Honey, I wish I knew what was going on here. I can’t fathom a reason to stack perfectly good tortillas on a fellow’s head. But it was 1979, and honestly, this yearbook is plumb full of things I can’t explain. Like this frisbee-contorting carb-deprived student.
Or this wand to his lips. I like the faces on the couple in back.
Or why grown men would be piggy-backing.
Or doing that to their hair and bodies. Just another confirmation that clowns are evil.
This seems like a dozen too many hula hoops.
This last one shows a group of Zeta Beta Tau dudes building sets for a party at Pat O’Brien’s. But that doesn’t explain the duck.
We’ve all seen the hibiscus worn in the hair, but this (as the carriage driver said in the Emerald City) is a horse of a different color. Kauai-born Sherrie Hamamura is literally sporting a crown of ferns, as well as a necklace of ferns. It looks itchy and uncomfortable, to be honest, especially in a downpour.
However, her Hawaiian name is Wailana, or Peaceful Water, so she probably doesn’t sweat the small stuff. I hope that fabric is moisture-wicking and allows for movement as she performs her classical hula.
Perhaps fellow WordPress blogger and former Hawaii-dweller, Tom, may understand this Hawaiian saying printed next to her in the National Geographic: I ka olelo no ke ola; I ka olelo no ka make. “In the language is life and death.”
Evidently, fern fashion is still alive and well, as evidenced here. Long live tradition!
This boy would be in his 40s now, but back in 1983, his top priority was honing his soccer skills in the old section of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. These days, he might be more inclined to simply hang this ornament from his Christmas tree.
It’s weird to see 1977 university staff images with EVERYONE drinking, since you could never do that now. Most students can’t drink until they’re juniors nowadays. But back when the drinking age was 18, nearly every student on campus was free to imbibe.
1977 Univ of Tx Texan Advertising Staff
Until 1981 Texas had a minimum drinking age of 18. And you bet your bippy those 18-year-olds took advantage.
drinks at the Texas Tavern on campus
But it wasn’t just pints of beer. Spiked punch made the rounds at deans’ meetings. And the dean seems pleased.
These Delta Kappa Epsilons decided they needed an entire wine cellar for the night.
Such young revelry led to poor decisions regarding hairstyles.
And poor decisions regarding fashion.
They were ugly sweater before ugly sweater was a thing.
Yes, I realize we rarely read cursive anymore, and truth be told, it IS a bit of a chore to read an entire paragraph. But these words to 1941 freshman coed Betty F. make for interesting reading. First, a note from her ex to his “cute little fillie.”
Here is Betty.
Her nickname was “Tank.”
This was from her boyfriend, Dan, pouring his heart out to her, and admitting that he played his best at basketball just for her.
There’s too much to share the whole thing, but the sign-off was the best.
And this was from a boy she evidently friendzoned. However, if she were to change her mind about him, he’d return so fast, it would make her head swim.
I think we can agree that this yearbook lived up to its name.
This WWII Santa doesn’t appear that much older than the doe-eyed toddler he’s holding. Volunteering from a university fraternity, he seems a bit smoother about the edges than his later counterpart in 1967, shown below.
Tipi 1967
Sideburns and skinny ties share the stage with both a plusher Santa beard and Santa suit, which appears to have been velveteened. Of course, not everyone can get the Santa gig. Some folks have to settle for holiday titles.
Ozarko 1968
Who even knew Barnwarming Queen was a thing? Are barns notoriously cold? Do queens exude that much heat?
It looks pretty toasty for these Savitar Barnwarming Queen Candidates in 1959. The only real loser here is the missing “g” in barnwarming.
cafnr.missouri.edu
Makes it sound oddly like barn-worming. But that’s another thing altogether.
Out of context, this does seem like an odd (if not clearly amateurish) sign to hang in front of a gift shop. However, the town is named Dripping Springs, and folks just call it Drippin’. We passed through it yesterday, and it made my heart warm. I just love seeing people hanging Christmas decorations; it’s that one fleeting moment where everyone is preparing for the holiday that we know will end in the blink of any eye. So for now, just enjoy the season!
It’s no news flash that most of us today are fat fat fatties. Reminds me of the old Morrissey song, “You’re The One For Me, Fatty.” It’s not surprising if you’ve never heard of Nutrament, as it exists today mainly only in New York and Florida. They have added new flavors, including cappucino, dulce de leche, mango, and the seasonally appropriate eggnog. Yeah, I still don’t want it. Why drink your calories when you can feast on meat and sides?
Now I was not alive in 1967 when this ad debuted, but women have ALWAYS been drawn to tall drinks of water. I doubt this lanky lad was at a loss for ladies, except that his proportions are all off. An average person is 7 1/2 heads high, and he is easily 9 heads high. Nobody likes a shrunken head.
The UK also struggles with obesity. They posted this image, comparing a typical 1967 male with a modern man. The difference was 23 lbs.
Converted to lbs, that’s 162 lbs vs 185. I don’t know about you, but I know a lot of folks who would LOOOOOOVE to weigh 185. That would be a blessing. And fatty evidently is outliving his thinner counterpart by quite a bit. Probably pumped up on medications, though. Time is a beast and steals our beauty and our firmness. Rare is the bird who looks better now than then.
I Don't Get It 