwn
et hilonnge
g r, or
better
per ,
mare
an n
en otlw
y fo
et rcgo
h t
ed ten
, ?
vivi I‘d
d, be h
even ar
md-pr
agic ess
al. ed
Wh to
y
nam
h e m
ave o
t s
h t of
ese tnhe
am sui
es tor
an s
d w
f h
ac o gr
es r azed
emai t
n hei
ed r way
indelibly engraved on my memory--when so
into my life, then wandered off. But not the
nam
m es
an o
y f I‘my
ve gr
kn adu
ownat
l ionng c
ge lras
, osr. An
bet d
t t
er h, e
arm
e aj
n o
o ri
w t y of


thofs
oe
r w
go er
tt e
en n? ot
I‘ c
d los
be e
h fr
arien
d- ds.
pr It
ess is
ed tm
o ys
n ter
am io
e us
m .o st

“Tennis for Life” by Joe Hooven (Su ’61)
T
ohf er
t e
he iss t
uihtiosr abo
s w u
h t
o hi
gr gh
az s
edc hto
h o
ei lr: w
w e
ay ar
i e
nt foi nal
my l y
life, then wandered off. But not the names of

with a comment by Susan Frieder (Su ’61)
wearing our adult-size bodies. Although we don‘t
necess
my ar
gr ily kn
aduat oiw
n
g hclow
as sto
. feed
And t ,
h c
e ar
me
ajfo
orri,
t an
y o d
f


those were not close friends. It is mysterious.
I began to play tennis about two years ago after the second of my two beautiful daughters
inhabit them quite yet. It‘s also a welcoming
There is this about high school: we are

haven in which there are stil no grim
moved out. The quiet in the house was eerie. My wife Janet and I had to get used to things
respo
fin n
al slibi
y l
wities
earinfo
g r oth
ure
wo
adulrtk--saiz-day
e bo w
di orld.
es. And yet,

slowing down.
we l
Aloto
h ko ulike
gh adu
we lts
do ni‘nt o
n ur
ec cri
ess sp
aril new
y kn bo
ow di
h es.
ow Tth
o e
feed, care for, and inhabit them quite yet. It‘s

A couple of my good friends play tennis. They asked me to come to their Club and play. I
only tasks demanded of us are to sit, listen, read,
did and, as it turned out, I liked the sport. I adopted a training program just like the old
and
al po
so ss
a ibl
w y
elclear
ominn, pr
g hoduc
aveni nig
n feed
whic bac
h thk
erge
e ne
ar ral
e ly



stil no grim responsibilities for the work-a-day
days—lots of running, wind sprints, and light weight work. I started to take lessons and joined on paper. So after all, it‘s a protected,

world. And yet, we look like adults in our crisp
the Toluca Lake Tennis Club. I realized that my competitive spirit, learned while playing
encapsulated microcosm of the real world--waiting
new bodies. The only tasks demanded of us

footbal and basebal at L.A. High, would be an important asset.
for us ―out there.‖ Only for these few precious
year
ars
e ctan
o siitt be
, lis tex
enpe
, r rien
ead c, ed
an in
d th
po e
ssim
bl os
y l t car
earn ef
, ree

In our senior year, the footbal team lost only one regular game, one of the best seasons in
setti
prnog w
duce
in m
g ay
f ever
eed

bac kn
k ow
gen .
erally on paper. So
school history. The "B" team, I think, was undefeated. We were very gifted and competitive
after all, it‘s a protected, encapsulated

Desire, competition, and accomplishment are
student athletes. I can remember Steve Avery's dad up in the stands, walking along with the born
mi, can
ro d
co be
smgi n
of ttoh bl
e ross
eal o m
wo. rlWh
d-- at
w w
aitie
n do
g f owr ituhs

team as we moved down the field, yel ing at us to play harder and ―kick some ass.‖ In the
each
―o o
ut t hter
h
er in
e. t‖ h is
O nflirs
y ft oar
r e
t n
h a o
ese ff co
ew n sc
pr io
ec uis
o n
u ess
s
years
can it be experienced in the most carefree

huddle, Olvin Moreland and Mike Skinner yel ed they wanted the bal . Claude Ward was
forms our first real view of ourselves as grownups. we were is stil alive
setting we may ever know.
in us.

