Here are a few photos I found later that go along with a post I did on Decorating the Gym back in 2012. I held back on them because they were pretty scratched up and nor particularly sharp. I needed some quick content today, though, because I’m planning to do a computer upgrade this evening and I needed to get everything shut down so I could do a backup.
(Thanks, by the way, for all you folks who click on the Click Here button to do your Amazon shopping. That helped made the upgrade possible. I was running low on disk space for all these photos.)
Sackman and Towse
Miss Kathryn Sackman, left, American History teacher, and Miss Lucy Ellen Towse, physical education instructor, discuss what acts of tomfoolery the students are contemplating.
When I look at those ceramic tile walls, I can’t help but remember the way sounds reverberated off them. It was a curious mix of bouncing balls, yells, the squeak of rubber tennis shoe soles on slick floors, punctuated by bleats from the coaches’ whistles. I file it away with the unique sound of silverware hitting thick china plates and the buzz of milk shake mixers at the Woolworths’ lunch counter.
Other decorating photos
Click on any photo to make it larger, then use your left and right arrow keys to move through the gallery.
The students in these shots (and the 2012 piece) are mostly Class of 63 mates (except for Jim Stone on the basketball backboard). Image 1&5: Bill Bodenschatz talking with John Johnson. Image 3: Sharon Williams talking with Larry Blitstein (or possibly Chuck – honestly can’t tell here). Image 7: Looks like Alma Wolff partially hidden behind Jon Sander and Sharon WIlliams. To clarify the two replies to the Oct 2, 2012 story, the fellow on the ladder is Bill Bodenschatz, not Phil Lewis. And, yes, we did have the Bob Kuban Band from St. Louis, but it was for the Class of 63 Commencement night party at the Arena. Kenny Fischer and I (and possibly others) had “discovered” the Kuban band at a dance in St. Louis in conjunction with a statewide Student Council conference.
It was great to see these shots of Sharon, Bill, Jon, Larry, John and part of Alma…what memories!
I recall the sign on the gym wall and find it dripping with irony, especially in the temporal context considering the image of Vince Lombardi asserting that winning was “the only thing”. Of course in today’s schools, self-esteem is the primary product for ‘sale’. Notwithstanding the fact that self-esteem must be earned, even if a little bit at a time, today’s culture rewards showing up with a trophy. Further, affiant sayeth naught.
Ms. Sackman was one of my favorite teachers. She had a way of telling history that I enjoyed and always looked to here class. She was always prepared and did run the class with and Iron hand, she was fair and as a kid I recognized this. I know, weird but true in my case.
Ms. Towse I remember always wearing a little white gym suit, almost like ballet Tutu. I am sure if you search your memory that will come back. It is imprinted on mind. As a “jock” we saw a lot of Ms. Towse in and around the gym. Remind me to tell you what Keith Kelly did to my towel one time and what happened when I went to get it…another story for another time. Gees, I am beginning to sound Like Brune…