By Ben Rossi – Staff Reporter

Mr. Kulenych has taught at Law for 17 years. He teaches Journalism 1, Journalism 2, Journalism 3, Humanities, and Broadcast Journalism and coaches the girls tennis team at Jonathan Law. Advocate Staff Reporter Ben Rossi interviewed Mr. K about the school year and the upcoming tennis season.

Ben Rossi: Out of all of the classes you teach, which has been the hardest to adjust to COVID?

Mr. K.: Every class has had its own unique challenges this year, but Journalism and Broadcast Journalism have definitely been the most challenging. With such a lack of traditional events and activities this year, we have to get creative when coming up with story ideas for Journalism, and in Broadcast, a lack of daily news and announcements has made us come up with different ways to keep everyone informed and entertained. It’s been different, obviously, but the kids in both classes have been amazing and have risen to the challenge.

BR: How do you feel about freshmen being allowed to take Journalism 1?

MK: Our goal every year with The Advocate is to keep the journalism family growing, so getting kids into Journalism 1 as soon as they get into high school is great. The sooner kids take Journalism 1, the sooner they can take Journalism 2 and Journalism 3 and become editors. Having a mix of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the program helps us cover the issues and news stories affecting all grades as well. We can’t wait to welcome the Class of 2025 to the journalism family next year!

BR: As the advisor of The Advocate how are you helping students to get content out?

MK: COVID has definitely affected what content we can create and how we can get that information out to our readers. We have relied heavily on social media and we have really ramped up our use of Instagram to inform and entertain people. We have used Instagram to post series commemorating Black History Month, supporting local businesses, highlighting Law’s teachers and seniors, and more. We have also created more video content ever before that we have shared on social media and on Eagle Eye News. 

BR: What are your goals as a coach for the tennis season?

MK: We’ve waited almost two years to play tennis again, so our main goal is just to have fun, stay safe, and take advantage of the opportunity we have. Missing out on last year was tough for everyone, but it has made us even hungrier and more determined to be our best this year. We are going to have a lot of new faces on the team this year, so it’s our job to welcome them and get them up to speed, and then do everything we can to have a successful season on and off the court. If we work hard and have fun, our record will take care of itself.

BR: As the coach for the girls tennis team how are you preparing for the upcoming season?

MK: We recently started virtual conditioning and begin in-person conditioning soon. Most of the girls have been playing indoors through the winter, taking lessons, and playing in off-season tournaments. I’m really proud of the way that the returning players have continued to play year-round and I can’t wait to see how much they have improved. I’m excited to see all of the new players as well. March 27th can’t get here fast enough.