 Photo Credit: LBCC by: Connor Swanson, Brian Bianchi, and Shane Mazur
The United States is currently going through what is being considered a mental health crisis. Over the past 8-9 years, rates of depression and suicide have increased steadily, with little outreaching effort to stop it. A teacher from the Wethersfield High School social studies department, John Sand, has been vigorously at work, trying to implement a way to help young adults in Wethersfield Public Schools system. These past few years have been an increasingly scary time, with now 4.58% of adults considering suicide. This number has increased every year since 2011-2012 and does not seem to be slowing down. This starts out in the youth years, and as a country, we would hope that there are people treating this and helping people with these thoughts but in reality, it is the exact opposite. According to Mental Health America, over 60% of this nation's youth with severe depression do not receive any mental health treatment. This is where Mr. Sand comes into play, he has reached out to each of his classes, figuring out who would like to come together to help kids in the school get the help they need. When asked about this group, Mr. Sand described it as, “An informal gathering of students interested in helping the school address the rising mental health crisis that is gripping young people nationwide.” He has support from Assistant Principal of grades 10 and 12, Tyler Webb. Webb has communicated with students as well, discussing ideas on how to improve mental health throughout the building. The Mental Health Group would be a great addition to WHS because it provides help if they are struggling with their mental health or they have ideas that could help others in the school. Especially with our generation suffering through the COVID pandemic, a lot of people struggle with mental health concerns. Mental health will always be a factor in our world and Mr. Sand created a group to limit this struggle with the students of WHS. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Mr. Sand or Mr. Webb!
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 by: Roshini Gopaul and Maddy Wickens
Wethersfield High School’s Drama Club is producing Almost Maine this fall, which is running on Thursday, November 11 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, November 13 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, November 14 at 3:30 pm in the auditorium of Wethersfield High School. After talking with Jeffrey Roets, the director of Wethersfield High School’s drama department and Almost Maine, we learned some interesting facts. “There are 9 scenes, and each scene takes place at the same time, a Friday night in January. It is all moments of awkward love. Each scene deals with the possibility of new love, the complications of existing love, envy, it has little magical realism.” This show is produced by the WHS Drama Club, which is not just an ordinary club, it is a production for everyone to watch. They do auditions and get ready for showtime, which means they rehearse constantly. One of the challenges that they faced so far with getting ready for showtime is the lack of participation. Many, including the director, have expressed their concern with the lack of males in the production. With this, they had to adapt and have some females playing male roles and changed some of the scenes to have females together in romantic love. When asked about how the rehearsal is going, sophomore Thalia Black, who plays Shelly said, “The show is going great, even though we look serious on stage, we crack up all the time.” Another obstacle is there are kissing scenes with COVID and the regulation to wear a mask, which makes things difficult to do. So to convey that, they had to adjust and had the actors do shoulder and head blocking so the audience can assume there’s kissing when there is not. Senior Mia Sommers, who plays Sandrine and Rhonda said, “Wearing a mask has been a little struggle, glad to still do something like this even though it’s, fun process, I’m excited about the show.” They are also working on cool special effects. One of them includes the Northern Lights. Kade Lippitt, a senior and sound technician for the show, said, “The audience can look out for stars during the nighttime scene and a shoe falling onto stage.” Excited to watch the play? Get tickets on https://www.showtix4u.com as no tickets will be shown at the door. The production dates are Thursday, November 11 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, November 13 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, November 14 at 3:30 pm.  by: Jack Freitas
