It's also been a unique opportunity to look back on my own high school career, which still feels like it's just barely past, and a time I think about often. Homecoming at my school was always a huge deal: competitions among the four classes that culminated at the football game in floats and skits that at the time seemed to be the biggest project imaginable. I look back and marvel about the many hours spent making paper flowers, often fun but also a source of great tension and bickering. Why had we cared so much?
Since I know my time here is temporary, I feel like a visitor to the space on the other side of the high school world: one of conferences and copy machines, elevator keys and professional titles. I often feel like a fake adult, but I don't think that's unique to someone in my position, we're all just guessing our way along to some extent.
Some highlights from this week:
On Thursday, we went with members of the service club to drop off books they'd collected for a local non-profit. I don't know exactly how the dress up themes worked, but on that day all the seniors came in wearing togas. So we come parading in to this daycare center/library and they must have looked like storybook characters to the confused and fascinated little kids.
The pep rallies were intense, over the top screaming matches and dance-offs, generally a testosterone packed gymnasium. They competed in physical challenges and shows of spirit through synchronized cheers. One of my favorite parts was this dance-off where each class sent out a representative. As usual, the seniors were winning, but their champion was this shorter kid in a monkey mask. He did all this crazy footwork and all sorts of hyped up 'come at me, bro' gestures. The crowd went wild!
The tradition ceremony was a really nice idea, where everyone had candles. The flame started with the Brothers community, passed to alumni, who passed it to the seniors, who then in turn passed it to the freshmen. They had this energetic recent alum give a keynote speech, and an important faculty member who's been in the hospital even was there in the form of a video message. The cool part for me is that the LVs were included in the part where the Brothers lit the first candles, and I even lit the original candle from a lighter. It felt very important.
Last night was the homecoming game itself, and afterwards, a traditional Mexican tamalada. Something interesting they do around here is if anyone has a date to the dance, they wear these GIANT bow creations around their necks (girls) or arms (boys). It's a thing you buy for your date, like a corsage, but you wear it the whole day before the dance too. I think there's an unwritten rule that the more elaborate and expensive of the bow-thing, the more you supposedly care about your date. They were pretty but I think a bit excessive. The tamalada afterwards was mostly for alumni, and a nice time for them all to catch up with each other. The food was really good, but I did feel out of place.
I've experienced a lot of bittersweet nostalgia this week, and felt old in more ways than one, but I think it's served as an important lesson. I had my share of regrets coming out of high school, some that have bothered me longer than necessary. Being here on the faculty has taught me to lighten up and appreciate the time for what it is: brief, formative, awkward and a roller coaster for everyone. It doesn't need to be taken that seriously. At the same time, remembering my own experiences is a reminder of how very serious issues can seem to students as they're in the middle of them. It's a lesson in empathy and compassion, and one I hope to keep centered as this year continues.
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