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By: Joesill Torres and Alexia Lopez What do you wear to Wethersfield High School when every single classroom has a different temperature? Now that fall is here, temperatures are declining and students are beginning to wear more layers to stay warm. Lots of students never know what to wear because it might be freezing in their first period class, feel like a sauna in their third and be the perfect temperature in their fifth. In this article, we will be helping those in need of fashion advice according to the temperature.  What Girls Can Wear: # 1 A Sweater/ Cardigan: These can add that extra thin layer to stay warm. If you ever get too hot you can also just take it off and put it in your backpack because of how thin it is. Can wear with most outfits due to its versatility.  #2: A Jean Jacket- Although jean jackets have become very #basic, it is still a great extra layer to wear with almost any outfit.  For Everyone: A Hoodie- Hoodies keep you warm and are very easy to wear and can just be pulled over any outfit. What Boys Can Wear: Honestly, we can’t help you guys because you all wear shorts in -15 degree weather and sweatshirts when it’s 84 degrees. We could suggest clothing items but you guys probably wouldn’t listen and just pull up to school in pajamas. 🤣 
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 Check out this #TBT of our writers! by: Max Karkos and Trevor Piecewicz
On Saturday, November 2nd, one of the greatest high school traditions, Homecoming, is back. It’s a night tailor-made for classmates to gather outside of the classrooms to bond and even meet new friends. Some people go with dates, others go with their friends. Either way, Homecoming is an exciting and fun night for all. We asked Ms. Rajan, the mastermind behind planning Homecoming, why one should attend the dance. She said, “Homecoming is just a chill time to hangout with your friends and dance to the music.” There is no reason anyone should be sitting at home by themselves this Saturday. For just $10 you can come spend the night dressed up surrounded by your best friends and favorite teachers. One of the fun parts of the night is announcing Homecoming King and Queen. Voted for by the students themselves, two students from each grade will be named as Homecoming King and Queen. Ms. Rajan expressed her excitement by saying, “It’s exciting when people get to vote for the king and queen. I thinks it’s one of the things that makes Homecoming an exciting event.” Every dance needs good music. One of the biggest reasons kids have so much fun at the dance is because of the DJ. Part of Ms. Rajan’s vision of an amazing Homecoming includes a good DJ who plays great music. Ms. Rajan said, “We got a lot of positive feedback about the DJ from last year, so we brought him back again.” Not often do you get to blast your favorite songs and dance in a crowd full of your best friends and classmates. DJ Butta Snipez will have you grooving all night long. The students here at WHS can’t wait until Saturday night. We asked some of the students how they are feeling about the dance. Senior and cheerleader Christine Vittner, said, “I can’t wait for Homecoming, by the end of the night everybody is friends. It’s such a fun time that nobody should miss out on. It’s one of my favorite nights of the year, and you only get four chances to go, so don’t miss out.” Varsity baseball and soccer player,Matt Bagdasarian, said, “It’s a great time. I mean, I’ve had a great time every year. I look forward to it because it’s one of the only times where everybody from every grade can hang out, plus some of our favorite teachers come. I would encourage everybody to go.” Homecoming is a special event that only happens once a year. You definitely don’t want to miss out on this great spectacle. See you Saturday!  By:Christopher Light Throughout high school in any history-related class, you’ll learn about the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001. It’s so important now for all high school students to learn about 9/11 because the graduating class of 2020 would be the first generation born after the 9/11 attacks. So it almost feels like a responsibility to carry on the information given to us by our teachers who had to experience this horrible act of terrorism. Around 2,996 (19 of the 2,996 people were hijackers) lives were lost that day and over 6,000 people were injured. The country stopped where it was nobody knew what to think. So many people lost family members and friends. All they could do was hope that the people they loved survived, hope was all anyone had. I interviewed Mr. Sand, the Current Issues teacher at Wethersfield High School. He expressed his feelings and reasons for why he went so in depth when teaching about 9/11. Mr. Sand said, “When you go down there [the 9/11 memorial in NYC] and you see what happened and you learn about it and you make a personal connection, it really puts your own life in perspective and I think it’s really important. This is true especially for seniors who are going out into the big wide world next year to get a sense that there is so much more out there than their lives in a small central Connecticut suburban town.” The United States will never recover fully from the terrorist attacks that took place on 9/11 but to be educated and to never forget the people that were lost that day is how the people of the United States became stronger. For sometime after the attacks, everybody was still in shock but everyone came together and supported each other people and all people wanted to do was help those who lost someone that day in any way they could. The fact is my generation and more specifically the senior class of students is the first of many new people to be born after 9/11 that’s why it’s even more important for us to learn about the events that occurred on that tragic day.  By: Logan Lichatz
