By: Wildcat Confidante, Staff Reporter
“Guyer High School, hail to thee, we pledge our love and loyalty, and ever in our future bright, the citadel of truth and light. For we are family, proud and true, we work and strive to honor you, the black and silver we hold dear, with pride and class for all our years.”- The Guyer High School Alma Mater
On November 1, 2005, a ceremony was held to celebrate the opening of the third school in the Denton ISD district. The school board, the administration, the builders, and the architects of the school were all in attendance. As well as, of course, the family of the man the school is named after, John H. Guyer.
2025 is the 20 year anniversary of the opening of Guyer High School, and to celebrate this special occasion, The Wildcat Confidante invites you to visit the past, all the way back to 2005, to see how we have changed over the years, and how our school has grown.
On this special edition of the Wildcat Confidante we will crack open the yearbook from the first year Guyer was open, and compare how the school has grown and changed.
Fashion is one of the things that define eras. This year’s yearbook showcases LuluLemon, wide leg jeans, and yoga pants for the girls. Boys can be seen sporting graphic tees, wide leg ripped jeans, and overall skater style. But if we rewind the clock all the way back to the Guyer Commons in 2005 what would you see people wearing?
2005 was a year for technological advancements, lots of natural disasters (Hurricane Katrina), and most importantly, low rise jeans. If we traveled back in time to 2005 you can see people decked out in cargo pants, crop tops, low rise jeans, and juicy couture sweatsuits.
Of course technology was also huge in 2005. Today we are spoiled with our Iphones, Airpods, surround sound flat screen TV’s in our living rooms, and of course, the ability to actually stream music. According to the 2005 yearbook at Guyer, Palm Pilots, Stereo’s, Myspace, portable Playstations, and Ipod Nano’s were all the rage.
But what about things that were specific to Guyer? We’re known for our athletics, fine arts programs, and our huge number of clubs available to students, but what did Guyer’s clubs look like in 2005? All the way back to the school’s opening we actually had a ton of clubs here at Guyer that were lost in the last 20 years including B.P.A, multicultural club, S.E.D.D (students educating diversity through dancing), and a dance team called Wild N’ Out Wildcats. As for our fine arts, you’ll be happy to know that it looks a lot the same, and our sports have been going strong since the school opened, and now 20 years later our Boys Basketball brought home the
State Championship trophy.
And on our last stop on the Time Capsule Express, let’s see what academics looked like for Guyer in our very first year. Of course now Guyer is known for our high academic standing with many Guyer students competing in UIL competitions every year, and our large number of students involved with the AP class program. 20 years ago was no different, apart from the classrooms not having Promethean boards, classes looked pretty much the same, there was even a student who made it all the way to quarterfinal round in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate at the “Leave Em’ Speechless” Tournament.
Even though we can’t know exactly what Guyer was like in 2005, we have a few veteran teachers who have been a part of the Guyer family from the very first year and have lived through all of the school’s triumphs and challenges.
“ My favorite memory was when the tennis team beat Wichita Falls Old High, twice. It was probably the first time in Denton history that a Denton school had beaten them,” tennis coach Robert Barrera said.
The state championships are not the only athletic achievements Guyer has had since its opening. In addition to this huge win by the tennis team, we’ve had many track students make it to state, and multiple big wins for football.
So clearly the school has grown since its opening. In fact, the Freshman Center has only been around for a few years making it the biggest new addition to the school.
“The growth of the school has been the biggest change. Every year when we come back from summer, I’m amazed at the number of teachers who’ve been added to the staff,” Barrera said.
Our time here is coming to an end, but just because we are stepping off the time capsule express doesn’t mean you can’t keep making memories. Guyer has endless opportunities for students with its many clubs, fine art programs, and
athletics. So get out there and make history. Who knows, maybe you’ll be mentioned during Guyers 50 year anniversary.
Until next time,
your Wildcat Confidante.
