New school year starts with sad news
 Moby Dick and wrestling were two of Mr. Clark's passions, as evidenced by the reminders of his life on display at his memorial service. Staff photo.
From Staff Reports
Our beloved, longtime English teacher, Mr. Brooks Clark died on Sept. 7 after a short illness. Faculty members who had known him for up to 30 years, seniors who'd had Mr. Clark for junior English, and current juniors looking forward to studying with him this year were all stunned by his sudden and tragic passing. A celebration of his life was held on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 14 in the high school gynmasium. More than 500 members of the Bonny Eagle community, past and present filled the bleachers and chairs on the gymnasium floor. Superintendent Paul Penna opened the ceremony with his personal memories of Mr. Clark. Other speakers included current teachers Mr. Cole Phillips, Mrs. Meaghan McCrea, Mr. Dan Murphy, Mr. Skipper Geanangel, along with assistant principal Mr. Thomas Noonan. Former Eagle Times editor and BEHS graduate Abigail Kovacs also shared her remembrances, and BEHS graduate Lea Pillsbury sang a moving rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." You can view a slideshow of pictures of Mr. Clark, followed by the celebration of his life (at the 1:35 mark) at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-8NdzHURfA To read tributes from students to Mr. Clark, follow this link. Congrats to the
|
Alice in Wonderland opens drama season
From staff reports
The Bonny Eagle Drama Club put on its first show of the 2019-2010 season with a madcap romp through the Looking Class with Alice in Wonderland on Nov. 14-16. See slideshow captions for highlights. Dangers of vaping don't deter teens from trying itBy Molly Austin
You may be familiar with the minty, or fruity smell in the school bathrooms. You also may be familiar with the source of this smell. Juuling, which is a form of vaping, is a national problem among American youth. Kids all over the country are getting addicted to nicotine easily covered up with fun flavors like watermelon, mango, mint, and even tobacco. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of high school kids who vape almost doubled in one year, from 11.7% in 2017 to 20.8 % in 2018. High schools and middle schools all over the country have been sending out notices and announcements trying to encourage the discussion over nicotine and its lasting effects on developing children. Bonny Eagle High School is no stranger to the Juuling epidemic. Mr. Michael Johnson, the principal at BEHS, is working with his team to stop nicotine addiction among the student body. “First and foremost, my job is to keep the children of BEHS safe. As a result, Ms. Maguire, Mr. Noonan, and I are 100% committed to identifying Juulers in school and getting them the help they need,” he explained. The school drug and alcohol counselor Cyndie Lane is where kids go when they need help with addiction. If a student is caught Juuling on school property they will be referred to Ms. Lane, but many continue seeing her on their own. “I can see maybe 10 students a day and a majority come volentarily,” she explains. “Oftentimes they are referred, but they come back on their own.” Mr. Johnson is anxiously waiting for Maine legislators to pass a law to make it illegal for retailers to sell Juuls. A law like this has already been passed in the state of Massachusetts. Many wonder, ‘how many students actually Juul regularly’? Mr. Johnson believes it would be a mistake to speculate about the exact number of regular users, but he believes that the number is “actually a lot.” Juul is marketed as an alternative for cigarette smokers who want to quit smoking. However, teenagers overlook the risks of nicotine addiction, and many non-smokers do not understand why. Mr. Johnson says that “it depends on how old you are. An adult might have one reason but a teen might have another, like peer pressure. Adults use juuls because they have some sort of addiction to nicotine or other substances; however, a teenager is naturally curious by nature and initially would experiment with Juuls as the result of simple curiosity.” Being an adult at a high school, one might have a different view on how Juuling affects the students, while an actual student may have another. BEHS senior Kayla Hodge believes that Juuling is “stupid and it can kill you.” So why do so many do it? She answers that “in their eyes, it is considered cool, and they’re rebelling against the rules.” Juuling doesn’t only affect the person doing it, it also affects the people around them. You can see the effects on many teenagers. Kayla said, “I know people that do it and it affects their sports, their homework, their social life, and their money.'' Kids are spending their money on Juuls and Juul pods, and the addiction distracts them from their school work. Many kids that Juul take it with them everywhere. They use it in their cars, in the school bathrooms, and even in class. The fruity smells make it easy to cover up. Some student-athletes Juul despite knowing the health risks. You can see in some athletes the shortness of breath and fatigue. Bonny Eagle has taken steps to fix the problem. There are posters at every bathroom trying to raise awareness. There are divided opinions at the school on whether or not the posters are actually doing any good. Mr. Johnsons says, “Yes, however having said that awareness is only the first step to solving the problem.” However, Kayla Hodge says “it does not because users want to rebel and they take it as a joke”. Like any other major problem among teenagers, it is going to take a lot of time to fix the juuling epidemic. Proper education in health classes is only one step that is already being taken to lessen the number of students smoking. |
|
What's Inside
Click on the photos to read some of our latest stories Fantastic Beasts
Take Two 
Getting to know our exchange students
Juuls are for tools
From BE to WCSH-6
BE IDOL a big success
Putting on
"The Tempest" 
Comic book legend lives on
With spring comes Lyme Disease
Winter athletes
|
Stress and social media... Are they related?
