The Aquilian
December 2016 Volume 79, Number 3
Gonzaga College High School Men For Others Since 1821 www.theaquilian.com
19 Eye St, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Mr. Michael J. Pakenham, 1958-2016 Each morning, when I come to school, I go right to my desk in homeroom, Physics. And, every day, Mr. Pakenham was already there before me. Physics is not only hard for students to learn and understand, I suspect it’s also not the easiest material for a teacher to explain. With terms like “vector,” “angular velocity,” and “amplitude,” its difficult concepts can cause a lot of angst. Mr. Pakenham, however, had a way about him that helped to calm our fears. He had a steady and comforting manner of teaching. He made us laugh with his off-handed
comments like, “You just gotta know it.” or “The ancient Greeks knew this stuff without graphing calculators.” His brand of humor helped to motivate us – because if people understood these concepts thousands of years ago surely we could too. And even if we weren’t that confident in our mastery of the subject, Mr. Pakenham was confident that all of us would get there.
His was a class that helps prepare us for the future when we might encounter a problem we wouldn’t otherwise be able to solve. Now when I see those problems, I’ll think of Mr. Pakenham, and although the memory will make me a little sad, I know I’ll smile and be grateful.
dents who may not have brought in canned goods, he encouraged those students to go to Walmart during first period on the canned drive’s last day to fulfill our charitable duty. He was quite confident that going to Walmart to buy food for the poor was as important as sitting through Physics class.
Whatever may have stopped it, Mr. Pakenham had a kind and commitAs complex as physics ted heart. Not only was class sometimes was, I he kind and committed to genuinely looked forward us and our school, but he to it - no matter how hard was also kind and comor difficult the homework mitted to those not as foror tests were. Thanks to tunate as us. I saw that Mr. Pakenham, I felt confi- first hand in his commitdent and ready to face the ment to the recent canned challenge. food drive. For those stu-
I did not realize how important Mr. Pakenham was in my life until Monday. When Father Planning came in to tell us about the tragic news on Monday morning, I could not believe it - I still can’t. I thought, for sure, Mr. P was on his way to never missing a day of teach-
ing Physics to our class, and his death leaves an absence not only in our lives, but, in our hearts. All those funny moments each morning will be missed, but not forgotten. Thank you, Mr. Michael Pakenham, for being our teacher and our role model for the time we had together. Your Gonzaga family will be forever grateful for all you have done for us and our school - you will be forever loved, and never forgotten. You are a Gonzaga legend. Jack Vachon
The Aquilian 2
Mr. Michael J. Pakenham, 1958-2016 Mike Pakenham encouraged me to interview for the admissions director job back in the spring of 2005. It was the best move of my professional career, and working for Mr. Pakenham was an honor. He was a caring and thoughtful leader. Also, his sense of humor was never far away. He valued laughter and not taking one’s self too seriously, and I loved that about him. What I always enjoyed about Mr. Pakenham, though, was listening to his stories. He led a full life and did what he loved, which was teaching. But he had a story for everything. Just when you thought you had him figured out, he would tell you about the summer he worked as a cooper in a whiskey factory in his younger years. When he arrived at Gonzaga, I was a junior here on Eye Street. While I never had the honor of being his student, I know he was the best of teachers. We have lost a great friend, teacher, leader, colleague, and mentor. He has earned his rest and a place in heaven. He also now has something he always wanted - the best seat in the house at Lambeau so that he can watch his beloved Packers. Mr. Andrew Battaile Admissions & Financial Aid
My favorite memory of Mr. Pakenham is this: Days before I was going to be away from school for my wedding, Mr. Pakenham came by my classroom and asked me if I would be at lunch the day before I was to travel to Pittsburgh for my wedding. I said that I had a meeting that day. He asked me to change it and told me that he had wanted to surprise me with a cake. Naturally, I changed the meeting. Then at lunch that day he had brought a beautiful cake that he (and mostly his wife Elie, as he told me) had made for me. It was a simple gesture from my friend, whom I had lunch with nearly every single day. I will miss his generosity and humor at that table. Mrs. Shannon Berry Religion Department I met Mr. Pakenham early in my career at Gonzaga, and we quickly bonded over our shared appreciation for noir fiction. As soon as we talked about Gone Girl and The Maltese Falcon, Mr. Pakenham would regularly leave copies of books he’d already finished in my mailbox for my reading enjoyment. I wish I’d read more of those so we could’ve talked about them. I got to witness first hand his thoughtful leadership, keen insight, and sharp wit when we served on the Headmaster’s Advisory Committee together and shared rosters of overlapping students. Mike really cared about his students’ performance, and I learned a lot about honesty in teaching and meeting students where they are from him. I’d see him every morning in the Dooley hallway, and recently he just remarked to me how he’d just learned that my hometown, Seattle, had two letter “t’s” in the name. I was mid-coffee and a little sleepy, so I was a little confused, but it was so funny to him that it became funny to me too. He was the consummate learner. It was just one more in the many shared moments that I will miss with Mike each day.
