THE BOLD EAGLE
The Mount Everett Student Newspaper
April 2017
Sheffield, Mass
Volume 11, Issue 3
Blizzard Bags
Welcome to
Lockup
By Shoji Rinaldi and Brian Dillon
By Christina Pedretti
Welcome to lock-up: Mount
Everett style. Being a teenager who
doesn’t always enjoy school to the
fullest, you’re bound to break some
rules at some point. Whether it
be skipping class or leaving campus, there’s always the possibility
of being caught- and if you are
caught, you’ll face the dreaded “in
school-suspension,” or “ISS”.
Typically, as stated on
childrensdefense.org, “An effective
ISS program can allow schools to
maintain safety and order in the
school building and intervene to
address behavioral issues without
excluding students from school.”
But, that doesn’t exactly match up
with Mt. Everett’s system. Here,
if you get in-school suspension,
you’re most likely just sitting in a
room by yourself all day. “If we
keep a student suspended in school
they usually sit in my office.”
says Principal Glenn Devoti. The
student in ISS is supposed to focus
on any school work they have to do
that day or work they have to make
up, just like every other student
in school. Except, students who
are going through a normal school
day get to interact with other peers
Cont. Pg #:5
Renovation Coming Soon
Donald Trump
Has One Truth
By Shoji Rinaldi
“You’re saying it’s a falsehood. And they’re giving -- Sean
Spicer, our press secretary -- gave
alternative facts,” said senior
advisor Kellyanne Conway to
Chuck Todd during an interview on
NBC’s Meet the Press. Todd had
asked her why the White House
had sent Spicer to claim, at his first
press briefing, that his inauguration
had “the largest audience to ever
witness an inauguration, period,” a
statement that remains demonstrably false.
This is one of many of an
increasing amount of falsehoods
present in recent media. It’s arguable that Donald Trump’s campaign and presidency has played
a role in normalizing the idea of
Cont. Pg #:2
We’ve had 7 snow days this
year so far. We’ll be at school until
June 22, except for those lucky
seniors. Our New England climate
often drags our school year out longer and longer. What if there was a
way to reduce these make up days
at the end of the year. Gateway
Regional High School in Huntington, Massachusetts has come
up with a program called Blizzard
Bags.
Blizzard Bags are not
actual bags, but folders of class
assignments for students to work
on during the snow day. If they
bring home this work then they
do not need to make up the day,
because they actually did school
work during the snow day. Gateway Superintendent David Hopson
supports the idea, saying “It’s an
alternative learning time so we
don’t have to lose many days to
students not being able to do their
work.” As of right now, Gateway
has had four Blizzard Bag days.
This plan has supporters
and critics. Teachers tend to support the plan while students have
mixed feelings. Undermountain
Elementary School Teacher Tony
Bleau is a strong supporter, calling
Cont. Pg #:6
Page 2
Facts...
Cont. From Page #1
spinning lies as truths. Two members of Trump’s cabinet, former
National Security Adviser Mike
Flynn and Attorney General Jeff
Sessions have lied under oath
regarding contact with Russia, a
crime known as perjury. Donald
Trump’s file on Politifact shows
that 70% of things he says aren’t
even half true. Since his inauguration, the “Bowling Green
Massacre” or the “happenings in
Sweden” have been created and
treated as factual by the Trump
administration, despite the fact that
neither really happened. Trump
later confirmed that he received
his information on Sweden from a
Fox News report, which begs the
question: how can the public know
what’s really happening?
What Trump said about
Sweden is a reflection of what’s
happening with news consumers
everywhere: they listen to the
news they like. It is the media’s
job to fact check what they hear
before they release it to the general
public so that consumers get the
most clear information on what’s
happening. The fact that even the
President of the United States is
getting his information from a single news source without making an
effort to understand it properly is a
little worrying at best.
What these examples show is
a clear problem with the amount
of “alternative facts” the world is
consuming. In a world where falsehoods can be found at every turn,
consumers of the news must be
more active listeners and do their
best to separate facts from fiction.
