The LookoutCash in on Your Passion: BHS Senior Developes a Successful iphone AppBy Sarah Gault

When most kids were thir­teen, they were just learning how to use an email account. When Greg Rosen was thirteen, he was design­ing web pages. Now Greg owns his own company, Haptic Pixels, which develops applications for the iPhone. This July, Castle Defense, !"#$%&'(%)*+,-'./,$'"##0'1",'/*­+*",*23'4/*5'16/7*2'86/'.9*'months with Charles Connell, a 2009 BHS grad, as well as a de­signer for the graphics and a com­poser for the sound to create the game. The idea for the app came 1:*;'4/*5',"1'$:*'#6#<+"/'=",:'game version and realized that there was a large market for con­9*/$%;5'$:*,*'$>#*,'68'=",:'5"?*,'into iPhone apps. “There was no other game like that at the time of development.”4/*5'56$',$"/$*2'%;'$:%,'.*+2'"$'";'*"/+>'"5*0'";2'@"+1">,'+69*2'$:*'#6,,%A%+%$%*,'>6<'

Mandarin: It’s Not Just a Name for Oranges Anymore

./,$':*"/2'68'$:*'#6,,%A%+­ity. “We’re still in the early stages,” Ms. Barnett com­ments. “Right now, we’re just gathering data. We’re in the process of survey­ing teachers, parents, [and] students.” China’s economy, the third largest economy after the United States

By Tung Nugyen In the near future, Mandarin Chinese may be introduced as a new for­eign language to BHS, as B:%;"-,'68.&%"+'+";5<"5*'continues to popular­ize. Though the news has sparked much interest in the community, the deci­sion to incorporate it is anything but set in stone. As Ms. Barnett, the

head of the Foreign Lan­guage department says, “We don’t even know if we’re going to have a class or not.”On September 18, 2009, a popular survey on the BHS website was closed regarding the possibility of Mandarin Chinese as a new language course. This was how most par­ents and BHS students

JROTC MIA?By Mike Ward Bedford students are all familiar with the blue uniforms

worn by the JROTC cadets; however, this may be the last year the MA­791st Bedford JROTC will remain open. This is due to a lack of cadets. Unless JROTC can meet the Air Forces requirement, they will cut the funding to the JROTC program. Mr. Sills, the school principle, hopes this does not hap­pen, “Our JROTC program is hugely important to the high school. It is a key part of our identity, and it serves a group of students in irreplaceable ways. Valued by its Bedford

and Boston students, JROTC also plays a particular role for many of its Base students who transition to the high school without knowing

Why Facebook is ImportantBy Emily Gao Every day, hun­dreds of Bedford High School students log on to the global network­ing site Facebook. With more than 65 million active users on Face­book, it is now easier than ever to connect with other people over the internet by using this virtual friend machine.Facebook functions as a window into other peo­ples’ lives and allows us to share our own lives with them. BHS stu­dents, as well as the en­tire Facebook commu­nity, are using Facebook in ways that the found­ers did not originally intend. Whether brows­ing through .jpg images, sending your friends “bumper stickers” or @#%*&*,'68'="%/C0'$"7­ing redundant quizzes $6'.;2'6<$'@:61'D,%";'you are,” or increasing your rank in Farmville,

By Kira Topeka Gone are the days of counting minutes and calculating absence based on those minutes. The new system directly addresses the issue of “chronic tardiness”. The student :";2A667'&+",,%.*,'@%;­tentional and purposeful chronic tardiness” as a Category E Offense. It is in the same section as the use of electronic devices and possessing food and drinks in unauthorized areas. The handbook very vaguely states that the minimum penalties are phone calls to parents, 68.&*'2*$*;$%6;,0'/*96&"­tion of privileges, and loss of course credit. The

Too Little, Too Late

Bedford High School November 2009

College Bound Athletes: Ben Rose and Gabby Bard Playing on for Four More YearsBy Zach Inz

