It has always puzzled me why you would remember some incidents from over 40 years ago and forget others. This is a vivid memory I have of one class at Madison Heights.
Mr. Wann as head of the math department started a 5 year math program that doubled up on geometry and advanced algebra in your sophomore year so you could take a year of calculus your senior year. Our class, the class of 1966, was about the second year of the program and the math textbook were something called SMSG which must have been a new method to teach higher math.
There were about 20 to 25 students in this program and we became a mini-group because we had so many classes together. In the five year math program were myself and Bob Blakey, Dave Pershing, Phil Faris, David Jarrett, David Sell, Bruce Dodd, Judy McGaffic, Bob Rose, Casey Jones, Larry Smith, Ken Bowman, Jack Craig, Kevin Crim as the names I remember and there may have been some that I have forgotten.
Of note, Judy McGaffic’s senior will read: I, Judy McGaffic, do bequeath to any deserving girl my ability to take and pass Calculus in the midst of 21 male brain-children. Complements to Judy for staying in the program when others fell out when it got too tough..
This incident happened in our Advanced Algebra class during our sophomore year with Mr. Wann as our teacher. We were studying the Associative, Commutative and Distributive Laws of math at the time. We had one student in our 5 year math program who was one of the smartest students but who also stuttered at times. I will call him Elvis although that is not his name.
Mr. Wann asked Elvis a question about some equation and asked him what kind of operation it was. I think Distributive was the correct answer. Elvis started to answer and started his stuttering “Da, Da, Da, Da, Da”. The rest of the class knew that Elvis knew the answer and we were all with him hoping he would get it out. “Da, Da, Da, Da, Da. I don’t know how long that went on, maybe 15 to 20 seconds, but he had everybody on the edge of their seats routing for him to get his answer out. Then Elvis stopped very suddenly, and rather nonchalantly blurted out very quickly “Ah, Commutative”. The class just lost it. We were laughing so loudly that they probably heard us down in the office. We were literaly falling out of our chairs. Even, Mr. Wann totally lost it in laughter. It took quite a while to get the class back on task. The funniest incident that I remember from my time at Madison Heights.
Best wishes to Elvis wherever he may be.
David Vern Addington
Class of 1966
I didn’t get to calculus until I went to college the second time. It wasn’t until I took calculus that I understood algebra, but after calculus, I understood physics better, and understanding physics (to the extent that I do) helps me understand life (to the extent that I do). I wonder where I’d be now if I’d followed you and Elvis into math and science in high school? I think I know who Elvis is. I’ll try to pry it out of you over beers at the next reunion. Cheers, David!
I too was in the 5 year math program. I know who Elvis is. He is a great guy. I don’t remember that incident but I do know that you are right. Everyone would have been pulling for Elvis to get it out. Everyone liked Elvis.
The funniest incident I remember was in Chemistry class when I believe it was Lee Hensler ignited his Rocket Fuel and everyone hit the floor except Mr. Sloan. He started yelling……….
I also remember Lee throwing the Mole Box back at Mr. Sloan. That was pretty funny……….