Grant High School - Memoirs Yearbook (Portland, OR)

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Interested students attending the exchange student meeting include John Frost. Fernanda Muniz, Peter Stahemann, and Mollie Young. Exchange student, Nicole Friestedt, and seniors Daniel Moore and Cashnita Mathieson listen to the speaker intently, while Alyssa Pace and Ulla Pon-tgratz socialize. Active student, Craig Irwin, plays the trumpet as one of Grant's marching band members. Sophomores Nicole Duckworth. Sarah Swenson, and Alyssa Pace consider spending a year as exchange students. introduction 13

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 HAD TO BE THEREl 1 M [Exchanges gain friends I'm proud to be here!” declared exchange student, Craig Irwin, from New Zealand. After visiting several schools in Portland, Grant is by far the best.” Students and administrators welcomed eight students from various countries to experience life as a Grantonian. The satisfaction and positive comments expressed by the new students contributed to both the pride in Grant and our country. Concha Fidalgo compared the educational systems: In Spain, we go to school to learn. Here, we learn and talk, and can be in activities after school. Exchange students said they preferred this type of system over those in their native countries. Ulla Pon-tgratz from Austria added, The relationship between teachers and students is closer; there is more free time to work on our o wn than there was in Austria. Throughout the months spent in the United States, several exchange students noticed unique differences. I love the way the people are so friendly and relaxed, here. I can go up to anyone and have a nice conversation, stated Peter Stahemann of Denmark. It's not the same, reported Nicole Friestedt of Sweden. There are so many people with completely different personalities, Friestedt continued. Fernanda Muniz expressed an even broader opinion: It is wonderful to be here. It is such a new experience being away from Brazil. Most exchange students spent a year as Grantonians. Their presence enlightened the student body. The other foreign exchange students included Kazushige Kitahara and Yumiko Hosokawa from Japan. Hosokawa played the piano for Grant's symphonic and stage bands. 12 introductjoo

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 HAD TO BE THERE Alumni return pride You had to be there when members of the class of '26 returned to Grant for their sixty year reunion. Yes, that's right! Grant's first graduating class assembled one more time. The stunning LeVeda Gearhart arrived in style as she stepped out from her sleek Rolls Royce. Dressed in a fancy gray skirt and jacket, shiny black shoes, and jewelry galore, Gearhart declared, It's marvelous to be back! Classmate Albert Arnst greeted her with pleasure along with a Channel 8 photographer. Arnst organized this reunion attempting to locate his ninety-member class. Eighteen were contacted and excited to hear the news. On September 20, the 1926 alumni posed for pictures, socialized, and found Grant to be much different from before. They seated themselves in Room 113 and chuckled when Arnst asked, Okay students, are you ready for a test? Minutes later, senior James Moss welcomed them and began speaking about the many changes and additions over the past sixty years. Moss continued by taking the former students on a tour of the school. Walter Heitkemper, Grant's first student body president, pointed out some of the dif ferences: There was certainly no auditorium, and the cafeteria was located in a portable. We had a drum corps, but not a complete band. When reaching the library, they seemed in awe of the larger room and number of books. Ed Ansty and Lyle Harrington chatted about ther championship football team. Ansty announced that he played center, while captain Harrington played tackle. Suddenly, Harrington pulled a yellowed newspaper, dated September 30, 1925, out of his briefcase. He had saved every Grant article published pertaining to his high school years. Graduate Ferrin Morelan explained that although there were many clubs and organizations, students could join only two. I was in Buskins (now Thespians); the first play we performed was 'Out of the Kitchen'. As the end of the tour neared, Morelan seemed to speak for everyone when he remarked, I'm just glad I'm here to be back! On the same day of this gathering, more than thirty former Grant runners met with this season’s cross country team. The alumni divided themselves into two separate races: one for those who felt they were in fairly good shape and one for the others. Cross country coach, Mark Cotton, felt the races were not only satisfying for the returning runners, but also a rewarding experience for his young athletes. 14 Introduction