By Samson Schneider
Staff Reporter
As the new school year begins, junior Matthew Wagner enters his second year on staff with The Sentry. He makes his return to our school with a newfound sense of confidence in his journalism and, most importantly, in himself.
“I believe that I have definitely matured and gained self confidence over the summer from the support of my friends and my time in the gym,” Wagner said.
Wagner has made healthy changes to his lifestyle with the help of his friends over the summer break. This has led him to be more satisfied and confident.
“Having a very supportive group of friends is very important. We have all been going to the gym. We have all helped one another escape several bad habits,” Wagner said.
In addition to the changes in his lifestyle, he has also assumed a role of leadership and responsibility at our school. Wagner is currently the president of two clubs: Young Democrats and Model General Assembly. Both are prominent in our school’s community.
Wagner is using these responsibilities as an opportunity to channel many of his passions. This includes politics and involvement in many volunteer groups, along with several events within our school’s community. With all of these responsibilities, Wagner always has a heavy workload.
“You get used to the workload as it comes along; it all builds up and you have to learn how to correctly manage your time,” Wagner said.
When asked about his unusual high school experience, Wagner talked about his own personal thoughts and experiences.
“It’s like night and day, with my freshman year being online then moving to my sophomore year when everything was very relaxed. Then moving to this year, where everything is finally getting back to normal,” Wagner said.
Wagner has found a calling in journalism throughout his time with The Sentry. He talks about how journalism has affected his perception of the world.
“You really look at things in a different light, really training yourself over time to be more cognitive with noticing things that are happening in your surroundings that have the potential to become something bigger,” Wagner said.
Though Wagner did not start journalism until he joined the Sentry, he has rich family ties to both writing and journalism. Wagner’s mother majored in journalism, so she has pushed him to become the best possible writer and journalist that he can be. Wagner has fallen in love with writing and aspires to follow in the footsteps of his mother.
“My mom worked at Time Magazine and Wall Street Journal. She has also made her own way by creating her own company. Most importantly, she is doing what she loves, which is something that I definitely admire,” Wagner said.
Overall, it is fair to say that Wagner has grown not just over the summer, but throughout his time with The Sentry. Wagner has not simply gone through a physical transformation, but he has been shaped and formed by his experiences with COVID-19, his friends, the gym and writing. As Wagner continues to grow, he sets himself up to accomplish his many ambitious goals inside and outside of the classroom.
By Matthew Wagner
Staff Reporter
Freshman Samson Schneider has a wide array of hobbies and interests, but one that stands out is that he is an avid football player.
“In my free time, I enjoy going out with friends to play football,” Schneider said.
Aside from pickup games on the field, Schneider is a quarterback on the freshman football team at our school. He enjoys country music because the genre reminds him of his family in Texas.
“Whenever we go there it’s a happy vibe. It’s a relaxed vibe…. We visit them a couple times a year and whenever we go there it’s just so much fun,” Schneider said.
Although Schneider is, by many accounts, the most chill member of The Yorktown Sentry, he is not always as cool as a cucumber.
“I get stressed pretty easily, so simple things like having a missing assignment will mess with me a bit,” Schneider said.
One way Schneider navigates this stress is through writing. At home, he often journals, and during the school week, he can be found enjoying various writing assignments in class.
“[Writing is] kind of a release. A place to kind of relax and also get your ideas out,” Schneider said.
Even though school can be stressful, highschool has been better than his time served in middle school. For one, our school is forty years newer and much more recently renovated than its middle school counterpart: Swanson. However, it is not just the grippy gymnasium floors of our school Schneider has enjoyed as opposed to the slick hardwood court at Swanson.
“There’s more people and activities, opportunities, classes you can take. Just in general it’s more,” Schneider said.
Outside of school, he is well traveled and has experienced a variety of cultures all across the globe. This is one thing you will learn very quickly about him, although he is modest about the topic.
“It’s fun to see new places….[My favorite being] the Netherlands,” Schneider said.
Looking to become more cultured, this past summer Schneider visited two polar opposite places, one more modest than the other.
“Over the summer I went on some vacations. I visited Hawaii and Ohio,” Schneider said.
Despite his persistent and unwavering relaxation, the iceberg of Samson Schneider goes deep beneath the surface. He is a gifted writer: cool, calm and collected under pressure. He’ll be a great addition to our staff this year.
