Informer December 2012 Issue - Woodlynde School

December 19, 2012
The Informer Page 3
Student Spotlight: Brandon Anderson
Senior Is Training to Become a Police Officer
By Alex Roberts
Staff Writer
Senior Brandon Anderson will learn how to properly perform
a car stop, raid a house, shoot a gun, and many other police
skills in the two-year program for aspiring police officers that he
is taking.
Surprisingly, he also will learn how to iron a shirt.
“We will never have an excuse coming in with a wrinkled
shirt,” Brandon joked.
You don’t hear of Woodlynde students becoming police officers,
but Brandon is a different story. Brandon has wanted to be
a cop since eighth grade. "I want to protect my city," he said of
Philadelphia.
Over the summer, he participated in a week-long, overnight
program called the State Police Youth Camp. "I felt accomplished
because I completed what many other people quit, and it
was the first time I was far away from home."
Brandon entered the youth camp to prepare him for The
Philadelphia Police Explorers, a two-year program for aspiring
police officers ages 14 to 20 that takes place every Saturday,
from 9 to 5 p.m. Brandon is learning everything there is to know
about becoming a police officer.
"I was ecstatic and felt motivated to be accepted into this
program because now I know I'm going to be doing this in my
future."
Brandon has a drill sergeant who occasionally yells in his
face, which he doesn’t mind.
"I wasn't discouraged. I just thought what they were doing
was just going to help me be better," Brandon said.
Right now, Brandon is learning about rules that the police
follow. He also has an intense workout. “I’m dead by the end of
it,” Brandon said.
To prepare for this experience, Brandon runs every other
day and also has worked out with Athletic Trainer Ms. Gallagher.
After high school, Brandon plans to attend Philadelphia
Community College. Once he graduates in 2015 from The Philadelphia
Police Explorers, he hopes to move on to the Police
Academy and become a Philadelphia police officer. After being
on the force for a few years, Brandon wants to apply to the K-9
unit.
Teachers and students are very impressed by Brandon’s
accomplishments.
“I’m so proud of Brandon for working so hard to pursue his
dream ... I know Brandon will make an excellent police officer
because of his strong character, values, and personality. I can’t
wait to see him pull someone over!” Learning Specialist Ms.
McMurrer said.
Photo by Mattie Sweet, Media Editor
Senior Brandon Anderson has wanted
to be a police officer since eighth grade.
Felled by a Hurricane, Beloved Tree Is No More
By Christa Deckman
Staff Writer
When junior Patrick Nucci used to go out with his friends for
recess during Lower School, they would always use the big tree in
the front of the school as a goal post for their football and soccer
games. They would also run around it while playing freeze tag, using
the tree as a barrier.
Now that they’re in Upper School, that tree was a constant reminder
of their Lower School experiences.
Then one night in late October, Hurricane Sandy uprooted the
tree.
“When I saw the tree fell on the way to school on my bus, I was so
devastated,” Patrick said. “I said to myself ‘Oh, my God, that tree
fell. I had so many memories from it, and it just fell. Oh my God!’"
Returning to school and seeing the fallen tree was upsetting for a
lot of people, like junior Luke Alonso. "I was really disappointed to
see that the tree I knew for almost eleven years was knocked over."
"When I was a kid, my friends and I used to play freeze tag, and
no matter what, that tree was always the barrier that saved me from
being frozen in the game.”
Students remember hanging with their friends and playing
games around the tree.
Senior Hannah Lipschutz said, “I remember playing with
friends, running around the tree, [and] leaning against it to catch
my breath. Driving up to school in the morning, that tree would be
the first thing I would see.”
She added, “When I first saw it after the storm, I wanted to cry.
It felt like that tree was my childhood at Woodlynde, and as I am
graduating and getting ready to leave this school, it feels tragic.”
Photo by Breana Daniel-Schnobrich, Photographer
(From Left to Right) Juniors Ziere Jones, Patrick Nucci and Luke Alonso mourn the loss of
the once great tree. Sophomore Eliza Griffin (bottom) stands amidst the carnage.
Chess Champ!
Corrections
In the October issue of
The Informer, sophomore
Lesley Vizak's record for
the 2012 tennis season was
incorrectly listed. It was 3-6.
In addition, the captains
of the tennis team were incorrectly
named. The captains
were seniors Maisey
Thompson and Kate
Dokas.
Ceramic Bowl Project Will
Raise Funds for Needy
Photo by Mattie Sweet, Media Editor
Fourth grader Adam Serota holds
up the two trophies he won in a
recent chess tournament.
Sixth grader Sam Close
with the ceramic bowls
she made.
Ceramic bowl photos by Mattie Sweet, Media Editor
Holding their bowls are (back row, from left to right) Art teacher Mrs. Russell,
Wayne Ireland, Mickey McGowan, Admissions Assistant Ms. Leaman, Greg
Goodman, Kristin Flynn, Sam Close, Evan Guinessy, Ellen Stickney, Kindergarten
teacher Mrs. Crawford, (front row, from left to right) Travis Buckley,
Andy Hicks, Andrew Gordon, and Declan McDonnell.