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Back Home in The Ojai

by Kay :: Sunday April 2, 2006

Every January, Thacher holds an Alumni Weekend, a time when more recent graduates return for a day or two filled with activities. I probably started looking forward to alumni weekend around a week after I graduated. Although I knew that returning as an insider/outsider would be a bit disturbing, I also felt it would be really fun to return from college and visit with my friends.

A few days before alumni weekend, I traveled down to Santa Barbara with my mom and Ed, a very fun friend from Thacher. He went to Ojai and I stayed with family to visit and celebrate a birthday and anniversary. Upon arriving in the vicinity of Thacher, I began to grow more and more excited for Saturday morning when I would return to Thacher for the first time since graduation in late May. Although my sets of closest friends could not come to alumni weekend, I still eagerly awaited seeing Thacher, both the people and the campus.

Up early and ready to go, I drove the short drive over to the Ojai Valley. Before I got to Thacher, though, I ended up running into a classmate, Barrett, by Rubens Burritos (a favoriate Thacher student restaurant). Although we hadn’t been very close friends at Thacher, conversations about college and memories from Thacher were very entertaining. Then, we saw Ms. McCarren (my Spanish teacher) and ended up talking with her for a while which I also throughly enjoyed.

By the time I finally arrived at Thacher, I was amazed to find the new buildings. Not only did they seem much more finished than when I graduated but they also were really nice; it looked as though the students had adjusted quickly to the improvements. I began to see more and more people I knew; although it felt a bit awkward to be back at an old home, I quickly adjusted.

After eating with a random group of classmates, I headed went to the Schryvers’ house and the barns. At the Schryvers’, I socialized with my classmates Conner and Gabe. I knew both of them pretty well at Thacher even though I didn’t see them much. Strangely, upon going to college with Gabe, he’s become one of my friends whom I see every day.

Then out at the barns, I saw majority of the Horse Department faculty, all of whom I have always held a deep respect for; so, I was glad to catch up with them a bit. Getting back on the horse went pretty well even though I ended up feeling a bit saddle sore the following week. As I rode to the gymkhana field, the town bus pulled up in front of Los Padres dorm; there, a few sophomores who I had known well came around and we talked for a while. Then, I rode to the roping arena where I met with Becky, a friend from the class above me. Everywhere I went, I saw many different people that I hadn’t talked to for months. Then, I headed to the trap range which was a blast. I almost forgot that I didn’t go to Thacher anymore and it wasn’t a typical Sunday afternoon. I found that moving into the evening activities, dinner at the Mully’s, I kept talking to people that I had totally lost contact with. Also, throughout the weekend, since I my closest friends were not there, I started realizing that classmates that I hadn’t been close to while at Thacher were also really interesting and unique.

To end the great weekend, I met Mr. Shagam (Thacher’s oldest faculty member, who teaches history and Latin) for breakfast on Sunday morning before I left. Although I never had Mr. Shagam as a teacher, he is one of my favorite faculty to visit with. At college, I had written him during the fall; however, talking at alumni weekend was great because we had time more time to catch up. He is very smart and funny, and I always enjoy the time I spend with him.

Driving home was a bit sad—but I know I’ll be back. Even though Thacher has had some changes as far as appearance and I often fear that making new less-rugged facilities at Thacher could alter its unique culture, I found that the students seemed as lively and interesting as ever & that the community was as warm as the one I left last May. I look forward to when I see my Thacher friends again.

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