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: Emma Fahmnestock

Many high school students undergo tons of stress, just ask Freshman student Abigail Albright. She states that lots of homework and studying is thrown on you, “Sometimes it would get overwhelming,” 

She also explains that “If you mess up, your grade is ruined.” Abigail Albright isn’t the only one who's been feeling huge amounts of stress. 

Another student has stated that friends stress them out because “I sometimes have to pick between them and it makes me feel bad.” To help out these students, and hopefully many others, school counselors Mrs. Coffey and Mr. Deguire have given us some advice. 

 “Don’t save your homework until the last minute and utilize study hall,” said Mrs. Coffey. Additionally, If you “do the hardest first,“ you will be able to focus better on the stuff you don’t know, and use your leftover energy on the stuff you are already good at. “A ten to fifteen-minute clarification could save you an hour at home.”

Mrs. Coffey admits that she tends to procrastinate as well and that you need to do little bits at a time, practice rewriting your notes, and study. You don’t want to “study to get it done, you want to study to understand it.” 

She also said slipping up isn’t always a bad thing, “You learn the most when you face adversity.” Mr. DeGuire reveals that you shouldn’t be afraid to fail, If you are prepared, you won’t even have to worry about that. 

Mr. DeGuire also says to, “Find things you are passionate about and these are the friends you will gravitate towards.” 

It's important to devote time to each of your friends. Adding on to this, Mrs. Coffey communicated that “A good friend will understand that you have other friends.” 

In the end, stress is always going to be a part of many students' everyday lives, but if students can find ways to reduce and cope with that stress, their lives will result in much more joy and fewer issues. So next time you’re facing a lot of stress, take a deep breath and know you're going to be okay.

How do you deal with stress in school?  Comment below!

by: Brianna Garcia

After watching the Jonas Brothers’ documentary Chasing Happiness about how they became the Jonas Brothers, I feel like I really got to know more about the band and each of the brothers as an individual. The movie didn’t get as much fame as it should have gotten, because it was really a masterpiece, showing how they got to where they are now.

The documentary Chasing Happiness really told us more about the brothers, and it really added nicely to their new album Happiness Begins. Fans of the Jonas Brothers were all in awe that the band got back together, and I’m sure many of the fans loved their new album and movie.

I asked English teacher Mrs. McKenna if she knew that the Jonas Brothers got back together and about them, she said “My daughter was obsessed with them when she was a child!”

This makes me believe that the Jonas Brothers appeal more to younger listeners, since her daughter was loved their music. But who wouldn’t love their music? Their songs are so upbeat and catchy, and Mrs. McKenna must’ve liked their songs too, since she knew a bit about them.

Lots of the songs on this new album have lyrics were they talk about finding where “happiness begins”. Could this repeating lyric and album name have a deeper meaning for the Jonas Brothers?

Well, if you’ve seen their movie, you’d know that they say “happiness begins” because they’re referring to how music impacted their life, and would begin their happiness later on when they became a band. Although there were times when they weren’t happy with making music together (which was when they split up), they still continued to pursue music in their own lives.

It seems like music is something that’s just a large part of the Jonas Brothers’ lives. Even their younger brother, Frankie Jonas, who isn’t in the band because he’s so young, is still involved in producing and writing music. Music definitely runs deep in the Jonas family.





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By: Megan Keleher and Dante Burgos

Stripes over checks... there is always so much controversy between Nike and Adidas and which brand is better, nobody can ever agree. This week, we interviewed students and staff around the school to get their opinion.

Nike is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services.
Adidas is a multinational corporation, founded in Germany, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the world compared to Nike.

Both brands being the top sportswear manufacturers in the world means that the competition is very high. So many people could argue all day about which is better. We wanted to find out from a random selection of students and staff which brand is actually better. Going into the interviews we asked each person three questions and they were, Which do you prefer Nike or Adidas? Why?  What makes this brand better than the other?

When asking senior soccer player Lucas Villagra he said “Nike, I like the clothing and they have a better fit.”

However when we asked security guard Mr. Rumley, he had a different answer claiming, he hasn't owned a pair of Nikes because they don't fit his feet the right way, he definitely prefers Adidas in this debate.  
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When asking teacher Mr. Roets he had a very specific answer and he seemed very prepared. We asked him what he prefers and he simply said “Neither.” He then went on to say, “Brand loyalty isn't based on any factual information, it's based on whose shilling the product.”

