Like many graduates of elite colleges in the country, Ezra Koenig spent a year after graduation with Teach For America before moving on the bigger and better things. As frontman of Vampire Weekend, Koenig's post-teaching things were just slightly bigger and better than most of his fellow Columbia grads. But that doesn't mean that he got off scot free from the sinister minds of middle schoolers in the New York City public school system

Someone at Teach For America had the bright idea of assigning the exceedingly preppy Koenig to J.H.S. 258 in Bed-Stuy, where he was called "whack," "Peter Pan," "Ashton Kutcher," among other equally creative insults. Fortunately, he could always bring in his guitar to soothe the middle schooler's spritis. Despite international fame, former students such as Quaraan Jones don't see the big deal:

"I still see him as the same Mr Koenig," Jones told MTV. "I still have that thing in my mind that this is the same man we threw paper at, wrote on his shirt and put gum on his chair."

They may not realize it now, but those middle schoolers are lucky to be graced with such a good musician in their presence. When I was in 7th grade, I was still listening to Limp Bizkit and Blink 182.

[Guardian]