Students of Sparta: Nadir Hassan

Nadir Hassan has only been a Spartan for a year, moving to Sparta in his junior year, but he is one that we all want to know. Nadir is honest and a genuine young man. After you talk to Nadir, you carry yourself a little better throughout the day as a result of his infectious kindness. 


I transitioned to a completely different community in 2016, and a community that is very different. In my hometown, there were a lot of mixed races which exposed students to different things and different ways of life. As a result, everyone got along because we were accustomed to accept different ideas and beliefs. I'm not sure why, but I've realized that it's different here. Personally, I know that the world doesn't just consist of me. There are other people with different lives. I wouldn't say I feel out of place in my new home, but I know other people who do and that is a tough feeling. I don't think Sparta is a negative community at all - but a lot of people are indifferent. Difference , diversity, and acceptance isn't something that is really a priority that they think about.

Students of Sparta: Mallory Collins

You know Mallory, even if you don't really know Mallory. She's the senior that is always wearing an amazing outfit - making you look down at yourself and second guessing your outfit -  we want to know how putting them together comes so naturally to her! For Mallory, clothes are a way of self-expression. The past two years, Mallory has taken pre-college courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC and made life-long friends while pursuing something she is passionate about. That's her niche - once everyone finds theirs, high school becomes a little more easy.

Many students find themselves in a different friend group every year. Sometimes it can be exciting, but other times it can be upsetting - it all depends on the circumstances. But people change through the years, obviously, I have! We all have changed so much since we were pre-teens to now, young adults; change is good, it's essential as we're growing. Personally, I was really shy during freshman year but over time, I became more outgoing and confident - you can see it in my clothes! My experience at FIT was really when I lost my fear of change. At this "safe place" everyone had the same interest, everyone supported each other...there were no cliques, and we always hung out after class. It's what gets me excited for college, because people may group based on their common interests, but there are no "groups", you know? It's very different. High school students should be mixing more, but there can't be much blame; often, they don't realize they are in a clique and no one is out to get anyone else - there's not a lot of bullying at SHS, it's just more clique-based, that's all. They care about social quotas. When you find yourself and your people, you have one goal: to improve yourself and work on your skills.

Students of Sparta: Hannah Fagersten

One of the biggest advocates in the senior class, Hannah Fagersten, is involved in a multitude of activities and wants to accentuate that with the student body. With a pleasant mix of personalities: happy-go-lucky and a strong work ethic, Hannah is someone that her peers go to for positive reinforcement and often, direction on how to tackle all of the stresses of high school. Here's what Hannah has to say about having strong involvement while in high school.

   Well, participating in extracurriculars is almost as important as staying up-to-date on academic schoolwork. They teach you real-world skills and how to navigate relationships, whether its making new friends you wouldn't otherwise have met or being able to cooperate with others. Besides the fact that you truly are learning, you're doing something that you genuinely enjoy and sometimes, it can even feel like an escape from all the stresses of school while the benefits are paying off.
   We live in a small town - honestly. Certain extracurriculars can help you meet people with varying perspectives, but even explore a different perspective in yourself that you never knew was there. During your four years that you are here, you may learn what career path you want to go down. I always dreamed of being a teacher. That  evolved when I joined DECA freshman year - and I've gone through my phases, even wanting to go into law! I decided that I really do want to go into marketing. Above the fact that I have some more direction in my career goals, I've learned how to network myself. I found myself in a place that sparked self-understanding for me. And you know, I couldn't speak [in front of a crowd] before being in DECA, so that helps.

Senior Hannah Fagersten

Students of Sparta: Jesse West

Today we’re getting in touch with fitness guru, entrepreneur, and school store manager, Jesse West. Becoming the school store manager isn’t something you can simply sign up for; it requires an application process and an interview to prove you are the right person to carry the load of responsibility. Read on to find out how Jesse handles it all.

