Reuniting With Their Roots

Gretchen Loree Crawford ’87 remembers the short walk, taken one morning in the winter of 1974, from her previous Kindergarten classroom to Luck Hall, a brief stroll with her classmates that marked the beginning of the rest of her time in the Lower School. She remembers the connections with classmates and the countless bits of wisdom passed down from teachers — all of those crucial early stages of development contained in her Kindergarten classroom. The first group of students to have classes in Luck Hall, the Class of 1987 returned to their classrooms of origin for their 35th reunion on Homecoming weekend, and the memories made there came rushing back to the Collegiate alumni. 

Coming back to Collegiate, the alumni explored the classrooms of their childhoods, still as spacious and fruitful for discovery as the 1987 graduates remember it back in the 70s. “I think we just had such a nice sense of values at Collegiate, a sense of honor, a sense of loyalty and a lot of lessons that helped build character in every student,” Crawford reflects. “It was a gift to go to Collegiate, and it makes me so happy to see other students still receiving those same experiences.” 

During the construction of Luck Hall, the Class of 1987 took their classes in the church across from what is now the Lower School parking lot. The space was initially designed to house four classrooms, each one containing access to an outdoor area, the intention being to encourage individual student growth and exploration. Now, after nearly 50 years, Luck Hall continues to offer a space for students to thrive in every aspect of life, providing a unique education for each unique student. 

“Reading time was the best in Luck Hall,” recalls Glen Pusey Meck ’87, another graduate of the Class of 1987. “My enduring love for books began there and then fully flourished under the instruction of Dr. Hailes.” 

The space holds significance for each member of the class, but the people, those who created the warm energy within the space, are what made the alumni’s time at Collegiate special. Coming back to Luck Hall, the Class of 1987 revisited the pivotal years of their lives with the classmates that made their education at Collegiate impactful. 

“The fabric of my childhood is still important to me, and I’m always happy to see anybody I spent my childhood with and catch up with people who were there to help me grow,” Crawford says. “Collegiate was such a big part of my life growing up, and reunions give me the opportunity to reconnect with my classmates to find out all the interesting things they’ve done and seen since graduating. That’s why I come back for Homecoming: to revisit the place and the people that have meant so much to me throughout my life.”