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R.I.P. Mr Halcomb
http://www.rgj.com/obits/?id=33222
Mr. Halcomb led the newspaper and yearbook at Reno High while I worked on both of them, and I'll never forget the impact he made on me. He was tough, not at all a coddler - while other teachers were spending their lunches giving retests so students wouldn't fail, Halcomb was insisting we write and rewrite and be ready to spend the weekend making sure everything was not just finished but polished before deadline. But he was amazing. You could always tell that he pushed that hard because he really cared. He wanted us to see how much we could accomplish by ourselves, teamed up with other students and him at the helm to keep us on course. When I'd lost my theatrical and musical activities and was left focused only on the AP classes and academic extracurriculars that would get me into college, he forced me to take a step back and observe the world around me. He helped me embrace my art and writing, and he showed me that it may take hours of frustration and fumbling, but it is possible to make something you can take real pride in regardless of how anyone else views it. Through him, I was able to make my voice heard, and on a few select occasions, I actually drove some within the school community to change. Mr. Halcomb, I hope there is an afterlife for you, I hope you work those angels to the bone until they set you up a suitable office, and I hope you can forgive me for being so wordy in this piece. I know you always told me to be more concise, but for once, I think all the words are truly necessary. You will be missed, but never forgotten.
Mr. Halcomb led the newspaper and yearbook at Reno High while I worked on both of them, and I'll never forget the impact he made on me. He was tough, not at all a coddler - while other teachers were spending their lunches giving retests so students wouldn't fail, Halcomb was insisting we write and rewrite and be ready to spend the weekend making sure everything was not just finished but polished before deadline. But he was amazing. You could always tell that he pushed that hard because he really cared. He wanted us to see how much we could accomplish by ourselves, teamed up with other students and him at the helm to keep us on course. When I'd lost my theatrical and musical activities and was left focused only on the AP classes and academic extracurriculars that would get me into college, he forced me to take a step back and observe the world around me. He helped me embrace my art and writing, and he showed me that it may take hours of frustration and fumbling, but it is possible to make something you can take real pride in regardless of how anyone else views it. Through him, I was able to make my voice heard, and on a few select occasions, I actually drove some within the school community to change. Mr. Halcomb, I hope there is an afterlife for you, I hope you work those angels to the bone until they set you up a suitable office, and I hope you can forgive me for being so wordy in this piece. I know you always told me to be more concise, but for once, I think all the words are truly necessary. You will be missed, but never forgotten.