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Listening to Music Helps Mood

By Ronnie Shaw January 8, 20201

I’ll be reviewing music overall because even before the pandemic music has been a big part of my life. I think what qualifies me to review music is that everyone interprets music differently so this is how I think and take music. Personally I listen to almost all music, I’m usually not picky about what kind of music I listen to.

Music affects everyone differently, whether that is happily, sadly, or even to hype someone up. For people who don't like to show their emotions I think that sometimes music brings out people's emotions. When people are sad, music can change their mood and put them in a better mood. It can hype a person up if they are going to the gym to workout or it can motivate them to clean. Music has an amazing outlook on some people. It can make people connected to someone else, for example in church they sing hymns to feel connected to God. Other times people listen to an artist's song to feel connected to the singer, feel their pain and relate to something they have experienced. Maybe even something the person and the singer have in common.

I also understand that other people take music differently than I do, depending on the type of music they listen to. I think a lot of good things come out of listening to music, sometimes you just need to cry and let it out, sometimes you need the opposite and you need music to hype you up and get you motivated to do something like clean or go to the gym. Maybe even do something you have pushed off from doing and music just gets you in the mood and then you feel like you can conquer the world. Some of the weaknesses of music I think is that it could be distracting to someone who is trying to focus, for example during drivers ed they always say that the radio is one of the most distracting things. While music could help someone read or focus on school work others may find it distracting. For some kids it even may be hard to find music they like, because a lot of the pop music is very vulgar and talks about some things that kids shouldn’t hear.

I think overall music is mostly good if you can find what you like and where you feel like you fit with music. Sometimes you have to try and figure out where you fit in the world and music can help, especially if your career is out of music or singing.

"Heal the World"

By Sam Chen January 14, 2021

Michael Jackson. I believe that people all over the world will be familiar with this name. He is not only the king of the song and dance of the world. He is also a hero who has influenced generations.

On average, one person fainted due to excitement in two minutes at his concert. The whole world was crazy for him, and he did everything he could for the world. When he died, the army escorted him and the world wept bitterly.

"Heal The World" is one of his most meaningful songs for the world. At the same time, this song is also the first English song I know. The song is 6 minutes and 24 seconds long. The first voice is that of a little girl. She tells the story of a group of children in an immature and childlike voice. This group of children lost their families in the war. They long to be loved, but the only thing that accompanies them every day is the pile of broken walls. No one knows when a bomb will drop from the sky and fall beside them. No one knows when a group of soldiers with rifles will rush into the only broken house to kill them. Nobody knows....

Hearing this, my eyes are already moist, and I can paint this picture in my mind. A group of thin children hiding in the only broken house left, this is their only shelter. The sky was full of smoke and dust, artillery fire was flying, and there were ruined walls all around. Countless soldiers, countless tanks, countless airplanes, countless cartridge cases and bullet holes. No one may be alive in the next second. Every second was spent in fear, and even trembling when sleeping at night. This causes me to think about my life again. I complain about a lot of homework every day, complain about a lot of things every day, and complain about a life that is too hard and tired every day. I discovered that I have no right to complain about anything, because compared to their lives, I live in heaven. But we are born equal. Why did they endure this endless pain and torture from the very beginning? All of this was caused by war.

Only love can resolve all this. And this song is to convey this meaning. I will never forget the first sentence of the song: "There’s a place in your heart and I know that it is love." I heard this sentence for the first time when I was young, but I didn't understand it. Isn't love just casual? I love my toys, I love my pets, I love my home. But when I grew up, I realized that love is a part of people. The most profound part of this song, that is, the climax of this song, is the most unforgettable part of many people. Even now, when the familiar melody sounds, I can still sing this part. “Heal the world, make it a better place. For you and for me and the entire human race. There are people dying, if you care enough for the living. Make it a better place for you and for me.” In 2020, this sentence has a new meaning for me.

In 2020, the new coronavirus came from hell to the world. Now one year later, the new coronavirus has ruthlessly claimed the lives of 1,985,350 people. As Jackson sang, people die every minute. If we really cherish life, we should stand united against the new coronavirus. And the world seemed to hear Jackson's cry. On January 9, 2020, the first patient who died of a novel coronavirus in China appeared. At that moment, the official arrival of the new coronavirus was announced. At the moment when China was in the most critical situation, other countries stepped forward to provide assistance to China. Japan wrote poems on boxes, Pakistan filled a whole transport plane with medical supplies, and the European Union sent medical supplies to China as quickly as possible. At that moment, China felt the warmth of the world and also gave China hope to persevere. Now that the epidemic is prevalent in the world, China has also begun to help other countries in the world by delivering masks, ventilators and vaccines. And this is what the song says: "For you and for me and the entire human race." The new coronavirus epidemic is like artillery fire, and fighting the virus is like war. And this time, all mankind needs to stand together and fight the virus together. Fighting the new coronavirus is not just a task for a country, but a problem that the whole world needs to work together to solve.

I love this song. This song is not only a perfect song, but also a song to warn the world. He entrusted Michael Jackson's wishes and his yearning for world peace. For this world, everyone pays a little, and this world will be very different. Michael Jackson’s original intention of writing this song is exactly this. He wanted to tell everyone to unite, reject war, and defend peace.

Cast Makes American Horror Story Must Watch

By Lydia-Mae Roderick January 8, 2021

American Horror Story is a classic, but incredible, twist on realistic horror. I am a huge fan of realistic horror that forces you to attempt to predict the outcome, as well as who you can trust in the show in the perspective of the protagonist. I initially began watching American Horror Story and fell in love with the plot and the characters, particularly every character that Sarah Paulson plays, because I realized that I saw a lot of myself in her (as not only her characters, but I also got really attached to her as a person and an actress) and I really enjoyed the way the directors chose their cast for each different season of the show. At its base, that is exactly what made the show so great for me, the actors and the relationships between them and all the characters they played. Each season is a different story in a different setting, but each actor always had a very similar character and it always made the first reveal of my favorite actors shocking no matter how many times I’ve seen them. I heavily (cannot emphasize it enough) recommend this show to people who love the type of horror that keeps you guessing, and keeps you on the edge when you meet new characters and situations in each new season.

Watching Joker Requires Mature Mind

By Dayun Kim January 8, 2021

I recently saw a movie called Joker. Since the release of this movie, there have been a lot of concerns and I have thought that it is worth a review. The first time I saw a movie, it was shocking. I understood why there were so many arguments about this movie and was amazed at the same time. My friends who watched the movie with me also had different opinions about the movie. I thought there were some who liked this movie or hated it at the same time.

What stands out in the movie is the acting skills of the actors. In particular, Joaquin Phoenix, who took on the role of the main character, the Joker, showed outstanding acting. Phoenix's performance required a great deal of concentration from the audience. He was amazed by the way the characters were expressed while watching the movie and I think he created a unique Joker. I think the other good thing is that the movie criticized today's society. Ignoring and belittling people who are suffering from mental illness reminds us of present society. The protagonist, who suffered from mental illness due to a society in which no one cares about him, shows his dissatisfaction in the wrong way. The movie expresses the problems of society well, making the audience think again about this problem.

However, there were some things that made me worried while watching the movie. I thought that this movie could inspire people by expressing the shooting scenes of firearms in the movie too realistically. It is even more dangerous to see such a movie in American society, especially in the case of gun murder, as the scenes of gun murder appear more stimulating toward the end of the story.

