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ALP, A Learning Place, was an experimental open school in Memphis, TN, which existed in the 70s. This page's primary purpose is to attract former members of A Learning Place in Memphis, Tennessee to this page so we can get in touch again. If you are wondering why I keep saying ALP, A Learning Place, in the state of Tennessee and the city of Memphis over and over again; it is because I want you-know-what to index this page so when people who used to go to A Learning Place look for ALP and Memphis on the web they will find this page which is about A Learning Place in Memphis, Tennessee, otherwise known as ALP.
After a number of humiliating and near-fatal experiences at the hands of the Memphis Public Schools system in 1973, my parents decided that they would have to put me in private school. One option was an experimental school called "A Learning Place."
The ideas behind A Learning Place were simple. Students would be provided with plentiful state-of-the-art educational materials. Teachers would always be available to answer questions and encourage independent study. There would be no enforced curriculum or classes.
That's right, no classes. The kids got to do anything they wanted. Study, read, write, explore, examine, debate... you name it, it was done at each student's individual pace with minor supervision. Many students excelled in the free-form environment; some even managed to attend college after ALP as early as age 16.
I was not one of those students. With the pressure to perform academically removed, I just read science-fiction books and played games. When my parents transferred me to another private school (which I refuse to mention by name) in 1975 I was knocked back a grade (as well as mercilessly beaten by the entire football team of my new school for the next three years).
Of course, my experiences with A Learning Place were not all bad. I naturally gravitated towards the science and math self-study materials and absorbed a tremendous amount of information without even being aware of it. I even ran the milk concession at the school lunch room and was one of the subjects of a story by the school paper, The National Alpoon.
The National Alpoon was an entertaining mimeographed weekly of questionable value published by the Gore clan and their minions. Perhaps the most spectacular issue was the one below which featured a frighteningly accurate glimpse of what A Learning Place was like. Here, sans hundreds of spelling errors, is the text of the January 10th, 1974, issue:
"ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT" (and some that isn't)
Thursday, January 10th, 1974 5¢ (NOT BAD)
"The ALP Connection"
By Juliet Hohenberg
(The names have not been changed because no one is innocent!)9:15 - Billy Dance looks around and as inconspicuously as possible slips behind a book shelf in the library. He nonchalantly picks up the book "Gone With the Wind." With a last quick look around, he pushes a 1 dollar bill into the 326th page. Billy then nervously hurries off. Obviously uneasy about this transaction, he sits in the math and science room, drumming his fingers and glancing worriedly at the clock.
10:30 - A suspicious looking character by the name of Matt Smith (aliases will not be included on request of the editors) enters the library area. He proceeds to the spot afore mentioned. Without hesitation he takes the money out of the book and deposits a large briefcase under the shelf. He then leaves, the money safely pocketed.
11:00 - Billy Dance, again wary of everyone and everything, walks cautiously into the library area. He glances casually under the book shelves, muttering to himself.
"Ah," he says inaudibly, "I've done it!"
He picks up the briefcase and hurries to the milk machine with a triumphant expression on his face. Billy ovens the briefcase and immediately his expression falls.
"Jungle Juice!" he shouts, disturbing nearby workers, "Where's the milk I ordered! I'm fed up!!"
Billy rushes to the music room where he finds Matt Smith and colleagues relaxing with a game of Probe.
"What is it?" asks Matt, seeing Billy's expression.
"You know," blurts Billy with a frightful grimace, "and you'll pay!"
"I don't know what you talking about say Matt, coolly.*
"The Jungle Juice!" shouts Billy, "Where's my milk?"
"I delivered the milk as planned," says Matt, but after another at Billy's face he decides to leave the room.
Billy sees what must be done. Paul Stallings, a well-known manufacturer of paper airplanes, is on his right. Billy grabs the latest model, DC-748, and rushes after Matt. The cunning Mr. Smith runs for the pre-school area. As he reaches the top step, Billy aims carefully and hits him squarely in the back. With a painful jerk, Matt falls down the stairs (all three of them). Billy rushes over to the mutilated heap.
"You deserved it!" shouted Bill.
"I didn't do it," replies Matt (or rather what's left of him).
"Then who did? asks Billy, beginning to believe him, "Ah!" he says with a sudden realization, "It was that villain Bill Bullock."
"Of course," says Matt.
At that exact moment, Bill Bullock arrives on the scene.
"Yes, t'was I. I switched the briefcases," he admits. He then grabs nearby Mary Gore and drags her with him as he rushes for the door.
"After him!" shouts Mr. Dance.
Upon leaving the building, Matt and Billy see Bill and Mary running down Broad and then turning into the Dairy Queen. When Billy and Matt get to that place of ill repute they find the deadly Mr. Bullock holding a D.Q. french fry to the mouth of the frightened Mary.
"Come any closer and I'll let her have it," barks he evil Bill.
A look of shear fright passes over Mary's face, " NO! NO! PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME EAT THAT, THAT, THAT THING!!!"
Sanford Gore,well known trouble maker, is sitting in the fourth booth, vainly trying to stuff down a D.Q. hamburger?! When he sees the peril of his beloved sister, he gallantly rushes to the rescue (a good excuse for leaving his hamburger). After taking careful aim, he braces himself and with the ever-present words, "GONNA SPIT IN YOUR EYE!" He does so with the utmost grace.
"Ohhhhhh," says Bill in anguish.
He captor being blinded by Gore's heroic spit, Mary is able to escape. From the west door comes ...is it a bird? ...is it a plane? ...no, it's Super Ray. He rushes in and grabs and holds Bill in his iron grasp. Ah yes, Super Ray... FASTER THAN THAN A SPEEDING ACKERMAN... MORE POWERFUL THAN A HURLED PAPER AIRPLANE... ABLE TO LEAP TALL BEAN BAG CHAIRS IN A SINGLE BOUND!!
