Spring Sports Senior Sentiments

By Kaylee Oppenheimer (Managing Editor) and Caleb Painter (Managing Editor)

The abrupt end of all spring sport seasons was especially difficult for seniors, many of whom will not be continuing to play that sport in college.

Although their seasons may have ended, seniors’ leadership and devotion will have a long-lasting impact for years to come. We at The Buzzer wanted to compile the sentiments of our senior athletes, while also congratulating them and appreciating them for the athletes and leaders that they were. (click the arrow on the right hand side to continue)

For Varsity Girls Lacrosse, many of the senior athletes were sad to miss out on so many “lasts,” according to Ali Manly. Kristina Caruso, a goalie for this varsity team, said, “No one, besides other seniors, really knows what it’s truly like to lose your last season. Everyone else has at least one more year to play. For some of us, this is our only senior season, so we won’t be able to experience playing during a senior game. We won’t experience the feeling when you get your name called and one of your teammates talking about you and what you’ve done for that team. I know for me personally, I won’t be able to get to that milestone that many goalies want of making 500 saves.” Despite the unfortunate circumstances, this pandemic has also invited a time for reflection. Ali Manly added, “I think the biggest lesson from all of this is that time goes by so fast, and you literally never know what’s coming, so we should never take the Hastings community for granted. I am so thankful for everything HGVL has given me and can’t wait to see all they do next year!”

For the Varsity Boys Tennis team, tryouts had ended the day before the season was initially suspended, and many players had just found out that they had made the team. They were going to choose their captains the following few days, and were also excited to play under their new coach, Sheree McNulty. Daniel Goldberg, who played doubles last year, said,“It is tough as a senior knowing that without a spring season, there will be no last hurrah in our time playing sports at HHS, but I think I speak for all of us in that we wish this tough moment for all the teams pushes the school’s athletes to work even harder next year when we are gone and show coronavirus who’s boss!” Micah Kerness had been training throughout the year for the season, and said, “This sucks. I mean it’s terrible, and for me personally I’ve been waiting three years since I was on varsity sophomore year to play my senior season. I was really looking forward to it.”

The Varsity Baseball team, although sad about the abrupt end to their season, is also grateful for the time they did get to spend together. Sam Johnson, who has been playing since Little League, told us, “The program has taught me so much about life and life lessons. I am so grateful to have played under a great coach in coach DeGasperi and alongside coach Linder and coach Adipietro. I am thankful for all my teammates and all the hard work they put in every year.” Alex Weitzman completely agrees, saying he’s cherished every minute of his time in the program and knows his teammates feel the same. “We’ve talked a bunch as a team about how we feel about the cancellation, and it has been really nice to stay together despite the unfortunate circumstances we find ourselves in. But nothing compares to being on the field with them. I think we had a real shot to be a special team this year, and I was really looking forward to competing. And it crushes me that we were robbed of that opportunity.”

“I think it’s really difficult for everyone but especially with softball. We have been working as a team since December on various things, so we have all been looking forward to the season after putting in all of that work,” says Casey Ostrowski, who plays Varsity Softball. Zoe Fields was also looking forward to “a successful season and the challenges ahead,” but understands that they are now forced “to face bigger problems.” Alex Civatano appreciates the “amazing experience” that Varsity Softball has given her over the past four years and calls this cancellation “a hard pill to swallow.” She had been waiting to do “all the fun things seniors look forward to,” like decorating the field, the team dinners, and activities outside of playing.

Varsity Track Athlete Felix Sprock is looking to the future of his running career rather than being weighed down with the current situation. He said, “What I’ve come to understand is that there really isn’t a point being upset over the loss of my season, because it’s not something I can control. I’m working towards a bigger goal in my running career, and trying to build my fitness to a higher level for college.” Eve Aronoff also added that this quarantine has helped her to “re-find” her love for running and fitness, and has made her realize that “we took a lot for granted in going to school and seeing everyone.” Catherine Sarfaty, another Varsity Spring Track athlete, said, “I think that everyone was definitely very disappointed, especially seniors because for all of high school we’ve imagined what our last season will be like, and I think it’s especially sentimental for us now because everything happened so fast and we didn’t really have a lot of time to reflect.”

Missing out on so many of the “bests” of a senior season, coaches wanted to send off their seniors with a few final words.

Coach Sheree McNulty says her senior athletes should keep in mind that “tennis is a game for life!” They should be proud to play it, and for providing leadership on and off the court to the younger players. She also added that the seniors “set the example for sportsmanship; Massimo DeFrancesco & Micah Kerness have been on Varsity for 3 seasons and are experienced doubles players. Danny Goldberg was called up to Varsity last season and is our team motivator.”

Coach Degnan, a coach for Varsity Softball, said of her seven seniors: “This group provides a little bit of everything to our team dynamic between humor, intelligence, loyalty, responsibility, and commitment.” She also added that this time, although disappointing, can serve as a moment for reflection: “If there is anything this situation has shown us is that family, health, physical exercise and the ability to connect with others is so extremely important to our social and emotional well beings. Continue to keep those who matter a great deal to you close and your Coaches and athletic department will always be here to support you.”

Coach Corveddu, although he was hired a week before the Boys Lacrosse season started and had only seen his seniors five times, could still tell us how proud he was of them. “Our guys are a close knit group and they're working hard on the offseason.” So impressed by this hard work, he’s started giving out a new award called the Phoenix Award. “It's an award that is given to the players that give the most for their team... like the seniors sacrificed the entire season. I want to remember their sacrifice for as long as I’m coaching in Hastings. Kyle Ryan and Oliver Finkelstein were the most committed seniors.” He’s really happy “with the way that the guys have come together during this hard time. All I see are great things to come in the future for all of them.”

Coach DeGasperi of Varsity baseball said: “Our seniors are hardworking, dedicated, and talented players, but most importantly, they are all GOOD young men. Being on a sports team isn't only just about the sport itself, it's about these players trying to figure out what it means to be on a team, work with others whilst sharing a common goal.” He also noted that being a senior on this team is an achievement in itself, and that “you've climbed the ladder to get to that point. You battled, together, to try and make past seniors’ seasons the best they could have been. It's nice having the feeling that, once you're a senior, your underclassmen teammates will do the same for you. It's a good feeling that is difficult to explain. Our senior athletes have been a part of our program since they were in 9th grade (some of them since Little League). It is because of our senior athletes that our program is what it is and how it will continue to grow, develop, and get better.”