This movie seems to have to give the audience a warning about shooting and I think it has enough elements to stimulate the shooters. Audience members should use this movie as a basis to distinguish between reality and film, and care should be paid to children and the elderly. The audience should watch Joker with a mature mind, considering the problems of today’s society that appear in the movie.

"Flower" Reminds Listener of Love Lost

By Justin Kim January 11, 2021

I want to review the song “Flower” by Johnny Stimson. When I first heard this song, it reminded me of my ex-girlfriend. I missed her a lot. I listened to this song on Instagram while searching for how to get over a difficult break up. The first time I listened to the song I cried because I thought that this song was about me. In short, this song is about a broken couple and someone is regretting about his or her ex. “What if you forget to forget me not” is the best lyric because I thought I was fed up with her but in fact, I was too comfortable with her. Therefore, I want to recommend this song to people who didn’t forget his or her ex.

Bringing It All Back Home: A Review of Bob Dylan's 5th Studio Album, a ripe 56 years late

By Asa Cianchette January 14, 2021

Whether you like it or not, Bob Dylan was (and still is) a tremendously popular musician, so much so that was dubbed “the voice of his generation” in the mid 60’s. I, personally, like it. From a lyrical standpoint, Dylan was a fantastic poet, and easily one of the best lyricists in rock/folk music’s history. However, from a musical standpoint, Dylan was, quite frankly, lacking. Artists like Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and the Sir Douglas Quintet had greater musical talent than Dylan at the time. It wasn’t until Bob Dylan released his fifth studio album titled “Bringing It All Back Home” that Dylan spiced things up in the music category of his songwriting. Up until its release, Bob Dylan played acoustic guitar with a harmonica, and that was it. Simple, timeless, folky, and people loved his music because of that. That’s all well and good, but it gets a little grading, and even Dylan knew this. So, to spice things up a bit (and to experiment with advancements in music technology), Bob Dylan recorded “Bringing It All Back Home” with electric instruments and drums backing him up.

“BIABH” begins with a popular Dylan song called “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” a fast-paced rock/folk song with loud guitars and lyrics about politics and parking meters flying past you at about twice the speed of sound. Influenced by Chuck Berry’s “Too Much Monkey Business,” this song became an instant classic, and a great way to start out the album. The album progresses with a rock influenced feel, but never in an overwhelming way. Bob Dylan’s guitar and voice still cuts clean through the tracks. With sweeter love songs like “She Belongs To Me” and “Love Minus Zero” juxtaposed with rambunctious ditties like “Maggie’s Farm” and “Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream,” the first half of the album has a nice blend of classic Dylan and electric instruments. Towards the middle of the album, Dylan ditches the band to finish the album with Dylan’s classic vibe; harmonica and guitar. Among these “Mr. Tambourine Man” has evolved as a simple classic, one that Dylan kept in his live set for years, albeit begrudgingly doing so. Others like “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and “Gates of Eden” have great lyrics and interesting chord progressions, especially the aforementioned tune. But one song in the second half stands out, more so than any song in the whole album, and that one tune is “It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding,” a nearly eight minute long song that is a painful, dark masterpiece. Casting light on the many flaws in society, this song is one of Dylan’s most powerful, truthful pieces.

All in all, “Bringing It All Back Home” is a fantastic album, and definitely one of Bob Dylan’s best albums. It’s a fantastic mix of acoustic and electric, old Dylan and new Dylan, good and better. Although Dylan faced immense scrutiny for going electric, especially during his infamous Newport Folk Festival set in 1965, I think that Bob Dylan’s change in musical style really stepped up his songwriting and gave us some fantastic music. Regardless of what you think of Bob Dylan, it’s hard to avoid the fact that he had a significant influence on music and society throughout his career, especially with an album like this.

Halloween Comes to Campus

By Justin Kim November 2, 2020

Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, and watching scary movies. In our school, on Thursday, October 29, MCI residential students had the annual Halloween sit-down dinner and costume party. The differences between normal dinner and a sit-down dinner is that we must have dinner and we must wear clothes nicely; we don’t have to wear coats or suits but we can’t wear pajamas. Our dinners are always delicious but Halloween dinner was more delicious. The menu for dinner was BBQ ribs, Cubano Sandwich, Wing Dings, Pizza, Fruit Salad, Potato Salad and Tombstone Cake.

After dinner, Mr. Bertrand chose the best costumes. The best costumes were freshman Noah Speed’s costume, muscle man and junior Yuran Choi’s costume, dead princess. At the end of the Halloween costume party, we had a surprised event when senior Shawn Park, who is a prefect in Manson Hall, wearing a police costume arrested Mr. Bertrand who was speaking about study hall. Mr. Dean then announced “Mr. Bertrand was arrested so we don’t have a [evening] study hall!” Every student shouted for joy.

Also on Saturday, October 31, residential students went trick-or-treating and watched movies. Mr. Dean explained trick-or-treating at the Halloween sit-down dinner. As he said, we have to wear a costume like a monster or character, we have to walk around and then say things like trick-or-treat while knocking the door. If we wanted to go to trick-or-treating, we could go with Mr. Thompson and his children but if we go trick-or-treating, Mr. Dean told us we had to stop in front of his house because he would surprise us.

On Halloween, we could also watch a horror movie. The title of the movie was “Happy Halloween.” It's a story about scaring little kids and has some dire consequences when a cynical loafer encounters the spirit of Halloween. It’s really interesting and scary.

Student Council Forums Looking for More Student Involvement

By Lydia-Mae Roderick November 6, 2020

Students may have heard of the student forum that the student council leads from time to time. It is an opportunity for students to discuss their concerns with the members of student council so that the council may hopefully act upon them and find solutions to any issues that may have been brought to the surface. The forum has been done in different forms for years, and the current format is newer, as it began last fall, according to Mrs. Kingsbury, who oversees the student council. Recently, the student council led a forum, but was shocked at the lack of student attendance.

This is unfortunate considering the time it takes from the council’s schedule, and all the ideas and plans they created for the forum, and a waste of the opportunity it has to offer to students, and student council members alike. “It helps StuCo members the same as all students - it allows them a voice rather than having resentment/discontent build up when students feel no one is hearing them. It allows us to inform the student body of how others feel and to disseminate important information; it also allows us to communicate what is being done to resolve concerns.” Mrs. Kingsbury stated about the benefits the student forum brings to the table.

A reminder to all students to keep your ears out for talk, and your eyes on your email, about the student forum. If you have a concern you’d like to bring to the surface, or even something positive to tell the administration how well they are doing, either way, please join the student council in the forum for all the student body. You may be surprised what you can learn and talk about when you go to one.

E-Sports becomes Newest Team to Join the Husky Pack

By Ronnie Shaw November 10, 2020

E-sports is essentially playing video games against other schools. MCI thought where other students were missing out on clubs and activities, they would make a club for students who love video games. This brand new varsity team to MCI has already been highlighted on local TV stations WABI TV-5 and Fox 22. In the Fox 22 story, junior Tyler Rowe was quoted as saying: “I was actually really excited because MCI’s never done anything like this before, so I was excited to be actually part of the team." This is a good opportunity for students to play among other schools, even though it's competition like a sport they are able to make new friends and meet other students who may be struggling with the whole COVID-19 pandemic. E-sports could be an escape for some of the students. The game played by the e-sports team is Rocket League. The team has a coach in Sean Stackhouse, who knows all the tricks throughout the game as he has been playing the game since it first came out in 2015 as well as being a professional play-by-play broadcaster for the game since 2016. MCI has already begun their Rocket League season, and they seem pretty excited. It is nice that MCI is able to keep students entertained while still learning. It also gives them something positive to look forward to during all the negativity during COVID-19.

