Marge Spears Soloff
When running the Enrichment Program for Blind Brook High School for 3 years, I had different theme weeks. One such week at the end of January 1980, was to be on Russia. One day in December, 1979, I called the Russian Embassy in NYC to ask if someone could come to speak to the High School about Russia. They put me through to one of the Under Secretary's to the United Nations. I explained what it was about and he seemed very interested and I gave him a date in January. As we were about to hang up...He said: "IN DA' EVENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRISIS...VE VON'T BE DERE!" I said OK, without thinking much about what he said.
The next day, on the news, headlines screamed: RUSSIA INVADES AFGHANISTAN!!!
So I said to myself..oh well I can forget about them coming and arranged for something else to happen on their scheduled time.
A few weeks later, I received a call from someone named Vladimir...from the Russian Embassy, who asked me what time I could pick them up at the train station tomorrow. I almost fell off my chair....and said..Please Hold on...and went racing down the hall to the principals office...threw open the door even though I knew Dave Schein was in a meeting with George Trautwein, Mr. Alloy and several other teachers…and screamed: "THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING!!! THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING!!!" His face looked like I just told him the world was coming to an end..and all those who were at this meeting looked at me as if I had lost all my marbles. I quickly explained my plight and asked if it was still OK for them to come as things weren't so great in the world and everyone was upset with Russia. Dave stuttered away...and then said..why not..but don't let the newspapers know.
I ran back down the hall to my office and grabbed the phone (this all took place within maybe 3 minutes of time) and told Vladimer everything was set and I would pick them up at a certain time, gave them the train schedule and described my car.
The next day, I went to the railroad station and picked up my two Russians at the appointed time. One was the Secretary of Agriculture and the other an Undersecretary to the UN. We made small talk in the car on the 10 minute ride back to the high school. We pulled into the parking lot whereupon they spotted, BMW's, Mercede's Corvettes and other high end cars. One of them then said to me: "Capitalism eet iz good, ze teachers are paid well, yes??!!" Whereupon, I replied, Oh..those belong to the students, the teachers have the older cars!"
Now being the name of the high school was Blind Brook, they both gave me a funny look and asked in broken English.."Ze Blind students drive ze cars?" I broke out laughing and tried to explain that the school is named for a Brook..and that none of the children are blind.
Since Blind Brook was a very affluent school and also had what they call "open" class rooms with very few walls...the students laid around on the floors and you had to step over them to get anywhere. The noise was usually unbearable..and to an outsider it looked like utter chaos. Mr. Schein was waiting for me and quickly called an assembly and didn't tell anyone why they all had to report to the auditorium at once. (Usually when I ran these programs it would be for only a few classes at a time..but this one was different.)
A table was put up on the stage for our two guest speakers and I then announced to the students who they were and why they were there..for our Russia Week. There were 2 chairs...but they insisted I sit there with them..and another chair was brought up.
Now I thought to myself..'uh oh'......I'm being held hostage..as all I could think of if anyone threw anything at them...I would get hit. (They even remarked they would feel safer if I sat with them). I even tried to get Dave Schein, and George Trautwein to sit with me..but they ran to the back of the auditorium. A couple of the kids from our school newspaper were flashing away with cameras. The questions from the students were excellent..and the answers from the Russians..were filled with BS. It was quite an interesting day...especially later when I toured them around the school...and they muttered away to each other in Russian and kept shaking their heads in disbelief. I later drove them back to the station.
The next day I sent a few photos to the Port Chester Daily Item..now the Journal News...and the Editor called me and wanted to know why they weren't informed. I said in my best Russian accent: "Ve didn't vant you to know in case zey didn't show up!" ....and I hung up.
