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Sara Silberman Staff Writer
You ’ ve probably seen Mr . Hansuvadha around campus in his signature plaid shirt and matching tie . Maybe he was hanging out with his board game buddies--Mr . Dowsett , Mr . Read , and Señor Berry--or preparing multiple paninis at once .
Mr . H , as he is known by his students , is more than just a teacher : he was the bass player for pop punk band The Sinators ; he ’ s the father of two awesome daughters ; he ’ s the guy who was rejected by not one , but
Features June 2016
TBH With Mr . H ( ansuvadha )
seven potential prom dates .
In the classroom Mr . H “ is very caring of his students , and he ’ s very involved in their lives . He wants to know what goes on with everything outside of the math class . It helps make that connection that makes us want to learn ,” said senior Raul Ortiz IV ( IM-G ) who had Mr . H freshman through junior year and now serves as his TA .
Mr . H has worked at OCSA since the 2007-2008 school year , teaching everything from Algebra I to IMP IV honors--IMP being
the program he brought to OCSA and will finish here as it is being phased out .
He attended University of South Carolina ( the other USC ) earning his Bachelor ’ s in Mathematical Science , then University of Washington for his Master ’ s in Teaching , which explains his affinity for the Seattle Seahawks .
According to Mrs . Mohamedy , “ Being great at what he does is not good enough ; [ Mr . H ] constantly challenges himself to be a better and a more effective educator . His high standards and en- ergy radiate to his colleagues and his students alike .”
The walls of Mr . H ’ s room are covered in music posters , his daughters ’ artwork , and signatures from every student he ’ s ever taught ; it feels less like a classroom and more like a clubhouse . Hanging in front of the whiteboard is Bearemy Hansuvadha .
This Build-a-Bear was a gift from a few of his former students . When you press its hand , it exclaims “ Knowledge !” in typical Mr . H fashion .
Mr . H loves this school since the “ curiosity of the students makes it easy to teach .” This curiosity will be given more room for exploration next year in the new elective class he will be teaching--the Art of Mathematics--where students will be able to investigate specific areas of mathematical interest .
Above all else , Mr . H is known for his unwavering wisdom and guidance . One of his favorite quotes to share with his students is , “ We learn our best lessons when we fail ,” to which he would like to add , “ So fail a lot in life .”
If you were in a conservatory at OCSA , which one would it be ? Film and TV , maybe . When I first came [ to OCSA ] I would ’ ve said MT , maybe . I ’ d want to be in Culinary , but I ’ d get rejected so fast from that .
What did you want to be when you grew up ? I wanted to be a baseball player … My dream wasn ’ t really in touch with the reality of my skills .
If your life were being made into a movie , who would play you ? Kristen Wiig ? Amy Poehler ? Except they ’ re women . I ’ d like Will Ferrell to , but he has a bravado I don ’ t think I ’ d fit .
What ’ s one piece of advice you ’ d like to give to this year ’ s graduating class ? Where do I start ? Actually , I ’ ve been thinking about this . How about : “ None of the relationships you ’ ll ever have in your life will last . Until one does .”
Which Hogwarts house would you be sorted into ? Slytherin .
What 3 items would you bring to a deserted island ? ( 1 ) Desert island survival guide , ( 2 ) “ Game of Thrones ” books box set , ( 3 ) My ukulele .
What is a non-living object you would say represents your personality ? An oil painting of a pug , the most regal , yet stupid creature ever made .
If you could be perfect at anything , what would it be and why ? Perfection is overrated , I ’ d much rather be flawed and able to laugh at myself .
Where do you see yourself in ten years ? An art history professor at an arts university , hopefully with a published book to my name !
What would you want your last meal to be ? Kraft macaroni and cheese , the food of the gods .
Jeremy Hansuvadha Photo courtesy of : Jeremy Hansuvadha
Allison Harbin Photo courtesy of : Allison Harbin
If you taught a different subject , what would it be ? I would love to teach a songwriting class in CM . If I taught a different academic subject , it would definitely be Japanese . The only problem is that I don ’ t speak Japanese . But I feel like there are a ton of connections between the way I teach math and the way OCSA World Language teachers teach language .
What song best defines your teenage years ? “ Wake Up ” by Rage Against the Machine . I was a frustrated , outcast , misguided little white boy , and Rage made me think about what it means to be American and the type of adult I wanted to grow up to be . When I heard lyrics like “ The teacher stands in front of the class / But the lesson plan he can ’ t recall / The student ’ s eyes don ’ t perceive the lies / Bouncing off every [ single ] wall ,” I cannot tell you how much they spoke to me as someone surrounded by people blindly believing things without questioning them . It became the central aspect of my identity : question everything . It ’ s why I teach math the way I do — because the traditional way of teaching math did not work for me .
What ’ s the weirdest thing that happened in one of your classes ? Besides “ Insert Testee into Butt666 ”?
Who are some of your favorite photographers ? Oh that ’ s such a hard question ! I ’ d say right now I really love the work of an artist from Greenland named Susanna Majori , American photographer David Hilliard , and Indian photographer Pushampala N . Google their works ! They are all awesome !
Do you have any tattoos and if so , what is it ? Nope , I ’ ve always thought I would get one , but I could never decide what to get . I ’ m too indecisive for something so permanent !
If you could travel anywhere , where would you go ? I ’ d travel by pony to a hot spring in Iceland , because , duh .