Monday, June 22, 2020

what people wrote in my jr high yearbook, 1978

In the late 70s I attended Brook Haven Junior High (6th - 8th grades) in Sebastopol. I hated it. Yet at the end of 7th grade I bought the yearbook. Not sure why. To salvage the experience somehow? I loved books and something about seeing myself and the people I knew in a book? I was disappointed I only appeared in one photo, the individual portrait lined up in the gallery of classmates. Looking through the yearbook, I find I remember a greater percentage of the kids than in my high school yearbooks. But then Brook Haven was a smaller school. 

When I got the yearbook I had to buck up my courage to ask people to sign it. I watched other kids eagerly exchanging theirs, and once again felt left out. Then there was the disappointment of getting it back when I had found someone to sign it and having to read the emptiness of “have a great summer” over and over. I knew I wouldn’t be seeing any of these people in the summer. It felt like a taunt. Or, at least, boring. I have no examples of what I wrote in anyone else’s yearbook, but I do remember resolving never to write “have a great summer.” I did not buy the 1979 edition.

I have faithfully reproduced all misspellings.


in a corner of the front cover:


Glen,
It’s been cool knowin ya, stay cool
Jeff


inside front cover:


Glenn, It’s been nice knowing you and have fun next year.
Louise


To Glenn,
I have learned a lot from you. Have a super summer and keep on reading your favorite books.
from 
Kim Strange


Glenn, 
Hope you have a great summer & 8th grade year!
your friend
Cindy Well


Pity your not in the 8th you could have come to camp and I really could have bugged you! But your a good kid, even if you are in 7th grade!
Ninnah


Glenn,
Have a good summer (so original). Drama was the highlight of the year. I’ll see you when you get to Analy (if you graduate)!
Good luck,
Greg Victor


To a real nice friend
have a nice summer and good luck next year
Christine Masaoka


from the faculty pages:


Best of luck. See you next year.
Dave Graves [vice principal]


To a real sweet and cute guy,
Have a fun summer and I’ll see you next year.
love, Mrs [Joanne] Myers [girls P. E.]


Onward and upward as an eighth-grader — much success!
Mr. [Dennis] C[hristiansen] [boys’ P.E.]


Glenn, 
Best wishes
M[arilyn] Neff [Arts & Crafts]


teacher signatures without notes:
James Pascoe, principal
Karen Nahmens, history
Oran Sapp, music
Harley Parmenter, science


Autographs page:


Hi — Glenn
Fritz Friday [I can’t read the signature so this is a total guess]


Hi, I know your brother — so have a good summer
Kathy Spillane


Have fun this summer
Kelly Strong (Kyle)


Have a great summer
Chris


Best wishes glenn
Mark Henson


Have a cool summer
Mike


Bill, give me your pistol!
Davy Figaro


[no message]
Doran Reynolds


Have a great summer
Rich H.
Have a great summer
Rich H.
[yes, he wrote it twice]


Hope to see you next year
Kenny Anderson


Hi 
George Herring


Have a good one
Jocko Parkinson


Hi Glenn
Have a nice summer
Stuart


Boatswain,
It was fun having you in drama
and doing the play!
Diane


Glenn
I hope you have a great summer
I hope to see you next year
Adrienne Sklavos


Hi 
from Kenny P.


Have a good summer 
hope to see you next year
Jon D. 


Glen, 
Have a nice summer and have a good school year and good luck
Danny Lindstrom


In Graduating Class Favorites next to her picture for “Teacher’s Pet”:

Glenn —
I wish you were an 8th grader.
You dance so well.
Karen [Elvy]


inside back cover:


Glenn,
Have a nice summer and stay out of trouble with everyone. Hope to see you next year.
your friend, 
Larry


Glenn,
have fun in 8th grade
John Knox


Have a nice summer
Russ


Glenn,
to a really nice & cute guy.
have a great summer see you next year. 
good luck always
love,
Stacie * 


Start doing push-ups over the summer. Then as an 8th grader you may get rowdy which every well-rounded person must do once. Never Quit.
Luck
Chris


Glenn,
Don’t beat up to many 7th graders next year. See ya when ya get to Analy. 
love,
Jackie Beat 


***


There are two references above to our junior high production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore. I had the role of Boatswain, which we pronounced Boat’s wane, rather than Bosun. I got two lines? Ralph (which our teacher had us pronounce “Rafe”) Rackstraw asks me for my gun, and I say something like, “Here it is!” I don’t remember what the other line would have been.

I just looked up the script for H.M.S. Pinafore and Boatswain got a lot more than two lines! I knew Mr Sapp had abridged the play — or used an already abridged version — but, boy, did I get ripped off. Of course, there’s only so much sitting on cold metal bleachers you can expect of supportive parents. All the meaty parts went to 8th graders, and I’m sure those were greatly abbreviated as well. 

I got a big part myself the next year, the lead gangster in Mrs. McThing. I remember H.M.S. Pinafore going pretty well. Mrs McThing, sadly, did not. A story for another day.

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