12/04/2022
A throwback to Mr. Higg's hate-to-love-you letter:
"Seniors Whom I May or May Not Have Had the Chance to Talk to as Your Time Here has Come to an End,
This is now the third one of these I've written. In all honesty, after every single year, my plan remains the same, for this to be the last, for it to be a sentiment that is beholden only to a few. However, as it has been the case with your class on numerous occasions, life has a way of altering one's plans, of surprising you. When it comes to you, it is no different. As it has been the case with each of these letters, I find the need to clarify that I have never been a flatterer, never one who gives compliments unless I genuinely believe they are either deserved...or needed. It can be misconstrued as 'cold' to those who do not pay attention, but the honest reality is that I just never want one to be trifle. I want this sentiment to be weighty; simply put, I want it to mean something. So, here is my much overdue 'attempt' at giving you that compliment two to three years in the making, one that illustrates exactly what I mean when I typically go the casual route with "you're golden" (...or, for some of you, "you're a mess").
I could not let you move on to that next step without a proper 'Goodbye', without the recognition that you deserve. You deserve to know that you were distinct; you deserve to know that you did not blend in, that after 4 years, you leave behind far more than a mere picture in a yearbook (for some of you?) and a name on a roster.
Two years ago, I was (un?)lucky enough to have three groups of you. Admittedly, it was an 'interesting' year, one that left me divided on just how many 11th groups I wanted the following year. However, as I was alluding to earlier, I could not have foreseen what was to come; if I had, any shred of doubt would have fallen by the waist side. Last year, I was met with a further three groups, three that certainly kept things interesting, but also proved to highlight that all was not for naught the previous year. Here, I found a silver lining, the realization that there were those whom I was thrilled to have once more and, even more interesting, those of whom I truly regretted would never be on my roster again (...or, in some cases, at all). With each year, there were certainly moments where I probably grew numerous gray hairs in the span of 87 minutes and, yet, I would not change any of it for a second, and I mean that.
As it has often been the case within the classroom, I'm WAY too long-winded, so I will cut to the point. Whether you choose to see this or not, you have had an irrevocable impact upon both me and this school over these past four years and, at least to me, we are (or more specifically, I am) genuinely all the better for it. Your distinction never went unnoticed, whether it be...witnessing Maddie go from merely being 'Sam's Quiet, Freshman sister' to becoming a person I could not be more proud of, a person who will never again need someone else as a point of reference; Matt F. living up to every ounce of the three years of expectations (...though you still need to be more open-minded); Hailey and Kaitlyn rounding out the last of the Silvas in a way that is both distinct all their own, and yet remaining true to what I hoped for from the name; Nathan somehow making writing "I love you" on my board a both established and expected thing in my classes; Asha being one of the most unintentionally funny students I've ever had (also, still sorry about the Rihanna discussion); Michaela randomly meditating in the middle of my class; Errol bringing back Film Club for a short, but 'glorious' stint (Remember that one great meeting? Apparently, we just flew too close to the sun); Meg H. and Lexie reacting like little kids on Christmas morning when I put on Mean Girls sophomore year; Matt H.'s ability to remain steadfast about becoming a teacher despite everyone's suggestions to the contrary; Alyssa having the restraint to not bodyslam that sub two years ago; Debra for always being willing to talk when no one else would (even if, sometimes, it was about Justin Bieber); Lexie being the worst 'cheater' ever; only Kelly understanding just how great, and yet unbelievably scarring seeing "The Goat" was; only D and a couple of others truly understanding just how much better his reading of The Crucible was over Julius Caesar; Brittany M., Kayla M., and Kaitlyn S. proving that being loud and being an integral part of the class are not synonymous; Tray boosting my ego at random times with compliments when the honest answer was that every last one of them should've been directed toward yourself; Lexay sitting in the same exact seat two years in a row (despite my recommendations), and yet, not letting it deter you for a moment; Maddie C., Errol D., Ally M., Liza A., Faith F., Tom G., Monica B., Chris K., Brandon H., Hailey S.O., and Audrey D. making me