They should do their own factchecks, and call out news media organizations that don’t. As journalist
Dan Rather posted on his Facebook
page, “Facts and the truth are not
partisan. They are the bedrock of
our democracy. And you are either
with them, with us, with our Constitution, our history, and the future
of our nation, or you are against it.
Everyone must answer that question.”
Different Brand,
Different Price
By Salirae Marshall
What’s in a name? In
clothing, brand names count for
a lot in terms of cost, image and
message. For some people wearing name brands makes them feel
cooler, but others don’t really
care. For example, it seems like
many students care about name
brands because those brands fit in
with their image of themselves. In
some cases, when you see someone wearing a particular brand
you make judgements about their
family wealth, which may or may
not be accurate.
People have a desire to
fit in, whether at school, work or
in society. For this reason, people
sometimes buy brands because
they believe the brands will contribute to greater social acceptance.
This is especially true in fashion.
Consumers often buy clothing
brands that are either perceived as
fashionable, trendy or high class,
or that fit into a particular subculture or peer group. According to
Cont. Pg #:6
Teachers show solidarity by protesting the loss of multiple teaching positions in the district. No district
administrative positions were cut.
Shorts in the
Winter
By Brian Dillon
ray also added “If they are going to
wear shorts, don’t complain about
being cold.” The nature of this
subject is comical but in the end, it
all comes down to personal choice.
A cold and odd occurence more
common than most would believe.
These students must be
really cold, but they seem to be
happy with their choices. Football
players do it, so why can’t high
school students and mail men?.
They must be really proud of
finally growing some leg hair, or
they’re just expressing themselves
in a cold, snowy way.
On most mornings when
you walk into Mount Everett
during wintertime, you will find
students coming in bundled up
with their hats and gloves. Then
there are some kids in shorts like
it’s the middle of summer. What
are these kids thinking? They must
be crazy to wear shorts in this time
of year with all the snow and ice.
It causes people to wonder about
the students’ choices when they go
out into a Berkshire winter every
morning like it’s Tampa, Florida.
They must be so cold that
they’re not getting enough oxygen
to their brain to tell them to put
on a pair of pants. They may want
attention or publicity, but talking
to students around Mount Everett,
that is not the reason at all. What
is the reason behind wearing shorts
in the winter anyway? According
Working hard or hardly working,
to Mount Everett sophomore Matt
UPS
men wear shorts no matter the
Kane, he wears shorts because “it
conditions.
is comfy and breezy.” This may
seem odd to other students since
on most days it is below freezing.
Students at Mount Everett and other people wear shorts because that
is how they are most comfortable.
When you are in school, being
comfortable is intrinsic to learning.
When you are comfortable, you
can focus on your education, which
is good.
The reasons behind wearing
shorts are puzzling to most, but
Sophomore Nick LeGeyt wearing
junior Alex Murray has his opinion
shorts to school on Tuesday, Febon this phenomenon. “The idea
ruary 28th 2017
of wearing shorts in the winter is
stupid, but if they wanted to wear
them they should go for it.” Mur-
Page 3
More Time for
Study Skills
By Jasmine Twing
After years of resistance
to change, Mt. Everett is finally
trying a few new things. The latest
have been the bells and a new daily
study skills class for every student.
The 30-minute daily study skills
session works for some but for
others it seems to have little effect. For instance, those students that already have a structure
support period already had time
to get work done and don’t necessarily need more. Sophomore Tori
Seward says “I think its beneficial
for other kids who do not have a
structured support but personally
I do not use it as much because I
do [my] work at home and use [it
during structured] support.” Senior
Jonas Malicky is apparently not a
fan either. He says, “Honestly the
study hall is stupid, I don’t even do
my work during it anyways. Other
students including me are on our
phones.”
Some teachers have also
voiced concern about the 150 minutes of learning time taken out of
their weekly classroom schedules.
While homework is meant to be
done at home, many value the
extra time during the day. The Bold
Eagle’s photographer found most
students making productive use
of the time during a recent tour of
classrooms during a study skills
session.
There are also some inconsistencies in its usage. Some
teachers such as Ms. Lemlin do not
give the students the study hall if
she is preparing students to take
Cont. Pg #:11
Page 4
Commentary:
Here Come
the Judges!
