Let's start at the top, won't we:Row 1: - Rockin' 7th grade teacher, Mr. O'Halloran. Who didn't have a crush on this dude? Brought his guitar to class and sang "Stairway to Heaven" nearly every day of my 7th grade year. Sigh. I heard he was busted for drugs years later. Wouldn't doubt it.
- Right next to him (arrgghh) was my friend, Barb. She was like the only other normal kid in this homeroom. I clung to her like a life preserver.
- Last girl in the row is Amy Kampka. Geesh, this girl was a BEYOTCH. Don't even ask me about the camping trip we took with her family--it was one step beyond hell. I heard she's dead now. But not from the camping trip.
Row 2: - Nothin' to say, these are just your everyday dorkamundos.
Row 3: - We're startin' out strong with cute me and my "shag" haircut. Snappy 'do, eh?
- We head towards the middle with Rob Lauciello (the little chub-ball) and end with Dave Wingo. He has an arm coming out of his head.
Row 4: - What is with the "Pat" in the middle? Who the hell is that??! Criminy, I don't remember him/her being in my class. That is one scary kid
- And I don't remember the last girl's name, but I remember her being very weird. She was embarrassed that she had to wear a bra, so she would put a t-shirt over her bra under her clothes. I only know this because the mean girls would point and laugh at her in the locker room at gym. And she also did the unthinkable -- she wore crew socks. Gasp! (Why do I remember this about her?) It was either knee socks or anklets back in the day, nobody wore crew socks--well, except her.
Row 5: - Check out the black dude in the middle! Yikes. Was that guy like 15 or what?? And he's so black, he hardly shows up. I remember his name was Dwayne and he was a fun guy. I just feel bad that they couldn't do a little Photoshop on 'ol Dwayne to adjust the contrast.
- Oh, right before Dwaye is Wendy Fox. She walked on her toes all the time.
Isn't it weird the stuff that you remember? I mean, I haven't seen this photo in years, but all these funky stories about these kids just come flooding back like it was yesterday. For some reason, I don't remember the names as much as in the earlier years, but I remember the weird stuff they did.
I wonder what they remember about me?? Uh oh.
25 comments:
No. All seventh graders were thugs in the mid-70s. Well, except for you and Barb, of course.
(My level of expertise? I taught seventh grade for nine years back in the day. Loved nearly every minute of it.)
It is great that you have kept these special memories. Nostalgia is fun-- in small doses.
I don't remember much about 7th grade. In 75-76 I was a high school junior. Bad year.
For our 30 year hs reunion 2 years ago, one of the girls who was outgoing and popular was in the midst of a divorce from an abusive boyfriend and father of her 4 year old twins. She had been in the local paper for having been attacked at a local restaurant when he came to drop off the kids. She was sad at how her life had turned out.
Thugs I don't know-geeks yep.
That one in the middle is scary. But I found you before I read your post.
If that had been me instead of Dave Wingo, the arm would have been holding me down and keeping me still long enough to get a photo. Hhmmm that was about the time Sylvia and I were returning with our boys to the States after three years in Costa Rica and Ecuador.
Why is it that you can always tell the gals so easy in those photos. The guys change so much it's like they're from another planet.
7th grade is pretty awkward for everyone except for those few perfect kids who went through their life cool and beautiful.
ahem, I was not one of those.
LOL You are doing well to remember all those people! When I look at old class photos, the faces are familiar, the names not so much. =)
Omg so was every single class identical OR did every class have to have these exact same types? Was it like a law of the universe... like a vacuum must be filled. So a class empty of one of these arch-types has to be filled or ....a cataclysmic explosion will occur?
Oh what can one say about Mr. O'Halloran? Oh man....
Oh my gosh, mug shots for certain. Those are all pretty horrid.
I'm gonna leave you and the shag alone though. I have NO room to talk about things like that.
Lin this is too funny! Especially since the other night I dreamed about my high school class. Weird! Now I'm tempted to pull out my senior high year book. Only, my picture is SOO hideous it may scare me into nightmares!
Thanks for the comment on my blog, by the way. I'll miss you too!! I'll probably float in and out during the break but I'm looking forward to coming back strong. This is a much needed break.
Jen
Oh, what a little cutie! And here I was looking for a blonde girl.
Those are some rough-looking characters, all right. We had our version of Mr. O'Halloran. His name was Mr. Swan, and we all had huge crushes on him. I remember there was some scandal concerning him and a married teacher.
Ah, the good old days.
Oh my God....You ruined my coffee. I am laughing so hard my stomach hurts! Make me want to go dig out a class photo...if I could even FInd one that is. I think when we moved out of the house my mom erased any piece of our existence.
Oh! Pooor ppoooorrr PAT!! (S)he's the first one I noticed.
I would have FAILED out of 7th grade if I had your teacher. I even had to zoom in and stare for a bit. woo eee! We only had nuns or gay guys. sigh.
Now I'm gonna be thinking about my old classmates all day!
