We've all been there before: You're 4 weeks past due on an assignment. You just can't bring yourself to even look at the thing, let alone finish it, and it's consuming your life. At the end of your rope, you come clean, expecting the worst. But your teacher, slam dunking Gandhi into a trash can with their unparalleled goodness, does the impossible: They forgive you.
Yes, Bishops, it's easy to forget in the turmoil of exams that one of the best parts of this school is the staff. I'm not a model student, not by a long shot, but the staff here have stuck their collective necks so far out for me that I'm shocked they still have spinal cords. And I'm sure you have a similar story, too. Even if it's not as extreme, it's quick for most people to recall the kindness of a teacher, the understanding of a counselor, the dedication of the lunch ladies. Here are a few anecdotes.
One source, who wished to remain anonymous, tells a tale of great patience by Professor Erin Flynn: "I sat on this philosophy paper for months. I had no goddamn clue why I couldn't finish it, it was the last few sentences of a five-page paper. When I talked to him, explained what was going on, he got it. He gave me more time, and even helped me manage to wrap it up in the end.".
OWU's physics department is especially legendary, with both Dr. Robert Harmon and Dr. Edward Trees garnering massive respect for their kindness and ability to work with students. Both try their best to make the notoriously elitist and daunting field approachable, breaking down the monolithic black box into its key parts. "Trees explains everything so thoroughly. He makes sure you don't have to ask for an extension." Says Gabrielle Magid, a physics student. "Harmon will give you WAY more time than you deserve. We do not deserve him at all" Said Hannah Green, an Astrophysics major. Both are reportedly known as "little angel men" throughout the physics department for their patience and kindness.
And, anecdotally, I've had quite a good time with Newton Kimberly. His career counseling is tailored to you, and not in the traditional way. If he sees that you'd be more comfortable after talking about Batman for 30 minutes, you'll walk out of there with 30 minutes of Batman talk, 15+ minutes of counseling tied into it, and way happier with the amount of work you got done in that time than another school's counselor could claw out in two hours.
I'll leave it there, Bishops. But I encourage you to really consider: who here has gone the extra mile for you? How did they do so? Did Doug Koyle pull some ancient, arcane rule out of nowhere that saved you from having to drop out? Has a teacher helped you outside of the classroom or schoolwork, even? Gotten you a spot in a job? If you can think of even one, I hope you'll thank them. It makes all the difference.