 by: Taylor Mcgeachy, Mary Leconche, and Jess Driscoll Can you imagine a world where the number of likes you get on social media will DISAPPEAR? Looks like its turning into a reality for Instagram, this popular social media site will soon get rid of likes for good. But this is actually a great thing for teenagers this day in age. Child Mind Institute quotes in their article about social media and self doubt in teens, “Donna Wick, Ed.D, founder of Mind-to-Mind Parenting, says that for teenagers the combined weight of vulnerability, the need for validation, and a desire to compare themselves with peers forms what she describes as a ‘perfect storm of self-doubt.’” So is this a new start to social media for teenagers? Instagram chief, Adam Mosseri, says on stage at the Wired25 event, "We will make decisions that hurt the business if they help people's well-being and health.'' The chief of Instagram is changing his $100 billion company to make Instagram a safer place for teenagers and well everyone. We asked ten highschool students from freshmen to seniors if getting rid of Instagram likes was positive or negative, 9 out of 10 agreed that getting rid of likes will help with self image in teenagers. Anthony Zabrella says, “I think it's a good thing because it helps with confidence and overall freedom and happiness.” Instagram cutting the likes is turning out to be a great idea in many different countries such as Australia, Canada, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand with all positive feedback. Mosseri has now announced they will start experimenting in the US next week.
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 by: Amanda Carmel & Joseph Cassineri
History teacher John Sand is known for his love of travel. He’s ventured with students to destinations like Costa Rica and Belize, just to name a few. With his 2021 trip yet to be planned, Mr. Sand and two students have joined forces to form the new Cultural Exchange and Travel Club, with heavy emphasis on the cultural exchange part. “We’re interested in cultural exchanges—we’re interested in when we go abroad, meeting with kids from other countries, and exchanging cultures that way,” Mr. Sand said. Sand helped organize the club to gain input from students on, as Sand puts it, “where they want to go, and what they want to do.” The direct input of the student body is something he hopes will drive future trips tailored to the passions of a group of students, whether it be traveling for fun, to see history, or to make a difference in the world community. Sand is perhaps one of the biggest proponents of travel in our WHS community, and we asked why he believes it’s so important. “It increases your understanding that there’s a great big world out there, other than out little old Wethersfield High School” he said, “It promotes cultural awareness, so that you understand and appreciate the differences in people, rather than being ignorant to them.” Beyond traveling the globe, Sand mentioned his interest in experiencing other cultures locally. “We have different cultures here at our high school, there’s other cultures at other high schools. Its kinda cool to meet each other and find some common ground.” The club will meet once a month in room 112. If you want to have a say in our school’s trips, or even venture outward yourself, “Sign up today! Put your name on the list and then we’ll email you and keep you in the loop.”  By: Semsa Huric and Rachel Gopaul
Most students who vape simply are not made aware of the consequences. Consequences not being in the physical manner, but with the law and records that could ruin your life. The main concern Officer Knapp, with the Wethersfield Police Department and school resource officer, said, “Since the legal age to vape has changed from 18 to 21, none of our student body should be vaping. However, for those who get caught doing so, any student who is 16 or older will be provided with a ticket. Any minor or person who is 16 or younger is subject to automatic arrest, on top of whatever school punishment is applied.” For the sixteen and younger students, the court decides where to go from there. We still have no information about how far the court will take the sixteen and older kids if they fail to pay their ticket. While most students don't perceive vaping as harmful, science says otherwise. Moreover, the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is stepping up efforts to keep vaping devices out of the hands of children. Wethersfield High School is also trying to find ways for children in our school to learn more about vaping. One way the school is trying to educate students on this matter is through online education. Principal Moore of WHS said “If a student is caught vaping on school grounds, it’s an automatic suspension, a fine, and students have to complete an online program which educates students on matter like the dangers of vaping. This program is 6 hours long and has to be completed before the students returns back to school from their suspension period.” By: Abby Malizia and Paige Melillo With Christmas right around the corner, we’re all excited for the holiday spirit to come in. It’s time to start bringing out the decorations, chopping down a tree, and sit by the fireplace and watch all your favorite classics. With Christmas so close we were wondering what are our favorite teacher’s favorite Christmas movies and why?  