Bonny Eagle school spirit isn't dead. It just needs a jumpstart
Pep rallies were a big deal back when Mr. Conley was a student at BEHS. Staff photo
BY JOSEPH GREENE
May 2023
Recently Bonny Eagle has seen a decline in attendance at sporting events. Students would rather stay home than go out and support their teams. This recently has had teachers and students at Bonny Eagle questioning if school spirit is still alive? We for one believe it is, but some students believe otherwise.
“I do not have school spirit. I come to school to learn and that's it,” stated junior Malayna Hawxwell. Many other students interviewed at Bonny Eagle share the same feelings. They don’t think attending after-school activities is a good use of their time anymore. Teachers, however, share a different feeling. Mrs. Meaghan McCrea, an English teacher, stated, “I do have school spirit and I do believe it still exists. I find it in the heads of the student sections, in kids like Brody Ernst." She then goes on to cite COVID as the main reason that it has died down.
Principal Greg Applestein agrees with that assessment. However, he says, “as we continue to move out of this COVID stage, more students will get out and go to these events and support their teams.”
Mr. Applestein has been the principal at Bonny Eagle for two years now. He claims that “the support and spirit shown at [the playoff basketball game when Bonny Eagle played Thornton Academy] was probably the second most students I've seen at a school event ever. Everyone had joined together for a common goal."
Mr. Thomas Noonan, a Bonny Eagle English teacher, agrees that COVID did have a big effect on school spirit. Befor then, he said, “The 2019 championship football game against Thornton Academy was the best display of school spirit I ever experienced. Students tailgated and drank non-alcoholic juice out of red Solo cups for the game. It was fantastic.” He hopes to see a return to that level of spirit in the near future.
Personally, I believe school spirit is alive and will soon be thriving again. While COVID did have an impact on how we express it, I still think students truly do love this school. We are unique. We are one school, but we are five towns. Where others see school spirit dying down, I see students who need a way to express it. Simple things like learning school songs from the band and going to games with friends would go a long way toward restoring spirit.
It's best expressed by our school mascot, the Scotsman, in our anthem, “March on for the Bonny Eagle Scots. Cheer for our team.”
May 2023
Recently Bonny Eagle has seen a decline in attendance at sporting events. Students would rather stay home than go out and support their teams. This recently has had teachers and students at Bonny Eagle questioning if school spirit is still alive? We for one believe it is, but some students believe otherwise.
“I do not have school spirit. I come to school to learn and that's it,” stated junior Malayna Hawxwell. Many other students interviewed at Bonny Eagle share the same feelings. They don’t think attending after-school activities is a good use of their time anymore. Teachers, however, share a different feeling. Mrs. Meaghan McCrea, an English teacher, stated, “I do have school spirit and I do believe it still exists. I find it in the heads of the student sections, in kids like Brody Ernst." She then goes on to cite COVID as the main reason that it has died down.
Principal Greg Applestein agrees with that assessment. However, he says, “as we continue to move out of this COVID stage, more students will get out and go to these events and support their teams.”
Mr. Applestein has been the principal at Bonny Eagle for two years now. He claims that “the support and spirit shown at [the playoff basketball game when Bonny Eagle played Thornton Academy] was probably the second most students I've seen at a school event ever. Everyone had joined together for a common goal."
Mr. Thomas Noonan, a Bonny Eagle English teacher, agrees that COVID did have a big effect on school spirit. Befor then, he said, “The 2019 championship football game against Thornton Academy was the best display of school spirit I ever experienced. Students tailgated and drank non-alcoholic juice out of red Solo cups for the game. It was fantastic.” He hopes to see a return to that level of spirit in the near future.
Personally, I believe school spirit is alive and will soon be thriving again. While COVID did have an impact on how we express it, I still think students truly do love this school. We are unique. We are one school, but we are five towns. Where others see school spirit dying down, I see students who need a way to express it. Simple things like learning school songs from the band and going to games with friends would go a long way toward restoring spirit.
It's best expressed by our school mascot, the Scotsman, in our anthem, “March on for the Bonny Eagle Scots. Cheer for our team.”
Taylor Swift concert at Gillette did not disappoint this BE senior
Amelia McAvoy's search for tickets was worth the effort. Staff photo
BY AMELIA MCAVOY
May, 2023
After selling out stadiums across the country and causing mass hysteria with her ticket sales, there is no doubt that Taylor Swift is the most popular artist in the world right now. Certainly, no other artists have caused people to spend tens of thousands of dollars to attend their concerts.
