The Blue and White
I was suddenly aware of how long it has been since I've really spent time in Wichita when I went with Danny and Bryant visit East today. They've added a lot of new stuff to the place thanks to a bond issue that passed the year after I graduated. There's a new "Science Building" where all the teachers now have lab space ... REALLY NICE lab space. The old pool, the place where I realized swimming is one of my passions, is gone now. They tore down the part of the building where it used to be and built a hallway that leads to the new Science Building. My former teachers have all moved around ... and they've reproduced! Joe Hutchinson, former physics teacher and coach my senior year, and his wife Jaime, had a boy about 3 years ago. They had another boy, Noah. Reimer, former calculus teacher, and his wife, Cathy, had a little girl, Rebecca Elizabeth who's 10 months now. Biggest blue eyes ever. They have another little boy they adopted from India last year, Braden, who's now just over 2. Beautiful family, those Reimers. In the end I wandered around the building but I think I've had enough. The old East High just doesn't look the same anymore. There was pride in being runners-up at State swimming having trained in a 20-yard pool. There was pride in that old building. The improvements are great and I have no doubt that next generation of East High-ers and IB-ers will benefit from them but I'm glad I came from the pre-bond-issue generation of East. There's pride in that building. We hail the glory of East High Her honor shining bright In Wichita we proudly raise Her banner blue and white We stand before the whole wide world Blue Aces soaring in the sky And ever will our voices raise In praise of OLD EAST HIGH!!