Memories from our Senior Year – January 1972
Author: Rob Corns
As we turn the calendar into a new year, I’m guessing a lot of Truckers were huddled around their 16 inch Panasonic Color TV watching the ball drop in Times Square accompanying by the Big Band sounds of 69 year old Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians playing “Auld Lang Syne”.
Unfortunately for us, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve didn’t debut until the end of 1972, but hey, traditions have to stop somewhere! And, keep in mind, Lakewood’s curfew specifically states that “No child 16 and 17 years old will be permitted on the city streets, sidewalks, or public property between the hours of 11:00 PM and 6:00 AM”. But, if you WERE out that night and under 18, I’ve been informed that the statute of limitations ran out on Jan1st of this year!
But, it was back to school on January 3. Besides showing off the new bell-bottoms and plaid pants they had received for Christmas, baby it was cold outside! I’m not sure what the criteria was for school closings back 50 years ago…I mean, let’s face it: we tell our kids and grand kids that, when we went to school, we had to go even if there was 30 feet of snow outside and it was 30 degrees below zero!! But, looking over the month of January, 1972, it did get as high as 58 and went down to -14 degrees…but that on was on a weekend! And snow? There was a couple of days where there was 3 feet, so school may or may not have been closed. Just stick with the original story above and put those kids to shame!
Being this cold, I stayed in for lunch and ate in the LHS cafeteria, even though I, as well as the cafeteria workers, had no idea what was actually IN the soup of the day. Usually, it was pretty crowded, so I would wander around trying to find a place to sit down. Now, my memory is a little fuzzy coming back from break, but I somehow remember hearing conversations from some of our fellow Truckers. At one table, some of the football “jocks” were talking about The Browns season. Now, it may have been Dave Norton, I’m not sure, but someone said, “I’ll tell you this, The Browns may not be going to The Superbowl this year, but I’m sure Art Modell will get the key players we need, so just wait ‘til next year!”
Then, I THINK I passed a table where a bunch of senior girls were talking and I THINK I heard this, “So Jamie Sparks, how’s it going with you and Bob?” “Oh, good, I guess.. He’s a cute guy, sort of like David Cassidy!” All the girls said, “Ooooooh!” “How about you, Carol Anna. You still seeing that Chuck guy?” “Yeah, I guess. I don’t know if I have a future with him. Reminds me of Donny Osmond!” All the girls said, “Ewwwww!” “But Cathy Devan, tell us more about this guy Mike you’ve been seeing!” “Well, he’s in the National Honor Society, TV Crew and he keeps himself in shape by jogging. I can tell you this: he’s run cirles around my heart!” All the girls said, “Awwww!!”
Passing yet another table in the cafeteria, I overheard some arguing between some seniors, perhaps it was Steve Petras and Mike Summers, I’m not quite sure, but the conversation went like this, “So, why would someone drive their Chevy to some levee when they probably knew it was dry? And what’s with the ‘The day the music died’?” Then, someone said, “Hey, there’s Mr. DiBiasio, maybe he could help. Hey, Mr. D! We’re trying to figure out the lyrics to a song called American Pie. Have you heard it?” To which he answered, “Is that by Sinatra, Tony Bennett or Perry Como?”
At that point, I found an empty table and ate my lunch.
The varsity wrestling team with seniors Nils Jaegersem, Richard Kirby and the aforementioned Dave Norton with their new coach Tom Cousineau grappled through a good season, putting Lakewood in the top 50 wrestling schools in the district!!
Two long running TV shows began in January 1972, “Sanford & Son” and “Emergency!” Also, the premiere of the cult classic “The Night Stalker” starring “A Christmas Story” Darrin McGavin was aired. As far as movies, you could go to the Homestead or Variety Theater and see John Wayne in “The Cowboys” of Robert Redford in “The Hot Rock”.
Besides “American Pie”, some of the other songs we were listening to back in January 1972 wee Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” “Badfinger’s “Day After Day”, “Brand New Key” by Melanie, “Sunshine” by Jonathan Edwards and Carly Simon’s “Anticipation” which included these classic lines:
And tomorrow we might not be together
I’m no prophet and I don’t know nature’s ways
So I’ll try and see into your eyes right now
And stay right here ’cause these are the good old days.
And, yes fellow Truckers, they were!
