Monday Trivia gets Oscar screen test

PERRY -- For Jason Fuchs, the letter “X’’ has marked the spot where he once enjoyed his proverbial 15 minutes of fame.

That fame, however fleeting, still rears its head like a long-necked Xylopotamus at this time every year, like something right out of a Dr. Seuss book.

Jason will reach for the red, three-ring binder that serves as the scrapbook for his magical fifth-grade year of 30 years ago. There are photographs, newspaper clippings and the most prized page of all -- a hand-written proclamation from Dr. Seuss himself.

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904. The man better known as Dr. Seuss would be 110 years old if he was still alive. He remains one of the most beloved children’s authors and illustrators of all time.

For the past 17 years, his birthday has been celebrated by the National Education Association as part of national “Read Across America Day.’’ It will start on Monday this year, kicking off a week of reading by students, teachers, parents and community volunteers.

A generation has passed since Jason found himself in a parallel universe with the imaginative characters and metrical verse of Dr. Seuss. He is now 41 years old, with children of his own, and teaches sixth-grade science and social studies at Perry Middle School.

In May 1984, he was a fifth-grader at Clough Elementary in Rome, N.Y. His father, Bob, was stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base. (In 1985, the family was transferred to Warner Robins. His mother’s name is Claire, and he has an older brother, Michael.)

A reading class at his school had been assigned to find animals in Dr. Seuss books, starting with each letter of the alphabet. They searched every dog-eared page in the school library for the Horton the Elephants and Yertle the Turtles in the world of Seuss. They came up with something for every letter except “X.’’

Out of curiosity, a secretary at the school wrote Seuss through his publicist to inquire about the “X” exclusion. Much to the surprise and delight of the school, Seuss wrote back, apologizing for what he called an “X-asperating oversight.’’

“It’s about time I did something about it, and pretty soon I will,’’ he wrote.

The teachers at Clough decided to hold a contest to challenge the 440 students to use their creativity and come up with their own suggestions.

Jason took out his box of crayons and gave birth to what he called a “Xylopotamus’’ -- a hippopotamus with a xylophone on its back. The creature played the xylophone with its tail, and Jason gave it a long neck, like a giraffe, so it could turn its head to watch its own musical performance. It wore a red drum major’s hat. Jason said his musical theme probably was the result of learning to play the trumpet that year.

The school received about 100 entries, and Jason was selected as one of 11 finalists. Among the other animals were a Xaroo, Xaboo and Xerphadorious.

Seuss graciously agreed to judge the finals. Actually, he wrote back and said he had appointed the “Cat in the Hat” to be the official judge. Even his publicist was surprised he consented to judge the competition because of his busy schedule.

Seuss personally declared Jason as the winner with an “Official Proclamation.’’ It was free-handed in ink and crayon with a drawing of the “Cat in the Hat.’’

This is to announce to the City of Rome and the rest of the world that Jason Fuchs is the winner of the Animal X-ing Contest with his most amazing Xylopotamus. Signed, The Cat in the Hat and Dr. Seuss.

He included a separate note, congratulating the students on their “X-traordinary hunt for the X-traordinary X-ample of Dr. Xeuxx fauna.”

The contest brought a measure of notoriety to both Jason and the school. It was written up in local and state newspapers. The Syracuse Post-Standard cleverly reported the story in the form of a Dr. Seuss rhyme.

Jason’s last name, Fuchs, is pronounced “Fox.’’ Or, as the Dr. Seuss book might say, “Fox in Socks.” He is a 1991 graduate of Warner Robins High School, and has been a teacher at Perry Middle School since 1997. He spent a year in Afghanistan in 2002-03 with the Army Reserve, working with special forces.

Over the years, he has joyfully recounted the story to his wife, Beth, and children Spencer, 11, and Addison, 6. Spencer is in the sixth grade, only a year older than Jason was at the time. Addison is a first-grader at Kings Chapel Elementary, and Jason shared his Dr. Seuss story with her kindergarten class last year.

Jason considers “The Lorax” to be his favorite Dr. Seuss book, and he took his family to see the movie. (It was released two years ago today, on March 2, 2012.) As a science teacher, he appreciates the book’s message about taking care of the earth.

His children have grown up in an era of Xboxes and The X-Factor. But they can still appreciate their father’s own version of Generation X.

Dr. Seuss died in 1991 and, to Jason’s knowledge, never included the contributed Xylopotamus in any of his stories.

Jason once thought he spotted it, though. It was on a crowded, busy page filled with zany characters.

