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FEATURE
SUMMER 2005 THE LIGHTNING STRIKE PAGE ELEVEN
NEW PRINCIPAL FEATURE
Welker
the man
REAL WELKER,
from FRONT PAGE.
year. As an “unfocused” student,
one of his teachers pulled him
aside one day in class.
“He told me I was smart and
talented, but I wasn’t putting
those traits in the right places,”
Welker said. “That changed me.”
Welker learned from this
experience and used it to better
himself. Now, his role models
include students, teachers and
those “close to me, in touch with
who I am and what I do.”
And one may be surprised
about what, exactly, he does.
Welker enjoys J.D. Salinger’s
Catcher in the Rye, though he
fancies “chick books”, too.
Shakespeare and Faulkner
are among his favorite classic
authors, though he prefers murder
mysteries.
“If someone doesn’t die in the
first ten pages, I’m not interested,”
Welker said.
As for music, his taste
is eclectic. It ranges from
electronica to hip-hop to new
age. He speaks very highly of DJ
Tiesto and Black Violin, a group
that blends classical violin with
rap.
Sushi: He’s a fan.
“There is no such thing as
bad sushi, except for really bad
sushi,” Welker said.
He keeps his meat eating to
a minimum, though he does not
consider himself a vegetarian.
Legumes, carrots, cauliflower and
beans are among his favorite.
“If I had tomatoes and beans,
I’d be happy for the rest of my
COMPILED BY MALKA ABRAMOFF
life,” he said.
One may find the lean, 6foot-3-inch
figure on a Saturday
afternoon at Aventura Mall
shopping for Abercrombie and
Fitch and Juicy Couture, so as
to keep himself updated on what
today’s students are wearing.
However, Welker’s television
tastes may somewhat differ from
the general student population’s.
Instead of MTV’s reality shows,
he prefers to watch the History
Channel, Discovery Channel and
assorted law programs.
Welker mourns the passing of
Star Trek and considers himself
a futurist—he believes that one’s
personal fulfillment lies in the
future and not in the present or
past.
“I try to keep my head
elevated, so I see what’s ahead
of me,” he said.
But for now, Welker keeps
himself elevated with bungeejumping
stunts. He has also been
known to dress up as a pencil on
the FCAT testing day.
On a more serious note, his
choice philosophers include
Confucius and Goethe. In
general, he admires “thoughtful
people who sit down and really
try to resolve issues that are in the
mainstream of thoughts.” Welker
uses these men as inspiration
for himself, as he also enjoys
pondering vital issues.
“Hopefully, someday
somebody will read my quotes,”
he said
But right now, Welker
remains an insightful man. A man
of mystery. A Starbucks lover. A
dancer. And most of all, principal
of Krop.
Q:
A:
How do you feel about Principal Dr. Matthew Welker’s morning thoughts?
“People don’t care but personally
I think that he has
something to offer knowledge
wise.” Senior Alfredo Lujan
“I like it because it’s
so positive and gives
me inspiration.”
Junior Galit Tkacz
“It’s better than not having
anything. It makes me
think about what he says.
It’s cool.”
Junior Jean Paul Casanova
PHOTO BY KATIA PHILIPPEAUX
“It depends on what
day I feel like listening
to it.” Sophomore Araixa Ruiz
“His voice is so
monotone it makes
me sleep.” Junior Michael Cowgill
WHO IS
WELKER?
FUN FACTS
Nicknames: Matt,
Doc
Height: 6’ 3”
Weight: 147 lbs.
Welker was spotted
several times on campus
wearing Oakley
sunglasses, which
he likes because
“they’re cool!”
If Welker could take
one Krop elective, he
would choose journalism
because he
enjoys writing.
WELKER IN
HIGH SCHOOL
Welker attended Pace
High.
His prom theme was
The Next Step, and
the theme song was
“Stairway to Heaven”
by Led Zeppelin.
Despite his tall frame,
Welker did not play
sports in high school;
instead, he participated
in the science club.
COMPILED BY NAOMI ENZINNA
“I haven’t
heard it yet.”
Senior Rony Valencia