Memories
Hello to All:
Debra Childers Maiden name DeLong
daeldebrachilders@netzero.net
You wanted to see pictures of our newer uniforms and Sister Laurentine where here you go!
Debby Wayman you should know that I really had to look to get these out of archives. Jan Argenta and I were partners in the Science Fair at one time. Blanche, Anne Doyle, April Heltsley, Patty Torchia, Joyce, Mary Monti just a few I found. I just know if you look closely you can tell what some of us thought of our play time! Volleyball, kickball and grabbing the communion wine were all a part of good Ole BS. Look at some of our signatures from when the report cards would come out in those manila envelopes. What about dodge ball where we wanted to really hurt each other throwing that ball! Then when you think about it I was nearly convinced to become a nun from Sister Deloria in 5th grade. I met my very first friend Zita Savitski in first grade on the very first day! Do you all remember where you were when you heard the news about President John F. Kennedy being shot? I do I was sitting in my first grade class with Sister Theodore as our teacher and the announcement came over the load speaker. You could have heard a pin drop! Then crying and we really did not know why! Then I met Mary Monti that year too! Remember the finger math creature in second grade.
Mr. Vlasic I could never forget you… how could I!! I wrote 1000 times the Bible verse Ephesians 2: 8-9 (look it up) because I shared my paper with a friend (who will remain nameless) and I got the holey paddle for that one! Bend over and touch your toes!!! How humbling, NOT!!!!!
Mr. Zagar was a great teacher. He taught me to express myself with writing what I truly thought and felt. That was a time in my life where writing really did the trick. I continue to do so till this day.
I have been married going on 32 years now to my High School sweetheart, Dale Childers. We have two beautiful children: Our daughter Heidi nearly 28 yrs old now and our son Caleb who just turned 14 and is going to be in 9th grade next year. I work for American Airlines and have for 10 years now. My interests aside from family and friends have been Scouting, boy and girl, scrap booking and writing.
My most memorable moment in travels I have to tell you.
Do you all remember the New York Black Out? We do? Our very first vacation to the Big Apple, New York and of all things we got caught in the Black out in the subway under the East River for 2 hours. Our son Caleb prior to the halt of the train said, “Why are the lights doing that? (Flickering on and off). People around us just told him that it’s normal. Train then halts, for 2 hours with no air and nothing to drink and sweating people everywhere. We had to walk to the front of the train from car to car and then climb down off the engine and then walk through the suit filled tunnel, climb up a lot of stairs to the street above. We found other tourists in disbelief as well! We spent the day walking and walking and walking trying to find our way back to our hotel. People were price gauging all the way, $5.00 for a bottle of 8 oz water. We have not been back since but are willing to give it another try someday.
My life has been traveling from Indiana to Georgia, Alabama, my husband joined the Army, off to Germany for 4 years, then Oklahoma, Dale doing 2-1 year tours in Korea without his family, to Texas and we have lived here ever since.
Something you may not remember me doing is being a part of the Talent Show dressed up as Louis Armstrong, in black face paint, white gloves and lips, black suit and singing “Hello Dolly!” If any of you remember that was not the best thing to do in an all white school. WOW, I did not win a prize! I hope that April Heltsley is around and remembers the verse we wrote together. Peter Reba my square dance partner.
I can go on forever! See what good memories this has brought upon us all.
Thanks for getting this off the ground and see you all soon.
posted by Debra Childers (DeLong) @ 8:04 AM
5 Comments:
Well, Debbie, my face is red--sorry! I can't remember the incident you refer to, but I do remember that much more "appropriate" behaviour was expected in those days (things usually ignored in classrooms to-day). If the exercise caused you to remember Ephesians 2:8-9 forever, then that part of it all had to be worthwhile!
I also don't remember the paddle part for your "offence", but I kept that paddle with all the holes--I think Sr. Theodore gave it to me. I never really hit anyone with it to hurt. We would go into the hallway where as often as not, I'd hit the bottom of my shoe and the "receiver" would do a great howl to scare the kids back in the classroom. It certainly had a lot of signatures on it, and I somehow lost this "souvenir" a few years ago--probably the termites got it! :)
It's a good thing such things are no longer part of the educational experience. In the early 70s I worked with a teacher who really liked to hurt kids with his paddle--not a good thing at all!
It is interesting how this kind of a thing lays heavily on the memory more than anything else--that was not the intent!
After 2 years at BS and one last year teaching at Noll, I left the profession until 1993 (20 year vacation), at which time I got my present job at Pierce Middle School in Merrillville.
Having attended Catholic schools myself from 1st grade through freshman year in college (Loras, Dubuque, Iowa), I am no stranger to witnessing physical discipline. As Mr. V points out, there was a broad spectrum within which this form of discipline was meted out. On the best end of it, a light tap done out of sight (but not necessarily out of earshot) was probably performed to instill HUMILITY, if nothing else. What could be more humbling at that age than having someone other than your parent whack your donkey, with the other kids knowing what was happening?
On the other end of that road you have the genuine child-hating sadists, and sad to say, I met a few as a student and later as a teacher.
I guess that I stand 99.9% against physical self discipline of the type that we speak of here. Yet, there is a systemic breakdown in American society regarding morality, respect (of self and others), etc.
I found it ironic a month ago when our principal was encouraging less violence during the morning announcements. This was during Aries and of course I expected a spike of, shall we say, over-the-top enthusiasm in interpersonal relationships. In short, Spring brought us more fist fights.
YET, kids are not blind, deaf or dumb (some are arguably in the lattermost category). They surely must know that America currently suffers under a post-9/11 drive toward empire--even fascism--with the two top executives in the federal government insisting on having unlimited power, including the power to kidnap people off of foreign streets and then fly them to less-than-free nations where they can be tortured. Mind you, these are not people convicted of crimes, and I cling to the American value that you have to be PROVEN guilty. Must be that old altar boy/Boy Scout thing in me.
So that leaves the teacher--and society at large--with the problem of HOW to discipline in the ABSENCE of old, discarded physical methods when you have rampant disrespect, disruptive proclivities and horrible role models among powerful adults who have lost all control and decency themselves.
Teaching--and society--ain't what it used to be. Cherish your reunion moments. While things weren't perfect back in the early 1970's, recollections DO speak of a brighter era (in some regards).
Mister Z
I certainly agree with Mr. Z that things are not as they used to be. In a sense we may at BS have been a bit isolated, but when the Vietnam War was in full "glory" there were rallies in the church and rallies around the flag outside to "support" the war against all those "nasty godless commies". Never once did anyone try to realise that we were supposedly a Christian school which should have been serving and obeying the Lord's demand to love all people.
I came up against a lot of opposition when I tried to end these displays of support for war and violence. At the best I could stand aside and fume, as I was required to escort my classes to these rallies. Does anyone remember them?
Unfortunately, there are still too few listening to those of us who warn that war and invasion and empire building are fast leading us to destroying our own nation.
God help us, as we are sowing the seeds of our own demise!
Laurie Cuprinski,
I was so excited to see your name on the list of people attending the reunion. Where is your sister Tina? Cindy and I were really hoping she would be coming too. You have to talk her into coming if she is not planning to attend.
Debbie, are you related to Donna and Brenda DeLong? If so, your family rented my basement apartment for a few years back in the 1950's. Six degrees of separation!
Ted Z
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home