Mitty's best

The following are the greatest teachers at mitty by whom i had the privilige of being taught.
 
Mr. VanValkenburg - quirky, intelligent, and supportive.  I could not have asked for a better moderator for The Monarch.  Although he enforced administrative decisions regarding Opinions articles, in actuality he tended to agree with our side of the story, and would have preferred that we publish certain things.  He helped and encouraged us to push the envelope.  In english class, he was extremely entertaining, and obviously knew what he was talking about.
 
Mr. Mathews - By far the most intelligent man I have ever met.  I guess a PhD in philosophy doesn't come easy.  We were all terrified of him before we met him, but he is actually very kind, and not at all scary in real life.  English IV AP was absolutely the best class ever, and beats out every class i have taken at UCLA as far as required level of scholarship.  I would look forward to class every day just to hear Mr. Mathews speak... I could have listened to him talk for hours.  The way he talks about his sons is also adorable; he never stayed the night during kairos because he went home to be with them.  Just an all-around amazing man and a fabulous teacher.
 
Mr. Abb - a great math instructor and a funny guy.  I never had trouble understanding anything in his class; he always made everything perfectly clear.  He also told great stories, which always somehow related back to math in the end.
 
Mr. Nicoletti - also a wonderful math teacher.  He was so easy to get along with; we all joked around with him in and out of class.  He had endless patience when it came to explaining calculus, but did not put up with misbehavior.  He definitely knew how to be both a teacher and a friend, and i have enjoyed talking to him on my return visits to mitty.
 
Miss Drumm - absolutely awesome.  I despise all social studies (history, government, etc), but i looked forward to her US government class every day.  I really felt like i learned something in her class, and she was obviously very excited about the subject.  She was a lot of fun.  We used to ditch stats class to go to her office and chat with her.  Outside of class (and sometimes in class) she was just like one of us, which was way cool.
 
Mr. Sampson - A totally awesome, fun-loving, caring teacher.  I remember back in freshman year, i was in his biology honors class and i had no idea what was going on.  Everyone else seemed to already know about biology, while i knew nothing.  I sent Mr. Sampson an email about it, expressing my concern that maybe the class was not for me.  He went so far as to call me at home to talk about it with me.  That's how much he cares about his students.  He was also incredibly funny and always made class fun.
 
Mr. Miller - I was lucky enough to have him as a teacher twice.  The best thing about Mr. Miller, besides his great instructive skills, is the fact that he is as bitter as the rest of us.  He complains as much as we do!  He also doesn't put up with crap from anyone.  People do their homework for him and listen to him because they respect and like him.  He also tells great stories.
 
Mrs. Lemak - She is another teacher i love to visit when i come back to mitty.  She has always been supportive of my artistic pursuits, and after i graduated i have gone to her for help with my portfolio.  Despite the fact that art classes are, by nature, very casual and not conductive to order, Mrs. Lemak maintains control over the students.  She is friendly and funny, and a great instructor.
 
Mr. Howard - definitely the nicest man in the world.  In my post-Quest note to him, i told him that if i had to pick someone other than my real father to be my father, i would choose him.  One day, during an extremely emotional time in my life, i broke down crying in his class.  he took me outside and talked to me, then brought me to campus minustry to talk to another teacher.  He checked up on me after that, and always expressed frequent concern for how i was doing.  I don't think i have ever seen him get mad, and he is always so nice and patient.  He never had trouble keeping his class in line, and did it without threat of punishment.

A letter to Mr. Brosnan

I wrote this letter to Mr. Brosnan after the monarch staff was given a memo about proper writing conduct and procedures.  This memo basically said that our articles should support/praise Mitty.  I'll try to scrounge up a copy and post it here, but you'll get the idea from my letter.  I wrote directly to Brosnan in the hopes of getting around Robinson, the actual big cheese, because Mr. Brosnan is far nicer than Robinson.  I was thwarted, however, as Robinson intercepted and responded to the letter.  His response was short and beside the point (no surprises there), and basically said that i was wrong to think i was disliked and that he was insulted by my skepticism about the sincerity of the graduation goals.  I have the response around here somewhere, so if i find it i will post it.  Without further ado, the letter.
 