I went and picked you out before I read all the photo comments! NICE shag!
Speaking of photos...I am taking Jake down to get his Sr portraits done by Jo this evening! I'm excited! (Yes...a mom's right of passage...the teen could care less!)
HILARIOUS my friend!! Sounds like your teacher was a very cool guy...and yes cute too! Loved the "PAT" in the middle....gosh my friends and I have always howled at anyone "PAT -like!" Its a major laugh a minute with us! HAve a good weekend!
I would seriously have a crush on Mr. O'Halleran too! I wonder what he looks like now?
7th grade was the WORST. Set me permanently on my hermit path. Glad you survived.
Yeah, better not ask. And oh my, my - that was your teacher? How the hell did you learn anything that year...And the girl on the left, at the very bottom? Awfully good looking...strikingly so...What happened to her?
LOL, makes me want to pull out my seventh grade yearbook and check out all the pictures.
Pat....the original "Ugly Betty"? 7th grade might be THE most awkward age. Fran's dad
Hmmm, I went into a public school for the first time in 7th grade. After being in a Catholic School for the first 6 years. Most of the kids had gone to school together since forever.
I was chubby
I wore glasses
I was smart
It wasn't pretty
Vanilla--Back then, you were either a thug or a dork. I feel into the latter. :) That's cool that you taught 7th grade--it was my favorite year in grade school actually.
Helene--It's funny how things turn out for some of those kids from our past. Rarely do the "cool" kids remain so. That's funny that you found me! Everyone says I don't change much.
Chuck--David Wingo wasn't a wild kid, so I sort of feel bad about the arm. I'm sure they razzed him about it. Yeah, guys really change a lot don't they? Why??
lifeshighway--Neither was I. I was a major dork and kinda still am.
Annette--I could name everyone in my 4th grade class, but not the middle school one because we were mixed in with kids from 6 different schools at that point. It's funny what weird stuff I remember about these people though.
Tracy--LOL! Yeah, you think you are so unique! Don't you love the token black kid? Poor Dwayne. Can you imagine being him in 7th grade? That had to be tough.
Violet--Wasn't he HOT for a teacher back then?? Me and Barb just spent our entire year drooling.
Jen--I don't think high school photos are as bad as grade school ones. At least we got to choose our fashions in high school.
JD--Mr. Swan! LOL! I remember the other teachers not liking Mr. O'Halloran very much--imagine working with this dude! Party on, Mr. O!
peewee--My mom just gave me a whole envelopes of photos from my youth. I've been cracking up going through them! Can you believe that luck of getting Mr. O for our homeroom teacher?? We were the envy of all the girls.
Diana--Yeah, the face hasn't changed much, has it?? Jo did my family's photos in the fall--she is FABULOUS!! Be sure to post some of the shots--I want to see them.
Hot Rocks--That poor girl! I wonder what she looks like now??? And you know, I really don't even remember her at all!
LJ--Me and Barb were the envy of every 7th grade girl having him for our homeroom teacher. Sigh. Yeah, he was cute AND cool. I don't want to even think what he looks like now--don't want to spoil the image.
Sharky--I actually liked 7th grade, but I had some really good friends who liked me in spite of my dorkiness. It takes a really good friend to survive.
Grace--He was cute, wasn't he?? :) Oh, that is Mickey Franklin and I'm not sure what happened to her. She was a good friend for a bit, but we sort of moved on. I do know that she had a child out of wedlock right after high school, but that's all I know.
Ann--If you find it, I'll be waiting for you to share photos! Can't wait. :)
Fran's Dad--I have to agree. But I was pretty dorky for all 3 years of middle school.....and beyond. :) I embrace my inner dork.
Pricilla--Well, I'm sure it was wicked at the Catholic school too--or worse. I think you are fodder for abuse no matter where you go.
Lin you are too funny! I think your class looked a lot like my class so I guess we were all thugs in 7th grade back then! I can't even remember what year I was in the 7th grade - how bad is that?
LOL!!
7th grade would be Form 1 for us. At least, you guys didn't have to wear those icky uniforms we wore!! As if, we weren't awkward enough at that cruel age.
I'm sure the stories about you would be just as wacky. But that's ok. Wow, your teacher WAS a hottie.
Beaded Tail--I think 7th grade is probably the dorkiest year of our lives, right? Well, I'm going with that. I had a couple of really good friends to get me through those years, which I think is a necessity.
Veronica--The other day Em and I were shopping and I noticed that jumpsuits were making a comeback. I swear I had a middle-school flashback because they reminded me of those horrible gym suits we had to wear for gym class. Ugh. Yeah, talk about scarring.
Casey--Oh, I'm sure there are folks STILL laughing about dorky me! I was such a loser back then and I've got the emotional scars to prove it. But don't we all on some level?? Thank god for Mr. O--I sorta forget middle school hell when I was in homeroom.
Wow, that one in the middle really does have an arm coming out of his head. How'd that get by the yearbook staff? yikes.
Post a Comment