There are a lot of new faces at Hall this year, including four new English teachers. I decided to sit down with one of them, Mr. Bergvik, to get to know a new Hall faculty member.

Mr. Bergvik teaches English 10, Creative Writing, and World Literature. Before this year, he taught at Fairchild Wheeler, an interdistrict magnet school in Bridgeport.

If you are in one of his classes, be prepared for a lot of reading, which comprises most of the homework. As for his quizzes, they’re of average difficulty, says Mr. Bergvik.

“They’re easy if you did the reading,” he adds.

As for Mr. Bergvik’s favorite read, he enjoys Slaughterhouse-Five, a Kurt Vonnegut classic. He enjoys its untraditional style and incredible message.

A student of Mr. Bergvik can also expect to learn about a lot more than just grammar. He loves English because it is all about connections and he has a lot of different interests. English gives him the freedom to bring all of those interests, and those of others, into his classroom.

Some of those interests include being on the Coast Guard reserve, playing sports, and working out. He currently plays softball and used to play football. In fact, up until his second year of college, Mr. Bergvik wanted to be a professional football player.

Next I asked Mr. Bergvik about his first few weeks at Hall. He said the building was really nice and familiar, as it was built around the same time as the high school he attended.

He was not as big a fan of the schedule. At Fairchild Wheeler, every period was 85 minutes, so the new time constraints have been a big adjustment. He’s also needed to get used to school starting 30 minutes earlier (Fairchild Wheeler began at 8:00). However, it seems Mr. Bergvik’s impression of Hall has been mostly positive. “Everyone seems really nice, and the school has great spirit,” he confided.

Speaking of spirit, I asked if he had ever gotten in trouble for wearing red. Luckily, he informed me that his wardrobe is mostly blue. Sounds like he will fit right in!

When asked if there was anything else he wanted the student body know about him, he responded that he was always available if anyone wanted to work on something. I can vouch for his wisdom and great advice.

“When it’s time to work, work. When it’s time to play, play,” he suggested on how to make the most of one’s high school years.

If you do end up reaching out to Mr. Bergvik, you will most likely notice his unusual Gmail profile picture, an illustration of Marvel Comics’ “Beast” (image not included due to copyright rules). Why did he choose this image?

“[The Beast] is a big hairy dude, but he’s also an intellectual, like me,” explains Mr. Bergvik. According to Marvel’s website, the Beast utilizes superhuman strength, speed, agility, and endurance, but he is also an expert in the fields of human biology, genetics, biochemistry, and more.

I wrapped up the interview by asking Mr. Bergvik what he is most looking forward to this upcoming school year.

“Working with the students and helping them grow,” he responded.