School is a lot different in 2023 than it was throughout the decades. Fortunately for you, many of your instructors graduated from Chillicothe High School and can tell you what life was like in the 1970’s and beyond…. Many teachers also want to encourage current students to join the teaching profession. Here are results gathered from a recent survey sent to the entire faculty and staff.

The 1970’s

There are two graduates from the 1970’s still affiliated with Chillicothe High School. Mrs. Cindy Baker, high school college and career counselor, graduated in 1976, while Mr. Reid Stephens, GRTS math teacher, graduated in 1978. Both have fond memories of being a student in the “old” three-story building on Calhoun Street. Mr. Stephens remembers that there was no air conditioning in that building, so the days were hot when school was back in session in August. He also remembers that basketball games were played in the auditorium as the gym area was not build yet. He describes those games as “electric”! Mrs. Baker believes that “It has always been a challenge to get students to see how lucky they are to grow up in this community. I think it isn't something you appreciate until you are away for a while.”

By Hannah Harris

There are several teachers who graduated in the 1980’s who are teachers in our school district: Lisa Rule (1985), Bill Shaffer (1986), Jim Wheeler (1986), Tonia Akerson (1986), and Stephanie Prather (1989). Life was definitely different from these years to now.

When thinking about differences, Mr. Jim Wheeler said, “The most noticeable difference I've noticed is that CHS students now have far higher expectations of their educators than they did previously. Many students tend to seek an emotional connection with some of their teachers and base their decisions on whether or not they believe their teachers like them.” Mr. Bill Shaffer noticed this difference: “We used to have a lot more school sponsored social events at the high school. It seemed like some club or organization was hosting an informal dance at least once a month on the weekends. They were a fun way of getting together with friends and helped to eliminate the phrase "there's nothing to do" that is so commonly spoken.” Mrs. Akerson noted the difference of online learning. Mrs. Prather remembers, “There have been a lot of changes in the last 30+ years. We were not required to wear badges, we were allowed to leave during lunch to go eat (although this stopped shortly after), we could have a study hall all four years, French and Spanish were both offered as foreign language classes.”

Many of these teachers share favorite memories from the 1980’s. Mrs. Rule maintains that the music of the 1980’s is the best music! Mrs. Prather loved “being involved in every play from my Freshman year to my Senior year; starting out as the person the pulled the curtain, to the Stage Manager and being Glinda in the Wizard of Oz. I was also in Choraliers all four years as well.“ Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Shaffer both fondly remember “winning the state championship in football, and all of the excitement in the school and the community that came with it.”

Most of these 1980’s teachers were led into teaching by the teachers and mentors that they had. Mrs. Prather said, “When I was in second grade at Dewey school, I was able to go help the librarian during my down time; at the age of 8, I knew I wanted to work with books. When I was in fourth grade, Mrs. Lois McCain inspired me to be a classroom teacher. She gave me papers to grade and teacher resources to look at.” Jim Wheeler shared, “It's pretty tragic...one of my teachers and football coaches, Mr. Darryl Danner, passed away suddenly when I was in college. I realized then what a huge impact he had on me, and I decided right then that I wanted to become a teacher.”

All of these teachers recommend becoming part of the education system. Mr. Wheeler said, “You have to know what motivates you. If you like the idea of good job security, plenty of time off, and helping kids, this is a great career. If you want to make tons of money, you should choose something else.” Mr. Shaffer said, “If you want to be in a profession that is different every day and allows you to truly make an impact on the world, then teaching is for you.”

By Serenity Simpson

People who grew up and lived during this decade often recognize this decade as a peaceful, never-ending opportunity for entertainment. During the 90s, some of the most iconic and memorable pop culture we know today took flight. The entertainment industries created numerous unforgettable, long-lasting media like Home Alone, Titanic, Spice Girls, Super Mario Bros, Mortal Kombat, and lots more. Though the majority of these ended more than 20 years ago, they continue to have a longstanding impact in our modern day.

