One of the most genuinely nice guys I ever knew. Didn't spend a lot of time with him, but we shared an interest in early junior high of making comics with our "Favorite Funnies" rubber-stamp print sets. We sat close-by in a few classes at Bryant, most noticeably in social studies where the teacher -- Mrs. Brandt, I think -- had a sign sitting on top of the wall clock that read, "Time will pass, will you?" (Encouragement...or sadism?) Not sure what Al did after highschool or how he left us.
Al was a buddy. Tall and skinny, good guy............. I can't remember if it was at Bryant Jr. High or DHS, but we were in the same English class under the meanest teacher I ever had, old Mrs. Edwards. Bryant it was, 9th grade. She didn't like Allen or me, or maybe any of her students. I clearly remember she told me one day she was really looking forward to the end of the marking period or term or whatever it was, because she was going to be able to flunk me. That really happened, her telling me that ............ but flunking me didn't happen, long story...... I passed, and she was mad about it. Too bad.......... ;-)
Ha! The best line I've read on this reunion site so far: "She didn't like Allen or me...or maybe any of her students." Yeah, Edwards was a crusty grouch of a teacher. What I recall most about her was her alarmingly horrible breath. She'd creep in close to you, face-to-face, to make a point -- or more likely to verbally discipline -- and the stench could curl your hair. (Maybe she was one of the heavy smokers who used to hot-box Pall Malls or similar in the teachers lounge.) Glad to hear that you side-stepped her devious plans to fail you. Chalk one up to for the good guys!
Cigarette breath? Remember Darwin Fisher? The algebra teacher from 7734? He'd sit up there at his desk never looking up, giving homework out a the end of class - I'll never forget it - "And, for the next time, p. 56 numbers 4, 9 and 10, p. 57............. etc., etc.". Then came the made dash for the smoke room, er....... teacher's lounge.
At least he and Edwards were somewhat human. Then there was Miss Wolfe..............
I remember Mrs. Edwards dragon breath, as well, and all your comments about her has unearthed my memory of her yellowed fingers and how I didn't want to be there!
Mr. Fisher would have us sound off the answers to our Algebra homework and if you didn't know the answer, you'd say, "Pass" to which he would usually respond, "You hope". If the answer you gave was way off, he'd say something like, "What does that have to do with the price of hogs in Afghanistan?" I never saw that guy laugh and I don't remember him smiling, either..... He used to prop the door open near the end of class so that he could make a fast getaway, but one day, the door unpropped and closed without him knowing. The bell rang and he made for the opening, but it was full of door. Ouch, but funny, all the same....
We'll see if the administrator voids this entry (he's heard it many times before so at least it won't be a surprise). Discretion might be needed here, but what the hell...it's the 50th.
Allen Eddy was uniquely -- and impressively -- endowed, to put it in generally-accepted terms. Think "baby leg" and you'll get the idea. This was no secret, especially when you consider the boys' nude swimming sessions during gym class in junior high. (Why in the world that practice was instituted is beyond me, and today it sounds like an unbelievable joke.)
Anyway, a couple of times at Bryant, in Social Studies class during film strips on the Belgian Congo or similar, Al would unreel his prize and thump it on the front-edge of his desk. This, of course, sent all the boys who were hip to his actions into a guffawing frenzy of monumental proportions. We were chastised by the teacher for laughing during the film, but little did she know.
Al's crowning glory, however, was the time he slouched down and inserted his you-know-what up through the ink-well hole in the bottom of his desk. He opened the tilting desktop so a few of us close-by could witness the deed. Bravo, Allen!
I don't mind being known for a bit of hyperbole and embellishment (nothing on the scale of Bill O'Reilly and Brian Williams, certainly), but my anecdotes are true. I don't share them unless that's the case. I would like to think Al would approve of this one, even expounding on it. Hopefully this memory didn't offend, and more importantly, it didn't cast Al in any negative light whatsoever. It was junior-high, folks, a long time ago.
And if you think that was crazy, just think of the school-mandated activity of 30 junior-high boys all swimming nude in the Bryant pool while the teacher stood by with a personalized wood swat paddle -- with holes drilled in it to reduce resistance -- ready to blister your ass if you got out of line.
