Is there a secret Hollywood star teaching at UAIS? 

Maria+Isho%2C+Muskaan+Arya%2C+Phoenix+Battaglia%2C+Precious+Amuwha%2C+David+Miller%2C+and+Mr.+Hume+enjoy+a+peaceful+time+together

Maria Isho, Muskaan Arya, Phoenix Battaglia, Precious Amuwha, David Miller, and Mr. Hume enjoy a peaceful time together

Precious Amuwha, Reporter

It’s no surprise that UAIS teachers are adored by their many students. However, there has been recent speculation about the celebrity status of one staff member because of his physical and personal qualities. This speculation has led to intense debate, all centered around one person: Mr. Hume. 

Jefferey Hume is a 12th grade English teacher at UAIS and a member of Croc house and UAIS Racing Ahead. Though born in 1968, Hume likes to stay current by constantly conversing with his students about the latest trends and educating himself about matters that are important to his students. 

Sophia Franz, a 12th grade UAIS student, can attest to this: “I feel like he is really understanding.” 

Franz is not the only one who thinks so. “Humr the Boomer,” as senior Cassandra Hasaj has referred to him, is very well liked at UAIS, especially among the senior class. 

Hannah Varghese, another UAIS senior, stated, “I really like Mr. Hume because he makes classes a lot more relaxed.”  

Franz noted, “I like Mr. Hume and enjoy his class. I feel like he is… good at thoroughly explaining concepts.” 

So, what does Hume think about his fame?  

Hume was initially dubious, stating, “As a skeptic I have to be very critical of that… I must be messing something up, right?”

However, Hume later conceded. “No, I’m very flattered,” stated Hume. “I am very honored that people think that way.” 

Contemplating the secret to his prominence, Hume pointed to empathy: “It’s about being able to get people to recognize that they have worth and that they are worth listening to… that may be the lynchpin for success,” he confessed.  

Now, despite the common opinion at UAIS, there is a notable difference between being liked by 84 teenagers and being a fully-fledged celebrity. However, some have said that Hume does resemble many Hollywood stars— mostly because of his hair. 

Varghese stated that Hume looks like “Mark Ruffalo probably with just his mask and his hair.”  

Franz, however, disagreed. “To me Mr. Hume looks most like the celebrity Matthew McConaughey,” she said. “I think the main resemblance is with the long and slightly wavy hair.”  

Thus, there is a general consensus that Hume’s coincidental resemblance to multiple celebrities correlates appropriately with his UAIS star-status. Still, there are many ways to rise to fame, and there is some discourse about how Hume would do so, should he find himself in the Hollywood industry. To this end, students tend to think Hume would take the acting route. 

“If Mr. Hume was a celebrity, he would completely replace Matthew McConaughey’s career as an actor. I could definitely see him in Interstellar,” Franz proclaimed. 

Varghese agreed with Franz’s choice of profession. She said, “I think he could be a movie actor and director. Mainly because of him teaching English.”  

Hume completely disagreed, however. 

“I can’t memorize lines to save my life… I am so horrid at following a script,” he argued. “I know that from years and years of experience. It’s no longer a risk-taker thing. I’ve already taken that risk and screwed up so poorly.” 

Instead, Hume had a different idea: “I’ve just got to be a fashion model…. They can do a whole lot of touch-up and I don’t have to say anything, so that would probably be the safest,” he explained. 

Mr. Hume may be a doppelganger to many Hollywood stars, but despite the argument over which one he represents the most, there is no debate about Mr. Hume’s well-deserved (according to many UAIS students) VIP status in this program.