Eyes of the Hallway 

By: Braelynn & Max 

In the quiet moments before the school day begins, as the sunlight starts shining through the windows, and the halls echo with silence, there is one figure who stands at the heart of it all…Mr. Overlock. His name may not be the one you hear over the loudspeaker during assemblies or see in schools headline articles or posts, but his impact resonates throughout every hallway, classroom, and corner of our school. As we sat down in a conversation with him, we learned to appreciate his silent story that he’s built through his dedication here at Hermon High school. It’s now time we shine light upon that journey, expressing what the long days of work entail, along with every challenge he not only comes across but overcomes. 

With 20 years of service under his belt Mr. Overlock shows his unwavering dedication. He states “I worked at an elementary school from 90’-95’. And I came back here to high school in 04’ and I’ve been here since.” No matter what it may be, or what you do, routines come about over time. For Mr. Overlock, his daily routine consists of getting the school ready for the day. “Opening up the school, making sure the school is ready for the day,” he said. Despite things not always going as planned, he tries his best to stick to the routine he’s developed. 

While a crucial part of his job, the work is not what it’s all about for Mr. Overlock. He really enjoys being around the students and staff. “I like the students, they are very pleasant and easy to work with,” he expresses while appreciating the people that surround him throughout the day. The relationships he has with the students and staff here at Hermon High School are what keep him excited to come to work each and every day.  

You can make it to the top of the mountain but there are always challenges along the way. These are almost a guarantee when it comes to winter here in Maine. “Winter time, it’s very hard to get anybody to move the snow and do it well, making the schools dirtier.” he admits, highlighting the imperfections that come along with his job. The dreary cold months are not the only thing that has brought challenges throughout his time here at the high school. The worldwide epidemic that struck the U.S in 2020 not only ignited challenges of its own, but made some significant changes in our school. “Since covid hit, there has been a big change as far as the cleanliness of the school” he claims, but that lifts some weight off his shoulders as people are able to come together and have the ability to do things on their own.  

In every swept hallway and exchanged smile, Mr. Overlock’s silent presence speaks volumes, reminding us that the true leaders don’t always have the spotlight, but lie in the quiet moments of dedication and service. We could not appreciate his work enough, and are beyond grateful to have him serve his time with us here at Hermon High school.

Clain Says Goodbye to Hermon

By: Cooper Stanley  

Janice Clain has taught for 53 years which is just over seventy percent of her lifetime. This year at age 75 she’s finally decided that it’s time to get done. She taught an abundance of years at an abundance of schools, including; Central High School which is where she started, and then to Bangor High School for a year until she was ultimately let go due to a lack of students in classes, and being, “the lowest man on the totem pole.” After her stint at Bangor, she would travel down to Southern Maine to teach at Georges Valley which is now known as Oceanside. Once done there she decided to head back to the Bangor area and has taught at Hermon since 1980. While at Hermon she’s developed deep roots in being involved in many things; “I work with the student council which is big, as we organize events like; Winter Carnival, the Blood Drive, Thanksgiving Collections, and Spirit Week.” She is also involved in other extracurricular activities like the Spanish Club and was a former member and head of the French Club. Ms. Clain is also infamous for her many travels during the school year over vacations and such. For example, just in the past year, she’s been to, “Spain for 15 days, as well as the Appalachian Trail maintaining my own section with the Ridge Runners.” It’s safe to say that teaching has been a big part of her life.

Now the decision for Ms. Clain to leave was not an easy one for her. But it came down to one thing, “Age.” she said. As previously mentioned Ms. Clain has taught for 53 years, and when asked about it she said, “I thrive off a schedule.” And that’s exactly what teaching is all about. Whether you’re scheduling meetings, planning a class, grading assignments, or making more assignments. Teaching revolves around schedules.

Ms. Clain again as previously mentioned is big on traveling. But not so big on retirement, when I asked her if she was excited about retirement she responded simply with a “No.” She fears the lack of scheduling may mess with her but she already has trips planned with a cruise to Patagonia. The cruise is nearly a month long and will take Ms. Clain down the coast of Chile and out to Patagonia. Ms. Clain is truly Hermon royalty and will be missed not only by current students but former students as well. And we all wish her well in her endeavors in retirement. And we all still hope to see her hanging around the high school.

