Going to Your Reunion?

I’ve been thinking a lot about reunions—specifically high school reunions—because I’ve recently received a couple of mailings about my 50-year reunion to be held later this summer. I’ve heard from fellow classmates I haven’t seen or heard from in, well, 50 years.

I’m somewhat uncertain about this approaching reunion, but I am looking forward to seeing my classmates and curious about how they turned out.

I looked at numerous articles, columns and blogs about attending high school reunions and most of the authors had a negative point of view. Some of the authors had a lot of angst before about whether to attend or not. Ken Levine, a writer/producer/director who has worked on numerous TV shows and has done play-by-play of major league baseball asked: “How much do you want to see these people again?”

My Reunions

I did go to my 20-year reunion and actually had a pretty good time. Some people had changed a lot and others not so much. It was a fun, interesting evening, but I have not attended any other reunions of my high school class since, so I have seen only a few of my classmates in the last 30 years.

A few years ago I did attend the 50-year reunion of my eighth-grade class and it was a wonderful evening—better than I expected. Amazingly, more than half of the class attended even though nine members of our class of 58 students had passed away. Because we were 8^th graders the last time we had met, some of the less desirable things about high school were absent—although by the end of the evening most of us were congregated in the same cliques as 50 years before.

My 8th Grade Class-St. Catherine's School in 1962

St. Catherine's Class of '62 in 2012

Social Media and Reunions

One thing that has changed the dynamic of high school reunions is Facebook. There is disagreement whether this was a positive or negative among the sources I looked at. Some writers thought Facebook was great because it helped reunion organizers get in touch with classmates about reunion details. It also provides a preview of the reunion because you can see what some of your classmates look like before the event.

But, others say this lessens curiosity as a reason to attend. One writer even suggested this as a possible reason that there is less interest in reunions now and that causes attendance to suffer. That’s an interesting argument, but I’m not sure if interest and attendance at class reunions is declining.

A Member of the First Class

Another factor in my experience is that I didn’t know a lot of my high school classmates very well. I attended a Catholic high school in a suburb of Dayton, Ohio, and our students came from a fairly spread out area. So, before I was old enough to drive, most of my social contacts in my neighborhood went to the public high school near where I lived.

Also, my family moved to the Dayton area during the summer before my freshman year, so I hadn’t gone to grade school with any of my high school classmates. The first day of my freshman year, I walked into that school and knew absolutely no one.

The most unique fact about my high school class is we were the first class to graduate from that school. We began as the only class as freshman and a class was added below us each year until the school was at capacity our senior year. So, I never had any upperclassmen in high school and that was mostly a positive.

But, there was no established tradition and there were very few activities the first couple of years. For example, I liked music and dabbled in guitar and piano, but there was no band program although I did sing in the glee club and really enjoyed that.

The Pros and Cons of Reunions

Several sources indicate that somewhere between 20 and 30-percent of a high school class will attend a reunion and a 30-percent turnout is considered excellent. The most popular reunion for attendance is the 50^th, followed by the 10^th and 25^th reunions. The most popular months to hold a class reunion are July and August, followed by June and September.

The bad news is that by the 50^th reunion of a high school class, on average about 20 percent will have passed away.

When deciding whether to attend a reunion, whether 50-year, 20-year or whatever, there are pros and cons to consider. The biggest pro is to satisfy curiosity. You’ll get an answer to the question, “Whatever happened to…?” for many of your classmates, even some who don’t attend. What could be either a pro or a con is if your “old flame” attends the reunion—something that could go in almost any direction and has been a popular storyline for numerous movies and TV shows.

Another possible con is how well or poorly the years have treated you and your classmates. In a New York Times column, former TV talk show host and comic Dick Cavett observed after his 50^th reunion that: “The strangest part of the aging factor is that, as with suffering, people don’t experience it equally.” You may be concerned about your appearance or will be shocked and saddened by the appearance of some of your classmates.

