Some time in the late winter or early spring of my senior year, I started to make college plans. Many of my friends were going through the lengthy decision and application process that comes with deciding on where to go to college. For me, it was pretty simple. It was always a fore gone conclusion that, if I went to college, I would go to BYU. That's what most LDS girls living away from "Zion" did. They went off to BYU, primarily to find a good Mormon boy to marry. Plus my sister, Linda, and brother, John, were already in Provo attending BYU.
Back then, the requirements to get into BYU were pretty easy. All you needed was to have at least a "C" average, take the ACT test, have an endorsement from your Bishop and you were accepted. There wasn't even an application deadline. I'm sure that with the competitive requirements that BYU has today, I would have never gotten in. I'm smart, but was a lazy student with just average grades. I hadn't really taken college prep classes in high school. My curriculum was more secretarial/business based. But I filled out the application, took the ACT and got my Bishop's endorsement. Not long after, I got notice that I was accepted. My friend, Norene, applied to BYU as well. We made plans to be roommates on campus.
So, in the fall of 1964, at the age of seventeen and a half, I would be living far away from home as a freshman at BYU. I had no idea what I would major in, but looked forward to the new experience.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
RAH! RAH!
At JEB Stuart High School, there was an annual Varsity - Faculty basketball game. It was a pretty big deal. Part of the event included having special cheerleaders chosen from the senior class. Seniors nominated candidates. Then those candidates were voted on by only the senior class. Votes were 10 cents a vote with all the proceeds being donated to the senior class fund. You could vote as many times as you wanted.
My friend, Cory, nominated me for cheerleader. I didn't think that I had much of a chance since it was more or less a popularity contest. I had friends. But I didn't think that I had enough in the senior class to be chosen as a cheerleader.
Containers were set up in the cafeteria for the week prior to the basketball game. I was very surprised when the money in each container was counted at the end of the week. I had made the cheerleading squad!! Really??
The Varsity/Faculty game cheerleaders had to borrow uniforms from the regular cheerleaders. I was lucky that one of the girls on the squad was about my size. Her uniform fit me perfectly.I had a fun time pretending to be a cheerleader at the game...my one and only experience as a cheerleader.
It was until after the game that I found out how it came to be that I was voted a cheerleader. My friend, Cory, had stuffed the ballot box! In addition to the votes that I got from my circle of friends, she had put in $2. Her votes alone represented half of the senior class.
Being a Varsity/Faculty game cheerleader was about my only claim to fame at JEB Stuart High School. I even had a picture with other cheerleaders in the yearbook for that year.
My friend, Cory, nominated me for cheerleader. I didn't think that I had much of a chance since it was more or less a popularity contest. I had friends. But I didn't think that I had enough in the senior class to be chosen as a cheerleader.
Containers were set up in the cafeteria for the week prior to the basketball game. I was very surprised when the money in each container was counted at the end of the week. I had made the cheerleading squad!! Really??
The Varsity/Faculty game cheerleaders had to borrow uniforms from the regular cheerleaders. I was lucky that one of the girls on the squad was about my size. Her uniform fit me perfectly.I had a fun time pretending to be a cheerleader at the game...my one and only experience as a cheerleader.
It was until after the game that I found out how it came to be that I was voted a cheerleader. My friend, Cory, had stuffed the ballot box! In addition to the votes that I got from my circle of friends, she had put in $2. Her votes alone represented half of the senior class.
Being a Varsity/Faculty game cheerleader was about my only claim to fame at JEB Stuart High School. I even had a picture with other cheerleaders in the yearbook for that year.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
After elementary school, my mother wasn't much for giving birthday parties. But for some reason, when I turned 17 my senior year of high school, she decided that I should have a nice party.
Even though my birthday fell right after Thanksgiving and she had cooked the full Thanksgiving meal, she put on a sit down dinner for me and several of my friends. She did all the cooking, baking, serving and clean up for the evening. I think that I had requested another Thanksgiving dinner so she had to repeat the meal that she'd prepared just a few days before.
My mother set a beautiful formal dinner table, complete with centerpiece, silverware and china for eight teenagers. My friends and I were all in our Sunday best. For my birthday, my mother had made me a cranberry colored velveteen skirt and a pink blouse out of a satin like material. I felt pretty special being the honored guest wearing my new outfit.
Even though my mother did a lot of entertaining for her group of friends and for holidays, this was the only time that I remember her doing something special like this for my birthday. It was a wonderful evening.
Even though my birthday fell right after Thanksgiving and she had cooked the full Thanksgiving meal, she put on a sit down dinner for me and several of my friends. She did all the cooking, baking, serving and clean up for the evening. I think that I had requested another Thanksgiving dinner so she had to repeat the meal that she'd prepared just a few days before.
