It hurt worse than a paddle (I think)

Summer Band went along the schedule of Summer School; 8am-noon daily. There was a 15 minute break in the middle of the day that you could buy pop or snacks, or just rest up, or do something stupid and get in trouble.

The new Science Building (which also housed the gymnasium and the band room) had been opened only a couple years earlier. It had a new type of light switch throughout — that required a key, but would also work with a properly inserted fingernail file. 

One one of those mid morning breaks, a small group of us were going through the building with a fingernail file. If the light was on, we turned it off. If off, we turned it on. Nothing damaging. 

I even remember exactly where the light switch was that I was operating the file. It had become stuck and I was trying to get it out. Someone behind me said, “Copenhaver’s coming”. Yeah, sure, right?

I finally got it out and, as I turned around, standing completely inside my comfort zone, was Mr. Copenhaver. No one else in sight.

“Go wait for me in my office”, he said calmly.

I hadn’t spent much time in his office. I could see his large Phi Mu Alpha paddle hanging next to his desk. He did use that. Sometimes in inspection practice (inspection was part of some competitions), he would carry that paddle as he walked in front of the line. If your instrument didn’t pass the white glove test or if you moved, he would say, “That’s one.” That meant that an eternity later when he was on the next line behind, he would whack you with that left-handed paddle. And if the paddle made you move — he’d do it again. For the record, I never got the paddle in inspection. 

Sitting in his office, I fully expected at least one of those whacks. 

He left me there for an uncomfortably long time — on purpose, I’m sure. 

Eventually, he came into the office, closed the door, and sat in his desk chair facing me. 

He looked at me and calmly said,

“I’m disappointed, John. That’s all. You can go.”

The paddle would have hurt me less than that. 

I spent the rest of my high school career trying to make him proud. I think I did.