 by: Samuel Garcia and Jordan Hickey
There is always a controversy between favorite baseball teams such as the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees. You always hear it here and there, “the Yankees are better” or “the Red Sox are better.” Which team is actually better? We, Samuel Garcia and Jordan Hickey, seniors at Wethersfield High School, are here to find out. We set out to determine which team is more beloved at Wethersfield High School. We went to question some of the Wethersfield High School staff to actually determine who the better team is. The first person we interviewed was Mr. Moore, the principal at Wethersfield High School. According to Mr. Moore, “I have been a baseball fan ever since I was a little kid.”. Ever since Mr. Moore started watching baseball as a little kid, the New York Yankees have hit home for him because he lived near New York growing up. Mr. Moore said “It ain’t over till it’s over.” This is a quote said by Yogi Berra, a famous Yankees player. Moore claimed that he always has this quote in the back of his head because he never gives up. Another Wethersfield High School staff member we turned to was Mr. Miller, a math teacher. We asked Mr. Miller why he was specifically a fan of the Boston Red Sox, or if there is a certain reason why he likes the Red Sox. Mr. Miller said, “When I was a little kid, my father took me to Fenway Park” and that is what formed Mr. Miller into the Red Sox fan he is today. He told us he remembered sitting down and watching them play ball when he was little. This is why he is a fan because he has special memories with the Red Sox. Mr. Sand, another staff member at Wethersfield High School is a fan of the Baltimore Orioles. This is because once again we have a lot of memories created from baseball. Mr. Sand said, “My son and I have gone to an Orioles game every year ever since he was 2 years old.” This creates a lot of emotional pull on the Orioles which explains why Mr. Sand is a huge fan of the Orioles. Overall, the staff at Wethersfield High School are all fans of different teams and the reason is because of the memories when we are young and get that emotional pull from our family traditions. Who is your favorite sports team? Comment below!
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 by: Mark Zocco and Megan Kelleher
At the end of students’ junior years, NHS is the talk of the academic world. Everyone goes around asking with anticipation if their peers received that incredible opportunity and letter inviting them to apply for the National Honor Society. Many stop and ask around, what are some of the requirements for the NHS? Look no further, because we sat down with a teacher who is also a council member for the NHS, reads over, and decides who gets accepted or rejected into the NHS. We sat down with Mr. Moger, and spoke with him about a few frequently asked questions about what the council members are looking for in a model NHS student. “I believe that NHS members are students who are the leaders of the school, whether that be in or out of school. They should be the role models in the classroom, on the sports field, in the library, and everywhere for that matter,” said Mr. Moger. He also said, “As school-wide leaders, the students need to take the initiative to help solve problems before having to get a teacher or administrator involved with certain school-oriented or personal issues.” Now to the question that comes across most kids minds when it comes to the admissions process, what kinds of grades do you need in order to be considered for the NHS? You need to have at least a 3.5 GPA to be considered for the NHS, which is a B+ overall average. This means that you need to start working hard early on in high school to get your GPA where it needs to be to be invited. Mr. Moger also went on to say that, “NHS members should be honest, hardworking, and perform to the best of their abilities. Granted we all have our bad days but as a general rule they should be putting forth their best effort academically as well as socially.'' After receiving a letter stating you meet these academic requirements, your next step is to complete an application packet along with a personal essay in order to be a full fledged member. First, to get this packet, you will have to go to Mrs. Neimic’s room and pick up the application along with any other handouts that she may have, she is located in room 110. Next, your personal essay should be about you and either your academic, social, or personal life experiences could be compared to the four pillars of the NHS. The four pillars are scholarship, leadership, community service, and character. Together, the essay and application will be the two deciding factors on you getting accepted into the Wethersfield High School chapter of the National Honor Society. Want more information about NHS? Talk to your school counselor or any of the NHS faculty advisors for more information.  By: Ava Minichino and Carsyn Viner
School lunch has been a controversial topic for seemingly forever. The lunch period itself is an important part of the day to wind down from the rigor of school to eat and chill with your friends. Students in schools either receive quality lunches, or the equivalent of prison food. The latter isn’t the case for Wethersfield High School. Many students enjoy the lunch provided by the school, and opt for it instead of a home-packed meal. “Considering the lines that we have in each lunch, I do believe that a lot of students do choose to buy lunch and I see a lot of kids enjoying it, and not a lot gets thrown out. It seems like there’s a lot of kids in the sandwich line and the burrito line everyday.” says Megan Kelleher, a senior at Wethersfield High. Things like the burritos and sandwiches are things kids typically get for lunch. Both lines are similar to restaurants like Subway, where your meal is fully customizable, there’s even a panini press to grill your sandwich or wrap. Kids will