Big House Home

From the grassy lawn of the M-wing, M-17 just seems like another room where children receive mandatory education; it is just another white building in Casa Grande High School with a green door. But, once I step in, I find a diverse world with several groups conducting their businesses. From kids playing Yu-Gi-Oh, to teens hanging out with friends, to students trying to finish up their homework, Mr. Hill’s math classroom, M-17, is always brimming with life. The carpet which holds all has many different shades of grey and the tables are circularly shaped. Even the chairs are unique; they can be found in a dark blue color, a more bright blue, or the great orange chair. The room also had white walls just like any other classroom, but they are decorated with many posters. I can see a Giants poster, World map, Snoopy lending his ear to Woodstock in the rain, Pascal’s triangle, large American flag, and a pie with the formula “r^2” inside of it. This room seems to reflect Mr. Hill; he is an excellent math teacher who is able to keep is students entertained and vivacious.

Everyday, various activities full of excitement and laughter are carried out. One February 17th I walked in the room to find it was an all-you-can-eat buffet; the smell of Asian noodles, pizza, fried chicken, and quesadillas filled the air, just as a variety of students filled the class. Many kids were carrying out regular conversations about their plans for the weekend and seemed to be in a haven away from school. Adolescents feel right at home in this classroom and carry out normal activities, such as birthday beat downs. Unfortunately for me, I happened to be the birthday boy. Pow, pow, pow, I stood with a fist, pounding into my right shoulder. Though, I was rolling on the floor in unbearable pain, I felt like I was just at home, and received a beating from a younger brother.

Located just a few seconds away from the parking lot, Mr. Hill’s class is a very safe place to be; not even a wailing fire alarm would panic these youth; it is a comfortable place to learn. Mr. Hill’s long lectures on how to divide radicals seem to grow and flourish in the rich atmosphere produced by him and his students. For those youngsters who are disheartened from not understanding a concept, the famous Dilbert post-its, on which Mr. Hill reiterates key concepts, lifts their spirits and guides them on the path to success. Even if it is a math classroom, people study for their biology tests, AP World History essays, and struggle to quickly finish their Spanish homework. It is hard to tell why this happens in this particular room. It has chairs, tables, computers, and math. Though all of these things are also found in Mr. Simon’s class, the amount of life during lunch there is but a diminutive din compared to the loudly resonant echo of Mr. Hill’s class. Rick Hill is simply a unique fellow who brings out the best of people through his natural charisma.

This honors class affects the mentality of its students. These mini scholars race in the accelerated environment to learn as much as they can in order to beat their fellow peers in the fate-deciding chapter tests. The class instills good study habits in these fresh minds. But, test time still evokes a sense of extreme nervousness in honors students. Fortunately, teachers like Mr. Hill quell this feeling and replace it with a strong confidence in ability. The promise of success is so prominent in these walls that they even have a physical presence. In the form of a poster, the room explains, “The only way to get ahead is to use that one you already got.” Honors students have the will to succeed, and this classroom hones it into its most perfect form; success is promised simply by walking into this room.

M-17 is free of any constricting fumes and germs that result from waste; it is a very clear room where the very air glistens like a gold trophy. Three garbage cans guard the frontline of the classroom: these soldiers hinder any invading filth and disease, armed to the teeth with Febreeze-scented trash-bags and massive odor containing armor. A person can clearly communicate with another person in a different corner as there isn’t any traffic in the air. The convenient locations of the garbage cans ensure that any litter will be out of the way of a student walking to get his math book. The non-suffocating air makes it so much easier to breathe the clean naturally circulating in the classroom.

M-17 has not just taught me math, but provided me the ideal place to enjoy my high school years. The motivational posters and overall ambiance of room helped me cope with any possible depression that would have been a result from the classic high school honors workload. The laughter my teacher and classmates evoke a determination to make my life more full of laughs. Also, this room as created new bonds of friendship because I am surrounded by people with a common interest, math. In fact, I spend most of my lunch breaks with my friends in that classroom. I actually laugh and enjoy going to school as I look forward to stepping into this classroom. M-17 had made a major impact on my life because in my freshman year, my lunches were spent trying to get every little pixel of my computer project in the perfect arrangement. Thanks to all the magnificent people associated with M-17, I have the resolve to tackle any challenges the future holds for me.

-Dilan