Saturday night was stag night with 28 classmates gathering at Dan Tom's house. As each person arrived they had to go around the room and name everyone. It was fun to see how well we all did. Alan Vasquez was the hardest to guess, since he had changed the most, having doubled his weight since graduation. The evening was spent reminiscing about high school and all the crazy fun things we did. We were all amazed at Earl Ching's memory for details. He seemed to remember everything that happened and kept us all amused with all his anecdotes.

No one wanted to stop to eat. Drinks were used only to quench a throat dry from laughing and talking. There was so much to catch up. So many people to hug and so many lives to catch up on that the party lasted way past the midnight hour. No one wanting to leave, fearing they would miss something. As we all sat around Dan's huge dining table, we all felt like one big happy family and it seemed like we had never left school.

Sunday's night dinner brought together 34 classmates and significant others. Everyone was greeted with a maroon and gold yarn lei, donated by the class of 1978. The evening also brought people who did not come the night before, so there was more hugging and more catching up to do. Sister Dolores Rosso and Mr. Jarret Kaufman also joined us, which helped to make the evening complete.

So that we all had a chance to talk with everyone, musical table was played ~a- after every course. Half of the table moved to the next table after every course and everyone got to talk to everyone. This drove the waiters crazy trying to figure out how to serve our dinners.

The highlight of the evening was the computer generated slide show produced by Carol and Derrick Wong. Everyone had a great time remembering what they looked like 30+ years ago and all the fun things we did in high school. The only somber moment was when we took time to remember the four classmates we have lost in the past 30 years.

At the end of the program, letters received from classmates, who couldn't be there, were read to the gathering. Nearly six hours after arriving for dinner people were still exchanging addresses, talking and laughing. Again it was difficult to say good- bye.

What was most evident for all of us was that our years at Maryknoll were very special. It didn't matter if we spent 13 years there or just I year there, we walked away as friends. The type of friendship that doesn't care what jobs we have now, how much money we make, who we're married to, but the type of friendship that says, "I'm so glad to see you and that we're still friends".

Aloha - Summer 1998