Page Two

Gospel Choir: A New Singing OpportunityBy Pamela Weidman

Page Two

These Girls are Up and Running: Girls Cross CountryBy Pamela Weidman

Page Two

The Great Debate: Stuffed Crust By Zach Donahue

Page Four

Farmville Takeover

Page Five

Helping Our Students Together: Inter­view with Mr. DeChellisWith Alyssa Cattles

Page ThreeMusic Review:Bright EyesBy Ben Knicely

Page Four

Continued on Page 7

Continued on Page 5

Continued on Page 5 Continued on Page 4

Continued on Page 6

Life of a Substitue TeacherBy Katy Holliday

Page Seven

Page TwoStudent Athletes By Zach Inz Gabby Bard and Ben Rose are both taking the steps necessary to take their athletic careers to the next level. Many kids dream of competing in the NCAA but few have the rare combination of talent and determination to reach that level. Gabby Bard, a BHS senior and co­captain of the girls’ soccer team is approaching her dream of playing college soc­cer. “I have been in contact with a couple of coaches.” Gabby is interested in playing at a small Division III school in New England or New York. Her top choices of schools to play soc­cer at are Tufts University, Hamilton College, and Union Col­lege. What has allowed Gabby the opportunity to play colle­giate soccer is that she initiated contact with all of her potential

By Pamela Weidman

BHS’ gospel choir, an activity that just began this year, provides an opportunity to attract more s $<2*;$,'$6'$:*'?<,%&'#/65/"?3''E%/*&$*2'A>'F/,3'(/%$&:*$$0'%$,'./,$'?**$%;5'%;'?%2GH*#$*?A*/'1",'"',<&&*,,3 The purpose of this choir is to perform a different style of music than what is currently offered in the school’s music program. Gospel music is very much different from other genres of music because it is mainly improvisational. Gospel singers usually don’t read off of sheet music but instead learn it aurally, and the accompanist usually improvises around the piece. This style of music is very new to the Bedford community. Mrs. Pritchett, the choral music teacher, and Mrs. McManus, the head of Bedford’s METCO department, are the ones who assembled the choir. Mrs. Pritchett has never directed a gospel choir before, so is looking for both new and experienced singers to join $:*'"&$%9%$>3''B<//*;$+>0'$:*/*'"/*'.9*'56,#*+'&:6%/'?*?A*/,0'%;&+<2%;5'6;*'"&&6?#";%,$3' I;*',$<2*;$0'1:6'",7*2';6$'$6'A*';"?*20',"%2'$:*>'16<+2'J6%;'$:*'&:6%/0'A<$'&6<+2;-$'A*&"<,*'%$'2%2;-$'.$'with their schedule. The choir meets Mondays after school, so it doesn’t interfere with students’ x­block ac­

$%9%$%*,0'"+$:6<5:'$:%,'?"7*,'%$'2%8.&<+$'86/',$<2*;$,'1%$:',#6/$,'$6'J6%;3''D+$:6<5:'$:*'#"/$%&%#";$,'%;'$:*'&+<A,'";2'"&$%9%$%*,'688*/*2'"$'K!H'/*#/*,*;$'a good portion of the student body, vice principal Mr. Tracy said, “I wish more people would get involved.” Hopefully, the gospel choir will provide an additional opportunity for students to join an activity. Singing gospel can be a fun and exciting challenge because its approach is so different from other forms of music. Although the harmonies in gospel music are similar to those in other genres, gospel music implements a different singing style and rhythm. Mrs. Pritchett offered an important insight, saying that it is “...like rock and roll because it comes out of gospel music,” illustrating that although there are differences, gospel music re­ally isn’t so unlike the modern music students are more familiar with. The goal of the gospel choir is to perform a new variety of music and encourage more students to join the program. Hopefully, the choir will perform at an upcoming choir concert and at a Martin Luther King Day celebration.

Gospel Choir: A New Opportunity

coaches. “You also have to start early in the process. During your Junior Year you should be talking to coaches so that they can see you play Senior Year. If you wait until your Senior Year it is too late.” Ben Rose, a BHS senior and football player, would also like to play at similar Div. III schools that are in the NESCAC. NE­SCAC stands for the New England Small Colleges Athletic Conference and is a popular choice for BHS students if they have the academics to support their athletics. Some schools in the NESCAC are Williams College, Wesleyan College, and Connecticut College. “You can’t sit back and wait for something to hap­pen,” said Ben Rose.

