Bowen HS Memories

Although I haven't taken a French language class since senior year of high school, I still can remember bits and pieces of those conversation exercises, the ones that went (in French), "Say there, where's the library?" "To your right. Are you going there in a hurry?" Or "I'm going to try out my new skis." Mrs. Rupert was my teacher, at least junior and senior year. I can still recite the poem "Le Corbeau et Le Renard" by LaFontaigne she had us memorize.

I remember being in French I in my senior year. The band room was just across from our windows. To me I couldn't tell the difference between the flutes and the fleurs. I even took band in my senior year. Mr. C looked at me and said "Carlsen, I don't know why you're here, but since you are you will pick up an instrument and at least look like you are playing." He gave me a tuba or a sousaphone (I forget which one is which). I loved the concerts and marching that came out of that room. We had a great orchestra and band. I regret now that I didn't take band all four years.

Most Memorable Experience: Cutting 3rd period study to go to breakfast with Rozanne and getting suspended for a day! We went to lunch and shopping with our moms on our day off!

We did not have 6th period together, but rendez-vous'd again during Mr. Vandas's (I won't spell it the way we used to because I'm more mature now) 7th period English class. We're workin' away on something when allofasudden he bellows out our names and takes us into the hallway. I blush pretty easily, so I'm sure I was a mess. I let Narda do all of the
talking! She was always charming and he couldn't get mad at her, although he did begin the conversation by saying, "I might have known that the TWO OF YOU would pull a stunt like this!"

I didn't cut any more classes until college, when I regularly skipped Math to go to the Art Institute (see memories on Mrs. Tanenbaum and math anxiety.)

When I took Drivers Ed, it was with little hope of getting a license since we did not have a car. (Why? that is another story.) I loved it. First, finding out that the simulators were not really connected to anything so you could move the wheel,brake,gas at will and not pay any attention to the movie. Then, driving around the parking lot in a Ford Farlaine, arm out the window, taking the turns as fast as possible. It all seemed like a game. Ended up not going for my license until I was 21 and we finally had a car. I did pass, but barely, and on the second try the same day. Another Bowenite I know, who shall remain nameless, cried and promised not to actually drive so the examiner gave in and she got her license. She told the guy that she need the license to cash checks.

I had Mr. Quail for physics and he was the prince of geeks, although he was really very nice. There was a mischieveous kid in our class, Joel (class of 67?). Mr. Quail was once teaching wave action with a giant rubber band by stretching it across the lab, he (Quail) holding one end and Joel holding the other. Joel let go of his end and it snapped hard on Mr. Quail's hand causing him to jump in pain.

Another time, also concerning wave actions, Mr. Quail had left a slinky toy on the counter by the window. Joel decided to dangle it out the window where it hung down waving past the windows below us (the library on the 2nd floor?) and down to just outside Mr. Goldberg's first floor office. In a minute Mr. Goldberg was in our lab yelling at Mr. Quail to control the students.

Late in the year Mr. Quail was demonstrating something with static electricity using the Van de Graaff generator, a huge metal sphere upon which a large charge would build up. A girl in the class was standing on the insulated stand with her hand on the sphere which caused her hair to stand out in all directions. Joel snuck up behind Mr. Quail and with a metal edged yardstick in his hand, brought it from the sphere to Mr. Quail's elbow. Before it was 3 inches from the elbow a spark shot out and cracked on Quail's arm. Boy did he jump! He chased Joel out of the room and down the hall.

I went to Burnham K-6, Luella 6-8 and Freshman year. Anybody remember Charlie Rottenberg? And Mmle. Lesner? When I got to Bowen as a Sophomore in ‘65, I was urged by my friends to join Band, as that was where the action was. Fond memories of Judy Pffafenbach practicing her harp, and Mark Edelstein and his “mushroom lips” (needed for the double reed on the bassoon).

I remember lunches with Rick Munden and Chris Zumbahlen and Suzi Fox and Debbie Switt (now Dina Krause). How I got involved with the flute section I do not know, I never played flute. I also never really played cello or clarinet, the two excuses I had to hang out in the Band Room. I did get pretty good on guitar, ‘tho.