The Show Must Go On For Drama Club, Masks Included

By Lucas Halferty November 5, 2020

The MCI drama club is doing things a little differently this year for the students and teachers safety. After speaking with some of the students, this is what it will look like in order for safety. It has been made so that the students are required to wear masks when performing. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to meet in person at the same time. The drama club has been working on their fall production that is a collection of short stories with only two or three people for each segment making the rehearsals easier and safer for students. They are currently doing a romantic play that usually involves a lot of physical contact. The drama club has been finding good ways to still have fun and being able to perform while still socially distancing and keeping everyone safe. They are planning to eventually perform outside when it's snowing out. A lot of the students in drama have been doing a great job managing this pandemic, while still being devoted to the production and having a positive attitude during this odd year.

MCI Welcomes New Faces to Staff

By Asa Cianchette October 8, 2020

Although MCI is renowned for many aspects, from the arts to athletics, it is the diversity of the students and staff that is the most unique and important feature about MCI. Coming from all corners of the globe, Maine Central Institute certainly is a melting pot of culture that changes from year to year, making each year unique. However, with this constant shift in presence, it can be difficult to familiarize oneself with people around MCI, especially staff members. Well, lucky for you, the staff here at the Bell Tower Press have eliminated this anxiety-inducing conundrum for you, as we have taken the liberty of interviewing three fresh-faced staff members for you to become familiar with. Hopefully the insight into these individuals will set your mind at ease, confirming the fact that readers are indeed familiar with most people at MCI. Well, for at least a year or so.

Ms. Sabine Nielsen

Ms. Nielsen is the math department’s newest member, who not only specializes in both Calculus and Pre-Calculus, but is also the coach of MCI’s Robotics Team. Originating from the beautiful Belgrade region of Maine, Ms. Nielsen previously taught Algebra and Geometry in Providence, Rhode Island (Hi Neighbor!), but decided to come to MCI and teach Calculus, which she describes as “the most beautiful of mathematics that was developed to help explain the world around us.” Alongside mathematics, Ms. Nielsen is also passionate about engineering, science, hiking, gardening, and of course, robotics. When asked about the adjustment to MCI and hybrid learning, she said that she feels very welcomed, and that hybrid learning has “pushed me to expand my pedagogy and think about teaching and learning math in a different way.” Well said, Ms. Nielsen!

Mr. Nick Miller

Mr. Miller was recently hired here at MCI to take over three courses in a part-time position as an English Teacher. Not only do his passions lie with English as a whole, but specifically with reading and writing, a love that he hopes to share with his students this year. Before coming to MCI, Mr. Miller spent seven years teaching English at Foxcroft Academy in Dover-Foxcroft. Tying in with his passion for writing, Mr. Miller also has a strong passion for journalism, which he is currently studying remotely at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!). Miller hopes to one day take his journalistic abilities to Pasadena, California to cover the Rose Bowl. Not only is Mr. Miller an English wizard, but he is also a wiz when it comes to Jeopardy, so much so that he remarked he could beat Death in a 1 v 1 game of Jeopardy. When asked about his transition to MCI and hybrid learning, he said that his attendance at MCI has been very welcoming, and he is also grateful for the technologically-savvy and resourceful students he has, which makes hybrid learning a piece of cake.

Mrs. Adrienne Baker

Mrs. Baker is Maine Central Institute’s new school nurse, a very important position to fill, especially in today’s age. Harkening from the foreign lands of Lincoln, Maine (otherwise known as “Stinkin’ Lincoln,” an alternative title that she has never nor shall ever understand), Mrs. Baker has always been motivated by the opportunity to help others, which ultimately led to her involvement in medicine. Her first position was as a staff nurse on the Neuro/Ortho floor at EMMC, which she didn’t necessarily enjoy fondly, but regardless credits the position for helping her become the nurse that she is today. She then moved on to Inland Hospital and then to Waterville Pediatrics before coming to dear old MCI. Aside from medicine, Mrs. Baker is a wife to her husband Nathan and a very proud mother of one human girl and two very non-human dogs. Her passions include the outdoors, interior design, her family, skiing (shred!), and her radical, off the charts humor. When asked to tell a joke, she said “Why is ice cream so bad at tennis? Because it has a soft serve!”, to which this journalist responded, “Oy Vey.” When questioned about the shift from public medicine to a school nurse in a pandemic, she said that she is grateful to have had experience with COVID-19 planning and management, a skill that she hopes MCI will benefit from through her application of medical knowledge and skills.

Residential Life during Covid-19

By Lydia-Mae Roderick October 8, 2020

There are many questions day students could ask the residential students here at Maine Central Institute about living right on campus. Many students don’t ask because they’re too shy, or don’t really know any residential students. The biggest question perhaps is how does life at home compare to life here at MCI? Senior Fernanda Kanarek Machado, stated “we can’t just do whatever we want, I can’t just go and see whatever I want like I could back at home.” This may come as a shock to some day students who see many residential students often hanging out and having fun together. However, according to Fernanda “but it's a really small town so we don’t have much to do anyway.” It is notable, however, that the school is trying really hard to entertain students as much as possible, playing movies for students, holding ping pong tournaments, and even taking a trip to nearby Hibachi grill restaurants.

These residential students have travelled from their homes, wherever that may be, and their parents have paid a valuable tuition, as well as room and board, to get them here. Not to mention transportation prices and this year all through a global pandemic. So it is common to wonder, why MCI? What made every single boarding student individually choose MCI? It’s interesting to know that every student has their own reason. Fernanda answered in one word, ballet. This is definitely one reason exclusive to MCI. MCI has an incredible ballet program, Bossov Ballet Theatre, and a studio right here on campus that has a lot to offer talented ballerinas.

The COVID-19 pandemic has set limitations on student life, particularly for the residential students, at a much higher level than all students as a whole are used to. When asked how she feels about how the school is handling the pandemic, Fernanda made a point, stating, “when we first got here, they tested the dorm students but they didn’t test the day students so it feels kind of useless.” Students from everywhere, day and residential should have been tested to assure not only day student safety, but also residential student safety, because we don’t know if day students are positive or negative. And day students are around residential students all day at school on physical school days, so if by chance any day students are infected, it is likely that residential students have already, or will, contract the virus.

MCI is responsible for the safety of every student that attends it, and it is understandable that they are trying their best. However, it doesn't seem fair to residential students that they were the only ones tested and the majority of the student body all around them— day students; are the ones who did not get tested. In response to these concerns, headmaster Mr. Chris McDonald reassures students, “ We are following all the protocols and procedures set forth by the state of Maine, DOE, and CDC, and our peer schools. We are quite confident in these recommendations to keep students safe, and we rely on our community to assist us in doing so.”

MCI Clubs and Activities Adapt to 2020

By Lucas Halferty October 8, 2020

MCI’s clubs and activities are starting off the year looking a little different than usual. Not all students are able to meet in person with their club due to the pandemic. After speaking with some of the teachers, here is what it is looking like so far.

