Archbishop

Sender Reynaldo Michael Pangan

Posted On 2013-10-20

Year class of 1974

Memoir I attended Poly from 1971 to 1974. For three years that I was there I was in marching band and in 1974 which was my senior year I was sitting there the school choir. I will never forget Georgia Attarian, Gene Sherry, Tess Brown and especially everyone who sit marching band and choir. And who can forget Texas Fruitcake or World's Finest Chocolate? Those of us in marching band during the three years I was there. As it wound up that we were able to get new band uniforms in 1974 and retire the uniforms we hit had. I've never forgotten the special teachers and classmates that I had when I attended Poly. If anyone knows how to reach Josie (Robledo) Kunnert please let me know. And of course I knew when I went to school with feel free to e-mail me. I can honestly say he life since graduation has been, to say the least, interesting and if anyone had told me in 1974 that I would be the Archbishop much less the head of the church I would have been laughing and rolling on the floor. Yet here I am now nearly 40 years after graduation the head of the denomination that has a worldwide impact on the lives of people. There are so many memories from the Poly, how do I begin to try and single out the best ones. From going to Farrel’s on Friday night after a football game with other members of the choir and providing free entertainment (I still think we should have gotten our food for free in exchange for the free concerts we used to do!). Of course there was that night, when we were asked to leave after we go out into a vocal battle with a rival choir and drove out the pain customers because we sing the hallelujah chorus louder than all the angels of heaven! Or the time that we, the choir and concert band, were rehearsing for the annual Christmas program. They moved the risers that the choir stood on when Mr. Attarian and Mr Sherry discovered that several of us inquire had squirt guns and lemon wedges and choir members were either spritzing the band members with our squirt guns or eating lemons which made it difficult for the band members to play their instruments (ever tried to play an instrument while somebody sat in front of you eating a lemon?). And who can forget Mr. A day? Perhaps on saline a little melancholy today because I had a dream last night about a choir reunion, hearing Josie Robledo singing the solo from the song " Moving On" and being a teenager again. These are my memories. At least a few of them. Even if there is a tinge of sadness to them, they not only our precious along with all the other memories of Poly, they are also one of the things that make me who I am today. And when the snow falls outside, in the cold wind is through the trees, they memories help to warm my heart. Every year, students get their yearbook and go through the ritual of setting as many instructors, staff, and student friends to sign. And for decades all of us remember our friends signing our yearbook with the cliché " have a great summer, see you in the fall. Your friend, [______].” and while the friendships may not have endured for the summer much less the future years, the memories always linger and bring a smile to our faces. So, without intending to sound like Bob Hope, "Thanks for the memories Poly high faculty, students, and staff "…