Tag Archives: “Students Speak”

“Students Speak”: Looking Back And Ahead, Pressure All Around

Posted on February 24, 2026 | 9 comments

“Students Speak” is a regular feature of “06880.” We offer this space to Westport teenagers, to talk about anything important in their lives.

Sienna Tzou is a sophomore at Staples High School. She has lived in Westport since 2013.

She is a member of the Pre-med and Asian Students clubs, and co-president of Staples Writers’ Room. She competes regionally in bouldering and lead climbing, and has worked as a barista at Retreat Sweets and a CIT at Rock Climb Fairfield. Sienna tutors young students each week at the Westport Library. She enjoys reading, writing, and watching horror movies. Sienna writes:

It’s getting closer to the time when I have to know what I want to do with my life.

In the underappreciated years of middle school I tried much harder than any of my peers, likely even more than a handful of them combined. I outdid every part of my life that I could get my hands on.

Sienna Tzou

I participated in multiple sports, after-school clubs, and 3 early morning music ensembles. I studied SAT vocabulary daily, wrote notes of analysis on the books I read in my free time, made lists of target and safety universities I’d apply to, and loathed if even a shred of space wasn’t filled in my calendar.

I was always told that middle school didn’t matter, but I was relentless in earning straight A’s anyway. I felt the need to succeed in every subject, including the ones I struggled in. The last thing I’d want to do on a Friday evening became the only thing I did on Friday evenings.

I kept tearing away at my brittle and depleted supply of youthful vitality, rocking back and forth and rocketing off the seesaw of my emotions.

I wasn’t just bitten down; I was sawed down to the quick by everything that did not matter. The only person I was competing with was myself, but I was regrettably up against the most vile and ruthless competitor yet, no match for a middle-school kid.

Now that I look back, I don’t thank my previous self nor do any fond memories refract the occasional creep-ups of those times. If I take a look at the list of target schools I spent hours researching to devise, it would almost look like I was kidding myself.

Reality was just code for something unwarranted and extraterrestrial that existed in another dimension as a kid of 13 years.

This immense pressure has grown and developed, and thankfully subdued upon my entry to high school. It has still, nevertheless, attached the roots of its existence into my skull, thus being incurable.

Most kids from here come from parents who passed on the traits of ambition to succeed. From the looks of it, to fail would mean shaming the generations that had preceded us, breaking off the end of the chain. We simply don’t feel like we can afford being the weakest link.

Away from school: Sienna Tzou pursues one of her passions, at Rock Climb Fairfield.

This doesn’t apply for absolutely every teenager in Westport, but as soon as someone announces they’ll be taking 4 AP classes next year, a gang of teens will crowd the counselors’ suite to take 5. Most seek to be well-rounded, but does that leave any room for uniquely sharp edges?

Given that it’s the time of year for course selection, I’ve seen my peers compile AP after AP because it will “look good for resumes” or because they “can’t take fewer APs” than Academic Rival #12.

An abundantly resource-rich environment for personal growth and the cultivation of youthful learning has unfolded into a landscape of deadly competitive aptitude.

I can’t speak for everyone at Staples, but from observation from the span of my time in high school so far, taking the learning to heart without the side thought of a grade or credit is an endangered species.

From many accounts, students have locked themselves in their rooms from when they got home to after their entire family was asleep, drank multiple servings of caffeine when they felt at risk of falling asleep, and quit activities they genuinely enjoyed to pursue a grade in a class that wasn’t relevant to their interests.

What’s a grave eye opener is that up until we’ve turned 18 and rounded the corner to be sent off to face the world on our own, we are living in the smallest capsule of time in our lives.

The average person in the US lives for roughly 78 years. Sleep consumes 1/3 of their life, while 1/7 of their waking life is spent on social media. Gen Z spends increased hours on their phones, more than the average adult. Most Americans spend 60% of their lives working, the majority of them not finding joy in their role but only working the job for the sake of their paycheck.

A decade later: Where are they now?

How heavily we focus on our academics now paves the way to undergraduate university to grad school to careers to the rest of our lives. This is the age-old proverb we are spoonfed as soon as our conscious mind can comprehend this.

