HUTCHINSON HIGH SCHOOL
CLASS OF 1970



"Keeping The Memories Alive"






HHS MEMORIES



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Robin Campbell --


So many good memories of HHS, but my favorite would have to be the first day of school our sophomore year. I was finally in high school. And what a cool school it was! I just remember walking around the campus and soaking it all in that day and thinking how neat it was to finally be there.

Dennis "Spider" Johnson --

My favorite memory from HHS was being fortunate enough to start for the Salthawks Basketball Team and play in the state finals. Although we lost BIG to Wyandotte, it was an experience of a lifetime, and I will always remember my great team mates: HOSKIE, HEAD, HEITYHO, BUTTERCUP, BIG BOY KNIGHT and GOOD OLD RANDY LOVE. We were a tight bunch and played together for several years.

Doug Peschka --

I remember the football games at Gowans Stadium on Friday Nights.

One game stands out in memory on an extremely cold night: our home games always seated us on the East Bleachers of the field, where there was no protection from the cold weather from any direction at all. On this night, it was so cold that the usual seating arrangements of having a special section for the cheerleaders and Briny Birds was just disregarded. Everybody was huddling together against the biting cold. Chivalry was on duty, as some of us fans allowed the cheerleaders to huddle between us when they weren't doing their cheer-performances. Not being a cheerleader had one precious advantage that night - the rest of us got to wear more layers than they did.

It was a caring night of Salt Hawks protecting each other against the bitter and biting cold, while we cheered our team on toward victory.

That was the night I became a hot coffee drinker for good. It prepared me for the Navy! LOL!

Don Watson --

Too many to narrow it to just one. OK, here's one -

Fish (Jeff Rayl) and I had History class together, with Mr. Sperling, next to last hour (2:30-3:30). His wife worked and needed the car around that time, and they lived just a few blocks from school. But, rather than make her walk to school to get the car, he thought a couple of his teacher's pets (he being an asst. football coach) wouldn't mind a half hour break from history boredom to deliver the car to his wife everyday, so Jeff and I gladly obliged (who says jocks don't get special privileges?).

He had one of those pea green VW Bugs and parked it in the teacher's lot next to the girl's gym. One day we were sitting in the car, trying to figure out why the key wouldn't work, when Mr. Longhofer came walking down the sidewalk. He stopped, looked at us, his jaw dropped, and he looked like he'd seen a ghost. After he recovered, he came over and asked us (me behind the wheel) why we were sitting in his car. It turns out there were 2 teachers who drove pea green VW's.

Another thought that just popped into my feeble mind is, Dennis Shea and I used to cut lunch on beautiful spring days, put the top down on his coolest-ever MG and head for McDonald's (gag) or the Bad & Dirty Carryout. About half the time when we got back (always on time, seriously), Mr. Powers would meet us at the front doors. Never a suspension, never so much as a scolding word, he'd just roll his eyes and shake his head. I guess he was amazed that we returned at all, much less on time and through the front doors.

OK, one last one, involving your gracious website host, Bird Man Campbell. Track trips to out-of-town track meets, on The Big Bus. With his creative mind (as evidenced by this great website) Robin figured out how to f lush the toilet on the Continental Trailways busses. I mean FLUSH the toilet - out onto the road. He'd wait until the toilet tank was good and full, after a few visits by nervous track runners, then wait awhile longer, until some poor idiot tailgated the bus, before he pulled the switch. The rest of us jockeyed for space by the rear window for a front (back)-row seat. It was never pretty, but always as exciting as Christmas morning.

Editor's comment: I don't remember doing this.

Meanwhile, Harlan (Gazelle Man) Wilkerson lounged alone in the back of the bus, psyching himself up for the high jump by drinking whisky. I think Track must've been my favorite sport.

And, don't forget sunny Jr. High days cruisin' on the Honda 50 (ya had to be there).

Shawn Streepy --

I have done some serious thinking about my favorite memory of HHS, and the one thing I appreciate the most in hindsight is the breakfast the school provided us after morning swimming practice. Most of my favorite memories involve Swim Team (I remember when we competed one morning to see who could swim the farthest underwater, and Randy Cromwell came flying out of the pool gasping for air after swimming more than 50 yards underwater), but now I can better appreciate the thoughtfulness of our coaches and the school in providing breakfast for us.

Robin Campbell --

Joining Shawn with one of my Swim Team memories:

Senior year I believe it was, we had a meet in Salina on a Tuesday and normally, following our swim meets, the coaches would take us to a local restaurant to eat. However, after this meet the coaches had to get back to Hutch so we did not get to eat that day.

They drove us back to Hutch and a group of us drove over to Taco Hut, since it was an "all you can eat" night, and we sat in the back room and proceeded to pig out as we were all voraciously hungry. Teenage boys, after a swim meet, equals starving for food!

Well, after a while the manager came back there and said, "you boys have had enough." We obviously weren't what Taco Hut management had in mind for an "all you can eat" night but, even so, we felt like we were robbed!

Taco Hut definitely lost money on us that night.






All Images Below Courtesy Robin Campbell
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OUR YEARBOOKS



HHS TASSEL, CLASS RING & DIPLOMA







IN "THE HUTCH NEWS"





All Images Below Courtesy Ron Shipley (RIP)
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HHS CLASS OF 1970 BACCALAUREATE SERVICE



HHS CLASS OF 1970 COMMENCEMENT




"REVUE 70"





"1984" PLAY



EXCERPT FROM OUR LAST HHS "BUZZ" NEWSPAPER





All Images Below Courtesy Pam Newlin (RIP)
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HHS "BUZZ" - FEBRUARY 15, 1968

(Click On Each Page To Read)