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Nonnewaug High School's Chief News Source

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Nonnewaug hurdlers Juliette Nichols, left, and Gianna Lodice practice.

Coaching Track a Juggling Act

Grayson Leveille '27, Reporter

April 23, 2024

The Nonnewaug boys basketball team poses after winning the Berkshire League tournament championship by defeating Shepaug at Thomaston High. (Courtesy of Noreen Chung)

Roden: Rocky Start Motivated Big Success for Nonnewaug Basketball

Ben Roden '24, Reporter

April 23, 2024

The sun sets during spring break in Scottsdale, Arizona on April 17, 2022.

Here or There? Some Travel, Some Stay for Spring Break

Katie Savulak '26, Reporter

April 12, 2024

Nonnewaug freshman baseball player Ashton Elsemore bats during an April 8 game against Shepaug. Elsemore and most baseball players do not travel for spring break because the team has games and practices that week. (Courtesy of Noreen Chung)

Some Play and Some Go During Spring Break

Ava Hirleman '27, Reporter

April 12, 2024

A puddle surrounds second base on Nonnewaugs baseball field earlier this month. Rainy weather has negatively impacted the start of the spring sports season. (Kyle Brennan)

Persistent Rain Puts Damper on Start of Spring Sports (VIDEO)

Izzy DiNunzio '24, Editor-in-Chief

April 12, 2024

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Nonnewaug High School's Chief News Source

After a blowout loss to the Litchfield Cowboys thr

After a blowout loss to the Litchfield Cowboys three days before Christmas, the Nonnewaug boys basketball season hit a low point.

Following the loss, an altercation occurred during the postgame handshake lines; the following practice, the Chiefs needed to re-center their focus, and we did that by doing team yoga.

Carter Casbarro, a junior on the team, grew up with yoga as his mother, Agnieska, is a yoga instructor. The yoga allowed us to re-center our emotions after a difficult beginning of the season.

“Meditation and yoga has helped me since I was little,” Carter said. “It was cool to see the team take it seriously and be able to benefit from it.”

Yoga caused the season to change its course: We ended up with a 20-4 record, including the Berkshire League regular season and tournament championships.

Read Ben Roden's column now on our website -- link in our bio.

Imagine having to coach 18 different sports at onc

Imagine having to coach 18 different sports at once — that’s what being a track coach is like.

Though a lot of events are similar, Nonnewaug boys track and cross country coach Deborah Flaherty thinks that it can be difficult to have all of the athletes get what they need in practices and meets. This year, now that there are more coaches, it makes this challenge easier.

“It is a lot of work on the up-front side [of planning practices], but it is golden having other coaches oversee [practice],” Flaherty said. “Last year I could only be in one place at one time, so I used to have to use leader kids to say, ‘Here is the workout; make sure everybody is doing it.’ That’s totally different than having a coach that’s watching form and technique and really pushing the kids to their maximum potential.”

Flaherty uses all of the coaches that are available now to make managing practices easier.

Read Grayson Leveille's whole story now on our website -- link in our bio.

Spring break is students’ long-awaited vacation

Spring break is students’ long-awaited vacation time after a stressful third quarter. Nonnewaug students shift their focus away from their schoolwork and onto the week of free time ahead of them. While some people have a vacation escape planned ahead of them, some prefer to stay home and relax.

“I’m going to Florida for spring break,” says sophomore Ryleigh McDonald. “I’m going down because my grandparents live there.”

“I’m going to Arizona to visit my sister,” says freshman Izzy Zakrzewski. “I prefer to travel for spring break.”

Zakrzewski says that people need to take advantage of their time to travel so they can learn about the world around them.

“It’s good to go places other than where you’re from because you can go places you’ve never been before,” Zakrzewski said. “You have the opportunity to meet new people and friends wherever you’re going and see new sights.”

Read Katie Savulak's whole story now on our website -- link in our bio.

The sound of the ball colliding with the strings o

The sound of the ball colliding with the strings of my tennis racket as I ran back and forth to get to the spots the ball was returned to me.

I’ve played tennis going on four years, and I’ve played with many different coaches, including working with the Middlebury Racquet Club. I know how to play, and I’m skilled, but walking into the first practice, I felt hot, nervous, and intimidated.

