The message forum is an ongoing dialogue between classmates . There are no items, topics, subtopics, etc.

Forums work when people participate - so don't be bashful! Click the "Post Response" button to add your entry to the forum.

Ahme Sawicki (Erickson)

Hi Ruth and Joe...you are so right!!! The Band, the Drill Team... my pride exploded whenever they took the field at half time.  My family laughs at me when I cry at watching/listening to a Marching Band. What a privilege to be a small part of that.  I will never forget when Pasadena won the Chaffey competition!!!  Huge highlight for me in helping carry the Pasadena sign.  Wish I had gotten to know more band and drill team members...I'd like to thank them for the joy they brought so many people...especially me!  Thanks you two!!!

Janice Koch

I had totally forgot the "Pride of Pasadena" motto.  I remember how wierd it felt to up under the lights on the field for half time shows and competitions.  Alright - kind of magical.  I also rememeber how relieved I was to not have screwed up the rouutine.  Drill team was maybe the first activity outside of classes that I participated in.  Maybe the only?

Oh yeah, I went to a few "Help" meetings until my parents wouldn't let me go anymore.

Barry Chisholm

Hi Everyone, and especially to the members of the Band and Drill Team, absolutely yes what great half-time performances.....still resonating in memory almost 50 years later.

And many thanks to Ken for posting the pictures of the Rose Bowl Graduation....I know my folks took some but haven't seen those for a while, if they still exist.

I was thinking that one of the musical numbers the band perfomed so well (and there were many) was the theme from The Great Escape....been so long, I'm hesitant to trust my brain cells, can anyone confirm or deny?

Laurie De Vault

I wish I had taken art classes in high school. Although I loved art, I think I was deflated by my experience back in 7th grade and felt I was never "good enough". Fortunately I got over it and went on the get an art degree and finally 40 years later have now devoted real time to painting.

I have no memory of graduation day. I had no interest in going, but must have gone at the last minute because my boyfriend (John Meza) suddenly had to participate. I guess I sat in the audience!

Funny how we were/are on so many different paths, yet there remains warm and friendly bonds and memories. I may have never seen a football game or gone to a dance, but found other ways to connect with others and follow my passions. HELP was a great experience. Janice, I'm sorry your parents made you quit!

Barbara Stewart (Mogel)

Ken Marschall, thank you so much for posting these photos from Mr. Younger's 12th grade commercial art class. In the 3rd classroom photo, I am sitting behind you and to your left, wearing a dark short-sleeved top. I've come full circle on that haircut and wear it now in white.

I remember a class assignment to design exterior signage for a shopping mall - does that ring a bell for anyone else? I did something way out of left field - a dinosaur that kids could climb on and slide down - perhaps that was my prelude to designing interactive museum exhibits for children of all ages? The last project, I think, was a corporate logo and identity package.

Kenneth (Ken) Marschall

Barbara, I'm glad you spotted yourself in the photo!  Very cool.  Now that I think back, I do recall the various package design, architectural signage and corporate logo assignments in Rollie's class.  Commercial Art was my favorite of three (?) years of his classes I took.  The Russian Leather cologne box design was one of those, at least for some of us.  Maybe the class could choose among several options; I know I wasn't the only one to be tackling the cologne box challenge.  I did a large pen-and-ink promo/poster/billboard thing for "South of the Border Estates," with a rendering of a modern but Southwestern-style home.  I never could bring myself to throw such things away.  I know right where it is in the garage, along with earlier "contour line drawings," charcoal sketches, and so forth.  Came across them not too long ago.

Joe Silver (Silver)

Barrym my memory isnt the greatest anymore either .  I think we first tried out the Great Escape at a Friday night game at Horrell Field at PCC  first and then later at the Turkey Tussle game against Muir at the Rose Bowl in our junior year. It was our most special routine we ever did up til then, thanks for remembering Barry, and everyone else  who went on all of our trips, especially thedrill team members, they worked so hard  in the smog.  they were perfect

Barbara Brandstetter (Ower)

Anne Hassell (Nelson)

I almost remember that, Barbara. However, I really remember you. You were so caring and fun to be with. I also thought drill team was a remarkably special experience. Joanne Owens was a super teacher and gave us all her very best. I had the privilege of being a drill team and flag team advisor for my daughter's high school. Those girls just wanted to be social and have fun times. People do not realize the value of discipline and hard work these days. Kids want more entertainment now. I am so glad for what we had in our times. We were so blessed to have gone to PHS in our years and grow up with such wonderful teachers and students. I am so proud of the friends with whom I attended PHS. They turned out to be wonderful people. I am looking forward to seeing you at the next reunion. Look for me, huh.

