Attending Santa Monica High School in the early 1960's was to say the least, "a trip." The school administration was still trying to deal with, what I like to call the hoodlum 1950's. Characterized by films like Blackboard Jungle and Rebel Without a Cause, which bye the bye was partly filmed at SAMOHI. These portrayed teenagers as juvenile delinquents with switch blade knives and zip guns ready to, "rumble," at the drop of a hat. Even as late as 1961, West Side Story perpetuated this theme. Proving beyond a reasonable doubt how really really cluless about the youth culture Hollywood was at the time. Although I'm sure there was that element at one time at SAMOHI and Venice high, Times were rapidly changing.
This was Southern California after all. We were baby boomers, we had disposable incomes, transistor radios, folk music, the beach, AND surfing. We had a whole different outlook and vibe. Along with rock and roll, soul and pop music we received... oh oh! the news.
SAMO had all of these leftover rules and regulations the school administration were doggedly determined to enforce. There was a draconian dress code, no Blue jeans, totally a vestige of the hoodlum era. Where bobby sox and Blue Jeans, with the legs rolled up into cuffs were the uniform of the juvenile delinquents they feared so much. We wore 501 Levis (blue jeans, button fly) or Levi corduroy pants, teeshirts, tennis shoes (Converse high top sneakers), or huarache sandals and "Zoris". huarache sandals are Mexican woven leather sandals with cutout automobile tire treads for soles. Usually purchased in Tijuana on a, "Mex," surf trip. Zoris were a new import from Japan today they are called slaps
The rules even covered hair styles for guys. No "Duck Tails," or "Jelly Roll" allowed. As if we would ever be caught dead looking like a total "Hodad (greaser)." Interestingly all of these styles were basically short haircuts greased down with copious amounts of butch wax. But some how this now migrated to long hair, which, of course we gravitated to
Girls weren't exempt no ma'm short skirts were quickly becoming the fashion brought on by those damned transistor radios, teen magazines and, oh my god, television.
Rules quickly adapted. Girls were made to kneel down and if their skirts didn't touch the floor they were sent home to change. Make-up was severely restricted as were hair styles.
What any of this had to do with getting an education was beyond me or anyone else with half a brain. So we, of course, broke the rules as if they weren't even there.
There were other older, more subtile rules. Impressed by parental bias and prejudice (my parents being no exception) and societies' norms. Black kids hung out with black kids, Latino kids hung out with latino kids white kids with white kids the exception were Asian kids they mostly hung with white kids.
Given this situation we shine the light on my sophomore year.
There were required courses for every grade level in high school. For tenth grade the hard and fast requirement was geography one. Had to take it couldn't get around it. Actually I liked geography I always liked maps and such. We'll go further in to Mr Kersley's geography one class in another story.
The class was located in one of the, army surplus, "Bungalows" a temporary one room classroom added to the campus to accommodate the growing student body, those damn baby boomers again. I chose a seat along the wall with the windows so I could look out on campus and mostly daydream.
As the room filled up for the first class meeting this girl game and sat in the desk ahead of mine. I smiled at her and she smiled back and the class settled in with Mr.Kersley in front blabbing about what we were gonna be studying. I found out that her name was Alice. She was funny, loud, and outspoken I liked her immediately. Oh did I mention she was black?
One day a few weeks into the school year a friend of mine gave me this paper back book it was wider than it was tall and not very many pages long. It turned out to be a group of song parodies. One of which was "Nothing could be finer than to integrate a diner in the morning." and other irreverent tunes. I was in geography reading the book and almost laughing out loud.
Alice turned around and said, "What are you laughing at back there?"
Oh oh I thought this could be trouble.
"Oh nothing just this funny song book a friend gave me to read."
"Cool let me see it."
I thought screw it I think its funny what the hell. She opened it to the first song, "Nothing could be finer than to integrate a diner in the morning."
She started laughing out loud and said, "Oh you've got to let me copy down some of these songs, they are so funny,"
So we started to sing "Nothing could be finer than to integrate a diner in the morning." Mr. Kersley did not appreciate my singing at all. Alice had shut up and turned back around quickly and I, of course got the brunt of his wrath. He had me go up to his desk where he handed me a mimeographed sheet full of geography questions and said they would be due tomorrow. Naturally I had no intention of turning them in tomorrow or any other day.
When I got back to my seat Alice turned around and said, "Let me see that."
I handed it to her and she proceeded to answer all the questions for me.
"I got you in trouble Dave, least I can do is do this for you."
"Wow, thanks Alice."
We became pals we laughed and joked all the time, we made each other laugh.
On the south side of the campus was the science and language building. That is where my locker was. I would come in from the east, Lincoln and Pico, my locker was about mid way on the first floor where most of the lockers were. It turned out Alice's locker was right near mine. But she would enter from the west. We would get to school in the morning about the same time and pass each other in the hall. The floor was crowded with students getting ready for class.
One morning Alice enters the hall just as I do coming from the opposite direction. She stops throws out her arms and says at the top of her very strong voice, "DAVE!"
I smile threw out my arms and yelled, "ALICE."
We rush together ending in a big hugging embrace, laughing like crazy.
Well everyone in that building stopped dead and stared at us. We went to our lockers, got our books and went our ways. For the rest of the year we did that every morning, Just to shock and piss off as many people as we could. When ever any of my friends would ask me about it I would say,
"Oh that's Alice." and I would say nothing more. But the next morning Dave!... Alice!
I don't know what happened to her we didn't have a romantic relationship at all but she was my friend. Hope she is well.