If you grew up in Hastings, Miesville, Vermillion, Hampton, Afton, or any other of the small towns surrounding Hastings, you were a part of Raider Nation. You know what it's like to have a huge school, but not flinch if you saw a tractor in the parking lot. Here's twenty things you will understand if you went to Hastings High School:

1. You got to school early so you could park within the first three rows of the parking lot.

Walking from the back of the parking lot resulted in the longest walk ever.

2. During your walk you notice trucks... Trucks everywhere.

Because this is Hastings.

3. In the winter, that walk was sometimes dangerous because did anyone even plow?

You know you fell at least once walking into school.

4. You started your day with some cardio walking up to third floor.

And you were too out of breath to talk at the top, but everyone got that.

5. You passed the “hicks” in 1B at some point in the day.

You were either one of them, you wanted to be them, or you wanted nothing to do with them.

6. You went to the library every day in study hall but never checked out a book.

Did anyone actually check books out there?

7. You had to make that 1C to 3A trek at some point during the day.

You had to plan ahead for it too. There was no time to chat.

8. Your locker was for your coat, you had a backpack for books.

Because that 1C to 3A passing time does not permit locker visits. Did you know some high schools don’t let students carry their backpacks around?

9. You still get weird reactions when you tell people that your high school has a bridge.

Did we really trade a swimming pool for a bridge?

10. You ran to lunch or you were trampled by those who did.

Survival of the hungriest. Can you say “lunch duty” though?

11. It seemed like there was a 50/50 chance you would get in an accident leaving the parking lot once school ended.

And you probably know someone who did.

12. If you were there by 2014, you know the legacy of beach balls.

Because graduation and SUMMER.

13. You know that by “prom” everyone means Grand March…

…and then hanging out with their group at someone’s house or a party bus for the rest of the night.

14. You think Hastings is a small town and small school until you leave for college.

And you still try to argue that it is because there’s so much farmland.

15. Because you think you know everyone until the yearbook comes out.

There are some people you never saw once.

16. Not to mention, the yearbook had a hunting and fishing spread.

And a farming spread.

17. You’re still kind of trying to figure out how the counseling center/library are supposed to be a boat.

The Commons’ carpet has wavy lines so it’s probably the Mississippi.

18. Whenever people visit Hastings, they see McNamara Stadium and ask where the high school is.

Then you have to explain that it was connected to the school via tunnel two high schools ago.

19. You either lived in the music pod or you never entered it.

There was no in between.

20. You know the teachers there were amazing and you miss them.

I mean, c’mon. They cared about us so much.