Mr. Wetzel received his Bachelor’s degree from St. Mary of the Plains and received his Master’s from Kansas State University. Mr. Wetzel graduated from GBHS in 1973 and before coming back he taught at Ell-Saline High School. He also coached basketball in Russell and served as an assistant coach at Seward County Community College and the University of Texas-Edinburgh.

“Do you think you make decisions that affect our school in a positive way?” We do and they go unnoticed. We try to make the school better which is our job. Project Led the Way is a project we’re doing which provides extra curricular classes to prepare the students for certain career field such as marketing, engineering, CNA, finance, and Medical Terminology.

“What is something you do that people don’t know?” We focus on keeping the kids safe with programs, walking around, one on one time, and working with the police. Keeping our kids and our school safe is the most important thing. We always want to represent Great Bend in a positive way.

“Funniest story?” Over this last Christmas break I got called to the school at two am for a report of a break in.. I got to the school and came to know that it was two young adults that broke into the barn next to the football field. When I asked them why they were trying to break in they said they were at a party down the street and wanted a football to play with. I was convinced until I came to realize they were former Hays students. When I confronted them by saying ‘no, you’re from Hays.. You were trying to steal our canon weren’t you?’ they confessed.

“How do you feel you’re perceived by the students?” It doesn’t really matter to me how I’m perceived by the students because perception is reality. I just do the best I can with have I have to make life better for our students.

“Why did you decide to become a principal?” In any job you want to move up and make a difference. I lot of students have a lot to offer and I want to help them grow.

“Why is the school suddenly starting to heavily enforce the ‘PDA/respect’ campaign?” I think our teachers and student counsel wanted it. Everyone wants respect so you should give it. Even students were sick of PDA. There’s a time and place for it and school isn’t the time or the place.