Mrs. Alexopoulos “White Christmas because when I was young I wanted to be Vera-Ellen when I grew up. I loved the way she danced.” Mrs. Colangelo “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer because Rudolph was so cute!” Mrs. Gallivan “Elf, it makes me laugh.” Mrs. Duggins “It’s a Wonderful Life is my favorite classic Christmas movie because I love black and white movies. My favorite modern movie is Elf because I love the storyline and how hope prevails. It is just absolutely hilarious.” Mrs. Leuschner “A Charlie Brown Christmas because I love snoopy.” Mr. Mangino “Elf because it is so much fun.”  Mr. Walsh “Christmas Story because it is just a classic.” Ms. Cavanaugh “The Holiday because it is funny,but it also has a good message.” Mr. Gallivan “Elf because it’s funny.”  Mr. Carr “Home Alone because it is Christmas.” Mrs. Mcgrath “Elf because it is a funny light-hearted movie. Buddy has so many funny expressions and it is an all-around feel-good movie.”  Mr. Sand “Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer because I like Bumble.” Mr. Moger “It’s A Wonderful Life because it is a feel-good story where the good guys win, but also because of Bert and Ernie.” Mr. Ferret “Elf because it makes my whole family laugh and be happy for Christmas time.” Mrs. Adamson “How the Grinch Stole Christmas because it reminds me of my childhood.” Mr. Sikora “Elf because he's hilarious and it's Will Ferrell!” Mr. Martin “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation because it has the Christmas spirit without being over saccharin and sweet.” What are YOUR favorite Holiday movies? Comment below!   The new article by: “Mike” Irace and Malizia
The infamous, yet somewhat cult classic has touched each of us throughout our lives. Here’s Irace's recollection. “My mom would always tell me the morning of. My whole family had the same enthusiasm, being excited for another installment to a lifelong tradition. The whole day I would think about my old pal Chuck waiting for me at 7:00pm. By the time it was finally on, the whole family would be watching, despite the fact we already saw it once a year for mostly our entire lives. It might have been because it was only on near holidays (that in itself being a great achievement), so my association with holidays made the Peanuts infamous. As it would end, I would panic and desperately wait to see what would happen next. Would another episode play, allowing me to stay down an extra 30 minutes to watch it? Or would my parents insist my night was concluded? I can’t speak for every Charlie Brown holiday special, but I vividly remember the Thanksgiving special being the preceder to an episode of Charlie and his friends taking a trip on the Mayflower back in the 1620’s. It didn’t matter which holiday and it didn’t matter how the holiday itself was, but Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a clear memory of a tradition I still encounter currently.” Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving special was a pivotal moment in American culture. As a kid, watching Charlie Brown it is hard to notice the overarching theme. Each story has its own moral; The Christmas special shows the powerful effect of being kind to others and Thanksgiving’s shows generosity and the nature of giving. The overarching theme at play in all Charlie Brown episodes is growing up. Perhaps it is only the time period (1950’s-1960’s), but it is very apparent that no adults are around to supervise. In the Thanksgiving special, all of the kids get together and have their own “Thanksgiving” dinner. Unfortunately, through the years, the Peanuts gang has gone from “Count Holiday”, to barely recognizable among the younger crowd. It’s apparent by its current absence from pop culture that a majority of Freeform’s annual broadcast is viewed by boomers, and possibly a few millennials. With that said, will this special fade to obscurity over the following decades? Sure, there were attempts to revive it, but they were never able to capture the original charm and comedic timing of the OG special, causing them to go unnoticed by longtime fans, and not remembered by the new generations. Despite this unfortunate reality, it is a very heartwarming story about Friends coming together to celebrate regardless of any plans that parents have made. Epilogue: Please tell your friends and family about this special, bring it back to mainstream popularity and keep the tradition going! By Nathaniel Estifanos and Nick Ursini Here in Wethersfield High School, we have a variety of different looking classrooms, ranging from an endless amount of posters hanging on each wall to album vinyl covers leaning above each cabinet. And, after close dissection and observation of each classroom, we have decided who has the best decorated classroom in the school, based on the amount of decorations, the quality of the decorations, and the overall look of the room. And this goes to: Mr. Mearman. While many came close, we felt that Mr. Mearman had the overall greatest quality of decorations that you could have, and also has maintained an appealing overall look of the room. Many little details with his room is what led us to choose him over others, like how he changes the album vinyl covers that are above his whiteboard each quarter, or the countless amount of Patriots flags and towels that are pinned on the wall. When asked why he designed his room the way he did, he said, “I tried to make the room an environment that is inviting to the students and one that I like.” Go check out his room on the third floor soon!  by: Reece Skelly and Hannah Sullivan