There have been a few changes involving the Generational Connections Club with Mrs. Verrill and Ms. Ouellette. They currently are not able to visit the residents of Pittsfield Community Care in-person, but are finding new approaches to connect and build relationships. The club will be setting up pen pals between the students and residents in addition to making craft kits for the residents to experience. They are also exploring the possibility of setting up video calls for future visits. This week Generational Connections will be painting pumpkins to decorate the Pittsfield Community Care facility.

Information about the student council from Mrs. Kingsbury, states that the Student Council recently sent out a survey to students to accumulate information on the transition back to school. Once they accumulate that data, they will share it with the school, staff and administration to be able to maintain what’s going well. Mrs. Graham said that the Art Club is currently focused on engagement, so that way the students will have the possibility to familiarize themselves with the substances and studio space. An extra firm plan and assignment primarily based on ethos may happen shortly.

From Mr. McDonald, the Aviation Club specializes in how students can start the system of acquiring a pilot's license. Members must have taken a course from the University of Maine-Augusta. This will have an immense benefit on students passing the written test that is taken during the course. You learn a lot about airplanes and airports, and eventually the students will get to fly in airplanes to learn from the pilot.

This has been a tough start to the school year for clubs and activities. Despite the pandemic, the advisors are doing their best to maintain the school year, and to keep everyone safe.

Coronavirus To Impact Homecoming and Winter Carnival?

By Ronnie Shaw October 8, 2020

At MCI Winter Carnival and Homecoming are very big deals. People get very excited and competitive when these parts of the year come around. What is winter carnival you may ask? Winter carnival happens every year where students play lots of games such as volleyball, tug of war, and basketball, competing to see who wins. It's one grade against another grade, it could be freshmen against seniors or sophomores against juniors. Classes also build snow sculptures that you may have seen on front campus. Everyone always wants to win, but the class who wins the most games is the overall Winter Carnival winner. Winter Carnival also includes the SnoBall dance, which many people know as the prom, that happens in the cafeteria and all grades are invited. Homecoming is where students and teachers get together as a community to welcome home alumni. During homecoming we have class competitions set up similar to winter carnival, a parade through town, and a bonfire all on a Thursday night. With the fall athletic teams playing at home for everyone to watch over the weekend.

As many of you know COVID-19 is taking a very big toll on the world right now and having to wear a mask makes students wonder if we are going to have Winter Carnival and homecoming. With these concerns, Mr. Jim Leonard, athletic director, stated “we are currently attempting to determine if we can have homecoming and, if we do, what that might look like given the restrictions the state has placed upon schools.” Following the rules of the state for Winter Carnival we won't be able to gather as a school. “At present, we cannot gather beyond a certain limit both inside and outside. If restrictions remain in place, it will be difficult to hold dances, concerts, or any indoor events beyond the limit.”

For MCI Winter Carnival and Homecoming, this year is going to be different. Originally Homecoming would have started this week, but according to Mr. Christopher McDonald, “Homecoming [will be] the week of October 22. Planning is ongoing for smaller celebrations; a more comprehensive celebration is tentatively moved to Spring 2021.” Since winter carnival is not scheduled until the end of February, try to stay positive, and hope that this traditional event will happen with some normalcy. Let’s have a fun year and make the most of it.

Hellacious Up Week, Highlight on One Act Season

By Abigeal Shea March 5, 2020

Lights flash across the stage in varying hues. Spike tape lines the floor marking out set pieces like Xs on a treasure map. Feedback from the speakers is a familiar sound to the tech people who are busily sorting out problems and readying the stage for the actors to come. This week has been up week for the Maine Central Institute One Act Competition Team. This year’s show is called the Book of Will. The show takes place three years after William Shakespeare’s death. Shakespeare’s friends then wanted to collect all of his works but face several obstacles while trying to collect all of Shakespeare’s plays.

When interviewing a few of the actors and technicians a variety of responses were received. When speaking to Corrina Franzose, a freshman actor and costume technician, she replied that she is nervous about the competition performance but she is also excited for the opportunity to play the character of William Jaggard. Bartianna Brown is a senior actor and this is her third up week for MCI’s One Act team. She said that up week is fun but is always stressful because there are four performances. Bart’s best advice for underclassmen going into their first up week is that “being nervous is okay and to be expected, but once you’re on the stage you should also be 100% involved in telling the story. Also, remember to have fun and that it’s a great time to make great memories.” Many of the drama team members have said that many of their favorite high school memories are of the one-act competitions and the people they meet there. This year the district festival will be held at Skowhegan Area High School. The festival lasts two days starting on Friday and ending late Saturday night. MCI will be performing at 2:30 pm on Saturday, March 7th.

This week’s performances at MCI of the Book Of Will will be Thursday, March 5th from 6:00-7:30 pm in Parks Gym, and Friday, March 6th at 2:00 pm in Park Gym.

A Whole New World: Freshmen’s Perspective

By Emily LaChapelle February 29, 2020

From what I’ve heard Warsaw [Middle School] is a great place, but I’m from out of town; a little old town called Skowhegan, and before that Little Axe, Oklahoma. I am going to be interviewing five selected freshmen to compare what they experienced in middle school (Warsaw), compared to mine. I am going to ask them two questions; What was your favorite thing about Warsaw? As well as, what was the biggest difference that you saw moving up to MCI?

The first individual that I interviewed was Taylor Temple, she said “My favorite thing about the middle school (Warsaw) would have to be field trips, the biggest difference would be way more homework.” At my school in Oklahoma we didn’t have field trips, like never; and some students might be jealous of this but we didn’t have any homework either.

I next interviewed Jeremy Plumstead, he said “My favorite thing would have to be Mr. Wade…” of course I had to ask who that was because I had no clue, “and a difference would be that MCI has better food.” I obviously didn’t have the glorious Mr. Wade at my school, but we did have good food; the most famous thing that Oklahoma had was the Chicken Fried Steak. A classic to us westerners.

My next victim was Braeden Kennedy, his input was the following… “I liked absolutely nothing about Warsaw, but the most different would have to be that faculty at MCI are more strict.” I’d say most middle schoolers hate school, but in Oklahoma punishment was more lenient; some teachers more than others.

The last two freshmen that I interviewed were Dakota Derosier, and Jadyn Harris. “Our favorite thing about Warsaw was spirit week.” Dakota continued to say “the biggest difference would have to be the bad iPads.” My school didn’t have iPads or anything like that, so I agree. Jadyn disagreed by saying… “the food is so much better than middle school.” The food is pretty equal to Oklahoma, so it’s intriguing to compare and contrast food; sarcasm of course.

I learned a lot about Warsaw from writing this article, and interviewing different individuals. I’d say that my middle school compared to Warsaw was very different in certain ways while also being very comparable. From what I’ve heard it’s been very 50/50 with whether people liked Warsaw or didn’t like Warsaw. The whole goal of this project was to see if I would’ve like to attend Warsaw more than attend my middle school back in Oklahoma. I would say that I’m torn with this decision, they seem like such similar schools. In my final result I’d have to say that I would not like to attend Warsaw because of class style (from what I’ve heard), as well as the type of class choices that they had there. But, Warsaw seems like a great place and I’m sure that upcoming high schoolers do not think so.

