On Oct. 14, our school hosted the 50th anniversary celebration of the opening of Dana Hills. The celebration began in the gym with a pep rally featuring alumni speakers, a time capsule, and historic videos. The night started off with a bang with performances from Pep Squad and SOCSA Dance Production, under the direction of Lindsey Lee. Principal Dr. Baker shared that “it was great to see alumni come back and reconnect with one another, the performances and the speakers I thought were inspiring and it was a wonderful event.”
Alumni and current Vice Principal Ashley Ortiz (Class of 2022) and former Vice Principal Brittney Casey (Class of 2000) began the alumni speeches by honoring all alumni attending the event. The alumni stood up to be recognized by decade, featuring the most recent graduating classes all the way back to the 70s. The rest of the pep rally featured speakers who shared their stories as a Dolphin and the memories that they have had at Dana Hills. The accomplished alumni included teacher, Dr. John Gunderson (Class of 1986), former principal Carolyn Williams, legendary surfer Pat O’Connell (Class of 1989), and singer Andrew McMahon (Class of 2000).
In classic Dana Hills fashion, the time capsule buried by the Class of 1974 was unable to be found for weeks leading up to the big celebration. In a CBSLA interview, Class of 1974 President Joshua Vecchione shared, “We won’t be able to remember where we parked our car, where our keys are. We need to open it in 25 years, so, I guess that’s proven true, because none of us can actually remember where we put the time capsule.” The KCAL News Staff stated that the “alumni are torn whether the capsule really is buried under that spot, or if it’s buried closer to the area where an old flag pole used to be.”
Mark Reid put together a video of past teachers and students of Dana Hills instead of opening the time capsule. The video showcased pictures, videos, and interviews that brought back memories of their time at Dana, paying tribute to the school's history. Once the Pep Rally ended, the alumni gathered in the science quad where they could choose to eat from food trucks or enjoy a 50th celebration cake.
Author: Liza Charles