The Rise of a New Coaching Phenomenon

By: Danny Fowler and Maddox Kinney

The Social studies department at Hermon High School has many notable names with Mrs. Luce and Mr. Adams but a name that has begun to stand out is Mr. Petersen who has recently made some steps to further his contribution here at Hermon High School. Mr. Petersen teaches a number of different types of social studies classes at Hermon hoping to help the students learn and be successful. But this year Petersen decided he wanted to do more for the community as he picked up the Hermon freshman basketball team head coaching job.“It was a privilege to be a part of a basketball program as strong as Hermon’s.” said Petersen when asked about how he felt about getting the job. The Freshman team had a successful season playing under Petersen finishing 10-4 and losing in the freshman team championship.” We made it to the championship and we were competitive in all the games we played.” said Petersen about his thoughts on the season. He is very optimistic about his players’ futures as he’s “excited to see the players move on and succeed at the next level.” Mr. Petersen is a coach who will always be there for his players and wants them to succeed. 

When coming into the new position as head coach of the freshman team Mr. Petersen was not completely new to coaching as he had coached “middle school soccer and basketball when I first started teaching” which can certainly be attributed to his success as a first-year coach. He embraced the new challenge of coaching as the “level of competition was definitely higher” from his middle school coaching position. But even having this extra level of competition Mr. Petersen still had the help from Coach Murray as he was “extremely helpful in giving me advice and ideas when I had questions.” Being able to have people to rely on when not certain about things really helped Mr. Petersen this year as his team excelled making it to the championship game. Being able to accept criticism and learn from it as well as not being afraid to ask questions was one of the many things that set Mr. Petersen apart as a great coach.

Mr Petersen thoroughly enjoyed coaching this year and was excited to see the players develop in and out of school. The players improved very well over the season and the team had a strong bond and that was shown throughout the season and even in school. Players would be seen in school together and would eat lunch together and if they had Mr Peterson’s class that would make the bond even stronger. This showed on the court as the team would have comeback wins or clutch shots made, great ball movement, and successful playmaking. The basketball program added a great face and a great attitude to the program and hopefully, it will stay that way for many more years to come. 

The Life Of Sinclair…

By: James Boudreau

Rick Sinclair has been an Athletic Director for 21 years. His first AD role was at Mattanawcook academy in Lincoln, Maine. He was there for 5 years before jumping over to John Bapst High School for 9 years, located in Bangor, Maine. Now, finally, he has been an AD at Hermon High School for his 7th year, which he describes as his dream job. 

Mr. Sinclair grew up as your non-typical Hermon kid. He grew up playing winter sports: “That’s all I ever did, I didn’t hunt, I didn’t fish, I was all winter sports or in the gym. I never snowmobiled or skied. I was not your typical Hermon Kid growing up.” 

Mr. Sinclair loved basketball; that was his sport: “I don’t ever remember not playing basketball or coaching.” As time went on, he got older and slowly stopped playing and coaching: “ Well now I’m old and basketball is hard so now I play golf, I love golf. It’s definitely my second favorite sport.” Mr Sinclair played golf throughout high school and college, but not like he did with basketball. Golf was more of a side hobby for him.

When he coached basketball at Mattanawcook Academy, in the early 2000’s, one of Mr. Sinclair’s rivals, the Dexter Tigers, became a very tough matchup for him and his team, especially their standout guard Matt Murray : “Game-planning was easy; all we had to do was lock up Mr. Murray because he couldn’t dribble. All he could do was shoot. So if we stopped him from shooting that’s all that mattered”. 

Not only did Mr. Sinclair play basketball, but he also coached it, and well. He coached varsity boys basketball for 16 years total and had a 2-year assistant coach experience at Husson University. Mr. Sinclair was also a Math teacher at Mattanawcook Academy, as well as the AD and Boys Varsity Coach. He continued those roles when he started at John Bapst as well.

Mr. Sinclair was always a busy man, the 3 roles he had at those schools took up a lot of time because he had to give his all to the 3 roles: “The classroom is the most important thing but it was hard to get a proper balance of giving enough time to the math and enough time to the AD as well in the winter when I am the coach for the Basketball team.” Mr. Sinclair has been a huge influence and impact on kids at Hermon High School and he plans to keep that going for much longer.

