Hillcrest High School Alumni Choir Concert

Hillcrest High School (my high school) was built in 1992, but it was never completely finished. The original plans for the school included an auditorium, tennis courts, a swimming pool and probably some other things that I don't know about.

My senior year a bond was passed for district 93 that included an auditorium and tennis courts for Hillcrest (both things are dear in my family) as well as a two new elementary schools, a new gymnasium for Bonneville High School, a large expansion project on Rocky Mountain Middle School and some sort of improvement for just about every other school in the district. This was an exciting and historic thing to happen. Only bad part was, I was graduating that year and wouldn't have the benefit of using those facilities.

But, my high school choir teacher always dreamed of the day where she would have an auditorium to use for concerts and musicals and promised she would let all her students come back to sing in it. Since the tennis courts and auditorium were completed just prior to the 2007-2008 school year, she started planning an alumni concert.

The concert was today and I was able to attend the rehearsals this morning and afternoon and the concert tonight. It was a blast!! It was like a high school reunion, but so much better because it was with my social group, not with my graduating class. Many of my closest friends from high school were there and some great memories came flooding back.

This picture isn't fantastic, but this was the choir. There is a pink arrow pointing to me, so you can tell where I am among all the other tiny heads (second row, right next to the baritones...just like in high school).








Heather Carlson was my folder partner (and friend, of course) -- we stood next to each other all day for old times' sake.














My choir teacher -- Mrs. Blackburn "Mrs. B"













And so I never forget again...

• "How many of you think you're NOT talking?" Mrs. B's famous line that was usually heard at least ten times during any given class period. This was often directed toward me. Heather and I developed a method of written communication. Our senior year, we used one sheet of paper (only one) for conversation. We would scribble all over the page and when it was filled on both sides, we'd start over with a different colored pen. I've seen it since then and I can't read a thing anymore. But it made sense to me then!
  
• Mrs. B has a small white board next to her office in the choir for tardy students -- I'm almost positive that I was never on this -- but some students were on it almost every day
• Mrs. B also has a can on top of her piano for gum (which was not allowed in her class because it is impossible to sing and sound good with gum in your mouth)...when the can is full and has a humongous mound of gum in it, she places it on top of the folder bookshelf. There are at least ten cans up there -- YUCK!...maybe this is where my gum aversion comes from (but probably not. I'm pretty sure I hated gum in elementary school because of stupid relay races where they give you nasty, tasteless, rubber bubblegum and make you blow a bubble in order to progress. I never could blow a bubble in the first place, so this always ticked me off and grossed me out).