Mr. Olsen’s New Pet Cockroach Takes Up Residence at MSMHS

Mr. Olsen's inspiration for acquiring his own cockroach was his mom, an elementary school teacher with a cockroach class pet.

Mr. Olsen’s New Pet Cockroach Takes Up Residence at MSMHS
The new cockroach's name, Diego, was picked during a March Madness bracket by Mr. Olsen's classes. Photography by Kaiden Chandler.

By Kaiden Chandler

Editor in Chief. Class of 2024


Mr. Olsen, a math teacher at MSMHS, recently acquired a cockroach as a class pet. Mr. Olsen, the subject of a recent profile by The Current, said that he was inspired to get a cockroach by his mom, explaining “My mom was an elementary school teacher, and she had a cockroach in her classroom for years.” Mr. Olsen added that he was a fan of class pets, saying “I feel like high schoolers should have class pets.”

Juniors meet the Diego in the bug's first week at MSMHS. Photography by Kaiden Chandler

The new cockroach is named Diego, which was the result of a collaborative effort by Mr. Olsen’s classes. Mr. Olsen said that the classes “had a big March Madness name bracket” to pick the name. The name Diego came out on top over second-place name “Dr. Mr. Dinglehopper.”

Nathaniel Oulton, who acquired the cockroach on behalf of Mr. Olsen, says that this species is the second largest in the "world." Photography by Kaiden Chandler

Senior Nathaniel Oulton, who raises snakes and reptiles as part of a small personal business, arranged to buy the cockroach for Mr. Olsen, after Mr. Olsen was unable to find cockroaches. Nate, who is The Current’s resident bug expert, says that this species, the Madagascar hissing cockroach, is the “second largest in the world.”

The Current

More on MSMHS insects

The Butterflies of MSMHS
The gardens of MSMHS have many species of insects, including butterflies. Here’s a look at two common species, with photography by student Maddy Campbell.