Mr. Mangin, the ath­letic director at BHS added that students should make sure they focus on academ­%&,'./,$'A*&"<,*'$:*'&:";&*,'of getting an academic scholarship are far greater than an athletic scholarship. In fact, he said the ratio is about 100:1 in favor of aca­demic scholarships. Jonathan Banister, a sophomore at BHS, is in­eligible to begin the recruit­ing process because of his age but has paid attention to what the seniors on the football team are doing. “I would like to play football in college but I can’t start the recruiting process yet because of NCAA rules. I have paid attention to what the seniors have done.” One step many of the seniors have taken is to participate

in a scouting combine. A combine is an event where athletes go to test their physical capabili­ties, and college coaches can scout athletes. “Com­bines are a great tool for getting recruited and being seen by coaches,” stated Ben Rose. While many kids grow up idolizing col­lege athletes only few even have the opportunity to make it to that level. Last year, Ryan Carter received a full scholar­ship to play football at a Div. 1 AA school at the University of Massachu­setts at Amherst. Hope­fully, Ryan Carter will be a trendsetter of BHS athletes making it to the college ranks.

By Jessuly McCabe Although they haven’t had much rec­ognition, the BHS Girls Cross­Country team has had several changes over the past few years. This season the coach has built up a stronger team with higher hopes for the future and a pas­sion to strive towards being their best. A goal of the team was to grow. Within the past three years the team has gone from about 8 to 28 girls. This year a large portion of the team is made up of fresh­man that will lead the future cross­country team, including Lori Merlo, Cali Ellis, Sevan Dulgarian, and Annika Nosal. Anoush Arake­lian, co­captain of the team says “We got a new coach last year, and we saw things start to turn around.” Mr.

Bringing XC Back

Page ThreeHebert, an English teacher at BHS, coaches the team. Coach Hebert’s mantra for the team this year has been “Work hard, be positive.” Anything negative at practice is immediately called out. Exercising the brain has been a big part of the team this year as well. Anoush ad­mitted “Mental toughness has been our best friend.” But brains aren’t the only friends on the team. Captains Sarah Gault and Anoush are best friends. Both agree along with Coach that running together as a team makes friendships last a lifetime. The team has been able to win more meets this year and last. At the start of the

season Sarah commented @L",$'>*"/'1*'2*.;%$*+>'improved from the year before, but this year I think we will improve even more.” The team proved Sarah correct. They have won meets against Wayland, Tyngs­boro, Arlington, and Boston Latin earning a record of 4:4. The team also ranked 11th in the MSTCA (Massachusetts State Track Cross­Coun­try Association) Mc­Intyre Invitational and 10th in the MSTCA Bay State Invitational. Coach confessed “I love watching my athletes improve as the season goes on … the athletes support each other and grow into a team.” One thing is for sure; this cross­country team isn’t going to stop running, working hard, and being positive. With a team like this, there is only room for success.

The Lookout’s Alyssa Cattles sat down with guidance counselor Mr. DeChellis. H.O.S.T. stands for Helping Our Students Together.

Alyssa Cattles: What is H.O.S.T., and what are some advantages of having a program like this?Brian DeChellis: H.O.S.T. is a program de­signed to help new 10th­12th graders adjust/transition to Bedford High School, a wel­coming committee comprised of students. Each H.O.S.T. student provides the in’s and out’s of Bedford High School to all newHOSTEES. Each new student is matched to a current student to assist withthe overall transition to the new school set­ting. The job of a H.O.S.T. isalso to help lesson the overall stress of the new students who are tryingto navigate around Bedford High...where to sit at lunch, where classesare, etc..The program has been at Bedford High School since the 2006­2007school year and has been growing ever since. As the year progresses thecurrent HOSTEE’s are encouraged to be­come H.O.S.T.’s for the following year.The program has monthly events such as bowling on Hanscom Air Force Basewhich seemed to be a favorite of many of the students. At the end of each

summer H.O.S.T. has an orientation for all of the new students. Part of theorientation includes a tour, scavenger hunt, and pizza lunch.AC: Why do we have a H.O.S.T. program?BD: We have H.O.S.T. because there is such a large number of students moving inand out of the community. This past summer we had approximately 60 newstudents move into the area. H.O.S.T. provides a friendly welcome to the newfaces.AC: When did H.O.S.T. start?BD: I believe H.O.S.T. started in September of 2007AC: How do you match a H.O.S.T. up with their

H.O.S.T.ee?BD: As new students enter Bedford High $:*>'.++'6<$'"'!IHM'/*8*//"+',:**$'",part of the enrollment process. Based on the information provided, Matching Specialists, help determine who is paired with whom.AC: What happens when an H.O.S.T. match goes wrong?BD: We never expect students to become best friends however that has happenedin the past. If there is a bad match we go back to the drawing board andlook for a new match.