We all stress out for the one day where our score on a three hour scantron test can determine the next part of our life. SATs have become a huge selling point for you to get into college: if a college sees good test scores on your resume the chances are good that your going to get in. But how do you prepare for the biggest test of your high school career? These five steps can help! 1. Practice SAT problems. Make Khan Academy your best friend and use this site all the time to help you get used to the type of questions asked on the SAT. Also, use the SAT time in your classes to get used to the timed portion of the test. 2. SAT preparatory classes (through the Wethersfield Adult Education Program). There's nothing better than getting professional help from a trained SAT teacher. Although it may cost a little money, it's worth it, they teach you how to approach each question and give you good strategies. The SAT classes are also not that time consuming sometimes they’re only once or twice a week. 3. Prepare yourself the night of and morning before your SAT. Use the night before to do some last minute studying and have a good dinner. After having a nice dinner get to bed early enough to between 8-10 hours of good sleep. Wake up an hour before the SAT doors open and make sure to have a good breakfast. 4. Relax. Although this will be one of the most stressful times, you need to take a mental moment to relax. Don't stress yourself out too much. Stay relaxed and comfortable throughout the test and remember that you can take the test multiple times and “superscore” (combining your best English and Math scores). 5. Assemble everything you need for the SAT. Make sure you have a calculator and two #2 pencils. Also it would be ideal for you to bring a little snack or two, there's nothing worse than getting hungry throughout the test and not being able to go get something to eat. Doing these steps won't guarantee that you'll have the best score but you will most definitely feel more prepared to take the test if you do. Happy Testing!  By:Jacob Rivera and Kaitlyn Fischer
Transitioning from a student teacher to a full time teacher is stressful yet very rewarding. We set out to interview our new Spanish teacher Ms. Martins to see how her transition is going at WHS. “This community has all been very supportive, so I’m very grateful for that. Now as a [full-time] teacher, I get that support and level of respect.” When asked if she was being treated differently now that she is an official teacher, her response was gratifying. She felt as if she fit in and was being treated well by the Wethersfield High School community is amazing to hear. “I’m very grateful to have done my student teaching here. I think it really helped out knowing the community and knowing my students. It was really helpful with the transition, knowing how the school works, knowing how my department works, being familiar with many students and having good connections with them made it definitely an easy adjustment.” Transitioning from a student teacher to teacher, she seemed very comfortable and honest with her answer. From what we were told, it was clear that being a student teacher made this whole process very tranquil. The reason of which Ms. Martins fits into the Wethersfield High School community so well has many answers. Being able to have a connection with her students and learn the environment and culture at WHS while she was a student teacher helped prepare her for the full thing. Ms. Martins is a great addition to the WHS staff and you can go see her in room 303!  By: Maddy Burbank
The Yearbook Club is where students join to help design their yearbook. Students should join because it is a great way to get involved with your class and design your yearbook the way you want it. “Students should be the ones to choose how their yearbook is made, not a staff member.” said senior and class president, Isaac Santos. The Yearbook Club is technically a senior club since it is going to be the seniors yearbook, but it is open to all grades. They will not refuse to have someone in their club just because they are not a senior. What they expect from students who plan to join is to give ideas, and no idea is a bad idea. “It is important to have a yearbook because it's a memory that you go back on and remember the times that you had with friends,” Santos said. The club seems like a great thing that helps you interact with other students and design pages in the yearbook that will be kept forever. Imagine being able to look back at your book and think, “Wow, I did that.” It would be great right? If I were you, I would consider joining. It's such a great thing that our school put together. They are always open to accepting new people into the club. The meetings are held every Wednesday after school in the LMC. They discuss everything from the cover of the yearbook to even the superlatives. If you are interested in joining, you can speak to and/or contact Mrs. Griffin. She is located in the LMC. (Library Media Center) If you have any questions you can contact either Isaac at [email protected] or Mrs. Griffin at [email protected]. By Stephanie Breglio
