WEBVTT 00:00:33.079 --> 00:00:38.219 All right Welcome back to Tell Me What Happened, 00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:40.740 the podcast that features folks from all walks 00:00:40.740 --> 00:00:44.399 of life telling us one childhood experience and 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:47.939 how that event impacted who they are today. I'm 00:00:47.939 --> 00:00:51.359 your host, Jay Rehack, and like you, I've had 00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:54.479 my share of childhood experiences that have impacted 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:57.780 who I am today. Some of those experiences were 00:00:57.780 --> 00:01:00.820 quite painful, some were pleasurable, but I like 00:01:00.820 --> 00:01:03.100 to think that whatever happened to me back in 00:01:03.100 --> 00:01:06.620 the day has helped make me a better person. Tell 00:01:06.620 --> 00:01:09.640 Me What Happened is sponsored by Sideline Ink 00:01:09.640 --> 00:01:12.439 Publishing, publishers of quality books, including 00:01:12.439 --> 00:01:15.840 Susan Saldar's classic, One Little Act of Kindness. 00:01:16.540 --> 00:01:19.680 Tell Me What Happened is also sponsored by laughsaver 00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:23.840 .com. Visit laughsaver .com and record your laughter. 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:27.359 We'll keep it for you now and forever. It's free. 00:01:27.579 --> 00:01:30.280 and your children and your grandchildren and 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:32.459 your great -grandchildren will appreciate it. 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:40.819 That's LaughSaver .com. BGW LaughSaver is available 00:01:40.819 --> 00:01:44.879 as an app on your Apple iPhone and Android phones. 00:01:45.540 --> 00:01:48.879 Alright! Today I have as my guest a good friend 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:51.140 of mine, a man I've known for many years. Mark 00:01:51.140 --> 00:01:54.180 Renz, a retired Chicago public high school history 00:01:54.180 --> 00:01:57.439 teacher and administrator. He is married with 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:00.079 a wonderful wife and daughter. His journey to 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:03.560 his life as a history teacher began back in elementary 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:07.680 school. Welcome, Mark Renz. Thanks, Jay. Glad 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:10.439 to be with you today. I'm a lifelong Chicagoan, 00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:12.479 and I grew up on the south side of Chicago in 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:15.240 the back of the yards neighborhood in the 1950s 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:18.800 and 60s. If the wind was blowing just the right 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:21.520 way, you could smell the stockyards. That's how 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:24.219 close we were. The stockyards were located around 00:02:24.219 --> 00:02:26.319 43rd and Halstead, which was about two miles 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:29.819 from where I live. At the time, you also could 00:02:29.819 --> 00:02:32.759 hear the scoreboard go off at Comiskey Park after 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:35.860 the White Sox hit a home run for their fireworks 00:02:35.860 --> 00:02:38.199 display, because we were that close to the ballpark. 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:40.300 So that's kind of the area of Chicago I grew 00:02:40.300 --> 00:02:43.240 up in. Every great journey begins with the first 00:02:43.240 --> 00:02:46.780 step. My first step in education was September 00:02:46.780 --> 00:02:52.129 of 1955. I went to P .M. kindergarten at Hedges 00:02:52.129 --> 00:02:55.169 Elementary School, which is located at 4800 South 00:02:55.169 --> 00:02:58.189 Winchester. No such thing as a charter school. 00:02:58.569 --> 00:03:02.389 No such thing as a magnet school. They were neighborhood 00:03:02.389 --> 00:03:04.750 schools. So you went to the school closest to 00:03:04.750 --> 00:03:07.969 your house. My first year in school was that 00:03:07.969 --> 00:03:11.189 September, and I'll be honest with you, I may 00:03:11.189 --> 00:03:14.199 have some type of record here. I have gone to 00:03:14.199 --> 00:03:18.800 school for 51 consecutive years in September. 