Name: Marist High School is not just another Catholic school closing. It was my school
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Marist High School is not just another Catholic school closing. It was my school

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NorthJersey.comView CommentsToday, June 13, students in the class of 2020 for Marist High School in Bayonne will be graduating.&nbsp;Their names will be announced as mine&nbsp;was&nbsp;when I graduated back in 1990.&nbsp;The difference? This class will be the .Starting in July, the property will become part of the Bayonne School District, to be used as a public school. My alma mater will become&nbsp;&nbsp;closing due to&nbsp;declining enrollment and increasing tuition.It’s hard enough that the outgoing seniors&nbsp;will not have the opportunity to walk across the stage in the auditorium-gymnasium to receive their diplomas while loved ones look&nbsp;on in the audience. The coronavirus pandemic has taken away that moment as the experience will be virtual.Years from now, a visit back for them will not be to a place carrying the Marist name.It's a&nbsp;180-degree change&nbsp;from when&nbsp;I entered in September 1986, the first class&nbsp;at the high school&nbsp;to go co-ed.I had attended public&nbsp;school with girls, but&nbsp;it took some adjustment&nbsp;to having to wear the requisite uniform of blue sweater and a tie.&nbsp;I looked like a dork with my large, gold-rimmed glasses and hair parted to the side, I didn’t really want to dress the part. But my parents tuition payments&nbsp;and the school’s dress code left me with no option.The school on Kennedy Boulevard, which opened in 1954, holds&nbsp;some golden memories.&nbsp;It’s where I had my first serious crush on a girl.&nbsp;She had the warmest smile and cutest ponytail&nbsp;and we&nbsp;shared classes for the next four years. No, we never dated&nbsp;or married, but I will always adore her for the kindness she showed me.It’s where I excelled academically, finishing near the top of my class, and where I held my own as a cross-country and long-distance runner, alongside teammates who were among the best athletes&nbsp;in the school’s history.It’s where I developed my love for cinema when my English teacher commandeered the school’s audiovisual equipment one day during sophomore year to screen David Lynch’s controversial masterpiece “Blue Velvet.”&nbsp;He fast-forwarded&nbsp;past the barrage of profanities from Dennis Hopper’s character while looking out the classroom door to make sure he didn’t get caught showing it.More:More:But Marist was also the source of some painful experiences.As a freshman&nbsp;assistant on the football team, I was singled out by the head coach with a racial slur while walking across the practice field.&nbsp;I was bullied on several occasions. Once, during senior year, I defended myself, leading to a stint in&nbsp;detention for my&nbsp;only time as a student.I sat alone during lunch for much of my time there to avoid being a target and to have some peace of mind.Yet, I could never remove myself completely. I still live&nbsp;in my childhood home in Jersey City, a 10-minute walk away.A few years ago, as I started to make a decent salary, I decided to donate to an annual fund for Marist. That led to occasional visits during open houses for alumni.&nbsp;Three years ago, I invested more of my time when the school was . Helping others to raise awareness and money, we were able to keep&nbsp;it open for future students.When word came in January that Marist was closing its doors for good, it felt a little easier letting go. That's when&nbsp;it was revealed the school would be still used for academic purposes.In recent weeks, I have been walking around the campus, along a&nbsp;path that winds around much of the school property.Taking pictures and video in case the school&nbsp;is changed after&nbsp;new management takes over.Walking past the parking lot that I never got a chance to park in back in the days before having a car.Standing on the athletic field that was&nbsp;undeveloped real estate during my student days.Circling around&nbsp;the quadrangle where end-of-the year student/faculty get-togethers were held.Discovering a long-abandoned building on the other side of the property that I never knew existed.On June 1, I entered the high school&nbsp;for the first time in months.I picked up two pieces of&nbsp;memorabilia:&nbsp;a third-place trophy for the boys track team from&nbsp;the 1989-1990 season&nbsp;and a copy of an official diploma from the 1990s.Mementos to remind me of the&nbsp;Marist High School that will soon no longer exist.Ricardo&nbsp;Kaulessar&nbsp;is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community,&nbsp;.Email:&nbsp;&nbsp;Twitter:&nbsp;&nbsp;View Comments

NorthJersey.comView CommentsToday, June 13, students in the class of 2020 for Marist High School in Bayonne will be graduating.&nbsp;Their names will be announced as mine&nbsp;was&nbsp;when I graduated back in 1990.&nbsp;The difference? This class will be the .Starting in July, the property will become part of the Bayonne School District, to be used as a public school. My alma mater will become&nbsp;&nbsp;closing due to&nbsp;declining enrollment and increasing tuition.It’s hard enough that the outgoing seniors&nbsp;will not have the opportunity to walk across the stage in the...

Marist High School is not just another Catholic school closing. It was my school

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