This weekend at Castle Craig, the Hiking Club at Wethersfield High School partnered with the University of Connecticut to raise money for the Connecticut Children's Hospital. The club raised money all week leading up to the hike, finishing with a total of $611, it was more than a successful weekend for the Hiking Club. Sean Dunn, a senior at Wethersfield High School and the president and founder of the Hiking club, had this to say on why this hike was so special and important to raise money for the children in the hospital, “It was very important for us as a club because we had been researching ways to positively ignite change in the community and give back. Being able to use hiking as a means to raise money for children who are less fortunate in our own state meant a lot for all of us and we were blown away at the outpouring support.” Sean was a big part in helping raise this money by promoting and getting people involved. This hike was not only important, but very fun and had a high number of people came out. Joe Bellas, a senior in high school and a member of the Hiking Club shared his thoughts on the hike this weekend. “I had an excellent experience alongside my friends. I think that Sean Dunn did an amazing job leading the group and I thought the hike was very fun.” This hike turned out to be on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and gave the hikers some astonishing views. They hiked up to the top of Castle Craig and were joined by other hikers doing it for the same cause. This club was one of the fastest growing clubs ever at WHS, already starting off with 68 students. You can join this club by talking with Mrs. Russo, Sean Dunn, or Sam Johnson. Although spots are rare and you might need to wait to be able to get in because of how many kids there are, it's an amazing club. The Hiking Club meets every other Tuesday in Mrs. Russo room to discuss the future of the club and hikes they may attempt later in the year. This is not the only fundraiser Sean and the club are planning. An exciting one that is upcoming is the dodgeball tournament they are hosting in winter. Since it is too cold to hike, Sean and Mrs. Russo still teamed up to find a way to raise money for the children in the hospital.  By: George Zack
One of the latest and greatest additions to the WHS extracurricular scene is none other than our very own Chess Club. This organization was officially added to the extracurricular roster in early 2021 by students Haley Day and Anne Hart. The faculty advisor of the club is Italian teacher Mrs. Becker. Forged out of the fire of the pandemic, the Chess Club initially held all meetings completely virtually. According to Google Classroom posts from March 12, 2021 and Oct. 4, 2021, all virtual meetings were held on Google Meet, with games and activities on the sites Chess.com and Lichess. Today, the club meets every other week, alternating between meetings in person in Mrs. Becker’s room (403) and virtually on the club’s Google Meet. According to Haley Day, this decision was made predominantly to reduce the risk of spreading COVID while still meeting on a regular basis. The schedule is also designed to be more accommodating for those taking part in other extracurricular activities that may conflict with one of the time slots. If members cannot attend the 2:30 meetings after school, there are always the remote 6 PM meetings and vice versa. For more insight on the club, we spoke with Day who shared that the club was founded largely with the intent of being a place where, “People who like chess can get together, hang out, play chess, share things they think are interesting, and have fun“. Since its conception, the club has grown to be 27 students strong. The Chess Club invites new members of all knowledge and skill. A large number of the group are students who originally had little to no knowledge about chess, but are eager to learn. Multiple posts can be found on the Google Classroom page directed specifically for these burgeoning chess players, ranging from a simple chess tutorial posted on Mar. 16, 2021, all the way to a slideshow on how to use the Fried Liver Attack and Traxler Counter Attack. According to Day, “[The club] is open to anyone. I was really worried that people would be intimidated to join because they thought ‘I don’t know anything about chess’“. She wants the club to be a learning opportunity for all members, regardless of knowledge and skill. The events of each meeting can widely vary. Aside from just playing games online or against each other, club members also work together to solve chess puzzles, beat up some AI opponents, and even talk strategy. If you are interested in joining, the club’s Google Classroom class code is BNQF64U. If you have any questions, reach out to Mrs. Becker, Haley Day, or Anne Hart.  By: Lena Uccello
In 2015, Wethersfield High School teacher, Susan Coco, introduced the blood drive. Held annually three times a year, the school continues to make a difference by collecting blood and saving lives. Before coming to Wethersfield, Coco taught at Cheshire High. It was here that she first got involved with the event and officially began helping out. “I really wanted to get involved with the school environment, so that was actually my first extracurricular activity I got involved in,” said Coco. Though the drive was a way for her to make a difference within the community itself, the real reason behind Coco’s involvement was much more personal. Her father, a life-long doner, would donate blood every 56 days. At a young age, Ms. Coco would accompany him to these drives and embrace the good deed he was committing. He set an example and gave her the motive to give back. “He’s probably one of