ENERATIoNAL

O

n a humid June evening,
several members of the
Oak Park High School
Class of 1974 are kibitz-
ing in a spacious, air-
conditioned home in the
rolling landscape of Farmington Hills.
They're in general agreement: the most
distinguishing trait of the Class of
1974 was awful bell-bottomed fashions
and unruly hairstyles.
Fashions have come and gone. Bell-
bottoms have been shrunk. Hairstyles

Oak Park High School
Classes of
1974, 1984 and 1994
contemplate life,
bell-bottoms, Judaism
and today's youth.

FRANK PROVENZANO SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

now come in all lengths — and have been located.
a rainbow of colors. It's a long
Twenty years ago, most stu-
way from the neighborhoods of dents lived within walking dis-
Oak Park, where these people tance or a short drive from Oak
grew up.
Park Boulevard and Coolidge
In this part of metro Detroit, Road, which, for many, was a
of strip malls and New Age- social gathering place inciden-
named subdivisions, a map is tally called Oak Park High
required to find your way School.
around.
Back then, the school was
Directions north and
about 80 percent Jew-
south have replaced
ish. (Today, Jewish stu-
Murrell:
neighborhood land- William
dents make up only a
"Today's students
marks. It's a long way have a `what's in small percentage of the
from 1974.
student body of blacks,
It for me?'
Yet memories of attitude."
Chaldeans and other
tight-knit Oak Park
ethnic groups). And,
neighborhoods of two
back then, everything
decades ago still pro-
seemed to be within
vide something that the Class walking distance.
of 1974 longs for — a sense of
"Every Friday night, a group
community.
of us would go skating, then to
For every 10 reunion invita- Stafford's restaurant," said
tions addressed, another 20 Karon (Kotzen) Blair. "On the
minutes is spent reminiscing. way home, we'd cross Park-
Their conversation is like a se- lawn Street and go our sepa-
ries of locks and keys: plenty of rate ways. A bunch of girls
questions and sometimes an- walking alone in our commu-
swers. But always an underly- nity didn't have to worry. To-
ing sense that somehow day, I wouldn't let my daughter
destiny — in this case, a 20- cross the street alone."
Ms. Blair lives in a spacious
year class reunion this summer
— has thrown all of them to- home in Farmington Hills, and
most of the classmates she
gether.
All but 140 of a class of 490 keeps in touch with live in