In this issue, we decided to sit down with two LHS teachers to learn more about them,  including everything from education to their favorite kind of pizza!

Dr. David Kreutz

Q: How did you start “collecting” guinea pigs?

Well, I got two of them from a college kid. Ms. Naslund had two guinea pigs that were pretty close to dying, so I took those off of her hands and I had four. Random students started just offering me their guinea pigs, which was really cool. One eventually passed away from old age, so currently I have five.

Q: Can you tell me about your interest in cosmetics?

A: So at Burlington High School, I made a course called “chemical research and development.” And each student as a final had to make their own specific product for market. [These ranged] from perfumes, to shampoos to hand sanitizer. And so I needed a place to market their products to try to get them some sales and stuff like that, so I decided to open up Sparkle Soap Factory and Salon in Lake Geneva. I would have people come up in the middle room and learn how to make stuff in groups. And then in another room was where you buy stuff, you know soaps and shampoos, so all the products had no fragrance in them, so you would pump your own then you would fragrance it, shake it up, and put the label on. And then on a wall there I had student products and so my students would put their products up, put a little notation of what it was, why they did that kind of thing. 

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about your teaching style?

A: Students make a model, and it’s just them and me right next to each other. It really shows them that they have a capacity and it definitely promotes individuality. If you give them a piece of paper to learn from and to take a test on, the brain gets bored with that. And boredom doesn’t promote memory. It’s just not the way we do things. Happiness, laughter, these things promote memory. 

Q: What’s your favorite pizza?

A: All meat all day. As much meat on it as possible.

Q: What’s the dumbest way you’ve injured yourself?

A: Trying to take a vine from a tree. I thought I was Tarzan and tried to swing over a barbed wire fence. And then…I didn’t make it.

Q: What’s your spirit animal?

A: I’m probably a bunny. I like bunnies, I don’t know why. They’re so docile and happy. I just like bunnies.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do when you get home?

A: Play with my dogs. I have two Chihuahuas and two poodles. And they’re just such lovers, you know? They’re like my kids. And I bought one of those Furbo things, so I can see them in my room and give them treats while I’m at work.

Q: Do you have any advice for students?
A: You never know when opportunities are gonna come your way. Try everything. You can always just say, ‘Well, that was wrong.’ Surround yourself with happy people. Surround yourself with people that don’t complain. Surround yourself with people that don’t complain about others, you know, and how miserable they are. Because you will become miserable. 

Mr. Robert Kelch

Q: How did you get started with your apple orchard?
A: My grandfather has always had a farm. He very much took me under his wing and it was something I enjoyed doing. Things were pretty matured at my grandfather’s farm, and I decided to find my own farm to expand it to make it what I really wanted it to be. My wife and I bought this place in December of 2015. Nothing but dirt. We put [in] everything, every blade of grass, our water building, every tree, over 1,500 trees. I bought and restored a turn-of-the-century very large, hydraulic cider press. So, cider would be a big part of our operation. Using the cider, we decided to also make and sell doughnuts.

Q: What got you started in the automotive world?

A: My grandfather, immediately after the Second World War, was buying surplus Jeeps. He had a couple of them. When I got into high school, I took auto shop and I asked if I could take one to auto shop and work on it. He seemed kind of skeptical. But my auto shop teacher at the time said, if I was willing to sign a contract, where I will put the work in, my grandfather will bankroll the project and if I don’t drive it out, I am willing to fail for the semester and my grandfather was fine with that. And my parents were fine with that. So I signed it. I drove it out in May. And that’s really what got me going in this. If I didn’t have that experience, I don’t know if I would have done it.

Q: What classes do you teach?
A: I teach on occasion, electronics. [For the] most part, the primary [classes are] auto one, auto two, woods one and woods two. And then for the past five years, social studies.

Q: Have you ever had injuries in your classes?
A: There’s been a few that look worse than they usually are. I think in the last 14 years teaching auto, I’ve had maybe three or four that have that really stand out. One daredevil did get hurt in woodshop, and he lost the tip of his finger. On a wager from another student, he stuck his finger in the machine. That was unique. Fun.

Q: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

A: Chocolate mint

Q: What is your least favorite type of pizza?

A: I think Domino’s tastes like shoe leather. My opinion. Not knocking anybody, but it’s not that great. 

Q: Do you have any hidden talents?

A: I can downhill ski. I was pretty good at it. I don’t know anymore. Things may have caught up to me, but I really liked moguls.