the main reasons why I thought the blood drive was a worthy cause, a worthy reason to get involved,” she said. After her transfer to Wethersfield High, Coco realized the school did not host an annual blood drive, so she took a stand, got permission and made it happen. Wethersfield High School senior Anisa Zoto has been working alongside Coco, at the front line of this event, for the last three years. With her love of the medical field and the help of her science teacher Mr. Chatfield, Zoto knew she had to take part in this cause. “The blood drive isn’t necessarily me doing anything medically involved, but it’s still helping people which is all medicine is really,” said Zoto. It was after the pandemic hit in 2020 that this event became nearly impossible. Blood banks became super low on supply and with that, the lives of all those in need became at risk. “According to the New York Blood Center, which provides blood to hospitals in the greater New York City area, the gap between blood needed and what's being donated is now averaging around 8,000 donations per month.” But this news didn’t stop Coco or the other coordinators at WHS from making it happen. They found ways to hold the drive, no matter what it took. Instead of taking place during the school year, the team redirected to the elementary schools through summer break. It was important that they still be able to make a difference, even amidst the rising COVID-19. With her passion and determination, Coco has already scheduled this year’s drive. As of now, it is planned to be held on December 15, 2021 from 7:40am-2:00pm. If you are interested in donating or volunteering, students, or teachers can sign up during lunch waves or email Ms. Coco at scoco@wethersfield.me. “Until you try it, you shouldn’t say no. Little reasons like I’m afraid of needles is not a good reason because if you were on the receiving end of needing blood, then you’re hoping that people are going to give,” said Coco. As the saying goes, “you’ll ever know until you try,” so reach out and help. Don’t want to or cannot donate? Volunteer. There are always multiple ways to make a difference and you can be one of them. As Zoto said, “It’s easy, it only takes a couple hours, and those couple hours save hundreds of people.”  by: Grace DeMonte
The GSA, or Gay Straight Alliance Club is a place where students can discuss LGBTQ+ issues in our school and work to change them. The club is open to all students and is a place where LGBTQ+ students can feel safe and talk to others in the community. Mrs. Lindsay, the club advisor, said, “The GSA is a group that was formed to create a safe space for our LGBTQ+ students and allies, and to work toward creating a school environment that is respectful of all students and advocate for change to create an inclusive school environment.” The first meeting was held on September 23, but students are still welcome to join! At this time, club meetings are held every Thursday after school in room 110, but meeting times are susceptible to change. While the club discusses LGBTQ+ issues, you don’t have to be part of the community to join, all students are welcome. The club was formed in 2016 by two students who wanted to create a safe place for LGBTQ+ students to talk about issues they face regarding their sexuality or gender identity. Since then, the club has achieved many accomplishments, such as participating in the National Day of Silence and petitioning to have WHS graduation caps and gowns be one color, regardless of gender. The GSA also attends the True Color Conference, the largest LGBTQ+ conference in the Northeast, where students can attend workshops on LGBTQ+ issues. If any student is interested in joining the GSA Club, please reach out to Mrs. Lindsay and listen for the next meeting time in the school announcements or on Blue Eagle News. Mrs. Lindsay says, “The GSA is a wonderful, safe and inclusive environment. All students are welcome to attend. Our goal this year is to not only serve as a safe space but also to continue the work of making necessary changes so that all students feel welcome and safe.”  by: Tommy Aglieco and Dominic Butler
Wethersfield heroes Sean Dunn and Sam Johnson have started a Hiking Club so students can get outside and spend time with others during the Coronavirus pandemic. WHS juniors Sean Dunn and Sam Johnson had a vision for helping people get outside and enjoy nature during the pandemic and have brought it to life swiftly and elegantly. Back in March, they pitched the idea to some teachers and got them on board. Shortly after, they opened it up for students to join and were “pleasantly surprised” by the number of people on the list. According to Sean, there were around 70 applicants within the first two weeks. Their first hike in late March at Quarry Park in Rocky Hill was largely a success besides the fact that it was a little cold and the second hike is scheduled for May 2 and they are expecting the best. If participation continues at this rate, then who knows where this will go, Sean said that they have already designed and ordered the Hiking Club shirts and that they plan on continuing the club in Fall 2021. So sign up using the google classroom code, fz6gw2p. Get some exercise, have some fun, maybe even meet some new friends. by: Sally Jorge