Coach Guilfoyle said of her seniors: “They have always been a part of Hastings Track and XC for me, and I can’t imagine a team without them on it. They each bring something unique and individual. Felix motivates and encourages. Teddy welcomes and entertains all. Catherine and Halle comfort and counsel. Howie challenges himself and others, especially in the weight room. Caitlin has a ridiculous work ethic. Eve is so great at mentoring younger runners. Micah is selfless and pushes himself to succeed in areas that are more difficult for him (like xc) for the benefit of the team. They each play such a vital role and mesh so well together, they will leave a big hole to fill!” In giving advice to her seniors, she says, “Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned! Things sometimes happen for a reason, and we all need to roll with the punches. Be flexible in the process, but not in the goal!”

To all of the senior athletes, the Buzzer would like to commend you on your hard work and wish you well in the future!

Interviews with the Seniors

Allie Jobe

If the class of 2020 were a food, what food would it be and why?

A fruit salad. I feel like we’re not all the same—obviously no grade is all the same—and I think together we’re an enjoyable group of people. Who hates a fruit salad? Nobody. Hopefully nobody.

If you could give any advice to your pre-pandemic self, what would you say?

I would say to enjoy what you have now, obviously, because things are about to change, but also don’t wait for the best part, because then you’ll say, ‘Oh, the last couple months of senior year are the best part.’ [Instead] you should make anything the best part if you want it to be. Maximize what you can.

What is something about you many people might not know?

I don’t know, I guess that I had a hard time in high school in the beginning. I guess I present myself like I have my [stuff] together because that’s how I present myself, I guess, but the first couple of years of high school I was like terrified to talk to anybody who wasn’t immediately in my circle, and so I guess I was trying to pretend like I didn’t care, but really it was just that I was too scared to branch out.

If you could teach any class in the high school, what would you teach and why?

I guess I would teach theater arts—and I know nothing about theater arts—but I think I would teach it because it would be fun to see how people act. I would never do it justice the way that Marciano does it, because I think that the way that Marce does it is so funny—he does it well—but I just think it would be funny and interesting to see how my peers act in a less academic class. I would do it just out of self-interest just to see other sides of people, not that I’m qualified at all.

What was a defining part/moment of your high school career?

I feel like the class trip that we took to Peru last year was kind of a defining moment for me because it was the moment when I realized that I could talk to other people, in an academic and also a social environment. That changed my attitude towards high school: it’s important because for things I’m personally doing later, like going to college, but [it’s important too] for me to have fun with it, because you can. It’s a pretty safe environment.

If the class of 2020 had to be one throwback song, what would it be?

Maybe ‘Solo; by Iyaz—the one that’s like, ‘I don’t want to walk this earth if I gotta to do it solo’

Kassa McAllister

If you could give any advice to your pre-pandemic self, what would you say?

I’d tell myself that it’s okay to let your true emotions show. Feeling frustrated in times of change and confusion is human nature and not something to be masked.

If the class of 2020 were a food, what food what it be and why?

Mac and cheese because who doesn’t like mac and cheese?

If you could teach any class in the high school, what would you teach and why?

I’d want to teach photography cause I’ve learned a lot about it and I feel like it could be a lot of fun to explore that passion with others.

What was a defining part/moment of your high school career?

Being on the Varsity Soccer Team. Being a part of a group like that is 100% unmatched.

If the class of 2020 had to be one throwback song, what would it be?

Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) by Otis Redding.

Casey Ostrowski

What was a defining part/moment of your high school career?

It doesn’t really pertain to me, but when the boys [basketball team] won the section at the county center, it was really nice to have something that the school could take pride in all together, even if you didn’t know anybody on the team. We could see that the whole school was connected, and that was nice.

If you could give any advice to your pre-pandemic self, what would you say?

Enjoy things as they’re happening, especially with senior year. We were looking forward to everything happening at the end of the year and then we didn’t have any of it, but we did have some things that happened during the year. It would’ve been nice to enjoy that stuff more.

What is something about you many people might not know about you?

I don’t really do it that often, but I like to paint.

If the class of 2020 were a food, what food what it be and why?

Pineapple pizza, because some people can enjoy it, but others really just don’t like it.

If you could teach any class in the high school, what would you teach and why?

I think I’d like to teach Spanish 5H, which is the class I took this year. I really enjoyed it and it’s nice to be at that level where you can learn new things and talk about them in Spanish.

If the class of 2020 had to be one throwback song, what would it be?

TiK ToK,’ by Kesha.

Will Barr

If the class of 2020 were a food, what food what it be and why?

Definitely a food that takes a long time to grow. Like asparagus or something.

If you could give any advice to your pre-pandemic self, what would you say?

Probably tell my past self to check my email more. I usually didn't communicate with teachers via email when I could see them, but during quarantine, email became a necessity.

What is something about you many people might not know?

I'm an Irish citizen. That's cool, I guess.

If you could teach any class in the high school, what would you teach and why?

Probably Chemistry. I mean it's the thing I am most interested in, so why not? I think I could also have fun teaching APUSH.

What was a defining part/moment of your high school career?

For me, the hardest year was junior year, and it sort of kicked me into gear in regards to managing a college-level workload, so that was a turning point in my high school experience.

Michaela Mermelstein

If you could teach any class in the high school, what would you teach and why?

I would teach Home Ec., like cooking, if I could. It’s a basic skill that many people might lack, and I think it’s important, especially for people who are going into a college where you live off campus. I think it’s a good skill; I love teaching people how to cook. I’m lucky enough to have that skill.

If you could give any advice to your pre-pandemic self, what would you say?

Be patient; it may be stressful, and there may be times where it’s hard but you’ll get through it.

What is something about you many people might not know?

I guess my ethnicity is pretty rare. I’m Romani (Gypsy).

What was a defining part/moment of your high school career?

I have two. In tenth grade I took Mr. Hunt’s Anthropology class and the final project was to make an ethnographic film, and so I did mine on Romani people because it was a way for me to research and find people like me. It also allowed me to come to understand that culture because it’s who I am, and I never really thought about it or understood it until I had that assignment, so creating that short film was defining. The other one is that this year as a senior I’ve taken a few classes — an Arts Perspective class with Mr. Buchanan, the Facing Ourselves class with Mr. Abrams, and Criminal Justice with Mr. Smith — that connect to the Black Lives Matter movement. I’ve come to understand the issues around it much better after taking those classes.

Teddy Flynn

What is something about you many people might not know?

I’m not really sure. I’m pretty much an open book. I’ll talk about anything if someone asks, but I guess that not many people know that I love to bake, maybe?

If you could give any advice to your pre-pandemic self, what would you say?

Probably to just get ready to be alone a lot and that I should find ways to occupy my time rather than doing nothing all day.

If the class of 2020 were a food, what food what it be and why?

