If you have taken the time to climb the beanstalk of room 104, the incredible presence of the 6-foot-5-inch Dean of Discipline, Mr. Eric Haruthunian, is not something to miss. He has been seen in the halls, towering over his students, because “you have four minutes to get to class, get there.” Last year’s dean was the “Greek God” Mr. Odysseus Svolos, and now Mr. Haruthunian is going to become Wantagh’s dean, someone kids can really look up to.

Mr. Haruthunian is new to Wantagh. He rivaled our town in his high school career, being a football player for Bethpage. When asked how it felt to now be a part of Bethpage’s longtime arch-rival, he chuckled, and simply said that he was going to bridge the gap. He attended C.W. Post as an undergrad and his first masters. He has a degree in Math Education, and teaches the also new to the high school freshmen first period and sophomores third period.

For the past eight years, Mr. Haruthunian was seen around Freeport High School. Whether it was teaching mathematics, coaching football, girls’ lacrosse, or wrestling, he was there. I’m not sure about anyone else, but I wouldn’t feel confident vying with a team led by him, he must have been a pretty intimidating coach.

Mr. Haruthunian described Wantagh as a “community.” Then went back and said that Wantagh was more of a family. That seems to be a common theme about Wantagh, a very tight-knit community in which everybody knows each other. He said coming into the job, he wasn’t nervous because he had already seen everybody smiling and knew this job would be very manageable. So far, he says there’s nothing he dislikes about it, the ideal school to discipline students (who haven’t really given too much trouble thus far.)

Mr. Svolos, our former “Greek God” of a dean, spoke to Mr. Haruthunian prior to his name being bolted on the door of room 104. He said that it’s a great job, and the students are great to work with. Speaking of, although we don’t have a Grecian dean, Mr. Haruthunian is Armenian and can speak it fluently (Along with some Spanish – being that he worked at Freeport High School it was very beneficial to have a basic comprehension of Spanish.) Historically, there’s never been a war between these two regions, and it looks like in Wantagh we’re going to see history repeat itself and these two will get along.

Generally, Mr. Haruthunian would like our rules to be enforced as a whole more so. Most important, the aforementioned quote “you have four minutes to get there, get there.” That’s the rule he is going to drill into the heads of Wantagh students. He doesn’t want students aimlessly and frivolously roaming the hallways when they’re supposed to be in class. Loitering in the lobby is also something he’d like to eliminate.

Wantagh’s own BFG, Big Friendly Giant, for those of you who haven’t read Roald Dahl’s work, does a lot in his free time. As far as sporting events go, he can tolerate the Mets and the Yankees, and also the Giants and the Jets (he leans more towards the Mets more so than the Yankees, though.) He absolutely cannot tolerate the Rangers, he’s an Islander fan without a doubt. Some of his favorite movies are “A Bronx Tale” and “Goodfellas.” He just loves the storyline of both films. He has a variety of favorite musicians. If you do in fact take the time to climb that beanstalk, you’ll see pictures of the Beatles in his office. He also likes The Doors, Led Zepplin, Tool, and he surprisingly listens to Dr. Dre and Eminem.

Although he may seem a bit intimidating, that’s his job. He’s new to the district and just getting a feel for things. Don’t just assume he’s mean and scary (as was the theme in BFG,) because he can surprise you, and he is doing his job. He’s not just here for disciplinary means, he’s also here to make a positive effect, which is why he got into Administration. So just get to class on time, respect the school, and follow the rules, that’s really all he’s asking.