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The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

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Weekly One-on-One: Bruce Hori

Q: A while ago, you had an aneurysm in your neck that led to you leaving teaching for a while.

A: That’s right. Thanksgiving of 1999 I had an aneurysm and had to miss 5 months of school. Initially, I was in a "coma" for three weeks and when I woke it was the middle of December. So from my point of view I was essentially dead for three weeks. The fallout of that is that I have a whole new outlook. Besides the physical therapy I had to go through, I had a, revelation let’s say, a different philosophy of things.

Q: So, how much of the school year were you out for?

A: I missed essentially the second and third quarter. I came back for the last nine weeks and made it. The following year I taught a full load, which might have been a mistake. Since then I’ve cut back a class. That helped quite a bit as far as conserving my energy day to day.

Q: How many classes are you teaching this year?

A: This year I am only teaching one. The thing about that is I am fully retired and the school called me over the summer because five teachers from the science department left last year, including myself, and so I told them I would teach one class, and here I am, teaching one period of AP biology.

Q: Some of your former students would like to know how Mr. Hori manages to attract all the ladies.

A: I watch all the football players and the water polo players and get hints from what they do.

Q: Regarding sports: you coached several sporting events here at Paly. Did you participate in sports when you were younger?

A: In high school I went out for three sports a year, and athletics have always been a part of my life from sixth grade through college. I wrestled in college, and when I started teaching I’ve always been coaching so it’s been part of my life since.

Q: Back to your classes and your students, have you ever done stereotypically disgusting biology related activities, such as dissecting frogs?

A: Oh sure. Dissection has always been part of the class up until lately. We haven’t dissected much because of the safety and disposal regulations of removing the dead bodies. One drawback about dissecting was the parts that ended up in people’s soup in the Student Center. Maybe that’s how it got its reputation.

Q: I’m sure people will love you for that.

A: Especially the people in the Student Center.

Q: In class, you have a reputation for being laid back as a teacher.

A: If that’s the perception, then it must have been working, because it’s been working ever since I started teaching.

Q: Have you ever had anything outrageous happen in the classroom?

A. Not since my student in seventh grade swallowed an earthworm, in the dramatic sense.

Q: Who swallowed an earthworm?

A: One of my seventh graders thought he’d be funny by pretending to swallow an earthworm but it accidentally broke off and went into his mouth. It was funny.

Q: Did anything happen to him?

A: He spit a lot.

Q: About the science department in general, does anything go on behind all the doors the students aren’t allowed to talk into? Secret meetings perhaps?

A: We have parties every Thursday night.

Voice: Who attends?

Hori: Whoever has the $10 to get through the door.

V: So if a student showed up with $10 they could attend?

H: It’s 100 for students.

V: And this is real information?

H: You heard it here.

V: Ok, Mr. Hori.

H: Oh, and for your information, Mr. Walker is our bouncer.

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