A few months after my 50-year 8^th grade reunion, one of my classmates was moved to tears when the star football player in our class arrived at a St. Patrick’s day party in a bar using a walker. She said how sad it was to see someone who was so strong and athletic as a young man in that condition. Yes, it was sad, but a year later at the same gathering he had recovered a lot, walking on his own and looking much better, for someone our age.

So, if you go to your reunion, just remind yourself that most everyone there has the same feelings as you. If you are cynical, remind yourself that it will only last a few hours and then you will never see most of your classmates again. On the other hand, especially with social media, email and unlimited long-distance phones, you might be able to rekindle a long-dormant friendship. But, the only way to do that is to go. So, enjoy.

Hoarders: Too Much Stuff for Their Place

You’ve probably seen a photo similar to the one shown below on your local TV news or in your local newspaper. The usual scenario is EMT personnel or police discover a condition like this where they have entered a house because of a crime or medical emergency. The resident is usually older, perhaps suffering from dementia or other health problems, and we cringe when we see pictures of a house or apartment so full of stuff, that the only way to get around is by using narrow gaps between piles of stuff.

Courtesy: stuff.no.nz

Emergency personnel often call these homes “path houses.”

Most of us would never imagine letting things get this bad and we do manage to control the proliferation of stuff in our houses. But, like Gresham’s Law posits that nature abhors a vacuum, our houses eventually fill up with stuff. And then, as the comic George Carlin once noted in his monologue “A Place for your Stuff,” we move to a bigger house so we can get more stuff.

And one of the more unique cable TV reality shows is the Arts & Entertainment network’s “Hoarders” now in its seventh season. Each hour-long episode follows two hoarders as a team of professionals attempt to help them deal with their hoarding problem. And hoarding is not a trivial matter—hoarders can suffer health, social, psychological, financial and even legal problems if the situation gets too bad. It can cause families to break up, illness for the hoarder, and hoarders can even face eviction for violating local housing health and safety codes. If a home is deemed uninhabitable by local officials, the hoarder may lose custody of any children living there.

Hoarders are often discovered in the aftermath of a natural disaster, fire or illness of the resident. That’s when emergency responders will notice and report conditions of a hoarder’s house while trying to rescue a resident. In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, officials discovered hundreds of hoarders among the thousands of homes damaged by that storm.

The Mayo Clinic defines hoarding disorder as “persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of the perceived need to save them.” The hoarder experiences distress at the thought of disposing of items and eventually accumulates too much stuff regardless of the actual value of the items being kept.

Favored items for hoarders to keep include newspapers, magazines, papers, plastic bags, photos, household supplies, food and clothing. A hoarding condition also can lead to compulsive purchases of more and more stuff and that could lead to financial difficulties.

Experts say there is a link between hoarding and Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD) and there may even be a genetic tendency to hoard. The main symptoms of hoarding are: inability to dispose of stuff, difficulty organizing or categorizing possessions, anxiety about disposing of stuff, feeling overwhelmed or embarrassed about where to put things and suspicion of letting others into the house to know about their possessions.

Hoarders often have other behavioral and psychological problems such as ADHD or depression. Some hoarders live in home where appliances are broken, the furnace doesn’t work or other necessary items go unrepaired. The hoarder decides to cope with the inconvenience rather than let a repairman come into the home.

How many people have this condition? The website Psychcentral.com says the number is between 700,000 to 1.4 million. Among those with OCD, experts estimate 18 to 42 percent of them are hoarders.  The International OCD Foundation estimates that 2 percent of the population hoards.  Psychologist Gregory Jantz, founder of “The Center-a Place for Hope” and author of more than two dozen books says that hoarding is unique because it both causes stress and relieves anxiety.

New York City has set up a specific department to deal with hoarders who have been discovered. The city will provide counseling, help in disposal of the junk and provide referrals to social service agencies that can aid in the “recovery” of the hoarder.

With the increased number of aging Baby Boomers, this is a good idea for other communities to emulate because the number of hoarders is likely to increase.

