Highland High School

Jason Porter

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Cindy Rodriguez Marquez

Hey there all you 1999 bulldogs. You know who I am talking about.I would love to see you all there. Don't forget the August 15, 2009 is a very special day.We should be grateful that we have the opportunity to see eachother, unlike some of us won't. They sure will be missed...Hope to see u all.

Jason Porter

is aug 15th set? and location?

Amanda Martino Westerby

Is it just me or did we only know a limited number of the many classmates we had ? Most last names i am blank ... But could be because i am horrible with names!

Mike Santos

ATTN: Planning Committee

Okay, honestly, i refuse to believe that Highland High was the "ONLY" feasible and economical option for a reunion.

C'mon planning committee!? What about the option to have it at a hotel? A hall? With a bar!!!!!

Let's be real here. Do you seriously expect anyone to take this reunion seriously when i feel you have neglected to acknowledge some very important factors? As stated below,these issues would easily be amended with the assistance of liquor/beer/wine/moonshine/etc.. and a location change.

Allow me to explain the planning committee's gross oversight.

• AWKWARDNESS People haven't seen one another in TEN YEARS! Its awkward enough to run into someone at the freakin' bank, not to mention a "REUNION".If it happens, better that it happens with a drink in your hand. (Recommended solution,full bar.)

• MEMORY. If cant remember that time you made the whole class burst out laughing over some joke you made in Geometry, it doesn't mean that i don't want to parlay in the laughter, it was just ten long years ago ,sorry :( (Recommended solution,full bar. With old homies "Jack" and "Jose", the three of us will never miss out on a laugh, even if i really, honestly cant remember 3rd period Geometry.)

• TRAUMA. The campus that some of us have been to therapy to forget, (assuredly), shouldn't be the location of a reunion. Break ups, fights, cliques, ridicule, etc..., all counter intuitive elements in creating a happy and meaningful event that's also a celebration of the past. (Recommended solution, im sorry, i don't think even a full bar can fix this... Please hold the reunion somewhere else.)

The point i'm trying to make here, is that Highland's campus is just too "weird" to come back to. Granted, im speaking from a very antagonistic perspective, but i can guarantee, most of the Class of '99 didn't think of our former campus as the home of a reunion. At least, not as a first choice. I mean no disrespect to the people involved with the event or their efforts, or to anyone who is looking upon high school with the fondest of memories. My position in writing this is to be the voice of another perspective.

Now i dont know a thing about reunions. but i know a thing about social events. And there's one thing that makes a social gathering better. Alcohol! Well, alcohol wont solve all our socially related hang ups, but factor in the lack of a "creepy at night former high school campus" and you've got yourself a reunion that adults would be more inclined to attend. At least, THIS adult would.


I dont know what, or if, anything can be done about what seems like a final decision on the arrangements, but please, take the essence of my post into account. Nobody wants to go back to high school, seriously, not even for a night. Dont you all remember what it was like?

Dayna Brace Graham

I agree with the two previous posts. I left campus and finished my senior year early in independent study because of all the "traumatic" events that occurred on campus. I didn't even go to the graduation ceremony because I never wanted to step foot back on that campus. I'm sure there had to be a better location than Highland.

April Corrigan Graves

HI Mike! :)

I am on the very small reunion planning committee, which was formed just a very few months ago after months of emails requesting help through this site. You see, there was NO money set aside for the reunion by the class of 99. That means, that all of the deposits that all the venues were requesting would have had to come out of our very few pockets. We are talking thousands of dollars.

You see, class of 1998 went through reunioncommittee.com and they assume all financing and take care of everything. But guess what happened with their reunion? The tickets were about $100 a person at the local country club and only 40 people showed up because of the cost. That would have been an easy way out for us because it is much less work, we just sign up and sit back, but it would have been very exclusive to those who could not afford it.

Now back to all those big deposit venues. Think, planning a wedding without knowing how many people will show up. And then if it's not affordable, only a few do show up and you are stuck with the bill.

The reunion is traditionally planned by the president of the class. Honestly, I am not 100% sure that was, and regardless, it was not planned by them sooner. Time was ticking away and a very few of us realized that if it was going to happen, then we had to somehow fit it into our busy schedules to make it happen!

So with little time, a small comittee and zero resources, we had to be resourceful. And this is not completely out of the norm. Traditionally reunions are held at the highschool. With any money left over from this reunion, it will go into an account for the next reunion committee so they have something to work with.

Now I understand and appreciate your perspective. But there are reasons behind having it at Highland and I thought you should know. Yes, it is a drag that there will be no alcohol. And I truly am sorry that some people feel it is a traumatic place to return to. But maybe, for some of those people it will be cathartic in a way so that they can realize how far they've come.

