May 29, 2025
In a refreshing twist from my usual conversations with former
students, this episode features one of my closest friends from high
school, Kenny Eisenstein. Back in 1994, Kenny’s dry, understated
humor kept me laughing—and it still does.
Like many of us, Kenny looks back on high school with a mix of
nostalgia and a few regrets. But overall, he remembers it as one of
the best times of his life. What’s especially fascinating is
hearing which parts of that teenage world he still wishes he could
carry into adulthood.
Kenny has always been a thinker with a deep love for the arts,
particularly music. He’s the one who first introduced me to my
favorite band, Pearl Jam—a moment that shaped much of our early
friendship.
Now a film professor at Bucknell University, Kenny reflects on
whether adulthood has lived up to those high school years. Did he
peak in high school? What lessons from that time still guide him
today?