Unfortch, it seems that this freedom won't be realized by girls in my old 'hood much longer. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has determined that due to their shit-tastic running of their schools, several of our area high schools and grade schools will be closed. My high school is on that list, Archbishop Prendergast High School aka Prendie. They blame underenrollment. They don't blame the shit show they've created behind closed doors of the Archdiocese. This news is huge around here. Around here, when you ask someone where they are from, they respond with their parish...St. Phils, St. Joe's and the like. It's an identity for so many of us growing up here. And when they close those schools, so goes that identity. When they close the only accessible single sex education institution in the area, so goes that freedom to just be yourself.
1998 was the year of the sweater.
Why yes, that is a Wu-Tang shirt I'm wearing. What of it?
A lot of people are on the SAVE PRENDIE!!!!! bandwagon, filling out surveys pledging alumni donations, plastering their Facebook walls with pleas to keep the place open, updating their statuses (stati?) daily with the school's fight song or wondering if they'd just let them walk through one more time. Not I though. Gathering in a peaceful protest on the school grounds will not move the Archdiocese. They are not moveable. So while I'm forever grateful for the opportunity to have gone to an all girl catholic high school, I won't mourn the loss of the school itself. I've got my best friends, I've got my memories and I've got my personality to show for it.
10 comments:
Thanks for the shout-out dude!
Dont sell yourself short-you are a fantastic writer.
Love the pictures!
Disclaimer:I hope Sister Barbara isn't reading this because I am rambling and rambling has no place for grammar.
First off- the top picture?! BAHAHA. I didn't know I did things like paint my nails back then.
Secondly, well put. If it weren't for Prendie and Spanish class, we wouldn't have had all of the crazy years following as BFFs. And the fries....
I have about 20000 pictures of you from Graduation day. It is sort of funny. Hows that eyebrow ring? You were such a rebel.
The archdiocese cannot be faulted for wanting to maintain a sound business plan;however, their total lack of effort in attempting to think creatively in terms of financial options, annually maintaining their outworn facilities (which totally drains their funds over time) and listening to the suggestions of the community that essentially IS the Catholic church is both shameful and sad. I am happy I experienced such an empowering time in my life and to have you broads to hang out with as a result.
In my yearbook, I believe you referenced CW's quote and wrote, "We are graduating high school, not each other". While that has nothing to do with this, I needed to mention it cause it is so amazingly cheesy and awesome.
Shan,lets never graduate from each other. haha
I would have loved to have been your friend in high school, but i'll settle for right now.
I am so pro-same sex education in high school. Makes such a difference. Though, we didnt' have an all-girls school, so I went to public school for h.s while my bro went to the all-boys school. Anyway - it was good for Paul, and I always wished I could have had the same benefit.
Also- you are one of my favorite alums too. I wish we knew each other better back then.
I also went to an all-girls high school for 3 years!
please take a look at that last picture, bottom left. You'll see Jeff with a video camera attached to his face, KeepPop, Nanny and a freshly permed Madge.
BOOM.
The 90s were AWESOME.
This makes me sad... I'm happy you have the right outlook though. You have your memories, and you have what means the most to you. I tried to remind myself of this when they bulldozed my old HS to the ground. It needed it. The place was falling apart when I graduated in 1994 - now it's rebuild in the same location - bigger and better than ever. I will always have my memories. I would be really sad if they just left it as a memory forever. And I think it would bother me more if I actually wanted/hoped my kids would go to the same school. Tradition and all that. In the end... memories are the best part!!!
I'm one of those poor public school kids, so I can't say I know too much about same-sex education.
I am still in shock with the schools they are closing; Bonner?? Prendie?? Conwell-Egan? These are not dinky little schools! Total bummer :-/
LB
Everyone talking about APHS reminds me how much fun it was and how young we were- Shan you were one of the first people I met there :) 6th period lunch freshman year
-KS
While I understand why you aren't "protesting" it still must be had odd feeling to have your HS close. I didn't love high school, it would just be strange for it to be gone.
Post a Comment