H.O.S.T.: Helping Our Students Together

H.O.S.T. Helping Our Students Together

By Ben Knicely

I’m Wide Awake, Its Morning (Album Re­view)

Bright Eyes is an American Indie band, drawn primarily from ‘Omaha’s music scene’; they have 33 other albums/singles/EP’s. Their most recent album, “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning” will keep most faithful listeners tapping their feet. At the beginning of the album, Conor Oberst, the lead vocal­ist and guitarist of Bright Eyes, tells a story about a plane crash. “At the Bottom of Everything” is about living life to the fullest, no matter how hard life gets. In other words, focus on the good things on life and you will be happier in the long run. ' M:*';*)$',6;5'6;'$:*'"+A<?0'@N*'D/*'O61:*/*'D;2'P$-,'O61C'&6;$/",$,'9*/>';%&*+>'1%$:'$:*'./,$',6;53'M:*'./,$',6;5'%,',%?#+*'";2'<#A*"$'1:*/*",'@N*'D/*'O61:*/*'D;2'P$-,'O61C'%,',+61'A<$':",'?6/*'instruments. Ten additional musicians were involved in arranging and performing “Old Soul Song,” including Jason Boesel, (drummer for Rilo Kiley), and Nick White (keyboardist for Tilly and the Wall). With the extra talent, the song feels full like a chorus of instruments. The next track, “Lua”, is similar to more of Connor’s earlier works. This song is very popular on both itunes and even reached number one on the ‘Billboard Hot Singles Sales Chart’. “First Day Of My Life” is a song about building up a relationship to something great and strong. Oberst stresses that relationships built over time are more valuable with lyrics like, “But I’d rather be work­ing for a paycheck, than waiting to win the lottery”. He means that if one waits to “win the lottery,” things probably won’t work out in the long run. But if one works hard, “working for a paycheck”, then the patience and hard work will pay off in the long run resulting in a steady and long relationship. This album really is a work of art. It receives 5 stars, continuing a run of hits by Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes

Page FourBy Zach Donahue Stuffed crust pizza has be­come a daily choice in the tough and tiresome decision of what to buy at lunch. It seems to be the ace­in­the­hole for the hard­working lunch ladies as it is served ev­eryday. There is much debate, however, about the quality and demand of this stuffed slice of pizza. The school population of BHS seems to be split right down the middle on this cheese­covered con­troversy. For the students who are in favor for the cooking and serving of the cheesy delight I have heard a mix of different responses about the questionable pizza. “We think it’s a creative mix of cheese inside a crust,” stated freshmen Jillian Barnes and Rachel Aldorisio. It seems that the population of stuffed lovers varies greatly as junior Matt Capozza stated, “I like the crust but the pizza leaves something to desire.” Junior Becca Darby feels a similar sensation about the pizza as she stated, “The pizza is taste­less, but the crust just leaves something to look forward to.” The BHS students in favor of the pizza all seem to agree that the pizza portion of the $1.75 slice of dough, sauce and cheese is sub par while the crust seems to en­tice the students into paying for the meal of pizza. The opposition to the pizza seems to have a much ?6/*'<;%.*2'"/5<?*;$0'",'%$'seems several students look at the pizza with great dis­gust. Senior Mikey Rubin stated “oh, you mean that stuff with the cheese in the crust? Yeah, that stuff’s nasty. The other pizza on Friday is bomb.” Sean Greene stated “I have been eating pizza for seventeen years and this just doesn’t quite make the cut.” Other students are quick to question the quality and taste of the pizza. Sophomore Jesse Dickinson­Meltz questioned, “is that cheese inside the soft crust even real?” It really makes you start wondering just how natural the pizza is from, the quality and ingredients in the sauce, to the actual materials used to make the cheese that oozes forth from the crust in a nauseatingly enticing sort of way.