mad that we weren‘t throwing more passes. Who can forget Steve Furuta, after we fumbled
As if yesterday, I remember Ellen Bloom in

a hand-off in the backfield, sticking his helmet in your face and tel ing you there was a great
As if yesterday, I remember El en Bloom in Mr.

Mr. Kumada’s chemistry class, where he

hole; Bob Dultz, Mike Brown, and Wayne Howard arguing over blocking assignments;
Kumada‘s chemistry class, where he continually
continually singled her out. He seemed to


Ben Gehrman almost scoring a touchdown, wanting just one more chance. Those were great singled her out. He seemed to delight in shouting
her n
delam
igh et –ian
n sd
h s
o h
u akin
ting g
h u
ers nall aw
ame– ake
and liske
h a Z
akin en
g u s


times. Were we popular in school or what? No one had any fear.
Mas
altler
w
aw hac
ake kin
li g
ke aa
Zcan
en e
M agai
ast n
er st
w a
h w
ac all
kin . He
g a cane

I've become a good tennis player. It's been two years and I'm ranked at a 3.5 level trying to boomed
again sac
t r
a os
w s
allth
. e c
He las
bo so, ―Ho
med w
ac ar
ro e
ssy otu
h r
e par
clasen
s, ts
get to a 4.0 ranking. Lately I've been working on my stamina, and trying to get quicker. A year doing,
―Ho E
w l en
ar ?‖
e He
your ins
partin
encttsi vel
do y
in ch
g, oEsle h
en er
?‖ as
He she
ago, at age 65, I trained with a running coach for about 4 months, and ran a 5.0 second 40
pos
i s
n ess
stin ed
cti a
vel reser
y ch ved,
ose
h ladyl
er as i ke
sh de
e m
po ean
ss o
ess r.
ed He
a must
reserved, ladylike demeanor. He must have
yard dash. That is good.
have thought this was hilarious, because he did it
thought this was hilarious, because he did it
Recently I met professional athlete Nick Sanchez, a rookie Corner Back for the Oakland
often, a little ritual—always rewarded by laughter
often, a little ritual—always rewarded by
Raiders. He asked me if I knew anything about being on a winning team. I told him about my
from the class. Invariably I was sneaking a
san
l dw
au ic
gh ht eirn flritotle
m the class. Invariably I was
days at L.A. High School, about the great guys I played with, and al the fun we had. He told
bite
s -nsize
eaki cnhu
g n
a ks
s ,
an squ
dwi as
ch h ied
n l iftltat
l
e in
bi stiede
-si m
z y
e chunks,
me how hard it is to play college bal . The coaches are demanding, and the competition is
notseb
quoo
as k.
h (
edI fw
l as
at i t
n osio bu
de s
m y
y at
no tlun
eb coho t
k.o (eat
I w .)
as I
too
fierce. It was al pretty familiar to me. We had some great laughs.
timed
bus it
y fo
at rl w
un hcen
h t h
o is bac
eat.) k
I tw
i as
m t
ed uirt nfed
or at
w
h th
ene
his
Comment by Susan Frieder:
blackbo
back ar
w d.
as He
tur n
n ever
ed at ctau
h g
e h
bl t m
ac e.
kbo
ard. He never
I visited Joe at his Tennis Club twice in the past couple of years and we played mixed
caught me.
doubles—very fun! I must say that Joe still has that spring in his step. We had a great time
I‘ve
rel
I‘ ived
ve relicoun
ved tcless
oun tm
l om
ess en
mots
m fro
ent m
s ftrhoos
m e
thday
os s
e .
days. They helped form my character--were
playing against each other and together—pretty good for 65 plus.
They helped form my character--were seminal to
seminal to my development. They always
I‘ve also had some great women‘s doubles with Anne Greenberg Klein near her home
my development. They always awaken in me
in La bitter
aw swee
aken t i n
n os
m tal
e gi
bita.
terTshwinki
eet n g
no m
st ys
al el
gi f w
a. Tohrildl
n y-
king
Quinta and on Maui. “Tennis for Life!”
wise,
m I
ys kn
elf ew
wo rnlo
dl tyh-in
wig.
s
e, I knew nothing.

