By: Ashley Anduha, Gabby Lomonico and Mark Nieves

Spotify and Apple Music are streaming services where you can have access to around 30 million songs right at your fingertips, but there is a debate that has been discussed between anyone who is a daily music listener, which is better? They both have their perks, but it’s the little things that separate them and cause this dispute.

One perk of Spotify is the free version that Apple Music doesn't offer. Of course, it doesn't involve all the benefits like unlimited skips, but it’s a better option for those who don't have the luxury of purchasing a subscription. With Spotify's free subscription, you only get the option to shuffle music with only 6 allowed skips with ads.

Both Apple and Spotify cost a total of $9.99 for a monthly subscription. With these subscriptions, you have access to play any track, listen offline, no ad interruptions, unlimited skips and high quality audio. You also have the ability to share playlists with your friends on both apps.

There are only a few differences between the two. For example, when you sign up with a Spotify subscription, you get Hulu and if you are a student you get a discount. Spotify is very personalized,  they alter and suggest music to your taste and it's a fun way to discover new music.

Spotify also makes customized playlists to the songs you listen to most, Christina Bean (junior) mentions this is one reason she likes Spotify because they make playlists for you. They take the songs you've listened to the most throughout the year and they make “your daily mix,” which is a playlist of songs you listen to the most.

Apple Music seems to attract people in a different way. Unlike Spotify where you get a free version of the app, you instead get a free three month trial to Apple Music. It can be argued which one is easier to use but one student Adylene Andino (sophomore) says, “I prefer Apple Music because of the design of the app and it seems easier to use than Spotify.”

Apple users also might just prefer Apple Music because of it being synced into their iPhone already. Student Jordan Griffin explains how he enjoys Apple Music better because it can track his music history and is an Apple application.

Both music parties have their own side and choice, but many artist don’t put their music on Spotify, big names like Beyonce, Jay-Z,  Aaliyah, and more. They prefer their music on the Apple platform than just having it on both. Unlike some underground artist don't use Apple music.

In general, from what we have found, the results seem nearly 50/50. Overall, they both offer the same kinds of features, but they both have their own different benefits; it all depends on your personal preference. For example, if you don't care about ads as long as it is free, go for Spotify. Or if you want free Hulu and personalized playlists, then Spotify Premium is for you. But if you'd rather use something that is right in front of you with music that has previously been bought by you, then Apple Music is the obvious choice.

What’s your favorite?  Comment below and let us know!

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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: Natalie Castertano 

​It’s far too common that someone has a connection to suicide.  Whether you’ve personally been affected by it, or know someone who has, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone.  In order to make this message apparent to WHS and the town of Wethersfield, National Honors Society is hosting a suicide prevention walk at the school on May 4th.  Check in begins at 9am, and the walk starts at 10am.

The walk will be held at the WHS track, with a table for registration.  There will be a table where each attendee can pick out beads to wear during the walk that relate to their connection to the cause. There will be several colors that represent several different circumstances and associations to suicide. There will be a time during the opening ceremony where attendees will be asked trade beads with another person, as a representation of support.

Sometimes all a person need is to know that there is someone out there who cares about them, and who is willing to help them.  Our goal for this walk is to provide everyone with a sense of security and unity.

Come out and walk to show support to others, but most importantly to yourself!  

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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: Maddie Bradbury and Lauren Christie
Wethersfield High School recently held an appellate court , and I had the opportunity to attend. Going into the court case, I had a lot of questions and didn’t know what to expect because I have never been to anything like this before.

It was very serious; we had to go through a metal detector, and there were several police officers in the auditorium making sure everyone was attentive and appropriate. We sat quietly and  engaged in our seats, while listening to the case unfold.

Holding the court case at the high school was a great opportunity to learn first hand about the judicial system. While listening to the lawyers present their sides, I was able to learn how to set up good arguments, which could be very useful for me in my later life. It fascinated me how much knowledge the judges had about not only the case at hand, but they also referenced dozens of cases from the past.

One of the cases involved a milk delivery man who slipped and fell while delivering the milk to the school. He slipped on the icy pathway that he claims should have been cleared off, and is trying to sue the town for his injuries. He lost the initial court case because the town had immunity, but due to his contractual obligation to be at the school, he appealed the case and was given the opportunity to present it at the appellate court.

My biggest question was how would I feel if this was one of the teachers at the school who fell and got hurt? I was curious if teachers would face a similar result in court, so  I asked one of the men who helped organize the court, and he said “Unfortunately, the teachers are not obligated to be at school, so they would not be able to sue the school either. The only people allowed would be students, because by law they have to come to school.”

It was these questions that helped extend what we saw at the appellate court that made it so interesting, it was a chance for the “real world” judiciary system to come to a high school and give us all some authentic learning experiences.  Thank you to the State of Connecticut and to Wethersfield High for bringing this 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: Tanya Messenger

ELL stands for English Language Learners, a program that is given to students at WHS that come from different countries, who speak different languages and English is their second language.