I think that we could be pizza because we all come together to make something amazing. We all have our differences but we come together in a nice way.

If you could teach any class in the high school, what would you teach and why?

Probably Physics because it’s a more relaxed class where students and the teacher joke around, which makes it a more productive and enjoyable class.

What was a defining part/moment of your high school career?

I don’t know if I have a defining moment because high school was an odd experience. To me there weren’t really defining moments. I was just trying to have fun whenever I could and I’m lucky that I’m able to have the memories that I made during the past four years.

If the class of 2020 had to be one throwback song, what would it be?

My heart says ‘Party in the USA.’

Seniors Write Reflections to Their Younger Selves

Click the drop-down arrow to view the full letters

Daniel Goldberg

Dear Daniel,

This may seem strange, but I’m writing to you as a high school senior in 2020 amidst a global pandemic. Doesn’t that make it feel a little cliché to hear in a “it’s you from the future” letter? As you might expect, there is a lot going on in the world right now. Some of your wishes for the future have become realities. People have computers strapped to their wrists and lying in their pockets. Social media is connecting the globe, electric cars are becoming more widespread, and just this month, two more US astronauts were sent into space. Other hopes you had for the future, however, were met with quite the contrary... (click the arrow on the right hand side to continue)

Racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, classism, ableism, and xenophobia are burgeoning as political divisions separate. However, the widespread use of the internet has allowed people to educate themselves and organize themselves to fight for justice. The world may look different now than how it does to you, but at your core, you are the same person trying to uphold the same values and contribute positively to society.

While we are currently staying home until the virus is controlled, I have time to look back on my life up until now. One thing that you should consider is that everyone wants something from you, especially in high school where you along with your classmates are balancing academics, sports, extracurriculars, jobs, and a social life. Sometimes, it’s hard to know the opportunity cost of doing an activity, so try to prioritize what makes you smile. Saying “yes” to everything might seem like the right thing to do, but it actually is more beneficial when you choose a few things to devote yourself to so you can really give them your all. Make sure to look at each challenge you face as a new opportunity for growth; you will not make the right decision every time. You’re officially an adult now and with that will come adult problems. However, you are well equipped to face these problems because of the smaller struggles you will face as you grow up. While successes feel better in the moment, you truly will gain more from your failures.

One of the hardest things that you will have done is to decide when to come out as gay. You know now that it has to happen at some point, but you’re afraid that it will change some of the friendships you have and your connection with your family. Being in the closet is awful as you very well know, but rest assured after junior year, you will work up the courage to be yourself. Yes, it is just as hard, maybe even harder, than you think it will be, with harmful stigmas, stereotypes, and rhetorics fighting against you, but coming out will allow you to blossom. Not everyone is accepting, but the majority are and you will feel free.

The college process will push you, as it does to everyone, to really define yourself and your future. Throughout high school, you have worried about deciding on a career early on and being able to plan ahead. The truth is, many people change their majors in college and majors themselves often do not correspond to the careers that people end up in. Listen less to those who require you to know who you will be in twenty years and instead open your mind to people who will give you the tools to discover what makes you happy. You will be surprised at your personal growth throughout high school and have a lot to look forward to. Just go to bed a little earlier, drink a little more water, and keep your head up high.

Sincerely,

Daniel (from 2020)

Amanda Escotto

Dear Freshman Amanda,

High school will be four years of personal growth and experiences that will change you forever. Many of these experiences will go exactly how you imagined. Your first pep rally will be thrilling, and the signs about your friend group won't be as mean as you think. You will make friendships with students outside of your grade during theater productions and open mic nights. You will have a great time with all of your friends at Junior Prom in a dress that you feel beautiful in. The chorus will win gold on the Boston trip your sophomore year, and you'll completely strain your voice from screaming at the awards ceremony. You will get to perform in Hairspray, your favorite musical since the sixth grade, and befriend talented students from outside the district...

You'll even perform two musicals in one year, and the production of Spring Awakening will always give you chills when you rewatch it. The first day of senior year will be exactly what you had hoped for: a day of lively excitement as a new chapter of your life, post-high school, gets closer and closer.

Not only the major events are ones that will resonate with you. It's also the little things that you will remember. You'll have the best time at picnics with your friends at the Burke Estate, finishing ten page papers at three o'clock in the morning and feeling satisfied, going for cafeteria hashbrown runs with Lizzie during AP Photo, and singing your heart out to throwback songs in Sabine's living room. You'll grow close with teachers that have undoubtedly changed the way you think about the world, such as Mr. Smith, Mr. Riss, and Ms. Rudd. These special events will be the highlights of your four years at Hastings High School. They will be what you remember as you reflect on your high school while preparing for adulthood.

Of course, not everything will go as you initially planned. Although you cherish the high moments, they will be riddled with less-than-amazing moments too. The weekend before Hairspray opens, you'll get tonsillitis for the fourth time that year. It will really suck, but don't worry, you'll be well enough to perform opening night, even though you'll barely be able to sing. You'll cry in the single stall bathroom after failing a geometry test. You'll make a lot of mistakes, such as forgetting your history homework on the kitchen table twice in a row, or picking a fight with your best friend for no good reason. It all works out though, and at the end of the day, you don't have memorable highs without the lows.

Your senior year, something major happens that you could have never predicted. Just as you buy your beautiful blue prom dress, hand in the money for the music department's Washington D.C trip, and audition for your last musical ever, it's all cancelled in less than a few weeks. In March of 2020, The Coronavirus Pandemic will ultimately rewrite the rest of your senior year. No more musical, prom, Broadway Review or Spring concert, and most devastating, no more graduation. As cases begin to soar in Westchester, schools will shut down in order to keep everyone safe. At first it will only be closed for two weeks, but two weeks will quickly turn into a month, then two months, and before you know it, there will be an announcement that you will never return to Hastings High School as a student ever again. Of course, you understand the importance of the cancellation, but it is still hard to go through the last few months of high school without a hug from your close friends or personal words of encouragement from the teachers you look up to.

I'm writing this letter in order to remind you to take in all of the experiences that will shape who you are. I don't mean this by advising you to obsessively take pictures of it all. During those significant moments of your high school career, whether major or minor, you need to pause for a second. During a moment of stillness, you need to really take in what is going on around you. Where are you? Who are you with? How does this make you feel?

Moving forward, things will inevitably happen that you cannot control. Not everything will go as planned, and that's okay. I ask for you to cherish the memories that mean the most to you. Keep an open mind and embrace the experiences that will later be fond stories to tell.

