Dwight Eisenhower is president of the US
First civil rights bill since Reconstruction to protect blacks' voting rights is approved by Congress
Hurricane "Audrey" destroys Cameron, Louisiana killing 390 people
National Guardsmen bar nine black students from entering previously all white Central High School in Little Rock
Russians launch Sputnik I, first earth orbiting satellite
The FBI arrests Jimmy Hoffa and charges him with bribery
Vanna White, Osama bin Laden, Sid Vicious, and Melanie Griffith are born
Milwaukee Brewers win World Series
Detroit Lions win NFL championship
Montreal Canadiens win Stanley Cup
On the Road by Jack Kerouac is published
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss is published
Memories, photos, reunions, jokes, poems and good times of the Mt. Morris, Illinois, class of 1957.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
What else happened the year we graduated
So, it wasn't all about us, was it? Sylvia and I went into volunteer service that summer of 1957 (she to NM and me to CA), then we were off to Manchester College in September with Deb P. and Sharon R. Our little town in those days was an employment magnet in publishing, printing and distribution, and some of you took advantage of the job opportunities. Others began college at DeKalb, Knox, U. of I., Rockford and other great schools Did we even pay attention that there were other things going on? I definitely remember the Sputnik launch--it changed my life. Until I read this (at someone else's blog), I didn't know we were linked to both Dr. Seuss and Osama Bin Laden, did you?
Monday, January 22, 2007
A Losing Season
[Note from Norma. This is my first attempt at a slide show--needs a little work, and I'm not real techie. I think if you click on "view all images" you can see the whole photo instead of having a head chopped off. And I'm missing a few photos. I'm working on it!]
Contributed by Lynne
The fall of 1956 in our town was typical of most small midwestern villages of the time. Trees had turned, air was chilled, school had started. We went off to our senior year expectations high. After all, our Mounders had won 'em all in '55.
However, as the record shows, '56 was a different kind of football season. We learned how to lose and I learned to love football. Football became a life long love affair. (I admit here to not fully understanding the game until the early '70's when a dear man explained it in detail--many times!) If memory serves, the worst game was against Polo in the pouring rain--40 to zip. I stood in the rain ruining a new jacket and a pair of saddle shoes, a near tragedy to a 17 year old girl.
As a older lady dedicated to physical fitness, I walk behind our old high school. The track is still there and in quite good repair. Spring, Summer and Fall will find me there and in the fall my five mile walk takes me back fifty years. All it really takes to trigger this flood of memories is a whiff of wood smoke and "my eyes have a mist of the smoke from a distant fire."
The bleachers are gone, the lights, the goal posts and the announcers booth. But, if you listen you can hear the band squeaking and squawking their way across the football field to form the "M" formation or hear Chuck Wean calling the game, the sound of a ref whistle, hearing the student body, parents and villagers as Sara Y. and Nancy G. extol us with "Rickety, Rackety Shanty Town. Who can hold those Mounders down? NOBODY!
"Though much is taken, much abides." Maybe it wasn't about winning after all.
Contributed by Lynne
The fall of 1956 in our town was typical of most small midwestern villages of the time. Trees had turned, air was chilled, school had started. We went off to our senior year expectations high. After all, our Mounders had won 'em all in '55.
However, as the record shows, '56 was a different kind of football season. We learned how to lose and I learned to love football. Football became a life long love affair. (I admit here to not fully understanding the game until the early '70's when a dear man explained it in detail--many times!) If memory serves, the worst game was against Polo in the pouring rain--40 to zip. I stood in the rain ruining a new jacket and a pair of saddle shoes, a near tragedy to a 17 year old girl.
As a older lady dedicated to physical fitness, I walk behind our old high school. The track is still there and in quite good repair. Spring, Summer and Fall will find me there and in the fall my five mile walk takes me back fifty years. All it really takes to trigger this flood of memories is a whiff of wood smoke and "my eyes have a mist of the smoke from a distant fire."
