Episode 234: High School Sophomores Turn 4 Years Old, Long-Time Teacher Turns Sweet 16, Celebrating Leap Year Birthdays

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are twins attending West Jordan High School in their sophomore year, and they are only having their fourth birthday. At Antelope Canyon Elementary School, a longtime second-grade teacher is finally celebrating her 16th birthday.

On this episode of the Supercast, we find out what it's like to have a leap year birthday. A birthday that comes around just once every four years on February 29th, when the year is actually 366 days long instead of the regular 365. Are leap year birthday folks forever young? Let's find out as we talk to them today on their actual leap year birthday.

Come right in here. Let's do the birthday interview today. And we actually have from the Nutrition Services staff here at West Jordan High School a little birthday cake for each of you with some balloons. So happy birthday to the three of you. Alright grab some cake and let's talk about this birthday of yours. We're here at West Jordan High School with two students and a teacher who share February 29th as their birthday. And because the podcast comes out on Thursdays, we thought we'd talk with them today on the day of their birthday and celebrate with them and talk a little bit about what it's like to have kind of a non-day as your birthday. So let's have the twins introduce themselves first.

Luke Pearson:
I'm Luke Pearson.

Melanie Pearson:
And I'm Melanie Pearson.

Lucinda Preece:
And Lucinda Preece.

Anthony Godfrey:
And Lucinda you teach at Antelope Canyon. How long have you been teaching in Jordan District?

Lucinda Preece:
39 years.

Anthony Godfrey:
39 years, wow. Nearly four decades of teaching. Yeah, we love that you've been here.

Lucinda Preece:
Lots of birthdays here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, that's right. But a lot fewer than I've had, right? How many birthdays have you had?

Lucinda Preece:
I've had 16 official birthdays.

Anthony Godfrey:
16 official birthdays.

Lucinda Preece:
Sweet 16.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you've had 16 birthdays and the two of you are turning 16 today, is that correct?

Melanie Pearson:
Yes, but officially it's our fourth birthday, like big day birthday.

Anthony Godfrey:
For your fourth birthday, you're turning 16. She's had 16 birthdays. Worlds are colliding right now. Now here's the first thing. I don't know exactly what to call you. Do you have names for yourselves because you share this birthday? Are you leapers? Are you leaplings? What exactly is the proper term? Does anybody know?

Lucinda Preece:
I don't. I've heard on the radio, leapers is kind of a big thing right now.

Anthony Godfrey:
Leapers? It sounds a little close to leper though.

Lucinda Preece:
I know.

Anthony Godfrey:
I don't know if that's really what you want. I'm going to go with leapling. So tell me how does it feel to be a leapling? Tell me what that's like.

Melanie Pearson:
I don't know. For me it just kind of feels the same. I don't know. I've never known anything different. But it's cool because people can remember your birthday easier. I don't know. They're like, “Oh yeah, you're born on leap days.”

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah. So people do remember your birthday more frequently. And you've got your twin brother here so you at least have someone to share it with. How about for you? What is it like for you?

Luke Pearson:
It is kind of nice because people always remember my birthday.

Anthony Godfrey:
Not anything that impactful in your life. So how about for you? Have you met before today? Have you met other leaplings?

Lucinda Preece:
You know, one year I actually had a student in my class who was a leap-year baby. And it was a leap year so we celebrated together with the class. I felt really lucky that that happened.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, you met them in a leap year. That's awesome. So let's talk about other years. Today we get to celebrate with you. But what do you do in other years when you don't have a birthday? Do you celebrate it all? Or do you just save it up so that every four years it feels particularly special?

Luke Pearson:
Well usually on the 28th we just have a party and stuff.

Melanie Pearson:
We kind of just treat the 28th like it's our birthday. I don't think my parents would want to deprive us of it. “No, we need to save some extra money so…” I'm just kidding.

Lucinda Preece:
I actually grew up celebrating mine on March 1st. Just figuring it was whatever day would have been the day after the 28th. So that's why we just have always had March 1st. It's been kind of fun because I feel like on the non-leap years people aren't really sure what day so I kind of get two days. Do you notice that too? Yeah, and then I always did March 1st but then since Facebook came about it just sticks me on the 28th so I started getting all of these birthday wishes on the 28th so woohoo, kind of stretch it out there. Do you find that too?

Anthony Godfrey:
You said the same thing happens for you.

Melanie Pearson:
Like last year lots of people knew my birthday was the 29th but on the 28th they told me happy birthday but then some people were like on March 1st they told me. So it was like a two-day celebration. It's pretty fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you deserve that since you don't get any day some years so hopefully that starts to help make up for it. I did a little research. In 1712 in Sweden when they were switching from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar it was actually a February 30th. So I felt really bad for those people.