As many know, September 11, 2001 was a turning point for national security procedures in airports, government buildings, along with other locations of importance all around the world. There were 2,753 deaths, 343 including firefighter,s at the World Trade Center site that day. When students visited the actual site of these terrorist attacks they were stopped in their tracks by the sadness that still lingers in the air. On October 23, 2019 students of Mr. Sand’s Current Issues classes visited the 9/11 Memorial/Museum in New York, along with the Tower Ladder 1 Firehouse. The field trip was an all-day expedition, where students were on the bus at 6:30 am and got home around 5:00 at night. In Current Issues, Mr. Sand aims multiple lessons, assignments, and classwork around the tragedy of 9/11. By teaching about the events about this day in history, students are able to gain more of a perspective about it and the feelings of the victims are heroes. Although the lessons give students more of an insight, they are not quite enough. The field trip is what ties everything together. Mr. Sand believes that the action of actually visiting the museum is … “important for young people, especially those who don’t remember that day, to gain a first hand experience to help them truly understand the events of 9/11.” Since the students attending the trip were the first generation to barely experience the actual day of 9/11, it was important to visit the museum to learn more about the occurrences of this day. Mr. Sand teaches about the victims and heroes that were killed and the actual events leading up to the attack, however he makes a point to highlight the good that came out of this large event in history, which is showcased through meeting some of our heroes-the firefighters. The day of the field trip started with visiting the Tower Ladder 1 Firehouse, where students were able to go inside the only firehouse in New York that did not lose any firefighters during the attack. Students also had the opportunity to see the firehouse in action when they got a call and had to leave. Some students even purchased shirts from the firehouse signed by the firefighters that day! After taking a quick lunch break at McDonald’s, students and chaperones migrated to the World Trade Center site to view the fountains/pools of water where the towers stood, which included all the names engraved into the sides of the people who died. The next stop was the museum itself, which is located right next to one of the original tower sites. The museum was a moving experience. It included the original phone calls and messages from family members and from people who died on that day. There were multiple exhibits, some including artifacts, and others including rooms with presentations on what really happened that day. A technologically advanced part of the museum was the iPads, which students were able to use to search any person that died that day and to find information on them. A student present at the trip, senior Leah Ayers said, “One benefit is that you get to see all of the artifacts and relics in person rather than on a screen. It gives it a more realistic feel, and you can relate to the experiences better when you see it up close.” The museum created a closer connection between the students and 9/11 through the exhibits. Students were able to relate more to the events that occurred, which was extraordinary because they weren’t even alive when it happened. After visiting the museum, students got back on the bus and took a moment to reflect on what they had seen before returning home around 5:00. Mr. Sand said, “I think the trip is just the right length. Students are able to process only so much on any one day so I’m very comfortable with the time we have there.” Students were appreciative that they got this wonderful opportunity to visit the firehouse and the museum. It was a real experience for all the students and chaperones that helped out. Students give a special thank you to WHS, Mr. Sand, the chaperones, and everyone who took steps to help organize the trip.  By Shandaly Benjamin Wethersfield High School has many activities for our senior class, but nothing like Senior Night for our varsity athletes. What better than being a part of a team you can call family without them being apart of your actual bloodline? WHS sports are very competitive but fun. The seniors at WHS take sports seriously and want to set an example for upcoming varsity players. Our seniors offer their assistance during sports and play their best out in the field. But what is Senior Night all about? Senior Night is inviting your family and friends to celebrate the simple fact that you made it this far from your first year of playing. It’ all about your final high school year of your sports career and enjoying the company of your teammates during that special nights game. Our seniors enjoy this night with their teammates and their family as they try their hardest to defeat the team they’re up against. Our senior athletes are very hardworking and push themselves to be true leaders at Wethersfield High School. The boys soccer team had their class of 2020 Senior Night on October 25 and the families couldn’t look any prouder of their athletic boys.  Our varsity athletes are very much appreciated, but nothing is better than looking to the bleachers and seeing you have a huge support system you can call friends. During the boys soccer Senior Night, WHS seniors: Brandon Bukowski, Conner Senk, Logan Lichatz, and other students, supported their varsity soccer buddies by holding their cut out heads.