Many of the school district’s teachers graduated in the 1990’s: Stacy Surber (1990), Shanda Wolf Wagers (1991), Sarah Cavanah (1992), Shelley Hayen (1992), Kelly Griffith (1995), Fara (Gates) Minnick (1995), Ashley Gauthier (1998), and Hillary (Gates) Beemer (1999).

We asked these teachers about differences in CHS during the 90s. Chilli-Chatter asked, What is the difference you've seen in CHS from your graduation to now? One common answer was how much the school has improved since the 90s. The responses spoke about how the condition of the building enhanced and how there was considerably more room for additional classes.

Along with the growth of the building, the internet made an impact on how we learn today. During the 90s, computers and multimedia laptops started becoming more common in schools. They just began to use videos to accompany the textbooks that older generations are accustomed to. Additional answers included the relationship between teachers and students becoming better and the fashion trends coming back.

Besides the questions about the high school itself, we asked the teachers about their experience in high school and why they chose to teach here. Many teachers were motivated to be a teacher by their past teachers. Those teachers impacted their lives so much that they wanted to follow that path, sharing the same impact they received. Another reason is they love their subject so much that they choose to share it with others.

Many teachers chose to make Chillicothe their home because they moved here at a young age or were simply born here; each teacher that grew up here calls this place home. This quote from Shanda Wolf Wagers explains this feeling, "You don't realize it growing up, but when you get a little older, you know that Chillicothe is home."

Overall, changes starting in the 1990s have left a long-standing impact on how we learn today. Along with those impacts, your hometown leaves an impact on you and where you choose to spend your life. To continue your flashback to the past below are the differences between people who lived in the 2000s.

By Angelina De Jesus

One of the biggest events that teachers remember is when December 31, 1999 became January 1, 2000. The “Y2K” event had everybody wondering if technology would be able to make the date change. The decade beginning in 2000 definitely had a focus on technology.

Teachers from the 2000’s are Crystal Lehmann (2000), Tiffany Acree (2001), Justin Kreatz (2002), Shane Miller (2003), Amanda Marsh (2003), Sophie Chambers (2004), Andrea Marriott (2004), John Coult (2005), Libby Howe (2005), Angela Black (2007), and Lily Pyrtle (2009) all said the biggest change they have seen is in the technology. Twenty years ago they had textbooks to refer to for tests, quizzes, and homework. Today, nearly everything is online; current students can Google questions instead of referring back to information in a textbook and loose pages of notes. In the 2000’s, all assignments, quizzes, and tests were paper and pencil.

Crystal Lehmann said another great change was Chillicothe building the new high school, which changed a lot of things. Before the new high school, they had seventh and eighth grades together in one building. In the middle building was the high school. The third building was where all the activities were, gym, art, and music. The old junior high and high school is now what current students know as the middle school. Pyrtle and Yoko both mention Chillicothe building an entirely new football stadium right next to the new high school. The old football field was located about half a block away from the “old” high school. The field was also improved by adding better parking because at the old football field there was barely any parking space. They also updated the locker room, bathrooms, concession stand, announcing booth, and seating size.

Mr. Justin Kreatz thinks the biggest change Chillicothe schools has had recently was the new phone rule. In the 2000s phones were not as easily available to students as they are now. The requirements for graduating have changed as well; before you had to have 22 credits to graduate. Now the requirements for graduating are 24 credits. We also have more elective classes to choose from than what they had back then.

Favorite memories from this group included hanging out after two-a-day practices (Coult), making it to state tennis (Pyrtle), taking an iguana on walks (Acree), painting a parking lot block (Chambers), going to games/plays/performances with friends (Miller), and decorating for Prom (Marsh).

This group, too, encourages young people to become teachers. Mr. Shane Miller said, “Make sure that you love the age range more than you love the content. If you love your students, and can laugh with them, you will love your job.”

By Tori O’Dell

The discussion of the teacher shortage is an ongoing, hot topic. Many opinions surround the idea of fewer people wanting to become teachers. In Chillicothe, there are many teachers who experienced school here in Chillicothe and decided to come back and work in the school setting.