“I swear I saw it in the background,” he said, laughing. “I could have been imagining it, though. It might have been wishful thinking.”

Reach Gris at 744-4275 or egrisamore@macon.com

You don’t tug on Superman’s cape.

You don’t spit into the wind.

You don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger.

And you don’t mess around with ... Ahn.

Jim Croce wrote that song -- I added the Ahn part -- two years before Edward Ahn came to the U.S. from Korea and later opened the first martial arts school in Macon.

That was 40 years ago. Grand Master Ahn is now 72. The man still has his moves, though. He has been a ninth degree black belt, the highest rank in the world, since 1994. His teacher almost 60 years ago was Gen. Choi Hong Hi, the modern-day founder of tae kwon do.

There might be bigger, stronger and faster folks than Ahn, but none more disciplined and dedicated to fitness. His body is so fine-tuned you could strike a match on it.

Since 1979, he has run more than 50,000 miles, more than twice the circumference of the Earth. There are so many moving parts to his exercise regimen -- he rises at 4 every morning -- it would make your head spin. (If only that counted as aerobics.)

He can take down a person with one finger.

Do not, I repeat, do not ask for a demonstration.

He has trained more than 4,000 black belts in Macon and Middle Georgia since introducing tae kwon do here in 1974. A number of them will gather to honor him on Saturday afternoon at Ahn’s Fitness Center on Vineville Avenue.

The anniversary will be a celebration of Ahn’s endurance and dedication, although certainly not a retirement party, because the master is unstoppable.

Still, there will be deeper meaning upon reflection.

It has been a tough year.

Last June, Ahn was diagnosed with colon cancer. The man who takes so much pride in his diet and health was knocked to the ground. It was in his genes, and no way to deflect it with a forearm or snap kick. His two brothers died of the disease.

It has not been lost on anyone that this amazing man, with all those survival skills, was put to the ultimate survival test.

His friends and family claim he has come back with more zest than ever. On Tuesday, he will teach his first class in nine months. It will come on the March 4 anniversary of his first class in Macon in 1974.

His 40 years are another mile marker on a road well-traveled and a life well-lived. He said he is excited about No. 41, but taking ’em one sunrise at a time.

Of all the times I have been around Grand Master Ahn, my lasting image of his wide-reaching influence on our community came the night of April 17, 2008, when he was inducted in the Macon Sports Hall of Fame. There were more than 400 people in the Monument Room at the Macon Coliseum, and more than one-third of them belonged to his side of the room. They rose to their feet with reverence each time his name was called.

In his acceptance speech, Ahn talked about bringing his wife, Tae -- yes, her name really is Tae (meaning kick) -- and his two children (Wendy and Johnny) to Macon.

“Tae kwon do has been more than just a business for me,” he said that night. “It has been my life for over 50 years. This is (affirmation) for me that I have chosen the greatest place in the world to live.”

His English is still heavy with the accent of his homeland, although considerably more polished than when he arrived here and could only communicate by pointing to words on a piece of paper.

Until 1945, when he was 4 years old, there was no North and South Korea. With Soviet forces in the north, and American forces in the south, his family fled to Seoul across the 38th parallel.

When he was 12, he began training under Choi Hong Hi, who later hand-picked him to become an instructor in the U.S. At the time, America was experiencing a surge in popularity in the martial arts with the release of five Bruce Lee movies.

In 1960, Ahn became the first person to demonstrate the art of tae kwon do on Korean television. He later trained members of the Korean Army in self defense, then went to Vietnam to instruct the American Green Berets. He came to the U.S. in 1973, first to Los Angeles and then to Chicago to learn from the instructors at the schools there.

He was encouraged to look for a location in the South, either in Georgia or in the Charlotte area of North Carolina. He pulled out a map, and placed his finger on Macon. It was in the center of the state and next to an interstate.

He came not knowing what to expect or that he would be embraced by so many for so long. His first studio was located downtown on Second Street before moving out to midtown in a former car wash and car audio store on Vineville Avenue. His son, Johnny, has followed in his father’s capable footsteps, and has been an instructor for the past 25 years.

When Ahn was so sick last year, the doctors marveled at his comeback and attributed it to his exercise regimen, strict diet and stress-free lifestyle.

He is a disciple of daily exercise -- never an excuse for taking a day off. He eats oatmeal every morning and only one other meal, usually a rice dish and Korean cabbage at 4 in the afternoon. Occasionally, he and his family will splurge and drive to Buckner’s Family Restaurant at Exit 201 to chow down on fried chicken and all things Southern.

It’s like a vacation. Live it up. The master deserves it.

