Thomas Alton:
CLASS OF 1976
East Catholic High SchoolClass of 1976
Manchester, CT
Boston CollegeClass of 1980
Chestnut hill, MA
Bolton Center Elementary SchoolClass of 1972
Bolton, CT
Thomas's Story
Life
It's been nearly two years since I moved to Philadelphia. I have pretty much 'carved a niche' in the city. I am enjoying my home in the South Philadelphia neighborhood.
The big news was the Eagles' football team heading to (and, alas, losing at) the Super Bowl. The Eagles made too many turnovers and thus suffered the consequences. Still, this football team had a superb season.
The other talk of the town is the upcoming Dali art show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The show, the only one in America, is expected to draw a large crowd. As a member of that museum, I look forward to checking out some of Dali's masterpieces.
This year, I will be traveling to the Boston area to attend my college's 25th reunion. Next year, I hope to see a few classmates from East for the 30th reunion.
Drop me line and, if you're planning to visit Philadelphia, let me know. A tour of this interesting city is surely in order!
School
I have some vivid memories of my years at East Catholic. The big emphasis in those years was 'school spirit'. Although I was rather clumsy at gym, I do remember the importance of good sportsmanship; at basketball games, we East Catholic spectators distinguished ourselves by not making catcalls or other 'noises' that would distract any player (either a 'guest' or an East Catholic player) from making a free throw shot. I still remember my freshman year when I made a fool of myself as a 'troubadour' singing various songs. I remember the school choir headed by Sr. Ellen and Mr. James Quinn as head of the school's theatre department. 'Quinn' was a most remarkable person; I owe my continued interest in the arts to Quinn, Sr. Ellen, (and the director of the University Chorale of Boston College). I wonder how Mr. Duffy and Mrs. Heulsman would have reacted to recent events such as President Clinton's impeachment in 1998 and September 11, 2001? Mr. Duffy was especially keen on having me and my classmates be aware and thoughtful of current events. I still remember the energy shortage of 1973 an...Expand for more
d the new schedule in our sophomore year to save energy. And those gas lines at Moriarty's garage. The world of books did appeal to me; I would almost always retire to the library after lunch or during free periods. Today, I still spend part of my lunch hour at the local Barnes and Noble or Borders bookstore near my work. Whenever I take a vacation to major city such as Chicago, or Montreal, a stop at the local bookstore is a must. Life at East Catholic was alright. But a bigger world did beckon me in 1976. What an astonishing world it turned out to be!
College
I began my studies at Boston College on an uneasy note. My parents had divorced shortly after I had been graduated from high school and I chose to stay with my mother in a strange and rather unfriendly community. I was already missing my friends from my high school years. Additionally, my mother had cancer and my father had heart disease; I would take frequent trips home during my freshman year. Freshman year was an academic disaster. I pulled Cs instead of As that year.
But after my freshman year, I got more acclimated to BC. BC did have courses that piqued my interest. I decided to major in history; this would forever give me a perspective on this now very uncertain world. BC had good professors in my department; several of them are still working at BC to this day.
I kept up my musical interest at Boston College; I was a member of the University Chorale during my four years at BC. I also sang for a church group on Sundays.
Boston was, and still is, a very stimulating city. It has a large array of resources for students and intellectuals. I visit Boston on an annual basis.
I attended my class reunions in 1995 and 2000. The growth of BC amazed me. Now the school has a new chemistry building, a new central library, and a greatly expanded building for the business school. BC has grown. But it still has an intimacy that kept me going during some tough moments in my life.
In 2005, I look forward to attending the 25th Anniversary celebrations at BC.
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