No Ordinary Time Analysis

People have tried to tell me schooling does not determine who you are in life, it is creativity, curiosity, perseverance, and constant questioning of social norms that are the driving factors of those that change the world, for better or for worse. Nonsense. School is a primary place to learn to create habits out of propensities.
My junior year was an adventure of sinewave-like sleep schedules because of challenging courses, increased class and team leadership responsibilities, friends and family relationship progressions, sport and volunteer schedules. The one constant I looked forward to each day was my Advance Placement US History teacher, David Hanna, a lynchpin of predictability.
Mr. Hanna is the type of teacher movies and television programs promise students is out there waiting for them at some point in their life. There is a natural attraction to and lasting impact of someone who takes his job seriously, has the academic passion, and believes in his students’ potential. Stressing the importance of reading; he taught me to read to use history, comprehend actions of the benevolent and malevolent as influenced by zeitgeists to redevelop my understanding of life.
Reading Doris Goodwin’s No Ordinary Time, a recounting of the American presidency years during WW2 introduced studies of FDR’s emphasis on keeping enemies closer than friends, swallowing his pride for the nation’s good, and ultimately, his leadership style.
Why respect cannot be bought, success does not come without sacrifice, and everyone has the potential to leave a meaningful mark on humanity became evident. He crystalized the cumulative effect of humanities studies is a heightened knowledge curiosity about the world’s peoples and places. I came to terms with the fact that literature, as the basis of thinking, is the pathway to wherever you wish in history, art, architecture, philosophy, government, even math and science.
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The apex of consistency, Mr. Hanna was the only Stuyvesant teacher that wore a tie every day. As a result, room 227 was filled with deep respect like no other. He indirectly taught me appearance reflects one’s status, effects comportment, and transitioned into perception. Class time was dedicated to viewpoint analyses and debates on conflicting stances, forcing us to think outside the box. I grew appreciative of my friends’ intellect, as hearing their stances was as important as the history. Mr. Hanna was the mediator giving meaning to a textbook’s words, painting the American version of our nation’s history.
The most exciting aspect of college is knowing that I will have numerous teachers just like Mr. Hanna that will teach, influence, and define my life. The education I received is only a fraction of what is to come; Princeton is where I will be formed into the person I need to become to make the world a better, healthier, safer place.