Have you always attended HCS? Do you have a favorite teacher/ memory/ event/ class from elementary or middle school?
I’ve attended Hartselle City Schools since kindergarten. While perhaps not technically a teacher, Barkley Bridge’s librarian Mr. Land taught me a lot throughout my elementary school years. He helped me with homework during extended day (an afterschool program where kids could stay until their parents got off work), encouraged a love of books and reading, and even let me check out a book about the history of film from the teachers-only section of the library because he knew how interested I was in the behind-the-scenes aspects of movies.
Do you remember your first day at HHS? How did you feel?
I remember feeling equal parts excited and nervous on my first day of high school. My very first class was videography, and Mr. Robinson’s unique mix of sarcasm and honesty was exactly the cold water I needed to shake my nerves.
Have you changed since that first day of school? If so, in what ways?
I’ve changed in many notable ways since my first day. I’m a bit taller, my hair is a bit shorter, and I know where all my classes are now.
What do you do outside of school? What is your favorite thing to do when you have no school or school work?
Outside of school, I enjoyed going to the movies (big shock) or wandering around bookstores and libraries. However, more often than not I just stayed in and wrote, drew, or watched TV, something I’m experiencing too much of now that the quarantine is in place.
In the paper, you wrote a lot about pop culture, movies, events, and directors. Are those things you enjoy learning about? What is your favorite movie? Do you have a favorite director? Do you have a least favorite movie?
I have Aspergers syndrome, which in addition to doing wonders for my social life also causes a direct fixation on a singular topic. In my case this monomania was movies. They are my “thing,” and I’ve been fascinated with them and the production process since I can remember. Since this is such an encompassing aspect of my life, it’s next to impossible for me to pick one favorite. Similarly, I don’t have any single favorite director or least favorite movie. The possibilities are just too vast to narrow down.
How did you get into art? How did you learn? What do you draw?
I first got into art by doodling constantly when I was little. I had a bit of a speech impediment, and I believe it might have been a way I found to convey what I was thinking non-verbally, if you want to get all analytical about it. Due to this interest, I took art classes throughout middle and high school. I generally draw ideas I have in my head as a way of conveying my ideas more precisely then I can describe them.
How did you get into writing? How have you gotten better as a writer? Do you read or practice regularly? How often do you write outside of school?
My Dad’s a librarian, my great-grandmother was an elementary teacher, and it seems like my Mom is always reading a new book; everyone who raised me was into reading and writing, so I just picked it up naturally. I hope I’ve gotten better as a writer over the years, and I try to practice regularly (I’m working on a few stories right now, one horror and one sci-fi), but most of the writing is just jotting down little ideas I have throughout the day and then eventually working them in. And, while I don’t read nearly as much as I used to, I’ve been trying to get more time in for that lately.
You were in creative writing and then joined journalism. What made you join creative writing to begin with? And then why did you move over to journalism?
I took creative writing because it sounded like fun. While in creative writing, I saw what journalism was like and decided I would take that next year.
What is your favorite class or teacher?
I really liked English and History, partially due to the teachers and partially due to the fact that my mind tends to lean further that way than it does towards subjects such as math, which I never really got the hang of.
If you could redo high school, would you?
As in four additional years? No. As in time travel shenanigans? Absolutely.
What are your plans for the future?
I plan on attending Samford University, majoring in journalism and mass communications, to hopefully get a job in some sort of broadcasting or marketing position. I don’t have it all planned out, but that’s the direction I’m going in.
What advice would you give to upcoming HHS students?
Get involved, carpe diem, study, all the other stuff you’re going to hear a million times. If you’re naturally a disorganized and forgetful person like myself, write stuff down so you at least know what it is you’re putting off. Everybody’s going to instantly dislike you just for being a freshman, so don’t give them any other reasons to. And high school’s only four years, so yes, try to make the most of it (you’ll hear that a lot), but also know that there’s decades after it, so don’t feel like this is the end-all-be-all of anything.
Do you have any big goals for yourself in the future?
Short term: I’m going to try to complete a feature length screenplay. Long term: I’m going to try to make said script into a movie, and hopefully many more.
Congratulations Connor! We cannot wait to see all that you accomplish in life. We will miss reading your writing in The Tiger Times!
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