Our WHS girls volleyball also had their Senior Night and our boys football team have their Senior Night soon you don’t want to miss it! Come out and support our eagles on their special night! Our Wethersfield High School varsity players are very appreciated by their teammates and our school. They continue to set an example for the schools upcoming varsity players. We couldn’t thank our coaches enough for their time and dedication they put into the teams. We hope to see the same enthusiasm from all students for our varsity players when more sports opportunities open this spring!  By Jake Whitaker and Johnny Orsini On Wednesday, October 16th the Wethersfield High School football team had a new practice schedule on the daily agenda. Instead of taking to Cottone Field for practice, the Eagles went to Highcrest, Webb, and Hamner elementary schools for their newest campaign, Tackle Literacy. Most classes in each school participated and each class had 1-3 players in each room. The players read aloud to the students, had students read to them, did classroom activities, and focused on expressing how important schooling is starting at a young age. The players really wanted to emphasize being role models for the kids. Senior Tyren Watt said “The football team wanted to be a part of the Tackle Literacy campaign to be good examples to the younger students to keep reading books for the rest of your lives.” To Tyren, it was more than just going and reading to the kids, he said, “The point was to show how important the reading was and how important it is throughout life.”  Senior Nathaniel Estifanos agrees that the campaign was more than just something to do during the bye week. “I think it was ‘let's go help out the kids and be good role models’ because that's our responsibility''. When asked if he would do it again, he kept it short,“for sure."
Many players agreed that it was awesome to go back but a little bitter sweet. Shortly after leaving the schools, Senior Kyle Edman said, “That was lowkey sad, we are about to graduate high school." Junior Zak Zurzola followed up with a similar feeling, “We should do that again, I’m reminiscing." The team is hoping to be able to get another opportunity to do this again this year and are hoping that even more schools will participate next time around.  by: Kieran Moller
Halloween marks the beginning of a very exciting time, the start of the holidays, though it is important to remember the proper ways to celebrate this spooky holiday. Yes, costumes are a way to express yourself and shed a good laugh. However, they are prohibited in the school, and for valid reasons. Mr. Moore and Mrs. Yusko are aware of the desire for students to show off their costumes to their friends, but the school is not the place. Students wearing costumes in the classroom serves as a distraction to fellow students and teachers. It would be near impossible for students to wear a costume and there not be a scene that can cause distractions. Secondly, it would not be fair to permit a handful of students to dress up and not everyone else. Our principals know that the classroom is a place to learn. If everyone dressed up, it would cause a commotion and end up as a wasted day. There is plenty of time outside of school to celebrate Halloween with friends, and not suffer any consequences from wardrobe choices. Sadly, we are all aware of the times we live in as high school students. With the rise of school related shootings, costumes in school are not appropriate. Many costumes involve props that could be insensitive to recent events. Despite not meaning any harm, it simply isn’t a good look. Overall, these rules are in place for the good of the students. Although it may be frustrating, it’s in your best interest to comply.  By: Maddy Burbank
GSA is a club that is open for all students here a WHS. It is an LGBTQ+ club where we talk about what we can do to help make LGBTQ+ people around the world more accepted and feel comfortable in their own skin. “All students at WHS are accepted no matter their pronouns” said Mrs. Harrison, one of the advisors of the club. I know about this club a lot because I am in it. We start off the first meeting by going around and saying which day works for us best to have our meetings. We make sure that we schedule meetings that are flexible for all students in the club. We also start off meetings by saying our name, grade, and preferred pronouns. So we make sure we can call someone by the pronouns that they identify as. Also in the club we go on trips such as True Colors. True colors is an organization usually held at UHART or UCONN. It's goal “ensure that the needs of sexual and gender minority youth are both recognized and completely met” a quote taken from the True Colors website. The event is for school GSA’s to go to. We go to see and interact with other schools GSA’s. If we plan ahead enough then we can go to pride parades. That also depends on where the parade is. If there is one nearby in hartford to close to us then we try to plan to go. During the meetings, we talk about what we can do around the school as well. Last year, we set up a booths during the Laramie Project showings. These booths had information on how LGBT+ people are treated today and some had information about what the Laramie Project was. We also had bracelets and ribbons that we gave to people if they gave a donation. Half of that donation money went us for buying things to put events like that together, and the rest of the money went to LGBTQ+ foundations. In GSA, the goal is to make everyone feel safe and comfortable in the environment. We don't allow anyone who is rude or against LGBTQ+. We make everyone feel safe and feel like they can come to anyone in the club if they need someone to talk to. If you are interested in joining then you can listen out for any information on Blue Eagle News or you can talk to Mrs. Lindsay or Mrs. Harrison in guidance, you can just ask someone in the front of guidance if they are available. They can give you all the information you need about the club and they can answer any other questions you have.  By Mark Zocco and Megan Kelleher