It’s not wrong, but our generation is accustomed to nothing else, and we therefore expect ourselves to be versions of perfection, some not even existent.

I’m at the juncture where I have to choose how I want to lead my life. I regret how extreme middle school was for me, but I know that what I’m pursuing will last me for the rest of the years I live

(“Students Speak” is open to all students who live or attend school in Westport. You can write on any topic relevant to your life. Send questions or submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com.)

(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. We exist for — and are supported by — our readers. Contributions are welcome! Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation. Thank you!)

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Roundup: Students Speak, Wheels2U Expands, Jackopierce Rocks …

Posted on February 9, 2026 | 1 comment

A reminder to students: We want to hear from you!

“06880”‘s “Students Speak” pages are open to all teenagers. If you live in Westport, go to school in Westport or are home-schooled: Tell us about your lives.

What is growing up here like for you? What causes stress? What brings you joy? What is your passion, and how has this town helped you develop it (or hindered)? Is there too much emphasis — or not enough — on academics, arts, athletics, activities? What’s your friend group like? What do you think about social media? The state of the world (or town, or school)?

You can use your name, or be anonymous — your choice. You can be positive, negative or neutral. You can offer suggestions and solutions, or not.

The important thing is to offer insights and perspectives, to the broad “06880” audience. You’re an important part of our online community, and we want to share your stories.

If you’re unsure of what to write about — or want a little guidance — we’ll work with you. But we’ll make sure that in the end, your voice comes through loud and clear.

To send submissions or learn more, email 06880blog@gmail.com. Thanks!

Of course no one writes like this anymore. But it’s the only graphic I could find about “writing.”

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Westport’s Wheels2U is branching out.

The on-demand service is joining with Norwalk Community Health Center to bring patients with transportation challenges to Norwalk Community Heath Center’s medical mobile unit at Jesup Green every Tuesday, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The unit was brought back to Westport by Homes with Hope, following the pandemic.

Residents needing rides can use Wheels2U’s app, or call 475-258-7893. 

The fare is $2 — and new users get their first 5 rides free. 

For information, on Wheels2U, click here.

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Cary Pierce — the 1987 Staples High School graduate who, as half of the alt/ rock/folk duo Jackopierce has been entertaining audiences around the world for over 30 years — played a “hometown” concert last night.

The Fairfield Theatre Company was filled with a wide range of fans — including former classmates.

Former Staples teachers Jim and Denise Honeycutt were there too. Jim shot this video, with 2 of Jackopierce’s most popular songs: “Please Come to Boston” and “Vineyard.”

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This was the temperature yesterday on Saugatuck Shores. Did anyone record a lower one?

(Photo copyright DinkinESH Fotografix)

At Old Mill, James White reports: “It’s been a good 10 years plus since the Sherwood Mill Pond froze over.

“Back then we formed the Mill Pond Explorers Club. Here are some hearty members on a current excursion out on the ice.”

(Photo/James White)

Today’s high is predicted to be 30 degrees. Tomorrow, it’s 36; on Wednesday, a positively tropical 41.

See you at the beach!

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Have you seen the signs? Pink Floyd is coming to Westport!

And they’re not playing at a big venue, like Staples High School or the Levitt Pavilion.

(Photo/Jonathan Alloy)

But wait! Jonathan Alloy — who sent along the photo — notes that 2 of the original members are dead. And the other 3 have not worked together since 2005.

Spoiler alert: The group — called Prognosis The American Pink Floyd — is a tribute band.

Their website says they’ve been “performing the music of Pink Floyd
with incredible album accuarcy [sic] for 15 years both in the USA and internationally. Known for their elaborate lights, lasers and video projections, Prognosis The American Pink Floyd is considered to be the best and most accurate ​Pink Floyd experience.”

Too bad. Still, it sounds like a great show. And for $20, how can you go wrong?

Meanwhile, we look forward to the upcoming Beatles concert. They’ll be playing at Little Barn.

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The topic for the  next Westport Astronomical Society science lecture is dark.

Dark matter, that is.

Dr. Yue Yu of Columbia University’s International Axion Observatory

It’s set for February 17 (8 p.m.), at the WAS’ classroom on Bayberry Lane. It will be livestreamed too, on YouTube and Zoom.