go as far as waiting 15 minutes for this delicious food; which is half of our lunch period. Students also think the cafeteria food is healthy. “I would say that most of our options in our cafeteria are more health-based rather than junk food, there’s still many appealing things to teenagers. I do believe that most of it is geared toward health,” says Megan Kelleher. In our cafeteria, we serve exceptional breakfast and lunch that fuels up the students. From yogurts to salads, the food being served prepares kids for the day ahead of them; whether it be class, sports, or other extracurricular activities. While we do serve chips at our school, they are reduced fat and are still delicious regardless of their nutritional facts. The students also weighed in on their favorite meal at school. Senior Mark Zocco said, “My favorite food here in the cafeteria would have to be the chicken tenders with either the curly fries or tater tots.” Megan Kelleher said, “One of my favorite foods here is definitely the burrito, there are so many different choices, it's always good.¨ If you’re considering buying a school lunch, those are a few options to keep in mind while you scan the wide variety of meals in our cafe. Thanks to the delightful cafeteria staff, these tasty meals are prepared for us everyday. Without them, there would be no sandwiches, no burritos, no hot lunches to keep us moving. What is your favorite food from the cafe? Let us know in the comments!  By: Paige Melillo and Abby Malizia
We interviewed some of the group leaders of our international trips at WHS to find out what it really like to travel and be a leader of one of. Ever wanted to go on one of these trips? Are these trips for you? Here at WHS, there are multiple amounts of trips with some of your favorite teachers. Our school works with Education First Tours or EF Tours to help plan and make these trips a once in a lifetime experience. Some teachers that have led these trips are John Sand, Drew Nicholas, John Martin, Shannon Belanger, and Patricia McGrath, just toname a few. Over the past 15 years, WHS teachers have taken students to Costa Rica, Greece, Belize, Ireland, Spain, England, France, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand, plus many more to come. Mr. Nick is an English teacher at WHS and has been working with EF tours for over ten years and has gone on 12 trips. He has been to France, Spain, Italy, London, Costa Rica, Ireland, and Greece. I interviewed Mr. Nick last week to find out more about these trips and what's it like to be a leader. When asked about what types of students he looks for, Nicholas said, “Students who have an intellectual curiosity, someone who wants to broaden their horizons opens their world view and wants to go and learn, different from book learning in school, experiential learning not something you would necessarily see in a museum.” Being a leader of these trips for so long, Mr. Nick has definitely gotten the hang of it. “It’s a lot to do, but you have months to do it.” Shannon Belanger is a Math teacher at WHS and has been involved in the EF tours as a chaperone for one trip to Australia/New Zealand and has taken trips with them as a student as well. She has now been on both ends, the stressful chaperoning and the fun as a student. I got together with Mrs. Belanger last week to discuss the trip altogether, fun parts, stressful parts, and the experience. During the interview, I asked Belanger what makes her want to go back on more trips, and she said, “Sharing my experience with not just the culture but the memories. There is so much more to it than just going and seeing and doing things.” Belanger enjoys the bonds she is able to make with fellow students when it comes to plane rides, bus rides, and just free time around the resorts. Though there is stress that comes along with the beautiful trips. These teachers volunteer their time to let us students enjoy the trip while keeping it as safe as possible. When asked the main fear fellow chaperones have experienced, Belanger said, “I think the hardest part is the unknown.” Mrs. Belanger is planning an upcoming trip to Germany and Switzerland for all grades in Summer 2021. With all the feedback given from chaperones themselves, what would make you not want to experience these trips? The bonds you create, the things you get to experience, they are all once in a lifetime. From warm sunshine to brisk cultural experience, there are so many trips available that could fit your preference. What’s stopping you?  By Shandaly Benjamin
There are so many responsibilities that come with becoming a senior in high school. There’s not only having college stuff to worry about, but also having to set an example for the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Us incoming seniors are very overwhelmed with the responsibilities given to us. On top of having to apply for college, we have to keep up with our classes. Our WHS counselors and teachers have been a big help towards us seniors and our college decisions. They have been by our side, taking us one by one and going over the college application process. They have shared all the deadlines, requirements, opportunities for financial aid, and more. In addition, they are always willing to fit us into their schedule to help us even when their super busy. “My counselor Mrs. Conoscenti, helped out so much. She wants to hold my hand through all of this and I’m actually thankful because I got really overwhelmed in the beginning of all this.” Said WHS senior Shaniya Menns. “I cried actually. I had a mental breakdown, it was like really bad because I got overwhelmed about where I should go, tuition, [and] financial aid.” Not only have our counselors offered to walk us through the college application process, our teachers have been a big help too! They willingly take the first couple of classes to explain the Common App, Naviance, and FAFSA. Our counselors and teachers work together to introduce more ways in