All students like to think of themselves as the top of their class. One way of demonstrating this is at the end of freshman year, all of the students ask around to see who will be taking AP Biology and who is not. AP Biology has a reputation for being a class that is too difficult to take and will make one pull all nighters which is just false information. Do not let the rumors you hear about AP Biology sway your decision whether or not to take the class. The gossip one hears around the school should not be used as a reliable source when making such a decision. You might be wondering what type of information and from who should you trust when you are in the midst of making your choice for next years science class. Look no further because we sat down with the current and most qualified AP Biology teacher for the high school Dr. Gorton. We then asked him a few frequently asked questions about the course. “One requirement that the incoming AP Biology students need to have is self motivation. They need to be willing to do the work on their own.” says Dr. Gorton. He also goes on to say that “taking this class does have its advantages. AP Biology will help them learn how to learn. It will teach them what ways for them individually are the best ways to study and learn new material.” He also said “The major difference from say an honors biology class versus the AP Biology class is the speed and rigor. It is much more rigorous and there is simply more content to cover. AP Biology requires a much higher level of thinking and problem solving then say an honors or level one class.” When presented with the question “what are some fun and exciting activities that students will be able to partake in?” His immediate response was “We don’t do fun”, but quickly rescinded and followed by “Rather than fun, the students will find the class and what they are doing to be quite enjoyable. They have the opportunity to build a family type relationship with their peers in the classroom. They have the opportunity to investigate scientific principles that they otherwise wouldn't normally have in their other classes.” The last question has to be the question students are most curious about due to the fact that it is not uncommon to have a bad grade in an AP class. Dr Gorton went on to say that “students need not be shy when not understanding the material. I encourage students to ask questions and seek extra help after school when struggling.” Dr Gorton concluded the interview by saying “this class is like a marathon, you can’t fall behind but you need to maintain a steady pace.” If at the end of your freshman year you do indeed decide to take AP Biology, you will need to stop by Dr. Gorton’s room and pick up a textbook and a test prep book. With these you will need to complete a summer assignment by taking notes on the first five chapters of the textbook because you will have a quiz on them the first week of school so be prepared! This also gives you an opportunity to go and introduce yourself to Dr. Gorton. Remember, first impressions are very important! Don’t think if you don’t have straight A’s and have a 4.0 GPA you won’t be successful in this class. If you are willing to put in the time and effort I think that you will fit right in in AP Biology. If you still have questions or concerns feel free to email Mark Zocco or Megan Kelleher at [email protected] or [email protected]. By: Abbey Keane, Caitlin Nardella, and Christine Vittner As a senior and having four years of fun pep rallies, I still think there are some ways we could improve on ours. Compared to other schools and what you see on social media, ours can make some small changes to make them truly spectacular. Suggestion 1: Make the pep rally grade based! The pep rally should be more grade based and not so much surrounded by our sports teams. If this was the case, the attendance at the pep rally would rise. Many kids that do not participate in sports have nowhere to go when all the teams are sitting with each other, this causes them to just sit awardarly on the side with nothing really to do. If we made the pep rally grade-based we could have all the grades wear different colors. For example, seniors are usually wearing black so they would have a black out. Then every other grade dresses all in a different color. In our current system we have people dress up for their sport team, but not everyone plays a sport so some kids are left out of the fun of the pep rally. As a girl who doesn't do a fall sport, the pep rallies aren't as fun because everyone is dressed up and I'm just in my school clothes. Suggestion 2: Change the location If the pep rally was held in the gym it would be in a more enclosed space. All of the grades could get one section of the bleachers and be together as a grade so no one is excluded. We could do more grade based games and get everyone