This Friday, November 22nd, there will be a community bonfire at Millwoods from 6:00 to 8:00pm. The main purpose of the bonfire is to not only raise money for the senior class and sports teams, but to also bring the community together. Multiple sports teams, clubs, and groups will be selling food and beverages such as pizza, hot chocolate, and water, to support their organization. No outside food or beverages will be allowed in, and the event is free to enter. For safety reasons, the Fire Marshall will be there to control and look after the bonfire itself. The event is projected to be exciting, while still safe. This Bonfire was a Wethersfield tradition for decades, before it came to a halt in the late 1990’s. There was no particular reason the tradition stopped, it just faded out, according to the president of the senior class, Isaac Santos. When asked why he wanted to bring the tradition back, Class President Isaac Santos said, “We hope to bring back this tradition for friends and family to get together and come support our school community whether that be the football team or any other group. The goal is to have the kids look forward to something after the carnival season is over and have a place to make new friends and reconnect with old friends”.  By: Isaac Rios
It’s that time of the year where the last three months bring not just winter, but special holidays that most people in the school can’t wait for, mostly due to the food, days off, and/or gifts. Especially with Thanksgiving coming up since Halloween passed, everyone can’t wait to eat, sleep, and hope to not get trampled in a Walmart. Do most people think the holiday is just “a cookout with a parade,” or is it more than that? Here at WHS, the teachers have something to say about this holiday. “Over Thanksgiving I usually get together with my family,” said social studies teacher Mrs. Zaleski, “We eat delicious dinner but sometimes we play football outside, we have a family football game, and we always end with other games; like around the table.” “It’s a day of thanks giving, we give thanks to people and everybody around us. [It’s about] family and friends who wish the world to be a better place.” said physical educator Mr. Scoppetto. Every teacher here at WHS believes the same message, that this is the time when we would get together with people we know and love as a way to give thanks to everyone for the life we can live. What makes your Thanksgiving special from others? Do you agree with Mr. Scoppetto on what Thanksgiving is about? Leave your comment below!  by: Brianna Garcia
After interviewing different teachers, I found out that most teachers listen to completely different genres. They range from country to rock. Mr. Martin even said he listened to different genres depending on his mood. Most of these teachers also reflect on their past too when they’re talking about what music they listen to. When asked what her favorite genre of music is, Algebra and Pre-Calculus teacher Mrs. Kaplczyski said: “I really like country music, it’s kind of new, probably within the last ten years. When I was in high school, I really liked emo music, Fallout Boy and all those types of bands but once I went to college I really started getting more into country.” I couldn’t really believe it when Mrs. Kaplczyski said she used to listen to emo music. I was surprised that she listened to Fallout Boy and emo bands just like I do now. Country is also a great genre, and I can see why she likes it so much, with their hit singers like Sam Hunt and Blake Shelton, there’s a ton of great country voices out there. When I asked Mrs. Kaplczyski how she felt about rap music she said: “I really used to like Eminem when I was little, his old stuff, but I don’t really listen to anything else.” Mrs. Kaplczyski talks about liking Eminem when she was younger, but not any other rappers. I can see why, Eminem had some great hit songs in the past. Although she listened to Eminem, Mrs. Kaplczyski said she doesn’t listen to any modern rap music, which I can understand. I can’t really see most adults listening to modern rap anyways, since it’s so different from the older rap and it has many more swears. When I asked English teacher Mr. Martin what music he listens to, he said: “It really depends on what I’m doing. I’m super into the indie genre, I still listen to a ton of hip hop and rap, I still listen to old 90’s alternative and punk. It really just depends on my mood.” I think it’s really interesting that Mr. Martin has such a wide variety of genres he listens to, and I think that more people should open themselves up to different music genres. It’s also cool that Mr. Martin listens to hip hop and rap, I’m pretty sure that most other teachers don’t (or wouldn’t tell me if they do). It’s surprising how all the teachers have different music taste, it’s not like most students who usually just listen to modern pop or rap songs. It would be nice if the students had such a wide variation of music they liked too.  By Amirah Jahaf & Rachel Gopaul