The bleachers are gone, the lights, the goal posts and the announcers booth. But, if you listen you can hear the band squeaking and squawking their way across the football field to form the "M" formation or hear Chuck Wean calling the game, the sound of a ref whistle, hearing the student body, parents and villagers as Sara Y. and Nancy G. extol us with "Rickety, Rackety Shanty Town. Who can hold those Mounders down? NOBODY!
"Though much is taken, much abides." Maybe it wasn't about winning after all.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Sit down, shut up, and pay attention
This is cross posted from my regular blog, but since Murray, a member of the class of 1956, sent it to me I thought the class of 1957 would enjoy some of the "way it used to be" thoughts. This was going around the Internet in December.
I was listening to the local (Cincinnati) talk show in the car this morning and the host Mike McConnell was talking about how over protected children are today. His plan, if he were in charge of the U.S. Dept. of Education, would be, "Sit down, shut up, and pay attention," and it wouldn't cost the tax payers a penny. This made me think of one of my high school teachers, Warren Burstrom, and I think those were his exact words to Glenn Orr and Marv Miller in Chemistry class. We all loved him and learned a lot. Murray sent me these memories of the "good old days" when we were in school. He was class of 1956. I, of course, am much younger.
Scenario: Jack pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack.
1956 Vice Principal comes over, takes a look at Jack's rifle, goes to his car and gets his to show Jack.
2006 School goes into lockdown, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1956 Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends. Nobody goes to jail, nobody arrested, nobody expelled.
2006 Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.
1956 Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal. Sits still in class.
2006 Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his father's car and his Dad gives him a whipping.
1956 Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2006 Billy's Dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. Billy's sister is told by state psychologist that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.
Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some headache medicine to school.
1956 Mark shares headache medicine with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2006 Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario: Mary turns up pregnant.
1973 5 High School Boys leave town. Mary does her senior year at a special school for expectant mothers.
2006 Middle School Counselor calls Planned Parenthood, who notifies the ACLU. Mary is driven to the next state over and gets an abortion without her parent's consent or knowledge. Mary given condoms and told to be more careful next time.
Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.
1973: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.
2006: Pedro's cause is taken up. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he can't speak English.
Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.
1956 Ants die.
2006 BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary, hugs him to comfort him.
1956 - In a short time Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2006 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison.
Gimme 1956 back please!
I was listening to the local (Cincinnati) talk show in the car this morning and the host Mike McConnell was talking about how over protected children are today. His plan, if he were in charge of the U.S. Dept. of Education, would be, "Sit down, shut up, and pay attention," and it wouldn't cost the tax payers a penny. This made me think of one of my high school teachers, Warren Burstrom, and I think those were his exact words to Glenn Orr and Marv Miller in Chemistry class. We all loved him and learned a lot. Murray sent me these memories of the "good old days" when we were in school. He was class of 1956. I, of course, am much younger.
Scenario: Jack pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack.
1956 Vice Principal comes over, takes a look at Jack's rifle, goes to his car and gets his to show Jack.
2006 School goes into lockdown, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1956 Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends. Nobody goes to jail, nobody arrested, nobody expelled.
2006 Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.
1956 Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal. Sits still in class.
2006 Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his father's car and his Dad gives him a whipping.
1956 Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2006 Billy's Dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. Billy's sister is told by state psychologist that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.
Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some headache medicine to school.
1956 Mark shares headache medicine with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2006 Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario: Mary turns up pregnant.
1973 5 High School Boys leave town. Mary does her senior year at a special school for expectant mothers.
2006 Middle School Counselor calls Planned Parenthood, who notifies the ACLU. Mary is driven to the next state over and gets an abortion without her parent's consent or knowledge. Mary given condoms and told to be more careful next time.
Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.
1973: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.
2006: Pedro's cause is taken up. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he can't speak English.
Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.
1956 Ants die.
2006 BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary, hugs him to comfort him.
1956 - In a short time Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2006 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison.
Gimme 1956 back please!
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