Vikki+Heard+interview+transcript

Bethany: And we are recording. So, what was your favorite experience at Belleville West? Vikki: My favorite experience... It was the whole Belleville West thing. It was getting out of Millstadt, which was consolidated. Everybody knew everybody, and getting to Belleville West, where people came from all over. So there were so many choices of friends. That was the best thing about Belleville West. It opened up doors to meet all kinds of people. Bethany: What was your favorite subject or teacher, and why? Vikki: Science, Tim Buchanan. He made it interesting. He loved to hike, he loved nature, and he would come in with pictures and videos of stuff they did on the weekend or vacation, and he made it easy to learn, which made it a fun class -- when you can learn it and see it, it made it fun. Bethany: Yeah.. It's always the best thing whenever they actually allow you to interact. Vikki: Yeah, 'cause if they just explain it, you don't understand it. Because he would go and find the fungus on the trees or whatever and we could see it, and we understood it. We understood about corrosion and erosion because he showed us. So that made it easy. Bethany: Approximately how big was the faculty, the number of teachers, during your time at Belleville West compared to how big it is now? Vikki: I don't know. How many do you have now? Bethany: Way too many for me to count. Vikki: I think we probably had maybe fifty teachers then. And we're talking PE. I'm sure now they have way, way more because now they broke a lot of things down that we had all bunched up into one. Like, do you just have civics? Bethany: We have civics as one grade taking that class. Vikki: In your freshman year? Bethany: Yeah. Vikki: It's mandatory, yeah, freshman year. I don't know, um... I think there are a lot more teachers now. I think that, if I had to, I could sit down and... Maybe there weren't even fifty. I don't know, I can't remember, but I could probably name most of the teachers and principals there. You know? Because... Bethany: It was a smaller environment. Vikki: Way smaller. Compared to -- I see Belleville West now and I just can't comprehend how many students have got to be in there compared to when I went there. Bethany: Ok.. What were the demographics like during your education at Belleville West? Like approximate number of students; how many of them were different races? Vikki: I really think that the races -- I know now that it's a lot of African Americans, a lot of them. When I went there, I think we had three. We had Ronnie Phillips, Darla Coleman, and a guy called "Alabama", which was -- Randy Jackson was his name. I mean, I know that there was them three and I was friends with all three of them. There was one or two Japanese or Asians, but I think all the rest were white. Everything that goes into Belleville West back then was all small-town people. And most of them had been there for years and years. I didn't come to this area 'til seventh grade. And it was quite a blow to me the way people are, so... It's way different how people's cultures treat each other here than -- 'cause I come from California so it was way different. We don't categorize color. It's you see an African American, you see a Japanese. You don't say "hey, there's an African". Bethany: About how big were the class sizes, do you think, compared to now? Vikki: Um, I think most of the time it was about twenty-five. (background, Vikki's husband "Hey, Vik!") Bethany: In, like, a grade?? Vikki: Yeah. Bethany: Oh my gosh.. Vikki: Well, like twenty-five per class. Bethany: Oh, okay. Vikki: Wait a minute. Bethany: Alright. (break -- interview continues in separate recording) Bethany – ok we‟re back from out little interruption Vicky while I was going through the year book I noticed there were two foreign exchange students that came during your senior year Vicky – Ya Bethany – What was it like having two foreign exchange students whereas before it seems like there used to only be one per year? Was their an affect? Vicky – I actually knew one and I can‟t even think of the name. No it was interesting because, I thought it was neat because you learned…you know…God almighty I wish I could remember but I don‟t know it didn‟t really phase me but I used to like to hear them talk and we would ask questions about where they are from and what it‟s like. They used to sit with us at our table but it was nice. I liked it. Bethany – ok so you were friends with one. Vicky – MHM Bethany – What was HOBO day like back then? Vicky – Oh My God it was the bomb! I loved it! Everybody loved Hobo day because it represented the big game and the floats and that whole build up to Hobo day was just the whole week and just knowing it was coming was nice. We used to start at West with the floats and the bands and go all the way up main street and all the people in the neighborhoods would meet moms and dads and kids you know or whatever and the other grade schools would come out and watch us and it was pretty cool. Bethany – So you said the day of the week was it a week long thing? Vicky – o ya we kind of knew there was they would bring old Junker cars I don‟t know if you saw that in the yearbook and we would take sledgehammers to the car and you had that and then they would have stuff where the guys on the football team would show pictures of their legs and you would vote on the prettiest Bethany – ooo, scandalous Vicky – it was just like it was a week of I don‟t there was always something going on you know and the bellevinoise I‟m trying to think if that was the name of the school newspaper. What is the school newspaper? Bethany – The school newspaper now is called High News. Vicky – It was High News then too. I‟m sorry I