Baseball Scores on the Wall

For our oral presentation, we had the privilege of interviewing and conversing with Ms. B. One thing that made this interview more of a fun experience and less of an assignment was the conversation between the three of us: It seemed more like a documentary that we were filming. Dorothy is a New Yorker from the city, just like us. She grew up in Brooklyn, which is literally next door to Queens; the borough that we both grew up in. She gave us personal accounts of a few crucial moments in American history, such as the Great Depression and Prohibition. Ms. B also explained to us how her husband played a crucial role in the division of the Bell Telephone Company as well as the emergence of AT&T as a major company. She also provided us with a thorough glimpse of what New York City life was like in the early and mid-1900’s. Following her descriptions and occasional narrations of moments in her life, we were able to picture the street vendors selling french fries, the above ground subway line that ran from downtown Brooklyn to Jamaica, Queens (which still runs today). When she told us about the weekly baseball scores chalked up on a building after innings as well as the forbidden movie theatre known as “The Itch,” all we could do was imagine. 

Although these things were interesting to imagine and learn about, they also made us appreciate the things that we have today: iPhones, and Netflix were not so popular back then! Nonetheless, her childhood and adolescence was slightly synonymous with ours. She witnessed the Great Depression. We are currently witnessing a recession. She grew up during World War II and the Cold War; we grew up during the Wars in Iraq. Despite our differences, there were things that we could relate to in Ms. B’s life. Overall, it was a touching experience.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the students posting. As such, this writing reflects their perspective alone; historical errors or discrepancies are also their own. The director of this blog does not necessarily agree with the views and/or opinions expressed below. Names have been shortened or changed to protect individual privacy where necessary.