Sincerely,

Senior Amanda

Molly Furman

Dear Molly,

I am writing to you as an almost high school graduate who got into her first choice school and has some of the most supportive and kindest friends who I know will be with me past my high school years. These upcoming four stressful, but valuable years will definitely have their highs and their lows, so now I would like to offer you some advice and some wisdom that I have obtained over those years.

Remember when you first walked through the doors of the high school? You told yourself that you were determined to make a good impression on all your teachers while after school you would prove to your coach that you were starter material on the varsity field hockey team. You even started a diary to track your high school years which you would end up dropping gradually as you reached junior year, and your life revolved around school work, Netflix, and snacks...

You strove to put 110% in everything you do because you feared disappointing others and even more yourself. Even when your teammates told you that it was not your fault that the other team scored, you would thank them for their kind words, but in your head, you would feel that it was your mess-up. In school, you set high standards for your grades because you feared that going below a certain grade would be a reflection of who you were as a person, and when friends came and went out of your life, you sat there contemplating ‘what did I do wrong?’

Well, let me tell you, this is an exhausting way to feel. Your hard work and dedication is one of your greatest strengths but sometimes you need to separate your own efforts from the universe’s random actions that are completely out of your control. When you feel that you are losing direction of whatever is given to you, remind yourself that it's totally okay for things to go out of control and that your achievements will still reign higher than any bump in the road if you let them.

I know you probably think every single grade is going to affect your entire future, but it DOES NOT! It may have taken until senior year for this to sink in but grades really are just numbers. This does not mean you should not continue to strive for good grades, but take a moment to absorb and enjoy the content without the burden of some numbers. Right now, you are convincing yourself that you will never pursue science after you leave high school, but I am here to tell you that with an open mind, you will see that your interests are expanding. You are going to come across a lot of challenging courses that will make you question if you are smart enough to be part of the class. I want you to know it is okay to have doubts but do not let them discourage you or lead you astray. If a class is difficult, it will only push you to do even better, but I also want you to know that it is perfectly all right if you do not choose to take the hardest route. The hardest route is not always the smartest one.

I want to tell you that you are killing it! I know that you are probably in the middle of planning to accomplish every task in your life with 100% effort but remember to take a deep breath and drink some chai tea because if you let it sit too long, it’s going to get cold.

Your truly,

Molly Furman (2020)

Alex Grossman

Dear me,

You are about to begin freshman year. You can’t wait to have a whole 50 minutes to eat lunch, for your teachers to finally treat you like an adult, and for all the new experiences you will be exposed to over the next four years (and you don’t even know who Heidi Mason is yet - just wait). But let’s be honest, what you’re looking forward to the most is playing high school basketball. You’ve had enough of playing with teammates who don’t know what a double-dribble is, or somehow shoot the ball over the backboard during an actual game (don’t worry, Micah, I won’t tell anyone it was you). These next four years will be a whole new experience for you, so here’s a few pieces of advice to use on the court that you’ll be able to apply to life as well...

Appreciate the little moments. There will be moments where you will feel extreme satisfaction. You will hit game-winning shots, dunk the ball just as your final season is about to close out, and make a phenomenal 3/4-court shot that still puzzles you to this day. But all of those moments will be available for you to watch forever. What I’m asking of you is to remember the smaller moments, the ones that weren’t necessarily caught on camera. What‌ ‌will‌ ‌make‌ ‌these‌ ‌years‌ ‌so‌ ‌much‌ ‌more‌ ‌interesting‌ ‌is‌ ‌to‌ ‌appreciate‌ ‌the‌ ‌smaller‌ ‌moments‌ ‌like‌ ‌scoring‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌best‌ ‌player‌ ‌during‌ ‌practice,‌ ‌or‌ ‌your‌ ‌coaches’‌ ‌pep‌ ‌talks‌ ‌to‌ ‌you‌ ‌about‌ ‌how‌ ‌much‌ ‌they‌ ‌believe‌ ‌in‌ ‌your‌ ‌game.‌ ‌These‌ ‌moments‌ ‌added‌ ‌up‌ ‌will‌ ‌end‌ ‌up‌ ‌meaning‌ ‌so‌ ‌much‌ ‌to‌ ‌you,‌ ‌so‌ ‌be‌ ‌sure‌ ‌to‌ ‌take‌ ‌them‌ ‌all‌ ‌in.‌ ‌

Trust the process. I know this term is overused a lot in sports, particularly in basketball, but it couldn’t be more true. I’m gonna say it as it is: these four years of Hastings Basketball will be nothing like how you’re expecting them to be, and this is incredibly important for you to understand in order to get the most out of them. Your coaches will be unconventional, you will experience heartbreak on the court, and you will reconsider your participation on the team multiple times, but know that each action is minor, but contributes to the larger process. What you need to do is stop predicting what your personal experience will be because you will learn that doing what’s best for the team is ultimately the best thing you can do. And as long as you keep that in mind, know that you are on the right path to getting the Gold Ball.

Lastly, nothing worth having comes easy. You will get kicked out of practice for disappointing your coach, you will nearly lose your starting job to someone four years younger than you, and you will be moments from playing in the County Center for the first time in your life before hearing the words from your coach “get on the bus. We’re going home.” Additionally, throughout the championship game, you will think multiple times that you have personally lost the game for your team, but what’s important is to have that notorious trait necessary to be a great basketball player: a short memory. If you turn the ball over, run back and put in effort on defense. If you get scored on, go back on offense and hit a 3-pointer. But I should warn you, if you're the reason one of your teammates gets dunked on (and it may happen multiple times), understand what almost every player eventually comes to terms with: you may not exactly be the next LeBron James.

Unfortunately, your senior year will get cut short. After years of planning a “comeback” to organized team baseball, your Hastings Varsity Baseball career will consist entirely of one practice that you weren’t even supposed to attend in the first place (I definitely broke the record for shortest Hastings baseball career, so that’s something, I guess). And even worse, you won’t even remember what your final meal in the cafeteria was (did I order ham? Salami? Who knows?). But if you follow those pieces of advice, you’ll be able to look back on those four years with pride.

Adriana Cuibus

Dear Younger Version of Me,

I made you a list of all of the things I wish you knew when you were a freshman entering high school. Each paragraph describes a lesson and is sometimes followed by a little anecdote to go along with how you learned this lesson.

Every minute counts! Honestly, enjoy every single moment you have in high school. As a freshman, I never would have believed this phrase. I thought four years equated eternity. Since eighth grade, I have been playing Pomp and Circumstance in the orchestra at every graduation. Ever since I was 13, I imagined how I one day would be walking down the stage to receive my diploma, alongside my friends with my mom and dad in the audience watching me. I would tell my younger self that this moment is fast approaching. Time moves quicker than you think...