      January 16, 2002
Dear Mr. Brosnan,
 
I am writing in regard to the treatment of the newspaper staff and the recent crackdown on journalistic procedure.  There are a few things I would like to say without fear of being intimidated or belittled.  I want you to know that I mean no disrespect by anything in this letter, nor do I wish to challenge anyone’s authority.  I simply wish you to know my feelings on the issues.
 
You appear to be under the impression that I, as well as my colleagues, comprise a band of lawless resolutes bent on bringing down the establishment.  This is simply not true.  The subjects we discuss in our articles are not meant to incite rebellion or tarnish the school’s image.  We simply write what we see.  I cannot speak for all of my writers, but I know that every single piece that I write deals with an issue that means something to me, as well as other students.  I don’t snatch up any issue that comes along simply because I know it will stir up trouble, and I don’t simply write about things that I feel particularly bitter about at a given moment.  I wouldn’t waste my time with something I didn’t care about.
 
The writers of opinion articles speak not only for themselves, but for the entire student body.  I have received much assent from a wide variety of students on many articles.  We write about things that matter to all of us.  We do feel that our individuality is stifled, we do feel we are technologically impaired, we do feel that we should be warned when dancing inappropriately, we do feel things get worse every year.  It is not a select few angry honors students who agree, it is everyone.  You believed my survey was unscientific and that the conclusions I drew were incorrect, but that survey represented student opinion as I know it almost perfectly.  The conclusions I drew were based on the experience of myself and of those around me.  It was not simply an excuse to rant about the school again.
 
Why do you feel so threatened by what we have to say?  If you fear that our comments will give current and prospective customers a tainted notion of our school, perhaps there is something greater afoot than my opinion.  If you fear that parents will agree with us, then maybe we are right.  Instead of trying to censor our opinions, maybe you should embrace them.  I think people would be much more inclined to attend a school at which the administration values student input.  If you think our criticism of the school will be shared by readers, maybe you should stop doing the things we criticize instead of keeping us from pointing them out.  I agree with you that the newspaper should be an educational tool.  I do not, however, agree that it should be a tool of propaganda.  If we are really to learn what it means to be a journalist, we must learn to find the truth.  The truth does not mean what will make the school look good or what will protect everyone’s feelings.  The truth is not warm and fuzzy, and it is not always “positive.”  I realize that some of our articles, especially mine, may not have exhibited the degree of respect that they should have, and for that I apologize.  I do believe, however, that we would all be much more inclined to reach a compromise with you if you did not treat us like children.
 
I wrote an article this year entitle “What we have become,” which dealt with a loss of individuality.  By censoring our paper and molding our opinions for us, you are proving my point.  I realize that there are certain values you wish Mitty students to uphold, especially as a Catholic school.  However, you can not expect us all to think the same way or to have the same opinion about Mitty that you do.  Mitty is home to some very bright students, and those students are bound to be different from one another.  We will have opinions of our own, and those opinions may not parallel yours.  I do not believe, however, that that makes them bad.  I think that if Mitty is to be a place of learning and intellectual competence, a clash of opinions is necessary.  The ability to learn from one another is essential.
 
Often I feel as though we (students and administrators) regard one another as enemies, rather than humans.  You see us as inferiors, and we see you as oppressors.  Retreats are a testament to the fact that we are both human beings.  The fact that you attend retreats shows that you really do care about students as people rather than just customers.  However, it seems that once back in the administrative chair, that respect dissipates.  One of the things I love about Mitty is the close relationships students have with their teachers.  Teachers respect students and value their thoughts and ideas, and students, in turn, respect the teachers and are willing to learn.  Teachers can exhibit authority and still maintain friendship with their students.  This is something I feel students and administrators do not share.  Of course, the principal, vice principals, and dean of any school are expected to wield greater authority than teachers.  That doesn’t mean, however, that we students must feel insignificant.  Maybe I’m going out on a limb here, but I think that a school should be a place to learn cooperation and respect, not simply subordination.
 
