The old The old The Last

Established in 1958, Miami Palmetto Senior High’s buildings stood high and strong, welcoming and shaping thousands of students into success. The buildings that cultivated prosperous and notable students left a legacy in the memories of many students. But with time, MPSH’s original buildings, which witnessed students transition into new chapters of their lives, aged as well. After 62 years, the time came for MPSH to experience a new, refreshing change.

“My metaphor would be, the old Palmetto was like an old pair of Reeboks. They felt comfortable but they didn’t really give you the support we needed. When we moved to the new building, all of the sudden you got a new pair that felt a little tight maybe, and had to get adjusted to, but you knew you were in a better pair of shoes. You guys are so much better off in a new building,” retired CAP Advisor Harry Nereberg said. “The memories are still going to be the same memories made. It’s all gonna still be the same; you’re just gonna have a different place that you hung out, a different place that you met your first boyfriend or girlfriend, the room where you had the best teacher you ever had before, where you got asked for prom, things like that. It’s all the same, it’s just gonna be in a different spot.”

During January of 2020, MPSH began a renovation of the school, creating a brand new environment for students and staff alike. Yet, a sense of nostalgia lingered, especially for the class of 2023, who saw the “old” MPSH become the “new” MPSH.

Today, seniors still reminisce about the “old” MPSH and the comforting feeling that it fostered. The old buildings had areas and memories that felt special to many students, such as the interconnected buildings or the greenery and nature surrounding the campus, giving MPSH the old high school feel.

“There’s definitely this idea that the brick was very homey, like the way that the vines were growing on everything. It was very old and comforting, and like that the [new] white might be a little dry, but I don’t think that’s true. I just think that like now Palmetto has changed and our attitude toward Palmetto should also change. So I think like, well, we’ll be walking into the big entrance and it will still be home. It’ll just be like a bigger home with more opportunities,” MPSH senior Diego Espinosa said.

The class of 2023 and MPSH staff will always cherish the old