Yet, no matter how we have transformed
WANTED! A FEW GOOD MEMORIES…

Yet,
ounros m
el at
ves ter
, n h
or o w
ho w
w e
mhave
any ctran
ar s
eerfo
s rm
w e
e‘ d
ve
The Newsletter staff wants your input and ideas so we can continue to provide you with the content
ours
acelhves
i
, n
eved or
an h
d ocw
hi lm
dr an
en y c
w ar
e‘ eer
ve s
pr w
o e‘
du ve
cedac
, thhieved
ere
you want to see included. Do you have any thoughts, comments, or memories of your L.A. High days
and
is cshtiillldr
s en
o
m w
e e‘
ve
of t pr
h o
at du
fr ced
agil ,
e, tfhoer
r e
mi is
n s
g, til some
that you want to share, or suggestions for an article you would like to see? Would you like to write a
(frightened or maybe fierce) identity residing

of that fragile, forming, (frightened or maybe
short piece (400 words or less without picture; 300 words or less with picture) about your L.A. High
fieric
n e)
u side
-- ntity
even r
n esid
ow. in
Erg
i i
k nE ruis--
ksoeven
n, th n
e ohw
u .
m Earik
n
experience? Also, we welcome your comments on any of the articles in this first issue, which contains

Eriks
deon,
velothe
pm hu
entm
an
psy cde
hovel
lo o
gi pm
st sen
ai t
d, psy
an ch
d o
I logist
articles and thoughts we received from some of your classmates as a result of our first CALL FOR
said,
parand
aphrI par
ase, aphr
everas
yt e,
hi never
g w yt
hi h
c ihn g
h wh
app ich
ens htapp
o usen
s
MEMORIES! Please e-mail any input to Carol Melnik Greenstein at cgreenstein@ca.rr.com. We hope
to u
( s (even
even

bacbac
k t k
o tto
h t
e hwe
o w
m om
b) ib)
s sitsil ls ttilh t
er her
e i e
n iuns u
, s,
you enjoy this first issue. We want your ideas!
som
s ew
om her
ew e.
h
er N
e.o th
N iontg
hi ins
g ever
is lo
ever s lt.
osSto. m
S e
o o
m f
e tohfe
the


Submission deadline for June 2010 issue: 4/18/10.
lonlgi
o n
n g
gi w
n e
g f
w el
e tf t
elhten
th , in
en , oiu
n ro br
ur an
br d-
anndew
-n , adu
ew, lt
adult

bodies,
bodi is
es, sitsi ls ttihler
t e.
h
er So
e. m
S e
o t
m rac
e tre o
ac f
e tohfe
t c
h h
e ildren



--The Newsletter Committee (Sheila Dyen Moncavage, Chair)
children we were is stil alive in us.