Axions and axion-like particles are among the leading candidates for dark matter. This talk will introduce the International Axion Observatory, the next-generation experiment designed to search for solar axions, along with its pathfinder mission, BabyIAXO. For more information, click here.

Dr. Yue Yu

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On Saturday, this majestic bird took a break on a small woodpile, just a few feet from a window at Johnny Clark’s High Point Road home.

It sat long enough for a “Westport … Naturally” photo — a gorgeous start to our week.

(Photo/Johnny Clark)

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And finally … there is no more appropriate song to follow up on the Pink Floyd story (above) than:

(You could pay hundreds of dollars for a Pink Floyd ticket — if they were still performing. But they’re not. So instead, please click here to toss a few bucks “06880”‘s way. Thank you!)

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“Students Speak”: Sharing Grades Adds Extra Stress

Posted on January 6, 2026 | 9 comments

“Students Speak” offers a platform for Westport students to speak out about issues of importance to them.

Ella Turner is a sophomore at Staples High School. She serves Inklings as paper editor and editorial board member, and is part of the Graphic Design Club. Last summer, Ella explored media writing at Vogue Summer School and investigative journalism with the New York Times program.

Ella has studied at Alvin Ailey’s dance intensive in New York. She is a member of the senior company at Westport’s Academy of Dance, performing shows like “The Nutcracker.” Ella writes:

I quit tennis when I was 10 years old.

As someone who couldn’t stand the stress of constant competition, I told my mom that competitive sports just weren’t for me and started a career in dance.

After a while though, my little self realized that in any activity, there would be a level of healthy competition. I slowly adjusted, realizing that it could actually push me rather than hinder my progress.

Ella Turner

At school however, I loved to be in competition with myself. That meant harder classes and more stress. As most Staples students do, I would stress about tests, then worry about the grade I got.

You’d think that would be the end of it. However, once I receive my grade, I am forced to add another level of stress to the already mountain-high stack: the stress of telling others how I did.

Grade sharing is a common occurrence at Staples, to the point where I share and compare my grades with classmates in every class. For most students, it is the norm. It is customary that the second you receive a grade, you feel obligated to share it.

Even when I try to avoid disseminating my grade, I’m often asked outright by others. Sharing grades is now a part of the academic process at Staples, and I, like countless other students, don’t bat an eye at it. But recently, I have  wondered why this is the case.

Some of the blame for the increasingly public nature of grades at Staples is also one of my unfortunately cherished pastimes: checking PowerSchool. Despite the ease that technology has created, students having full access to their grades at any time of day is a risky power. Rather than avoiding the question, or avoiding discussing grades altogether, there’s always the ability to “just pull it up!” — a phrase I am sadly guilty of.

A significant portion of the pressure to share grades stems from the desire for comparison. The culture at Staples is undeniably a feeling of constant preparation for college and the workforce. This leads to yet another feeling that each grade is the defining factor in a student’s future success.

This culture not only enables unnecessary anxiety, but also creates an underlying sense of competition, the kind that can drag a student’s self esteem far down without them even realizing. If they get a bad grade, they need the reassurance that it was still an average or above average grade, and that they are not falling behind others in the constant race to an unknown finish line.

Once a grade is out in the open, whether positive or negative, there are serious underlying consequences that students put on themselves. If my classmate aces an English essay, there becomes this expectation that they are good at English and should be living up to the bar they set for themselves. Effort becomes judged by a letter rather than time and energy. And once stereotypes and expectations are made, breaking those assumptions can feel impossible.

It’s understandable that comparing grades with peers can be exciting, and many people don’t feel uncomfortable with that level of openness. But it’s also important to take into account that many people need a level of privacy when it comes to grades, whether they say it out loud or not.

Rather than asking “What did you get?,” forcing students to reply with a letter grade, try instead “How was the test?” or “How did you do?” This will enable students who are uncomfortable to respond indirectly, which provides a sense of comfort that as of now, not many students have.

As a sophomore who has 2 more years at high school, that means I will be comparing and sharing my grades, whether I am comfortable or not with the idea.

As a community and a school, I believe it is important that we take a step back and reassess the motives for constant grade sharing by asking ourselves: Is sharing your grades for the benefit of others, or the benefit of your self-validation?

