When perusing through old Stamford High School yearbooks, I came across images of various clubs, courses, and events that took place here. These yearbooks reveal fascinating information about old Stamford High traditions.

The 1991 yearbook includes pictures of classes such as metal shop, wood shop, and auto shop. Students had the opportunity to build and repair automobiles, construct a variety of projects, like bookcases and stools, work with electrical circuits, and more. One of the pictures showcases a classroom on the fourth floor, labeled “Auto Body,” where these classes presumably took place. Such classes would ensure that students would take their newly-learned skills with them beyond the classroom and long after high school.

The 1991 yearbook also reveals one of the most popular school events of the year: the Halloween Slave/Auction Dance. Yes, you read that right. Juniors and seniors were up for auction to act as underclassmen’s slaves for a day, which raised over $3,000 for the senior class. Journalism teacher Jonathan Ringel was a student when this event was still happening and attended one of these auctions/dances. 

“Nobody thought much about it at the time but that’s one of those things that has definitely aged badly. It was for a good cause. I don’t remember exactly what, but some kind of fundraising effort. But, I feel like if we tried that now, the school would get instantly closed down, and with good reason,” he said. 

Another expired event at Stamford High was the classic display of “Who’s most athletic?”. Field Day, which many of us used to put blood, sweat, and tears into in elementary school, continued on at our high school. It was the ultimate battle of the classes. Students fought hard in challenges like tug-of-war and the three-legged race. The event brought the school together for a day of exercise, fun, and spirit.

Some events and programs may be missed at Stamford High, while some have reason enough to never return. Each year, we, as a school, try something new, such as the Knight of Excellence, which is hoped to be brought back this year. However, we are also enthusiastic about maintaining annual events like the Pink Out football game, in support of breast cancer awareness. What these yearbooks show is that our school recognizes the importance of tradition, but is always eager to change and grow for the better.