Reach Gris at 744-4275 or egrisamore@macon.com.

You don’t tug on Superman’s cape.

You don’t spit into the wind.

You don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger.

And you don’t mess around with ... Ahn.

Jim Croce wrote that song -- I added the Ahn part -- two years before Edward Ahn came to the U.S. from Korea and later opened the first martial arts school in Macon.

That was 40 years ago. Grand Master Ahn is now 72. The man still has his moves, though. He has been a ninth degree black belt, the highest rank in the world, since 1994. His teacher almost 60 years ago was Gen. Choi Hong Hi, the modern-day founder of tae kwon do.

There might be bigger, stronger and faster folks than Ahn, but none more disciplined and dedicated to fitness. His body is so fine-tuned you could strike a match on it.

Since 1979, he has run more than 50,000 miles, more than twice the circumference of the earth. There are so many moving parts to his exercise regimen -- he rises at 4 every morning -- it would make your head spin. (If only that counted as aerobics.)

He can take down a person with one finger.

Do not, I repeat, do not ask for a demonstration.

He has trained more than 4,000 black belts in Macon and Middle Georgia since introducing tae kwon do here in 1974. A number of them will gather to honor him on Saturday afternoon at Ahn’s Fitness Center on Vineville Avenue.

The anniversary will be a celebration of Ahn’s endurance and dedication, although certainly not a retirement party, because the master is unstoppable.

Still, there will be deeper meaning upon reflection.

It has been a tough year.

Last June, Ahn was diagnosed with colon cancer. The man who takes so much pride in his diet and health was knocked to the ground. It was in his genes, and no way to deflect it with a forearm or snap kick. His two brothers died of the disease.

It has not been lost on anyone that this amazing man, with all those survival skills, was put to the ultimate survival test.

His friends and family claim he has come back with more zest than ever. On Tuesday, he will teach his first class in nine months. It will come on the March 4 anniversary of his first class in Macon in 1974.

His 40 years are another mile marker on a road well-traveled and a life well-lived. He said he is excited about No. 41, but taking ’em one sunrise at a time.

Of all the times I have been around Grand Master Ahn, my lasting image of his wide-reaching influence on our community came the night of April 17, 2008, when he was inducted in the Macon Sports Hall of Fame. There were more than 400 people in the Monument Room at the Macon Coliseum, and more than one-third of them belonged to his side of the room. They rose to their feet with reverence each time his name was called.

In his acceptance speech, Ahn talked about bringing his wife, Tae -- yes, her name really is Tae (meaning kick) -- and his two children (Wendy and Johnny) to Macon.

“Tae kwon do has been more than just a business for me,” he said that night. “It has been my life for over 50 years. This is (affirmation) for me that I have chosen the greatest place in the world to live.”

His English is still heavy with the accent of his homeland, although considerably more polished than when he arrived here and could only communicate by pointing to words on a piece of paper.

Until 1945, when he was 4 years old, there was no North and South Korea. With Soviet forces in the north, and American forces in the south, his family fled to Seoul across the 38th parallel.

When he was 12, he began training under Choi Hong Hi, who later hand-picked him to become an instructor in the U.S. At the time, America was experiencing a surge in popularity in the martial arts with the release of five Bruce Lee movies.

In 1960, Ahn became the first person to demonstrate the art of tae kwon do on Korean television. He later trained members of the Korean Army in self defense, then went to Vietnam to instruct the American Green Berets. He came to the U.S. in 1973, first to Los Angeles and then to Chicago to learn from the instructors at the schools there.

He was encouraged to look for a location in the South, either in Georgia or in the Charlotte area of North Carolina. He pulled out a map, and placed his finger on Macon. It was in the center of the state and next to an interstate.

He came not knowing what to expect or that he would be embraced by so many for so long. His first studio was located downtown on Second Street before moving out to midtown in a former car wash and car audio store on Vineville Avenue. His son, Johnny, has followed in his father’s capable footsteps, and has been an instructor for the past 25 years.

When Ahn was so sick last year, the doctors marveled at his comeback and attributed it to his exercise regimen, strict diet and stress-free lifestyle.

He is a disciple of daily exercise -- never an excuse for taking a day off. He eats oatmeal every morning and only one other meal, usually a rice dish and Korean cabbage at 4 in the afternoon. Occasionally, he and his family will splurge and drive to Buckner’s Family Restaurant at Exit 201 to chow down on fried chicken and all things Southern.

It’s like a vacation. Live it up. The master deserves it.

Reach Gris at 744-4275 or egrisamore@macon.com.

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