00:03:19.319 --> 00:03:22.639 You can add it up. Nine years of elementary school, 00:03:22.900 --> 00:03:25.699 four years of high school, four years of college, 00:03:25.979 --> 00:03:29.680 and 34 years as a high school teacher and assistant 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:32.000 principal in the Chicago Public School System. 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:36.439 Kindergarten? What do I remember? Only thing 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:38.319 I remember about kindergarten is that we took 00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:42.419 a nap every day. My teacher was miss... Betnagle, 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:47.340 my progress was satisfactory. But history teachers 00:03:47.340 --> 00:03:50.840 are born, and this was the beginning of my education. 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:54.740 But more about history is coming. After finishing 00:03:54.740 --> 00:03:57.680 kindergarten year, my parents enrolled me at 00:03:57.680 --> 00:03:59.960 St. Cyril's Catholic Elementary School, which 00:03:59.960 --> 00:04:03.479 was located at 50th and Hermitage in the Back 00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:06.280 of the Yards neighborhood. It was a small eight 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:08.719 -classroom school, grades one through eight. 00:04:08.860 --> 00:04:12.060 The classes were very large, 40 students in each 00:04:12.060 --> 00:04:15.139 room. All the teachers were Franciscan nuns who 00:04:15.139 --> 00:04:17.259 lived in the convent that was right next to the 00:04:17.259 --> 00:04:21.060 school. I never gave any thought of the teachers 00:04:21.060 --> 00:04:25.399 all being nuns. That's just the way it was. But 00:04:25.399 --> 00:04:27.959 that changed, and this is the beginning of my 00:04:27.959 --> 00:04:30.720 journey. That changed when I entered third grade. 00:04:30.980 --> 00:04:34.899 Our teacher was a lay person, not a nun. Her 00:04:34.899 --> 00:04:37.959 name was Miss Marion Hessek, and her family's 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:40.660 was members of the Saint Cyril's Church Parish. 00:04:40.779 --> 00:04:43.079 She actually lived in the family home at the 00:04:43.079 --> 00:04:46.019 south end of the block of 50th and Hermitage, 00:04:46.420 --> 00:04:49.220 which is where the school was located. She simply 00:04:49.220 --> 00:04:52.199 walked out her front door, walked a half a block 00:04:52.199 --> 00:04:55.360 north, and she was at school each and every day. 00:04:55.620 --> 00:04:58.620 After struggling through rain, wind, and snow 00:04:58.620 --> 00:05:01.720 to get to work for 34 years, it's impossible 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:05.279 to appreciate how close she lived and how nice 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:08.649 that was. Being eight years old in third grade, 00:05:08.910 --> 00:05:11.610 I do remember her being a very kind and caring 00:05:11.610 --> 00:05:14.810 teacher as the nuns at the school all went by 00:05:14.810 --> 00:05:17.569 their religious name like Sister Ann or Sister 00:05:17.569 --> 00:05:20.790 Louise Marie. Miss Marion Hessek was simply Miss 00:05:20.790 --> 00:05:23.629 Marion. The school year ended and it was time 00:05:23.629 --> 00:05:25.689 to move up to fourth grade and back to one of 00:05:25.689 --> 00:05:28.930 the Franciscan nuns as my teacher. Uneventful 00:05:28.930 --> 00:05:31.389 fourth grade and it was time to move up to fifth 00:05:31.389 --> 00:05:35.069 grade. I truly do mean it was time to move up. 00:05:35.420 --> 00:05:39.300 St. Cyril's was two floors of school classrooms, 00:05:40.459 --> 00:05:42.319 and grades one through four were on the first 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:44.519 floor. Grades five through eight were on the 00:05:44.519 --> 00:05:47.399 second floor. So in September of 1960, I moved 00:05:47.399 --> 00:05:49.680 up to the fifth grade classroom, which was on 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:52.519 the second floor. Well, to