Mr. Pakenham demonstrated strong support for the faculty and staff, particularly during trying times and new endeavors. He occupied the Headmaster’s office during the crisis of Sept. 11, 2001, and modeled calm concern for the welfare of all during that horrible day. He also encouraged establishing the Fencing Club in 2006, and enabled us to hold our own practices by authorizing the purchase of equipment. Thanks to him, Gonzaga was then and is now a better place. Ms. Barbara Nierman Ms. Sarah Miller Modern Language & Classics Department
If we had to write letters of recommendation to get into Heaven, Mike would not fall in the top 10% or even top 5% category; Mike would fall under the category of one of the most exceptional people in my 24 years of knowing him. My simple words to describe him would be faithful, brilliant, witty, kind, reflective, insightful, and gentle; I wouldn’t be able to choose just three words to describe Mike. Mike’s letters of recommendation would be optional, because his life’s resume has given him early admission to Heaven. I will forever be grateful to have had Mike as a friend and mentor. I am a better teacher and person because of Mike. Thank you Mike for being my friend! I will miss you! Mrs. Marilynn Kelley Science Department
In January 2011, we were preparing to send a Kairos retreat off when we suddenly discovered two adult leaders wouldn’t be English Department able to attend. Mr. PakWhen I arrived at Gonzaga 17 years ago, it was Mike’s first year as headmaster. At the faculty meeting before mid-terms enham was on sabbatical after his years serving that year, Mike paused at the end of the meeting and suggested that faculty be thoughtful when they write their exams. I’m pretty sure, he said, that most boys, when they leave here, won’t remember that much about Physics, Biology or His- as Headmaster. He gentory … but the one thing they will never forget is the encouragement, the support and the care they received from each of erously interrupted his you on a daily basis. That concern is the most important thing we do here. That little pearl of wisdom has guided me for time away, attended that Kairos, and ensured the the past 17 years. Mike had many gifts, but one of them was the ability to cut through all the crap and focus on the big picture. I always found that his instincts were right on. He was quiet and understated, but his dry sense of humor and his retreat could be offered. generosity of spirit inspired me and always made me want to do more and to try harder. Whether he was cooking with the That was my first year at Gonzaga, and I had never boys at Campus Kitchen or teaching physics, he did it with the utmost joy and competence. He was my guiding light on met Mike before, so when Eye Street. I found myself serving as the substitute director Mrs. Patty Tobin of that retreat, his gentle Librarian kindness and presence Mr. Pakenham was always supportive of Choral Arts. Chamber Choir had been collaborating with Visi on some concerts, were a surprise gift to me but were having trouble making it work because of schedules, and the fact that they had 85 girls and we had 20 guys personally. He was so at the time. Mike suggested we try collaborating with Holy Child in 2006 instead, and we have kept it going since then. even-keeled that I don’t Besides our usual Christmas concert, in 2015, members of the Chamber Choir and Holy Child’s Vocal Ensemble also sang think I recognized at the together and had an audience with Pope Francis in St. Patrick’s Church at 10th & G Street. Mike also started the tradition time just how much his of singing Like An Eagle at Graduation. After he heard us do it the first time as headmaster, he said, “That’s the perfect availability meant to the graduation song. Don’t ever do anything else.” We tried another song when the new headmaster took over, but Fr. Conti guys on that retreat, the said, “No. You will do Like An Eagle as always.” adult team, or me. Mr. Jeremy Young Fine Arts & Music Department
The Aquilian
Founded In 1940 Gonzaga College HIgh School 19 Eye Street NW Washington, DC 20001 www.theaquilian.Com Men For Others in the Jesuit Tradition Since 1821
Mr. Stephen Szolosi Campus Ministry Editors-in-Chief Peter Brown ‘17 Nick Lazaroae ‘17 Editors Dela Adedze ‘17 Griffin Buising ‘17 Charlie Goetzman ‘17 Michael Jerakis ‘17 Matt Gannon ‘18
Phototography Jack Chesen ‘18
Moderator: Dr. Harry Rissetto
Mr. Michael J. Pakenham, 1958-2016 Mr. Pakenham’s tests and quizzes usually were different formats every time we took one. He would always spend some time going over the format, and I’ll never forget the time he shell-shocked us with the fact that, “The test consists of questions that you have to answer.” Ben Gossart
Every day I would always be the first one to enter Mr. Pakenham’s room for 7th period Physics class. Every time it would begin the same way, same greeting, and sometimes involved a quick conversation about the Nationals while their season was still going on. Mr. Pakenham was a very relaxed, enjoyable teacher to be around and his presence will be missed at Gonzaga. Andrew Holden
When one student couldn’t get a problem right and I did, Mr. Pakenham said that even I could get it right and, in the words of Mr. Pakenham, “He’s a blockhead.” Johnny Jordan We were getting our first physics test back. Mr. Pakenham was going over the solutions. I wasn’t really paying that close of attention until he came to the problem I got wrong. He said something like “whoever got this question wrong is stupid, it was just stupid!” I quickly raised my hand and said, “ Yea I did that!” He looked at me with a grin and said, “Well you are stupid, stupid for that!” Mr. Pakenham was the only teacher that made me feel okay about failing a test. Austin Lizama
Once when Mr. Pakenham was demonstrating how to do a lab he was spinning around a plunger on a string, and someone yelled out “Yee-haw!” and he smiled. Andrew Jopeck
On the first day of school, I was eager to see who Mr. Pakenham was. I had heard many things about him and I was interested to see what his class would be like. As I walked in the classroom, I expected a greeting or an introduction. We all took our seats and nothing was said for about the first five minutes of class. We all just looked around at each other waiting for words to be spoken. This funny moment on the first day of school made me realize Mr. Pakenham was a special teacher. I am glad to say he was my teacher and I will truly enjoy the special moments we had together in our 7th period physics class. Labi Koi-Larbi Mr. Pakenham was a true representation of what it means to be a Gonzaga man...a real man for others! You will certainly be missed, but your loyalty and spirit will leave a legacy that will never be forgotten. Kenny Miles ‘88
Mr. Pakenham, was my physics teacher this year. We had a lab where my partner and I had a tough time understanding the content we were writing about. On one question, I had no idea what I was doing and my answer was very weak. Mr. Pakenham read my answer out loud then said, “Grant, you should have just wrote I’m an idiot.” Grant Melville
Every Quiz we had, he would always roam around the room looking at our answers then at us. It was always nerve-wracking and always compelled me to change my answers. Solu Obiorah This morning news of my high school physics teacher passing away woke me up faster than any speed problem we covered in class. When the force of a sudden tragedy equals your body’s mass multiplied by the acceleration of the thank you’s you wish you said, you realize your knowledge of Physics formulas will not bring Mr. Pakenham back to life. Instead, the things he taught you will keep the memory of him stretched into infinity.
