The Student News Site of South Windsor High School

The Bobcat Prowl

The Bobcat Prowl
The Student News Site of South Windsor High School

The Bobcat Prowl
Ethan Sands

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist

Ethan Sands is a senior at South Windsor High School. He loves writing of any kind and is excited to be the Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist for The Bobcat Prowl this year. In his free time, he likes to rock climb both inside and outside. He doesn’t know what career he wants to pursue, yet, but is planning to go to college after high school. In the summer between high school and college, he is probably going to work as a camp counselor.

All content by Ethan Sands
Students at Orchard Hill Elementary School in South Windsor participate in their annual Earth Day parade. (Thomas Waniewski)

From Awareness to Action; South Windsor Makes Earth Day Count

Jozefin Waniewski, Eliza Blanchfield, and Ethan Sands
April 22, 2025

Starting in 1970, Earth Day has fallen on April 22nd each year to demonstrate support for global and local environmental protection.  This large scale movement is commemorated in South Windsor each...

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The exact location of Zerella's project along Plum Gully Brook is shown.

SWHS Senior Attacks Erosion With a Coconut-based Approach

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
April 10, 2025

SWHS senior Ben Zerella is an active member of Boy Scout Troop 880 who recently completed his Eagle Scout project. Zerella’s project focused on the installation of erosion control devices along the bank...

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The SWHS Science Olympiad team poses with their trophies and medals at the state competition. (SWHS Science Olympiad)

Big Bucks for Science Olympiad As They Prepare for Nationals

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
April 1, 2025

Vernon Dentist’s Office, Dr. Jay Family Dental, owned by Dr. Krithika Jayaprakash, has donated $550 to the SWHS Science Olympiad program to help fuel an already phenomenal season.  Dr. Jayaprakash...

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SWHS' course catalog contains a variety of course options for each grade level.

Course Overrides: Who Really Knows Best?

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
March 3, 2025

Every year, teachers recommend students for their courses for the next and every year, some students disagree. This can result in a course override, where students opt to go against a teacher's recommendation...

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Junior Eli Schwartzman will represent South Windsor High School and The Bobcat Prowl as a National Youth Correspondent.

Schwartzman; The Bobcat Prowl’s Sportsman

Eliza Blanchfield and Ethan Sands
February 28, 2025

The Bobcat Prowl’s very own Editor/Sports Specialist, Eli Schwartzman, has been recognized for his prestigious writing abilities through the National Scholastic Press Association Clips and Clicks contest,...

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Many families participated in the food craft in the main room of the Lutz Museum.

Chuckles ‘Phones In’ Prediction for an Early Spring

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
February 3, 2025

On Sunday, February 2, 2025, the Lutz Children’s Museum in Manchester held its 47th annual Groundhog Day Prognostication Celebration. Families from all over the area gathered at the crack of dawn to...

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New Hall of Fame inductee, Mr Duclos, coaching the lacrosse team. (Jackie Cussin)

Duclos Down in Fame

Chayton Dempsey and Ethan Sands
January 14, 2025

Former SWHS lacrosse coach, Ed Duclos will be inducted into the Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame on January 24th at the Vazzano’s Four Seasons in Stratford, CT.  Duclos was originally a football...

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South Windsor Town Council Charter Revision Committee has compiled their proposal into a draft.

Welcoming the South Windsor Town Charter to the 21st Century

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
December 17, 2024

For the first time in 50 years, the South Windsor Town Charter will be amended. A commission to revise the charter was created on September 18, 2023, and has been working for the past 16 months to make...

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Inductees receive their certificates following the ceremony, declaring them official members

Rho Kappa Welcomes 82 New Members in Induction Ceremony

Izabella McKenna, Ethan Sands, and Isabella Giammarino
December 2, 2024

On November 19, 2024, 82 students were inducted into Rho Kappa, SWHS’ Social Studies Honors Society. Members of Rho Kappa must have a 3.5 GPA and excellence in their previous social studies classes....

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The guidance department posed for a photo on the first day of school. (Jillian Dobosz)

Need for School Counselors Expected to Increase in Coming Years

Ethan Sands and Isabella Giammarino
November 15, 2024

Applying to college, managing grades and providing resources are just a few of the many jobs guidance counselors have. But what happens when there’s too many kids to complete these jobs effectively? At...

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The sun sets during fall at around 8 pm, before daylight saving time has been implemented.

Is Daylight Savings Beneficial?

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
November 5, 2024

November 3rd, 2024, 2am. Another glance at the clock will show that the time is 1 am indicating that an entire hour has seemingly disappeared into nothingness. This bi-yearly occurrence of setting clocks...

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A student using their cell phone to scroll on Instagram during one of their classes.

Reflecting on the Cell Phone Policy

Izabella McKenna and Ethan Sands
October 21, 2024

Starting at the beginning of this school year, SWHS administration has cracked down on phone use in classrooms. The new policy was designed to try to encourage students to be more focused during the time...

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Sophmore Erin Fang at the leadership program over the summer presenting with her team (Lauren Hensel).

An International Initiative

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
October 1, 2024

As students grow up and go to high school, opportunities to help their community begin to present themselves. Clubs, volunteer organizations, and other programs of the sort allow adolescents to come into...

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Photo of the South Windsor Town Council during a monthly meeting. (Karmela Malone)

Delnicki Committed to ‘Improving Communication and Transparency’

Eliza Blanchfield and Ethan Sands
September 24, 2024

As per a statement from Mayor Delnicki released on September 21st, Delnicki is not resigning from her position as Mayor. “I, along with my fellow councilors have agreed to work out our differences...

