Susan Watson-Spiller has fond memories of graduating from Evansville Day School’s Class of 1975. The group’s half-century reunion in May culminated in a special moment: recreating their senior photo.
“Day School has had several reunions over the years, and I’ve attended each one. This time … I was determined to locate and personally reach out to every member of our class,” says Watson-Spiller, a former Chicago paralegal and a Spanish teacher at Henderson County schools.
She began planning the celebration a year in advance, and the itinerary included two days of tours and meet-ups, followed by recreating the senior photo and celebrating with dinner and a dance at Bally’s Riverfront Event Center. “As soon as I mentioned the recreation of the senior class photo … it seemed I lit a spark. That was the event most were extremely excited about.”
Twenty-seven students graduated in 1975 — three have since passed — and 15 attended to recreate the class photo, this time captured by photographer Debbie Bridwell Scott. Previous classes typically had taken their senior class photos in Evansville. Watson-Spiller doesn’t remember why her class chose John James Audubon State Park in Henderson, Kentucky, for the shoot, but having been raised in Evansville’s Southern neighbor city, she was thrilled with the location then and now.
“It was pretty unanimous that the highlight was the replication of the class photo. …We were all finally reconnected … with bonds stronger than ever and a determination to stay in touch from this point forward,” Watson-Spiller says. “We agreed that this was just the beginning of many more future gatherings.”
