Towerette Fall 2023 Issue

"Behold, I am with you until the end of the age."

Matthew 28:20 Fall 2023

VOL. 55, NO. 2

Letter from the Editor Bryanna Liu ’26 New smiles brighten up the halls and open arms welcome all joining and returning to Villa.

On the first day of school, the executive board greeted each student at the entrance to the café with wide smiles and lively holler, setting us all up for a wonderful new school year filled with many firsts.

Firsts can be scary, but do not fear: at Villa, we all have firsts. Whether it be your first day at Villa, first sleepless night because of a test the next day, or your first experience making friends at Villa, none of us would be who we are today without these firsts. That’s what makes our Villa community so special: that we can comfortably share these firsts with our peers and our faculty says so much about who we are.

Some of these special firsts we shared thus far include our first year after the pandemic with the Sr. Patricia Pompa Library, first experiences with the Yay! Lunch company, first classes with the new faculty, and many more.

But it doesn’t stop there! Make it your priority each day to take steps outside of your comfort zone, whether that be saying hi to a new person in the halls, joining new clubs, or participating in a new sport. We’re all here to learn and grow. Here’s to a new school year full of growth, faith, and success!

Photo by Sabrina Pasko ‘26

A Face Both Familiar and New: The Pieta

Current Events

Holly Smitreski ’24 “Who here is familiar with the Pieta?”

As Bishop Sweeney asks for a show of hands, I glance around to make sure I’m not the only one who is lost. Have I missed something? What is the Pieta? Though I felt very familiar with Michelangelo’s statue after the bishop’s detailed homily, I turn to Sister Helen for a deeper understanding of the famous statue of Mary and her sorrow.

The Pieta was commissioned by French Cardinal Jean Bilhères de Lagraulas for his funeral monument in 1498, during the Italian Renaissance. In the eighteenth century, the statue was moved to its current location: the first chapel on the right just inside St. Peter’s Basilica.

What most struck me upon first seeing the statue was how calm Mary appears in her sorrow. Despite her incredible grief, Mary is at peace and resigned; a truly remarkable message for anyone experiencing suffering in their own life.

For Sister Helen, the meaning of the statue is clear: “To remind us… that God loved us so much.” It can be easy to wonder

where God is when we see suffering in our own lives and throughout the world, but the Pieta reminds us that God, Jesus and Mary all know what it means to suffer, and “that can give a lot of hope to people.”

As we begin our new school year and encounter new faces around Villa, we must also remember to encounter Jesus and His mother Mary. Let the Pieta be a reminder to us that God is not only with us in good times, but also in bad, and His love for us is ever-present.

Though ‘pieta’ can mean several things in Italian, Sister Helen explains that “for this particular statue, it’s the mercy of God, how God sacrificed His own son to save us.” A truly remarkable message, and one that people never tire of hearing. From its positioning just inside St. Peter’s Basilica, where Sister Helen says “hundreds and hundreds of people see it every hour of the day,” to the miniature versions that sell like crazy, everyone is scrambling to share in our Lady’s sorrow, ask for her intercession, and be a part of the Pieta’s universal message of love.

Learning How to Fly: Villa’s Special Air Force Visit

Current Events

Katherine Ziwot ’25 Like many Top Gun fans, whenever I watch Tom Cruise fly between mountains and soar to unimaginable heights with ease, I think about how cool it would be to fly a plane myself. Unlike many fans, though, I was given the opportunity to fly a jet similar to the ones seen on the silver screen.

With the help of our wonderful robotics team, Sister’s 1st, the United States Air Force visited Villa this past September with their immersive virtual reality experience, “Born to Fly”. Students, faculty, and staff got to virtually pilot an F-34 fight through a canon with a certified throttle and flight stick to shoot targets, or they could operate a replica KC-135 boom pod to refuel several airborne aircraft. “It felt like flying a real jet,” said Cora Reardon ’25.

Along with the virtual experience, representatives of the Air Force and officers from a nearby military base stayed the whole day with activities for everyone. Chin-up and push-up challenges kept students and staff competing while the representatives offered merch and information about joining the military. Riordan Farley ’25, subteam leader of Sister’s 1st Marketing subteam, said it was “really cool getting to hear from people who have actually flown fighter jets, and their experience in the Air Force,”. The excitement was palpable and only grew as the day progressed.

