Reflections on Being an "Alumnus"

I graduated from Henry D Sheldon High School on June 8, 2006. At the point of my graduation I had 42 credits (you need 23 to graduate), 4 years of IHS under my belt, 7 terms of Photography, and (most importantly) I had never missed a single Pep Band game in four years. Now, many would think that the 4 years of IHS would be far more important, but for me and my life in high school, it was Basketball Pep Band (I don't think I ever missed a football game either, even before I was in marching band) that made me who I was. So, almost two years later, I went back for the first time. And along with screaming so hard my lungs actually hurt, I realized a few things about myself.

The first story I have to tell you starts outside the high school. Because I am a loser who hasn't gotten her driver's license yet (mock accordingly if you like), my mother drove me to Henry D Sheldon High School, which I suppose I could now call My Alma Mater. Getting out of the car I said goodbye, grabbed my purse, and proceeded to walk towards the all-too-familiar band room door. After taking a few steps I hear my mother shout "Hey! Don't you need your instrument?" Yep, that's right. After fours years of having my instrument safely tucked into the band room shelves, I completely forgot that I no longer attended that school, and that my instrument was, in fact, in the trunk of our Volkswagen Beetle. So, even though I am approaching 20 years old, for about 30 seconds I completely forgot I was no longer in high school. But let me tell you, that was the last time I forgot my age.

So I walked into the band room, and the first thing I realized was that I didn't know 75% of the people there. It was a very uncomfortable feeling, because for four years I knew EVERYONE. But, of course, I immediately spotted a very familiar face, my comrade-in-arms, Mr. Josh Wilkinson. You see, Josh was one of the only other people in my graduating class who had never missed a game, so it was fitting that he would be there with me. So, after a brief rehearsal in the band room (which, let me just say, hasn't changed at all), we triumphantly marched out to Sheldon's basketball court.

The first thing I noticed about the basketball court was that the signage had changed ever so slightly. The thing is, when I was in high school, Sheldon was a part of the 4A league. Last year the decision was made that Sheldon would be a part of the newly formed 6A league*, so the signs that used to declare the other teams in the 4J district, along with schools from Springfield and Medford and places like that, were now showing names of teams that I had never even heard of.

*This decision was very stupid, but it didn't change that fact that Sheldon kicks a lot of ass. Their football team took state this year, so clearly they're awesome no matter which league you stick them in. Go Irish.

It was at this point that I realized exactly how old I was. While I enjoyed shouting things at the team, and joking with the few friends that I still have in high school, I realized that high school humor is no longer something I find that funny. I also realized that the very obscene things that the OMB and OBB shout at various sporting events were not appropriate in the slightest, which lowered the fun factor ever so slightly (the Alex Poole classic "your mother dresses you funny" did come in handy, however). And apart from having trouble refraining from shouting very profane things, I had massive trouble remember to shout "GO IRISH!" instead of "GO DUCKS!" (ironically, I had a reverse problem at my first Ducks football game).

So, 2 glorious years after my exit from the public school system (though I suppose U of O is still a public school, but whatever), I found myself back on my old turf. And while I can still play my high school's fight song without looking at the music, and even though being at a basketball game still gives me a craving for Junior Mints, and despite the fact that being on those bleachers still scares the living shit out of me, I know now that I am a college girl through and through. Yes, basketball band shaped who I was in high school and introduced me to some of my closest friends, but it's not me anymore. Seeing those kids made me happy because I know that most of them probably feel the same way I do about it, but even more so because I realized that I am no longer one of them. Which is slighlty sad, but very uplifting. Seeing what I used to be made me feel that much better about what I am. Once again, Go Irish. Or Ducks. Whichever.