Posted by Bill Roddy on Saturday, April 22, 2006 at 08:44:48 :

In Reply to: School Memories Contest posted by Ron Filion on Friday, April 21, 2006 at 19:29:08 :

When I went to Commerce High School 1936-39, I lived at Hayes and Fillmore where my mother rented rooms in our flat.

This intersection displayed the social order of San Francisco every morning.

On my side of the street the Commerce bound students waited for the 21 car to take them down the hill, while kitty-corner the students from Pacific Heights waited for the 21 car to take them up the Hayes Street hill and Lowell High School; the school known for academic classes. Ours was favored for the business world.

The Lowell students chatted happily; those from Commerce were quiet. Their Depression era homes gave them little to be happy about.

The Lowell students were better dressed. They were clad from the best shops around Union Square. My mother bought mine at Goodwill.

The Lowell girls had an aura about them; "You can look, but don't touch." They would continue their life of privilege going on to Stanford or Cal.

The Commerce girls would become the clerk-typists at Standard Oil, PG&E or the Bank of America.

We did have one advantage that Lowell did not. Our school was across the street from the Opera House and we were the ones who became the supers for the great operas. To this day I remember carrying a spear for Ezio Pinza and being a snake charmer for Lily Pons.

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Message:	: When I went to Commerce High School 1936-39, I lived at Hayes and Fillmore where my mother rented rooms in our flat. : This intersection displayed the social order of San Francisco every morning. : On my side of the street the Commerce bound students waited for the 21 car to take them down the hill, while kitty-corner the students from Pacific Heights waited for the 21 car to take them up the Hayes Street hill and Lowell High School; the school known for academic classes. Ours was favored for the business world. : The Lowell students chatted happily; those from Commerce were quiet. Their Depression era homes gave them little to be happy about. : The Lowell students were better dressed. They were clad from the best shops around Union Square. My mother bought mine at Goodwill. : The Lowell girls had an aura about them; "You can look, but don't touch." They would continue their life of privilege going on to Stanford or Cal. : The Commerce girls would become the clerk-typists at Standard Oil, PG&E or the Bank of America. : We did have one advantage that Lowell did not. Our school was across the street from the Opera House and we were the ones who became the supers for the great operas. To this day I remember carrying a spear for Ezio Pinza and being a snake charmer for Lily Pons.