involved. When the pep rally is outside on Cottone the students are so far away from the games and the field, it is hard for them to really get involved. This way if it is right in the gym then the kids and the events will all be right there. Suggestion 3: Change up Spirit Week Spirit Week is a blast, but let’s get the whole student body involved! We could make a Google survey and get the students’ opinions on which ones they want to do. If we are allowed to have a voice, maybe we could get more participation and have Spirit Week be an even more awesome time. Suggestion 4: Spirit Week and Homecoming They should make spirit week in the week leading up to Homecoming. It would be spirit week all week then the pep rally on Friday during school, Friday night would be the homecoming football game, on Saturday would be the homecoming dance. That way it is just a week of fun. We love what we are seeing from our Pep Rallies, but with these changes, maybe we can go over the top next year and even be one of those awesome schools that are featured on social media.  by: Emma Fahnestock
For thousands and thousands of years there have been myths and stories about the supernatural. From werewolves to warlocks, they have all been just as scary, giving people the goosebumps and shivers. Although these creatures are fascinating and captivating, many movies made about them were far too terrifying for children. Luckily, Disney made a few Halloween movies so that children could also enjoy the thrills of Halloween; two of their most popular movies being Halloweentown, and Hocus Pocus. The cast of Hocus Pocus has been in many other popular movies, a few of which are Sarah Jessica's role in Footloose and Bette Midler's role in the new animated movie, “The Addams Family.” On the other hand, the cast of Halloweentown didn't appear in many movies or television shows afterwards, other then a few simple roles on Disney. Since most of the Hocus Pocus actors had huge movie roles, you can tell that they are amazing actors. Halloweentown has a few good actors but they could never compare to the cast of Hocus Pocus. Another point to be made is that Halloweentown didn’t have much character development and moved along very quickly. To compare, Hocus Pocus built up their characters throughout the whole movie, and dug more deeply into the storyline. Halloweentown has some benefits as well. When the children go to Halloweentown, they encounter many different monsters; such as witches, skeletons, ghosts, werewolves and vampires. In Hocus Pocus, they only have witches, and a few references of other creatures through halloween costumes. The main goal of the Hocus Pocus witches is to take the souls of children so they can look younger for the rest of their lives. Many children could find this scary, thinking this would happen to themselves. Additionally, Hocus Pocus contains several inappropriate jokes and other mature topics. Although these jokes may fly over kids head, Halloweentown is filled with only child-friendly humor. After asking six WHS students which movie they prefered, I discovered four students favored Hocus Pocus, one student didn’t know either movie, and one student preferred Halloweentown. One freshman, Izzy Berube, strongly responded with, “Definitely Hocus Pocus over Halloweentown.” All of this being said, In my opinion, I believe that Hocus Pocus is perfect for tweens and older, but Halloweentown is suggested for younger children. Which do you think is the better Disney Halloween movie? Comment Below! by: Katie Bridges
It’s the end of the first quarter of the year and for students who may not have the most secure grades, here are some tips for you. Firstly, all of this depends on your teachers and their policies. Make sure to read the syllabus they give you on the first day. It may seem like a useless piece of paper, but there may be important information on it if you read it more closely. If your grade isn’t where you would like it to be, try talking with the teacher to see if there is any extra credit work or just ask them for help on topics in class you didn’t understand 100% the first time. None of these tips are easy one and done steps, getting the grades you want takes work, effort, and tenacity. No one is going to hand you the grade you want, you need to go and get it for yourself. Make sure that if the teacher takes late work that you get every missing assignment in that you can, half credit is always better than a zero. Take any opportunity to turn in missing assignments, not all teachers will offer this chance, and even if they do, don’t rely on this, it’s really important to turn your work in on time. With this tips, I hope you have an excellent end to your first quarter and remember, next week marks a brand new slate and opportunity for all of us to improve!  By: The Michaels (Irace and Malizia) Mr. Kieras, the leader of the Night's Watch, was the perfect person to talk to during the scary movie season. His taste is large and his wisdom is larger. If you need a guide to the classic Halloween hits, Kieras is your man. “Friday the 13th is a classic. The originals would be good to watch, said Kieras. He also mentions Poltergeist as a very scary movie when it came out.  “For the most part I kind of don’t follow the newer horror movies because I think a lot of the time they spend more time on gore than the intensity of the unknown and uncertainty.” To Kieras, modern horror focuses more on shock value than suspense.“I’m more of a classics guy.”
