The John Near stare. Anyone who has ever had Mr. Near as a teacher will remember that look he got when you had done something foolish or frustrating! The reason the John Near stare was so effective was that at all other times, Mr. Near was the most thoughtful, considerate, passionate teacher you had ever met. He touched our lives in so many ways, which is why we invited him to be our Baccalaureate speaker. As a teacher, I often think, “What would John Near do?” His influence on my life is immeasurable.

Karan Lodha ‘04