Barbara Stewart (Mogel)

Aww, what a sweet thing to say, Anne, you made my day! Like you, I've always been proud of our public education experience, and what an exceptional place Pasadena was, and still is.  

Barbara Brandstetter (Ower)

Barbara Brandstetter (Ower)

Frances Pampeyan

Hi everyone.  Yes indeed, I remember when some kids from Muir High threw rocks at our bus.  It was surprising and scary back then.  I loved being in Drill Team with Miss Owens and also choir with Mr. Jensen.  They made my high school years wonderful.  And of course my friends too.  There was a Drill Team reunion about 10 years ago where we got to perform at the Rose Bowl again.  That brought back great memories, esp. when I made a mistake on the routine, and Miss Owens said, "Oh, Pampeyan!"  I felt great that she remembered me!

Rodrigo Marin (Marin)

Rodrigo Marin (Marin)

Rodrigo Marin (Marin)

Rodrigo Marin (Marin)

HELLO EVERYONE,

I JUST HAD TO FIT THIS IN WHEN THE DISCUSSION WAS ABOUT THE DODGERS. I GREW UP LISTENING TO VIN SCULLEY AND JERRY DOGGET. I FELL ASLEEP WITH MY TRANSITOR RADIO IN MY EAR LIVING AND DYING WITH EVERY GAME AS THEY CHASED THE NATIONAL LEAGUE EVERY YEAR ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR HATED RIVALS, THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS. I LISTENED TO EVERY NO HITTER OF SANDY KOUFAX'S INCLUDING HIS PERFECT GAME AGAINST THE CUBS.

IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR A BUCKET LIST DREAM OF MINE WAS REALIZED. I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND A DODGER WITH A GROUP OF OTHER AGENTS THAT WAS SPONSORED BY A FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY. WE WERE TAKEN ON A TOUR OF DODGER STADIUM EVEN INTO THE BOWELS WHERE THE DODGERS HAVE A HALL OF FAME FOR THEIR PLAYERS. I LEARNED THAT IT WASN'T UNTIL THE NFL DEVELOPED A TROPHY FOR THE SUPER BOWL THAT BASEBALL ONLY GAVE A BAT TO THE TEAM WINNING THE WORLD SERIES. THE TROPHY SHOWING ALL THE PENNANTS REPRESENTING EACH TEAM WAS DEVELOPED FOR THE WINNING TEAM.

I LOVED BASEBALL WHEN I WAS GOING TO JEFFERSON, MARSHALL AND PHS.

I WAS ABLE TO PLAY LITTLE LEAGUE AT VICTORY PARK, FIRST FOR CIVITANS THEN GWINN'S. I AM SURE THAT THERE ARE SOME OF OUR CLASSMATES THAT PLAYED UNDER FRANK MATUSAK FOR P.H.S.

I HAVE ATTACHED SOME PICKS OF THE TIME I HAD WITH MY DAY WITH THE DODGERS.

Stephen Lantz

Rod - I think I was on Civitans with you. I played first base and pitched. Couldn't hit the ball out of the infield, but as a leftie I bunted to first several times. Anyone remember the banners posted in the music room. I think one of Larry Curtis' finest was the banner in old english script that read, "The Object is Perfection"... I think of the inspiration, perspiration, and exhilaration of marching band every time someone blurts out some hokey homily like, "There is no I in team"...  Anyone else still have the 33 lp records of the Long Beach Band Review and the concert band performances from that era? Kinda still gives me goosebumps... and I was the terrible clarinetist who ended up playing contrabass clarinet in orchestra and cymbols in the marching band as irrefutable proof of my lack of musical talent... but those shoes were spotlessly white and the cymbols shined for each performance... good times.

Stephen Lantz

Last post, add 1: The banner said, "The Standard is Perfection", not the Object...

