The bell rang, cuing the exit of Hoofprint and Tatanka yearbook advisor Ryan McCallum’s fourth block class. The Hoofprint staff filtered into the room, beginning a typical Wednesday Triple-A on May 11. As McCallum got the Hoofprint meeting started, many administrators and friends, teachers and students alike, waited patiently outside his door. Minnesota High School Press Association Executive Logan Aimone , who previously had visited to deliver the Hoofprint.net’s Pacemaker Award, was one of the first to walk into the room, plaque in hand. Celebrating with a congratulatory cake, McCallum was named Minnesota’s 2011 Journalism Educator of the Year.
“I have known McCallum for four years,” said Senior Michael LaCroix, “I really like that he loves his family. He’s always bringing his kids to school and they really enjoy their time here. Whenever he talks about his family, he always lights up and it’s always nice to have such a good example.”
In LaCroix’s nomination essay, he states, “He places more weight on creating something new than doing something old perfectly.” McCallum was nominated fully by students through nomination essays and a petition holding about 70 signatures from students, editors and publication staff members.
“I love how I can walk into his room and hear anything from ‘Once upon a time there was a chicken” to “Guys, lets make half face videos!” to “Ok I really want some good stories today.” He just has such a unique way of balancing work and play.” said Senior Elisabeth Leipholtz, “Actually, he doesn’t really balance them. It’s more like he intertwines them. He’s basically a big kid with a head full of insane knowledge.”
Advisers around the state can nominate themselves or be nominated by their class. Each year only one adviser receives the award and some past years no one has received it.
“I knew of the award previous to this and all of those that had received it were people that I thought were really great advisers and that I really admired,” said McCallum. “I thought they were in a way different league than I was. It’s a total honor to be a part of that group of people now and it makes me want to work harder to be worthy of it. I still don’t think I deserve the award but I want to continue to working hard towards feeling like I deserve it.”
Junior Valerie Ostvig and Junior Mitchell Budde, Hoofprint Co-Editors in Chief, orchestrated McCallum’s nomination, gathering essay’s about how he has formed, supported, and changed their views of journalism.
“He has achieved [success] by challenging us to be original and inform the student body with the most prudent of topics,” wrote Ostvig wrote in her nomination essay, “He advises us in a way that encourages creativity, responsibility and has produced results.”
McCallum’s teaching styles will forever stay with those involved in his classes, staff writers and editors who have worked with him for as long as their entire four years of high school. McCallum has truly managed to leave his hoofprint in the halls of BHS.
“When I think about his classes, I see his crazy gestures and striding across the room, his genuine excitement about what he is teaching.” said Leipholtz, “He doesn’t treat us like kids; instead, we’re his equals to an extent and I appreciate that so much. I think kids work harder when they know they are respected.”
