Every once in a while we may connect with someone that neither time nor distance seems to affect. Years may go by, lives change, and people move, yet we can pick up right where we left off years earlier. That is the case for Lars Lovslett.

If the name seems familiar to some, that may be because Lars lived in Callaway and attended a year of high school here as a foreign exchange student – 30 years ago. The Norway native spent his senior year of high school in Callaway, where he resided with host parents Ken and Jill Pitkin. This year he decided to return to the Nebraska town that made a special impression on his heart for the 30-year reunion of his class.

“I have been thinking about it for so many years,” Lars explained. “When I realized it was the 30-year reunion I started checking into coming back. I haven’t seen my host family in 30 years either.”

“He’s a lot the same,” Jill Pitkin chimed in. “When you do something totally different for a year of your life it has an impact,” Lars continued. “When you look back all of the years just kind of mold together, but this year stands out. You keep the memories of that year.”

The Pitkin’s children were 6 and 8-years-old at the time Lars stayed with the family, and he said it was fun to get to see them all grown up.

“It was just a good experience,” Lars said of his year of foreign exchange. “Since it’s such a small school I got to be a part of the different sports teams.”

He admits he hasn’t kept in close contact with the Pitkins or his classmates over the past 30 years, “just sporadically over Facebook”, he said. “But it was nice to come home. I feel very welcome, and it doesn’t feel like it’s been 30 years.”

Lars was excited to get together with his classmates from 30 years ago, and stayed with the Pitkins

cont. PAGE 3 - Reunion while he was in town. “I’m 18 again,” he laughed. He shared that though everyone ages physically in 30 year's time, the personalities and characteristics remain much the same.

Lars lives in Norway where he works in IT and has two children, ages 12 and 20.

One of the members of the CHS class of 1994 is Joleen (Kalinowski) Schuring.

Her parents hosted the 30year reunion get-together.

Joleen shared a fun history of that class and an overview of their reunion.

“In kindergarten, our class started with 12 students, six girls and six boys, great for those teachers who liked to sit us boy/girl/boy/girl.

While in elementary school, we were the class who boycotted the school lunch line by bringing our packed lunch boxes to school all on the same day in the hopes of convincing the school to provide better meals. We ended up with a nice long chat with Mr. Grove, right before entering the cafeteria, scolding us and telling us about how the school lunch ladies were doing the best they could with what supplies they were given.

Once we hit 7th grade there were several students from Oconto who joined us in Jr. High. This was when our class (the girls) protested, “Girls for Decent Recesses!” because the boys could play football on the practice field, but the girls didn’t have anything. We succeeded in getting a volleyball net hung up between the two trees near the practice field. I noticed there is still a volleyball net in that location to this day!

When we were freshmen in high school, we were responsible for the future ban on bulk boxes for the homecoming bonfires! I don’t know if it is still a homecoming tradition but, the high school used to have a contest to see which class could bring the most cardboard boxes to be used in the homecoming bonfire. Our class was resourceful, and someone went to Broken Bow to get a pallet of condensed boxes and we were crowned the winner that year! By the time we graduated in 1994 we had 23 classmates, three of whom were exchange students. These classmates had so many accomplishments and were well-rounded in every aspect of school includ- ing academic, sports, music, theater, speech, art, etc.

This last weekend at Pioneer Picnic, my parents, Sig and Janet Kalinowski graciously hosted our class at their house both Friday night and Saturday night. Friday night we had nine classmates there along with several spouses. Saturday morning, we had 14 of us who participated in the parade helping to soak spectators with our water guns. We didn’t expect and weren’t prepared for retaliation at the end of the parade route and got soaked when spectators threw water balloons at us! It was a lot of fun!

Saturday evening, we had 16 classmates, many spouses, our second-grade teacher, a few parents, as well as friends from the class of 93’ and 95’ join us at my parents’ house for a total of about 40 people! We had people there from Kansas, Ohio, South Dakota, Nebraska, California, and even Lars Lovslett from Norway joined us! We enjoyed delicious food, especially the pulled pork provided by Dan Gloss, wore class t-shirts made in California and brought all the way back by Josh Rundlett, and had laughs that continued ALL night long and made our stomachs hurt!

I’m not sure any of us are willing to wait 10 more years to do this all over again so don’t be surprised if we have a 35-year 1994 class reunion in five years.”