Bold Eagle - Quarter 4 - 2024
BOLD EAGLE MOUNT EVERETT STUDENT QUARTERLY IN THIS ISSUE Q4 / 2024 A Surge in School Spirit By Nathan TenBroeck The Exchange Program By Jullia Devoti Poems By Jade Brown BOLD EAGLE 1
- Page 2 and 3: 2 BOLD EAGLE
- Page 4 and 5: A Surge in School Spirit BY NATHAN
- Page 6 and 7: Mount Everett Presents Seussical Th
- Page 8 and 9: 8 BOLD EAGLE Credit: Kari Giordano
- Page 10 and 11: The earliest known use of cryptogra
- Page 12 and 13: SENIOR SHOUT OUTS BY NATHAN TENBROE
- Page 14 and 15: The Exchange Program BY JULIA DEVOT
- Page 16 and 17: Where is the Snow? BY MEG LORING Th
- Page 18 and 19: Album Review: Foo Fighters BY KAI F
- Page 20 and 21: Cannabis Education By Southern Berk
- Page 22: Parting Art Digital Illustration by
BOLD<br />
EAGLE<br />
MOUNT EVERETT STUDENT QUARTERLY<br />
IN THIS ISSUE Q4 / <strong>2024</strong><br />
A Surge in School Spirit<br />
By Nathan TenBroeck<br />
The Exchange Program<br />
By Jullia Devoti<br />
Poems<br />
By Jade Brown<br />
BOLD EAGLE 1
2 BOLD EAGLE
old<br />
<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>Eagle</strong> Editorial Staff:<br />
Editor in Chief: Allison Steuernagle ‘24<br />
Editor of Design: Emily Steuernagle ‘24<br />
Teacher Advisor: Ms. Simpson<br />
Teacher Design Advisor: Ms. Giordano<br />
<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>Eagle</strong> Contributors:<br />
Nathan TenBroeck ‘24<br />
Lucia Cicerchia ‘24<br />
Jade Brown ‘26<br />
Ben Vella ‘26<br />
Julia Devoti ‘24<br />
Megan Loring ‘24<br />
Aiden Murray ‘24<br />
Kai Florez ‘25<br />
Mount Everett Regional School<br />
Sheffield, Massachusetts<br />
Credit: Ms. Giordano and Emily Steuernagle<br />
BOLD EAGLE 3
A Surge in School Spirit<br />
BY NATHAN TENBROECK<br />
credit: menshealth.com<br />
Photo provided by SBRSD<br />
Following the eight-town school merger discussions, the<br />
Southern Berkshire Regional School District has seen<br />
a dramatic gain in an essential part of the high school<br />
experience: school spirit. Students at Mount Everett<br />
High School have witnessed a higher level of school<br />
spirit than ever before. There has been an increased level<br />
of academic interest, athletic pride, even singing in the<br />
hallways, all the way from elementary to high school.<br />
Last October, residents of the eight Southern Berkshire<br />
and Berkshire Hills Regional School District towns began<br />
considering a vote on whether to merge SBRSD and<br />
BHRSD. While residents debated, Southern Berkshire<br />
students searched for ways to have their voices heard.<br />
Some of those in favor of remaining independent created<br />
a petition of students opposed to the merger, published<br />
short essays expressing their opinions, stood with signs<br />
outside of the polling stations, and stood up to speak<br />
at town meetings. This passionate activism was entirely<br />
planned by students, ranging from seven to eighteen years<br />
old. For many SBRSD students, this was their first time<br />
stepping up in a public setting. Students discovered how<br />
much the community truly cares about their education.<br />
An overwhelming sense of community flooded into<br />
the school environment, creating a new vibrancy, and<br />
bringing confidence, passion, and spirit to the forefront of<br />
students’ lives.<br />
Mount Everett Senior, Aiden Murray said, “the school<br />
feels more connected overall.” He felt as if every<br />
Southern Berkshire student and faculty member “was<br />
on the same page” in not wanting the districts to merge.<br />
“The merger movement definitely united students,” he<br />
said. Another Mount Everett Senior, Lucia Cicerchia,<br />
said, “As a Great Barrington resident, I am school<br />
choiced. I transferred from Muddy Brook in fourth<br />
4 BOLD EAGLE
grade.” She added, “I felt like [Southern Berkshire] was<br />
more fitting to my aspirations. I wanted a more intimate<br />
setting.” She believes that school choice is important and<br />
is happy that four of the five SBRSD towns agreed.”<br />
Cicerchia added that school events, including sports,<br />
theater, and music productions have seen an increase<br />
in audience members. “I think, in an unsuspected way,<br />
the discussions surrounding the merger reminded us<br />
of the power of our connections to each other and our<br />
communities,” she said.<br />
Students aren’t the only ones noticing an increase in<br />
a sense of community. SBRSD Superintendent Beth<br />
Regulbuto said, “I like to think that SBRSD has always<br />
had amazing school spirit, but I think when there is an<br />
event like a potential merger that rocks one’s identity<br />
as a student of SBRSD and people come to understand<br />
what could change or be lost, it triggers a deep emotional<br />