The Wethersfield High School Drama Club is performing a version of Shakespeare’s play A Midsummers Night's Dream. This version is going to be different than others you have seen before, it’s made to relate to our lives today. There are funny characters to watch such as Bottom (Pyramus) played by senior Hailey Baranowski, and The Three Pups played by senior Abbey Riberio, junior Kendall Cholewa, and sophomore Mia Sommers. Another scene to check out is the battle between Helena (freshman Sarah Gurskis) and Hermia (senior Brianna Boucher). When asked why we should make it out to see this play, drama director Mr. Roets said, “First of all to support peers, and because it’s funny. I know that we have done some sad stuff for plays in the last couple of years. It is the most entertaining play for Shakespeare, the Woodstock music is cool, 1969-style, and you get to see Mr. Nicholas and Mr. Pfister be patriarchal jerks.” The show is playing from November 7-10 in the WHS Auditorium. Thursday, November 7 at 7:30, Friday November 8 during school, and Saturday, November 9 at 7:30. If you miss any of those, your last chance to see it will be Sunday, November 10, at 3:30. Tickets cost $12 for general admission and $8 for students and seniors. If you get hungry during intermission, DECA is selling candy in the cafeteria! This play would be fun and interesting to watch. It’s also fun to see “Youthful rebellion, young love, foolishness, and ego leads to four young lovers going for each other all around,” according to Roets. Don’t miss out on what everyone will be talking about in school. Come and support the WHS Drama Club!  By Jordan Hickey and Samuel Garcia
Wethersfield High School physical education teacher Richard Scoppetto is back again to announce the annual Powder Puff Games. Mr. Scopetto is in charge of this program. Powderpuff is a modified flag football game played by the students of the different graduating classes from 2020 to 2023. The four competing classes will compete in a tournament-style competition where they set out to determine who is the winner of the powderpuff games. Powderpuff is played by the girls in the school. These girls are coached by the boys of the same graduating class. Powderpuff will be held on November 21 at Wethersfield High School on Cottone Field. What is the purpose of powderpuff? We asked Mr. Scopetto this question. Mr. Scopetto said, “Powderpuff is an after school activity to give kids something else to compete in.” This is a great way to get everybody together and bond not only with friends, but with different students from your graduating class. This is a fun yet competitive game that determines who is the best graduating class in the school, because who wouldn’t want to be known as the best class at Wethersfield High School? Powderpuff is important to go to because it is another way to hang out with friends and meet new friends as well. Overall Powderpuff is a game for students to have fun and that's the real importance of the game. How do we make this happen? We would not have powderpuff if the teachers didn’t get together and send information to the students because this year we might have to cancel the game due to the lack of sign ups in this competition. In order to sign up, you must sign up with your designated teacher as seen below. Make sure you bring your $25 needed to sign up for your powderpuff shirts, and also make sure you are ahead on your class dues. Freshmen should see Mr. Miller, sophomores should see Mr. Chatfield, juniors should Ms. Cavanaugh, and seniors should see Mrs. Belanger. Hope to see you on Cottone!  Xavier telling a joke in the latest episode of Blue Eagle News. By: Joe Porriello
There isn’t a more well-known student in the Wethersfield High School community than Xavier White. He has established himself as the joke king for our student-produced Blue Eagle News. He can be seen in practically every episode, telling his jokes to the audiences watching that day. For those that don’t know Xavier, he is very active in the school community. Although he is more recognizable from his joke-telling, he is a part of the school’s cross country and outdoor track teams. He is also very kind. If you pass him while walking through the hallway, he will be determined to either say hello or ask you how your day is going, no matter the time. Xavier’s interest in telling jokes originated from watching his favorite show called “Loud House.” He heard a joke from one of the characters, Luan, that made him laugh. He was then inspired to make other people laugh the same way he did, through a joke. One day, Xavier was telling a joke to one of his friends, the friend liked it, and convinced him to tell the joke to the producer of Blue Eagle News, Ms. Coco. She liked the joke, Xavier got to tell it for that episode, and the rest is history. When I asked Xavier why he continues to tell his jokes he said, ”I tell them to make people happy. I really like to make my friends and family smile.”  By: John F. Shamo
