Back to School

Michael Bamberger was inducted into his High School Hall of Fame last month, he shared his speech with me and I thought it would be great to share with you. I asked him if I could and he agreed to it. Michaels advice and friendship has meant the world to me over the last year. I thought his words of wisdom were worth sharing with all of you. And that this silly game we all love, is what brought us here.

Michael Graduated from Patchogue-Medford High School 45 years ago. This was his speech when he returned last month, 45 years later.

‍Are there any seniors here, members of the class of 2023?

You may not know this, but Patchogue-Medford High School has produced thousands and thousands of reporters over the years.

This year it will graduate another 600 or more.

That may seem unlikely, but I’m here to say that every one of us has the capacity to be a reporter, whether it is your profession or not.

Every one of us has the capacity to be curious. To be empathetic. To distinguish between fact and fiction.

To let the experiences of your everyday life wash over you, lodge within you, and become part of the message you send out to the world.

In 1978, I graduated from this high school, three years after my brother, David, nine years after John Papanek, both of whom paved paths for me, more than they could know.

My lifelong friend Paul Underwood, who is here tonight, and I were in the same class. Jeff Schaefer, who is being honored this evening, was in the class of ’78 with us. Jeff took 140 pounds of drive and played his way to the majors.

Our graduation was on June 25, 1978. It was a Sunday. We had 600 or so in our class, too.

A man named Harvey Shand was honored at our graduation. Some of us knew Mr. Shand because he owned Shand’s General Store on Main Street in Patchogue, across Havens Avenue from Maggio’s bowling alley.

You can still see the name Shand’s painted on the west wall of the BrickHouse Brewery on Main Street.

In 1978, Harvey Shand still sold hay.

Harvey was warm and friendly, not stuffy. But man was he old. Harvey Shand had graduated from Patchogue High in 1928, FIFTY years before Paul and Jeff and me. He was ancient.

As Harvey talked to us, the graduating seniors, about Patchogue in his day, we started chanting his name. There was a chorus of HAR-VEE, HAR-VEE, HAR-VEE, as if were at a ball game.

Harvey was having a good time--and so were we.

Well, Jeff, Harvey Shand then was about the same age we are now.

we have turned into Harvey Shand.

OK, two points here.

The first is, it all goes way too fast. Forty-five years goes by [HAND CLAP]

in the clap of your hands.

The second is, I’d urge all of you to be open, truly open, to the everyday experiences of your life.

Your graduation in June.

Lunch in the cafeteria come Monday.

The song in the car when you head home tonight.

I’d like to wrap up here by offering a moment of meditation by way of a minute of loud music.

XX RIGHT AFTER “LOUD MUSIC” DR. R. HITS PLAY AND WE HEAR ONE MINUTE OF “STAYIN’ ALIVE” AT A LOUD VOLUME AND SEE THE FIRST MINUTE OF THE BEE GEES VIDEO AS THEY SING XX

Well, you can tell by the way

Imy walk

I'm a woman's man, no time to talk.

Music loud and women warm,

I've been kicked around

Since I was born.

And now it's all right, it's okay,

And you may look the other way.

We can try to understand

The New York Times' effect on man.

Whether you're a brother

Or whether you're a mother

You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.

Feel the city breakin'

And everybody shakin'

And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.

Ah, ha, ha, ha,

Stayin' alive, stayin' alive.

Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive!

XX THE VIDEO AND MUSIC HERE. MICHAEL CONTINUES XX

“Stayin’ Alive.” The Bee Gees. From the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack. It was on the Billboard Top-100 for 27 weeks in the 1977-’78 school year.

For those of us who were seniors that year, that song got lodged in us. It’s in us. It brings back worlds.

One final thought.

Can I see the hands again, those of you who are members of the class of ’23?

You have your own music, here in your senior year. And in 45 years you’ll still have it.My wish for you is that you’ll have your own songs, your own questions, your own places to practice empathy. You’ll have your own experiences, washing over you like ocean water on a hot summer day.

You’ll have your own “Stayin’ Alive.”And it will be beautiful.