I have known about the Army Times wanting to do an article on me for a while now, and actually anticipate the article to be released today. At first I thought the article wasn’t published cause it wasn’t with the regular articles that they publish under news. Which is because it was on the front page of the paper. It wasn’t until I walked into the office and someone called me a celebrity that I caught on that the article was published.

I ran to the shoppette to buy the paper and grabbed a paper. Then walking to the back of the line I about dropped it in disbelief when I saw the front cover.

I didn’t know what to expect, I thought it would be another article like in the Boston Globe where I was portrayed as an out-of-luck trouble-making soldier. I bought the paper and walked back to my car. Even though it was only 20 feet from the entrance it felt like it took forever to get there. My heart was racing and I wanted to move quickly. I knew the Army Times was asking me for a picture, but I kind of brushed them off, deciding to myself that I didn’t want my picture in the paper. I thought someone might recognize me from the possible picture inside. Getting mixed remarks from everyone, those that hate me and those that love me. I didn’t want anyone to see me.

I got in my car, blasted the A/C, and ripped through the plastic. Fumbled through to page 8, nearly ripping the pages, and too my surprise no picture. I started to calm down and started to read.

It wasn’t until I got halfway through with the article until I saw my name, a brief yet casual placement. “The Shamschool operator, Spc. Adam Chrysler“. My name mentioned only 4 times, and they treated me as a CEO of some company instead of a guardian to evil.

The article was not something you would want your name in the paper for, however for having my name involved with this entire circumstance I was very relieved and not as embarrassed as I thought I would be. I felt like I was caught in the middle of something bigger and not the cause of everything. Even though this investigation is on me and not the entire cheating scandal.

Now I get to deal with everyone at work harassing me about having my name in the paper. While talking with one guy he stopped someone walking by to inform him that it was in fact me that made the front page of the Army Times. Afterwards they told me that the guy who bought the paper made a joke saying “watch, Chrysler’s name be in here”. Then ironically it was.

I think the nice thing about all of this is everyone now comes up to me and asks me with a sense of desperation in their voice, “you made ShamSchool?”. One guy told me he knew about it before I even came to Fort Campbell, grinning with a look of disbelief in his face.

I think tomorrow will be the real challenge. I had to deal with everyone during my brief sessions at the company, tomorrow I get the whole day full of jokes and being harassed.