Anyone who has had Mr. Rusk or Mr. Barger for a social studies class has witnessed their witty banter (or their not-so-witty banter.) Their friendship has added a spark to the school for over six years.

They first met at a golf scramble in Brownstown “many years ago” where Rusk’s son in law and daughter lived nearby. The future coworkers happened to golf together for the first time.

“We pretty much hit it off right off the bat,” Rusk says.

When asked, “What is your favorite memory of or with each other,” the questions was followed by an uproar of laughter from the two.

Barger says, “I can nail it down between when he took me to the hospital after I had a stroke or AP training at Western Kentucky.”

“I thought he was going to tell you about the time I fell down on the golf course,” Rusk added.

He also agreed that the AP (Advanced Placement) training really helped them bond, and they always feel closer when they come back home.

When asked if they had any inside jokes, Rusk laughed. “Yeah, we have some inside jokes, but none that we’d be willing to publish to the students.”

“My favorite thing about [Barger] is he’s a man of integrity and I can trust him. He’s loyal. I like the way he works. He’s sort of like me.”

“[Rusk] has made me a better teacher. Watching how much time he puts in helps me realize how much I respect him for doing that. We think a lot of the same ways. We’re sports guys and have both coached our fair share. Still, I see how much time and work he puts in and how much he cares about the kids and making them better, and that’s what I’d like to try to do myself.”

Rusk and Barger say they still try to take at least three or four days out of the year to spend together and go golfing to keep their friendship strong. Here’s to many more years of a strong friendship between two great teachers of MCHS.