May of 1990 marked the end of our time together as classmates.  Little did we know that after two years of making our way separately, we would once again meet up in the halls of Columbus High School.

August of 1990 found some of us entering the ancient halls of S.D. Lee High School with fear in our hearts and exciting anticipation in our steps.  Some of us were walking that same path through the hallowed doors of Robert S. Caldwell High School on the opposite side of town.  Friendships made would be friendships broken.  Rivalry, more than miles, would draw the line distinguishing who we were, a General or a Bobcat.

Whether a General or a Bobcat, our freshman year was fraught with new experiences, learning old traditions, making new friends, and trying to find our way as little fish, (or "crabs" as the seniors dubbed us), in the big pond of high school.  We found or formed our cliques.  We tried out and joined whatever sport or club interested us.  And we reveled in the pandemonium of our first pep rally.  

During our freshman year the Huble Telescope was launched and Bush signed the Clean Air Act.  Seinfeld and The Simpson's debuted and launched lucrative and long running careers for Jerry Seinfeld and Bart Simpson.  Fox allowed the first condom commercials to be aired.  Millie Vanilli admitted they were frauds and Nirvana released "Smells Like Teen Spirit" begining the era of grunge.  Dr. Seuss and Jim Henson, both childhood memories, passed away.  Anita Hill accused Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court nominee, of sexual harassment and Paul Reuben's, aka Pee Wee Herman, was arrested for indescent exposure.  Dances With Wolves, GoodFellas, Silence of the Lambs, and Beauty and the Beast were what we went to the movies to see.  The New York Giants won the Super Bowl, Cincinnati took the World Series and Chicago went home as the NBA Champions.

We survived our freshman year . . .


Anthony Schoggen 1990-1991
Anthony Schoggen 1990-1991


Our outlook in August 1991 lacked some of the previous year’s luster. We were no longer at the bottom of the food chain, but we weren’t that high up either. We continued carving out our own paths, or following some that were set before us. We grew with or out of our freshman cliques. We changed routines, we changed ideals, and we changed attitudes. We also began to hear the final rumblings that would change the rest of our high school years. The decision to consolidate 2 separate high schools was finalized and preparations were begun to unite the student bodies. In  the last year of this intense rivalry,nothing could stop the Lee High Generals from soundly defeating the Caldwell Bobcats one last time in a 30-13 victory.
 
This year marked the end of the Cold War in Russia and saw Manuel Noriega convicted on drug charges and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles by 4 white policemen prompted riots across Los Angeles. A text based web browser was made available to the public and CD’s surpassed tapes as the number 1 medium for recorded music. Johnny Carson retired from The Tonight Show and the big movies were Unforgiven, The Crying Game, Howard’s End, Glengarry Glen Ross, and The Player. The Washington Redskins got their super bowl rings, Minnesota Twins won the pennant and the Chicago Bulls were once again NBA champions.
 
In January of our sophomore year we would become a voice in the choice for our new school colors and our new school mascot. This decision would probably be one of the most important ones we could have the privilege to be a part of. So, with scan tron in hand, we studied our choices: Royal Blue and Silver, Orange and Hunter Green, Orange and Navy Blue, or Purple and Gold. Would we be the Columbus High Cavaliers, the Chiefs, or the Falcons? 
 
By the end of February we knew. The Columbus High School Falcons were born, our chosen colors were purple and gold, and two schools, rich in history and rich in rivalry, would only be remembered in the hearts and minds of those who had walked their halls.