can‟t remember. You think you know they put everything in there you always knew what was going to be happening that day where you could go or you know ya it was a build up. Bethany – Did you ever participate in the making of the hobo day float or another part of Hobo day? Vicky – um, no, no I didn‟t sorry. Little theater would have one, and the cheerleaders. Everybody would have a float, but yeah. Bethany- What was a really big thing going on at Belleville at the time you were in high school? Vicky- Well you know, I don‟t know if they have it anymore, but years later when my sister went there in the 80s, they still had it. It was called the soc and freaks. Ok, well the soc and freaks, ok, soc‟s were people who were maybe on the football team, or the uppity up girls – socialites. And then there was the kids that came from the farm land, and their mom and dad were just middle class workers, and even some kids with money, they didn‟t act like they had money, the hung out with the everyday kids. I myself was not a socialite, I was called a freak. Because freaks, well, a lot of kids smoked pot, and a lot of them hung out in the parking lot together. They were just the everyday joes. What happened was, they used to have a jukebox in the cafeteria, and a guy named Shorty Willmont, and I used to like to get up on the table and turn the jukebox on and dance. The soc‟s sit on the other side of the cafeteria, and they didn‟t have the cafeteria, and we had the snackbar on our side. One day Shorty was up on the table dancing or something and he was a really good dancer, and everybody was watching him. Someone went by him, who was a soc, and pushed him off the table. Well that was in the morning, come lunch time, it was an all out food fight, soc‟s against the freaks. And, it went on you know, a lot. And then every year, I‟d see someone say they had the soc‟s and freaks. Then my sister went there and said "oh my god, they have the soc and freaks, they still do that." It just kind of was like the everyday kids and the snobby rich kids. Nobody really got hurt, it was just food. Mr. Wilford was the Sophmore principal and he was really cool. He was a really good principal; he understood but still held a firm hand. He walked in the cafeteria, and when someone threw an orange at someone else, it hit him, and it just went dead silence, it was like boom. All I remember is I was walking through the door on the other side, and I just turned around and got back out of there. Because me and Mr. Wilford had a really good relationship. I have to say out of all the principals, he kept it where…I dunno, he was good at his job. He kept you at uh..you knew where your strengths were. He was your friend, and he made you comfortable, and you could go to him with anything, but he still kept the law of the school. And you knew when he was serious, you know. If you asked a lot of kids from west, they are going to put Mr. Wilford right up there. Bethany- Could you explain how much work you got while you were in high school? Vicky- Um you always had homework, always. I enjoyed science, history, and geography. I didn‟t care what I got in history and geography, because I loved learning about other people and other things, and how we got where we are. Still today I watch the history channel. But then I think there were some teachers that didn‟t do anything, so it just depended on what classes you took and what teachers you had. There were some kids I knew who passed with straight As and they never had any homework. We‟d all go somewhere together and they‟d say "well I didn‟t do my homework, I didn‟t get any." Just depended on what classes you took. We had lockers then, we only had so much time to get to our lockers and then to class, so you were always carrying at least three books at a time. I really don‟t feel they gave us as much like they do today. I really feel like they give more today. Bethany- Was it looked down upon to be social during school hours? Did they really crack their whips when you guys started to talk? Vicky- During class? Bethany- In class, before school, after school, during passing time. Vicky- No, um, no, because everyone generated in like…well someone who knows the old west would know this, because you‟re walking in and out of buildings. The way it‟s set up, there was the main building with all the principals. L building was the library, the N building for you know, there was just all these buildings. And if you were walking out of one building, and your friends were walking out of another, you‟re outside, and you have five minutes to get to your next class. You can kind of talk, and they never bothered us. Before school everyone congregated in their own little place, cafeteria, parking lot, the stadium club, I was a member of the stadium club. PE had its own building even, you were able to congregate all over. As soon as that bell hit though, everybody was quiet. We respected our teachers, and we knew that you could only push teachers so far. When that bell rang and that teacher was in there, that was it, we were done. Mr. Buchanan was the greatest teacher, because you were allowed to talk to each other, talk about it. But there were some teachers who did all the talking. Mr. Moore, you didn‟t say anything, he was doing all the talking. He always walked around with a toothpick in his mouth. Mr. Walters taught math. Ms. Eshman taught supernatural. I remember a lot of my teachers because of the impact they made on me, and how out of the way they went to help me understand. Being the oldest of eight brothers and sisters, I needed that extra hand, and that was cool. Bethany- im going to switch it up a little about how would you say fashion was around then? Like how free was it? How crazy