Fresno High, Again
This past Saturday morning, Sharon was talking long-distance to Amy (who lives in Copenhagen) and mentioned that the two of us would be going to Fresno High’s annual alumni association car show and dinner fundraising event that evening.
Amy responded, I am told, by saying: “There will be a blog.”
Amy, you are right. There will be a blog. And here it is.
It had been decades since I’d been back on my alma mater’s campus. After I graduated in the late ’60’s, I did not attend any of those “anniversary” events — you know, the 10th or 20th or 40th or 50th — largely because Sharon and I were either not living in Fresno or simply not available.
Once we returned to Fresno in recent years, we had spent my birthdays having lunch across the street from campus and then taking photos in front of the handsome administration building.
So actually going onto campus Saturday evening was a big deal, indeed.
We were joined by my buddies Angelo and Kopi and Kopi’s wife, Elaine. Amazingly, the three of us guys had graduated from Fresno High within a few years of each other — and each of us had gone on to long careers in TV.
What were the odds of that, coming from one school?
The Saturday night gathering was delightful. Students had been lined up to give us “old-timers” tours of the campus — much of which has been renovated but built to look old.
And there is no doubt Fresno High — the oldest high school in the city — is also the prettiest.
Much of the administration building — Royce Hall — was fixed up years ago, and the front looks like it did 100 years ago.
We walked into the auditorium in the center of the building (right). and it’s been kept intact. The seats are the same as when we went to school, as are the stage and balcony.
We all remembered having assemblies in that old auditorium. Our tour guides reminded us that underclassmen had to sit in the balcony — and that juniors and seniors got to sit in the seats below.
We also walked into the new gymnasium that might well be one of the finest high school gyms in the state. It’s big. And, yes, it has the “new car” smell that we all noticed as we entered.
The gym won’t keep that smell, of course, but for now, it’s a sensory delight.
Our tour also took us around to several “new” buildings on campus — all constructed to look like the school did way back when.
Among those buildings — a new state-of-the-art library-media center and a new administration building.
After the tours, the evening’s outdoor “program” took place. The marching band played the national anthem, and student servers brought plates loaded with food to each of us.
The five of us — Ange, Kopi, Elaine, Sharon and I — shared stories about our past and about broadcasting and about children, as we munched on all the goodies.
Kopi has just retired after decades as Channel 26’s weather guy and morning-show host. Ange and I both started our TV careers at Channel 30 almost at the same time, way back in 1970 (or maybe earlier, for Ange).
The three of us, deciding to go into TV only after getting into college with no idea where we were headed or what 
we were doing.
It seems to have turned out okay.
And now, after a half-century, we all get together with a few other Fresno TV friends for lunch once a month.
And that, Amy, is the blog — admittedly a short one — about your parents’ adventure this past Saturday night.
Now the question is — will we go back next year if the alumni folks put on another fundraiser?