Principal Walsh Reflects on Senior Class

by: Danny Fowler

Brian Walsh, otherwise known as Mr. Walsh to all of his students, is a very prominent figure in the community and strives to make the school a great place for students to learn and grow. As the class of 2024 are seniors this year, Walsh has had the opportunity to be around these students for the past four years and has gotten to know them very well. 

When the class of 2024 first entered high school it was a new experience for everyone. Covid had struck worldwide and caused fear among many and most of all changed the way people lived their lives. As the class of ’24 entered the high school, Mr. Walsh immediately could tell that “they were not as cohesive, they didn’t already have that sense of we are Hermon Hawks.” This was a challenge for many students as cohesiveness is very important at Hermon; it allows for better relationships and helps you to get any help you need on assignments: “You guys were definitely young, and whether it was because of covid or not the class of 24 definitely came in younger than most of the grades before.”

There was a noticeable difference in the maturity of the class of 24; they came in younger and this proved to be a challenge for the class: “I think coming in it was more of a newness than it normally is.” This newness to high school and a lack of bonding time due to Covid brought extra challenges to the class of ’24. Students lacked those important relationships their freshman year that helped many students along the way, according to Walsh.

When asked about the biggest challenges faced when guiding the class of 2024 Walsh stated, “I think the biggest challenges were getting academic expectations and social and civil expectations back. I think during the Covid year some of the students got away from the skills, endurance and grit they had.” Walsh could see the effects of the Covid year in full effect as the students were less productive and less focused in classes. This year made some students forget the basic knowledge they had been building through middle school and made it hard for some to stay caught up on work.

Many memories are made in high school that people remember for the rest of their lives. Walsh’s favorite memory with the class of 2024 was the recent spirit assembly: “this was by far one of the best turnouts we’ve had in years. Normally during a Friday assembly day we see seniors leave and I looked out at like 12:30 and seniors were coming back in droves.” This was a very exciting sight for Walsh and people involved in setting up the assembly.

Even though the class of 2024 got off to a slow start, the school spirit the class is showing as seniors is amazing. As of now Walsh hopes to have more good memories with the class, saying, “I hope graduation is my best memory with the class of 24.” Graduation is a big part of most people’s lives and Walsh hopes to leave the seniors on a great note and be able to remember that day for years to come.

Passing the Torch  

By: Braelynn Wilcox 

Hermon, Maine – Room 204, which lies at the end of the hallway on the second floor of Hermon High School will no longer be the same at the conclusion of this year. Debra Merrill, one of the school’s most remarkable teachers, has decided to retire after her significant contributions to the community. A large portion of the student body when asked about her have considered her teaching methods to be “strict”, reminiscing on certain actions that prevailed, such as the burning of papers. However, countless could also tell you the impact she had on them as well as their education. 

Ms. Merrill was a former Geologist before pursuing her teaching career. We could say that teaching wasn’t always on her mind. But when the consulting company she worked under went out of business, there was a slight change of plans: “I was without a job, so I was like ‘Hey I’ll become a teacher’” Merrill explained. 

She then decided to bring her expertise to Hermon, where she has had the role of teaching Chemistry for a vast number of students. During this time, she has been able to learn what it is like teaching kids at the high school level. How they learn and act, as well as what patterns come about from student to student. It can be a challenge a  majority of the time, though she is easily able to gather words of advice for any new incoming teachers: “You need to demand a lot from your students, and your students will give it to you,” stated Merrill. She also cares greatly for her students and wants to leave them with some words of advice as well in order to make their future as successful as possible: “Do your work, and just listen” voiced Merrill. The simplicity of these commands could easily be overlooked, however, through the years, she has found that’s truly the way to success. 

Her exceptional skills have not been the only thing she has contributed to the school over the years, but her extra efforts to provide experiences for students outside of the classroom as well. She is the organizer of the Hawks Fat Bike Club. This club allows for students to get in the outdoors and do something out of their comfort zone. An organization that differentiates itself from any other school. While unique, these meetings after school would not account for what she considers her most memorable moment during her time here. As Merrill explained that: “Getting clocked by the crab soccer ball” during spirit week would make the top of that list by a long run. 

