Teachers make mojo home

Time may march on, but many things are still the same at Permian. Many parents of today’s Permian students were kids themselves in 1989. Others teach there today alongside the few teachers who remain from that era.
For many of those teachers, the heart of Permian still has the same Panther beat.

"Friday's still big, and football adds a positive and upbeat attitude that's hard to explain. It's just that Mojo that I don't think works anywhere else," Business Department Chair Laurie Melton said.

She has taught at Permian — in the same room — since the early 1980s. She said the students look different and act different, but one of the biggest changes concern overall lifestyle.

"We all lead such busy lives now," Melton said.

English as a Second Language Specialist Gloria Phillips is based at Permian and taught Spanish and English when she started in the “FNL” era. She said the campus is larger, particularly a new band hall and revised front office area. The library's bigger and halls appear more crowded, but it's full of the same spirit.

"The spirit's always been good. It's still alive and well," Phillips said.

She said she does feel that the level of  student support for the football team isn’t as strong as in the past.

"The student section seems relatively small," she said.

 Orchestra Director Todd Berridge was a student during the “FNL” year, graduating in 1990. Much is close to what it was back then for him.

"The kids are the same, hard-working and full of school spirit," Berridge said.

Band Director Mike Watts served as an assistant director in 1989. He said he didn’t like the book, but the kids are basically the same.

“And Gary Gaines is still a great man,” he said.

Melton said the pride of Permian still is there 20 years later, even with the negative portrayals of “FNL.”

"You take the good with the bad. We're Permian," she said.