staff profile – AHS NEWSPAPER

Ralph Bledsoe Remembers Time at High School, College

May 23, 2022

Angela Mac
STAFF WRITER

Science teacher Ralph Bledsoe is well known and loved by students and faculty members at Andover High School.

Prior to high school, Bledsoe went to Southern California Military Academy (SCMA), a junior high boarding school. He then attended Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH), a boarding school in Massachusetts. After high school, he went to the University of Southern California (USC). Bledsoe noted that his experience was out of the norm: boarding in high school and commuting to college when most students did the opposite.

When Bledsoe made the switch from SCMA to NMH, he recalled that “all of a sudden, I was getting C’s and D’s, from A’s and B’s, because the work was at an upper level. It was no freaking joke.”

Compared to AHS students, Bledsoe had a lot more freedom and time off from classes. At NMH, students would only have classes three or four days a week. On some days, there would be free periods where Bledsoe “could go anywhere [he] wanted. You know [at AHS] every second is regulated.” Private schools like NMH would load up on schoolwork and then have days off for the students to complete it. Bledsoe admires AHS students for their constant work and compared it to a workday: “A lot of kids here will have 14-hour day jobs, where the job has to get done. Doesn’t matter the hours. You work through Saturday and you work through Sunday.”

With the free time Bledsoe had, he didn’t spend it thoughtlessly. As a work-oriented person, he studied in the library and prepared for the next class. At USC he made sure to study at all 11 libraries on campus. Bledsoe’s favorite subject in college was organic chemistry. Though organic chemistry may be regarded as one of the hardest classes, for Bledsoe, it came naturally. However, he reflected that his mind developed over time. “Don’t think your mental capabilities are going to stay static. Throughout your life, you’re still developing, and your mind is going to be clearer and clearer and clearer,” he stated.

Physical chemistry was the subject that challenged Bledsoe the most: “It was just, like, beyond my reach. A little bit. You know? So I blunted my drive, which was a mistake.” He explained that taking classes to get them out of the way is the wrong way to go about school. The right attitude was to take classes to learn a skill and to remember it, that way it could be used later on in life. To high school students, Bledsoe said, “You got to fight everybody. Got to fight yourself. You got to fight for what you need to do.”

In NMH, Bledsoe enjoyed being a part of the Afro-AM, a club for African Americans. The club located in the basement of the Cutler Science Center was called Harambee Umoja. Members of the club would go to socialize and throw parties in between classes, and even go to Phillips Academy to beat the students there in basketball.

Now in his 8th year at AHS, Bledsoe is proud of the students at AHS. In the mornings that he comes in tired, seeing the students energizes him and it gets him ready to start the lesson. As much as teachers love their students, each has their own pet peeves about them. However, Bledsoe’s pet peeve wasn’t about the students, but himself. He asked, “Why am I such a school person. It’s absurd. Why do I enjoy faculty meetings? No teacher enjoys faculty meetings.” After a pause, he asked himself again, “Why do I cry every single graduation and miss the kids?”

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Krista Hibino Offers Students Advice

May 23, 2022

Melody Tang
STAFF WRITER

Krista Hibino, a mathematics teacher at Andover High, experienced high school as the “quiet student.”

COURTESY PHOTO / Krista Hibino
Hibino’s photo from when she was in high school

While Hibino went to high school at Lowell High School, being located in Massachusetts gives it many similar qualities to life at AHS. She also remembers preferring STEM classes more than humanities classes, and pursued her interest in mathematics and education at Merrimack College. This led Hibino to teaching at AHS as a student teacher, and she has since decided to stay permanently in the AHS
mathematics department.

Hibino encourages students to try at least one activity that is out of their comfort zone. “If there’s some type of activity that the school’s putting on… and it’s really not something you think you’d like, if you just grab a friend and go, it might be something you end up liking,” says Hibino. “I wish I had done something like that.”

When asked about any pet peeves she experiences as a teacher, Hibino brought up a nuance in words that many students use. Specifically, the nuisance is when students ask if they “missed anything” after an absence from class. At first, some may be confused, but Hibino explains her point of view clearly. “You clearly missed a whole class; we didn’t sit here and do nothing,” she jokes. Instead, Hibino suggests students use the phrase “what did I miss?” as an alternative.

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Important Staff Member Announces Leave After Thirteen Years at AHS

May 23, 2022

Diane Costagliola Has Been Offered a New Opportunity Outside of AHS

Melody Tang
STAFF WRITER

Diane Costagliola, Andover High School’s senior secretary, is leaving AHS faculty to be the new executive assistant to the assistant superintendent of curriculum and academics on June 30.

