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#set boring_life_story = on
I was born in Southfield, Michigan. We lived in Detroit until I was four, when my parents decided that it probably wasn't good for my older brother to get chased to and from school every day. We moved to Birmingham (Michigan) in 1977 - I believe we ended up there because of the public school system.
Right after we moved, I met Leo Barron and Elizabeth Robinson - whom I'm friends with to this day. Kind of weird, considering we met when Leo and I were four, and Elizabeth was six.
I went to Lone Pine pre-school..
I was at Westchester Elementary school from kindergarten until the
second grade (where I first met my last roommate, Jason
Larke). The Birmingham School district, in it's infinite wisdom,
decided that the baby-boomers had all had their children and they'd all
been through elementary school. It was time to sell of a few of the
elementary schools (after all, they weren't going to need them anymore)
- they'd been doing it for years: Adams, Tory, Bloomfield
Village elementary(?) to name a few. Ironically, by the time
I graduated high school, Birmingham was running out of space in the elementary
schools. They'd sold all of their old ones to very expensive, very
successful private schools, so there isn't any chance of them getting them
back. They ended up putting "mobile classrooms" (read "trailers")
on the grounds of many schools, just so they could accommodate all of the
kids.
I got shipped off to Quarton for third through fifth grade.
I hated Quarton.
Middle school (grades six through eight) was spent at Covington. Other than meeting one of my best friends, Eric Braun, I didn't like middle school much either. Kids can be cruel - especially when you have a name like "Liam Hoekenga".
High School (Seaholm) was a vast improvement. It was the first time I'd been in school with my brother since elementary school, and aside from a year's overlap at UofM, the last time. By this time, Owen and I were even getting along. I was in a pretty cool college-prep course called "Flex". Flex stands for "Flexible Scheduling". When I was at Seaholm, flex took up the first three periods of the day, combining social studies, history, and literature in an environment where grades nine through twelve could learn together... in the same classes. Flex's schedule operated on a four year rotation, roughly:
(You might be able to learn more about Flex at http://www.flex.org. Way after I graduated, they set up a computer lab, and I think they may have had a website.) We scheduled electives, had seminars.. hell, we even had bluebooks.
All in all, a very interesting and worthwhile course of studies.
I graduated high school in 1991.
More recently...
My brother Owen married Sara in August 1993.
I graduated from the University of Michigan with my BA in Linguistics in 1995 - taking most of my "in major electives" in socio-linguistics. I was amazed to actually get out in four years. Along the way, I got involved with the UofM Gilbert and Sullivan Society and Our Lady's Madrigal Singers - and I am still a member of UMGASS. I left TAC / OLMS after a particularly uncomfortable break-up, because when it comes right downt to it, 16th century songs of unrequited love just aren't good for the soul when you're depressed. I was able to find a full-time job within a few months of graduating (benefits and insurance are good things), and here I am.
Most recently...
My nephew, William Oliver Hoekenga was born on March 27, 2000. I can't wait to meet him (I can't wait to buy him some really loud toys). But, man, I'll be 45 by the time he finishes high school.
Hobbies:
Roleplaying:
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