And isn’t that the beauty of teaching? Not necessarily who the teacher was but how they gave you things you’ll remember long after they’re gone.
Sometimes, we don’t even realize what we’ve learned until it’s too late. John Hulede ‘13
The Aquilian 3
Something I remember about Mr. Pakenham is on the last day of the canned food drive, barely anybody in his homeroom had brought in any cans. In response to this, Mr. Pakenham told about 3 students to pool their money together, go to Walmart and buy some cans for the class. After about a 20-minute absence the 3 students returned with literally a shopping cart full of cans. After seeing this Mr. Pakenham began to show off his rare laugh. Whenever Mr. Pakenham laughed it made the class cheer up for the rest of the day and it will be something that I truly will miss about him. Matthew Massaro
One of my first memories with Mr. Pakenham was in August, early in the school year, when I really had no idea what the class would be like. He opened the class with a clip from Despicable me, a movie that no one would expect Mr. Pakenham to even know about. I remember laughing hysterically with the rest of the class, with him playing the video over and over to get his point across. He always would get his point across while being hilarious as possible, he could have told us we’d gotten 0 questions right (and he did) but still it wouldn’t feel bad, you’d know it’d be alright. Brendan Long
Mr. Pakenham had a great sense of humor. I remember when he said he could blindfold a chicken and send it across a DC highway, and that it had more of a chance of not being hit than us getting a zero on a quiz that we all failed. Duncan McDonald
Stopped by Eye St. in early Sept to say farewell to a few people before heading off to grad school later in the week. Ended up crossing paths with Mr. Pakenham as I was walking through the hallway. We ended up having a solid 10min conversation about how much he enjoyed his return to teaching and interacting with the students on a more personal level, as well as spending a bit of time reminiscing about the good old days when he was headmaster. Just an all around good man, the sort that helps Gonzaga feel like home for anyone who has been a part of it. The man will be greatly missed, though his legacy will continue to live on in the thousands of lives he managed to impact during his years as an educator. EJ McCarthy ‘07
The Aquilian 4
Mr. Michael J. Pakenham, 1958-2016 The one memory of Mr. Pakenham that I’ll have for the rest of my life happened sometime last month. I missed a day and had missed a lab, so Mr. Pakenham told me to come to his classroom during 8th period to make it up. I arrived at his classroom about 5 minutes after the period started and he was nowhere to be seen. Knowing that I had a few more days to turn it in, I decided to go home. When I stepped outside of the doors, I saw the shining top of Mr. Pakenham’s head descending down the steps toward the field. I couldn’t help but laugh and admire his bluntness. Ethan Carven
I remember the first time we ever made him smile, the whole class burst into laughter, and we could really see the love for us in his eyes. He smiled because we had just taken a quiz and many of us failed the quiz entirely. As in some of us got a 0%. He then proceeded to say that a blind chicken had a better chance crossing I-95 without getting hit than we had getting a 0%. I, along with the rest of my third-period class, will never forget the times we made him smile. I have never had a teacher whose smile made the rest of the class laugh and smile. He brought so much joy to all of our lives and always roasted us for failing a test but we knew it was all out of love. He really did care for us and made physics interesting to learn. Gonzaga lost a true legend, Mr. Michael Pakenham. Marcio Cracel
Earlier in the year, Oliver Shackley, Tom Koenig, and I decided to do a feature for WZAG where we would interview Mr. Pakenham and have some fun. We told Mr. Moore our idea, and he approved it and told us to send Mr. Pakenham an email. Tom sent one to Mr. Pakenham, and when Mr. Moore saw it he said, “I bet he never replies.” Mr. Pakenham then replied with an assuring “OK.” We were very happy. The day we were supposed to film however, there was a mix up with the rooms, so we had to go set up in Mr. Donnellan’s room. We told Mr. Pakenham that it would be about 15 minutes and that we would get him in his room when we were done. We ended up taking a little longer than expected (20 minutes), and when we went up to get Mr. Pakenham, he was nowhere to be found. And I don’t mean that he just wasn’t in the room and may have been in the bathroom or something. I mean the lights were off, the door was locked, and all of his stuff was cleared off the desk. He had just decided to pack up shop and head home. There was nothing we could do but laugh at this move that only Mr. Pakenham could pull off. Brian Doolan
Michael Pakenham had a profound impact on my life. In the spring of my senior year of college I received a letter from Mike inviting me to apply for the Alumni Service Corp (ASC). Up to that point, I had not given any thought to pursuing a career in education, in fact I was already studying for the LSAT and gearing up for the law school application process. Something about the tone of his letter grabbed my attention and I began to consider applying for the ASC and putting law school on hold for a year. In my interview with Mike we talked about my time as a Gonzaga student; he wanted to know who my favorite teachers had been and why I loved their classes, we also spoke about Kairos and community service experiences I had participated in during my time on Eye Street. The entire interview felt more like a conversation with a friend about old times than a formal application. To my surprise, the next day I received a call from Mike offering me a job in the Campus Ministry office, not as a member of the ASC team. In that phone call he was affirming of what he saw as my gifts and talents and expressed his confidence that I was up to the job if I chose to accept it. Fifteen years later, I look back on that phone call as one of the defining moments of my life. I accepted the job in campus ministry and the seven years I spent in the department were some of the most fulfilling of my life. While working in Campus ministry a student introduced me to his older sister, who would eventually become my wife and mother to my two children. I count these among the most incredible blessings God has ever granted me. Mike also encouraged me to pursue a master’s degree in Education and supported my transition into teaching in the religion department. I have come to believe teaching is my vocation and find my job at Gonzaga to be tremendously gratifying, I doubt whether I would have come to this understanding without Mike Pakenham’s support and guidance. In short, Mike saw something in me I could not see for myself and his love and care changed the direction of my life forever. I feel blessed to have known him and thank God for bringing our lives together. Good bye dear friend, rest easy and be at peace. Mr. Brendan Hartnett Religion Department
