Adding an Artistic Flair to the Art Department

Students and faculty of Cliffside Park, allow me to introduce you to Ms.Russo the new jewelry design teacher. I sat down to interview Mrs.Russo regarding her experiences in the world and education.

Before we get into the juicy stuff there are some things you should know. Mrs.Russo graduated from New Jersey City University then furthered her education at Montclair State University. She worked in commercials and advertising back when they used to draw by hand instead of on computers. She took a break to raise her children and after taking four years off Mrs. Russo began teaching. She taught at a middle school in Passaic and at an alternative high school for a total of twelve years of high school teaching experience.

Now we can get to the good stuff, For starters she is really easy to talk to. She wasn't intimidating or any thing like that. She talk to me like we were equals which is occasionally difficult that's hard to find with authority figures. One of the highlights of the interview was when I asked her what one of her best memories was throughout her careers. She said that the alternative highschool students were respectful and would tell her cool stories. She then explained how the fact that them telling their stories to her meant a lot to her because she finds it important to be able to understand where her students are coming from.

One quote that Mrs.Russo stands by is “creativity is more important than knowledge” by Albert Einstein. That quote spoke to me because its so true. It's creative ideas that transform into amazing stories.

I asked Mrs.Russo what cartoon she could relate to and she said the Rugrats. She said it was because they were sneaky little kids and the fact that they had their own language that nobody else could understand. Haven't we all felt this way before? In the wise words of Mrs.Russo “Art is all over EVERYTHING” you can truly be inspired by anything. Let's hope that this article inspires you to ask more questions and maybe share some stories with Mrs.Russo yourselves...