Dave, in the next few weeks, would ask..who's coming next? Adolph Hitler? Josef Stalin?, every time he passed me in the hall. I surprised everyone a few months later with Mr. Jiggs, the famous chimpanzee who rode into the gymnasium on a motorcycle…do any of you remember that? :)
When running the Enrichment Program for Blind Brook High School for 3 years, I had different theme weeks. One such week at the end of January 1980, was to be on Russia. One day in December, 1979, I called the Russian Embassy in NYC to ask if someone could come to speak to the High School about Russia. They put me through to one of the Under Secretary's to the United Nations. I explained what it was about and he seemed very interested and I gave him a date in January. As we were about to hang up...He said: "IN DA' EVENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRISIS...VE VON'T BE DERE!" I said OK, without thinking much about what he said.
The next day, on the news, headlines screamed: RUSSIA INVADES AFGHANISTAN!!!
So I said to myself..oh well I can forget about them coming and arranged for something else to happen on their scheduled time.
A few weeks later, I received a call from someone named Vladimir...from the Russian Embassy, who asked me what time I could pick them up at the train station tomorrow. I almost fell off my chair....and said..Please Hold on...and went racing down the hall to the principals office...threw open the door even though I knew Dave Schein was in a meeting with George Trautwein, Mr. Alloy and several other teachers…and screamed: "THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING!!! THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING!!!" His face looked like I just told him the world was coming to an end..and all those who were at this meeting looked at me as if I had lost all my marbles. I quickly explained my plight and asked if it was still OK for them to come as things weren't so great in the world and everyone was upset with Russia. Dave stuttered away...and then said..why not..but don't let the newspapers know.
I ran back down the hall to my office and grabbed the phone (this all took place within maybe 3 minutes of time) and told Vladimer everything was set and I would pick them up at a certain time, gave them the train schedule and described my car.
The next day, I went to the railroad station and picked up my two Russians at the appointed time. One was the Secretary of Agriculture and the other an Undersecretary to the UN. We made small talk in the car on the 10 minute ride back to the high school. We pulled into the parking lot whereupon they spotted, BMW's, Mercede's Corvettes and other high end cars. One of them then said to me: "Capitalism eet iz good, ze teachers are paid well, yes??!!" Whereupon, I replied, Oh..those belong to the students, the teachers have the older cars!"
Now being the name of the high school was Blind Brook, they both gave me a funny look and asked in broken English.."Ze Blind students drive ze cars?" I broke out laughing and tried to explain that the school is named for a Brook..and that none of the children are blind.
Since Blind Brook was a very affluent school and also had what they call "open" class rooms with very few walls...the students laid around on the floors and you had to step over them to get anywhere. The noise was usually unbearable..and to an outsider it looked like utter chaos. Mr. Schein was waiting for me and quickly called an assembly and didn't tell anyone why they all had to report to the auditorium at once. (Usually when I ran these programs it would be for only a few classes at a time..but this one was different.)
A table was put up on the stage for our two guest speakers and I then announced to the students who they were and why they were there..for our Russia Week. There were 2 chairs...but they insisted I sit there with them..and another chair was brought up.
Now I thought to myself..'uh oh'......I'm being held hostage..as all I could think of if anyone threw anything at them...I would get hit. (They even remarked they would feel safer if I sat with them). I even tried to get Dave Schein, and George Trautwein to sit with me..but they ran to the back of the auditorium. A couple of the kids from our school newspaper were flashing away with cameras. The questions from the students were excellent..and the answers from the Russians..were filled with BS. It was quite an interesting day...especially later when I toured them around the school...and they muttered away to each other in Russian and kept shaking their heads in disbelief. I later drove them back to the station.
The next day I sent a few photos to the Port Chester Daily Item..now the Journal News...and the Editor called me and wanted to know why they weren't informed. I said in my best Russian accent: "Ve didn't vant you to know in case zey didn't show up!" ....and I hung up.
Dave, in the next few weeks, would ask..who's coming next? Adolph Hitler? Josef Stalin?, every time he passed me in the hall. I surprised everyone a few months later with Mr. Jiggs, the famous chimpanzee who rode into the gymnasium on a motorcycle…do any of you remember that? :)