Halloween is another classic that Mr. Kieras enjoyed. To Kieras, it’s the unknown that unsettles him so Michael Myers, who is a character who has no clear motivation, is extremely frightening. What’s your favorite spooky movie? Go talk about it and so many other pop culture topics with Mr. Kieras and Night’s Watch!  By: Amanda Carmel & Joseph Cassineri
Wethersfield High School’s career counselor Mark Danaher has given students the opportunity to learn something new about their potential post-secondary studies. This Friday, Christina Mogelnicki, an orthopedic physical therapist, is coming to WHS to provide students a perspective into the field of sports medicine. One of the most sought-after careers at WHS is Physical Therapy. Mr. Danaher, the host of the Lunch and Learn, said, “I took the career survey done by the students at the high school and looked at the most popular responses and physical therapy happened to be in the top ten responses.” Kids seem to enjoy learning about the treatment of injuries and diseases. Christina works locally, which made this process very easy. Mr. Danaher says, “I reached out to Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Centers to see if they had anyone who would be interested. They choose Christina because we are located in Wethersfield, which worked out well for us.” Ms. Mogelnicki will be speaking during a “Lunch and Learn”, which will take place in room 210 during 1st lunch. Pizza and water will be included. “The benefits of the lunch and learn for the school and students is they get a chance to talk with a professional in the school” says Mr. Danaher. “We hear their career stories and learn from the choices they make.” There is still seating available, and students can sign up by texting @whsspea to the number 81010. Don’t pass up the opportunity to broaden your career perspectives.  by: Samuel Garcia and Jordan Hickey
There is always a controversy between favorite baseball teams such as the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees. You always hear it here and there, “the Yankees are better” or “the Red Sox are better.” Which team is actually better? We, Samuel Garcia and Jordan Hickey, seniors at Wethersfield High School, are here to find out. We set out to determine which team is more beloved at Wethersfield High School. We went to question some of the Wethersfield High School staff to actually determine who the better team is. The first person we interviewed was Mr. Moore, the principal at Wethersfield High School. According to Mr. Moore, “I have been a baseball fan ever since I was a little kid.”. Ever since Mr. Moore started watching baseball as a little kid, the New York Yankees have hit home for him because he lived near New York growing up. Mr. Moore said “It ain’t over till it’s over.” This is a quote said by Yogi Berra, a famous Yankees player. Moore claimed that he always has this quote in the back of his head because he never gives up. Another Wethersfield High School staff member we turned to was Mr. Miller, a math teacher. We asked Mr. Miller why he was specifically a fan of the Boston Red Sox, or if there is a certain reason why he likes the Red Sox. Mr. Miller said, “When I was a little kid, my father took me to Fenway Park” and that is what formed Mr. Miller into the Red Sox fan he is today. He told us he remembered sitting down and watching them play ball when he was little. This is why he is a fan because he has special memories with the Red Sox. Mr. Sand, another staff member at Wethersfield High School is a fan of the Baltimore Orioles. This is because once again we have a lot of memories created from baseball. Mr. Sand said, “My son and I have gone to an Orioles game every year ever since he was 2 years old.” This creates a lot of emotional pull on the Orioles which explains why Mr. Sand is a huge fan of the Orioles. Overall, the staff at Wethersfield High School are all fans of different teams and the reason is because of the memories when we are young and get that emotional pull from our family traditions. Who is your favorite sports team? Comment below!  by: Mark Zocco and Megan Kelleher
At the end of students’ junior years, NHS is the talk of the academic world. Everyone goes around asking with anticipation if their peers received that incredible opportunity and letter inviting them to apply for the National Honor Society. Many stop and ask around, what are some of the requirements for the NHS? Look no further, because we sat down with a teacher who is also a council member for the NHS, reads over, and decides who gets accepted or rejected into the NHS. We sat down with Mr. Moger, and spoke with him about a few frequently asked questions about what the council members are looking for in a model NHS student. “I believe that NHS members are students who are the leaders of the school, whether that be in or out of school. They should be the role models in the classroom, on the sports field, in the library, and everywhere for that matter,” said Mr. Moger. He also said, “As school-wide leaders, the students need to take the initiative to help solve problems before having to get a teacher or administrator