Have you ever wondered what Good Counsel’s teachers were like in high school? What sports did they play? What clubs were they in? I interviewed some of our teachers to find out their favorite high school activities.
Mrs. Herndon- Cintron, World Language Teacher
“I went to high school in Syracuse, New York. The Nottingham Bulldogs. There was never a bus. We had to walk. We had to walk in the snow….I was in theater, an all-state choir, and I also started the kazoo club (it was boring). I ran track (sprinting, not long distance), I did relay races, and I played violin. At least I tried to.”
Mrs. Bykowski ‘08, English Teacher
“Well, I was a speech and debate kid. I wrote a terrible OO (original oratory), I did it for one tournament and they were like ‘revise it!’ And I was like ‘ I don’t wanna do that,’ so I didn’t. I did Duo with my best friend, and then I also did DP (Dramatic Performance). There was one time—you can ask Mr. Ehrman—I totally forgot my piece halfway through the round… that was the last time I ever did DP.
I was a theater kid, so I did all the theatre-y [stuff]. My freshman year I was an orphan in Annie and one of the daughters in Pirates of Penzance. Then, sophomore year we did Frankenstein, and junior year we did South Pacific and I was Nellie Forbush. My senior year was Lend Me a Tenor and I played Diana, then we did A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to The Forum and I played Philia.
I was in XBSS and I was also in this program that GC used to have called ‘Life.’ It was like mini junior retreats and I was a Life leader. I was an NHS Student and a member of the Polish club. I also wrote poems and short stories for the Austringer.”
Mr. Spottswood ‘81, Choir Teacher
“I was a basketball player on Varsity. I was also in the Jazz band playing piano, and we had a rock band and we played about 40 songs and did concerts around Silver Spring. And I played tennis, so yeah. That’s pretty much it.”
Mrs. Harrison ‘11, Dance Teacher
“I did poms, I did theater ( I had a scholarship), and I did track. I was a sprinter and I did indoor and outdoor. My coaches were unhappy with me because poms and theatre conflicted with track, so sometimes I had to skip. So, actually I didn’t really run that much to be honest.
In theatre when I was here, Mrs. Slocum did not want everybody to do the same thing everytime, for every show. My freshman year, I got the lead but I dropped it because I got nervous that I had to kiss somebody in the show. That was stupid. Actually, Mrs. Bykowski was a senior when I was a freshman, and she got the role in to Lend me a Tenor that I decided not to do because I was too nervous. I wouldn’t do it, so they gave it to her instead. My Sophomore year, I was assistant choreographer and our show was The Coconuts.”
Mrs. Davis ‘03, Librarian
“In school, I was involved in creative writing and the Austringer and Amnesty International. Outside of school I did a lot of random sports like horseback riding and fencing. And I worked at the library, volunteered there, and I was a lifeguard.”
Mr. Peake ‘84, Social Studies Teacher
“Brace yourself, because I was pretty busy.
I had jobs through most of high school, starting my sophomore year. I worked at a church rectory answering phones, then I was a movie theater usher, and by my senior year I was working in a department store.
My parents always urged me to get involved with activities and sports. I played midfield and attack lacrosse, I wrestled, and I ran cross-country. In addition, I was part of SGA (class president both junior and senior years). I tried the school newspaper for a short while and I also did model UN, but neither one really stuck with me.
I didn’t win anything in either lacrosse or wrestling, as I was just a middle-of-the-road athlete. I played both midfield and attack in lacrosse, although not a lot. Mr. Collins (who was here as a student when I was here) asked me if I played lacrosse when I was here and I had to remind him that I was on the team, but not necessarily playing a lot.”
