Class Reunion
Husband goes with his wife to her high school reunion. After meeting several of
her friends and former school mates, they are sitting at a table where
he is yawning and overly bored.
The band cranks up and people are beginning to dance.
There's a guy on the dance floor living it large, break dancing, moonwalking,
back flips, buying drinks for people, the works.
Wife turns to her husband and says, “See that guy?
25 years ago he proposed to me and I turned him down.
Husband says: "Looks like he's still
celebrating!!!
Husband goes with his wife to her high school reunion. After meeting several of
her friends and former school mates, they are sitting at a table where
he is yawning and overly bored.
The band cranks up and people are beginning to dance.
There's a guy on the dance floor living it large, break dancing, moonwalking,
back flips, buying drinks for people, the works.
Wife turns to her husband and says, “See that guy?
25 years ago he proposed to me and I turned him down.
Husband says: "Looks like he's still
celebrating!!!
Remember the funny things that happened in school? Band camp? Senior Day? Graduation Practice?
As our 50th year reunion is approaching in 2016, my memory is jarred a little trying to remember the humorous things that happened during my years at Piqua Central. Nevertheless, I thought I would take time to opine on the things I remember.
Classes at Piqua Central were interesting to say the least. Lets face it: we had some good teachers and some great times.
I remember Coach Hardman's English class. If you got caught passing a note, he would put it on the opaque projector and he would read it aloud to the class and we would correct the grammar. The embarrassment to the people involved was huge, but the laughter by the class cut the seriousness of that period. Needless to say, not many notes were written that year. Coach Asher's class during football season was interesting .... a Friday quiz followed by reviewing the films of a football scouting report on that week's team. Then there were the likes of Pop Richardson and Mr. Wincent, who had great vocabularies and knew when and how to use them. On the serious side, Mr. Groves was a serous sort who put up with a lot of stupidity from his students in chemistry. From two idiots pouring flaming naphtha down a drain and turning on the water which immediately sent a flame high into the air to scorch the asbestos ceiling, to a gal who accidentally spilled acid on her navy dress and Mr. Groves' antics as he applied neutralizer was just some of the things that happened in that class. Then there was Wild Bill Alexander's math class. His favorite saying to everyone in the class was "You big dummy!" One day he caught one of the students eating something, Wild Bill asked him if those were raisins, at the guy replied: "Nope ... their smart pills - my rabbit died!" We thought old Wild Bill was going to lose it! Every class at Piqua Central was interesting to say the least.
Instrumental music at Central was interesting, especially if you were in the Marching 74. It was an honor to be selected to march in the band as it had a great history and tradition. We worked hard but was also had a lot of fun. Band camp at Camp Wakonda was a hoot once you were a Junior in the band. However, your Rookie year was putting up with you Senior's hazing (albeit minor) and trying to the best you could. I remember the flag raising at Wakonda where one morning the band assembled outside the Lodge before breakfast only to find bras and panties were hoisted high on pole with names of the various female members of the band on them. (Needless to say, none fit the person named.) Someone had to shinny up the pole to retrieve them before the flag could be raised. How about the time when as rookies experienced an early morning at O-Dark Thirty wake up by our Senior and taken out to do calisthenics / practice marching and one of our members had an epileptic seizure. The Senior freaked out and ran to wake up the band director. We got the guy out of the seizure and asked him if he could fake one the next time so we wouldn't have to get up early again. (It worked). Initiation night was interesting with the oyster / water melon stunt too. Rookie Year was hell. Our Junior Year was fun as we would could sit back and watch the new Rookies go through it like we did until the day a Senior smeared Limburger cheese on a Rookie and made him wear it all day. Outside, it was somewhat bearable as there was always a little wind, but inside the Lodge dining room, it was hell. It was so bad, we Juniors got up and left the dining hall as we had to sit next to the noxious person at the Rookie table. Our Senior year was a milder year as we remembered what was done to us and were reluctant to do the same to our Rookies. We had a good group of musicians and a good work ethic in the band. If we didn't get a drill right, the band director would make us do it until it was done correctly. This wasn't often, but since we practiced on an unlighted field behind High Street School, the parents cars who were on the sidelines would turn on their headlights so we could see to practice. Practices usually lasted 2 ours after school Tuesday through Friday while Mondays were reserved for watching films of the previous week's show. If you screwed up and it was caught on film, you heard about it from your Senior or Right Guide. (Not a fun time!) Fridays were stressful as you had to go home after practice, clean up, have a quick dinner, get into your uniform and get to either the Coke Hall downtown for the parade to the stadium or to Central for a quick inspection and then board the bus to travel to where ever the football game was being played that night. All in all, being in the Marching 74 was an honor and a fun time in our lives.
Senior Day at Central was, in some ways, a hoot. Remember the bike ride to Fountain Park and the doughnut party? How about the two teachers showing up on tandem bikes as chaperones since some of the seniors jacked up the lady's cars and put them on blocks? The "Orange juice" and the doughnuts were good too! ( Just ask those who tried to ride their bikes to the high school.) How about the teacher's desks stacked 3 high in the central hallway on the third floor? How about Wendell Carter's picture plastered window shades? Interesting day to say the least.
Finally, there was graduation practice. I remember when Squint Winters (Principal) had us lined up in the auditorium trying to place us in alphabetical order. Trying to put over 200 people in order was a chore. When he thought he was finished, he asked to the crowd: "Did I forget anyone?" Across the auditorium came the voice saying: "you forgot me Mr. Winters!" Squint snidely replied: "Not this year Fritz!" Fritz replied" Hell, I'm a third year Senior!" Needless to say the whole crowd was trying not to laugh out loud. The poor guy returned to shop class in exile.