WHS is introducing a new club, Clube Português de WHS, our Portuguese Club! This club meets once a month in room 304, and is run by Mrs. Russo and Ms. Martins. They started this club to introduce this wonderful culture to more people. They are both 100% Portuguese and want to share their knowledge, experiences, and culture with anyone that wants to learn more about it. The first meeting was last week, Anyone who went to the meeting was able to share a little bit about themselves. Both Mrs. Russo and Ms. Martins expressed their goals and ideas for this club and wanted to cater to the students' wants and desires for this club. In a recent Interview with Ms. Martins, a WHS spanish teacher, she said “We started this club because we want to teach people about the Portuguese language and culture. We both have personal experiences and both are fluent in the language.” Mrs. Martins is very involved in the Portuguese community. She enjoys traveling and learning about other languages and cultures and she said “I would love for students to feel that same passion. We would love to pass on the knowledge and experience to others”. I also had the opportunity to meet with Mrs. Russo, who is also a WHS spanish teacher. She expressed her thoughts on what the club's goals are. “The Portuguese club is open to everyone and we will explore and highlight the culture of Portugal. Some of the interests that were expressed were food, share recipes, music, dances, celebrations, history, famous places to visit and learn basic words so you can have dialogue exchange. We want students to make connections to real life experiences and leave with something they can use in the future. I want this to be a fun, non-threatening program, where everyone can feel welcome.” Mrs. Russo said, “I encourage everyone to get involved and to get out of their comfort zone and try something new. Be a part of the Portuguese Club and have fun! ” You can too be a part of this club at anytime, just email Mrs. Russo or Ms. Martins and let them know you are interested in joining the club. By: Noah Haskins and Quinn Shive
The whole world has been changed by the global pandemic and it’s undeniable that our way of living has been completely uprooted by this change. For many students, the way they go through their day to day basis is completely alien to them. One of the biggest parts of high school are the clubs you have access to. You can join a group of likeminded people and have fun and interact with people who have the same interests as you do. At WHS in particular, we have all sorts of clubs from robotics to drama to biking and everything in between. Nowadays, COVID-19 has changed the way students participate in these clubs. We interviewed Mr. McKinnon, the advisor of the weightlifting club, about these changes. He told us a little about his club, he said, “Weight lifting club is where any student can come and learn the proper way to strength train.” When asked about what changes have been made due to the virus, Mr. McKinnon said, “COVID has altered how our club will operate. For one, we are going to assign lifting groups per squat rack, this way the same students will workout together each day. Also, we will be completing a self-assessment google form each day. This form allows the student to recognize if they are experiencing any symptoms of COVID. During our workouts, we are required to wear masks to help prevent any spread.” One of the clubs completely flipped on its head is our drama department, run by Mr. Roets. We asked him the biggest negative aspect of the situation that's affected his club, he told us, “Not being able to rehearse together. Due to social distancing, we have to rehearse from home.” When asked about the participation rate this year, oddly enough they both had opposite responses with Mr. McKinnon saying, “At this time, we have not had any changes in our participation rate. The occasional absence from a student still happens if they get called into work or something comes up.” Mr Roets had a different experience, saying, “Yes, mainly because we have to do it online and people are tired of being online” Both clubs have had to change how they operate significantly, but it goes to show how much these clubs mean to the students and teachers, continuing to do what they love no matter the barriers in the way. When asked about overcoming these boundaries, Mr. Roets told us, “It has pushed us to become more creative than we have ever had to be. We are releasing an episodic play instead of one large-scale production.” Mr. McKinnon put our lives in the midst of a global pandemic best, saying, "When adversity hits, there are only two options...fold and quit because that's easy, or take it head on and get better! We teach our student-athletes to take it head on. This is a huge life lesson, and they are conquering it!” To find more information about clubs, click this link, which brings you to the club page of the WHS Website. UPDATE: All performances of the WHS production have been cancelled and are hoping to reschedule. Stay tuned for more information.
