Jim Hutter:
CLASS OF 1983
Whetstone High SchoolClass of 1983
Columbus, OH
Columbus Technical InstituteClass of 1985
Columbus, OH
Central High SchoolClass of 1983
Columbus, OH
Mohawk Junior High SchoolClass of 1980
Columbus, OH
Beck Urban Academy Elementary SchoolClass of 1977
Columbus, OH
Jim's Story
Life
To steal a line from John Lennon, I was bored the 23rd of Octover 1964, when I believe we were fighting the V8 Cong, led by Hoochie-Coochie Man (who wasn't very Hoochie-Coochie at all). Anyway, they didn't get me. I attended varicose schools around Cowtown, Ohio, and actually passed, much to my mummy's supplies!
To many of you, this prose probably makes less sense than beat poetry or modern jazz. To those of you who get my muse and Mojo, God Of All Faiths bless you!
School
"I'm an extraordinarily bitter person!" Elvis Costello, 1977.
It was very fitting that I became infatuated with the music of Elvis Costello in 1979, the eve of my entry into high school. At that time, I was fifteen years old and feeling the angst of a socially inept teenaged boy. Sure, I got straight-A's and stayed out of trouble, but did not have what I really wanted: true friends. Apathetic parents and rough inner-city schools did not help. After much rude and disrespectful treatment from classmates, I was becoming rather bitter myself. No wonder that I began to idolize a gawky young man whose songs of rejection were an odd but appealing mix of a bouncy dance beat and angry imagery.
By the time I started at Central High School in the fall of 1980, I began to build walls as protection from more humiliation and rejection. Outwardly, I adopted a very "new wave" fashion sense, not unlike Elvis Costello. I showed up at school that September looking very different. My hair was cropped into an inch-long Caesar cut and dressed in vintage sharkskin jackets and skinny ties. I hid my unsmiling face behind a pair of aviator shades, hoping that no one could penetrate me. My detachment and introversion would be my shield.
In the spring of 1982, news came that would ultimately change everything for the better. Central was being closed. My graduating class would be kept together, but sent to Whetstone. I was about experience the enlightenment of moving from a poor inner city school to a middle class suburban one.
If there was a defining moment in my life, it was the first day at Whetstone. It was much like the scene in "The Wizard of...Expand for more
Oz" where everything goes from black-and-white to color. I began to meet likeminded individuals, and for the first time since puberty, felt unconditionally accepted by others. I was finally able to come out of my shell and be myself. Still, my inner Costello was there, and would raise his acerbic head at disparaging words from a judgemental jock or prejudicial preppie.
The most fitting final words came from my good friend Tom Kerr when he signed my yearbook:
"You're mad at the world!"
I am happy to say that I have sweetened with age, but I certainly haven't lost my bite!
Wryly yours,
Jim
College
My college decision is probably my biggest regret. Even though I qualified for a Freshman Scholarship at The Ohio State University, I let my cynical and uninformed family talk me out of attending. Instead, I opted for the Associate Degree program at Columbus State Community College. Within a couple of quarters, I realized it was a mistake. Most of the students were of an older "non-traditional" variety and not interested in friendships with 19-year-olds. Compounding the problem was the bureaucratic administration of the school. Initially a Data Processing major, my non-communicative dean kept stringing me along until I became so fed up that I transferred over to Banking and Finance. Discovering rather quickly that I had no passion for finance, I went through the motions only because I was determined to earn a degree of some kind. I finally did graduate at the end of 1985 with a 3.67 GPA. Not bad for someone so half-hearted.
My only fond memory of Columbus State was meeting my good friend Liz Walker. Sharing mutual rock'n'roll bohemian values, we clicked immediately and remain as close as brother-and-sister to this day. I guess that made it all worthwhile.
Work
After graduation, I worked a variety of day jobs in finance, tech, and management, but my true passion was music. I have been a semi-pro rock musician since 1986, playing bass and/or guitar in a number of bands, including The Epicureans, Roswell Beach, and currently The Moops. I also perform acoustic solo "folkabilly" under the name Jimmy Razor.
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