David Mumford

Let’s try this again…..Happy Birthday David.

There……that’s better. Thinking of you, my friend.

Posted on: Jul 23, 2022 at 4:57 PM

50th Reunion Sat Night July 16, 2022 Sioux City Country Club

Posted on: Jul 23, 2022 at 4:18 PM

Cheers to our 50th and special thanks to Rusty Clark, who created the tech savvy website that has informed and engaged our class for years. He didn’t have to do this, but those of you who know Rusty - an under the radar guy in HS - was always the most street smart person in the room. Thanks also to the reunion organizers, Flora, Janet, Tina and Mark, Steve, Pat, Garry, Steve Struthers collecting the money, sweet and courageous Jeff, and Bruce K, the “coolest" guy in town. Our class was the end of an era of a “centralized" high school where kids came from all corners of Sioux City, all walks of life, different cultures and religions - a true melting pot as reported in the SC Journal article that Bruce Kalin was instrumental in organizing. For many, it would not be the ideal situation, it could be hard to fit in coming from a smaller junior high and finding yourself among 600 kids. You may have once walked to a neighborhood school, now you drive. We faced academic and social challenges made more difficult because we lacked the mentoring, mental help resources and college & SAT prep that kids have today. Almost 80 of our classmates are sadly no longer with us and some are facing or have overcome major health issues. Thoughts and prayers to all and a feeling of gratefulness to know you. Thanks to Flora for the tribute video. After 1972, future high school classes would be divided among several smaller schools. I would have received a better education with smaller class sizes and more one-on-one help (where was that in Central algebra?), and more playing time on the sports teams. But that’s the card we were dealt, and we made the best of it. It has taken years to realize how Central, the positives and the challenges, prepared us for life. I took for granted the wonderful people I never knew - but in particular - how great the women of Central who dominated leadership positions in clubs, student council, yearbook (I didn’t even know, had to look up editor Jeni Flom), newspaper (editors incomparable Patsy Carney & Ellen Haugan), music, arts and community service. Sadly, this was an era of marginalization for our Central women classmates in many areas. But they would soldier on, shining in the limited opportunities they had including cheer, pep, centralettes, majorettes - lots of twirling, furry puffballs and shaking pompoms cheering on the guys who got all the glory, accolades and press. When was the time all the guys cheered on the girls? I noticed a Boys State pic but didn’t see a Girls State. There is a picture of a typing class and it is mostly girls. On a GPA basis, I know for sure women performed better than the dudes including more national merit semi-finalists. I didn’t realize there were only three recognized (non intramural) women’s sports at Central until Garry Smith, who did a fine job as master of ceremonies, brought it up: golf, gymnastics, tennis (our daughter had access to 13 HS women’s sports teams and never felt marginalized). Why on earth wasn’t there at least a women’s swim team at Central? Despite the lack of opportunities and growth, our outstanding women classmates would do great things that helped others like our amazing number of teachers, health care providers, and community service volunteers along with sales, marketing, operational executives, successful business leaders, all while striving to be good spouses, mothers, and grandmothers along the way. Pretty damn impressive. At long last, on June 23, 1972 only weeks after our high school graduation, one of the most important acts in our nation’s history, Title IX, was put into law: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity.” The playing field once titled toward guys would forever change. Our Central women just missed these opportunities. Because of Title IX, the door was open for our daughters to achieve their dreams. Most guys like me never even thought about this during our Central days. For that I am sorry. So raise one of those Central commemorative mugs - or pretend - thanks to Lenny Miller 50 years ago and give a big shout out to the women of Central. You lit up our school, our lives and this reunion. Proud to know you. Perhaps our school song got it kinda right by leading with “we are the LADIES and knights of the school, we strive the best to uphold HER rule.” Central thrived because of the ladies of our school.