This feeling was different from my freshman field hockey season. There was a higher expectation to live up to and more pressure to push myself to since the Chiefs have won three straight Berkshire League girls tennis championships.

Olivia Gwiazdoski, a sophomore, feels that the team can do it again as long as the stress of high expectations doesn’t become overwhelming.

“There’s definitely pressure and higher expectations, especially [from] last year,” Gwiazdoski says. “I know the scores were very close, [and] there’s some good teams that we play, but I think if we all work hard and play well that we will be able to do it again this year.”

Read Ava Hirleman's opinion column now on our website -- link in our bio.

Leadership. This word holds many meanings, and ca

Leadership.

This word holds many meanings, and can strike various different feelings for people. For some, they might be reminded of all of the doors that have opened up since they started on their leadership journey. Others, however, most commonly feel as though they should steer away from it, purely because of fear, boredom, or just because they’re uninterested in taking on a role that makes many people uncomfortable.

After being in the FFA all throughout my high school career, I’ve had many leadership roles and opportunities open up over the past four years. Some were certainly harder than others, and took a lot of encouragement from both my peers, mentors, and even just some small pep-talks from myself.

I get it. Leadership isn’t for everyone – and that’s okay. I know firsthand that it’s also one of the scariest things to voluntarily participate in, at least in most situations. Leadership takes practice, and as scary as it is, it’s one of the aspects of student involvement that high schools long for the most.

Read Emma Cummings' whole opinion piece on leadership now on our website -- link in our bio.

Rain, rain, go away. The dark clouds and wet weat

Rain, rain, go away.

The dark clouds and wet weather throughout late March and early April have negatively impacted Nonnewaug’s spring sports schedule. The rain has caused games to be canceled, practices to move indoors, and athletes to feel generally bummed out by the dreary conditions.

The latest schedule changes came April 12, when the baseball, softball, and tennis teams all had competitions canceled because of heavy rainfall.

Izzy DiNunzio has the video report.

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NHS Greenhouse students Gather the Goods for the May Plant Sale
April 12, 2024
Kylieann Craine '24, Reporter
Behind the Curtain: NHS Drama Prepares for Once Upon a Mattress (PHOTOS)
March 12, 2024
Gary McVety '24, Reporter
Natural Resources Class Harvests Syrup (PHOTOS)
March 11, 2024
Evan Grieger '24 and Walker Stanton '24
Universal Tour Tells Hollywood History, Primes Excitement for New Park (PHOTOS)
March 1, 2024
Tyler Timko '24, Reporter
Floriculture Students Hone Craft with Community-Wide Events (PHOTOS)
February 28, 2024
Arabella Rosa '25 and Savannah Czerepacha '25

Video

Persistent Rain Puts Damper on Start of Spring Sports (VIDEO)

Izzy DiNunzio '24, Editor-in-Chief • April 12, 2024

NHS News: February/March 2024

NHS News: February/March 2024

NHS News • March 27, 2024

At Perfect Imperfections, Being Imperfect is Loved (VIDEO)

At Perfect Imperfections, Being Imperfect is Loved (VIDEO)

Emma Cummings '24 and Abegail Diezel '25 • March 15, 2024

Latest Headlines

For NHS' Class of '24, Modern Roommate Shopping Proves Problematic

Brianna Johnson '25, Reporter • April 26, 2024

For NHS Seniors, Spring Semester brings both Exhaustion and Engagement

Gary McVety '24, Reporter • April 26, 2024

Connecticut Mystery Remains Unsolved Over Two Decades Later

Kathryn Hartery '25, Reporter • April 26, 2024

Doran: Slow Walkers = My Worst Nightmare

Audrey Doran '27, Reporter • April 26, 2024

Sweeney: Volunteerism Enriches the Lives of NHS Students

Alexa Sweeney '25, Reporter • April 25, 2024

Blinding Headlights Prove Problematic for NHS’ New Drivers

Sean Classey '24, Reporter • April 24, 2024

In Culinary Arts, Collaboration is Key as NHS Students Team Up with WMS

Grace Nelson '25, Reporter • April 23, 2024

Coaching Track a Juggling Act

Grayson Leveille '27, Reporter • April 23, 2024

Roden: Rocky Start Motivated Big Success for Nonnewaug Basketball

Ben Roden '24, Reporter • April 23, 2024

Hustek: Leave and Return Opens NHS to Liability and Disaster

Ava Hustek '25, Reporter • April 22, 2024

News

NHS Dramas production of Once Upon a Mattress runs April 11-13 in the NHS auditorium. (Conor Gereg)