Despite being a huge Taylor Swift fan, I was unable to acquire tickets when they first went on sale. With resold tickets costing a minimum of $1,000 a piece, I believed I would never be able to see the Eras Tour, but, with less than an hour to go before the show started, I managed to get my hands on some last minute tickets. Although it cost a lot of money and caused me a lot of anxiety, every dollar, every tear, was worth it for a concert of this caliber.
It began on our almost four hours car ride to Foxborough, which is typically only a two hour drive from my house. As we approached the last mile to the stadium, we still did not have tickets. Luckily, this final stretch took us around forty minutes, giving my father ample time to search for tickets. While our car crawled along at 5 mph, my entire family frantically searched every ticket site, waiting for the moment prices would drop as time ticked away until the show. Just as we approached the parking lot of Gillette Stadium, my father finally came across tickets that weren’t horrifically priced and we were in. I was one of the lucky fans that would be able to see Taylor Swift live.
For a glorious 3.5 hours, I listened to Swift take a 44 song tour of all of the albums she ever made. From one of our surprise acoustic songs, “Invisible,” which she wrote at 13 to the three albums she has written since the Covid-19 pandemic, I was able to see the entire body of work that has made Swift that star she is today. My favorite song throughout the night was Swift’s collaboration with one of the opening artists, Phoebe Bridgers. The duet, titled “Nothing New,” had no large performance, just the two singers on stage with their guitars, yet it was such a special moment. Not only does this song mean a lot to me personally, but Swift and Bridger’s voices sound beautiful together, especially live. Besides “Nothing New,” my highlight of the concert was the very first set of songs from the album Lover. Because these songs were performed at the beginning of the show, the energy was high among the crowd. Lover is also a particularly upbeat and colorful album. The lyrics were fun to scream along to and Swift filled the stage with bright colors to complement the tone of the album.
If a marathon of songs from all of her different albums isn’t enough to entice you, Swift proved she isn’t just an artist, but also a performer. Each song had elaborately choreographed dance moves and visuals to accompany it played on the jumbotron. Additionally, the wrist bands given to concert attendees contained colored flashlights that changed colors with the songs. The Eras Tour isn’t any concert; it’s an experience.
While I am by no means a seasoned concert-goer, I feel I can confidently say this was the best concert of my life. The setlist is a comprehensive catalog of Swift’s most beloved songs, including a majority of my personal favorites. The dancing is phenomenal and makes for an amazing show. The energy is infectious; there is nothing more exciting than screaming along and dancing to Taylor Swift songs surrounded by thousands of other fans.
On the day of my concert it was pouring rain, but that somehow only made the concert more enjoyable. Bundled up in a raincoat with rain splashing in my face and getting in my eyes, the music only seemed more vibrant. Although many may think rain ruins a concert, “rain shows” are particularly revered in the music community. After my show, I can see why.
Taylor Swift has faced a lot of criticism throughout her career, but it would be difficult not to admire her ability to perform for almost four hours every weekend for five months straight, even in a downpour, singing decade old songs. The Eras Tour is certain to go down in history as an iconic concert and I feel quite fortunate to have experienced it firsthand.
May, 2023
After selling out stadiums across the country and causing mass hysteria with her ticket sales, there is no doubt that Taylor Swift is the most popular artist in the world right now. Certainly, no other artists have caused people to spend tens of thousands of dollars to attend their concerts.
Despite being a huge Taylor Swift fan, I was unable to acquire tickets when they first went on sale. With resold tickets costing a minimum of $1,000 a piece, I believed I would never be able to see the Eras Tour, but, with less than an hour to go before the show started, I managed to get my hands on some last minute tickets. Although it cost a lot of money and caused me a lot of anxiety, every dollar, every tear, was worth it for a concert of this caliber.
It began on our almost four hours car ride to Foxborough, which is typically only a two hour drive from my house. As we approached the last mile to the stadium, we still did not have tickets. Luckily, this final stretch took us around forty minutes, giving my father ample time to search for tickets. While our car crawled along at 5 mph, my entire family frantically searched every ticket site, waiting for the moment prices would drop as time ticked away until the show. Just as we approached the parking lot of Gillette Stadium, my father finally came across tickets that weren’t horrifically priced and we were in. I was one of the lucky fans that would be able to see Taylor Swift live.