reaction and inspires people to step up and stand up for<br />
what they believe and love.”<br />
Those who attended the special town meetings showed<br />
an exceptional level of dedication and investment in<br />
students, staff, and community. Regardless of whether<br />
they were for or against consolidation, community<br />
members invested a substantial amount of time in<br />
preparing for the meetings, researching the issues,<br />
writing speeches, and submitting articles. Their efforts<br />
encouraged students to find their own voices. Too often,<br />
students feel that since they have less experience and<br />
knowledge in expressing their opinions, their voices are<br />
inferior to others. Many feel that since they can’t vote,<br />
they don’t have a valid voice in many forums.<br />
The consolidation question changed all that as students<br />
stepped up to speak, vote, publish articles, and protest<br />
for the first time. Dr. Regulbuto added that she plans “to<br />
encourage and include student voices in our decisions<br />
and planning for the future.” Augmenting inclusion is<br />
the integration of the Transcend Rural School Design<br />
Program, Community Talks with the Superintendent, and<br />
Superintendent Advisory Committees (groups composed<br />
of elementary, middle, and high school students who show<br />
exemplary leadership potential and ideas) into school<br />
decisions and initiatives.<br />
What’s more, the student-led newspaper, the <strong>Bold</strong><br />
<strong>Eagle</strong>, has made a return to the school, following its halt<br />
with the Covid-19 pandemic, with student-composed<br />
articles, poems, puzzles, art, and graphic design. “The<br />
school newspaper is a direct path to student voice, so<br />
students can directly say what is on their mind and have<br />
community members hear their ideas,” said Allison<br />
Steuernagle, editor of the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>Eagle</strong>. “School is for<br />
students; they should be able to have a say in what their<br />
education looks like.” That essentially is what led her to<br />
bring back the newspaper.<br />
On a less serious note, but one that also exhibits<br />
solidarity, a group of 11th and 12th grade students<br />
at Mount Everett organized a chorus to spread a few<br />
smiles by serenading their fellow students with “Horribly<br />
Sung Love Songs” a day before Valentine’s Day. They<br />
followed up with a “phone booth” where students could<br />
receive love advice, a silly joke, or a pickup line in<br />
preparation for Valentine’s Day. These activities were<br />
created and planned by students who wanted to spread<br />
a little joy around campus. This example of student<br />
initiative displays their dedication to making their school<br />
environment more vibrant and enjoyable for students and<br />
staff alike.<br />
It was not the defeat of the consolidation initiative but<br />
the outpouring of community pride and support that has<br />
given students this newfound vibrancy. Students learned<br />
that they can use their voices to make a change, an<br />
invaluable lesson for their futures beyond SBRSD. That’s<br />
what community is about.<br />
Want to place an Ad in Our Newspaper?<br />
Contact Ms. Simpson (ksimpson-gomes@sbrsd.org) to secure a spot!<br />
BOLD EAGLE 5
Mount Everett Presents Seussical The Musical<br />
Photo provided by SBRSD<br />
The cast of Seussical the Musical perform on opening night.<br />
Mount Everett Middle and High School students began<br />
rehearsals for Seussical the Musical at the beginning of<br />
January and performed this exciting show on the 15th-<br />
17th of March. Wendy Welch, a local actor and director,<br />
had led students through rehearsals with the combined<br />
efforts of Ms. Courtney English as music director, Mr.<br />
Thomas Masters as choreographer, Trish Vollmer as<br />
costume designer, and Brian Hazelton, the founder of a<br />
local construction company Wood to Stone, as set designer.<br />
Featuring mainly characters from the story “Horton Hears<br />
a Who,” this musical combines the storylines, text, and<br />
characters from other Dr. Seuss’ works to create a robust<br />
retelling of the original book. Narrated by the mischievous<br />
Cat in the Hat, this show creates an exciting fantastical<br />
world where “anything is possible,” just as Dr. Seuss<br />
would have intended. With the messages of friendship,<br />
acceptance, individuality, and compassion, this is a heartwarming<br />
loveable production for all ages.<br />
On closing night, March 17th, Mount Everett’s seniors<br />
were honored. These seniors, Lucia Cicerchia, Emma<br />
Wilson, and Chris Ortwein, have all been a part of<br />
