October 25th, 2011
Published by: mooresb
In Search of Live Goldfish By Richard H. Evans October 25th, 2011
The years prior to the three Evans children attending the Ohio State University School came from different circumstances, but with similar paths. My sister Elyse (45) and Gayle (49) attended St. Mary's of the Springs for girls (Sunbury and Nelson Roads) in the early junior school years. Although my family was not of the Catholic faith, the school was known for its Order of Dominican educational skills. Years later, my sisters remember the protocol of the nuns dressed in their habits and the daily experiences in chapel and visits to the candle-lit hillside rock grotto. The chapel was torn down some years later, and replaced with a modern library that is now part of the renamed Ohio Dominican College campus. Elyse further developed her love of books during this time, and set as a preteen goal the reading of every book on a particular shelf from end-to-end. In her adult life, she obtained a masters degree in Library Science from Drexel University, and was a head librarian of an excellent high school in Radnor, Pennsylvania for many years. Both girls transferred to the University School in 1942 during the World War II years. My kindergarten years consisted of making primitive clay ashtrays, and experiencing both my first taxi cab ride and being offered a piece of chewing gum (forbidden by my mother for fear of tooth decay, no doubt). My mission was to accompany the teacher and another classmate to purchase a live goldfish for our schoolroom. With this preparation behind me, I enrolled at The Columbus Academy for boys (Nelson Road, on the west side of Alum Creek) in the 1st grade, where my father had attended at the age of 16. The facilities were antiquated, and we began classes in an old house on adjacent property until advancing to a larger yellow brick building. Noon meals were served in a large dining hall that had a stage. Although the meals are not remembered, what seemed unusual was the large bowl of apple butter that was always in the center of the table. All the of teachers were exceptional, and my 4th grade instructor was even a close friend of Mrs. Douglas MacArthur, who had a son my age. Our fine arts teacher was the highly respected Ray Kinsman Waters. Classes were held in a small studio under the dining hall. Mr. Waters wore a very ornate hammered silver bracelet that covered the entire forearm and was magnificent looking. The educational opportunities during those early years covered everything from the Dick,
Jane, and Spot books, to a full study of Egyptian history and culture by the 4th grade. The Academy did have a very modern indoor swimming pool where classes and swim meets were held frequently. Even the Columbus police department used it for training exercises, until it burned in later years. One of my memories was the planting of a tree in observance of arbor day. A picture of this event was later published in the local papers, and the tree is a mighty one today. One shocking event took place in the school library one day. A student brought a gun to school to show another (which might sound rather familiar today), and it fired into the stomach of the victim. The good news is that the son of a prominent Bexley family survived. But coincidence or not, it was time for me to move on to another school. Left behind were memories of shooting marbles and playing mumblety-peg in the dusty school yard. The University School was achieving an excellent reputation, and was within walking distance of our home. In the fall of 1946 I matriculated into the 5th grade of the University School, and was pleased that my teacher was the very attractive and popular Kay Burgess. Her hair was upswept on the sides and was rolled on top, in the style in the 1940s. Miss Burgess had a way of stimulating the students and made class time exciting. She could also be a disciplinarian as well. I remember the time when an orchestra came to visit the school to perform in the gymnasium. Apparently I had misbehaved that day, and I had to stay behind in the classroom as my punishment, which was very hard on me. Of course at the end of the year all was forgotten, and the students were each given a small gift by Miss Burgess. The boys received a small football key chain, and the girls also had a similar trinket to take home. In the 6th grade, besides a valentine card exchange using a large red box with white paper lace glued on, we also had a Christmas gift exchange. We drew names, and my gift went to Chuck Haines and was a game called "Hi Neighbor." Shirley Evans had my name and presented me with a not-so-small pocket knife. I just dont think that would work in todays world .
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October 25th, 2011
Published by: mooresb
My sisters and I all seemed to adapt to the change in schools and found our niche in different areas, in hopes of finding a socially and academically well-rounded education. That is what gave the school its strength, the ability to work with each student and find what their interests are. There were so many educational experiences and extra-curricular activities available, that we probably didnt fully appreciate the abundance at the time. Unfortunately today, many schools are unable to offer courses we took for granted, such as music. Plus, many of todays youth are in work programs that deprive them of available opportunities that could enrich their lives. Of course, methods were different from many other schools where our friends attended. One example was the lack of a course grade structure, which was substituted by detailed quarterly progress reports that took the faculty many hours to prepare and have typed. Student standings couldnt always be quantified, but a lot of feedback was received that perhaps students at other schools never experienced. I didnt really know how much the University School meant to me, until the day my mother said she had some doubts on how I was measuring academically. She said it might be best that I return to the Columbus Academy where there was more structure and discipline. This change hit me like a ton of bricks, and I pretty much fell apart. For some reason, the subject never came up again, and I enjoyed a full eight years with the University School. Of course, if a student were to start in the University School class for 4 year-olds, graduate as a senior, earn an OSU bachelor degree, and perhaps continue in graduate or medical school, nearly a quarter of a century of a persons life could be spent on the campus without ever leaving. Unfortunately 14 of those years were snuffed out in 1967, when the University School method was ended, and the doors locked for future generations to behold. Photographs by David H. Curl
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