Throwback Thursday Tidbits – the 70’s
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The Ozarks was a popular location for Senior Class Trips during the 1970’s.
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During the 70’s, our marching band was invited to perform at half time of a Central
College football game.
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German was taught for the first time in the 1971-1972 school year by Mr. Vedders, who
had taught Latin for nine years before that.
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1971 Christmas Banquet consisted of a
meal served by the Ladies Aux.
followed by entertainment featuring a
skit by the teachers, a sextet
performance, and “imitate the
teachers” game, and Miss Bonhker’s
version of “The Night Before
Christmas.”
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During the 1970’s, several students are pictured doing “Cooperative Training” at various
local businesses. Some of their training included working as welders, mechanics,
bookkeepers, machinists and florists.
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The 1973 Junior-Senior Banquet was titled “Annual Hillbilly Picnic”.
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The 1972-1973 Cross Country (boys)
mile team was State Champions.
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1972-1973 marked the start of
summer baseball.
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1973-74 boys basketball team was
the first boys team to make it to the
sub-state game.
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On April 18 and 19, 1974, a new program called “Outside Learning” took place. Students
took several mini-courses rather than their regular classes. These courses were taught
by volunteers from the community and some of these courses included Dutch Folk Art,
Powder Puff Mechanics, Psychology, Archery, Photography, Spanish, Paper Quilling,
Karate, a Bicycle Trip and a Canoe Trip.
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In 1974 an industrial arts complex was added to the building and Norm Huisman became
our first industrial arts teacher.
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The Pella Christian Booster Club was
organized in December of 1974. The
original purpose of the Club was to
give financial support primarily to the
music, speech, and athletic
departments by providing equipment
which wasn’t in the school’s budget.
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The donation from the PC Booster
Club to the school for the 1977-1978
school year was $6,000.
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Girls and Boys Tennis began for the first time at PCHS in 1975.
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Spiritual Emphasis Week began with the 1975-1976 school year. The theme for that
first week was relationships.
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Cross Country began for girls in 1977. 5 girls made up the team and they ran 2 miles.
Lana Vande Kamp qualified for the state meet where she finished 22nd.
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The Concert Choir was invited to attend Dordt College’s biannual Musical Festival in
1978. In order to finance the weekend trip, the students gave two performances of a
musical and had a Choir Talent Night Supper. For the first time ever, records of the
concert were made available for purchase.
IMAGINE - HAPPENINGS AROUND THE WORLD
POLITICS…
Guys & Gals, You get to Vote at 18 because of
the Viet Nam War and Richard Nixon
Viet Nam, Watergate & the Hostage Crisis Dominated the Decade
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Viet Nam War Ends - Nixon was able to obtain a negotiated peace with the North Vietnamese in the
Paris Peace Talks at the end of 1972 – beginning of ’73, obtaining “Peace with Honor,” the
withdrawal of US troops in Viet Nam & the release of the POW’s held by the North Vietnamese. What
did this mean to high school students like Dr. Eggink in 1972? They wouldn’t be drafted, or sent to Viet
Nam to fight and possibly return maimed, injured, an amputee or in a body bag in a coffin; New Life!
President Richard M Nixon was running for re-election in 1972, even though he had done well,
“Tricky Dick,” as he was to be named later, was scared that he would lose re-election. So the President
authorized the Watergate Break-in, illegal FBI surveillance & the IRS targeting liberals. The Watergate
Hearings commenced and it quickly became clear that the President had committed “high crimes &
misdemeanors” and was about to be impeached. Nixon was forced to resign the Presidency because he
would have been impeached & convicted by the Democrat controlled Senate. Nixon was, and still is the
first President (37th) to resign from office (Andrew Johnson & Bill Clinton still remain the only two
Presidents to be impeached, but not convicted).
So how do the crimes of Watergate compare to the alleged crimes (NSA illegal e-mail intercepts & Cell
Phone eavesdropping; IRS Non for Profit scandal; Libya Ambassadors death /cover up, etc.) of the
Obama White House today? Today some say the scale of the Obama Administrations alleged illegal
activity makes Nixon look like a Freshman compared to our current President. What do you think, has
History repeated itself in another aloof, Imperial Presidency?
