Mourning the loss of Oliver’s SO High

If it’s possible to mourn for a building, I’m in mourning today.

Early this morning, fire destroyed South Okanagan High School in Oliver. It was my high school. There are a lot of memories associated with that place. I spent six years there, from Grade 7 through to Grade 12. Each week, we attended assembly in the auditorium. My grad class, 80 strong, held its ceremonies in the gymnasium.

It was in that school that I went through the pain of my teenage years, suffering and celebrating in equal amounts. It was in the hallway of that school I once got in a scuffle with one of my friends and, in retribution, was slapped in the face by the principal, Ed Reid.

It was there I excelled in History and Literature, and struggled mightily with Math and Biology. And, of course, it was there I fell in and out of love, several times.

For those of you who are from Kamloops, you can get a good idea of what this school looks like simply by picturing South Kamloops secondary — the two schools were built from the same blueprints in the early 1950s.

The picture you see, of Frank Venables Auditorium, is from the same angle as you would view the Sagebrush Theatre from 9th Avenue. The only difference is that Frank Venables Auditorium (named for a respected Oliver resident) was being restored in its original form.

Though I haven’t been back there in many years, I’ll miss it greatly. In tribute, I offer the school song, though I have no idea why I remember the words almost 50 years since I left the place.

Throughout the years, may this our song,

bring memories of happy days of old.

Loud be the cheers, sung loud and long,

that echo through where e’re our flag unfolds.

For we are the students of the SO High,

of the best school in the land,

where brave deeds together with the Golden Rule,

Go always hand in hand.

So stand up and cheer, for our comrades dear,

our victory flag must fly,

One two three, rah rah rah

Who are we, rah rah rah?

We’re the SO High!