What’s up? Students say a lot of activities

Current high school students are a “what’s up?” generation. Instead of saying “hello, how are you?” we usually greet each other with “hey, what’s up?” Whether students give a long response or not, they probably have a lot that is “up.” From extracurricular activities to hobbies outside of school, students at Hewlett High School are always busy.

In addition, these students repeatedly prove how hard work pays off. Recently, on Jan. 9, students competed at a regional DECA competition at Freeport High School. There were multiple categories including marketing, finance, public speaking, and franchising. Thirteen Hewlett students walked away with awards and will move on to compete at the New York State Career Conference in March, held in Rochester. With an incredible Business Department, Hewlett students feel prepared and are excited to compete each year.

Another success came recently for the Robotics Club. After months of hard work, Hewlett’s three FIRST Tech Challenge robotics teams competed at their first qualifier of the season. Although it was a chaotic day with some setbacks, all three teams won impressive awards. Roboboogie won the second place Inspire and the Think Award, Innovo won the Motivate Award, and Bionica won the Connect Award.

These awards are based not only on the teams’ robots, but also their presentation and efforts as team to inspire the community. The Robotics Club is grateful for the support from the community. Even though they had a new mentor this year, nothing would stop them from trying their best to succeed.

“I think the club was met with many new challenges this year, but we are continuing to overcome them,” Sarah Husain ’16, a member of Bionica, said. “We hope all three teams will qualify for the NYC/LI regionals. Even if we don’t win the highest awards, I still think the experience is worth it.”

Last week there was midterms. Students studied then returned to their busy weekend of activities once again. The passion of students is inspiring to others as they see peers succeed. Balancing different activities with academics can often be challenging, but most students at Hewlett High are willing and capable of working hard.

As seniors took their last midterms as high school students, they become one step closer to graduating. Juniors are in the midst of SAT/ACT preparation while seniors are anxiously waiting to hear from college admission decisions. Midterms may bring frustration, but it is important for students to remember the successful outcomes for motivation.