School Closings

The other day the news reported that Detroit is going to close over 40 schools next year.  One of the schools on the list is Cooley High School.  Wow.  I really thought that school would still be here through the millenium.
My two older brothers graduated from Cooley.  My mom and I attended their graduation ceremony.  I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the building.  Then I had to take a summer school class at Cooley during my jr.high years.
Mom would drop me off on Hubbell in front of Cooley and I would have to walk through the courtyard and into the 3 story building.  It was constructed of light orange bricks that made the building somehow seem like a cathedral.  The stairwells were huge with stone steps.  (I know, I fell UP them a few times.)
When I finally graduated to high school, it was Cooley I attended. There were over 3,000 students in three grades - 10th, 11th and 12th.  There were at least 6 counselors for the students.  We were dividedld  by alphabetical order for the counselors.
Before school started, I would get a map of the layout of the building so I wouldn't get lost going from class to class.  The school was so crowded that we had several temporary buildings that held classrooms.
If it weren't for the horrible race problems, I would have graduated from Cooley, too.  It's a beautiful school with a rich history.