By Salirae Marshall
Judgmental: adj: of or denoting an attitude in which judgments about other people’s conduct
are made.
I’m so sick of girls and
boys talking trash about people.
Most of it is meaningless gossip.
But I can’t really judge because I
do it too. The world is an unfair
place so why should anybody be
fair. The problem is that we are all
so judgmental.
Most times when people
judge others, they don’t even have
a clue about the truth. In fact, they
don’t want the truth, they just want
to judge other people. It’s hard
to know why because there are
so many different reasons. Some
people think being judgmental will
make them more popular. Others
do it because criticizing others
makes them feel more important
themselves.
For instance, when a guy
walks by with sleeves of tattoos,
many assume he is either a hipster
or a gang member. Maybe before
you judge that person you should
take a look at that tattoos themselves. If the tattoos are related
to gangs and drugs, then go ahead
and judge. If they’re pretty flowers with a heart encasing the word
mom, you just misjudged that person. So maybe we should learn the
facts before we act on our judgements!
Being judgmental can be
Cont. Pg #:11
More than Just
a Nurse
By Anna Dupont
The nurse’s office is an
unlikely room that has gradually
become a place of solace for all
students; however, the arrangement
of the semi-plush chairs and the
long list of “street names” for weed
and graphic pictures of smoker
lungs on the walls are not what
draws the dozens of daily visitors.
It is our very own nurse Jeanne
Moran.
In a traditional environment
students are supposed to separate
their physical and mental tools to
different rooms in the school. The
nurse is the place for scratches and
guidance for mental dispatches.
But what is often not considered
is that those two types of pain can
come hand in hand. According to
Nurse Jeanne, “In most cases, a
kid’s physical state is a result of
their mental state. They come in
[to the nurse’s office] and say they
have a stomach ache and it’s really
just a lot of anxiety or stress.”
Cases like this are common in the
nurse’s office. Kids come in with a
stomach ache wanting Tums, and
find more relief after receiving a
helpful pep talk from the nurse.
The nurse does, however deal
with a lot of physical health issues
on top of her frequent counselees.
“The kids of today take too much
Tylenol and Ibuprofen. I speak to
the kids of the long term effects of
taking these medications and have
decreased the amount of usage
with students.” She deals frequently with headaches and emergencies
within the school as well. In many
other instances, students are drawn
to the nurse’s office who are in no
need of medical aid. They flock in
at lunch and between periods to see
Ms. Jeanne simply to talk and vent.
“I usually get a lot of mental health
issues like anxiety and stress.” Moran says that “most kids just want
to come in and talk to me.” Most
regular visitors can count on water,
a two pack of saltine crackers and
listening ear when they arrive. “I
like to talk to Nurse Jeanne.” says
student Victoria Hammer. “She
always helps me when I come in
with a problem.”
Sometimes the amount of kids
that stop by during the day can be a
bit overwhelming. When asked for
an estimate, Moran predicted that
she gets an average of thirty to fifty
kids in her office a day. However,
when the numbers rise too quickly
she knows when to put her foot
down. “I kick people out when I
need to.” says Jeanne firmly. But
how could you blame the student
body?
The nurse’s office is a recognized escape from stress, anxiety, and, most importantly--judgement. “I have an open door policy,
and I don’t judge anyone” says
the nurse. The nurse’s office has
proven itself to be a safe place for
Call in case of emergency:
medical or otherwise
Internal
Suspension...
Cont. Pg 1:
during class, between classes, at
lunch, etc.
Talking to students around
the school who have had ISS, it
seems they are not fans. People
seemed to have fairly similar
experiences, and not one student
interviewed had a positive review.
Senior Celeste Harshbarger said,
“It was pretty pointless because I
didn’t have any work to so I was
basically just sitting there for 7
hours.”When asked if she felt that
ISS changed her behavior in any
way she responded “No, it just
gave me a free day to get out of
classes.” Similarly, Junior Abigail
Quenneville said, “It kind of felt
like prison; I didn’t even get a window.”