(To submit a “Student Speaks” — or for questions about this feature — email 06880blog@gmail.com. We will work with students — at Staples, private schools or home-schooled — to help craft their story. Anonymity, if requested, is assured.) 

(If you enjoy this feature — or anything else on “06880” — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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“Students Speak”: Collateral Damage From Cellphone Ban

Posted on December 9, 2025 | 13 comments

Recently, “06880” introduced a new feature. “Students Speak” gives Westport students a voice on any issue important to their lives.

Will Enquist

Today, Will Enquist looks at Staples High School’s “cellphone ban.” It actually includes more than phones.

A Staples High School senior, managing editor of Inklings, and a member of both the Westport Youth Commission and “06880” board, he enjoys reading the Wall Street Journal, and watching the New England Patriots “slowly regain relevance.”

He plans to major in political science, and contribute to his college’s newspaper. Will writes:

As I took refuge from a chill fall breeze inside the warm halls of Staples High on November 5, I was greeted with a sight unseen over the past decade: Not a single student was using their cell phone.

On that day a “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban, first proposed by Superintendent Scarice and later approved by the Board of Education, was implemented.

Despite the student body’s fervor in the days leading up to the phone ban, my Wednesday was rather typical. Like many Staples students, my phone has never really been a distraction in class. However, during my lunch period I first noticed one of its unintended consequences.

As I sat down in the library, I put in my AirPods – equipped with noise cancellation – to block out the buzz during lunch, a volume comparable to Madison Square Garden during the NBA playoffs.

I was 90 seconds into Beethoven’s 6th Symphony and my calculus homework when a faculty member politely asked that I remove my wireless headphones.

I was suddenly reminded of one of the less reasonable stipulations of the ban: In addition to cellphones and smartwatches, students are prohibited from using wireless headphones during the school day.

Interestingly, it is this aspect of the policy — the ban on widely popular wireless headphones like AirPods — that has spurred the most criticism. Students and teachers alike express confusion about why devices that often complement or enhance learning have been strictly forbidden.

Before I continue, I should note that I am a supporter of the phone ban. I believe the superintendent and Staples administration have pursued it with every intention of improving school culture, focus and academic achievement.

However, I believe prohibiting the use of wireless headphones is a significant misstep in the design of the policy.

The administration’s central argument for banning wireless headphones, as I understand it, is that students who might still have their phones on them (in violation of the new policy) could use their headphones to have incoming notifications read to them.

This is not consistent with how I know Staples students to use wireless headphones. Before the ban headphones were most often used for listening to music, canceling out distracting background noise, and listening to teacher-assigned videos or podcasts – all legitimate uses of the technology that support learning.

I have never known of a student using wireless headphones to secretly receive notifications, especially considering that responding to any notification would require verbally dictating a message into their headphones, something immediately apparent to any teacher.

The misuse the policy aims to prevent appears far less common than the productive and legitimate uses it now restricts.

The ability to watch educational videos, listen to music, and cut out distracting ambient noise has been vital to my productivity during school hours and, by extension, my academic success.

Shortly after learning about the new restrictions on wireless headphones, I began researching wired alternatives with active noise cancellation. However, most headphones advertised as “wired” with noise-canceling capabilities are expensive wireless models that include a wired option.

While my summer job may equip me with the means to afford this option, it feels awfully wasteful and fiscally irresponsible to squander that money when I already own perfectly good AirPod Pros that the policy now restricts.

Ultimately, the goal of the phone ban is one I genuinely support: create a school environment where students are more focused on and connected to their classroom community.

For the phone ban to be effective, however, it must accurately differentiate between tools that detract from learning and those that support it. For the vast majority of students, wireless headphones fall into the latter category.

(To submit a “Student Speaks” — or for questions about this feature — email 06880blog@gmail.com. We will work with students to help craft their story. Anonymity, if requested, is assured.) 

(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. Every day, we bring you news, events, opinions, photos and much more. But we can’t do it without the support of our readers. Please click here to contribute. Thanks!)

