Many teachers walk the halls of MHS everyday, talking to students, telling them to take off their hats, commanding them to stop running and to get to class on time. However, many of these same staff members once walked the halls of MHS as students. Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Rodgers, Mr. Ceresa, Mr. Salyers, Mr. and Mrs. Hincka, Mrs. Weeks and Mr. Gilbert all walked the graduation stage at MHS.
MHS has gone through many physical changes since these teachers attended school here. Weeks said that when she attended in the 90’s everything in the front of the school was under construction and there was only one entrance. Also, the offices were located where the Media Center is currently and the library was located in the quads. Gilbert, who also attended MHS, said that there was no Field House or pool, just the small gym and the CPA was finished when he was a junior. When Ceresa attended Milford, the LGI and the school store were combined into one room to create the cafeteria and the quads truly were quads, consisting of larger rooms divided into 4 sections by temporary walls to make up the smaller rooms. Working in the same community that they grew up in has proven to be very rewarding to these teachers.
“I have a great appreciation for the community and have been very fortunate to see the change of Milford and still be here,” Ceresa said.
Administrative rules governing students were similar to today.
“It was a closed campus,” said Weeks, “but there was really no where for students to go. There was no McDonalds, Dairy Queen or Subway in Milford.”
Over the years, school spirit and the atmosphere amongst students has reshaped along with the building.
“Everything changes over time,” said Gilbert, “but the traditions will stay as well as new ones will start.”
Weeks feels that MHS has always had exceptional spirit, but that it has reformed since she attended.
“The actual spirit of it is gone,” Weeks stated. “It’s just become a competition between the classes. When I was here it created school unity and brought all of the classes together.”
Fewer amenities were available to students, but more kids stayed after school.
“There wasn’t the technology that there is today,” Ceresa said. “If you wanted something to do you stayed after school with your friends to do sports or activities.”
Gilbert’s father was principal at Milford when Gilbert was growing up, so he has always had close connections to the community and school. Gilbert was always a hometown guy and he’s glad to leave his own footprint here at MHS.
Just like many MHS students today, one could find these teachers participating in sports and clubs. Weeks was a part of the ski team, a center stage singer, an NHS member, an actress in the MHS theatre program and an avid member in Karate club.
A few of Gilbert’s current coworkers were once his teachers.
“Some of the people that I work with now really influenced me as a student and I think it’s a great opportunity to be able to work with them everyday,” he said.