Didn’t you hear? Bethel High School is the new hotspot for celebrity sightings. That’s right. Just this December, Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra visited BHS, bringing her main squeeze along for company. Who’s that you say? Only the gorgeous Meg Ryan and her musician boyfriend, John Mellancamp!

This celebrity visitation would have gone unnoticed if not for the fast thinking of Ms. Pat Deuschle. While approaching the old main entrance, Meg and John ran into Ms. Deuschle who was painting sets for the upcoming musical. Meg asked Ms. Deuschle if she and John could go inside to look around. Ms. Deuschle replied with discrete excitement and gladly opened the doors.

“They probably thought I was stupid!” says Ms. Deuschle. “But I didn’t want to make a fuss.”

According to security footage shared by Assistant Principal Mr. Chris Troetti, Meg and John wandered through BHS halls before finding themselves in the auditorium where they met up with Ms. Deuschle again. It was then that Meg introduced John.

Ms. Deuschle recalls Meg said, “I think the auditorium looks exactly the same!”

Ms. Deuschle replied, “I think it is!”

Deuschle was the only witness in the building that day, but another Meg Ryan fan, Mr. Al Bibeau, insists he would have loved to see his former student again.

Mr. Bibeau had Meg as a student her freshman year in comparative political and economic systems, then again her junior year for U.S. History. Meg graduated from Bethel in the class of 1979. She played for the girls’ varsity tennis team as well as taking part in the drama program. Mr. Bibeau remembers Meg as a straight A student and a “nice, all American kid.”

Clearly, Bethel is the new “hot spot” for celebs. If you know of any other celebrities from around here, let us know and we’ll get the scoop!