Stephen Lantz

Last post, add 2: And I'm pretty sure if Mr. Curtis were band leader today he would have put up a banner that said, "Do or Do Not. There is no try. - Yoda"

Linda Wright (Lewis)

Hi Fellow Bulldogs,  Am enjoying reading your comments and reflections about Eugene Field, Wilson and PHS. Loved high school, social & service clubs, Mr. Younger's art class, Drill Team & Ms. O saying, "WRIGHT, YOU ARE WRONG!!!"  Drill Team comraderie and hours of practice -- we were amazing!  Winning Sweeps at Chaffee, performing in the Rose Bowl and ducking rocks thrown at our bus -- The Good and the Bad.  Senior year Sheri Beck & I entered my Dad's 1962 Land Rover in the Car Show -- hood up, greasy engine among very cool '60's Mustangs & Camaros but we got out of classes, big smiles on our faces.  How many of us still have our drill team uniform & Bucks??  How about a mini drill team reunion at the 50th?  If you can fit in your dress AND zip it let's wear them!  Bulldog Pride.  Not sure I can do a full armroll or high kick without falling over....

Anne Hassell (Nelson)

Linda Wright - I'm up for a drill team meeting at the 50th. I am also up for a Madrigal reunion too. These two activities made my senior year so special. Yes, I still have my drill team dress. I displayed it at the 45th reunion for a decoration piece. I think my shoes bit the dust - literally dried up and crumpled away! I remember the boys looking at our embroidered names on the top right side of our uniforms and asking what was the other one called. Use your imagination. I thought this was a clever joke - so funny to me back then.

Kenneth (Ken) Marschall

Since Dodger Stadium has been a popular topic, I did several matte paintings for the movie "The Naked Gun" (Leslie Nielsen, et al) back in '88 in which the field was used by Paramount Studios for various foregrounds, and I repainted the backgrounds, adding thousands of people to the empty stands.  A three-part interview was done recently for a Web blog thing dedicated to the history of matte painting, and one of these Dodger Stadium paintings is shown there ( http://nzpetesmatteshot.blogspot.com/2015_07_01_archive.html ; search the word "Anthem" to get quickly to the series of images for that painting).

But other "Naked Gun" mattes that I painted didn't make it into the blog, so here are two more, for those interested in visual effects. Captions are below the images:

Looking toward the outfield on a quiet day, this is the original view (called the "plate") before the matte (black card or tape) was placed in front of the camera lens. The task was to replace everything above the field with a lively, crowd-filled stand and a different electronic sign. A small number of "extras" are filing into the stand to be strategically positioned.

The matte in place, blocking out everything that I'm going to change or replace, leaving just a few little areas with extras to add movement and help me with scale and color.

Here's the final painting, maybe 26-28 inches wide, on heavy card stock.  The bottom part is black so that when the original film is run again through the camera it will not be re-exposed, if you follow how this works (i.e., together with the original matted photography, we now have an exposed bottom and an exposed top, making for a full, complete scene). I don't remember why the switch to the Angels logo above the sign.  Evidently they intended for it to be Angel Stadium, although the director didn't want me to change any of the stadium architecture.

The final scene.  The painted crowd was "animated" by shooting flickering, undulating backlighted colored holes during another pass of the film through the camera, and moving a moiré pattern behind all this to make the bright dots flicker on and off and appear to move. This effect added life to the masses and made it all look real.  The blank screen above the stands was filled with some video that the studio added later.

For the finale scene in the movie (if I remember), the director wanted this wide view. The black "flag" at top left blocks the glare of the sun.

The matte in place.

The painting.  I don't know why there are no light towers.  Apparently the art director wanted them left off.

Crowd animation test, again with a bunch of holes punched in a black card, filtered with various colored gels, backlighted, and then a moving moiré pattern behind it all to make the bright dots flutter and undulate, simulating crowd movement.  When the brightness and moiré movement speed were settled on, this was then double-exposed ("DX'd") over my painting as the original film was run through the camera a third time.

Final composite.  I don't remember what action takes place in this scene in the movie.  My film clip only shows test footage when the actors are just standing in place, not showing the actual action for the scene.

Barbara Bell (Dwyer)

Linda and Anne - I would love to have a drill team get together as part of the reunion.  Such wonderful memories!  My dress and shoes are long since grown out of and thrown away, not that I could begin to get the dress on anyway

Loretta Packard (Luskin)

I agree, it would be great to have a Drill Team gathering as part of our reunion. We all were such a team working together and so disciplined under Miss Owens' leadership. Lots of work and lots of fun! I wish I'd known about the reunion that Frances Pampeyan mentioned occurred a few years ago. I no longer have my shoes either, but I believe the dress is in a dry cleaner bag somewhere...I'm afraid my waist isn't the 19-20 inches that it was back then!