 by: Natalie Casertano
As president of the WHS GSA, I want to express the importance of attending WHS Drama’s production of “The Laramie Project on Friday, November 16th at 7:30, Saturday November 17th at 7:30, and Sunday November 18th at 3:30. It’s a difficult play and will be uncomfortable to watch, but it is imperative to start the uncomfortable conversation of homophobia and hate crimes in our country and community. As the saying goes, change doesn’t come from staying in your comfort zone. Students in the play have put tremendous amounts of effort in order to accurately depict the atrocity that arose in Laramie, Wyoming. The GSA will display posters from the time period of Matthew Shepard’s death, current protests, and other articles relating to the topic; along with informational pamphlets, lanyards and ribbon pins will also be sold at the GSA table in order to fundraise for the club to attend True Colors in March. I strongly suggest that everyone come watch the play, because it will be a tragically beautiful, educational production from which every audience member can gain insight, and empathy.
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By Jane Rumley In life you come across a small portion of people who make a huge impact on others. For many students that person is Stephen Carr, a social studies teacher at Wethersfield High School. Not only is he a teacher but a friend who is easy to talk to and due to his young age of 34 he understands a lot of things that kids might be going through.
By Almira Beganovic Imagine being an 18 year old and wanting to change the world for a better place and actually doing something about it. Jacqueline Reategui is an 18 year old senior trying to create a better future. She knew how much depression affected people and what comes along with having this disease,the suicidal thoughts or even attempts, but the worst of it all, dying by suicide. So Jacqueline wanted to see less of this happening and more change worldwide. “Out of the Darkness Community Walks” are just the beginning of a great journey. This organization helps raise awareness for suicide prevention, participates come out for a walk and donate for a greater cause. Walkers do not need to pay to participate, but they are asked to coordinate donations to help the society. During Reategui’s sophomore year, she was trying to hold a walk on her own that she wanted to be town-wide and hopefully worldwide one day. She made a website and even met with the townspeople, then a good sign came her way. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) reached out to her. Sophomore year was just the beginning of Jacqueline’s path to a greater future with this organization. I had sat down with Reategui and asked her how she felt when the AFSP reached out to her. “It was unexpected and overwhelming.” Jacqueline stated. I can tell how much this organization and being a part of something so powerful has affected someone like her especially started at a young age especially when something as big as AFSP reaches out to you.
This year’s walk will be on Saturday May 19, 2018 from 10:00 until 12:00 PM. Here’s the website if you would like to join or sign up to walk out with a great group of people! www.afsp.org/wethersfieldhs or contact Jackie Reategui jackiereategui@yahoo.com for any further questions. I hope you all get involved to walk “Out of the Darkness.” By Atlee Myers Throughout the numerous renovations, multiple principals, and dozens of graduating classes, there’s one thing at Wethersfield High School that has never changed and his name is Sco. Richard Scopetto graduated Rocky Hill High School with the class of 1966 and has been working for Wethersfield Public Schools for 45 years. It can be said with great confidence that he is the most indispensable member of the WHS staff. When you roam through the collection of yearbooks in our library, you can always count on Sco’s lighthearted smile being on at least one of those pages.
By Brendan Dowd Michael Houlihan is a senior at Wethersfield High school, Mike has grown up in the age of everyone going to college but he has decided to take another path. Back about ten years ago college was something that you would only go if you had the money. Kids would get their high school diploma at least and then go straight to the workforce, in recent years society has gone away from this method but not Mike.
By Micaela Pereyra Every morning, school counselor Christina Conoscenti pushes past the heavy doors of Wethersfield High School at around 7:15, carrying her bags, and occasionally fumbling with her keys. Even at this ungodly hour, she manages to greet students and coworkers with a bright smile, her kind and youthful demeanor radiating as she makes her way to the guidance office.
Have you said thank you to any of your teachers this week? If not, then you should because this week is Teacher Appreciation Week!
