Evanston Township High School alumna Jeannie Culver can still find her way around the halls of the school 27 years after her graduation.
In 1982, Culver was a high school cheerleader, and Saturday, the stay-at-home mom from Atlanta rediscovered her ties to the school for one day.
ETHS wrapped up its 125th anniversary celebration by holding an All-Class Reunion on Saturday. The celebration events began in September and culminated with the reunion, open to all alumni of the school.
“I was excited to connect with friends from different grades,” Culver said. “A lot of the same things are here.”
Kathy Miehls, director of public/alumni relations at ETHS, said she planned a variety of events for the anniversary geared toward certain groups of people, including the staff and the public.
More than 40,000 alumni were invited to attend the reunion, she said.
“It just made sense to hold an event for all the alumni,” she said. “Who would you single out? Who shouldn’t come? It’s everybody or don’t do it.”
Events this year included a 125th All-Staff and Retirees Party, Distinguished Alumni Awards and a Backyard Birthday Bash.
The afternoon reunion events included group tours and scavenger hunts that allowed alumni to become reacquainted with the building.
On a group scavenger hunt, Steve Gagen (class of ’68) pointed out the “unbelievable amount of change” he saw in the school.
“For as many years as you spend here and as much as you forget, it’s so neat to see the school again,” he said. “This place is enormous.”
ETHS was originally founded in a single classroom and was relocated several times before settling at its current site in 1924.
The scavenger hunt evoked memories for both Gagen and Culver, who reminisced about food fights in the cafeteria.
Both acknowledged the wide range of opportunities ETHS offered them.
“It’s amazing how many programs Evanston has,” Culver said. “It’s an incredible school.”
Culver said after receiving a flyer in the mail about the reunion, she and her fellow classmates used Facebook to communicate and organize a meet-up at a bar the night before the reunion.
Evening events at the reunion included a meet-and-greet for classmates, a performance by musician Ronnie Rice (class of ’62) and a dance featuring DJ John Nance (class of ’71).
“Ronnie Rice knows every rock ‘n’ roll song known to man,” Miehls said. “It should be fun.”
ETHS plays a significant role in the history of Evanston, and a lot has been invested in the school, Miehls said earlier this month.
“(The reunion) brings alumni back to the school to see how we are now, to meet up with their classmates again and renew those kinds of friendships and ties,” she said. “It’s a nostalgia trip.”
