As I approached room 38 on the first day of sophomore year, a sense of dread filled my heart, my hands started to sweat, and my head began to swim. I was terrified to peek inside the infamous room of Mr. Bryce Hadley — in fact, just taking my first step inside was a daunting task. My eyes landed on a wall adorned with a sign that read, “Abadon all hope ye who enter here,” quite a chilling first impression. Continuing with the theme of terrifying, Mr. Hadley paced the room, baseball bat in hand, exuding an air of authority. Having heard rumors as a fresh-faced freshman of the famed English 2 Honors course with Hadley, I was already nervous as I approached my desk. I had been warned of first-day quizzes and second-day essays long before I ever came face to face with my new English teacher. Mr. Hadley’s class seemed so overwhelmingly terrifying on that first day of school, which is why I’m awarding the Wally for Most Intimidating Class to Hadley’s English Honors 2 class.
With that being said, Hadley’s class has not been as daunting as it initially seemed. In fact, oftentimes, I find myself enjoying English and learning numerous new writing skills. Behind Hadley’s scary facade lies a lighter, funnier personality. Lectures are not as horrifying as they sound, and tests are not quite as panic-inducing as one may think. The essays are still a bit fearsome but are not as frequent as I initially thought them to be. In all actuality, Honors English with Hadley is only intimidating when first faced with it. Never judge a book by its cover. As in the case of class in room 38, the experience behind the door may seem intimidating at first but will soon reveal itself to be a fun one.