realize that while my classes were great, there will always be those that make us wish we could request students; Ally and Arianna starting up Interact, despite how 'easy' the district made it for them; Michaela and Nathan sending me horrifying e-mails at all hours of the night; Evan B. being the first person to ever hand in music to listen to alongside their memoir; Evan B., Vanessa L., James K., Colin O., Arianna, Courtney F., Jake, Hailey, Josh, Daniela, Sarah, and Andy surviving Period 3; Sarah C. and Erica M. being the two quietest people in Period 7, and yet when working together, they never missed a beat (unless they were randomly laughing at something); Colin O. appreciating good music; needing to only look at Kelly's face when deciding whether or not I thought something said in 7th period was 'not the brightest'; D possibly being the first to actually impress me with a skateboard; being welcomed into Martin Theatre by Matt, Maddie, Errol, Ally, Audrey, Kellie, and Arianna only to find a forum that I regret not joining sooner; Kellie R. reminding me just how much I need to get back into Doctor Who; Nick Lopes and Ethan surviving me two years in a row (...and vice versa); Monica's laugh having the ability to change the tone of the day; not remotely being shocked when I found out that Lexie and Ally were cousins; Lucas having the most ridiculous sense of style I've ever seen...ever; reassuring Emily S.H. that she could make it to the end of the year when she'd walk by...and sometimes almost mistakenly/tragically into my room for 7th period; Tom W. and Audrey D. making me both love and hate puns; Kelly swinging through for lunch some days...as my colleagues looked on in utter confusion; Lucas, Nick Lopes, Ethan and Ryan making me hate all sneakers from now until the end of time; Ally surviving a litany of short jokes from a guy who's 20 pounds underweight; Ama(n)da going from being the quietest person in class to the best/worst/funniest daughter/sister at theatre; Jake appreciating Orson Scott Card in a way few others do; Regretting not having James K. and Colin O. again (despite James all of a sudden referring to me as "Geoffrey" in the hallway...not cool, James...not cool); Kelly appreciating F. Scott Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra in a way almost no one else does; loving how brutally honest Matt H. and Jake were in all of their critiques, to the point of hurting my soul (despite the fact that I did not personally write a single one of the pieces we read); finding a Catch-22 in Chris K. undertaking the CCRI program senior year - a venue that provided him the freedom he needed, while at the same time minimizing the conversations I had come to hold dear; Brandon R. stalking me at the movies; Monica stalking my mom; Nick Lopes and Ethan creepily finding out where my parents lived; Meg H. thinking that her being a perfectionist is a bad thing when I could not have been happier about it; loving how the closest comparison I could make to Andrew's speaking voice was that of Tom Brokaw...followed by Ally sounding like it was 'Bring your Daughter to Work' Day; taking a further 10 seconds to recognize Katelyn and Lexie when one was not attached to the other; being proud of, and at the same time, hating Josh for going to BC; Liza, for a second time, making me regret that I never formally had an 'Anderson' in class; Daniela and Vanessa writing near identical memoirs about how they were best friends...who just so happened to hate each other at random times; figuring out whether or not the looks on Kaitlyn B., Matt R., Jasiah, Scott M., and Billy C.'s faces were that of relief or dread when finding that I was one of their Senior Project judges (still sorry about opening the soda mid-presentation, Kaitlyn); Errol's mullet wig last year; Chris K. reigniting my love of comics; Jo R., Jo M., Forest, Billy, Devon and Scott having the meanest class I've ever loved; lastly, I will genuinely miss starting my day before school and continuing on during Advisory with Matt, Errol, Maddie, Tom, Liza, Brandon, Hailey S.O., Nathan, and occasionally Kelly and Faith. All of this, whether minor to you or not, is an absence that will not soon be filled.
Anyway, this is about 4 times longer than I planned on it being but, I suppose, that's to be expected from a class that makes the end of this year feel like a double-edged sword....happy to see a much overdue break....regretful that 'goodbye' will resonate far more this time around.
My guess is many of you have tuned out by now so...I'll shut up now. I'm sorry this turned into a novella. In the only way I ever know how to end these, and in the least cheesy way I can put this, I wish you nothing but the best. This school will miss you, and I will miss you. Good Luck next year. Thank you for everything. For what may likely be the last time, I will simply say, Take it easy.
Goodbye.
- Mr. Higg"