For the canned food drive this year Mr. Pakenham let me and another classmate go to Walmart during first period to get some cans. Instead of coming back with a bag of cans each, we brought back 96 cans and a shopping cart to our third floor classroom. This put a big smile on the face of Mr. Pakenham and when Mr. Pakenham smiled, everyone in the room could notice. Max Draddy
Mr. Pakenham was brilliant. He was tough and uncompromising, and also deeply empathetic. He suffered young fools like me because he saw the potential beneath the foolishness. He didn’t care who “won” or got the top grades, but he cared deeply that you gave it your all and gave of yourself to those around you. Mr. Pakenham was a Man among Men for Others.
Dan Driscoll ‘01 I had Mr. Pakenham as a physics teacher during my Senior year, and frankly I’ve never met a teacher who made failing Mr. Pakenham telling us that a chicken so fun. Class became a pun filled daily with its head cut off has a better chance event where he displayed his spectacular of crossing the highway then us missing knowledge. The best moments were when every single question on the quiz. he came out of his seemingly antisocial Michael Flynn exterior, and actually shared a smile with the class. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen, and was pretty hilar- My favorite memory of Mr. Pakenious. He was experienced and most likely ham is on the day of the can drive. had seen all Gonzaga had to offer, but I We came in to first period, and there always believed that the group we had was were about 20 cans in the room. Mr. something special. After difficult exams Pakenham really wanted to do well, and trying to learn the impossible language so he got money from most of the known as physics, I made it my mission students in the class and gave it to to thank him after every class, no matter Max Fisher. He sent Max to Walmart how bad I failed. He would never respond, to buy as many cans as possible which again I found humorous. During with the money we had raised. Max class it seemed like he made a personal came back with an entire Walmart effort to incorporate me in every joke and shopping cart full of cans, which Mr. school related lesson. When I’d see him Pakenham promptly forced Max to around campus, he’d actually say “hello” return. We did not win, but we had a and I felt overjoyed to hear a teacher come fun time gathering all of the cans. out of his shell for. I’ll miss him and the good times he gave us. Rest In Power John Goodyear Jarell Gibbs
The Aquilian 5
Mr. Michael J. Pakenham, 1958-2016 Mr. Pakenham was a quite serious man. He smiled rarely, but when he did smile, it was amazing. He had such a lovMr. Pakenham was a really great teacher, ing and playful smile, it was especially nice because to even although his class was difficult, he made it see the smile is so rare. On the Friday of St. John’s week, fun to fail. The class environment was very calm compared to the other classes, and was Mr. Pakenham’s homeroom (my homeroom) was running low on cans for the canned food drive. Mr. Pakenham was the one class I was always looking forward to going to. One of our main objectives in the very disappointed in us but we told him we had money class was to either make Mr. Pakenham laugh and we would go buy cans from Walmart. He opened the or smile and I will remember every moment classroom door and said, ‘If you’ll aren’t back in twenty minutes, you all have JUG.” Well when Maxwell Draddy, that he did. Max Fisher, Duncan Macdonald, and I were checking out Reyni Arbutiski of Walmart with 96 cans, we realized we couldn’t carry all the cans back with our hands. With time running out (we Charles Adams had been gone for 16 minutes now) we were at the entrance of Walmart with the cans in our cart wondering what to do. I then sprung the brilliant idea to just bring the whole cart I remember I always looked forward to physics class as a senior. Mr. Pakenwith us. So, Maxwell and Duncan raced to ahead to tell Mr. ham did a great job teaching physics, and making sure his students understood the concepts. I was not surprised to see that he became Headmaster two Pakenham that we were coming, while Max and I hauled the cart through the school grounds. Once we walked into years after I graduated. May his soul rest in peace. the classroom, everyone started laughing and I saw a big Derek Arledge ‘98 smile grow on Mr. Pakenham’s face. Now he did not smile much, so I’m going to remember that day as the day I made One of my lasting memories of Mr. Going into this year, I knew of Mr. PakenPakenham smile. We didn’t win the homeroom reward, but Pakenham occurred when I was atham, but I honestly had never seen him from I put a smile on his face and that is better than winning free tempting to graph the data from the freshman through junior year. I’m glad I breakfast. lab. Thinking I was being smart I got a chance to be taught by him especially quickly put the data in a spread sheet with all the history he had at Gonzaga. He Colin Bruckwick and graphed the data and turned in obviously taught me physics, but he taught the graph. Within minutes, Mr. Pakenme how this will be used in life and used ham told me and my lab partner that examples from real world situations. He was the graph was wrong but he wouldn’t a naturally funny and chill guy even when he tell me what was wrong. He then wasn’t trying to be. He was a great man and came over to the computer where I will be dearly missed by the Gonzaga comwas working and helped me fix the munity and especially by his family. graph. When I turned in the graph for the second time he told me that I need Ryan Bell to learn to use Excel better and that I “need to learn how to graph data on Best memory of Mr. Pakenham was when we Excel properly and then use it properly were in a physics lab and Pak was making fun for the rest of my life and never get it of a student’s lab. A student had a percent wrong.” Mr. Pakenham didn’t just care of 180 error. He said that is like flying from about if we learned physics, but he Dulles to LAX and you end up in the Philipwanted us to have skills that would alpines. He then proceeded to write “you’re an low us to succeed in college and life. idiot” on the paper. Mr. Pakenham was a role model for all of his students. He always made his class enjoyable through interjections such as “you just gotta know it!” or explaining how the formulas for physics were true in class, and “in The Galapagos islands!” Having him as a teacher first period and for homeroom always began my day with a smile, even if I wasn’t feeling great that day. Mr. Pakenham’s class was a memorable experience for me, along with the rest of my classmates.
