Katie Bialas
Editor in Chief

It is common, especially in our school community, for great teachers to come along, ones who teach us more than just what lies in the pages of our text books and delve into the unending task of teaching us about life. Great teachers may not be that difficult to come by, but truly outstanding ones? Those who engage every student they encounter and are admired and respected by every one of their coworkers? The opportunity to have encountered one is a true gift reserved for a very lucky few.

This past summer our school community mourned the tragic loss of one of these exceptional men. Mr. John Michalek, affectionately called Mr. Mike, will always remain an integral part of the high school memories of all those who were fortunate to have him during their time at Nazareth. The profound impact he had was especially evident at the prayer service held not long after his death. The Sister’s Chapel was filled with friends, family, loved ones, current students, and alumni. The sheer number of people present there, though, was slight in comparison to the outreach from the Nazareth community beyond those who were able to attend the service.

Many of us cried the day we heard the news of his passing, and again at the service where the testimonials of his family and friends moved us all—but we also laughed. The lasting impact Mr. Mike left on this school is one of fun, happiness, love, and compassion, and one cannot help but feel that it is exactly as Mr. Mike would have wanted.

An example to all of us, Mr. Mike made the constant effort to always live his life to the fullest and to live as though it were his last day on Earth. There was no situation he could not make the best of and was always willing to pass that wisdom on to any person in need of it. From relationship advice to comfort at the death of a loved one or a beloved pet, Mr. Mike was simply a wealth of advice and knowledge and he was happy to oblige his calling to impart such understanding upon all those in need of it.

From stories of going “midget bowling” to his online ordination to the square foot of Scotland he owned (also bought online), Mr. Mike managed to engage every student and make any material fun and interesting to learn. Whether it was wearing one of the multitude of hats in his room during class or just listening to his outlandish stories, being in Mr. Mike’s class was the highlight of your day and all attested to the full life he lived.

As important as his personality and fun, Mr. Mike also was exceptionally good at his job. Mr. Mike was the only teacher I have ever heard of who could give a huge fill-in-the-blank portion on a final exam and have freshmen getting 100%. He understood students, he understood how we learn, and, above all, he understood each individual.

To me personally, Mr. Mike was an amazing friend and teacher who always felt like a constant at our school. There was nothing Mr. Mike couldn’t handle and his annual appearance at the Homecoming/Walk Assembly as the Engergizer Bunny became an incredibly accurate metaphor for his life. Every year he made his new students feel special and important by proclaiming that he would never retire before they graduated. I was lucky enough to be in his penultimate Western Civ Honors homeroom my freshman year and can remember him telling us barely a month or two into the school year. Never would we have guessed that he actually would not be present on our graduation day.

It is still very surreal. I pass M201 and still expect to see him there, smiling and telling stories to a Psych class or to his Western Civ. I walk into school and find that it is just a little too quiet in comparison to when he would sit at the main entrance and greet us all as we arrived. I apologize to anyone who may be anti Harry Potter, but Mr. Mike was like Dumbledore to me. Always present, always a fixture. A Nazareth Academy without a Mr. Mike was like a Hogwarts without Dumbledore. We lost one of the pieces that always unified our school. Anyone who had Mr. Mike, when asked who their favorite teacher was, tended to always choose him, no matter how many other amazing teachers they encountered.

Mr. Mike was my teacher and my friend. There was nothing I would have hesitated to talk to him about. But now we have to move forward; that’s what he would have wanted, although we may find it difficult. Mr. Mike was one of those teachers I not only pictured at my graduation from Nazareth but one who I planned to stay in touch with through my life. I saw myself getting a graduation card from Mr. Mike after graduating college. I saw myself inviting him to my wedding one day. Now I know these things can’t really happen, but I hold to the belief that he will be there for those moments in my life I’d envisioned. In the meantime, though, I content myself in trying to live as he did. Live each day like it may be your last and make the most out of the life that you have.
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Bridget Kowalczyk
Editor in Chief

As a freshman, I carried many of my old bad habits into high school. Instead of participating in class discussions or answering questions, I would talk under my breath, giving my two cents and correct answers, without ever actually engaging with the class. Mr. Mike changed that.