My perspective started to change in sophomore year when my friends and I were singing Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi. We sang "ohhhhhh, we're halfway there, ohhhh livin' on a prayer" at the top of our lungs. We realized we were actually halfway there—halfway through high school. I couldn't believe how quickly time had passed. The next day in the hallway, a middle school teacher approached me and said, "Woah, you are a sophomore already? The next two years are going to fly by!" Again, I had a lot of disbelief: how can two years fly by so quickly? But they did, they really did. I am in disbelief that I won't be here next year, so while you still can, enjoy the little things in high school. Take this from a person who missed out on all of my lasts during my senior year. Who could have possibly predicted a pandemic cancelling all of my lasts? Enjoy picking out your classes for the following year or seeing your favorite teachers at the school. Find light in the little things.

Looking at a true friend is like looking into a mirror. - Cicerone

They say that your five closest friends are an accurate representation of who you are. By looking at who you are hanging around, you will understand the direct influences on who you are. High school is a formative time where you are finding yourself by soaking up influence from all corners; therefore, it is important to see who your influences are and whether you are happy in the way these influences are affecting you. I always thought that friends are meant to bring out the best in yourself, and they are meant to make you want to be a better person. Surround yourself with a group of people who make you push harder, who make you a better person.

Sometimes you have to keep your good news to yourself. Everybody is not genuinely happy for you. In other words, it can be interesting to see how people react when you tell them good news. If they are genuinely your friends, they will be happy for you, but if they react in any way different than happy, it might be time to reconsider your friendship. I learned this one from my grandma when she started scolding me when she found out I tell people a lot of things about myself. She told me that from her experience it is better to keep as much information about yourself private as much as possible.

People often talk about the three bubbles: social, academic, and sleep. And then people always talk about how you can't have all three and how you have to sacrifice one of the bubbles in order to have the other two. I don't know if this is necessarily true. I don't think you have to sacrifice any of your bubbles in order to have balance. I found that the secret to having all three bubbles is discipline and finding your balance. If, for example, you want to go out one night, you can, but make sure to balance that by putting aside time during the day to study for your test and do your homework. If one night studying for a test is keeping you up and you will get less sleep, balance that out by making sure you get more sleep than you did the following night and by catching up on the weekend. I think you can have a good balance of all three bubbles if you follow this mentality of having good discipline with the three.

Lastly, and most importantly for you, young self, is to have confidence in yourself. You have to say YES to more things in order to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Say YES to things you never thought you would be able to do because of your inner critic that's been holding you back. I know that right now everything seems really intimidating, but it really doesn't matter what other people think! It matters what you think. You have to stop wanting to be like everyone else and find the confidence to embrace your own personality and style. Your uniqueness is beautiful.

I hope that my tips will make it easier for you, younger self. I know you will get closer to the person you want to become by overcoming the many challenges high school will throw at you.

Avanthi Chen

Thanks to Ms. Rudolph, I recently received a letter from my younger self. And oh boy. It was so embarrassing and cringey. But it was also pretty funny. It’s mostly just a flood of anxiety. I literally said “I’m jealous of you because all the hard parts are over for you.” HAHA NOPE. The hard part has just begun, dummy.

This was an especially interesting experience since my first draft of today’s letter was very much just a flood of anxiety as well. I was like “I’m not ready to leave.” “I’m too stupid for college.” “I will never make new friends.” Just some very insecure statements about growing up and moving on.

I don’t know whether to be disappointed at how little my anxiety has improved, or if I should just tune that part out and laugh at the irony of “all the hard parts are over for you.” I want to tell her how much I don’t want to leave...

I don’t think I’m ready to leave. I really don’t think I am.

Throughout this past year I couldn’t stop looking around me to see all of my peers on the verge of adulthood, with facial hair and car keys, staring down college decisions, rent prices, and student loans. And I can’t stop thinking about how different everyone seems. I guess “different” isn’t the right word.

I think the way I’d describe it is…somewhere along the line, I woke up and everyone I had gone to school with for ten years suddenly looked like strangers, and our high school looked like any other high school.

I remember sitting at my table with Sam Johnson in third grade, and I asked him his birthday (I used to memorize everyone’s birthday so I could write it down and wish them on the right day; now facebook does it for me). He told me it was February 22nd, 2002, and it’s lucky because it’s “two, twenty-two, oh-two.”

And I remember the huge eraser sitting on the corner of Jude Jeorger’s desk in fourth grade that said, “For REALLY Big Mistakes.” And Scarlett Cajas’ amazing joker costume. When we all wore pigtails for Derex’s birthday, and when Alex Luchsinger was the only one who knew how to use a computer in fourth grade.

I don’t think I realized how much I loved feeling like we were all works in progress. I think there’s something so special about knowing someone when they were a kid. You know them before they’ve become anything, before they’ve settled into their careers, archetypes, and become people I don’t know anymore. And I guess I’m struggling to reconcile those kids with the people I see today.

I think that feeling is exacerbated by the fact that I didn’t end up getting to finish senior year. I missed out on saying goodbye to my teachers, having a proper graduation, and getting dressed up for prom. And as much as I made fun of prom, I’m kind of wishing I had one right now. It’s less about awkward high school dances, though, and more about the people you’d be celebrating with.

Looking back on it, I think it was a strange kind of fear that made senior year so fun and made it feel so important. The fear of everything changing, the fear of coming back for Thanksgiving and our little world suddenly looking completely different. In my mind, I’m still going back to high school to finish my classes and say goodbye, but I know it’s over. I look around and everything tells me it’s over, but it just doesn’t feel right.

I realize in four or five years, I’ll be graduating college (hopefully) and realizing how much I’d wish to go back to this day and do it again, just for fun. And I’ll probably be scared senseless then, too. Like I am right now, like I was four years ago, writing that stupid letter in Ms. Rudolph’s class. And that makes me feel braver, I think.

So, young Avanthi: please calm down. You’ll be just fine.

Allie Jobe

Dear 8 year old Allie,

I am writing to you to let you know that your life is about to change. You will be forced to grow up and learn the value of independence earlier than most of your classmates. For you now, it will feel like an unfair burden to carry. But soon you will see all of the value that what happens during this difficult year of your life brings to the rest of it.

Nora’s health struggles in the next couple of years will make your role as an older sister and a leader all the more important. It will be hard to watch her be hospitalized and hooked up to thousands of wires, but seeing this at a young age will help to form your character. I have only recently begun to realize that these experiences have helped me in ways more than you can imagine. It is ok to be scared, but rest assured that dealing with this will make you and your family more caring, empathetic, and aware of how much we all depend on kindness and generosity from our community...