Ms. Merrill says that she is looking forward to: “doing whatever I want” once she retires. As one could understand, the unimaginable feeling of change when not having to be at school everyday any longer. The time has come to express our sincerest gratitude to her uncommon contributions to the school. The student body, along with the faculty at Hermon will spend the remainder of this school year recognizing, respecting, and appreciating all of the valuable skills and knowledge that Ms. Merrill has imparted to us. She will leave us with one last thing, as the kids will be pleased to hear that the one thing she will miss most about her job is “The students believe it or not” Merrill communicates. We would like to thank her for teaching her subject with a passion, making the material easier to learn, and allowing for each student to contribute actively in class.  She will be missed greatly, but we wish her the best!

Backstage with Christie Robinson

By: Addy Waning

Christie Robinson is Hermon High School’s very accomplished theater director. Each year, Christie takes on the exciting role of planning the fall musical at Hermon High School, a task she approaches with the intent of bringing joy to her audience. Her dedication to selecting productions that resonate with and uplift people is just one example of her commitment to enriching the lives of those around her. 

Christie has her masters in fine acting, as she is an actress as well as a theater director: “I’m a performer myself, but I’m also a practitioner.” She’s traveled all over the country to perform, and she’s done hundreds of shows. Christie has also been a teaching artist for 17 years: “I’ve directed everyone from ages 3 or 4 all the way to ages 103 or 104.” Not only does her career hold her passion, but she gets to teach others of her passion. 

Obviously, planning any theater production is no easy task, but Christie gave some insight on what she does to plan the fall musical every year. First, she selects the show, and a few things influence the decision she makes: “I like to pick something that will bring people joy.” Not only that, but she keeps flexibility in mind for everyone involved. Inclusivity is another thing that Christie considers when planning a show: “There are some shows that are very exclusive, and I’m not interested in that.” After a show is selected, she must carry out a few legality processes, such as applying for licensing rights. Making payments is another task that Christie does: “I have to budget a year ahead of time, so right now I’m budgeting for next year.” After she signs a few contracts, this allows her to buy or rent scripts, as well as use any copyrighted material, like music. The costume supply must also be checked to ensure that a show is feasible. After all of these things are done, the Hermon theater cast and crew can finally begin preparing for the musical.

The cast has over 35 dedicated cast members, along with several hardworking stage crew members. The show begins its process in September, with auditions held within the first few weeks of school. After auditions, they begin to practice: “We rehearse anywhere from three to four days a week for a couple of hours.” As the show gets closer, the practice schedule becomes much more intense: “Then we kick it up to, ‘now we’re in November.’ We’re there, everyone’s there in the trenches Monday through Friday, and even some Saturdays.” Christie speaks very positively of her cast: “They like to have fun, they’re open and playful.” She also explains that with a cast like this, it really shows that the sky’s the limit for the type of show they can bring to the stage: “They just really love the show, which is awesome because that just opens up possibilities, which is fantastic.”

Warner Faces the End of An Era 

By: Braelynn Wilcox 

Bangor, Maine – After bringing his skills to the table for the Bangor Daily News for over 4 decades, former reporter and editor, Pete Warner, has recently retired. In his first couple of weeks off he reminisces on the memories made, relationships built, lessons learned, and skills developed. He will now adventure out and tell his story in hopes to inspire others. 

The journalist graduated from Bangor High School in 1980 before entering into the Business program at the University of Maine. It didn’t take him long to realize that it wasn’t the right fit for him: “I thought it would be fun, I was going to make money…well I didn’t make money” quoted Warner. That was when his dad, who was currently a writer for the BDN, offered him a job to earn a few bucks, one in which he would answer phone calls for the results of basketball games. By doing this: “I was able to get my foot in the door of the Journalism world” Warner said. While studying at the University of Maine he participated in a few things for their designated paper before graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism in 1986. “I continued working part time at the BDN for about 3-4 years before the opportunity presented itself.” Taking a chair in the sports department. 

This is where his career began. He was a sports and recreation reporter for his first 39 years, before becoming an outdoors editor. During this time he covered: “just about any sport that comes to mind, outdoors and recreation, and everything in between” Warner stated. His favorite topics to cover would change over time, ranging from the basketball tournaments that took place in the famous Bangor auditorium to his once in a lifetime experience covering the University of Maine’s unexpected win over SEC team Mississippi State on the road in 2004: “It hadn’t happened before, hasn’t happened since. May never happen again…But to go down there and be in Starkville, Mississippi, a hostile environment, the team that your covering with all right not supposed to win, seeing them win, I remember being on the field after the game and the players were just delirious, they were so happy that they almost had no words” explained Warner. When covering these moments he discovered that the things that resonate with you, that you can take part in, are easier to write about. 

