1,000 Days of Camelot

1000 Days of Camelot

                                               by Collette

 

Like most people who were alive when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, I vividly remember where I was and what I was doing. Students who went home for lunch that day brought back information they had heard over the noon hour. Like most, I thought it was just someone’s big story to get attention. When my principal came over the intercom during fifth hour English following lunch, the story became true. Whether one was a Democrat or Republican, the news was shocking and unbelievable. Sitting in the third seat by the blackboard, I wondered how could something like this happen in modern America.

Since it was an advanced English class, you know what she made us do. We had to write about it immediately. Then she made a poetry assignment due the following week. Eventually she published the writings for us, and it was astonishing how good the pieces were and how personally each student took the president’s death. School was released at the regular time, but we did stay home for the funeral. Everyone I knew saw the tragic passing of a President.

To say I became obsessed with the study of the events surrounding his death is an understatement. My dad is partly to blame because he gave me a book he read (and this was surprising because he did not read many books) about all of the people and witnesses who died following the assassination. It was an incredible number of people, and the Warren Commission did little to change my mind about what happened. Oliver Stone’s JFK added fuel to my quest for information. I have researched for myself, attended workshops about conspiracy theories, and shared ideas with my students.

Students’ interest in the assassination is still alive and well today. My classes conducted discussions, and usually there was at least one student who had researched the topic on his own. That whole era of the 1960’s, Civil Rights, Vietnam and especially the music fascinated them. When I reminded them that his presidency only lasted 1000 days, they were shocked how much impact he made.

At the close of the unit on the 1960’s, I always asked if there was ever an incident that marked their lives like Kennedy’s assassination did for me. Each student had one. For some it was the space shuttle exploding or when Princess Diana was killed, but all can tell you about 9/11 because most were sitting in a class just like I was.