BY SARAH DUROCHER AND ELIZABETH TURNBULL
Social media is a large part of most teenagers’ lives. Many high school students check their phones for messages in the hallways between classes or scroll through Instagram before class. Researchers have been studying teen use of cell phones to see how social media affects stress and mental health, and the results are significant. Curfew leads to frustration
BY MACEY CABRAL
With the school year half over, students are still adjusting to the laptop curfew that went into effect in September. Principal Mrs. Lori Napolitano explained part of the reasoning behind the decision was that many parents had sent complaints of their children staying up too late. Though the policy stems from parents’ concerns, Principal Napolitano says, the “final decision was [mine].” Two athletes
|
Runaway chicken at BEHS captured by Edith
By Macey Cabral
The Rhode Island Red can be found in most backyard flocks. Known for their hardiness, they are meant to be outside (or in a coop). So, the sight of one of these fine birds bolting down the hall by the cafeteria on a chilly Thursday morning raised some eyebrows, along with the attention of Head Custodian, Ms. Edith Ricker. Ms. Ricker divulged that she apprehended the rogue Red with ease. “I went in and grabbed my coat, threw it on top of [the chicken] to startle [her], and then I just grabbed for [her] legs,” she explained with a chuckle. Winter Assembly
|
Congratulations to the 2018 Bonny Eagle Homecoming court!
The 2018 Homecoming court poses for a picture during the dance. Back row from left to right, Zackary Allocca, Deytric Enking, Will Hendrix, Griffin Madore, and Will Whyte.
Front row from left to right, Ashely Conners, Jazmyne Mejias, Allie Carpine, Sydney Gillingham, and Keelin Sweeney. Will Hendrix was crowned Homecoming King and Allie Carpine was crowned Homecoming queen. Photo by Diane York.
|
Girls soccer and field hockey made playoff runs this fall Both the girls field hockey team, under new coach Vonde Saunders, and the girls soccer team made it to the playoffs this fall. The field hockey team was eliminated in the first round by Gorham in a hard- fought, 1-0 game. The girls soccer team ended its season 9-4-2, with a loss to Windham in the state quarterfinals.
|
EDITORIAL
|
Students get it wrong this time
 Janet Mills is Maine's new governor, the first woman in the state's history to win the governorship. Wiki-commons photo
FROM STAFF REPORTS
It used to be true that the way Bonny Eagle High School students voted in the state's Mock Election was a good predictor of how actual voters would vote in the November election. But this year, BEHS students -- along with students across the state ---- got two big items on the Mock Election ballot wrong. BEHS students overwhelmingly voted for Republican Shawn Moody to win the governorship over Democrat Janet Mills by a 447-109 margin. As most know by now, Mills became Maine's first female governor with 51% of the vote to Moody's 43%. BE students also predicted that Question #1, which asked voters if they wanted to fund home health care by taxing people with incomes over $125,000, would pass. The measure was resoundingly defeated by Maine voters. Students did match the real election in the races for U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives where Sen. Angus King and Rep. Chellie Pingree were re-elected. |
Bonny Eagle gets to state finals with one-act play, Humbletown Dara Khin from a scene in Humbletown.. For more photos, click on the words Bonny Eagle in the story headline.
BY SARAH DUROCHER AND BRIAN WAKEM The BEHS drama club's journey is over, but it's likely the participants won't soon forget the 2018 statewide one-act play competition. It all started with a trip to Camden-Hills Regional High School on March 9. The students, competing with their historical satire, Humbletown: The Greatest Town On Earth, crossed their fingers as the crowd roared its approval. They were competing against three other Class A schools (schools with 500+ students): Camden Hills Regional High School, Waterville High School, and Edward Little High School. Bonny Eagle's performance was on the first day of competition. While the cast and crew knew that it had been one of their best performances yet, they were informed shortly after they finished that they had exceeded the time limit by 5 seconds, and that they had been disqualified. The students, angry and disappointed, headed back to their hotel for the night. |
Watching the birdie
Photos by Tabitha Burgess
FROM STAFF REPORTS
The Class of 2020 made over $100 at its fundraising badminton tournament in late March. Close to 22 teams, made up of students and staff members, participated in the double-elimination tourney. Though the second day of competition was postponed almost a week because of our two snow days, competitors hung in there and put on a good show. A team named 'Samolia' (Sam Connell and Mollie Ward) won the tournament. "We had a few bumps in the road, but those were expected," said sophomore class officer Athen Hollis. "I would say this event was successful given the obstacles we had to work around." |
|
Wrestling team rising
 Alex Smith, Tyler Fitz, Brian Dupuis, Caleb Frost, Hayley Grant, Emily Welch, Alivia Stanley
(Photo Courtesy of Caleb Frost).