I’ve realized that many of my core values were formed from the experiences you are about to live. When Nora learns to swallow pills at age 5, you will learn alongside her so that she can feel more ‘normal’ about doing it. This small action will teach you how important it is to make marginalized people feel like they belong not only by supporting, but actively working to make a place for them. This lesson will manifest itself in how you treat other people, the community service you choose to do, and the subject matter you engage with the most. I certainly do not have it all figured out, but I know that this abnormal circumstance that inconveniences you now will become a foundation of your relationship with Nora and with the world.

I also know now that this moment in your life is pivotal into making you an independent thinker. Though it will be a lot for you to handle now, this independence will make you a stronger person. I am more able to do my own thing because of it; this ability will be invaluable when peer pressure encourages you to change yourself for others.

If you take nothing else away from this letter, take the knowledge that you will get through it and, weirdly enough, see the value in your struggles. I am about to graduate high school and move on into the world as a semi-prepared adult. This is a credit to your strength now. I am endlessly grateful to you for it. If you ever feel alone, and you will, remember that I am rooting for you.

With much love and admiration,

Allie from 2020

Emmett Donovan

A Reflection on High School

It’s the night before my first day of high school, and I can’t sleep. The indigo night has choked out even the barest comfort of the moon, and I’m left alone in the black, struggling to combat my fears. Listening to the thunder of my pulse and desperately trying for some composure, I decide to cast a spell. I know a certain type of magic which serves simply to deflect. The wearer is concealed behind it, protected from whatever harm might come from being connected with others. When they’re removed in this way, they're passed over by the people around them, unseen and therefore unhurt.

So, in my mind's eye, I begin constructing a skin-tight shield. I start with the crown of my head, anchoring the immaterial defense to my body. And then, slowly, carefully, I begin to draw its edges downward. The shield pulls close over the planes of my face, the curve of my shoulders, the expanse of my ribs. I spend long minutes pinching it around each of my fingers, and into the hollows of my knees and the contours of my ankles. Finally the shield sinks into the shallow dip along the arch of each foot, anchoring again in the center of my heels, and the spell is complete. I am safe...

Over the next few months, I hold fast to this magic. Each morning I climb the front steps of that looming brick building and the edges of my shield glint in the early morning sun, drawn so tight to my skin that it looks as though my shoulders and wrists themselves are sending off the small winks of light. I bear the long day, the spell keeping me a hair’s width away from mattering to the bright-eyed peers around me. And then, before I fall asleep each night, I take a moment under the warm darkness to reinforce my magic. For my shield requires constant maintenance; the second I let my concentration slip, it starts to deteriorate. So, I delicately repair the holes that form each time my guard falls, like when I trade glances with the quick-witted boy in the desk across mine, or when I bump shoulders with the nameless girl always wearing an olive-green jacket.

But before I can even notice them, these little moments add up. I find that night after night it takes just a minute longer to repair those gaps in my armor. And then another minute, and another. I lend my pen to the raven-haired girl in first period, and she flashes me a blinding smile, and I spend my evening trying to mend the section of the shield now exposing patches of my palm and knuckles. I steal packets of hot chocolate from the teacher’s lounge with the boy from art class—stuffing them deep into our pockets and choking back glee at our crime—and later knit up the matching rifts on each of my hips. I sing along with an unknown senior to the Christmas music playing over the morning speakers, and have to stay up late repairing the gaping hole stretching from my collarbone around to the nape of my neck.

I sit with the people I've hesitantly begun to call my friends atop a wooden picnic table stuck randomly on a deserted beach. It’s surprisingly cold for the season, and somehow the chill makes the surging waves sound sharp and vivid in my ears. The five of us are sprawled over each other, limbs overlapping and intertwined so that I can’t even tell who’s hand brushes mine, or whose leg I lean against. We play a game where one person sticks their arm straight out, and squeezes their eyes shut. A second person ghosts their fingers over the tender skin of their forearm, climbing slowly upward, and the first person must guess from feel alone when the other’s fingers reach the inner crook of their elbow. We find it surprisingly difficult, and when we fail, we curse each other with exaggerated Shakespearean insults. The ocean is sending breaths of salty air over the sand, washing over our exposed forms. The wind runs along the line of my jaw and around the curve of my calf, and it feels electric. In its invisible motions, I can feel the last pieces of my shield coming apart.

I could save it, if I tried. I could reinforce its magic before it’s lost forever. Catch each wispy shred in my outstretched fingers, and bind them together once more. But I would have to drop everything, pull away from the world around me. I would have to extract my hands from the thick, windswept hair of the girl before me, losing the casual intimacy of our touch. I would have to step out of myself, to forget the feeling of the rough wood digging into the bone of my ankle and the drop of salty water held in the conch of my ear. And, all at once, I realize I’m not willing to give these things up. So I let it go. Each chain link unlatches and brushes against my skin before catching on the sea-breeze and floating out to the horizon line.

I have a different kind of shield, now. One made of memories of bare feet and sandy hair. Tucked away in the folds of my brain will be the sparks that hold this moment together, when I feel young, and alive, and fierce. This is an entirely new brand of magic, sheltered by the shifting plates of my skull and made of something far more powerful than spells. It’s made of joyful fire, rather than fear. Where I once wanted to hide from the future behind a protective wall, I’m now ready to face it head on, with memories of better days to get me through. I want to be seen by those around me. I want to matter to them, and have them matter to me. At last, I’m excited for tomorrow.

Ciara Hayden

Hi my name is Ciara Hayden,

I’m a senior here in Hastings. All throughout high school I really disliked coming to school, until senior year, where I disliked it a little less. I realized I needed to create a good time for myself and that it wasn’t going to just come to me. I learned that you have to manifest what you want in order to receive it.

To anyone having a hard time in high school, I recommend putting yourself out there and trying to just have fun. It won’t come on it’s own—you have to pursue it with an open mindset. If you walk into school with the attitude of hating school, you will never have a good day at school. In order to build friendships you need to put yourself out there, which can be hard for some people but nothing bad can come of it. You also can’t worry about what people think about you, because you’re not even going to remember what their names are after you graduate.

Focus on your schoolwork—it’s important—but don’t put your entire life energy and every waking second into it; remember to have fun. If you’re falling behind in school and really don’t know what to do, have an open conversation with your teachers—it will go a very long way. Be nice to everyone; you have no idea what they’re going through. Do not make anyone feel less than you just because you think you have the right. Lastly, if you don’t want to wear a bra, don’t wear a bra.