my surprise, and my 00:05:52.519 --> 00:05:55.120 good fortune, my fifth grade teacher walked into 00:05:55.120 --> 00:06:01.240 the room, and it was Miss Marion, the seeds of 00:06:01.240 --> 00:06:04.279 me becoming a history teacher. is now removed 00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:07.399 from the seed packet. Ms. Marion for some reason 00:06:07.399 --> 00:06:10.360 took a liking to me and I would become what at 00:06:10.360 --> 00:06:14.060 the time would be referred to as a teacher's 00:06:14.060 --> 00:06:18.019 pet. Each teacher taught all their subjects to 00:06:18.019 --> 00:06:21.319 the class each and every year in that school. 00:06:21.639 --> 00:06:23.839 I remember for the first time we began studying 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:27.180 history. Ms. Marion got me interested in studying 00:06:27.180 --> 00:06:30.209 history. My fifth grade year coincided with the 00:06:30.209 --> 00:06:32.410 hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the 00:06:32.410 --> 00:06:34.949 Civil War. So Miss Marion was instrumental in 00:06:34.949 --> 00:06:37.050 fostering my interest in history with lessons 00:06:37.050 --> 00:06:40.629 about the United States history. I did not put 00:06:40.629 --> 00:06:43.310 together the concept of my interest in history 00:06:43.310 --> 00:06:45.250 and becoming a history teacher at that point, 00:06:45.829 --> 00:06:49.769 but unbeknownst to me, the acorn that turns into 00:06:49.769 --> 00:06:52.889 a mighty oak tree, the seed of me becoming a 00:06:52.889 --> 00:06:54.850 history teacher was planted into the ground. 00:06:55.019 --> 00:06:57.439 Now that planet history teacher seed needed to 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:01.720 be watered to take root. Enter my dad. My dad 00:07:01.720 --> 00:07:04.259 Raymond Renz now enters the picture. He worked 00:07:04.259 --> 00:07:06.860 for a shipping company and a printing company 00:07:06.860 --> 00:07:09.939 called Cuneo Press. This was a company that printed 00:07:09.939 --> 00:07:12.579 textbooks as well as general interest books. 00:07:12.939 --> 00:07:15.079 Cuneo Press was located on the south side of 00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:18.839 Chicago near Halston Street and Archer Avenue. 00:07:19.240 --> 00:07:21.800 My dad was always able to bring books home. One 00:07:21.800 --> 00:07:23.860 book that he gave me, which I still have, was 00:07:23.860 --> 00:07:26.060 about World War II and the Battle of Guadalcanal. 00:07:26.279 --> 00:07:28.660 My dad was a U .S. Marine in World War II who 00:07:28.660 --> 00:07:33.319 actually served at Guadalcanal in 1943. The seed 00:07:33.319 --> 00:07:35.720 planted to encourage me to study history by Miss 00:07:35.720 --> 00:07:38.639 Marion was taking root with my dad's help. Good 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:41.720 fortune came my way via my dad as CUNYO Press 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:44.860 printed the American People's Encyclopedia, all 00:07:44.860 --> 00:07:48.279 20 volumes packed with information, everything 00:07:48.279 --> 00:07:51.439 from A to Z. This would be the 1960s version 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:54.839 of Wikipedia. My dad acquired a set of encyclopedias 00:07:54.839 --> 00:07:57.480 for our home. Now, when Miss Marion taught history, 00:07:57.660 --> 00:07:59.879 I could go home and look it up in the encyclopedia. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:02.759 I was immersed in the Civil War, as I mentioned 00:08:02.759 --> 00:08:05.720 previously that 1961 was the 100th anniversary 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:08.319 of the Civil War's beginning. I learned about 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:10.819 Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, the Battle of 00:08:10.819 --> 00:08:13.680 Gettysburg. Learning about history and the Civil 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.259 War was at my fingertips with the encyclopedias. 