I want to hold your hand

Here is another article from the Feb 16, 1984 issue of Rolling Stone (issue 415).  This story is about two friends, Christian and Joanne  (both 17 at the time) who were able to meet the Beatles at the Plaza Hotel.

Christina:  My father was the photographer at the Plaza.  He was told that there wold be a press conference.  I came because I had access and Joanne came because she was editor of the school paper.  We couldn't tell a soul.  I probably was dying to tell somebody i my class, but we were sworn not to.

Joanne:  We thought it would be a fun idea to get a picture and meet the Beatles.  I was not some lunatic - crazy- screaming fan, but I enjoyed their music.

Christina:  The Beatles were sitting at a table with microphones.  We were the only teenagers in the room.  We went back to school, then I came back to the hotel later on.  I had a picture of myself taken with each one autographing my picture, and then I got a picture of Paul, George and Ringo.  It was a very exciting time.  I remember making prints and bringing them to school.  I sold them for a dollar a piece.  They sold like hot cakes.

This is what I wrote about what happened:

Joanne and I practically exploded in the taxi on the way back to school.  Although we had seen and spoken to the Beatles, the real excitement didn't come until the whole idea had penetrated our minds and we realized what had happened.  We knew the pinnacle of our excitement would come when we told the girls at school.  And so it did.  In the heat of our excitement, we tried to tell our fantastic tale,  but I just gave up and went over to the blackboard and wrote "We met, saw and spoke to the Beatles."  School life had to go on, and a few moments later, I found myself sitting before a typewriter, earnestly endeavoring to work my shaking fingers across the keyboard.  Now that's what I call Beatlemania...

The biggest moment for me during the whole day was after school when I went back to the Plaza, only to find myself  on the 12th floor.  When I had my picture taken with three of the boys, and Paul put his arm around me.  Well for a split second, I didn't know what to do!  Somehow it didn't seem right to put my arm around him, so I decided to put my arms behind my back.  Not only that, but Paul and Ringo signed kisses with their autographs!  No doubt you can tell I enjoyed my assignment for my school paper.

(Christina is now (1984) a professional photographer and president of her father's old studio in the Plaza.  Joanne is now Sister Joanne Safian, a high school English teacher in Westchester, New York).