Mount Everett theater productions for many years. Seen<br />
in the roles of Gertrude McFuzz, General Genghis Kahn<br />
Schmitz, and the lead Wickersham Brother, their presence<br />
on and off stage will be truly missed.<br />
For all Mount Everett seniors, I give you this quote from<br />
Dr. Seuss,<br />
“Don’t cry because it’s over,<br />
smile because it happened.”<br />
This serves as a reminder to cherish and savor these last<br />
few months.<br />
6 BOLD EAGLE
BOLD EAGLE 7<br />
Photo Credit: provided Kari by Giordano SBRSD
8 BOLD EAGLE<br />
Credit: Kari Giordano
Ecosystem<br />
A forest deep and dark as midnight<br />
Pine trees and foggy streams<br />
Gray smoky sky, rain cascades<br />
Jagged rocks to mountains<br />
bleeding heart to crimson red<br />
body pulled against bark<br />
eyes weep like the somber sky<br />
bones splinters on the dirt<br />
wind wraps around pine trees<br />
Converting and<br />
oxidizing as it pleases<br />
The forest’s voice exhales it<br />
Her organs and thoughts are<br />
just numbers in systems<br />
No longer in the balance<br />
More like a God who labels all<br />
each microorganism going with its DNA<br />
While she fights against it<br />
hides it<br />
Forever feeling outside the ecosystem<br />
Empathy<br />
My empathy radiates from me<br />
Like a tide crashing against me<br />
Seashells stabbing into my pruned feet<br />
The seas cascading all around me<br />
Throw my body over flowers<br />
To protect them from harsh showers<br />
Endure the elements everyday<br />
For the sake of better days<br />
Revolutionize norms by living<br />
Kings spreading hate like poison vipers<br />
Shot down and mangled by snipers<br />
Left for dead by narcissistic liars<br />
Bedroom Horror Story<br />
Yellow blanket, violet banners<br />
Gray curtains open to a foggy black sight<br />
Curled up in a pile of pillows and blankets<br />
Dim light, black sky<br />
Golden eyes appear in the window<br />
Slithering through the night<br />
BY JADE BROWN<br />
Amber eyes, Olive skin<br />
Sweat dripping to the floor<br />
The figure’s eyes growing in size<br />
Gold knob, gray hand<br />
Locked off my bedroom<br />
Footsteps getting louder with the darkness<br />
White door, red blood<br />
Screams painting the walls<br />
Dim light turns to darkness<br />
BOLD EAGLE 9
The earliest known use of cryptography is found in non-standard hieroglyphs carved into the wall of a tomb from the Old Kingdom of Egypt circa 1900 BC.<br />
CRUMMY CRYPTOGRAMS<br />
BY BEN VELLA<br />
A cryptogram is a type of puzzle that consists of a short piece of encrypted tezt. Generally the cipher used to encrypt<br />
the text is simple enought that the crytogram can be solved by hand. Substitution ciphers where each letter is replaced<br />
by a different letter or number are frequently used.<br />
“DA BZU TDYK OZ JK I RUCSLKS, D HICO<br />
OZ TDYK OZ JK I RUCSLKS MDCUV ZCK<br />
SIB VZ D CKYKL RIYK OZ TDYK HDORZUO<br />
BZU.”<br />
- HDCCDK ORK EZZR<br />
Substitution Rules:<br />
Each letter of the provided text (the ciphertext) consistently corresponds to a letter in the alphabet of the hidden<br />
message (the plaintext). To solve the riddle, you must find the corresponding plaintext for each letter in the ciphertext,<br />
to find the hidden quote!<br />
Helpful Hint on page [16]<br />
10 BOLD EAGLE
HOROSCOPES<br />
BY JADE BROWN<br />
Sagittarius: You will have an<br />
adventurous streak and feel more<br />
free than you’ve ever had.<br />
Cancer: People may run your<br />
name through the dirt and you<br />
may lose close friends.<br />
Aries: You may experience turbulence<br />
and a new-found identity.<br />
Pisces: You will find a new passion<br />
and you should run with it.<br />
Taurus: You may start relaxing<br />
more and practicing self care.<br />
Aquarius: You will face criticism<br />
and you should listen to it.<br />
Gemini: You may go through<br />
some very rough patches but<br />
come out stronger in the end.<br />
Capricorn: You will work hard<br />
and gain more knowledge, but<br />
you need to work on boundaries.<br />
Leo: Your ego may reach its<br />
highest point, which means you’ll<br />
have the hardest fall.<br />
Libra: Your life will be in shambles<br />
and you won’t know what to<br />
do, you will have to learn to be<br />
okay with this.<br />
Virgo: Your sense of control will<br />
wane, and you may learn to go<br />
with the flow more.<br />
Scorpio: You will be in a better<br />
place, where you can learn, grow,<br />
and excel in your craft.<br />
BOLD EAGLE 11
SENIOR SHOUT OUTS<br />
BY NATHAN TENBROECK<br />
Allison Steuernagle<br />
Allison Steuernagle<br />
Allison has been a student at Southern Berkshire Regional<br />
School District since she was enrolled in the childcare program<br />
and will end this June when she graduates from Mt.<br />
