By Julia Teixeira
Sports Editor
If there is one person—real, fake, historical or otherwise—that sophomore Matthew Wagner could be, the answer is a simple one: Harry Potter. While it is doubtful that joining The Yorktown Sentry will be able to match the intense, whimsical landscape of Hogwarts, Wagner’s enthusiasm for being a first-year reporter certainly makes up for it.
“My brother had a great time [in The Sentry] and I’ve always been pretty interested in this stuff. It’s definitely a big opportunity, and I’m happy to be a part of it,” Wagner said.
After a year of mostly distance learning, many students wondered what the long-anticipated first week back to classes would be like. Wagner was among the vast majority of students who felt rather overwhelmed by the return to “normalcy,” but the nerves wore off once he got back into the swing of things.
“It’s been a lot after a year of not really doing a lot. Definitely a big adjustment. It’s been really nice to meet people, since now you can see people again,” Wagner said.
While Wagner has a lot of intriguing sophomore year classes, one in particular stands out as his favorite in the mix.
“My favorite class is probably newspaper. Just the way it’s structured, honestly. I know we haven’t done too much yet, but from what I’ve seen, it just seems like a more flexible class,” Wagner said.
During quarantine, it is fair to say that everyone had their proper share of unhealthy, but cathartic TV show or movie binge. While Wagner endlessly navigated the Netflix home page, searching for a new show to satisfy his brain, he always found himself returning to two classics.
“Definitely Parks and Recreation. I watched too much of that. The Office as well,” Wagner said.
Wagner, unlike many of his peers, does not have a defined taste in music. Whether it is rap, jazz, rock, or pop, he will be able to find something he appreciates in the mix.
“I listen to all sorts of music. I listen to a lot of rap, country, and basically anything, you name it, I probably listen to a good amount of it. There’s a wide range of stuff that I like,” Wagner said.
Within this “wide range” of music taste that Wagner inhibits, one Kentucky rapper stands out as his favorite right now, despite the objections from his peers.
“For rap, I like Jack Harlow. I’ve gotten some crap for that, ” Wagner said.
Even if Wagner’s taste of up-and-coming rappers is not unconditionally accepted by various members of the Yorktown community, he has found other groups that share his interests through clubs and extracurricular activities. Wagner has a lot on his plate, being a sophomore with various leadership positions in different clubs.
“I’m a part of the Young Democrats and Model General Assembly. I’m the secretary of Young Democrats and Vice President of MGA,” Wagner said.
With all these activities and interests pulling Wagner in all sorts of different directions, Wagner is likely one of the most Yorktown-engaged students in the class of 2024. Despite it being his first year on the Sentry, Wagner shows a lot of promise and will surely make a lasting impression on the Newspaper staff.
By Matthew Wagner
Sentry Reporter
Senior Julia Teixeira, sports editor and Succession aficionado, is returning for her second year on The Sentry. Teixeira, like many others, was excited but anxious for the return to in person school.
“I was unsure about it in the beginning because I was a little nervous about being around all of these people,” Teixeira said.
But soon, as the first week came and went, Teixeira felt much better about the return to the building.
“It was just so much fun to be back…. I almost forgot about all of the things I loved about Yorktown,” Teixeira said.
Outside of academics, Teixeira is an active member of the Yorktown community.
“I’m also part of the AFAC Club [and] the Young Dems. My friend [also] convinced me to join Model General Assembly,” Teixeira said.
Teixeira is passionate about the environment, maintaining a voice of change through her writing at Eco Advocate, a local blog based in Arlington. She is also in the Strawless Sea club, which advocates for the protection of aquatic life.
“I’m personally passionate about the environment and how important it is to protect it,” Teixeira said.
Aside from her activism, Teixeira had some advice for the staff of The Sentry.
“Please don’t be afraid to get interviews with people because I know I would be so scared before all my interviews. I wouldn’t even be afraid to go into the room. I’d be afraid to ask,” Teixeira said.
Like many other members of The Sentry, Teixeira feels that journalism is under siege in our country and around the world.
“I think that it’s under attack in a lot of ways…. Although it may seem sometimes that there is some censorship or the threat of ‘fake news’ coming out [in the United States], around the world it’s just so much worse.”
When asked about journalism’s role in the world, she shared concerns about a country losing its freedom of the press and the people losing their voice.
“[Journalism is] simple, it’s nothing deep. It’s just to provide information to the people. One that is not censored, it’s raw. It’s legitimate. It’s available. If it’s not available then that loses the people. They lose their way to get information, therefore they lose their voice as well,” Teixeira said.
Although Teixeira enjoys journalism and newspaper as a class, her preferred core subject is history which makes sense as her father is a history teacher in our school system. She also favors the written classes more than the STEM oriented courses.
“In terms of core subjects, I love history. My dad’s a history teacher. I’ve always loved it. I definitely prefer the humanities courses to the STEM courses. I just think that I’m better at that stuff than math and science,” Teixeira said.
Even though there are many role models in Teixeira’s life, including her father, she named her mom as the dearest.
“We’re really good friends and we trust each other and we have an important relationship. I wouldn’t be here without her obviously, but in more of a figurative sense, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her,” Teixeira said.
Teixeira is motivated, driven and looking forward to a good year on The Sentry editing staff. As another school year begins, Teixeira will continue to deliver the best writing The Sentry has to offer.
