Hitting the textbooks
By Jazmyn Martin / [email protected]
Wednesday, June 16, 2026

Sabrina Eggert thinks of herself as a normal student.

“I do okay,” the 16-year-old North Tonawanda High School junior said. “I just need a little extra help some times.”

On Tuesday evening Eggert and over 200 fellow students filled the Knights of Columbus hall in North Tonawanda for a final study session before an early morning New York State Regents exam.

Coordinated by NTHS teachers Peter Fezer and Gerry Cindric, the four hour review of eleventh grade American History was designed to help students pass the exam with flying colors.

“There is not one person sitting here tonight that won’t do well on that exam,” Cindric told students.

Fezer and Cindric, who are known to students as the “dynamic duo of U.S. History” donned red, white and blue T-shirts inscribed with the words “Let’s get it on.”

During the study session students were encouraged to “feel the power” of U.S. history and call on the “history gods” if they were in need of assistance.

“It’s good for me to study here,” Eggert said. “It’s better than being alone in a room with a book. When I do it that way I get distracted.”

Tuesday evening marked the 10th anniversary of the study session, which is open to all students in the Tonawandas.

The review formerly was held in the NT library but outgrew the small space after it attracted so many students.

The Knight of Columbus allowed the students to use the hall free of charge.

“Students leave here, go home and go to sleep. So, they retain all of this information in their heads,” Cindric said. “It really makes a difference on their performance.”

After the session the two teachers spent an hour tutoring students in need of additional assistance.

“I’m definitely going to do a lot better on the test after this review,” 17-year-old Becky Mislin said.

Fezer said studying in a group makes the process fun for students.

“You can always tell who didn’t study, ” he said. “They’re the ones frantically taking notes.”

Fezer dedicated the 10th annual history review to Chris Smyth and Paul Tipton, two of his former students who also attended a review session.

Smyth and Tipton are both Marines currently stationed in the Middle East, Fezer said.

Contact Jazmyn Martinat (716) 693-1000, Ext. 114.
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