If you take a quick stroll through Nanuet’s green-locker halls in between classes, have a bite to eat in the cafeteria during the common lunch, you know this: Nanuet is a small school with a diverse and dynamic student population. Like every small-town high school, Nanuet has its cliques, or its niches, if you will, and these all contribute to the town being even more special and unique. In this building, you might find a star athlete, a musician, band member, or even a future FBI Agent. But one thing is for sure: Once the clock strikes 3:06, Nanuet students scatter in different directions to spend their after-school hours chasing their dreams, honing their talents and enjoying some of their non-academic hobbies.
By afternoon, senior Luke Joyce transforms from student to defensive tackle on Nanuet’s Varsity Football Team. But, by night, Joyce also serves as the drummer for his band Half Nelson.
“My favorite thing to do outside of school is definitely playing the drums,” Joyce said. “I do other things like all the other kids do, like playing video games, but drums is definitely number one.”
But Joyce’s natural affinity for percussion was not self-discovered. According to him, it was a friend who suggested he put his talent to good use.
“Michael Duplessis and I both wrestled together for years,” he said. “I’d say around 9 years. [He] and I were talking in July of 2023. He had said to me, ‘You should be a drummer.’ So I got myself a practice pad in September of ‘23 and got my real set in January of this year.”
Duplessis, who graduated Nanuet last year, had been playing the guitar since COVID, according to Joyce.
“Joe D’Adamo and I picked up our instruments in July and that’s how the band started,” he said. “All over video games off the PlayStation party.”
The band Half Nelson has always been a cover band, according to Joyce, until now.
“We have our own music in the works right now,” he said, adding that the group released a single when his fellow band members came home for Thanksgiving break. “It’s nothing much, just a little song, maybe we’ll drop an EP (Extended Play) if we have enough time.”
Beyond just practicing and writing music together, Half Nelson loves to perform, according to Joyce.
“Last time we performed live was for my brother’s graduation party. We played three songs along with an encore. We did ‘The adventures’ by Angels and Airwaves, which is Tom DeLonge’s other band after he left Blink-182. Then we did ‘Boxing Day’ by Blink-182 and our third song was ‘All The Small Things,’ also by Blink-182. So, we did all Blink-182-related songs up until the encore, which was ‘Brain Stew’ By Green Day.”
Joyce has one special request for those reading this article.
“Go follow the Instagram of course, and check out the new single.”
Readers can follow half_nelson4 on Instagram.
Joyce is not the only Nanuet student who dedicates his after-school hours to different hobbies. Senior Aidan McDonagh is a part of an FBI-training program for teens and adults.
The program is an opportunity to explore law enforcement careers, specifically within the FBI. The program provides hands-on instruction and opportunities for interaction with local agencies, according to the FBI Explorers website. The program enables participants to learn valuable life skills and knowledge of the field.
“Explorers compete against other Explorer programs in New York, such as the NYPD and DEA, in scenarios ranging from Search and Arrests to First Aid and Crime Scene Investigation. This builds and fosters character, teamwork, and leadership,” said McDonagh.
The program also includes visiting the FBI academy, as well as the organization’s headquarters in Washington D.C. They also “volunteer regularly within [the] community, and attend numerous community service events every month,” he said.
McDonough joined the program during the Summer of 2023, when he attended the FBI Teen Academy in New York City, he explained. While he was there, he met some of the FBI Explorers, took interest and applied to the program himself.
“They introduced me to the Explorer program, which I then applied to, and was then accepted after a lengthy application process that included a background check,” he said.
McDonough has been a member of the program for two years. He plans to work in the FBI someday. However, according to him, “you don’t have to want to go into the FBI in order to get into this program. Explorers learn life skills and establish connections that last a lifetime.”
There are multiple aspects of the program he enjoys, McDonough explained/
“My favorite part of our training is arguably Search, Arrest, and Seizure,” he said. “This is one of my favorite scenarios because of the adrenaline, and the fact that it almost never goes to plan.”
But that’s not all he loves about it.
“My [other] favorite part about this program is the connections and the friendships we make,” he said.
Whether it’s pounding on the drums at a grad party concert or preparing for a top-secret government job, Nanuet students always find ways to keep busy, even after the school day comes to a close.
Stay tuned for our next feature article exploring how Nanuet Knights spend their time after school.