00:08:16.900 --> 00:08:19.779 The teacher seed began to emerge from the ground 00:08:19.779 --> 00:08:23.060 as a tiny sampling. Grade five turned into grade 00:08:23.060 --> 00:08:25.680 six, that turned into grade seven. My interest 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:28.660 in history continued. As most boys did in those 00:08:28.660 --> 00:08:31.199 days, I collected baseball cards. The current 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:33.440 players were my idols, but my interest in history 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:35.460 brought me back to the golden era of baseball. 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:37.980 I used the encyclopedias to learn about the all 00:08:37.980 --> 00:08:40.480 -time greats like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Cy 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:44.029 Young. Crazy as it sounds, At the time, there 00:08:44.029 --> 00:08:46.570 were trading cards also available about pirates. 00:08:47.029 --> 00:08:49.450 And that led me to learn all about people like 00:08:49.450 --> 00:08:52.830 John Teach and Blackbeard. And that was my beginning 00:08:52.830 --> 00:08:56.950 of learning about world history. The tiny tree 00:08:56.950 --> 00:09:00.389 was beginning to have a leaf or two on it on 00:09:00.389 --> 00:09:03.750 my road to becoming a history teacher. The 1960s 00:09:03.750 --> 00:09:06.230 were a time for kids to have coin and stamp collections. 00:09:06.309 --> 00:09:08.649 And I learned all about the world via stamps. 00:09:09.070 --> 00:09:12.409 And I once had an 1804 large cent, which was 00:09:12.409 --> 00:09:14.710 what we would today call a penny, but it was 00:09:14.710 --> 00:09:17.409 the size of a quarter. As a budding historian, 00:09:17.710 --> 00:09:19.889 I held a coin in my hand and said to myself, 00:09:20.629 --> 00:09:23.570 wow, Thomas Jefferson could have held this coin. 00:09:24.250 --> 00:09:28.850 My interest in history was expanding. Jumping 00:09:28.850 --> 00:09:31.909 to eighth grade, Sister Patrona is our teacher, 00:09:32.429 --> 00:09:35.669 but in a move that never happened before, Miss 00:09:35.669 --> 00:09:38.330 Marion came into our classroom to be our history 00:09:38.330 --> 00:09:41.480 teacher. We studied US history that year, and 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:43.639 two things stand out in my mind from that school 00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:49.139 year. First, Friday, November 22nd, 1963. The 00:09:49.139 --> 00:09:51.860 first Roman Catholic president, John F. Kennedy, 00:09:51.960 --> 00:09:54.399 was assassinated. It was one of those days in 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:57.399 history, like 9 -11, when you remembered where 00:09:57.399 --> 00:10:00.299 you were and what you were doing at that fateful 00:10:00.299 --> 00:10:03.009 moment. It was after lunch and we were in our 00:10:03.009 --> 00:10:05.289 classroom when the news came out. Miss Marion 00:10:05.289 --> 00:10:07.509 brought in a black and white television on a 00:10:07.509 --> 00:10:09.909 large cart so we could watch the events unfold. 00:10:10.090 --> 00:10:13.289 It was a dramatic and heartbreaking day. Again, 00:10:13.590 --> 00:10:16.230 this enhanced my interest in history through 00:10:16.230 --> 00:10:19.529 her. The second event in eighth grade that steered 00:10:19.529 --> 00:10:22.509 me toward history was part of our class's ongoing 00:10:22.509 --> 00:10:25.769 cycle of student debates. Usually four students 00:10:25.769 --> 00:10:28.750 on either side of a controversial topic. The 00:10:28.750 --> 00:10:30.950 topic was proposed and this one immediately got 00:10:30.950 --> 00:10:34.029 my attention. Should a woman be president of 00:10:34.029 --> 00:10:37.889 the United States? This is 1964 and way before 00:10:37.889 --> 00:10:40.690 women's lived for sure. I made a bid to be on 00:10:40.690 --> 00:10:43.490 the team that was anti -woman for president but 00:10:43.490 --> 00:10:46.409 failed to secure a spot on that team. There was 00:10:46.409 --> 00:10:48.830 mega competition to be on that side of the argument. 