Reunions all about classmates, not school
It is an odd experience seeing former close friends, acquaintances, and those who seemed to be strangers, after decades of lost contact. Some people looked exactly the same and some very different from their yearbook pictures as youmight imagine. The introverted guys still seemed introverted and the gregarious guys could be heard leading laugh filled debates.
Most of us were thrilled to see that two of our teachers attended the reunion. Jerry Buckley taught Religion, Math and Physics and Paul Healey taught English. They chatted constantly with their former students.
I almost forgot to mention that classmates came from all over the country and our former Colonel, William McDermott flew up onemorning from Florida, spent the afternoon socializing then flew back in the early evening. Another classmate, Bill Vassil flew all the way fromDenver.
We had a lot of pictures available from our remote past. Most of them were in yearbooks where proms, school plays, and sporting events were featured. The former student athletes and their exploits got the most attention. Intellectual and artistic endeavors received limited notice. It isn’t a bad thing. It just reveals more about values in American culture. It is probably more personal for me because I was cut fromthe football team because I was too small at the time and then forced to join the band by my parents. In the yearbook, I was not shown catching a touchdown pass or hitting a home run but carrying a heavy brass sousaphone. It is what most people call a tuba.
Here are some of the comments frommy classmates about the reunion.
“I have to say that the reunion was fabulous. It made me feel proud to be part of it. To graduate fromLa Salle made me feel special. I did not realize that La Salle instilled certain Christian values in me at the time. To see my classmates was something that I will now cherish for the rest of my life. I think that we all shared the same feelings.” Anthony Signoracci
“I was glad to talk with some of our classmates. It was great visiting the school and getting a tour from the senior officers. It brought back many pleasant memories.” Stan Drosky
“Emerson said that the only way to have a friend is to be one. Getting together with classmates you haven’t seen in a half century and with whom you really have nothing in common other than those four formative years was a rare treat.” Jack Danahy
“I had fun reading the name tags and associating the faces after so many years. Most faces could still be easily recognized. Good food and nice to catch up on families, travels and current and former careers. All in all, a wonderful reunion experience, including the new tee shirt I bought “Once a Cadet, Always a Cadet”. Angelo Pastizzo
During the end of our two day emotional odyssey we took some time to read the names of our twenty- one deceased classmates and to say a word or two about them. It was a touching poignant time but also a stark reminder of our own impermanence.
The term “storm and stress” was coined by G. StanleyHall in Adolescence, written in 1904. Hall used this term because he viewed adolescence as a period of inevitable turmoil that takes place during the transition from childhood to adulthood. This concept is often debated. All I know is that the salient bonds and camaraderie we developed during our teen years helped us to weather many of the chal-
lenges of adulthood.
Finally, John Orchard was the primary organizer, researcher and point man for this reunion. His extensive work yielded a magnificent experience for us. These are his concluding comments.
“A reunion is not really about the school. In our case, it’s about the 94 living classmates who grew from that common experience into adults who lived 50 years of their lives and who will gather to reminisce and recollect about the 4 years we shared during our most formative years.”
John Ostwald is professor emeritus of psychology at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. Email him at jrostwald33@ gmail. com.