The Stuffed Debate

*?#:",%,'#+"&*2'6;'$"/2%;*,,'2</%;5'$:*'./,$'2">'68',&:66+'",,*?A+>'%,'+6,$'%;'$:%,'A"/*+>'2*.;*,'B62*'68'B6;­duct. According to Principal Sills, the rationale behind the development of the new policy was that the old policy of counting minutes simple wasn’t effective. “Students who didn’t care about their grades were never concerned and students who do care about their grades didn’t realize the impact of a few minutes because there were no immediate consequences,” said Sills. The consequences for tardiness are now up to the discretion of in­dividual teachers. They are encouraged to add “Do Now’s” and include punctuality in their participation rubric. Some students are feeling the impact of the new tactics. Freshman Leona Silverstrone has “Do Now’s” in several of her classes. But when asked if she knew the actual policy, she drew a blank and couldn’t come up with an answer. Senior Shreyas Ravi said that he doesn’t have many “Do Now’s” and only one of his teachers has any sort of policy. English teacher Ms. Tocci says that she has “Do Now’s” for her classes but she also has students keep track of their own tardy minutes. It allows them to track their punctuality, she said. Although the focus on tardiness does not seem to be a priority for many teachers, Principal Sills notes that there have been few kids hanging around in the halls, “so something is working”. The conclusion is that there is no *8.&%*;$'1">'$6'"22/*,,'$"/2%;*,,3'P$'%,'up to the individual teachers to enforce their own policies. Mrs. Leshay encour­ages punctuality by stamping calendars 2</%;5'$:*'./,$'8*1'?%;<$*,'68'&+",,'and then collects them at the end of the month. She grades the calendars based in the number of stamps, and includes this in her participation grade. The only way for any late policy to function is for all of the teachers to enforce it, as they did with the cell phone policy.

Too Little, Too Late Continued..

!

Page Fivecould create with computers.” He started working at various web startups and then at a freelance company building and hosting websites for others before starting Haptic Pixels. So how does the game work? There are men attacking >6</'&",$+*0'";2'%$'%,'>6</'J6A'$6'=%&7'$:*?'"1">'1%$:'>6</'.;5*/'6/'2/6#'$:*?'%;$6'>6</'&",$+*'$6'&6;9*/$'$:*?'$6'.5:$'86/'>6<3'At the end of each level, you can use points you have earned to change your converts into magicians (who strike down your opponents with a lightening bolt), archers, and the like, which help you to better defend your castle. There are unlimited levels, so you play until you lose, and when you are done you can post your score to Twitter or Facebook. The company’s second game, Slap the Monkey, was just released in mid­October. This game took less time to make, as it does not involve all of the intricacies of Castle Defense. In $:*';*1'5"?*0'>6<'2/"5'>6</'.;5*/'"&/6,,'$:*',&/**;'$6',+"#'$:*'monkey as fast as possible. As Greg puts it, the game is “very competitive.” In the future, he says that Haptic Pixels will “con­tinue to make games that will entertain people, wherever that takes us.” In the future, Greg plans to study computer science or A<,%;*,,'A*86/*':6#*8<++>'8<+.++%;5':%,'<+$%?"$*'56"+'68'61;%;5'"'+"/5*'PM'&6?#";>'$:"$'%,'%;;69"$%9*'%;'1:"$*9*/'.*+2':*'&:66,*,3 “I’m in an industry where not a lot of highschoolers are building iPhone apps, but it’s what I love,” said Greg. His big­gest piece of advice to a fellow highschooler who wants to do something like him? “Just do it; just build it. Go out and crush it.” And if you start playing Castle Defense, you’ll have to get to level 78 to beat the master himself.

