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Rebel spirit lives on for alumni

The Bakersfield Californian | Monday, Sep 24 2007 3:00 PM

Last Updated: Monday, Sep 24 2007 11:08 AM

South High School is turning 50 this month. To mark this occasion, seven graduates reminisce and remember when. They talk about the effect South had on the rest of their lives.

JOEL HEINRICHS, CLASS OF 1974 KERN HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT TRUSTEE

Growing up in the South Gate neighborhood just south of the fairgrounds, I guess I always knew we were poor.

Hand-me-down clothes, day-old bread and a used bike that occasionally skipped a gear or two tipped me off. But, I had a bike. I had clothes. I wasn’t hungry. So I had plenty of carefree, fun days just like any other kid.

As a typical teen, I wanted to fit in. I was worried that I would not — given the lack of cool clothes, etc. But I learned really quickly that, at South High, students and staff did not care much if you had money (most of us didn’t). Even the farmers’ kids who had money worked long and hot summers to earn it. We were all encouraged to excel — in the classroom and on the field — without any artificial barriers. No one seemed to care where you lived, just how you performed and behaved.

Heck — Harlan Hunter and I didn’t know any better — so we were elected senior class and ASB president, respectively — even though we were two of the poorest kids in the school.

Along the way we learned sufficient academic lessons to compete successfully in college and life. But, equally importantly, we learned to value and respect people of character — regardless of color, income or heritage. South High epitomized the American ideal of a free, merit-based public education for me and my family.

INGA BARKS, CLASS OF 1985 LOCAL TALK RADIO HOST

We were allowed to write a senior statement and put it in the year book. I took mine from “M*A*S*H.” It was Sidney Freedman’s advice to Hawkeye, who was cracking up, in the final show:

“Ladies and gentleman, take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.”

It was my way of saying, it’s time to stop being serious, cut loose and have a good time. Hal Eggleston, who I think was activities director at the time, told me it encouraged indecent exposure and he wouldn’t let me use it.

I went with a Bible verse instead.

CHRIS HEINRICHS, class of 1966 RETIRED AIR FORCE COLONEL

Some people graduate high school and know what they want to do. Not me.

After two and a half years in college, I joined the Army. While studying Vietnamese at Fort Bliss, Texas, I met my wife, Peggy. When I came back from Vietnam, I enrolled at Texas Tech University School of Medicine. The Air Force paid for my education.

I was happy practicing medicine in the Air Force. After flying in the navigator position of RF-4 Reconnaissance Phantom jets in England, I was hooked.

Having never lived outside Kern County or traveled outside of California prior to high school graduation, I’ve had assignments in Texas, Nevada, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., England and Germany with temporary duty in Alaska, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Albania. My last assignment was as commander of the Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron on Ramstein AB Germany where I oversaw the medical response to the Mogadishu embassy bombing and Kosovo/Serbian campaign.

My wife, Peggy, has had to quit her job as a special education teacher throughout my 28-year military career. During my Germany assignment, she decided she wanted to finish her teaching career there, so I retired in Germany. I am what the Germans call a “Haus Mann” and Harry Potter fans call a “house elf.”

I have fond memories of South High. The teachers were good and I was well prepared when I went to university, medical school and later Harvard’s School of Public Heath.

I was too slow for track and too small for football but was able to play doubles on the tennis team. I was chosen Rebel Yell editor and even cast in a school play, “Charley’s Aunt.”

I grew up poor. Luckily, when we got too far behind in the rent and had to move, we always found new accommodation in South’s district. South High was a stabilizing environment.

— Chris Heinrichs SHS ’66

MARCUS HICKS, CLASS OF 1986 STAND-UP COMEDIAN

Being an African-American student at a high school whose mascots are representations of the Southern Confederacy was peculiar, to say the least. Slavery ring a bell? Anyone? After that psychologically and socially damaging period of my life, I went on to study black studies at San Francisco State University.

After college, STILL reeling from the aftershocks of attending South High, I tried everything to make myself better. Therapy, soul-searching, Scientology, Kabbalah, even yoga were all tried to no avail. Until finally a light went on.