We’ve heard it for years, students don’t enjoy wearing their ID’s. However, there are SO many good reasons to wear them, and the whole system has been really well thought out! 1. Safety The #1 reason why the ID’s are important because they provide safety. They show staff and others that you are a student at WHS. This is to ensure that you are not an intruder and to ensure that everyone at WHS feels safe. If you aren’t wearing your ID, then sometimes you might not be recognized as a WHS student. Now this is not always the case, but sometimes it is, which is why it is better if you just have your ID around your neck. 2. Identity Of course, the IDs are important because they show who you are and your name. This makes it so that we could get to know each other better. It also makes it easier to get to know people’s names if you are afraid to ask them yourself. You could just carefully look at their IDs and see their names on them. The WHS ID’s are also helpful with knowing what grades the students are in by the color of it. The yellow ID’s are the freshmen, the red ID’s are the sophomores, the green ID’s are juniors, and the dark blue ID’s are seniors. 3. Security The most important reason why the WHS ID’s are important because they are like passes that give you access to the building. You would need them if you are going to the bathroom, the media center, or to the office. This would also help students in the future, since some jobs and careers require that you have your IDs on at all times. Especially if there are some areas that require your ID to access. This is a life lesson for students at WHS, so to be sure that we get to understand how the IDs work. So now you see why IDs are important, so keep wearing them!  by: Cole Nocida and Andrea Martinez
The Career Advisory Board? Are they the ones that organize our advisory? No, the CAB is the organization that puts together all the exciting things that happen around the school that you may not even know about. They are the ones that bring lunch and learns, like our most recent with a physical therapist. They have programs that allows students to dip their toes into the real world of career and career readiness. They are here for the benefit for us! They meet once every month and their next meeting will be November 25 in the Media Center. Chairperson of the Wethersfield Board of Education Bobbie Granato plans on talking about some specific goals in their next meeting with the members of the committee, which includes business leaders and members of the town and school communities. By: Paige Melillo and Abby Malizia
The past week, the Wethersfield High School office staff welcomed a new assistant principal, Tyler Webb. Abby and I had the pleasure to meet with him and give the students a sneak peek of our newest addition. As most of Webb’s family live close, he feels like he essentially knows the town, as he said “I still feel like I’m back home.” In his first few days at WHS, he had already been surprised by some former connections he had with some of the staff. ELL teacher Mark Mirizzi went to the same high school as Mr. Webb and Mr. Rioux, our chorus teacher, was Webb’s elementary music teacher back in 1986. This is Webb’s 20th year in education. Before becoming an assistant principal, he was a history teacher for thirteen years. As a child, he had an amazing 4th grade teacher Mr. G that inspired him to become a teacher, plus some good college professors that helped him towards the education field. However, his love will always be for students, education, and for the history classroom. He said the following in regard to his love for all three, “Yeah, sometimes I invade history classes, more of an observer than an active participant.” Mr. Webb wants to make more of a connection with the students beyond the classroom, plus helping teachers with problems they have. As he begins here at WHS, he is excited to become more familiar with the staff and students of WHS and utilize experiences gained over the years from coaching, teaching, and being an assistant principal. As we welcome a new member of our staff here, make sure to say hi and get to know Mr. Webb!  by: Tommy Feratovic and Arup Das
Have you ever had to wait in the sandwich line at lunch? We all have but the food makes up for the wait and if you haven’t had one of the sandwiches I recommend them. The kitchen at WHS uses all fresh meats, dairy, and bread. There are so many options to choose from and different combinations you could put on your sandwiches. The breads that are available for you are from Rockland Bakery. They have rolls, wraps, and pretzel buns. The buns that Wethersfield High School receive are always fresh. The best part about our bread is that the cafeteria staff can even put the bread on the grill. Rockland Bakery is 4.8 out of 5 star rated bakery on Google, so you know we are getting quality Wethersfield High School sandwich bar offers a variety of meats that include roast beef, buffalo chicken, turkey, salami, diced chicken, breaded chicken, and tuna. The meats that are served in the sandwich lines are from Boar’s Head. You can use any combinations of meats you want and can use as much as you want. The meats come in every week and are fresh throughout the week. The dairy and vegetables that are served in the sandwich bar are from Sardilli. Sardilli is a produce and dairy company that is farm-grown and provides us with onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, banana peppers, black olives, and jalapenos. The dairy products they offer are only for our sandwich bar which is american cheese, pepper jack cheese, provolone cheese, and swiss cheese. The process of making a sandwich at Wethersfield High School is very simple. Unless you’re very lucky, you'll have to wait in line for about 3-6 minutes, but once you get through, the process is easy. The friendly cafeteria staff will take you through the whole process: bread, condiments, cheese, meats, and veggies...you’ll even get to choose to have it grilled! If you haven't tried the sandwiches at WHS, I highly recommend trying one, you won't regret it! By: Joesill Torres and Alexia Lopez What do you wear to Wethersfield High School when every single classroom has a different temperature? Now that fall is here, temperatures are declining and students are beginning to wear more layers to stay warm. Lots of students never know what to wear because it might be freezing in their first period class, feel like a sauna in their third and be the perfect temperature in their fifth. In this article, we will be helping those in need of fashion advice according to the temperature.  