Grayson Blount

Administration Releases New School Schedule

Published on March 23, 2016 in News by Grayson Blount

The New 2016-2017 High School Schedule

Buckle up because administration has brought about a new schedule that will completely change the dynamic of the school day. All credit for the new schedule lands squarely on administration, as they listened to the cry of the student body over the years and have decided to shake things up.

One of the largest changes to the schedule is the time change in time for office hours. To increase attendance and use of this time, the new schedule will have office hours from 7:40-8:05 a.m., rather than 3:00-3:30p.m. This will allow students to attend office hours with fresh minds and use the time provided to the fullest.

Chapel has also been moved to Thursday, which will allow the school more flexibility for gatherings such as pep rallies, spirit days and much more. Clubs and activities, as well as the occasional speaker, will now be on Friday.

A new addition to the schedule is the “Flex Period.” This is a time when the school can have assemblies, drug testing, Peer Leadership, study halls and much more. Each week will be different, attending to the needs of the student body and faculty.

The schedule will still rotate as it has in years past, however since two classes will rotate out of the schedule each day, the students will have some adjustments to make next year.

Junior Eric Panther is excited, yet nervous about the new schedule. In a brief interview, he said, “I like how school is going to end earlier, thus practice will end earlier as well, however it will be more challenging to figure out which classes are rotating out. Also, I am concerned because if teachers make their tests longer due to the hour long period, I will be bummed.”

Mrs. Wischerth is excited about the new schedule because of the school traditions that can be created due to the new schedule. She said, “We can build in more transition to the schedule. We can do new and fun things that will bring the student body together as a whole.” She reminisced about her high school experience and how football players wore their jerseys on Friday before games.

The new schedule is in place and ready to be unveiled next school year. This schedule was thought over meticulously by faculty across the high school and administration to create the best comprehensive learning experience.

Baseball Team Off to Hot Start

Published on March 23, 2016 in Sports by Grayson Blount

Junior Jordan Ward takes the mound

The Wesleyan Wolves are stepping up to the plate for another run at a state title. So far this season, the Wolves have played some formidable out of region opponents and fared quite well, only losing three games, while winning twelve.

Junior Colin Hall is excited about the season and said, “We have performed really well this season thus far against opponents that have done well in the past. We have a long way to go, but it is looking good so far.”

Things have indeed gone well thus far, as the Wolves have been gaining momentum every game, correcting errors that would haunt them in a state playoff game. In the upcoming months, the baseball team will face many strong opponents such as North Gwinnett and Greater Atlanta Christian.

Pitching has been living up to the hype this season. Due to solid performances by seniors Andy Archer and Alex Thompson, the Wolves have been stellar in the field. On paper, the pitching has been great, but in the game, it has been all the more valuable. The leadership and clutch performances are something that must be seen to fully appreciate.

Hitting has also been phenomenal. Led by Colin Hall, Cole Mannion, Mikey Olsen, Ryan Weed and Michael Payne, the Wolves have been off to a hot start at the plate. With a handful of come-from-behind wins, the Wolves have been hitting when they are needed most.

On another note, Senior Mikey Olsen hit his first career home run against Benedictine on the road trip the team took the weekend of March 5^th. On that trip, the Wolves played South Effingham and Benedictine, beating both. Benedictine, the state champions from two seasons ago, and the Wolves, the reigning state champions, went toe to toe on a beautiful Saturday morning in Savannah. The Wolves not only walked away with a victory, but also with a preview of an opponent they may face in the state playoffs.

The Wolves are in need of support, as the region schedule is about to begin. Make sure to make it to a game or two as the games are about to become very important for the Wolves and their berth in the playoffs. Region play begins March 15^th.

The Wesleyan Wolves are also on Twitter now, so follow their account. Their “handle” is: @_WolvesBaseball. Updates, scores and inside information will be tweeted out by “GameChanger manager,” Alex Burke.

Madness Ensues as Bracketology Begins

Published on March 23, 2016 in News/Sports by Grayson Blount

Cadet Plumlee, Duke's Center, is off to a hot start. CBS Sports

How does one billion dollars sound? The prize for the perfect bracket is worth exactly that, according to Warren Buffet. March Madness, also known as the NCAA tournament, is gearing up to take place and create a stir among the student body.