John Beckham
Jake Bergmann
Mr. Pakenham you were a special special man in every sense of the word. I have never ever known the meaning of “looking forward to a class” until I took physics this year in room 326, where in just 3 short months I have made memories that will last my whole life. A lot of these memories aren’t necessarily any long or deep conversations we had or even anything about physics whatsoever, admittedly I can rattle off way more of your legendary and hilarious quotes then define any physics terms I was supposed to have memorized. You weren’t big on conversation, usually because most of the things I would ask you were solely to try to make you laugh, not laugh, but kind of smirk and call me an “idiot” or say “I probably tortured cats when I was younger.” Thank you for letting me just blankly nod when you would ask me “Do you understand this?” Thank you for never giving anybody JUG, you for sure could have sent half the class every day, but you didn’t, just grin, destroy them with an insult and continue teaching. I probably talked in your voice over 50% of the time, it never got old. After your class last period I always went home with a smile. It brings me peace to know that I was able to make you laugh in your final days, Senior year is not the same without you at all. You will be missed by everyone. Teddy Blumenauer “You just got to know it!” -Mr Pakenham. Mr. Pakenham made a subject that I was not the greatest at, an enjoyable experience. Even if I was having a bad day, I could always count on going to 7th period physics class and having a great time. With Mr. Pakenham gone, Gonzaga will never be the same.
My favorite memory from Physics class happened just a couple of weeks ago. One kid in our class used Yahoo Answers to get a 100% on Webassign, but he got about a 40% on the test. The student claimed he would be saved by his impeccable Webassign score, to which Mr. Pakenham responded, “Well when you use Yahoo Answers on the Webassign, it shows up on the test, when you get about a 0.
Miles Brown
Michael Dommel
The Aquilian 6
Mr. Michael J. Pakenham, 1958-2016
I remember the day after turning in one of our lab reports, Mr. Pakenham told us that our labs, as usual, were sub-par. He proceeded to pull up one of the labs, which I immediately recognized to be mine, on to the projector. He walked through each answer that I wrote down and explained how unfathomably wrong it was. He told the class “the weight of the toy car that you wrote down, is the weight of a small truck” and that “the velocity that you measured the car to be moving at, is 5 times slower than a caterpillar.” Normally I would have been mad to have had my lab bashed like that in front of the class, but I found myself laughing so hard that I had tears coming out of my eyes. Mr. Pakenham was the only teacher that I have ever had make failing assignments fun.
The fondest memory I have is when a fellow student in my class asked a very specific question about a problem and Mr. Pakenham responded with “You just gotta know it!” This was the first time we got him to laugh because the classroom erupted.
I will remember Mr. Pakenham’s contagious laugh and smile. Every time he smiled or laughed, the whole class would immediately begin to smile and laugh with him. His smile will always be remembered as one of the best and brightest at Gonzaga.
On the first day of my final year at Gonzaga I strolled into Mr. Pakenham’s classroom. Having never met him, I didn’t know what to expect from him. Over the next few months, he showed our class the wonders of Physics. His curiousity inspired our class, and so many classes before ours. Gonzaga will move on, but Mr. Pakenham’s legacy will last forever.
Simon Miller
Kevin Newell
Dennis O’Brien
My favorite memory of Mr. Pakenham, when he put mine and Simon Miller’s lab on the board and he said how horrible we did, at one point he told us we should have just written “I’m an Idiot!” The whole class laughed and he gave his little chuckle where his mustache would jiggle. AJ Powers To teach us about vectors, Mr. Pakenham put on a short clip from the movie “Despicable Me.” In this clip, an evil villain called himself Vector because “It’s a mathematical term, represented by an arrow with both direction and magnitude. Vector! That’s me, because I commit crimes with both direction and magnitude. Oh yeah!” This stuck with me and now I will never forget what a vector is.
