Hip, Cool, Groovey & Far Out

Meet the High School Class of 1969
From the Village of Birch Clump, Michigan

Viva la Revolucíon!

     1969, and the revolution is in full swing. I’m not all that sure what some of the young folks were revolting against but it was a fun time for some. Granny glasses, head bands, sandals, hippie beads made from seeds and shells, long hair and tight jeans were the rage back then. Take a look at the emo’s of today and I wonder if there is much difference, at least on the surface of things.
     To be sure there’s a difference of over 40 years. The idealism of then and today shares some things, but otherwise there are lots of differences. I don’t suggest that in any form of judgmental way towards kids today or kids back then – just an observation of how each generation is presented with a new set of circumstances, but needed the same basic assurances, freedoms, and survival things: i-pods and transistor radios!

     ↑ Top left of this columns and section is the class president, some kid that came in with a winning smile and personality at the beginning of the Junior year and left town the summer they graduated and no one saw him again. But, his fly in and fly out personality got him elected. Click the Picture for links to buy the novels.

     Top right is Cecilia DeLeon. Her original boy crush was for Randy Vanwesterdyk in grade school, and then Dean Thompson in high school.






← "Iggi" as they called Ignatious is in the gold tone wood frame.



Jerome Mott and Danielson buddy up and try to trap Randy in a fist fight with Erik in the summer of 1969. A case of mistaken identity becomes a major turning point in the first novel, Hawk Dancer. Rt: Danielson in the oval frame matting.

























     Slide ↑ from about 1965/66 of Randy, Dean and Erik. The Film strip (↑) is of Randy Vanwestderdyke most likely from 1969, but it could also be from 1970/71.

Below:
     ↓ Left is a drawing of Dean Thompson during their senior year. Art is attributed to Cecilia Deleon. She and Dean went steady for most of their four years at Birch Clump High School. Right is drawn from Jig Rajan’s graduation photo. Jig came from Surinam in South America while it was still a Dutch colony and registered for classes in Birch Clump in October 1968.