Derek White ’77
Lotspeich in the 1960s and 70s was a major part of an idyllic childhood. The morning assemblies, the Pledge of Allegiance, the wisdom offered by Mr. Wuerfel, learning German before we could throw a baseball, May Fete, the “bench,” the Pavilion, and sledding down the hill were all experiences indelibly imprinted on my soul. From Annabelle serving up shepherd’s pie in the cafeteria, to Ms. Pritz letting me push the button to ring the dismissal bell, and Edgar cleaning up my mess after a bad stomach day … 50 years later I still remember every teacher and every support person because they all cared about me and my well-being.
I’ll never forget my first piano recital courtesy of Miss Corn. It was the most nervous I’ve ever been before (or since) in my life: forcing me out of my comfort zone to play a horrendous version of “Tarantella” in front of 100 of my friends. I was awful and had to start over three times, but I got through it. Suddenly, public speaking became no big deal!