Who is he? A D-construction

D or “Mr. D,” as he likes to be called, is perhaps one of Samo’s most infamous staff members. Upon hearing his name, many a student becomes clouded with fear, instinctively looks over their shoulder and prepares to walk gingerly past should the dutiful security guard be lurking by.However, these students know nothing of D - only hearing of or experiencing his wrath should they not have had their ID card out upon attempting to enter campus. In all honesty, even I at first was intimidated by the man who demands from students nothing more than what his job entails. Upon introducing myself to D, he would not allow me to begin scrutinizing the details of his life until I returned to the second floor of the Innovation Building and retrieved my “press pass,” a proper form of identification proving that I was, indeed, a staff writer for The Samohi and not a student cutting class in order to spend some quality time with him. Once past this first obstacle, though, I learned who D truly is. A conundrum. Possibly the most straightforward yet mysterious person I have ever been acquainted with, and not at all the tyrant I had been warned of.Throughout our discussion, D made it very clear he was an open book with nothing to hide. In fact, he gave me express permission to watch him from a distance at any time and report anything he may be doing wrong to administration. He even encouraged me to take candid photographs. But upon asking where he was from, he looked me straight in the eye and informed me he was not from this planet. He continued to describe an anecdote in which a stork plucked him from his home planet, which he finally admitted was the East Coast, and dropped him in Santa Monica, telling him to find a job in the school system.D who has worked at Samo for almost 15 years, was at Lincoln for six before and was a childcare director at Webster through the YMCA for a year prior to that. Though he worked with children before then, he claims those details are private and cannot be disclosed.My conversation with D was very choppy. Every time we started really getting into something, a new person was trying to either enter or exit campus. Of course, D had to act on his claim to fame, hassling anyone who did not have their ID out. He often went about this by making comments, such as, “I can’t read minds. How am I supposed to know who you are?” or “What’s the point of having an ID if you’re not going to use it?” He was not afraid to yell at students, donning headphones and breezing through the gate, in order to get their attention.Though they may seem unnecessary and over the top, all these actions are attributed to none other than D’s deep love for the students of Samo and his goal to keep them safe.“What would I do if I let someone in without checking their ID and something happened? These children are precious, their lives are precious. I can’t just let anybody on campus,” D said.D’s favorite thing about the students at Samo is their honesty. Whether what they have to say is good or bad, he appreciates the truth and finds it refreshing.In addition to students and their honesty, D loves relaxing. To him, relaxing is synonymous with Netflix. He enjoys shows which revolve around monarchies, such as “The Crown,” and spends his weekends glued to the screen.His favorite food is tuna, though it is the only kind of seafood he will ever consider going near. Everything else he deems disgusting. He is also put off by the smells and tastes of alcohol and drugs, and opts for cranberry juice or lemonade instead. This, he believes, is how he maintains his youthful look. As D informed me, before I could even ask, his least favorite thing in the world are lazy people who do not do their jobs. However, a close second are horoscopes. He considers them to be witchcraft and satanic. “Only if I were to be getting paid, would I ever, maybe, go near anything like that. It’s man-made, unnatural. Nope!” D said.Throughout my time spent with D, I witnessed him laughing, joking, aggravated and amused. No matter his mood at any second was, he was always confident and self-aware. As long as he is happy with himself, it does not matter what anyone else thinks. This mindset is something we both agree our campus needs more of.“I don’t change for no one. Only you know you,” D said.