Mike Wolanin | The Republic The exterior of Columbus East High School, pictured Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018.
On Sept. 11, 1972, Columbus East High School opened its doors to about 950 students — students who began the year a week late and navigated their new, unfinished school amid ongoing work that was expected to continue throughout the year.
Now, 50 years later, East has grown, boasting a population of 1,529 for 2021-22. And with that golden anniversary in mind, the Columbus East Alumni Association (CEAA) is gearing up for a year-long celebration.
CEAA board member Deanna Glick, who graduated in 1974 and is part of the 50th anniversary subcommittee, said that the association has a lot of different ideas for upcoming events, including a fundraiser dinner featuring Big JT’s Craft BBQ during homecoming.
Additionally, one of the major projects underway is the creation of a 50th Anniversary Endowment Fund. Association chair Mark Foster has created a GoFundMe campaign to help with fundraising. The goal is to raise $50,000.
“The fund will support East athletics, fine arts and educational programs throughout the school,” Foster wrote. “Many of our students cannot participate in extracurricular activities due to associated costs.”
The online campaign was posted in May and had raised $1,450, as of Aug. 24.
Glick said the committee is accepting donations directly to the alumni association or via its PayPal, so the GoFundMe doesn’t show the full amount raised. The most recent total was about $6,000.
The association hopes to hit the $50,000 mark by the end of the 2022-23 school year. However, it’ll be a few years before they can start spending these funds, as they will have to wait for interest to accumulate. There will likely be fundraisers in the years to come to keep the endowment going.
Possible uses of the fund could include new machinery for a chemistry lab or helping a student with fees for a class trip.
“It’s going to be pretty open-ended, but it’s definitely going to be program-based, not scholarship-based,” said Glick. “So we can fill in some holes that money hasn’t always been there to do.”
Another project related to the anniversary is the creation of the association’s first-ever alumni database. A Google form for alumni to provide their information is available on Columbus East’s website. According to organizers, having an up-to-date database will help the CEAA communicate with alumni about news such as reunions and Hall of Fame nominations, as well as updates about the school.
The association also hopes to work with East’s yearbook, newspaper and TV department to share stories from throughout the high school’s history.
She said that 50 years is a significant milestone for East as it grows out of the shadow of Columbus North High School, which recently held its 150th commencement ceremony.
“The feel of us being ‘the other school’ is becoming less and less,” said Glick. “People in the community are looking at East more equally. … North is where all the tradition is, it’s where all the history is as far as high schools in the county. And that’s understandable. But it really does feel good to hit that 50 mark and to have support and to have love.”
While Glick was part of East’s first graduating class, she said that the anniversary doesn’t just belong to her and her peers. It belongs to anyone who has ever attended East or taught there.
She said that the camaraderie between students of all kinds and strong leadership from principals has shaped the school.
“I’ve always said that East has heart,” said Glick. “That’s nothing to say that North doesn’t, I don’t mean it that way. But there’s just something about East. And if you ask a lot of people, they will say the same thing. We have heart.”
