Castlemont High School – 1929 voted the country’s most beautiful new brick structure
. The first impression “It lives up to its name”, standing and reflecting on the serenity of the lily pads adrift, on the embayment of water, in the large structured reflection pool, dawning before this magnificent complex. Gary sensed Castlemont wasn’t merely another public school building, it was a pulsating vibrant entity with its historic Tudor facade, towers adorned with ivy stretching heavenwards. The Host presenting an intuitive beckoning as if welcoming a prodigal son, a consciousness of belonging occupied the young man’s substance and he felt accepted.
. The school was conceived by John J Donovan, who propagated the conception of many schools throughout the nation, included among them was Oakland Technical High. Castlemont and grounds was conceived in 1927, and given birth in 1929 as East Oakland High School. The name was short lived, and changed to Castlemont after a vote of students and faculty, prior to receiving an award for being the most beautiful new brick structure in The United States, the award was from the prestigious Common Brick Manufacturers Association of America.
. The Castlemont campus was immense, with its track, football field, swimming pool, staff and student parking and a two-story modern addition added to the classic building, plus the presence of several portable buildings, an area encompassing over 25 square city blocks. The city of Oakland having added 90,000 citizens to its population since 1929, Castlemont having greatly increased its staff, Gary estimating the student numbers between 2500 and 3000. The staff consisting of Mr. Baker, Principal, Mrs. Brohm Dean of Girls and Mr. Quellmalz, Dean of Boys, 8 officer workers, 8 maintenance personnel, 16 cafeteria workers, 3 librarians, a nurse and 89 educators better known as teachers, a goliath of a three-year public school.
. Gary found an environment totally dissimilar from what he had envisioned. The hustle of student activity was organized, unlike the sinuous rush in junior high, an aura of knowledge existed, radiating a viable sense of attainment, the teenager initiating the educational classroom with his presence and behold academicism prevailed, the Teen soon finding himself with the burden of study. Geometry was a test of memory, axioms, postulates, theorems, he tried his best to find an application for instant recall, but resolved to a commitment of memory. The similarities in equating his junior high algebra teacher and his present geometry teacher was uncanny, both instructors resembling each other in appearance. Gary often wondered if Castlemont geometry teacher Mr. Malmsten played a musical instrument with the Oakland Symphony whom engaged the algebraic instructor Mr. Conley at Frick Junior High
. After Mrs. Funnell’s Latin class in the 9th grade, the Young Man opted for Mrs. Haist Spanish tutorial, considering it would acquire less effort. Perquisites included English with Mr. Darling; Biology, Mrs Harris, One eyed Coach Street in P.E. and one semester of typing as an elective to improve his self-taught typing, having been typing since Junior High on a 1927 Underwood that his mother purchased from Natalie Calhoun, a close family friend and Professor at Mills College.
. Gary’s high school year beginning with two options for traversing to school, the first was taking the bus as did Hank and Don, the second was ambulatory indulgence. A walk up Shone Avenue and Sterling Drive to Crest Avenue overlooking the vastness of San Francisco Bay, then taking the path shortcut down to 82nd, continuing the six blocks to MacArthur and the three blocks to Castlemont. The walk to school wasn’t considered physically depleting, but the reverse meant going up 82nd to Crest. Gary estimated the total distance from home to Castlemont distance was only a mile, but the walk up 82nd to Crest was like walking up flights of stairs in a forty story building. The # 56 bus boarded at 90th and MacArthur providing another way home, a decision that both options would be exploited, depending on the situation.
. The youth was once more joined in educational habitat with his friends, Don and Hank, his cohort Dale Spady would be moving to Castro Valley after this spring semester, their high school system not participating in midterm January graduations, enabling Dale to move ahead a semester. Many acquaintances from junior high failing to accompany Gary to Castlemont, their residency being outside the Castlemont attendance region, instead most attending Fremont High.
. With the dawning of a far larger class, he was looking towards acknowledging a host of new advocates, sharing expectations, aspirations and formulating new friendships. Castlemont represented more than an advancement to a higher educational plain, the opportunity introducing one to a host of diversity and a legion of new experiences, the youth, ascertaining some detrimental, but others offering enlightenment to an awakening of mindfulness, Gary reasoning the proof is in the pudding..
Inquisitive Quest 