Joseph Murphy
Mr. Pakenham was a kind and helpful teacher that truly cared for his students. I remember one time he waited after school for an hour just to ensure that he answered all of our questions. Even though from the outside he seemed mean and strict, there were several times where he showed his humorous side by cracking jokes. I believe it is those times that all of his students cherish the most. He will truly be missed in and outside of the classroom. Edwin Ramirez Andy and I were doing a lab report and had no clue what to do, our percent error was 1,273%, I honestly don’t know how we possibly did something that wrong but we did. Pakdaddy did not even write a correction on our lab he just covered our graph in red ink that read his favorite word “IDIOT”. Andy and I got the lab back and just started laughing and took the lab up to him and one of his rare smiles went across his face and sent us back to our desks saying “I can’t teach you this stuff” because we just wouldn’t even understand what he was saying. It doesn’t feel the same not having him in class everyday but I know that his voice and sayings will live on throughout all of us. Seamus Murphy
One of my most memoThe one time that I was rable experiences with the able to make Mr. Pakenham Ryan Myers great Mr. Pakenham was laugh was the morning of when we got our second Halloween this year. When I to last tests back and we entered his classroom I saw I don’t think I’ve ever been in a class so joyful after receiving a quiz back with a class avall did pretty poorly. The him with the same classic erage below 20%. Mr. Pakenham started out by explaining that he calculated the chance a actual bad grades weren’t outfit that he always wore blindfolded chicken had crossing the beltway and that percent was higher than our quizzes. the most memorable with not even an attempt While I’m not sure it was always intentional, he had a way of cheering up a disappointed experience, but the way at a Halloween costume. As class. His unique semse of humor and ability to brighten a room is something that the GonMr. Pakenham smiled and a joke I said to him “Nice zaga community will miss. laughed about how “every costume Mr. Pakenham,” problem was on the web and then I turned and went William Schuler assign, and we all still got to my desk. Without lookthem wrong” brought a ing I heard a quiet laugh and Mr. Pakenham was one of the nicest teachers Mr. Pakenham’s class was unlike any chuckle to nearly everyI knew that I had earned a that I have had at Gonzaga thus far. I will al- other that I have had this year. His laid one’s face. smile from him. ways remember the day that he asked every- back personality inspired endless creJohn Roberts one in the class to pool their money together ativity and a fun and energetic environ- Eddie Scott and go to Walmart to buy cans for the canned ment. Mr. Pakenham had a unique way food drive. They came back with a shopping of expressing his humor with humility. Mr. Pakenham was by far one of the best teachers I have cart filled with cans and we all were blessed One class when he was criticizing our had, and probably will ever have. He was able to teach with his rare but fantastic smile. He will be lab reports, Mr. Pakenham told us that us while keeping us entertained. Believe it or not, physmissed in 1st Period Physics. “you’d be better off writing ‘I’m an idiot’” ics was the class I most looked forward to each day. Mr. and said that he would have a better Pakenham’s jokes and playful insults kept a room full of Tommy Redmond chance of “running a blindfolded chick- Gonzaga students paying attention in class like I have en across the beltway than having [us] never seen before. Probably the weirdest thing about get a question right” on our tests. Mr. Pakenham was a stern man who always his death is that I don’t see him walking past my eighth brightened my day with his smile and a musperiod class anymore. Only days ago, I would look out tache wiggle. Gonzaga suffered from a huge loss Brendan Morahan the window of my Social Justice class and occasionally with his passing, and one could only hope our see him walking by; now, the hallways are quiet. I still memories of him live with us forever. glance out the window when I am in deep thought and expect to see him walk by, but I never do. Kevin Thompson Henry Nimey
The Aquilian 7
Mr. Michael J. Pakenham, 1958-2016 I had the fortune of having Mr. Pakenham for physics my senior year at Gonzaga in 1991-1992. I remember being nervous about the class, having already struggled with biology and chemistry. I asked a friend what Mr. Pakenham was like. "Pak's the man," he told me. And he was right. Physics turned out to be one of my favorite classes and Mr. Pakenham was one of my favorite teachers I ever had at any level of education. Mr. Pakenham somehow made me really want to learn physics and even enjoy it. He used to assign us articles to read from Scientific American. One day he saw me reading an issue and noticed that it did not come from the school library. He asked where I got it and I told him that my dad subscribed to it. He then asked me, "Is your dad an engineer?" "No," I said. "He is a doctor." "Really, where did he go to medical school?" "I don't know," I responded. Mr. Pakenham then walked up to the front of the class and announced to the whole class, "Bonus question on the next test. Where did Mike's dad go to medical school?" Obviously I had to ask my dad where he went to school because everyone in the class was going to ask me the next day. That evening I asked my dad about medical school and learned few other things I had not known before. The next day I told everyone the answer and we took the test. I'll never forget what Mr. Pakenham said several days later when he handed me back the graded test. "Congratulations Mike, you communicated with your father. Wasn't so hard was it? Thanks, Pak. Mike Keefe '92 Mr. Pakenham was easily one of the funniest teachers ever. His sarcasm, personality and character made him one of a kind. His class was near impossible, but that never stopped him from making his lessons funny. My bad days would always end when I stepped into 7th period, and my good days became that much better when I stepped into 7th period. When I began to catch on to Mr. Pakenham’s personality at the beginning of the year, I thought it would be funny to try and make my everyday interactions