Volume 51, #27,  Friday April 30, 1965

 

 

Back in those teen years, before we learned the highest of personal joys and the horrors of life and death, there were only two concerns. One was thermo-nuclear war. (Who could forget parents on their all-night vigils during the Cuban Missile Crisis, or the single boxcar trains moving plutonium triggers out of the Rocky Flats plant.) But the prospect of thermo-nuclear war was the norm in our lives.

 

The other concern was more immediate--THE PROM.

 

The Owl didn't deal with the prospect of thermo-nuclear war much that year, but by April 30th, it was dealing with The Prom in two stories and an editorial. It reported the prom would feature "Moonlight and Roses," or at least that was the theme.

 

Ann Willyard and Ron Bush headed the planning committee. Queen candidates were Iris Connolly, Eilyn Craven, Nancy Geer, Monica Hoffman, and Sandy McCray. Corsages of baby rose buds "will be sold with the tickets," The Owl reported. The paper editorialized that the prom should be held in the new center courtyard-prettier and cheaper than "the bleak CU ballroom."

 

Senior Nancy Quiggle coauthored a piece on page 2 headlined "Females Encounter Stifling Problems In Snagging Escorts to Annual Prom." Not entierly tongue in cheek, it started "All you boys who think it takes "guts" to go to the prom (what with asking a girl for a date and your parents for the car) ought to consider the plight of the girl.

 

Sometime back in February, panicked because she hadn't even been asked yet, she bought a new wardrobe, developed a low, gravelly voice, changed her hair style and set out to capture a date. "Having narrowed the field to one victim, she prepared unique and imaginative excuses in case the wrong male popped the question. For example: 'My fox terrier is scheduled to have her kittens around that time and we're all on red alert.'

 

"Boy, the girls who have been worrying about what big, beautiful hunk would escort them in a shiny '65 Mustang are just about ready to settle for even a shrimpy baseball reject with a '43 Dodge. So.." (Insert memories here.)

 

Page 1. And if we didn't think the torch was about to be passed, the lead story told us it was over: "Fourteen Face Annual Election for Head Boy, Girl, Treasurer."

 

Louise Zubrow and Ron McGuckin were named the last Girl and Boy of the month. Louise headed Teen Democrats and was named Valedictorian of our class with her 4.0 average. (She had played a mean Viola in the orchestra, too.) No doubt in preparation for his duties 40 years later on the reunion committee, Ron practiced leadership as football captain, played varsity three years, and was a deans list student.

 

The Owl received national honors, named an "All American" paper by the National Scholastic Press Association.

 

Page 3 carried a report that the football field would be renamed in honor of former school superintendent Christian Recht.

 

Tom Mangan was named "Panther of the Week." (The title probably had a bit of a different meaning back then, 25 years before the mountain lions returned and ate a Boulderite and a lot of their pets for lunch.)

 

In sports, the track team lost, the golf team lost, and the baseball team was two games out of first. In golf, John Hutton was medalist against Cherry Creek and John Winstead tied for second. Sports columnist David Graham noted that baseball pitching was "much steadier than might have been imagined at first." David said the credit went to Senior Lonnie Carlson who threw 28 innings with a 3-1 record and 1.50 ERA.

 

The paper was filled with election ads in this week before the vote:

"Be a Mover with HOOVER,"

"Cowabunga Vote SHORT,"

"Forecast For '65-66 FOGG,"

"Vote One Way SATO,"

"It's HALE or High Water."

 

There were only two business ads that week: The Dugout cleaners and, once again, McDonalds advertising the new "Filet 'O Fish" sandwich, still only 24 cents.

 

(Next time: Prom Committee Rejects Courtyard)

(Note to Owlies-if you want to write one of these pieces, let me know. I'll scan a week and email it to you.

Tom. twolzien@wolzien.com.)

 

 

Boulder High had ninteen foreigh students during our senior year. Ten came from Toluca, Mexico. Under this program the Mexican students attended classes here during the winter and in turn Boulder sent students to study at the University of Toluca for the summer. Students also came from Norway, Thailand, Sweden, Finland, New Brunswick, Canada, and Panama. Alonso Mendoza and Alba Flores came from Chihauhau, Mexico. Here is Alonso's story:

Alonso was an exchange student at BHS all three years. He lives in Chihuahua , Mexico and has been married since 1970 to another Chihuahua native, Rosa. They have 5 children, four girls and one boy Lilian, Rosy, Alonso Jr., Tania and Arely. The oldest two daughters are married and have given Alonso and Rosy four granddaughters.

 

Alonso has been involved in foreign trade, mostly with the US , for the last 32 years. He currently has a business partnership with a man from Ohio in a company named Chihuahua Dowel Co, S.A. de C.V. All of the company's product goes to the US market (wood dowels made out of oak which sell at Home Depot). His son has an accounting degree and works with the family business. He travels to El Paso , Texas quite often for business and maintains a business address there.

 

When he saw Ronny Bush's photo on the website, he said he looks like Ron because he is also bald!

 

Alonso's memories of BHS and Boulder :

 

I had three marvelous years at Boulder with three different families. The Newberry, Holmes and Wilson families. The love and patience they shared with me is something that I always carry with me with great love and respect. I used to hang out with Anne Curtis, Barb Dunn, Tom Jones, Buddy Holmes, and Larry Wilson, among others. Every one of my professors and school mates I still remember with great respect. And ball games and school activities in a healthy and team spirit environment.

 

Last year I called BHS to see the possibility to send my youngest girl with no luck. I believe the situation is not the same as 40 years ago. I guess it is a just a father's desire to have my beautiful daughter to share some of the experience I had in life.

Alonso Mendosa and Alba Flores are both planning to attend the 40th Class Reunion in August.

 

Contact Anne Sandoe-Thorp if you have a news story  

anne.sandoe-thorp@colorado.edu