By: Kaycie Kile
WPJ Reporter
The sons and daughters of dear ole Winnfield met this past Saturday, June 25th, at the Central Lousiana Techincal College in celebration of the 50th Annual WHS/WSHS Alumni Reunion. Attending alumni were treated to a well-prepared banquet, live music, and the opportunity to place bids on the nostalgic memorabilia available through their silent auction. This year’s reunion is the first after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 and its health and safety regulations. Seeing the apparent care in the organization and presentation of the event to the welcoming energy that circulated the room well into the evening was a wholesome sight.
The tradition began to unfold in June of 1955 when the first official reunion for the classes of ’24-’26 gathered in the Westside cafeteria. Over one hundred and eighty-five student and faculty members met, establishing a piece of Winnfield’s history that has not only survived but adapted to time and its changes. Shirley Lasyone-Knotts, a local business owner and a class member of ’63, was kind enough to fill me in on a few of the building blocks behind the reunion and its beginnings and express her fondness for her own high school experience. “High school, well, it may sound goofy, but it was almost like a wonderland. We were all friends, we had the best teachers, and the times were different. I don’t know what happened or where it got lost. It’s so different now—but I’m thankful for what I experienced. I’ll never forget it.” Mrs. Lasyone-Knotts hopes that younger generations will see the worth in upholding and caring for this tradition so it can remain a symbol of our community’s beginnings.
This event was made possible thanks to the entire WHS/WSHS Reunion Committee, the Class of 1972, all sponsors, hardworking volunteers and servers, and Jimmy Fraizer Davies.