00:10:49.110 --> 00:10:51.490 So in true spirit of the legal profession of 00:10:51.490 --> 00:10:53.690 being able to argue either side of an argument, 00:10:53.990 --> 00:10:56.409 I joined the side that favored a woman being 00:10:56.409 --> 00:10:59.470 president of the United States. Definitely a 00:10:59.470 --> 00:11:02.230 controversial move on my part. Being in favor 00:11:02.230 --> 00:11:06.570 of a woman president was not a popular side to 00:11:06.570 --> 00:11:09.049 take. So getting on that side of the argument 00:11:09.049 --> 00:11:11.529 was pretty easy. I do not remember how the debate 00:11:11.529 --> 00:11:13.610 turned out, but again, my interest in history 00:11:13.610 --> 00:11:16.110 was magnified by Miss Marion's tactic of getting 00:11:16.110 --> 00:11:18.909 students involved in current events. The history 00:11:18.909 --> 00:11:21.940 teacher and me continued to grow. We did have 00:11:21.940 --> 00:11:23.980 a career fair when I was in eighth grade. I actually 00:11:23.980 --> 00:11:26.460 remember going to a meeting and becoming a pharmacist, 00:11:26.500 --> 00:11:28.600 but it really was not a career path that interested 00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:31.480 me too much because of its math and science component. 00:11:31.980 --> 00:11:34.200 Eighth grade graduation took place time for high 00:11:34.200 --> 00:11:36.440 school. High school came along and went freshman 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:39.639 year, English, algebra, general science, Latin, 00:11:39.899 --> 00:11:44.000 typing, no history class, sophomore year, civics, 00:11:44.419 --> 00:11:46.620 but we didn't do much in Father Lawrence's class 00:11:46.620 --> 00:11:49.399 than read through the textbook. But things took 00:11:49.399 --> 00:11:51.860 a big turn in my favor in junior year. It was 00:11:51.860 --> 00:11:55.019 time for US history. The teacher, Father Novak, 00:11:55.179 --> 00:11:56.940 approached the subject like a college class, 00:11:57.120 --> 00:12:00.100 thus taking lecture notes every day. My interest 00:12:00.100 --> 00:12:03.240 in history was revived. For senior year, my schedule 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:05.299 was wide open for electives, so I was able to 00:12:05.299 --> 00:12:07.879 take sociology, geography, contemporary history. 00:12:08.019 --> 00:12:11.779 I was hooked. I remembered Miss Marion had always 00:12:11.779 --> 00:12:15.250 encouraged me to do my best in school. And I 00:12:15.250 --> 00:12:17.309 saw her periodically at church events, and she 00:12:17.309 --> 00:12:20.789 was always encouraging me to give 100 % effort. 00:12:21.309 --> 00:12:22.870 Senior year was my best year in high school. 00:12:22.870 --> 00:12:25.269 I was finally able to take classes that interested 00:12:25.269 --> 00:12:28.230 me. It was my high school junior year and senior 00:12:28.230 --> 00:12:30.850 year experiences in social studies classes that 00:12:30.850 --> 00:12:33.470 sealed the thought in my mind that Miss Mary 00:12:33.470 --> 00:12:35.850 and my great elementary school teacher, who instilled 00:12:35.850 --> 00:12:38.809 a love and history in me, and I decided that 00:12:38.809 --> 00:12:41.210 I should become a history teacher. There was 00:12:41.210 --> 00:12:43.009 a career day for seniors in my final year of 00:12:43.009 --> 00:12:45.110 high school at St. Rita. I went to a meeting 00:12:45.110 --> 00:12:47.710 to become an agent for the FBI. There were so 00:12:47.710 --> 00:12:49.330 many guys that wanted to be at that meeting they 00:12:49.330 --> 00:12:51.990 had to have it in the gym. We sat in the bleachers. 00:12:52.149 --> 00:12:54.309 But the other meeting I went to was in a classroom 00:12:54.309 --> 00:12:57.990 and it was for becoming a teacher. My fate was 00:12:57.990 --> 00:13:01.250 sealed. Good fortune enters the picture in my 00:13:01.250 --> 00:13:04.230 senior year of high school. There was a gigantic 00:13:04.230 --> 00:13:07.490 teacher shortage in the late 1960s. The state 00:13:07.490 --> 00:13:10.070 of Illinois was awarding teacher training scholarships 00:13:10.070 --> 00:13:12.649 to high school students. could be able to attend 00:13:12.649 --> 00:13:15.990 a state school free of charge with a teacher 00:13:15.990 --> 00:13:18.690 training scholarship. Each high school was awarded 00:13:18.690 --> 00:13:22.049 one scholarship for every 100 students enrolled 00:13:22.049 --> 00:13:24.710 in the school. Well, St. Rita at the time had 00:13:24.710 --> 00:13:27.330 an enrollment of about 2 ,000 students, so there 00:13:27.330 --> 00:13:30.850 were about 20 scholarships up for grabs. I heard 00:13:30.850 --> 00:13:33.129 the PA announcement about the scholarship program, 00:13:33.470 --> 00:13:35.710 went to the main office, put my name on the list 00:13:35.710 --> 00:13:37.870 for students interested in obtaining one of the 00:13:37.870 --> 00:13:40.889 scholarships. Here's an amazing part, no interview. 