Rick Pillsbury

by Lauren Gonzales

The man, the myth, the legend: Rick Pillsbury has been teaching long enough to have known your parents when they were in high school. He has taught generations of students and has made a lasting impact on not only the school, but the community. Widely regarded as the best teacher on campus, having the highest AP passing rate (nearly 97%), Mr. Pillsbury leaves impossible shoes for his successor to fill.

  Academically, Mr. Pillsbury teaches the most dense mathematics and science classes available; from AP Calculus BC to AP Physics 1 to our nationally recognized Academic Decathlon Team, Pillsbury is in charge of nearly all of the upper division courses. The way to survive these classes is easy: do the work. Essentially, Mr. Pillsbury never gives you tests on topics you’ve never seen; they’ll be covered at least twice in homework assignments, and he gives tons of opportunities to ask for help, from weekly (often more than once a week when there’s a test) study sessions where he’s available from 6:30 to 8pm. Almost exactly like a class, these study sessions allow for more one-on-one time with Pillsbury, wherein students can get more in-depth explanations for difficult topics. Mastery of the topics is never easy, but it is manageable with the right work ethic and determination.

   Moreover, Mr. Pillsbury has much more to offer students than sheer academia; as a seasoned hiker, world traveller and overall creative person, Pillsbury can help students on the best hikes in the Alps or a detailed assessment of Queen’s greatest hits. His moving mobiles can occupy your mind while it wanders from polar equations and the plethora of paintings hung around the room can distract you daily. A room filled with AcDec trophies from years past, piles of randoms knick knacks related to physics experiments and mountains of paperwork on his desk, Mr. Pillsbury’s classes are not only educational but you learn so much about him and his interesting and colorful life.

   Whether it be purely to learn, or to delve into the Pillsbury experience, having Rick Pillsbury will shape you as a student and young person. He drives his students to not only do better, but nearly everyone aspires to make him proud. And the highest honor students can receive in his class is not the  classic A, but a simple “good job” bestowed after a quick homework check.

Harry Frank

by Jason Van Tighem

Art, the most abstract subject in the school curriculum, cannot be taught by any ordinary teacher. Years of art schooling in New York encouraged a young, passionate Harry Frank to independently pursue and develop his unique artistic style. However, countless hours of painting canvases and molding priceless pottery shaped his career goals as he took up an interest in teaching. Not long after, he began teaching and has been nourishing young artists ever since. Last year, he participated in Art Trails–a traditional county-wide art showcase–and displayed fascinating monoprints of his most current work. The combination of Mr. Frank’s artistic knowledge and academic knowledge makes him an outstanding teacher. He not only covers curricular topics, but shares personal insight from his experience living as a professional artist. In addition, the optimism and creativity that Mr. Frank brings to class everyday add to his qualifications as an exceptional art teacher.

Brian Lochtan

by Kaylee Meier

Brian Lochtan: APUSH or Free Therapy Sessions?

  More than any other subject, I hate learning about history. I signed up for Brian Lochtan’s APUSH class and expected to learn about a bunch of dead guys who definitely possibly had some sort of significance on this country. Although my long nights of homework agreed with this statement, I learned very quickly that my junior year would entail much more than that. This is the teacher who and let my friends and I bring a waffle iron to class and throw whipped cream at each other during our after-the-AP-test-party (of course we cleaned it up afterward). I came to realize that after the first week of class, Mr. Lochtan would become my personal life coach; I still recite his words of wisdom to this day. One of the most pivotal statements of my entire junior year was “You’re either pregnant or you’re not.” It was mentioned at least once a month, yet in each of those situations, there was not a single person who was pregnant. It was simply referred to as an easy decision; a yes or no answer. I continue to live my life through what I learned during my year of US History. Could I tell you how the War of 1812 ended? Absolutely not. Could I describe, in detail, how a burrito is not considered a sandwich? Absolutely.

Grace Cottle

by Jacob Scally

Even if you’ve never stepped foot inside her classroom, the chances are, that you’ve heard her name or of her infamous chemistry class. Yes, it is in fact, the great Grace Cottle that I‘m talking about. Now, if you’ve ever taken Mrs. Cottle’s Chemistry or Honors Chemistry class there are two things you understand: 1. How a refrigerator works and 2. That it is one of the most challenging classes you’ll take in high school. Chemistry is a difficult subject to learn on its own, but with Mrs. Cottle’s daily quizzes and 100 minute four-paged legal-sized tests, it’s no surprise kids feel lucky to survive the class with a C or B. In Cottle’s class, taking a day off feels like the equivalent to missing a week of class. This is most likely due to how information-packed each class really is, but there’s a method to Mrs. Cottle’s “madness.” The class and homework are structured with such great emphasis on learning and understanding the course material, that it creates an almost sink-or-swim environment. To put it simply, this is class where you need to know information, not just “kinda” know the information. This just might be one of the greatest things about Ms. Cottle’s class, you’ll actually learn, something that isn’t always found in every classroom these days. Her dedication to her students is also unmatched, since she almost never misses a day of class. Overall, Mrs. Cottle’s class kicked my butt, but the quality education, and her dedication to learning and the students made it all worth it in the end.Photo