---

Page 5 of 6
Blue & White…Now & Then
BECOMING YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF















Susanfreedom@hawaii.rr.com


A Passion of One’s O
wn






By Susan Frieder (Su ’61)
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Windsurfer and Kitesurfer

Windsurfing was the first activity I did for no purpose. It was not to develop grace or to achieve any
goal. The sheer joy of being on the water, going fast, free--and warm in the waters of Maui--was enough. It was
something just for me. It was the first time I called myself something…an identity--“I am a windsurfer!” I felt as though
it was a new stage in my development, akin to what an infant goes through--attachment, exploration, and finally,
competence! I have developed a whole lifestyle around the sport and the ocean. I also have a contingent of amazing contacts and
friends who not
only windsurf, but also ski and travel the world.
Three years ago, after about 20 years of windsurfing, I transitioned to kitesurfing and have found even more freedom in that sport. Again, we have a
comradeship at the beach. I call Kanaha Beach Park my “second home.” Appropriately, the beach at which I choose to launch is called Old Man’s Beach. (I
said in my Bio that I am the oldest local-resident-woman kiting--although I have just introduced my 69-year-old visiting friend Bonnie, a Canadian national
synchronized swimmer, and a champion skier, to the sport.)
We in the sport have a language all our own. We don’t say “hello.” We just say the kite size we’re on. The conversation goes like this:

“7.”

“No, I needed my 9 today but could have been on my 6 at times.”

“Good but gusty.”

“Waves were big.”
Mrs. Aaron, my esteemed L.A. High English teacher, would be appalled at the limited vocabulary, but not at the spirit and passion in our speech.
Windsurfing, and then kitesurfing, are activities just for me. I’m not taking care of anybody as I was conditioned to do in my upbringing. We were brought
up in the fifties, and some of us followed our conditioned roles--until our spirits led us to be our authentic selves.
I wonder how each of you has found your authentic self. How have you carved out a life that is yours? Mine was through the particular sports of
windsurfing and kitesurfing. I also love tennis and have played recently with classmates Joe Hooven and Anne Greenberg Klein.

What about your breakthrough? How have you become better at being yourself? What has been your journey that has led you to (or is
leading you to) a life different from the one you imagined, but maybe fuller and wiser. Tell us the defining turn in your life that propelled you to become your
authentic self. Have you created, or are you creating, the life of your dreams? Please send your “Breakthrough” stories (400 words or less without picture;
300 words or less with picture) to Susan Frieder at Susanfreedom@hawaii.rr.com and we will share them in subsequent newsletters, as space permits.
Please indicate “Breakthrough” in the “Subject” line.


Proud with a Capital “P”


By Susan Ratner Stern (Su ’61)





Three Corinthians were chosen to speak at graduation in June 1961. How did they feel that day? Although initially ―scared to
death and more
excited than nervous,‖ Penny Korchek (Compton) was proud of herself, ―as proud as a peacock,‖ and so was her family. Afterwards she was
extremely relieved while her knees were buckling. Vickie Carver was ―terrified-excited,‖ feeling joy and fear all at once. She tried not to think about
giving the speech until she reached the microphone. Then her nearsightedness helped as she couldn‘t see faces clearly in the crowd. She discovered
only years later that her dad, a comedian who taught comedy at UCLA, had taped the whole speech. Mark Nadel was not at all nervous until he
reached the podium. He read from the text much more than during rehearsals. It had seemed much easier in the abstract than when facing hundreds
of families and having all his classmates behind him. His mother was ―kvelling‖ (Yiddish for beaming and bursting with pride). That‘s how it felt almost
50 years ago.
How did Penny, Vickie, and Mark become the speakers at our graduation ceremony? Each applicant had to submit a written speech to a faculty
committee and then present it orally. The faculty panel included John Essick, Agnes Horton, Jack Jacobson, Tom McKimmey, Hal Thomas,
and Ruth Edwards. Miss Edwards felt that ―the speakers chosen this year (Su ‘61) rank with the finest speakers since she first worked with orators.‖
According to the Blue and White Daily, the theme was Challenges of the Future. Mark remembers that he had recently seen South Pacific and was
thinking more about issues of racism and prejudice. His speech was about transcending lines of race at L.A. High. He used the lines from ―You‘ve Got
to be Careful y Taught‖-- i.e., you‘ve got to be taught to hate and fear. Recently seeing a ―fabulous Broadway revival‖ of the musical, he was
reminded again of his graduation speech. As an Emancipated Minor, Vickie’s topic came pretty naturally to her-- ―that of not patterning our lives on
the goals and choices of others, but rather, courageously carving out one‘s own identity.‖ She used the example of an understudy to a famous actress
as a reflection of ―my naïve hope and desire to be that actress myself, and not an ‗understudy‘ in life.‖ Penny’s family was very supportive and helpful
throughout the process of writing and presenting her speech. She remembers being moved by the famous passage in Ecclesiastes, ―To Everything
there is a Season.‖ Her speech was titled, ―A Time to Break Down and a Time to Build.‖
Being a high school graduation speaker has made a difference for each of our star classmates. Penny found that she no longer had any fear of
speaking to fil ed auditoriums. For example, as a nutritionist presenting to high school students, she used humor and stories to engage her audience.
Vickie felt a ―sense of competence, and confidence to try out for a professional theater role, and later, a movie offer.‖ It eased her way in becoming
an activist and advocate in Honolulu and made speaking to the City Council, State Legislature, reporters, and the public seem effortless. Mark says
that while being a graduation speaker at most high schools is usually an honor given to the valedictorian, ―people who learned of this role of mine
probably thought I was smarter than I am. In fact, until recently, I thought I was smarter than I am. Seriously, it was a great honor and it capped off
an absolutely fabulous experience at L.A. High. I have to say that I look back on those days and my friends…with enormous fondness.‖
As do we all.