00:13:41.070 --> 00:13:43.029 I believed that I had to submit a transcript 00:13:43.029 --> 00:13:45.909 to be considered. I simply got a letter in the 00:13:45.909 --> 00:13:48.929 mail saying, you have been awarded a teacher 00:13:48.929 --> 00:13:51.389 training scholarship by the state of Illinois. 00:13:52.309 --> 00:13:56.070 Amazing. Now I can go to college for free. But 00:13:56.070 --> 00:13:58.730 where do I go to school? Easy choice for me. 00:13:58.870 --> 00:14:01.610 I live near Chicago Teachers College, which is 00:14:01.610 --> 00:14:04.529 located at 6900 South Stewart Avenue at that 00:14:04.529 --> 00:14:07.100 time on the south side of Chicago. My Chicago 00:14:07.100 --> 00:14:09.299 Teachers College application was three pages, 00:14:09.379 --> 00:14:11.860 and it folded out. The last page was an essay. 00:14:12.299 --> 00:14:15.159 Why do you want to become a teacher? I have no 00:14:15.159 --> 00:14:17.340 recollection of what I wrote, but would love 00:14:17.340 --> 00:14:20.240 to see that letter today. High school graduation 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:22.919 had my history teacher tree growing toward the 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:25.919 sunlight. While at Teachers College, I kept getting 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:28.240 encouragement from Miss Marion as I saw her from 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:31.519 time to time at church events. She was always 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:34.779 in my corner. There were 43 students in my eighth 00:14:34.779 --> 00:14:37.039 grade classroom, and to my knowledge, two of 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:40.200 us became teachers. I think that would have made 00:14:40.200 --> 00:14:43.039 her proud to know the career path that I chose. 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:45.620 Chicago Teachers College was a perfect fit for 00:14:45.620 --> 00:14:47.740 me. I was finally in a position to take classes 00:14:47.740 --> 00:14:50.379 that interested me, heavy on history, political 00:14:50.379 --> 00:14:52.940 science, geography, and education, and light 00:14:52.940 --> 00:14:55.320 on my least favorite subjects, math and science. 00:14:55.639 --> 00:14:58.279 I did my best academic work of my life in college 00:14:58.279 --> 00:15:00.940 and graduated with high honors. That's why I 00:15:00.940 --> 00:15:03.059 began working in Chicago Public Schools as a 00:15:03.059 --> 00:15:05.220 substitute teacher, eventually becoming a history 00:15:05.220 --> 00:15:08.139 teacher at Gage Park. The history teacher in 00:15:08.139 --> 00:15:10.960 me was beginning to be established. Then onto 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:12.919 teaching history at High Park High School and 00:15:12.919 --> 00:15:14.720 eventually becoming an assistant principal at 00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:16.879 Whitney Young Young Magnet High School. Sometimes 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:19.399 you have an aha moment and it's immediate and 00:15:19.399 --> 00:15:22.639 things happen for you. But my aha moment simmered 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:24.840 over a long period of time before it became a 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:27.700 reality. I thank Miss Marion for planting a seed 00:15:27.700 --> 00:15:30.129 in my mind to learn about history. I was able 00:15:30.129 --> 00:15:32.649 to become a history teacher because of her nurturing 00:15:32.649 --> 00:15:36.250 style, her example as being a superior teacher, 00:15:36.710 --> 00:15:39.570 and her never -ending encouragement that put 00:15:39.570 --> 00:15:42.889 me on the path to my career as a teacher. I enjoy 00:15:42.889 --> 00:15:45.470 teaching history and always strive to keep my 00:15:45.470 --> 00:15:47.450 students interested in learning about the past. 00:15:48.029 --> 00:15:50.509 After 34 years at the Chicago Public Schools, 00:15:50.929 --> 00:15:53.590 my tree was matured and it was time to leave 00:15:53.590 --> 00:15:56.309 education to the younger trees in the forest. 