Cabin Fever Week Upcoming

By James Beland March 5, 2020

The week of March 16th through the 20th, Cabin Fever Week will be here at MCI. The week consists of four days with different themes and the last day being a dress down day. Student Council sponsors Cabin Fever Week, StuCo advisor Mrs. Kingsbury explained that “it’s a week of fun stuff to do because of sports seasons and it’s [March] the longest month of the school year with yucky weather.”

Monday is Character Day, where anyone can dress up as their favorite character from anything including a movie, comic, book, or video game. Tuesday is Twin Day, where two people can wear the exact same thing. Wednesday is Comfy Cozy Day, where anyone can dress up in comfortable winter clothes like sweatpants. Thursday is Fav Day, where anyone can dress as their favorite thing including team, character, or food. And like said earlier, Friday is a normal dress down day. Mrs. Kingsbury stated that the success of Cabin Fever week “depends on the people and the people who attend have a lot of fun and some choose to not participate. Fav Day has the most participation so it’s believed to be the most favorite." That’s everything that there is to know about Cabin Fever Week for now.

The New Grand Poobah of Winter Carnival

By TJ Stewart March 5, 2020

Recently, Maine Central Institute hosted another successful Winter Carnival. With every class battling for the pride of being called the champs, there was someone who was battling for their right to own the name of the head of Winter Carnival. As many know, Mr. Ed Miller rightfully owned the throne for 33 years; but he retired in 2019 and left the position wide open. That’s when big dog Mr. John Dean stepped in. With his heavy MCI background and his love for the kids, he was the perfect candidate for the job.

“For the past 15 years, I would show up, officiate and cheer during the competitions. Being in charge was a reality slap…”, said Mr. Dean after being asked what it was like going from a spectator to the “Grand Poobah” as Dean puts it. There’s a lot of effort that goes into what he and the staff do. “It starts the week it ends,” Dean said. Taking notes, making changes, a lot of time-consuming things that are happening weeks and months before this event. When asked about the easiest part he points it towards the students. “Their participation, enthusiasm, energy, and making good, healthy decisions… They really brought it to each event and the Sno-Ball, it was so much fun for them and created memories that will last a lifetime.”

Needless to say, taking the “Grand Poobah” position of Winter Carnival is something that may have been looked past. The hard work, dedication, and perseverance that was put into his new pursuit deserves a pat on the back. Especially after taking over for someone who has been doing it for 33 years. Thank you and congrats to Mr. Dean on becoming the heart of what so many students look forward to during the school year.

By: Thomas Cui

On April 28th, there was a big food festival at MCI. The food festival is a traditional festival which MCI will conduct every year. Many students like it because they can, not only taste the food from different countries around the world, but also can cook their traditional food for others. It is a excellent place for MCI students to relax and form close relationships with other people.

The place for this event is Park’s Gym, which is a bigger place for students to display their delicious food. Because I come from China, Asian food will always be my first option. In my opinion, the food is really good. At the Festival, I only had time to taste some food from Asia, like Chinese soup, Korean rice, and Thailand fried chicken. I took the opportunity to gain some input from others at the event.

What food do you think is the best?

Jojo Ma: I think the fried chicken from Thailand is very special. The tasted for their chicken is totally different from outside. I heard they use fish sauce cured the chicken first, then they deep fried it. I think is because the sauce, makes the chicken soft and still have a crispy surface. It is very tasty.

What did you do for this food festival? What do you think is thing makes your food special?

Arthur Wang: The food I made today is egg drop soup with seaweed. The tasted for my soup is the tasted from my childhood memory. Is this a very simple Chinese home cooking soup, but what makes it special is a hundred people can have a hundred different memories for this soup. I just displayed my memory for this soup, and I think it is good.

What do you think is the meaning of this festival?

Jojo Ma: This festival can make students tasted many kinds of food around the world. It is a very good opportunity for students to show their traditional food and cultures to other people. And the process of making the food is also a good chance to increase their abilities.

By: Jieun Lee

MCI held the annual SnoBall on March 2, 2019. Lots of MCI students got excited and had fun in the SnoBall.

MCI had the 2019 Winter Carnival from Thursday, February 28 to Saturday, March 2nd. A lot of MCI students participated in it.

This year’s theme was “Midnight in Paris.” Mrs. Nancy Hughes and others worked on the decorating of the SnoBall.

A group of students from Key Club and a parental group worked with Mrs. Hughes for the decorating. They decorated the cafeteria nicely, where the SnoBall has been held for the past several years here at MCI.

“We always try to consider every little space when we decorate. Such as a bicycle with flowers, breads, and grapes so it can look like someone’s lunch in Paris,” Mrs. Hughes said. “After we know what the theme is, we think about how can we make each area reflect the theme. The theme of this year is Midnight of Paris. So we used the Eiffel Tower, some light stars, awnings to make the cafeteria look like Paris Streets, and a folding screen from the ballet program which is behind the king and queen chair.”

Key Club sponsors the SnoBall every year. A group of Key Club students always help for decorating the SnoBall.

By: Steven Park

Maine Central Institute (MCI) had Winter Carnival between February 28th and March 2nd. It included a lot of games and activities for MCI students. The game that marked the first evening of Winter Carnival was Quiz Bowl.

Quiz Bowl is typically played with a lockout buzzer system between at least two teams, usually consisting of four or five players each. A moderator reads questions to the players who try to score points for their team by buzzing first and responding with the correct answer.

Quiz bowls are most commonly played in a toss-up/bonus format, which consists of a series of two different types of questions. Other formats, particularly in local competitions, may deviate from the above rules. (Source : Wikipedia)

Each grade level had matched each other. Quiz subjects included sports, midnight in Paris, which was the carnival theme, popular culture, and others. Also we had a performance after every match including mini-games, dance, and small competitions.

Quiz Bowl took almost two hours. At the same time, it made some students bored. Sayaka Tada, a sophomore and an audience member for the Quiz Bowl, is new to MCI, so it was her first time to watch Quiz Bowl. Although she was excited before the Quiz Bowl, unfortunately she fell asleep. However, she said it was fun also with nothing to be changed for next time.

At the same time, I also have a different idea from her as an audience member. It was first time for me like Sayaka, also I was excited for it. Despite a lot of activities for audience in the middle of the game, it was too boring for them. Audience wanted to have a wider range of activities. Also, the audio systems were not too good. I hope it will be changed for next time.

Winter carnival was successfully done with MCI students. Hopefully, MCI will have more fun activities next time. We enjoyed them also we were fun.

By: Ruby Kitchin

The Winter Carnival snow sculptures at MCI were worked on, February 28 through March 2. March 1, was the biggest night of building, where at 9:30 everyone went inside for hot dogs and hot chocolate. The theme for this year's Winter Carnival was “Midnight in Paris.”

Jackson Leonard was the freshman snow sculpture manager. Jackson said, “[d]uring the time I spent constructi[ng] I had an image in mind of our sculpture. To the best of my ability I tried to instruct everyone on how to do it and in the end I was pleased with the result. It took some work and I snapped a little bit but in the end, construction wise, I was pleased. The paint job could’ve been better, I wasn’t available the day of painting so I was hoping we could get that done before the judging. I was a little disappointed with the lack of effort I saw in the paint job and I believe if we did it right we could’ve gotten the 6 points we needed to beat the sophomores. In the end I was happy and pleased with the result because I feel like I found leadership skills that I didn’t know I had.”

The freshmen snow sculpture came in last place, sophomore's in third, junior's in second, and senior's in first.

