Subject: RE: more memories
Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 17:05:06 -0400
From: "James Lightfoot" [lightfoj@erols.com]
To: Sandy Williams;ALL

Sandy,

Trust me, the reason we did not all recognize you in the Whittier picture is that in high school your effervescent personality, quick wit, and dare I say exceptional beauty were such that the former you simply slipped our minds as we were captivated by the new you! I'll bet that Steve can attest to the fact that this continues to the present. And I was even more egregious with Greg Rushford, forgetting his affiliation with specific accomplishments. I'll have to work on my tact - which I dare say a good number of old friends can attest to.

About the comment on kids at HS games, our boys were involved in high school sports (Steve in tennis, Phil in wrestling). In Arkansas 12 years ago, Steve's high school had a mob show up for football and a modest turnout for basketball. For Philip, eight years later in Maryland, football drew a fair crowd and basketball was pretty much ignored - good coverage by the local paper, minimal turnout of students. When I visited my brother in Chicago (Des Plaines for purists) his younger son played football and basketball, and when I joined them at a basketball game there were probably a hundred or so parents in the stands, and a like number of younger people, most of whom appeared to be siblings of the players. And that's in a school with several thousand students. Is this lack of interest in attending the HS sports a nationwide phenomena? It isn't necessarily true in college, where Philip is a student at the University of Maryland and the students and other fans packed Cole Fieldhouse for every game (you want a challenge - try getting a ticket to the Duke game), and this year they went nuts with a winning football team. Stephen went to Carnegie-Mellon University, but they haven't had any interest in sports for decades, so hard to say there. Anybody else run into this lack of interest in HS sports with their children? Is this regional or nationwide and urban and/or rural?

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: Sandy Williams [mailto:sbaxter28@charter.net]
Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2002 1:47 PM
To: ALL
Subject: Re: more memories

Every time I read someone's memories more come back to me. I might as well add my two cents. I think I arrived at school each morning before the big "circle walk." So a group of us met in a study hall. I remember Bonnie Mensendike and I quizzing each other on our Spanish and French vocabulary words. Then we would join the walk as more kids arrived. Eileen Redenius and Susie Hampy were there too, but I'm not sure who else. So what's become of Bonnie and Eileen?

Does anyone remember the French teacher Mr. Neff? We spent a great deal of time trying to get him to teach us a French swear word and he refused. Finally he told us "sacre bleu!" or something like that. After 4 years of high school French and a minor in French at WIU you'd think I could remember the words and how to spell them. (and maybe what they meant?) Well, that's where they get the "use it or lose it" phrase.

I found out that Miss Pochard wasn't all mean and nasty. One winter morning when my dad dropped me off at school I slammed the car door shut, and although I was wearing gloves, I tore my fingernail off. I wasn't even aware of it except to think I had pinched it or something. When I got inside school I realized I had a major problem and went to the office. Miss P. took one look and was so kind and helpful. After going to the hospital I returned to school with a large white bandage on it. In order to keep the throbbing down I had to hold up my finger, so I walked around that day with my middle finger up giving everyone the bird.

I have fond memories of the cherry pie.

I was sad to read that I was one of the DK kids from the Whittier picture. Now I wonder will anyone remember my name? Anyway, I'm in the top row, 3rd from the right. The skinny one with glasses.

I remember taking swimming lessons at the YWCA after school instead of taking gym. I don't know who else went with me, but surely I wasn't brave enough to go alone. And those horrible swim suits we had to wear!

I was an aide for Mr. O'Toole. I guess we ran errands for teachers as aides. Did they really have that much to pass around?

One of my best memories is the pep rallies before a basketball or football game. And I loved going to the games with a group of girls. When my boys were in high school I was disappointed that they didn't have pep rallies and weren't too interested in going to each and every game like we were. I have a hunch we weren't just watching the games!

Remember in gym when we were using the trampoline and were required to have "spotters?" Now there are trampolines in many back yards with no one watching anything.

I remember early in my freshman year I was in an English class which I thought was very boring. Then they moved me out to the accelerated class and I had to work like a dog to keep up with everyone else! I thought they were all SO smart.

I, too, am looking forward to seeing everyone. I hope all of these memories will continue to trigger more.

Sandy Williams Baxter