Journalism students at Wethersfield High School have written their favorite memories about their favorite teachers. Their goal is to let teachers know how much they have contributed to their high school careers and lives. Theses stories are memories that will always be remembered. Whether it’s a funny or empowering memory, we all appreciate the teachers here. This article is our simple way of saying thank you to the teachers at WHS. Mr. Carr One person that I will always remember from Wethersfield High School is Mr. Carr. Before I met Mr. Carr, I heard many good rumors from my brother and his former students, so I was so excited to become one of his students. After that year, we became really good friends and created a great friendship that has lasted until now, my senior year. Mr. Carr is such an outgoing, intelligent, approachable and helpful guy. He has helped me with what I needed to know about college, told me stories of where he has traveled and talked me through tough times with school. Mr. Carr also has another side to him, a hysterical and amusing side. He isn’t afraid to joke around with his students and make class a fun time. Every morning before first period, I visit his room. When I walk in, he is always playing his music and singing, he is always in a great mood and can always cheer me up. He has taught me great life lessons, gave me good song suggestions, and great memories throughout my high school career. Madelyn Barone Mr. Moger A teacher at WHS that had a great effect on my life was Mr. Moger. During my sophomore and senior year, he made history fun and everyday I enjoyed and looked forward to going to his class. Not only is Mr. Moger a fantastic teacher, he also knows how to entertain the students and have a good time. Celebrating holidays like Zheng He Day and Reformation Day are holidays I will never forget and enjoy celebrating the rest of my life. In addition to this, Mr. Moger is just a good person. He is always kind and willing to help students do the best that they can. Mr. Moger’s passion for what he teaches is very clear and as a student this makes me want to do better in the class. I have a love for history, especially European history, because of Mr. Moger. Also, the difficulty of his classes will help prepare me for college courses and this is something I will come to appreciate and be thankful for once my college career starts. Mr. Moger is one of my favorite teachers I have ever had. Not only do I feel this way buy my brother and cousins who have had him also feel the same way. Once I graduate, I will miss seeing Mr. Moger everyday but the love for European history and memories he gave me and many other students is something we will remember forever. Alex Tawrel Mr. Scopetto Sco has been here seemingly since the foundation was put in. He's made so many friends while working his 100 year here. Honestly, Sco has been working for more years than some teachers have been alive, that's the second coolest fact about him. He has the least amount of missed days in the history of teaching at WHS. Not only is he a great teacher but he is also a great guy and that why he is the most loved person in the school. Jack Patrizzo Mrs. Troy The most inspiring person I’ve met while here at WHS has definitely been Mrs. Troy. I only had Mrs. Troy for one year, but she taught me life lessons (and Chemistry) because she actually cares about us. Mrs. Troy is one of those people that you see beyond a teacher and inspires the students she’s in touch with. She doesn’t only teach us about bonds and compounds, but she connects herself with each student to make sure they’re okay in school and outside of school. She is kind, passionate about her teaching, and caring in the ways that she cares for her students as they are her kids, and she wants us to succeed. Mrs. Troy loves her chemistry and inspires us because of that. We had a pretty rowdy class and I can imagine it wasn’t easy to deal with everyone. Even if she didn’t know it, she would brighten our days with her huge heart and her desire to be there with us. Even though I didn’t have the highest grade in her class, Mrs. Troy still made me feel strong for being in her class and even more so as a person. I saw Mrs. Troy recently and she told me something that kind of changed my view about going to college. She said “You’re going to love the world outside of here.” and that is what my favorite memory with Mrs. Troy will be. She is a great teacher more importantly, an awesome person! Thank you Mrs. Troy Danielle Elliott Mrs. Mucinskas One person who had inspired me a lot was Mrs. Mucinskas. Even though I met her in the beginning of my senior year, she has a big impact on me, having such motivation and being able to talk to someone who you can trust who is a teacher is such a good feeling. She can turn a cloudy and dark day into sunshine and that’s the type of teacher everyone needs. Need help planning? Need help knowing what your going to do with your life? Mrs. Mucinskas is the one you can ask, she is the best person to help you with planning out a good schedule, helping