Waldwick High School

The Mind’s Eye

Senior Edition

2012

Board of EducationPatricia Levine, President

Dawn Monaco, Vice President

Daniel Marro, Sr.

Claire McLafferty

Dominic J. Novelli

Joseph Orlak

Martha Walsh

AdministrationDr. Patricia Raupers-Superintendent of Schools

John Griffin-Business Administrator/Bd.Secretary

Victoria Wilson-Director of Special Services

Kevin Carroll-Principal, High School

Michael Clancy-Assistant Principal/Athletic Director

Elizabeth Getlik-Supervisor of Language Arts, World Languages,

and Special Services

Janet Sobkowicz-Supervisor of Social Studies, Related Arts, and ESL

Mind’s Eye StaffAdvisor: Mrs. Danielle Kish

Staff: Natalia Basante, Sam Capener, Melissa Davies, Molly

Lumino, Julia Montella, Franchesca Romero, and Nicole Stahl

Artwork provided by Ms. Ruch’s Art Students

Photography provided by Mr. Opderbeck’s Photography Club

Front Cover Designed by Nicole Stahl

Clipart provided by Microsoft Word

Photo by Alexa Buffington

Photo by Joe Montana

Senior Words of Wisdom to the Underclassmen

Be classy. Class is knowing what to say,when to say it, and when to stop-JacquelineSheriff

Get good grades, don’t be shy and

quiet, be yourself, make a lot of

friends and be a part of a club or

sportt-Layne Voss

Get good grades, and don’t get on theteachers bad side. Never park in ateachers parking spot-MackCouncilor

Don’t let seniorities kick in

until AT LEAST April; Try hard,

everything still counts, but

have fun because these are the

times you’ll remember-Diana

Petrassi

Stay focused, try hard, and doyour best work always-JCGonzalez

Choose a job you love and you willnever have to work a day in your life-Nick Ferraro

Don’t try to do high school the rightway. It’s boring and obnoxious.Just do what feels right-RichardCerone

Don’t take statistics-Thomas Braney

Get good grades, try hard in gym,

and respect others-TJ Alvarez

Do good in your f irst three years of high

school and get most of the graduation

requirements out of the way so that when it

comes to your senior year, you can just cruise

through and not have to worry about

anything. Another piece of advice is to do

your work your senior year and not slack off

because you are going to need to get in the

habit of reading books and doing homework

because when it comes to college you will

not regret doing that-Robbie Occhipiniti

Be your own person-Taylor Poppe

Do your best at all times. Have funwhile you’re doing it. If you really tryyour best to make good grades, it will payoff in the end-Kerri Sullivan

Take all of Laz’s classes senior year-BrianHillringhouse

Don’t be afraid of change and don’tlet the fear of change get in the wayof pursuing your dreams-AlexandraNewman

Be careful who you trust. Also,

stay true to yourself and be who

you really are. Don’t do things just

to make everyone else happy. Do

well in school and stop destroying

the bathrooms. P.S.: Be nice to

everyone!-Kayla Pauwels

Senior Words of Wisdom to the Underclassmen

“It’s nice to be important, but

important to be nice” –Eric Ackerman

Don’t let senioritis catch up to you! Doall your work get all your credits soyou don’t have to worry about senioryear. ENJOY SENIOR YEAR!-MelisaGuzman

Just get it done-Danny Tyson

Don’t let anyone else tell youwhat classes to take, who to befriends with, or what hobbiesyou pursue. Do it because youwant to-Richard Bennett

Don’t believe everything Eric Ackerman

might have told you-Henry Kreismer

My advice to the underclassman wouldbe to get the most out of high school andjoin as many sports and clubs as you can.And get an early start on college so thereis less stress your senior year-SamKonchalski

If there is one thing I learned from my

high school career, it is to listen to all

advice given by teachers. As well as

this: join as many clubs and sports as

possible, create memories, and enjoy

your years in high school-Brendan Bryne

My advice to the underclassmen ofWaldwick High School is to try yourhardest in each and every class. It isimportant to keep a high average in allof your classes because once youbecome a senior and start applying tocollege, it will be really hard to apply toa school of your choice with a low GPA.Try your best because a high GPA givesyou a higher chance of getting into acollege-Alexandra Hernandez

Never take drama seriously in high school.

