Fairhaven High School, also known as "The Castle on the Hill," is a public school in south coast Massachusetts that steals the hearts of everyone that is privileged enough to attend. It's a beautiful school with such a history and has a certain aura to it that people who went to other high schools just cannot understand. Here are some things you'd understand if you went to FHS.
You know that Henry Huttleston Rogers is basically the God of Fairhaven.
Henry Huttleston Rogers was a very rich businessman in the late 1800s whose generosity was endless. He donated all of Fairhaven's beautiful and immaculate buildings, including the high school, so he is forever worshiped and praised in the town. There's a bust of him in the high school.
You have never experienced a hotter temperature than being in the gym on Junior Day.
Junior Day is a tradition at FHS when the graduating seniors pass down their "seniority" to the juniors in a formal way, pre-graduation. It's three hours long, includes all 600 students, plus faculty, staff and other town officials, and it's in the gym, which has no windows and no doors that lead directly outside. It's pretty sweaty, but you'll never feel closer to your peers (literally).
Tradition is super important.
Since it's a school with history, the traditions of it are carried with the history. Junior Day is one of those traditions, and although it was at uncomfortable temperatures, we all knew how important it was to the school and it's history, so we pushed through.
Quite a few of your teachers were also FHS alumni.
The school has some magic to it, and it's hard to resist such a great place to be. Therefore, you probably had at least five teachers that were FHS alumni because I imagine that it can be kind of a beautiful thing to teach in a place where you were taught.
You and your friends' parents probably went to high school together.
As a daughter of an FHS alumni, I know this all too well. When I first went there and I'd talk about friends, my mom would ask the redundant question, "Oh, is that so-and-so's daughter?" and I'd answer, "Yes, Moooom..." with attitude, of course.
There was no such thing as dressing up "too much" during Spirit Week.
Spirit Week was pretty much the best week of school, and it was fun to out-do each other in our ridiculous outfits that were according to the theme of each day. I think Blue and White Day is always a fan favorite.
The rivalry between Fairhaven and Greater New Bedford Voc was real.
There is some undeniable tension between the people from Fairhaven who chose FHS for their high school and ones who chose GNBVT for their high school...needless to say, it always made sporting events pretty competitive and entertaining. Who doesn't love a good, small town Friday night football game?
The climb up to the third floor was a struggle.
The feeling in your quads after the dreaded climb can vouch for me on this one. This was especially the worst if you had a third-floor class after having lunch in the basement.
You've been told your school looks like Hogwarts.
Between the castle-like look on the outside and inside, the busts of various historical figures, the Knipe Auditorium, Room 107M (formerly known as Room 7) and the stained glass windows, our school somewhat resembled Hogwarts. Gotta love Harry Potter, so this was taken as a compliment.
There are literal, official tours given of FHS.
FHS is so doted upon and gorgeous that there are organized tours given of it during the summer by its own alumni. The tours are pretty in-depth with a lot of interesting stories about the school's creation and history.
The students have a respect for the building and its history.
Personally, I cannot recall one case of vandalism done to the school by one of its own students in recent years. It's such a beautiful, historic building that I don't think that even the worst person would have the drive to ruin it.
Once a Blue Devil, always a Blue Devil.
Fairhaven High School has such a large alumni base, and the community support is overwhelming. It's a small school with a lot of character, and I think that character is what matters in the long run. The school presents so many opportunities to its students, and so many excellent individuals derive from it. It's funny how a lot of those people come back to Fairhaven to raise their own kids. There's such unexplainable pride in being a Fairhaven High School student and alumni, and I am lucky to be one.