What Girls Can Wear: # 1 A Sweater/ Cardigan: These can add that extra thin layer to stay warm. If you ever get too hot you can also just take it off and put it in your backpack because of how thin it is. Can wear with most outfits due to its versatility.  #2: A Jean Jacket- Although jean jackets have become very #basic, it is still a great extra layer to wear with almost any outfit.  For Everyone: A Hoodie- Hoodies keep you warm and are very easy to wear and can just be pulled over any outfit. What Boys Can Wear: Honestly, we can’t help you guys because you all wear shorts in -15 degree weather and sweatshirts when it’s 84 degrees. We could suggest clothing items but you guys probably wouldn’t listen and just pull up to school in pajamas. 🤣   Check out this #TBT of our writers! by: Max Karkos and Trevor Piecewicz
On Saturday, November 2nd, one of the greatest high school traditions, Homecoming, is back. It’s a night tailor-made for classmates to gather outside of the classrooms to bond and even meet new friends. Some people go with dates, others go with their friends. Either way, Homecoming is an exciting and fun night for all. We asked Ms. Rajan, the mastermind behind planning Homecoming, why one should attend the dance. She said, “Homecoming is just a chill time to hangout with your friends and dance to the music.” There is no reason anyone should be sitting at home by themselves this Saturday. For just $10 you can come spend the night dressed up surrounded by your best friends and favorite teachers. One of the fun parts of the night is announcing Homecoming King and Queen. Voted for by the students themselves, two students from each grade will be named as Homecoming King and Queen. Ms. Rajan expressed her excitement by saying, “It’s exciting when people get to vote for the king and queen. I thinks it’s one of the things that makes Homecoming an exciting event.” Every dance needs good music. One of the biggest reasons kids have so much fun at the dance is because of the DJ. Part of Ms. Rajan’s vision of an amazing Homecoming includes a good DJ who plays great music. Ms. Rajan said, “We got a lot of positive feedback about the DJ from last year, so we brought him back again.” Not often do you get to blast your favorite songs and dance in a crowd full of your best friends and classmates. DJ Butta Snipez will have you grooving all night long. The students here at WHS can’t wait until Saturday night. We asked some of the students how they are feeling about the dance. Senior and cheerleader Christine Vittner, said, “I can’t wait for Homecoming, by the end of the night everybody is friends. It’s such a fun time that nobody should miss out on. It’s one of my favorite nights of the year, and you only get four chances to go, so don’t miss out.” Varsity baseball and soccer player,Matt Bagdasarian, said, “It’s a great time. I mean, I’ve had a great time every year. I look forward to it because it’s one of the only times where everybody from every grade can hang out, plus some of our favorite teachers come. I would encourage everybody to go.” Homecoming is a special event that only happens once a year. You definitely don’t want to miss out on this great spectacle. See you Saturday!  By:Jacob Rivera and Kaitlyn Fischer
Transitioning from a student teacher to a full time teacher is stressful yet very rewarding. We set out to interview our new Spanish teacher Ms. Martins to see how her transition is going at WHS. “This community has all been very supportive, so I’m very grateful for that. Now as a [full-time] teacher, I get that support and level of respect.” When asked if she was being treated differently now that she is an official teacher, her response was gratifying. She felt as if she fit in and was being treated well by the Wethersfield High School community is amazing to hear. “I’m very grateful to have done my student teaching here. I think it really helped out knowing the community and knowing my students. It was really helpful with the transition, knowing how the school works, knowing how my department works, being familiar with many students and having good connections with them made it definitely an easy adjustment.” Transitioning from a student teacher to teacher, she seemed very comfortable and honest with her answer. From what we were told, it was clear that being a student teacher made this whole process very tranquil. The reason of which Ms. Martins fits into the Wethersfield High School community so well has many answers. Being able to have a connection with her students and learn the environment and culture at WHS while she was a student teacher helped prepare her for the full thing. Ms. Martins is a great addition to the WHS staff and you can go see her in room 303! By Stephanie Breglio
