The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 33

CDje Sunbay Pantagrap MARCH 11, 1984 Super singer-dancer, Jackson breaks their hearts UK not wear "the glove" or show other signs of hero-worship. Manahan has even heard negative reactions at BHS to Jackson: "A lot of students, they are concerned about his high voice and they've been reading in the paper about him taking hormones (to keep his voice high)." The hormone theory is disregarded by the junior high school Jackson fans, however, and anyone who believes it had better watch out around them. performing wearing the single glove. Glove-wearing at Metcalf, in Normal, peaked earlier this year after Jackson's head was burned when his pomaded hair caught fire during filming of a Pepsi commercial. Metcalf seventh-grade teacher Dianne Stevenson describes the fad as "almost like a symbolic gesture to help him get better." The glove reaches down even into elementary school.

A sixth-grade boy at Bloomington's Centennial School wore one for a while and became somewhat famous for it among other students. But, as Centennial Principal Earl Dickson explains, "We decided it had to go it started getting in the way of the handwriting." But Michael Jackson is far from being persona non grata at Centennial School. One day last week, when the weather was too bad for outdoor play after lunch, about 115 students gathered in the school cafeteriagym and did Michael Jackson-style acrobatic "break dancing" to his "Thriller" album, hich had been brought in by the lunchroom supervisor and was spinning on a record player By ELAINE GRAYBILL Pantograph staff The Metcalf School seventh-graders crowd in a tight semicircle, nearly crushing the newspaper reporter against the wall. They are using body language to tell of their intense love for the astronomically popular music star Michael Jackson. They speak, too.

"He dances so good and he looks so good." His clothes? "They're cool." His nose? "He got a nose job." Doreen? "She worships him." His socks? "They sparkle." "And he's not into drugs." "And he fasts every week On Sundays he only drinks fluids." "He's a Jehovah's Witness." "I know two people who don't like him," including one physical education teacher, whose name the students want printed for the purpose of public embarrassment. i Judges for The Pantgraph's Flying Horse contest for elementary school children were surprised this week to receive at least 150 entries about Michael Jackson under the topic "heroes." Total number of entries was almost 5(H), with Superman running a distant second place to Jackson. Michael Jackson undeniably has charisma that could be worth its weight in gold in an election year. Another newsmaker has cashed in on it, at least in the mind of Charity Harmison, an 8-year-old Stanford girl. Charity, daughter of Glenn and Kathy Harmison, asked her mother, "Are you going to vote for Jesse Jackson for president?" When her mother's answer was negative, Charity asked in amazement, "Well why not, Mom? He's Michael Jackson's brother." on the stage.

High school students may be too sophisticated for Michael Jackson-mania. Bloomington High Andre Kirksey, Bloomington, is a skilled "break dancer." VI Tt .7 School history teacher and director of student activities Colin Manahan says BHS students like "Thriller," but do "A lot of teachers don't like us wearing 'the Some students even have received detentions for it, one girl confides. The glove is one of those idol-worship things the over-30 crowd which alas, includes many teachers may have forgotten how to understand. These junior high girls and boys tell the story of the origin of the jeweled glove Jackson wears on his right hand while perform Michael's 'cute7 and Mother thinks so too ing. During one concert, they say, he removed his left glove to wipe sweat from his face, threw it into the crowd, and finished Loving Michael Jackson is a mother-daughters affair at the Davis home in Bloomington.

Sisters Jamie and Kelly Davis practice Michael Jackson's dances "Moonwalk" and "The Worm" at home together in Bloomington. The girls and their mother have a black cat named "Jackson," after guess-who, and a considerable collection of Michael Jackson photos and magazine articles. They have videotapes of practically which he was a professional, touring singer from age 5 on. She thinks he must have missed out on a lot of things. "He strikes me as a very sincere person maybe troubled, hut sincere." Kelly joins junior high school girls all over town in thinking Brooke Shields is "awful" (Jackson has dated Miss Shields).

And soon Kelly will have her own, homemade jeweled glove, just like Jackson's. Jackson and his brothers will be going on tour this summer. If they play Chicago, and there's any way the three Davises can manage it, they'll be there. Kelly, 13, an eighth grader at Metcalf School, Normal, giggles when she explains why a particular picture of Michael Jackson is her favorite: "Because hifcs cute." Jamie, 11, a fifth grader at Centennial Elementary School, Bloomington, is quieter about her admiration for the star, but every bit as devoted. Mother Jan, who does photo lithography and press work at Illinois State University Printing Services, likes the singer because "he's just a nice little boy.

He has a cute little smile. He has a lot of talent." Mrs. Davis feels sympathy for him because of his "unnatural childhood," in everything he's done on television lately, including all his videos and the infamous commercial whose making left him with head burns. 'a I V- 4 i I At right, Kelly, left, and Jamie Davis watch Jackson's famous Pepsi commercial. Below, Ann Baldoni, 412 N.

Oak Bloomington, wears "the glove." i A This is what turns them on v- Ml--. i I K- 1 X. 1 "His socks." "His songs and music "His personality." "He's cute." "His voice." "He's talented." "He has a nice "His curls "He's creative." "His wardrobe." "His videos." "What turns you on about Michael Jackson?" That was the question posed to a group of Bloomington junior High School seventh grade girls by industrial arts teacher and teen club advisor Dave Leben Here are their answers. "His glove." "His dancing." "His penny loafers." "His looks.".