Since 1979, the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA) has had numerous substitute teachers. In the past years, there’s been Mr. Cleveland, who takes attendance with his hook, along with Ms. Jones, who is known for her snow white hair, but none of them compare to BSA’s most well-known sub: the mysterious Mr. H.

There is a lot to understand about Mr. H, and at the same time there is nothing to understand at all. The truth of the matter is we’re not quite sure about anything about him. 

It feels as though all substitute teachers are a mystery, but this is especially true for Mr. H, who is so puzzling in fact that no one knows what the ‘H’ even stands for. 

The only hope of coming across Mr. H is when you walk into a random academic period and instead of your usual Ms. Bacon or Mr. Bandos, you find Mr. H with his headphones.

Due to the lack of information about the most famous sub at BSA, the origins and details of Mr. H are born out of pure speculation. 

Rumors have swirled around about what the ‘H’ portion of his name could stand for, with answers varying from Harold, to Henry, and to even Herbert. 

However, senior vocalist John Paige summed up Mr. H pretty well when he guessed, “His name is Mr. Hella Cool, that’s what it is.”

When finally flagged down and asked what his real name was, Mr. H responded simply with, “Mr. H.”

In a similar fashion to his name, there were many guesses about the origin and age of Mr. H–when he was born, where he is from, where he gets his clothes and if he thrifts them, etc.

“It’s kinda hard to tell his age, but style wise it’s a good 24, and personality wise it’s around 28,” stated junior musician Sage Hunt. This guess wasn’t uncommon, as rumor has it Mr. H is somewhere in his mid to late twenties.

Mr H never revealed the correct answer, but he stated that his birthday was “August 3rd, late 1990’s.”

As for where he is from, senior musician Quinn Rehkemper and sophomore film student Brennan Differ took the safe route and chose either Baltimore/DC or New York, while Hunt stuck firmly behind Michigan. 

But when asked, Mr. H responded, “I’m a Baltimore native. I went to college in New York. The New one.”

The story of how Mr. H actually became a sub is still a mystery, but that doesn’t prevent BSA students from wondering.

“I think people just kept telling him how chill he was, and he was like, ‘maybe I could be a chill sub.’ I think that this is just a side job, and that he actually has like some insane high level secret job. This is just a hustle to get some extra dough,” theorized Differ.

Despite Mr. H being a versatile sub for any academic class, often students guess what subject he might teach if he worked as a full time teacher for BSA. 

On one end of the spectrum, there was Rehkemper, who said, “I think that he would teach physical education and health, and I also think he has a life. I think he’s a guy who gets out and has a good time and he comes in here and he gets his hours done and he heads out.”

On the other end of the spectrum, junior musician Joseph Massey responded, “He seems like he might be a literature type of guy. I think he’s very mysterious, you know? He gives off a too-cool-for-school type of vibe–it’s honestly funny to watch.”

There’s a reason why Mr. H is so widely liked, and it’s not because of his style. In truth, the students are appreciative of his calm manor, and are thankful for the relief he provides. 

“He’s peaceful, but he also knows when he needs to step in. He is almost like a companion, not like a bestie but he knows when to be chill,” continued Hunt. 

“You’re a real one man. I appreciate you Mr. H,” said Paige.

While speculation still surrounds Mr. H, one thing is concrete: He likes being a sub.

“I can do subbing whenever I want to, I can not do it or do it, I have the free space to choose. My experience here is special. Beautiful. Interesting,” states Mr. H.

Mr. H was skeptical and mysterious for the entirety of his interview, but he had no hesitation when asked about his favorite aspect of substituting for a class, “I love the students here. Y’all are dope.”

So the next time you see Mr. H walking down the hall to sub, say a little prayer and hope it’s for your class.

To contact this writer, email Muse Newspaper at musebsa@bsfa.org.