Valedictorian: Alex Weitzman

By Kaylee Oppenheimer (Managing Editor) and Seamus Pugh (Managing Editor)

Alex Weitzman has always been a hard working student who strives to do well in his classes, but, for him, it was never about “winning.” In fact, he said, “I genuinely want my friends and people I don’t really know well to do well and to be happy with what they are doing."

“I worried about [my grades] and cared about them, but it wasn’t something that ruled my life. I just tried to do my best and get to a point where I was comfortable with my performance in school.”

Alex also strongly emphasized that there are “so many other things that capture who I am,” and that many extracurricular activities were critical in shaping the person he has become.

In his freshman year, Alex played the Steel Drums with Mr. Jernigan, and this activity was crucial in teaching him “how to get things done and how to be comfortable with what you’re doing. I also learned the importance of the individual, and how if one person doesn’t pull their weight during a performance then the whole ensemble falls apart. It taught me how to rely on other people.”

Steel Drums also taught him about the responsibility that comes with age: “I went from being one of the younger members who really had no idea what they were doing to being one of the older members teaching the middle schoolers and first-year high schoolers.”

Alex has devoted much of his high school career to contributing to the community around him. As a high school mentor, Alex decided to participate in Project Inclusion, a Hillside club that matches high school students with elementary school ones of all abilities. In this program, kids of all abilities work together on activities and other tasks. Alex “got to know kids I never would have met, and I learned so much about sensory management and difficult emotions. It was amazing to be able to pass on my knowledge. Learning alongside these kids was such a wonderful experience.”

Among other things, Alex is very passionate about baseball; in fact, it's what he loves to do the most. For him, baseball is more than just an extracurricular activity to fill up time; it’s a close-knit community where he gets to play with the same kids he played Little League with. “We’ve known each other forever.”

Additionally, Alex chose to be part of clubs that humbled him, such as Academic Challenge. He said, “I went to very few meets but it was still great to see how talented everyone was. It amazes me how quick people are to answer questions. It’s astounding.”

His most defining moment in high school was one that might have been insignificant to many: “I’d just taken a SUPA final, which was grueling. I walked out of the room, and saw all the kids talking with their friends. Even though it was the first day of summer, everyone was enjoying each other’s company. The teachers were checking in on everybody. It was one of the moments that reminded me how special our school community is.”

As he looks to the future, Alex will be attending Brown University this fall and thinks that his major “could be anything from economics to computer science to psychology to heart science. Or I could get there and decide I love philosophy. I have no idea.”

Salutatorian: Markus Skelton

By Caleb Painter - Managing Editor

Markus Skelton, this year’s salutatorian, and an avid tennis player, seems to be involved in almost all aspects of student life. From National Art Honor Society to Varsity Tennis to even the Rocketry club, his extracurriculars make it clear that he is far more than just an academic. (On the subject of clubs, he’d “like to give a special shout out to the Photo Club, run by Mr. Merchant,” one of his favorites that he’s taken this year, and one which he would recommend to anyone.)

When asked what he would change if he could do High School all over again, he didn’t talk about taking different classes or studying harder for a certain final exam, rather, he wished he had “joined more clubs earlier!” According to him, “we have some amazing clubs at our school,” and he would have liked to have been a part of them since day one. Markus spent his elementary school years in Pacific Grove, California, before moving to Hastings for middle and high school. In many ways, his love for after school activities embodies what he’s most appreciative for in his four years at Hastings High School: the people. “I have built so many strong friendships throughout high school, and I’m excited to see where we all go from here.”

His first thought when he found out he was this year’s salutatorian was: “Oh no! I'll have to give a speech!” He even thought that it might have been better if his average was just a little bit lower, so that he would still be “top 3 but wouldn’t have to deliver a speech.” Looking back though, he’s “very honored to be salutatorian,” and is now glad he got this opportunity to speak to his class, a last farewell before everyone goes in their own directions.

Outside of school, Markus enjoys hanging out with his friends and playing tennis whenever possible. He also likes watching movies at home and reading comic books, an old hobby of his. Another pastime he’s picked up recently is designing movie posters, which sounds awesome! When asked about his time in school, Markus told me that “so many of my classes were rewarding experiences that I couldn’t list all of them,” and can’t choose a favorite one. He did note however that he’s “always been drawn to science and history,” and that two of the most notable classes he’s taken are AP U.S. History with Mr. O’Brien and AP Chemistry with Mr. Konig (teachers who, coincidentally, also wrote his letters of recommendation). His teachers definitely noticed his love for these subjects, with Mr. O’Brien saying, “The great thing about Markus is he seems to enjoy learning history. Lots of kids can get high grades, but I never got the sense that Markus did his assignments or contributed to discussions for any reason other than being interested in the topics.” He added that Markus “has a sunny disposition that adds a positive element to the class environment,” and that he’s “just a great overall student and person.” For Markus, “[APUSH and AP Chem] were a good mix of challenge and fun; although,” he adds jokingly, “at times the ratio of challenge to fun was a little skewed for AP Chem.”

Markus’s hard work and overcoming of these challenges has certainly paid off! The Buzzer would like to wish him all the best in his future and at Vassar College! Congratulations, Markus!

Exceptional Track Performance by Hastings Senior Caitlin Guilfoyle

By Seamus Pugh - Managing Editor

Senior Caitlin Guilfoyle, a six-year veteran of Varsity Track here at Hastings, was one of four Hastings athletes to qualify for the Section 1 State Qualifier. The event was held on February 23rd at the Armory Track, the 60,000 square-foot track-and-field bastion located on Fort Washington Avenue in Manhattan. Caitlin qualified to run the 1000 meter run; she ranks among the top fourteen Section 1 female athletes for her event. At the Section 1 State Qualifiers, she ran her race in 3 minutes 14 seconds. “It wasn’t exactly how I wanted to end my season” says Caitlin, whose personal best for the 1000 meters is 3:07, “but I was really just happy to qualify.”

Caitlin is not unfamiliar with the State Qualifier. Coach Molly Guilfoyle, the head coach of Winter Track, notes that “Caitlin has the distinction of being perhaps the only athlete from Hastings to make it to the state qualifier in all 6 of her seasons.”

Unfortunately, Caitlin’s racing career came to an abrupt halt when schools and athletics shut down in March.

“It was pretty disappointing, because it was my senior season for spring track,” she says. “I’ve imagined what it would be like for a while. But I’m only worrying about what I can control.”

Caitlin is now focusing on bettering her abilities for autumn. “I don’t know when I’ll be competing again, but I’m using this time to improve. I’ve been focusing on getting in some important base work.” She says training is harder without her teammates, “especially on difficult workouts. It is much easier when there are other people there to motivate me to push myself.”