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“Students Speak”: Gunnar Eklund: “Civic Engagement Today Shapes Our Future”

Posted on October 18, 2025 | 4 comments

“Students Speak” — a special “06880” feature — gives Westport students a voice on any issue important to their lives.

Gunnar Eklund is a senior at Staples High School. He is very involved in the debate team, and Service League of Boys. Outside of school he participates in the Pequot Runners Club. He has worked as a Camp Mahackeno counselor, and a legal intern for the North Carolina 4th Prosecutorial District Attorney’s Office. Gunnar writes:

President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “We cannot always build a future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”

Roosevelt’s words feel especially relevant today, in a time when so much about our future, from climate policy to education, is shaped without enough youth voices at the table.

As students we’re often told by parents, teachers and mentors that the future belongs to us — or, better yet, that we are the future.

However, we’re rarely asked to help shape it. After all, the average member of Congress is 59 years old.

Despite this generational gap, young people are far from apathetic. We care about the issues that matter. We hope to be heard, trusted, and taken seriously.

We may be students, but we are also voters-in-training. What we learn about civic engagement now will shape how we participate for the rest of our lives.

Gunnar Eklund

For me, civic engagement has taken many forms. Over the past 4 years I’ve attended monthly Connecticut Debate Association tournaments.

Through these experiences I’ve developed skills every citizen should have: the ability to research and take an informed position, the capacity to understand multiple perspectives, and above all, the willingness to engage in respectful community dialogue.

Currently, as the Staples debate team president, I work to create an environment where every teammate feels confident expressing their ideas.

As a junior, I participated in the national “We The People” competition. My team and I analyzed the Constitution, and learned to apply its principles to current issues.

The process went beyond memorizing facts; it taught me to reconsider the way I viewed government.

After months of revising drafts and rehearsing questioning sessions, our class placed 8th in the national finals in Washington, the first Top 10 finish in school history.

Beyond the ranking, this experience taught me that civic engagement thrives when people come together.

Staples’ 2025 We the People team. Gunnar Eklund is 3rd from the right, in the back row. The flag hangs in Staples’ We the People teacher Suzanne Kammerman’s classroom. 

Civic engagement has also been a cornerstone of my life outside the classroom. Observing my younger brother prepare for and become the only freshman in the country to win the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute’s Annual Civics Challenge last year showed me the value of encouraging other young individuals to engage.

Although I am not old enough to vote yet, that doesn’t mean I’m powerless to contribute. Handing out “I Voted” stickers on Election Day proved that even small actions help strengthen our country.

I’ve also had the opportunity to help Addison Moore, a Staples 2023 graduate and possibly the youngest candidate to ever run for Westport RTM, with his campaign. 

Gunnar Eklund rocks his debate team logowear.

Civic engagement is far more than casting a ballot; it’s about learning, participating, and supporting others in the process. While I look forward to the day I can vote, I’m equally excited by the opportunities I have now to become an active, informed citizen.

Every student has the ability to make a difference. Whether it’s joining a debate team, volunteering, mentoring younger students or participating in local campaigns, each action prepares us to take on greater responsibilities in the future.

Engaging in these activities teaches more than just facts about government. Leadership, empathy, and the importance of working together toward common goals are all components of civic virtue that can be learned. 

If I were to give one piece of advice, it would be to say “yes” to opportunities. Saying “yes” opens the door to new experiences, allowing you to challenge yourself and to connect with others who are also contributing to our community.

One specific way students can say “yes” is by choosing to read. Reading can look like just about anything. Surfing the web for articles about current issues, opening up a history textbook, or just flipping through a book that explores a different point of view are all fantastic ways to partake in this habit. The point is to engage with ideas beyond your immediate experience, and to ask questions that inspire you to learn more.

As FDR recognized, preparing young people today is essential to building a stronger, more thoughtful future. Every action we take now, no matter how small it seems, contributes to the communities we live in and prepares us to shape the future we hope to inherit.

(To submit a “Student Speaks” — or for questions about this feature — email 06880blog@gmail.com. We will work with students to help craft their story. Anonymity, if requested, is assured.) 

(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. Every day, we bring you news, events, opinions, photos and much more. But we can’t do it without the support of our readers. Please click here to contribute. Thanks!)

Gunnar Eklund (right), with his younger brother Tucker at the Liberty Bell.

