Hopkins

Cameron Hopkins

Professor Malcolm W. Campbell

Writing 1103

26 January 2015

Shop Class

My freshman year of high school they changed things up a bit. In the middle of the day

on Tuesday and Thursday they would send up to things called “activity periods.” In theory if you

were not too smart then it would be a good thing. They would have review sessions for people

that needed it, and if you didn’t need it then it would just be busy work. The good thing was that

nothing was graded. It was basically 30 minutes in the middle of the day to just relax and not do

anything except have social time, and lucky for me my two best friends, Morgan and Michaela,

were in my class. So many people complained about activity period but I loved it, and because of

it, I learned my passion.

The first semester of high school my activity period was irrelevant. All I remember was

that I had a Senior English teacher. I cannot even remember her name but that she was a larger

woman with big frizzy hair. All we did in there was talk to out friends. I loved it because she did

not make us do anything. The second semester of my freshman year was when activity period

became very important. I had it in the shop room. Now of course being a freshman girl who was

a cheerleader, loved pink, and just a total girly girl I didn’t and no one else expected me to have

any interest in shop class. The teacher in there, Mr. Hensley, was the coolest guy all around. He

was probably in his sixty’s and had snow white hair. He was the funniest and nicest teacher I had

ever been around. The activity period wasn’t a time to talk about whatever class that we were in

at that moment, but he did anyway. He gave us an idea of what the shop class was like. I was on

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the edge of my seat when he started talking about it. The saws. The hammers. The sanders. The

drills. It was so cool to me. There was even vents in the floor that you would sweep the sawdust

into, and that intrigued me. After a couple classes of briefly learning everything and learning

how to be safe in there, which was basically don’t be a dumb ass, we got to take a tour of the

shop area. My friends, Morgan and Michaela didn’t think too much of it, but oh man I was in the

front of the group trying to take it all in. I decided that I needed this class in my life that I had to

take it.

When registration time came around for the next year, “Furniture and Cabinet Making I”

was the first thing I wrote down. I was so excited to finally get to be in this class. We had to take

our schedules home to have our parents sign them before we could register. I did not think this

would be a problem; little did I know my mom was insane. I came home so excited and told her

about the classes I wanted. She shot me down so fast about the class. I begged Christi to let me

take. We argued that I wouldn’t like it and it wouldn’t be safe. She doesn’t know what I would

like, and I knew shop was something I would absolutely love. She finally gave in with saying

“when you chop off your finger don’t come crying to me.” When she said this it really hurt my

feelings, I knew she didn’t believe or support it. Thankfully my uncle Kenny was so excited for

me. He loved to build things. So with the support of my uncle and the drive to prove my mom

wrong I became successful.

Finally the second semester of my sophomore year came around. That was when I had

shop class. I looked forward to it everyday. The first six weeks of class were not the best. All we

did was bookwork. We had to finish that before we could go into the shop. I excelled in all the

bookwork and tests, knowing that this stuff was important to know and that soon enough I would

actually be building stuff. After those first six weeks, it was go time. We walked into the shop,

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safety goggles on, and ready to create. The floors were green with yellow tape outlining the

different stations. To the left there was the table saw, one of the coolest pieces of equipment we

had, and also the radial arm saw and a worktable. In front of us was the band saw, which was my

favorite saw, and a sanding belt was on the back wall in front of us. To the right was another

older table saw, which had a dado blade in it, a lathe, and another radial saw. The first table saw

was so cool because of its saw stop. If any part of your body touched the saw, it would

automatically stop and drop down. It did it so fast that the most you would have wrong would be

like a small paper cut. The band saw was so cool because it could cut curves with it and make

cooler things.

The first thing we got to make was a simple 8x8 box with a lid. I was the first person

finished with mine, and it was done correctly. I gave that first box to my Uncle Kenny since he

was the only one excited for me. We made two more of the boxes and each time the joints got

harder. Mine always was done correctly and was the correct size. Shop class was like a break

from school for me, it didn’t seem like I should be getting credit for this because I loved it was

had so much fun, and I got to keep everything I made. We also made a shadow box. It was more

complicated than the other things, which made it more fun for me. It was a challenge and I

passed with flying colors. After those first main projects, we got a little more freedom. We could

basically make whatever we wanted. I made a couple

benches. I still have the benches and up until I got my

system this past summer I took the bench everywhere

with me. I would use it when I needed a seat and didn’t

have one. Like once at cookout everyone was outside

standing around, and I whipped my bench out and had a

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seat. I also made a spinning top, a cup, and a microphone on the lathe. At the end of the semester

we had an award banquet. They went through the entire math and English classes and all the

other core classes. Then they got to the awards for the trade classes. I was sitting there with my

mom and Mr. Hensley is up there about to present the award for “Furniture and Cabinet Makings

I.” He gave a little introduction on the person receiving the award saying “Not only did this

person have the highest all about average out of every class, but each of her pieces were done

completely right and looked amazing, this award goes to Cameron Hopkins.” This was a since of

accomplishment. I had got many awards in other classes, which was great, but this wasn’t just

about my grades, it was about my skill, it was about showing my mom that I could do this, it was

about being one of the only girls to take this class and showing it wasn’t just a thing for guys.

This was one of the best moments of my life. I excelled in something I wasn’t expected to. I had

a skill, and I was good at it.

During the last week of school Mr. Hensley told us that he was retiring and wouldn’t be

back next year. This crushed me because he was what made shop class so great. Because of this

sad news I didn’t sign up for it my junior year. I was worried the new teacher would be mean or

not fun, and ruin shop for me. I couldn’t have that. I had such a great memory of it. I did not

want it to be ruined. So my junior year, I was not doing something I loved. I was in theatre class,

which was okay but not as great as shop. I wasn’t good at acting so when we had a play

competition, I decided not to participate but to help build the set. I ended up back in the shop

room a lot. I never got to use the tools, but it was great because I got to know the teacher. Coach

Keller. This guy was older too, but was bald and had a small beard that was like salt and pepper.

He was the man, and knew my family, which he loved so he automatically liked me. Because I

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got to know him and realized how cool and laid back he was, I decided to sign up for shop my

senior year.

I was back. Senior year I was back in the shop. Thankfully since I was in “Furniture and

Cabinet Making II” we didn’t have to do so much busy work. Keller was not as serious as Mr.

Hensley was so we didn’t have to make as much, we mainly got to just goof off. It was still my

favorite class ever. Now when I think about what I’m not only good at but I’m also passionate

about is building things out of wood. I can still remember the smell of the sawdust as it filled my

lungs and often made my allergies act up. I remember the feel of the wood that hadn’t yet been

sanded, having to be careful not to get splinters, then the feel of the sanded wood being so soft

you could rub it on your face. I can still remember how happy I was when I finished building

something, and had that sense of accomplishment.

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