Allderdice High School
Class Of 1966

Sophie Krasik's Speech

Photos contributed by Ted Erfer

ALLDERDICE HIGH SCHOOL – CLASS OF 1966

50TH REUNION

SEPTEMBER 2016

 

The first thing I’d like to do is to thank the Reunion Committee again for planning this terrific weekend. I know that events like this that seem to proceed smoothly and seamlessly don’t happen by accident – they reflect lots of thought and planning.

As I thought about our 50th Reunion, I remembered taking my mother to her 50th high school reunion at Monessen High School.  My sense at the time – being a twenty-something – was that:  “These people seem really old.”  

One of the first things they did was to ask everyone to introduce themselves, and say who they came with.  My sense -- rightly or wrongly – at the time, was that the folks generally wouldn’t be getting there under their own steam.  

I don’t know if this ideas or memories are right or wrong – looking back at them now.  And much has changed since then.

But that was not this 50th Reunion class.

At the tour and reception last night at the Frick – there was a great sense of energy and community.

For those of us in this room – if we are able to be here, we may have been fortunate in our health and tried to be careful to protect it, or we may have overcome some major health problems.

And whether we’ve stayed in the Pittsburgh area or are across the country, the folks in this room have accomplished a lot.  Whether it’s in –

    Raising families that we are proud of;

    And contributing in the areas of medicine, education, law, labor, science or journalism;

We did these things based on the foundation of the Allderdice education:

        The rigor, discipline and challenge;

        Teachers like Arlene Sinkus Lewis, who’s here with us tonight;

Or other teachers, like Bruce Forry, Harriet Franklin, and Lenore Mussoff, and others that folks in this room remember.

    For me, the skills and analytical approach that I learned at Allderdice were important as I worked on my college newspaper, went on to law school, and had a very rewarding and challenging career as an attorney with the Navy.  

    And I’m also very happy that I have a great-niece who is the third generation of our family to go to Allderdice.  

    The reunion makes me really appreciate the great education that we received and the tremendous community that we formed at Allderdice fifty years ago.

    Thank you.

 

Sophie Krasik

September 18, 2016