Saturday, June 8, 2019

Andy's Angles: 40

Today is the 40th anniversary of my high school graduation.

I remember it was a hot, humid, and stormy evening.  The ceremony was in an elementary school in Throop because it was the only school in the district with an auditorium big enough to hold the ceremony, and it was the only building in the district that wasn't in imminent danger of burning down or falling down.

I'll have more to say about that time in the days to come.

Yes, that's me above, in senior year typing class, one of the three most valuable classes in that horrible place.  We used IBM Selectrics, the ones with the ball rather than keys,  in a district that wasn't known for spending on things that students actually need and use.

That's Vinnie Kovak behind me, great kid and I occasionally wonder whatever happened to him.
That's me in the same classroom.  Got to love that hair cut.  There were no uniforms back then.  Jeans.  Flannel shirts.

Notice those state of the art window shades.  State of the art if it was during the Spanish American War.

Also notice the plywood covering one of the windows.  For some reason, one cold morning, my friend Tommy decided it would be a good idea to pick at the flimsy and brittle caulk that was keeping the window from crashing three stories to the sidewalk below.  Tommy accidentally broke the glass.  Thankfully, our typing teacher was a gentle soul and didn't freak out.

This was the sorry excuse for the repair-- a piece of wood rather than a good piece of glass.  I think it remained that way until the building was turned into apartments for senior citizens.