Here it is, the article you have all been waiting for: a tell-all of the deep, dark secrets of the man affectionately dubbed Safari Steve. What’s really hidden beneath that seemingly innocuous cowboy hat? At the risk of disillusioning our student population, Steve Haugh is not, in fact, some sort of undercover desperado. Rather, he is a Minnesota native and sports enthusiast.

Born and raised right here in Minneapolis, Haugh grew up in the 1960s, and, in his own words, “[A] part of me is still there.” A history buff since high school, he is particularly interested in, “The United States War of Rebellion 1860-65,” and reads as much as he can on the subject. This passion for history apparently runs in his family. He has three sisters and a brother, with whom he has traced his family tree back to the 1750s.

When asked about more recent history, his adolescence compared to ours, he replied, “The kids of today are much more PC, MUCH MORE, (and) in my opinion that’s a good thing. Kids today are much more informed about the world. In my day, it took days or weeks for some news to get out, today everything gets out at the speed of someone’s phone.” However, he added, “Sports were a large part of high school in my day, I am glad to see that they still are today.” In true sports devotee form, with the words of Sachel Paige, a legendary American baseball player, Haugh stated, “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?”

As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. In that vein of continuity, Mr. Haugh has an impressive ability to foster longevity in relationships. He stays in contact with a large number of his high school and even grade school friends, many of whom he has known for fifty plus years.  He has also worked at Blake for more than ten years, and this is his eighth year at the Northrop campus.

It would be remiss not to mention Steve’s musical inclinations. His home boasts an impressive set of four sound systems, of which, he assures us, “ALL use vacuum tubes.” His favorites range from, “classical: Beethoven, Mahler, Haydn, Handel, etc.” to jazz, “I listen to big band swing jazz, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, The Duke, and Latin/Cuban jazz, think Desi Arnaz, Xavier Cugat, Tito Puente, etc…The Blues, my list is so long…from Robert Johnson to Son House to Leadbelly to Sonny and Brownie to Howlin’ Wolf to Muddy Waters.” Mixed in is, “Irish music from the Clancy Brothers, the Irish Rovers, Simple Minds (and ) Black 47.” As was mentioned earlier, “I am stuck in the late 1960s and I don’t mind one bit!…Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the holding Company, the Doors, Rolling Stones, Moby Grape, Jimi, and, of course, JANIS.”

So, if you are ever struggling with a history test, or just need some advice on a soundtrack to jam to, stop by and visit Safari Steve. If you don’t have time, simply remember his 4 points of advice for all Blake students and you should be all set and ready to go.

Steve Haugh’s advice for Blake students:

1.  If you don’t like what you’re doing, do something else.

2. Keep your answers short, but accurate.

3. Trust but verify.

4. Life is short, live all you can.