which the application process can go smoother. “Mrs. McKenna helped me out a lot, she helped us sign into Common App. She helped us get started with that. She also had my counselor Mrs. Conoscenti come in and speak to everybody else about both the Common App and Naviance.” said Shaniya Menns Being a senior also makes you at the top of the school. Us seniors have to set an example for the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. We try to keep the school spirit alive and show other students that it’s okay to ask for help when it’s being offered at school. I asked Shaniya how it felt being at the top of the school pyramid, she said, “I don’t look down on people below or younger than me, but I do try to give them advice if they ask me for it.” Wethersfield High School teaches us that we shouldn’t look down on anyone, especially if they’re new to the school. They teach us responsibility, courage, respect, support, and unity. Shaniya Menns offered the following advice to seniors, “It will be overwhelming, it’ll be so overwhelming, you don’t even understand. But if you have a good guidance counselor and your mom or dad have been to college and they can help you through, ask them. It’s a lot to take in by yourself.” School Counselor Mrs. Jennifer Lindsay also offered advice, “Senior year it’s really more of an individual look. We schedule senior interviews with students to get an idea of what their plans are, what they’ve decided to do. We offer help sessions with students on creating a common app account, completing a common app. We help students edit their essays, we write letters of recommendation, work with students about narrowing down their list about colleges they want to apply to. It depends on the need of the students. Sometimes students are very independent, they feel like they want to do this on their own, they got this, and some other students are more nervous and so they spend a little more time in my office and whatever works for them works for me.” She also explained how each counselors goal is to make sure each and every student has a plan. A plan after high school in which the counselors are willing to help us prepare for. No matter if the student is going to community college, 4 year college, marines, etc. The counselors at WHS want to help us plan our next step and make our transition into young adults easy. We couldn’t thank our teachers, counselors, and others, enough for the amount of support they have given us seniors during such an important time of year. The beginning of your senior will be overwhelming. You will cry, you will lose sleep, and worse of all, you will stress. But without a doubt, Wethersfield High School will prepare you for the real world. By: Christopher Light
Everyone has their group of friends, everyone has their high school years planned out but then there is me and the few other transfer students who’ve got a lot more to figure out, even the teachers know that school isn’t where every student wants to be this. Mr. Martin, an English teacher at WHS said, “Not only are they navigating the after-high school planning process and the process of taking my class but their also navigating the process of being a new student with a new schedule, new faces, new social constructs, new set of rules”. As a transfer student, you have to adjust to everything, WHS works much different than my previous school and other transfers could have the same situation. For example WHS is much bigger and the schedules work completely different, where WHS has the A/B days, my old school had 2 hour days with 3 classes and regular days with 5 classes. The hardest thing for me to adjust to was how the teachers gave work. At WHS, many teachers use Google Classroom to give assignments to their students. This was really difficult to adjust to at first because throughout my years at school I never used Google Classroom or even had a laptop/chromebook given to me by a school and many other students that transfer could deal with the same problem. There are things that transfer students may love about WHS, like the options you have for classes. At my previous school, your biggest choice between classes was if you wanted to take the normal level class or the AP version, it was very boring and straightforward. But here at WHS I have so many choices, my favorite class being journalism instead the same old English class I took every year prior. The other thing that any student that transfers to WHS can look forward to is the teachers. The upperclassmen teachers that I have this year are far better than any teachers that I have had in my prior years of high school for one reason. They try and connect with the students they realize school isn’t fun, it’s boring at best, so they connect and joke with students to make the classes more enjoyable and they are able to build a better connection and which makes the class a better experience to be in especially as a transfer student to have a teacher trying to get to know who you are. The worst part by far about transferring schools for anyone at any point in their life is the high chance you don’t know anyone, which in my case is true. I have zero friends in the school so far no one to talk to no one to hangout with at best I pass by people in the hall and they say hi. I think Mr. Martin said it the best because he too had experience as a new kid. “You have the academic pressures, social pressures, the pressures that come with age in general and when you throw on the fact that your trying to build a brand new social circle on top of that, that can be really daunting.” But overall, WHS is a great school, it’s much more of a stress free environment compared to my old school where you felt like every assignment was a competition and the school is filled with students so eventually I will find some people I can relate to even as the new kid and on behalf of all new kids out there have someone say hi in class to try and get to know is really nice and it gives us a bit of confidence to talk to more people.  