Norwegian Farmer’s Son…September 21st

September 21st...”DID YOU EVER WITNESS A FELLOW CLASSMATE PLAYING A PRANK ON A TEACHER AT BATTLE GROUND HIGH SCHOOL?”

There once was a fellow “Tiger” who lived among us other young Freshman at Battle Ground High School.   This young upstart was so imbued with self-confidence and zest for fun that he was easily, in my opinion, given the crown of “Class Clown”.   Mike Colgrove was his name and having fun was his game…….even when it came to the brand new Algebra teacher that arrived at our school after the Christmas Break of 1968-69 school year.  Our previous Algebra teacher that year had been a seasoned veteran of the faculty with close to 30 years of service in our school district.  Sadly, though, Mr. Ray O’Neal passed away during the Christmas Holiday vacation time, so this new Algebra teacher was a likely candidate for Mike’s sly sense of humor.

If I recall, the new teacher was a recent graduate of college his courses and therefore was kind of a “green horn” in the teaching ways of life.  Either way, Mike was merciless in teasing this poor soul of a man and the harassment came to a crescendo one day as the Algebra instructor was “chewing out” a kid in the back of our large classroom located in the Old East High Building.    Like a slinky, slanky fox, Mike hunkered down and slithered up to the front of the classroom and pulled the rolling teacher’s chair far back and away from the educator’s large, old-style wooden desk.   The “trap was set” for the focused faculty member who was so intent on locking eyes with the student being reprimanded that he had no idea that his chair was vacated from its usual spot near his desk.

With his stern “dagger” eyes zeroed in like a laser point on the back of the classroom, this unaware teacher man walked up and stood at his desk, looking out at the class……..still clueless as to what was about to transpire.  As Mr. Summers knees buckled in anticipation of his gluteus maximus touching down on a chair, to his complete shock, he was “sitting on air” and POOF……disappeared!!   The educator dude completely vanished below the level of the desktop as his butt hit the wooden floor below.  We, as the collective class of students that day, all erupted in howls of laughter!!!   Just as in the slapstick comedy films of Hollywood, first, we saw Math Man’s fingers grasp the edge of the wooden teacher’s desk and then next came his fiery red and furious face rising from his inglorious position on the floor.  The voice of our Algebra Ace was now at hurricane velocity as he bellowed out, “WHO DID THIS!!!!!????”   Of course, we all cloaked Mike’s secret amongst our giggles and guffaws.    Oh sure, it wasn’t the proper way to treat a teacher…….but hey, we were just a bunch of FRESH Freshman, ya?  And that included this Norwegian Farmer’s Son.  😉