Mr. Keily, who formerly taught Physical Education at Hillside Elementary School, noticed Caitlin’s aptitude when she was an elementary schooler. He helped recruit her for the varsity track team when she was still in seventh grade. As one of the few athletes to have such a long varsity track career, Caitlin has noticed a few things about the team’s development: “One thing I’ve noticed that’s changed is how the team has really come together over the years. It’s cool to see us all work hard together to achieve goals and set records.”

Caitlin says she plans to run at Worcester Polytechnic Institute this fall. “I’m really excited to join their team. The atmosphere is great and they have a great middle-distance program. The girls I’ll be running with are all around the same level, which is nice.” Coach Guilfoyle has big hopes for Caitlin’s college career: “When she aligns her confidence with her potential, her success in college is going to be exponential.”

It will be a difficult blow for the track team to lose such an exceptional athlete; Coach Guilfoyle calls Caitlin’s work ethic “unparalleled” and points out that “she is one of our best sprinters as well as one of our best distance runners.” Hastings High School thanks Caitlin for her hard work and wishes her the best for her future.

Micah Cantor Looks Toward the Future After Unprecedented Success at Hastings

By Kaylee Oppenheimer - Managing Editor

Having only started his track career in his sophomore year, senior Micah Cantor recently ran at the NY State Championships race for Winter Track. He has been to States once and State Qualifiers three times and has created a reputation for himself as an athlete who often leaves the track after practice unsatisfied and always hungry for more.

For Micah, joining the track team was prompted by growing out of the weight room; his first season of spring track was “pretty non-competitive.” After being convinced to run cross country in the fall, Micah was forced to push himself to the limit, as before training for cross country he could “literally not run a mile at a time.” According to Micah, his progression to cross country made him move from “really bad to very mediocre.” However, that all changed when he reached Winter Track in his junior year. In his first Indoor Track meet at the Armory, Micah qualified for the Westchester County Championships and immediately his mindset changed. He began to think, “I’m insane now, I qualified for counties. I’m just a beast!”

At the Westchester County Championships, Micah felt that there was no pressure in the race, and he ended up getting a Personal Record by around 5 seconds in the 600 meter race. His time was around .1 of a second off of the school record, so in a day Micah went from “I’m on the track team and I’m really mediocre” to “Wow, this is something I’m actually pretty good at.”

Coach Guilfoyle said, “Relatively speaking, Micah was late joining the track bandwagon. He started running spring of his sophomore year as a 100 and 200m runner. I saw something in him that screamed mid-distance, and convinced him to try the 400 by the end of that season. One or two races, and he was hooked! After running cross country the next fall, he exploded onto the 600m scene in his debut indoor season, where he came within 0.1 seconds of the school record. He saw continued success that spring in the 400m and the 400m hurdles. He held the 400m school record that spring (before Arlo reset it!) and made it to the spring state qualifier in the 400m hurdles (as well as being the league champ in that event)."

A lot of people ask him how he is able to balance track and academics, but Micah has never felt “I’m so screwed for school this week because I have to go to practice.” Instead, he believes that productivity is the key to not being stressed. He says, “It’s not about how much time you have, it’s about how motivated you are in the time that you have...Just because you have more time doesn’t mean you’re more productive.”

Micah added, “I’ve never been someone who’s been very competitive at school. I’ve wanted to do well, but I’ve never competed against other people.”

Another frequently asked question for Micah is “How do you like running; in fact, how does anyone like running?” Micah gives a surprising answer: “I don’t think I like running that much. If I wasn’t on the track team, I would not just go out for runs—it’s just not that enjoyable to me—but the part that is enjoyable is competing and getting better and improving, and so I love doing workouts and going to track practice, but not because I like running and I’m like ‘Wow! This feels so good!’ I love doing it because it doesn’t feel good, like, it hurts, and that makes me feel better about myself. Running in meets makes me feel better about myself.”

Still though, Micah feels like the mental part of running is “always something I’m going to struggle with, and there’s no way around it. Doing a hard workout is really hard, and if it was easy, then you would never really be getting better. So, there are still days when I have really crappy workouts and I’m not able to really push through, and that’s just how it is, and other days you just like to try to channel everything that you have, but I think those are less common. The majority of workouts I don’t walk away from feeling like it was an amazing workout. It usually doesn’t feel good.”

After high school, Micah plans to go to Grinnell and run track for them; “it’s honestly such an insane opportunity. I’m really, really excited for it.” Micah went on a trip to Grinnell in December and “everyone that I met was so cool and so nice, and I’m really hyped to be on the track team.” He plans to major in computer science, and “Grinnell has a really good program for it—it’s their most popular major.”

Micah isn’t sure what is the largest factor to his success, but he “showed up to practice every day, and I wanted to be at practice, and I tried in every workout, and I just have slowly gotten better every day. In my first season, I was just kind of there to get in shape, but I think I very quickly realized that it would be more fun to just get in shape and actually feel like I’m improving in the sport and maybe even doing well in a race at some point.”

Coach Guilfoyle added, “He continued building his endurance base as a key member of the xc team his senior year, and it was not long into the indoor season before he lowered the school record for the first of many times. He went into the state qualifier with nothing to lose and a season of strategic acumen at his disposal.”

Micah’s advice for any novice runner is this: “People think that track practice is, like running miles around the track, but I think if you’re someone who likes being good at things, for the sake of being good at them, or likes getting better at things, then track is basically the perfect sport for you—like, that’s all it’s about. It’s not about team dynamics really, it’s about personal improvement. So I think if I was going to give advice to someone, if you like getting better at something, then track is actually really rewarding.”

Page updated

Report abuse

Spring Sports Senior Sentiments

By Kaylee Oppenheimer (Managing Editor) and Caleb Painter (Managing Editor)

Interviews with the Seniors

Allie Jobe

Kassa McAllister

Casey Ostrowski

Will Barr

Michaela Mermelstein

Teddy Flynn

Seniors Write Reflections to Their Younger Selves

*Click the drop-down arrow to view the full letters*

Daniel Goldberg

Amanda Escotto

Molly Furman

Alex Grossman

Adriana Cuibus

Avanthi Chen

Allie Jobe

Emmett Donovan

Ciara Hayden

Valedictorian: Alex Weitzman

By Kaylee Oppenheimer (Managing Editor) and Seamus Pugh (Managing Editor)

Salutatorian: Markus Skelton

By Caleb Painter - Managing Editor

Exceptional Track Performance by Hastings Senior Caitlin Guilfoyle

By Seamus Pugh - Managing Editor

Micah Cantor Looks Toward the Future After Unprecedented Success at Hastings

By Kaylee Oppenheimer - Managing Editor

Click the drop-down arrow to view the full letters