The Iran Hostage Crisis - The Arab nations wanted to teach the US a lesson because the US supported
Israel and the 1948, 1967 & 1973 Arab/ Israeli Wars. This lead to the Arab Oil Embargo with long gas
lines in the fall of 1972. Instead of 36¢ per gallon, gasoline skyrocketed to 90¢ per gallon; more than a
100% increase over night. Plus, you could only buy gas on odd or even days that matched your license
plate’s odd or even number because of gas rationing. Inflation soared as everything cost more to produce
and salaries didn’t increase. The OPEC nations grew rich because they set the price of oil and this
started to heavily influence international affairs. After the Shah of Iran fell from power in 1979, an
Islamic Republic was set up by the Ahyetolla Khomeni. “Iranian students” staged a huge protest
outside the US Embassy in Tehran, invaded the embassy and took hostages. The hostages were held 444
days. This helped Ronald Reagan win the 1980 Presidential election. Iran didn’t free the hostages until
Reagan was President.
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Fun – Movies, TV & Disco
Did you know in the 1970’s, we were invaded by Aliens that partied at Disco’s in polyester clothing
with shiny orbs hanging and rotating above the multi-colored, strobe light pulsating dance floor? ET
hadn’t phoned home yet, but we had “The Sting” after our “Love Story.” We all had a “Close
Encounter of the Third Kind” which gave us all “Saturday Night Fever” before finding ourselves a
long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away fighting “Star Wars.”
We had more notable films about a WW II General, “Patton”; an Italian Mobster, “The Godfather”;
an army battlefield hospital staffed by zany doctors, “M*A*S*H”; a bunch of recent high school
graduates driving around LA on their last night home in ’62, “American Graffiti”; some fishermen
trying not to get eaten by huge shark, “Jaws”; and even a trip back to comedy central in medieval times
on the quest of “Monty Python & the Holy Grail.”
The Beetles broke up in the early 1970’s and Paul McCartney joined a group called “Wings” with
their first hit being “Live & Let Die” which was also the theme song for the movie of the same name.
Another music hit was the song, “There’s got to be a Morning After”; many of us wished there would
be one and that the song would stop…and at the opposite end of the decade we all heard “You Light Up
my Life” by Debbie Boone. Groups and artists that made it big were Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire,
Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, John Denver and the Captain & Tennille. Disco came on the scene with
songs such as “Heart of Glass”, “Y.M.C.A.”, “Last Dance”, “Reunited” & ”Call Me”.
Some hit TV Shows were the “Mary Tyler Moore Show”, “Happy Days”, “The Brady Bunch”, “All in
the Family”, “The $6 Million Dollar Man”, “Good Times” and the first miniseries, “Roots” from the
book of the same title written by Alex Haley. Americans were glued to their TV’s for “Roots”; the story
of an African Prince, Kunta Kinte taken to America in slavery in the 18th Century and his descendants
(Chicken George) all the way to the 20th Century. Genealogy study boomed because of this miniseries.
Yet in the midst of all this self expression and self importance, God reminded us that He was still in
charge. In the album “Tea for the Tillerman”, the artist Cat Stevens wonderfully sang the old Hymn,
“Morning Has Broken”; making the top 10 charts. The Broadway play “Godspell” (not too
theologically sound), had a God honoring song, “Day by Day.”
Cost comparisons: Due to the Arab Oil Embargo, rapid inflation occurred for the first time.
1970 price
Avg. Yearly Wage
$7,559.00
Avg. House Cost
$27,000.00
1 Dozen Large Eggs
59¢
Gallon of Milk
62¢
Loaf of Bread
25¢
1 Gallon Reg. Gas
36¢
Movie Ticket
$1.55
McDonalds (Burger, Fry & Shake) 89¢
1979 price
$14,896.00
$71,800.00
85¢
$1.62
40¢
90¢
$2.51
$1.92
2014 price
$45,000.00
$188,900.00
$ 2.00
$ 3.55
$ 1.98
$ 2.80 - 3.80
$ 10.00
$ 5.74 Ala carte