Robert Kendall

In response to the post of Ms. Jackson, it might be better if we kept this website free of politics.  

In checking out the website of Mr. Staires, I found myself appalled:  "Join the fight to uphold the Biblical Principles, Constitutional Guidelines and Limited Government..."  It might be a good idea if Mr. Staires actually reads the document he claims to espouse:

"Article the third... Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

I recognize Mr. Staires right to be a Christian (I, myself, was born again on August 19, 1979 shortly after graduating.), and I do not recognize his belief in the need of a 'Christian State' usurping the rights of those of the Buddhist faith, the Hindu faith, the Jewish faith, among many others whose rights are *equally* recognized under the United States Constitution.

Richard Hedgecock

GO, ROBERT, GO!!

Jack Spencer -Class Of 1980

Although I agree with our classmates right to her political and religious beliefs, I also agree a high school reunion site is not the best place to post political endorsements.

Sadly, society has become more sharply divided in the years since we graduated. This only contribites to bad feelings, and a furtherance of that problem.

Please know I in no way advocate censorship of anyones expression. Its just that on a forum with a wide diversisity of beliefs and political opinion, politics is best left off.

Kirk Waits

Exceptionally well said.

Kevin Wood

Nope. Nope. Nope

When I put this site online in 2008, I had it as a place where we could find lost classmates, communicate between each other, set up and use for reunion planning and keep it up as a gift to this class. That's how it's been up in til now. My time and my work. As a volunteer. Actually some of my $$.

While I appreciate a good, well-thought out discussion as much as anyone else, this web-site is not the place for any political/ social-injustice/ religious discourse or advertisements of who to or not to vote for. Too much time involving me to be a referee, and that isn't my job.  ( Eddie is the only Ref I know here and he's pretty busy too!)
 

The composition of this class is as diverse and crazy a group of people as the rest of the US.
We have Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, agnostic, atheist, LGBTQA+, Democrat, Republican, Independent, Male, Female, Sys, And that's awesome! 

I want this site to be a conduit for positivity and no one visiting here should come away from the site with bad feelings.  There is plenty of that already out there so it won't be happening here. 
 

I encourage those visiting to be active, keep your emails /passwords current and share what's going on in your life, your families lives, and what you are doing/eating/traveling. ( think: early FB days, lol!)  Keep the controversial topics to yourself or post it on FB or Twitter.  Post  your joys// sorrows or real life issues re:yourselves. No opinion pieces, please.

I am glad to answer anyone who has a question to this, now-to-be enforced policy!
 

Again. Thanks for everyone's spirited discussion here, and not in disagreement with many things said here, it's just not what this venue was made for.  
 

Thanks for understanding 

K
 

Dani Knapp

Aloha Ya'll!

I hope this messagwe finds everyone living a joyful life.  I am now on the mainland (part time) in the North Dallas area called Flower Mound.  After selling my Hawaii businesses a few years ago, I started helping my middle daughter and son-in-law in their business which has a location in Dallas.  After years of owning power boats, I am learning to sail, with lakes next to me, I can also be on the water here in Texas.  

I hope to connect with classmates in this area.  I am embracing Texas, though Hawaii still feels like home, and I return often having ohana there also.  Looking forward to seeing leaves changing color soon and attending a couple of OSU football games this season - I already have tickets for the OSU-TCU game!  I won't have to watch my games at 6am anymore with the time difference to Hawaii!

Best day,

Dani

Kathy Oxley (Levin)

Hi Dani,  Welcome back to the mainland.  Hope to see you at the next reunion.  Best Wishes!  Kathy

Todd Huston

Seems we have thoroughly addressed the comments section so please let's move forward.  

Dana Lucy (Birkes)

Actually- I really appreciate  keeping up with everyone- thanks for sharing and welcome back!!

Eric Tejeda

Thanks Todd.

I agree with your sentiment. Way too much was said over an otherwise well-intentioned comment. Perhaps next time we can just leave it at “let’s keep the site apolitical” and not shame classmates by piling on. We should strive to treat each other with respect and kindness.

Jill, I’m sorry you found yourself in the middle of all this blow back. You didn’t deserve that. I’m grateful we are classmates.

Eric

Kelley Calhoun (Bowers)

Looks like I need to update my email address. I have two but the following is the one I use the most. Thank you!

Kelley (Calhoun) Bowers, vlyballmb2@gmail.com

Joyce Callen (Huckabay)

Welcome back Dani!  

Jaimie Muehlhausen

45th Reunion 2024

It’s been 45 years. We want to see you at the reunion. It’s as simple as that. If there has been something that has held you back in the past from coming to a reunion, I hope that you can find your way past that and come be amongst friends. We are now in our early 60s and the hard truth is that we are going to start losing each other soon. We’ve been pretty lucky so far. But this might be a great chance to see some of your friends one more time. No one cares how much money you make, where you live, how long you’ve been married or how many times you’ve been divorced or who you love, what kind of car you drive, who you vote for, how much you weigh, or how much hair you may or may not have left. We want to see you! And one thing that I hear over and over is that, although it’s fun to see the people we were closest friends with in high school, often times the people we connect with the most are the people that we never even knew very well 45 years ago. Things change! People change. I know that’s true for me. I’ve become great friends with people that I wasn’t really close to back in 1979. All because of some of the reunions over the years. Please don’t look back and wish that you had made it to this one and regret it later. It’s one weekend in September that we can all tell stories, catch up, laugh, share memories, and if previous reunions are any indication, even rekindle a romance! What happens in Tulsa stays in Tulsa. I am truly hoping to see you all this fall, and if you live anywhere between San Diego and Tulsa I’ll pick you up on my way. -- Jaimie 

Kathy Oxley (Levin)

Well said Jaimie. See you in September. 