We were honored to welcome NJ State Senator Anthony Bucco and NJ Assemblywoman Aura Dunn to our campus, as well as News 12 who filmed and aired a segment about the Air Force’s visit to Villa.

Overall, this event will go down in Villa history as one that continues to make Villa shine!

Photo by Riordan Farley ’25

Septemberfest Smiles!

Laurel Hamilton ’24 Everyone always says that the people make the place– and that sentiment rings oh so true at Villa. Every smiling face from a student, parent, sibling, alumni, or friend is what made our beloved Septemberfest such a success. This year’s celebration of our wonderful athletics was the most hype yet… and if you don’t believe me, take a look at some of these pictures. I think that the contagious energy I felt all day will jump off the page, and I hope these captured moments bring you the same joy I was lucky to have at my last Septemberfest.

Thank you to our athletics and amazing student body!

Current Events

Fleet Feet, and Falling Foliage

Sports Essay

Nikki Muniz ’24 Fall into cross-country season! There’s no better way to spend a beautiful fall day than to run through Villa’s campus. The perfect way to refresh yourself after a long day at school is running through Villa’s woods and up its hills alongside the vast, colorful trees. The weather is perfect: the brisk autumn breeze and the golden sunlight are ever so comforting. To top it all off, running alongside those you call not only your teammates but also your friends is the beauty of it all!

Meet days are always memorable, especially our recent NJAC meet. The bus ride was filled with conversations, laughter, and snacks, of course! The anticipation of racing may be nerve-wracking, but our team is always there to share positivity and uplift one another’s spirits.

Once we arrived, we grabbed our designated item and headed to our “spot.” In a uniform manner, we hastily set up the tent and chairs. After we set up, our tent was transformed into a beauty salon comprised of highly talented hair braiders. Once our hair was beautifully braided with glittery green and white ribbon, we warmed up for our race.

Blythe Dudley ’26, one of our teammates, offered us Holy Water to bless ourselves and our shoes before we ran. Blythe stated, “Our team is a very supportive community. We are blessed to have one another and our coaches.”

As race time approached, we gathered close to the starting line and huddled for a prayer. Preparing for the race physically, mentally, and spiritually is equally important. Five minutes before the race begins, nerves start to kick in. However, being nervous is, as Coach L explains, “...good. It shows that you care.”

Now, it’s time to race. Bang! The gun goes off, and the race begins! After a strenuous race and a phenomenal finish, we were awarded NJAC Small School Champions and were named Liberty Division Champions last week.

The best part of cross country isn’t about winning, but the people you win with. Truly, we are not only teammates but a second family!

Photos by Inés Lemee ’25 and Nikki Muniz ‘24

Behind the Sunglasses Ellie Treacy ’24 I recently sat down with the Executive Board, which consists of seniors Delaney Caughey (Treasurer), Claudia Aragon (Secretary), Laurel Hamilton (Vice President), and Jane Dufner (President), and removed their sunglasses and crowns to reveal what’s under their costumes.

Not only are these students part of the Executive Board, but they are also in many other clubs and activities at Villa. Whether it’s Jane pumping up her teammates at volleyball practice, Laurel making a case for the defendant in mock trial, Claudia dancing in the play, or Delaney leading the Athletic Leadership Council, our executive board officers are passionate about Villa and take every opportunity to learn about each student and faculty member.

The committee’s theme this year, “Executive Bosses,” came about when they stumbled upon inflatable crowns at Five Below in preparation for the kickoff to the year. They bought the crowns and wore them for the rest of the day, proud to be in character, despite awkward glances from strangers. The Executive Board unanimously agreed that their motto was “Work hard, play hard,” and are hopeful this school year will reflect that idea.

I was intrigued when the Executive Board replied with the James Bond theme song as the song that best described them. While they couldn’t explain the reason behind their choice, they gave me a second song: “bad idea right?” by Olivia Rodrigo. They relate to this song because all their good ideas initially start as bad ones. However, their collaboration turns them into great ideas, showing the “realness” of their attitudes and approach to making impactful decisions.