By: Jovanna Ramires

Winter Carnival is an annual celebration at MCI, this year it lasted from February 28th until March 2nd. Winter Carnival consists of many class competitions on campus that students are encouraged to participate in. These activities encourage bonds between classmates and friendly competition.

Mr. Ed Miller has been influential in organizing Winter Carnival for more than 30 years. Mr. Miller has also taught math at MCI for many years but, Mr. Miller is retiring this year. Mr. Miller likes Winter Carnival because he likes seeing all the students getting involved. He also enjoys the excitement about Winter Carnival and how it brings the students together to communicate with each other and just have fun. The things Mr. Miller will miss most about winter carnival is getting away from classes and just being involved with the activities. What Mr. Miller will remember most about Winter Carnival is all the years he has participated in Winter Carnival and all the fun and excitement that comes with it.

Mr. John Buys is one of two junior class advisors. Mr. Buys has been an English teacher for five years. He loves being a class advisor. He says, “[i]t’s a lot of work, a lot of PR stuff, a lot of excitement, [and] a lot of hours.” Mr. Buys has been a class advisor for Class of 2020 for three years now. When he got the opportunity to be a class advisor, he chose the junior class. He did this because the board asked him and he had heard good things about this group and how they are creative. The thing that sold him on it was his advising partner Suzy Morton. She said it was a fun class and her son is in it so she thought is would be a lot of fun. Mr. Buys thinks the best part about winter carnival is how it can feel so divided because the classes are competing and there are rivalries between classes, but in the end the school can come together which he thinks is fun and exciting.

Many students participate in the Winter Carnival activities including juniors such as Morgan Tibbetts and Abbie Shaw. The activities that Morgan participated in were Softball, Bombardment, Tug-of-War, and the class skit. Morgan felt like her biggest competition was the freshman. Morgan plans to participate in the activities next year as well. She has been playing the same activities every year. The activity that Abbie participated in was Quiz Bowl. She jokingly noted that she participated in Quiz Bowl because it was the least athletic activity. Abbie plans on participating in Quiz Bowl again next year. She participated in every activity they had to offer last year.

Winter Carnival activities were exciting and overwhelming. Winter Carnival is a good tradition for all the students at MCI. Students had a lot of fun participating in all the activities at MCI. It was fun to have all the students getting along and communicating and just have a wonderful time coming together participating in all the activities.

By: Thomas Cui

Living in the dorm is a very common thing for students. Usually, when students go to other cities or countries for school, dorm life will become a very important part of life for them. When living in the dorm, not only do students have to face a totally different life such as home-stays, but also learn how to respect different cultures.

Sometimes roommates may be from the same country, or sometimes they may not. So trying to understand different cultures becomes necessary. More than that, different living habits also is a big problem for students who will live together for a long time. They usually have two options, get used to it, or change roommates.

Some students living in the dorms at MCI were interviewed. Let’s see how they go through those situations.

What is your feeling about dorm life?

William Chen, senior: “I think I am pretty good about it. Me and my roommate are from the same country, so there is not much things I have to get used. We play video games together after school, we go to [the] dining hall together, we even go to [the] supermarket [to] buy some food and cook during the weekends. So I mean, I feel comfortable about my dorm life.”

What do you think is the most important thing to live with your roommate?

Will Chen, senior: “For me, I can’t bear the bad smell. I think the most important thing is keep yourself clean. For example, I hope my roommate can keep his part of the room clean, take [a] shower everyday, [and] do the laundry on time.”

Is there any problem between you and your roommate’s cultures ?

Frank Guo, senior: “My roommate is from Thailand, we don’t have much conflict of culture things. I have to say Manson [Hall] is a good place for students living together. People respect others cultures, everyone is nice and kind to other people, even [when] they are not roommates.”

What we see from these interviews, the dorm life in MCI is so harmonious, there are no problems such as cultures conflict or fighting between roommates.

Meet MCI's New Staff Members

By Edith Tierney October 12, 2018

The following is a nearly complete list of the new faculty members on campus along with a brief biography about them.

Ms. Aidan

Ms. Paddy Aidan is the new art teacher. She also advises Art Club. She is excited about getting to know the students so she can offer a more personalized experience in her classroom. So far her favorite part of MCI is “[t]he diversity of the students in every regard.” She first became interested in the subject when she was 6 years old. She was originally from Michigan, however most recently she moved from New Hampshire. In her personal life she is excited about painting Maine landscapes. In addition to being a painter, she is also a puppeteer.

Ms. Welch

Ms. Tiandra Welch is the new Computer Science teacher. She also advises the Competitive Video Gaming Club. She first became interested in technology as a junior in high school when she attended her Technical Center for Computer Repair. She then competed at a statewide level for SkillsUSA in the computer repair program. She attended Nokomis Regional High School and then went on to Husson University. At Husson, she played on the golf team for 3 years. She has lived in Palmyra her whole life. Ms. Welch is excited to share her knowledge with her students. In particular, she is excited about two units in her Principles class, one where the students will learn binary (computer language) and one where students will learn to make their own ethernet cables! So far, her favorite thing about MCI is the relationships she has with her students and dorm advisees. Her favorite book is The Giver by Lois Lowry.

Mr. Haynie

Mr. Andrew Haynie teaches Mathematics. He has always enjoyed math and numbers, especially from a sports perspective. He is excited to be at a new school, and is excited to experience the diversity of the student body. His favorite thing about MCI is the people. He did Teach for America for a year in North Carolina, and most recently came from Messalonskee High School.

Mr. Garbe

Mr. Roland Garbe teaches math, this year he is teaching Algebra Two and Geometry. He became interested in math back in high school but his first career was as a software engineer. He became a teacher about 17 years ago. He is originally from Long Island, New York. He moved to New Hampshire about 16 years ago, and moved to Maine about five years ago. So far his favorite thing about MCI, aside from breakfast and lunch, are his classes, the technology and resources he has available in his classroom, and his students.

Mrs. Verrill

Mrs. Jessica Verrill is the new Chemistry and Engineering teacher. She also advises the Debate Team. She fell in love with chemistry in high school, but because she also enjoyed math, she majored in chemical engineering in college. This year she is excited about fulfilling her dream of becoming a chemistry teacher. So far, one of her favorite things about MCI is her students and the support given to her by other faculty members. She recently moved to Pittsfield from Stetson. Some of her favorite authors include JRR Tolkien, Leon Uris, Maeve Binchy, LM Montgomery, and Margret Mitchell, but the list goes on. She also has her motorcycle license!

Mrs. Batchelder

Mrs. Macie Batchelder is the new Personal Counselor on campus. She has always wanted to help people. After graduating from MCI in 2009, she went to the University of Maine at Farmington. There, she further developed her passion for helping people when she got her first job in the treatment foster care unit in her last semester. This year she is excited to meet all the new faces at MCI. Her favorite thing about MCI is the beautiful and open campus. Her favorite season is fall.

AP Students Show Off Knowledge On Tests

By Vasa Vojvodic May 21, 2018

According to the College Board, “AP courses are rigorous, college-level classes in a variety of subjects that give students an opportunity to gain the skills and experience colleges recognize.” Each year students sign up for AP classes hoping to expand their knowledge in certain areas which will help them in their future studies.

There is a wide variety of AP courses available for students and each chooses the one that he/she is the most interested in. They are completely optional, which means that a student is personally responsible for taking an AP class. They must be aware of the AP test that awaits them at the end of the school year, which requires payment.

