Hanna High School - Panther Tracks Yearbook (Hanna, IL)

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ATOMIC ENERGY EXHIBITION ••Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Right this way, folks were the words of the barker which came to me as I made my way from booth to booth at the street fair in Hanna. June, 1972. Perhaps ''street fair is an obsolete term, but it was used frequently when I was a boy in high school, and I am still obstinate enough to prefer some of the old-fashioned expressions in this somewhat confusing and miraculous atomic age. Exhibitions or street fairs of this type were not uncommon! Breath-taking rides, amusements, and exhibitions demonstrating the use of atomic energy in every-day living were in evidence all over the country. Back to my story - - 1 walked in the general direction of the voice of the barker and upon catching sight of him, I realized there was something familiar about him. 1 studied this character brief- ly -- tall, well-built with just the slightest suggestion of a softness about him, strong and persuasive voice. Then I noted the posters and ads in front: See the Class of 1949! See Lois, the school teacher! Her methods are original and unique! See Cross, the good-humor man! By this time my curiouaity was thoroughly aroused, and I ap- proached the barker. A bell rang in my mind -- Wally Sacks!! It couldn't be -- but it was! What was this whole crazy business! Did the members of the class of 49 all turn out to be side-show entertainers7 I never thought they were that freakish! Or did they love each other so much they couldn't bear to part? That hardly seemed probable. And Wallace Wayne -- he even went to college after graduation. What, then, was the answer to this farcical set-up? 1 was soon to learn that this was the unique idea for a class reunion in Hanna. That class always was a money-making, scheming group -- but this idea certainly topped them all! Tickets for this session were practically sold out. so I hurriedly paid the price of admission -- which was plenty stiff as might well be imagined by one who had known the class -- and went inside to sec what the class of '49 was like at the approximate age of fifty. The first demonstration which met my eyes was a room installed with all the gadgets necessary to a luxurious kitchen. Seated in the middle of the room in a comfortable easy chair, eating a bar of candy eyes half-closed, chin resting upon chin, was a slightly graying. 12

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The Seniors of 48 gave us a party at which we ate, danced, and played games. We earned this party by selling more magazine subscriptions than the Senior class; Lois Hunsley was our star saleslady. Now. at last ’’A Senior knows and knows that he knows. ’ Our first duty was to introduce the green freshies to the high school. It was a pleasure we enjoyed thoroughly •• after all, we had been planning this for three years. Some of them had to go through a process of learning how to take it. but they learned quickly as was proved the final night of initiation when they were required to do many grotesque stunts without complaining. Afterwards we rein- forced their weakened condition with food, and social dancing w»s enjoyed by all of the high school students. During our Senior year we sponsored two dances, sold coke at the ball games, and gave the play, Look Me in the Eye.' Again, our class won the magazine sales contest; to date, however, we have not received our party as was promised by the Junior class. We are very proud of our Senior boys who many times played together this year as our first team -- Wally, Al, Vick, Howard, and George. And we feel that the Panthers will be unable to find a better manager than Richard Gross . At the present time we are looking forward to our prom and banquet, our trip. Baccalaureate, Commencement, and last but not least, we are anxiously anticipating receiving a diploma signed by Mr. Seigesmund. And then the atom splits; each of us will go his own way. We wonder what effect our energies and ambitions will have on the outside world --or what effect the outside world will have on us: n

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blondifth middle-aged woman. She waa Lola Hunaley whom I recognised by an exact replica who sat beaide her. Yea, Loia married Junior Galbreath with whom she went steady two years in high school. Junior waa busy demonstrating their completely automatic kitchen. He men- tioned that atomic energy made this possible; in fact, Loia now could get an entire meal without getting out of her chair. This was her dream come true! And apparently she still loved to eat as much as ever! In the next booth a tractor was being displayed by none other than Alfred Huhnke, Jr. He was explaining how he ran this tractor with atomic power rather than gas. Also, he had installed a ••hopped-up motor so that it would operate much faster. He gets his farming done much more quickly, and therefore, is able to follow his hobby of auto racing. Last year at the Speedway he came in second; this year he ex- pects to come in first. I didn't learn too much about the women in his life but understood there had been several. And eventually one came a- long whom he could not resist for long. Next, I encountered a middle-aged muscular-looking woman giving a permanent in a rapid, efficient manner to a young girl. The information on her card said her name was Thelma Sacks, and she was a successful hair dresser in New York. Whispers around me disclosed the fact that she still followed her hobby of lady wrestling occasionally. Also, 1 understood that Wayne will still be welcomed by Thelma with open arms when and if he appears. My eyes then caught sight of an attractive matronly figure who sat at a desk with a automatic telephone at her ear. The woman was Alice Mandeville. I learned she is doing secretarial work and was. at the moment, waiting for her boss who was always late. She informed me her matrimonial affairs were not open for discussion and before I could carry the conversation further, in rode her boss on his bicycle -- an eccentric character indeed! I couldn’t have been more right! Shocked but maintaining an upright position, 1 recognized Alice Mandeville’a boss -- Richard Gross -- same twitching, tongue-in-cheek smile! It seems that after graduation he gave his position as coach back to Mr. Siegesmund. He had received all the breaks and was now president of Allis-Chalmers. It would hove been Interesting to see how he managed Alice! He smiled at the tall, slender, and slightly bald man next to him whom I recognized as Dick Vick. He was displaying some of his latest designs for automobiles, and Boss Gross told me Dick was a leading car designer for General Motors. As for Morilyn -- his childhood sweet- heart -- no one knows who Became tired of waiting for whom. Dick’s favorite drawings are eccentric designs for very old cars. He was quite an athlete in his youth, and I understand he hadn't yet lost his enthusiasm 13