Grant High School - Memoirs Yearbook (Portland, OR)

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HAD TO BE THERE Memories of Mr. Conover Kiddies, Troops, and Cherubs’ Sophomore year in honors English, Mr. Conover gave me the first 'D' I'd ever received in all my years in school. I cried, and I was pretty mad at him, but I realized that to meet his standards I'd have to do better. He knew I could. I think he gave me the 'D', which I had earned, to tell me, You can't get away with turning in stuff like this to me. It hit me that I was spoiled in middle school because I never had to work very hard to get good grades in English. But I showed him that I could do better work, my best work, and it paid off. I went from a 'D' to two 'B's' and then to an 'A' the final term. I knew that I had really achieved something in getting that 'A', and I was proud of it. I had never had to 'earn' my grades the way I did for Mr. Conover. Anyone who had Mr. Conover for a teacher knows how intense his class was. He graded papers with either an 'OK' (acceptable), or a large 'R' (rewrite) at the top. 'OK's' were coveted papers, the kind you stick to the refrigerator at home with a magnet. But rewrites were dreaded. After correcting spelling errors and making the necessary revisions within the next ten days, meant waiting in the 'rewrite line' that seemed endless. Rewrites had their purpose. One learned to be very careful not to make the same stupid mistakes again. It wasn't worth it to be careless. I was taking Mr. Conover's college writing class when he passed on, and that was really hard for me to take. Losing him was a heavy loss for Grant High School, but an even heavier loss to me personally. Ever since sophomore year, I looked forward to taking College Writing and completing it with an 'A'. Not being able to get that grade from him first term really hurt. In a way, I felt cheated out of a valuable experience. Looking back, I realize that I have learned a great deal form Mr. Conover, but more importantly, I have gained a sense 202 Feature

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Kimberly Thorpe Jeffrey Thorpe Felicia Travis Rachel Uris Karen Walker Benjamin Walsh Bridgett Walters Tiffany Warren William White Perry Wiggin Jennifer Wilbur Angela Williams Elizabeth Williams Tammy Withee Jessa Wittwer Bret Wonderlick Patrick Worley Seniors Not Pictured Mark Ahern Christopher Edwards James janac Ellen Mosbauer James Sooy Joe Alexander Yolanda Edwards Kevin Jessie Robert Neyland Brock Sorenson Chon Armsbury Melody Elder Rolanda Johnson Phuoc Ngo Deanna St. John Janene Auger Timiko Ellis Shannon Johnson Phuong Ngo Erickson Stayton Brandon Baca Brian England Shawnda Johnson Thuan Ngo Darryl Stringer Sean Bannon David Erickson Andre Jones Hoa Nguyen Daniel Sweet Abram Barker Margaret Farley Verneal Jones Erik Nielsen Rodney Swett Gari Lynn Barnes Tanja Ferfort Kendra Kennedy Reuben Nisenfeld Reis Taylor Dagmary Batista Jennifer Ferguson Becky King Scott O'Neil Trade Terry Darren Baxter Darren Feyen Nicole Kinney Dell Oneal Girmawit Tesfaledet Stephanie Bell Patricia Fieland Justin Klahn Julie Orr Lavelle Thomas Tonia Booth Tristia Fisk Jessica Lampkin Karl Paulson Michael Allen Tracy Eric Borgeson Daniel Gallo Michael Leonard Stephanie Perkins Peter Tran Liz Bowden Travis Gaters Michelle Lewis Tracy Peterson Thu Tran Kurt Bowers Chris George Eusebio Lona Duon Pham Samantha Trump Jennifer Bradshaw Douglas Gisvold Veronica Lona Thai Binh Pham Troy Tyler Kyle Brewster Felicia Glover Jenifer Loney Shawn Phinney Anna Vowell Rick Broadfield Kenneth Graham David Lutz Chantel Ramsey Loan Vu David Brumm Michael Green Linh My Mai Grayce Reed Rachel Wahle Alaina Cage Kelly Hansberry Jason Manley Robert Reid Joy Walker Amy Cash Georgia Hargadine Sandra Manley Corlita Riley Billy Ward Luis Castillo Frerita Harris Sonya Manley Matthew Roberts Susan Ward Lotus Child Jim Harris Paul Marrs Darren Rodgers Christopher Wehage Jeffery Collins Shawn Harris Richard McDermid Christopher Rogers Derrick Willhite Robert Corral Debra Hartley Joe McFerrin Lisa Rogers Centrella Williams Colin Coulter Cynthia Hatch Paul McGee Kae Saechao Marcus Williams Noel Courtney Philip Hehr Tyren McGruder Lai Saelee Nicole Williams Marcella Cowley Lori Hoak Gretchen McIntosh Alexander Sandas Shamae Willworth Nicholas Damis Tracey Hope Nancy McKinley Nathaniel Sandies Jasper Wilson Brenda Denmon Damascus Hopes Larry McWhirter Joseph Schrumm Shaunette Wilson Ann Dodson Yumiko Hosokawa Timothy Meads Daniel Schulte Charles Witherup Marcel Drew Eric Hossack Samson Michaels Venessa Shepherd Tyler Wright Eileen Dugan Tiajuana Howard Susan Minami Karen Sjoquist Leslie Wyllie Erin Dugan Lisa Huff Terri Montgomery Felecia Slider Lois Wyllie Julie Duncan Sara James James Moreland Arten Snyder Ward Young Seniors 201

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of confidence in myself. Because he expected the best work and the best performance from his students, he got it. But now, even after he is gone, I get the best work and performance from myself because of his influence on me. The knowledge he has given me is something that no one can ever take away, but likewise, no one can ever take my memories of him, including his Irish temper and his sarcastic sense of humor. Those are what I remember the most. The deep respect that he earned from me will remain with me forever, but I am still sad because he will not be able to give future students the knowledge and confidence that he has instilled in me. That is an even greater loss that no one can ever replace. It was a pleasure for me to write for Mr. Conover the things that I did because I knew they were well received. The criticism that they got was at times hard to take. Mr. Conover had once said, If you're not proud of a paper, don't even bother turning it in. And with that, I accepted the good things he said to mean that he genuinely meant them. I only wish he could read my term paper; for that is my best and most devoted work yet. I wrote it for him, and I will rewrite it. A perennial scene. Mr. Conover slaves over a paper in one of his infamous rewrite lines. CONOVER REMEMBERED I shall never again wear purple to your class to antagonize or insult you and we will never witness again my fellow classmates offering excuses as to why I am so rude, eventually appeasing you. soothing your temper. I shall never again stay up all night frantically scribbling to finish one of your assignments I have too much respect for you to turn them in late. I shall never again seek you out and ask your advice on my poetry and argue over whether or not it is grammatically correct I hate death; it really hurts. This morning in Business Law my friend told me not to cry. It's a natural part of life. He's right But it still hurts to let go, to lose someone, and to realize that I shall never again see you or joke with you. or laugh with you — or learn from you. I'll miss you. Holding yellow balloons. students form a circle around Grant's baseball diamond to share one last memory of Mr. Conover. Senior John Price breathes a sigh of relief as Mr. Conover OK's and returns his paper with a smile. Feature 203