by: Cole Nocida and Andrea Martinez As WHS students, we all know and love BlueEagle News, our twice-weekly news broadcast. We took the time to interview some of the director and the cast of the program. They wanted to share their experience in BlueEagle News and how it became known in Wethersfield High School. “I think It’s valuable for a student to get information in a way that they can absorb it., What better way to do it then have students present that information to students? We have had a successful program at my other school and here it is just becoming better.” said Susan Coco director and faculty advisor for the show. BlueEagle News wants to inform students and their community about everything going on in the district and more importantly, the school. With the help of these students, that information gets across to everyone and can be heard throughout. “BlueEagle News is a community show to inform people about what is going on in the town and more specifically the school. It presents information to our community,” said Kadin Joyce, one of the crew members. Having something students can connect to when they are new is a good opportunity to meet new people and make friends. A handful of students have made strides through this program both socially and academically. “As a Freshman, I came in the first day as a new transfer student so I had no clue what the school was about. The first day of school I saw an episode of BlueEagle News and wanted to be apart of it.” said Mia Sommers, who often hosts the show. The Blue Eagle News team works hard to be at the scene and on top of the game. They are very passionate about what they do to contribute to the school. They spend time after school to film and make sure that all teachers have an opportunity to get their information out there while going as quick as possible. “It really depends, we try and be as efficient as possible. Sometimes it goes a lot quicker than other times. We could have a problem with whatever. It could range from around ten minutes to thirty,” said Christian Cimino BlueEagle News consists of students who are passionate, hardworking, and intelligent. They will do whatever it takes to make sure their voices are heard throughout the school and community. New members are welcomed and can make new friends when joining. They meet up Tuesdays and Thursdays. This program is developing into something extraordinary and will only get better as the years go on. The students are what blend this program together, and without their skills, it wouldn’t be the same.  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 Katie Bridges
Wethersfield High School was proud to host our seventh Red Cross Blood Drive on September 25. Students, staff, and parents met in the gym to donate a pint and save three lives. Technology teacher and head of Blue Eagle News Ms.Coco helped to organize our fall blood drive, and this has been her 25th year running blood drives for schools and students. Ms. Coco said, “I was looking to get involved in some activities at the high school and I joined on.” We are excited to have Ms.Coco running upcoming blood drives at Wethersfield High School Along with Ms.Coco, we have student coordinators. They, along with more student volunteers, help sign in students and monitor them as they process through the drive. They are an essential part of the drive along with the Red Cross workers. Their goal for the drive was to have 40 donors sign up to donate blood. To become a donor for the any blood drive, you can sign up by seeing one of the volunteers or coordinators during the lunch waves. Donors must be over 17 by the time of donating and must be in good health. Due to recent rash of illness going around many students were not able to donate, even having a cough, cold, or showing allergy symptoms was enough to turn donors away. The fall is always a tricky time to hold drives at the high school. There aren’t as many students over 17, and it is the flu and allergy season. Even with that, this fall’s blood drive was able to save 75 lives through 25 pints donated by students or staff. Senior Alexis Almada said,“We usually exceed the number of sign ups for our blood drives.” They hope to have even more students participate in upcoming drives this year. Keep tuned to Blue Eagle News and announcements for the next blood drive and sign up to donate. by: Jake Whitaker and Johnny Orsini
Sport managing is something that is becoming more and more prominent in today's WHS Sports world. More students are being involved with their school sports without playing a sport or supporting from the stands. Students are managing team sports at all levels of sports and we have an inside look at what being a high school sports manager entails at Wethersfield High School. Our football team has 6 managers; 4 are seniors and 2 are freshman. Our first two seniors, Serena Console and Isaac Santos, have been managing football for 3 years and have worked up the ladder to have bigger roles on the team. Serena is now calling formations during games for the football team, when we asked her about her new high stakes role she said, “It’s definitely stressful when Coach [McKinnon] is on edge with a lot of things, but it works out." Isaac Santos says one of the hardest things about managing is how time consuming it is. He is the Class of 2020 president, a football manager, and a student representative at the board of education. He kept it brief, “It’s a lot of time consuming work. I'll be honest, I barely sleep”. Isaac has been dedicated to this program and to being an active member of our school community. He left us with one statement for anyone who is thinking about being a manager, “Do it with reason. Not for the title.” Alexa Indomenico and Caitlin Nardella are both seniors but are fairly new to the managing scene at our high school. Caitlin last year started managing for the football team but she said, “I