you with college plans, and gives good “mom advice.” I’m taking speech this semester, and the class is making me comfortable and has made me overcome my fear of speaking in front of people. I only have two more speeches to get through and am ever closer to the end of the year, which makes me upset because I gained a great relationship with her, my best friend. Almira Beganovic Mr. Martin Mr. Martin has been one of the more inspirational teachers at WHS. This is my second year with him in both Senior English and Journalism. When I decided at the beginning of this year to change from the path of tech school to college, Mr. Martin was here to help me with my college essay. For two weeks, I would come in every day after class to work on it and make sure it was perfect. But in this time, we did more than just work on my essay. We had talks about life beyond high school and it was as if he was just a close friend. Mr. Martin has been a good influence on myself and I'm sure many others, and any person who has the pleasure to have him for class should be grateful. Dominic DiMarco Mr. Miller This year as a senior, I met THE Mr. Miller, a huge Red Sox fan. (I know that because he told me to “throw out that rag you have on…” I was wearing a Yankees shirt). The first day of Pre- Calc, I remember him giving me the nickname “Maddie B”, which never gets old. The amount of nicknames I have in the class is countless, but “Maddie B” will always be the OG. His outgoing, bright, honest and hilarious self boosts my mood every time I walk into his class, even if it’s doing math last period. Mr. Miller is a great teacher who is always willing to help you. He has made my last year of high school fun and entertaining, like when he says “ight”or “yo” trying to “fit in” with all his students, it always makes me laugh which is something that is awesome about him. He is one of the funniest teachers I have had. Whenever someone raises their hand and says they have a question, he lowers his voice and says “okay” (if u had Miller as a teacher you would know) and it gets a good laugh every time. To keep the class light and focused, he has his “bad joke time” before the lesson starts, he loves it. Everyone loves it. Mr. Miller is someone I can joke around with, yet rely on for help. I’m sad I didn’t meet him earlier on in high school, but I’m thankful I can end it with him, making me laugh. Thank you for being a teacher and a friend all in one, we will miss you next year. But hey, maybe I’ll see you when I decide to become a math teacher and be your student teacher! Lol. Thanks again bro!!! Madelyn Barone AKA Maddie B, Ma, Mala Mr. Gallivan I wouldn't say Mr. Gallivan has inspired me in any way, but it's not his inspirational demeanor or his above-average English classes that kept everyone coming back; it’s his ability to connect with every student on a personal level. He’s often the teacher in school kids flock to vent their problems and gossip to because everyone knows his door is always open to advice and someone to talk to. Since sophomore year, we've had a running joke where I try to figure out what movie he was in. Two long years later, I still don't know but the almost infinite amount of movies out there has not stopped me guessing. One of the best memories I have with him were the countless anecdotes he always shared with us. From his weird college roommate who wouldn't brush his teeth alone to meeting Sen. Blumenthal, he always had an entertaining and engaging story to tell us. This is just one example of Mr. Gallivan being able to connect with other students. Using his dry, tongue and cheek humor, he has always had the ability to stand out amongst a plethora of teachers I’ve had the opportunity to had. Sam Reichelt Mr. Nicholas When you want an inspiring, charismatic, and adventurous teacher who travels the world and goes to all but four Patriots home game in the last several seasons, Mr. Nicholas is the teacher for that job. Mr. Nick is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. He understands the way that students enjoy learning and applies it to the lessons that he teaches every day. He is very funny and jokes about a lot of things even when the situation might be a little stressful just to lighten up the mood. He has taught me many things including if you have the opportunity, explore the world and see the various things it has to offer. You only have one life so make the most of it even if that includes playing a character in a play that’s the opposite sex of you. He taught me to push past the hard times even if it’s a double lung replacement and going to a Patriots game a couple days after so you don’t miss it. it. I would always look forward to his class even if we had one of those brutal vocab quizzes. Mr. Nick is an awesome guy honestly, he has a heart of gold who can put a smile on anyone's face, especially Patriots fans when he would show us pictures of him in the background with his neon colored gloves that made him stick out behind the field goal posts. I will miss him and his enthusiastic personality next year, he