Lastly, they wanted to leave their student body with some pieces of advice. Laurel encourages everyone to “enjoy their time at Villa because it goes too fast,” and also mentioned, “Do your homework!” And Jane believes that it’s important to “be a friend to everyone.” She reflected that once you reach your senior year,

Villa Voices “you will realize you have borrowed from each other’s strength for the last couple years, and you should make the most of your time together.”

After sitting in on one of the Executive Board’s brief meetings, I was able to put on their glasses and crowns and see through their creative lenses. This gave me great insight into their mission for the year and their passion for making Villa a great place for all of us.

Why STEM Is Not “Kenough” for Mr. Busler

Villa Voices

Towerette Staff On the first Friday of the school year, a pink flowered shirt brightened Villa’s hallways. “It’s my Barbie shirt,” explained Mr. Owen Busler, who bought the shirt to see the movie with his parents.

He confided that his parents both fell asleep during the movie, but he liked it a lot, and it might have given him a bit of perspective on teaching at an all-girls’ school. On the other hand, Villa’s newest resident scientist has put off seeing Oppenheimer until he found prime seating at a 70mm IMAX theater, so check in with him for his review after September 14.

Mr. Busler is not exactly new to Villa, having served as a mentor to the Robotics team since November of 2021. And though he is a new faculty member in the math and science departments, his interest in teaching has followed him ever since high school, when he served as a mentor to younger students on his robotics team. Then, his senior year physics teacher, a former Bell Labs engineer, described his transition from engineering into teaching, and Mr. Busler knew this same transition would happen to him “at some point. I thought it would be in 25 years. It turned out it was two.” Before joining Villa as full-time faculty, he worked as an engineer at Audible in Newark and Los Angeles, but he experienced more satisfaction in his after-work activities as a mentor and tutor to students.

A lifelong New Jerseyan and Springsteen fan, Mr. Busler grew up in Bridgewater. His four years with the Bridgewater High School robotics team solidified his interest in engineering, especially after four world championships with the team. He remained in New Jersey to study at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he earned a BS in electrical engineering and minored in computer science, and he remains involved with his alma mater (he has, for instance, arranged a tour of the school’s labs for the robotics team).

Mr. Busler has a couple lofty goals for his first year at Villa. “I want to be able to trust [my students] to take their notes, to do their homework, and to ask questions when I'm moving too fast. And they should trust me to come prepared and to take their questions seriously. And if there's something I need to change about what I'm teaching or how I'm teaching, then I'm going to enact those changes.”

He also wants to make sure that he’s available to the larger school community. He is free during E and F periods, so stop in to say hello, to talk about assignments, or robotics, or to get advice on SAT math prep. Or maybe you want to find out his favorite New Jersey trail to hike or bike, or brainstorm ideas for meal prep (he makes dinner for his family twice a week); or, of course, get his take on Barbenheimer.

How to Be Creative: Sing with Prof. Masi Cierra Wolckenhauer ‘25 I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Villa’s new chorus teacher and director of the upcoming spring musical: Prof. Angela Masi.

She is a loving sister, wife, and mother to three children: Eleanor, Sam, and Amelia (who played Gretl in last year’s production of The Sound of Music at Villa).

Prof. Masi started by telling me a few of her favorite things. She adores the color green.

“It worked out that I am at a school whose school colors include green!” she said. Her favorite candies include fruit slices and cow tails, which you can find her snacking on while she watches her favorite movies, The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Autumn is her favorite season, but Christmas is her favorite holiday, which is why she is so excited about the upcoming Christmas Concert.

From a music standpoint, Prof. Masi is an avid fan of the artist P!NK. When it comes to musicals, she has a three-way tie between Les Miserables, The Secret Garden, and Children of Eden.

I asked Prof. Masi what song lyrics resonated with her in life, and she responded immediately with a lyric from John Denver’s song Welcome to My Morning (Farewell Andromeda): “Welcome to my morning, welcome to my day, I’m the one responsible, I made it just this way.” Prof. Masi says that this lyric speaks to her because “it reminds me that if there’s something I don’t like I have the power to change it, or at least the way I look at it.”

