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Cover Story In MAR 1.1 A I l ()l \ l^k _|#f I Dc..« 'Vi/ac aLj j I § «BP|gL|iP^BiiP^ Former classmates Sharon Ferguson, Renee Brimmer and Kathy Castillo reminisce while perusing their 1987 Clovis (N.M.) High School yearbook. CLASS REUNION -A gathering of schooltime memories Mark Harenberg walks into the Chaparral Country Club in Clovis, N.M. (pop. 32,667). and picks up a conversation with classmates he hasn’t seen in 20 years as if it were yesterday. "What happened to your hair?” someone asks him at the reunion for Clovis High School s Class of 1987. '• ! 4Hs *"**' *■ [& Jj Mark Harenberg —in 1987 and 2007 was famous for his hair in high school. Belinda Carlisles ‘‘Heaven is a Place on Earth") and a 1987 trivia quiz. Harenberg. a real-estate developer in Albuquerque, didn’t think he’d ever attend his class reunion. “When I left. I said 1 wasn't coming back." Then he opened the invitation and read the list of old friends who already had registered. He saw the names of guys, not just his high school buddies, but also former Little League teammates. "I’m having a blast." says the lather of two. “The class reunion transcends time.” REUNION SEASON On any given weekend, former high school classmates are gathered somewhere in the United States, but the most popular time for class reunions is tall, says Wanda Diroll, president of the National Association of Reunion Managers. While some classes have do-it-yourself reunions, others opt to let a professional organize the event, from tracking down alumni to setting up banquet tables and hiring a band. One in four high school graduates will attend a class reunion sometime in their life to see how their classmates have fared, renew old friendships and revisit familiar places from their past. Even people who are apprehensive about attending end up having a good time, says Diroll, owner of Creative Class Reunions in Torrance, Calif. “People don’t realize how much they've missed their classmates. A reunion brings a flood of memories," she says. "People see how far they’ve come and they get in touch with their roots. It’s almost like a family reunion.” Class reunions in small towns often feel and look like family reunions, especially when all graduates of a school are invited. In Claremont, N.H. (pop. 13,151), several hundred graduates of Stevens High School reunite each year for "Alumni Day." complete with a downtown parade of former students. The social gathering has been held every year since 1871. David Mudd Harenberg, 3S, grins as he puts a hand on his short, thin ning hair. “My mom made me cut it," he replies. "I’m still mad about it." During his days at Clovis High School, Harenberg was famous schoolwide for hair that tumbled past his shoulders until the mother-mandated trim before his senior photo. Enthusiastic greetings, hugs and laughter create a happy hubbub at the reunion in June. Classmates and reunion orga nizers Doug Taylor and Monica Justus distribute nametags, which conveniently include each attendee’s senior photo, just in case time has receded a hairline or increased a waistline beyond recognition. For icebreakers, they provide disposable cameras to encourage candid shots. CDs with 1987 hit songs (such as Page 10 •www.americanprofile.com