?";>0'%8'";>'6$:*/',$<2*;$,3'B"#$"%;'";2'B:%*8'A/%;5'$*//%.&'$"+*;$0'*;*/5>'";2'commitment to the whole school.” In order to stop this, the JROTC wants to focus on recruiting new ca­dets into the JROTC program. One way it is attempting to increase our number of cadets is attempting to open a cross­town agreement with Shawsheen. One other way is by attempting to recruit here at BHS. Many people have misconceptions of JROTC, in fact, one would actu­ally be surprised by some of the questions some of the cadets have been asked, such as “Have you been to Iraq,” or “Have you ever killed anyone?” Some people also think JROTC is a recruitment tool for the Air Force, but this is not true although JROTC does help if students decide to join through offering a higher starting salary and the knowledge of the values of the armed forces. The JROTC is in no way a method to pressure anyone into joining. In fact, only a small fraction of the BHS cadets end up joining the armed forces. Only four cadets of the JROTC seniors in the class of 2008 either joined the Air Force or went on to ROTC in college with only six JROTC cadets in the class of 2009. Unfortunately, only one cadet is joining the armed forces this year. Many people consider JROTC to be a class where one drills all day long; in fact, the only mandatory drills are on Bedford Day and Memorial Day, although there are drill classes one may take voluntarily.In class, one does not just sit there and listen to a teacher ramble information. Most of the information learned is actually extremely helpful towards a cadets’ future. Students cover management, leadership, survival, and communication skills, as well as world issues such as problems in the Middle East. One thing people dislike about JROTC is the uniform; however, the uniform is ;6$'?";2"$6/>'86/'./,$'>*"/'&"2*$,3'' Now some fun events in the JROTC year include rocketry building, /%=*'$*"?'Q,*#"/"$*'8/6?'$:*'K!H'$*"?R0'";2'.*+2'2">'";2'?";>'6$:*/,3'S%*+2'day is when the JROTC cadets get a school day off to participate in fun acti­9"$*,0',<&:'",'866$A"++0'&"#$</*'$:*'="50'";2'&+%?A'"'/6&7'1"++0'";'*9*;$'+",$'year. They also have time to socialize. “If it wasn’t for JROTC I wouldn’t know most of my friends, and I would have no idea what to do with my fu­ture,” says one of the JROTC cadets. Even non­JROTC students recognizes the importance of the program. “JROTC is an opportunity to be a part of a group, I know some kids really en­joy this and it helps them reach their goals. If JROTC goes away that’s another good thing that our school will lose,” says Ryan Molloy. The Senior Aerospace Science instructor Captain Carson has a few rea­sons he would like it to stay, “There are so many good things about the JROTC program, but if I had to pick a few, I would say that JROTC offers a program which is unlike anything else available in school. JROTC gives kids a place where they can be themselves and sets them up to succeed as leaders in their 8<$</*'&"//%*/'.*+2,3'P$'$*"&:*,'7%2,'"A6<$'/*,#6;,%A%+%$>'";2'6$:*/'%?#6/$";$'qualities such as staying active in ones community.” Hopefully, BHS can save JROTC before it goes under.

Cash in on Your Passion Continued... JROTC MIA? Continued...

"

Page Six

By Jamie Garber

Living with eleven siblings dur­%;5'M:%,'1",'$:*'./,$'>*"/'K!H'/*T<%/*2'summer reading for freshmen. The as­signment was to read The Color of Water by James McBride. McBride was one of eleven siblings in the 1960’s and wrote the memoir as a tribute to his mother Ruth. Mrs. Sallee, the head of the English Department, explains why the book was chosen, “This book was cho­sen by the ninth grade teachers. They had used it in the past for summer and independent reading and found that many students enjoyed reading it. They also thought it had many rich passages that tied in well to the themes of the ninth grade course. They also thought it would be interesting to both boys and girls and could lead to good discussions at the start of the year.” Throughout the book James F&K/%2*'$/%*,'$6'.;2':%,'%2*;$%$>0'";2'.5:$'$:*'#/*J<2%&*'$61"/2,':%,'8"?%+>3'His mother grew up a Jewish girl liv­ing in Suffolk, VA during the 1930s and 1940s. His mother marries a black man and struggles in adjusting her life. James interviews his mother and focuses on

The Color of Water

a game whose purpose I hope to never understand (though one BHS student has spent a shocking seven consecutive hours improving her virtual farm), Bedford High School students are going on Facebook to waste time. However, Facebook is not merely a waste of time and a useless display of humanity with true value. Facebook is actually a valuable social tool. Facebook has become a coping mechanism for our generation that we use to validate our reactions to the world we live in.

By being a part of the Bedford High School network on Facebook, we are all part of something bigger. Together, we reach a collective con­sensus about culturally relevant topics. Whether it is a person, a product, a political scandal, a television show, or a celebrity death, Facebook acts as a portal to understanding a human psyche. By sharing opinion­loaded statuses, we are comforted in knowing that other people in our community share our perspective. When big moments happen, regardless of their rel­*9";&*'%;'6</'+%9*,0'1*'.;2',6+"&*'%;'7;61%;5'$:"$'*9*/>6;*'*+,*'7;61,'about them too. How many statuses have you seen in the last few months regarding Kanye West vs. Taylor Swift or Michael Jackson? ' N*';**2'S"&*A667'86/'&6;./?"$%6;'$:"$'U";>*'N*,$'%,'"'@J"&7­ass”. We need Facebook for uniting us through celebrity deaths (i.e. F%&:"*+'V"&7,6;0'("$/%&7'H1">W*0'";2'K%++>'F">*,R'";2'#<A+%&'/*=*&$%6;'"A6<$'$:*'5%8$'68'+%8*3'N*';**2'S"&*A667'86/'9*/%.&"$%6;'$:"$'B/6&,'"/*'$:*'ugliest product known to mankind and that Snuggies are ridiculous. We need Facebook to share humor that everyone “gets”.Facebook is the essence of our time. It is a celebration of the moments that the whole world can all share together. As we are growing up, we are learning to use the internet together, and learning to use the internet to experience life together.