Prof. Masi is also a woman of many talents and hobbies. She enjoys whittling, riding horses, playing the fiddle and is currently learning taekwondo.

Villa Voices

Having learned of all her endeavors, I asked what her proudest achievement was. She responded, “I think my proudest achievement is debuting the musical I wrote off-Broadway last year.” Her show, Allerleirauh, debuted in March at the Alvin Ailey Theatre in New York City. Prof.

Masi hopes that her students this year may be able to achieve great things too. “I am teaching my students some music theory this year, and my goal is to teach them the basics of a few instruments and even how to write their own songs by the end of the year!”

“Chorus is a class based solely on imagination and creativity,” says Prof. Masi. Her favorite thing about Villa thus far is “the willingness of Villa students to try new things without worrying about whether or not it makes them look good.”

She left me with a token of advice for all her students: “Don't let the opinions of other people hold you back from being the best you can be.” If you want to learn more about the marvelous Prof. Masi and her plans for the future, stop by the chorus room one day!

Inspirational Coach and Teacher, Ms. Smith, Can Do It All! Erin Lyons ’25 Ms. Smith has a lot on her plate already in her first few weeks at Villa, yet she manages everything productively with a smile. Ms. Smith teaches health, driver's education, gym, and coaches the JV volleyball team. She brings so much value to our school which is why we are so lucky to have her.

Ms. Smith grew up down the shore, attending Manasquan High School. She has three older brothers, making her the tomboy of the family because she is the youngest and has older brothers to look up to. Both Ms. Smith and her brothers were active in the community and played sports, including basketball and softball.

Ms. Smith then went on to play four years of basketball at Iona College, graduating in 2007. She studied psychology for her undergraduate degree and obtained her master's degree in physical education.

After graduating from college, Ms. Smith was unsure if she wanted to go into teaching or coaching but got a part-time Division II job as a basketball assistant coach at Felician College (now known as Felician University).

A position in physical education opened up soon, and Ms. Smith thought it was perfect because she wanted a profession that combined teaching and athletics. She went on with this position at Felician for six years.

When the job opportunity opened up at Villa, she knew it was for her. Since she had heard nothing but good things about Villa, and wanted a change, she knew a job here would be perfect.

Ms. Smith also has coached Mountain Lakes basketball for the past eight years, and is in the same conference as Villa. When Ms. Smith has free time, she likes spending time with her family, especially going to her two young nieces' games, who do cheer and gymnastics.

Villa Voices

Villa Voices Marciano’s Maneuvers at Villa Bhavishya Boga ’25 It was the first day of school, warm with the remnants of a quick summer. That was when an excited Mr. Marciano stepped onto Villa’s green campus, welcomed by the Villa faculty and a warming school community. Thanks to his motto “be the change that you want to see in others,” he is willing to make a positive impact on his students. His motto, patience, and bright smile lights up his classes. Having begun his teaching career at St. Mary’s at Hackettstown, where he taught for two years, Mr. Marciano missed teaching at a Catholic school. Therefore, he wished to teach at Villa.

Mr. Marciano’s love for teaching sparked when he was in middle school. His favorite subject was social studies, and he enjoyed reading about the presidents in school. In fact, he memorized all the names of the presidents when he was in third grade!

Mr. Marciano’s inspiration to teach that subject grew under the influence of two social studies teachers, Mr. Moglia and Mr. Nieman, who made history interesting for him. Furthermore, he loved teaching English, thanks to his English teacher in junior and senior years of high school.

He majored in political science at Rutgers and also obtained a master’s degree in educational leadership from Centenary University. Under the tutelage of his teachers and various training, Mr. Marciano was ready for teaching.

Not only is he a teacher at Villa, but he carried on his duties of tutoring and grading the AP Government and Politics exams for ETS during some of the past summers. He also likes to read, catch up with his family, and watch football as a “long-suffering New York Jets fan.”

Mr. Marciano is all ears when it comes to assistance on his subjects, preparation for AP exams, and guidance to ace the SATs and ACTs. After all, he wants to give back to our school community through the positive changes he wishes to make in the students’ lives.