We have amazing teachers that teach this program, Mrs. Malizia and Mr. Mirizzi. Mrs. Malizia has been teaching for five and half years at Wethersfield High School and Mr. Mirizzi for five years. Mr. Mirizzi was quoted saying “I love this job. I feel that I am not only helping students with their homework, I try to help them beyond academics.”

Most of the time the students that Mr. Mirizzi and Mrs. Malizia will work with have parents that do not speak English, and they need help with personal issues as well. The parents of the kids may ask them questions such as, what doctor they can go to, where they should go to get glasses or find a dentist. Mrs. Malizia has also assisted students in filling out job applications, as well as college applications and more.  

In this program, both teachers help students complete their homework assignments, check to see what assignments were not done and need to be completed, they love helping their students. Mrs. Malizia especially loves it when her students show that “They understand something that they hadn't understood before they came to class.”

In this program, they do a lot of fun activities such as a Cultural Feast that takes place twice a year, where most of the students participate and bring in a favorite dish from their own culture. They also have a gingerbread house decorating day which students enjoy. Mrs. Malizia said “Once we had a group of students teach their native dances to each other and (us) after school in our auditorium.”

This program is important to the WHS students who come to the school with very little English language skills. These students only have few years to learn English when other students have been learning English since birth. These students are learning the basics of English, and are expected to understand what is going on in their classes.
 
Many teachers do not realize how fast they talk and that these students are not proficient readers.  That is where ELL teachers come in and try to break down the lessons so that their students can understand them. “Every student should have a chance to succeed and they try to give them the tools to do that!” said Mrs. Malizia

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by: Jake Lepore and Zeeshan Haider

Through the Wethersfield Education Foundation, Monaco Ford donated a 2003 Ford Explorer to Wethersfield High School on September 19, 2018 so that students can learn basic automotive skills and have hands-on experience with a car.

The car is used in the Transportation & Alternative Energy class taught by Mr. Behn Sikora. Mr. Sikora is known in the school for teaching Tech-Ed electives like Robotics and Construction Technology.

Although it is a half-year class, Transportation & Alternative Energy covers all four modes of transportation, that being by air, water, space, and land. In each subsection of transportation, students learn about the different parts in vehicles that make transportation possible and the many ways that each section has changed over the years.

Thanks to the donation by Monaco Ford, the class now features a hands-on learning experience with cars. Students learn how to perform basic car owner tasks like changing the oil and they even get to rotate the tires as a group.

One of the most well received in class projects that students work on is the lawn mower disassembly. Students take apart lawnmowers in the automotive shop to see the many mechanisms that make the everyday tool so efficient. Personally, this was our favorite part about the class (car aside) because it was really interesting to see all of the parts and how they work together.

Mr. Sikora also shared his opinion on his favorite part of the class, and it is very similar to the thought of the students.  “As with all the classes I teach, I love the hands-on nature of the class. I enjoy the different activities we complete in the class. I feel very fortunate to have students that want to work with tools and machines, a great facility and the ability to facilitate students learning. I enjoy learning with the students.”

When asked about the importance of the class, Mr. Sikora had a lot to say, and it showed how much he cared about this class and what he wanted students to get out of it.

“I do believe automotive skills are important because cars are a big part of our culture.  I think it is important for everyone to know how to do basic maintenance on their car, including changing a tire, filling a tire, and changing oil. Even though cars are getting more advanced and more technological, there are still basic skills car owners should know.”

“There are so many career opportunities related to the automotive field, including sales, maintenance, engineering, technicians, welding, robotics, and programming, just to name a few,”  Sikora said.

Senior Matt Accarpio, who was in the transportation class last semester, told us all about his experience in the class. “It was one of the best classes that I have taken in the school. It not only teaches you basic car knowledge, but it also teaches you how to use that knowledge and physically work on your own car”.

Another great part about the class is the attention that it’s getting. Shortly after the Explorer arrived at the school, a family donated a barely used Honda Civic and so now, future students have two cars to work on.

With the addition of the donated cars, the Transportation & Alternative Energy class is even better than it was before. This class is available for all students in the high school and you can take it in either semester, making the course a very attractive option for all students.

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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

​Our school library is a great place for students to get work done while meeting up to talk to friends in a comfortable environment with many resources at their disposal, but there are many things some students may not know about it.

Location, Location, Location!
Since the school’s renovation there have been many major changes. The library used to be located in the English wing, but now resides beside the pool entrance, across from the fitness room.

The new area is a much brighter and more welcoming environment with a relaxed atmosphere. Maintaining this kind of environment is very important to our librarians, but it’s important for students to come here to get their work done while they meet with their friends. “I want it to be a comfortable environment, but I want it to be a productive environment” says Nella Szilagyi, our Teacher/Librarian.

What’s on the Shelves?
Recently there has been an increased circulation of fiction being checked out. The same can’t be said for non-fiction, “For non-fiction, it’s hit or miss depending on if teachers require it for research.” said Mrs.Szilagyi.

Much of the books added to the collection over the past few years have been high interest non-fiction like Melaine’s Biography, and Tanisha Quarter’s The World and Me, also including national book award winners, but why has fiction been of such high interest?