NHS Drama Sets the Stage for 'Once Upon a Mattress'

Gianna Lodice '24 and Layla Coppola '24 • April 11, 2024

The solar eclipse happening mid-afternoon April 8 will slightly impact Nonnewaugs athletics schedule. (Courtesy of Justin Dickey/Unsplash)

Eclipse Moves Region 14 to Take Precautions, Including Sports Delays

Anna Crocker '26, Junior Editor • April 8, 2024

On April 4, many students attended an informational meeting to prepare for the upcoming exam. The purpose of these meetings aren’t only to educate students, but get them excited to show off their skills and for whats to come.

The Seal of Biliteracy: A Certificate Worth Earning

Grace Lafferty '24, Reporter • April 8, 2024

Advanced culinary students, from left, Brayden Altieri, Jaren Hunt, and Quinn Leonard talk to senior citizens making sure to get them their meals April 4. The Senior Citizen Drive-Thru is prepared and operated by John Dominellos culinary students.

Senior Luncheon Brings Community Together Despite Wet Weather

Ava Hustek '25, Grace Nelson '25, and Brianna Johnson '25 • April 4, 2024

(Right) junior Haylee Molina, senior Andrew Parrella, and junior Cace Hackett prepare a icing for the berry turnover the dessert course the advance culinary student are giving the senior citizens for Thursday, April 4ths meal.

NHS Senior Citizen Meal Comes Together Prior to Tomorrow’s Drive-Thru

Arabella Rosa '25, Reporter • April 3, 2024

NHS News: February/March 2024

NHS News: February/March 2024

NHS News • March 27, 2024

Sports

Kelly Farrell, a junior tennis player at Nonnewaug, prepares before a match against Wamogo on April 1. (Courtesy of Noreen Chung)

Hirleman: Championship Past in Girls Tennis Produces Positive Pressure

Ava Hirleman '27, Reporter • April 12, 2024

Freshman Elliana Obolewicz runs during a track meet last week. (Courtesy of NHS Track and Field/Instagram)

Track Athletes Get Flexibility During April Break

Arabella Rosa '25, Reporter • April 12, 2024

Nonnewaug swimmers Kyle Viveros, left, and Grace Walkup are the Chief Advocates Athletes of the Month for March. (Courtesy of Derek Ward)

Viveros, Walkup NHS' March Athletes of the Month

Chief Advocate Staff • April 8, 2024

NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill, left, was fined in 2023 for violating a league rule about his socks. (Courtesy of All-Pro Reels/Wikimedia Commons)

Barksdale: Some Pro Sports Rules Just Don't Make Sense

R.J. Barksdale '25, Reporter • April 5, 2024

Nonnewaug girls soccer head coach Nick Sheikh surveys the team’s warm-ups before a game this past season. A 1999 graduate of Nonnewaug High School himself, Sheikh has served as head coach of the girls’ team since 2008 and is also the head coach of the boys’ tennis team during the spring season. (Courtesy of Noreen Chung)

Sheikh the Quintessential Nonnewaug Chief

Gianna Lodice '24, Senior Editor • April 4, 2024

The Nonnewaug girls soccer team poses after their preseason scrimmage at Pomperaug. Scrimmages are an important part of preparation for the season but with the new CIAC regulations, teams will be able to practice throughout the summer. (Courtesy of Noreen Chung)

New CIAC Rules Will Let Teams Practice During Summer -- But Not Everyone's on Board

Audrey Doran '27 and Addison Bushka '27 • April 2, 2024

Nonnewaug students get mad at students who are clogging up the hallway.