A Bridge Too Far? Not for Mr. Ortiz!

Ava Sansano ‘27 Every morning a car from Staten Island crosses the Goethals bridge to come to Villa Walsh.

Behind the wheel is Mr. Ortiz, our new math teacher at Villa.

If you haven't met Mr. Ortiz yet, I am sure you will soon: he is often at the athletic center for yoga or strength and conditioning. These athletic hobbies also carry into his free time, because he enjoys working out at the gym.

His free time is limited due to his commute from Staten Island to and from. Coming all the way from Staten Island to Villa twice a day is a big deal, which made me wonder why he didn't just find a local school. Mr Ortiz told me that he taught at his old school, a Hebrew academy for close to eight years, but last year the school decided to downsize.

He explained that he constantly kept checking for job opportunities and a math teacher position at Villa popped up.

As he applied and attained the opportunity for an interview, he was very unsure and nervous about the situation. In fact, he revealed that over the summer he was running very late from work, as an administrator at a summer camp, the day of his interview. He knew making the Villa interview was still important, and so on his way, he realized he was approaching the exit to his home. Lacking confidence and ready to bail, something told him to keep going. He made it to Villa and knew that he needed to be a part of this special place.

After discussing his association with Villa, I inquired about his childhood and how or when he knew he wanted to be a math teacher. Most people don't grow up and say they want to be a math teacher. Mr. Ortiz explained that he actually knew he wanted to work with math from a young age -- it was something he always loved. He found math competitive and used that as a motivator. In one specific instance he said he had a teacher who would let them fill out the answers on a scantron sheet and run it through the machine and whoever did it first won, and that was something he looked forward to.

Besides math, Mr. Ortiz loves the outdoors, but living in Staten Island as a child he wasn't often

Villa Voices allowed outside. As a child, Mr. Ortiz also lived in West Virginia and Georgia (which was his favorite place because of the outdoor opportunities) but ultimately his family moved back to Staten Island when he was in seventh grade.

Mr. Ortiz hopes for a successful school year and has already seen the vision for the support he can provide Villa with the goal of growth. As Mr. Ortiz always tells us, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” He hopes we can share this message to motivate each other because ultimately that's what helps us develop.

I can attest that Mr. Ortiz epitomizes this in his classroom frequently because he allows us to be true to ourselves and maintain a creative and safe environment for all who come in his room. His passion for Villa is unmatchable and I hope you show him some support this new school year so his greatness doesn't go unnoticed.

Hagedorn’s History: As Abandoned as it Seems?

It was a misty afternoon in July, sunny, but the sky was riddled with clouds. A feeling of adventure filled the air. I had just hopped in the car with my father. We felt that the day called for adventure, in the form of a scenic cruise in our convertible. After wandering in search of something worth seeing, we slipped down some side streets and found ourselves in the quaint little town of Glen Gardener.

I had been in Glen Gardener before, but this time, as the radio blasted, and we came to a stop beside the train tracks, I glanced at the street sign, “Sanatorium Road,” and decided today was a good day for discovery. I asked my father if we could turn here.

Instead of continuing in our usual direction, straight through the intersection, I wanted to take a left.

My dad asked, “Why would you want to go down Sanatorium Road?” I responded, “It has to be called that for a reason.” We took a left and felt the shade engulf us as we drove underneath the old railroad tracks. It was perfectly cliche.

As we drove, the road began to shrink and turn to gravel. Soon, it was just us in the forest on a oneway dirt road. The tall pine trees loomed, casting yet another ominous shadow upon us. We turned the corner, and the dirt turned to pavement, lined with well-maintained grass. A flock of wild turkeys crossed the road before us, solidifying the “off-the-grid” feeling. One last turn, and there it was. A lost oasis, surrounded by forest, flat against the gray sky.

This was my first visit to Hagedorn Sanitorium, and definitely not my last. I was only able to walk around the exterior, but after my introduction to its weathered buildings, miraculous views, and barred windows, I researched its history because curiosity often leads to discovery.

