that building could have been anything

I don't know about you, but I never thought too much about the physical structure of our high school when I was a student there. But I think about it now as I get older. Architecture figures into my lesson plans, but also my favorite television shows, among them House Hunters and House Hunters International. I now wonder about how from afar American High looked like it could be anything: a factory, a correctional facility, an office complex; heck, even a spaceship. It was, however, just a school. Save for one skylight window, I don't remember any windows. Was that deliberate? Did someone want us to stay focused on the schoolwork before us? Were they trying to minimize the energy costs by keeping out the sunlight? If so, what were the costs? For a time during the 1980s any release from the postmodern, sterile look of our high school came from the energy of the people inside (and that brightly-colored mural of birds on the Central Plaza stairwell. Remember that?).

first ticket to the reunion purchased

A shout-out to Jeanne (Carpenter) Bradley of American High's Class of '85 for being the first person to purchase a ticket to our the Across the Years Happy Hour Beach Party Reunion (is that a mouthful or what?). Again, it will be held 5-7 pm July 18, 2015 at the Hollywood Beach Marriott hotel! Jeanne made her purchase via etsy and I can't thank her enough. In addition to the invite, she gets a special prize: an American High coffee mug. A shout-out, too, to all of the people who have worked on our school's yearbooks over the years. I've been looking through them to remember the good times. Have you? I have posted here the yearbooks in my possession. I don't have the one for the Class of '84 and suspect my brother, who was in that class, has it. That or it's somewhere in my mom's house in Florida, which means I may or may not find it anytime soon. By the way, a classmate is looking for Arlene Johnson who was also in our class. If anyone can tell her as much and provide her contact information to me via email, I will be happy to pass it on. Again, thanks Jeanne! And thanks to everyone who has RSVPed or emailed to say they plan to come to the reunion. PS I'm blogging now as I am already blogging for my fall courses. It's called "flipped" teaching. After August,I'll post updates a lot less. For now, please don't forget to make your plans to join us next July!

where we all are....

Lebron James has announced that he's going to Cleveland and I'm not sure how I feel. Go Heat, yes. Go Cleveland, not sure. His long-awaited decision to return home to the state of Ohio does presents a moment to consider the many places the members of American High's Class of '85 have settled over the past 30 years. This blog has had hits from many places in and outside of the United States, suggesting some of us definitely live or travel outside of this country. Based on the estimates of one of alumni website, it appears our residential breakdown is as follows: Florida (109), Georgia (9), Alabama (1), Maine (1), Michigan (1), North Carolina (2), Texas (3) and Virginia (1). I know one of us lives in the Bahamas and at least one other lives elsewhere in the Caribbean. There is also least one in Europe and possibly Africa. Please let me know if that site has missed a state. PS Both of my teams lost the fight to become national champions again - that would be Alabama and the Heat - after both won such a title the year before (I am also a 'Canes fan especially the '80s vintage as I was a student there back then). I am more than ready for a new season of sports. I am also more than ready for a trip to the beach. Here are photos taken during a trip to Florida last year. This crazy, hippies-styled truck was parked in Coconut Grove. There's also a shot of the ocean from Juno Beach. I sort of understand, Lebron. I miss my home state, too.

true story

I just caught up with an old friend who I have known not only since my years at American High, but the years some of us attended Lake Stevens Jr. High. She ended up going to another high school that shall remained unnamed. But she said she was always a Patriot at heart. In fact, she told me a story that I believe is true even though I can't recall a single thing about the particulars. Remember those ribbons we used to wear on game days? The ones that came in red, white or blue and said something along the lines of how American High was going to beat this team or that team? I think they cost 25 cents a piece. Well, this dear friend said she asked me to buy a few so she could wear them to school right before American's football team played her team. In fact, she's convinced she's the reason why her school's team beat us badly. According to her, she walked by some coaches and football players during football practice. They saw her American High ribbons. They were not happy. They got so mad, she said, they whupped American. PS It is funny thinking about the many meaning of "patriot" after thirty years. This fall I will learn a lot about American's patriots - 1770s-style - while teaching a course I have never taught before. No matter, Go Patriots!

the class of '85 across the years

Here's a look at the Class of '85 in 1985, 1995 and 2005. How many people do you recognize? Just tap on a photo to enlarge an image. By the way, the image for our graduating year is massive so I digitally split it in half for our 20th reunion. Maybe by the time of our 30th next year, I'll figure out a way to present it in an easy-to-see single photo. As you can see, the Class of '85 is sponsoring a multi-year reunion for our 30th, a trend that is not uncommon in recent years. Fewer people attend reunions for many reasons including travel distance, financial obligations like putting kids through college (hence, our wish to keep the reunion ticket prices down), but especially the ability to stay in touch via Facebook and other social network sites. But there's nothing like seeing people in person, too. For sure, it was good getting together with some of our classmates last December to start planning this reunion. Celebrating with other classes is also appealing because as we get older many of us are probably realizing we have more shared memories than not. We grew up in the same neighborhoods, have siblings or children who know each other or people we know, and so on. For example, last week one reunion activity required me to speak with someone who knew Fred Bertani - the principal at the time the Class of '85 attended American - when he was the principal at North Miami Beach High and even when he was an assistant principal at Miami Norland. Discovering as much led to a more lively connection between me and the person to whom I was speaking. I bet you have had a similar experience over the years, haven't you?

finally....reunion happy hour tickets are available for purchase

The American High Across the Years Reunion is officially underway. What better time to start than on the eve of the Fourth of July given our mascot and school colors! Graduates from the Class of 1980 through 1990 and their guests are invited to a Happy Hour at the Hollywood Beach Marriott in Hollywood, Florida on July 18, 2015. To purchase tickets, go to our Etsy shop. Pay by September 1 for the Early Bird rate! Thanks to the following classmates for their early interest in reunion planning: Kim (Andrews) Lang, Miriam (Cabrera) Mier, Pam (Phillips) Bryant, Cormella Murray-Bryant, Felecia (Scott) Jenkins, Getty (Diaz) Tune, Glen Campbell, Barbie (Lopez) Lapon, Tania (Alvarez) Pettenger and Terri (Ginsburg) Lopez. Stay tuned for details about a banquet hosted by Pam and Cormella and the group rate code for a room at the Marriott! A shout-out to Francie Santana and the Class of '84 for your recent get-together at the Hard Rock! Now, spread the word via Facebook, Linked In, Classmates.com, and other sites. And if you haven't already, take a musical walk down memory lane by seeing this video!