As many know, September 11, 2001 was a turning point for national security procedures in airports, government buildings, along with other locations of importance all around the world. There were 2,753 deaths, 343 including firefighter,s at the World Trade Center site that day. When students visited the actual site of these terrorist attacks they were stopped in their tracks by the sadness that still lingers in the air. On October 23, 2019 students of Mr. Sand’s Current Issues classes visited the 9/11 Memorial/Museum in New York, along with the Tower Ladder 1 Firehouse. The field trip was an all-day expedition, where students were on the bus at 6:30 am and got home around 5:00 at night. In Current Issues, Mr. Sand aims multiple lessons, assignments, and classwork around the tragedy of 9/11. By teaching about the events about this day in history, students are able to gain more of a perspective about it and the feelings of the victims are heroes. Although the lessons give students more of an insight, they are not quite enough. The field trip is what ties everything together. Mr. Sand believes that the action of actually visiting the museum is … “important for young people, especially those who don’t remember that day, to gain a first hand experience to help them truly understand the events of 9/11.” Since the students attending the trip were the first generation to barely experience the actual day of 9/11, it was important to visit the museum to learn more about the occurrences of this day. Mr. Sand teaches about the victims and heroes that were killed and the actual events leading up to the attack, however he makes a point to highlight the good that came out of this large event in history, which is showcased through meeting some of our heroes-the firefighters. The day of the field trip started with visiting the Tower Ladder 1 Firehouse, where students were able to go inside the only firehouse in New York that did not lose any firefighters during the attack. Students also had the opportunity to see the firehouse in action when they got a call and had to leave. Some students even purchased shirts from the firehouse signed by the firefighters that day! After taking a quick lunch break at McDonald’s, students and chaperones migrated to the World Trade Center site to view the fountains/pools of water where the towers stood, which included all the names engraved into the sides of the people who died. The next stop was the museum itself, which is located right next to one of the original tower sites. The museum was a moving experience. It included the original phone calls and messages from family members and from people who died on that day. There were multiple exhibits, some including artifacts, and others including rooms with presentations on what really happened that day. A technologically advanced part of the museum was the iPads, which students were able to use to search any person that died that day and to find information on them. A student present at the trip, senior Leah Ayers said, “One benefit is that you get to see all of the artifacts and relics in person rather than on a screen. It gives it a more realistic feel, and you can relate to the experiences better when you see it up close.” The museum created a closer connection between the students and 9/11 through the exhibits. Students were able to relate more to the events that occurred, which was extraordinary because they weren’t even alive when it happened. After visiting the museum, students got back on the bus and took a moment to reflect on what they had seen before returning home around 5:00. Mr. Sand said, “I think the trip is just the right length. Students are able to process only so much on any one day so I’m very comfortable with the time we have there.” Students were appreciative that they got this wonderful opportunity to visit the firehouse and the museum. It was a real experience for all the students and chaperones that helped out. Students give a special thank you to WHS, Mr. Sand, the chaperones, and everyone who took steps to help organize the trip.  By Jake Whitaker and Johnny Orsini On Wednesday, October 16th the Wethersfield High School football team had a new practice schedule on the daily agenda. Instead of taking to Cottone Field for practice, the Eagles went to Highcrest, Webb, and Hamner elementary schools for their newest campaign, Tackle Literacy. Most classes in each school participated and each class had 1-3 players in each room. The players read aloud to the students, had students read to them, did classroom activities, and focused on expressing how important schooling is starting at a young age. The players really wanted to emphasize being role models for the kids. Senior Tyren Watt said “The football team wanted to be a part of the Tackle Literacy campaign to be good examples to the younger students to keep reading books for the rest of your lives.” To Tyren, it was more than just going and reading to the kids, he said, “The point was to show how important the reading was and how important it is throughout life.”  Senior Nathaniel Estifanos agrees that the campaign was more than just something to do during the bye week. “I think it was ‘let's go help out the kids and be good role models’ because that's our responsibility''. When asked if he would do it again, he kept it short,“for sure."