(continued on next page)

Photos by the author

Hagedorn’s History (cont.)

Hagedorn Sanitorium was built in 1907, as The New Jersey Sanitorium for Tuberculosis Disease. It was built strategically in Glen Gardener due to its high altitude, lack of air pollution, and isolation. It was constructed as a facility to treat only curable cases but ultimately expanded to treat all cases, housing hundreds of patients. It was abandoned due to budget cuts and stigma against health facilities, and then, in 1970, plans for a Gero-Psychiatric facility were put underway. In 1977, it became part rehab center, part psychiatric care with a brand new 280 bed facility. In 2011, the new facility was shut down, in an attempt to save the State of New Jersey $9 million a year.

The shutting down of the facility led to the relocation of patients. The story goes that as Hagedorn was being shut down and the patients were being moved, some of the more unruly, volatile ones managed to break free, fleeing into the forest around Glen Gardner.

Other stories claim that the lost souls of the patients who died there, due to diseases and long discredited forms of psychiatric treatment (based upon pseudoscience and poor understanding of human anatomy), still wander the grounds, as shadows in the corner of your eye, whispering warnings to anyone who dares set foot on the property. Though these are all rumors and speculation, it is said that if you go there at night, you may hear rustling in the forest, see glowing eyes looking back at you, see unexplained shadows, and if you squint across the fields, into the treeline, you just might make out hunched over, disheveled, misty silhouettes that vanish as quickly as they appear.

As I turned back towards the car, ready to leave, I thought about everything I had learned. It was just a turn down yet another country road, and I could anticipate many more in my lifetime, but Hagedorn was different. It had the perfect air of mystery-meets-history. We made the left onto the dirt road, leaving the misty shadows and the dark buildings behind for the second time. I glanced back as a brief flicker of life passed on the other side of a darkened window.

Photos by the author

Clueless About What to Watch?

Marissa Noonan ’25 If you are deciding what movie to watch for a typical movie night, Clueless is the perfect, classic, comfort movie. Taking place in Beverly Hills, this romantic comedy follows a high school girl as she lives her luxurious life. The movie’s light-hearted mood provides a sense of jealousy and inspiration for every girl as they watch the main character, Cher, pick out her outfit with her computer.

Throughout the movie, you can laugh as Cher helps a new student become the best version of herself in an effort to be selfless.

While the plot is funny, it is also beneficial to high schoolers' lives. This new girl, Tai, knows no one at the school and everyone is a new face.

Surrounded by different people, Cher sets an example of how to be approachable. She takes Tai in and helps her become popular. I enjoyed how this movie provides a lesson when Tai soon grows more popular than Cher but neither of them can handle this and they both learn a valuable life lesson on how important friendship is and how pathetic stereotypes can be.

Another component of this dazzling movie is Josh, the love interest of Cher. They start out this iconic movie with banter and cause the audience to fall in love with them as they fall for each other. The pair is something you wouldn’t expect at first but then his care for her develops into the romantic part of this romantic comedy.

So next time you find yourself staring at the TV and deciding what to watch, you should enjoy Clueless because Cher and Dionne can always provide an entertaining night.

Reviews Tea, Blanket, Book Sabrina Pasko ‘26 Fall is here. ‘Tis the season to curl up with a blanket and a mug of chamomile tea on a chilly day. ‘Tis also the season full of schoolwork and stressful days at school. Give yourself a break.

Relax on that couch with a book; not just any book but The Marriage Portrait (2022).

This New York Times bestseller is written by the highly talented author, Maggie O’Farrell. It will grip your attention until the final page. Based on the poem, My Last Duchess, this novel is centered around the life of Lucrezia de Medici during the 16th century who unhappily married the Italian Duke of Ferrara. The marriage is complex and revolves around anything but love.

You may want to rescue Lucrezia from her uncomfortable situation but murder is already around the corner. Although the book opens with knowledge of a murder, the full story is unknown until you dive deeper into the novel. Who will be killed? Why? “To lose your temper is to lose the battle.”

“Sadness keeps attempting to tie weights to her wrists and ankles, therefore she has to keep moving, she has to outpace it.”

