I thought of a list of icebreakers, hoping to not only futilely crack some ice on the roads, but crack some of the barriers between teacher and student. With this list of questions that Mr. Quesnell, Dr. Mansfield, Mr. Lelinksi, and Mr. Dawson thoughtfully answered, perhaps we can humanize our teachers just a tad bit more here at DSHA and make them more relatable and accessible.  

• Who is your hero?

Mr. Quesnell: “My parents are my heroes. They taught me Christian values, love, and hardwork.”

Dr. Mansfield: “My two sisters. They’re amazing, and I look up to them. They’ve been a huge support.”

Mr. Lelinski: “My dad. He taught me to be the best I could be.”

Mr. Dawson: “Abraham Lincoln.”

• What is your biggest fear? 

Mr. Quesnell: “Like most parents, I worry about the future of my kids- including all my Dasher girls.” 

Dr. Mansfield: “Heights.”

Mr. Lelinski: “Not doing a good job of raising my children, and that they will not possess qualities that make them good people.” 

Mr. Dawson: “Heights. I don’t like flying.”

• What makes you laugh the most? 

Mr. Quesnell: “Silly kids with a sense of humor.”

Dr. Mansfield: “Satire.”

Mr. Lelinski: “Good comedy, Shrinking on Apple TV, My wife, and moments in class that catch me off guard.” 

Mr. Dawson: “I like bad jokes and dad jokes.”

• What would you sing at karaoke night? 

Mr. Quesnell: “A Counting Crows song.”

Dr. Mansfield: “‘Bust a Move” by Young MC.”

Mr. Lelinski: “Natasha Bedingfield – ‘Unwritten’.”

Mr. Dawson: “‘Blowing in the Wind’ by Bob Dylan.”

• If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

Mr. Quesnell: “Bananas and peanut butter.”

Dr. Mansfield: “Eggplant parmesan. Everytime I order it, it’s amazing.”

Mr. Lelinski: “Tacos. Street tacos with rice on the side.” 

Mr. Dawson: “It’s a tie between baked potatoes with something on them and tacos.”

• What’s your favorite zoo animal? 

Mr. Quesnell: “Elephants are fascinating.”

Dr. Mansfield: “Bats.”

Mr. Lelinski: “Grizzly bears.”

Mr. Dawson: “Giraffes.”

• How often do you buy clothes? 

Mr. Quesnell: “Only when I have to.”

Dr. Mansfield: “Hardly ever. Maybe three times a year. Books, though, are weekly purchases.”

Mr. Lelinski: “Almost never. I bought shirts last week for the first time from Bonobos.”

Mr. Dawson: “Not often. I’m still a hand-me-down guy.”

• What’s your favorite TV show? 

Mr. Quesnell: “Watching baseball.”

Dr. Mansfield: “Downton Abbey.”

Mr. Lelinski: “Severance.”

Mr. Dawson: “This is Us.”

• Do you love or hate roller coasters? 

Mr. Quesnell: “Neutral. Haven’t ridden one in years.”

Dr. Mansfield: “I love rollercoasters, even though I hate heights.”

Mr. Lelinski: “I don’t need them in my life.”

Mr. Dawson: “Hate. It ties into the heights thing.”

• Do you collect anything? 

Mr. Quesnell: “I try to collect adventurous memories.”

Dr. Mansfield: “No.”

Mr. Lelinski: “Coffee sleeves from Colectivo. Seaglass.” 

Mr. Dawson: “I collect lots of things. Ricola cough drops because you never know when they’re going to stop making them. Air force 1’s because you never know when they’re going to stop making them.”

• Is the glass half full or half empty? 

Mr. Quesnell: “Half full!”

Dr. Mansfield: “Definitely half full.”

Mr. Lelinski: “Half full.”

Mr. Dawson: “Half full, especially in the morning. I wake up happy.”

• What is one thing you will never do again? 

Mr. Quesnell: “Hit a homerun.”

Dr. Mansfield: “I will never be late getting to the airport.”

Mr. Lelinski: “Get a master’s degree. It was just a lot of work and time.”

Mr. Dawson: “Ride the sky gilder or whatever it’s called at Summerfest. I rode it and was miserably scared.”

• If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which would you be? 

Mr. Quesnell: “A whitetail deer.”

Dr. Mansfield: “I would be a chimpanzee.”

Mr. Lelinski: “A dog, like one of those faithful mutts.”

Mr. Dawson: “I like cats and how much they sleep.”

• What does your favorite pair of shoes look like? 

Mr. Quesnell: “Sandals.”

Dr. Mansfield: “Dansko clogs. They’re very comfortable.”

Mr. Lelinski: “Brown dress shoes with wingtips.” 

Mr. Dawson: “Air Force 1’s or my Birkenstock Arizonas, but only for home.”

• What’s your favorite movie? 

Mr. Quesnell: “Eight Men Out.”

Dr. Mansfield: “When Harry Met Sally.”

Mr. Lelinski: “Little Miss Sunshine.”

Mr. Dawson: “Armageddon Time. Glory is good, too.”

• Who knows you the best? 

Mr. Quesnell: “My wife, Mrs. Quesnell.”

Dr. Mansfield: “My sisters.”

Mr. Lelinski: “My wife.”

Mr. Dawson: “My wife, Michele.”

• If you could time travel, what time period would you travel to? 

Mr. Quesnell: “The 1700’s in the American West.”

Dr. Mansfield: “I would travel to the 1960’s. I would want to be there for the Civil Rights marches and movements. I would want to be part of that.”

Mr. Lelinski: “I would time travel to frontier era Wisconsin.”

Mr. Dawson: “I would go back to the 1990’s. There were some bad events – but no huge wars or anything. I liked the flannel shirts back then, and the Spice Girls were at their peak.”