These Wilton High students will write for the Bulletin

WILTON — With the new school year underway, the Bulletin presents its new team of Warrior Words columnists. The tradition of having Wilton High School seniors contribute a weekly column for the publication stretches back decades. It offers students the opportunity to speak their minds on issues of their choice with one caveat: each column must be tied to life in Wilton or as a student in the high school. This year’s team, in the order that their columns will appear, are Ryan McElroy, Libby Connolly, Justin Rosenthal, and Kathleen McMorris. Each submitted a sample column to be considered for a spot on the team. At school, Ryan is president of the Mock Trial club and co-captain of the high school’s Model U.N. club. Wilton’s mock trial club fields one or more teams of students to participate in regional competitions. The students receive a case and prepare to try it against another school. Students portray both lawyers and witnesses for the defense and prosecution. Ryan is also an Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 20 and is on the board of Key Club. In college, he plans to study English or classical languages. Right now, his Latin class is reading Virgil’s Aeneid, “which I like a lot,” he said. Ryan enjoys writing and said he pursued becoming a student columnist to “get more exposure to writing and try my hand at journalism.” Libby is captain of Wilton High School’s varsity girls soccer team and a member of the National Honor Society. When she’s not in school, customers can find her dishing up frozen treats at Gofer Ice Cream, here and in New Canaan, where her favorite flavor, she said, is Graham Slam — a combo of honey comb, vanilla and fudge. The youngest of five in the Connolly clan, Libby is following in the steps of her sister Brooke, who was also a Warrior Words columnist. Family summers on Cape Cod will find Libby on the tennis court, sailing and playing with her four dogs. Although she plans to study biology in college, Libby said she loves writing and believes the Warrior Words column “is a great way to tell the community about Wilton High School life.” Justin’s love of creative writing led him not only to pursue being a student columnist but to being one of the lead editors of the high school’s literary magazine as well. He is also planning to start a creative writing club for middle school students at Trackside. Justin is a member of Teen PeaceWorks at school, which is associated with the Domestic Violence Crisis Center. In the past, the club has worked to raise awareness of domestic violence and unhealthy dating relationships. As a student immersed in his Latin and Greek classes, Justin plans to major in the classics when he goes to college. He is a particular fan of Homer, but finds all the classics “still relevant. Their emotions, concepts and themes are universal,” he said. Kathleen keeps herself more than busy competing on the high school’s lacrosse, ice hockey and cross-country teams. She is also involved as a leader in the school’s American Cancer Society club, Unicef and Top Inclusion Models. Kathleen also volunteers for Safe Rides and Top Soccer. The youngest of nine, Kathleen said she loves “the chaos” that often accompanies a large family. A fan of politics, she hopes to follow in the footsteps of her father and brother by majoring in political science in college. “I love writing,” she said of her decision to try out for the column, which she said is “a great opportunity” to hone her skill. Their columns may be read each Thursday through June 10, in the printed Bulletin, on the Bulletin website, and on the Bulletin’s Facebook page.

Recommended