In-school-suspension is
supposed to have a positive effect
on students’ behavior. They are
supposed to come out of ISS having learned a lesson, but that won’t
happen if students are finding the
program boring, pointless, and a
little like jail. According to Undermountain Elementary teacher,
Nancy Doherty, under the restraint
and seclusion laws in Massachusetts it is actually illegal to seclude
a student in a room in which he or
she can’t be seen by staff due to
potential danger and school liability.
There are many different
ISS programs used around the
country that have proven successful. While researching different
techniques it became clear that
each program is altered specifically to accommodate that specific
school’s needs. But, each one of
them had the same basic fundamentals. According to an article
by Mary Hrabak and Doris Settles,
“an effective program generally
holds students accountable for
school assignments and involves
some aspect of rehabilitation or
functional behavior assessment/replacement.” Almost none of those
aspects are present in our program.
Students are supposed to do their
work, but they aren’t exactly held
responsible for it. Very few teachers come down to deliver your
work to you. No assignments are
even created for you if you don’t
have any outstanding work.
It’s fair to say that Mt.
Everett’s ISS program can provide
a temporary solution for disruptive students, but there is no actual
lasting effect. But hey, if we acknowledge that there’s room for
improvement, then maybe we can
move it up a notch on our “to do:”
Any chance for parole?
Page 5
Man vs. Nature
By Jasmine Twing
The students get to see the
real Mrs. Siket while doing school
work. High school social studies
teacher Patrick Barrett believes
his hiking class is having a significant impact on both him and the
students who take the class. Math
teacher Sarah Siket co-teaches the
class, officially named Man and
His Environment. The hiking class
goes on morning hikes during double weeks to get prepared for when
they do the 4-day, 3-night hike, and
a one-night hike. When the class
hikes the 4-day hike, they start on
Tyringham Road and then hike the
Appalachian Trail on the first day
all the way to Upper Goose Pond.
After day 1, they hike 7.2 miles
traveling to the October Mountain
Shelter. On the final day the students, Mr. Barrett, and Mrs. Siket
hike from the October Mountain
Shelter to Cross Blotz Road, which
is a 5.4-mile hike. In total, the class
will have 19.6 miles while doing
the 3-day hike.
Mr. Barrett adds in “Ultimately, the kids will have hiked
from North Adams to Pittsfield
Road for approximately 37 miles.”
To prepare for these long hikes the
class hikes sections of the Appalachian Trail and around the school
during the double periods. The
class has will “have hiked 82 out
of the 90 miles of the Appalachian
Trail in Massachusetts,” says Mr.
Barrett.
Although this class seems like all
fun and games but in reality there
is serious education going on, and
sometimes very uncomfortable Cont. Pg #:
Page 6
On Edgenuity
By Brandon Siter
Is Edgenuity a good thing?
Many students say no. At first, they
liked it, but often that changed.
Maybe you don’t know what
Edgenuity is or don’t know why
these people dislike it. Maybe you
yourself like it and think others are
wrong for criticizing it.
What is Edgenuity? It’s
an online learning program that
students can use to take courses
that the school doesn’t offer in its
regular Program of Studies or that
they cannot fit into their schedules.
This is fortunate for students that
want to learn unusual topics and
for those who have to make up a
credit for a required course they
failed.
Some of these more interesting topics are fun to learn this
way, but Edgenuity has all the core
subjects like math, English, and
history too. The problem many
people have with these subjects is
the way they are taught through
Edgenuity. Many find it extremely
boring…like really really boring.
You watch a three-minute video of
a teacher’s talking head, read a passage, take a test, and repeat it about
one-hundred times. “I think Edgenuity is a good asset for the school
because of its broad range of classes, but it is not for every student
because it takes some special skills
to work in this environment,” says
Technology Director Chris Thompson. Some teachers have expressed
concern that Edgenuity is taking
students out of their elective classes, bringing class sizes down below
what they consider a comfortable
level.
