A look at a wonderful weekend celebrating a half-century, after-the-jump ….
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I have written before about having a horrible time in junior high school (being bullied in my case) but going to a different high school gave me a new-lease-on-life. In fact, I dedicated a 2012 Top Comments essay on our school principal (Father John Rowan) who was an inspiration to me as far as not only standard education but even more about community service and ethics. This past weekend was my Class of 1974’s fiftieth anniversary reunion … and if you’ll indulge me: a memorable time. Previous ones were good … this was sublime-to-transcendent.
One reason for its success: besides having gorgeous weather (and scheduling it out over a year earlier, to allow people to “save the date”) … was that three separate events were scheduled, enabling people to attend events they were comfortable with (not to mention facilitating travel planning).
Friday evening was a simple get-together at a pub (pictured below) in the adjacent town to my old high school in Huntington, Long Island. The majority owner is a classmate (John Clark) and as it is just a block away from the commuter rail station: it made it easy for those living in NYC to make a day-trip out of it. Best of all, John bought about 7 pizzas, so we had something to munch on. With gorgeous weather, he set-up the pub’s backyard patio just for us (and there were two TVs for the Yankees and Mets games to watch). I met-up with some people for whom this was the only event they attended.
Saturday night’s main event took place at a country club in a different town … and they set-up a buffet for us with a good selection of salads, vegetable medley, chicken and fish courses. Dessert was coffee and pastries … and our nonpareil organizer (Claire) pulled this off for $70/person. That would not be a bad price where I live now … for this area, it’s quite reasonable.
One other factor on price: rather than hire a DJ to enable people to dance, Claire was able to entice five classmates (who play in weekend bands) to just play a short (30-m) set of tunes they all knew. Considering only two of the five are bandmates, they sounded quite together.
The rest of the evening …. just getting caught-up with so many people (around 120 attendees). A few times I heard someone call-out my name: and not always old friends, which warmed my soul. We have a dedicated Facebook page, and numerous photos were posted. The only sour note: seeing so many faces I didn’t get to meet that evening (even if I didn’t know them well, back-in-the-day).
Besides the fact of getting away from my junior high tormentors, I had so much fun and rewarding experiences there that I try to attend any sort of gathering. And while there will be no more “formal” events (with a fee, etc.) — there is a definite agreement to hold some mini get-togethers in the future … after junior high, I look at my classmates as part of some of the best years of my life.
The last day was a breakfast/tour of our old school …. and there were some who either could not afford the main event (or cannot visit a pub due to prior alcoholism, etc.) who attended this event.
Our school was sold thirty years ago this month to our arch rivals, which always stuck in my craw a bit (my youngest sister Jeannemarie was in the last graduating class of 1984).
St. Anthony’s was (at the time) a traditional all-boys Franciscan-run school that was absolutely bursting-at-the-seams in its old location (with no room to expand in its rather-pricey neighborhood). We were a progressive Jesuit co-ed high school … and we used to kick their butts every Thanksgiving morning in football.
But our enrollment declined rapidly, and they bought our school on the proviso they go co-ed (which they did). I have always referred to it as The School That Must Not be Named (petty, I know).
In the intervening years, the school has expanded almost beyond recognition … and in fairly recent years has made great strides in its alumni outreach. We were greeted by not only their principal, but also three administration members. He told us, “You are always welcome here: the name has changed, but we are no longer rivals, just family”.
The tour (conducted by two female students who gave-up part of their Sunday morning) began in the “old” building that has been renovated almost beyond recognition. This cafeteria shown is palatial compared to what it was back then. The guides answered all of our dumb questions, too.
They gave us a nice breakfast spread for free (though some made contributions beforehand) .
Then we went into the new building that they added-on to … which dwarfs our old building. Classrooms, bandrooms, stages, science labs, meeting rooms … and we didn’t even go outside to see their extensive athletic fields (including a football stadium suitable for a community college team). We did see a spacious gym and this indoor track and winter football practice field.
One aspect that troubled some of us were old reports/rumors that our academic and athletic trophies were either misplaced or put in storage. True or not, they located (or sought donations of) memorabilia from our school … and in recent years have placed it prominently.
I am uncertain whether I could ever truly consider this to be “my” school. But even if not … it sure won’t be for a lack-of-trying on the part of the new school’s administration and alumni association.
Just one other disappointment: that our principal Father Rowan had died (at the age of eighty-eight) just five months before our gathering, which he had promised to attend. In his obituary (in the major Long Island newspaper Newsday) — someone (and I may never know who!?!) sent the reporter this snippet from my 2012 essay in Top Comments:
"[E]ven the most jaded, authority-hating or religion-hating person never had a bad word to say about Father Rowan," wrote Ed Tracey, class of 1974, in a 2012 essay about him, adding, "[H]ow could you dislike a principal who brought in an Irish Setter to school?"
Thanks for indulging me, folks.
Let’s close with one of the tunes my classmates performed that night … but not the version that Grace Slick sang with the Jefferson Airplane, written by her (then) brother-in-law, Darby Slick. Instead, this is from her first band (The Great Society) and the arrangement is a bit different … yet also intriguing.
(Besides, she was my boyhood crush).
Now, on to Top Comments:
From inkstainedwretch:
On Chitown Kev's morning Abbreviated Pundits Roundup, Onomastic has many kooool ideas. Native American writer Linda Hogan massively out-Truthed Donnie's twitter scam ….. "You are the result of the love of thousands."
And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........
As we await a decision as to whether new allegations about the toxic gubernatorial candidacy of Mark Robinson in North Carolina will cause him to drop-out (before it’s too late to remove his name from the ballot) — opinions on when state law kicks-in were expressed by Davidsfr (that it may be too late already) which spawned a debate …. meanwhile, stevemb pointed out an additional own goal on the candidate’s part.
And in the front-page story about Fox jettisoning executive producer Robert Samuel (a twenty-year veteran) over allegations of sexual harassment ... Lincoln Green noted he played a role in the network’s participation in election denial.
And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:
6) [embed] by ericlewis0 +15910) Now THAT’s news we can use! Perfect … by lgmcp +13112) Good ad! My only comment is that it would … by isitso +12721) Dump by Denise Oliver Velez +11024) Well, let’s be really clear about it: … by Seraph4377 +10628) Thank YOU. 😁 by Hinoema01 +9930) Presidents by Denise Oliver Velez +98