Join Hands for Polytechnic, Friends Old and New (San Francisco Nostalgia from Laurel Anne Hill)

What school stands out in your memory?  Most people in the USA have a favorite–or least favorite–educational institution in their personal history.  I enjoyed school and loved every one I attended: McKinley Grammar School, Everett Jr. High, Polytechnic High, San Francisco State College, California Polytechnic State University (better known as “Cal Poly”) and UC Berkeley Extension.

Of all these, however, San Francisco’s Polytechnic High School earned my award for “most amazing.”  Poly’s teachers took an interest in me that pointed me in the right direction and secured my future success.  I continue to maintain many friendships with other Polytechnic High School alumni and with one of my former teachers.

Polytechnic High School served San Francisco from 1894 to 1972.  The Frederick Street campus was dedicated in 1914 and demolished in 1987.  A group of Polytechnic alumni–the Cornerstone Project Team–now works to return the cornerstone of the 1914 building to its former Frederick Street location.

Thus, I recorded a podcast this week in honor of the Cornerstone Project Team’s efforts.  The podcast includes a little history, the music from the Polytechnic victory song (“Join Hands for Polytechnic”), and my reading of a touching story written by Marianne Eichenbaum: I am the Polytechnic High School Cornerstone, and this is my journey.

The music I use in the podcast is the Our Director march, composed by Frederick Ellsworth Bigelow in 1892 and recorded by the Victor Military Band on September 27, 1911.  Polytechnic High School used a section of the Our Director march for “Join Hands for Polytechnic.”  The U.S. Library of Congress kindly emailed me the Victor Military Band recording after Sony Music provided permission for my use of the piece in my podcast project.  Thank you, Sony and LOC!

My podcast is available for free through the following links to the Welcome to My Bedroom Closet site:

http://laurelannehill.libsyn.com/join-hands-for-polytechnic-the-san-francisco-polytechnic-high-school-cornerstone-project

and

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/welcome-to-my-bedroom-closet/id331538997

All are welcome to Join Hands for Polytechnic!  Whatever your schools are or were, may the Polytechnic Parrot be with you!

Warm wishes,

Laurel Anne Hill (Award-Winning Author of “Heroes Arise”)
http://www.laurelannehill.com