50 high school classmates grew old in the same building

More than 50 graduates of Austin High School now live together at Westminster Senior Living in Austin, where they hold annual reunions without anyone needing to travel. Cynthia Leach, class of 1977, came up with the idea after noticing how many familiar faces had landed in the same building. "That's about a tenth of the population of the independent living folks here," she said. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the Red Jackets, the school's spirit organization, and staff identified 10 residents who once wore the uniform. One of them, Mike Roche, was a cheerleader who recently rediscovered the outfit he wore 73 years ago. He still has it. Susan Driver, class of 1962, never imagined she would grow old among classmates. "But, of course, when you are young, you don't think you'll ever be old," she said. They have traded cigarettes and history books for early dinners and bingo, and the pep rallies, apparently, never fully ended.