Norma Lobato, Where are you??

In the 1967-1968 school year at Pierce Junior High, I took a journalism class. I chose that because it was the only elective offered where the teacher didn't already hate me. The teacher was Ms. Norma Lobato.

The journalism class also produced the school newspaper. Naturally, Ms. Lobato was the faculty adviser for the school paper. Ms. Lobato taught us all of the important things in journalism. If you were turning in a story for Ms. Lobato to approve for the paper, you better have covered "who, what, when, where, why, and how". She was looking for that, so there was no need to submit anything without it. You would just have to write it over.

Ms. Lobato also tried to get us to reach for better stories to cover. Ms. Lobato could care less who Terry or John or Mary was dating. We were supposed to be writing about serious stuff, not the stuff covered today by "news channels".

My best experience of that year was an interview with local Tampa legend Rick Casares. He had played football at Thomas Jefferson High School and the University of Florida. Then he played 12  years in the NFL, most of them for the Chicago Bears. He had retired to Tampa and owned a night club, the Huddle Lounge. Ms. Lobato told me that I should try to get an interview with him. So I called and he set up a time for me to meet him. My mother drove me to the Huddle Lounge for the interview and waited while I interviewed Rick.  He spent an hour talking with me. For a 14 year old boy, it was an incredible experience. Sitting in a bar, drinking ginger ale, talking to a guy who had played 12 years in the NFL. He showed me some of his trophies and other memorabilia from his playing days. It was just great!!

Several years ago, I was in a used book store and found a copy of the textbook that we used in that ninth grade journalism class. I bought it. There are days now that I want to pull that book from the shelf and ride down to the offices of the News & Record. There, I should wave it in their faces and inquire as to whether they have ever read a book like that. Why bother? You know that they haven't read it.

Norma Lobato, if you are out surfing the Web one day and find this, Thank You for everything you did for us fifty three years ago. I probably didn't say it then, but I appreciate all of your efforts.