Andre had a chat with our school’s Prefect of Discipline, Mr. Tank. Enjoy this piece as Mr. Tank looks back on his days as a high school student!
Please describe your high school.
It’s a public high school, boys only. In Taiwan. It’s very hard… [there was] military training, uniform… kind of just like you guys. We had to bring our P.E. uniform to school to change. We had rules for hair, it has to be very short. No tie. [We could wear] sport shoes all the time, but white only. White sport shoes, white socks. Long pants.
Please tell me about your family and how has your family affected your student career.
My parents came from mainland China. They came to Taiwan because of the civil war [in] 1948. They came here with Chiang Kai-shek. I have three brothers, two sisters, and I am the youngest one. My father treated me like a soldier. So I woke up pretty early, five o’clock in the morning. Usually, if there was no class I still woke up around six. Lunch time was always 11:20. See! I still remember the time!
So it was very orderly?
Just like in the military. Dinner time was always 5 o’clock. I always took a bath at 9:30. So, basically I [didn’t] study [very] hard because I [didn’t] have time to study! I had to sleep early.
A lot of the students are curious, how were you as a student yourself? Do you consider yourself a good student?
Academically, no. Like I said, I [didn’t] have time to study. But behavior-wise, yes.
Have you ever violated school rules as a teenager?
School rules? No. I always get a 99 or 100 in deportment grade.
What was the worst thing you have ever done in high school?
But I always followed the rules, so I don’t have any problem.
How about outside of school?
Ah! I played too much! Especially senior year, or grade 12. [I entered my] rebellious phase, and I went home late.
Were you rebellious when you were young?
I was rebellious, but not to the point of being unreasonable. Sometimes I would argue with my parents. But in school, I was fine…
Did you ever imagine you would be a Prefect of Discipline in an international school?
No, no one [could have predicted] it right?
That’s true!
I was surprised when I took the job.
Did you ever imagine that you would be a teacher then? Like in high school?
Yes, yes, I thought about that. But, like I said, no one can predict the future.
So some people are wondering, how are you so good in calligraphy?
I guess you would say it’s [a] talent? Sometimes you just know how to do something. Like when I see something, like a box, I would know how the angles turn. I am pretty sharp when it comes to angles or even music. I am able to identify which things make a certain sound.
