By Sofia Spugnardi

With a can-do, stress less attitude, senior Mason Wolverton is ready for his third and final year on Sentry Staff. A talented writer and student-athlete, Wolverton brings an experienced perspective to our paper and leads an intriguing life.

Wolverton’s favorite class this year is AP Comparative Government and Politics with Government teacher Diane Holland, but his all time favorite class was with English teacher Troy Olsen.

“Even though he gave a lot of work, he’s a really good teacher, probably the best teacher I’ve ever had,” Wolverton said, describing his AP English Language and Composition class last year.

Wolverton’s day doesn’t stop when the final bell rings. Beyond the classroom, he runs for our cross-country and track teams.

“I always have a different injury, but when I’m healthy, I do that,” Wolverton said.

Also in his free time, Wolverton is an avid reader. He particularly enjoys books by Daniel Mason, and one of his favorites is called “The Winter Soldier,” which takes place in Austria during World War I. He also recommends “Small Things Like These,” a novella by Claire Keegan. He is awaiting the movie adaptation of the book, coming in November of this year.

“I feel I’m drawn to books about where a dude’s lost, and a coming of age,” Wolverton said.

To accompany his reading, Wolverton writes his own literature as a part of The Sentry. Wolverton has a special role among our staff: the Copy Editor. When reminiscing on his position, he appreciates its versatility.

“I edit the grammar on everyone’s stuff, give a couple suggestions, overall structure. I can also write articles and do stuff as I please,” Wolverton said.

Wolverton has risen through the ranks due to his genuine love of journalism, and he hopes to craft a career out of it.

“I want to be a journalist. They don’t make a lot of money, but I don’t really aspire to be rich. I just want to live a long, happy life,” Wolverton said.

Another notable quality of Wolverton is his work ethic. His persistence and dedication have elevated our paper for years.

“In the Sentry, I think … just strive to go above and beyond,” Wolverton said.

“Sometimes, Wiedz [the teacher advisor of The Sentry] will say, ‘does someone wanna go cover this and write another article?’ And if you can, it’s a great idea to do it and you learn a lot. You get out of your comfort zone, and it’s fun,” Wolverton said.

Wolverton has a confident outlook on life for his final year at our school. His experience and dedication at The Sentry will certainly carry over to wherever he pursues journalism in his future. While he’s still here, reporters at The Sentry can rest assured that their articles are in good hands.

By Mason Wolverton

Sophomore Sofia Spugnardi may be new to The Sentry, but she’s already an experienced reporter. Spugnardi has been taking journalism classes since elementary school, when she was a member of Nottingham Elementary School’s Knights at Nine morning announcements.

Spugnardi is a member of our school’s crew team, which is a year-round grind. She spent countless hours on the water this summer. Additionally, she took Physical Education in order to open up an elective spot. This kept her stationary in Arlington.

“Because of my classes and rowing, we didn’t really have time to go anywhere,” Spugnardi said.

The Sentry is grateful for Spugnardi’s sacrifice, since her free elective spot ended up being the newspaper.

In Spugnardi’s short high school career, her favorite class has been History with Mr. Obetts, a friend of The Sentry.

“He makes his lectures very interesting,” Spugnardi said.

Spugnardi also likes her classes this year, particularly Chemistry with Mr. Lovrencic. She enjoys Science and is considering pursuing a career as a doctor, where she would be able to improve lives.

“I like medicine. I think it’s really cool,” Spugnardi said.

As the Secretary for our school’s sophomore class, Spugnardi is already an active public servant. Her and all her friends decided they wanted to run for student government.

“I was last to the party, so I got secretary,” Spugnardi said.

Despite her plethora of activities and commitments, she still finds time to relax. Spugnardi enjoys watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Abbott Elementary to recharge.

“I can turn my brain on autopilot after school and watch them and not think about anything,” Spugnardi said.

Her favorite movie is Rango, which she likes because of its obscurity.

“No normal person would think of making a movie about a lizard in a desert town, but they thought about it,” Spugnardi said.

Lizards are not her favorite animal, however. That would be crows because of their capabilities and intellect. If she could be any animal, that’s what she would choose.

“But not in, like, a furry way,” Spugnardi said.

Spugnardi doesn’t love following celebrities, but if forced to choose a favorite, she would say Taylor Swift (sorry, Ms. Wiedemann). Spugnardi admires how Swift uplifts women and minorities on a massive scale. She likes her music, too.

“My favorite song is probably ‘Mr. Perfectly Fine,’” Spugnardi said.

If filmmakers were to produce a movie about Spugnardi’s life, she hopes they would pick Jenna Ortega for the lead role.

“It would be called One Big Mess,” Spugnardi said.

Spugnardi is an only child. Sometimes, people tell her this is weird, but she shrugs off the criticism.

“I’m definitely not the weirdest person in the school,” Spugnardi said.

Spugnardi doesn’t have everything figured out, but she’s doing a pretty good job. To her, the meaning of life on Earth is simple.

“I think it’s to find joy and live a happy life knowing that you have helped yourself and helped others,” Spugnardi said.

The Sentry is excited to have Spugnardi on staff this year. She is already a valuable addition to the family.