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After speaking to him, it is clear that physical conditioning Professor Lonnie Teper has come a long way from his early academic years at Montebello High School. Teper obtained his associate degree at East Los Angeles College and later transferred to CSU Long Beach, where he would go on to earn his undergraduate degree in journalism.

Having always fostered a passion to teach, he went on to obtain a secondary teaching credential and master’s degree in sports fitness.

Continuing his love for sports journalism as a freelance journalist, Teper wrote for IronMan Magazine for over 24 years.

Arriving at PCC in the early 1980s, Teper is a professor in both physical conditioning and health education, the latter of which he counsels students on physical, mental and substance abuse health factors.

Best thing: “Once I transferred to CSULB, a guy by the name of Jerry Tarkanian, who was the basketball coach at PCC, accepted the job as the head basketball coach. All of a sudden, I was involved, for the first time in my life, as a writer in a winning program, with great athletes. I was writing about powerful teams that could potentially compete in tournaments.”

Worst thing: “At ELAC we lost in every sport. As a sports journalist, and being passionate about sports, it was difficult to write about great athletes on losing teams. I didn’t want to be a cheerleader, I wanted to be an objective sports writer.”

Most interesting: “At ELAC, I remember we actually won a football game. I wrote a column-and I always try to write with wit and humor-on how we had a two-day, all-out search to try to find a victory bell. I made the story up. The football coach called me in and raked me over the coals.”

If I could go back and change one thing: “Being an immature 20-year-old kid and turning down the opportunity to go to the University of Southern California. I didn’t have the guidance at the time. I needed someone to sit me down and tell me I needed to take the scholarship that they were offering me.”

What I know now I wish I knew then: “Another mistake I made: I should have gone to PCC instead of ELAC. Not that I didn’t like my experience at ELAC, but PCC had a radio station and a television station. That was what I wanted to get into.”

Student opinion: “This is the first Phys Ed class I have ever taken, and I love Lonnie’s teaching style,” said Bridget Howard, a social and behavioral science major.

“He pushed me to do more than I thought I could and made me realize it was all in my head.

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