Everett. Allison has been a<br />
very active member of the<br />
Mt. Everett community,<br />
assuming the roles of edito<br />
in cheif of the <strong>Bold</strong> <strong>Eagle</strong><br />
newspaper (the one you’re<br />
currently reading), treasurer<br />
of the Class of <strong>2024</strong>,<br />
treasurer of the National<br />
Honor Society, treasurer of<br />
the Rotary Interact Club,<br />
captain of both the Girls<br />
Varsity Soccer and Basketball<br />
teams, and more. Allison’s<br />
favorite class throughout<br />
her time at Mt. Everett was the Early College U.S.<br />
Government and Politics class taught by Mr. Hammill. This<br />
class was especially enjoyable for her due to the interesting<br />
curriculum and the intricacies of past and modern governments.<br />
Allison believes that the most important lesson that<br />
she learned is to “always be proud of what you do.” This<br />
lesson is arguably one of the most important, yet hardest to<br />
learn in life. After her time at Mt. Everett, Allison plans to<br />
go to college to major in a liberal arts field. Although she<br />
is still undecided, she is leaning towards studying political<br />
science. In ten years, Allison hopes to live on the coast, own<br />
a house, and have a family. Additionally, she dreams of<br />
owning a 1975 Ford Bronco with the Coastal Classic paint<br />
styling. That being said, her biggest dream for the future,<br />
above all else, is to be happy. A random, but interesting fact<br />
about Allison is that she is irrationally afraid of butterflies.<br />
Hot Take: “Apple Music is better than Spotify.”<br />
Shira Sawyer<br />
Shira is a long-time member of the Southern Berkshire<br />
Regional School District. She started her school career<br />
at New Marlborough Central School and moved to the<br />
Sheffield campus for her fifth-grade year. In her time at<br />
Mt. Everett, Shira has been involved in many activities,<br />
including her role as the president of the National Honor<br />
Society, captain of the volleyball and swim teams, member<br />
of the National Art Honor Society, Track and Field, the<br />
Morning Show, and SADD. Shira’s favorite class that she<br />
took at Mt. Everett was Band with Ms. English because of<br />
the lively nature of the class, her passion for music, and Ms.<br />
English’s vibrant personality. The most important lesson<br />
that Shira has learned in high school is that “your work will<br />
not be as good as you think it is if you do it after 10p.m.”<br />
This roots from the tendency to procrastinate work, an issue<br />
many students struggle with. Shira learned that by avoiding<br />
this habit, her quality of work improved. After high school,<br />
Shira plans to go to college to study the technology and<br />
behind the scenes of film<br />
and television. In ten years,<br />
she hopes to be working on<br />
movies and own a home<br />
with two cats and “a really<br />
big fish tank.” A random<br />
fact about Shira is that she<br />
has never broken a bone.<br />
Shira Sawyer<br />
Hot Take: “Salt does not<br />
belong on sweet foods,<br />
including chocolate and<br />
caramel.”<br />
Megan Loring<br />
Megan started her time at SBRSD at the Monterey Schoolhouse<br />
for pre-k and kindergarten and later moved to the<br />
Sheffield campus for first grade. Since then, she has been<br />
an active member of the school community, being a member<br />
of the National Honor Society, the Morning Show, the<br />
“<strong>Bold</strong> <strong>Eagle</strong>” Newspaper, Soccer, Basketball, Softball, and<br />
serves as the co-president of the Model United Nations and<br />
Secretary of the Rotary Interact. Megan’s favorite class that<br />
she took at Mt. Everett was Chemistry with Mr. Schwartz.<br />
She enjoyed this class<br />
because it was fun, she<br />
enjoyed the experiments,<br />
and Mr. Schwartz created<br />
a hands-on environment<br />
and experiential learning.<br />
Megan’s most valuable<br />
lesson that she has learned<br />
is “don’t take your time for<br />
granted.” She values this<br />
lesson because so much<br />
can change and you’re<br />
not always in control.<br />
She learned to not let it<br />
Megan Loring<br />
12 BOLD EAGLE
dissuade her from moving forward, but rather to use it as<br />
motivation to keep going. After high school, Megan plans<br />
to go to college to study in the field of health applied sciences.<br />
In ten years, Megan hopes to have a family, chocolate<br />
lab, Porsche Taycan, and a steady job. A very random<br />
fact about Megan is that she cried when she had to cut her<br />
baby blanket into a smaller size so she could save room in<br />
her carry-on when she went on a trip to Italy.<br />
Hot Take: “Otis isn’t that far away.”<br />
