by Malcolm Butler
I’m an 1980s guy.
And yes, I believe that was the greatest decade for a teenager to grow up in (although many of my like-aged friends agree the 1950s were probably a close second from what we can gather).
Proud Ruston High graduate of 1989. So, I truly did grow up in the ’80s.
And maybe everybody believes this about their decade and their high school, but what a wonderful time it was across the board.
The past few weeks I had a couple of opportunities to catch up with some old high school classmates in Kirk Hollis and Rajiv Kandyil, both members of the Class of 1989. And I also had a chance to run by Ruston High a couple of times for business-related reasons.
I can tell you the RHS campus is in beautiful shape and the original building that houses the vast majority of the classrooms is absolutely nostalgic. In fact it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The combination of being on campus and visiting with some old friends brought back memories. And as with many things in life, the older you get, the more you appreciate those memories and the people that helped create them.
Ruston High in the 1980s was arguably the best ever when it comes to Bearcat Athletics. Three state championships in football (1982, 1986, and 1988 … with a fourth on the horizon in 1990) under the legendary Jimmy “Chick” Childress. During my four years walking the RHS campus the Bearcats lost a grand total of four football games.
I can still hear B-E-A-T N-E-V-I-L-L-E echoing through the halls of the firmly founded.
A state title in boys basketball (1988) under one of the best to ever do it in North Louisiana in Jack Thigpen. Anyone who was around the gym that year will never forget the one-two punch of Anthony “Bear” Dade and Al Thurman, who I still believe was a better player than his little brother Scotty (and all Scotty did was lead Arkansas to a national title).
And although my memory is a bit sketchy, I’m pretty sure we garnered a state title in boys golf and cross country and maybe even tennis during those four years. And had plenty of success in other sports on both the boys and girls sides.
The RHS administration, faculty and staff during the late ’80s was a Who’s Who of wonderful people. From administrators like Gerald Cobb, Dickie Hinton and Ronnie Suggs to teachers like Loyce Miller, Gary Green, Hilda Perritt, Jane Tatum, and Jackie Whitlock, to coaches like the aforementioned Chick Childress, Jack Thigpen, George Stone, Doc Belding, David Crowe, Howard Whitlock and so many more.
It was truly an all-star cast of fine folks.
Those people and their colleagues made being a Bearcat even more special (although at the time, I’m not sure I completely appreciated their impact on my life).
And then add in the movies and the music from the 1980s. I am bullish on the fact the music from the big hair bands of the 1980s was some of the greatest ever.
Bon Jovi. Def Leopard. Chicago. Journey. Madonna. Michael Jackson. Bryan Adams. Prince. U2. Bruce Springsteen. Van Halen. Cindy Lauper. Tina Turner. Billy Joel. The Police. Phil Collins. Boston. Survivor. Asia. Guns-n-Roses.
We were never at a loss for great songs that shaped our high school days. I’m still an ’80s music guy as the songs pepper my playlist and bring back so many great memories. I can still remember going to see Bryan Adams and Survivor perform at the Thomas Assembly Center in the mid-80s.
How about a good flick from the 1980s?
Breakfast Club. Rocky IV. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Die Hard. Revenge of the Nerds. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The Terminator. Dead Poet Society. Risky Business. Back to the Future. Beverly Hills Cop.
One summer during high school I am pretty sure I watched Beverly Hills Cop every single day. I could recite all the words to the movie by the time the summer was over … and still can in parts of it. Eddie Murphy is one of my all-time favorites.
Yes. The 1980s (especially the second half of the decade) was arguably one of the best times to be a teenager growing up. And all of the things above made times at Ruston High so memorable.
But the overwhelming aspect of high school that was so great were the friends I made.
I came from AE Phillips. Class of 30 people. I remember walking to RHS with my buddy Andrew Murad on the very first day of class my freshman year. At the time it was a record-sized freshman class of just over 400 wide-eyed rookies that stuffed into the auditorium.
It was a bit intimidating. But as I made more and more friends and developed a close knit group that would become my running party so-to-speak during my four years of high school that feeling of intimidation quickly turned into one of happiness and contentment.
Although I will never be 16-years-old again, I still have the ability all these decades later to go back in time (in my mind) to Ruston High in the late-80s and remember all the fun moments and the great people that made those times so special.
I was lucky to be a part of the firmly founded during those times.
Once a Bearcat. Always a Bearcat.
