Sunday, May 20, 2018

Foundation

This is where I went to school from 6th through 12th grades:
It was known originally as Peabody Demonstration School, an extension of Peabody College of Education. In 1974, it became University School of Nashville.  The photo here was taken in 1925, but that is how the building looked all the years I was there.

It is impossible to overstate how much that school changed me. It provided academic, social, political, cultural lessons that would have been unavailable in a run of the mill public school.  It was an occasional struggle for my parents to come up with my tuition, but they always did.  PDS/USN had a free and open environment that was nonetheless serious about teaching and wholly dedicated to learning.

My memories of this place are as much --- maybe more --- sensory as mental.  Looking out the window in Ms. Nicholson's room, feeling the chilly morning air.  (We opened windows in our classrooms a lot.)  The smell and humidity of the swimming pool.  The oh-so-welcome air conditioning in the cafeteria.  (Reference the earlier open window statement.)  Standing behind John Otey in the lunch line and hearing him sing/order, "Chicken chow mein 'cause I'm still the same."

Seeing this building always makes me happy.

1 comment:

kathy b said...

What a fun post. ANd chicken chow mein.....that's so cute!!!

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