We got a variety of responses from the students and staff around the school, and we were not surprised when many of the answers were Nike.

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By: Taylor Pitchell & Erin Nargi

Over spring break, WHS students embarked on international trips including trips to Ireland, Italy, France and Spain. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for these students and it is something that they will remember for the rest of their lives.


Mrs. McGrath and several Wethersfield High School students traveled to Italy during this past spring break. They had an 8 hour flight over the Atlantic and spent all of spring break in the beautiful 70 degree weather. They visited cities like Florence, Assisi, and Roma where they visited old historic sites, museums and other locations that allowed them to soak in the Italian culture and history.

Students also had the opportunity to test their knowledge on the Italian language while eating unlimited amounts of pasta. Some students have been learning Italian since freshman year so this was the perfect time to put their Italian to the test. Students enjoyed their time and said the trip was 100% worth it. WHS is considering planning the trip again in the near future.


The other group, led by Mr. Roets and Mr. Nicholas, traveled to Spain over spring break.  Lindsey Clark, a senior at Wethersfield High School said her favorite part of the trip was “walking along the beach in Barcelona, and later on being able to just sit on the beach and talk with all my friends from WHS but also having that time to be able to create a friendship with students from Washington state that traveled with us.”


In Barcelona, there tried many different foods, including flammekueche which is similar to pizza.  “It is a really thin piece of dough that has a creamy sauce on top, with additional toppings such as ham,” says Lindsey Clark.  It was a favorite of many of the students on the trip.



Clark described the trip by saying “Everyone had a smile on their face!”  I think it’s safe to say everyone else who went on the trip could say the same thing.  

Keep your eye out for posters for upcoming trips to create your own once in a lifetime experience.

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By: Justin Biraci

On Sunday, 14 April 2019, the Game of Thrones Season 8 episode was released nearly after a year and a half wait. Everyone has been awaiting the new season as it left a major question mark in the last episode of Season 7.

The episode took the same format as the first ever episode of Game of Thrones. The similarities were clear and bold between the two episodes. For the most part everyone enjoyed the episode.

Luke Johnson, a student at WHS, said “The episode modeled the first episode completely, you could tell off the bat when the kid was climbing the tree like Bran used to.”

This was one of the many scenes that showed direct correlation to the first episode of the show eight years ago. There were also a lot of plot developing that took place in the episode. The episode almost served as a a set up for the rest of the season.

Johnson also said, “The episode may have been a little slow, but there were a lot of conflicts that were ignited in the episode”.

The show is most likely going to have an upsetting end with many dying, so in the next few episodes many characters are going to die. There are also many possibilities as to who is gonna end up on the iron throne.

Johnson stated, “As long as anyone but Bran ends up on the throne, then I’ll be happy”.

People are avoiding social media to avoid spoilers. Some have been waiting almost 1.5 years and they finally got their relief. It was the most watched television episode, with 17.4 million views.

This show has the entire school buzzing and talking about the possibilities of the show. Some are still wondering about what the first episode entirely means. Or, in what episode will the Great War happen?

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by: Megan Keleher

During the week of February 13-February 19, 33 Wethersfield students took a journey to Belize,  arriving at the airport at 4 in the morning on the 13th to getting home at 12 at night on the 19th. Being 6 days you may think this trip was short but waking up early each morning and going to bed so late, these 6 days were the longest days of their lives, in the best possible way.

This trip was action-packed, there was never a dull moment from the second we got off the plane in Belize and took our first steps in the 85 degree weather to almost missing our flight back home to Hartford.

The first full day we were there, we traveled by boat to the New River Lagoon and took a tour of the Lamanai Ruins (a Mayan temple), then came back and went to the pool.The second day we traveled to the Cayo Region and enjoyed cave tubing and ziplining through the trees in the jungle.

The third day, still in Cayo Region, the group visited the Xunantunich Ruins, similar to the Lamanai  ruins but with a much more breathtaking view. On this day we also visited the Chaa Creek Natural History museum, where we saw beautiful butterflies and learned so much about them.

One more amazing experience we had on the third day was visiting a local elementary school. From giving out school supplies to dancing to blowing bubbles and playing soccer with the kids, it was truly an experience of a lifetime that many WHS students will look back on and never forget.