Before there were 30 boys swimming naked, there were 30 boys standing in a row along the wall while the teacher - I think it was Jarrett (had to say Mr. Jarrett to his face) called off your name for attendance. After that was when the fear really kicked in, because I couldn't swim in the 7th grade (don't remember the 8th) and Jarrett wasn't a warm and fuzzy kind of guy, to say the least (remember the paddle). Doing widths in the deep end was the fuel for many a waking nightmare....
Swimming naked? I think I heard some rubbish about lint plugging the filters - what-ever!
Allen: Our circles didn't cross much, but I remember him being a nice guy. Your story had me laughing out loud!
Jarrett, yeah. Arnold Domke was the other one. The reason I heard for the nude part was the school had to finally admit boys would NOT stop leaving wet, gross, eventually moldy swimming trunks in the lockers after class. Apparently goils CAN be trusted that way.............. or maybe they didn't HAVE swimming class!
Bill, I agree re: Darwin Fisher. He was reptilian-like, could be intimidating, and was a stern instructor. I think I ascended to his upper-level course only once and was promptly demoted back to a more pedestrian class.
Tom, yes, the "roll-call" deal in those nude swimming classes was strange. Not sure if we had to line up alphabetically, but if not I made sure not to stand next to Al. It was humiliating enough, no need to make it worse.
Jimmy Jarrett was more drill instructor than coach. He always had a bit of "rage spittle" on his lower-lip. Actually, he was pretty cool, taught me well in gym/swimming. Tried out for the football team but turned out to be more of a sissy than a player, and he let me know it.
As for lint in the filters, is that the best they could do to rationalize the nude swims? Who knows, maybe Mr. Rienke (principal) was secretly filming us and enjoying the results with Mr. Andrews. :)
Bill, hadn't heard of the moldy trunks reason. Makes you wonder about the administration's real motive. I know one thing, if the girls had nude swimming there would have been multiple attempts by the guys -- with the aid of Mr. Bullard's and Mr. Adams' shop-class tools -- to drill holes in the pool area wall to spy on the action.
Jim Clark
One of the most genuinely nice guys I ever knew. Didn't spend a lot of time with him, but we shared an interest in early junior high of making comics with our "Favorite Funnies" rubber-stamp print sets. We sat close-by in a few classes at Bryant, most noticeably in social studies where the teacher -- Mrs. Brandt, I think -- had a sign sitting on top of the wall clock that read, "Time will pass, will you?" (Encouragement...or sadism?) Not sure what Al did after highschool or how he left us.
William Taylor
Al was a buddy. Tall and skinny, good guy............. I can't remember if it was at Bryant Jr. High or DHS, but we were in the same English class under the meanest teacher I ever had, old Mrs. Edwards. Bryant it was, 9th grade. She didn't like Allen or me, or maybe any of her students. I clearly remember she told me one day she was really looking forward to the end of the marking period or term or whatever it was, because she was going to be able to flunk me. That really happened, her telling me that ............ but flunking me didn't happen, long story...... I passed, and she was mad about it. Too bad.......... ;-)
Allen was a buddy......... a good friend.
Jim Clark
Ha! The best line I've read on this reunion site so far: "She didn't like Allen or me...or maybe any of her students." Yeah, Edwards was a crusty grouch of a teacher. What I recall most about her was her alarmingly horrible breath. She'd creep in close to you, face-to-face, to make a point -- or more likely to verbally discipline -- and the stench could curl your hair. (Maybe she was one of the heavy smokers who used to hot-box Pall Malls or similar in the teachers lounge.) Glad to hear that you side-stepped her devious plans to fail you. Chalk one up to for the good guys!
William Taylor
Cigarette breath? Remember Darwin Fisher? The algebra teacher from 7734? He'd sit up there at his desk never looking up, giving homework out a the end of class - I'll never forget it - "And, for the next time, p. 56 numbers 4, 9 and 10, p. 57............. etc., etc.". Then came the made dash for the smoke room, er....... teacher's lounge.
At least he and Edwards were somewhat human. Then there was Miss Wolfe..............
Tom Scheper
I remember Mrs. Edwards dragon breath, as well, and all your comments about her has unearthed my memory of her yellowed fingers and how I didn't want to be there!
