Interview [Issue 26] Behind the Tank - conanthedestroyer

[Vikingsrallentando 3,058]

Welcome back to the in-depth interview series "Behind the Tank" where we take a look at the person behind the nickname/tank. Today, I bring you a conversation between someone the reporter team values and respects; one of our administrators, its conanthedestroyer. 

 

Player Profile

Game Name: conanthedestroyer 

Nickname(s): Conan

Age: 44 

Country: USA

Preferred Combo(s): Hornet, Smoky, Prodigi

 

Viking: Hey, Conan! How are you?

 

Conan: I am doing well, thank you for the honor of interviewing me.

 

So, to give the readers the basic idea of your life, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

 

Sure, I am 44 years old and have been married for 19 years now. I have a 13 year old son who also occasionally plays TO, his nickname is "sonofconandestroyer".  I have been a school teacher, I teach science to 13-15 year old kids, for the last 20 years. I live in the central part of the state of Maine, USA, in a small town of around 1100 people.

 

I enjoy sports. I played basketball and baseball at the college level and now I am a college baseball umpire and high school basketball referee. My family and I enjoy outdoor activities such as mountain climbing and fishing in the summer time, and snowshoeing in the winter. We also like to go for Jeep rides to the beach (I just bought a 1992 Jeep Wrangler and love driving around with the top off).

 

Many peoples game names reflect themselves, does yours? How did you come up with your nick?

 

It was my school students who first introduced me to Tanki - we would play against each other during free time at school. I wanted to pick a name that sounded original, yet intimidating and strike fear in my students. Conan the Destroyer (the Arnold version), was one of my favorite movies as a kid (I have also read many of the Conan books) and the nick just seemed to make sense. Conan took on any challenge and always came out of each battle alive, destroying all of his enemies. Unfortunately that doesn't happen for me on the battle field, but I think over the years of playing, I have a reputation as a good player.

 

How has raising a child changed you, over the past 13 years? What is the most fulfilling part of the parenting aspect, in your eyes?

 

It certainly has had a maturing effect!! I don't go out and party like I used to (although maybe once in a while still ;)). Jay enjoys playing sports (football, basketball and baseball) and that is a common interest for us. We will often go out in the back yard and have a catch or shoot some hoops. I don't pressure him into anything, he plays because he likes to. The most rewarding aspect of being a parent is the time we get to spend together. I know that sounds corny and cliche, but he is the best friend I have and I look forward to that continuing for the rest of our lives. Seeing him develop into a quality man is very important to me as well. His mother has done a great job B)

 

How can you describe the small town life? The good and the bad of it?

 

As I said earlier, I live in a small town in Central Maine. It is the kind of place where when you go to the country store, you know just about everyone in there by name. I like the pace of living, no one is ever in a hurry, no traffic jams. Living in the country as we do, our nearest neighbor is a half mile away, we see deer, moose and even a black bear or two in our yard. (We own around 300 acres, so it is very private.) Outdoor activities are a big part of our life. Me and the boy do a lot of bass fishing together, as well as a lot of hiking, camping and hunting. We have a four wheeler each and go trail riding, or drive to a remote fishing hole.

 

The bad of it would be the lack of fine culture and other experiences for Jay. I like going to concerts, and until the last year or so, I would have to drive 2 hours to get to the "city". We don't get to a lot of museums, or theater or fine restaurants. Boston is the closest big city, and that is just over four hours drive.

 

Who/What inspired you to become a school teacher?

 

My sophomore Biology teacher was a great guy. He showed an interest in us as more than students, he treated us as young adults. I appreciated that, and thought "I would like to have that kind of influence on people too." So I became a science teacher. I like being around kids, being a part of their development and lives. I just hope that along the way, I have made a difference to someone. If you think about it, I have been in school now for going on 40 years now. WOW. And I keep learning new things everyday. (Besides, it is tough to beat 15 weeks of vacation a year!)

 

Is there anything specifically you want students to learn from you?

 

That is a great question. I see myself as more than just a science teacher. I think that teaching science is a secondary part of my job description. For many of the kids I have had in school over the years, I am the only positive male influence in their lives. I try to lead by example for them:  to be a man of character, have a solid work ethic and strive to improve myself. Every day, my class starts off with writing the Though of the Day - a quote used to elicit thought among the students. One example of this is "no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." I have students who come up to me after 5, 10 years and tell me they still have their TOD notebook. That means something to me, that I did something right for that student. It is why I teach. There are a couple of former students who still play Tanki, and I think they will agree with what I try to be as a teacher. I am tough, I expect a lot out of my students, I firmly believe that high expectations will yield high results. They might not appreciate it at the time, but as they get older, they develop an understanding of what we were trying to accomplish. And by establishing trust and the sense that I care about them, we actually learn about science too. ))

 

How did sports at the college level  go for you? Any advice to aspiring high school who aim/get that far?