I wanted to take on the role of school store manager because I thought it would be great work experience and beneficial for my resume as far as college admissions and future employers go. It’s actually harder than people may assume because there are a lot of responsibilities to take on. Students don’t understand how much behind the scenes work there actually is - they just see me selling things. In particular, scheduling the staff can be pretty complicated, but I take it upon myself to make sure everything is organized and constructed well so that the school store runs smoothly. I have a slight control of what goes on in the school store, and these skills will help me gain job experience that are going to transfer into the real world now that I am going on to college. By taking co-op, I enjoy the day more by doing something I really enjoy - and the money doesn’t hurt.

Jesse and happy customer, Joe Serovich 

Students of Sparta: Olivia Perez

When my intended person to speak with suddenly had to study for a test, I strolled around the MRC and introduced myself to a group and explained the concept of Students of Sparta. I asked if any of them would be interested, and both slowly and impulsively, Olivia Perez raised her arm-casted hand, and I lit up with excitement.

It’s comforting for our teachers to know that we’re still adjusting. We have a tendency to get anxious - I always have a bit of anxiety. It’s hard for freshman to be completely open, but it’s great when a teacher can be because it makes us feel more at ease. A lot of the time, when we raise our hands we feel as if we are placing a burden on the flow of the class. Especially as girls! We always begin our sentences with “I’m sorry, but…” and then ask our question. Yet boys are always so unreserved. If someone feels uncomfortable, they need a minute to recollect. It’s nice to not feel reprimanded for these normal feelings and to be allowed to step out, to not be called on in these times. The common theme between us and our teachers is simple: we’re all just humans. We have a ton of commitments and responsibilities and sometimes, school isn’t our center point.

During this time of change, we need to stop putting everyone else’s needs before our own - and that’s not to say stop being a good friend. We tend to give good advice but we don’t practice what we preach. Thankfully, the high school environment is a lot more healthy than middle school. Slowly, we’re all maturing and straying away from the insanity. Lots of new things are up and coming….I’m excited.

Students of Sparta: Sawsan Srour

Sparta High, I introduce to you the most lovely freshman you will ever meet with the most stunning mentality. When she was in middle school, she faced the most adverse conditions, from getting her hijab ripped off to a disgusting social media hashtag. But she’s overcome this with the most graceful strength by befriending everyone and pursuing her dream. Not a day goes by that she would even consider holding a grudge towards any of her peers that have treated her as if she was inferior. Read on to learn about Sawsan Srour, the girl who is not just like the next.

I left Palestine when I was two years old. The day I was born, there was a battle between the Christians and Israelis. My grandmother had to fight with one of the soldiers to get a nurse to me and my mom, because as a result, I couldn’t breathe. I hold my country close to my heart. My home is where the poverty is high and the people are in occupation. I know first-hand that everyone grows with a struggle.

Now, my family and I have adapted to the U.S., but growing up I knew that I was different because I wasn’t treated the same. That’s okay though, because you define who you are; no one else can do that for you, and popularity literally does not matter. No one is supreme to anyone else because everyone is contributing something to society, and that’s meaningful. In my time here I want to make an impact. I want people to finally see more than my appearance. I’m different from everyone else, and not because of the obvious, but because of what I value. I like to say that mistake is a bad word to use - it’s better to call them lessons because you always learn something and become a better version of the person you were. It’s important to realize that you are not the only person in the world. There are other people with other needs.  As much as everyone says we should end poverty and world hunger, it’s important for us to start in our own communities. We need our knowledge to start making changes.

I was thirteen the last time I went to visit Palestine. It’s so serene - everyone is down-to-earth and life is so relaxing. It’s more than what people think. I’ve grown to accept and ignore what people say about me. At this point, say whatever you want, but do not say anything about my country. At the end of the day, the fighting is done for the well-being of all humans. It’s horrible, for sure. Israelis are not bad people. They’re not all Zionists. It’s like when people say all Muslims are terrorists, that’s obviously not true. It’s the government that takes out these actions. It’s important to distinguish what’s politically influenced and what’s done by people. People are not bad, but they can adopt bad ideas. We are one people. One country. One holy land.

