1971 - The School Year

Being a student in a Santa Fe school in 1971 required some stamina and, occasionally, some antibiotics. Here, I'll show you what I mean.

More than 100 students at Leah-Harvey Junior High and 12 visiting senior citizens were struck with food poisoning after lunch at the SF Mid-High cafeteria. 24 sought emergency room help; all but two were briefly treated and released. The two, both senior citizens, were kept overnight at the hospital for observation and released the next day.

Calvin Capshaw, principal of Leah-Harvey, reported students began getting ill about 1:30 and all were sent home. Sarah Barton, school lunch supervisor, did not know what the source of contamination might have been as all food – including food served to several hundred students who did not get ill – was prepared at the same time. Lunch that day consisted of Spaghetti in meat sauce, milk, coleslaw, garlic bread and an apricot wheat bar. Samples were sent to a state laboratory for testing where later analysis revealed that the spaghetti was the source of the food poisoning.

The Santa Fe School Board held a special meeting and urged a full investigation. They were particularly irritated about the principal's failure to inform other students of the rising number of illness. As it turned out, Mr. Capshaw did inform the teachers but did not instruct them or advise them to inform the students.

At De Vargas Jr High, about 30 students refused to go to school, instead marching toward the school administration building on Alta Vista, carrying signs calling for the return of school principal Edward Cole. The night before, the school board had announced the transfer of Cole to a post at Harrington Junior High School. The next morning, one parent, Nap Benavidez, told students gathered in the De Vargas school gym that the transfer had been political and that's when the students initiated the walk out and march. As it turned out, Ed Cole was perfectly OK with the transfer and told the students and the next day, classes at De Vargas resumed as normal.

Over at Santa Fe Mid-High, the school term was marred by several fights and disturbances so Santa Fe police Chief Felix Lujan ordered a crackdown, including a search of student cars. Recovered during the search were several “deadly weapons,” including a sawed off garden tool handle with nails embedded in the tip, various clubs, chains and one knife. Lujan said he thought most of trouble did not stem from students but from dropouts who continued to hang out near the school.

The high schools were a little calmer.

After 100 years as a boys only school, St. Mike's went completely co-ed in 1971 when the 7^th and 8^th grades were opened to accept girls. Girls had already been accepted in the upper grades beginning in 1968. With girls now at St. Mike's, there were a few changes. For example, St. Mike's started a drill team to perform during game half-times. Among the members of the first drill team: Bernadette Gutierrez, Debbie Varela, Rose Marie Rivera, Luana Valdez, Lori Salazar, Elinda Trujillo, Charlene Rodriguez, Denise Stuart; Anita White, Rosianna Noedel, Liz Trujillo, Cindy Wing, Roberta Garcia, Karmella Pacheco, Dolores Gallegos, Jovanna Block, Rosealine Chavez and Joly Sanchez. Oh, and, Jolene Schutz was voted St. Mike's High School homecoming Queen. She was escorted by Paul Montoya. By the way, at the game, St. Mike's lost to West Las Vegas, 12-7. Before I forget, the St. Mike's cheerleaders for 1971 were Mary Jo Gonzales, Jeanne Adelo, Jean Fox, Linie Rivera, Michelle Pacheco and Theresa Lobato.

119 seniors graduated from St. Mike's in 1971. Valedictorian was Deborah Wallace, Salutatorian Ray Z Ortiz. Diplomas were conferred by Archbishop James Peter Davis. Among graduating class were some names familiar to modern Santa Feans: George Adelo, Tim Bieri, Charles Bonal, Virginia Castellano, Bobby Digneo, John Fox, Rudy Miller, Carmen Montes, Mike Pick, Ed Regensberg, Cindi Lee Schifani, Nancy Storrs, Joe Tapia, James Womack and Roseanna Zamora.

600 graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1971. As usual, there were no formal valedictorian or salutatorian choices but commencement addresses were given by top students Steve Terrell, Donna Anglin and Lindalie Lien. School Board President Robert Sweeney presented diplomas. Special mention here for Rose Mary Barela who was selected as Sweetheart Queen for 1971. She was a junior, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roque Barela, and she presided over the Valentine Ball. Her attendants included Liz Sandoval, Carmen Gutierrez, Lourdes Perez and Lourdes Trujillo. Santa Fe High School cheerleaders for 1971 were Patty Rutherford, Judy Buchholz, JoAnn Vigil, Karla Alarid, Donna Savage and Margaret Ragle.

And at the only other high school in the city, there were 22 graduates of the Santa Fe Preparatory School. Steven Savage was the principal student speaker.

College life in Santa Fe was exciting too.

College of Santa Fe students staged a demonstration at the school's cafeteria and called for a boycott of classes in protest against the planned addition of an Air Force ROTC program. The demonstration ended abruptly after a bomb threat was called in and police cleared the group to search for explosives. None were found.

College of Santa Fe students still found time, between demonstrations and bomb threats, to hold the annual homecoming celebration. At the game's half time, the CSF Knights team captain crowned Geri Cruz, a sophomore majoring in business administration, homecoming queen for 1971. The grand homecoming parade, consisting of 7 floats, was themed a Winter Wonderland. Grand prize winner was the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity with a float depicting Santa's Workshop.

Student elections at the College resulted in the seating of Santa Feans to top offices. Jerome Martinez, son of M/M Gregorio Martinez of El Rancho was elected President of the college's associated student government. Jerome was a junior, majoring in history. Active in campus organizations, Martinez was Secretary General of the UN Club, member of Pi Gamma Mu and the President's Honor Society. Fellow Santa Feans Michael Vigil was elected vice president and Jerry Rael was elected Senior Class President.

25 CSF students were honored for academic achievement by college's Honor Society, only for students with a minimum of a 3.5 cumulative GPA. From Santa Fe, there was Jim Barton, Gwen Davis, Mrs. Lee Chan, Edythe Mackey, Jerome Martinez, Rita Melady, Patrick T. Ortiz, Steven Schwartz, Louis Valencia, Michael E. Vigil and Carl Williamson.

At graduation, the seniors were addressed by Senator Joseph Montoya who decried violence in the nation's march to equality but praised peace movements. Several Santa Fe students graduated with high honors: Michael Armijo, Marguerite Blawis, Lee Chan, Dixie Pope, Chris Preston, Larry Gallegos, Art Gonzales, Ted Lopez, Edythe Mackey and Connie Rael.

Nobody cared, but 26 graduated from St. John's College. Top students were Gail Hartshorne of Sharon, Conn. and Steven Moser of Haiku, Hawaii. No Santa Feans in that graduating class.

The little students at Los Ninos Kindergarten, headed by the much loved Pauline Gomez, had the right idea in 1971. They celebrated the end of school with a parade around the Plaza on bicycles.

And that's school news from Santa Fe 1971.