Point Grey graduates get together to compare notes, 50 years apart
As Point Grey Secondary School’s 2018 Grade 12 grads gathered to say farewell and celebrate their achievements on Friday, members of the graduating class of 1968 took time out to visit them ahead of their own 50th reunion party.
“We’re going to the school ... to spend some time with this year’s grads, to let them know what it feels like 50 years down the line and find out what it’s like being a grad 50 years after us,” said television producer and 1968 grad Nick Orchard.
Things felt carefree for the 1968 graduates, said Orchard.
“The Beatles were at their peak, we were protesting war, we were a very activist group who felt we were on the cusp of something new and different.”
Orchard said young people are facing more daunting challenges in today’s economic and social climate, but encourages them to follow their dreams. “Follow your instincts in terms of what it is you like to do, what drives you. You can do it.”
Members of the graduating class of 1968 include Chris Kelly, who went on to become superintendent of the Vancouver school board; Dr. John Reid, who became head of vascular surgery at St. Paul’s Hospital;
and Sandra Cunningham, Q.C.
Cunningham said her generation of baby boomers felt idealism, hope and commitment to social change.
“We grew up believing anything was possible, and we were economically privileged,” she said. “Things like university admission were easier, too. You could drop out and drop back in again. The pressures on kids are so much greater today,” said Cunningham, who left university after two years to follow her bliss and travel. After enjoying a hiatus in California, she completed a degree at Berkeley and returned to British Columbia for law school.
Cunningham said that although times have changed, young people shouldn’t be afraid of exploring.
“University isn’t for everybody. Figure out a way to find yourself. Look for adventure, don’t be afraid of trying something new and stand up for the things you believe in.”