Back in the day

Styles and trends may come and go, but the Golden Bear tradition persists

In 1918, Upper Arlington was just a tiny village outside of Columbus, and the entire Upper Arlington school district consisted of one teacher, with the basement of UA co-founder King Thompson as the classroom.

Needless to say, things have changed since then. First, Jones Middle School was built as a high school, then the UA Elementary, present day Barrington Elementary, was built as a WPA project during the Great Depression and a decade later the current high school was constructed.

Many families have seen generations grow up in this small suburban town, experiencing changes in size, trends and lifestyles. As the community enters a new decade, the need to reflect upon the past generations that made UA what it is today is ever present.

A look into the ‘50s

When UA alumna Jane Gerlach was growing up in the 1940s, riding a horse around Upper Arlington was one of her favorite pastimes. In exchange for cleaning stables on Zollinger Road, she was allowed to ride for free, when much of the land north of Lane Avenue was an apple orchard, Kingsdale was an open field, and Northam Road was nothing but a dirt path.

“Northam Park was just a big woods [when I was growing up],” Gerlach said. “The woods were so thick with underbrush and huge monster trees that I couldn’t ride my horse through in the summer.”

Fortunately for Gerlach, she could ride her horse almost anywhere because the only stores in UA were a few drug stores with soda bars on Arlington Avenue.

Not only have shopping options changed since then, but schools have, as well.

Gerlach, who went to Barrington Elementary from Kindergarten until fourth grade, went to UAHS when the school was held at the present day Jones Middle school, where eight grades were housed at the time.

According to Gerlach, who was the first in her family to graduate from UAHS in 1954, UA and Grandview were much closer concerning school functions.

“Grandview and Arlington were like brother and sister. We had dances together,” she said. “And we had sororities and fraternities [in the high school]—it was just like college.”

UA may have been close with Grandview, but that did not hinder competition in athletic events. According to Gerlach, sports were both a pasttime and a social life.

“We never missed a football game. They didn’t have any lights on the field, so we had to raise money for lights. [Before then] all games were played in the daytime,” Gerlach said. “We went to every baseball game, every track [event], we went to every sport. That was our social life, going to the boys’ sports—and we loved it.”

And for Gerlach, attendance at athletic events was never an issue, especially during football games.

“Because [football] games were so well attended, they used to put bleachers on the other side of the stadium,” she said. “And when Arlington used to play Watterson in the big games, they stopped letting people in because it was packed around the track 4-to-5 people deep.”

The fashion scene was also quite different. When it came to clothing, Gerlach remembers the strict dress codes for going to school.

“Boys could not wear jeans or khakis; they had to wear cords,” Gerlach said. “Girls were not allowed to wear a blouse, pants, shorts. And God forbid someone have something in their nose.”

In those days, individual style did not apply to clothing. In fact, almost all students wore exactly the same combination of clothes.

“Arlington used to be a bit snooty. We only wore Spaulding loafers, boys wool socks that they used to play football in and long straight skirts. We all wore cashmere, and all the girls wore a strand of pearls,” she said. “We did change our clothes, but that was pretty much it.”

Overall, Gerlach said she has enjoyed everything about UA, even the dress code, and that she could not imagine moving.

Marrying a fellow UA alumni, Gerlach has lived in UA for 74 years. She has had four of her children and nine grandchildren graduate from UA, with three grandchildren currently attending. Soon, she hopes, even her recently born great-grandchild will go to UA.

“I wouldn’t think of going anyplace else,” Gerlach said. “It’s just ingrained in you to stay here.”

Over the years

Having lived in UA her entire life and seen two generations pass through the school system, Gerlach has seen firsthand the community’s transformation from a small town to its present state.

At the high school, Gerlach feels that one of the biggest differences is class size.

“My class was small, we stay[ed] close. It’s easy to stay close when there’s just over 100,” she said. “But with my boys, when there’s 600 or 700, you can’t know everybody.”

Back then, Gerlach said nobody ever knocked on a door to be allowed in or locked their doors because everyone knew each other.

Although residents of UA knew each other well, reflecting upon the issue of diversity, both Gerlach and her granddaughter, senior Gracie Gerlach, agreed that people in UA are more accepting now than they used to be.

“[Today we] are more accepting with diversity,” Gracie Gerlach said. “I know in my dad’s time, there was no diversity.”

Political ideals have also shifted in UA in Gerlach’s lifetime. While UA was a bastion of conservative Republicans when she was growing up, there is a more diverse spectrum of views now. Also, according to Gerlach, people were much more relaxed about political strife, especially during the yearly fourth of July parade, one of Gerlach’s highlights of her childhood.