the themes of growing up, identity, and prejudice. Mrs. Messenger, a freshmen English teacher adds, “The Color of Water ties in a Hero’s Journey, a part of the curriculum for ninth graders. This memoir is accessible for the students and is fairly recent. I really liked this book and hope to continue summer reading. I hope they continue because it’s good for students to keep up with reading in the summer.” The most interesting aspect of the book is the format. James interviews Ruth and the book is written with two different fonts. The italic font is written for Ruth’s interview in her perspective of growing up in Suffolk, Virginia. The plain font is James’ story. Throughout Ruth’s story she is judged for her life­style, particularly for having two inter­racial marriages and twelve children. The Color of Water deserves two thumbs up for its excellence. This book was a great read and is recommended again for grade nine summer reading next year. James and Ruth’s story was interesting because readers discover two different stories.

Why Facebook is Important Continued...

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and Japan, is rapidly growing. For this reason, Mandarin Chi­nese—spoken by around 900 million people globally (>10% of the world population)—becomes ever more useful. Peggy Greene, a BHS parent who works for an inter­national company headquartered in London, says, “We sell our products in 45 countries [and] have manufacturing sites all around the world. Over the past several years China’s impor­$";&*'",'"'&6?#6;*;$',<##+%*/'";2'.;%,:*2'5662,'&6;,<?*/'has become increasingly important. People who posses even a basic working knowledge of the language and culture will be able to conduct business more effectively there.” Setting aside potential advantages in doing business, China’s rich multi­millennial culture, which includes its complex history and basic ways of life will also enrich and promote a deeper understanding of everyday life. “Offering Mandarin Chinese at BHS is an important step for the school. Many high schools throughout New Eng­land already offer Mandarin Chinese as an option. As China grows into the largest economy in the world the need for D?*/%&";,'=<*;$'%;'F";2"/%;'"+,6'5/61,3'I#*;%;5'"26+*,&*;$,'$6'$:*'%;=<*;&*,'68'6$:*/'&<+$</*,'"&/6,,'$:*'16/+2'&";'6;+>'A*'"'#6,%$%9*'*;2*"96/XC',">,'K!H'#"/*;$'V*;;%8*/'H&:6*8=*/3' Nationwide, there are more than 550 American el­ementary, middle, and high schools that offer Mandarin as a language option. In fact, nearby districts Belmont, Weston, Newton, Brookline, Sharon and Concord have already begun offering Mandarin.David Silbert, a BHS freshman, believes that French would be less useful than Mandarin. He jokingly says, “There’s more Chinese people than European people.” Silbert would, however, prefer to continue with French, a language he started when he was in elementary school. “I would rather do a language that I have background knowledge on.”M:*/*'%,'"+,6'$:*'2%8.&<+$>'8"&$6/0'@S6/'D?*/%&";,0'F";2"/%;'1%++'A*'?<&:'?6/*'2%8.&<+$'A*&"<,*'%$'%,;-$'A",*2'6;'L"$%;0C',">,'V6,:'Y";;%)0'8/*,:?";0'1:6,*'./,$'+";5<"5*,'1*/*'F";­darin and English. “I don’t know how they would teach it to older kids.” JGMS parent April McDaniel adds, “Ideally Mandarin would also be offered in the elementary schools since it’s much easier to learn a foreign language when you’re younger.” Differences in opinions set aside, Silbert concludes with a generalization: “It’s going to be interesting learning about Chinese culture [as well as the language]. It’s nice to have a different perspective,” especially as the skill of saying ni hao (hello) and communicating naturally with Chinese people be­&6?*,'%;&/*",%;5+>'?6/*'A*;*.&%"+'8/6?'$:*'@A<,%;*,,',$";2­point.”

