Chuck Olsen by Amber Min
Chuck Olsen (1964-1972)
Chuck Olsen taught all math classes at Cascade High School from 1964 to 1972. He watched as the brand new high school grew and evolved. Many changes took place in the student body, faculty, city and country. He then moved on to teach at various community college and universities that are scattered about Washington State. He watched Cascade begin as the school of pride and was able to see the first graduating class walk.
Cascade was built on the outskirts of Everett city in the early 1960s. It was there to school the overflow of kids that couldn’t fit in the Everett High School facilities. Now Cascade is located in the heart of a very lively and busy community. Mr. Olsen watched as the community and school grew. Back in the early sixties there was no Everett Mall or I-5. The students who attend CHS during its early years had no entertainment sources near their high school.
Cascade was built in the middle of nowhere. For most of their entertainment the students who attended Cascade relied on the school itself to provide. The students at Cascade went to many dances and school sponsored events. Homecoming was a big part of the school’s student body. Just as we do now, the student body would nominate and elect a homecoming court with a king and queen. Most of the students would attend the homecoming football game and later head back to the school where the dance was held in the cafeteria.
The sporting events were a big deal at Cascade much like they are today. Back then when the school was new Olsen noticed that the students were extremely motivated to make a name for themselves. Chuck recalled the football team going into the season as the big underdogs, but they emerged as prideful champions. Thus the school was given its title as the school of pride. Students at Cascade were proud to be a bruin.
Students’ lives were affected by more than just sports though. They were also affected by national events. Cascade started out just before the Vietnam War. Olsen recalls many of the seniors going off in the war drafts to the overseas and battlefields. Then of course the Kennedy assassinations followed, which impacted the staff and students greatly. Olsen said that the ninth graders were especially emotional during this time period. Most classrooms televised the funeral for the late president on many English classes wrote papers on the subject.
As we know, Kennedy was big on civil rights. He sparked the many civil rights movements that happened in the 60’s and 70’s. Students at Cascade High School weren’t directly involved in these protests and things, but they were still very interested. As Mr. Olsen remembers there were only a few African-American students at Cascade while he was teaching.
Cascade High School has changed dramatically from its past to its present. It went from being in the middle of nowhere to being in a popular area with many places to visit. Kids now in days have much more activities to do compared to the beginning of its time. One thing that hasn’t changed is the popularity of the sporting events. People at Cascade have always been proud to be a Bruin. With all the major events that Chuck has recollected for us, it had shaped the students of that time. Kennedy’s assassination and the Vietnam War all affected the students emotionally and physically. Chuck Olsen has accounted for many things about Cascade in the beginning. It is obvious to see that the school, its students and faculty have all grown with the time.
Chuck Olsen taught all math classes at Cascade High School from 1964 to 1972. He watched as the brand new high school grew and evolved. Many changes took place in the student body, faculty, city and country. He then moved on to teach at various community college and universities that are scattered about Washington State. He watched Cascade begin as the school of pride and was able to see the first graduating class walk.
Cascade was built on the outskirts of Everett city in the early 1960s. It was there to school the overflow of kids that couldn’t fit in the Everett High School facilities. Now Cascade is located in the heart of a very lively and busy community. Mr. Olsen watched as the community and school grew. Back in the early sixties there was no Everett Mall or I-5. The students who attend CHS during its early years had no entertainment sources near their high school.
Cascade was built in the middle of nowhere. For most of their entertainment the students who attended Cascade relied on the school itself to provide. The students at Cascade went to many dances and school sponsored events. Homecoming was a big part of the school’s student body. Just as we do now, the student body would nominate and elect a homecoming court with a king and queen. Most of the students would attend the homecoming football game and later head back to the school where the dance was held in the cafeteria.
The sporting events were a big deal at Cascade much like they are today. Back then when the school was new Olsen noticed that the students were extremely motivated to make a name for themselves. Chuck recalled the football team going into the season as the big underdogs, but they emerged as prideful champions. Thus the school was given its title as the school of pride. Students at Cascade were proud to be a bruin.
Students’ lives were affected by more than just sports though. They were also affected by national events. Cascade started out just before the Vietnam War. Olsen recalls many of the seniors going off in the war drafts to the overseas and battlefields. Then of course the Kennedy assassinations followed, which impacted the staff and students greatly. Olsen said that the ninth graders were especially emotional during this time period. Most classrooms televised the funeral for the late president on many English classes wrote papers on the subject.
As we know, Kennedy was big on civil rights. He sparked the many civil rights movements that happened in the 60’s and 70’s. Students at Cascade High School weren’t directly involved in these protests and things, but they were still very interested. As Mr. Olsen remembers there were only a few African-American students at Cascade while he was teaching.
Cascade High School has changed dramatically from its past to its present. It went from being in the middle of nowhere to being in a popular area with many places to visit. Kids now in days have much more activities to do compared to the beginning of its time. One thing that hasn’t changed is the popularity of the sporting events. People at Cascade have always been proud to be a Bruin. With all the major events that Chuck has recollected for us, it had shaped the students of that time. Kennedy’s assassination and the Vietnam War all affected the students emotionally and physically. Chuck Olsen has accounted for many things about Cascade in the beginning. It is obvious to see that the school, its students and faculty have all grown with the time.