couldn’t manage school and managing at the same time, because of the time interfering with my practices. I quit sadly because I didn’t think it was the fit for me that year.” This year, she came back and recruited her friend Alexa to manage with her. Alexa and Caitlin assist with setting up bags and drills for the players and coaches, but also film practices and games. With 4 senior managers leaving after this season, 2 freshmen have big shoes to fill next year. Samantha Waterhouse and Lindsay Rhodes are learning from great upperclassmen and are going to take over the reigns next year. Samantha said “ I would definitely do it because you get closer with a lot of people.” Lindsay added on by saying, “You also can learn the game better than you did before”. These managers also help the upperclassmen managers by recording and setting up drills for practice. While the football managers are on the sidelines helping the team in there respective ways, varsity quarterback Matt Silver is a manager for the high school girls basketball team. His role as a manager is very different for the girls basketball team. He explained that his role is more active on the court. Matt said “ I'm in all essences a practice player. I go up against the girls and give them practice looks, I imitate the best player on the other team for that week.I just do everything I can on the court to make them better.” Matt uses his athleticism to help out the team during practice but during games he claims to be a “hype man” for the team and even makes handshakes with players on the team. Managing for different sports requires different skills and asks different tasks of people but they all have a few things in common, managers help out the team and are a key part of highschool sports team success. Managing is a great way to get involved in sports and in your school. Want to become a manager? Go talk to our athletics coaches or our Athletic Director Mr. Maltese for more information on this great opportunity! By Christine Vittner
In July 2019, English teacher Mr. Martin and three other chaperones took 29 kids to Australia and New Zealand for 14 days. These kids ranged from the sophomore to the senior class. Many said it was the trip of a lifetime. Asking him to pick his favorite part was so hard, they did so many crazy things. Mr. Martin said,¨I think it was more of an overall. We had some incredible individual experiences, we did surfing at Bondi beach, we saw the set of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings in New Zealand, and we went down a mountainside in an inflatable OGO ball.¨ From all of the pictures they brought back, they looked like they had a blast. Many said they would love to go back because of how beautiful it was. Traveling through Australia and New Zealand, they met so many different people in all the different parts they visited. However, the flight home was not easy with there being long layovers and 36 hours to travel back across the globe. For many people was the worst part of the whole trip but others said it wasn’t as bad. After seeing Australia and New Zealand, they said it was totally worth it. If you are a WHS student interested in world travel please look for the posters around the school or talk to one of the teachers running the trips. This upcoming April, Mr. Martin and Mr. Sand, among other teachers, will be taking students to Costa Rica and there are other upcoming trips to Western and Central Europe!  by: Taylor McGeachy, Mary LeConche, and Jessica Driscoll
We all know freshman year can be very stressful at first with a bunch of new people and more classes, but the class of 2023 were not too anxious about it. Have things changed with incoming freshmen this year? We asked the freshmen how they've adapted to their new environment. Expecting different answers, freshman Brooke Judson said, ¨I've adapted very easily, I get a hang of things quickly¨. As it seems all the freshmen we interviewed had the same answer to that question, high school was easy to adapt too. Another question we asked the freshmen was “̈Does highschool scare you?” Many answers were the same and unexpected. Two freshmen boys, named Will and Nick, “No not really”. Looking back at your freshman year, walking through the halls with kids almost four years older than you can be a little intimidating, but these freshmen didn't seem to mind. We asked how the upperclassmen have been treating the newbies. “They've all treated me really well, I've had no problems so far.” says freshman Madison McGeachy. One of the main description of highschool we heard from every single freshmen interviewed is “freedom.” High school gives freshmen more freedom than the middle school and all I can say is we agree with them. When asking Lucas a question about liking middle school or high school better he states, “[High School is] very confusing to start, this school has a lot more freedom than every other school”. Along with him, Will says “It's fun because you can be with older kids and it is more free”. The overall highschool experiencé for freshmen is looking like its going smoothly this year. More freedom and fun, we are glad Wethersfield High School is a good learning place for new students and we hope it continues every year. by: Dan Jimenez and Connor Pace