Kaliegh Eichstedt<br />
Kaliegh is a long-time member of the school community,<br />
beginning her time at New Marlborough Central, moving<br />
to the Sheffield campus, and ending this June. Kaliegh<br />
is a well-rounded person. She is on the tennis team and<br />
also serves as the president and junior leader of the River<br />
Valley 4H Club. Kaliegh’s favorite class that she took at<br />
Mt. Everett was Mr. Barbieri’s Honors Pre-Calculus class<br />
her junior year. She enjoyed the lively class environment<br />
and Barbs’ ability to make math fun for a group of high<br />
school juniors. The most valuable lesson that Kaliegh<br />
learned in high school<br />
was to “always be on<br />
time, otherwise you miss<br />
a lot.” This lesson is a<br />
shout out to everyone<br />
who consistently arrives<br />
late to classes throughout<br />
their day. When<br />
you miss one thing at<br />
the start of class, it<br />
is a struggle to catch<br />
back up afterwards. “If<br />
you miss one day of<br />
school, you miss a lot<br />
more than you think. I<br />
learned this lesson from<br />
Kaliegh Eichstedt<br />
Ms. Siket,” Kaliegh<br />
added. She states that<br />
missing what you think will be a minute part of your education,<br />
may cause a lot more trouble than you may think<br />
down the road. This is a good time to mention a random<br />
fact about Kaliegh. She has a fear of being late, whether<br />
to school, work, or a birthday party, Kaliegh despises<br />
running late and often arrives early, a trait many, myself<br />
included, find enviable. After Mt. Everett, Kaliegh plans<br />
to attend McCann Technical School for a postsecondary<br />
education in cosmetology. With that, Kaliegh wants to be<br />
a cosmetologist and farmer after she walks across the stage<br />
at Tanglewood this June. In ten years, Kaliegh hopes to<br />
own a salon and expand her family’s farm. Additionally,<br />
she hopes to have a family, with two kids, a border collie,<br />
mini donkey, and Porsche 911 GT in the pistachio color.<br />
Hot Take: “If you can’t drive, get off the road. Also, no<br />
one should take other people’s parking spots in the school<br />
parking lot.”<br />
Jaide Evans<br />
Jaide has been a part of the Southern Berkshire Regional<br />
School District for a long time, despite attending Muddy<br />
Brook for elementary school and Mililani High School in<br />
Hawaii for part of her high school career. Jaide keeps busy<br />
in school by being a member of the Rotary Interact Club,<br />
Model United Nations, and interning with BowMeow in<br />
Sheffield. Jaide’s favorite class that she took in her time<br />
at Mt. Everett was Culinary with Ms. Gott. Jaide found<br />
this class particularly enjoyable since Ms. Gott instilled<br />
an aspect of creative thinking, hands on learning, and an<br />
upbeat environment for her to succeed. Of course, the<br />
sampling was also a motivating factor. The most valuable<br />
lesson Jaide learned throughout her high school experience<br />
was to “always do what makes you happy. You can’t<br />
put effort into relationships where you do not receive a<br />
reciprocated effort in return.” This lesson is very important<br />
to any student’s social life. Always put your social<br />
and emotional well-being as a priority; you can’t truly be<br />
happy without being your genuine self. She also added<br />
that “it’s okay to struggle as long as you keep going,” a<br />
lesson every student and teacher needs to be reminded<br />
of. Failure is what drives success; don’t let it restrain you<br />
from reaching your<br />
dreams. After high<br />
school, Jaide plans<br />
to go to college or<br />
cosmetology school.<br />
Although she is still<br />
undecided, she plans<br />
to study in the field<br />
of business and/or<br />
cosmetology. In ten<br />
years, Jaide hopes to<br />
be happy and content<br />
where she is.<br />
She wants to live in<br />
Hawaii with a family<br />
Jaide Evans<br />
consisting of two kids,<br />
a Maine coon, and a home full of love and laughter,<br />
where she nor her kids never have to worry where their<br />
next meal comes from. A random fact about Jaide is that<br />
she can sleep through almost anything.<br />
Hot Take: “Helen Keller and the moon landing were fake.<br />
Don’t trust the media.”<br />
BOLD EAGLE 13
The Exchange Program<br />
BY JULIA DEVOTI<br />
The Global<br />
Education<br />
Program<br />
fosters diverse<br />
learning about<br />
different cultures<br />
while creating<br />
relationships that<br />
will last a lifetime.<br />
The student trip to<br />
Italy last year was<br />
through the Global<br />
Ed department.<br />
In this year’s<br />
exchange program<br />
at our school,<br />
we are hosting<br />
students from April<br />