by: Serf Piedrasanta With the recent outbreak of COVID-19 or the CoronaVirus, a lot of precautions are being taken. A state of emergency has been announced in Connecticut by governor Ned Lamont, and panic is large as of right now. The CIAC (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference) has cancelled all winter sports that have currently been going on, and most activities are cancelled as well. However, Wethersfield High School’s 2020 production of “The Addams Family” is still running. The superintendent has made precautions, and only 100 people are allowed to attend each show to lower the risk of infection. This impacts the show in many different ways, however. While the show is still on, it has been decided that three extra shows are available to the public. There is a Thursday dress rehearsal available for parents of those in the cast, with a limit of 2 people per student. There is also a Saturday matinee added in the afternoon at 1:00pm, as well as a Monday evening show being planned. Ticket sales are currently closed, as online ticket sales reached over 500 people before the 100 person cap was announced. It is very unlikely that any tickets will open up, but there will be door sales if the 100 person maximum is not met for a show. This is affecting every single cast member and has added an extra layer of stress, but we will update as we have more information as it becomes available.  By: Alexis Almada and Andre Jorge “Come to paint night and flex your painting muscles” -John Martin Wethersfield High School’s National Art Honor Society (NAHS) will be hosting its fourth paint night, “Leap Into Spring” on Thursday, February 27th. Paint night will take place in the art rooms located near the pool entrance. No painting experience is required! The NAHS has been selling tickets ($7 ea.) since February 10th, and will continue selling at the door. The event starts promptly at 6pm and ends around 8pm. To start off the night, guests will have the opportunity to sit in one of the two art rooms and learn to paint a spring themed canvas, instructed by two of the NAHS members. Instructing this year’s spring paint night will be WHS seniors Alexis Almada (room 22) and Kiara Lazu (room 20). Both instructors will be teaching how to paint the same image. This will be their second time instructing paint night! The schedule for the night is as follows, painting is taught from 6pm-7pm and then a quick intermission for pizza and other refreshments will be served from 7pm-7:30pm. After that, everyone will return to painting and deserts will be handed out. Although Alexis and Kiara will be teaching everyone how to make a spring painting, guests are not required to follow along. If you would like, you can paint whatever you want. All supplies will be provided. In each room, painting jockeys will be replacing paint waters, paper towels, and paint as needed. Everyone is welcome to join us for paint night! It’s a really fun event and everyone is encouraged to come. Please come out and help support the NAHS.  by: Serf Piedrasanta
Wethersfield High School’s very own drama club has been rehearsing for their spring production of The Addams Family. Students in the musical started their rehearsals in January, and they continue weekly until March, where they perform for three days. What is The Addams Family? It is a musical following the iconic clan of misfits as they have to handle change. The plot surrounds the daughter of Gomez and Morticia Addams, Wednesday Addams, as she handles her new relationship with a “normal” person. What is a typical week like for these students? We asked two students who have lead roles in the musical, Zane Tinker and Hailey Baranowski, about what they go through each week. Hailey Baranowski, class of 2020, was asked about what her role of Wednesday Addams and her contributions to the overall story of the show. “Wednesday is this 17 year old girl and she has this fiance her parents never met and a lot of the story is based around the conflict of Wednesday keeping her marriage a secret from her mother.” Uncle Fester acts as a narrator of sorts, as he is the only character that speaks directly to the audience and summarizes small parts of the show. We asked Zane Tinker, class of 2020, about what Fester does for the show. He said, “Uncle Fester is the weird uncle who simultaneously acts as the narrator of sorts. He talks to the audience and keeps them updated on what’s going on.” “I spend about 20 hours a week, especially at the beginning when you’re just learning all the songs and dances” Baranowski said about how much time a week they spend practicing. All this time spent in school rehearsing takes a toll on their lives outside of school, and when we asked Zane, he said, “Oh it’s rough, especially when I have another job. I have zero free time,” showing how busy these performers are each and every week. “I really only can spend time with other people who are in the musical.” Baranowski said when asked how exactly this huge time commitment affects her life. This being said, the leads