OK, it's been two years since I graduated from high school, so I'm going to try to remember as much as I can to fill up this page. My previous high school webpage did not have text, it just contained a collage of pictures, so it's not like I could just copy and paste it.
So I went to the public high school in Andover. Yes, there is a famous private high school called Andover Phillips (or Phillips Academy, and its rival school, Exeter, is a very different school in a different state). Many people think the private school when I say I'm from Andover High, but there also exists a public one in Andover as well. Anyway, so that takes care of any confusion (hopefully).
Truthfully, I did not enjoy my days at Andover High very much. The teachers were pretty awful (there were obviously some exceptions), and the students are pretty snobby. But then again, it might have been that I was just to geeky or nerdy or dorky. There were definitely good times though. I ran track for all four years, indoor and outdoor, for a combined eight seasons. You can ask me about my track stories if you're really interested. I did math team and science team sophomore through senior years. Math team was especially fun senior year, after I humbly finished first in the state (I'm not trying to brag.... in fact, I'm the most humble person I know...). While I'm on the topic of activities, I also did National Honor Society and community service for ESL (I'll discuss this later in more detail).
Freshman year was pretty neutral. Mr. Gangi was a pretty cool (and bald) dude. He taught us how to sentence diagram. Dr. McCann taught me Latin, and all the funky orators like Cicero et al. Dr. Shannon was a good teacher, but I didn't enjoy her "projects" very much. Mr. Simpson (my first class of the day) was an exciting guy who added a touch of humor of world civilization. Then there was biology, which was not very fun. A lot of people put the blame on Mr. Lynch (Amy says that he said AIDS was a good thing since it'll help keep overpopulation in check, but I don't remember that), but I never liked biology anyway, so it was probably a combination of a bunch of things. One thing cool about bio was the homework system I worked out with Rudy. I would do half, and he'd do half, and the fax machine would be busy on nights before the homework was due.
Sophomore year was pretty awful. I got my first 'B' (yes, I have to admit, it was a very heart-crushing moment). Mrs. Fenton, the freaky American Literature teacher, did this disgusting thing with the veins in her neck (ask me to demonstrate if you're curious). The teacher's pets would put up the most substance-empty presentations and get an 'A' and I got lousy grades because I analyzed all the symbolism but "spoke too fast" (that's what she marked me down for). Anyway, algebra II with Mr. Terille was a blast. Known for also writing upwards, and weird positions he'd put his legs in, and other things, we all loved him. He left our school for Singapore after our sophomore year and hasn't been back since. Chemistry with Dr. Johnson was also a blast. He gave us our first dosage of scaled grades. Labs were never quiet, especially since Kaitlin and Peter managed to break at least a beaker or flask or some glassware each lab. Dr. McCann again taught us more fun Latin. Then Mr. Lussier nailed me for participation (you can ask Amy for more details!!) in the American history class that I despised.
Junior year was generally a mess. No more Latin. Mr. DeWire worked me around the clock in 20th Century History and still gave me a crappy grade. Mr. Walshe was okay, except a lot of people thought that he looked like a leprechaun, or that he had a lot of chest hair. Mrs. Tomlinson taught a really good humanities class, and we read some interesting works. Physics with Mr. King was the highlight of my day in the sense that it was rather "interesting" (I use that term rather loosely).
Senior year was definitely my best year. I loved all my classes (especially since I decided not to take history). I started off with economics and Ms. Samra was a real sweetie. AP Calculus was pretty fun with Mr. Lawson. Everyone in the class has decided that Mr. Lawson has held every job possible in the world. He gave us lectures on stocks, car tires, and a bunch of fun things. AP Physics with Dr. Francis was a bit exciting since he always moved so fast. Can't blame him, since he's the smartest teacher at the high school. Then there was AP chemistry with Mr. Doherty. Though most of us (I emphasize the word "most") did not like his way of teaching, grading, and everything else, we finally came to realize that he was a pretty nice guy in general. This is the class that I really first met Amy, since she was my lab partner (you can ask her why I chose her). And for some reason, our data would always turn out perfect (hmmm....). Liz and Alan also made the class pretty interesting. Then there was statistics with Ms. Ragucci. I have to admit, the students in that class was not very smart, and we went pretty slow, but I learned a few things here and there. Then my last term of the year, my four blocks of the day went Dominant Ideas, physical education, study/community service, and physical education again. I got really tanned from taking two gym classes. Dominant Ideas was an English class that went through a lot of art-related books and projects. Mr. Evans was kind of a mysterious guy, but he was definitely interesting to listen to.
Some other classes that are worth mentioning are typing, band, ceramics, computer as a tool, and painting. Typing was fun because I found a flaw in the typing software and was able to convince a teacher that I could type 150 words per minute. Band was not very cool because I was the only French Horn player and I not was very good at it (I was so "not good" that I might as well have been a trumpet player, no one could tell what I was playing). Ceramics was pretty interesting with Chuck. I made some neat stuff, and Ms. Consentino had remembered me from elementary school. Computer as a tool was a joke with Mr. Pellerin. We didn't exactly learn all that much. Chuck basically copied my tests and final on a disk and turned it in. Mr. Pellerin made some interesting comments and was in general, a pretty fun guy. Painting with Ms. Cook was pretty cool. I made some nice paintings, and learned to stretch a canvas.
