Langley has changed a lot over the years with their recent renovations and such, but the halls of Langley and their traditions have remained the same. This past weekend, Langley’s graduating class of 1970 reunited for their 51st reunion due to their 50th being postponed. Before the official reunion on Saturday, a few members of the class of 1970 stopped by Langley to tour the school and walk down memory lane. Although Langley may not look very similar to the school whose halls they roamed oh so many years ago, the spirit of the school has not changed in the time since they left. 

“Everyone was pretty involved. We all went to Friday night football games and basketball games even if our teams might have not been that great. We enjoyed all of it and were a real community,” Alumni Beth MccLellan said. 

One of the things that makes Langley so special is its student section at sporting events, which was the case for these alumni as well. Even when the class of ‘70 was in school, Langley sporting teams were not always victorious, but students still loved to go and cheer them on. Although girls enjoyed Friday nights as much as the boys did, they also looked forward to dances, talking to their friends, and choosing their outfits.  

“We couldn’t wear pants to school. Girls had to wear dresses until our senior year when we could wear pants,” Mcclellan said. 

Up until their senior year where they could wear slacks, girls had to wear dresses to school everyday. The boys had to wear either polos or button downs. These rules did not apply at football games where this was the one time students could wear jeans . 

“I had to sneak my pants out of the house and change at school, because my father wouldn’t let me wear them,” Mcclellan said. Fashion trends and expectations have clearly changed throughout the years. Fifty some years ago girls were excited to wear jeans out on Friday nights, whereas nowadays football game attire is leggings and/or shorts. 

“In P.E. we had to wear little blue one piece snap up jumpers and after gym the teachers would stand there and watch to make sure you showered,” Alumni Carol Parker Smith said.

The gym uniforms students wear now are two pieces – a tshirt with shorts. In addition, little to no students use the showers after P.E. because they are not required. These are among the many differences with Langley then and now.

“Girls took Home Ec and boys took Shop, it was very divided up,” Mcclellan said. Students of the class of 1970 also had to take typing, art, and music as their electives unlike the many choices Langley offers now, such as ceramics and anatomy. They had classes Langley doesn’t offer anymore such as Nature of Man, which the alumni explained was a very progressive history course. 

“I remember the Shepherd’s Pie at lunch being my favorite and bringing 20 cents to buy two ice cream sandwiches,” Alumni Bonnie Horrigan Thompson said.

Unlike the food Langley serves now, all of the school food for the alumni was made on site, improving the quality immensely. They also spoke highly of the 10 cents ice cream sandwiches sold at lunch, something current students would definitely appreciate returning. The food is among many things that left a lasting impression of this class of Langley students.

“I remember the first Earth Day and that no matter where you live you biked to school that day,” Thompson said. The first Earth Day was a national event, where 70’s students from around the country biked to school. While reminiscing about high school with her old classmates, Horrigan Thompson found out she was one of the few to participate in this initiative to save the planet. Events like this and other factors were what made these alumni remember their high school years so fondly.

“I remember Coach Price, my football coach. He was one of those people after fifty some years you still remember,” Alumni Peter Gallagher said. Although Gallagher’ team at Langley struggled to win all of their games, Coach Price had a lasting impact on him. Friday night lights, whether they were on the field or in the stands, was clearly a big tradition at Langley.

“I remember the Christmas Concert and how well known the music department was. The band won the Bands of Tomorrow Contest like 3 times in a row,” Alumni Parker Smith said. The Annual Christmas concert is still a tradition students look forward to every year given the talent of our orchestra. Other traditions the alumnus looked forward to were Homecoming dances and courts as well as the Sadie Hawkins dance. Although many traditions have remained, Langley has changed in many other ways.

“We had colored lockers and you moved halls every year. Freshman were downstairs,” Smith said. In 1970, the alumni couldn’t carry their belongings with them all day in their backpacks and had to use lockers.  Class hallways were also separated by class and not subject as they are now.

“Everyday we had the same class. We didn’t have Green and Gold days,” Mcclallen said. Another big difference to Langley was their schedule. These Alumni pointed out that they took their classes all year around unlike some classes Langley offers now that switch at the second semester.

“Back then, the CIA was still secret, but our cross country team would still run along the back,” Mcclallen said. Langley today isn’t entirely different from what it was in 1970, as shown by some of Langley’s sports team still running on this trail, just now it is referred to as the “CIA run.”

“Take pictures, so that when you get to be our age you can remember it and keep in touch with your friends,” Mcclallen said when asked if she had any advice for current Langley students. These Langley alumnus are still in contact all these years later, proving that high school friends do not come and go, and showing Langley’s students now how important the connections they make in high school are.