This powerful theme of strength loops itself around each page’s words. You might be enlightened by O’Farrell’s thought-provoking lines while sitting on that couch, eyes pinned on words that seem so simple but are seeping nourishment. Her writing teaches the story but also teaches you each character’s feelings by pulling you into the book. Not even the sound of the boiling water on the stove will allow you to break contact with The Marriage Portrait.

That whistling tea kettle might have to wait.

New School Year, Old School Outfit In past articles, I have written about popular trends or received input from fellow Villa students to relate to a younger audience, but I have never asked some of our Villa faculty about their experience with fashion. Let’s take a blast to the past to learn what some of our teachers wore when they were in high school!

Our very own moderator Mrs. Pasko, who teaches 10th honors English, 12th honors English, and 12th AP Literature, favored oversized sweatshirts or sweaters with detailed patterns, paired with pants, when she wasn’t sporting her polyester marching band outfit. Mrs. Pasko says she was typically not on trend, which at the time was the iconic 90’s tight-rolling jeans.

Mr. Goldman, who teaches 11th honors U.S. history II and Democracy in America, says the fashion for the men at his all boys high school was long hair and sideburns, as most were not into fashion nor could afford clothes that looked like popular designer pieces. He says the girls (outside of the school setting) took inspiration from model Twiggy and her fluid style.

Dr. Thomas, who teaches CP, honors, and AP physics, says she wore Indian costumes to school, and that her favorite color to wear was red. Dr. Thomas says she has seen a major shift in Indian costumes from when she was in high school to now—they have become more westernized. And for those who have not gotten the chance to meet Dr. Thomas yet, she never repeats an outfit. Her most iconic fit is her alpaca sweater and dress pants.

New to our Villa faculty, but not community, is alum Ms. Geraghty, who is in charge of campus ministry and teaches economics and 7th and 8th theology.

Ms. Geraghty has always loved creating outfits and being fashionable. She graduated in 2015 when

the rising style was sporty and outdoors mixed with cozy. Pre-wrap headbands, fleece jackets, quilted vests, and leggings combined with a peplum shirt and tall Ugg boots, you have the on-trend 2015 high school girl. And of course, Sperrys with the Villa uniform were on trend at that time.

Not only can we learn important information from our wonderful teachers about the subject they teach, we can learn from them about fashion.

Believe it or not Villa girls, our teachers from different generations can be stylish too!

Mrs. Pasko!

quilted vest Pre-wrap headband 15

Art is in Bloom: Mrs. Lagana’s Fall Art Projects Gemma Hong ’27 As we start the new school year, our 7th, 8th, and 9th-grade art teacher, Mrs. Lagana has three new projects incorporating one common subject: sunflowers! Working with different mediums, students will have freedom to do anything as long as they incorporate flowers. It allows us to use our creative minds.”

To kick off the art year, the first project is a watercolor painting, using photos of sunflowers posted on Google Classroom, such as “Sunflowers in the Windstorm” by Emil Nolde and various versions of Van Gogh’s popular sunflower paintings. She wanted us to create these watercolor paintings with Van Gogh’s usage of color and Nolde’s whimsical look in mind.

Next, on a large board, students were given a variety of possible mediums including collage paper, tissue paper, glitter glue, and oil pastels to form a collage of anything as long as it includes sunflowers. She wants this freshman project to use the techniques of Jean Michel Basquiat.

To wrap up the start of the year, students will begin an 18x24 inch acrylic painting, once again addressing the sunflower subject. Then, they will write an artist statement on how their work represents them, and how they decided to include the elements and principles of art. Mrs. Lagana wants students to branch out of their comfort zones, both artistically and personally.

I asked Mrs. Lagana why we had the same subject for three of our fall projects, and it turns out that her love for sunflowers in art stems from more than just simple adoration. When she studied art in Italy, she painted sunflowers for the first time and ever since became fascinated with them, both in general and as an artistic subject. Because of their beauty and representation of the sun, she hopes that these works can decorate the school for the fall.

Above all, her favorite thing about flowers is their complexity, and how dramatically they can change over time. She passionately explained the different stages of their growth: they start as closed green buds, then the yellow petals come out and the center seeds are covered in green leaves. Then, the seeds come forward and the flower changes again once the birds eat the flowers.

