Double Duty

Double+Duty

Senior Kyle Mussel, to quote the popular military saying, does more before 9 a.m. than most people do all day.

More than that, he does more in a day than most people do all week. Take that, Army.

Kyle is the first student in school history to spend all four years as a member of both the marching band and the football team. He starts off most days with  6 a.m. rehearsals and demanding practices in the heat of the afternoon.

However, Kyle takes it one step further, taking all AP classes and finding time to compete as a member of Hebron’s varsity wrestling team.

“It’s not too bad,” said Kyle as he sorted his various homework assignments. “The way I see it, band is 1.5 hours in the morning, football is 1.5 hours after school, and if you get 7 hours of sleep, you should be good.”

           
Kyle also has at least two hours worth of homework every night, but is quick to assert that “it’s not as bad as it sounds.”

 It must not be, as he is a member of the National Honor Society as well as staying in the top 9 percent of his class. His mother, Glenda Mussel, gushed when she talked about his most recent academic achievement, receiving the AP Scholar award from College Board.

The sheer mass of the activities Kyle participates in have been hard on both himself and his family. But when his mother spoke of the early mornings and long nights, she had a genuinely cheerful tone.

“There’s that sacrifice you have to make,” Glenda said. “We want him to do all these things because he loves to do them.”

Kyle seems to see it the same way. While many students would crumple under all responsibilities that he has shouldered, Kyle doesn’t appear to notice them. Not once has he ever seriously considered quitting any of the organizations that he is a part of.

 “He’s quiet, but very engaged,” AP English teacher Rebecca Bowen said. “If we’re having a discussion, I can call on him and he knows the answer. I’m amazed at the dedication that he’s shown to football, band and wrestling.”

He has a similar effect on his mother.

“He makes me want to be a better person,” Glenda said. “Every Sunday, he’s the one getting us up to go to church. He’s just a good friend.”

           

At the Homecoming Parade last Wednesday, Kyle had a choice: he could either march with the band at the front of the parade, or he could ride the football team’s float, one of the biggest in the parade. In the end, he stuck with the band. While the rest of the football seniors stood on the field to receive applause, he sat up in the bleachers, working on his homework.

“That’s Kyle,” his mother said with a smile.  “He did the job that needed to be done.”