It may seem odd, but I have thought about that old gym often through the
years. My first eight years of school were wrapped up in that gym, 1960-68.

During that time, music class was a part of our weekly routine. Once or
twice a year, the whole school would meet in the gym for mini concerts and
our parents would gather on the gym floor to listen. Each grade learned
three different songs that we would sing with our elementary school gusto.
My favorite song was "I Love To GO A Wandering." That was fun!

In the third grade, I was the mascot for the Jr. High Basketball
Cheerleaders. They would take me out of school to go to the gym to practice
cheers. Then later in the day, the Jr. High boys would play their game. I
was there to cheer them on in that gym many, many times. Later as a
basketball cheerleader in seventh grade, I was in the gym cheering our guys
on to victory once again.

Our Jr. High gym class was in the Allen gym or on the old football field
below the gym. We played all kinds of games, climbed the rope, etc. And I
spent many hours with my fellow basketball players on the court practicing
for our games as an eighth grader. We spent a lot of time running the
stairs in the gym at basketball practice. Coach Fran Pickett always said it
was for our own good. I just remember how tough it was!

I even had piano lessons for a while underneath the stands. There were
several rooms back in there and two or three were piano rooms. I think that
Alice Germany Nettles and I practiced our two piano duets down there in high
school because it was the only place where we could push two pianos
together.

I don't know how best the gym could be used now, but I do know that if the
gym is allowed to be demolished, a part of me will go down with it.

Becky Wise Gardner
Class of '72