My old high school (the one I attended, not taught at) has a Facebook page. "People Who Attended________-High School." Mostly it's Baby Boomers discussing their favorite songs from the 60s, whatever happened to a favorite pizza place, or hangout, and sharing scanned photos from old football games or dances. Seems to me that the people who frequent this page are the ones clinging to their youthful identities a bit more than most. I think too, that many of them still live within the boundaries of the school district. In any case, whenever I look there, a name rings a bell, the death of a former teacher is announced, or more frequently these days, the passing of a former student is the topic of discussion.
My high school years were 1962-65. It was the era of car clubs for boys, social clubs for girls, and lots of recognition for school athletics. There was a dance every Friday night. That's right, every Friday night. Sometimes admission was only 25 cents because the music was Top 40 records. Occasionally a live band provided the music. Admission climbed to 75 cents or a dollar. On rare occasions, performers with hit records currently in the top 10 would belt out their music in the gym, complete with sequins that gleamed off a twirling disco ball. And that was pre-disco too. But that meant that everybody had someplace to go on Friday night. Even if only for an hour, people stopped by, talked to a favorite teacher chaperoning that night, and met new friends.
In those days the Senior classes had names, colors, class sweaters, and mottos. It was a big deal. Nothing like that exists now. My own students found it difficult to believe that there was a dance every Friday. During my last few years in the classroom, I saw more dances canceled than actually happen. Things are more complicated today and therefore more expensive. But it is not my intent to judge or compare these two time frames. Things change. What is lost and what is gained is not always an even tradeoff. We really cannot go home again and we know it.
Yet, those who would extol the virtues of that simpler time seem lost in the impossibility of progress. It may or may not be more complicated for high school kids to enjoy a social activity today, but do we stop trying? It's easy to watch those old films, laugh at the old photos, comment on how naive people seem, but who and where is the last laugh. There is no sound reason that we can't have school again. And no sound reason why some things can't be simplified so people have fun in the process.
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