all interact frequently, with members of one group or family being on stage with each other a lot more. But sometimes, outside relationships can make some scenes a bit awkward for the performers. “Getting comfortable on the stage with everyone while saying your lines is very important.” Hailey said when asked about chemistry on stage, but it isn’t as bad as it sounds. “It’s like hydrogen and oxygen. It depends on the people though, and those who tend to stay more focused bounce off each other a lot better than those who don’t,” Zane said when questioned on who on stage bounces off one another well. This shows that when these students put in the effort and focus, they perform a lot better, and get more done. WHS’ musical productions are not your typical high school production. Not only do they try to stick to Broadway levels of formality with complicated harmonies and more singing parts then typical, there are also things that make these productions important to the performers. There are numerous unique traditions special to the high school that make these productions special, and it shows the bond that these students have with one another. “Before we go on stage and before performance,s we all sing songs in a circle and everyone cries on the last day.” Baranowski said when asked about what traditions WHS has that aren’t seen anywhere else. The Addams Family is a drastically different show than last year's production of Mary Poppins. When asked about how this show is going to stand out, Zane said “I think the songs and the show is a lot funnier than Mary Poppins, so it’s going to be a fun show to watch.” The Addams Family is a lot more contemporary than last year’s production, and people who want a more comedic and brash show should definitely be sure to get tickets for a showing. by: Samuel Garcia and Jordan Hickey
Wethersfield High School has so many amazing clubs that people don’t even know we have. One of many is JETS club. We wanted to learn more about what JETS is and what is consisted in this club. We tried to find someone who had first-hand experience with JETS club and who would be better to interview than captain of JETS club. First, let's talk about what JETS is. JETS stands for Junior Engineering Technical Society. JETS is an engineering team, where a group of students makes devices for people who can’t perform the daily maneuvers they need everyday. Who is eligible to join? Any student who is interested in hands on building, willing to work for those in need is eligible. Where do you go if you want to join? Students willing to participate will typically meet in room 24 on the west side of the school with Mr. Sikora. JETS club meets every week on Monday after school. Why is JETS a good club to get involved in? We asked JETS captain Rachel Gopaul and she said, “JETS is a great club because it teaches students how anyone can help those who are in need and can’t help themselves.” Another thing Rachel mentioned was, “JETS is a great opportunity for students to work with tools in the woodshop, learn how to 3D print, and lastly work with something that can help those who aren’t able to complete certain activities.” Last year, our JETS team competed in the competition and tried to help a man named Mooch. Mooch isn’t able to use his hands and must be remained in a chair. Mooch’s job was to pack binder clips in boxes. The JETS team wanted to develop a way to make it easier for him to do his job. The JETS team created a machine that attaches to Mooch’s head so he could push the clips in the box. This was able to help him perform his job and was a great help! This year, the team is trying to come back stronger than ever. This year, they have split into groups to work on separate projects. This year they have one group 3D printing a tray for someone to eat due to the fact that his hands don’t work. Another group is working on putting chains in earplug cases used in the military. JETS club is working on a lot of great projects for a lot of great people so if this sounds like something you would be interested in, make sure to talk to Mr. Sikora in room 24 after school to join the club.  by: Amanda Carmel & Joseph Cassineri
History teacher John Sand is known for his love of travel. He’s ventured with students to destinations like Costa Rica and Belize, just to name a few. With his 2021 trip yet to be planned, Mr. Sand and two students have joined forces to form the new Cultural Exchange and Travel Club, with heavy emphasis on the cultural exchange part. “We’re interested in cultural exchanges—we’re interested in when we go abroad, meeting with kids from other countries, and exchanging cultures that way,” Mr. Sand said. Sand helped organize the club to gain input from students on, as Sand puts it, “where they want to go, and what they want to do.” The direct input of the student body is something he hopes will drive future trips tailored to the passions of a group of students, whether it be traveling for fun, to see history, or to make a difference in the world community. Sand is perhaps one of