To say that a lot has changed in the 60 years since the Class of 1957 last walked out of State High’s doors as students would be putting it mildly. There is one thing, however, that has stood the test of time and then some: their bond as classmates and friends.

No one, perhaps, can tell the story better than Linda Chambers Domin ’57.

Linda is a proud State College “townie” to this day, staying active in community organizations and showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. And she still loves nothing more than meeting up with her friends from the Class of ’57.

Linda believes that the bond shared by her 176-person class had everything to do with their surroundings growing up. As she likes to say, “It takes a village to raise a child,” and both State High and the town of State College were perfect ones to be raised by.

“Growing up here was just wonderful in the ’50s,” says Linda. “Everybody looked out for you and was really supportive. It was a simple life.”

The Class of 1957 has the distinction of being the last class to graduate from State High’s old building on Fairmount Avenue. People were very accepting there, Linda says—so much so that she doesn’t recall bullying or cliques ever really taking place in her class. She credits a lot of this to wonderful teachers that took an interest in the students, and after-school activities such as bowling and badminton that the classmates could bond over. To hang out, they might walk or ride their bikes to PeRo’s to drink Royal Crown Cola and play the jukebox, catch a 17 cent movie at the Nittany Theatre, or take a day trip to the Whipple Dam beach. And along the way, lifelong friendships were made.

“We had so much fun,” says Linda. “We had great times, we really did.”

Fast forward to 2017, and the Class of ’57 is excitedly preparing for their 60-year class reunion, which will take place June 23-25, 2017. But it will hardly be the first time in a long time that most of them have seen or talked to one another. Over the past six decades they’ve stayed closely in touch, either via phone and email or, for those who live close enough, getting together regularly. They have held yearly picnics and yearly Christmas parties, and have even met up some years for a State High football game in the fall. Some of them still get together to grab breakfast or lunch, or to play golf in the summers. And when they lose a class member, no matter how far away, they rally to send cards and condolences.

“We just go out of our way to connect,” says Linda.

But whether it’s been days or decades since classmates have seen each other, Linda is sure that as with all of their past reunions, they will all still click like no time has passed at all. Their 50^th reunion in 2007 was a grand celebration that included dinners galore, a Mount Nittany hike, a re-creation of their school newspaper, a visit to the Fairmount building, an impromptu chorus, a Spikes game, and more. Most of all, it was a weekend of reminiscing and cherishing their lifelong friendships.

“It’s a really great renewing of bonds of friendship,” Linda says. “We just get together and say, ‘Oh, remember this?’ The memories just become more and more precious.”

The Class of 1957 will forever be a testament to the State High experience—not just for a few years, but for a lifetime as alumni.