Western Civ was my homeroom and A period class. Mr. Mike assigned me a desk at, what I thought was, the back of the room but I soon learned differently. I actually ended up with a seat right next to his podium, where he taught and lead the class from. At his little podium, Mr. Mike would conduct class by posing interesting questions, asking us our opinions on Greek mythology or sharing the story of how he acquired the title of “Lord.” Even though he made Western Civ fun by providing unique tidbits and facts that were never mentioned in any high school text book, Mr. Mike nurtured our curious minds will helping to develop our awareness of the modern world.

One day as we were going over habeas corpus and other legal rights, Mr. Mike threw out, what was meant to be, a rhetorical question to get class’s minds thinking. Under my bad habit, I whispered an answer, thinking there was no way anyone could hear me. I was wrong. Mr. Mike heard me and asked me to elaborate my response. After going in great detail and bringing contemporary scenarios as support, Mr. Mike smiled and nodded, adding, “you really should talk more; you have an interesting view on things.” Slowly my confidence grew and I participated more, not only in Western Civ, but in other courses like English I Honors (which led to some heated debates and arguments about Romanticism and romanticism.)

The dynamic of my relationship with Mr. Mike evolved sophomore year. Instead of my teacher, he became someone who I looked forward to talking to about anything. From my rigorous schedule, to books, English history, and why couscous was flavored to taste like broccoli and cheese, I never feared judgment or ridicule from Mr. Mike when I asked questions or mentioned some far-fetched idea. Today I look back and I see the biggest effect Mr. Mike had on me; he allowed me to explore my world and cultivate my way of thinking in a safe environment without worrying about failure. This experience led me to become a Renaissance woman, the kind of person Mr. Mike always said was the best to be.
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Matthew Serafin
Photography Editor

A man who was adored by all. A man who always had a smile on his face. A man who, without fail, managed to brighten everyone’s day. This man we all know to be Mr. John Michalek is greatly missed by all those who knew him. I had Western Civilization with him freshman year, and of course, this was where the majority of my interaction and friendship with this dear teacher began. As a worried Freshman, Mr. Mike was amazing at making me truly feel like I belonged at Nazareth. His teaching style and methods were perfect for the material, and his attitude during class was light-hearted, yet engaging. His class was by far my favorite freshman course, and arguably my favorite class I’ve ever taken at Nazareth Academy (and believe me, it has nothing to do with the Western Civilization classwork!).

Through his fascinating discussions and sincere personality, we as students were able to truly feel like we knew Mr. Mike and that he was one of our friends. I know many students, myself included, who, upon completion of Freshman year, would stop in to visit his classroom on “Thank-You Thursdays,” during a lunch period, or even before and after school. For me, I saw Mr. Mike daily when I would come to school in the morning. It seemed like he was always there, at whichever door I entered—“Mornin’ Matt!” he would say to me with a smile, “How ya doin’?” Whatever kind of mood I was in- no matter if I slept in a little later than I thought or whether I had a difficult test that day- hearing this salutation would completely wipe the slate and get me ready for my day at school; and this, this is what I miss most about Mr. Mike.

His presence, his always being there; his never-failing care for his students, past or present, is what truly made Mr. Mike special. The Nazareth community will never forget him, for Mr. Mike has made a lasting impact which will be felt for many years to come.
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Harshita Reddy
News/Features Editor

When I think of the experiences I’ve had with Mr. Mike, my freshman year stands out most to me in my mind. As a freshman, I was painfully shy and awkward, and usually very afraid to speak up in class. I can honestly say that Mr. Mike helped change that about me in Western Civ Honors freshman year, where he made each student feel special and never told us we were wrong, even if we were.

He never failed to make our class laugh, usually with the hilarious anecdotes he shared with us every day. The atmosphere he created in his classroom helped me become much less shy and much more confident about myself, which was one of my major successes of freshman year- all due to Mr. Mike. I remember leaving that classroom on the last day of freshman year, knowing that I would miss my Western Civ class and having Mr. Mike as a teacher greatly. However, Mr. Mike never failed to greet me in the hallways, and said good morning to me almost every morning of sophomore year. It was little things like this that made Mr. Mike one of the best and most caring teachers I have ever had.

Junior year, he coached Powderpuff, which I really only signed up for because most of my friends were. I had no athletic ability whatsoever, and could not play football for the life of me, but Mr. Mike never made me feel bad about these things. For all these reasons, I was heartbroken when I heard the news this past summer. Mr. Mike was one of the teachers who, possibly unknowingly, had a tremendous effect on my high school career, and the entire Nazareth community will continue to miss his smiling face and warm greetings through the hallways.