“Fourth of Julys were the best they used to have the most ornery floats, and you could say anything and do anything and people appreciated it,” she said. “If you wanted to be political and make fun of the Republicans [or the Democrats] you could do it, there were no restrictions.”

One particular float, Gerlach said she remembers the CEO of Channel 10 riding in a convertible, dressed as Fidel Castro, throwing skin-dead chickens out of the car.

Gracie Gerlach said she agreed with both her grandmother and her father, Andy Gerlach, who graduated in 1977, in saying that UA used to be much more relaxed concerning politics and punishment, in general.

According to Gerlach, when she was in school, parents were in control over punishment of their children.

“Nobody was arrested. Kids were punished by their parents… And we knew the police by their first names,” Gerlach said. “I don’t know them by their first names anymore.”

However, according to former principal Dave Shelby, who retired in1984, administration and the police were not dealing with many of the issues that they do today.

Keeping the tradition

Though much has changed since the early days of UA, the core principals of the school district have not.

“[UAHS has] changed, but the concepts of the school haven’t changed a bit,” Shelby said.

Principal Kip Greenhill said he agreed that hardly anything has changed since he has been principal, starting in 1995. He said that because of this, students return, bringing a strong sense of continuity into the community and transiency.

According to Shelby, the tradition of excellence at UA is a main reason families, like the Gerlach’s, come back to UA.

“[Administrators and teachers are] still dedicated to giving you all the best opportunities to succeed, then to give you all the assistance necessary to be as successful as you want to be,” Shelby said. “Parents know that’s still here, that’s why they come back. No question about it.”

Shelby also said that students in UA are privileged and have worked hard for what they have earned, including 115 state championships in athletics—more than any other school in the state of Ohio.

“Young people in general are not as privileged as all of you are. And that’s how it should be, what you have, you’ve earned, your parents have earned. You are in a very privileged situation, your parents have worked hard,” Shelby said. “And the success in the athletic program is not typical of the athletic program, but typical of the students that participate.”

Shelby said he is glad to see that the willingness of the student body to work with administration is still present.

“We here, still, fortunately, have the young people in our court, willing to work with us,” Shelby said.

A starting in 1995. He said that because of this, students return, bringing a strong sense of continuity into the community and transiency.

According to Shelby, the tradition of excellence at UA is a main reason families, like the Gerlach’s, come back to UA.

“[Administrators and teachers are] still dedicated to giving you all the best opportunities to succeed, then to give you all the assistance necessary to be as successful as you want to be,” Shelby said. “Parents know that’s still here, that’s why they come back. No question about it.”

Shelby also said that students in UA are privileged and have worked hard for what they have earned, including 115 state championships in athletics—more than any other school in the state of Ohio.

“Young people in general are not as privileged as all of you are. And that’s how it should be, what you have, you’ve earned, your parents have earned. You are in a very privileged situation, your parents have worked hard,” Shelby said. “And the success in the athletic program is not typical of the athletic program, but typical of the students that participate.”

Shelby said he is glad to see that the willingness of the student body to work with administration is still present.

“We here, still, fortunately, have the young people in our court, willing to work with us,” Shelby said.

And according to Shelby, the tradition of UA lives on.

“How you are, who you are, you and what you represent… that’s what we’ve represented,” Shelby said. “And still do.”

Coming Back

As students graduate and leave UA, most keep a fondness of UA that they carry with them.

According to UA Archives director Sara Klein, UA’s strong sense of community makes alumnus very reminiscent of UA.

“[UA has] an incredibly strong sense of community,” she said. “I’ve started the UA Archives page of Facebook and it’s neat to see all these people, who even if they don’t live in UA anymore, talk about how much they miss UA, how warm and friendly the people are, and how it’s such a close knit community.”

Although Junior Charlie Hess was new to UAHS this year, his mother and father graduated from UA in *. According to Hess, the transition to UA went smoothly.

“The transition was not bad, it was a little intimidating because of the drastic change in student [size], but everyone was very welcoming,” Hess said.

With being a second or third generation, some students have been able to become familiar with UA’s sense of community, and even look to return to UA later in life.

Sophomore Tanner McClellan said her favorite part of being in a family that has all attended UAHS is that some of her teachers immediately recognize who she is.

“Some of my teachers have taught my family [members,]” McClellan said. “Mr. Lampe, my chemistry teacher, taught my uncle, and Mr. Rohrs taught my aunt!”

G. Gerlach, a third generation student, said nothing keeps her from returning.

“I love UA,” Gracie Gerlach said. “I definitely see myself coming back.”