Despite students’ problems
with the system, Edgenuity is still
helpful to many. It broadens the
range of classes in our small school
giving students options they never
would have had before. Unusual
topics like medical terminology,
game design, Latin and so on are
now on offer. Credit recovery is
much better with Edgenuity than
having a junior or senior sitting
in a class full of freshmen, if they
could fit it in their schedule.
But is this the best way to
learn these topics? To many it just
isn’t. “While the selection of courses offered are diverse, users cannot
ask their lecturers important questions that they may have,” says junior Lily Duval. Despite spending
so much time teaching and reviewing, these lessons don’t seem to
work for many students. The most
common complaint is that the lessons are too drawn out for them to
remember all of it, and the teacher
talking doesn’t take questions or
cater to different types of learning.
These problems persist because
they can’t be fixed with Edgenuity’s system of lessons, quizzes, and
tests. Edgenuity is a great program,
but it’s not for everyone.
Blizzard bags
Cont. Pg 1:
it a “no brainer.” Mount Everett Principal Glenn Devoti was
supportive of this new idea, but
has some ideas, saying “I’d like
to integrate technology.” Sophomore Connor Blodgett says “It
seems like a good idea, but I have
a feeling sometimes the teachers
would just give busy work.” Other
students indicated that they used
snow days as mental health days
Clothes...
Cont. Pg #2
sophomore Lili Zyszkowski “I like
name brand clothing, not because
of the brand that they represent
but primarily for the quality. As
trends develop, certain clothing
brands create clothes to satisfy.
those trends;… I tend to buy those
clothes if they fit with how I am
trying to dress.”
According to sophomore
Anthony Lupiani, “brands make
people think that the clothing is
better quality.” The fact is it all
depends on what brand name and
what it is being compared to. The
cost is really the only difference
between them. For instance, a pair
of jeans at American Eagle costs
$49.95, but you can get a comparable pair at Wal-Mart for $10. In any
case, they’re probably both made
in China.
or to catch up on other work or
sleep. And of course, the skiers
would definitely object.
Many people around the
district are supportive of the idea,
but there are a lot of changes that
could be made before the plan is
put into effect. Superintendent
Dave Hastings has been in touch
with the Huntington, Massachusetts school district to explore the
idea. If there’s enough support,
this could be seen here as early as
next year.
Page 7
For many years, Mount Everett students have
asked for and wanted study halls, and this year,
their call was answered. Mount Everett students
now get a study skills period for thirty minutes
during a regular class period to work on school
work five days a week. The rotation of study skills
does not stop for snow days or doubles rotations,
but so far it has been extremely effective. Some
teachers have taken their study skills away due to
students not working or if they are behind on the
year. Study skills is not permanent, but hopefully in
the future some tweaks will be made and students
can have study halls for years to come.
Page 8
The Bold Eagle’s Editorial Board
Executive Editor: Anna Dupont
Managing Editor:Shoji Rinaldi
Executive Production Editor: Dillon Van Deusen
Production Editors: Shoji Rinaldi, Brian Dillon
Faculty Advisor: Jeff Lang
Editorial Page Editor: Anna Dupont
Editorial: A Farewell to
Mr. Hastings
Reporters
Celeste Harshbarger, Salirae
Marshall, Simon Salzmann,
Brandon Siter, Christina Pedretti,
Quinlan Pollock, Jasmine Twing,
Dillon Van Deusen, Brian Dillon,
Shoji Rinaldi
Letter To The Editor
To the Editor:
As always, I found The Bold Eagle very insightful,
well-written, and unbiased. However, one thing did
stand out to me. In the article “Up Your Pep Game,”
David Hastings will be retiring at the end of
which I understood was to promote people going to
this school year as superintendent of the Southern
pep rallies and to congratulate everyone on the hard
Berkshire Regional School District.. In such a small
school, his retirement will be a noticeable loss to both work that goes into them, the topic of why people
avoid them was skimmed over without complete accuthe students and the staff.
racy.