"Why, did you do it?" asks S.R. (Alright all you dirty minded older kids.)
"I just had to," replies the sulking Bill.
Joe Habert having just arrived on the scene, puts on his most Freudian look and states, "Pointless rebellion against BIG BUSINESS!"
Which all goes to prove the old proverb: "Milk is the root of all evil!!!"
THE END (finally)
* (see preceding page, 14th line from the bottom) This, believe is or not, is the correct spelling of the -ly from of 'cool'!!
ADS
ALP IS BOASTING OF A MAGAZINE THAT IS TO COME OUT ONCE A MONTH. PLEASE SUPPORT ALP AND HAVE A GOOD READ AS WELL AS BUYING "NEWSMONTH." THIS MAGAZINE IS DUE TO BE SOLD JANUARY 15th THROUGH THE SELLING OF THE LAST ONE. THANK YOU -- THE NATIONAL ALPOON STAFF
Sanford Gore's Historic Words: "I must tweak the cheek of society!"
It was only after I scanned this in (a quite painful process, I might add) did I remember that there was some friction between the creators of the National Alpoon and Newsmonth. I guess the rivalry was natural. The National Alpoon was the established weekly and Newsmonth was the interloper. Alpoon featured light-minded popular comedic writing, while Newsmonth concentrated on in-depth stories and articles. The Alpoon was a definite rag, while Newsmonth featured color - well, colored paper, at least. The Alpoon was a throw-away, while Newsmonth was a publication you would treasure for days or years, nay, decades to come!
Did I mention that I published Newsmonth? I didn't? Well, it really isn't that important.
In 1994 there was an ALP reunion. I couldn't attend, but I heard it was a great success.
In an effort to attract lost ALPers to this page, I am listing the names of alumni, teachers, parents, and children of all three. This list was originally compiled by Sanford Gore for the first reunion. Let's hope more people ego-surf. People we know are alive are in bold, and if I've heard about them lately their names are red. Departed souls appear in italics.
In fall of 2003 we celebrated the 30th anniversary of ALP's founding!
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Ackerman, Todd Alcott, Loribeth (?) Alcott, Timmy (?) Aldridge, John Aldridge, Will Andersen, Bruce Andersen, Keith Andersen, Todd Balkin, Frank Bisno, Neal Bisno, Susan Blair, Barbara Blair, Brian Blair, Peter Borowsky, Mark Bullock, Bebe Bullock, Bill Bullock, Ed (?) Burnham (?) Burr, Charlie Caldwell, Adam Caldwell, Leah Carey, Arvelle Carey, Elea Carey, Rachel Chilton, Cecilia Claybrook, James Collins, Kim Dance, Billy Dance, Pamela Dance, Patrick Eggleston, Andrea Eggleston, Bill Farmer, Tommy Gates, Chris Gates, Michael Gainer, Kevin Goorha, Arti Goorha, Salil Gore, Katherine Gore, Louise Gore, Mary Gore, Sanford Graber, Blair Hackleman, Cheryl Hackleman, Karen |
Hade, Deirdre Hade, Kirby (pic) Hade, Shane Haws Ross, Lois Herbert, Joe Herron, Gil Herschman, Alfred (Avsholom) Herschman, Alvin and Sylvia Hicks, Tracy Hill, Ray Hohenberg Thompson, Gigi Hohenberg, Lele Hohenberg, Mimi Horan, Dave Huber, Mandy (Amanda) Huber, Robin (now known as MacCurdy, Robin) Hudson, Becky Hudson, Beth Hudson, Laurie Jalenak, Katie Jalenak, Molly Jalenak, Natalie Johnson Selden, Eli Johnson, Mina Johnson, Rebecca Klyce, Bob Leonard, David Leonard, Lee (now known as Leonard, Banks) Leonard, Marianne McGraughran, Linda MacCurdy, Bill Malone, Melodie Martin, Jill (?) Martin, Julie (?) Moore, Camille Morris, Melicia Morrison, Julie Newsom, Beaver Page, Kendall Pitner, Andrew Pitner, Sib Pounders, Brad Rachels, Gail (?) Randolph, Rex |
Riesman, Nicole Roehr, Michael Rogers, Norma Russell, Sally Samuels, Jill Samuels, Loren (?) Sanford, Jill Sanford, Julie Sally, Pam Schneider, Brian Schreiber, Karen Serebrini, Michael Shaw, Ingrid Shaw, Kimberly Shaw, Larry Smith, Matt (now known as Smith, Matthew Lewis Carroll) (1973-74) Sneed, Carolina (now known as Sneed, Caroline) Sneed, Charles Sneed, Martha Sorak, Ricky Spindel, Alan Spivey, Eddy Stallings, Paul Strang, Sam Templeton, Lloyd and Peggy Templeton Columbus, Margo Thomas, Bobby Tickle, John Tickle, Laura Tickle, Mary Tickle, Milton Tickle, Nora (?) Tickle, Phyllis Tickle, Rebecca Tickle, Sam Tronsor, Kat Van Horn, Patrick Viar, Barton Viar, Wilson White, Rob Whitaker, Jeff Weibel, Karen |
This list is by no means complete and not necessarily up to date. Please with any corrections!
Lastly, it occurs to me that many Alpers don't live in Memphis anymore. Here are what the ol' place looks like as of January 6, 2003:
Also, there seems there was some discussion at the last reunion as to where the fabled time capsule was buried. This long lost treasure map may hold a clue. Now I need to get around to building that metal detector kit...
Kirby Hade (wearing the hat) sent in these images:
Contact: - (c)opyleft 1995-2009 Matthew Lewis Carroll Smith - Creative Commons Licensed
