Friday night entertainment in Miami can encompass a wide variety of things. One might be tired of going to Coconut Grove; going to a multiscreened theater may be an alternative, going to Bayside may be another option. Others want to get to bed early so they are fresh for their trip to the Florida Keys on Saturday. Saturday may be a recuperation day from staying at South Beach too late on Friday. There are many other things to do in Miami, but in Bantam,* Friday nights are easy to predict.
   Friday night in Bantam is devoted to the high school football game. It doesn't matter how old you are, you'll probably go. The entire town closes, because everyone is in the stands, cheering on the Bantam Bears. The students from the only middle and only high school roar with excitement as the football team charges out of the locker room and onto the field. Everyone is invited to stand on the field and give the players encouragement or a high five as they are charging out. High school students and older people consider being on the field a kid thing, and no longer do it. The high schoolers know every single player, the middle schoolers know most of them. The adults enjoy the game for many reasons; they graduated from Bantam high school, their son is on the field, or they are good friends of the players' parents. After the game, all of the students will meet at the only Pizza Hut in the town. Enthusiasm will run high, despite the score.
   I lived in Bantam for five years, and am now currently living in Miami. I've heard some people complain that they are "sick of Miami." The hubbub of Miami is boggling to me. For example, while all the streets in Bantam have names, most of Miami's streets are numerical. I would like to go to more places, but I find myself getting lost, a problem I never had in Bantam. Senior high school privileges, common in Miami, was another new idea to me. In Bantam, seniors weren't allowed to cut in lunch lines, nor did they have a special parking area. If they wanted to skip study hall, they'd better have an excuse, not only for the office, but for a police officer. One of the town's four police cars usually parks in front of the school to catch kids speeding or skipping school.
   Bantam's main street is three blocks long. Last year, many were sad to see the local ice cream shop, Wilbers, shut down. For the adults, Wilbers used to be the local hangout when they were teenagers. Woolworth's is still open. It is evident that it has been around awhile because the wooden floor creaks while customers walk up and down the aisles. Rollerbladers are banned from downtown, because they pose a danger to themselves and the elder residents. If going downtown gets boring, go to the movie theater, it has two screens.
   In Bantam, like most small towns, the town revolves around the high school. Thus, all sports and art programs are attended by the town; it's the only thing to do. I didn't realize how boring Bantam was until I came to Miami. The only thing that I miss about it are my friends, but I still keep in touch through e-mail and postal mail.

by Denver, Vulture Staff

*The name of the town has been changed; everything else is true.