By Ryan Cole
Staff Reporter
Bringing the tenacity and drive he has learned from his years on the football field, senior Evan Rotker will be showing off a different side of himself this year as a reporter for The Sentry. As a new member on staff, Rotker’s fresh outlook will be invaluable throughout the year as he brings readers up to speed on the latest happenings within our school.
Rotker’s motivation to join the newspaper stemmed from his positive experience with Sentry faculty advisor Chrissy Wiedemann, in her freshman English class and his close friendships with many of the editors. Rotker also has a budding interest in journalism, and identified The Washington Post as his go-to news outlet, stating that the paper covers just about anything he wants to read about.
He is certainly passionate about writing and the arts; but, on the other side of the coin, Rotker is captivated by the sciences. One particular subject that has fascinated him during his time in high school is physics.
“I really like the interactivity of the class; and the way it pertains to real life I thought was interesting. I really like the math aspect [of the class] as well,” Rotker said.
Outside of school, Rotker devotes most of his time to his fervor for sports. As a varsity athlete in football and baseball, athletics demands an enormous level of commitment and effort from Rotker, but he says that the skills he has gained and the fun he has had over the years make it worth it.
One sport Rotker is incredibly passionate about is football.
“It is great to be a part of not just because I love the sport, but because of the brotherhood of the team. The camaraderie is great. All [of] my friends joined at the same time, learned the sport together, got good at it together and now we are all on the team together for our last year,” Rotker said.
Not only does he play sports, Rotker is also an avid National Football League (NFL) fan and, due to family history, roots for the recently dismal Pittsburgh Steelers. With their starting quarterback, “Big” Ben Roethlesberger, out for the season, the Steelers’ future is not bright and Rotker is certainly not hopeful about his team.
“I have just given up on this season basically,” Rotker said.
The glass-half-empty Steelers fan also offered his thoughts on former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, who’s Hall of Fame career and legacy have recently been marred in scandal.
“I will just say I think everything he has done is going to catch up with him sooner rather than later,” Rotker said.
Like most other die-hard fans, Rotker spends most of his free time either playing or watching sports. However, he also enjoys hanging out with his friends, watching The Office and, when his schedule permits, relaxing at the beach.
“Playing sports on the beach is always so much fun. Throwing the football in the water is always good and you can just spend weeks there chilling in the beach house … it is always a nice, relaxing place to be,” Rotker said.
Fresh off of summer, Rotker is eager to get back to work and close out his high school career on a high note. As a gifted new reporter, his role on The Sentry will be instrumental to the success of the paper this year, as he offers a brand new perspective to its readers. The Sentry is tremendously excited to have him on staff, and anticipate a phenomenal year ahead from Evan Rotker.
By Evan Rotker
Staff Reporter
Golden Grahams and Cheerios – mixed together. This revolutionary combination starts sophomore Ryan Cole’s morning every day. Now in his second year as a reporter, Cole is excited to advance in the ranks of The Sentry.
This comes after an eventful summer. When not participating in the arduous process of becoming a registered driver, Cole spent weeks relaxing at home or on the beach.
“I went to Bethany, we’ve been going there ever since I was a little kid, and I just love the beach there- that’s my beach,” Cole said.
Although his love for the beach has been profound since childhood, it is not necessarily Cole’s ideal vacation. On a week-long vacation of choice, he insisted that he would stay in the country and cater to his love of sports.
“I would go see as many baseball games as I can in a certain area… I have done a couple trips like that in the past but for a week I’d have a longer trip,” Cole said.
This speaks volumes to another defining characteristic of his: a lifelong dedication to sports fandom. With the disappointment of the hometown Redskins, he has turned to the Washington Nationals, a great team to watch as he relaxes.
“I am a really big baseball guy, I watch a lot of the games, especially during the summer when I don’t have anything else to do,” Cole said.
Journalism and sports are evidently two of Cole’s interests, and he plans to continue pursuing them in the future. Unsurprisingly, the two stem from the same background.
“As a little kid I had the pipe dream of becoming a professional athlete, but when I was ten or 11 I realized ….it wasn’t gonna happen for me… The next best thing would to be a sports journalist,” Cole said.
However, throughout his time writing in and out of The Sentry, he has been able to expand his view of how journalism can be more than just athletics.
“I’ve learned that I enjoy journalism even when it’s not about sports,” Cole said.
Cole’s obvious passion for journalism brings great spirit and experience to The Sentry this year.