1st to the 11th.<br />
The main goal<br />
of the exchange<br />
is to address the United Nations Sustainable Development<br />
goal, Zero Hunger, which is separated into four main groups:<br />
History, Science, Culinary, and Art.<br />
14 BOLD EAGLE<br />
Students from Hong Kong are welcomed at Mount Everett after a long day of traveling<br />
History: The exchange students and their host siblings<br />
will tour the United Nations in New York City. They will<br />
also be learning about indigenous local history visiting the<br />
Sheffield Historical Society that has research dating back to<br />
1733. Recently at the Sheffield Historical Society they have<br />
expanded their research studying the Mohican tribe and<br />
the influence of the black community on local and national<br />
history.<br />
Science: The students will explore environmental science<br />
while examining soil health, pollution, climate change,<br />
and solutions to these problems. Students will also visit<br />
April Hill Conservation and Education Center to learn<br />
about sustainable agriculture. The farm is located in South<br />
Egremont and focuses on regenerative farming practices to<br />
combat against the threats listed above.<br />
Culinary: Students will explore ways to end hunger, achieve<br />
food security and improve nutrition while promoting<br />
sustainable agriculture. We will hear from Michelle Apland<br />
of Flying Deer about using our outdoor resources to make<br />
our own soup from forged plants. Shawn Stevens, who<br />
teaches Mochican culture and music, will visit once again to<br />
teach about indigenous food sources and recipes. Students<br />
will use entrepreneurial techniques to organize a community<br />
dinner where they will offer soups and recipes that they have<br />
learned throughout the process. They will also reach out to<br />
local restaurants to participate in the Berkshire Bowls Trail,<br />
where they will offer an indigenous dish to customers to raise<br />
money for the local food pantry. This format will be shared<br />
with schools throughout Berkshire County.<br />
Art: Students will learn about hand building and wheel<br />
throwing to create bowls for the Empty Bowls project. Empty<br />
Bowls is a grassroots movement by artists and crafts people<br />
in cities and towns around the world to raise money for<br />
food-related charities to care for and feed the hungry in their<br />
communities. Students will also learn about pottery artifacts<br />
found in our area. They will study the form, function,<br />
and symbolism of surface techniques as related to Native<br />
American tribes that inhabited our land.<br />
Throughout the exchange students’ time in our community,<br />
they will learn about solving real world problems while<br />
helping our community. This will not only help the students<br />
learn about our culture, but it will help everyone here at<br />
school learn more about ours as well. Without the help of<br />
the students and teachers from our school, this project would<br />
be impossible. There will be students within the academic<br />
classrooms of history, science, culinary, and art, and club<br />
members from Model UN, Interact, National Honor<br />
Society, and National Art Honor Society all assisting with<br />
this project. This exchange program is an opportunity for<br />
students at our school to learn about different cultures and<br />
Photo by Emily Steuernagle
Is A.I. Destroying Education?<br />
BY ALLISON STEUERNAGLE<br />
We’ve all seen the Sci-Fi movies about robots taking over the<br />
world, roaming the streets and controlling our brains. Even<br />
though society isn’t to that point yet, the rise of artificial<br />
intelligence, or A.I., is hard to ignore. Some even speculate<br />
that this breakthrough is the start of a new and frightening life<br />
resembling this takeover. In education, A.I. holds a profound<br />
impact on the way students learn and how teachers educate.<br />
I have observed that the largest A.I. platform talked about<br />
in school is Chatgpt. This chatbot provides abundant information<br />
on virtually every topic imaginable and responds in a<br />
natural and human-like manner. It writes essays, poems, and<br />
can even solve math problems step by step. Simply put, all the<br />
user must do is write what they want to see, and Chatgpt will<br />
show them. Some view it as a new and creative tool to receive<br />
information, while others see it as a frightening way to cheat<br />
and plagiarize. These two sides are debating whether A.I.<br />
impacts education for better or for worse.<br />
Skeptics of A.I. argue that it is a direct form of plagiarism<br />
and simply provides students with answers instead of learning<br />