with him more comedic. I began by telling him how good he was looking everyday to which he always replied, “Yeah I know. I look good everyday.” We eventually came upon our first lab. The lab was meant to give students a hang of what was going on in the class, and should have been an easy A. When our labs were handed back, Mr. Pakenham said, “You guys mostly got C’s and D’s. You didn’t do better than I expected, but you didn’t do worse. Good job.” He used to say that he “wouldn’t really show you guys how to do this stuff, you just gotta do it. Use your imagination, and think with your pencil.” One of my favorite interactions with Mr. Pakenham was when we were reviewing for a test one day. He told us that if we had any questions, we had to email him before 8. We asked him if he was going to bed at 8, and he said, “No. I’m just not gonna be helping you guys after then.” Instinctively, I told him that I would send him a late night text. Mr. Pakenham’s eyes stared me down for a few seconds before informing me that I was an “idiot” because I “don’t even have my [his] number.” Two days later, Mr. Pakenham handed our tests back which were surprisingly strong compared to our usual performances. When everybody had their test and saw their grade, we all proceeded to run around the classroom, jump on desks, pounding our chests making gorilla noises for a few minutes. When we were finally done, Mr. Pakenham said, “you guys are really stupid” and his mustache then wiggled up and down which provoked more laughter as usual. One day I came to class and told him I had to leave for a swim meet. He told me that there was “no swim meet today.” After about 5 minutes, I told him that I really had to leave, and that he could check the athletic calendar. With his mustache wiggling in sync with his laughter, he told me that he “would check the calendar tomorrow.” My frustration was growing, but I couldn’t help laughing at how difficult Mr. Pakenham was trying to be with me, perhaps as payback for my difficultness with him. I finally told him that I REALLY had to go because I would be late, and he told me to “ride the metro or somethin’ - then you won’t hit traffic.” At this point, everybody was laughing too hard to even care if I went or not, so I just picked up my stuff and left with a huge grin on my face. Rest Easy Pakdaddy, until we meet again. Oliver Shackley
Mr. Pakenham said our lab results were 3000% percent off the real scores, and that WE CAN’T MAKE STUFF UP. He said that our class average for our quiz is close to 30%, and a blindfolded chicken walking across the highway in DC had a better chance of making it alive then us failing that easy quiz. Best quotes: “You just got to know it,” “Probably tortured cats as a kid.” The best exchange? “Do you guys know Tyco Brahe?” Someone in our class replied, “Didn’t he discover a supernova?” Pak, “Maybe...but he HAD NO NOSE!” Cameron Warfield
My favorite memory of Mr. Pakenham is when he first laughed with the class over a demonstration of two dimension kinematics. He couldn’t stop laughing with us and it was also the first time we ever saw him laugh or smile.
My favorite memory of Mr. Pakenham was during the labs. Brendan Morahan and I had no idea what we were doing for half the labs so we would ask constant questions. Whenever we would ask a question he would simply say “If Sanchez can do it, you can too.” then walk away. Another memory is when we asked him about the Gonzaga soccer game and if he watched it. He replied “I left after it was apparent that Gonzaga had no defensive line” Mr. Pakenham was always blunt to us about what he thought and we loved it.
Myles Washington
Victor Trindade
Mr. Pakenham was a mysterious man when I first met him. As he continued to teach me, I started to see more of a funny loving side of him. One memory I have of him explains his humor. After the Presidential Election, I went up to him and said “Mr. Pakenham, you should have run for President.” He replied “no” and walked away.
It’s hard to describe Mr. Pakenham without knowing him personally because he was truly an uncommon individual. Each class day was usually run the same way and didn’t vary much. Structure was the name of the game, and Pak-Daddy was the king of it. You’d enter the room and he would be at his desk preparing for the lesson. After a stern hello, he’d ask you to take your seat. Then the class ran like any physics class, with problems on the board and explanations that followed. And it would have always been just a normal boring physics class, but Mr. Pakenham was the deciding variable. He brought a presence in class that set the tone and was purely Gonzaga. Being able to make him laugh, or at least bring about a soft smile was considered a great feat, not because he was a mean teacher, but because he took his class very seriously.
One day when we had lab, he would normally talk to us then go to the lab room and we would follow. He walked over by himself and expected us to follow but nobody did. Cliff Wallace
Brian Townsend “Last time you had multiplechoice, the class average was about zero,” Mr. Pakenham replied, surprised by our desire for a multiple-choice section on our test to elevate our grades to match those indicated on our recent interims. We all laughed. Moments like this highlight Mr. Pakenham and our physics class; we never failed to find humor in all situations, whether good or bad. James Walutes
Devin McNulty
Mr. Michael J. Pakenham, 1958-2016 I struggled in Mr. Pakenham’s class because I am not particularly good at Physics and Mr. Pakenham was aware of this. I missed a day of school and was not present when he handed back a test. I went to him outside of class time to see what I had scored on the test. I did not do too well and he could see the disappointment on my face. He looked at me and told me not to worry and that this was better then my previous test. He said that with practice I will score better as the year goes on. This made me feel a lot better about myself and about my physics grade. Mr. Pakenham could of easily handed back my test and not have said anything to me, or made a joke about how bad I did. Mr. Pakenham did not do either of those things. This encounter that I had with Mr. Pakenham describes him perfectly, someone who sought the best out in people. Just like so many other students I will miss Mr. Pakenham. He will be forever be missed on Eye Street.