Graduation Day came and we proudly picked up our diplomas exited the stage while our parents and grandparents felt a sense of relief and accomplishment as we were about to leave Central behind. Some of us went on to college, some to the military and some to seek employment somewhere doing whatever. Central was behind us and the whole world was ahead for us to try to make it a better place. Some succeeded; some didn't. Oh well, that's life.
Those were some of the things I can remember (and can publish!). It was just like yesterday. Sort of...
--- Stu Shear, Class of '66
As our 50th year reunion is approaching in 2016, my memory is jarred a little trying to remember the humorous things that happened during my years at Piqua Central. Nevertheless, I thought I would take time to opine on the things I remember.
Classes at Piqua Central were interesting to say the least. Lets face it: we had some good teachers and some great times.
I remember Coach Hardman's English class. If you got caught passing a note, he would put it on the opaque projector and he would read it aloud to the class and we would correct the grammar. The embarrassment to the people involved was huge, but the laughter by the class cut the seriousness of that period. Needless to say, not many notes were written that year. Coach Asher's class during football season was interesting .... a Friday quiz followed by reviewing the films of a football scouting report on that week's team. Then there were the likes of Pop Richardson and Mr. Wincent, who had great vocabularies and knew when and how to use them. On the serious side, Mr. Groves was a serous sort who put up with a lot of stupidity from his students in chemistry. From two idiots pouring flaming naphtha down a drain and turning on the water which immediately sent a flame high into the air to scorch the asbestos ceiling, to a gal who accidentally spilled acid on her navy dress and Mr. Groves' antics as he applied neutralizer was just some of the things that happened in that class. Then there was Wild Bill Alexander's math class. His favorite saying to everyone in the class was "You big dummy!" One day he caught one of the students eating something, Wild Bill asked him if those were raisins, at the guy replied: "Nope ... their smart pills - my rabbit died!" We thought old Wild Bill was going to lose it! Every class at Piqua Central was interesting to say the least.
Instrumental music at Central was interesting, especially if you were in the Marching 74. It was an honor to be selected to march in the band as it had a great history and tradition. We worked hard but was also had a lot of fun. Band camp at Camp Wakonda was a hoot once you were a Junior in the band. However, your Rookie year was putting up with you Senior's hazing (albeit minor) and trying to the best you could. I remember the flag raising at Wakonda where one morning the band assembled outside the Lodge before breakfast only to find bras and panties were hoisted high on pole with names of the various female members of the band on them. (Needless to say, none fit the person named.) Someone had to shinny up the pole to retrieve them before the flag could be raised. How about the time when as rookies experienced an early morning at O-Dark Thirty wake up by our Senior and taken out to do calisthenics / practice marching and one of our members had an epileptic seizure. The Senior freaked out and ran to wake up the band director. We got the guy out of the seizure and asked him if he could fake one the next time so we wouldn't have to get up early again. (It worked). Initiation night was interesting with the oyster / water melon stunt too. Rookie Year was hell. Our Junior Year was fun as we would could sit back and watch the new Rookies go through it like we did until the day a Senior smeared Limburger cheese on a Rookie and made him wear it all day. Outside, it was somewhat bearable as there was always a little wind, but inside the Lodge dining room, it was hell. It was so bad, we Juniors got up and left the dining hall as we had to sit next to the noxious person at the Rookie table. Our Senior year was a milder year as we remembered what was done to us and were reluctant to do the same to our Rookies. We had a good group of musicians and a good work ethic in the band. If we didn't get a drill right, the band director would make us do it until it was done correctly. This wasn't often, but since we practiced on an unlighted field behind High Street School, the parents cars who were on the sidelines would turn on their headlights so we could see to practice. Practices usually lasted 2 ours after school Tuesday through Friday while Mondays were reserved for watching films of the previous week's show. If you screwed up and it was caught on film, you heard about it from your Senior or Right Guide. (Not a fun time!) Fridays were stressful as you had to go home after practice, clean up, have a quick dinner, get into your uniform and get to either the Coke Hall downtown for the parade to the stadium or to Central for a quick inspection and then board the bus to travel to where ever the football game was being played that night. All in all, being in the Marching 74 was an honor and a fun time in our lives.
Senior Day at Central was, in some ways, a hoot. Remember the bike ride to Fountain Park and the doughnut party? How about the two teachers showing up on tandem bikes as chaperones since some of the seniors jacked up the lady's cars and put them on blocks? The "Orange juice" and the doughnuts were good too! ( Just ask those who tried to ride their bikes to the high school.) How about the teacher's desks stacked 3 high in the central hallway on the third floor? How about Wendell Carter's picture plastered window shades? Interesting day to say the least.
Finally, there was graduation practice. I remember when Squint Winters (Principal) had us lined up in the auditorium trying to place us in alphabetical order. Trying to put over 200 people in order was a chore. When he thought he was finished, he asked to the crowd: "Did I forget anyone?" Across the auditorium came the voice saying: "you forgot me Mr. Winters!" Squint snidely replied: "Not this year Fritz!" Fritz replied" Hell, I'm a third year Senior!" Needless to say the whole crowd was trying not to laugh out loud. The poor guy returned to shop class in exile.
Graduation Day came and we proudly picked up our diplomas exited the stage while our parents and grandparents felt a sense of relief and accomplishment as we were about to leave Central behind. Some of us went on to college, some to the military and some to seek employment somewhere doing whatever. Central was behind us and the whole world was ahead for us to try to make it a better place. Some succeeded; some didn't. Oh well, that's life.
Those were some of the things I can remember (and can publish!). It was just like yesterday. Sort of...
--- Stu Shear, Class of '66
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