East Dallas Times

Community Contribution

The traditional Woodrow Wilson High School senior dinner took place last night at Lakewood Theater.

The event attracted members of Woodrow Nation from more than a few graduating classes, even those yet to walk across the pomp and circumstance stage.

Woodrow Alumnus Supreme Kyle Rains submitted multiple photos from the evening with spot-on descriptions of each image and just a bit of editorializing thrown in for good measure.

Most of the photo captions run too long to fit in the field allocated in the slideshow section, and they tell too good a story to exclude, so we placed them in the body of the story topped by the image files names, which were used as the captions. That should make following along a fairly simply process.

And off we go … enjoy.

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Woodrow senior Chelsea Felton chats with film star Burton Gilliam, class of ’56 and keynote speaker at the senior dinner. Felton cut her teeth on acting at Woodrow. She has been in the annual musicals — this year playing Madam del la Grande Bouche in “Beauty and the Beast.” She is a member of the New Conservatory of the Dallas Orchestra, went to state in UIL ensemble competition, and even placed second in district in tennis. She will attend Washington State University this fall and major in PR. I wonder why she chose Washington State.

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Actor Burton Gilliam, Woodrow class of 1956, points to one of the ladies of the Lakewood Theater prior to his keynote speech. A lot of us have grown up with those ladies who, at times, were much more interesting than the movies on the screen.

I remember when a Frisco art teacher got in trouble with her district for taking her students “to see nekkid statues” at the Dallas Museum of Art. Woodrow is different, as you all know!

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Actor Burton Gilliam, ’56, with Principal Ruth Allen Vail, ’91

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The multigenerational Wildcat Lueckes  — Steven Young, Eleanor Luecke Young ’74, Marion Reese Luecke ’45, Dr. Percy Luecke Jr. ’43; and Laura Luecke ’72 — out to support senior Emily Young. Emily is headed to the University of Texas at Austin.

Other Luecke/Reese Wildcats include Peggy Luecke Waldschmidt, ’44; Elizabeth Luecke Brondos, ’46; Tom F. Reese, ’46; Dorothy Luecke Williams, ’48; Hayne Reese, ’48; John Reese, ’49; Barbara Minnner, Reese ’50l Carolyn Luecke Halter, ’51; Marilyn Luecke Rynearson, ’51; Alan Luecke, ’78; Sara David Luecke, ’78; Carol Rynearson, ’79; Dr. Bud Luecke, ’70; and Matthew Young, ’07. 

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The aforementioned WW senior 2010 Emily Young with me — actor and keynote speaker Burton Gilliam, ’56, to the right. In case you didn’t know she was the lead in the musical this year — Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” which packed them in for four performances and was highly praised by all who saw the production. I’m proud of her and her years at Woodrow. 

The senior dinner was a wonderful event. We all have the right to be proud of our beloved school — the many triumphs in the classroom, on the stage, and on the athletic field — and how it is still loved deeply by those who currently walk the hallowed halls.

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Class Treasurer John Matusewicz introduces Burton Gilliam, ’56, keynote speaker

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The seniors enjoy the buffet

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Entertainment provided by choir Director Kent Ellingson, freshman Drew Scherger, and Kent’s wife, Kay Ellingson.

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Freshman Anthony Duran on drums

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PTA President Patrick Luna

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Burton Gilliam offers words of wisdom after his obligatory “Just GET here!”

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WW senior class President Nick Muston, class Publicity Chair Emily Young, Burton Gilliam, along with Kyle Rains, ’76, and Barbara Byrd Adamson, ’56 — Alumni Association Co-founders.

Nick and Emily are headed to UT. Nick’s brother Jared, ’07, attends UT, and Emily has a long family  (Luecke)  history there as well as Woodrow, where she is a third-generation Wildcat.

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Somehow freshmen managed to slip into the senior dinner … Drew Scherger played guitar and Anthony Duran played drums.  They also play music that came before my time such as the Beatles, Cream, Pink Floyd, and other groups I had to look up in the Funk and Wagnalls.

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