Aug 29, 2026
The punch was only the beginning.
In Part 1 of The Kid Who Got Expelled, you heard Sam tell the story of the events leading up to the punch that changed two lives—and became a defining moment at Great Neck North.
Now, in Part 2, we hear what happened next.
Sam opens up about the consequences that followed, how being...
Aug 19, 2026
Most people remember the punch.
Very few know what happened to the person who threw it.
In this episode of High School Matters, Randy sits down with Sam, the former Great Neck North student whose single punch became a defining moment not only in another student’s life, but in his own. Sam was arrested, expelled from...
Jun 29, 2026
In this episode of High School Matters, I sit down with Kevin Nassimi, a student who has become connected to this podcast in some unexpected ways. Kevin reflects on friendships, high school drama, and the events surrounding one of the school's most talked-about moments. Along the way, he shares hilarious...
Feb 1, 2026
In this powerful two-part episode of High School Matters, Randy Appell sits down with former student Mat Shurka for a conversation years in the making.
Mat was a student in Randy’s biology class in 2002. What Randy didn’t know then was that Mat was carrying a secret shaped by trauma, fear, and survival. In high...
Jan 25, 2026
In this powerful two-part episode of High School Matters, Randy Appell sits down with former student Mat Shurka for a conversation years in the making.
Mat was a student in Randy’s biology class in 2002. What Randy didn’t know then was that Mat was carrying a secret shaped by trauma, fear, and survival. In high...