Flashback: The Story of a Nobody with his 15 minutes of fame (twice!)
Student council was always a hit or miss thing for most kids in my class. You could tell the kids that just vied to be a part of it, thinking they were making a difference in our lives. Many of them would continue down the dark path toward politics, not necessarily in the limelight; but most as an accomplice to someone that deemed themselves important.
During my tenure in high school, technology was advancing at an alarming pace. An exciting announcement was made. My school had been chosen to test piloting new cutting edge technology! Each school room was to be retrofitted and equipped with a 19" CRT TV AND a VHS player. Move over CRT TV strapped on a rolling steel-grey metal cart! One by one these TVs were to be mounted on the wall! The school faculty would have the ability to set up live feeds and broadcast school-wide announcements using this new system. Hello video, goodbye PA system!! Also, for our enjoyment and entertainment, we were exposed to daily dose of "Channel One", a kids broadcast of the news that the school system agreed to promote. It was pretty rudimentary and most of us just laughed at it, but it gave us a much-needed seven minute lecture break at precisely 11:11AM along with several low quality George Foreman commercials pitching his world famous grill. At times, I'd be looking over at the clock waiting in anticipation for this moment, the minute hand seemingly stopped forever in its tracks. But I wasn't the only one waiting eagerly; several kids pointed out the time so we wouldn't miss the opening or our seven minutes of freedom.
Early in the semester in my junior year, the campaign for student council commenced. For the first time, it was announced that the classroom TVs were used instead of us all being herded down to the main auditorium for their promotional speeches. However, these elections were nearly a foregone conclusion. For the past two years, the school council seemingly had not changed. The class president was being challenged by a very weak opponent, thus a shoe in. I guess the student council president-elect was a decent choice, no scandals were ever uncovered and his name wasn't dragged through the mud. Actually, he was the envy of many. He must have had a brilliant 4D6 roll upon entering the world. He was quite popular, charismatic, as most class presidents tend to be. Aside from being president, he had straight As, was the captain of the football team AND could sing! What luck to be graced with everything in one package!
Before the elections for student council were to occur, each candidate gave their pitch as to why they were the best candidate, even though it was apparent the incumbents were going to win. "Secretary Steve" had a pre-recorded message for us all on the TV stating that he would be running unopposed, although he was gracious to be once again our class secretary.
Along came my friend "Mark". He was far from normal, geeky, quirky, always quoting things from Monty Python; however he was a good person. [Maybe he turned out furry, hmmmm?] We talked a ton at the back of the class of our "oral communications" class. I mean, could you fault us for talking in oral comm? Actually, my teacher didn't care one iota; she was a theater person and got to know my Dad very well through the local playhouse, so she let pretty much anything I did in her class slide without repercussion. I guess I was a teacher's pet of sorts, without having to do anything to deserve it! Right before the election, he brought up the student council and how rigged it was. I totally agreed with, but stated there's nothing that can be really done about it. He nodded in agreement, but held a scheming smirk on his face, lips sealed. I didn't know at the time he had a devised a plan in attempt dethrone Mr. Unopposed!
The next morning was election day. Each person in my grade could cast a single ballot for their candidate of choice. When I stepped into the main atrium of the school, I and dozens of others gasped as the hallways were littered all over with 8 1/2 by 11" "Vote Mark Secretary" papers, crudely copied with his big, pimple-covered face, plastered all over like wallpaper with a grin so wide and open even a fox would have been jealous. People started taking them down, laughing at them, defacing them, making them paper airplanes, throwing them into the trash, and using them for their own notes. However, much like the Foreman commercials beating us senseless about how quick burgers and other meats cook with the added health benefit, Mark's face and image burned into our brains and was the number one trending topic throughout the hallways. Much like the 7th grade incident, word spread like wildfire. This caused a schoolwide action plan; write-in time!!! Soon all of us were writing his name in against Secretary Steve!
The next day, the four familiar faces came on the TV live to accept their positions into student council. Steve announced that Mark had indeed won in a landslide in a 11th hour attempt to derail his third consecutive bid as secretary, however the student council rules stated that candidates had to be submitted prior to the election. There was a unison BOOOOOO that could be heard throughout the school halls. Oh well, the fun and Mark's 15 minutes of fame were over. Unless the next year...
Fast forwarding, to my senior year. The hopes, the dreams of many, shattered in a mass popularity contest, also known as Homecoming. It was nomination time for the homecoming King and Queen positions which seemingly several people placed this as their #1 life goal to be crowned. It was a simple process; students were asked to submit as many nominations for homecoming king and queen on a piece of paper as we wanted. The top ten ladies and gents' names would be tallied and put on the final form for vote. The most votes for king and queen were then crowned during the homecoming parade!