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Posted in Education, Local politics, Politics, Staples HS, Teenagers

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“Students Speak”: Will Enquist, “In Defense Of Thinking”

Posted on October 3, 2025 | 2 comments

Last week, “06880” introduced a new feature. “Students Speak” gives Westport students a voice on any issue important to their lives.

Today, Will Enquist looks at artificial intellgence.

A Staples High School senior, managing editor of Inklings, and a member of both the Westport Youth Commission and “06880” board, he enjoys reading the Wall Street Journal, and watching the New England Patriots “slowly regain relevance.”

He plans to major in political science, and contribute to his college’s newspaper. Will writes:

Throughout my time at Staples, I have witnessed several changes both in the local community and the broader world: our football team has become a perennial state championship contender, societal faith in “the media” has broadly decreased, and baggy clothes are now back in style.

But the most profound change — one that is certain to fundamentally change our world (if it already hasn’t) — came in the fall of my freshman year: publicly available artificial intelligence.

Overnight, students around the world (and in Westport) gained access to arguably the greatest tool for academic dishonesty ever invented.

Topic selection, research, outlining, drafting, revising — processes that usually take days if not weeks, given the rigor of a school like Staples — could now be completed with the click of a button (and a lapse in judgment).

At that point — the fall of 2022 — using AI for direct cheating on school work was largely unheard of. Early versions of ChatGPT produced crude, rudimentary and unrefined outputs.

Still, within weeks of the chatbot’s release, rumors reverberated through the halls of the first students – pioneers in some sense – who had used AI on their assignments.

Today, the relationship between Staples, AI and students is far different. The technology has exponentially improved, but so too has the effort around detection.

Teachers are hyper-cognizant of the technology, and one cannot make it 5 minutes into the first week of school without hearing a teacher clearly outline the limits on AI use in their class.

Teachers can help guide students as to the benefits — and pitfalls — of AI. (Photo/Camryn Zukowski)

Over the past 3 years, I have had many discussions with students and teachers about the role of AI in modern education. Opinions on the topic vary widely, but almost always excluded from that discussion is the question of why students use AI.

On the surface it is easy for one to think that those who turn to AI do so simply out of laziness or a desire to avoid effort. While lethargy is certainly the culprit in some cases, the term does not always apply.

At a school like Staples where academic achievement looms large, the pressure to perform can be quite high. In that environment I understand why students are willing to turn to AI as a shortcut; it’s a way to keep up when the pace of academics, sports and extracurriculars becomes too great.

But while I may be able to empathize with the reasons students use AI, I absolutely disagree with its use in replacing the skills of critical thinking that high school, and education more broadly, aim to instill in students.

To me, relying on a chatbot only adds to the pressure that can make school so stressful. Sure, AI might be able to relieve you of an especially heavy workload one evening, but in the long run the diminishment of your ability to think critically and create polished academic writing will surely catch up with you.

The central challenge of AI as it relates to students is choice. Today, each time a student sits down to complete a writing assignment, they are faced with a decision between a dishonest shortcut and a genuine effort.

I can’t force my classmates to recognize the lost opportunity that comes with using AI on an assignment. But I can say those moments of persistence – the late nights, the drafts, the rewrites, the Red Bulls – have contributed more to my growth as a student than any violation of the student handbook could.

The pride and growth that comes from completing a lengthy essay, project, or draft after numerous hours of work is something no algorithm could ever replace.

(To submit a “Student Speaks” — or for questions about this feature — email 06880blog@gmail.com. We will work with students to help craft their story. Anonymity, if requested, is assured.) 

(“06880” is your hyper-local blog. Every day, we bring you news, events, opinions, photos and much more. But we can’t do it without the support of our readers. Please click here to contribute. Thanks!)

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Introducing “06880”‘s Newest Feature: “Students Speak”

Posted on September 23, 2025 | 5 comments

Today’s teenagers have a lot on their minds.

Pressures: academic, social, parental, peers. The future: their own, and the planet’s. Dreams. Nightmares. Navigating a turbulent time in life, in a high-powered, high-achieving, high-demanding town. 

What today’s  teens do not have is a way to express what they think, feel, know, and are trying to figure out.