did it get? Vicky – Fashion was crazy. Its like today they had there own thing back then. Most everybody wore t-shirts and bellbottoms blue jeans we wore hot pants but we weren‟t allowed to wear hot pants but you could wear short shorts and you could wear mini skirts but they could only be so mini and then you couldn‟t reveal your breast like they do today and a lot of girls wouldn‟t back then because we just didn‟t you know? Bethany – it wasn‟t proper Vicky – like today you guys were these tanks you know no one would have back then you know a girl wouldn‟t have done that Bethany – I always make sure mine our you know Vicky – its just no it‟s the tank itself you know a girl wouldn‟t have worn that. Its what we call wife beaters because the way they look Bethany – ya I have herd it called that to Vicky – and its just and the shoes today you know we wore shoes that had 3 or 4 inches all the way across stacks you know Bethany – platforms Vicky – that was the thing the guys in their platforms and we wore the polyester that never wrinkles and never dies you could bury in the yard dig it up and its still there Bethany – wish we had that Vicky – when I first started there I was the girly type as I got in there I realized that I could be more comfortable and wear just jeans and a t-shirt and it was my sophomore year and all the girls were wearing combat boots from the navy surplus up on main street and I went and asked my dad if he would buy me a new pair of boots and he said sure so we got in the car we left and he‟s like were do you want to go you want to go to the mall and I said no I want to go on main street and when I told my dad where were going and we pulled and he just looked up me and my dad paid for them but he just kept looking at me and then I wore them and every now and then I would put on my combat boots so it was cool. Bethany – ok music Vicky – oh God Bethany – did the faculty frown on music as they do now sometimes? Vicky – no Bethany – no Vicky – maybe the older ones but no because there were too many of them that would have there lunch in the cafeteria and like I said we had a juke box and we were playin you know zeppelin and BTO we were playing a lot if willford couldn‟t stand the music he had the power to turn it down but he wouldn‟t hed just hang out and hed say hi to ya so I don‟t think they really Bethany – did he ever do a little dance for you guys Vicky – ya he used to do everything and hed move his arms like this cuz as soon as he walked in everybody looked you know but no there was nothing really going on people having lunch and carrying on Bethany – what about clubs were there any clubs that exist now that didn‟t then? Vicky - we didn‟t have any computer clubs you know there was the little theater and thespians there was you know the chess I don‟t know what you have now compared to then that we didn‟t have im sure theres some you don‟t even have that you know that we had compared to what the 50‟s had and that we had that they didn‟t so im not you know Bethany – could you describe the thespians club like ive seen pictures in some of the year books. Vicky – they were part of little theater they were actors Bethany – ok sporting events were they different in any way then they are today? Vicky – I dont know they are probably not because you know football game will always be the same baseball wrestling I think that‟s all the same today I don‟t see any differences in it its still setup the same way Bethany – Did they take time out specifically for cheerleading or announcement programs? Vicky – they used to make the announcements right there over the at the game? Did they take time out? Bethany – ya I mean time outs are a givin, but a lot of time during the game like half times? Vicky – well ya and what they would do was before the games we always had pep rallies. Do you guys still have those? Bethany – yes of course that‟s my favorite part Vicky – those are fun and the you know they would have the game and at the game you would have the cheerleaders and they would put on there little dance. I think its all the same Bethany – ok so sprit week was that basically Hobo week? Or what kind of things did you do specifically for sprit week. Vicky – Sprit week was you know you should school sprit. You know you wore the colors everything was considered a showing of how you felt about Belleville West and then you know they would have one day for this one for that whatever and you would pick your queens Bethany – you ha queens during that week? I didn‟t even know that. Vicky – well you would start voting on them you know what I mean? I think anne white was the one that won that year im not sure if it was anne or not she was a really nice girl she was born from a really rich family but she was really nice and you know she was very popular but sprit week good you showed your school what you thought of your school and everybody wore the colors I mean you walked in there and it was all maroon, maroon and white or maroon and black Bethany – alright what about miss maroon where you ever cahoots so to say with miss maroon? Vicky - ya the miss maroon ya some of the girls that ran I knew personally like the tice girl I wasn‟t in with them they were a different category of girls mostly they were cheerleaders most of them were uppity ups like I said there were some that were just down to earth and those were the ones that got the votes because theres more middle class kids there than the other kind you know? Today they probably don‟t have it but back when I was there you know there was the beaver kids there was 8 girls and there family was all hard workin family it was just different. Bethany – What about theatrical productions can you remember what productions they