Final Riverboat Crew Pic

[Greg Pogue]

Originally Posted by JStroop

At Nolan, where we had to wear uniforms, some friends and I formed the 'Anti Nolan Uniform Society.' Our symbol was a safety pin, horizontally fastened parallell to and just above the shirt pocket.


Yes, we were aware of the acronym... it was done intentionally.

or, "You only covet what you see every day..." (Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs)

Huh. So you private school kids grumbled about having to put on uniforms every day and trudge off to a relatively safe, intellectually stimulating environment where you would be prepared adequately to matriculate in an upper tier university.

[JStroop]

We grumbled because the uniforms were uncomfortable and visually unappealing and we didn't have air conditioning. How would you like to wear dress shoes, slacks and button down long sleeve oxford shirts in a stuffy school with no ventilation and no air conditioning from mid-August through October, and again from late March through June? Or get detention because your shirt tail wasn't tucked in?

Plus, you're thinking with your adult mind. Try to think back to your teenage years - when you're just starting to reach self-realization and asserting your individuality. How would you have liked to be told to wear the same thing every day... the same thing as everyone else and not be allowed to express your individuality?

That's what I thought.

[Greg Pogue]

I spoke out of turn as one who was not knowledgeable about conditions at Nolan. I didn't know the place was not air conditioned. I assumed growing up that the grass was greener pretty much everywhere and that every school other than my own was a veritable intellectual paradise with spotless restrooms, pretty girls (if co-ed; if not, easy access to a nearby girls' school with all pretty girls), understanding, devoted teachers, and award-winning food in the cafeteria. ...Or, at least open campus for lunch!

I also assumed that school uniforms then were like the ones they wear now: Comfortable mesh-knit polo shirts and cotton-blend pants, casual shoes, shorts in hot weather.

Yeah, I would have complained too and would have proudly worn my safety pin in protest.

Has my memory failed me, or are the crew members in the picture not wearing their River Boat uniforms? For some reason I remember brown pants and white, blousy shirts. Weird, but I worked there one shift in my whole Six Flags career (an all-night party) and I remember it like it was yesterday.


I guess working a double there does not make me a River Rat.


...Rats!

[James Medford]

You're right ... we weren't wearing our uniforms in the picture. The uniform was brown knickers, a white blousey shirt, and a brown vest. It made for an interesting tan.

[C Heenan]

At least there was no sash.

And wearing those uniforms gave me a real appreciation for the expression "getting your knickers in a wad." I hated it when they did that.

[JStroop]

NOW... Nolan is air conditioned. NOW... they get to wear shorts and casual shoes and comfortable shirts. When I was there, it was like a Junior IBM campus.

But it was a sweatshop when I was there.

We DID have clean restrooms and pretty girls, and it was intellectually stimulating. But it was hard to use that brain when sweating through your oxford shirt. BUT... our cafeteris food was crap (like all other schools) and we didn't get to leave for lunch. Plus we only got 25 minutes for lunch... even if we did get to leave, we wouldn't have had time to get lunch and come back.

We did have (for the most part) an understanding and devoted teaching staff and were definitely relatively free of danger, as you said.

But we were teenagers. And those of us in the Anti Nolan Uniform Society were rebelious (as you could be at Nolan, anyway) and wanted to show that we weren't going to conform.

[Beauford63]

Wow found this in a random Google search. This Shelley Brosius (good guess Medford) signed into Louis Ratcliffe's account. OK so its been Shelley Ratcliffe for 20 years now. What a walk down memory lane!!