Tuesday, October 18, 2016

An Eye Opening Event

I can remember...

Back in the 8th grade we changed schools. Not because my family had moved but that there had been an election by our parents and it was decided to change to becoming a part of Del Valle I.S.D. instead of Manor I.S.D.

Now for most kids, this would not be a big deal.  But for about 20 "country" kids being thrust out into the BIG world, this, was a earth shaking event.  I can remember the day so vividly. Riding the bus across the river valley road all the way over to the Del Valle Jr/Sr campus. There was the usual screaming and holler and bantering of the 1st day of school. But then it slowly died and then dead silence as we approached the new school.

There were so many buses spewing hundreds of kids out onto the lawn of this strange and gigantic new world. I and my friends made our way to the doors, with the promise that we would stay close to each other, As we entered, and standing in line for a considerable time,  we met for the first time the School Secretary. A little old lady with blue hair and little bitty fake pearls on the edge of her glasses sitting  at a table blocking the way into the school in the main hallway.

 "What's your Name? she seemed to scream at you trying to be heard over the sounds of 300 kids seeing each other for the first time in 3 months. She shuffled through a never-ending stack of small 6 inch by 2 inch cards...

With name given she found yours.. stuffed it into you hand and giving you the "evil eye" shouted "GO TO THE GYM" and DON'T YOU DARE LOSE THAT SCHEDULE. .

We stepped into the stream of kids, dumbfounded and shuffling our feet trying to make sure we didn't fall because it was obvious you would be trampled by the flow of bodys that reminded me of salmon swimming upstream. Suddenly a sharp and very loud bell went off for about 10 seconds.  Thinking that surely there was a fire or a bomb was about to hit the school we allowed ourselves to become a part of the  human herd  which lead us to the gym.

Once there, we found a place on the wooden bleachers that ran up the walls of the huge room.  Kids were screaming and holler, Teachers were screaming and hollering and some man was standing on stage slapping a microphone say TESTING.... TESTING... TESTING... with the device producing a high pitch scream through several speakers that were mounted on the walls of the room.

Behind him on the stage sat a row of adults, all in suits or nice dresses sitting quietly, hands in their laps and looking down, shaking their heads as if maybe someone had just died.  We were soon to learn that these were the Lead Teachers for each grade...

 All except two,  there was a man and woman dressed in shorts, a Jersey with the schools name across the chest, tennis shoes and a large silver whistle hanging from their necks They stood over in the corner, he pitching a football up into the air, just staring out at the crowd  of what we were soon to find out he called "The Hooligans", and she, staring down at a clipboard she held. erasing then writing, erasing then writing all the while talking to him which it was obvious he was not listening to a word she said.  The Coaches.... We had never had Coaches before...

As we looked at the small card we had been given it was only then that we realized that we were to be separated for first time in our years in school.   PANIC, was the only word that would fit the description of how we felt at that moment. The 6 of us had been together in the same classroom, sitting beside each other for 7 years... Wait?  What do you mean? We're not going to be together, and a cold chill ran down my spine.

The man behind the microphone tried to take control of crowd by calling out over the roar of the laughing, screaming and hooting of the students. Finally, he gave up and turned to the coaches who both smiled, stepped forward and placing their hands on their hips and their whistles between their lips blasted a high pitched scream which immediately brought over half of the crowds hands over their ears including those sitting in the chairs on the stage.

This shrill note screamed from the whistles lasting for at least a minute until there was total silence through out the large domed room.   They then stepped back but left the whistles between their teeth as if to say. "Do we have to do that again?"

The principal re-adjusted the microphone stand and with a light tap on the mike thanked the coaches for their help.  He then introduced himself, welcoming everyone back to school and then went into what he was hoping to achieve over the coming school year, He then proceeded to explain what the rest of this 1st day would consist of.  At the end, he then explained that he would introduce each of the faculty, what room they would be in and with their introduction if your schedule showed you going into that Teacher's class for 1st period for you to get up and quietly follow them to the classroom.

The first teacher was called and she raised her hand for everyone to see where she was and slowly started heading for the exit door.  That classroom's students worked their way out of the bleachers and followed her out waving at their friends as the past by them.

This continued for 2 more Teachers, but at the same time we heard a buzz start among the remaining students in the room.  On the calling of the 4th Teacher, it seemed as though almost all of the students had decided that now was the time to hit the hallways.  There was a rush for the exit doors in all directions with the Principal screaming for everyone to stay seated while everyone ignored him and for the next hour the students of Del Valle Jr. High School roamed the halls totally ignoring the bells ringing, the teachers screaming, the janitors standing over in a corner giggling, The Principal and his office staff tried herding kids into rooms who would turn around and leave as soon as they headed back into the hallway to gather up another group.  I must admit, we also took advantage of the moment to help each other find our rooms, promising to meet for lunch.

My 1st period class was labeled Physical Education ---- Field House... I had been fortunate to have four older brothers who had gone to Del Valle before me.  So I knew where the Field House was located and after about 30 minutes of helping my friends find their rooms I headed my way to behind the building and out to the additional gym and dressing rooms that was located out near the football stadium.  As I approached the door, there stood that Coach that had been on the stage earlier.. He looked down at me and just said.. "Your a Glass, I've had all of your older brothers and I'm sure I can expect the same type of behavior that they shown me in the past." I offered my hand and shook his saying "Coach, you have nothing to worry about from me."

Boy, was he in for a big surprise, because as he would soon find out... in those days I was nothing like my Big Brothers....

Smile..

Johnny
10/18/16





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