Where is Dan LaClair?

Have you noticed anything missing from the halls of Jamesville-DeWitt High School this year? The class of 2012 sure does.

At the beginning of July, Dan LaClair left his hometown of Jamesville, NY and moved to Downingtown, Pa., outside of Philadelphia, after his dad was asked to relocate for work.

“Being away for my senior year from a district where I’ve gone to school my whole life is tough,” said LaClair. “Every student looks forward to their senior year at a school where they’ve spent a lot of time.”

While it’s obviously a big change for LaClair and his family, friends of his are also affected. “It’s a huge void in our grade,” says senior Aaron Mikesell. “No matter how serious the moment, Dan would always have a joke prepared.”

“It’s weird not seeing his face every day,” says senior Doug Elmore. “We’ve had classes together since fourth grade. He was always witty, and he was always good to converse with about ‘guy stuff’.”

“Dan was the best,” said senior Mary Miller. “There was never a time when people wouldn’t want to hang out with him,” she said.

Friends aren’t the only ones that notice LaClair’s absence.

“Dan always had a good sense of humor,” said LaClair’s former biology and chemistry teacher Theresa Groman. “He’s a smart kid, hard worker.” Mrs. Groman has no fear for LaClair’s future. “I think he’ll be fine. He’s very personable.”

Considering the amount of time spent at J-DHS, a move to a new school would seem like an alien experience.

“We’re doing alright, we just keep on progressing and getting used to the Philly way,” says LaClair. “As far as the people at my new school and around town go, there’s not a whole lot that different.”

While many would shy away from moving to a new school, LaClair describes his experience as “a breath of fresh air. It’s really nice to have a smaller school. You get to know everyone a lot better and you have more one-on-one time with teachers,” he said.

The fact that class sizes are relatively small in his new school is another positive. “My biggest class has only about 20 students in it, and that’s awesome because classrooms are pretty quiet and it’s easy to concentrate,” he said.

Being away from J-DHS also allows LaClair to see his old school in a unique perspective. “It’s a lot easier to see the good and the bad in retrospect,” said LaClair. “Obviously I miss all my friends. I know I’ll miss the basketball games, too, but the football team here is pretty good so it evens out.”

“Something I definitely don’t miss is the fact that J-DHS never closes, when I’ve already had a two-hour delay here for flooding and we were dismissed early [the other day] for no reason,” he said.

As far as LaClair’s plans for college goes, Virginia Tech holds the number one spot at the moment. “My sister went to Virginia Tech, so I’ve been there a lot and I already have a good feel for what the school is like,” he said.

LaClair’s absence is felt throughout the school; however, he wants people to know: “Don’t worry, I’ll be back for a visit soon.”