Students of Sparta: Torey Prol

She's beauty, she's grace...but she's so much more than that. You know her for slaying the fashion game, voice of a singing bird on a spring morning, but more than anything, its her spark for life that draws us to Torey. She explains to The Oracle how change impacted her and it is, in fact, a good thing. 

      "For those who aren't musical, trust me, get involved in music. There are a lot of different aspects to our music and arts program that you can be involved in, on stage and off. For me, music has always been a good outlet to express myself. Every step served as my inspiration to make my work that I was involved in original because I knew in this realm, I could be who I wanted to be. Even if a lot of people are involved in a project, you still have creative freedom to make it your own. I tried tech crew this year for the musical and it widened my view of how I look at the entire production. I've always been on stage, which I do miss because it's not something I haven't done before, but I found out that I really enjoyed getting involved in a different way, hanging out with peers who are different than me but also similar. I understood and appreciate more of the work that goes into making an entire production as we do for the musical and even our music concerts. I'm thankful that I got the entire viewpoint of what really goes on and why some things are the way that they are. Music is really for everyone, even for those who don't want to be seen and don't see themselves as musicians for a multitude of reasons.  It's important to experience new things like I did this year to widen your horizon! I know I'm not going into music moving past high school, but being apart of the wonderful program has helped me grow. That's why I recommend it for everyone - you learn team building and life long social skills that will definitely follow you."

Students of Sparta: Rachael Schmidt

Those who know Rachael know she is a true "gem" of Sparta High School. Her willingness to talk to anyone having a bad day, want to volunteer her time to meaningful organizations, and desire to be the best she can be are top qualities of Rachael, yet do not even begin to scratch the surface on what a truly wonderful member of our school she is. As a senior of Sparta who will sadly be making her exit, Rachael sat down with me to get real about the struggles of high school and how to overcome them while keeping your cool.

"The challenges of school are a huge struggle. All the weekly assessments as well as college applications - it's stressful because you have to make yourself stand out, and then you have to anticipate getting answers back from colleges. I mean, it is what it is, but I had no idea what I was doing throughout the college application process. Everyone around me was in the same boat so I definitely felt the stress piling on as if I was not well prepared. Getting a job in high school is good, but it can also add to stress because you have to manage your job, social life and school work. Time management is definitely an important element that you should learn in high school to prepare for college and life. 

Never slack off and do realize that every grade does matter. Don't sweat the small stuff. I would say that relationships change and it comes with maturity and being in high school. It's important to look at things in a perspective different than yours to become very wise."

Students of Sparta: Jimmy Apostolico

   If you know him, you love him for his polite shyness and the rosy cheeks that accompany it. I sat down with Jimmy Apostolico to find out what the junior sees himself pursuing after school - when he is not playing golf. 


   "Reflecting on high school, the teachers here make science enjoyable. Specifically Mr.Brady, who made chemistry fun. It's one of the reasons I want to pursue a career as a doctor. Any kind of doctor, really - I'm not sure yet. I could either be like Ben Carson (because he separated conjoined twins) or my backup plan would be to become a lawyer because my mom is one. My dad is a financial planner, but it's not my thing. After all this, I'm just gonna work to become successful."

Students of Sparta: Humberto Cuadrado and Rounak Jilla

       I sat down with two new students to our community, Humberto Cuadrado and Rounak (better known as "Ron") Jilla. Humberto comes from Florida and Ron moved to Sparta from upstate New York. Being in at least two different school districts, the juniors and I discussed the foundation of what makes a school enjoyable and successful. Text in blue comes from Humberto. Text in green 
comes from Ron. 