Now they do. 

And now they can share their thoughts with an audience that needs to hear them.

Today, “06880” introduces a new feature: “Students Speak.”

Created with the help of “06880” board member Will Enquist — a senior at Staples High School — it’s a feature that will give a voice to all young people in Westport and Weston. Any student who lives here — or goes to school here — is welcome to share their thoughts.

We’re looking for honest writing, about real life. It’s not about what they’ve accomplished; it’s about who they are.

We want to hear from every type of teen: those who love their school and town, and those who hate it. Those who fit in, those who don’t, and those who are not sure of their place. Those who sing, skateboard, study, and those who have not yet found their passion.

This feature is different than a college application essay, or a formulaic piece for a class. And if you’ve got something important to say, but prefer not to let the town know who you are, anonymity is assured.

The first “Student Speaks” speaker is Staples senior Griffin Delmhorst. A vice president of Players — the renowned drama troupe — he will play Jean Valjean in their November production of “Les Misérables.” He is also the senior manager of Players’ Paints, Web & Archive, and Maintenance crews. Griffin writes:

As a high school senior, this will be one of the most memorable years of my life. After 4 long years, I have built a community for myself at Staples. I can confidently say that I surround myself with people who have my best interests in mind. There is no aspect of my life that I can thank more for this than Staples Players.

Griffin Delmhorst as Leaf Coneybear in last spring’s “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” (Photo/Kerry Long)

Staples is one of the top high schools in the nation. It is diverse in its electives, providing opportunities for students to have a background in almost every career path they could imagine, from forensics and costume design to kinesiology.

Because of its great programs, it holds great expectations for its students. As I walk through the halls, I hear nothing but buzzes about AP courses, the SAT and colleges. It is hard to escape these pressures that are so demanding for every student, when they surround you everywhere in your learning environment.

Yet whether it be on the soccer field, or in the choir room or costumes shop, each student eventually finds their home as they ascend through high school.

For me, I immediately know I am at home once I turn past the cafeteria at 2:45. Matched only by the beaming smiles and roaring laughter of the current students who are part of Staples Players, the welcoming and loving presence of past students who have engaged in this community echoes through the beauty of the marks they have left behind, through their signatures on the walls, murals, or clothes they left outside the Black Box years ago.

Griffin Delmhorst with Emmy-, Grammy-, Oscar- and Tony Award-winning (and 2003 Staples graduate) Justin Paul.

This environment is juxtaposed completely against the pressurized one that exists in other hallways. I feel my shoulders relax as I see my best friends.

I stride past posters of our current production of “Les Misérables” with a beacon of excitement for what’s to come from this fantastic musical inside of my heart.

The most important issue to me in high school is students not feeling like they belong. It is all over social media. It floats in the subconscious of second-guessing students’ minds, wondering if their activity, or lack thereof, is the right path for them.

I am entirely grateful that I am in the right place as I sit in the Black Box. And as a senior, I have strived to make sure that underclassmen who join Players feel the same way.

We were all once wandering underclassmen trying to find our groups and our personalities. As an upperclassman, it is my responsibility to act as a leader of the organization that became my group.

Griffin Delmhorst as Ladahlord in “James and the Giant Peach.” The lyrics and music were co-written by former Staples Player Justin Paul. (Photo/Kerry Long) 

Unlike the academic pressures of Staples, the second-guessing of whether you are in the right place truly does go away with time.

If there is a takeaway from my high school career, that is what it would be: the understanding that as students we are all in the same boat, with the same struggles and the same doubts, is fundamental to excelling socially and academically in high school.

Further, I believe that understanding that as humans we are all in the same boat, with wanting to belong and prosper, is fundamental to excelling in life.

In Staples Players, all participants can find their home and feeling of belonging because of the widespread opportunities that it provides, whether it be on stage, crafting costumes, building sets or designing a website.

As an actor, I am required to do technical work on the side. I have witnessed first hand how people have found their homes, and been able to be successful and create art that will outlive them.

Although we can’t always escape our academic pressures, it is nice to find a home where we can relate our pressures to one another. In a vast environment such as Staples, it is hard not to be incredibly grateful for all of the homes that there are to choose from.

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