Mr. Hastings is the face of Mount Everett that
Yes, some kids who avoid pep rallies think that
can be seen at every graduation and every Memorithey’re
boring, stupid, or a waste of time and energy.
al Day. One can become accustomed to the friendly
Christmas sweaters present ¾ of the year, the pleasant I think that they’re fantastic, a good way to share accomplishments and recognize hard work, and a good
smile and gracious tea distribution that has become
sort of advertisement for athletes. I’m sure I’m not the
such an intrinsic part of his classroom and office
only one who likes the idea of them but tries to avoid
hospitality. So many things about the way in which
them at all costs.
he executes himself and his position go far beyond
Walking into a room that’s completely filled with
his job description, such as his open door policy. In
peers
and teachers and having the societal teaching of
passing, anyone is free to stop into his office where
everyone judging you all the time combined with an
he focuses intently on his computer that sits atop his
stand-up desk. He has done an effective job at making anxiety disorder is a lot to handle. This is especially
sure that he is always available to help and give advice applicable if you’re late or a lot of people are already
there.
to anyone who approaches him.
Sitting on the bleachers, surrounded by people you
There are few who cannot recollect the long
Memorial Day speeches in the beating sun. The heart- hardly talk to, while loud noises and flashing lights
are happening in every corner of your field of vision is
felt words, occasionally interrupted by the thud of a
strenuous and fatiguing if your heart is beating as loud
band member hitting the ground from dehydration.
as the basketballs on the gym floor and your hands are
Or the graduation speeches that echoed through the
trembling like you’ve been out in the snow.
Tanglewood shed; always lengthy but only because
I love the idea of pep rallies. I love watching my
Mr. Hastings has so much to say about the current and
friends perform, peers show off their athletic prowess,
graduating students. “The Staff and the people here
and staff having a good time. I don’t love not being
love you,” he assures the student body “We want you
able to enjoy it because I have the instinctual feeling
to pay attention and succeed.” He has always been
that the volume and vulnerability will kill me.
very aware and active in improving the life of the
The article was well written and proposed good
Cont. Pg #:10
ideas. But laying the blanket statement that all of the
students who avoid pep rallies “believe they’re boring and don’t like them as much as others may” is
Reader’s Opinions
untrue and makes the people who don’t want to go
The Bold Eagle Wants To Know What’s On Your Mind so seem like the bad guys of the situation.
send us your opinions at
[Junior] Lily Duval
[email protected]
BEoldagle’s
Page 9
Mt. Everett Menagerie, By Quinn Pollock
Mia- Alpaca
Nancy and Hillary
LlyodJackie
Bailey
Caeser
Stella
Ruby and Penny
Lincoln
Abraham
Congratulations to the newest members of
the National Honor Society.
Cavan Brady
Gwen Carpenter
Jaclyn Derwitsch
Marion Devoti
Anna Dupont
Devan Galli
James Gulotta
Charles Kerzner
Olivia Murphy
Hannah Steuernagle
Madison Ullrich
Casper and Gus Gus
Stella and Luna
Page 10
Commentary:
Senioritis
Mr Hastings
Cont. Pg 8
students. In the past, before his
vocation as the superintendent, he
was a math teacher and curriculum
director. In short, he has seen both
sides of the school system firsthand.
There are few individuals
who care more about the welfare
and success of the students at
Mount Everett than Mr. Hastings.
He has put endless time and energy
into his work in hopes to leave a
thriving environment and happy
students and staff in his wake. However, our departing
superintendent does not plan to
settle down to a life of quaint
uneventfulness. “I hope to travel.
I’m a military retiree; so, I can go
to Westover and jump on any plane
they have and fly any place in the
world for absolutely nothing.” He
plans to travel the world with his
family and broaden his horizons
beyond their already vast expanse.
As for his replacement, Mr.
Hastings is confident that Ms. Regulbuto will be successful in taking
over his position. According to the
Mount Everett press release, Hastings said “We are thrilled that Beth
Regulbuto has emerged from our
rigorous search process as our next
superintendent.” Despite the loss
of such a comforting figure heading our district, the future is still
bright. The editorial board of The
Bold Eagle speaks for the entire
district in thanking you for your
service to our schools, and wishing
you the best of luck and happiness.
