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June 8, 2015 Last week I had the opportunity to meet Eric for lunch and visit! I am looking forward to our next visit and I must say I am a believer in the great things I have been hearing about this man. First I had to look at him with some serious skepticism since I heard this guy 'has no Kewpie family history' and was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. Well, you know I was impressed or I wouldn't bother to be letting you know my opinion! But as you know my opinion is just my opinion, but this man makes me really feel good about the future of Hickman High School, the Kewpie Spirit not just being continued but being stimulated even more and GREAT things in store for FUTURE KEWPIES! I will let you know right now if Eric bleeds it's very likely he will bleed PURPLE, this man is into the Kewpie Spirit and Hickman High School and understands why we are so proud to have attended HHS and will forever be Kewpies! Back a few days before I met Eric I received an email from a dear friend I went to HHS with and it contained a poem her daughter shared with her who is a teacher at Hickman. I read this poem, as I hope you will do and it can be seen "by clicking here"...... When you finish reading it ask yourself if you don't think the same as I did before I met the author, "this man must be a plagiarist!" I had to meet the man who wrote this poem, that I wish I could have written and signed my name at the bottom..... It is an unbelievable characterization of what being a Kewpie has been about for 101 years and this young man has learned so much in such a short time! I am so proud to know he is Hickman High School's principal and I think you know how many great Kewpies I know and you can quote me; "Eric Johnson is as close to being a Kewpie as it is possible to be without having been a student himself!" I color this man PURPLE & GOLD! Please give this poem a read! Charley Blackmore, aka. "Mr. Kewpie" The Kewpie Gathering Place, Since October 1998 charley@kewpie.net May 22, 2016 "Eric Johnson is pushing the limits of history and tradition, by being on the verge of becoming the best principal ever to rein over the Kewpies at HHS! And I believe he is most assuredly the right person for the job at this moment!" Charley |
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We are… Numerous years, countless semesters, And thousands of people worth of excellence. We are Hickman!
WE ARE… TRADITION and INTEGRITY We
are the Columbia
community… A pillar standing tall. Generations of family memories-- lived,
remembered, recounted and passed down. That same familial spirit permeates within our
school walls. We ARE…Hickman We are The Great Depression conquerors… World War II vets and Vietnam Hawks and Doves, We are pacifists, Civil Rights
activists…Resistors. Freedom fighters and freedom riders… We ARE… Hickman We are Senior Heaven descend-ers, Junior class represent-ers, Soft-spoken, beanie totin’ sophomores, And Now…freshmen who knock on opportunity’s door. We ARE… Hickman We are Jay Stompin’, Bruin’ bustin’, Spartan
slayin’… Babies. We are Kewpies. A unique mascot to represent a unique entity Because We are Hickman! We stand in the rain at Alumni Stadium to support
and cheer for our team. We are Hickman. We’ll be the Dawg Pound Order, Kewpie Krazies,
and Super Fans until we die. We’re “Go Purple, Go Gold” And
“Strawberry Shortcake, Gooseberry Pie.”
We ARE… Hickman
WE ARE… DIVERSITY We are integrationists…(Rest in peace Dr. Battle) Our racial, ethnic, religious, economic and
intellectual diversity… A beautiful part of our story. We hail from many countries, speak various
languages, And our differences... A mosaic of shining glory… We ARE… Hickman We are artists, poets, performers, and musicians. Skaters, debaters, future business leaders,
politicians. We ARE… Hickman We’re heterosexual and LGBT in our sexuality… and
we embrace it. What makes Hickman,
Hickman are the people And nothing can replace that. We ARE…Hickman
WE ARE…Excellence We are Presidential Scholars…The most of any
school in the nation. We are National Merit finalists, Siemens scholarship recipients, And we are countless “perfect thirty-sixes” on
the A.C.T. We ARE…Hickman We are imperfect and recognize that every day is
a day to grow. We bring our shortcomings to the light and work
hard to improve, Because that’s what separates the great schools
from the good schools. We ARE…Hickman We are the embodiment of determination and the
face of resilience. We are gritty and perseverant. Incessant in our
quest for success We are not perfect, but WE ARE, HICKMAN! We are our teachers and we are our
students…United We are life-long learners and life-long friends. Once a Kewpie, Always a Kewpie Our motto shall always stand! We ARE… HICKMAN ~Eric L. Johnson, (August
2014)
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