You mentioned that all articles should promote the five graduation outcomes, but I have to wonder if you really mean all Opinions articles.  I’m sure our news articles and sports articles are not expected to promote intellectual competence, leadership, and faith.  Such a task would be impossible.  I also fail to see how anyone can write an honest opinion that has value and makes a real point and still adhere to your guidelines.  Basically, your guidelines prohibit anyone from writing opinions that do not make Mitty look wonderful.
 
The distinction was made between The Monarch and a college or city newspaper.  If we follow all of your guidelines, however, what makes The Monarch a newspaper at all?  It becomes simply another Mitty Magazine, with a few “yay-Mitty” opinions thrown in.  In addition, as we are a college preparatory school, don’t you think that any journalistic education we receive should prepare us for college as well?  Colleges foster individuality and independent thinking, Mitty seems to foster conformity.  Isn’t there a way we can compromise?
 
I joined the newspaper staff because I wanted to make a difference at my school.  Throughout our education we learn about people who stood up for what they believed in.  Some were successful, and some were martyrs.  All are regarded as heroes.  I wanted to be like them.  I wanted to be Owen Meany, “The Voice,” calling attention to deficiencies in the system so that they could be corrected.  I thought that as an intelligent individual, my opinion would carry weight.  Perhaps I was mistaken.  In any case, I never intended for it to come to this.  I never intended for student opinion in general to be stifled.  Perhaps it would have been more appropriate for me to bring my concerns directly to you, rather than publishing them.  Nevertheless, I do believe that, even at a private school, students have a right to free speech.  We may be young, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have good ideas.
 
I think that in my career as a newspaper staff member I have upheld all of the graduation goals.  I have been a leader by encouraging students to stand up for what they believe in and not be afraid to say what is in their hearts.  I have sought justice by pointing out what I perceive to be the truth.  I have displayed intellectual competence, thinking through each issue carefully before I write about it, and never saying anything I cannot back up with evidence.  Each of my articles has discussed an issue of respect, always seeking to promote respect toward a party who receives too little.  As for faith, if my religious education has taught me anything it is to hold on to what I believe is right, no matter what.  That is what I have done.  I believe that it is infinitely more important to live these values than just to put up posters and talk about them.
 
I know that you do not like me very much because of what I have to say.  It saddens me to be the victim of such animosity, just because my views are not what you would like them to be.  I’m really not a mean person, as those close to me might tell you.  I am simply strong-willed and refuse to back down from issues I feel strongly about.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
 Sara Triplett
 
 

My stories

The original draft of my salutatory address (which is identical to the final product, except for this particular point of interest) contained the following passage:
"You are an individual because you did not back down when being yourself became a punishable offense."  Since Mr. Mathews pointed out that graduation was not really a day for being bitter about things, I changed it to this:
"You are an individual because you did not back down when your dress, or your make-up, or your hair color or length, or how you spend your precious free time resulted in the dreaded yellow slip, a summons from on high."
More appropriate to the day, perhaps, but the original gives you some idea of my thoughts at the time.
 
Ben Davis was the object of much discrimination on the part of the dean, presumably because of the way he dressed. He once got a detention for "sleeping in the halls and having a 'pillow' after group has been repeatedly warned. tell your friends." What could be more obvious? Two arbitrary rules: no sleeping and no having pillows, and two blatant instances of classification: "group" and "tell your friends." You would never catch Temple or anyone else saying that to a football player.

The Monarch newspaper staff was called in to a meeting with the big four: Robinson, Brosnan, Mathews, and Temple. Mathews was not able to attend, but the meeting went on with the other three. It basically consisted of Robinson yelling at the newspaper staff, belittling us, and accusing us randomly of things we couldn't possibly have done or meant. I broke down sobbing as a result,and remained so for the entire meeting. Mrs Temple was nice enough to hand me a kleenex. At the end, Robinson turned to Mr. Van (our moderator) and said "can you take care of her?" (referring to me).

On more than one occasion, it was made clear to us that the student newspaper was to be a vessel for pro-mitty propaganda rather than for student voices. We never heeded this, of course, but the warning was there, and censorship was not uncommon. I think the reason we were able to get away with so much was that our level of controversy and courage was unprecedented: Robinson simply didn't know how to react.

