Misty Watercolored Memories

My high school experience was, as is for most gay kids (and most kids in general, perhaps), not very much fun. I went on scholarship to an all-boys, uniformed, vaguely religious private school in the middle of the woods in Ohio. My time at the school saw a fraudulent “doctor” resign, multiple lewd student-teacher relationships resulting in resignations, lawsuits brought against the school for mistreatment, the headmaster getting a DUI, and half a graduating class receiving suspensions and expulsions for basically having a gay playday in the middle of the night on school grounds. Not to mention the day-to-day bigotry, racism, and religious bullshit that was thrown around.

I had some homophobic professors who spent entire class periods telling me that being gay was gross and unnatural. Plenty of rich kids made relentless fun of me for not being rich. I’m a little bit darker than white, so I was often asked what country I was from and “what are you?” It was not as bad as it could have been, but it was certainly no picnic, and I don’t feel that I owe them anything. Everything strong and creative about me flourished despite the shaping of my high school, not because of it.

Since the day I graduated they have been ferociously trying to get money out of me. I have not gone to any reunions or meet-ups, and I have no interest in giving them money. But I regularly receive e-mails from Jeff Starrett, an alumni hound for the school. At first I regularly wrote back – politely – that I did not wish to receive these e-mails, and to please take me off his list. But he doesn’t seem to want to remove me. I have replied to his e-mails thusly three times this month alone, to no avail. I’ve even gone into the school’s website and manually removed my information from their alumni database, but I’m still getting their e-mails and mailings. So now I’m writing here.

Maybe when Google tells Jeff Starrett that I’m becoming daily more annoyed by him (Jeff Starrett), and that I have no intention of ever giving University School in Hunting Valley, Ohio a penny of my money or second of my time, then maybe he (Jeff Starrett) will cease harassing me on behalf of University School in Hunting Valley, Ohio. Because as far as I’m concerned, their man-building principles in the late 90s went against pretty much everything I stand for these days, and I would not recommend any parent enroll their child there unless his biggest personal goal amounts to “closeted lacrosse enthusiast.”

7 Comments to Misty Watercolored Memories

by Tom Humes

On November 4, 2008 at 1:03 pm

Nice Site layout for your blog. I am looking forward to reading more from you.

Tom Humes
by me!

On November 4, 2008 at 1:20 pm

wow…. good to know it’s not just MY all girls catholic school who bother me at least 2-3 times a month for me to “donate”…. my favorite was i think a lil after 9-11 & they were mentioning how you should think about your future & make a will, you know, as a “just in case”….. and when you make that will, please, don’t forget to leave something behind to Rosary High School….. it will be a cold day in HELL before they ever get a damn penny from me!
by johnny won

On November 4, 2008 at 1:54 pm

I saw your Twitter and I was intrigued at what you would write. For the most part, I rather enjoyed US but it was a mostly solitary experience and it wasn’t always by choice.

The most striking part of your comments is: “Everything strong and creative about me flourished despite the shaping of my high school, not because of it.” I have to agree with your statement entirely, that was part of my experience as well.
by misscorrine

On November 5, 2008 at 4:20 am

shit, i hate this! gawd, i wanna crawl under a rock somewhere. and get all my money back, too.
by nicole

On November 5, 2008 at 6:38 am

I know this is serious, but, wow –

and I would not recommend any parent enroll their child there unless his biggest personal goal amounts to “closeted lacrosse enthusiast.”

that is really funny and I really lold
by andrew

On November 6, 2008 at 6:57 am

I graduated from NYU just 2 years ago and have about, i don’t know, a gazillion dollars in student loans to pay back. A perky and enthusiastic volunteer calls at least once a month to ask for a donation for the scholarship fund. And while I loved my time there, my bi-annual bouts with their idiotic financial aid department left me vowing to never donate a penny, even when I do not owe our good friends at Sallie Mae a gazillion dollars.
by seroquel

On August 10, 2009 at 3:15 am

Could you will you open the door?
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