Classes. Yes, I know I took some. I was such a space cadet in High School, it’s amazing I remember anything at all. But there was French, Geometry (Able-Baker-Charlie-Dog), Advanced Art (Carl Gustavson, never once gave me an “A”), Drama with Kyle LaCorbierre, Duane Tyler, Joey Tarnofsky, was Brian Lasser in that class?

I look back on my high school lunches with horror and disbelief. No, I didn't get the ever popular grilled cheese or any mystery meats. My lunch was usually a box of Dots candy and a bottle of Diet-Rite Cola (with saccharine, don't forget). Lunch was usually the best part of the school day, but certainly not the most nutritious.

Bowen's Lunchroom led to my suspension. Major trauma at the time. I had lunch, then 5th floor study hall, then algebra in the mobile units. With the four minutes in between classes, that was quite a haul. And besides, who really cared about missing or not missing study hall? Or so I reasoned, as I skipped study hall for most of the second semester freshman year. I just stayed in the lunchroom, or hit the bathroom in between periods, and then went back into the lunchroom.

When we were given those 5 x 8 manila cards to be signed by all our teachers (I can see it now) I realized I had a problem. Couldn't just show up and have it signed. So, being a semi-reasonable teenager I decided on Forgery. Found somebody else with the same study hall, and I signed the teacher's name on my card. Nobody seemed to notice. Until the end of May. The teacher whose name I had signed had been sneaky and signed all the cards in an off color ink. While looking for something else, she came across my art work. OOPS. Called in, branded a FORGER, suspended until my Mother brought me back, had to give an "I am a Forger" note to all
my teachers to be signed (Tsk, tsk, Shelley, they all said), and an "F" in Citizenship was entered on my PERMANENT RECORD. Found out later I was still eligible to vote, so no lasting ill effects.

I don't recall the name of the game but it involved sliding pennies across the table. It was gambling of the lowest order.

In the Spring of 1967, I was among several students (Bill Artus, Fred Gellman, Pete Palermo and others) falsely accused of releasing tear-gas in the lunchroom. We were hauled into the Vice-Principal's office and questioned. He determined that we could not have done the criminal act. We never found out who did.

Speaking of Pete Palermo, do you recall when he used to walk up to speakers using the microphone and stand there making faces at them? Pete was a riot!

Wasn't there some rule about going outside at lunch, but not being able to come back in until the end of the particular period?

My most memorable high school experience was meeting Steven Shapiro in the lunchroom in February 1967. When I saw him eating one of Bowen's famous grilled cheese sandwiches, little did I know that someday he would be my husband!

~~~ Patti Yale Shapiro

I remember sitting at the lunch table in the pump room with Mary Stelmazek and a few others and chomping on a fire stick -- (can you imagine buying all that great junk food nowadays?) when all of a sudden from behind a hand comes across my left shoulder and down the front to my chest! I spit my firestick across the table into Mary's face, jumped up to punch someone, then felt so bad because it was one of the blind kids. I sure do miss all those crazy times. So does anyone else's kids/grandkids poke fun when you relate the good old walking stories? They aren't sure what a gangway, uptown and viaducts really are!!!!

(Mary, I miss you! RIP)

~~~Rosie Yekich Seerup ' 73

Most Memorable Experiences:
1. Senior Prom - renting a cottage on the beach in Michigan City for a Party.
2. The Blizzard of '67
3. Dave Engel's 1958 Chevy Del Ray

In the Fall, Ira Rubin passes away after falling during a false Fire Alarm. Ira was the Class
President of Caldwell School. I remember his wake and his father's tearful eulogy.

How many times did you freeze outside without a coat during the winter Fire Drills?

The Spring Concert Choir was a great. Both the Band and the Choir groups gave a great
performance. I especially remember the late Mr. Ruffin (Choir teacher) singing his solo.

In early June, there was a night singing performance on the Assembly Hall stage. I remember a
young girl singing "Blue Moon" and it was beautiful.

Crashing Anna Kong's Senior Prom party in downtown Chicago. I don't remember the name of the
establishment, but Spanky and Our Gang was playing there. I then went to see Ramsey Lewis play
the drums at another location.