Inspired by the studies of Robert and Helen Lynd in 1929 and 1935, this classic series explores both the continuity and the change embodied in the people and institutions of one Midwestern American community: Muncie, Indiana. In their final year at Muncie’s Southside High School, a group of seniors hurtle toward maturity with a combination of joy, despair and an aggravated sense of urgency. They are learning a great deal, both in and out of school, that is often quite different from what school officials think they are teaching.