College Board, an American non-profit organization that was created to expand access to higher education, offers 38 AP courses in total. MCI doesn’t have the variety similar to the College Board, but it still has a lot to offer.

The ones that MCI students find the most interesting are AP Biology, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Calculus AB.

Reason behind choosing an AP course is always different, and we decided to find out what made certain MCI’s student take them. “I think people take these tests to get a college credit, but they are also good if you want to get experience in the subject you are interested in,” claims Dimitrije, senior at MCI, who took AP Computer Science Principles and AP Calculus AB.

“Generally, I did okay in chemistry and calculus, but I am not sure about psychics. As an international student its hard to analyze the questions,” claims Jinsu, a senior at MCI, who took AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Physics C: Mechanics, and AP Chemistry.

“Usually, I just went online and read news. I also did a lot of reviewing from the last years tests, which helped me a lot,” answered Isaac when he was asked how he prepared for the tests. Isaac, is a senior at MCI, took four different AP tests. “I felt the most comfortable when I took the AP Macroeconomics test because I was the most familiar with the contents of that test,” said Isaac. “Major goal behind taking these tests is to challenge myself, learn the content as much as I can because it will definitely pay out in the future,” said Isaac.

International Food Festival Brings World Treats To Park's Gym

By Vasa Vojvodic May 1, 2018

Maine Central Institute organized its 10th annual International Food Festival on April 29th. The festival was hosted on a Sunday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm in MCI’s Parks Gym. A total of 17 countries had the pleasure of being represented. There was a big audience present during the event and a lot of people came to show appreciation to the students participating in the festival.

Mr. Artur Fass, a teacher and dorm parent, is the one that organizes international students for the event. He planned several trips for the students to buy required materials and ingredients. He relied on other dorm parents to cooperate with the students. A lot of students used their kitchens to cook.

The event featured a lot of different dishes which are distinctive to each country.

“I made ‘gibanica’ which is a sort of a cheese pie. It took me approximately 2 hours to make it. I used flour, water, yogurt, cheese, sour cream, and eggs. I am satisfied with the outcome, but it could have been a lot better,” described Arsen, a junior, who represented Serbia.

“I made ‘bramborak’ which is like a potato pancake. You can make it in about 13 minutes. While cooking I used potato’s, oil, and different spices. The outcome was delicious, and people were satisfied,” said Vojtah, a senior, who represented the Czech Republic.

“Honestly, no one had the worst dish. I think the Serbs could’ve improved their dish. Apart from that, everything turned out great,” said Tevin, a senior, who represented Rwanda. “There was a variety of cultures, you could educate yourself on different types of food and ingredients. MCI should definitely host it next year,” claims Tevin.

Even though the students were somewhat limited, they did a really good job in the actual recreation of their traditional dishes. The reaction of the audience was generally positive. MCI should definitely maintain its tradition of organizing the International Food Festival. The event brings people together and every year it features different students. The feedback was brilliant and it gives a chance for the students to represent their home countries.

College Fair Brings Everyday Tours All Inside Wright’s Gym

By Caitlin McKenney May 10, 2018

Annually at Maine Central Institute, the Academic Office organizes their bingo cards to get ready for the College and Career fair hosted at Wright’s Gym. Over 50 colleges and career paths attended this year, with around 75 during some of the previous years. The purpose of a college and career fair is to introduce a wide variety of education and occupational paths for students— a way for students to dip their toes into the real world and prepare themselves for adulthood. By asking questions, not only are students able to ask questions about their institutions of prospect, but they are also able to interact with college and career representatives. According to MCI’s Career and College Counsellor, Mr. Scott Giallombardo, it “also gives our students a sense of course selection. Through conversations with representatives, students really understand the courses that they should be taking as they make their way through high school.” This is Giallombardo’s eighth year coordinating the fair. At the fair, students are handed slips of paper containing what is commonly known as college fair bingo. These are guiding questions that students can “consider asking representatives in advance. It helps them know the important questions to ask, and the ones that should be asked when determining their "best fit.” Furthermore, Giallombardo states that “often, students have to travel to fairs in Bangor, Portland or even further if they wish to speak with representatives.” This fair is a great opportunity for students seeking out their future to not have to travel so far. Students and adults alike enjoyed touring the fair, seeing all it had to offer.

Spring Jazz concert @ Pittsfield Community Theater

By Edith Tierney May 9, 2018

On May 8^th at 7pm MCI’s Jazz groups performed. The Spring Jazz Concert is not an annual event according to Mr. Neal, the Visual and Performing Arts Department Head. This is due to scheduling conflicts, but he explained that he was “...thankful that it worked out this year.” MCI’s first Spring Jazz Concert was held in 1998.

The concert was held at the Pittsfield Community Theater on Main Street which was full by the time the music started. According to Mr. Neal, the theater was opened in 1915 and silent films were played there. He also explained the the very seats the audience members were sitting in were installed in 1953. To begin the concert, the Jazz Combo, which consists of only seven musicians performed a piece.

Following the Jazz Combo was the Jazz band, or Enigma. This group scored perfect on sight reading at the state competition. Enigma first played “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” by Duke Ellington, which Mr. Neal highlighted as having a strong message. In addition, the group played “Count Bubba’s Revenge” and “Birdland.” “Birdland” is a favorite of the group, and Mr. Neal explained that the group has fond memories of playing it with Nolan Berthelette in 8^th grade, and that they played it to honor him. Enigma received a standing ovation from the audience at the end of their performance.

After Enigma came the vocal ensembles. The first to perform was Equinox. They performed “Looking for the Right Words”, “Painting on Canvas”, and “On the Edge of Something” this group had 25 people in it, at least ten of whom had solos. The group receive enthusiastic applauses for each of their pieces.

Caravan performed after Equinox. They performed “Takin’ a Chance on Love”, “Sent for You Yesterday”, and “Undertow”. This group has 16 people, seven of whom had solos. “Sent for You Yesterday” was a new song for the group. Despite it being new, the group performed it with their usual skill and style. At the end of their performance they received a very enthusiastic standing ovation.

The concert ended very emotionally. After Caravan performed, all the groups were invited up on stage to be acknowledged by the audience. Tears were shed and hugs were given, as seniors realized they were nearing the end of their high school career.

Meet MCI's Mighty OAC

By Hayden Caldwell March 28, 2018

In May of 2018 the MCI Outdoor Adventure Club (OAC) is going to Grand Falls Hut, located near Sugarloaf. This event will be slightly different from the past, instead of only staying for one night they are staying for two. This will allow OAC to spend more time outdoors, enjoying what nature has to offer.

OAC is a club that “offers outdoor opportunities to students in a fun and educational way,” according to co-leader Ms. Emily Wagner. They have done trips in the past to the coast and to the Sugarloaf area. In particular, the Maine Huts are very unique bunkhouses that have a full kitchen and showers. But, the concept of being “off the grid” is still present. These locations are to unplug from electronics, enjoy nature and other’s company.

During this adventure the club is looking forward to the additional time in the Huts. Ms. Wagner states “usually we go for one night in the fall so we are limited in both time and daylight. This trip will allow [the group] to paddle instead of just hike; offering a different type of adventure.”

Some other adventures that the OAC have scheduled for the spring are a series of biking and canoeing sessions, and potentially more slacklining (balance rope) events as well.

