Reconciling Our Past-- A Podcast Project

Something amazing is happening.  And I wanted to share it with the rest of the Ames High School Alumni world.

In preparation for our forthcoming 25-year class reunion, fellow classmate from AHS ’92, Scott Belzer, has used technology and social media to bring some wonderful fruits of joy into the world.  Belzer has volunteered his time to interview other classmates from 1992 in a podcast series that allow us to more fully express ourselves in a 90-120 minute raw, uncut, and surreal way.  Nearly 20 of our fellow classmates have stepped up and shared their most intimate details of their lives, their perceptions, and their challenges in this interview series that allows us to work to reconcile our youth.

Belzer was inspired to dig deeper into the past and current lives of our fellow AHSers following interactions he had at the 20^th year class reunion a few years ago. Reunions allow us to spend a couple of days together in real time, yes, but only afford us a few minutes of connection and conversation with so many of these classmates which make up the foundation of experiences and faces of our youth.  Belzer provides open space, a caring and listening ear, and mindful acceptance for the ’92 graduates to share their story.  There have been lots of laughter, memories, some tears, and some very sobering details of our journey through life that classmates have shared.

Utilizing Facebook as a vehicle to offer the opportunity to connect with classmates and volunteers has stepped up to share their intimate stories of their journeys.  A majority of the interviews have been done via Skype from locations across the country and, literally, across the world.  One interview has been done in person, on location in Chicago and there may or may not have been beers involved at the 11am convergence on a Thursday—very telling of the class of ’92. 

From this podcast series, a few have taken avow to change the course of their lives.  One stepped up and moved himself across the country to realign himself with his passions for movie and television production.  Another vowed to reconnect with long lost friends from high school that she had left in the shadows of her memory quite some time ago, but felt compelled to rekindle those formative relationships to complete the puzzle of who she is today.  And yet another classmate talked of this interview and reflection process reawakening some of the fundamental excitements and passions that they used to do in life, but had “outgrown,” only to wake up to the fact that they still desired to do them again today.

Altogether, this has been a fascinating project to follow and support.  Belzer has single-handedly allowed a group of friends from disparate parts of the globe to learn more about themselves, the limitless directions in life, and the humility and joy of knowing that we are all still walking down similar hallways in life, doing our best to laugh, love, and grow.  I would encourage other AHS Alumni to consider launching such a worthwhile project such as this.  Together and forever, Ames Hi Aims High.

Sincerely,
Spenser Villwock

AHS class of 1992