Northgate HS students present artifacts and research to celebrate school's 50th anniversary

By Theresa Harrington Brandt, Public Information Officer
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Fifty years ago, MDUSD opened Northgate HS in Walnut Creek for the 1974-75 school year to serve the growing community. This year, juniors in teacher Meg Honey's U.S. History class used their research skills to delve deeply into the school's history over the past five decades - interviewing alumni, collecting artifacts and memorabilia such as yearbooks and sports pennants, and creating display boards that they presented during the school's Open House on Tuesday.

The result, said Principal Kelly Cooper, was "a great visual history of our school," presented by "students available to talk through the decades for visitors." Honey, a Northgate HS alum who graduated in 1997, summed up the event in an Instagram post that evening: "150 Juniors. Hundreds of artifacts collected and curated. 40 alumni interviewed. 25 engaging exhibits created and shared with the community. What a night! Thank you to everyone who supported our project and attended tonight’s event. It was a GREAT night to be a Bronco! ❤️💛" 

The students, including many who were born in 2008, noted that some things have changed in the past five decades and some traditions are still carrying on. They marveled that it snowed in the 1970s, that San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk held a debate at the school in 1978, and the campus was impacted by the Loma Prieta earthquake. They loved looking through yearbooks to see how hair styles and fashions have evolved, and comparing how sports, academic and extracurricular activities have progressed. They looked at trends and culture including music, art and technology, and gained an appreciation for their place in the history of the school - which will continue to live on long after they have graduated.

Student Avanti Morucci focused on music trends in the 1970s, noting that ACDC, Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) and Fleetwood Mac were popular with students. And while fashions have changed, students expressed themselves creatively through their clothing just as they do today, said Claire Sul, adding that it was fun to look back and see who came before her and what her school was like in its early years. Jack Smyrni said the Broncos basketball team was top-notch, but the football team had a dismal 1-9 record in 1976 due to many injuries. He was proud to find that a 1977 student golfer went onto become a pro. Sofia Loreto, who takes animation classes at Northgate, looked back at art in the 1970s and was impressed that the school offered a photography class that inspired one student whom she interviewed to become a professional photographer. Aubrey McSweeney said students enjoyed clubs such as chess and started up traditions such as prom and homecoming. Instead of Leadership, they had a Student Congress. As a drama student, she also looked up the student productions and realized that years from now, future "students are going to look back and see what I'm doing!" Bella Johansson pointed out cheerleading and mascot outfits and Hailey Liu said she interviewed a cheerleader, and current plastic surgeon who helped coach the "Powder Puff" girls football game in the 1970s. Little did they know that students such as Hailey would be playing Girls Flag Football now! Enzo Sbarro said courses in the 1970s included life skills such as cooking, homemaking including buying insurance, and industrial arts such as wood shop and auto shop. He also noted that the school's first Mock Congress, which continues to this day, began in 1978. Yoshi Lando said the principal back then was Mr. Hansen, who was 6-foot-4. He said students in the auto shop class fixed their own cars, as well as each other's. 

For the 1990s, students Sriram Balaj and Amelia Rollins presented a display that included memorabilia from former track athlete Mike Cuglietta, who is now the school's track and field coach, as well as a Baseball Letterman's jacket belonging to Jon Campopiano, who went onto become a Northgate HS teacher, varsity baseball coach and vice principal, before moving to neighboring districts as an administrator. Sriram, who is on the school's track and field team as a shot put and discus thrower, said he enjoyed looking back at the school's sports history, as well as the music popular back then. The display also included a "cheer crate" that cheerleaders could stand on, cheerleading uniform and sports championship pennants, as well as a record player with a Sade album. Amelia researched the school's architectural history and noted that there were no walls between classrooms when it was built - just movable partitions. But due to the noise level, walls were eventually built. However, the school still lacks windows, she said. "It was cool to gather all the artifacts and memorabilia," she said. "I'm surprised how much stuff people kept!" 

The 2000s were combined into one time period spanning 24 years through 2023-24, featuring sports news including budget cuts that stopped district funding of athletics, resulting in a districtwide sports foundation that raised money to keep sports alive through events such as an annual 5K run, said student Riley Brandt. The Northgate Sentinel student newspaper was included in the displays, with headlines such as: "Budget cuts could signal end of sports," and "High school stress fills the halls of Northgate" in March, 2009. Northgate also got a full sized pool, along with a sports medicine room and weight room in 2014, said Riley, who is on the varsity swim team. He also noted that the COVID pandemic impacted technology, bringing Chromebooks to every student. Airah Pozas agreed, saying she prefers textbooks, but online PDFs and online textbooks are practical and convenient. She noticed style and fashion trends including girls' hair parted on the side, big silver hoop earrings and capris or leggings under jeans skirts. Since the pandemic, Airah said students have dressed more casually in more comfortable clothing, but she noted that some trends cycle back. "Polka dots and jeans skirts have made a comeback recently, which is a really good indication of how the times change," she said, adding that she loved the project. "Ms. Honey has done a great job," she said. "Northgate has had a lot of impact on a lot of people."

Honey expressed pride in her students, as well as in her alma mater. "Fifty years is significant," she said, adding that the school's anniversary offered her students the opportunity to interview alumni (including her), collect artifacts, and review yearbooks as legitimate historical sources in this milestone year of school. "I love this place so much," she said. "It is such a privilege to be teaching where I went to school."