There is a great problem with WHS students participation in Spirit Week to show their school pride for the upcoming football game this Friday night vs Daniel Hand. Everyday has a different way for students to show their school spirit. On Monday was wear your favorite sports team day. On Tuesday, groups of students wore the same outfits. Then on Wednesday, students wore their respective class color day. And on Thursday, students participated in Hawaiian day. Finally, on Friday was wear your school apparel. Even with all these fun days for students to dress up on, barely any students actually participate in this week. “ I don’t think the students participate, but this is spirit week, just because we do something, doesn’t mean it’s spirit,“ said Mr. Scopetto, a high school PE teacher and one of our student council organizers. . Could this mean students don’t participate in spirit week anymore because they don’t think the event is fun? “While some of the days are great, like school apparel day and twin day, I think the days should be more abstract in a way that employs creativity. Wearing a blue shirt for [wear your class color] day is not creative at all because I would wear a blue shirt any day of the week.” said Wethersfield High School student Jake Whitaker. The students would like to participate more in Spirit Week, if it were more like a competition and allow for them to be more creative. However, Student Council has stated that they’ve tried to do many different fun activities to motivate the students to participate more, but none of them seem to work. Do you have any ideas on how to improve Spirit Week participation? Comment down below!  by: Kevin Rascius
We seniors are in the final week of our high school career, but there is still quite a bit on the itinerary in the next 7 days. Senior prom is tomorrow, June 8th, finals week is all of next week, then there are 2 grad rehearsals, graduation and safe grad. Here is everything you need to know to successfully navigate through your last week of high school. Senior Prom is June 8 at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington, Connecticut, it goes from 6:30 - 11:30. As usual, there will be pictures at the green beforehand. Remember to bring your ticket! The Yearbook Banquet is on Monday, June 10 at the WHS cafeteria. You will be able to pick up your pre-purchased yearbooks there. Didn’t order one? Students can purchase one for $110 at the event. Finals week goes from Monday-Friday of next week, but for seniors, the schedule is slightly different. On Monday of next week, seniors will be taking their period 6 and 8 finals in their period 6 and 8 classes. Periods 2 and 4 will be normal classes on Monday and seniors will be taking those finals on Wednesday of next week. Tuesday will be periods 1 and 3 finals and periods 5 and 7 will be on Thursday. The first graduation rehearsal will take place on Thursday of next week at 12:30 PM in the gymnasium, and it is MANDATORY for students. The second rehearsal will take place on Friday June 14th at 12:00 PM at the Wethersfield Cove. This rehearsal is mandatory as well. Graduation will be on Friday June 14th at 6:00 PM at the Cove. DMV parking lots will be available for parking for graduation. Proper attire is required, think a shirt and tie with pants or a dress or blouse. Safe grad will take place the night of Friday June 14th at the Wethersfield community center. It will start at 10:00pm, and go until 5:00am. With all of these activities, the end of the senior’s time at WHS is sure to be memorable.  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!  By: Kenan Mujic and Matthew Zapata
The second leg of the UEFA Champions League Semi Final matches kicked off last Tuesday and Wednesday, May 7 and 8, at 3:00 p.m., and Wethersfield High School is filled with supporters scattered around the school, hoping that their team goes through to the final in Madrid. Pre-match: The first finalist with be confirmed Tuesday, as Liverpool and Barcelona fight for a trip to Madrid. Although Barcelona took the first game with a scoreline of 3-0, you can never count Liverpool out at home, and that is exactly how Liverpool supporter, and WHS junior Rei Koni described it. “Liverpool is a different animal at Anfield, and they will surprise a lot of people with their performance on Tuesday,” Koni said. Liverpool dug themselves a huge hole, especially against a giant like Barcelona. However, if they can somehow pull this miracle off, it will cause shock across the entire soccer nation at Wethersfield High School. The second semi final game is the battle of the two underdogs, as Tottenham Hotspurs travel to Amsterdam to face Ajax Wednesday night. Ajax grabbed a key away goal and took the first game with a scoreline of 1-0 in a hard fought game. However, if Spurs can continue the dominance that they showed in the second half of that first game, they can come out with the victory, but it will take a lot of work and that is how WHS teacher and Tottenham Hotspur supporter, Mr. John Martin, views it. “We know when Tottenham plays open, and gives Son and Dele Alli space, that’s when they’re at their best, and that’s their only hope to come out on top,” Martin said. It will be an interesting match between two very evenly split teams, but only two teams can book a ticket to Madrid. Wethersfield High School soccer nation is anxious to see who it will be. Post-match: Various reactions lead the way through the halls of our very own Wethersfield High School, varying from Liverpool supporters chanting “You’ll never walk alone” to Barcelona fans whining themselves to class with their heads down in pure disbelief. Liverpool has actually done it; they pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history, overcoming a 3-0 deficit to go on and win the second leg 4-0 and advance with the final score line of 4-3 on aggregate. Liverpool fans wander the halls with a bright smile on their face, while Barcelona fans walk in misery as they can’t hear enough of it. Bragging rights are a huge thing at this school, and Liverpool sure has to the right to brag, just like how Koni described it. “It feels amazing being able to walk up to your friends who have been on you about losing 3-0 and get back at them. It’s a feeling every soccer fan wants to experience,” Koni said. As Wednesday hit and soccer fans were still reacting to Liverpool’s incredible comeback against Barcelona, it was time for the other Champions League semi-final match. The Tottenham Hotspurs and Ajax were set to kick off with millions of fans watching, including many from Wethersfield High School. Ajax was up 1-0 after the leg and after 30 