I knew I should have written this before an entire group of my fellow classmates sent off interesting, thoughtful and memory inducing Howdy’s…but I didn’t. So, you’re stuck with this update! I don’t know about the rest of you, but it certainly doesn’t seem like 50 years have passed since we graduated. Clearly we don’t look or act old enough to have five decades under our belts since 1973, but it seems to be true.
I was one of the “originals” attending West High starting in the 8th grade. The junior high (or middle school as it’s now called) wasn’t built and Southeast was busting at the seams. Myself and the rest of the busload of country kids were dropped off at the bottom of what became the rec fields and told to walk the one plus mile to school…in the mud that first day. We were all a bit shocked, but until the streets were finished that was our morning and evening routine. I wore a daring coulotte skirt that first day, which my mother informed me that if I got kicked out of school, I would be walking home. Mr. Barker and Mr. Ferguson were too busy to notice I wasn’t conforming to the dress code. Needless to say I looked like my grandmother dressed me when the 70’s were ushered in with hip hugger elephant jeans, cropped tops, etc. which were seen daily in the halls of West.
However, fashion didn’t influence the uniforms we were required to wear for PE. Remember square dancing for PE for what seemed like the entire year because the gyms weren’t completed? Our volleyball team went to state—first West High team to make it that far—and our shared Athletic Director Mr. White, failed to allow any $’s for uniforms. So, instead of wearing our PE gear, I made green shorts for everyone on the team and our parents bought us jerseys. We really weren’t that good, but we were tenacious and refused to let the ball hit the ground, which kept us in the running and placed 6th (I think) at State. We had a blast. I remember pulling a bit of a prank and sending a cow pie to Mr. White to live up to our name of “Cow Pie High” for the West/City football game. Luckily I never got caught.
We did have excellent teachers that prepared us well for college or the future of our choice. I remember my education being academically challenging because of our instructors and also because there were lots of talented students. A term paper on Andersonville Civil War prison camp took lots of research at the U of I library; writing and performing for English; laboring thru geometry, etc. What I remember most wasn’t the competition but the kindness of our class. I think we all wanted to excel, but we came from so many schools and backgrounds that it was all new for most of us. And as a country kid who had gone to three elementary schools in four years and then Southeast for 7th grade, I was thrilled to land in one place for the rest of my high school career. I made lots of new friends and appreciated how well we all blended and got along as we continued to welcome Central and U High kids.
Primarily I worked in women’s ready to wear (what else do you do with a degree in phys ed?) which took me to many cities while working for corporate and then landed in Aspen, CO. I worked for a private owner who lived in Iowa and ended up with a store she knew nothing about because her managing partners were on the run due to some unsavory activities. Needless to say I learned a tremendous amount about business and the wacky world of retail selling to lots of famous people. And, yes, everyone does look the same in their underwear!
I married an Iowa guy and moved back to Iowa to work for Iowa State University with Julie Kent Larson! We continue to see each other often living in Ames. For the last 30 years I’ve worked to build our family cookie business, www.cookies-etc.com, and currently just own and manage one store in Ames. Life is getting easier! My husband Jon works with me and we have a daughter, Lauren, who lives in the Milwaukee area.
I hate to miss the fun. Have a great time reminiscing and catching up on the last several years. Thank you for such warm memories.
Mary Jo Miller Banwart ‘73