00:15:56.690 --> 00:16:00.289 It was time for retirement. And that's my story. 00:16:01.049 --> 00:16:03.529 Well, thank you, Mark. I know you as the assistant 00:16:03.529 --> 00:16:05.409 principal over at Whitney Young, because I work 00:16:05.409 --> 00:16:08.409 with you. So I didn't know your story. I thank 00:16:08.409 --> 00:16:11.850 Miss Marion for starting you on that path. And 00:16:11.850 --> 00:16:14.409 I think that all of the experiences that you 00:16:14.409 --> 00:16:17.090 articulated in terms of even your father working 00:16:17.090 --> 00:16:19.409 at a printing press and bringing home books that 00:16:19.409 --> 00:16:22.429 sort of sparked your further interest, I understand 00:16:22.429 --> 00:16:26.190 the metaphor pretty clearly. I think I get why 00:16:26.299 --> 00:16:28.559 know how it's impacted your life because it really 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:31.059 was your professional life don't you think? Very 00:16:31.059 --> 00:16:33.720 much so. I had great role models and she was 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:36.000 my favorite teacher of all time. She was a great 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:38.200 role model and you know my dad pitched in and 00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:40.100 helped me by bringing those encyclopedias home 00:16:40.100 --> 00:16:42.820 and always encouraging me and here's a great 00:16:42.820 --> 00:16:45.500 story. I have all of his memorabilia from World 00:16:45.500 --> 00:16:48.580 War II and on his intake sheet with the United 00:16:48.580 --> 00:16:50.480 States Marine Corps he had to answer a bunch 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:52.299 of questions. They asked him what his favorite 00:16:52.299 --> 00:16:55.350 school subject was. She checked the box and wrote 00:16:55.350 --> 00:16:58.509 down history. All right. You never mentioned 00:16:58.509 --> 00:17:00.049 it to me, but I just learned that by reading 00:17:00.049 --> 00:17:02.409 it. Chip off the old block. Do you know if Miss 00:17:02.409 --> 00:17:05.390 Marion's still alive, by the way? Well, I'm going 00:17:05.390 --> 00:17:07.869 to say she'd have to be around 90 now, so I'm 00:17:07.869 --> 00:17:10.390 going to guess not. She did become a principal 00:17:10.390 --> 00:17:13.410 of a Catholic school in the suburbs after St. 00:17:13.589 --> 00:17:17.599 Cyril's school closed. All right. Big shout out 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:20.900 to Miss Marion Hasek, if you're out there. Thank 00:17:20.900 --> 00:17:24.599 you so much for giving us Mark Renz, history 00:17:24.599 --> 00:17:27.339 teacher extraordinaire. Thank you, Mark, also 00:17:27.339 --> 00:17:29.500 for coming on the show and detailing your journey 00:17:29.500 --> 00:17:33.000 into your profession. Thanks also to our sponsors, 00:17:33.259 --> 00:17:35.140 Sidelining Publishing, publishers of quality 00:17:35.140 --> 00:17:37.839 books, including Susan Seller's classic, One 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:41.180 Little Act of Kindness, and laughsaver .com. 00:17:41.539 --> 00:17:44.160 Visit laughsaver .com and record your laughter 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:46.339 or the laughter of someone you love. You can 00:17:46.339 --> 00:17:49.799 also download the Laugh Saver app on your Android 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:52.539 or Apple iPhone. All right, I'm going to end 00:17:52.539 --> 00:17:54.559 this show a little bit differently this time. 00:17:54.920 --> 00:17:57.359 In honor of Mark and his profession, I'm going 00:17:57.359 --> 00:17:59.440 to end it with a song that has a little bit of 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:02.240 history to it. It's called When Will She Come 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:05.339 Down, and it tells the story of Amelia Earhart. 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:08.460 And we all do wonder when she'll come down. So 00:18:08.460 --> 00:18:11.460 until next time, this is Jay Reheck asking you 00:18:11.460 --> 00:18:13.839 all to please stay safe out there and try not 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:14.519 to hurt anybody.