How did you end up in Milton?
I was teaching in New York City. I had just gotten married, and [my wife] got into a doctoral program in Boston, and so that precipitated the move to Boston. Milton was the one place that was the best fit for teaching and living.
What responsibilities do you have as the History and Social Sciences Department Chair?
I think about the curriculum and what courses we teach and why we teach them. I do the unglamorous discipline: when people are caught cheating on a January exam, I'm the one who facilitates their disciplinary process. We do a lot of more fun things, like choose the summer reading books.
What’s your favorite movie?
Lawrence of Arabia
If you could write a children's book, what would it be about?
Someone running away from home and traveling the world to explore the ancient wonders of the world.
If you became a country or you became a Middle Eastern leader, who or what would you be or where would you be?
I'd maybe mockingly model myself after Muammar Gaddafi. He was not afraid to be himself, and reveled in exercising power.
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen or departing seniors?
I think one of the problems [Class IV] students have is they don’t have perspective. The stakes are low, and it's purposely designed for them to do things and fail. Really revel in those moments. I would encourage [Class I] to see the phenomenal opportunity they have in the next four years. Enjoy the freedom of having four years to explore an amazing array of [college] subjects and topics without worrying.
What kind of student do you think you were in high school?
I didn't have a plan or a goal to be a teacher. I went to boarding school. I got good grades. I worked hard. I really probably didn't follow any of the rules, and I was lucky in that I didn't ever really get caught. Most of my friends actually got expelled from school, so my senior year was kind of lonely.
Have you seen any major shifts in the student or faculty body?
When I first arrived, I taught four sections of U.S. history. Almost everyone in my section came from Cohasset and Duxbury, so to have discussions about things outside of those people's life experiences was challenging. The student body has changed a lot. Students used to be very politically active. We frequently had moments with lots of tension between the students and the administration. Those were healthy moments. I think with the disappearance of things like the Conservative Club, the voices on campus have really kind of shrunk significantly, which I don't think is healthy. The faculty as a whole has lost the institutional knowledge that they had, which made them a powerful body of powerful voice in advocating for the direction in which the school should be going.
Is there anything else you think the students or the faculty should know about you?
If anyone ever wants to come by and discuss foreign policy and history, I'm always here and happy to talk.