By Celeste Harshbarger
“Welcome Superintendent Beth
Regulbuto”
Keep the
Students
By Shoji Rinaldi
Since the election of Donald Trump, immigration officials at
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been noticeably
more aggressive when it comes
to tracking down undocumented
immigrants. If you’re an undocumented immigrant yourself, this
probably frightens you; however, if
you’re an undocumented student at
SBRSD, you may be able to rest a
little more easily.
Immigration officers have
recently been known to suddenly
arrest undocumented students,
but without a warrant, they can be
denied access. On March 9th, the
SBRSD School Committee passed
a resolution in support of undocumented students and their families.
In effect, the school is authorized
to block ICE agents from entering
Cont. Pg #:11
Every year thousands of
students across the nation are
plagued with a debilitating condition called studentium lethargae,
more commonly known as “senioritis.”Symptoms include laziness,
exhaustion, forgetfulness, and a
lack of desire to get out of bed.
Senioritis victims can be spotted a
mile away by these characteristics:
old sweatpants, coffee breath, baggy eyes, and they’re probably down
to their last pencil. It’s estimated
that by now over 75% of the senior
population at Mt. Everett is suffering from this condition.
Senioritis becomes prominent when a student, typically
a senior in high school, endures
going to school every morning
for 11 years and by the 12th year
can’t find the strength to reach the
finish line. In some cases, students
will catch senioritis as early as 1st
grade. Senior Christina Pedretti
who has been suffering with senioritis since 5th grade states that the
first thought she has when walking into the school building in the
morning is “is getting my diploma
even worth it?”
Senioritis is a crippling
condition that has caused many
students to sleep in and miss days
or even weeks at a time of school.
Students will resort to asking to
go to the nurse or the library as an
excuse to go off campus to get a
bagel and have a cigarette. Signs
of senioritis include giving attitude
to teachers, not doing homework
assignments, and looking like they
are on the verge of killing anyone
who is in too happy a mood. Dean
Cont. Pg #:11
JUDGES!...
Study Skills...
Cont. Pg 4:
very hurtful to the person being
judged. Anybody can be a victim.
In reality, the nicer you are, the
more likely you would be to get
stepped on. We’ve all learned that
if we see someone being bullied,
we’re supposed to step in and call
out the bully. If they can’t deal
with bullies how can they make it
out in the real world! If we don’t
help them who will! As actor
Evan Peters says, “It’s a filthy
world we live in.”
Mr. Lang, who admits that
many students judge him, says he
deals with it “like water off of a
ducks back.” More or less he’s
saying he doesn’t let it get to him
personally. Agreeing with Lang,
freshman Shelby Gomez said
“[there was] …a rumor about me
… but I got over it quickly.” It
helped her learn how to cope with
Safe places....
Cont. Pg #10
the building unless the superintendent is provided a relevant warrant
signed by a judge or magistrate. As
written in the resolution, the committee believes that “students’ emotional well-being and ability to successfully function in an educational
environment would be negatively
impacted by the removal of family
members during Immigration and
Customs Enforcement Office (ICE)
activity that potentially could leave
students without a guardian or supervising adult to provide care.” As
such, they’ve decided that they will
work to prevent any removals from
happening on school grounds.
A few other parts of the
resolution stand out. For instance,
teachers and staff must not require
Cont. Pg 3
MCAS. So indeed the teachers
have the option to say no we’re not
doing the study skills today, but
then the students get mad because
some of them are relying on it to
get their work done. Also, some
teachers make a point of forcing
students to use the time productively, while others are more laid back
and don’t mind if students take it as
free time.
As with any change, it will
take a while for us all to settle in to
the new pattern of study skills time
every day. If you have an opinion
on the topic, send a letter to the
editor of The Bold Eagle and we
will publish your point of view.
students or parents to provide
documentation or answer any
questions that may reveal their
documentation status. In addition,
teachers and staff are not to refer
any students or their families to
ICE if immigration status is revealed.
The intention of this
resolution is to create a safe environment for all students on the
SBRSD campus. As also mentioned in the resolution, “SBRSD
‘strives to create an emotionally
and physically safe environment
of courtesy, respect, and tolerance
for all.” Though this may not have
a direct effect on many students at
Mt. Everett, a resolution like this,
at the very least, sends a message
of support to those who may be
frightened.
