Audrey Stroh:
What have your first few weeks at South been like?
Really good. I’ve really been enjoying getting to have a bunch of AP stats classes. I love teaching stats, and I’ve done it as dual credit for a bunch of years. This is my first time doing AP, so that’s kind of fun, and then I also do pre-calc and Algebra II, so all my classes are a lot of my favorites. The students have been really great as well. We’ve just hit the ground running.
Why do you teach the subject you teach? What is it about this subject that you find compelling?
My mom has just retired after teaching for 36 years as a third grade teacher. So I’ve always loved the idea of that [longevity], but then math is so practical. I think it can unlock a lot of doors and opportunities for students, especially for a girl who’s good at math; she can get a lot of scholarships. I mean, for anyone really. It just gives you so many opportunities for career options, as well.
What did you do before coming to South?
So this is my tenth year teaching math. For the last three years I was in Springfield, at Agnes Stewart Middle School,and before I moved down to the Eugene-Springfield area, I taught at Sandy High School near Mount Hood, on the east side of the Portland Metro area.
What is your favorite food?
Probably Thai food. Like, any of it. All of the above.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show?
Favorite movie: The Purge movies
Favorite book: Lessons in Chemistry
What is your favorite season?
Fall.
Jenoge Khatter
What has your first few weeks at SEHS been like?
I’ve really appreciated how diligent students seem to be on the whole. I feel well respected by co-workers and by students here and I’ve been enjoying getting into new material with students. It’s my first year teaching high school so it’s a new context and all new material.
Why do you teach the subject you teach? What is it about this subject that you find compelling?
Part of it was the job advertisement and what was available, but I am excited that we are teaching sociology as a “College Now” class. My hope with that is to make [a] highly accessible opportunity for students, whether they plan to go to college or not, see that they are capable of doing college-level work.I am also teaching Language arts 10, which is a great opportunity to support students in becoming better readers and writers, and Literature with 11th and 12th graders, which is really fun because we can make that class together and learn about the parts of the world students are interested in learning about.
What did you do before coming to South?
I was the social studies specialist for 4J for five years…[it] was pretty interesting because I got to work with a hundred different teachers from across the district.
What is your favorite food?
Vegetarian curry, as authentically made as possible. Enchiladas are pretty good, too.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show?
Favorite TV shows: The Americans and Fallout
What is your favorite season?
Probably fall. I love how the wind tends to pick up at the end of October and early November, and there’s the swirling of leaves. That’s pretty magical.
Penny Waite
How have the first weeks been at South?
“The new environment has been very stressful, but fun. I really enjoy it so far.”
Why do you teach stagecraft?
“I just love theater and performances. I think it’s such a cool way to learn the behind-the-scenes and see the wide variety of aspects that go into a performance. Lights, for example, are often overlooked, but really important.”
What did you do before teaching at South?
“I got a masters and bachelors degree from Southern Oregon University.”
What are you excited about this year?
“I’m excited about all the shows at South and seeing how students do in competitions.”
If you could recommend a book/movie/tv show, what would it be?
“One movie I would definitely recommend is Bullet Train. It’s really good.”
Steven Tygart
What has your first few weeks at SEHS been like?
Four of my kids graduated from South Eugene, and so I’m familiar with the school. South was a lot bigger than I remember, and now that I’m working outside of the classroom, it’s definitely a new and exciting thing for me.
What about your position is most compelling to you?
I am a Student Success Coordinator, and for me, that’s about meeting students, getting to know their faces, learning about the culture of the school, and it’s been a lot of fun helping out with students socially.
What did you do before coming to SEHS?
After I graduated from school, I ended up working in the biotech industry for almost 15 years, and moved toward teaching roles, as well as some yoga. After that, I primarily taught math, science, and health to the special ed program at North and Churchill, and here I am now.
What is your favorite food?
If I had to choose one food, I love beef, steak, and hamburgers. If I had to pick a genre, it would have to be Japanese food or Mexican food.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show?
I really enjoy The Alchemist; it’s a quick read. I’ve read it multiple times, and it’s about reaching self actualization.
What is your favorite season?
It’s hard to pick, I enjoy fall. But I also recently got back to some snow sports, like snowboarding, in the winter. If I had to pick, I would totally enjoy reading The Alchemist, eating steak, and relaxing in the summer.
Katie Wold
What have your first few weeks at SEHS been like?
My first few weeks at South have been really awesome. All the staff are really awesome. All the kids have been great so far, and I’ve really enjoyed it.
What about your position is most compelling to you?
I like making sure that I can help get everything that we need for the kids. And, honestly, I like to try to reduce barriers if possible.
What did you do before coming to SEHS?
Before I came to South, I was the middle school secretary at the Arts and Technology Academy.
What are you excited for this year?
I’m excited to get to know more of the staff and get to know more of the school community.
What is a book/movie/TV show you recommend?
I honestly really like the TV show Friends. And Schitt’s Creek is also a good one.
Sandi Green
What have your first few weeks at SEHS been like?
“Fun, what else can I say? First impressions: The school is huge. But the students are awesome, and my college band director – my favorite band director in the world – was a band director here years ago, so it’s kind of fun to be where he was [for] probably my final public school position.”
What about your position is most compelling to you?
“That bit about my former band directors, that definitely was it. I’ve known about South for years. I’ve been right over the hill in Creswell for more than 20 years. One of my good friends has kids who go here and has told me for a long time that I would fit the vibe at South. I dig it. I think he was right.”
What did you do before coming to SEHS?
“I taught in Creswell for 19 years. Last year I took a job in Jewell, which is a 1-A school. It was tiny; it was 150 kids, K-12, graduating class of six [students]. We still went to state band competitions [and] they played really beautifully, but it just was too small. I wanted to come home. I’ve done a lot of things, I’ve played music professionally; I was an Italian chef for a while when I was trying to make money as a jazz musician. And the thing about cooking is you can always eat. If you’re going to be a starving artist, there’s always that. But once I started teaching, I just thought it was so much fun.”
What are you excited for this year?
“I think [in] your first year at any school you just kind of have to watch it go by, like, get used to the vibe and how things are different. I’m really excited for the musical this year, Legally Blonde, and all of the festivals in the spring. But I think mostly it’s just getting to know the students. It’s so much fun. The students in the music room are so invested in what they do, and so far it’s been a blast.”
What is a book/movie/TV show you recommend?“Oh my gosh, that’s a hard question. OK, this is super music-geeky, but I like music documentaries. I like to watch Netflix, like the documentaries they have about different time periods. I like the Woodstock movie and the History of Rap. I mean just all of it, and really anything that has to do with that genre. Today’s music is so autotuned, everything fits in a box; and then you watch these movies and you see the actual people making the actual music.”
The Axe 