It will be our loss if you are not there, so I do hope you will reconsider having dinner with us that night. Who knows? You might still have a good time?

April Corrigan Graves

Dayna & Joshua,

I do feel bad reading your posts and I hate if you feel excluded because of the location. I assure you that we have been doing our best with the time, resources and manpower we have. As I said above, who knows, it might be empowering and you may even have a good time.

Again, I am sorry, but we are doing our best.

Sena McCormack Alfaro

April,
I can see where you are coming from and it is very easy for people not involved to complain as that usually happens. Though I hope with the light you shed on the subject they will be a little more open minded. Take care and Thank you for working diligently on making a Reunion feasible.

I'm Looking forward to seeing other understanding classmates @ the reunion.

Sena

Dayna Brace Graham

Hi April,

I apologize for my earlier post. I was unaware of the situation with the planning committee and the lack of funds. I still think we could have had a different venue and kept it affordable, but I'm not on the committee so I will stop complaining. You all have fun, I hope you enjoy your reunion.

April Corrigan Graves

Dayna,

You don't need to apologize :) You have every right to be heard, and I see where you are coming from. There were other logistical problems with having it at a park in terms of electricity, getting there early enough to save a space, wind factor and other obstacles. If you do change your mind we'll be SO glad to see you. And regardless, send in a "then" and "now" pic for the slide show :)

Elizabeth Studley

A few people have asked me this question..
What is the dress code supposed to be? Dressy, Casual??

April Corrigan Graves

Oh yes, sorry about that! It is going to be sorta "business casual." Not as informal as a bikini, but a suit would be a bit too dressy. For example, I will just be wearing a dress that hides my hips :), and I will beg my husband to wear a shirt with a collar. But it's not like anyone will look out of place in a T shirt and jeans. Just, whatever you are comfortable in. :) Come as you are!

Trier Brown

This one's for Mike Santos ...

First of all, who ARE you??? Second, if you're going to complain about the location of the reunion and give a hard time to the people who are working their tails off to make it happen, then why don't you pitch in with some ideas and work of your own? Third, if you don't know how to have fun without alcohol by this point in your life, I'm sure there's an AA meeting going on down at Father Serra sometime on August 15th as well.

Seriously, someone make sure to invite this guy to the after party.

Brianna Willard Taksony

Thanks Girls, for all your hard work!

Johanna Jimenez Leal

I love you April and we are going to have a great time. PNC FOREVER!!!!!!!! I am very proud to be apart of this!

Johanna Leal (Jimenez)

Mike Santos

Trier,

Lets think about this for a min. As the record shows on the forum, I was the single voice of critique in the choice of a venue. Albeit, a retarded critique, but one nonetheless. I dont think i was giving anyone on the planning committee a "hard time" by asking them to consider a place that served alcohol and that wasnt at our old school. remember, there's like a hundred of us registered on here and im sure im not the only one who questioned this decision.

Who am i? Excuse me? You just accused me of having an alcohol addiction for making a retarded plea for beverage considerations at a high school reunion. i think i sound pretty sane and "unaddcit-like" in requesting something that's served in nearly every eatery/bar/restaurant in the world. Don't be so offended Trier, its not that big of a deal when an ex-classmate goes online to bitch about there being no alkie for him to drink while he attends a class reunion. Moving on......

Elizabeth Studley

I have a question. Are the tickets being mailed to us or are our names just on a list when we show up?

Highland Bulldogs

No tickets are going to be mailed, there is going to be a detailed list of the people who are attending. This is one of the reasons why we asked for the names of those attending when the tickets were purchased. Plus, it's cheaper! :)

Celest'e Ulberg Uber

I'm looking forward to this reunion!!!
Much appreciation to those on the planning committee!!

xo

Celest'e Ulberg Uber

PS: April I just ordered 2 tickets. One for myself, and one for Stacy Campos. We are going to mail our payment via checks, however I just wanted to clarify that Stacy isn't techincally my guest, she's also alumni :)

Johanna Jimenez Leal

Mike Santos- I am on the committee for this reunion. I would really like you and everyone to come. Hope to see everyone there!!!!!

Marie Wahlmeier

Does anyone know the where abouts of Ryan Henry?

Marie Wahlmeier

Or Michael Gonzalez? Heather Miller?

Barbara Dyer Luman

did it turn out good? I wish we could have made it . dose anyone have pics ? would love to see them. luman605@yahoo.com thanks
Barbara and Mike luman