 

Sports, at any level teaches many things - time management, responsibility, composure and many other life lessons. The two things I learned most, that have stayed with me for life, are leadership and work ethic. These are the two traits I try to reinforce the most with my son, to work harder than anyone, and lead by example. Playing college basketball, I was a role player. I wasn't the best offensive player, I didn't score the most points. But I did play the best defense, I did rebound, I did what ever the team needed to be successful and played more minutes than anyone else. For that I was respected by my teammates, being named Captain as a senior. I learned that you do what ever you can for the greater good, to make sacrifices. My advice to players trying to get that level:  work. Practice, train, get the most out your natural abilities. There is no substitute for being the toughest, the hardest worker. Those players will always have a spot on the team, will always be respected by players and coaches alike. Mix that with talent, and you will play.

 

You've been a reporter administrator for a long time, what part of the job do you like most?

 

I like seeing the progress this "paper" has made. We have come a long way, had many quality people contribute over the 2+ years. I have enjoyed the online relationships I have made with many of the reporters. People that I am sure if I met in real life, we would be instant friends. One of the things I would like to do, (if I ever had enough money, which as a teacher, I may never have) is to travel and meet these people I work with, to sit in the same room with them and talk, or play Tanki. I would like that. I have enjoyed being the administrator. There have been times when I disagree with decisions made by my superiors, and I am sure I have been a thorn in their side, but I wouldn't trade any of those conversations for anything. I enjoy what I do, and look forward to many more years of service to the English Community.

 

To finish, do you have any words for the community?

 

Surprisingly, I do. I would like to see a change in the way certain aspects of the game are played. Specifically, the etiquette of the game. Things like, waiting for full teams before grabbing flags, when someone has their turret pointed to a wall and are not playing, move on, don't shoot. Overall, the level of play has gotten very good, there are many great players out there. Play the game the right way while always striving to make yourself better. Good luck to you, and see you in battle. Thanks for the opportunity to share with you all)))

 

conanthedestroyer

 

A BIG thanks to Conan for agreeing to do this interview and readers of the paper! See who I'll interview next month.

 

Thanks  for reading, hope you enjoyed. 

Edited January 3, 2018 by Vikingsrallentando

[hogree 4,179]

The man himself.... :o Fabulous interview, Viking, superb answers Conan. Has to be one of the best interviews of all time

Edited September 5, 2014 by hogree

[aBdUlLaHkInGg 39]

Great Interview ,good job Vikingsrall :)

[sre123 595]

Very Nice!!!!!

I love this thanks conan and Viking for this interview

[MA3CTPO_HA_XAHTEP 832]

Nice interview! :)

[lordmostafa 3,821]

A magnificent interview, nice to meet you conan ;)  

[Mr.I3oSS 557]

Fantabulous Interview ever i read :o :rolleyes:

Ima Out of words :mellow:

Gr8 job Vik m8 ^_^ B)

[blackopspaul 753]

Great interview! 

[RicoGod 1,832]

Great Interview ^.^

[TG159 734]

.this.is.awesome.!.

[blackopspaul 753]

Nice interview Viking!

[Vikingsrallentando 3,058]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate your comments, it lets me know I accomplished what I set out to do :) 

[GG_reg 1,521]

Nice interview! I love conan's son's nickname: sonofconandestroyer I mean, you can't really beat that!

Edited September 9, 2014 by Makhlas

[r_PC-JACK0 91]

Good interview with a class act. Conan is very good example for the young ones in tanki for sure.  

[iron-man_0007 73]

Age 44 is good :)

Congradz

 

Nice interview

[iron-man_0007 73]

[Member=sonofconandestroyer]

[sre123 595]

[Member=sonofconandestroyer]

[applications 993]

why so old .-.

[stark147 18]

Good interview with a class act ;-) :) 

[Quarks 2,255]

The sad part about this is now Conan's gone, and he has been replaced by goldy (not quite as sad). This is still a fantastic interview.

[TTK_229 1,080]

Are you my 7th grade science teacher? He is 60 (or claims to be). No, but fly, u sound like him.

[REDOUANE78190 836]

This tank is      Hornet + Ricochet