had definitely left a positive impact on my life along with many other individuals and I will remember him as being one of my favorite teachers of all time. Jane Rumley Mr. Roets One teacher that has inspired me is English teacher Mr. Roets. For me, he was not only just my junior and senior year English teacher, he was a person that continued to show me how to join “the conversation”. He’s also such a “dad” teacher, but he was a “cool dad”. He helps his students with their work by having a simple conversation that engages them, he doesn’t hand out ideas but he helps you come up with them. He also doesn’t treat his students like children or try to go around certain subjects, instead he joins the conversation with students… up until he gets uncomfortable, but that’s always funny. When I first started writing for his class, my essays were horrific. Senior year, they still sucked but a little less. And now, he’s helped me find passion in my writing that helped my essays in many ways, such as doing research and supporting my arguments with facts. I’m still a little rough, but baby steps. I know many of us appreciate his sarcasm, his ideas, his sweater vests, his LL.Bean catalog look, and much more. As Mr. Martin would say, “he is aCanadian God”. Jacqueline Reategui All of my fondest memories of Wethersfield High School have occured in the room of English teacher Mr.Roets. Mr.Roets is a passionate and dedicated educator who takes the well being of his students very seriously. For me, Mr.Roets has become almost like a second father and someone I will never forget. We are able to connect over a similar sense of humor and admiration for quality writing. He takes time to understand his students on a personal level and position himself as an individual that students can confide in. In my senior year ECE Composition clas,s Roets encourages productive class discussion and challenges students to think outside of the box. As this was my second year taking a class of his, I have become accustomed to his way of teaching. His classes are structured around the students and he praises individuals that have a forward way of thinking. Often times we will spend full class periods discussing social issues that correlate with our topic of study. He always has insightful views that help inspire us to change our minds and read more deeply into works of literature and film. He is a teacher that sets the bar very high for his colleagues and goes above and beyond the standards. He inspires me to immerse myself into my education and has always been a supportive role model for me. On the days when I didn’t have any motivation to come to school, his class has always been what gets me through the day. The 90 minutes I spend sitting in the chair closest to his desk are the most cherished moments I have enjoyed in my high school career. Atlee Myers Mr. Chatfield Although I haven't had Mr. Chatfield since my sophomore year at Newington High School, he is one of the many teachers that continues to inspire me. My first few days of junior year at Wethersfield, I saw him walking through the halls and was shocked when I found out we ended up at the same school after Newington. Mr. Chatfield is only on his second year of teaching at Wethersfield teaching Anatomy and Integrated Science. He works very hard and always puts his students before him. Coming to school with a smile on his face, he puts a lasting impression of motivation and determination on students. His enthusiasm brings personality and life to his classroom. He can be sure to get a loud, “Waddup Chatfielddd!” after time I see him in the halls but like… I was his first student ever so it is given that I need to be obnoxious about it. Aniela Zawisza Scott Applebaum Over the last for years, I have spent extensive time with Athletics Trainer Scott Applebaum and it's fun every time. Not everyone can appreciate his dry humor, but I always find it funny. He's always very welcoming even if can you tell he's agitated. To go on top of things he's done here at school, he's done a lot for me outside his job here at the school as the trainer. When I broke my leg he made sure I got all the correct X-rays and MRI’s. Then, only weeks later when I got a concussion, he set me up with one of the best doctors around in that field. Hes helped me rehab from various injuries and has even taken his own time to come help the baseball team with agility drills. Thanks Scott! Tim Blaisdell Mr. Ferrett The teacher who had the greatest impact on me by far was Mr. Ferrett. I came into his class the first day knowing I loved history, but lacked confidence in myself as a student. Throughout the year, Mr. Ferrett made lessons easy to understand and engaging. I found myself always looking forward to his class because it was evident he enjoyed teaching, seeing Mr. Ferrett without a smile was a rare occurrence. I learned so much in his history class which opened my eyes to the future opportunities I have in my education/career involving history and politics, thanks to a very well written letter of recommendation. Even though I no longer have