The December list will be the top 30 most memorable teachers/staff (see rules below), and tonight, we're remembering the quietly anti-establishment STEPHEN MILLER (seen here in his yearbook pic with a toothpick, bonus link below to a list of the 100 most common last names in the US).
First -- a quick explanation for that bonus link. I usually try to find something personal on the interwebs to go with these posts, but between 'Stephen' and 'Miller' being way too common as names and someone of the same name aligned with the current President making a fool of himself every time he opens his mouth, there was no relevant link to be found. Second -- I will forever think of math teachers Mr. Miller and Mr. Yenser (seen earlier in this list) as buddies who owned their classrooms and ran them somewhat separately from the rest of the school, with their own set of rules and rewards for the students they liked.
And, on a personal note, Mr. Miller was another one of those teaches who took me under his wing, letting me hang out in his office, recognizing that things weren't right at home without ever really talking about it overtly, and providing me with a "safe space" long before the millennials thought they were the ones to invent such a thing. Our connection lasted even after high school, most memorably when I fed him information about one of my friends who had transferred from the suburb school to the city school and that ended up in his class after I graduated so that he could tailor algebra quiz word problems to private jokes that we shared. He was one of the best ... both in and out of the classroom.
Here's to you, Mr. Miller!
RULES FOR THIS TOP 30 LIST: Honorees must be one of the ninety individuals listed in the faculty pages of the '89 yearbook (which means two thirds of the list are already not going to be referenced). Honorees may also be selected from the photos of support staff as well (so long as they are on the surrounding pages of the same section). Honorees must be memorable (if there are no stories, then there will be no post about that person). Honorees are chosen and ranked by me (if you disagree, start your own list on your own blog). All memories are believed to be accurate (but are being told through the lens of thirty or more years, so ... you know.)
BONUS LINK TO A LIST OF THE TOP 100 COMMON LAST NAMES IN THE US:
https://www.rong-chang.com/namesdict/100_last_names.htm
NEWS FROM OUR CLASS ON THE FACEBOOK (IF YOU ARE A MEMBER):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189980661939188/