the biggest proponents of travel in our WHS community, and we asked why he believes it’s so important. “It increases your understanding that there’s a great big world out there, other than out little old Wethersfield High School” he said, “It promotes cultural awareness, so that you understand and appreciate the differences in people, rather than being ignorant to them.” Beyond traveling the globe, Sand mentioned his interest in experiencing other cultures locally. “We have different cultures here at our high school, there’s other cultures at other high schools. Its kinda cool to meet each other and find some common ground.” The club will meet once a month in room 112. If you want to have a say in our school’s trips, or even venture outward yourself, “Sign up today! Put your name on the list and then we’ll email you and keep you in the loop.”  By Amirah Jahaf & Rachel Gopaul
The Wethersfield High School Drama Club is performing a version of Shakespeare’s play A Midsummers Night's Dream. This version is going to be different than others you have seen before, it’s made to relate to our lives today. There are funny characters to watch such as Bottom (Pyramus) played by senior Hailey Baranowski, and The Three Pups played by senior Abbey Riberio, junior Kendall Cholewa, and sophomore Mia Sommers. Another scene to check out is the battle between Helena (freshman Sarah Gurskis) and Hermia (senior Brianna Boucher). When asked why we should make it out to see this play, drama director Mr. Roets said, “First of all to support peers, and because it’s funny. I know that we have done some sad stuff for plays in the last couple of years. It is the most entertaining play for Shakespeare, the Woodstock music is cool, 1969-style, and you get to see Mr. Nicholas and Mr. Pfister be patriarchal jerks.” The show is playing from November 7-10 in the WHS Auditorium. Thursday, November 7 at 7:30, Friday November 8 during school, and Saturday, November 9 at 7:30. If you miss any of those, your last chance to see it will be Sunday, November 10, at 3:30. Tickets cost $12 for general admission and $8 for students and seniors. If you get hungry during intermission, DECA is selling candy in the cafeteria! This play would be fun and interesting to watch. It’s also fun to see “Youthful rebellion, young love, foolishness, and ego leads to four young lovers going for each other all around,” according to Roets. Don’t miss out on what everyone will be talking about in school. Come and support the WHS Drama Club! by: Bryce Cox
The Wethersfield High School marching band competed in the annual New England competition on Saturday, October 26. The competition took place at Naugatuck High School in Connecticut, and included many bands from across Connecticut and outside the state. For WHS, this was the last competition of the season, and was especially emotional as it was many of the seniors last band competition. The band performed their show, Terraform, which includes a variety of small sections of pieces. Their show incorporates two movements from Holst’s The Planets, originally written for orchestra, playing Mars second, and ending their show with Jupiter. The show opens with the theme from Steven Spielberg's movie E.T. and the third piece is a theme from a Star Trek episode. After a successful and emotional final competition, the WHS marching band camp in 6th in their division.  by: Connor Pace and Dan Jimenez
Student Athletes are known to have the most workload in school. However, when we think of student athletes, often the underestimated and overlooked team is our amazing Marching Band. They are there every home football game, compete in many prestigious competitions, and the dedication and skill that goes to each of the pieces they play is astonishing. For this reason, we decided to talk to a WHS player Vinny Mullizzo to find out what it is like to be in the Wethersfield Marching Band. To be in the marching band means starts with being in their summer camp every hot summer day from 8:30am to 5:00pm, and once school starts you have to go to rehearsal from 5:30-8:00pm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday plus performing at games. Then on Saturdays, they have band competitions which can run from 10:30am all the way until 11:00pm. “From the whole school in general we don't get that much recognition because what we do is more outside of school, so the people do not really see what we are doing and there is not really a lot of marketing for it, like ‘Hey, come to the competition,’” said Vinny Milluzzo, a trumpet player and section leader in the marching band. Next time you see someone in the Marching Band, give them a congratulations for all the hard work they put in and cheer for them in their competitions and performances.  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: 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 santosisaac@wethersfield.me or Mrs. Griffin at ggriffin@wethersfield.me.  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. |
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