My mother set a beautiful formal dinner table, complete with centerpiece, silverware and china for eight teenagers. My friends and I were all in our Sunday best. For my birthday, my mother had made me a cranberry colored velveteen skirt and a pink blouse out of a satin like material. I felt pretty special being the honored guest wearing my new outfit.
Even though my mother did a lot of entertaining for her group of friends and for holidays, this was the only time that I remember her doing something special like this for my birthday. It was a wonderful evening.
Monday, August 1, 2011
SENIOR AT LAST!
In September of 1963, I started my senior year of high school. Having spent my junior year trying to find my way in a new high school, I hoped that this last year of high school would be a little better. From the friends standpoint, I had found some kids to hang out with so the social life would be a little better.
Having proved myself in the choral department, I was also in the A Capella choir and Madrigals. A Capella was my first class of the day. We had a lot of fun in the choir room waiting for class to start. Those of us who played the piano would often sit down and play before class.
As a senior, we had senior privileges. We could eat somewhere other than the school cafeteria, if we wanted. There was a small courtyard between the two wings of the school that was exclusive to seniors. Back in those days, students did not leave the school grounds AT ALL during the day. Going to a local fast food place for lunch was not an option. In fact, it was grounds for discipline if you were found in the school parking lot during school hours. Students bought lunch in the cafeteris or from home. So having the senior court was a big deal.
I was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America. I guess I must have had grand ideas of being a business woman back then. An event that the FBLA took on every year was the Miss JEB Stuart contest. It was basically a talent/beauty pageant. On the day that President Kennedy was shot, I was alone on the school stage preparing decorations for the contest that was to be held that night. When the announcement came over the school PA about the events in Dallas, I immediately returned to my English class. We all sat, silent and stunned, as we listened to a radio broadcast. When the President's death was announced, school was dismissed for the day...almost an hour and a half early.
With my group of friends, we went to football and basketball games. There were also the occasional weekend party. None of us really dated. In fact, we called ourselves the "Stay At Home" gang. Often when there was a big school dance, we didn't go, but opted for going to a movie together. Back then, you didn't go to school dance without a date and with the exception of one girls choice dance a year, girls didn't ask boys to be their date to a dance. I never went to a Homecoming dance or a Prom.
One of my friends was a pretty girl named Kathy. She was an occasional model for Seventeen magazine. You'd think that a pretty girl like that would have boys after her all the time. When she was chosen as the Sweetheart Queen for the Valentine's dance, she needed an escort for the dance. She didn't have a boyfriend and as the date of the dance got closer, she didn't have a date. It never occurred to any of us that she should just ask a boy to be her date. It was the football team quarterback who came to her rescue. In a casual conversation with him, he found out she didn't have a date. He stepped up and asked her to be his date.
Having proved myself in the choral department, I was also in the A Capella choir and Madrigals. A Capella was my first class of the day. We had a lot of fun in the choir room waiting for class to start. Those of us who played the piano would often sit down and play before class.
As a senior, we had senior privileges. We could eat somewhere other than the school cafeteria, if we wanted. There was a small courtyard between the two wings of the school that was exclusive to seniors. Back in those days, students did not leave the school grounds AT ALL during the day. Going to a local fast food place for lunch was not an option. In fact, it was grounds for discipline if you were found in the school parking lot during school hours. Students bought lunch in the cafeteris or from home. So having the senior court was a big deal.
I was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America. I guess I must have had grand ideas of being a business woman back then. An event that the FBLA took on every year was the Miss JEB Stuart contest. It was basically a talent/beauty pageant. On the day that President Kennedy was shot, I was alone on the school stage preparing decorations for the contest that was to be held that night. When the announcement came over the school PA about the events in Dallas, I immediately returned to my English class. We all sat, silent and stunned, as we listened to a radio broadcast. When the President's death was announced, school was dismissed for the day...almost an hour and a half early.
With my group of friends, we went to football and basketball games. There were also the occasional weekend party. None of us really dated. In fact, we called ourselves the "Stay At Home" gang. Often when there was a big school dance, we didn't go, but opted for going to a movie together. Back then, you didn't go to school dance without a date and with the exception of one girls choice dance a year, girls didn't ask boys to be their date to a dance. I never went to a Homecoming dance or a Prom.
One of my friends was a pretty girl named Kathy. She was an occasional model for Seventeen magazine. You'd think that a pretty girl like that would have boys after her all the time. When she was chosen as the Sweetheart Queen for the Valentine's dance, she needed an escort for the dance. She didn't have a boyfriend and as the date of the dance got closer, she didn't have a date. It never occurred to any of us that she should just ask a boy to be her date. It was the football team quarterback who came to her rescue. In a casual conversation with him, he found out she didn't have a date. He stepped up and asked her to be his date.
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