Valentines of the Past
Take a trip down memory lane with Mr . Dyar
By Luke Washe Chieftain Staff
Times have changed , and nothing witnesses change more than a community .
Throughout our 60 years , Brother Rice students have witnessed the war in Vietnam , the assassination of John F . Kennedy , the Watergate Scandal , 9 / 11 , and now the Covid-19 pandemic . Such major events have changed the way students go about their everyday lives .
As part of our Valentine ’ s Day coverage , the Chieftain staff decided to explore some history – specifically , taking a look at popular date spots and social venues from the past .
In order to get a good understanding of what a date would look like back in the day , we went to Mr . Dyar , BR Class of 1974 .
“ Valentines dates would have involved a dinner ,” said Mr . Dyar . “ None of the restaurants that you have to choose from today were around back then . There was no Leo ’ s [ either on Telegraph or in Birmingham ]. One of my favorites was The Maple House , which is the current location of ML at the corner of Maple and Lahser .
The infamous Machus Red Fox was a popular date spot in the 70s
“ Downtown Birmingham offered Peabody ’ s [ now torn down ]. Another favorite on Woodward was Mavericks [ where the Art Van store is now ]. Up Woodward in Bloomfield Hills was Ted ’ s Drive-In , which was basically like your Sonic Burger .
“ If a guy was really interested in impressing his date , then you ’ d have to break open the bank by taking her to Machus Red Fox [ now Andiamo ’ s ] on Telegraph . That was a very expensive dinner date . Also , it is well known for being the location where Jimmy Hoffa was last seen before his infamous kidnapping . If you have watched “ The Irishman ” with DeNiro , Pacino & Pesci , this restaurant was depicted in that movie .
“ Of course , dancing was much more common back in the day . It was so common that students could attend multiple school dances throughout the month . In fact , the legendary Bob Seger played in Rice ’ s gym back in the late 60 ’ s . He was with a group called the Bob Seger Sound System before he started the Silver Bullet Band .
“ Also way back in the day , before D-Wing was constructed , there was a ditch between Marian and Rice . It was nicknamed ‘ the Moat ,’ like the moat that protects a castle . Every day before and after school , kids would meet at the Moat to socialize . I can ’ t imagine , on a daily basis , how many Rice guys got up the nerve to ask a Marian lass out on a date . The Marian administration , along with our Dean of Students , watched closely . It was like they interpreted the Moat as a symbol of the Iron Curtain – no one was to cross over to the other side !”
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ANDRE CADE
Class : 2023 Likes : Football , TruFoods , and Mr . Krysiak Dislikes : Conditioning and pineapple pizza Celebrity Crush : Betty White Hidden Talent : Singing songs by Keisha Cole Word that best describes you : Pretty Spirit Animal : Monkey
NICK BIRACH
Class : 2024 Likes : Money Dislikes : Liberals and Do-Nothing Democrats Celebrity Crush : Caroline Gregory Hidden Talent : I am a pro street fighter Words that best describe you : 2 Chainz Spirit Animal : Goose
DYLAN BRADDOCK ’ 19
Class : A few years ago Likes : Lacrosse and Chapel Meetings Dislikes : Vocab books and Mrs . Everly ’ s disposable razors Celebrity Crush : Chris Hansen Hidden Talent : I was a magnet for steps in Kase Words that best describe you : Always driving Spirit Animal : Northwestern ’ s mascot
Brother Rice High School Chieftain Page 4 f e b ruary 2021