By Katy Holliday

Every time a teacher is miss­ing, we spend the entire period with a substitute teacher. Yet, no one really knows much about them. Mrs. Bryan is a substitute at BHS. Substitute teaching is Mrs.K/>";-,'$:%/2'J6A3'H:*-,'"'=6"$*/',<A­stitute, or a substitute who will go to "'2%88*/*;$',&:66+'*9*/>'2">3'D'=6"$*/'sub will get a call each morning tell­ing them what school they’re needed at. “I can teach kindergarteners one day, and seniors the next,” Mrs.Bryan says. The other type of substitute is a permanent sub, who always works at the same school. Mrs.Bryan lives in Bedford, and she started subbing in 1970, she taught for ten years and then switched careers to a job involving technology. She has since returned to being a sub­stitute teacher, and this is her eighth year teaching. “I know the parents of many kids I teach,” she says, and she uses that to her advantage when she teach­es. She also uses a “nice approach” in class, and tells students she’ll be their grandmother. She says this helps makes her students behave better. Generally, students treat her

Life of a Substitue Teacherwell and follow her directions. “You have to build up a repertoire and earn their respect,” said Mrs.Bryan. She’s had time to earn the respect of many of her students since she’s taught for so long. She’s seen them go from fresh­man to senior, and she says many students are very friendly with her. Mrs.Maczko is a perma­nent substitute at the high school. H:*'$"<5:$'86/'.8$**;'>*"/,0'$:*;'became a substitute. She has been doing this for six years. Mrs.Maczko’s job is very similar to a teacher’s job, she’s on the faculty +%,$'";2'5*$,'$:*'A*;*.$,'"'$*"&:*/'does, but there are many duties a teacher has that she doesn’t have to do. “I don’t have to make les­son plans, I just read them,” she said. “I can be three teachers in one day.” Moving all over the school in a day has forced her to get to know most of the students. The students respect her and are nice to her. “They treat me very well,” she said. It’s good they do, because students and substitutes spend a lot of time with each other.

Page SevenMandarin Continued...

Jack Black makes the life of a substitute look easy in School of Rock

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Evil by InterpolLittle Secrets by Passion PitI’m Good, I’m Gone by Lykke LiHalf Asleep by School of Seven BellsSoft Shock by Yeah Yeah YeahsCampus by Vampire WeekendSomeday by The StrokesI Don’t Mind by Slumber Party1901 by PhoenixSweet Dogs by Trolle/lSiebenhaarThe Time of Times by Badly Drawn BoyGifted by N.A.S.A. feat. Kanye West, Santigold, and Lykke Li

Mix of the Month

The Lookout

Editors: Zach Inz and Kira Topeka

M:*'6AJ*&$%9*'%,'$6'.++'"'Z[Z'5/%2'1%$:'2%5%$,',6'$:"$'*"&:'&6+<?;0'*"&:'/610'";2'*"&:'68'$:*';%;*'\[\',<AG5/%2,'$:"$'&6?#/%,*'$:*'5/%2'Q"+,6'&"++*2'@A6)*,C0'“blocks”, “regions”, or “sub­squares”) contains all of the digits from 1 to 9.

Sudoku

Artworks by the following students are on display until November 15th at the Lexington Arts & Craft Society as part of the annual Arts Major exhibit that includes work from a number of schools in the region: Jaclyn Bradford, Erica Hamilton, Jack Heimann, Ridhima Kolla, Malik Mar­dini, Briana Peterson, Elle Thompson, Sarah Cook, Matt Davis, Alex Kovacs, Marijke Struijk, Valerie Whiteneck, Nicole Yen, Anna Walling, Frankie Fay, Marin Gardner, Brandy Reed, Adrienned Silver, Alex Winkler, Jessica Dy­ment, Phil Sands­Arnold, Haley Huggins, Aren Imsong, Aaron Kinch, Aileen McGrory, Kira Topeka, Becky Wag­horne, Sally Waters. The works by these students include paintings, ceramics, drawings, and photographs.

' S6/'$:*'./,$'>*"/0'$:*'#*6#+*'1:6'/<;'$:*'K6,$6;'Globe Scholastic Art Show invited schools that had sub­mitted photographs to the contest in the past to bring in <#'$6'.8$**;'#:6$65/"#:%&'16/7,'A>',$<2*;$,'86/'2%,#+">'in the State Transportation Building (in the same second =66/',#"&*'1:*/*'$:*'J</%*2',:61'1%++'56'<#'%;'+"$*'V";<­ary). Bedford High School students with works currently on display there are: Aileen McGrory, Aren Imson, Becky Waghorne, Devin Jacobs, Haley Huggins, Kira Topeka, and Sally Waters.

What’s New in the Art Department

One of the selected photographs by Kira Topeka

Relay For LifeThis years co­chairs are Nikki Lespasio, Marta Pisera, Nizum Shaikh, and Noah Dines. If you have any questions feel free to ask one of them!

Join a committee, begin gathering a team, and spread the word

http://www.relayforlife.org/bedfordma