UNI and Price Lab/NU High are more than just schools to me. These "schools" are what shaped my family. One set of my grandparents graduated from UNI as teachers - then known as the Iowa State Teachers College. Both of my parents graduated from UNI as teachers and taught at Price Lab/NU, My Aunt, Uncle and sister all graduated from UNI as teachers and benefitted from Price Lab/NU High.
I started at Price Lab in kindergarten, and early on I noticed that we had "extra" teachers in our room. AND I realized what those teachers were doing - they were learning just like I was. Price Lab was teaching everyone - students here in Cedar Falls, across the state of Iowa, nationally and even internationally.
The work done in that building down the hill was shaping the curriculum in the United States. It was producing text books, lecture series and cutting-edge research on how to educate students. That building down the hill was training our future teachers for the state of Iowa and beyond.
Price Lab/NU High became my family - after all, both parents, my sister and my aunt Nadene were usually in the building with me! The beautiful thing about NU was the fact that you could be involved in EVERYTHING. You were not forced at a young age to decide what your interests were. You could play in the band or orchestra (or both), play a sport or two (or three or four), and also take part in the plays, musicals and madrigal dinners. The teachers and coaches coordinated schedules so that all could participate. They understood the concept of educating the whole child. Another beautiful fact about NU was that you were friends with EVERYONE--not only your class but several classes above and below you. We were a family.
I truly love the theatre and my favorite teacher was Ken Butzier. He, along with Les Hale demanded excellence from all students. It didn't matter if it was your first play, musical or madrigal or your very last as a senior, you were expected to be better than Broadway. I have taken that lesson with me. There is no better training for life than being in a Butzier/Hale production.
I will forever love the stage, especially the Butzier Auditorium stage. I am so very grateful that I got to take that stage one more time in November 2011 to honor the memory of Ken Butzier and support the school that has given me so much during the fundraising event Legends of the Lab.
The lights have gone dark now - but not in the hearts of Price lab/NU High students. There the light will always burn bright.
