Springstead High School Alumni Reconnect Online

When Springstead alumnus Robert Panetti launched the Web site Eagle Connections, http://eagleconnections.ning.com, on June 1, a little more than a dozen members of his graduating class signed up.

By July 18, more than 1,250 Springstead High alumni from all over the world were registered on the social networking site, where users share memories, photos, videos and stories about their post-graduation lives.

With information about the site spreading through word-of-mouth, dozens more are joining every day.

The membership has "just exploded," Panetti said. "I put it up and people came out of the woodwork, and, lo-and-behold, they all have families, lives and careers."

Panetti, class of 1990, lives with his family in Atlanta, where he works as a learning consultant in the software industry. His personal page on Eagle Connections presents music (pop and rock favorites by Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen), a personal blog, and senior prom photos featuring a mullet-sporting teenaged Robert decked out in an all-white tux, complete with top hat and cane.

"My pimp suit," he said laughing.

Panetti started Eagle Connections as a way to keep in touch with his fellow alumni. Disenchanted with other sites which charge fees or bombard users with spam, Panetti created his own free network on Ning, a Web site that allows anyone to create a social network.

"I wanted to provide a free place where people can go and reconnect," said Panetti, who himself reconnected with "loads and loads of people" thanks to the site. "Facebook (another social networking site) is for the world, there are millions of people in the world. This is just for Springstead."

As for the county's other high schools, Panetti has just created two additional sites, Bear Connections, http://bearconnections.ning.com for Central High, and Leopard Connections http://leopardconnections.ning.com for Hernando.

Part of the appeal of using a social network as a means of keeping in touch is that it becomes a going concern in people's lives. Panetti said that unlike a reunion site, where alumni might meet for a single event, "People have kept coming back, rekindled old relationships, and formed new ones."

The site is bustling with activity: old friends, some of whom who haven't' contacted each other since the Carter administration, leave messages on each other's pages, while many users participate in public discussions ranging from how they met their spouse to Springstead trivia. There are also social outings being organized in the Hernando area, including bar nights, homecoming, and "Visit Your Local Former Band Director Day."

One of the more popular discussions, started by Panetti, invites users to talk about their favorite teachers and administrators. According to Panetti, one former principal and a handful of active and retired teachers have registered on the site, where their personal pages have been flooded with praise, reminiscence and cries of "Remember me?" from their erstwhile students.

"They read the stories of how they affected their students' lives and are really touched," Panetti said.

Panetti himself speaks fondly about his high school experiences and about the transformative effect adult mentors have on teenagers.

"High school is an interesting time: you're not quite an adult, no longer a child. You're young and impressionable, and you're trying to figure out where you fit into the world. Teachers and coaches can have a very strong impact on your direction in life."

Panetti suggests that the site is also a useful resource for younger alumni just now entering the job market. "It's an incredible network of people, if you're looking for connections and opportunities."

At a time when online networking has become a dominant means of social communication in the lives of many, thanks to Eagle Connections, the tens of thousands of Springstead alumni out there in the world can take full advantage of their shared history.