Doran: Slow Walkers = My Worst Nightmare

Audrey Doran '27, Reporter • April 26, 2024

Leave and return opens Nonnewaug High School up to liability. (Unsplash)

Hustek: Leave and Return Opens NHS to Liability and Disaster

Ava Hustek '25, Reporter • April 22, 2024

Nonnewaug freshman Morgan Willis opens ChatGPT on her Chromebook.

AI Has Its Place, Just Not For Cheating

Katie Savulak '26, Reporter • April 16, 2024

Nonnewaug senior Kylieann Craine disposes food in the school cafeteria trash can.

Assard: Nonnewaug Needs to Take on Food Waste

James Assard '25, Reporter • April 15, 2024

Adam Lengyels Personal Finance course teaches the fundamentals of investing and responsibly managing finances.

Almeida: Students Should Take Investment Education Seriously

Lucas Almeida '24, Reporter • April 11, 2024

The library at the University of Virginia is one location that a student might visit on a tour of campus. Spring break is an opportunity for students to tour colleges. (Wikimedia Commons)

Spring Break a Great Time to Fit in College Visits

Juliana Bailey '25, Junior Editor • April 11, 2024

NHS Greenhouse Plant Production, a UConn ECE course, taught by NHS faculty member Eric Birkenberger, has been busy cultivating an array of plantings in preparation for its public plant sale on May 11th.

NHS Greenhouse students Gather the Goods for the May Plant Sale

Kylieann Craine '24, Reporter • April 12, 2024

From right to left; Kaylee Jackson, Arabella Rosa, Christopher Pelletier, Lana Manganello, and Karisa Cizauskas setting up their new saltwater aquariums and learning how to control their coral lighting.

NHS Aquaculture Sets Sail on Salt Water

Kylie Healey '24, Reporter • April 12, 2024

Junkyard Jibber Jabber (Episode 2)

Junkyard Jibber Jabber (Episode 2)

Devon Zapatka '24, T.J. Butkus '24, Noah Zupan '26, and Milon Griswold '25 • April 11, 2024

A tick is something that is so small but can cause so much damage, as they over consume blood causing regurgitation back into the host, allowing diseases or parasites to go with it.

Olejniczak: Are We Headed Into an Outbreak of Lyme Disease?

Zosia Olejniczak '24, Reporter • April 9, 2024

A construction worker operates a machine to smooth out the soil that was dug up to lead electrical wires from the agriscience building to the newly built horse barn.

Trench on Campus Attributed to Electrical Work for New Horse Barn

Jillian Brown '24, Reporter • April 5, 2024

Each year, NHS students come together to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Being one of the most student led organizations in the school, the students successfully raise $30,125 this year alone. To do this, the team hosted a red-out spirit week, ran numerous fundraisers, and had the NHS community participate in STALL, a two day event allowing students and faculty to donate money to stall class time. After these accomplishments, juniors Gavin Sandor and Andrew Grivner, along with the rest of the NHS team, attended a banquet alongside various LLS members across the state to celebrate the amount of money they had raised. (Courtesy of Gavin Sandor and Andrew Grivner)

Cummings: Student Leadership is Key to Empowerment of Future Generations

Emma Cummings '24, Senior Editor • April 3, 2024

Trending Stories

1

The Nonnewaug boys basketball team poses after winning the Berkshire League tournament championship by defeating Shepaug at Thomaston High. (Courtesy of Noreen Chung)

Roden: Rocky Start Motivated Big Success for Nonnewaug Basketball

Ben Roden '24, Reporter • April 23, 2024

2

Nonnewaug hurdlers Juliette Nichols, left, and Gianna Lodice practice.

Coaching Track a Juggling Act

Grayson Leveille '27, Reporter • April 23, 2024

3

The Nonnewaug girls soccer team poses after their preseason scrimmage at Pomperaug. Scrimmages are an important part of preparation for the season but with the new CIAC regulations, teams will be able to practice throughout the summer. (Courtesy of Noreen Chung)

New CIAC Rules Will Let Teams Practice During Summer -- But Not Everyone's on Board

Audrey Doran '27 and Addison Bushka '27 • April 2, 2024

4

Leave and return opens Nonnewaug High School up to liability. (Unsplash)

Hustek: Leave and Return Opens NHS to Liability and Disaster

Ava Hustek '25, Reporter • April 22, 2024

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