by Lydia Yeshitla ’17, Staff Writer

As fall starts to kick in and cooler days are upon us, you may want to start attending all the Back to School events. But before you attend a production like the Fall Drama, or decide to put on a Morning Meeting presentation, you’re going to have to thank a few of your classmates first. Sure, Newark Academy seems to run pretty smoothly on its own, but this is largely due to the hard work of Sam Okinow ’16, Nick Wecal ’17, and Sam Pensiero ’18. The production behind all the prominent events that everyone looks forward to throughout the school year would not be so memorable if it weren’t for these three unsung producers behind the scenes.

You may have seen some of your classmates up at the booth every morning, but do you really know how much effort they put into operating morning meeting? Sam, Nick, and Sam arrive at the booth for morning meeting as early as 7:15; they’re putting an hour in every morning for NA to enjoy just 25 minutes. Sam Pensiero, nevertheless, doesn’t seem to think highly of his efforts: “Personally, I consider conducting the booth during morning meeting to be more fun than it is demanding. I’m in charge of the curtains, Nick and I control the audio, and Sam cues the lights. But we all chip in with each other!”

Here at Newark Academy, we’re fortunate enough to have more than just a few members of the community willing to help make NA function to the best of its abilities. Nick says, “I have been recently working on the carpentry for the Winter Play. One prop I’ve been working on is a wooden platform which is covered with plants, and it will store other props for the play. I’d say the best part about doing jobs like this is that I don’t work on it exclusively, so many other NA students assist us. Sam Pensiero agrees, and feels as though, “it says a lot about our school community when so many other students are just as dedicated to making our school function.”

If waking up an hour earlier every morning doesn’t sound tiring enough, you’ll be surprised when you discover the amount of time these three spend producing the Fall Drama and Winter Musical each year. Sam, Nick, and Sam disclosed that they each dedicate 25 hours in a span of 5 weeks to produce the play, and 100 hours to produce the Winter Musical! Though all this work may seem exhausting, Nick discloses that it’s worth the time spent: “The rewards are great. I love seeing the final product and the smiles on people’s faces. It also helps that all the teachers know who I am; I get a trustworthy and respectable reputation among them.”

Whether you participate in the arts or not, you’re most likely a Newark Academy student or faculty member, so you owe some thank you’s to these three students! And the next time you marvel at the Fall Drama, or are left in awe from a dance concert, make sure to remember the trio behind the scenes.