Every year, fortunately for the students of Bethel Park High School, they have the option of whether or not to partake in the school’s Chess Club. Generally speaking, the Chess Club, advised by the methodical mastermind of chess, Victor DiPrampero (Mr. Vic), has its first meeting of the year roughly at the onset of winter.
It may come as a surprise to some of you, but yes, Mr. Vic, perhaps arguably the greatest pure, picture-perfect teacher to ever walk the face of planet Earth itself, is indeed in charge of your very own Bethel Park High School Chess Club.
Joining Chess Club is an effortless choice to make, as it involves eating, socializing, and playing competitive chess, while simultaneously putting yourself in a situation where associating with a disputed chess icon, Mr. Vic, may in fact take place. What’s not to like? To make an analogy, the first walk through the halls towards the room of this queen on the Chess board, Mr. Vic, would be like “approaching the innermost cave.”
When the thought of Chess itself comes to mind, I can’t help but think, “this is quite possibly the greatest board game ever invented.”
And when the opinionated topic of who’s the number 1 teacher in all of Bethel Park, I also can’t help but think, “even though this may come across as perhaps a difficult question to answer due to options and or opinions, it’s quite obvious that during the thought process, a ray of light shines from up above and after a flash, there stands before your eyes a shadowy figure, none other than the uttermost pure form of greatness itself, Mr. Victor Diprampero.” In other words, I am indeed, speaking for the rest of the Chess Club as well when I say this, we could not ask for any greater of a time with any other teacher in BPHS, when specializing in perfecting the perfect art of Chess.
Mr. Vic provides nothing but a comfortable “Chessmopheric” environment. A veteran in the art of instructing chess, Mr. Vic, knew when becoming the advisor of the Club, he had to seek out anything and everything to create a popular club. With committing himself to the task, he very well knew, if succeeding, truly what a club this could eventually expand into. Looking at it from a larger scale of things, for example, maybe it would blossom into a community-wide gathering involving all ages of children to stay out of harm’s way and play a complex, skillful game, Chess.
Brilliantly enough, even though success was inevitable, when the topic of Chess is brought up, downfall isn’t in the cards; again, Mr. Vic grasps unattainable perfection. Now folks, when speaking of success being inevitable, Mr. Vic took the definition of the word success, and gave it most certainly a whole new meaning, for last year’s Chess Club had merely over 4o members, making it one of the biggest after school clubs Bethel Park offers.
On a more serious note, there have been rumors circulating that due to the teacher’s being without a contract, there might not be a Chess Club this year.
This, ultimately leads me to dwell upon the fact of how our own teachers that we receive a quality education from daily, still at this point, do not have a contract. Even I, Gino Johnson, a typical high school teenager, can understand that a sense of appreciation does go a long way.
Fortunately enough, I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Vic and ask him a few questions concerning the aforesaid rumors or speculations. He confirmed that the rumors were true; nonetheless, he said, “We are going to have it this year. The reason it is not cancelled is because kids don’t deserve to suffer.”
To be quite honest, I agree with Mr. Vic. The teachers do need and deserve a contract. But until they do get it, it’s not right for the students to be slighted. So, the Chess Club will continue, and as members, we need to find a way, no matter the cost, to continue expanding our rapidly growing legacy that our Chess Club quite frankly, strongly has.
During the end of the Club last year, at one of the final meetings, Mr. Vic and I were conversing about perhaps, competing against other schools this year in order to honestly test out how much skill/potential our best players actually have. Mr. Vic said, “It would give my elite players an opportunity to compete. The biggest hurdle is transportation, but I would love to do it. If the school allows me to, I will drive kids to tournaments myself.”
After interviewing the literal boss, Victor DiPrampero, it is confirmed that the Bethel Park Chess Club will indeed be making another appearence this year. All of the rumors and speculations regarding this matter at this moment in time, are now abolished. Mr. Vic, the king of the 4th floor, the boss of all bosses, and more specifically the boss of all chess club teachers, is looking forward to another year of Chess Club.