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:: THE STUDENT BODY

When you're hanging out between classes or after school, you'll hear an eclectic selection of music: we've got punk, we've got reggae, we've got death-rock and jazz; we've got world music, folk-rock, hip hop and rap; we've got alternative music, industrial music, blues and old rock & roll; we've got surf music, soul music, and some classical too; we've got live music, electric and acoustic music, vocals, instruments & assorted banged-upon objects. We've got people mixing up different kinds of music together in whole new ways.

Creativity: we've got a lot of it. Since Holden has no dress code (as long as you're legally covered), we've got punks, we've got surfers, collegiates and goths; we've got hippies, and fashion plates, hip-hoppers and pops. We've got natty dressers, and grunge, and leather and plain; we've got Dr. Seuss top-hats, baggy pants, walking canes. Then, of course, we've got those other creative dressers, whose wardrobes defy any attempt at description.

Holden students' philosophical leanings include: Buddhist, Muslim, Rasta, Christian, Jewish, Pagan, Native American, Spiritualist, Wiccan, Existentialist, Fatalist, Optimist, Agnostic, Demonic, Atheistic, Eclectic and I-Don't-Know-ic.

They are politically-oriented: Left, Right, and Center, Feminist, Separatist, I-Hate-All-Politics, I-Don't-Care and Let's-ask-the-Aliens; some students are politically apathetic, and some are politically active.

Holden students are: musicians, cooks, writers, builders, artists, actors, athletes, dreamers, skaters, sculptors, ceramists, scholars, orators, business leaders, comedians, and spiritual seekers, healers, gamers, designers, gay, straight, bisexual, good friends, handy-people, animal lovers, cartoonists, top-ten listeners, and problem solvers. They're serious, and silly, enthusiastic, sad, happy, angry, excited, scared, creative, blocked, contemplative and brave. Holden students live with poor families, rich families, middle-class families, intact families, single-parent families, gay families, adoptive families, and no families at all but friends.

They've had hard times at schools, easy times at schools, been kicked out of schools, or chosen not to go. Some are clean and sober, some are working on it, and some are not.

All have had struggles in their lives, some more than others. Virtually all of them hated their last high school.

All of them are important.