A truly golden day for Prospect High

Balloons dropped from the ceiling in the Prospect High School field house Sunday as former graduates, parents and faculty member joined with officials to rededicate the school at its 50th anniversary.

Two of its early principals returned for the ceremony, including Ed Spacapan and Jack Martin, as well as alumni representing all five decades.

"I remember writing a brochure for this building when it opened," said Martin, who returned to serve as principal from 1984 to 1987, when the school absorbed most of Arlington High School's students, after the district closed the building.

"I had to be a third party to merge the two student bodies," Martin added. "It was an eventful time."

Guests also heard reflections from former Associate Principal Gary Brodnan, and Northwest Suburban High School District 214 board member Robert Zimmanck, whose son graduated from Prospect, as well as Fred Lussow, a member of the first graduating class in 1961.

"I walked through farmlands to get to school, and there were cows just across the parking lot," said Lussow, who quarterbacked the football team to an undefeated season and led the state-ranked basketball team as its captain.

"It was fun to start the school off to that kind of start," added Lussow, who returned to teach and coach in District 214, and continues to substitute teach. "It set the tone."

Guests made their way to the cafeteria for cake and refreshments before heading to the library, where current students filmed graduates' reflections for a semester-long series undertaken by American Studies students.

One of those featured, Ernie Blomquist, a 1964 graduate and current Arlington Heights village prosecutor, found the students' questions thought-provoking. When asked about how he found the school different, he summed it up in three areas: "I see much more diversity than when I went here," Blomquist said. "And women have been able to blossom, through athletics and academics. Then, there's all the technology that connects students with people all over the world."

Principal Kurt Laakso, in his first year at Prospect, pointed out the school's current academic standards, taking pride in its national ranking.

"In the latest rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, Prospect was named in the silver medal division, making it one of the top 500 high schools in the country, based on rigorous curriculum, standardized test scores, and the performance of the least advantaged students," Laakso said. "I feel certain, that, if they added in fine arts and athletics, we'd be in contention for the gold medal division, or the top 100 schools."