him as a teacher, any time I see Mr. Ferrett in the hall he always greets me with the same smile and asks how I am. It is evident that Mr. Ferrett loves his job and cares about his students which makes it very easy to appreciate him. Jillian Amoroso Mrs. Leuschner With this being her second year, Andrea Leuschner fits in to the Wethersfield Family perfectly. She specializes in FSC classes (Family Consumer Sciences) which includes Fashion Design, Culinary Art, Childhood Development, and others among the subject. The best part about her is that she really, truly teaches about the class you take. It isn’t a note taking class, its a hands-on learning experience. Mrs. L, which most students call her, is an inspiring leader that has had so much background in the industries about her teachings. Being a second year student of hers, I have had the chance to befriend Mrs. L and learn so much from her. She cares about her students beyond the classroom and will do whatever she can to help them out in any way she can. From altering students’ prom dresses to taking care of breakdowns during finals weeks, Mrs. L is someone you can 100% go to if you need any advice. She is someone who will be near and dear to my heart forever. Chelsea Pinchera Ms. Byrnes One of my favorite teachers is Ms. Byrnes. I had Ms. Byrnes as a Freshman and a Senior. Freshman year she had to fill in for another teacher who had to leave mid-year, it was her first class she ever taught and she handled it great. To this day, it is still one of the best classes I’ve had at Wethersfield High school. I also had her this year as a senior and although I did little to no work in her class, she rarely got mad and didn’t assign a lot of homework which was cool. Brendan Dowd Ms. Coco One teacher who’s had a significant impact on my life over the past two years would have to be Ms. Coco. She can come off as crazy and hyper sometimes, but when it comes down to business she’s spot on with how she gives direction. When I first met her last year, I took her class looking forward to learn more about video editing, photography and film editing. I had some experience with the software already but she showed features I never knew existed and opened a lot of brand new opportunities to use my skills. I ended up starting a YouTube channel which grew significantly, on top of that I’ve built up a lot of experience with Photoshop and Premiere. I started to help her out with Blue Eagle TV the following year. But what she taught wasn’t the only thing that made her an inspiring teacher. Over the course of last semester, when I was having a rough day she pulled me aside and made me talk it out with her, and it made me feel a lot better. She was very understanding and knew how to handle these situations and she really helped me out that day. Ever since then whenever something was on my mind I always told her and she’s really help me guide myself to be a better person. Johnny Gregory Mrs. Campbell A teacher who I admire, respect and consider a good friend is Mrs. Campbell. I had her for both Digital Photography and Design Engineering my sophomore year which allowed me to have a really close relationship with her. Because of her open and kind nature, I can talk to her about anything and she can do the same too which is a very comforting feeling to have despite not having her as a teacher anymore. She is deeply caring and connected with her students both inside and outside of class, and has even attended some of my track meets as well as other school sporting events. Because of her outstanding way of teaching and all the interesting and useful information I have learned from her, I am taking the advanced digital imaging class next year and I cannot wait to walk into her classroom and be greeted with a big smile and hug from her. Ajla Ahmetovic Mr. Mangino Mr. Mangino is not just a great teacher, he is a man of his word, he is the right wing of the third floor, he holds the whole floor together like glue. Mangino is a great man, and his job reflects his care for educating the future of our world. Language may not be everyone's main priority when it comes to school but I think when you take Mangino's spanish class, you start to value a second language. I took Spanish for 4 years and only one of those years was enjoyable, thanks to Mr. Mangino’s love and care for his students’ education. Adam Assi Mr. Jensen One teacher that I want to show my appreciation to is Mr. Jensen. I can honestly say I’ve never learned so much in a single class before. I definitely didn’t expect to learn about myself while simultaneously learning the principles of calculus. Since elementary school, I never really had a strong arithmetic base and my skills also weren’t ideal. Math was always a subject I have struggled with, and though I do struggle in Mr. Jensen’s class, he teaches in a way that I can understand what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. In prior math classes I was always told, “This is how you’re going to solve this because that’s the way we solve it.” Not in Mr. Jensen’s class. Whenever we