For a glorious 3.5 hours, I listened to Swift take a 44 song tour of all of the albums she ever made. From one of our surprise acoustic songs, “Invisible,” which she wrote at 13 to the three albums she has written since the Covid-19 pandemic, I was able to see the entire body of work that has made Swift that star she is today. My favorite song throughout the night was Swift’s collaboration with one of the opening artists, Phoebe Bridgers. The duet, titled “Nothing New,” had no large performance, just the two singers on stage with their guitars, yet it was such a special moment. Not only does this song mean a lot to me personally, but Swift and Bridger’s voices sound beautiful together, especially live. Besides “Nothing New,” my highlight of the concert was the very first set of songs from the album Lover. Because these songs were performed at the beginning of the show, the energy was high among the crowd. Lover is also a particularly upbeat and colorful album. The lyrics were fun to scream along to and Swift filled the stage with bright colors to complement the tone of the album.
If a marathon of songs from all of her different albums isn’t enough to entice you, Swift proved she isn’t just an artist, but also a performer. Each song had elaborately choreographed dance moves and visuals to accompany it played on the jumbotron. Additionally, the wrist bands given to concert attendees contained colored flashlights that changed colors with the songs. The Eras Tour isn’t any concert; it’s an experience.
While I am by no means a seasoned concert-goer, I feel I can confidently say this was the best concert of my life. The setlist is a comprehensive catalog of Swift’s most beloved songs, including a majority of my personal favorites. The dancing is phenomenal and makes for an amazing show. The energy is infectious; there is nothing more exciting than screaming along and dancing to Taylor Swift songs surrounded by thousands of other fans.
On the day of my concert it was pouring rain, but that somehow only made the concert more enjoyable. Bundled up in a raincoat with rain splashing in my face and getting in my eyes, the music only seemed more vibrant. Although many may think rain ruins a concert, “rain shows” are particularly revered in the music community. After my show, I can see why.
Taylor Swift has faced a lot of criticism throughout her career, but it would be difficult not to admire her ability to perform for almost four hours every weekend for five months straight, even in a downpour, singing decade old songs. The Eras Tour is certain to go down in history as an iconic concert and I feel quite fortunate to have experienced it firsthand.
Eight challenged books removed by school board before review
Two of the eight books removed from MSAD6 after community members complained about their content. Staff photo
BY AMELIA MCAVOY
May, 2023
Last fall, despite some parents’ objections, the MSAD6 school board followed its long-standing policy of allowing two challenged books, Gender Queer and It’s Perfectly Normal to remain in the libraries throughout the challenge process. The books were subsequently ruled to be appropriate for middle and high school readers.
But the school board voted 7-3 to suspend that policy and remove eight books from circulation following a meeting on April 3, durng which members of the community read passages from the books they found objectionable. Those eight books will undergo a review by MSAD6 Superintendent, Clay Gleason. a review that may not be completed before the end of the school year.
The board’s Policy IJJ outlines the selection of instructional materials for Maine school districts, including the procedure for challenged material. Per policy, those with complaints must fill out a Citizen’s Challenge to Education Media Form and the superintendent will form a committee to review the material. Committees will include one administrator, one library media specialist, one classroom teacher, the department head of the subject in which the material is being challenged, and two community members. The policy specifically states that “no material shall be removed from use until the Committee has made a final decision.”
The April 3 meeting left many members of the community wondering how the books could be removed from shelves before they were officially reviewed. In the follow up meeting on April 10, one member of the community addressed the board, saying they “should not be allowed to throw [policy] aside whenever it is convenient.”
Another added that “we expect informed, critical thinking from our students and we expect them to follow the rules, yet the board did neither.” Many called for the board to rescind their vote that removed the books without review.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nathan Carlow, explained that the board can suspend policy if it “believes doing so is necessary for the safe and prudent operation of the schools.” After listening to excerpts from the eight challenged books, the board “exercised its discretion to direct the Superintendent to review them, and to have them temporarily removed until the review is complete.”
The board decision followed the events of the meeting on April 3, which included several parents, community members, and other concerned citizens reading explicit excerpts from novels found in the middle and high school libraries to showcase the inappropriate nature of some of these books.
These titles included The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, a popular book among teens and adults told from a dog’s perspective, and Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera. a graphic novel about a Puerto Rican girl struggling with her identity.
