This is a list of our shame.  Every class has it, and we are not too proud not to share it with the world.

  1. The first controversy had to do with our not being able to host a “Foreign Exchange Student”.  Apparently it was felt by higher authorities that our class would not be a good influence.
  2. This second controversy not only includes students in our own class, but we share it with the rest of the school.  It seems that our fellow classmates decided to conduct a controversial musical play two years in a row.  While the first play in 1962 only received condemnation letters to the Derrick, the one during our senior year was cancelled entirely.  Please read the attached Derrick newspaper article available here concerning the play, “Best Foot Forward”: January 25, 1963 Derrick article
     
    Here is a synopsis of the “Best Foot Forward” play. When looking for controversies in the play, remember it was 1963 when anyone could watch anything on TV or at the movies without being offended.
     
    High school comedy: Just for fun, young student Bud Hooper asks his idol, Hollywood actress Gale Joy, to come to Philadelphia to be his partner at a dance. His school is Winsocki Military Academy. Jack Haggerty, the actress’ manager in Hollywood, sees an opportunity for special publicity and advises Gale to accept Bud’s invitation. The appearance of the famous star at Winsocki is greeted with excitement, and Bud abandons his own girl Helen Schlessinger to accompany Gale to the ball. Out of jealousy, Helen damages Gale’s sash while she is dancing, which causes a riot. Others begin to tear off pieces of Gale’s clothes as well, but only to gain souvenirs from the famous star. As the school regards the incident as a scandal, Bud is now in danger of being expelled from school, as he has caused all this. Gale Joy and Jack Haggerty try to avoid furor and immediately go back to Hollywood. After Bud and Helen settle their arguments and any other problems are solved, everything at Winsocki goes back to normal.
  3. The third and final known controversy concerned our Senior Banquet.  Certain members of our class wanted to purchase beer mug style glasses for everyone at the dinner.  However, the always correct school leaders frowned on such a thing and instead we all received the standard boring glass.