In and around the Time Tunnel

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Photos Taken in and around the Time Tunnel
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Below is the poster I hung up near the Time Tunnel. This poster illustrates what I hoped the Time Tunnel would accomplish. First of all, I realized that the word "RAM" had not only the meaning that was our mascot, but in computer jargon, it was short for Random Access Memory. Our memory is similar to computer's random access memory in the sense that we can access any memory in the past without going through all the memories between now and that memory. When computer memory was on tape, it had to scan through the whole tape to get to just a specific memory. Random access memory, on the other hand, lets computers and ourselves jump directly to the memory we're looking for. With that in mind, I wanted the Time Tunnel to trigger memories where we could jump back in time to when we first made those memories. The poster below gives examples of ways to trigger memories in our brains (Being asked questions about the past or seeing images from the past). All of the graduates from Washington High of 1969 have similar memories. So I felt if I could trigger those memories with the Time Tunnel imagery, it would stimulate conversations and a feeling of being connected with our fellow graduates. I also wanted us to realize how huge of a repository of memories we have made over the last 55 years. Walking through the Time Tunnel and recognizing the majority of the hundreds of images through that time period should make it clear we have a rich set of memories that younger people don't have.

Time: Saturday, Sept. 28th - 5:39pm Photo #1 Here is Arlo Morrison talking to Mr. Spain. They are standing in between the entrance (1965) and exit (2019) of the Time Tunnel. Click on the photo to open up a page with a high resolution version of the photo. Click the image again to get a zoomed in view. Use the back arrow on the upper left of the screen to return to this page.
Time: Saturday, Sept. 28th - 5:43pm Photo #2 Left to right: Sara Myers, Debbie Ponte (Davis), Roger Banan, Dick Ostermeier. People in the background are looking over the Time Tunnel photos. On the right in the background is Pete Ulbricht and his wife, Susie. Pete lost his eyesight about 7 years ago, but still enjoyed the Time Tunnel because he has excellent memory and when his wife described the images, he would remember the fellow students and the cultural images (movies, TV shows, and musical groups).
5:43pm Photo #3 Gary Wynn and Sara Myers having a conversation. Again, for most of the images shown, you can click on them to see an enlarged version of the photo.
5:43pm Photo #4 Trudi (Arlo Morrison's better half) using the souvenir pen to make a point with Scott Whittaker (Kathy Winter's husband).
5:52pm Photo #5 Jerry Robertson and wife are talking to Roger Banan and his partner Debbie Talley. They are standing at the Time Tunnel entrance. Behind them are the movies, TV shows, and musical groups from 1965. If you click on this image, a larger image appears, which can be made even larger by clicking it again.
5:52pm Photo #6 A view down the left side of the Time Tunnel that covered 1980's to 2019.
5:59pm Photo #7 Arlo and Trudi pose in front of the 1965 cultural wall.
6:06pm Photo #8 Alumni are still checking in.
6:10pm Photo #9 Bill Haynie appears trying to read the name card of the lady he's shaking hands with. It turns out to be Karen Richards. Behind them on the left are photos from our freshman panorama.
6:10pm Photo #10 Nan Washburn and Jim Wash.
6:10pm Photo #11 Left to right: Dick Ostermeier, Doug Benford and wife, Don Ferguson, Nan Washburn, Jim Wash, Bill Haynie, and mystery guest.
6:18pm Photo #12 A distant view of the Time Tunnel with the dance floor in the foreground.
6:18pm Photo #13 Another distant view of the Time Tunnel. I made sure the Time Tunnel utilized a bunch of LED lights, which is why it looks so bright compared to the rest of the room.
8:39pm Photo #14 Left to right: Brian Ballance and his wife, Karen, who is talking to Pete Ulbricht's wife, Susie. They look well lit because Mark Holmesley is using a flash on his camera. In the background are the panels that honored the Washington High 1969 graduates that served in the military.
9:06pm Photo #15 John Martin married another 1969 alumni, Chris Johnson, shortly after they graduated from Washington High.
9:06pm Photo #16 Left to right: John Martin, Chris Johnson (Martin), Roger Fife, Doug Benford, Brian Ballance and his wife, Karen.
9:07pm Photo #17 Roger Fife and Doug Benford. Behind them are the two walls that commemorated our fellow alumni that are no longer with us.
9:07pm Photo #18 Roger Fife, Dick Ostermeier (now wearing a tie dye shirt), and Doug Benford.
9:12pm Photo #19 Rick Coffman, Nan Washburn, and Stan Morris (guest of Patty Sweeney)
9:12pm Photo #20 Rick Coffman with fellow alumni, Nan Washburn.
9:34pm Photo #21 Jack Fassel checking out the photos from the 20 year reunion.
11:03pm Photo #22 Left to right: Back row: James McHenry, Rick Coffman, Ken Costello, and David Moreland Front row: Kristen Hauser, Betsy Giddings, Jerry Robertson and wife. We are standing between the 4 walls for 2000 to 2009. Photos from the 40 year reunion are behind Jerry Robertson and wife.
11:05pm Photo #23 Marshal Schlink, Debbie Dorius, and Rich Letcher.
11:08pm Photo #24 Left to right: Rick Hales, Patty Sweeney, Ron and Kathy Kohl, and Bill Haynie.
11:11pm Photo #25 David Moreland, Rick Coffman, and Ken Costello. We are standing in front of the 1990's walls that include the 30 year reunion. Over my left shoulder is a wall showing classmate photos from the 2000s.
12:01am (Just past midnight) Photo #26 Even after midnight there are groups of us still hanging out at the Time Tunnel and some of us are still examining the photos in the Time Tunnel. From left to right of those I can see faces: Bob Ross?, Rick Coffman, Debbie Dorius, James McHenry (barely visible), Tom Eggert, Betsy Giddings (behind Tom), Ron Kohl, Kathy Kohl, Karen Richards (behind wall), Patty Sweeney, Nan Washburn and Jim Wash. This was about the time I decided to leave the reunion party. I was so tired after pushing hard over the previous few weeks in getting the Time Tunnel finished. I told those who were still there where to shut off the Time Tunnel lights when they were leaving. At this time there was another group of alumni outside still conversing and having a good time. I think that continued until about 2am.
12:01am Another photo taken just after the one above. When I got up the next morning to come to disassemble the Time Tunnel, it was nearly all disassembled. The people who helped me put up the Time Tunnel plus a few others had gotten there early and already had it ready to be loaded so I could take them back to my home. The moving of the Time Tunnel through wide temperature swings (indoors vs. outdoors) caused many photos to come off the walls. I also discovered that the glue I used to attached the photos to the walls caused the extruded Styrofoam walls to dissolve. So it didn't look like I could reuse the walls at a later date. Plus, they take up a tremendous amount of space. A year and a half later, I'm still looking for ways to recycle the walls and the lights. I still have four walls on display at my home, but they just can't compare to the impact of this big portable gallery known as the Time Tunnel.
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