    "Man, governing school is quite the task. To be real with you, I feel like it is infallibly made for me. First things first, I would have to teach of all individual students that don't take life seriously a lesson of sorts. They're all youngins who don't know know how the real life works! Take no disrespect! You have to school these kids so they're good people in the world! 
     How are you gonna run a prestigious public school if you don't represent the school? I think that teachers are supposed to be enthusiastic and outgoing. They gotta be able to make sure the kids understand the content, but also make it fun. They gotta be cool. Same thing goes for a principal - he or she gotta be cool. I don't like when no one knows the principal, it's better when everyone knows that person. Like the principal should be cool and approachable but at the same time, you know, it's still the principal. You gotta have a level of respect. It's great when they're cool with you and understand what you're saying.  
    And as far as conflict between students goes, if it was me personally, I would listen to both people but utilize the equipment we have in Sparta- like the cameras. You gotta catch every detail, read lips, do what you have to do to get to the bottom of it. Body language is also a huge part! My dad is a retired detective - he taught me how to find a story in a tough situation. Everyone, Humberto's about to pull out his magnifying glass over here. Watch your backs."

Students of Sparta: Liam Armstrong

     Liam Armstrong, in a nutshell, is the George Clooney of the senior class. Not only are they both easy-going, well rounded and loved by many, they have the most charitable hearts. I have known Liam for a few years now, and from the second I met him not only did he strike me as an evidently popular peer but I was pleasantly stunned at the type of person he was, and of course, still is. Described by Vice Principal Mr.Fitzgerald, Liam is "a dedicated student, committed athlete and considerate citizen." Liam will lend a hand to any organization or any person, for big causes or simply just to have an uplifting chat. As he will be opening the next chapter in college, its only a matter of time until we see even bigger things from Liam.

      "A factor driving our society is consumerism related to economics. In order to keep ones business running, they need to hire people, they need to properly function... and its all related, in this endless cycle. It's based upon the core fact in our society that people get a job in order to make money. There are those who can't prosper due to situations they were born in, definitely, that's a symptom.
       For me, I understand and accept the situation I was born into. I'm lucky where I am - to be born in Sparta, one parent able to not work - I understand and accept it. Of course, theres a certain responsibility. It's the idea of the social contract. It's not about me taking advantage of my situation by driving a fancy car or going to lavish places. I know in some districts in the inner city there are some schools where they actually have a system in which they send kids off to the Ivy Leagues, all run by an organization by a man whose name I cannot remember, but he is very wealthy and well off. One of the things significant figures in this world such as 'that man' and Andrew Carnegie in the 19th century definitely believed in was the gospel of wealth. It is the duty of those at the top, the most elite, to provide opportunity (and handouts) to those who are struggling at the bottom. People like this make this world a better place, aiding for those struggling in this society that is not easy for some as it is for others.
       There's also a heavier responsibility to those who don't have what I may be able to have access to. Those who, like women born in Afghanistan under the Taliban, born and unable to attend school. These poor kids in the inner city who are born and sometimes, the truth is they are stuck in that cycle of poverty that we never see. It can turn into sex and...violence and drugs. There isn't the best system in place to care for them and the unfortunate truth? There is nothing there for them sometimes except that vicious cycle that they are reliant upon. I feel an obligation, if anything, to give back to the best of my ability in any way possible. And there's no specific reason to it for me. I stay very committed to my beliefs, and religiously, code of conduct which has shaped who I am. My parents have been a support system, but they have never forced me into anything - the choices I make have been all my decision. I try as much as I can currently to just do good, you know? I try to do it through all I'm involved in. I try to do it through Wounded Warrior Project. I try to do it by making several contributions to a wide array of different organizations through our DECA chapter projects... and through Columbian Squires, a youth group that helps youth receive their diplomas through economically difficult times.
          There's always gonna be some crappy people out there. But those are the people who won't be remembered, those who won't matter, or the people that will go down as selfish and ungodly. It is those that built into the needy, those who handed over their fortunes several times in the name of philanthropy that are the ones who define and demonstrate what is needed to be a good person. In this 'envy situation' many in this town find themselves in, there's always the people to give back. I'm a co-leader for Antioch retreat this year. It is in that place and places similar that I find that's where my morals are."