Many students and teachers at Cranford High School (CHS) are interested in the future of CHS, particularly with the impending referendum, but with over 100 years of history, how often do they think about those who walked the halls before them? Recently, as the archive team sifted through CHS yearbooks and documents, we stumbled upon Cranford alumni Ruth Anne Robinson.  Ms.Robinson graduated from Cranford High School in 1960 as Ruth Anne Jackson and worked as a nurse’s clerical aide at CHS from 1980 to 2009 during which, she was a favorite among the students and was even called “mom” by many. She loved working at CHS because she treasured seeing the kids grow through the years. She passed away in June of 2017 but left her mark on CHS and the people who were lucky enough to have met her. 

Mr. Rafaniello, the choir teacher at CHS, had the pleasure of knowing her before she retired and described her as a caring and warm-hearted woman who was widely loved. She lived up to her senior quote, “few can possess such qualities of cheerful ways and friendliness,” according to Mr. Rafaniello’s fond memories of her. In his time working with her, she relayed a story about her time at CHS as a student in the late 50s. She explained that the star that covers the floor of the rotunda, despite its seeming mundane in the present day, was once a sacred and highly respected symbol to the school community. Many people today do not even notice the star that covers the floor as they enter the school, but during the early years of the building we now call Cranford High, the school’s seal was held in such esteem, students would avoid walking across it in between class so as not to desecrate it. This was important to them because of the pride they upheld for their school. Apparently, the students would walk around the star when walking through the rotunda. It is not clear when this tradition began to dwindle but today, it is unheard of. 

Stories like these can tell us so much about our school and its history. It is imperative to remember old traditions and people who came before us so we can understand the values that built the school we now call ours. While walking around the star in the rotunda may not be a ritual that will be brought back, understanding the values of students that came before can teach us so much about what it meant to be a Cranford High School student years ago. It can also be interesting to hear about old stories and traditions because it can transport us to another time. Just open a yearbook from 1938 to see the students who first walked the halls of our building and you can get a glimpse of the past.