This is the month President John F. Kennedy was shot. It was1963; our freshmen year.
Where were each of you on that never to be forgotten day?
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A meeting place for the W.T. Woodson High School Class of 1967 to discuss their past, present and future.
The questionnaire
We're still looking for more people to participate in "When I'm 64." Below is the questionnaire to fill out and send to Mike Rappaport at m_rappaport@earthlink.net.
Thanks.
Please answer the questions as fully as possible. Short answers are not useful, although they can be helpful in providing areas for follow-up in an interview. An answer of 2-3 paragraphs or longer to many of the questions will be appreciated.
1. Short answer here, and be honest. How did you view yourself in high school? (popular, jock, politico, nerd, school-spirited, etc.) And how did others view you?
2. How did you see our years at Woodson (1963-67) in the context of the same period in the U.S. Remember that there were race riots all over the country in those years, that Vietnam protest was beginning, etc. Were we involved? Were we sheltered?
3. A lot of fascinating things happened in the years immediately after we left high school – assassinations, Chicago ’68, the moon landing, Woodstock, more war protests, etc. What involvement did you have with any of these things?
4. In those same years, were you hippie or straight, military or protester? In other words, how did you finish the ‘60s?
5. Moving ahead, how did you enter adulthood? The traditional college and job model, or in and out of school finding yourself? Or have you resisted growing up all these years?
6. Here’s one you can skip if you like: Was the sexual revolution a part of your life, or have you been fairly traditional?
7. An important one: Has your life been relatively similar to that of your parents or very different? If so, how?
8. How much has high school remained an important part of your life? Lifelong friends, contacts, etc.?
9. How has your life so far turned out compared to what you thought it would be when you were 18? Very similar? Very different? How and why?
10. Tell us about your family.
11. Tell us the most interesting thing that ever happened to you.
12. Tell us – if you want – the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you.
13. When was the time you stopped thinking of 64 as extremely old? What do you expect to be doing "when you’re 64?"
14. Philosophize a little – if you’d like – about the long, strange trip our generation has been on since 1967.
15. Tell us the best way to get in touch with you for a follow-up interview.
Thanks.
Please answer the questions as fully as possible. Short answers are not useful, although they can be helpful in providing areas for follow-up in an interview. An answer of 2-3 paragraphs or longer to many of the questions will be appreciated.
1. Short answer here, and be honest. How did you view yourself in high school? (popular, jock, politico, nerd, school-spirited, etc.) And how did others view you?
2. How did you see our years at Woodson (1963-67) in the context of the same period in the U.S. Remember that there were race riots all over the country in those years, that Vietnam protest was beginning, etc. Were we involved? Were we sheltered?
3. A lot of fascinating things happened in the years immediately after we left high school – assassinations, Chicago ’68, the moon landing, Woodstock, more war protests, etc. What involvement did you have with any of these things?
4. In those same years, were you hippie or straight, military or protester? In other words, how did you finish the ‘60s?
5. Moving ahead, how did you enter adulthood? The traditional college and job model, or in and out of school finding yourself? Or have you resisted growing up all these years?
6. Here’s one you can skip if you like: Was the sexual revolution a part of your life, or have you been fairly traditional?
7. An important one: Has your life been relatively similar to that of your parents or very different? If so, how?
8. How much has high school remained an important part of your life? Lifelong friends, contacts, etc.?
9. How has your life so far turned out compared to what you thought it would be when you were 18? Very similar? Very different? How and why?
10. Tell us about your family.
11. Tell us the most interesting thing that ever happened to you.
12. Tell us – if you want – the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you.
13. When was the time you stopped thinking of 64 as extremely old? What do you expect to be doing "when you’re 64?"
14. Philosophize a little – if you’d like – about the long, strange trip our generation has been on since 1967.
15. Tell us the best way to get in touch with you for a follow-up interview.
One year and still going strong
We've passed the one-year mark, and after a very slow summer, we're back at it.
If you check the numbers (View My Stats), you'll see that we have had nearly 12,000 page hits. While that doesn't make us Matt Drudge or CNN.com, I think our little Woodson site has been a big success.
Please -- keep coming back.