minutes of action, they were up 3-0 on aggregate. Everyone thought it was over, but as the second half hit, Tottenham Hotspurs did not agree, they came out and went completely lights out, as brilliant build up led to Lucas Moura’s second half hat trick, tying the aggregate scoreline at 3-3 but nodding Tottenham past Ajax on away goals in an incredible comeback performance. Many Tottenham fans cannot believe that their team pulled this off, including Martin, as he expressed his emotions to us the next morning. “I had a real thought of turning my TV off after the first half,” Martin said, “But as they scored one, and then two, and when they scored the third in the 95th minute, I as more than okay. That was one of the most incredible games I’ve ever seen in my life.” Well Mr. Martin, you weren’t the only one. If you cheer on Barcelona and Ajax, school will be miserable for a very long time, but if you cheer on Liverpool and Tottenham, you are one lucky supporter. However, in June, there will be only one team standing, and we’re anxious to see which supporter at Wethersfield High School remains standing as the final whistle blows in Madrid.  By: Sedina Begic and Nyah McCall
Every day, I start my morning by grabbing a snack and water bottle. However, now that it’s Ramadan, I have to remember to refrain myself from drinking or eating. Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims all around the world. During these 30 days, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and pray. Ramadan started on May 5th this year, and moves back 10 days every year. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid; this is a holiday that lasts three days. For me, fasting during school isn’t as difficult as some may think. I actually find it easier to go fast while in school because it helps the long, hungry hours pass more quickly. By the time I get home, I only have 4-5 hours before I can break my fast. Experiences during Ramadan are different for everyone, so I decided to interview a fellow student at Wethersfield High School to see if her experience is similar to mine. Lejla Mustabasic is a senior that is practicing Ramadan this year. When asked if fasting during school is tough for her, she said, “Definitely. I’m extra tired at school not only because I’m hungry, but also because when I wake up for Sehur, I lose even more sleep.” Sehur is the time at which Muslims wake up to eat before sunrise. This way they won’t be as hungry during the day. I asked Mustabasic what the hardest part about fasting in school and she said, “Lunch time is the hardest to get through. Everyone around you is eating or drinking something and you never realize just how hungry you are until people around you start eating. Some people even forget that you’re fasting and offer you food and it makes your temptations even worse. Once lunch is over though, the rest of the school day is fine.” When asked if fasting makes it harder to focus during tests or quizzes Mustabasic said, “I don’t find it to be that difficult but I’m sure for some students it's difficult because breakfast is really important and eating a good breakfast can help you focus better during a test. I don’t seem to mind it though.” Although Ramadan may seem impossible for those who don’t participate, it actually isn’t that bad. Not only is fasting a religious experience for Muslims, but it also shows us how fortunate we are. There are people who truly don’t have anything to eat or drink during the day. We forget how blessed we are to be able to drink or eat at any time of the day and we don’t know the daily struggles of those who have nothing. If you have a Muslim friend who’s fasting, don’t be afraid to ask them questions about it. They’ll probably be more than happy to tell you about it.  By: Emily Litke The Pulsera Project is a non-profit organization that works to educate, empower, and connect artists in Central America with students all over the United States. These students, specifically those taking Spanish, sell colorful, handwoven bracelets and bags made by artists in Nicaragua and Guatemala. At Wethersfield High School, students who are a part of the Spanish National Honor Society are selling bracelets, or “pulseras,” and bags. Leah Lin, a member of the SNHS, says “Wethersfield High School has been participating in this project for two years now.” She adds that, “People should purchase a pulsera because the funds go back to Central America to help the artists and their families to be able to afford everyday necessities.” The most important part about these bracelets is that when you purchase one, it comes with a tag that shows you who made your bracelet or bag, as well as a little information about the artisan. This gives you a personal connection with the bracelet. If you purchase one of these bracelets or bags, you will be providing employment for nearly 200 artists, as well as funding educational programs, scholarships, women & youth programs, fair trade advocacy, social enterprise, and artisan benefits such as housing & healthcare. Katie Galusha, Vice President of the SNHS, says “The Pulsera Project supports a lot of students, especially ones our age, with scholarships and higher education. The money also reduces the likelihood that people in Central America will have to work in sweatshops.” Galusha also adds that, “You could spend $5 on anything, why not spend it on something to do good for others, and you'll get something good out of it too. People should help others, especially those who aren’t as fortunate as us.” As you can tell, the Pulsera Project has been around for a very long time and has been educating and empowering artists in both Nicaragua and Guatemala over this time. They have raised over 4.5 million dollars since they started in 2009, for artists in Central America and continue to do so today. Make sure to purchase a bracelet for $5 or a bag for $10, at lunch or from any SNHS member, to show your support for these phenomenal artists throughout Central America. The Pulsera Project ends on May 13th.  By: Jake Lepore and Shane Bresnahan
