Folsom High movie connects past and present

A film documenting the history of Folsom high School made its debut at the Jill Solberg Theater, connecting today's students with the school's past.Gwynne Rouse-Willison, of Folsom, graduated in 1966 and was on hand to check out the film Thursday evening."I think it's cool," she said. "I couldn't resist it. I'm excited about seeing it."She is also serving as the vice president of the board of the school's alumni association."We're a new board and trying to get the 2011 reunion up and running," she said. "(Alumni) members need to send in their dues."Dylan Ficht, 17, is a senior at the school. He served punch and cookies to the former students and teachers during a reception prior to the film's start."(Principal Kathryn) Allaman asked me to help out and I thought it would be fun to talk to people and hear (about) their past experiences," he said. "High school is going by quick. Now that I'm more involved, it's a lot more fun."Herb Haven taught social sciences at Folsom High from 1958 to 1995."It was 36 years," he said. "I taught everything from government to economics to world history."He said he was looking forward to the film."I'm glad they made it so I can be in it," he laughed. "It's a good idea so people can learn about the history of the school. We've gone from a frontier town to a metropolis."Tom Fallon taught business from 1967 to 1995. During those years, he saw a lot of changes. He also graduated from Folsom High in 1950."We started out on an old mechanical typewriter then we went into electric and then into computers," he said.He said the film would help give students a sense of history."It think it's a way to connect the past to the present," Fallon said. "Sometimes, the now generation forgets what went into it to make the school what it is."Allaman greeted the former students and teachers."This is our 84th homecoming, so welcome home," she said. "Today's high school student have never heard or seen a record player or eight-track."Craig Covello, the volunteer amateur filmmaker who spent more than 100 hours shooting and editing the movie, said he was thrilled with how the movie turned out."To everybody who participated in making the movie, you did a great job," he said. "You're the real stars of this film."The movie traced the history of the school beginning with the first graduating class of 1926 and running through the fire that gutted the old school on Riley Street (which is now a middle school) and the eventual building of the new campus on Iron Point Road.To learn more about the movie, visit craigcovelloproductions.com.