The Chilli-Chatter staff asked some of our alumni teachers to talk about the teacher shortage from their point of view. Every student at CHS can agree that teachers make a huge difference in their lives. As responses were gathered from the teachers, the main goal of the graduates of CHS was to come back to their home town and make a difference in the lives of students.

Mrs. Carly Carey, a current high school English teacher, graduated in 2015. Mrs. Carey believes that teachers are under a lot of pressure from a variety of sources. To her, “You don’t get into the profession of teaching for the fame and fortune. You are there for the kids.” Seeing and experiencing students succeed is her biggest joy in teaching. While she didn't always know that she wanted to become a teacher, she believes that being passionate about something like teaching isn’t an accident.

Mrs. Samantha Yoko, a current high school science teacher, graduated in 2010. Mrs. Yoko was inspired to become a teacher by some of her own MST and band teachers. These teachers showed her good traits as someone who is passionate about teaching. Mrs. Yoko’s MST teacher, Mrs. Debbie Goodwin, was high-energy and very passionate about what she did. Mr. Dave Goodwin, her band teacher, was very even-toned and very encouraging to his band students. Mrs. Yoko’s advice about teaching is, “Chances are you won't get exactly what you want when you start teaching but be sure you are ready to take a step towards your dream job whenever it presents itself.”

Mrs. Madison Busse, a current FACS teacher at CMS, graduated in 2013. Mrs. Busse had many memorable moments from high school, her boyfriend at the time, now husband won a Mustang at Project Prom. She also remembers the championship volleyball match versus Cameron in 2011. Mrs. Busse has noticed that many teachers have been retiring from teaching but have been replaced with wonderful additions to the district. She says “My mom, a retired teacher of CHS, Karen Jackson inspired me to be a teacher.”

Miss Jylian Davis, a current 3rd-grade teacher, graduated in 2018. Miss Davis says, “In four years, I have noticed a culture change. CHS seems to be accepting of all students, and there seem to be organizations, clubs, etc. for a variety of student interests!” Miss Davis was inspired by her grandmother to become a teacher because of her compassion and love for every child she met. She took the Early Childhood Development class at GRST and fell in love with making a difference in students’ lives. In her opinion, teaching is a learning-as-you-go experience. Teaching requires teachers to take care of themselves so that they can give to their students.

Mrs. Kerrigan Calvert, a current high school science teacher, graduated from Chillicothe in 2014. “I wanted to make a difference in people's lives, especially those that don't feel like they have people in their corner,” is what Mrs. Calvert says when asked about what inspired her to become a teacher. She thinks that even though there are a lot of negative opinions about the teaching career. If you have a passion for teaching, you should do it.

By Javon Kille

High school sports are one of the most prominent activities that students can participate in; the same for CHS, as we have been seeing a lot of success during our sports seasons. I have always wondered how different sports were back in the “days of old.” I interviewed alumni from CHS: Bill Shaffer, James Wheeler, and Amanda Marsh.

James Wheeler or Coach Wheeler's favorite sport to play before high school was baseball. Sadly CHS didn't have a baseball program, so he just played football in CHS. Coach Wheeler idolized George Brett and Frank White, in football his favorite athlete was Walter Peyton. What made Coach wheeler interested in football was the epic stories he heard from his dad and his dad's friends, he also loved the physicality of football. The student section when he was in school was less organized, but was very loud. The rival games for Coach Wheeler were Marshall and Jeff City Helias. Coach Wheeler used to coach football, and he thinks practices were way harder back then, stating “I can state for a fact that football practices were longer, more physical, and harder than they are now.” Coach Wheeler does think class competition would have been awesome when he was in high school.