So if you were in Sweden born in 1712 on February 30th you really only had one birthday and that was the day that you were actually born so that would have been too bad. So see it could be worse, it could be worse. How about capitalizing leap year? Nobody capitalizes leap year. Does that feel like something that should be happening?

Melanie Pearson:
I don't know.

Lucinda Preece:
I do have a leap year shirt on.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh let's see.

Lucinda Preece:
Yeah, and I actually bought three because I couldn't decide on one. I think it says February 29th birthday something about being so awesome that the world could only handle it once every four years.

Anthony Godfrey:
I like it. I like it. That’s awesome.

Lucinda Preece:
So somebody made money on capitalizing

Anthony Godfrey:
That’s awesome. Well, it is very rare. We have nearly 58,000 students in Jordan School District and there are only 43 students who have a birthday today, and you're two of them. So there just aren't very many. And we have 9,000 employees and we only have 11 employees out of those 9,000 who have a birthday today.

Lucinda Preece:
Amazing.

Anthony Godfrey:
It is pretty rare.

Lucinda Preece:
I'll thank my mom.

Anthony Godfrey:
So what plans do you guys have for today? Do you have big birthday plans today or this weekend?

Luke Pearson:
We're probably going to have our family come over later today. And then probably, I don't know, we'd probably hang out with our friends but I might go to–

Melanie Pearson:
St. George.

Luke Pearson:
Yeah, St. George with my dad because he wants to go to a four-wheeling thing.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about for you?

Melanie Pearson:
I don't know. Just hanging out with my family and maybe my friends this weekend. I don't know. Nothing too special.

Lucinda Preece:
We're kinda the same. Dinner with family tonight and then lunch with some friends on Saturday.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well that sounds fantastic. Now are there leap day sales? Leap into savings? Is this like a big day for– I mean, I think companies find any excuse that they can to try to email us about a sale coming up.

There's a leap year movie with Amy Adams about the Irish tradition where supposedly women ask men. Women propose to men on leap day as an Irish tradition. So that's a movie based on that, and there's also 30 Rock. Anyone who watches 30 Rock, there's the one where they have a mascot for leap day. Kind of like the Easter Bunny but for leap day. It's a very odd kind of wacky episode.

So it's hard for me to remember all of my 54 birthdays but because you've only had four, is there one that stands out for you?

Melanie Pearson:
No, not really. I don't know. It's kind of just always a party. I don't know.

Lucinda Preece:
I've had a lot but I just kind of enjoy every one of them. I think one year– I usually don't take it off for school because it's a fun time to celebrate with the kids. So we've done like leapfrog things before you know for leaping and then that one that I had with my student was pretty special.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, I imagine elementary students have a really good time with February 29th. I kind of get to really be a kid again so that's fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
I wondered about this when you're filling out a form. Is it in the drop down menu that asks for your birthday? Does it say February 29th ever? My birthday's in June so I have no idea. Or do you just have to put the 28th or March 1st? Do you just have to choose a different birthday?

Luke Pearson:
You usually have to put the year and then it'll show up as the 29th option. So like if you just try to pick 29th sometimes it's just not there until you put the year into the...

Melanie Pearson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh okay. So 16 years ago, what year were you born then?

Luke Pearson:
2008.

Anthony Godfrey:
So in 2008 it was a leap year.

Lucinda Preece:
And I find the same thing when I try to put a date in. I have to go forward to the year and then I was like “Oh yeah, you're right. Okay you were born on the 29th.”

Anthony Godfrey:
So it gives you the option based on the year. Okay that's great. Tell us a little bit more about yourselves here at West Jordan High School. You’re sophomores at West Jordan? How soon is the driving going to start now that you've turned 16?

Melanie Pearson:
Whenever they reach out for roads they're a little behind here. So whenever we can do our road tests and stuff we'll get it. I'm very excited to drive but they're a little behind.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now do you have–

Lucinda Preece:
I've been driving a long time.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, you've been driving a long time so you're all set. So they turned 16. This is your 16th birthday. Do you have any wisdom to share after all of these February 29th?

Lucinda Preece:
I would just say suck it in on those years that it's for real, but even the non years take those in because you know you have two or three days people just kind of celebrate you. And the uniqueness for conversation. That's pretty fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I don't think I've ever met anyone with a birthday on February 29th so I really appreciate your spending your birthday and leap day with me here this morning and I wish you a very happy birthday and a handful more birthdays to come.

Lucinda Preece:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you to Colbie Summarell and Allison Morgan from Nutrition Services here at West Jordan High School for baking these cakes for these students and this teacher on leap day on their birthday. We really appreciate your support.

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today even if today only comes around every four years. We'll see you out there.