By Cruz Ferreira, Web Design Editor
Introduction
“67”, as a meme, has spread far and wide from TikToks to classroom environments. The trend started developing over this summer and exploded by the beginning of the school year. Many kids said the number over and over, laughing at the mere mention of it. They’d usually accompany the phrase with a hand gesture (moving your hands up and down).
But how have teachers been handling this trend in Moreau, and how are they reacting? Do they even know what it means… Do you? 5 Moreau Catholic faculty have been interviewed about 67, talking about its effects in the classroom to its interesting culture.
First Encounter with 67
Most teachers haven’t heard of the meme until school started. Often they were surprised by the sudden laughter, and didn’t realize it was due to saying the two numbers in order.
Michael Tobler, science department chair, recalls, “I had inadvertently said the numbers in sequence in some context and heard some snickering by the class at the time and immediately realized that there was something going on…”
David Baptist, social studies and english teacher and tennis coach responded, “I would say the start of this school year was when I first heard about six seven… yeah, and I was very confused at first. I really didn’t understand it.”
Some faculty haven’t even heard of it, Armando Ayella, Associate Dean of Students saying, “When did I [first hear of 67]? Right now.” Those who have avoided the trend have likely not been in a traditional classroom environment.
Knowledge of its origin
Understanding from teacher to teacher varies. Samantha Wainwright, an English teacher and respective department chair, said, “I think I’m still not entirely sure when it comes from some, some basketball player or something like that.”
She had some idea, but Tobler replied when asked, “Not really, some kind of hand g that goes along with it, I assume?” It’s clear that there is some understanding, even if it’s minimal.
Some teachers know more about 67 than others. Karen Thomas, an art teacher, said, “ I know its origins. I know where it came from with the boy just kind of speaking off the top of his head and how that turned into sort of its own monster.”
Other teachers took some time to research the topic, like Baptist. He said, “Well, I mean, as far as lyrics of a song and like a viral reel of a kid going crazy with 67 and making the arm movements, you know, 67 basketball player plays like he’s 6’1.” Many teachers have an idea, but quite a few could care less.
Comparisons to past memes
Trends come and go all the time, but how exactly does 67 compare to similar memes? Baptist was reminded of a past meme, recalling, “10 to 15 years ago, people were saying swag and I would just go, ‘Okay, America bought Alaska for $7 million’ and somebody in class would go “swag” and then 15 other people go swag, swag, swag, swag, swag, swag, swag. And it was like, what the hell just happened here?” 67 seems to echo the same intensity and randomness of past memes.
While it will remain a remembered trend for a while, there are some other opinions on 67 itself. Wainwright says, “You know, I think it’s actually kind of fun because it seems relatively harmless, and a lot of times when these kind of things take off, sometimes it’s based on something kind of inappropriate… but in this case, it’s just fun.” There have certainly been other meme counterparts that stem from inappropriate jokes, an example being 67’s close number relative.
Though as the current joke gets older, teachers can also see its decline in popularity. Tobler said, “…some students… were already annoyed with it at the beginning of the year. I’m finding a few more rolling their eyes more often when it gets said.” Related to his thoughts, Thomas says “Part of the fun [of 67] is that old people don’t use it or it confounds them. And when once the big corporations take cold and they start calling at the six seven special and things like that, then it becomes just like cringy.” Within a few months, this may come true.
Conclusion
Students have been all over 67 since the beginning of the school year, a few teachers even recognizing comparisons of past memes in its current reign of the student body. Though the craze is dying down, and it won’t be long before 67 becomes yet another old fad. For more on the “6-7” trend, check out Francis De La Fuente’s Opinion article contemplating how long this trend will last!
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