Amanda Marsh, aka Mrs.Marsh, played tennis. Growing up in the 90s Mrs. Marsh had a decent number of favorite athletes, “I loved watching the Bulls in the 90s, I loved MJ and Scotty Pippin; I also really liked Steve Kerr. I also grew up when Jackie Stiles was in college at Southwest MO State University (today it is called Missouri State). She was a good girl's basketball player who worked extremely hard and went on to the WNBA. I thought Andy Roddick was good-looking; he was probably my favorite tennis player.” Mrs. Marsh went to state tennis in both her junior and senior years in doubles, then she went on to play tennis at Northwest MO State University. Mrs. Marsh intended to play tennis to work on footwork for basketball, as that was the first sport to catch her eye. When Mrs.Marsh went to school, the biggest sport was football, “Football was the best! We all wore Pain Gang shirts and had flags, some painted their faces. We traveled every Friday to wherever they were playing. It was the place to be on a Friday night.” Mrs. Marsh is also a big believer in class competition points, she’s glad we do that now.

Bill Shaffer, known as Coach Shaffer, played football and ran track. Shaffer's favorite athlete was George Brett. To him, he was what Patrick Mahomes is today. Shaffer was part of the 1985 4A championship team. In track, he was a two-time conference champion; he ran on the 4x100 team that tied the school record his senior year. This record has since been broken while he has been coaching. Coach Shaffer had a hard time choosing which sport was his favorite; he loved competing with his teammates in football, because of the tremendous bond that he was able to develop, and some of his best memories are from their games. For track, he loved how he improved meet by meet, and how comforting the sport was as a whole. Growing up in Chillicothe, Shaffer always wanted to play football for the Hornets. Coach Shaffer was in grade school when they won their third championship in 1978 for football, stating: “I was hooked then.” For track, Shaffer knew he wanted to do the sport, but couldn't figure out what event to do. Ed Martens, his track coach and middle school PE teacher said he looked like a hurdler in 7th grade. Coach told me practices are as long now as then, but the drills are drastically different. In today's, practices they focus more on warming up while getting the same amount of work. One of Shaffer’s student section memories was electric, “We were at the old stadium, and our student section was down on the track in bleachers set up right behind the bench. The band was in the bleachers in the south endzone.” They could do that because the surface of the track was different. He did add that the student section now is on another level, “They were loud and would yell cheers back and forth, but they were nothing like the student section we have now. If anybody from years past tells you that their student section was better, they're wrong.”

This article was a blast to write, as I feel I went back to CHS after hearing about all of these alumni stories. I have gained a better perspective on the athlete narrative here in CHS, I hope you have too after reading this.

By Allie Brown

Change is inevitable, something everyone is susceptible to, especially change over time throughout history. As technology, transportation, entertainment and more continue to evolve, other things will too. Even things that seem as significant as a grain of sand like job choices and availability. Most likely, this impact is due to the sudden shift in the economic landscape and the overall supply-demand system. Jobs today that weren’t even imaginable 100 years ago make up a huge portion of the job “pool.”

Over time, we see jobs tend to lose popularity or just eventually die out. Because of poor work environment, difficult coworkers, and the salary. For example, some popular jobs in the 80s show a big difference in contrast to the 90s such as mining, building, maintenance, and construction trades compared to a cosmetologist, insurance salesperson, food scientist, and astronomer.

To think about jobs in the past here at CHS I gathered some opinions from staff members here at CHS about their overall experience with jobs and thoughts about the evolution of employment throughout overtime. I interviewed Mrs. Ellen Tsikoyak and Mrs. Kerrigan Calvert to receive some insight into what the teachers themselves thought.

When I asked Mrs. T about popular jobs when she was in high school, she said, “Popular jobs included teaching, being an attorney, and business.” Surprisingly, Mrs. Calvert answered with teaching as well as nursing as an option.

Another question I asked is about the current teacher shortage that has drastically impacted the school system. Ellen Tsikoyak stated, “Not sure what it will take for the voting public and policymakers to understand that not valuing education and teachers hurts ALL of us. A decade or two from now, when the full negative impact is felt, maybe this country will make changes.” Kerrigan Calvert also agreed and said, “The reason behind teachers leaving is because teachers don’t get paid enough.”

As a result, I hope that teaching never dies out, because whether we admit it or not, we need our teachers.