By Jurry Taalib-Deen
Journal Staff Writer
The Scoot High School Alumni Weekend has become a staple in Toledo. For the past 14 years, when August rolls around, everyone knows the school will be celebrating their all alumni weekend during the second weekend of the month; whoever doesn’t know, Scott alumni happily remind them.
But the celebration has a much deeper meaning than having a good time; it fuels the local economy. For 2024, that economy got a boost the weekend of August 9 -11.
That boost starts on Friday, in which specific classes have a meet and greets at local night clubs. Each of those establishments are overrun with hundreds of former students, as well as people who didn’t attend Scott, but just want to have a good time. The economic surge that those establishments receive is perhaps unlike anything they received throughout the year.
Saturday is scholarship night. It’s a semi-formal event that again, has hundreds of former students attending. Proceeds at this event go specifically to scholarships that will help students at Scott High School make their collegiate life much easier.
Sunday concludes the weekend with thousands of people converging on Detweiler Park, 4001 N. Summit St. There, alumni and non-alumni barbecue, dance, play, and patronize the many vendors in attendance.
But, heading into the Bulldog weekend, vendors hoping to capitalize off the event begin selling Scott paraphernalia on social media and every corner of the inner city. Although not sanctioned, meaning funds made don’t go to the organizers, class of 1989, to increase the scholarship amount, those local vendors experience a financial surge.
The establishments that host the Friday events are sanctioned, meaning money collected goes toward other charitable events done by the class of 1989 throughout the year.
The vendors at the picnic who experience a Christmas in August, their payment also goes towards other charitable events throughout the year.
The schools that feed into Scott High School are also the recipients of the weekend, Tyrone Cleveland, co-organizer, and graduate of the class of 1989, of the event told The Toledo Journal during the picnic. “We do things year round that will help those kids at the feeder schools and their family,” he said.
Mr. Cleveland said a goal is to have the Alumni Weekend at a campground.
“This is how we give back to the community,” said John Glover, co-organizer and graduate of the class of 1989. “We wanted to bring everyone together, while being able to benefit current students of Scott.”
During the picnic, former students wanted to share their thoughts about their school.
“I was influenced by Earnie Jones, a teacher at Scott while I was in junior high,” said Michelle Darrington, class of 1999. “Mr. Jones would have exhibits at Kent Branch Library and teach Black pride. I wanted more of that so I attended Scott. After graduating, I went to an HBCU and the same feeling, and pride I experienced at South Carolina St., was what I experienced at Scott. I was in the band in high school and in college and we had the saying, ‘One band, one sound,’ and that’s what Scott and HBCUs have; they’re one, with the same sound.”
“My parents went to Scott and eventually married,” said Akisha MCCarter, class of 1999. “You experience a sense of pride and communal bonding at Scott; the teachers had that spirit. I remember when there was talks of a teacher’s strike, the union told teachers not to stay past 3 p.m., until a contract was reached. But my teacher, Mary Lepisto, a chemistry teacher, stayed late to help me in chemistry. She is the reason why I’m a chemist in a lab.”
“It’s a family tradition to attend Scott,” said Janquil Puckett, class of 1999. “My mom and her brothers and sisters all attended Scott; so I was expecting to go as well. It was such an honor to attend a high school that’s an HBCU. I was expecting to attend because it was in my DNA.”
