The Southeast High School Alumni Association Board hopes all alumni and their families are staying safe and healthy during this time of the Covid-19 virus and are adapting to the changing conditions of living and working with it.  As with virtually all organizations, the pandemic has had a significant impact on how the alumni association has functioned over the past few months.

Our monthly board meetings were cancelled for March and April pursuit to local stay at home orders as well as the fact that the Kansas City Public Library  branches where we meet were closed.  The board did meet virtually in May via Zoom and may do so in future months if conditions warrant.

Class reunions and their visits to Southeast have likewise been affected by the pandemic.  The class of 1960 has pushed its 60th reunion and visit to Southeast back from May to (hopefully) September.  The class of 1980 had planned its 40th reunion for mid-June with events to be held at Southeast, but it will likely have to be rescheduled to a later date.  The 50th reunion of the class of 1970 was targeted for September.  All of these reunion visits to Southeast will have to comply with whatever directives the school district implements as school buildings reopen.

In the Alumni Museum on the first floor at Southeast, repairs stemming from a water leak were also placed on hold.  Given the demands of the district's maintenance staff, work had been delayed even before the pandemic hit.  The alumni association board had finally gotten Southeast administrators to push the district to complete the work shortly before classes were suspended in mid-March.  Without access to the school and with no contact with staff, the status of the work is not known.  We hope to get an update once staff returns to work at Southeast.

The Red & Blue Ball fundraiser held for the past two years will not be done this fall.  Uncertainties about the availability of a venue, disruption of event planning given the pandemic and the fact that a majority of the ball attendees fall in the age group most susceptible to the virus led the board to decide not to hold the event in 2020.  We're hopeful to revive the ball in 2021.

For 2020 Southeast seniors, the pandemic will be a memorable event.  The final two months of their studies were done online as teachers and administrators worked to make sure seniors completed the required work to graduate.  End of the year senior events which we alumni can relate to were cancelled or held virtually.  Even graduation was done online with commencement being held on May 18th.  Thanks to the work of board member Bob Blaine ('60) who heads our scholarship committee, the association will award scholarships to seniors Malik Johnson and Aalisha Hoskins despite the disruption in the school year.  With students and senior class teachers/sponsors alike not present at school, Bob communicated with the teachers electronically to select qualified applicants.  Two were recommended.  At the May board meeting, the board approved use of this different selection process given the circumstances and the award of $1,000 each to the two students.

We are hopeful that by autumn things will have returned to some degree of normalcy so we can continue our work with Southeast administration, staff and students and our alumni as we have for the past thirteen years.  Until then, stay safe.

Richard DeHart, Alumni Association President