Literally. I was sitting in the dark. I turned on the lights and it came to me. Comedy.

I am now a stand-up comedian in New York. I’ve decided to laugh instead of cry. But seriously, are they still using the Confederate-looking flags?

MICHAEL LATHROP, 1982 MARINE CORPS LIEUTENANT COLONEL

My association with South High School predates even my attendance there.

For me, South High was more than a school. South High was a large part of my family’s life. The football stadium, the gym and the baseball diamonds were all just an extension of my backyard. South High became my home away from home as I spent many a school night riding the team bus and becoming forever entrenched with my loyalty to the school and to the people who have left such an indelible influence on me.

There were the Harpers, the Wards, the Seays, the Strauses, the VerHuels, the Sheldons and the Egglestons. There were the Cotes, the Husers, the Clifts, the Rileys, the Rekoshes and then of course there were the Lathrops. There were the summers spent at Avila Beach as families. We were the sons and daughters of these coaches and we grew up in diapers together and eventually formed lasting friendships. We took an interest in each other’s lives, attended each other’s weddings and, sadly, funerals. Most importantly we strengthened friendships that were founded on the teaching and coaching profession of our fathers. We became the South High family.

If I had one lasting memory about South High School it is that I met my wife, Michelle, there. She was my high school sweetheart and after 26 years continues to be the love of my life. — Lt. Col. Michael Lathrop, Class of 1982

FUCHSIA WARD, CLASS OF 1963 DIRECTOR OF ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION for KERN HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

I am a proud graduate of South High. One teacher and one counselor stand out. I was shy, hard as it might be to believe today.

In my 10th-grade English class, the teacher, Mr. Richard Padgett, required students to give three speeches. Being shy, I waited until after class, went to him and said, “This is an English class, not speech. I am not going to give a speech. I will go to my counselor and get out of this class.”

I went to see my counselor. My counselor informed me that Mr. Padgett had discussed my situation with her and he was going to work with me. Bottom line, she would not change me out of his class.

Mr. Padgett’s solution was for me to give my first speech to him after school. He tape-recorded the speech and taught me how to move my eyes as if I was looking at the class, but in reality I could see nothing.

He also told me to try to breathe softly, normally and make myself comfortable. Easy for him to say. When I was extremely scared I would stutter.

His belief in me made me want to do it for him, not me. When it was my time to give the speech in class, I had to stand in front of the class at the podium. He turned on the tape recorder and all I did was practice looking at the audience, focus on my breathing and feel uncomfortably scared. I managed to get through the torture.

For the remaining two speeches he had me to stand before the class and give as much of the speech as possible. He graded me only on what I did. I actually finished the third speech.

Thanks to Mr. Padgett and Jeanne Thompson, my counselor. Today I can speak comfortably in public through my fear and shyness, if I have any left.

— Fuchsia Ward, Class of 1963

BRUCE WILLISON, CLASS OF 1966 FORMER CHAIRMAN & CEO OF FIRST INTERSTATE BANK OF CALIFORNIA

Many times throughout my career, I have reflected upon the good fortune to have been a South High School graduate. Whether it was a business moment in a far-off capital, or negotiating a billion-dollar loan, or speaking to thousands of employees or just dealing with colleagues one on one, I was often aware of the wonderful touchstone the school was and still is for me.

Our school was an especially friendly place. There was room for everyone, and the openness it provided taught a lot about the value of teamwork (in the classroom and on the playing fields). We benefited from the contributions of others and learned that we had reciprocal responsibilities to others. Much of modern management theory in the past 15 years has adopted this organizational covenant.

We were a diverse high school in every sense, as most in Bakersfield are. We had ample opportunity to witness that smart, friendly, caring, ambitious people come in every color, gender, religion or appearance.

The dedication of so many teachers, whose monetary rewards were not in keeping with the contributions they made, was a great example of the valor of public service. My own choice to leave the business world after 26 years and spend seven years as a management school dean at UCLA was motivated by their example.