Grades are already forming their bracket leagues, testing to see who may pick the most accurate bracket for this year’s tournament.

This NCAA tournament is a 64 team bracket that also includes a four team play in bracket. Overall, there are 65 games that are played to determine which team will outlast the rest and claim their place in the history books as the 2016 NCAA tournament champion.

This year, Warren Buffet has put his money on the line again with the Billion Dollar Bracket, sponsored by Quicken Loans. If anyone in the world achieves a perfect bracket, they will win the money. Sadly for those who are full believers in their bracket, there have approximatley 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 chances in a perfect bracket, so the chances are slim. For any Wesleyan student looking for a quick penny, filling out a bracket may be worth your while.

March Madness brings out the best in some faculty members as well. Faculty member Candler Baxley has a tradition in his March habits. He said, “I am giddy. I have been listening to the Luther Vandross version of “One Shining Moment” for a week now.” He also talked about his bracket, although it is still a secret since it will win. He said, “I actually don’t watch a lot of college basketball until the tournament, so I’ll just go with Kansas.” Clearly, Candler Baxley is ready for the games to begin. Senior Jordan Mack is also excited for the games to begin. He said, “I’m excited. It will be fun to see if my picks are right or not.” Get ready people of Wesleyan, the games are about to begin and chaos will follow.

The Wesleyan community, as well as the sports loving community around the country, are ready for another crazy month full of Cinderella stories and powerhouse beat-downs. Tune in to watch the Madness, as it will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Academic Bowl Team Competes on Live TV

Published on March 23, 2016 in News by Grayson Blount

By the time you even read this, the question was already answered. The Academic Bowl team is a small society of some of the brightest and fastest students on campus. Meeting in secret, the team is a small team of six that is quietly having a very successful season.

The team members are Daniel Baisier, Sameet Singh, Jack Lambert, Matthew Pluck, Max Fernandes and Henry Beltrami. Led by faculty sponsors Phillip Hart and Matt Crew, the team has lots of opportunities to show the world how smart Wesleyan students really are.

On March 21st, the Wesleyan Academic Bowl team will go back onto live television to compete with other schools in the area. That will be broadcasted onto WSB, or channel 2 for most.

Student Daniel Baisier is very happy with the season so far. He said, “The team is actually a lot of fun. Although it is challenging and mentally exhausting, the knowledge that we have picked up will be beneficial later. I am excited to get another opportunity to compete on TV.”

This season has been a success this far with a handful of wins. Although it may seem as if the team would be boring, all team members and faculty sponsors stress the importance of it and recommend participating in future years.

Watch the High-Q Competition against Pace Here!

Wrestling Team Powers Through

Published on February 26, 2016 in Sports by Grayson Blount

Head Coach Dennis Stromie talks at a team meeting. Brian Morgan
Callen Davidson dominated an opponant at a match this season. Brian Morgan

The Wesleyan Wrestling team worked hard in the shadows in Hoover this winter. With many improvements throughout all weight classes, the group was powerful from front to back. Led by Senior Captain Haydon Koch, the Wolves qualified many athletes into the Sectionals meet and a few more to the State meet.

Koch said, “We had a good season. Throughout the year, everyone continued to get better and grow up mentally. Wrestling is a different sport because and takes mental toughness and strength.” Throughout the season, there was adversity and injuries, but the team overcame it all in order to reach the common goal of making a deep run into the state playoffs.

The regular season went well for the Wolves as well. With big wins at invitationals, as well as beating GAC, the Wolves worked with a “Carpe Diem” like attitude and focused throughout the season. The practices were grueling. Koch said, “Practices are the hardest part about the season. We worked hard every day and focused on what we wanted to achieve.”

Koch also said that it is necessary to have “a day-to-day mentality when wrestling” due to the rigor and grit required. The Wolves had a great mentality this season, with performances that shocked everyone from seniors and freshmen alike.

Overall, the wrestling team exceeded their own expectations on the mats this winter and look to improve even further next season. A big congratulations to Head Coach Dennis Stromie for yet another successful season!

Grayson Blount has 19 articles published.

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