However, he couldn’t say the same for others. As a journalist you always had to face moments of reality. Those moments would bring upon challenges, and heart wrenching coverages, but that couldn’t stop him from producing his work: “The biggest challenges as a journalist is doing the hard stories, somebody passes away, someone gets fired, somebody has a career ending injury. Those are things where they know why you’re walking up to them, or calling. You know they feel bad so you feel bad, but you owe the readers a story about it because it’s important” He is able to reflect on one of the hardest stories he covered during his time at the BDN, and even to this day it brings tears to his eyes. As a reporter it’s important to build relationships with the people you interview, and that is exactly what Warner had done. So the day he received a phone call stating that a former player had committed suicide he says: “I didn’t even know where to start” but because he had built meaningful relationships, he was able to find his way with some help: “The only frame of reference I have for this kid is the people he played with and his coaches. I called the kid who was quarterback at Maine at the time they played. The guy was wrecked, but he talked to me. I don’t know why,  but he was a nice youngman, thoughtful. He was crying throughout the whole thing. He doesn’t understand how this friend of his could have possibly done something like that, to end his own life, he was crying, I was crying, it was really emotional. But what that guy told me was the story…the reason he talked to me was because of the relationship we had built from being part of the beat.”

These aren’t the only bumps in the road he came across. He faced other types of challenges such as getting information from higher authorities, he said: “Generally speaking anything involving a state agency is a nightmare…when something goes wrong that has hierarchy you’ll generally have to go through some spokesperson, someone that will let you through the door” while also admitting that: “you build in your own challenges at times” as well. 

On the other hand he is an individual who can reflect upon the evolution of the journalism industry especially during his time at the BDN. He believes that as far as journalism goes: “Technology is kind of the easiest answer” remembering the days he would go into work and have to produce papers on a typewriter: “It was almost impossible that they got anything done. There was no easy access, they had to make calls, go to the libraries, where now everything you would need to know is at your fingertips.” However, while digging deeper than the surface of journalism, the development of technology has not been the only positive change. He emphasizes that: “The influence of girls and womens sports” has also made a significant increase over the years. 

As Pete Warner embraces the end of an era, he has some of his own things to look forward to. Although, being face to face with his new reality has caught him off guard here and there as he explains that: “I have been retired for less than 3 weeks, I have no idea what I’m doing, I wake up at odd hours.” However, he truly is a writer at heart, meaning he isn’t going to bring it to a stop: “I plan to continue to write some outdoor columns for the BDN. If you’re a writer and you like to write, there is always kind of an urge there, and now I get to write about what I would like to write about, so definitely continue to write” He also is looking forward to spending more time on adventures outdoors as well as being a “true” fan, although he won’t get the perks of having: “The best seat in the house, courtside, with free passes.” 

While Warner leaves a mark on the Bangor Daily News, he will also leave his inspired with the key to journalism: “You have to know how to relate to people, be able to have a conversation, and if you can do that then your stories will be better because people will be a little more forthcoming with their answers when you’re asking them the questions.” We thank Pete Warner and all of his services to the communities, and are sure that his former colleagues at the Bangor Daily News will miss him as well, but most of all his best friend John Holyoke who always expects the “real right” answer out of Pete.

The Gridiron Grind

By: Addison Waning

Head Coach Kyle Gallant is undeniably the face of Hermon Football. With three Northern Maine Championship game appearances in the last handful of years, his track record speaks for itself. And like many coaches, the bulk of his teaching time comes in the preseason. In this wide-ranging interview, Coach Gallant talks about his philosophies, his preparation, the preseason, and what it’s like coaching against his alma mater, John Bapst. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with him about these things, and more, as he prepared to shoot an episode of the Coaches Show. 

Waning: “A common misconception among casual football fans is that preseason games don’t matter. While they don’t affect your record, what do you take away from them?” 

Gallant: “They absolutely do matter, we use our preseason games to figure out our progress throughout the preseason, both individually and as a team. And a lot of times, preseason games will give you surprises of who’s going to help us; people we didn’t think of are going to step up and help us on a Friday night, and we use them to perfect our craft. We have a short preseason, we don’t have a long time to get good at what we’re trying to do. Those two preseason games and the preseason practices are huge.”

