Tuesday, Jun. 01, 2010
My class of 1960
Jan Huntsinger, Guest Columnist
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In 1960 I was among the class of wide-eyed, ready to take on the world of high school seniors. Today I’m a senior once again.
What got me to thinking about this, is a picture I recently was shown. I don’t remember it being taken, much less published in the InterCity News. This local paper printed on June 3, 1960, was what they called the “Graduation Edition.”
Central, that was my school, was the oldest high school west of the Mississippi and home of famous alumni Walt Disney. How, if I lived in Independence, did I end up in high school at Linwood and Indiana?
It started nine years before. Due to a lack of space (Van Horn wasn’t built then) the high school freshmen were bussed to Central Senior in Kansas City. My sister’s class was the first one made up of Independence transferees graduating in 1955 and my class was the last one graduating in 1960.
Our eighth grade graduation was held at the Independence Memorial Building with a dance following at Rock Creek South. That was our first experience of marching in to the notes of Pomp and Circumstance. We didn’t wear caps and gowns but we all dressed to the hilt and before it ended we all proudly stood together and sang our class song.
Our class had chosen “Stout-hearted Men,” a song that spoke to how we saw ourselves. We were excited about being in high school and looked forward to all the experiences that this would bring us: football games, changing classes, having a locker, being old enough to date - which in most cases was 16 - and learning to drive a car. What we didn’t look forward to was the amount of homework and the 45 minute bus ride twice a day.
A lot of water has passed under the bridges of life since those innocent kids of 1960 stepped out of their comfort zone and into the world. Some went to college, some joined the military, joined the work force or started raising our families.
I married my high school sweetheart and loved being a stay-at-home mom for my girls. I later chose to enter the medical field and enjoyed every bit of it. My girls have followed suit.
There will always be fond memories of that night at the Municipal Auditorium in June of 1960 as will be for all who have graduated over the years and in the years to come. There will be memories of good times and not so good.
As for us of 1960, I remember most of the girls had to graduate in their slips because the fad of yards and yards of stiff starched net petticoats were not allowed under the gowns. I remember looking back at the room filled with piles of pastel color net all over the floor. I remember letting my vanity take over and not wearing my glasses, therefore I couldn’t see the carefully placed tape on the stage. I would never of made it across that stage without my friend Danny Jones behind me. He cleared his throat every time I was to stop.
As I received my diploma, my name was announced. Great plan but like my entire school life, calamity would not take a break for this day. The dear man gave me a new name, Janiece Kay Hicks, nice name but not mine. At least the last name was right.
At night’s end, I remembered the words to our class song of four years before and realized that we did stick together and I wondered about our tomorrows.
“You who have dreams, if you act, they’ll come true. To turn your dreams to a fact it’s up to you. If you have the soul and the spirit, never fear it, you’ll see it through. Hearts can inspire other hearts with their fire, for the strong obey, when a strong man shows them the way.
Shoulder to shoulder, and bolder and bolder. They grow as they go to the fore. Then there’s nothing in the world can halt or mar a plan when stout-hearted men can stick together – man- to man.”
Jan Huntsinger, a Blue Springs resident, is a guest columnist for the Journal. To respond to today’s commentary, call 816-282-7001 or e-mail editor@bluespringsjournal.com.