People will start rumors and times will get rough

but just remember there is a whole world

outside of this tiny school. Good luck!-Jessica

Torres

All underclassmen never think you’rebetter than the seniors. Don’tprocrastinate, you’ll fall behind quick.Give it your all if you’re part of a club orteam for all 4 years.-Amy Morgan

Never let someone tell you that youcan’t do anything; work your hardestand achieve your goals-TJ Eason

Take advantage of the clubs and sports in

high school. Join anything you can and

you’ll get more out of high school-Neil

Bortolus

Be active in school, respect the

upperclassmen, and play sports-

Mariana Ruas

Don’t do anything stupid-Natalie Tasci

Senior Words of Wisdom to the UnderclassmenDo your work always! No matter whatgrade you’re in. Always work to your fullpotential. Take advantage with joiningsports and school activities. Never thinkyou’re better than somebody, stay awayfrom drama; drama will ruin your highschool experience-Samantha DeWeil

Join as many extracurriculars as youcan and express your creativity.Cherish these times, because they aresome of the best times of your life!-Steven Zaukas

Get here early or don’t get a spot.

Senioritis is a progressive disease

Naviance will actually become your

best friend-Sam Forte

You should always put effort

into everything that you do.

You are in school to form a

foundation for college and

your adult life. You may have a

dream to be a teacher or

whatever but you first need to

get through school. Always

try, do your best, and always

think. These are important

years, make them count-Victor

Del Corro

Try to do as many sports, clubs, activities,

etc…as you possibly can. Do this because

no matter what extracurricular activities you

do there are going to be great memories that

you’ll take with you forever. So, try to

maximize your experiences so you can get

the most out of high school-John Simeone

Look into colleges and how they handle

AP credits. Then, choose which APs

you want.-Janice KwonJust be yourself and make the most of

your high school career, whether it be

doing sports or joining a club-Madison

Irwin

Never procrastinate on term papers!-

Lauren Tom

Work hard from your freshman year until you are

admitted into college. Trying to salvage your

GPA after a poor freshman and sophomore year

is not an easy task-Michael Zumbano

Put the seat down-John Dickinson

All the dedication and hard work really

does pay off in the end, when you get

accepted to your dream college! You’ll be

thankful-Emily Gurian

Get to school early when you’re a seniorso you can park in the lot. Shmoop.com(enough said). Get college apps doneearly-Kaleigh Vuoncino

Don’t get senioritis. It makes giving

advice very difficult.-Matt Sticco

Don’t procrastinate, you’ll regret it-Michelle Chen

Photo by Lauren Tom

Enjoy these four years because they fly

by and as much as you say you wanna

leave, once it approaches your view

really changes!!!-Alyssa Tyukody

Get involved and take charge-Brian Duke

Keep your locker combination onpaper because after winter and springbreak you make a fool of yourselfwhen you don’t remember whichlocker is yourself when you don’tremember which locker is yours andhow to open it-Alexa Iannantuano

Photo by Magan Azari

Education is Everything

By Michael Zumbano

Education is everything

It provides you with a set of tools

Tools which can be used all through life

It is the doorway in which we enter—

New opportunities, new horizons

It is everywhere

In the classroom, on the streets

Where ever you look

Without education we would fail

Fail to advance

Fail to succeed

Fail to exist

Education is everything, so take advantage of it

Education

By Alexa Buffington

Education is the cornerstone of

civilization

There was nothing before this realization

It is human nature to want to learn,

A greater knowledge is what we yearn for

For a good education you don’t have to be

smart

To make the best of it, you must give it

all your heart

Education does not stop on graduation

day

All it means is you learn in new ways

School work is there to make the brain

perspire

Teachers and staff are there to inspire

Their inspiration provides desire

For every student to make grades higher

Without education, our world would be a

mess

With it we can all be our best

Education

By Kelsey Smithuysen

Education is important in life

You can learn using the tools given by Mrs.