Laura Crawley (Castleberry)

Jaimie....Love this message so much! Thank-you for encouraging EVERYONE to come! 

Joel Oldham, IV (Oldham, Iv)

Thanks Jaimie!  Please pick me up in Dallas on the way....

Elizabeth Cunningham (Kinion)

Well said Jaimie!  Can't wait to see everyone in September.  

Kim Pool (Moeller)

Thanks Jaimie!  I agree and can ditto everything!  I am looking forward to seeing everyone!

Kevin Wood

Agreed, Jaimie. 
The simple truth is of the the entirety of the Class of 79', some of us won't be here to " wait until the 50th". ( I know because it was almost me this time, long story) We aren't guaranteed anything but today.  

I'm appreciative of the second chance and hope to see as many of you there this year as possible.  Don't do it for anyone else though, do it for yourself. I've shared many discussions with classmates about their prior experiences at previous reunions. Never once has someone said they'd regretted going. Ever. Even those who went to see specific people always tell me about having great conversations and connections with someone they barely remembered or knew very little about back in high school. Your choice to not attend is really just a lost chance to connect with a great group of kids who became better as we aged.  If you don't like smiling, seeing old/ new friends, remembering good times and lost friends, catching up on news, then I'd still tell you to go. 
Because you are probably wrong. 

Hope to see everyone in September.  Finalizing a site for Saturday nite and a menu.  Low key, casual event with lots of indoor / outdoor spaces. Picnic at LaFortune. Other events ( Thursday, Friday, golf, tours, mini reunions) are all outside of the planning committees scope and likely will  occur naturally, as always.  This classmate forum here will probably be a good place to organize other events, as well as the FaceBook Class of 79' page.

What is helpful for attendance by a high percentage of our classmates is to help get the word out. See a class members name as one of the "missing", yet you know where they are, please share this websites existence by sending them the link or letting us know an email address for them.  Hope to see most of you this Fall! 

Retha Wyatt (L'Ecuyer)

Hi friends!

I've been back in Tulsa for almost 10 months now and, unfortunately, have only connected with a few long lost classmates. The ones I have seen have reminded me of what awesome people we had in our class! Thanks for the connections, Chris (Beachy) Gollahon, Bonnie (Fullerton) Glavas, and Eddie Morris.

I rented a place here so I could spend time with my mom after she lost a very close friend. I also just went through a divorce so was a good place to hang for awhile....I stayed longer than I first planned! So much has changed here, mostly for the better, and it's been enjoyable to drive around some old stomping grounds AND discover new things too. Competitive pickleball is everywhere and has been my main social network. The music scene here is absolutely fabulous too....really enjoyed Thelma's Peach, Mercury Lounge, Maggie's Music Box, and the Old Lady on Brady (I'll never call it the Tulsa Theater)! The seasons have been nice to experience again, but if only we didn't have to endure that humidity!

I'm heading back to Arizona early April and don't think I can swing a trip back out in September for our 45th. Enjoy the reunion and I'll look forward to seeing everyone's pictures!

Robert Kendall

Dear Kevin,

You are quite correct about "wait[ing] until the 50th."  The Saturday of the 40th reunion was the same day as the University of Chicago's graduation day, which I always had to work.  Only found out the day before that I'd be free and, thanks to Eddie Morris(❣️) giving me the okay, drove twelve hours to arrive in Jenks by 6:00 p.m. I only mention that because I was so exhausted, I had no energy when Darrel Drake repeatedly asked me to dance with him (luckily, Diane Britton did for me).  I thought at the time, I'll dance with him plenty at the 45th.  Alas... 😭

And I hope to change my plane reservation (currently returning to the States on 9/30) to be back for the reunion; never occurred to me that it would take place in September (🤷).

I'll be having fun in Kyoto studying the Ryōanji rock garden before, hopefully, heading to Tulsa.

[ In case anyone might find it of interest:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/travel/japan-kyoto-zen-gardens.html?unlocked_article_code=1.f00.e81-.ZqbVcxIu1M8O&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb ]

Michael McRight (McRight)

Jamie, Kevin, et al,

Thank you to the reunion committee for making arrangements.

My wife and I will be there for the first time in a while.  Hint... she was an Edison High School graduate (Class of 80) that I met the summer after graduation... on the golf course.  We'll be hopping a flight from Atlanta.

Hope to see a lot of my classmates from the time at Memorial.

Mike McRight.

Julia Tiernan (Jackson-Fowler)

Kevin Wood

Days until the reunion...

Kevin Wood

days until the reunion...