OK, so that concludes what I have to say about my high school classes. I'll talk about some of the pictures now. First on the list is Adam and Kristen. As you can see (especially in the next picture), Kristen is a pretty tall girl. She just started sprouting sophomore and junior year, and by her senior year, she was a tri-varsity athlete. I've known Adam since middle school. Many will call him a slacker, and I will, too. But he's an interesting person. We've played a lot of hoops together. He's currently attending Ithaca College. Next is Kristen with Amy at one of our senior year trips, the lobster dinner. Also at the lobster dinner is Lauren, Chris, Julie, and Dan. I really didn't know Lauren, but we did a group project once in freshman English. Chris is a really hardworking runner. He trained really hard and was captain his senior year. A really good two-miler, he also ran a bunch of other events when the team need him. I don't really know Julie either, but she was also pretty darn fast. Her main sport is gymnastics, hence her nickname, Gumby. Dan is one hell of a smart kid. I've never met anyone who knew as much random facts in every topic. He answers Jeopardy questions (or questions Jeopardy answers, whatever, you know what I mean) straight through. He was voted most likely to succeed. Next is me and Adam at another one of the senior year field trips. I forget the name of the place that this was taken at. Then there Nicole, Jess, and Amy. They're all really good friends, so I always see them at Amy's organized dinner trips. Next is Alan and Amy racing on one of those balloon things. Alan is a cute (by girls' standards) Filipino/Japanese mix. He's pretty darn athletic, and likes Nautica apparrel.
The next few pictures were taken at the 24-hour relay. Basically, each team has ten people, and the whole team is in a relay that goes on for 24-hours. Each person runs a mile before handing off the baton to the next person in line. It's one of the few fun things that the school is come up with. It raises money for some kind of organization which I forget. So first is Peter. I've know Peter since elementary school, and he was in a bunch of my classes all throughout high school. He's a big marine-biology guy and is currently studying something in that field at Bowdoin. Next is someone who I can't recognize (her name is Nikki, well, I still can't recognize her by that picture, but I am told that it is her), Nicole, Ken, and Brent. Brent ran track with me. He's one hell of a sprinter. A lot of people nicknamed him truck freshmen year, though that didn't last. We shared some meaningful times together running in circles (it's a pun, since we run around the track). Then there's me in shades, and Doug looking punk ass. I've known Doug since middle school. But I remember him most from AP physics class, where he provided some laughs.
The next few pictures are taken at senior safari, which is the last high school activity. The gymnasium is converted into a "safari" and there's a bunch of things you can do there. In the first group picture, you have Amy, Mark, Kirk, and me, on top. And Ethan and Joe on bottom. Mark is one hell of a swimmer, so I've heard. Kirk was a fun guy to hang around, and also quite a giant. Ethan ran track with me for a couple of seasons. He's the most athletic person I know. He also played football, baseball, and gymnastics. I remember him for his small strides in his sprinting. Joe was just some guy we grabbed to take this picture. Next group picture features Tom, Alan, Doug, half of Anil, Mark, Eric on top, then someone I can't recognize, Jess, Amy, and Mike. I knew Tom since middle school, but didn't do much besides shooting some hoops. Eric I knew since middle school as well. He was voted quietest and most artistic in our senior superlatives. If you've never seen this guy wrestle, you'd never know that he's also pretty darn strong. He's currently studying English at Brown. Mike is known as ball-hog in basketball and soccer. And he's also a big Live fan. Then there's one of my favorite pictures, Alan, I, and Amy.
Finally, the rest are some graduation pictures. First is Anil and I. The next is of Nozomi, Aurelie, Kathy and her dad, me and my sister. Nozomi and Aurelie are both a year younger than me. Aurelie returned to Belgium after her junior year, but I still keep in touch with her through e-mail. She is currently studying nursing at a Belgium university. Nozomi is a real sweetie and makes really good food. She is currently studying at Salem State College, with plans to teach younger students. Then there's Kathy, my rival in AP physics. Kathy moved from Taiwan sophomore year and basically breezed through all her classes. One of the most intelligent people I know, I really respect her successes. She is currently at Cornell University. Finally is me and Mark. I knew Mark since middle school, and he was my best friend in high school. He was my lab partner for biology in freshman year, chemistry in sophomore year, and physics in junior year. He was one of the most distinctive styles of writing, and it always cracks me up to read his works. We've been through a bunch together. He's currently attending Middlebury College, studying writing and maybe theater.
Now I should mention ESL again. ESL was what I devoted most of my free time to during junior and senior year. I basically tutored many new students from foreign countries. Since I spoke Chinese, I was known for helping out the new students from Taiwan. Mr. Costello, the ESL supervisor, was the greatest person to work with. He taught me a lot of things other than being a good tutor. Learned how to be a good person in general (I'm not saying I am, but I learned a lot from him). I met a lot of interesting people, and shared a lot of memorable experiences. It was also the topic of many college essays. So I feel I should dedicate a page just to ESL.
So that concludes my high school page. If you have some pictures that would be appropriate on this page, please drop me an e-mail. I've been trying to keep up with as many high school friends as possible.
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