Day 4 was a full-on traveling adventure. This day was exhausting journey by bus, by boat, and by van; but it was all worth it in the end because we made it to the beach in Ambergris Caye. Seeing the light blue sparkly water finally made it seems like we were on vacation.

Day 5, was easily one of the best days. At the beach in Ambergris Caye the group went snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve where we saw all sorts of fish, barracudas,stingrays, and some even saw dolphins. Later that day, we went snuba diving in the same spot. It was so amazing and a once in a lifetime experience for many of the students on the trip.

Erin Nargi says her favorite part of the trip was “Snuba diving because it was so cool and an amazing experience”. One thing she did not like about the trip was “The freezing cold showers in each hotel, that was the only thing I would change everything else was perfect.”

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By Logan Miller & William Malizia

On December 18, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, made an announcement stating, “I am officially declaring e-cigarette use [vaping] among youth an epidemic in the United States.”

The amount of students who vape is increasing at alarming rates. It was reported by the FDA in 2018 that 3.26 million highschool and middle school students were currently using e-cigarettes.

What’s the Purpose of Vaping?
Vaping is supposedly meant to be an alternative to smoking regular combustible cigarettes. With claims like having less chemicals than an ordinary cigarette, but less chemicals is not the same as having none.

To further counteract vapes “anti-smoking” ideal, it has been found in studies that people who vape actually have an increased chance of smoking regular cigarettes. As stated by Yale Health Researchers, “Vape devices have not been proven to help adults quit smoking.” 

Why is this so Bad?
One word. Nicotine. Between 2017 to 2018, the amount of high schoolers vaping has increased 78% (11.7% to 20.8%), and the amount of middle schoolers vaping has increased 48% (3.3% to 4.9%). 

Within a one month period, 11% of high school seniors, 8% of sophomores, and 3.5% reported using nicotine with a vape device. These teen epidemic of e-cigarette abuse is similar to the regular cigarette use of teens in the 1940’s and 50’s. 

One of these e-cigarette companies, Juul, are under a lot of pressure by the FDA for “marketing and sales practices that seemed aimed at teens and young adults” These devices with their sleek design and colorful lights, how can they legitimately say it’s not marketed towards children?  And with a harmful and addictive chemical like nicotine, it is dangerous to say the less. 
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How it Affects Us
Our young brains are very sensitive to the effects of nicotine. Nicotine can be very damaging to a young individuals brain development, it can impact one's own memory and attention processing. Unlike with cigarettes there are many “health unknowns” with e-cig use.

Another serious problem with nicotine is the addiction that quickly follows suit. Becoming an addict is like losing your freedom of choice. You’ll quickly find yourself under the control of your vaping device, not your own free will. 

 As warned by the FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, “We cannot allow a whole generation to become addicted to nicotine” but with companies like Juul, with one pod having the same nicotine content as a pack of cigarettes, the problem has only just begun...

WHS and Vaping
Vaping at our school is not tolerated. As it states in the student handbook on page 33, it is a second level offense for the “use of tobacco products including e-cigarettes.” So don’t think that the rules only apply to combustible cigarettes, you will still get in trouble. 

If you’re caught vaping the first referral is two extended detentions, second is two days of in-school suspension, third is a five-day suspension, and getting a fourth referral brings you into the third level disciplinary category which consists of another five day suspension just for the first referral.

Any student should also keep in mind that all vape paraphernalia found is confiscated and not returned to the student and/or family.

The Law and Vaping
After a brief interview with our School Resource Officer, Officer Knapp, the law says that any violation of the law for anyone 16 and under is an arrest. 15 and under is an arrest or the individuals are sent to the Community Review Board (CRB).

Students who are the ages 16-17 recieve a $50 fine their first time, but from then on the fine is worth $100. Students that are 17 can be offered to see the CRB. once there it’s up to them what happens. Usually they must do some kind of P.S.A., but they could also be required to do community service, counselling, and drug tests.

Students the ages 18 and up are not within any violation of criminal law, so they face school discipline.

The biggest advice I can give?  Just don’t start.  If you have and want help, there are many resources to help you, simply speak to your school counselor, nurse, administrator, or resource officer.  ​