When I walked into my first period class on November 28 I wrote an in-class essay on Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, when I finished, I turned in my essay, and grabbed my phone to check the time. My phone had 23 messages from a group chat I share with my closest friends. The first message read, “So Pakenham passed away?” It is an odd feeling, leaving school Tuesday for Thanksgiving break, then coming back the next Monday to find out your teacher had a heart attack in his sleep. Mr. Pakenham did not speak much, but was as funny a teacher as I have ever had. Not because he was outgoing, but because he always seemed grumpy, and what he did have was an appreciation for sarcasm. Our class once had a 25 point multiple choice quiz where the average was a 5, and his response to our grades was “If a blind chicken were to cross a highway, he would have a greater chance of crossing, than you getting all these questions wrong if you guessed.” I will take these memories with me when I leave Gonzaga. It’s sad to think Mr. Pakenham will never return to the classroom, but the students he taught will forever remember his legacy. Billy McKinnon My name is Stephan Miller, I graduated from Gonzaga in 2011. I had Mr. Pakenham as my physics instructor. He was my most inspirational teacher, and inspired me to pursue science. I am currently a PhD student in plant pathology at Colorado State University. I would like to share this exchange I had with him when I was doing my undergrad at the University of Maryland. It was a simple email that I had sent to him thanking him. This email shows how much he influenced me after high school. I am not sure I would currently be doing a PhD if it wasn’t for Mr. Pakenham getting me excited about science because he was so excited about the material he was teaching.
Will McCann Mom was very unhappy. Her eldest son called home and said he would be returning late from school and would miss his SAT college essay prep class. Mom, as all good Gonzaga Moms do, inquired as to why? Eldest son reported our beloved Headmaster had unfairly JUGGED him. Now, some of us knew of the Headmaster’s prudent, at times stern, but fair use of discipline within the hallowed halls of Gonzaga. However, some were not so acquainted with this characteristic of the Headmaster. The offending boy’s Mom was amongst that group. So, upon hearing the news she took it upon herself to challenge our Headmaster’s sense of Jesuit justice and fair play. He was unavailable to take Mom’s first call but returned the favor later the same afternoon. At which point, Mom launched into a rather strong and assertive discourse about, “How her eldest son had been unfairly treated, what kind of school was this that allowed her poor son to be disciplined for such a minor infraction, that he was missing an important prep class and how disappointed she was in the administration of justice at Gonzaga. A school she noted, that prides itself on teaching the boys the important Jesuit principals of social justice!” Headmaster was quiet for a second or two and then explained in a calm tone that perhaps, Mom was mistaken. “How so,” inquired Mom. Well, Headmaster explained, “Her beloved son was not jugged for having his shirt un tucked.” “Hmmmm,” Mom thought to herself, this challenge to the Headmaster had suddenly taken on ominous overtones. And then without fearing the inevitable response, Mom rose again up to the challenge and in a somewhat incredulous tone asked, ” Well then, what has our poor boy done to deserve such an outlandish penalty.” Our Headmaster, being the kind gentlemen he was, decided not to claim victory outright, knowing this was a first time Gonzaga Mom, and politely/graciously responded, “Your Son was jugged, and I might add, not just once but for the entire week, and if it happens again, he could be suspended.” Mom was silent, fearing the worst now, and believing that this discussion with the Headmaster was not going to end in a favorable result. And beginning to feel that perhaps it was not our dear Headmaster who had jumped the gun, but maybe she for challenging the Headmaster’s judicious and fair application of justice without first having ascertained facts before drawing conclusions. She also started to have doubts about her beloved son’s veracity, knowing his penchant for liberal interpretation. Our Headmaster then patiently and graciously explained that her son, he was 95% certain, had locked a substitute teacher in a closet in one of Gonzaga’s hallowed classrooms. And further the Headmaster noted it was rumored upon such action, said student declared to his fellow students that class was now over since there was no longer a teacher present. Agreeing to the infallible logic of their fellow senior, all the boys left the classroom, firmly closed the door behind them and retreated to the Senior Lounge adjacent to the library for further reflection and study. A few weeks later, in a quiet smoking corner of the yard where Mike and I used to puff away with Doc, I inquired of the event. Our Headmaster noted that he enjoyed the conversation with my wife, and appreciating that we had a current and future lineage of two more boys at Gonzaga, he mused that he might not be receiving additional phone calls from their Mom concerning his discretion and application of justice. Thank you Mike for all your years of service benefitting our family. Gonzaga Grads waiting for you up there with open arms.
*********************************** 5/2/13 - My name is Stephan Tomas Miller and I had you as my physics teacher my junior year at Gonzaga. I am not sure you remember me as I was quite quiet and probably seemed uninterested half the time. Nonetheless, I am writing you to thank you as you were one of the most influential teachers I have ever had. I never communicated with you or really got involved, but I always deeply admired you and have always held a lot of respect for you. I can’t thank you enough for being such a genuine and great teacher. Even though I believe I got Cs in your class (Cs that were probably D’s), it was probably one of my favorite classes not because of the material but because of the way you taught it and the dedication you put into the class. To this day you continue to be a role model for me and I wish, at the time, I had put in the effort to show you this. I am currently an Agricultural Science and Technology student at the University of Maryland. Thank you for everything that you did and continue to do. You have always been an influence for me despite the short time you were my teacher, and I have yet to have another teacher/professor like you and doubt I ever will. Thank you so much, words cannot fully express my gratitude. Stephan Miller 5/2/13 - I do indeed remember you Stephan! Thanks for the kind words. You weren’t as bad a student as you may have thought - those grades you earned were legit! I’m glad to hear you’re pursuing science at UMD. Hope all is well. Mike Pakenham