Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 5244 INTERVIEWS DR TEPE What do you like most about HGS? I think the ethos of the school is overwhelmingly positive. I feel lucky to have joined a really welcoming department. The boys keep me on my toes and I’ve enjoyed their enthusiasm and classroom commentary. Which punctuation mark would you be and why? A question mark, I suppose. You can always delve more deeply in a topic and questions guide our way to clarity. Would you rather be a novel or a poem? A poem! People are really complex and complicated and I think poetry expresses the challenge of unpicking our own thoughts and feelings and those of others really realistically. You’ve got to work at them and the reward is that much sweeter. What is your favourite book/author? I like all sorts being a Literature person and all that; I have always been interested in Myths and think J.R.R. T olkien’s the Lord of the Rings is the great myth of our time. I also like Larry McMurty’s Lonesome Dove novels about the American West. My favourite play is Equus by Peter Shaffer and my favourite novels are Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde and Dracula by Bram Stoker. Sorry, there’s no short way round with that one; I could go on for ages. What are your hobbies? Reading, cooking, hiking and walking, travel, French language and culture, meditation Who was your favourite teacher when you were at school? I had an English teacher, Mr. Atkins, who was really inspirational. He pushed us really hard but at the same time could create the best discussion environment. He was a really tough marker and his high standards really improved my critical thinking and writing. What was the naughtiest thing you did when you were at school? I once got really annoyed at a maths teacher for taking off a mark because a line I had made with my ruler in geometry wasn’t exactly straight and said a few things under my breath a bit more loudly than I should have. Another time I got a detention and had to come in to school an hour early at 7 am. That wasn’t fun at all; I avoided detentions like the plague after that. How similar are the US and UK education systems? When I was in school there was much more emphasis on student responsibility; in that students were responsible for managing their notes, their classwork, and their homework without much teacher intervention. If you get a bad mark on a test or exam, for example, it was 100% the responsibility of the student. For example, with my student essays from Year 9 to Year 12 (all US students are required to complete Year 12) the teacher would set you the book to write about, but you had to come up with your own task and argument on your own and then write it. Teachers were there to help certainly, but it was up to you to find your quotes, plan your essay, structure it properly and then type it up and turn it in. MR ORGAN What do you like most about HGS? I taught in schools in central London for a number of years where there were students from over 70 different nationalities, everyone working together, which made for a vibrant and exciting school community. Of the different schools in Birmingham I’ve taught in, Handsworth Grammar School comes closest to the same diversity and togetherness I experienced in London, which creates a real buzz about the place. Which punctuation mark would you be and why? An exclamation mark. Despite the years rolling by, I never cease to be amazed by anything and everything! Would you rather be a novel or a poem? A poem, maybe a limerick. ‘There was an old teacher called Organ, who woke up to find all his hair gone…..’ What is your favourite book/author? Up there amongst the top ten has to be ‘Catch 22’ by Joseph Heller. Hilarious and heart breaking. What are your hobbies? I can tell you that all the world is a football pitch, having been a season ticket holder at Villa Park for the last 9 years. I’m also the permanent family taxi driver. Do you have a claim to fame? I once beat Carwyn Jones, leader of the Welsh Labour Party, in the first round of a local election for the National Union of Students. We were both law students at Aberystwyth University at the time. The voting system was based on proportional representation and he narrowly beat me when the second preference votes were taken into account. Carwyn Jones was re-elected last week as the First Minister of Wales. Who was your favourite teacher when you were at school? A nun called Sr Josephine who had a fist class honours degree in Classics from Oxford University who used to read ‘Winnie the Pooh’ in Latin. What was the naughtiest thing you did when you were at school? I don’t know about the naughtiest thing but I was once caned for failing a spelling test in English when I was in year 8. Mr Maxwell the English teacher called me to the front of the class with five other boys, told me to stretch out my hand and Whallop! In the next spelling test I achieved 100%. How will Aston Villa do next season/thoughts on the new manager? Anyone who has cheered or wept (mainly wept) in the Holte End over recent years will know that the real strength of Aston Villa is its fans. The last home game of this season against Newcastle United saw, despite everything, a heartfelt celebration of the club, with every imaginable type of inflatable thrown around in the Holte End. With a new owner (at last), I hope Tim Sherwood is granted his wish to have another go in B6 after keeping us up last year and leading the boys in Claret and Blue to the FA Cup final. Holte Enders in the Sky……! Have you met anyone famous? Mother T eresa of Calcutta once and on another occasion Princess Diana, two iconic women of the twentieth century, who shared a compassion and concern for those pushed to the margins of society. Strangely, they died within days of each other during an extraordinary week in the late summer of 1997, a week which those of us who were around at the time will never forget. What is your motto for life? Don’t worry about growing old because what’s the alternative? imaginable type With a new owner (at last), I hope Tim Sherwood help certainly, but it was up to you to find your quotes, plan your essay, structure it properly and then type it up and turn Mr Organ is one of two new additions to the English Department this year. This is what he had to say . . . The Bridge caught up with the newest member of the English Department . . .