and processing information themselves. This infringes on<br />
the learning process and prevents students from fully comprehending<br />
the material, thereby not attaining long term<br />
knowledge. There is some truth to this argument, as students<br />
may simply plug in the prompt and turn in what the chatbot<br />
spits out. When used in this manner, A.I. is completely<br />
destructive to the world of education.<br />
However, from my observations as a student, A.I. is hardly<br />
used in this negative manner by students. It is used to fill in<br />
missing gaps in students’ knowledge and assist them in their<br />
education, rather than fully cheating or plagiarizing. I argue<br />
that getting pieces of information from A.I. is the same as<br />
asking a teacher a question or getting assistance from them.<br />
It can be a helpful tool when you are doing homework and<br />
do not have a teacher to answer a question. It is a better option<br />
to find the answer yourself than to simply not do your<br />
homework because you are stuck.<br />
The best way to approach the uprising of A.I. is to not be<br />
frightened by the change, but rather embrace it and develop<br />
a way to use it to your advantage. Students must also be<br />
educated on plagiarism and where the line is drawn. Teachers<br />
must also come to a consensus on what is considered<br />
plagiarism, as many teachers have different opinions and<br />
policies that become confusing. There is no doubt that A.I.<br />
has a profound impact on education and the world, but will<br />
its impact be as great as a cyborg takeover?<br />
Photo by Steve Johnson Source: Unsplash<br />
BOLD EAGLE 15
Where is the Snow?<br />
BY MEG LORING<br />
The only absences we’ll be experiencing this school year are the absence of snow days. Over the years we have had multiple<br />
snow days throughout the winter months. Why would this year be any different? Due to El Niño, we are experiencing a below<br />
average winter here in New England. There have been a couple of small storms that have produced flurries, but not enough to<br />
cancel school completely. When we have gotten snow, it has unfortunately fallen on the weekends, providing no snow day for<br />
students eager to stay in bed. Seniors have especially expressed their hatred of Mother Nature this year. Since they do not have<br />
to make up for the missed days at the end of the year like everyone else, they are outraged at the lack of snow.<br />
Will we ever have a snow day this year?<br />
This question has crossed the minds of students and staff multiple times. But don’t worry, there is some hope for a snow day<br />
because El Niño winters tend to produce more snow in the middle to late winter instead of early winter. So let’s all cross our<br />
fingers and try some of the tricks listed below to wish for a snow day!<br />
Tips and Tricks to get a snow day:<br />
1. Flush ice cubes down the toilet<br />
2. Wear your pajamas backwards<br />
3. Have ice cream for dinner<br />
4. Do a snow dance<br />
5. Put a spoon under your pillow<br />
6. Freeze a white crayon<br />
Helpful Hint:<br />
Although this quote is a little gummy,<br />
Roo’d say the meaning is sweet as honey.<br />
(Yummy!) Stunning Solution on page [18]<br />
Snow friends. Photo from google images<br />
16 BOLD EAGLE
Winter Sports Wrap-up<br />
BY AIDEN MURRAY<br />
Girls Varsity Basketball - This season our girls put up<br />
a solid showing, with a record of 5 wins and 15 losses. The<br />
girls had some impressive wins, including a senior night<br />
takedown of what’s become a new rival in Hopkins Academy.<br />
After meeting twice on the soccer field in the fall,<br />
much of the same squads that met on the pitch met on the<br />
hardwood. This time our <strong>Eagle</strong>s bested Hopkins 32-30 on<br />
senior night, winning the game with a buzzer beater put up<br />
by Emily Steuernagle. Including this win, the girls ended<br />
the season positively on a three game winning streak. Next<br />
season the team will have to replace 4 seniors, including<br />
long time guards, Emily Steuernagle and Julia Devoti, wing<br />
Allison Steuernagle and newly added big, Megan Loring.<br />
This year’s team had a lot of young talent that will look to<br />
step into a larger role next season with the experience that<br />
was gained from this year. Congratulations to our Girls<br />
Basketball team.<br />
Boys Varsity Basketball - After a hot start, and a little<br />
cooldown at the end, overall this season for our boys was<br />
something<br />
to be proud<br />
of. With a<br />
record of 12<br />
wins and 9<br />
losses, our<br />
boys made<br />
the Western<br />
Mass<br />
tournament<br />
and State<br />
tournament,<br />
losing to a<br />
tough Monson<br />
team<br />
in Western<br />