Many players agreed that it was awesome to go back but a little bitter sweet. Shortly after leaving the schools, Senior Kyle Edman said, “That was lowkey sad, we are about to graduate high school." Junior Zak Zurzola followed up with a similar feeling, “We should do that again, I’m reminiscing." The team is hoping to be able to get another opportunity to do this again this year and are hoping that even more schools will participate next time around.  by: Kieran Moller
Halloween marks the beginning of a very exciting time, the start of the holidays, though it is important to remember the proper ways to celebrate this spooky holiday. Yes, costumes are a way to express yourself and shed a good laugh. However, they are prohibited in the school, and for valid reasons. Mr. Moore and Mrs. Yusko are aware of the desire for students to show off their costumes to their friends, but the school is not the place. Students wearing costumes in the classroom serves as a distraction to fellow students and teachers. It would be near impossible for students to wear a costume and there not be a scene that can cause distractions. Secondly, it would not be fair to permit a handful of students to dress up and not everyone else. Our principals know that the classroom is a place to learn. If everyone dressed up, it would cause a commotion and end up as a wasted day. There is plenty of time outside of school to celebrate Halloween with friends, and not suffer any consequences from wardrobe choices. Sadly, we are all aware of the times we live in as high school students. With the rise of school related shootings, costumes in school are not appropriate. Many costumes involve props that could be insensitive to recent events. Despite not meaning any harm, it simply isn’t a good look. Overall, these rules are in place for the good of the students. Although it may be frustrating, it’s in your best interest to comply. By: Abbey Keane, Caitlin Nardella, and Christine Vittner As a senior and having four years of fun pep rallies, I still think there are some ways we could improve on ours. Compared to other schools and what you see on social media, ours can make some small changes to make them truly spectacular. Suggestion 1: Make the pep rally grade based! The pep rally should be more grade based and not so much surrounded by our sports teams. If this was the case, the attendance at the pep rally would rise. Many kids that do not participate in sports have nowhere to go when all the teams are sitting with each other, this causes them to just sit awardarly on the side with nothing really to do. If we made the pep rally grade-based we could have all the grades wear different colors. For example, seniors are usually wearing black so they would have a black out. Then every other grade dresses all in a different color. In our current system we have people dress up for their sport team, but not everyone plays a sport so some kids are left out of the fun of the pep rally. As a girl who doesn't do a fall sport, the pep rallies aren't as fun because everyone is dressed up and I'm just in my school clothes. Suggestion 2: Change the location If the pep rally was held in the gym it would be in a more enclosed space. All of the grades could get one section of the bleachers and be together as a grade so no one is excluded. We could do more grade based games and get everyone involved. When the pep rally is outside on Cottone the students are so far away from the games and the field, it is hard for them to really get involved. This way if it is right in the gym then the kids and the events will all be right there. Suggestion 3: Change up Spirit Week Spirit Week is a blast, but let’s get the whole student body involved! We could make a Google survey and get the students’ opinions on which ones they want to do. If we are allowed to have a voice, maybe we could get more participation and have Spirit Week be an even more awesome time. Suggestion 4: Spirit Week and Homecoming They should make spirit week in the week leading up to Homecoming. It would be spirit week all week then the pep rally on Friday during school, Friday night would be the homecoming football game, on Saturday would be the homecoming dance. That way it is just a week of fun. We love what we are seeing from our Pep Rallies, but with these changes, maybe we can go over the top next year and even be one of those awesome schools that are featured on social media.  By: Amanda Carmel & Joseph Cassineri
Wethersfield High School’s career counselor Mark Danaher has given students the opportunity to learn something new about their potential post-secondary studies. This Friday, Christina Mogelnicki, an orthopedic physical therapist, is coming to WHS to provide students a perspective into the field of sports medicine. One of the most sought-after careers at WHS is Physical Therapy. Mr. Danaher, the host of the Lunch and Learn, said, “I took the career survey done by the students at the high school and looked at the most popular responses and physical therapy happened to be in the top ten responses.” Kids seem to enjoy learning about the treatment of injuries and diseases. Christina works locally, which made this process very easy. Mr. Danaher says, “I reached out to Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Centers to see if they had anyone who would be interested. They choose Christina because we are located in Wethersfield, which worked out well for us.” Ms. Mogelnicki will be speaking during a “Lunch and Learn”, which will take place in room 210 during 1st lunch. Pizza and water will be included. “The benefits of the lunch and learn for the school and students is they get a chance to talk with a professional in the school” says Mr. Danaher. “We hear their career stories and learn from the choices they make.” There is still seating available, and students can sign up by texting @whsspea to the number 81010. Don’t pass up the opportunity to broaden your career perspectives.  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! |
About UsWritten, edited, and produced by Wethersfield High School students, covering all news and events. Archives
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