did then? Vicky – you know im being really stupid here because me and my brother and my friend used to be ushers and go after school and I don‟t remember what it was there was several and I cant to the live of me think of they were but we used to go and volunteer our time to be there ushers you know and help set up and stuff like that. Bethany – kind of technician job? Vicky – just you know help them set up the scenery and stuff like that Bethany – I did that once and its actually pretty fun Vicky – and then ya you know you usher the door and you hand out the programs and you help people in and out I used to volunteer to do that my brother couldn‟t really do a lot of sports because he had glaucoma I mean if he got hit the head he could hemorrhage and die so he used to volunteer and do this and that nad id go with him so hed be alright he was 2 years younger than me so I kinda went with him to watch out Bethany – ya its nice to do things with your family especially when its something like that Vicky – and then he was in that class and they would sell candy bars and your out hustling candy bars and that‟s how they would raise money they used to do a lot fo fundraising for what the kids wanted to that‟s one thing htat I don‟t know if they do anymore and the neighborhood and the families would just pull together on it. It was nice Bethany – sure sounds like it. Alright you attended the old Belleville West building what was it like and how was it different from the new building? You already kinda answered that huh? Vicky – ya well I think the new building looks like a children‟s detention center. Bethany – o I agree I was just talking about that today with my friends. Vicky – it looks like a detention center and then the old Belleville West I don‟t know if that‟s because its where I went that‟s my school or but I look at like its just more of a school I don‟t know when I look at the new one I just see when I first moved back I just said oh my god it looks like a detention center all you guys are missing is a big fence but I guys you guys are all kept in the building when you change classes you never get to go out Bethany – in my opinion its to prevent us from getting weathered down when its bad weather I suppose. We do have this little courtyard though. Vicky – well the janitors used to keep it clear for we had big passing times by the time the kids hit the pass out there ,there was no snow it was all trampled down. Its weird it didn‟t bother us I mean they had a big path for us. It just really when you come out of a classroom and then you go outside its like you get a breath of fresh air and your ready for that next class especially if you come out of a boring class like math. I don‟t know I used to think math was I used to think the classroom was so hot and tiring and that said. And then when get outside it was I don‟t know you just felt good you could walk outside and go to that next class because you could get that breath of fresh air Bethany – its always nice to have something like that in my opinion too. Vicky – do you guys have open campus now? You can leave and go to McDonalds and come back Bethany – if you get a pass in order to go like you can ask somebody specifically or you have to earn it with your grades. Vicky – wow see we could just what ever you did on your own lunch you did as long as you were back in time for your next class and we would walk up the street to McDonalds or Steak n‟ Shake you could ride the bus up there and back. Bethany – ya that would be awesome. „Vicky – ya its just crazy how now in days they just id don‟t know maybe they had a problem with them getting back to school. Its trust and they trusted us and now in days trust and if you broke it you paid. You got detention or you got in trouble or expelled or suspended you know Bethany – Ok I asked about clubs that you and that we don‟t what about events are there any events that you have that we don‟t now? Vicky – I don‟t know what you guys have I mean we had bake sales and book sales and we raised money for the Red Cross I mean I don‟t know what you guys do that we don‟t I mean I don‟t really know a lot about what they do now we use to get the trees free I don‟t know if they celebrate arbor day anymore we would get free trees you would learn all about that during that week I don‟t know what you have that we didn‟t. I think we probably had a lot more than you do because like I said they made school fun. Bethany – what about that polish holiday apparently that we have off for apparently there is a polish holiday that we get out of school for that day. Did you guys get out of school for a polish holiday? Vicky – a Polish Holiday? What‟s it called? Bethany – I can‟t even remember it was mentioned to me when I came here. Vicky – I can‟t even see a polish holiday because all the towns around here are German. I don‟t remember a polish holiday. I think we just got off for the main holidays and then the teacher meetings. You‟re ganna have to find out what that is and let me know. Bethany – I will. I will because that caught my interest whenever I came here that it happened and I didn‟t even realize it or something Vicky – that it was a polish holiday? Bethany – why we were getting out I didn‟t realize it was a holiday Vicky – did they say it was a polish holiday? Bethany – maybe on the calendar Vicky – maybe they were making fun of it because it was something you know Bethany – I don‟t know I think it was because some polish guy had some success that was named after him or something Im not totally certain Vicky – you have to find that out Bethany – ya that pretty much covers up all of my questions so thank you so much again Vicky. This was great Vicky – your welcome thank you Bethany – thank you