I was picking up trash from the broken water balloons left on our Senior Lawn at our Alumni PIcnic and I suddenly flashed back to my Senior Year, 1963.  Remember when we could get out of High School 15 minutes early on Fridays if the Senior Lawn was perfectly clean?

I remember Mr. Adamson's voice would come over the PA System most Fridays and say we had better clean up that lawn before we went to our 5th period class when he took his walk.  I remember scanning the lawn with my friends at the end of lunch because we ALL wanted to get out of school early .  Now I realize the teachers wanted out more that us but making the students work for the right to leave was the best idea.  Not sure if the "State" would allow anyone to leave early today, but it worked for us when it matter the most.

I remember how 'sacred' the senior lawn was!  As a 10th and 11th grader, I was in awe of the cool seniors who got to hang out there.   I could not wait until I could be a part of the cool ones who could step on that 'sacred' turf!!

CLASS OF “60” GOES GREEN

In 1960 the Senior Class Ditch Day was one of our most anticipated events.
But there was a problem. It seems as though, when “the cats are away the mice will play”.

We knew our cherished domain, “Senior Class Only” lawn, would be invaded by the junior, sophomore and freshman classes during our ditch day. With this concern in mind I devised a plan.

First; I went with a few classmates go to the local nursery and liberated twenty (20) or more bags of fertilizer.

Second; We distributed the fertilizer on the senior lawn….. and then reset the sprinkler times for 11:45 am.

The plan worked perfectly. By 11:35 am, the underclassmen were walking or standing on our turf. At 11:45 the sprinklers came on. They all evacuated our sanctuary.

Epilogue:

During the next few months our lawn stayed nice and green thanks to Senior Ditch Day.

My memory was of someone standing behind a classmate and squeezing the breath out of him until he fainted.  We thought this was FUN!!!!!

My memories of the senior lawn were of sitting under one of the trees and "necking" with my first love. It was during the summer, her name was Gloria.  She had raven hair and eyes to match.  We went to different schools but she lived on the same street as my cousin where I spent a lot of time since my best friend lived on that street too.  We were going steady and she wore my giant ring on a chain around her neck .  Her kisses I'd guess were sweeter than wine, had I known how sweet wine was.  The words from the Nat King Cole song A Blossom Fell were wondering around in my head; I think I may have been feeling a little insecure and worried we would not long be together.   Indeed the concern was realized, my family moved that summer and I started Culver Junior High in the fall.  The memory and the Senior Lawn were from Venice High School.  I don't think I had any as good at Culvers.  But I did meet the love of my life there....

I have so many memories of school from K-12 but the most vivid one's are of me getting into trouble.

BUT, an email from Barbara Hand just stirred my most sincere memories of the Senior Lawn. 

It was durning the10th and 11th grade's that I would lean against the wall just outside the hallway closest to the Senior Lawn and watch the Senior guys.  They were always involved in a good story and laughing and looking so good.  They were the Kings of the school and just becoming men.  Sometimes I would wait for the right moment to turn and walk to my next class, hoping 'that certain guy' would walk near me and say "Hello"or better yet, walk with me for just a few steps! 

I loved school and still do .................... OOXX ML

One of my favorite memories was sharing Lawn time with my good friends.
But the best all time memory was when 'someone' and his friends placed a port a pottie on the lawn......it was classic!  Of course the perps shall remain anonymous.