Departing Faculty Describe Their Fondest Riverdale Memories

Riverdale Review: What is a moment you will never forget from your years at Riverdale?

Dr. Cristian Baidal: It’s not an event, it’s not a moment, it’s that feeling of…I feel home here. I feel that this is my place. And I feel that being in the classroom with you and your peers and with my colleagues, also, in the hallways, in the office, I really sense that I belong here…You know very often we talk about belonging and community here, it’s true. I got to feel it here.

RR: Do you have any funny stories that occurred at Riverdale that you would like to share?

CB: You think that teachers are very serious, the faculty…we are not. Especially in the language department we have many funny stories…one actually involves….Mr. Epstein, to play a prank on me, I think that he was actually seeking revenge from a prank that I played on him…[and] he hid in the Lost-and-Found…box…in the office and asked Ms. Thom to call for me because something “that was my property” was in the Lost-and-Found, and as you can imagine my surprise when I opened the Lost-and-Found, Mr. Epstein jumped as a Jack-and-the-Box, and I almost had a heartattack. 

RR: What is one thing you hope the students you have interacted with remember you by?

CB: Joy. Joy of learning. Joy of teaching. I love my job, I love what I do, because I get paid to learn with you. That is basically my job, to learn with and from you, and by you, I mean you and all the students and all your peers. I truly believe that this is the best job in the world and so I hope that my students feel that when i have the honor and privilege of working witht them and that they will remember that we can work hard but also enjoy the journey, enjoy the process, and have fun.

RR: What will you be doing next?

CB: I am going to be moving to the Bay Area. I am going to be teaching at an independent school in San Francisco and will continue teaching French and Spanish in upper school…And I am going to be chair of Languages, as well.