Mr. Fisher would have us sound off the answers to our Algebra homework and if you didn't know the answer, you'd say, "Pass" to which he would usually respond, "You hope". If the answer you gave was way off, he'd say something like, "What does that have to do with the price of hogs in Afghanistan?" I never saw that guy laugh and I don't remember him smiling, either..... He used to prop the door open near the end of class so that he could make a fast getaway, but one day, the door unpropped and closed without him knowing. The bell rang and he made for the opening, but it was full of door. Ouch, but funny, all the same....
Jim Clark
We'll see if the administrator voids this entry (he's heard it many times before so at least it won't be a surprise). Discretion might be needed here, but what the hell...it's the 50th.
Allen Eddy was uniquely -- and impressively -- endowed, to put it in generally-accepted terms. Think "baby leg" and you'll get the idea. This was no secret, especially when you consider the boys' nude swimming sessions during gym class in junior high. (Why in the world that practice was instituted is beyond me, and today it sounds like an unbelievable joke.)
Anyway, a couple of times at Bryant, in Social Studies class during film strips on the Belgian Congo or similar, Al would unreel his prize and thump it on the front-edge of his desk. This, of course, sent all the boys who were hip to his actions into a guffawing frenzy of monumental proportions. We were chastised by the teacher for laughing during the film, but little did she know.
Al's crowning glory, however, was the time he slouched down and inserted his you-know-what up through the ink-well hole in the bottom of his desk. He opened the tilting desktop so a few of us close-by could witness the deed. Bravo, Allen!
I don't mind being known for a bit of hyperbole and embellishment (nothing on the scale of Bill O'Reilly and Brian Williams, certainly), but my anecdotes are true. I don't share them unless that's the case. I would like to think Al would approve of this one, even expounding on it. Hopefully this memory didn't offend, and more importantly, it didn't cast Al in any negative light whatsoever. It was junior-high, folks, a long time ago.
And if you think that was crazy, just think of the school-mandated activity of 30 junior-high boys all swimming nude in the Bryant pool while the teacher stood by with a personalized wood swat paddle -- with holes drilled in it to reduce resistance -- ready to blister your ass if you got out of line.
Those were the good-old-days.
Tom Scheper
Before there were 30 boys swimming naked, there were 30 boys standing in a row along the wall while the teacher - I think it was Jarrett (had to say Mr. Jarrett to his face) called off your name for attendance. After that was when the fear really kicked in, because I couldn't swim in the 7th grade (don't remember the 8th) and Jarrett wasn't a warm and fuzzy kind of guy, to say the least (remember the paddle). Doing widths in the deep end was the fuel for many a waking nightmare....
Swimming naked? I think I heard some rubbish about lint plugging the filters - what-ever!
Allen: Our circles didn't cross much, but I remember him being a nice guy. Your story had me laughing out loud!
William Taylor
Jarrett, yeah. Arnold Domke was the other one. The reason I heard for the nude part was the school had to finally admit boys would NOT stop leaving wet, gross, eventually moldy swimming trunks in the lockers after class. Apparently goils CAN be trusted that way.............. or maybe they didn't HAVE swimming class!
Jim Clark
Bill, I agree re: Darwin Fisher. He was reptilian-like, could be intimidating, and was a stern instructor. I think I ascended to his upper-level course only once and was promptly demoted back to a more pedestrian class.
Tom, yes, the "roll-call" deal in those nude swimming classes was strange. Not sure if we had to line up alphabetically, but if not I made sure not to stand next to Al. It was humiliating enough, no need to make it worse.
Jimmy Jarrett was more drill instructor than coach. He always had a bit of "rage spittle" on his lower-lip. Actually, he was pretty cool, taught me well in gym/swimming. Tried out for the football team but turned out to be more of a sissy than a player, and he let me know it.
As for lint in the filters, is that the best they could do to rationalize the nude swims? Who knows, maybe Mr. Rienke (principal) was secretly filming us and enjoying the results with Mr. Andrews. :)
Jim Clark
Bill, hadn't heard of the moldy trunks reason. Makes you wonder about the administration's real motive. I know one thing, if the girls had nude swimming there would have been multiple attempts by the guys -- with the aid of Mr. Bullard's and Mr. Adams' shop-class tools -- to drill holes in the pool area wall to spy on the action.