Waning: “It’s well known that you’re a meticulous planner and very detail oriented, and your preseason program mirrors that. Can you talk about what your offseason/preseason program looks like? What do you expect from the kids?”

Gallant: “We try to be very regimented with it. I’m a firm believer in the game of football that football players respond better when they know what’s coming and when they can get into the groove of things. We expect hard work learning our schemes, learning what we’re trying to do and being good teammates. We need great leaders in the community, starting to gel together as players is what we expect in our preseason.”

Waning: “When you match up against John Bapst, what do you feel? Are there extra emotions? Is it just another game? What’s going through your mind before kickoff?”

Gallant: “I think I’ve been so removed from Bapst that it’s a lot like another game. It’s still odd to see Dan O’Connell [Bapst’s Head Coach] across the sideline. As a player and a coach, I spent ten years with him in a football program. I think it’s more odd coaching against Dan O’Connell rather than John Bapst.”

Waning: “Of what you do in the preseason, how much of that do you carry over when the regular season starts?”

Gallant: “That’s dictated year to year. We’ve had years where everything we do in the preseason is what we continue to do because the football players react and respond to it well. We’ve had years that both scheme and practice-wise, we have done things and completely scrapped it. I think that’s dictated year to year, but you know you’re going to have a good season when what you’re doing in the preseason continues through the regular season.”

Waning: “How far into the regular season is it before you can tell how valuable your preseason was? How do you know how much of the preparation has stuck?”

Gallant: “I think week one, it really shows you how much the preseason has afforded you. Then I believe that after week one, there’s so many variables to the season that nothing really comes into play into the playoffs.”

Two Years in the Making

by: Sophia Lindsay

Deputy Steve Boyd, from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department, will join the staff at Hermon High School as the school resource officer starting April 15th and working over school vacation; his first day with students is Monday, April 24th. Officer Boyd is no new face at Hermon High School, in fact, he’s been popping in for a long time. 

After the abrupt uprise in school shootings in the past several years, the Hermon administration contacted the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department hoping to get a school resource officer; apparently, every other school in the area was as well. We have waited over a year, and even though we asked over a year ago it’s taken this long for the police department to fulfill his spot. Principal Mr.Walsh states that “several times this year we thought we were going to get him and then whether a position fell through or a police officer took a different job.” It has been a long-awaited journey. I mean, Mr. Walsh has “wanted one for 20 years.”

Officer Boyd is no rookie to the game. He was previously the school resource officer for Brewer High School and then a deputy for Glenburn. He has been in the police field for 27 years and has been a part of the Old Town police, Brewer police, and the Penobscot Country sheriff’s office. In his 27 years, he has worked as a detective, community relations officer, member of SWAT, negotiator, Brewer school officer, and lots of patrol. Officer Boyd will be a huge help throughout the three Hermon schools.

It’s in the name: he’s a resource

For elementary kids, it’s being able to see a police officer, talk to a police officer, approach a police officer, and not be afraid of a police officer. When talking to Officer Boyd, he states that “as the kids come up from middle school and elementary school, they will know I’m around.” His hope is that students will feel comfortable voicing their concerns and talking to him. For the high school, it will be very beneficial to our drivers. Mr. Walsh hopes that “he’ll help us figure out a better flow in the parking lot,” because, if you haven’t witnessed it yourself, there are two 15-minute windows in the morning and afternoon where “this place is a madhouse.” As well as to have someone from a safety standpoint who is trained in safety, is a huge benefit to the school. And I’m sure it will make the administration feel better, and hopefully, make the students feel better.

The plan is to also have him in 9th and 10th-grade health classes doing units on social media, bullying, harassment, drugs and alcohol, domestic abuse, and one of the most important things: consent. All the things he’s done as a police officer will help when he brings them into the classrooms. He certainly won’t replace the health teachers, but will give a new perspective. Mr. Walsh hopes that “kids will have a better understanding of the law but also that he’s here to support them.” He also hopes that kids are comfortable with walking up to him and asking him questions

In the first half of the year, we had over 75 calls where we had the police come up for things. Having someone here will put less stress on the police department having to drive up here all the time; now we’ll have one right here. The hope is for students and parents to respond positively. Hermon has a great relationship with the police and always has. In Officer Boyd’s words, “for some people it makes them feel a little safer.” And that’s simply the truth. Having Officer Boyd here will create a sense of security and safety and the Hermon school department is very hopeful he will have a positive impact on Hermon.