Strife

You must do your homework and study

To make it more fun you can learn with a

buddy

It is important to always aim high

Even if a subject is tough give it a try

There are many, many subjects to explore

You simply need to find the ones that aren’t

a chore

Art by Chloe Seise

Winner of the Bergen County Teacher Recognition Program

2012

A Teacher

By Lauren Tom

What do you expect from a stranger that we barely know?

Who tells us our dreams can be within reach,

And that we can do anything we want.

It’s always the same on the first day,

When high expectations are anticipated

And papers of assignments are piled high

Thank you for being different from the others

By creating a world where I would want to learn

Where I want to grow and become myself

Thank you for showing me what I can do

And sharing the possibilities with me,

That I didn’t even know existed

Thank you for inspiring me

With books and words that made me realize my passions

That will guide me forever

What do we expect from a stranger that we barely know?

Who tells us our dreams can be within reach?

Everything.

Art by Paul Skorski

Photo by Joe Montana

Art by Chloe Seise

Well Wishes for the Seniors

To: Eric Ackerman

From: Jamie Cobin

The time spent in IB and Marketing flew by.

You probably feel the same way. Good luck in

your future endeavors

To: George Bailey

From: Pat Browne

Dear Jesus,

I mean George, I keep getting you two mixed

up. Baseball this year was epic, and you are

the man. Good luck in college, and God speed.

To: George Bailey

From: Bernard Fredric

Dear Jes-…I mean George,

You’re a good kid George. You are going to go

far in this life. When you’re on top, just don’t

forget about me down here.

To: John Flemming

From: Sean Billies

It’s been a great year in high

school with you, but it stinks I

have only one year. Have fun at

Willy P.

To: John FlemmingFrom: Peter BernhardFlem, Flem Dog, Flem-ming, ming, ming.It’s been a great year starting withfootball to yg to Lax. Hope that you dogood in college and that we keep intouch.

To: Soccer Seniors

From: Nicole, Colleen, Alli, Sam

Thanks for a fun/great season! Good

luck in college!

To: Alyssa Tyukody, Kaleigh Vuoncino,and Karlin HeulittFrom: Colleen MoranThank you all so much for making my 1st

varsity season one to remember.

To: Emily GurianFrom: Sam SchatzI love you! Good luck at Delaware!What did dela wear? A New Jersey! Ah!Okay Bye.

To: Emily Gurian

From: Nicole Fundaro

Hi Emily! Good luck in college! I know

you will do great! You were so nice/

sweet during soccer season, and when

you were at my house. Have a

wonderful summer!

Photo by Kelsey Smithysen

Photo by Sam Konachalski

Words of Wisdom to the Graduating Class of 2012

“Remember Graduation Day isthe first day of the rest of yourlife.”

Ms. Wolf

Seniors,

My advice to you: Take advantageof every opportunity that you aregiven. Take time to travel andexperience different parts of theworld and our country.Appreciate the ones who areimportant to you and rememberto make the most of every day.Every day you have the power tomake it a great day or not…thechoice is yours.

Congratulations,

Ms. Angelli ☺

A wise former teacher of mine once told me,

“The hardest thing about being a college

freshman, is becoming a college sophomore.”

Mr. Dittamo

Remember who you are and where you aregoing...and above all else, to thine self be

true....

pearls of wisdom from Peggy Larson and

William Shakespeare....

Take time to travel, whenever you can. If you

can study or student teach in another country,

take that oppotunity. The world is what you

make of it. Congratulations, and come back and

visit.

Mrs. Kish

Seniors....I urge you to do

whatever you do for no reason

other than you love it and believe

in its importance. #warriornation

Mr. Carroll

Art by Paul Skorski

BASEBALLWOCKY

By Steven Zaukas

‘Twas Bronx and Yankee StadiumDid Jersey into New York:All fans were the other side of the Hudson,And the George Washington Bridge.