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Blue & White…Now & Then
Page 6 of 6

WEBSITE STATUS AND USEFUL INFORMATION

from Al Churgin, Webmaster
50TH LAHS REUNION--
Who knew, when we graduated L.A. High that one day we
Some COMMITTEE “UPDATES”
would be able to communicate for free and at our convenience
EVENT PLANNING COMMITTEE
with another classmate whether we knew them or not! In an
Ou r members have been meeting for several months, making plans for what
instant, we al have the opportunity to go to a central place to
we f
wal eel wil be an evening of celebration, laughter, rekindling of friendships,
find out about old friends or to make new ones!
ks down memory lane, and just plain fun. You might even see a teacher or
Our Website has been up and running since the beginning of
two. We can‘t wait to see each of you as we ‗Dance to the Music.‘ We wil
cel
Wh
August 2009. We now have about 200 registered classmates al
ebrate our high school days with music, music, music and a ‗50s/‘60s theme.
with at least an e-mail contact and their graduation picture.
ether you have hung up your ‗dancing shoes‘ or can‘t wait to hit the dance
floor , there wil be something for everyone (we do realize that this is our 50th
Sadly, there have been about 117 classmates who have passed
Class Reunion!).
on. There are about 500 classmates who have not registered but

You spoke and we listened. The evening wil be casual (no formal dress for us)
I‘m sure wil join us as time goes on.
and j ust as Martha and the Vandel as said, ‗it doesn‘t matter what you wear…just
If you graduated in the Winter, Summer, or Adult night school
as lo ng as you are there.‘ The program wil be short and sweet, because we
in 1961 you are welcome to join our Website. Our Locating
realize that 50 years of catching up takes time.
As
Committee has done a superb job tracking down alumni. All the
soon as a final date has been set and a location chosen you wil begin
names on Harold Hyman’s contact list are on our Web
heari ng from us. Please remember to check your e-mail and snail mail from time

database.
to time. We wil begin asking for current pictures and information. Start looking
for ‗s tuff‘ from high school that we can put on display. Our plans are to have a
There are many things we can do on the Website:
mem ory book, a CD of songs that wil remind you of your high school days, and
-
By clicking on anything that is underlined you can
a possible DVD of the evening.
learn something.

