The Whitehall High School Class of 1971's story begins in September of 1958 in the kindergarten classrooms of the elementary campus of the Whitehall District Schools. It is a time that was seeing significant changes in our country. But those changes seemed far away from the idyllic life of West Michigan. As we progressed upward in grades we were witnesses to a number of historical events. We saw t
he election of the first president born in the 20th century, man venturing into outer space, the beginning and end of an unpopular war, the rise of rock and roll with the British invasion of rock bands, the advent of hi-tech gadgets, and the awakening of the pop culture. The road to graduation was filled with great, great people that we called teachers. I have a friend from the class of '68 that I talk to on a regular basis and the one thing that we always talk about is the high quality education we received. That was a great time to be a student because the teachers were top-notch. I cannot remember them all, but we all have several that were special to everyone of us. I think that it was fortunate for us to be there at a time when the quality of teachers was outstanding. Cordell's yearlong movie project. Nelson giving us a taste of the foreign languages we could learn in high school. von Moltke's love of everything Snoopy! Baker, the best all-around teach/coach ever! And what a science teacher. For me, high school was the most fun I ever had in my life! The academics, the sports, the people, and the fun times. The sports teams were great, especially the '67-'68 and '70-'71 varsity basketball teams. The '70 varsity football team beating the #1 Class B team, Reeths-Puffer, in the second to the last game of the season. The after game dances, especially with Rally playing. I remember going on field trips to Henry Ford Museum for U.S. History and to GVSU for Spanish Class. But the most important part was the friendships that were developed. Who remembers, or was a member of the "brown bag" group? A large number of our classmates, brought their lunch from home and ate together in a certain area of the cafeteria! What about Viking Day in the spring? There is rare footage of the 1970 Vikings day on 8mm film. Away football and basketball games were always fun because of the "away bus caravans" to the games. I remember how good the "hot lunches" were because the cooks actually cooked from scratch, "homemade" lunches (like tomato soup, grill cheese sandwiches, celery sticks w/ peanut butter, fruit, and milk). Yum!! It all culminated in our graduation in early June, 1971. It was the first major accomplishment of our lives. We began the next chapter of our lives soon after graduation. Some go to college, some start working, and others go into (or were drafted) military service. We start families, leave the area, or pursue artistic endeavors. No matter what we do, or where we are, we take time to come together every 5 years to celebrate that great time in our lives, graduating from high school. So, let us continue to fellowship with one another, for as long as we can. This will be the place where you can come and see what your friends have been doing. Feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, or experiences with your classmates
