From left -- Michelle Krisko, Oakton; Tanya Tolpegin, Vienna and Courtney Ingersoll, Charlotte, N.C. were good friends at West Springfield and attended this year’s 30-year reunion. Photos by Marissa Beale/The Connection
Jacqueline Mattingly helped decorate the halls during Homecoming. Susan Murphy remembers how Paul Dzierski always had after-parties following the football games, and, if you ask, Jeffrey Lin will say that the cinnamon rolls in the cafeteria were one of his fondest high school memories. Together, these individuals make up the West Springfield High School Class of 1985.
“It’s very exciting to see so many classmates,” said Raquel Hickman, a former Spartan. “[It] shows how close we are. It’s just like picking up right where we left off.”
Members of the Class of 1985 celebrated their 30th-year reunion on Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Springfield Golf and Country Club. The event brought together 150 former Spartans, some of whom traveled from Alabama, and even one who returned to town from Germany.
“My fondest West Springfield memory is probably the football games,” said Laurel Booth, who returned to Springfield after being overseas for work. “I was a majorette.”
“I remember the principal was mad because I juggled fired knives on school property,” said former Spartan Scott Dineen. “I was very good at juggling and was part of the junior class night club.”
Members of the 1985 Spartan Class excelled in the arts. Aaron Cole transferred to West Springfield High School specifically for its art department and currently works as a professional artist.
“I won Governor’s awards for art. There was a really strong art department at West Springfield,” he said.
Other Spartans went on to own businesses, and some made Springfield their homes for many years after graduating.
“[This] was a fantastic place to grow up,” said Scott Hutchinson, who traveled from Texas to make it to this year’s reunion. “We didn’t think anything about getting on a bus to D.C.”
The reunion’s coordinating committee included Maureen Robbins, Bruce Sedlak, Mary Mahoney, Lisa Chickering, Lisa Kincaid, Dave Nemer, Janet Dugan and Whitney Whiteside.
Music included songs from the number one albums of 1985, including “Purple Rain” by Prince and the Revolution; “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen; “Like a Virgin” by Madonna; and, “Centerfield” by John Fogerty.
“It was absolutely worth it to be back,” said Hutchinson.