Kids are into stories and many new novels have more diverse characters, like in the book by Angie Thomas’ The Hate You Give, a title that’s been very popular amongst our students. This diversity connects to the high school population; which also has a growing diversity.

Some people say we don’t read as much as we used to, but is that really true? I asked Mrs.Szilagyi this question and she said, “A lot of articles I’ve read have said that students don’t read as much, but honestly I think they read just as much, it’s just different types of things they read.”

But as important as it is for kids to enjoy what they read, the role of the school library is to guide students to things they are interested in, but also to things they typically wouldn’t pick up for themselves.

Stay Awhile
Whether you’re trying to catch up on some missed work, or simply want to read a book during your study hall, being an open space with plenty of seats, our amazing library is the place to be for all your academic needs!

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by: Kenan Mujic and Matt Zapata

The annual Hoops for Heart basketball tournament is set to happen after school on Wednesday, March 13 after school in both gyms at Wethersfield High School.

Hoops for Heart is a double elimination 3v3 basketball tournament with a winners and a losers bracket. The cost per player is $5.

The competition level will be very high and students are looking to take over the teachers success. A team of three students is out there trying to take over the big three of teachers, who have won the tournament three years in a row.

Head of Student Council and Physical Education teacher, Mr. Richard Scopetto, said that all the proceeds go to a good cause.

¨All the proceeds will go out to the American Heart Association. The number one cause of death in the United States is heart disease,¨ Scopetto said.

Although this tournament is for a good cause, don’t be fooled! There has been trash talking going on around the school, whether it is between students, or even students and their teachers. This tournament is meant for people to just come out and have a good time, as Sco said.

¨It's a good cause number one, but it's also a good chance for people to get together and have a good time in spite of the cause.¨

People can come out and take the focus off of their problems, and just play ball and compete for a few hours, and bring your talking and prove it on the court.

You can talk all you want, but your game on the court will do all the talking for you once the stage is set, and that's exactly how Sco explained it.

¨There's a lot of ya ya, at the end of the game there is no more ya ya, you can't talk bad to kids that beat you in the previous game!¨

If you are not coming out to play, make sure you come out and support the teams vying for the win this year.

Eagle Nation is excited for this tournament, and everyone is anxious to finally find out who will come out on top.

By: Dillon Aldabarca

On Friday, March 1, people wore green during the school day to represent a organization called Sandy Hook Promise so that people are reminded about what happened only a little over 6 years ago.

Sandy Hook Promise is a non-profit organization that was put together to try and prevent gun violence in the future so that no other family or friend had to deal with the feeling of loss due to gun violence.

It's unbelievable to think about how recently this tragedy happened, and WHS wants people to stop and think about how much people are still affected.

The “faces” of this campaign at Wethersfield High School are two current students: sophomore Audra Saladin  and freshman Christyan Cimino.

“We want this to be long lasting.” sophomore Audra Saladin at Wethersfield High School said.
“We want this whole campaign to last longer than one week,” he stated.
This campaign does last this week however they want the effects of it to last a lifetime and their biggest goal is to spread awareness and be able to not be afraid to have a voice.

“If you have a problem you can come talk to you,” freshman Christyan Cimino said. These words showed just how much they care about this cause because they took it to a personal level.

This truly shows how genuine of a community we have here at WHS and everyone should know that no matter who you are, you always have someone you can go talk to no matter what the problem is.

“We are definitely looking for more people to spread the word,” Saladin added towards the end. If you have any interest in being a part of this cause, helping with future campaigns or even have questions about this campaign, don't be afraid to talk to Ms. Coco or your peers Audra Saladin and Christyan Cimino.

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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.  ​

By: Justin Biraci
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Students are constantly walking in after the bell in the morning with a coffee in their hand. Teachers tend to get the wrong impression, and think the students do not care about their class.

Many students who take the morning stop to a place such as Dunkin Donuts are often tardy to class. The coffee in the morning can wait, or you can try waking up earlier. Their craving for coffee gets them on bad terms with their teacher.

From the teacher’s perspective, the student could’ve had a better chance of arriving to class on time, if they did not stop for coffee. It makes the student look disrespectful and sends the teacher the wrong message.

“If you come to my class late, with coffee, you must leave it at the door” said Marc Pfister, English teacher at WHS.

Not only is it disrespectful, but it is interrupting the class when they show up late and walk through the door in the middle of a lesson. By coming in late, the student is saying that they prioritize their breakfast stop over their academic learning for that class.

Teachers understand when there is an emergency, or if you just accidentally did not wake up on time. However, if you are purposefully and perpetually showing up late, then it becomes an issue.  

Some teachers will resort to punishments such as detentions or not letting them in the classroom. Bottom line, try to avoid getting into a bad habit of showing up to class late with a poor excuse such as your coffee stop.

If you want to succeed in class, then it is beneficial to have a good relationship with the teacher. The amount of respect you give to the teacher will be the amount you receive in return. Make sure to be on time in order to present yourself as someone who is willing to be engaged in learning.