High School Reunion Participant Preview

You've already seen my look back at 1992. Now let's look forward to High School Reunion, beginning tonight. Out of this group of 17 classmates, who are we going to fall in love with? Who's going to make a complete ass of themselves on national television? And who will earn the first "SHUT UP" of the season? Let's meet the candidates!

(Bear in mind, however, that these are first impressions based only on the WB website's bios and interview videos. I'd be shocked if my opinions DIDN'T change once the show starts!)

Dan Barbato: "The Player"
What's His Damage?: Dan could do no wrong in high school - extremely popular, superb athlete, excellent student, and the quintessential ladies' man. (Hence his nickname of "The Player" rather than, say, "The Sensitive Second Flautist.") Privately, though, he felt awkward and unsure of himself - but he had a lot of fun and his best friends to this day are from there.

Now a world traveler and business school grad student in Phoenix, he has a clear vision of what he wants from life - he has ultimate goals, knows who he is, and understands himself. The best thing that could happen to him at the reunion would be to meet some of the girls he had relationships with to see how they're doing. (Again - "The Player," not "The Reserved A/V Clubber.")

Pre-Semester Report Card: OK, let's get the obvious out of the way - the ravages of time have NOT been kind to our "Player." Still, he seems affable enough, and seems to have a fairly decent perspective on things overall. And hey - he's already got one girl lined up before he even steps off the plane!

Patricia Burton: "The Gossip"
What's Her Damage?: Happy-go-lucky Patricia wasn't very focused academically but was very eclectic and independent socially, having a large group of friends from all different backgrounds rather than just sticking with one clique. She's the first to admit she was the school's chief gossipmonger!

Now a media analyst in Atlanta, she's looking forward to seeing how different people are, how they've progressed, and what they've been doing with their life. She's very nosy - she likes to know what people are doing, what they're into, and what makes them tick. She doesn't believe she's changed a bit - she's always been that way!

Pre-Semester Report Card: I like Patricia. She reminds me of the likable side of Big Brother 3's Danielle - the easygoing, fun, caring woman the other players thought she was until they got home and saw her Diary Room sessions. If Patricia EVEN starts crowing, "Ooooooh, I'm GOOOOOOOOOOOD....I'm REEEEEEEEEEAL gooooooooood" in the confessionals, though, I'm outta here!

Amy Clayton: "The Chubby Cheerleader"
What's Her Damage?: Outgoing and enthusiastic, Amy lent her hand to a ton of different extracurricular activities and was a member of the cheerleading squad. Even though she "had the normal concerns" and was self-conscious about her weight, she didn't let it drag her down and thoroughly enjoyed herself, dating a lot and mixing with the popular cliques.

Now an office manager for a Chicago Web development company, she's slimmed down and is packing plenty of bikinis to show off her hot bod when she reunites with her classmates!

Pre-Semester Report Card: Hard to say since there were no videos of Amy, but egads, could they have picked a less flattering nickname?!? "Hi, I'm the Chubby Cheerleader!" In a nutshell, if she prances around in bikinis 24/7 to prove a point, she'll be obnoxious; if she just has fun and lets her new figure speak for itself, she'll be fine.

Sarah Como, "The Bitchy Girl"
What's Her Damage?: Sarah was reluctant to socialize without her best friend April paving the way. Somewhat insecure and not confident with boys, she tried hard not to show it, hiding behind her loud mouth. The running joke was that she had no control, said whatever she thought, and was perceived as a bitch. She was in lots of accelerated classes and involved with lots of things, studying very hard and trying very hard to be with the right groups.

Now a single mother and event marketer in Milwaukee, she can still call up her temper and big mouth when it's appropriate, but she's learned to control it when it's not. She knows people have said she looks a lot different now from the class website, so she thinks it'll be fun to see how everyone else has grown and changed over the past ten years without all the peer pressure and importance on social status there was back then.

Pre-Semester Report Card: I think Sarah may be my favorite out of the girls going into it. She seemed to have a very down-to-earth, self-aware, laid-back quality I found really refreshing.

Natasha Desai: "The Popular Girl"
What's Her Damage?: Natasha had it pretty easy in high school with no real struggles or angst. She sometimes felt like she wasn't liked enough or close enough with her friends, but overall, she was popular, went to lots of parties, was the inspiration for countless crushes, and even managed to excel academically without really trying - in short, she had a great time!

At Vassar, she found she was just one of many "it" girls and found the whole experience a letdown. Now back in Chicago being a cocktail waitress while she studies acting, she's relieved this won't just be a one-night party where everyone just wants to know if you got fat or how much money you make and is looking forward to having the time to get to know her classmates as the interesting, real people they've become. She thinks everyone has an inner core, and while you may not be sure of what it is in high school, it's there and expresses itself more as you get older.

Pre-Semester Report Card: It would be SO easy to want to make voodoo dolls of this girl, but she seems sweet, and not bitchy or conceited at all. Still, though, there's something a little off-putting about her that I can't quite put my finger on.