20 Signs You Went To Northern Highlands Regional High School

Ah, the mighty Highlanders. Whether you were decked out in red and black or counting down the days until graduation, being a Highlander definitely came with some crazy memories. Here are 20 signs that you went to Northern Highlands Regional High School.

1. You spent half of freshman year asking each kid what town they’re from.

Upper Saddle River, Saddle River (kind of), Ho-Ho-Kus, and Allendale. Living in a quad district meant very different personalities, and each town definitely had its own stereotype.

2. You wrote the strangest letters to your future self in English class each year.

Your letters were full of weird inside jokes you don’t understand anymore, embarrassing stories about old crushes, and tons of goals that you may or may not have completed. Maybe if you were lucky your old self even left you some cash in each envelope!

3. You always knew who had first and who had second lunch.

And it didn’t really matter as long as you knew how to hold your ground on the sandwich line. You loved having second lunch for the shortened afternoon, but first lunch was almost worth it for the freshly baked cookies. If you learned one thing at Highlands that is to NEVER bring your food into the library.

4. You were constantly reminded that Highlands “doesn’t have school spirit”.

Year to year this label was either accepted, or kids did everything they could to change it. In the past few years we even made a school spirit club and organized a huge lip dub.

5. You went to the football games for the Insta, and the soccer games to beat Po.

Not for the players, cheerleaders, or marching band, but definitely for the Insta. And 9 times out of 10 you were sporting your cute “white out” outfit complete with eye black, baby powder, and maybe even a Ramapo scissors t-shirt.

6. Halloween defined who you are.

Freshman were seen prancing around in face paint and chicken costumes, whereas the seniors paraded around in their princess dresses. And it somehow felt like fall female athletes took up the entire school.

7. You still aren’t really sure if there is a pool on the third floor.

I mean it was a joke right? But then where are the swim practices?!

8. You or a friends’ blood was shed over the race to the food truck lines during the 90-minute lunches.

When the bell rang you sprinted as fast as you could knocking under classmen out of the way to get to Empanada Guy, Mason Jar, Ben and Jerry’s, CARS, or Moe’s. Once your food was securely in your hands you ended the day watching Guitar Club in the auditorium, or Teachers verse Students games in the gym like Volleyball, Basketball, Dodge ball, or AB&G Wing eating.

9. If you saw your ambassador in the hallway, you weren’t sure if you should say hi or avoid eye contact.

The freshman seemed to have a love-hate relationship with their ambassadors, and seeing them in the halls felt like your parents were watching you.

10. You were either in DECA or had no idea what it was.

“I don’t know.  Isn’t it like a business club or something?” When regionals came around over half the school would go to Ramapo for the day to compete with DECA aka “the cult.” Even though there are a ridiculous amount of clubs at the school, everyone seems to join the same ones; DECA, Debate, Highlands Cares, Ambassadors, and Relay for Life just to name a few. Oh, and who could leave out NHGS?

11. You felt extremely blessed if your classroom had tissues during allergy season…

Even though it was like rubbing sand paper on your face. Luckily the graphic design room always had some real tissues to spare. And lets not even talk about the terrible paper towels that only seemed to move water around rather than absorb it.

12. You learned how to dress in layers since there was no air conditioning in the math wing.

In the winter you would walk into math class with your parka hoping to avoid hypothermia, and in the spring you would walk in with a personal spritzer to avoid heat exhaustion. The only saving grace was getting to the corridor of the cool science wing.

13. You hoarded all of the red passes.

Anytime you saw a red pass lying around in the bathroom you were quick to snatch it. Even though your Spanish class didn’t have any passes, your math class had six! And when you got out of class, you would spend half your time waving at kids in the main gym from the second floor.

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14. 2:36 was your favorite time of the day.

Every day you sprinted to upper or lower lot in hopes of making it out before the buses. Then when you finally made it out, there was no way you could wait on the left line towards USR. Instead, you swerved around Donny Brook hoping to make up for lost time.

15. You were broke from March to June because of the Model UN fundraisers.

Friends were constantly hitting you up for money with statements like: “Please come to Houlihans for Operation Smile” or “Come on, if you play 3 v 3 basketball you could Brighten Sunny’s Future”.

16. When you were a senior, you planned 16 different senior skip days, but people always went to school anyway.

How about Monday after the Super Bowl, or what about Monday after prom, October 11th just because, Tuesday after Halloween, Saint Patrick’s Day?!?

17. You had a nicer car than half of your teachers.

Upper and lower lot were filled with Jeep Wranglers, BMW’s, and of course the occasional pick up truck.

18. Most of the prom dresses cost more than your college deposit.

The girl’s prom Facebook group was filled with dresses from designers like Aidan Mattox, Adrienne Vittadini, and BCBG or from small boutiques like Ginger and Cream, Fig Leaf, and Suite201

19. You and your classmates all applied to the same colleges.

Some of the more popular choices being Fordham, NYU, Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern, TCNJ, Rutgers, and University of Maryland

20. You struggled trying to explain to other schools what our mascot is.

Well it’s kind of this Scottish dude that wears a kilt, I think. But hey, at least we’re not the Northern Highlands Northerners!

Can you think of any more signs that make you a Highlander? What do you love about Northern Highlands?  Share in the comments below!

Featured image source: Weheartit.com