Page 11
Senioritis...
Cont. Pg 10
of Students Kurt DeGrenier probably loses a little more hair every
year during senioritis season.
Students aren’t the only
ones who are afflicted by senioritis. For hundreds of years teachers
and staff members have had to deal
with the students who start giving
up on homework, classwork, and
attendance. Ms. Casey, 12th grade
English teacher, has been dealing
with unstable seniors for many
years.“The zombie apocalypse
is here in the form of senioritis.
Students have no zeal, no enthusiasm and it makes me feel like I’m
Charlie Brown’s teacher,” says Casey. Affected students aren’t only
a harm to themselves, but their
negative outlooks and dismissive
attitudes are known to have impact
on everyone around them.
There are many temporary
solutions to senioritis. Many seniors turn to high doses of caffeine,
multiple packs of cigarettes a day,
junk food, and extreme napping.
Unfortunately these solutions only
provide brief alleviation and will
eventually worsen the senioritis.
The only definitive cure is graduation. After students with senioritis
graduate they experience immediate relief and can finally get out of
bed and get themselves dressed in
the morning. This year the epidemic has been more prominent than
ever and the seniors of 2017 will
be lucky if they make it out without casualties.
Page 12
H O R O S C O P E S
Aries (March 21—April 19): Increase communication between you and those around you, Aries. It
will benefit you greatly.
Taurus (April 20—May 20): A nice weekend at home might be exactly what you need right now,
Taurus. Time to yourself is something not to be forgotten.
Gemini (May 21—June 20): Information about possible career choices might come to your attention
soon, Gemini. Act on it!
Cancer (June 21—July 22): You’re giving a lot of thought to your future, Cancer. It may be stressful
now, but it will pay off in the end.
Leo (July 23—August 22): Make sure to show your emotions, Leo. If you don’t, you will never get
what you want.
Virgo (August 23—September 22): Your kindness has been outstanding this month, Virgo! Always
remember, what goes around comes around.
Libra (September 23—October 22): You’re excited about a social gathering this month, Libra. You
will shine!
Scorpio (October 23—November 21): Let them go, Scorpio. If they aren’t showing effort, then they
aren’t worth your time.
Sagittarius (November 22—December 21): The stars predict a significant amount of cash to come
your way, Sagittarius. Only if you keep up the good work, though!
Capricorn (December 22—January 19): Making a new start can be a good thing, Capricorn. Sometimes that’s all you may need.
Aquarius (January 20—February 18): You’ve made a big decision this month, Aquarius! Congrats,
and good luck to you!
Pisces (February 19—March 20): The only person standing in the way of you being great is you,
Pisces. Show them what you got!
Hiking...
Cont. Pg 1:
conditions. For instance,
when it rains it is going to cause
the class to struggle even more
than usual because of the rain and
for the risks associated with walking on wet slippery rocks at high
elevations.
“This class is physically
and mentally demanding, but after
the four-day hike, students will
feel a sense of accomplishment for
having met the challenge,” says
Mr. Barrett. On the other side of
the spectrum, the students and both
teachers Mr. Barrett and Mrs. Siket
get to interact with one another in
a very different environment than
their usual classrooms. The students get to see their teacher more
as hiking team peers than as lecturers.
Mr. Barrett shares some
personal history of when he took a
similar class as a student: “I took
this class while a senior at Monument Mountain and it rained for
three and a half days during the
five-day hike.  It’s an experience
that I cherish to this day.  I love
hiking because it allows me to not
only get physically fit, but also to
mentally air out.  The first hill of
the day is always the hardest.” He
then adds, “The best part of this
class for me is getting to co-teach
the class with Ms. Siket, sharing
a passion, and connecting with
students in a way that can’t happen
in a traditional classroom setting.”  Mr. Barrett hopes that more
students will join this class since it
is open to everyone; he also hopes
that 12 or more students including
girls will at least try out the class.
A fun fact to know is that last year
there were three girls in the class
and they happened to be some of
the class’s strongest hikers.