My friend George Schmidt, co-owner of the fantastic store Metronation in downtown’s Gateway Quarter, told me that this was one of the most tiresome questions he was asked when he first moved to Cincinnati many years ago:
What high school did you go to?
As George (quite reasonably) responds: “Who cares?”
Cincinnati is often referred to as a small big city. Once you’ve been here for a while, you find out just how true that is. But when you first arrive, it can feel like EVERYBODY knows one another…except you.
When someone asks you what high school you went to, it’s actually a big opportunity to start a conversation with them about the fact that you’re not from the Cincinnati area. Most people will find that interesting, and those who don’t have very quickly disqualified themselves from being worth any more of your time.
Cincinnati may be a small big city, but there are plenty of potential friends here for everyone. Don’t forget that when the insular elements rear their unfriendly heads.
Prom at Fountain Square photo copyright Jackie Danicki
Filed under: Making Friends
I have never been asked that question in Cincinnati yet in blogs, message boards and the local media I hear people repeat this comment over and over. It is overrated. Nice idea for a blog though, we’ll see where this goes.
Everyone’s experience is different! Some of us are so obviously not from the area that nobody bothers to ask. (In my case, people often introduce me as having just moved to Cincinnati from London. The question I get is, “So are you FROM Cincinnati originally?” and then “If not, why did you choose to live HERE?” This is always from Cincinnati natives who haven’t travelled much and don’t know what a great city they’re from!)
Good luck with your site. I have never been asked what high school I went to either but I do commonly get asked why I moved here from natives. Especially when they find out that I moved here with no strings attached.
They usually don’t ask what high school you went to, just what school you went to. So when you reply with what college you went to it usually confuses people.
Hi-
I would just like to add that I always ask people what high school they went to and follow up with college, etc. as a way to facilitate conversation, not as a way to one up or stereotype.
Usually the answer leads to the question “So, do you know so-and-so”.
I do, however, understand that the question makes people feel uncomfortable because they assume it is provides the ammo to stereotype. But, I honestly believe the question reflects the small-town nature of this city.
I went to grad school in KY and the question they ask over there is not “What high school did you go to?” rather “Which county are you from?” So the question is somewhat universal.