start something new, he shows us how it originated and why the shortcuts we take work the way they do. One of his infamous quotes goes something like, “The three principles of Calculus are algebraic manipulation, algebraic manipulation, and algebraic manipulation.” I can’t stress how right he is. I have learned more algebra in Calculus than I ever learned in Algebra. I’ve had to relearn many things this school year because I didn’t have the strong Algebra One base I needed. Mr. Jensen made the process easier, showing me how to manipulate problems to be able to solve any type instead of saying, “Here’s this type of problem and these are the steps you take when you see it.” Although my successes in his class are based on how much I practice at home, I want to thank Mr. Jensen for giving me the foundation and the help. Thank you for teaching me so many useful mathematical and personal skills. I’m truly grateful. Micaela Pereyra Mr. Sand(man bring me a dream *bung bung bung*) By Jay McGuire One teacher who inspires me is Social Studies teacher Mr. Sand. I have been in two of his classes — US History and Current Issues — but Current Issues has by far been my favorite. As an LGBT student, it is very important to me that I feel safe and accepted in the classroom. Mr. Sand has always made an effort to be sure that happens and has been greatly supportive of myself and other LGBT students. It’s not just us though: Mr. Sand is always careful to be sure all students feel safe and accepted in the classroom, which I think is pretty cool. Students feeling safe in the classroom wouldn’t mean anything if Mr. Sand wasn’t a great teacher, but luckily, he is! Obviously, certain classes can be boring, but never Mr. Sand’s. I don’t think I’ve ever had a class with him in one and a half years where I’ve been all that bored or unengaged. Even the seemingly blandest lessons were made interesting with Mr. Sand; I never thought I’d find a way to care so much about farming or the stock market, but he found a way. There is only one negative thing I can say about Mr. Sand: every single time I see him without fail I get “Mr. Sandman” by the Chordettes stuck in my head. All my friends hate me because I see him at lunch very often and I just start humming that stupid song. This man is a wonderful teacher, but getting a song from 1958 stuck in my head every single time I see him is painful. Jay McGuire Mr. Bourque Although he’s been our student-teacher for only a semester, Mr. B has helped me understand so many topics. He was able to teach the class information that we’ve never learned before like how to take a proper picture and was able to make it interesting. Considering how new of a teacher Mr. B is to teaching, he makes it seem like he’s been doing it forever. He manages to make boring lessons exciting and I wish I could have him longer. Ryan McCarthy Mr. Horan Mr. Horan was one of my favorite teachers I had during my high school career. Every single day he would have a new lab for us to accomplish, and every single one was unique and fun. Not only is he a great teacher, he was a great entertainer, he always had a joke, and he never let our class get bored. Most importantly, he is a really nice guy, when I asked him to write my letter of recommendation for college, he said absolutely. That’s why I chose to say thank you to Mr. Horan for Teacher Appreciation Day. John Hopkins Mrs. Kapalczynski One of my favourite teachers at WHS is Mrs. Sunbury. She is one of the most understanding and kind person I have ever met. She can handle the class really well even with her calm voice. I really understand the way she teaches and whenever I need her for help, she is always there being kind and understanding as usual. She always helps me catch up if I'm absent without being mad about it or frustrated. Thank you Ms. Sunbury for everything you do. Lorna Kalluci Mr. Bagdasarian Bags is a WHS legend. He does everything he can to make sure all of his students have a good day. Bags has inspired me to become a gym teacher and coach. I want to live my middle aged years the same way he does. He’s a great guy and everyone in the school likes him. He’ll take time out of his day to text me and other players on the team to ask how we’re doing, or to see what our thoughts are on the team or practices. He’s taken the team out to breakfast and paid for most of the whole team’s check. He's taken us to Jordan's Furniture so the team can hit up the ropes course in the back. Mr. Bags has even taken the team to bowl on one of rainy days off and at that moment bowling, became my favorite sport in the world. Joseph Luiz Ms. Ledoux One teacher that had made a strong impact on me is Ms. Ledoux, she has been one of my teachers for all four years here at WHS. Ms. Ledoux is a teacher that always cares for her students, makes sure they’re safe and never in harm's way. She has dedicated her life to the ALS students and community. Ms. Ledoux has taught her students how the outside world works, she has taught her student helpers to understand others ways of life and patients. In any situation