“Beware the Big Papi, my son!The bat that swings, the cleats that slug!Beware the Boston Red Sox, and disregardThe green monster at Fenway Park.

Mariano Rivera took his Rawlings baseball in hand:Long time the vigorous foe he sought,Till rested he when the count was fullAnd a quick timeout was made by the catcher.

And, after one more pitch led his strikeout, in the dugout thought he stood,The Big Papi grasping a Louisville Slugger,Came striding from the dugout,And home plate as it came.

Clanked the bat on his right shoe, then left, then a practice swing and anotherThe f irst pitch was thrown and went whack and clack!He slugged the ball with his all,It was aimed for center f ield fence.

“And have thou hit a home run?Or have thou been spared?Fly Ball! Warning Track! It’s Caught!The center f ielder leaped in his joy.

‘Twas Bronx and Yankee StadiumDid Jersey into New York:All fans were the other side of the Hudson,And the George Washington Bridge.

Untitled by Janice Kwon

It’s 6:15 a.m. and the students force themselvesout of bedAs the water runs cold, the student steps outFrom the shower they step in front of themirror“When will this day end? When can I graduateand be done?”It’s 6:15 a.m. and the student jumps out of bedTen minutes pass, and the students feel freshand cleanFrom the shower they step in front of themirror“Today is beautiful and new. I want to takeadvantage of today.”It’s graduation day and the students dragthemselves across the stageAs the applause quiets down, the student slowlymakes his way backFrom the stage he settles back into his seatWhat am I going to do?It’s graduation day and the student stridesAs the applause roars, the student movesFrom the stage he settles back to his seat“I can’t wait to begin my new life.”The student has to worryThe student has a futureThe student has no chanceAnd the student has hope

Mentally Tough

By David Cathey

Here I stand in the trialsWhere the normal and the elite break

When I think I am exhaustedThe whistle blows again

I think to myself “I never last”and I hear him yell “Don’t cheat yourself!”

I give myself mental toughnessand I make it to the end

Four years later I learnjust how tough to be to work through it

Inspiration to AdvancementBy Sharon Roller

Try hardYou’ll go farThrough educationyou could be a star.There is no winningor losing, no endingor beginning.Learning is endless,for your whole lifeNo matter if you’rechild, grandfather, or wife.You can learn something newevery day, they sayminds always expandinghorizons broadeningwithout educationwhere would we be?Without medicine,construction or company.Teachers inspire young mindsencouraging not to fall behind.education is a driving forceopening doors for advancement,for better or worse.The word keeps turning,people keep learning,education continues to inspire.

Artwork by Victor DelCorro

Education PoemBy Kaleigh Vuoncino

Being smart won’t make you moneyIt won’t give you friendsIt won’t teach you a lessonIt won’t provide you with all youNeed to be successful

But education?It allows room to build life-longrelationshipsIt teaches you to read, write, count, andbeyondIt provides you with endlessopportunitiesSo you can become whatever you want

Education opens the door;All you have to do is turn the knob

Education

By Michelle Chen

Education

Learning, teaching, changing

It can do so many things

A teacher, a classroom

A new experience

New knowledge, new information

And so much more

A road to success

If used right

A road to better life

Education makes everything

A future leader, a future doctor

A future teacher

Or anything imaginable

Every day is a roller coaster

Ups and downs

Good and bad

Is it worth it?

Yes.

New influences, new experiences

New friendships, new interests

An ever changing life

Past, present, future

Learning, teaching, changing

Education

Importance of Education

By Victor del Corro

In order to change the world,

you need a dream

In order to have a dream,

you need to live.

In order to live,

you must desire to.

Life doesn’t wait for anyone,

it will even leave some behind,

but education will give you a head start.

In order to change the world,

you need a desire to learn.

We can all change the world,

But who really wants to?