A Brand New Year, Brand New School -- Aysiah Jaeke

Hi. I am Aysiah Jaeke, a freshman at HUHS. Although school just started,  I am already incredibly busy. Being part of different activities such as Student Council, the musical, and golf has made my schedule crazy, but it has also made my transition into high school a lot easier.

 On the first day of school, I was a bit nervous. I am really glad that I went to Freshman Jumpstart and Freshman Orientation because it really helped me find all my

classes and get there on time. It was kind of hard to adjust to kids in the hallway because there are so many people, but I can now say that I have successfully made through my month without being tripped or getting lost.

In the first couple weeks of school, I have already gotten tons of homework. After golf practice, I have to go home and start working on assignments right away. Although during resource I may want to talk with my friends, I have found that it works better if I focus on homework. Resource is such a helpful period because I can work with different classmates or go to teachers for help. I have also learned that high school teachers are no scarier than middle school ones. My teachers all seem to genuinely care about my success and are ready to help me wherever I need it.

One of my favorite classes so far this year is biomedical sciences. The class includes high school students of all different grade levels, which is cool because I can meet people other than freshmen. So far, we have been working on a crime scene investigation. It’s really cool to do labs that are similar to things that some people actually do for a job and to learn more about crime scene investigators. I love the hands-on aspect of everything here at the high school.

So far, my year has been going great, and I hope that it will continue to be like this for the rest of my four years at Hartford Union High School. 

Meet Aysiah!

Our freshman blogger, Aysiah, has some pretty big shoes to fill, for her older sister Elisha has set the bar high, but Aysiah is definitely up for the challenge.  In a short few weeks, she has found her way around the building and is feeling at home as the school year moves on.  Aysiah comes to HUHS from Central Middle School, and is a second generation Oriole, as both her parents attended HUHS.

Wasting no time in getting involved, Aysiah is a member of Student Council, she is a part of the musical, and a part of the golf team.  Aysiah is a member of the Treble Choir, and she also enjoys playing the violin as well.  Theater is in her blood; she has been a part of 14 productions with various local theater and dance groups, garnering one of the leads during middle school.

While she engages the left side of her brain often, she admits that science is her favorite class and is looking forward to the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) BioMed class.  Science is intriguing to her because there is always something new to learn.  Already, the class has piqued her interest with the crime scene investigation scenario.  For Aysiah, it was fascinating to see all the elements of science that goes into an investigation.

Joining the Student Council at HUHS was a logical progression for Aysiah, as she was the president of her middle school council.  She is looking forward to getting involved in the HUHS community through Student Council and is excited to be working on the Homecoming events for 2014.

Make it Great -- Aaron Nytes

It's the beginning of a new school year! Time for the "beginning-of-the-year-jitters", and procrastination to start kicking. My name is Aaron Nytes. Yes, brother of the outgoing Jackie Nytes and the outspoken Ian Nytes. I am very active around the school, and I, as well, am excited for the new year. 

We all have that feeling of excitement, but the sad truth is, eventually, that will be set aside as feelings of despair and anxiety start to kick in. It won't be long until we are all counting down the months, days, and the *tick*tick*tick* seconds.  As we get piled on with homework and essays and responsibilities and... Umm... More essays; we will all begin to hate school again, as we did last year, and the year before. But, I ask of you, while you are already starting to look forward to the summer,why not try and make this year great. It's a year you will never get back. "The glory days" they call it. Why don't we try to make them glory-filled? Why don't we make it the best we can be? Try enjoying free learning, as the next step will most likely not be free. As a pessimistic-optimistic would say, we have to be here anyway, why not make it great? Enjoy the beginning of the school year.

Meet Aaron!

As we kick off The Oriole Life blog, we will introduce you to the four students who have graciously agreed to document their lives for this blog. They are a great group of kids with varied interests, and they represent the wonderful kids that walk the halls every day at HUHS.


 Aaron, a junior, is a student who looks to challenge himself in school.  He is currently taking four Advanced Placement (AP) classes this year and plans to take six AP classes next year.  In addition to his coursework, Aaron is involved in Forensics, Model UN, Tennis, and Student Council this year.  In the past, he was involved in Mock Trial and Basketball. He is probably one of the few teenagers who enjoys public speaking, and he brings his gift to school events, as he hosted the talent show last year and will be the host of the Homecoming Pep Rally in October.

Aaron is the youngest of three children to attend HUHS.  His older sister, Jackie, who graduated last year, was his forensic partner.  They placed very well last season, even winning the talent show with their performance of "Dear Babies Everywhere."  You can also find him working in Ozzy's Cafe when all the renovations are completed.

Even with such a full schedule, Aaron has been involved in the creation of the Love>Hate project.  The project works to end the culture of violence within our society and to help people embrace a more positive outlook.  This project grew of the tragic death of HUHS alumna Jessie Blodgett, and works to help people move beyond the anger and hate that surrounded the tragedy.  In the little spare time that he has, Aaron has a job outside of school, and likes to play the collectible card game Magic,

Welcome to Life at HUHS

This year we are documenting the lives of our students as they maneuver their way through the halls of Hartford Union High School.  Our new blog "The Oriole Life" presents a side of high school that many may not see.   We are taking you behind the scenes, around the campus, and into the lives of our students.

We have four featured writers who will share their experiences at HUHS throughout the entire academic year.  Hartford Union High School is a great school, and there are so many opportunities available to all students.  A student's perspective will show the community all sides of the high school experience, from the academic experiences to the social issues and everything in between.

Keep an eye out for profiles of our bloggers during the next few weeks.  The bloggers will begin posting the week of September 8th.  Enjoy the Oriole Life!