Ms. Ledoux is calm and respectful, she never panics or worries, she’s got it all under control! Ledoux is a teacher who truly cares for everyone that steps into her classroom, she only wants success for everyone. She truly loves all the paraprofessional she works with, and of course all the students & student helpers. I will miss the ALS classroom and ALS staff SO much next year. Ledoux is memory maker with the best sense of humor! LOVE YOU, MS. LEDOUX! Lianna Montalvo Mr. Brown Mr. Thomas Brown has been a part of my high school experience since freshman year, when I first joined the bike club. Nervous and intimidated by the domineering atmosphere of the much larger new school, I found Mr. Brown’s hospitality and wit a welcome introductory essence that helped me adjust to the different environment. Helpful and compassionate, I have seen him personally guide new members of the bike club as they learn how to ride for the first time, as well as in the classroom, willing to put in the extra time to explain and go over assignments for students who need it. He is very enthusiastic about what he teaches, prone to getting excited as he discusses particularly interesting concepts, and intent on making his lessons as fun and engaging as he can so that he can share that excitement with his students. Mr. Brown was a big help to me in many ways, and for that I owe this dedicated man of many talents a due thanks. J.E.O’Connor By James O'Conner Journalism student James O’Connor sat down with Mr. Tom Brown, a science teacher at Wethersfield High School, and passionate bike rider to give us some insight on what it is about the activity that so many find interesting based on his experiences.
The most rewarding aspect of the sport, according to Mr. Brown, is the meditative effects that are foregrounded when one takes the opportunity to expose themselves to the elements. Unlike the confines of a car, being on a bike stimulates all of your senses. You attain a much better view of your surroundings, besides just seeing them, and you are able to hear the sounds of the trail or town you are riding through. You can feel the air as you cruise through it, and you may even notice some pleasant smells in the air, especially in the coming season of barbecues. The more personal exposure to nature can help to clear your mind of stress, and serve as a kind of reset button for your thoughts, Mr. Brown explained. He says that after riding he feels better emotionally, and usually ends up in a good mood. He also gets a better night’s sleep after a good ride. “[That] sensation of flying, as long as you’re in control, is a good feeling.” Mr. Brown also noted how cyclists are usually friendly people. He recalled his tour of the UK, during which he rode from the top of Scotland to the bottom of England. All throughout his journey he would be cheered on and encouraged by other bikers who realised the significance of what he was doing. Even back in Wethersfield, he always shares a smile with passing-by bikers because they are aware of the fun that their sport brings them. Mr. Brown believes that biking is a good introductory sport, being low-risk for injury and easy to maintain. Those who might not be comfortable with running as a primary exercise may find biking can provide the same physical benefits while also being more comfortable to adjust to. He has previously worked with students to help acclimate them to a point where they could ride comfortably and confidently. Of people who are skeptical about taking up bike riding, Mr. Brown said he understands that the sport can seem intimidating. Some may be scared or discouraged by the hazards associated with the activity, or have had poor experiences in the past and are no longer open to the idea. But he is adamant that the beneficial qualities of bike riding far outweigh the bad. Even for people with disabilities, Mr. Brown is assurant that they can experience the thrill of taking out a bike. He mentioned that he is looking to make plans with an organization that specializes in bicycle modifications for the disabled. “Even with severe impediments, you could get a bike that could work,” he said of the idea. He stands by the adage that a positive attitude helps instill you with the energy necessary to take on any such task. The WHS Bicycle club meets on Tuesdays and Fridays in room 401. With Spring on its way, the club will be riding soon, so don’t hesitate to take the opportunity. Written by Micaela Pereyra from A Local Dreamer This year’s musical at Wethersfield High School is titled “Fiddler on the Roof”. It’s based on the short stories of Sholem Aleichem with a strong focus on his character, Tevye the dairyman. Tevye is a Jewish father with five daughters that live amongst Russians in the early 1900s of Imperial Russia. The play revolves around his struggle as three of his daughters challenge his traditions. An interview with Play Director/English Teacher Jeffrey Roets at Wethersfield High School gives insight into the cast’s preparations for their performances.
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