Last week I had the pleasure of working a religious retreat held on the St. John's campus for my high school, Kellenberg Memorial. In seeing familiar and some not-so-familiar faces, it brought up some nostalgia of the Blue and Gold days. And so, I've compiled a list of ways to tell that you've truly been educated at "K-Berg."
1. You knew the fear of having your uniform out of place.
Even if you were dressed in the most pristine fashion, when Trentacoste or McCutcheon strolled past, you would pat yourself down to make sure your tie was in place, your shirt was tucked in, (for the guys) you had your belt on, and (for the girls) that your skirt wasn't rolled up - or if it was, you made sure it wasn't too noticeable. You have to dress to impress.
2. You know the meaning of all the different blazer colors.
Maroon, Latin School (aka the Cranberries). Navy, Freshmen and Sophomores. Gray, upperclassmen. Powder Blue, Mass Ushers. Gold, National Honor Society. Senior Sweater, self-explanatory. You knew the process down-pat and you probably had to explain it dozens of times throughout your Kellenberg career.
3. You know that "God is good all the time..."
And that "all the time, God is good." Courtesy of the one and only, Father Tom.
4. You know the Angelus by heart.
Ok, so at this point, maybe you're a little bit rusty. But at noon everyday, you stopped whatever you were doing to pray the Angelus when you heard the bells ringing over the loudspeaker.
5. You still know the Salve Regina by heart.
This is one that no matter how long you've been out of Kellenberg, you still know all those Latin words. It will take you back to the end of school Masses and other events, and Mr. O'Brien starting it off at the freshmen Masses.
6. You know your class may come with a dog.
Not to keep of course! But depending on your teacher, especially if you had one of the Brothers or Fathers for class, you may be sitting with their dog in class. Terrible if you're allergic, amazing if you love dogs. Fan favorite is probably Tobit, but don't let that secret get out!
7. You know of Kevin.
And no, I don't mean Mr. Kevin Buckley - he gets his own separate point *insert winky face here*. Kevin as in the peacock that lives in the courtyard of the 'berg, who likes to chirp (to put it lightly), the day away. Will we ever truly know who named Kevin "Kevin," after the bird from Up? The world may never know!
8. You know of Mr. Buckley.
The other Kevin. If you were an Honors student, you had the pleasure of having him for World History your sophomore year. Or been coached by him on the track team. Or you just know of him because he's just Mr. Buckley. Known for his quotes of the day and his all-around irreplaceable personality, he's a presence to be missed next year as he has retired from teaching. K-Berg won't be the same without you.
9. You know the words to all your favorite Christian songs from morning announcements.
When the announcements came on, you always anticipated the song of the day. Will it be "I Know My Redeemer Lives?" Or maybe "El Shaddai?" Or "God's Not Dead?" Or maybe it's a Tomlin Tuesday hit. Last, but certainly not least, it could be the crowd favorite almost every year, "Two Sets of Joneses?" No matter what song, you always knew you were in for a treat.
10. You know all the acronyms.
Kellenberg is known for their uncountable number of extracurriculars, many of which were acronyms. From SALT, to PREP, to CROSS, and more, you probably memorized the meanings of all those letters. Why? For the heck of it. But probably because when people ask what the heck SALT means, you can give them an adequate answer.
11. You know that once a Firebird, always a Firebird.
No matter if you enjoyed your time in high school or not, you're proud of where you came from. Kellenberg is a known name amongst the Catholic High Schools on the island and is something to be proud of. And so, no matter what your experience is, when people ask where you went to high school, you should always pick your chin up and say with pride, "Kellenberg Memorial High School."
