With the 2016-2017 school year being the last school year for Dr. Evan Glazer to serve as Jefferson’s principal, tjTODAY released an issue of the magazine dedicated to his decade in the community. Part of the magazine included a list of questions that members of the Jefferson community, including both current students and alumni, asked Dr. Glazer. The following describes all questions that were sent to Dr. Glazer, and his responses.

Q: What was your least favorite class in high school?

A: PE – we had a swimming unit and I am a terrible swimmer – not much better than a rock. In my school, if you played two varsity sports, you could opt out of PE, so I became really good at two sports.

Q: What was your first impression of TJ?

A: Awestruck by the teachers and students, unimpressed by the physical plant. I’m so glad I carried out the renovation to make TJ what it is today.

Q: If you had your own element, what would you call it and what properties would it have?

A: Inspirenum – Full of passion, drive, courage and without worries.

Q: Do you wish you had a commons named after yourself?

A: No – I would have preferred a commons named after the primary founder of TJ – Dave Sawyer.

Q: What has TJ taught you?

A: To believe almost anything is possible if you put your heart, mind, and soul into it. Friends help, too!

Q: Do you remember what CIRPSICSR stood for?

A: Critical inquiry and research, Problem solving, Intellectual curiosity, and Social responsibility. These are the fundamental skills and values we promote among TJ students.

Q: How do you expect TJ to change after you leave?

A: I hope the community will grow tighter now that we are all in the building together. I want teachers to work together across disciplines to spur innovation and new opportunities for students. I hope students will worry less about grades and more about their passions to make a positive difference in the world. Some already do that – I hope this sentiment becomes more pervasive and expected of the culture.

Q: What do you think we (Alumni, students, community members, staff) can do to bring more diversity to TJ?

A: Our community is already pretty diverse, but not representative of the general population. I think our community needs to think of TJ as a resource for all rather than solely a school for 1800 students. Summer workshops, weekend activities, evening programs, and other forms of outreach make our school available to more students.

Q: What’s your biggest regret and proudest accomplishment from your years at TJ?

A: Proudest accomplishment – I coined the long lasting phrase Gooooooo Colonials!!! Biggest regret – I didn’t make the football end zones to say “Gooooooo” and “Colonials!!!”