Student project focuses on '60s memories

The 1960s have come alive at Richard McKenna Charter High School through a new learning program that also seeks to preserve personal memories during that era of U.S. history.

Recently unveiled at the local school, the Learning Quest program seeks to go beyond the classroom environment by using the local community and surrounding areas as a unique, hands-on learning laboratory.

According to Jose Madarieta, who teaches the new program, it delves beyond teaching the historic milestones and cultural and social changes of the era. At the same time, it seeks to explore the direct impact this 10-year period had for those in the Mountain Home area who lived during this time.

The '60s were noted as "a watershed decade of change" that included the civil rights and feminist movements as well as the counter-cultural movement. Together, they redefined everything from music to the way people viewed their role in society, Madarieta said.

Those that grew up during the 1960s are invited to share their experiences with the students of the charter high school during a public event, which begins at 7 p.m. tonight, March 20, at the charter high school. Light refreshments will be served.

Tonight's event will delve "into unestablished territory," Madarieta said. It'll give those who lived through the 1960s a chance to revisit this time in U.S. history and reminisce about what they remember most, providing an endless number of directions of where this project will go, he added.

Students from the class will moderate today's gathering along with arranging interviews with those willing to share their experiences with these teens. Expected discussion topics are expected to include the music and television programs of the era and how their household changed during this 10-year period.

Using this class to record personal accounts of the time is important, "because the eyewitnesses of this era are starting to disappear," he added.

Working as a team, each student selected a specific aspect of the era to research as part of the Learning Quest project.

Devon Albright wanted to focus on the changes in transportation that shaped not just the nation's roadways but also redesigned the look and feel of cars. For example, fuel-injected motors were introduced around this time along with sleeker styles and larger motors, he said.

While some of the students wanted to explore the changes in popular music, Brianna Clark wanted to look at how the era influenced country music.

"I grew up with country music and always loved it," she said.

Miranda Mulrey, on the other hand, decided to look at the women's liberation movement and how it led to sweeping changes in the equal treatment of men and women.

It was an intriguing time to live, she said. Looking through comments written in high school yearbooks of the era, she noticed that many women wanted to be secretaries, teachers, nurses or housewives before the feminist movement began. Afterward, they set their sights on professional careers and to break away from stereotypes of what they could achieve.

"They were aspiring to be something better," she said.

Meanwhile, Jasmine Rogalsky wanted to keep her research focused specifically on Mountain Home. In addition to learning which buildings were built during that time, including the local schools, she wanted to know which places were the most popular with the teenagers of the time.

During her initial research, she discovered that a favorite hangout was the A&W restaurant on North Main Street. Those that wanted to hear live music then drove to Gary's Sugar Shack off East 6th South Street, which was also the place for people to go dancing every week.

During tonight's public event, the students also hope to chat with military veterans that retired here, many of whom served during the Vietnam War.

Looking ahead, the students see this project as something of lasting value. In fact, they plan to take their completed work and have it preserved it for others to read and enjoy in years to come.

They expect to keep an archive version of their work at the charter high school with copies expected to be made available at the Mountain Home Public Library and Mountain Home Museum.

The charter high school is located at 675 South Haskett Street off Airbase Road. For more information regarding the research project, call the school at 580-2449.