One of the brilliant minds in the English department, Richard Orlopp is as kind-hearted as he is wise. Richard and I are both teachers in the IB Diploma Programme on campus, so we work closely together quite often. His wry sense of humor is very entertaining, and his insight into his craft is extremely astute.

Besides being close coworkers, Richard and I are very good friends. Another commonality we share is that we both married accountants who get along just as swimmingly, even though the constant discussion of spreadsheets can be a little much at times.

The four of us have socialized together on occasion. Richard and his wife are regular guests at our annual murder mystery party, not just because we like them, but also because we know that they will always exceed our expectations in costume preparation and character portrayal.

If I wore a hat as often as Richard does, I would tip it in honor of my colleague and friend, Richard Orlopp: a clever man and a loyal comrade. Any student that has him as their teacher is truly blessed, and anyone who has even met him once should consider themselves very fortunate.