A Lifetime of Involvement

By Josh Sullivan 3/10/23

You may know Ms. Clain as a spanish teacher with rumors about how long she has been teaching. However, there are more layers to this bilingual onion. Ms. Clain is a perfect example of one of the core philosophies of the Hermon High School experience: get involved.

Ms. Clain is the advisor for the student council. It’s an organization that gets very involved with running most of the events our school has. According to Ms. Clain “Student Council focuses on helping students make positive memories about their high school experience and to build awareness of the community”. Student council doesn’t stop with just helping the school, and reaches out into the community with holiday parties and community cleanups. 

Ms. Clain doesn’t stop there. She extends her involvement out into the state and nature. She is the secretary of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club. She oversees the maintenance of a trail area around Gulf Hagas, “building stone staircases, bog bridges and stepping stones, all to control erosion.”. She personally maintains a section of trail near Jo Mary Lake outside of Millinocket, helping out the thousands of people who visit the trail every year.

If you’ve had Ms. Clain as a teacher, you might have heard stories of her travels. She frequently travels to national parks across the country; she has visited 40 so far. However some of her travels are not just for sightseeing: This will be her “fifth summer spending the first two weeks of August volunteering on Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route that’s been in use since the late 10th century.”

If you’re an 8th grader who is looking to you their high school experience on the right track or even a senior who is looking to do some good before you graduate, take Ms. Clains lead. It doesn’t have to be as big as taveling to Spain or maintaining the Appalachian Trail. You can get involved with smaller stuff like the community clean up, join the band (which Ms. Clain also did in High School), or help out with student council. As I’m sure Ms. Clain can attest to, the best way to spend the four years in high school or even the rest of your life is to be involved.

A Run at the Peterslam!

By: Nick Fullerton

Mr. Peterson, being a fan favorite teacher, co-worker, and friend, just won both Fantasy Football and Basketball championships within Hermon High School. 

And he’s not done yet!

Mr. Peterson is now on the path to win what people are calling the Peterslam: a Fantasy Football crown, a Fantasy Basketball crown, then take home the crown in March Mammal Madness. 

Mr. Peterson is the person that you fear playing against in anything that has somewhat of a competition to it. His own wife won’t even play the simple game of scrabble against him because the strive to win is so intense. 

But what gives Mr. Peterson his strive to win so badly:  Mindset. Mindset. Mindset. 

“My goal is to make whoever I played that week so humiliated that they call out sick on Monday. The subs love me.” 

Mr. Peterson is the Kobe Bryant of Competition. So to be playing Mr. Peterson is something that you just don’t look forward to. 

To complete the Peterslam, all he needs to do is win March Mammal Madness. This is no easy task, as the faculty at HHS are ruthless in their attempts to pick the world’s most fearless animal. It will definitely take a lot of preparation, but Peterson is stepping up to the plate with no fear, stating that his strategy to win is “to go on a walkabout during February break. I will live with the animals. Speak with the animals. Learn their natural pecking order. Return to HHS and fill out a flawless bracket.” 

Nothing other than Flawlessness is what Mr. Peterson expects and will be. As the late Kobe Bryant once said, “The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win.” There will be no giving up and no fear in Mr. P,  but this does not subside the fact that this will be an easy battle to fight. As he stated, “Everyone is tough.”

He knows what he is walking into, that there will be those close battles and fights; except “Mr. Garbe” he claims, his young and talented adversary. 

As a History teacher, Peterson would love to take this huge win: “it would mean a lot to know some day hundreds of years from now, people will be learning about me.” The historical significance that would come with the Peterslam would cement his legacy as a teaching great.

With huge anticipation comes great rewards. Watch out, be scared, because you will not outwork, out play; YOU WILL NOT WIN against HIM.  

Back in the Swing of Things  

By: Lyndsee Reed

Stephanie Biberstein is not a new name to those involved in the High School softball world in Maine.  With a strong 10-year coaching career in Hermon starting in 2003, she’s already built herself an accomplished reputation.  And now she’s back.  