SPOILERS AHEAD, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!! Game of Thrones, Season Eight :Episode Three was released this past Sunday, leaving fans with very mixed emotions. Seriously, if you haven’t seen it yet, don’t read any further. The entirety of the episode surrounded the battle of Winterfell, which put the living against the dead in an epic war. The duration of the 80 minute battle makes it the longest fight scene in any TV series or film ever! The story line with the Night King and the army of the dead has been a crucial part of the show since the very first episode, as he was perceived to be the big villain in the show. Season Eight: Episode Three was meant to be the big payoff for this plot in the show. Overall, WHS students and staff members were satisfied with how the fight played out and how the Night King was finally defeated. However, there was some major criticism surrounding it. Senior Riley Grenier said, “The fight was great, but it could’ve been better, I was wishing for more action and important deaths in the 80 minutes of straight chaos.” When asked if she enjoyed the episode, psychology teacher Mrs. Niemiec said, “I definitely enjoyed it!” Although she said that there were amazing moments of excitement, there were some moments of frustration, including the lighting used throughout the episode. A main complaint among WHS members and thousands around the world was the darkness of the episode. The battle takes place in the middle of the night so it was very dark and hard to see at times. However, something that most of the interviewees were ecstatic about was the moment when Arya Stark plunged her Valyrian steel dagger into the heart of the Night King, obliterating the army of the dead and winning the war for the living. Senior Luke Johnson said, “It was a fantastic moment because it seemed as though the war was lost for Jon Snow and his army, and then out of nowhere, there’s Arya ending it all. I never saw it coming and that’s what made this scene so good”. Not everyone was incredibly pleased with this villain’s ending though. Seniors Holden Hoon and Shun Wong knew that the Night King had to die, but they both thought that it was a little rushed. Holden said, “When Arya stabbed the Night King, I was happy that this part of the show had finally been resolved, but then I thought about the fact that we still have no idea who he was and why he was trying to kill everyone and that made me a little upset”. Shun stated,“I just wish that the show elaborated on his story a little more and maybe gave him an actual speaking part so the viewers could know his identity”. Overall, everyone agreed that this episode lived up to the hype and delivered the experience that the viewers were looking for. The excitement has quickly shifted from the Night King to Cersei as the show closes out on the final three episodes. The students and staff at WHS couldn’t feel more bittersweet about it, as they are excited to see what happens, but are sad to see the show end, since it has been around for nine years of their lives. What did you think of this episode?  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. IMG_6429. 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. By: Isiah Timmons & Katie Galusha
Last Saturday, Junior Prom was at the Glastonbury Country Club. Despite the cool breeze and muddiness of the green, everyone was still elated to be there. Compared to years past, the attendance on the green was sparse due to the rain earlier in the day, but the support of the community was still present and strong. As soon as everyone arrived at the event, the music was so enjoyable that everyone had already started dancing. WHS juniors Becca and Bella shared their thoughts about prom, “I thought it was going to be fun.” The DJ had to call the students back to their table in order to start dinner as everyone was on the dance floor. The food was in buffet-style, as it was last year. There were many mixed opinions on this prom’s food choice. However, the majority of juniors enjoyed the music compared to last year because it was more music they were used to. WHS Junior Abby Malizia agrees with this, she stated “The music was a lot better [this year] than last year.” After talking with senior student council member Angelica Velez, senior prom seems it will be very enjoyable as well. “One of the things I’m excited about this year is [the] Aqua Turf itself. I know some people have been there, but it’s just such a big venue and the scenery is gorgeous, so that’s something that I personally am looking forward to. This year they have a photo booth so rather than getting a key chain, you get a cute slip with a couple of photos, so that’s nice. I also think that senior prom will be the one to remember since it is one of our last big nights together. It’s just going to be unforgettable and I can’t wait!” Senior prom is located at the Aqua Turf in Southington, CT, with food choices of roasted sirloin, chicken ala Kathryn, chicken francaise, or a vegetarian eggplant parmigiana. For food, it will be served to you rather than buffet style, which may help with food quality. The Aqua Turf is notorious for its food, as it is usually very good. As for DJ, it will be the same as last year, so as seniors, we definitely look forward to something enjoyable. You can now buy tickets after school, see Mr. Miller in room 506 to take care of dues and payment. Prom tickets are being sold this week, April 29th. Before buying a ticket, you must pay your class dues. Senior prom will be Saturday, June 8th. You do not want to miss it!!  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!  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. 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.  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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