The girls were scrambling around all week to trying to look good, asking for anyone and everyone to nominate them. Fancy hair-dos, eye liner, make up, fancy clothing, all just a reflection of how shallow and self-loathing they were. The boys on the other hand were kind of laid back about the whole ordeal. The standard popular guys, including the class president were definitely going to get a shot at the crown. However, good ol' Mark's name resurfaced from the grave as he once again became the talk of the school. "Let's all write his name on the ballot, as a joke!" As word got around the halls, this seemed like a funny idea. So like many, I wrote down Mark on my nomination ballot along with a few other guys and gals I thought were worthy of the crown.
The day arrived; we sat in our home rooms and examined our ballots. Surprisingly, Mark had made it as one of the ten finalist! I was in disbelief but also laughed internally. Could he actually win this whole thing? I shrugged and marked my ballot and submitted it, not actually voting for him, but with my conscious vote who I thought was the best candidate.
Rumblings afterwards occurred in the hallways by the ladies, "Oh my God, did you see that Mark made it? You BETTER not have voted for him" they angrily accused all their friends. "No, no, I wouldn't vote for THAT loser." "Good." Those conversations echoed all throughout the corridors.
A week later the announcement came of the homecoming King and Queen came over the TV system. Big drumroll.... and the king is, "MARK!" I almost bust out laughing as his awkward smile filled the screen and the gal chosen was about as far away as possible from him but still able to be seen on the screen She was nearly in tears, which I believe were not of happiness and elation.
The festivities concluded that evening. I cared not to attend and didn't see the parade. However, I was able to relive the moment as it was captured perfectly in my yearbook. There they were, standing on the podium. Bridget, dressed all beautiful in her dress, fully done make-up bouquet and all, like a princess, trying to squeak out a smile at the camera. Mark, on the other hand with a smug smile, in sneakers, jeans, and a sweatshirt to fully match the momentous occasion! "Hey," I thought, "at least he combed his hair; that's my Mark!"
A second shining 15 minutes of fame for Mark before the senior year ended. That's pretty much where the story ends, as the graduation commenced and we parted our ways, drifting apart like so many school friends do. Equipped and ready for college with my own personal George Foreman Grill. :P
During my tenure in high school, technology was advancing at an alarming pace. An exciting announcement was made. My school had been chosen to test piloting new cutting edge technology! Each school room was to be retrofitted and equipped with a 19" CRT TV AND a VHS player. Move over CRT TV strapped on a rolling steel-grey metal cart! One by one these TVs were to be mounted on the wall! The school faculty would have the ability to set up live feeds and broadcast school-wide announcements using this new system. Hello video, goodbye PA system!! Also, for our enjoyment and entertainment, we were exposed to daily dose of "Channel One", a kids broadcast of the news that the school system agreed to promote. It was pretty rudimentary and most of us just laughed at it, but it gave us a much-needed seven minute lecture break at precisely 11:11AM along with several low quality George Foreman commercials pitching his world famous grill. At times, I'd be looking over at the clock waiting in anticipation for this moment, the minute hand seemingly stopped forever in its tracks. But I wasn't the only one waiting eagerly; several kids pointed out the time so we wouldn't miss the opening or our seven minutes of freedom.
Early in the semester in my junior year, the campaign for student council commenced. For the first time, it was announced that the classroom TVs were used instead of us all being herded down to the main auditorium for their promotional speeches. However, these elections were nearly a foregone conclusion. For the past two years, the school council seemingly had not changed. The class president was being challenged by a very weak opponent, thus a shoe in. I guess the student council president-elect was a decent choice, no scandals were ever uncovered and his name wasn't dragged through the mud. Actually, he was the envy of many. He must have had a brilliant 4D6 roll upon entering the world. He was quite popular, charismatic, as most class presidents tend to be. Aside from being president, he had straight As, was the captain of the football team AND could sing! What luck to be graced with everything in one package!
Before the elections for student council were to occur, each candidate gave their pitch as to why they were the best candidate, even though it was apparent the incumbents were going to win. "Secretary Steve" had a pre-recorded message for us all on the TV stating that he would be running unopposed, although he was gracious to be once again our class secretary.