At some point, i think during my sophomore year, the anouncement was made that we were no longer allowed to tape signs up on poles, walls, and lockers, because it ruined the paint. before this, people had been in the habit of putting up birthday signs for their friends all over campus. i suspect that the real reason was to prevent any student organization or dissent as perpetuated by flyers around campus. I suspect this because student activities was still allowed to tape signs up all over the place, and they used duct tape, which i'm thinking is a TAD more harmful to paint than scotch or masking tape.

Eric Bair: class of 2000

after i graduated, i used to go back to hang out with the sci fi club because a lot of my friends were in it. one time mrs. temple saw me and she said "why are you here? don't you have a life?"

My mother

it seems like mitty is really hard on a lot of kids. they just don't care about people. there is no accommodation. when jordan(would have been class of 2004) left mitty, he was able to be homeschooled and get a diploma from los gatos. they were willing to help him. mitty would do nothing like that. they could have just let him study at home until his problems were better, or tried to help him at school, but they didn't do anything.

Blake Ericson: class of 2002

it was decided. mostly by temple, that bids to prom would not be given out to two people of the same sex. the official reason was that they did not want to encourage people to show up going stag and feel awkward. the reason behind that though was mike wanted to go with his bf.

Matt Verbrugge: class of 2002

during our senior year, during cross country, stiles got the keys to the weight room and we would go to school early on mon-wend-fri and work out before the football team, and then do a 3 mile run, then shower and then go to class. and the admin stopped us from doing that becasue coaches couldnt have voluntary practices like that. so stiles told our parents to call and complain, and my mom did, and matthews said that mitty couldnt be responsible for us there that early and he wouldnt change his mind and we couldnt do thos practices even though they were completely voluntary (we loved it becasue it was the only time we got the wieght room. When my mom asked about football, he said that they had always been doing those practices and were "grandfathered" in. oh, and volleyball countinued to have morning practices throughout all of that.

Ben Larson: class of 2004

I was wearing a Newfound Glory t-shirt that said 'NFG'. Mrs. Temple thought it stood for "no f-ing good" and tried to give me a detention. I explained what it actually meant, but i got a detention anyway for arguing with her.

Nowhere in the handbook does it say anything about bringing a barbecue to school and barbecuing outside the snack shack. And it wasn't even a barbecue! It was like a George Foreman grill. My friends and i got 6 hours of detention each person. That was a fun week.

It was after PE, and some kid came up to miles ryan and was like 'you're not punk rock' or something like that, so miles went off on him. Then the kid said, 'oh yeah? well if you are, then maybe i'll just bring a gun to school and kill you.' the kid got expelled, but miles got 3 hours of detention for arguing with him.

my friend brought water balloons to school and i threw one. i got detention for throwing it, but he got detention too for being the 'supplier'.

if you put on a hat at our school, our dean will be running at you in SECONDS

Who is really in charge?

Walk into the main office and you'll find the three head honchos of mitty: Mr. Tim Brosnan, principal, Mr. Richard Robinson, associate principal, and Mr. Keith Mathews, assistant principal. Mr. Brosnan--the ostensible head of affairs at mitty--is a very nice and intelligent man. In my own experience, he has never been anything but courteous and amicable. He, however, does not seem to have any real power. Mr. Mathews is one of the most intelligent men, if not THE most intelligent man i have ever had the pleasure to meet. He deals more with business aspects of the school, as well as sports. The real big cheese when it comes to dealing with students is mr. robinson. He is the one who runs around bringing pain to students' lives, or distributing mercy whenever his whims so dictate. Down the hall is everyone's favorite administrator: Mrs. Claudia Temple, dean of students. An apparently friendly person within the walls of her office, she is a bounty hunter of handbook violations in the hallways.

These are my own assessments of the people who run mitty, but i will let the stories speak for themselves. Draw your own conclusions about who is in charge, who has what power, and how each person uses it.

Archbishop Mitty High School: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Anyone who went to Mitty knows that there are really two mitties. one is the mitty of good friends, solid academics, fabulous teachers who really care about students, and community solidarity. The other is the mitty of punishment. Of parochial espionage, punishments distributed wildly and arbitrarily, and of administrative power trips. I mean to tell those stories. For now, i am sticking to stories of people who have graduated, since i can't be sure what will happen to current students who tell the truth about their experiences.