Senior Year at Austin High

Here is my student ID from Austin High School in Austin TX, Class of 1983.  I recall taking that photo and thought it turned out pretty good at the time.  I guess that's why I have kept it all these years.

Back in 1982-83, Austin was much smaller, about 350,000 people, about the size of today's Tulsa OK.  Now Austin is easily 3-4 times that size.  The growth has come at the expense of the city schools.  Back then Austin High was in the largest UIL classification, District 26-AAAA.  Westlake was only a wimpy AAA school hardly worth a thought and Lake Travis was a primarily a retirement community. 

I was a good student, on the Honor Roll, and recall taking some challenging classes like Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus, as well as Physics. I was also on the Golf Team usually playing #2.  A highlight was our team finishing second in District (to Crockett) and going to the Regional Championship in Corpus Christi.  At the time, the Austin schools were in the District IV including San Antonio and Corpus and points south.   I recall that San Antonio Churchill was the powerhouse, winning the Region.

Some memories were:  A school dance on a Friday night, with a TV set up to find out "Who Shot J.R.?"   Also, the tailgates at Mount Bonnell or Red Bud Trail after football games, open lunches where we could leave campus to go to Holiday House, or Bert's BBQ or El Arroyo (you could even walk there).  Later in the year, I recall three wonderful words "Senior Off Campus" where you could leave early and of course the grand finale to every high school movie, the Senior Prom held at the Hyatt Regency on Town Lake (now Lady Bird Lake).

A lot of years have gone by and we've lost some good people that come to my mind:  Our class clown, Aaron Kluth, the self described "Loud and Proud" Ruth Ann Brown and the unforgettable "Pflug" Jon Pfluger. 

I'll be getting together with my classmates for my good friend Richard's wedding next month.  We'll have Jeff there (number 1 on the golf team) and Vic (who I got into trouble together with him once).