The role that Costagliola plays at AHS is certainly one of great importance. She manages much of the behind-the-scenes action to support students and faculty, from managing the school’s money to arranging senior graduation. One of her closest acquaintances at AHS, Deborah Lenzi, spoke on the importance of Costagliola’s role at AHS. “[Costagliola] is the first point of contact for everyone, so she is always being asked many questions a day,” Lenzi said. “[She] interacts with students, teachers, and staff constantly.”

Costagliola is an Andover resident and has long been involved in the education system not only as an employee, but as a volunteer and advocate for education. Specifically, she has been working at AHS for thirteen years. “I’ve loved every moment of being here, and I still love every moment of being here,” said Costagliola. “I was not looking for an opportunity, but an opportunity… presented itself. So, I decided to give it a shot.”

STAFF PHOTO / Melody Tang
Diane Costagliola prepares for her final days at AHS while responding to emails

Because of the important role Costagliola plays at AHS, she will certainly be missed by many. “Not only is [Costagliola] an extremely hard worker [who] always goes the extra mile to help others, she is also a wonderful, caring friend,” added Lenzi. “[Costagliola] is a huge asset to the staff and students at AHS, and her departure will surely not go unnoticed.”

While her promotion is most certainly good news, Costagliola can’t help but feel a little bittersweet about the memories she has made at AHS. “I’m happy for a new opportunity, [but] I’m sad because I do love all the people and the kids and the work here,” Costagliola stated. “I like the energy [of AHS]. And the energy is all around the students and the faculty and the administration and, you know, I’ll miss that.” Being involved in both freshmen orientation and senior graduation, Costagliola will also miss seeing students grow as they progress through their high school careers—”from the beginning to the end.”

That being said, there is still a lot to look forward to for Costagliola. Her new position, which focuses on working with teachers and program coordinators, includes providing new teachers with mentoring and helping existing teachers with professional development opportunities.

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AHS Alumnus Alan Hibino Shares Experience

May 23, 2022

Grace Wang
STAFF WRITER

Alan Hibino is a math teacher, basketball coach, and tennis coach at Andover High School. He is also an AHS alumni. Hibino shared how AHS has shaped him and mentioned his favorite high school event.

COURTESY PHOTO / Eagle Tribune

In highschool, Hibino described himself as “a pretty hard worker at school… who wanted to get good grades and played a lot of sports.” In his four years at AHS, Hibino played basketball, tennis, soccer, and ran cross country. Additionally, he took a “pretty rigorous course load in school.” Hibino said he was in National Honor Society and “pretty close” to being a straight A student. Now, he’s back at AHS.

Hibino said his friends and teachers were the biggest things he took away from AHS. The people he became friends with in high school continue to be relevant in his life today. He explained, “I have a good, strong group of friends… that I still talk to from high school and they’ll be my friends for life.” Sometimes when they’re together, they reminisce about high school days.

Hibino mentioned that compared to AHS in his days, the atmosphere never changed among the student body. Even some of the teachers were the same. When Hibino was a student, Coach Faz was his basketball coach. Mike Wartman, the current AHS boys tennis coach, was Hibino’s tennis coach. Peter Hall, who still works in AHS, is a memorable teacher for him. Hibino said, “I speak fondly… about having Señor Hall for Spanish. When I was a senior in high school I got recommended for [AP] Spanish, and I said no. I’m taking whatever class Señor Hall is teaching because I know I’m going to get more and that he’s a really great teacher.” He ended up taking Spanish 5 with Hall instead of AP Spanish, which helped improve his Spanish a lot. Ultimately, these teachers helped shape Hibino’s own teaching, coaching, and parenting. These teachers helped shape him as a person.

In addition to teachers and friends being memorable, Hibino vividly remembered Senior Safari, an all-night graduation party that takes place in the field house. It started at 10 p.m. and went until 5 a.m. At the party, there were all sorts of games and activities, even hypnotists. Hibino loved Senior Safari. He said it was his favorite and most memorable event. “Senior safari, look forward to it… That’s the best thing, tell everyone that’s the best thing,“ emphasized Hibino.

Besides the academics at AHS, Hibino urged students to try the things they want to do and go out of their comfort zone. “Everybody should try to go to as many high school events as they can… clubs, sports, drama.” Before students graduate, he thought the most important thing to do is trying something they’ve never done before. Hibino also encourages students to talk to new people. “Find someone in one of your classes that you want to [talk to],” he said jokingly. “Well, they might think you’re weird and wonder why you’re talking to them, but try to find someone outside of your friend group.”

For students, Hibino said that another important trait for success is recognizing your capabilities. “There’s no shame in saying, ‘That’s not the right fit for me; I gotta find something else to do.’ Some people call that quitting. I say no, that’s having the ability to recognize what you can or can’t do, which is an important trait to have.”