BY HAYDN GOULET
While it has yet to achieve the same immense following as basketball or football, the fan base for wrestling has grown immensely this year. Seniors Caleb Frost, Tyler Fitz, Alex Smith, and star freshman Colby Frost have all played a key role in the expansion of the wrestling fan base. As a team, they only have a 4-10 record, but each have great individual records. Scholastic writing award winners to be honored Some of the award winners: Back row, L to R, Logan Hiltz, Michael MacFarland-
Foley, Ian Jarvis, Lauren Bearor and Cassidy Grass. Front row, L to R: Michaella
Tillo, Julia Morin, Kinsey Oliver, Tayler Johnson-Hartley, and Sydney Gillingham. Photo by Joanne Lannin
BY GARRETT HAWXWELL
Fourteen BEHS students earned an award or recognition for their writing in the Scholastic Writing Contest. They will be recognized at a ceremony at Hannaford Hall, at the University of Southern Maine, Portland campus on March 16 at 6 p.m. Ian Jarvis was one of the winners, earning a Silver Key for his poem, Renaissance. “I enjoyed entering my piece in the contest and was happy to have been recognized,” said Ian. Two students won Gold Key awards: juniors Lauren Bearor for her short story, “Dark,” and Michael MacFarland-Foley for his poetry collection, “Outliers.” Robotics build season beginsBY KADY MURPHY
High school students around the world have questioned for years what the future will look like. Will there be robots to do our work for us? We might have the answer to this question because of FIRST, an organization dedicated to spreading the recognition of science and technology. FIRST Robotics Competition is the subdivision of the program for high-school aged students, and it’s also the program in which our MSAD 6 robotics team, BERT 133, competes. Every year, FIRST reveals the theme of the competition season. Last year’s theme was called FIRST Steamworks. This year, the competition is called FIRST Power Up and is video-game themed. Robotics teams from all over the world have six and a half weeks to build their robots and prepare for competitions. BERT has been brainstorming the best ways to tackle this year’s game. Chinese spoken here at BEHS Mrs. Ji Wenhau during a Chinese language class at BEHS. Madison Chayer photo.
BY MADISON CHAYER
Growing up in Shijiazhuang, the capital city of North China’s Hebei Province, our new Chinese language teacher, Mrs. Ji Wenhua, says that her experience in school was much different from what she is encountering at BEHS. In China, schools were much stricter and the students were forced to wear uniforms. She likes the fact that the students here are allowed to express who they are. Mrs. Wenhua says she was interested in working in the U.S. because the students know very little about China, and she’d love to give the students more in- formation about the culture. “I think your country has the most advanced educational system,” adds Mrs. Wenhua. |
Students with special needs learn how to cook Adam Carberry, Darren Gravenstien, and Chris Pillsbury. Photo by Lea Pillsbury.
BY LEA PILLSBURY
On Wednesday’s the special needs students load the bus from the high school and are taken to the Jack Memorial School. Their faces light up as soon as they see Chris Pillsbury, who started the program in 201, with the hopes of teaching students in the special needs department to cook and have everyday life skills. The students yell “Hey Chef” and go in for personalised handshakes and hugs. One of the students, Dean, says “My favorite thing about coming here is seeing Mr. Pillsbury, don’t tell him this but I think of him as an older brother”. Pillsbury has always been a chef, working at places such as Fore Street and Becky’s Diner, running the Royal River Grillhouse, and previously having two restaurants of his own. Unified basketball has another good year Colbe Lewis (13) goes up for a shot in a 2017 Unified basketball game. The 2018 season is in full swing. For more photos, click on the words Unified Basketball in the story headline.
China trip shows similarities Mrs. Napolitano takes a selfie with a group of Chinese students.
BY ATHEN HOLLIS
After a 10-day trip to China, Bonny Eagle High School Principal Mrs. Lori Napolitano has learned that Chinese education is more similar to America’s education than it is different, and she hopes other teachers can get this experience in future years. Mrs. Napolitano traveled to China in November with Mr. Benjamin Harris, the Bonny Eagle Middle School principal, and Mr. Douglas Parker, the Steep Falls Elemenary School principal, as part of the Chinese Bridge Delegation, a group sponsored by the national College Board. Inside was so delightful at the BEHS winter talent assembly
FROM STAFF REPORTS
As the snow came down outside, a cavalcade of voices entertained students at the annual holiday assembly on Dec. 22, hosted by Zach Klein as Santa and Nathan Carlow as the Grinch. Below, a group of select chorus members perform a vocal percussion rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" during the annual holiday assembly. Staff photos and video |
Teachers give Class of 2017 a deserving send-up/send-off
A modest proposal indeed
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following video captures Eagle Times editor Ronahn Clarke's farewell to BEHS at the Senior Last Assembly June 7 at the University of Southern Maine. Ronahn was Salutatorian of the Class of 2017. He will be attending Colby College in the fall.