The Outdoor Adventure Club is always looking for new engaged members!

Sewing Club: Saving a Stitch in Time

By Caitlin McKenney March 24, 2018

For many, sewing is an activity of the past. Sewing was a necessary task for families prior to the popularity of commercially distributed clothing and goods. It may seem like sewing is an activity that is simply retired; however, it is quite the opposite for the MCI Sewing Club.

The club has been around for approximately four years. One of the members, Micaela Simeone, a senior, says that it was never her plan to join the sewing club. “My friend, who isn’t at MCI anymore wanted to join the sewing club, so she kind of coerced me to join. After she left, I had told Mrs. Glidden that I’d try to make a pair of pants” Micaela explains that “We already had all the fabric, so I just ended up staying.” It should be noted that her pants are going along well. “It’s been difficult to find time forever to meet, so after school works the most.” Upon asking about the style of pants Micaela explains that when she went to the fabric store, she wanted to find something cozy, so she ended up with what she describes as “a cross between leggings and sweatpants.” It will be interesting to see these pants when they’re complete. “They’re unusual, it’ll be cool to say that I made them, since I’ve never made anything like this before,” she adds.

The group advisor, Mrs. Wendy Glidden, says that she “loves sewing” and is inspired by her similar affection for “fashion, creativity, and color.” There are a total of four members in the club, and they meet every other week during Husky Time, depending on student availability. Mrs. Glidden describes her sewing niche, “when I was little, I always wanted to be a fashion designer. I always used to cut up material and made clothes for my Barbie dolls.” She even revealed that her best work was her own wedding dress. “I sewed and designed my wedding dress, and I also sewed a gown for my daughter’s wedding.” When asked what she would suggest to a prospective sewer, Mrs. Glidden replied: “Just do it! Get started, try something, start with a pattern, and then be creative!” Sewing is a great way to relax for many, and it is something that one can turn to when they have a lot of stress. One of the former members is even currently attending fashion school in Milan. Mrs. Glidden concludes, “sewing is a very useful thing to know, you can use it for almost everything, like sewing costumes or curtains. It may be more expensive to buy the material, but it is more creative, and you can get what you really want.”

NHS Gives Back

By Edith Tierney March 27, 2018

This year, MCI’s National Honors Society (NHS) has decided to give back to the overall school community with separate projects. The projects are: a teacher appreciation group, a Spring Fling planning committee, a Room of Requirement organization group, and a group setting up a blood drive.

The Room of Requirement group has the oldest background. It was founded by English teacher, Mrs. Abbie Giallombardo. This year, as part of NHS’s efforts to help out in the community, a group of NHS students, has formed to work on the room. The Room of Requirement is a room on the top floor of Weymouth Hall where students can access free used clothes and shoes. The room also has canned and boxed foods, school supplies, bedding, and an assortment of other things. Any MCI student can access this room, but it is not utilized as much as it could be. NHS students are trying to clean up and organize the room so it seems more welcoming. One student involved in the group is junior Hayden Caldwell who hopes the group “... will bring everyone together.” He explained that the goal of the group is to provide necessities to students who may not have access to them elsewhere.

Hayden is also involved in the teacher appreciation group. According to him, the goal of the group is to give back to the the teachers who have supported us and been our role models. His words were not so different from those of the student leader of this group, senior Abigail Monteyro, who said “[t]he goal is to give a little appreciation back to the teachers and staff that work so hard to make our school a better place.” Abigail felt that teacher appreciation is not as common as it should be, so she chose to lead this group to change that. She explained the the group is planning to use ideas like making videos, leaving small gifts, and giving out awards to teachers.

Abigail is also helping out with the Spring Fling group. The Spring Fling will likely be held in May, according to junior Caitlin McKenney, a student who is also involved with that group. Caitlin explained that the dance will be a semi-formal that will allow students to get together and have some fun. Ms. Kim Shorey, the advisor for NHS, explained that the group organizes Spring Fling because it raises money for the group. She explained that the money goes towards the pins that new NHS inductees receive and the tassels the seniors get, both of which are upwards of $8.00 a piece.

The final group is planning a blood drive. This group will not only benefit the MCI community, but also the greater community. Ms. Shorey says there is not a date set yet for the blood drive because the school and the Red Cross have conflicting schedules. She, and the student leader of that group, senior Devon Varney, are looking into hosting it elsewhere, but are still working out the details.

In an interview, Ms. Shorey explained that NHS has not always helped the community, but this year the group is quite large so she feels “...it’s important to make more of an impact.” She explained that many of the students in the group are community service minded and are involved in many other groups, so it is hard to have the students do other things as well. She says she hopes all the groups turn out well.

Kindness Krew: a Step Ahead in Giving

By Dylon Peavey March 29, 2018

Kindness Krew is a community service based group that aims at spreading kindness at the local, national and global level. Each year they pick a global cause to support. The past two years they have been working with Sole Hope to make shoes for people in Uganda. According to the Sole Hope website, they are an organization that offers education, medical care, and shoes to the Ugandan people in an effort to fight off the parasite jiggers.

The Kindness Krew has collected jeans from members of the campus community and have been working to cut these into the necessary shapes to be later turned into shoes. Along with this project, they need to collect approximately $500 to ship the material and to employ the shoemaker.

The Kindness Krew have also begun working on the annual Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Week. If you are a kind person and would like to participate in activities like this, this club might be the group for you.

Club Shout Outs!

By Bartianna Brown March 29, 2018

The diversity on this large campus makes for many clubs designed for every student. Interests ranging from world language/issues, sewing, and drama to paper art. Whatever the students are into there is something to join. The highlighted clubs of the month are not only clubs that are active but ones that have potential to be great.

Captain's Club

Maine Central Institute’s very own Athletic Director, James Leonard, ran the temporarily suspended Captain’s Club. This year was used as a gap year to work out the kinks in the group. This is possibly the only club that has requirements for joining. In order to partake in this group the student occupy a captain position on a varsity sports team. According to Mr. Leonard the “first year went really well.” As far as he knows the club has only been active for 2-3 years and this would have been the 4th year. (Editor’s Note: Captain’s Club was started in 2008 by then AD Earl Anderson) The club met periodically to discuss teams, community service opportunities, and to just talk about leadership roles. One amazingly charitable project the Captain’s Club took part in was purchasing the scoreboards for the soccer fields.

Student Leadership Committee (SLC)

Mrs. Shandrea Caldwell fills many shoes around our busy campus. Not only is she the helpful woman in the library, but she is also the advisor for the Student Leadership Committee (SLC). SLC is one of the clubs that often falls into the background and the school community rarely ever hears about the events they plan or take part in. They try to meet regularly, but with conflicting schedules it can be quite hard to manage. They are responsible for all of the activities after school surrounding knocking out drugs and alcohol.

Ping-Pong Club

The Ping-Pong Club is currently on hiatus, but at one point was very popular among the student body. They had 25-35 students regularly, however many more loved to show their support. They club was run by Mr. Andrew Beach. (Editors Notes: Ping-Pong Club is returning to campus, meeting in the basement of Alumni Hall)

Astronomy Club

Contributed by Dylon Peavey

The Astronomy Club is a small club with a total of only 3 members. According to Mr. Jim Tyson they are currently working on designing and building a drone. Their progress has recently stalled due to needing a transceiver to direct it. If you are a student looking for activities like this or activities including astronomy we recommend this club for you