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South Windsor's Town Hall located on Sullivan Avenue before an annual meeting of the Town Council. (Karmela Malone)

Mayor Delnicki Asked to Resign

Eliza Blanchfield, Ethan Sands, and Elizabeth Sinclair
September 19, 2024

The South Windsor Community Facebook pages were filled with comments regarding information released by the Republican Committee starting on September 18th, 2024. Fellow Republican South Windsor Town...

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'Legally Blonde' auditions were held on Wednesday and Thursday the 4th and 5th of September.

SWHS’ Fall Production, ‘Legally Blonde’ Auditions Conclude

Ethan Sands and Ore Akinsola
September 10, 2024

Auditions for South Windsor High School’s fall production, Legally Blonde, were held from 2-4pm on Wednesday and Thursday, September 4th and 5th in the SWHS auditorium. The first day was focused on...

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Gonzalez standing in front of a statue at USC and Coursey when he visited the U.K. last summer.

Seniors Travel Thousands of Miles for a Unique College Experience

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
June 5, 2024

With the 2023-24 school year coming to a close, most seniors already know their plans for next year, including what colleges they will be attending. While a large number of graduating seniors at SWHS...

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Science Fair

Hana Moustafa, Izabella McKenna, and Ethan Sands
June 5, 2024

South Windsor High School Science Fair took place on Friday, May 24th. Freshman science students presented their work to a panel of judges.

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Senior Joey Bemis' poem was selected to be read at this year's graduation ceremony.

Student Poet Joey Bemis to Read Aloud at Graduation

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
May 21, 2024

An annual SWHS tradition is to select a senior to read an original poem at graduation and print that poem in the program. This year, graduating Senior Joey Bemis has been selected as the student poet to...

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Student fills in bubble sheet as was done when the SAT’s were paper-based.

Students Took The SAT Prep Course. How Did They Do?

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
May 6, 2024

South Windsor High School offers a semester-long SAT prep course in the fall to help prepare students for that year's spring SAT.  In accordance with the structure of the SAT, there is a math and reading...

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Barbara Eddy, ASL teacher in her classroom on the second floor.

Eddy Wraps up her Final Year Teaching at SWHS

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
April 19, 2024

After nearly 20 years of service in the South Windsor School District, SWHS’s American Sign Language (ASL) teacher Barbara Eddy is retiring in June 2024. She has taught at SWHS since 2010, starting as...

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SWHS students going to buses after school gets out in the afternoon

Late Buses and Long Days for Elementary Students

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
March 18, 2024

Wake up. Go to school. Come home - in darkness during the winter. Eat dinner. Go to sleep. This is the daily routine of most elementary schoolers on the late school schedule. Elementary schools in the...

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SWFTLK gathered at the Dance-a-thon to raise money for local children's hospitals

SWFTLK ‘Dance the Night Away,’ raises $8,000 for local Children’s Hospital

Ethan Sands and Maanya Pande
February 27, 2024

The South Windsor For The Local Kids (SWFTLK) club held its 10th annual Nicki Cartier Dance Marathon on Friday, February 23 from 6 to 9 pm in the SWHS cafeteria. The event included dancing, games, speeches,...

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Language display put up in the second floor hallway of the main building.

World Language Offers More Than Just a Credit

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
February 7, 2024

Language display put up in the second floor hallway of the main building.

SWHS student modeling cheating methods while working in class.

Maintaining Academic Integrity During Midterms

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
January 22, 2024

SWHS student modeling cheating methods while working in class.

Festi's 4th period class working on their model business projects.

Entrepreneurship Starts Mobile Business Project

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
January 11, 2024

SWHS teacher Ellen Festi begins every day of her entrepreneurship class with a pitch from Shark Tank.  Having bought all 15 seasons of the show, she handpicks episodes to play at the beginning of each...

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Picture of an empty Hall of Achievement displaying athletic records.

Does Anybody Actually Peak in High School?

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
December 22, 2023

In almost every high school movie from the 80s into the 2000s there has been the stereotype of the popular kids who “peaked in high school.” But does anybody really “peak” in high school? Personally,...

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Peter Korchari (current SRO) and Jeremy Weiss (incoming SRO) in room 101.

A Changing of the Guard

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
December 1, 2023

SWHS’s current School Resource Officer (SRO), Officer Peter Korchari is leaving SWHS on December 6 to work as a digital investigator. Officer Jeremy Weiss will take up the SRO position. Korchari has...

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Proposed location of the new lighted turf field, currently baseball field, and SWHS tennis courts.

$7.5 Million SWHS Campus Improvement Proposal

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
November 14, 2023

On October 24, the South Windsor Board of Education voted unanimously to pursue the $7.5 million campus improvement plan introduced by the Superintendent of South Windsor Schools, Dr. Kate Carter. Included...

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The colorful face painting tent attracts customers at Apple Fest.

[Photo] Apple Fest Provides a Taste of Fall

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
October 16, 2023

The colorful face painting tent attracts customers at Apple Fest.

Unorganized assignments and trash strewn around a frantic student’s desk.

How do Students Handle Stress?

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
October 11, 2023

High school can be a particularly busy time in a person’s life. Between school, clubs, sports, extracurriculars, work, and maintaining a social life, calendars fill up fast. As “Unit 1 review”...

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The light hits the Wapping School sign on an early Thursday morning.

Walking from Wapping to the Annex

Ethan Sands, Copy Editor/ Opinion Specialist
September 21, 2023

The light hits the Wapping School sign on an early Thursday morning.

The light hits the Wapping School sign on an early Thursday morning.

The light hits the Wapping School sign on an early Thursday morning.