Campus monitor watches over Cal

Big Tim is well known across campus

Jazzy Afghani and Rafa Bawono

November 20, 2025

Found in front of the commons, Tim Ford stops for a photo while making his rounds supervising students during lunch.

Imagine walking on campus and seeing a fellow student with a pet accompanying them.

But the pet isn’t a dog or cat. It’s a chicken.

Most Cal High students have probably never experienced this, and most likely never will. But campus monitor Tim Ford has. In fact, he has seemingly seen it all.

Ford, who is affectionately known around campus as Big Tim, is difficult to miss on campus. He has one of the biggest personalities on campus, that’s been on display for more than a quarter of a century as he’s Cal’s longest tenured campus monitor, celebrating his 26th year.

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To survive on campus for this long, Ford has relied on his strong personality.

“He cares about the students,” fellow campus monitor Kim Terry said. “He always makes great jokes.”

Ford also works on campus as a varsity softball coach and occasional substitute teacher when a classroom needs coverage.

“Never enough pay, but it’s okay,” Ford said about his job.

Ford is a favorite to many students, and can generally be seen around campus fist-bumping, high-fiving and chatting with various people.

“When I see him, he reminds me of a random adult stranger [that] kids feel safe around,” sophomore Megan Chiu said. “[He’s] cool, chill and overall a vibe.”

Some of Ford’s favorite aspects of working at Cal are walking around the campus, coaching the softball team and making sure students are behaving.

An especially treasured memory goes back to the chicken story. It was during a spirit day about 10 years ago when students were allowed to bring their own pets onto campus. His favorite was a chicken led on a leash.

“So the kids brought their dogs and their pets,” Ford said. “Then one kid brought a chicken on a leash. It was hilarious. Everybody was cracking up, but it was walking with them and everything. So yeah, it was really cute.”

While Ford has many fond memories at Cal, there have also been a few events that changed his perspective on how serious his job could become in an emergency situation. Ford referenced a time when he witnessed a girl have a seizure, which resulted in medical professionals coming to campus to assist her.

Ford also describes how, upon finding kids skipping class, he asks them where they are going and if they seem to be having a bad day. Ford said he likes to comfort them before returning them to class. But if Ford finds kids cutting with no good reason, it’s a different story.

“Just go to class,” Ford said. “It’s not that hard.”

Regarding hallway gossip, Ford said that unless something he hears is harmful to a person or other peers, Ford tries not to pay much attention to it.

“We’re mandated reporters,” Ford said of himself and all other adults on campus. “If we hear something bad, we report.”

Fellow campus supervisor Chris Torrey said Ford loves being at Cal and seeing students be successful.

Torrey said he and Ford have grown close over the years and are great friends and that he is very accountable.

“He can do it all,” Torrey said.

Ford has lots of responsibilities on campus to prove this. Although he is mainly a campus monitor, he has also worked as a varsity softball coach for 22 years.

“I coached in Pinole Hercules Little League for about eight years, then got my kids here and I stopped coaching to watch them for a little while,” Ford said.

His players appreciate his work and really enjoy having him as a coach.

“He’s very joyful, I would say, yeah, very personable,” said senior Kirsten Li, who is on the varsity softball team. “He says hi to everyone and is really nice to everyone.”

Ford mentions how much he values being a coach at Cal and how he has relished it throughout the years.

“Oh yeah, heck yeah, that’s what I enjoy. That’s probably why I’m still here,” Ford said. “I don’t make enough money, but at least I coach and I have fun.”

A memory Ford mentioned about coaching was when Jayda Crosby, a star player who graduated last year, hit a ball over a 240-foot fence during a game.

“Yeah, she blasted it,” Ford said. “We didn’t think anybody could do it, but she did.”

Additionally, Ford said he reminisces about many special moments, including when his daughters, Brandy and Danielle, attended Cal and graduated in 2006 and 2008, respectively. One of the best parts about his daughters being at the school was getting to see them experience high school and grow up.

All of Ford’s colleagues and fellow hall monitors have nothing but positive things to say about Ford. Debby Croghan, a fellow campus monitor, said Ford is a joy to be around.

“[He’s] very welcoming, very likeable, [and] extremely helpful,” Croghan said. “He’s a lovable teddy bear.”

About the Contributors

Jazzy Afghani, Staff Writer

Freshman Jasmine Afghani, who usually goes by Jazzy, is excited for her first year writing for The Californian, though at some point she would like to try photography. She has had experience being on the Yearbook staff in middle school, and has also taken a Digital Photography class. She joined newspaper to improve her writing and social skills, and maybe a little bit for the college credit. She is excited to write a variety of stories and hopes to bring a new, exciting voice to the paper. She enjoys reading excessively, one of her favorite books being The Book Thief, listening to music such as SZA, Katseye and Travis Scott, as well as going to jiu jitsu or wrestling practice almost every day. You can also find her doing various grandma crafts, from embroidery, to cross stitch, as well as baking occasionally. She is enjoying her time at Cal so far, and hopes to return to newspaper next year as well.

Olivia Soares, Photo Editor

Olivia is a junior at Cal High and loves taking photos. She also loves playing sports like soccer and basketball and hanging out with friends and family. Some of her favorite things to do in her free time are listen to music and watch tv shows like How I Met Your Mother and The Office. She has also traveled to a lot of places such as Portugal, New York, and Hawaii. She loves being part of newspaper and she is very excited to be the photo editor for The Californian this year.

Morgayne Childress, Photographer

As a sophomore, this is Morgayne Childress’s first year being a part of The Californian. She is interested in writing and gathering information to inform others. In previous years, she has been the one to keep classmates updated and informed on global issues. She understands the importance of staying informed, and that’s something that The Californian also strives for. While the gathering and writing of information is something she has done countless times and is comfortable with, she hopes this class will teach her something new. That is why she chose to be a photographer this year. She has been interested in photography for many years, as she comes from a family of both digital and physical artists. She has many creative outlets like crochet, painting, traveling, and trucks. She and her family travel in their beat-up Power Wagon around the West Coast, going to new places and breaking parts of cars that shouldn’t have to be dealt with.