'65 Sock Hop



IDOJ premiered in September, 1965, as a B&W show

As the Space Age found its stride, Stacey Junior High School opened its gates as the school of the future in September, 1965.

Accordion dividing walls allowed abutting modular classrooms to combine for special activities and lectures.

Erasable white boards replaced familiar black chalk boards in classrooms, and the multi-colored markers brought more color to illustrations on those boards than most students found on their home televisions, where black and white still ruled the air waves.

Students donned jet packs to fly between classes.

Lost In Space

Okay, maybe that third one isn't quite how it was, but you can believe the music was amazing in 1965.

By November, Beatles '65 had been out for eleven months, and the Beatles had already released their follow-up albums Beatles VI and Help over the summer, with Rubber Soul destined to be released in the USA on December 6, 1965. 

In fact, take a little time to watch this video of the Billboard Hot 100 Number 1 Hits of 1965, and you will be amazed how many have endured as classics:

With music like that, how could a Sock Hop in Stacey's opening year be anything short of simply spectacular?

We couldn't blame it on the bossa nova, but most boys stood on one side of the auditorium and most girls stood on the other side, watching a few brave souls who actually did start dancing. 

Dolphinaris in Cozumel

Perhaps you experienced something similar in your middle school or high school.  Maybe you were at Stacey standing by a wall like me.

Years have passed, and most of us have figured out how to find a partner, either for a life time, a few weeks or at least a memorable evening or two, but wouldn't it be interesting to see how everyone else's lives developed from those early awkward days?

While we can't make any promises about who might show up, at least we can set the date and place for an event where you can meet some of your old friends. 



Margaritaville in Jamaica

This Sock Hop will commence on November 28, 2015, in Miami, Florida. It will last for seven nights, and include lots of great live music for dancing on a gorgeous, modern ship, with stops at four enticing Western Caribbean ports. 

Socks may be worn under shoes, but during the sunny days, you'll probably want to wear flip flops.

Western Caribbean

It might be fascinating to see if you can recognize anyone from fifty year-old memories, but you'll have a better chance if you get in touch with some old friends and invite them to book a room for themselves using THIS LINK, and then book one for yourself too.

  It's that easy.

And if you were in that first bunch of kids to attend Stacey Junior High or some similar event at Johnson, or you ended up at Westminster High with some of those kids, there's a very good chance you'll find some old classmates at your dinner table.

Jet packs are optional, but bring your pocket computers and iPads filled with photos to prove you haven't been stuck in the sixties.

Oh, and the sock hop?

Actually, it's a great cruise with lots of wonderful bands playing rock and other kinds of music in nightclubs on the ship every night of the cruise.