Theo Hardesty is the Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative Ada High School student of the month. The Icon took that opportunity to have the following 15-minute interview with him.
What’s your school schedule this semester?
Theo: Communications, Economics, Physics, Intro to Literature, Statistics, Conspiracy Theory, study hall and band. I take statistics for pharmacy at ONU. Next term I’ll take Introduction to Film in place of Intro to Lit.
What instrument do you play?
Theo: Trumpet. I tried percussion and clarinet, but really found the trumpet to be my instrument.
What are you thinking about doing next year?
Theo: Either interior design at Kent State or civil engineering at the University of Cincinnati. I’ve visited both schools.
Can you recall who you sat beside in first grade?
Theo: Caiman Goodman in Mrs. Hlasko’s class.
Do you buy or pack for lunch?
Theo: I’m a packer. It varies from a sandwich, protein shake to leftovers.
Who do you sit with?
Theo: The usual group includes Xander Wells, Alyssa Wince, Riley Davie, Sully Hasan, J.D. Shrader, Ryan Kilgallon and Jamie Theis.
We couldn’t help but notice your license plate. It reads LED FT. Tell us about that.
Theo: It’s a red convertible sports car, a 2003 Mazda Miata, with 107,000 miles on it. It’s kind of a weird story. The short version is that it came from a junk yard.
What do you when you aren’t in school?
Theo: Since eighth grade I’ve been a member of the Northwest Ohio Arctic Wolves sled hockey team. We practice in Bowling Green. The season is from September to April. We play mostly tournaments…several each season. I play forward. We practice once a week and about once a month are in a tournament.
Where has the team played?
Theo: Let’s see, Massachusetts, Detroit, Florida, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Ft. Wayne, Wooster and Columbus. We played in the Pittsburgh Penguins practice area. That was neat. I’m one of the founding members of the team.
We understand you are also on Ada’s quiz bowl team.
Theo: I’ve participated in quiz bowl since 7th grade. We’ve won the Northwest Conference meet three years in a row.
What music do you listen to?
Theo: I like electronic music. One of the groups is Daft Punk.
Tell us about your involvement in sports cars.
Theo: I’m an inspector, checking for safety and compliance, in amateur racing with the Sports Car Club of America. My grandparents did this, and so does my mom. I’ve been involved since I was 10.
And, Boy Scouts?
Theo: I’ve been in scouting since first grade. I’m in the Ada troop 124 and am a Life Scout.
Is there a movie you’ve watched and found it was so bad you wish you had your money back?
Theo: That would be Matrix 3.
Okay, one last question. If you could take anyone to a dinner in an Ada restaurant, who would it be and where would you eat.
Theo: I think I’d take Lewis Hamilton, a Formula 1 racing driver, and we’d go to El Campo.
Well, thanks to talking with us and good luck the rest of the school year.