We are stil very much in the planning stage and welcome any ideas you might
-
By clicking on “Stats‖ you can see where we al are in
h

ave. We wil soon put out a ‗wish list‘ of any and everything that wil make our
the world.
Reu
nion one to remember. In the meantime, please contact the Committee at
-
By placing your mouse on a slide show it will give you
bunnywithers@gmail.com if you have questions, suggestions, or resources.
In
names.
closing, if the evening is half the fun that we are having planning this
Reu
-
By adding your birthday to your profile page it will
nion you don‘t want to miss it!

display on the Webpage list.

TEA CHERS – TEACHERS – TEACHERS
-
If you want to advertise your business, you can put

So nja
Haney reports that with the hard work
and perseverance of Merrie
it on your Profile page and it wil eventual y show up on
Haggar Hewitt, Pat Licastro Brown, and others, we are doing well in the


―Today‘s Featured Business Website.‖
search for our teachers. Here are some of the teachers who have been located
-
If you want to add a message to all classmates you
and
are interested in joining us in 2011: Ruth Bates (guidance counselor and


can click on ―add‖ under ―Our Class Message Board‖
mat
h), Don Bondi (science), Jack Jacobson (Boys Sr. Board sponsor and
messages.
science), Charles Leyba (foreign languages), Gloria Mora (social studies),
Mur
r
-
If you have sent a bio to Harold, he has sent it to me
ay Shapiro (social studies), and Kay Turney (PE).
and it is included on your personal page. Daily, a
G
et out your yearbooks and see if you remember them! It‘s a growing list so
stay tuned for future updates.
“Featured Biography” with picture is displayed.

-
If you have e-mailed Harold a current picture, he has

LEG
ACY COMMITTEE
sent it to me and it is next to your grad picture to show

In Fall 2009, the Legacy Committee met with L.A. High‘s current Principal (Ms.
how much better we al look today!
Anthony) and staff. Jeff Donfeld and David Lewin had many fol ow-up meetings
-
We have a jukebox with mostly hits from 1961 and
and discussions. Various suggestions for a legacy gift were offered and two options
then some.
were considered:
Option 1: Purchase a scoreboard for the athletic field. The estimated cost is
-
Your personal page is where you control anything
$50,000-$75,000. We have

not heard back as to the final dol ar amount. The
you want to share by clicking on ―Edit my Profile.‖ When
committee concluded that even the lower figure is beyond its means.
you finish making any changes be sure to click on
Option 2: Create an ―investment fund‖ for a club at the school. The mission of
―Save‖ at the bottom of the page.
the club would be to teach the student club members stock market investment
The Website is programmed by Classreport.org and lets us al
fundamentals. Net proceeds, if any, would be used for col ege scholarships. Jeff
be creative by arranging the data and pictures. Our class has
phoned Ms. Anthony to convey this idea and she liked it. The Legacy Committee is
made contributions in appreciation to Classreport.org. Our
waiting to be notified of a school sponsor for this club.
Website is total y free otherwise.
Help Needed & Suggestions Welcome:
Does anyone know Ms. Anthony? We are looking for a liaison person to keep the
In conclusion, let me say, it has been a real blast serving as
Committee informed of the progress made on our suggestions by L.A. High staff.
Administrator for our class Webpage) and because you al have
Also, if you have any other ideas for a legacy gift from our class, please e-mail Jeff

joined together we have been put on Classreport.org‘s ―best site‖
at JDonfeld@dkrlaw.com or David at david.lewin@anderson.ucla.edu.
list. For any questions or comments or if you want to work with

me on the site, e-mail me at achurgin@yahoo.com.


The NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE is thrilled to be able to create this newsletter for our classmates.
(First in a series of newsletters leading up to our 50th LAHS Reunion, scheduled for October 2011.)
Managing Editor, Loyout, and Design: Sheila Dyen Moncavage; Writer/Editors: Vickie Carver; Susan Frieder; Emerly Hattori Gueron; Carol Melnik
Greenstein; Mark Nadel; Susan Ratner Stern. Special thanks to Gloria Baker Stegall (Su ‘61), Vickie Carver, and Susan Ratner Stern for sharing original Blue
& White Dailies for use as source material.

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