involved with certain school-oriented or personal issues.” Now to the question that comes across most kids minds when it comes to the admissions process, what kinds of grades do you need in order to be considered for the NHS? You need to have at least a 3.5 GPA to be considered for the NHS, which is a B+ overall average. This means that you need to start working hard early on in high school to get your GPA where it needs to be to be invited. Mr. Moger also went on to say that, “NHS members should be honest, hardworking, and perform to the best of their abilities. Granted we all have our bad days but as a general rule they should be putting forth their best effort academically as well as socially.'' After receiving a letter stating you meet these academic requirements, your next step is to complete an application packet along with a personal essay in order to be a full fledged member. First, to get this packet, you will have to go to Mrs. Neimic’s room and pick up the application along with any other handouts that she may have, she is located in room 110. Next, your personal essay should be about you and either your academic, social, or personal life experiences could be compared to the four pillars of the NHS. The four pillars are scholarship, leadership, community service, and character. Together, the essay and application will be the two deciding factors on you getting accepted into the Wethersfield High School chapter of the National Honor Society. Want more information about NHS? Talk to your school counselor or any of the NHS faculty advisors for more information.  by: Trevor Piecewicz and Max Karkos
We all know teaching is a full-time job, with many teachers spending hours after the bell rings grading tests and planning for the next day. However, some teachers go a step further, lacing up their sneakers, throwing on a pair of shorts, and taking to the athletic complexes to help students in a different way. There are many teachers here at WHS who are also coaches for our athletic teams. We wanted to know what that was like, and how the relationships between adults and students can broaden or weaken with this experience. We interviewed Business teacher Chris Palazzo, who was also a freshman football coach and is the JV golf coach. We asked him what he thought about working with his athletes on the field or in his case, the golf course, and in the classroom. “That’s one thing I've always enjoyed about coaching is building relationships on the field or the golf course and then allowing the relationship to continue to grow in the classroom.” Mr. Palazzo understands that his athletes are human and that these types of things happen. So when we asked him if an altercation an athlete gets into in a game can lead him to view the athlete differently in class, he said, “I don’t think so, because I understand that the students are people outside of the classroom.” Coach Palazzo implies that although his students can acted differently on the field, it isn’t going to impact the way that he is looked upon in the classroom. Varsity Girls Basketball coach Jeff Russell, is a brand new gym teacher at WHS. He previously worked at Silas Deane Middle School, so Coach Russell is very familiar with many of the faces and athletes at WHS. We wanted his thoughts on now being able to build chemistry with his athletes in school, rather than just on the basketball court. “It’s great because we are a team on and off the court. We build relationships that last throughout the entire offseason. When we are all in the same building, it’s easy for us to come together and build a family. We all have a goal and we all want to work to achieve it.” Having the ability to build chemistry and just get to know your athletes better off the field is a huge asset when it comes to success and winning games. We asked varsity girls soccer coach Tony Leone, a paraprofessional at the high school, on how it has affected their season so far. “Sometimes it’s a little bit of a challenge because we take how we are on the field into the school and that’s not always the right way to portray ourselves in front of other students.” The student athletes here at WHS love their coaches. They build special relationships in sports that carries into the school. It can sometimes distract from the fact that they are in a different setting. Coach Leone said, “I think they see me as coach and not a school person, which can be tough.” However, in Coach Leone;s case this isn’t a bad thing. Coach Leone doesn’t work directly with any of his athletes. He likes the fact that he can be in the same building and always have an eye over what his athletes are doing in school. Coach Leone loves being there for his team, he said, “They see me as coach, so I think there is a comfort level that they may have more with me than anybody else.” These teachers are a perfect embodiment of what it is to be an Eagle. The relationships they build are special and it’s what makes them love their jobs. |
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Photos from shixart1985 (CC BY 2.0), verchmarco (CC BY 2.0), governortomwolf, Marianne Bevis, shixart1985, verchmarco, shixart1985
