Announcing sports in high school

Another activity I did during high school was announce sporting events. When they were held at our school, I got to sit with the scorekeepers and over the PA system emcee the game.

I started by doing wrestling in my sophomore year then added boys and girls basketball as well as boys and girls track my and junior and senior years. I had a notebook in which I worte out my script for the game.

During this time, I also wrote wrestling stories for the sports section of the local newspaper.

When I graduated, I received a "leadership award" from my high school for my promoting sports and school spirit in part for the announcing gig.

My friends during high school

Who our friends are change over time. One of the reasons, as you know, is because sometimes when parents move, the child ends up in a new school or neighborhood.

But our friends also change because we as people change. Sometimes we find that we have more in common with new people we meet and so start hanging around them more. That can be very sad if you're the one losing a friend.

In much the same way, my friends changed over time when I was in high school. Carl Tilseth, Mike Gansberg and Dave Almquist were my closest friends in ninth and tenth grade. That began to change, though, in tenth and eleventh grade when Darcy Brown - Dave's friend - became one of my best friends. By the end of eleventh grade and through my senior year, I wasn't hanging out much with Carl, Mike or Dave but with Darcy and a couple of his friends, Mark Fenton and Joe Dahl.

And then when I graduated and went off to college, I got a whole bunch of new friends!

Who are your friends?

My involvement in the FFA

Did you know that I went to high school I was in the FFA or the Future Farmers of America? I lived on a farm, and my dad was very involved in FFA when he was in hgih school, so I was sort of obligated to be involved!

I entered all of the speaking contests. I want first pace during during eleventh grade in the conservation district's speaking contest and went on to sectionals I think in my senior year.

Another kind of speaking I was in was the FFA's parliamentary procedure team. A group of five of us would demonstrate how to use parlimanetary procedure in a meeting! I know it sounds kind of boring, but it was a real challenge to learn it and use it as a team, and that made it a lot of fun!

And yes, I even wore one of those blue FFA jackets.

The picture above shows an award I received as a graduating senior year for my involvement as a speaking contests.

Remember going on the swings?

One of my fondest memories of us together is when being able to push you on a swing when we went to parks. Oddly enough, for me it was very relaxing and seeing you have so much fun brought great pleasure to me.

Often you'd pretend you were a fighter pilot or were one of the Rebel pilots trying to shoot down the Death Star. You'd be making all kinds of fire and explosion noises and talking in your mic to the other pilots. I didn't mind it a bit - I did the same thing when I was a little boy!

A fun ritual we always had when you wanted to get down from the swings was that I'd pretend to try to catch your legs but would miss and say "Too high!" Then I'd pretend try to catch your legs again but would miss and say "Too low!" Then I'd connect with your legs but not grip them so you'd slip right through. Finally, as you were now going slow enough, I'd actually grab your legs but pretend that you were dragging me as you swung back, and go "Oh no! I'm going to go airborne!" You always had a big smile on your face and would laugh as I did that.

Going out for debate in ninth grade

During the past several entries, you may have noticed that I've been telling a little bit about me as growing up. As I don't know how long we'll be kept apart - and especially if something should happen to me in the meantime - I want to share with you the story of my life so that you may know me a little better.

After junior high, in the fall of 1980, I entered ninth grade at Menomonie Senior High School in Menomonie, Wis. That autumn I went out for the debate team!

My debate partner was Suneel Arora, who is now a successful attorney in downtown Minneapolis. We were the "negative" team on a four-member team (The other two were partners who argued the "affirmative"). In short, Suneel and I argued against proposals that the other team made.

Our four-member team took first place at three tournaments - St. Croix Falls, Durand and New Richmond! Unfortunately, our school district cancelled the debate program after that year, so that was the last season the program was offered at our school.

Would you like to go out for debate or forensics when you;re in high school?   

My time in junior high school

After attending Knapp Elementary School, I went to Menomonie Junior High School. Our school district had nine different elementary schools in it, and when students reached seventh grade, they went on to the junior high school. That was the fall of 1978.

In seventh grade, I went out for track in spring and in eighth grade I went out for football in fall. Ultimately, though, I decided sports wasn't for me! I also ran for student council but didn't get elected.

Maybe the most exciting thing I did in junior high was wrote a petition in seventh grade asking for more student dances and then in eighth grade led a boycott of school lunch! I was into politics and very interested in national and international politics at the time. I guess I was a very serious young man!

My best friends in seventh grade were Brian Lindo, Kirby Quinn (who I went to elementary school with), and Troy Hathaway. In eighth grade, my friends gradually changed, and my two best friends were Carl Tilseth and Mike Gansberg.

My email sent to you on Nov. 24, 2012

Here is the email I sent on Nov. 24, 2012, just in case you do not receive it:

Hi Kieran,

Hope all is going well for you. I miss and love you very much.

I’m glad to hear you had such a fun week! Sky Zone sounds like a good time, especially with all of your friends were there. What did you get Milo for a birthday present?

I have not seen “Penguins of Madagascar III” yet, though I remember us watching the previews for it when we went to the movie theaters in Lancaster. Was the penguin Ringo in the movie? What was your favorite part of the film?

A black lab sounds like a great dog to play with, especially fetch. Your Uncle Chris has a black cocker spaniel that always brings me a small football to me to throw. Though she chases after the football and gets it, she doesn’t always bring it back to me – sometimes she runs back to me and looks up at me wondering why I’m not throwing it again for her to chase! Cocker spaniels don’t have a reputation for being the brightest dogs in the world.

Did you have turkey for Thanksgiving? I did. I also had mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie (well, two pieces of pumpkin pie). I also read a really great book called “Mousekin’s Thanksgiving,” by Edna Miller. The story is all about how a wild turnkey helps a little mouse and all of his friends find something to eat. That’s because a mysterious creature has eaten of the mouse’s food that he stored for winter!

Now that Thanksgiving is over, Christmas is rapidly approaching. Have you made a list of presents you might like for Christmas?

That is all for now. I miss you!

Love,

Dad