One mother in the community stated she doesn’t “think our children should have ready [access to] literature that is accessible without parental guidance or parental supervision.”
Julie Anderson, a member of the Board of Directors, shared her personal opinion that “not only are the books trash, but they’re such low quality for the brain that they teach nothing that helps students to grow their brains in a positive, healthy way.”
However, one voice was noticeably missing from the discussion: the student voice. Nora Roulliard, a senior at the high school and a student representative on the Board of Directors, believes that it is the parent voices that are being listened to rather than the students. Not only are many blind to the issue, but to stand in front of the board and make a statement is “terrifying.”
Roulliard feels that the issue is deeply important to students as the removal of library material sets a dangerous precedent, “limiting access to other viewpoints and other opinions, things that kids are going to need in the future.” She also believes that the challenged books are not all what they are being portrayed.
“I think these books have deeper themes that are being ignored because of a couple of explicit sentences,” she says. Plus, she adds, “most of what I’ve heard I’ve already been exposed to through social media.”
For parents and students that want to share their opinions on the contentious debate, the issue will be returned to on May 1st when the Board of Directors will meet again to discuss its next steps pertaining to the challenged material.
May, 2023
Last fall, despite some parents’ objections, the MSAD6 school board followed its long-standing policy of allowing two challenged books, Gender Queer and It’s Perfectly Normal to remain in the libraries throughout the challenge process. The books were subsequently ruled to be appropriate for middle and high school readers.
But the school board voted 7-3 to suspend that policy and remove eight books from circulation following a meeting on April 3, durng which members of the community read passages from the books they found objectionable. Those eight books will undergo a review by MSAD6 Superintendent, Clay Gleason. a review that may not be completed before the end of the school year.
The board’s Policy IJJ outlines the selection of instructional materials for Maine school districts, including the procedure for challenged material. Per policy, those with complaints must fill out a Citizen’s Challenge to Education Media Form and the superintendent will form a committee to review the material. Committees will include one administrator, one library media specialist, one classroom teacher, the department head of the subject in which the material is being challenged, and two community members. The policy specifically states that “no material shall be removed from use until the Committee has made a final decision.”
The April 3 meeting left many members of the community wondering how the books could be removed from shelves before they were officially reviewed. In the follow up meeting on April 10, one member of the community addressed the board, saying they “should not be allowed to throw [policy] aside whenever it is convenient.”
Another added that “we expect informed, critical thinking from our students and we expect them to follow the rules, yet the board did neither.” Many called for the board to rescind their vote that removed the books without review.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nathan Carlow, explained that the board can suspend policy if it “believes doing so is necessary for the safe and prudent operation of the schools.” After listening to excerpts from the eight challenged books, the board “exercised its discretion to direct the Superintendent to review them, and to have them temporarily removed until the review is complete.”
The board decision followed the events of the meeting on April 3, which included several parents, community members, and other concerned citizens reading explicit excerpts from novels found in the middle and high school libraries to showcase the inappropriate nature of some of these books.
These titles included The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, a popular book among teens and adults told from a dog’s perspective, and Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera. a graphic novel about a Puerto Rican girl struggling with her identity.
One mother in the community stated she doesn’t “think our children should have ready [access to] literature that is accessible without parental guidance or parental supervision.”
Julie Anderson, a member of the Board of Directors, shared her personal opinion that “not only are the books trash, but they’re such low quality for the brain that they teach nothing that helps students to grow their brains in a positive, healthy way.”
However, one voice was noticeably missing from the discussion: the student voice. Nora Roulliard, a senior at the high school and a student representative on the Board of Directors, believes that it is the parent voices that are being listened to rather than the students. Not only are many blind to the issue, but to stand in front of the board and make a statement is “terrifying.”
Roulliard feels that the issue is deeply important to students as the removal of library material sets a dangerous precedent, “limiting access to other viewpoints and other opinions, things that kids are going to need in the future.” She also believes that the challenged books are not all what they are being portrayed.
“I think these books have deeper themes that are being ignored because of a couple of explicit sentences,” she says. Plus, she adds, “most of what I’ve heard I’ve already been exposed to through social media.”
For parents and students that want to share their opinions on the contentious debate, the issue will be returned to on May 1st when the Board of Directors will meet again to discuss its next steps pertaining to the challenged material.