A Fight Between Booze and Basketball

As I sit in the local Panera writing this, I noticed the word “Panera” on the coffee cup is has the letter “R” in a small circle next to the name.  This means that Panera is a registered trademark name for this chain of restaurants and that protects this name and logo from unauthorized use by any other legal entity without permission from Panera. A trademark is defined as a recognizable sign, design or unique expression that serves to differentiate a product, service or even a person from other things that are similar.

The name and logo of Panera and millions of other businesses are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and federal law affords businesses protection from unauthorized use of their names and logos if registered trademarks are displayed one their products, services, advertising and the like.

A few days ago, I read a news story that got me interested in who can use a certain name and in what context.  In this story, the owner of a small business is pitted against a major state university over the use of the name of the state they both share.

Kentucky Mist Moonshine

Last fall, Colin Fultz opened a distillery in Whitesburg, KY and began selling his own blends of fruit-flavored whisky by the glass in a tasting room that occupies a former auto dealership. He called his business “Kentucky Mist Moonshine” and also sells hats, t-shirts and other souvenirs displaying the business name.

Fultz, the grandson of a former “moonshiner”, had a difficult time opening the business because of lots of community opposition. Historically, most of eastern Kentucky had been dry for decades and Whitesburg finally allowed the sale of alcoholic beverages in 2007. When Fultz tried to get approval from the city council to open his business, the mayor who supported his project, had to cast a tie-breaking vote for the project to go forward.

Big Blue Nation or Big Blue Meanie 

When the plan was approved, Fultz applied for a trademark for the business name and opened his business last fall. But, just a month after opening he received a letter from an official at the University of Kentucky demanding that he cease selling any hats, shirts and other apparel that displayed the name “Kentucky.” The University of Kentucky registered trademark protection for selling hats, shirts and other items of apparel displaying the name “Kentucky” in 1997.

Photo courtesy: Kentucky Mist Moonshine

Before going on, a matter of disclosure. I am a University of Kentucky alum (M.A. 1774) and a fan of the Wildcats. Although my current drink of choice is Irish whiskey, I also occasionally enjoy a glass of Kentucky bourbon.

The University of Kentucky official stated that the letter was sent to Fultz to initiate negotiations about the use of the name on apparel. He added that the school really wanted Fultz to avoid using the school colors blue and white on his products.

Fultz, who has deep family roots in Appalachia, thought if UK wants a fight, he’ll give them one. He has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Lexington to give his business the right to use its name on any product it produces. Fultz has also gathered signatures on a petition and his name is on the ballot for the May 17 Republican Primary election for a seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives.

Last year, Kentucky’s athletics department generated more than $120 in revenue from ticket sales, media rights, advertising and, of course, the sale of licensed apparel.

Photo courtesy: Kentucky Mist Moonshine

A number of other state universities have sought trademark protection for the state name or other unique attributes. The University of Arkansas has even trademarked a cheer: “Woooo. Sooie! Pig!”

In 1998, Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, sought to trademark the word “Ohio” for use on apparel and sports uniforms. As you might expect, “The” Ohio State University objected and filed suit against OU. After nearly a year and a half of contra-temps, court filings and a nasty spat that delighted the state’s media outlets, the two universities settled and both schools now use “Ohio” on their merchandise.

OSU and other schools are continually vigilant to protect their trademarks. In 2014, Ohio State officials sent out 100 letters threatening legal action against businesses using one of their trademarks without permission.  Those warned included a suburban Columbus woman who sold block “O” cookies during football season and another play-zone business for young kids that used the moniker “The Buckeye Bounce House.”

Who Owns a State's Name?

But, the question is: should an institution be allowed to trademark the name of a state on any product or service? That’s an interesting question and I’m not going to try to answer it here—the courts can take care of that.

But, I think a state’s name should be pretty much in the public domain.  If the type font, colors and other things are too similar an already trademarked product, then some kind of judicial action may be appropriate. But, looking at the hat and t-shirt pictured above, this is a fight I think UK ought to walk away from.