The class of '88

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September 12 1988, 25 years ago, was the first day of the first European VLBI School in Castel San Pietro Terme, near Bologna. It proved an important starting point for a number of interesting astrophysical projects, collaborations and careers. But looking at the conference photo, there must have been something in the water that has "blessed"� this class also with a quality to accrete management responsibilities.

Indeed you can make out about half of the ASTRON and JIVE management team in the picture: Mike Garrett, Leonid Gurvits, Huib van Langevelde, Raffaella Morganti and Ren� Vermeulen. Additionally a number of very well-known (European) radio astronomers can be identified in the photo too. Certainly not all the management potential emerging from this miraculous resort accumulated in Dwingeloo!

Although the '88 event (two-weeks!) focused entirely on VLBI, it is noteworthy that its 25th anniversary coincides with the current European Radio Interferometry School (ERIS) in Dwingeloo this week. In a much more modern (i.e. condensed) programme a wide range of radio facilities are covered, including hands-on tutorials. There was no such thing in 1988; in fact AIPS could only just be used for imaging at that point.

However, many important traditions started in Castel San Pietro, most importantly the football match, in which we lost to a local team in 1988. Looking back at this picture with some melancholy, the current management can only hope that similar friendships and collaborations are stemming from this year's school.