World Is Our Campus The The World Is Our Campus Volume 62, Issue 1
Arcadia High School 180 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA
September 2014
Mr. Tierney: Teacher of the Year
In this issue:
Photo courtesy of TRUNEWS.COM
NEWS pg. 2 Waterless: As the drought persists, our state’s geography has now changed to reflect the dire straits.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Foran
WELL-DESERVED RECOGNITION Mr. Patrick Tierney is this year’s recipient of the prestigious
Teacher of the Year award; he is commended for his diligent service to AHS and its students. By WILLIAM HSU Photo courtesy of WIKIMEDIA.ORG
STUDENT LIFE pg. 13 Navigating the Halls: Having trouble getting to class? Here are some tips on how to beat the human traffic jam.
Photo courtesy of WORDPRESS.COM
ACADEMICS pg. 23 New Friendship: The start of a new school year means making new friends and meeting new companions. Have a question, comment, or concern about The Apache Pow Wow? Email the Editors-in-Chief at eic.powwow@gmail.com Find us online at arcadiapowwow.wordpress.com
Staff Writer Mr. Patrick Tierney has been named Arcadia Unified School District’s 2014-2015 Teacher of the Year. The recognition is well-deserved: interview after interview, it seemed as if every teacher and student had nothing but praise and congratulations for Mr. Tierney; the staff cited him as one of the great inspirational forces behind the school, while his students regarded him as a teacher who takes learning and adds just a bit of magic. When it comes to his accomplishments, Mr. Tierney is a dedicated educator, passionate about not only the things he teaches, but the students that he is teaching. He is–perhaps most importantly–a friend, always ready with a kind word, always waiting with an open door. Mr. Tierney–who is fluent in Spanish, Latin, and Portuguese, and has a Master’s degree in Spanish and Portuguese literature from the University of Pennsylvania–decided to change from teaching college students to young men and women at the high school level after a single incident almost 37 years ago. After visiting a colleague at a local high school, Mr. Tierney was immediately absorbed by the “passion, agitation, and movement” condensed into a high school hallway at passing period. He was so absorbed and entranced by the energy of high school, that
he “jettisoned [his] college career immediately” to take part in it. In his almost three decades at Arcadia High, Mr. Tierney has played a huge role in the school’s growth. AUSD Superintendent David Vannasdall identified Mr. Tierney as “everything that is right about public education [and one of] the consummate professionals who educate our children each day.” According to Ms. Ann Hsia, who works with Mr. Tierney in our World Language department, he has had “such a positive presence in our meetings, always finding creative solutions to our most difficult problems;” he sees every issue as a challenge to tackle, every problem as a puzzle to solve. Mr. Ben Smith cannot stress enough how “well-respected he is by the entire administration, by the staff, and his students; his wisdom and experience” is truly invaluable to this campus. Mr. Tierney, who founded AHS’ AP Spanish Literature program, has recently taken up the responsibility of being the campus-wide AP Coordinator as well. Mr. Kevin Fox admires this dedication and enthusiasm, finding that “Mr. Tierney is the kind of person who finds opportunities at all turns,” personally inspiring Mr. Fox to get “involved with some teacher leadership positions that [he] originally wasn’t too eager to get into.” This kind of praise is universal around our campus, with various staff members and administrators holding in high esteem the way Mr. Tierney “doesn’t just deliver information,” but rather supports students with their academic development, the sign of a great teacher.
For the students who have had him, Mr. Tierney’s dedication to both teaching and his students is evident. For senior Sai Chintamaneni, Mr. Tierney has had an extraordinary influence on his academic career in the way that he “always ensures that his students are always excited about what he’s teaching; he goes out of his way to tell us little stories and anecdotes to spice up whatever we’re learning.” Mr. Tierney’s passion for his pupils is matched only by his passion for the curriculum itself; senior Christopher Chen appreciated his enthusiasm in regard to both Spanish literature and culture, something that helped him “understand not only the words, but the thousands of years of culture and history behind the language.” Senior Rachel Chiu applauded the effort her teacher makes to connect personally to each and every student, taking “the time to invest in the class and focus on the individuals who need extra attention.” It is this devotion and attention to detail, witnessed by so many of Arcadia’s students, that solidifies Mr. Tierney as a true exemplar of education. The Teacher of the Year award is not a popularity contest. It is not an endorsement. It is a cleareyed recognition of what makes our school great, and an indication of the influential men and women that work to make it so. That is why we honor Mr. Patrick Tierney. He is one of the individuals who have left a profound imprint upon our school, and our campus is better for him being on it—we are proud to call him an Apache. whsu@pachepowwow.com