After making the decision to accept the Athletic Trainer position in 2013, she was forced to give up the coaching side of her life.  Yet a few years later, and another position change to Assistant Principal, has allowed her to get back into the coaching game this past season. “It was an incredible experience” being back, but definitely a learning curve getting into the groove of things again.” (Photo Credit: Ron Hawkes)

At first it was “difficult to balance work, family, and coaching.  With the coaching staff, we had to find a way to work around everyone’s work schedules”.  And with two sons in High School, it also became difficult missing their activities during the season.  Yet while getting back into the rhythm of a softball season has its fair share of challenges, the rewards far outweigh them. 

“Having an amazing coaching staff made it so much easier.”  Along with Coach Biberstein, she has called back her old coaching staff consisting of Dewane Graves and Aaron Oaks,  while also adding Graves’ daughter Shannon, to round out the crew.  She emphasized how incredible it was “working with the coaching staff again and getting back together” and the importance of their return in her decision to come back. 

But ultimately it’s the kids and seeing them succeed and improve that keeps her coming back to the sport.  And this past year was no different.  “The character, work ethic, and positivity of the team was always there.  They were always challenging each other and everyone worked hard each day.  There was never a doubt or a struggle to get 110% out of them.”  (Photo Credit: Ron Hawkes)

It’s a true joy for her to be “able to see the improvement in the players during the season and see the excitement when something is done right. It’s always good to see how the hard work of the players pays off and the support they have for each other.”  Teams go through a lot throughout a season together and to see that bond grow stronger and stronger is an important part of the game that she enjoys being a part of.  

But being a coach isn’t always sunshine and rainbows.  With success there also must come some form of defeat.  “When we lose I feel like I put that loss on myself.  But if we win, that’s all the kids’ effort and work.”  Carrying that burden as a player is hard enough, but as a coach it can be even more of a struggle.  But a defeat is only a small detail in the big picture of the game of softball.  

And that idea has turned into the foundation for one of the main pieces of advice she touches upon each year:  “I really try to emphasize the importance of not playing tight, but instead to play more relaxed.  If you’re focused on your last mistake, chances are you’re going to make another one.”  She recognizes the importance of playing in a focused, but free and relaxed manner.  Pushing her athletes to not “worry about mistakes, they’re going to happen in the game of softball”,  but instead “recognize the mistake, learn from it, and work together to improve and fix it”.  

That’s the game of softball, and in a bigger picture, the game of life.  Hermon has been truly blessed to have this veteran coach back in the dugout this past year and hopefully more seasons to come.  For in her eyes, it continues to “always be about the kids”.

Captain T

Staff Spotlight: Ms. Trenckmann

By: Allie Cameron 

Many know her as just Ms. Trenckmann, science teacher at Hermon High School.

But did you know she played volleyball in college? 

Trenckmann was a Marine Biology major with a minor in Business and Logistics at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine. Not many can say that they play sports at the collegiate level, but she can. 

Not only did she play in college, she set records! She has the most assists in school history. 791 assists. 

That’s right. 791 assists. 

Trenckmann was nominated by her coaches and teammates to be co-captain her junior year, and senior year as main captain: “I think they would have described me as dedicated and determined to win,” she says. “I also would think my teammates would say I’m intense and overly competitive.” 

Her competitiveness in athletics transferred to the classrooms as well, where she was recognized as the Marine Biology programs Scheel Scholar at MMA.  

All of these experiences from being a leader on and off the court have helped lead her to the person and teacher she is today: “in practice I would say I’m familiar with how I am as a teacher: supportive and giving feedback.” 

With her competitive spirit, it was always her goal to win the NCAA championship, but having that family bond was just as important. 

“I was a big believer in leading by example,” Trenckmann adds, “I would show them how to act in school and on the court.” She didn’t just care about her teammates while in practices, and games; she cared about them in the classrooms as well. 

Collegiate sports can sometimes be tough and overwhelming, but Trenckmann tried to always be there for everyone: “I wanted it to be fun and us to have family within the team since most of our families were far away.”  

A lot of responsibility lies on the team’s captain and leaders, and that can feel like you’re carrying the world on your shoulders. “I relied on my co-captain a lot and she made it easier, as well as my coaches,” she stated, “when it’s me and my team on the floor my mind goes blank, and I focus on the task at hand.”

With her kindness, leadership, and competitiveness Trenckmann dominated as a student athlete at Maine Maritime Academy, and has excelled as a teacher at Hermon High School.