Banter

As much as I love the classroom and athletic field, I really love the hallway. Want to take the pulse of a school? Stake out a wall, park yourself, and take it all in. You’ll see and hear some of the most clever kids in school — and the identity of some will surprise you — engage in the time-honored tradition of banter. It’s a give-and-take affair with the kings and queens doing much more of the former than the latter.

As I think back on the stalwarts of the past, I have an idea. How about a “Hyde Hall(Way) of Fame”? OK, you alums and parents, sent me your nominees. To jog your thinking, I’ll start the meter with some first-ballot shoo-ins:

– Craig Mael ’71
– Tim Maduro ’75
– Tom Baez ’78
– Michelle Correa ’78
– Ken McCafferty ’88
– Bradford Upp ’88
– Robb Stone ’89
– Roddy von Seldeneck ’96

The thing about banter that you have to remember is that only so much watching is allowed. If you don’t engage in some offense you will most certainly find yourself feeling like the emotional Custer. And I don’t know what it is about Hyde, but no school matches our banter.

Onward, Malcolm Gauld