PUBLISHER
PUBLISHER’S PAGE
by David Corson
Forty years on and ….
M
an time sure does fly. Forty years ago, at the end of May, I had just graduated from The Peddie School as a four year boarding student in Central New Jersey off Exit 8 on the turnpike. There were only 100 students in my senior class, with 500 of the school population made up of mostly boarding students and a small group of local day students. It was a very structured environment. Classes were 8 a.m.-3 p.m., sports in the afternoon, five days a week, sit down dinners in a jacket and tie, two-hour study hall in your room from 8 p.m-10 p.m., and lights out at 10:30. On Saturday morning, classes ran from 8 a.m. to noon, with sports in the afternoon. Twice a week, the entire school, including teachers and administrators, attended an hour-long meeting in the auditorium and an hour a week in the Chapel. If you missed class without a medical excuse, you were banished to Saturday night detention, which was a "no, no." You for sure did not want give up your Saturday night out on the town to sit in the penalty box like they do in hockey so making class on time was a must or suffer the consequences. Peddie was similar to a military school without the physical training aspect, but we
160
did get plenty of PT in the afternoon during sports. This very detailed daily schedule made me the person I am today. As a small private school going up against some of the largest public high schools in New Jersey on the athletic field, it was always like David vs Goliath. I continue that fighting spirit today as a small independent publisher, going up against some of the largest publishers in this business. Winning is the name of the game (losing is never an option). This life of doing business as an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart, which is why I give credit to my prep school for teaching me that priceless positive attitude and true grit. This year was our 40th reunion, but due to COVID, there was no in-person reunion. It was done virtually via Zoom in June. Because of the many conflicts, not many classmates attended including myself,. So our class of 1981
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 6, 2021
decided to a re-do at the end of July. Looks like there will be a good turnout this time. Unfortunately, some of our classmates have passed away, some are MIA or AWOL, and others just cannot attend. It will be good to see my fellow classmates again and reminisce about all those memorable experiences. Being a four-year boarding student without getting kicked out for one reason or another is an achievement all unto itself. Receiving my Peddie diploma was right up there with my Bar Mitzvah, being Captain of the ice hockey team my senior year, passing my Taekwondo 1st degree Blackbelt test, graduating from the University of Denver, being a Dale Carnegie graduate and teacher assistant, among other milestones during my yearly trips around the sun. So, I am looking forward to my 40-year Zoom reunion and finishing the 2nd half of 2021 with a win. With that said, we hope to see your smiling faces in person, as we are bringing back our monthly CCRP events, which have been frozen since COVID hit last March 2020. But as they say, the show must go on—and it will in person. We wish all of you much success, good health and safe travels as we work to get back to our normal lives. As always, keep the faith. And a big "Ala Viva" to all you Peddie Alumni out there.