Along came my friend "Mark". He was far from normal, geeky, quirky, always quoting things from Monty Python; however he was a good person. [Maybe he turned out furry, hmmmm?] We talked a ton at the back of the class of our "oral communications" class. I mean, could you fault us for talking in oral comm? Actually, my teacher didn't care one iota; she was a theater person and got to know my Dad very well through the local playhouse, so she let pretty much anything I did in her class slide without repercussion. I guess I was a teacher's pet of sorts, without having to do anything to deserve it! Right before the election, he brought up the student council and how rigged it was. I totally agreed with, but stated there's nothing that can be really done about it. He nodded in agreement, but held a scheming smirk on his face, lips sealed. I didn't know at the time he had a devised a plan in attempt dethrone Mr. Unopposed!
The next morning was election day. Each person in my grade could cast a single ballot for their candidate of choice. When I stepped into the main atrium of the school, I and dozens of others gasped as the hallways were littered all over with 8 1/2 by 11" "Vote Mark Secretary" papers, crudely copied with his big, pimple-covered face, plastered all over like wallpaper with a grin so wide and open even a fox would have been jealous. People started taking them down, laughing at them, defacing them, making them paper airplanes, throwing them into the trash, and using them for their own notes. However, much like the Foreman commercials beating us senseless about how quick burgers and other meats cook with the added health benefit, Mark's face and image burned into our brains and was the number one trending topic throughout the hallways. Much like the 7th grade incident, word spread like wildfire. This caused a schoolwide action plan; write-in time!!! Soon all of us were writing his name in against Secretary Steve!
The next day, the four familiar faces came on the TV live to accept their positions into student council. Steve announced that Mark had indeed won in a landslide in a 11th hour attempt to derail his third consecutive bid as secretary, however the student council rules stated that candidates had to be submitted prior to the election. There was a unison BOOOOOO that could be heard throughout the school halls. Oh well, the fun and Mark's 15 minutes of fame were over. Unless the next year...
Fast forwarding, to my senior year. The hopes, the dreams of many, shattered in a mass popularity contest, also known as Homecoming. It was nomination time for the homecoming King and Queen positions which seemingly several people placed this as their #1 life goal to be crowned. It was a simple process; students were asked to submit as many nominations for homecoming king and queen on a piece of paper as we wanted. The top ten ladies and gents' names would be tallied and put on the final form for vote. The most votes for king and queen were then crowned during the homecoming parade!
The girls were scrambling around all week to trying to look good, asking for anyone and everyone to nominate them. Fancy hair-dos, eye liner, make up, fancy clothing, all just a reflection of how shallow and self-loathing they were. The boys on the other hand were kind of laid back about the whole ordeal. The standard popular guys, including the class president were definitely going to get a shot at the crown. However, good ol' Mark's name resurfaced from the grave as he once again became the talk of the school. "Let's all write his name on the ballot, as a joke!" As word got around the halls, this seemed like a funny idea. So like many, I wrote down Mark on my nomination ballot along with a few other guys and gals I thought were worthy of the crown.
The day arrived; we sat in our home rooms and examined our ballots. Surprisingly, Mark had made it as one of the ten finalist! I was in disbelief but also laughed internally. Could he actually win this whole thing? I shrugged and marked my ballot and submitted it, not actually voting for him, but with my conscious vote who I thought was the best candidate.
Rumblings afterwards occurred in the hallways by the ladies, "Oh my God, did you see that Mark made it? You BETTER not have voted for him" they angrily accused all their friends. "No, no, I wouldn't vote for THAT loser." "Good." Those conversations echoed all throughout the corridors.
A week later the announcement came of the homecoming King and Queen came over the TV system. Big drumroll.... and the king is, "MARK!" I almost bust out laughing as his awkward smile filled the screen and the gal chosen was about as far away as possible from him but still able to be seen on the screen She was nearly in tears, which I believe were not of happiness and elation.
The festivities concluded that evening. I cared not to attend and didn't see the parade. However, I was able to relive the moment as it was captured perfectly in my yearbook. There they were, standing on the podium. Bridget, dressed all beautiful in her dress, fully done make-up bouquet and all, like a princess, trying to squeak out a smile at the camera. Mark, on the other hand with a smug smile, in sneakers, jeans, and a sweatshirt to fully match the momentous occasion! "Hey," I thought, "at least he combed his hair; that's my Mark!"
A second shining 15 minutes of fame for Mark before the senior year ended. That's pretty much where the story ends, as the graduation commenced and we parted our ways, drifting apart like so many school friends do. Equipped and ready for college with my own personal George Foreman Grill. :P