If you check the numbers (View My Stats), you'll see that we have had nearly 12,000 page hits. While that doesn't make us Matt Drudge or CNN.com, I think our little Woodson site has been a big success.
Please -- keep coming back.
Contributors
Other Mike Rappaport blogs
Counting our visitors
America, who's your daddy?
Blog Archive
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2007
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November
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- It's a fascinating thing about diversity
- Sports just not worth it anymore
- Were we really completely 'whitebread?'
- Not just getting older, getting better
- Truly the best family holiday of all
- Looking for Margie Smith . . .
- Where Were You That Day?
- Another plug for the message boards
- We've added yet another new feature
- Your First Day at Woodson
- If I don't post this one, I know Dena will
- Still more about these amazing pictures
- I wonder why we were all so serious
- Yes, we were children, but still ...
- These days, we might as well not exist
- Child abuse in the 1960's???
- Into the Wild...Another Woodson Classmate
- Where in the heck did I leave my car?
- A tribute to someone who deserves one
- All right then, so it wasn't Gene
- So this guy has got to be Gene, I guess
- Gene, Gene, he's our man ...
- Have you seen this with your kids?
- Memories of Teachers, part 1
- Here's the last of the old pictures
- More About Our Senior Yearbook
- 40 years later, are we still dreaming?
- A lot has happened in 40 years
- Helen Roberts is a "Class" Act!!!
- There's something happening here ...
- Another picture of two real beauties
- A post for Gail -- and a question
- Even the legends are starting to show up
- Those were the days, my friends
- Question about our senior yearbook
- A question, a photo and an offer
- Now for a true blast from the past
- The last of the MacLeods at least for now
- Sometimes someone else has a good point
- Another picture -- and a poll question
- Back to Gail's pictures for the wrapup
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November
(41)
9 comments:
We went to school until 3:30 in those days, and we had just started the last period when they announced that the president had been shot.
I was in Earth Science -- Mrs. Banks -- when they announced it. It had happened an hour ago, and although we didn't know it yet, JFK had been dead for about 40 minutes.
Fifteen or 20 minutes later, they announced that President Kennedy was dead.
I was in Montgomery, Alabama in Cloverdale Junior High School. I was in my afternoon gym class with Judy Hart (yes, the same cutie who went to Woodson later). It was very upsetting as a lot of the home grown classmates were laughing and saying he deserved it. Judy and I were crying and so were a lot of the other ladies in our class who were military brats not from the area. When I arrived home, I ran out to boo hoo to my Mom who was at the fence talking to a home-grown Montgomery lady who lived next door. Miss Vivian, as she liked to be called, hugged me and apologized for the behavior of the other children in the class. Miss Vivian's oldest son later became a news anchor in DC for the White House - Jim Stewart.
And Judy Hart's folks and my folks moved all those miles away to this vast area and we landed across the street from each other----my saving grace.
Dale, your friendship with Judy sounds like a really wonderful story for you.
I was in Mrs. Seek’s algebra class, when the announcement was made, everyone was stunned. As the events unfolded, I remember feeling that was one of the darkest weeks of my life. Until then the television TV had really just been a source of entertainment but it all changed that day. I really just remember the somberness.
All I remember is sitting on the school bus, staring into negative space. I was feeling a combination of numb and scared and like my heart was gone. The bus was still in the school lot, probably loading.
It is strange having no memory of the announcement or of where I was.
Dale, thanks for asking this question.
Some sites delete comments for content. I didn't realize when I deleted one of the posts here that it would say it had been deleted.
The only reason I took it out was because the same exact post had been made twice.
I won't censor anybody.
It was early morning and I was on my way to Honolulu to get my driving permit...We could drive at 15 and my birthday was two days earlier...The radio announced that he had been shot in Dallas...Half way through the written test a policeman came into the room and told us he had died...That news didn't prevent me from getting my permit...When I returned to Kailua HS, there was a service in the common area for him...Seems like yesterday...Dudley
I was in Home Economics class cooking something. I remember feeling devastated by it all. Seemed unreal and impossible.
Other times that time stood still in my memory: Moon landing, space shuttle disaster and 9-11.
Gail
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