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Jonathan Dayton Regional High School was one of four regional schools in a grand educational experiment to serve the educational needs of six county towns. It failed, eventually but it was interesting while it lasted.

On the outside, Dayton was a beautiful colonial-style building with a clock tower and a confident frame. On the inside, it was three squares of hallways, of which I got to know every inch. Active in many clubs, I became a newspaper editor of the Dayton Journal, for which I also wrote the TV column (mostly about Dynasty) and served as president of the French club (croissants and orange juice was a profitable fundraiser) and during my senior year, as president of the Student Council.

One bright spot for me was the library where I did weekly announcements and which I turned into my mobile office. For most of the four years, I had the run of the place and I flexed my power subtlely -- few noticed how often weekly student council meetings occurred during my gym class.

I think I only questionably abused my multi-channel power once.
Angry at the mediocre counseling provided to paranoid college applicants like myself, I wrote an anonymous letter to the editor (myself), complaining at how asleep the counseling team was. The local newspaper also picked up on it with the front page headline "Letter Ruffles Feathers." The principal and staff were embarrassed, parents felt vindicated and called to complain as well. Rumors spread about who the anonymous writer was and people begged the newspaper staff to reveal the source. One beloved teacher, of course, knew it was me but kept my secret and watched my back.

To address the issue head-on, I went on the local cable show "Eye on Springfield"(hosted by my friend Nate) as student body president to talk about the anonymous letter sent to the school editor. I agreed with the writer's view, added additional commentary as student body president, and defended the editor's choice to protect the anonymity. Watching the tape of the show years later, I can still see the smile in Nate's questioning, trying not to laugh.

So basically, on my best friend's show, I was providing expert commentary on my own view —published by myself.