Because there is such a variety of ways to draw sunflowers, Mrs. Lagana loves to revisit the subject, hence why each project requires different materials. She’s excited to see the differences when students use watercolor versus when students use collage paper or acrylics. She says that when people grow as artists, their personalities and views can also change over time, and recreating and comparing the same subject can reveal interesting changes.

Artwork by Katelyn Hadzima ’27

Artwork by Juliana Kenworthy ’28

Art is in Bloom (cont.)

After our fall projects, the middle schoolers will focus on still life and draw three-dimensional apples using pastels in a Paul Cezanne-inspired composition. Meanwhile, the 9th graders will work with mythology, aligning with their English and world history curriculum. This year, Mrs. Lagana hopes to have students complete this project using black and white to focus on form. After that, she foresees the comeback of an exciting project: self-portraits.

Mrs. Lagana’s goal is to have students create 5 to 7 works of art throughout the year. She loves watching students develop as artists, and hopes to see students create work they’re proud of when they are seen around the school. Mrs. Lagana is excited to see what they come up with!

Top row: Lexi Stappas ’27; Theodora Hronides ’29; Anne Rionda ’27

Bottom row: Katelyn Hadzima ’27; Artwork by Ella Trześniowski ’27

Art in its Glory in Mrs. Cheifer’s Art Classes Johanna Aguilar ’26 Mrs. Cheifer is excited for this year’s art classes, hoping for a great academic school year. She hopes every student this year will be able to create with passion, but also express their feelings through their pieces.

There has been a huge change for this school year, and that’s the option of taking AP Art and Design. This class is expected to be fun, but also is designed for those who are interested in putting their best effort into their art pieces. The AP students are currently working on their first artwork of the year. Since the start of school, they have been reviewing the College Board standards, doing various art and design exercises, participating in discussions and critiques, and sketching daily in order to determine their specific art direction for this year.

Mrs. Cheifer also teaches Art and Design and Advanced Art. In both of the classes the students are working on a drawing project that combines abstract and realistic interpretation of objects. Art and Design students choose between subjects pertaining to fashion, architecture, and cartooning.

Mrs. Cheifer is looking forward to seeing the final art pieces, and seeing all the effort and skill the students put in their piece, especially the upcoming painting project, “we’ll have people guess.” She is also looking forward to the logo project in the Art and Design classes, and what the AP students are going to come up with.

As the school year progresses, Mrs. Cheifer has noticed that the students are striving to better express their emotions and creativity. She has seen that they are putting in a lot of effort and thought into their pieces. She can see this especially in her AP 2-D Design class, which she now sees “every day, and everyone else three times per week”.

Mrs. Cheifer has many goals that she wants the girls to achieve by the end of the year. Her main goal is to have each student create artwork that makes them happy.

Finding satisfaction in their art-making process without judgment is difficult for most of the students, who “tend to set a high bar for themselves which makes it difficult to relax while making art. I know, as I was once one of those students who was way too serious and competitive to be better than everyone else.” Her early approach helped her win awards and scholarships, but she “missed out on my natural art process, which I discovered decades later.”

From top, AP artwork by Brianna Hetherington ’24; Lizzie Kandziolka ’25; Sarah Chambeau ’24; Cece Maione ’25

Mrs. Cheifer’s Art Classes (cont.)

Top row: Jacki Walsh ’24; Gemma Cafasso ’26

Middle row: Emilia Kapas ’26; Annie Connor ’24

Bottom row: Bridget Drew ’26; Nina McLaughlin ’26

Managing Editor Bryanna Liu likes the peaceful scenery of the fall!

Editor Annie Connor loves the fall weather and listening to music that fits the autumn vibe!

Design Manager Laurel Hamilton goes apple picking with her family in New Paltz each fall!!

Editor Ellie Treacy enjoys sipping apple cider while watching fall movies!

Editor Katherine Ziwot loves baking (and eating) anything pumpkin flavored every fall!

Mrs. Pasko enjoys the beauty Patriots’ Path offers during the fall season