CVHS Class of 1973 celebrates 50th Reunion

The CVHS graduating class of 1973 held their 50th reunion in early October. They had a weekend-long celebration including a dinner, a social hour, and brunch, with a total of 99 people attending these events. Finally, they finished off the reunion with one last celebration at the high school.

Just to put 50 years ago in perspective, in the year they graduated the most popular movie was The Exorcist, a perfect flick for a Halloween fright night, a package of Oreos cost only 59¢, and the average cost of a home in the U.S. was $32,000.

A lot has changed since 1973, but it was clear at the brunch on Sunday that the most important things, like friendship and unity, have not. As alumni gathered outside the high school for the brunch, and were asked about what CVHS was like 50 years ago, what they would go back and change if they could, and the reasons they attended the reunion. 

“[CVHS] was a large school, though not as large as today, and mostly pretty fun,” said Steve Blake. He and others had regrets about not getting more involved in the clubs, but he fondly remembered his science classes. 

Other alumni, Valerie Wilkerson Dupuich and Cindy Hall Alexander, laughingly remembered there being “a lot of smoking in the bathroom right across from the teachers lounge, a big cloud of smoke.” Apparently, some things don’t change. Blake, Dupuich and Hall were all excited about the reunion for no other reason except to just “see old friends.”

The reunion committee chair for the past 25 years, Rebecca “Becky” Avelar, has helped organize the combined reunions of classes 1970-1979.

CVHS in the ‘70s was “really good. We did not have the pressures the students face today…We did not have cell phones; we did not have social media. None of us knew what a lockdown was. We did not have drive-by shootings…We kept everyone safe…We really took care of everyone,” recalled Avelar. 

Avelar’s advice to current CVHS students is to “be friends with everyone; give them courtesy, because you never know what someone is going through…and take care of each other.”