Darius dribbles at a boys basketball game.<br />
Mass, and<br />
losing the<br />
open round of states to 32 seeded Keefe Tech. This season<br />
was filled with a lot of injuries for the boys, as the whole<br />
year they were without last year’s starting guard Matt Lowe<br />
due to a shoulder injury, and lost starting center Brady Carpenter<br />
due to a knee injury towards the end of the season.<br />
Even with these hardships, the boys had great wins all year,<br />
beating out fellow Berkshire county teams like Lee and<br />
Lenox, and beating Ludlow twice, (since Ludlow became a<br />
part of our league, the <strong>Eagle</strong>s had not beaten them). With<br />
the overall youth of the varsity team, the next few years<br />
look promising for this team. The main challenge will be<br />
replacing the scoring that senior Michael Ullrich brought.<br />
Michael ended up as the all time leading scorer in Mount<br />
Everett Boys Basketball and the 28th top scorer in Berkshire<br />
County Boys history. The other senior leaving is guard Aiden<br />
Murray. Congratulations to our Boys Basketball team.<br />
Hockey - Everyone knows it’s not about how you start,<br />
but how you finish. For our Co-op hockey, the Taconic<br />
Thunder, this saying couldn’t be more true. For the first two<br />
months of the season, things looked grim, but with their<br />
Western Mass and state tournament chances hanging in<br />
the balance, the team locked it, winning 5 of their next 7<br />
games, including a Western Massachusetts title. This gave<br />
the team an overall record of 8-9-3. The entire team is not<br />
composed of Mount Everett students; as a matter of fact its<br />
majority students from Central Berkshire county schools.<br />
There was one senior on the hockey team, Paul Harden.<br />
Wrestling - With a good showing at last year’s state and<br />
Western Mass tournaments, the wrestlers had a lot to live<br />
up to. It wouldn’t be easy with 4 top graduates, but they<br />
were up to the task. Year in and out, our small but mighty<br />
squad has produced good individual results at each tournament,<br />
unfortunately never making it over the large hump<br />
that is a good team result. This year was more of the same<br />
with standouts like Diego Cruz, Connor Lupiani and Max<br />
Manning collecting multiple victories, and Freshman Ian<br />
Lanoue chipping in some solid placements. With no seniors<br />
on the roster, the team looks poised to have another solid<br />
season next year.<br />
Diego pins his opponent during his wrestling match.<br />
BOLD EAGLE 17
Album Review: Foo Fighters<br />
BY KAI FLOREZ<br />
Foo Fighters. Photo from Google Images<br />
If you’re into 90’s rock, post grunge, or any sort of rock<br />
music, this is the album for you! After Kurt Cobain, singer<br />
songwriter and leader of Nirvana tragically passed away on<br />
April 5th, 1994, drummer and back up singer of Nirvana<br />
Dave Grohl felt a huge void in his life due to his best<br />
friend’s death. One day, Dave went to his friend’s recording<br />
studio with a bunch of songs and started recording every<br />
instrument by himself. He then released these songs with<br />
the name “Foo Fighters” to give the image that this was<br />
a whole band and not just him so people would be more<br />
attracted to it. He then showed it to his friends, and they<br />
loved it. He then said that it’s all him, and they began hating<br />
it, thus proving his theory. After a few months, this album<br />
exploded and for good reason. This album has many<br />
good tracks like “For All the Cows,” “Alone+Easy Target,”<br />
and “Floaty.” These songs gained so much traction, it led<br />
the Foo Fighters, now a full band of 7, to #1 on the rock<br />
charts and that still stands today. Overall, I would rate this<br />
album an 11/10.<br />
Give it a<br />
listen!<br />
Crummy<br />
Cryptogram<br />
Stunning Solution:<br />
“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be<br />
a hundred minus one day so I never have to live<br />
without you.”<br />
- Winnie the Pooh<br />
18 BOLD EAGLE
The Change Challenge:<br />
A Step in the Right Direction<br />
BY BEN VELLA<br />
This February, the Middle School Student Council held<br />
one of its largest fundraisers in several years, the “Change<br />
Challenge”, in which students from around the middle<br />
school donated money in boxes for the ultimate prize of a<br />
council-funded pizza party. Though normal coin wars rules<br />
weren’t incorporated this time, the largest contributors were<br />
undoubtedly the students of Mr. Lynch’s class. “We’re very<br />
excited for them,” says Maxwell Depelteau, representative<br />
of the 8th grade class and major contributor to the<br />
council’s efforts this year. The money raised by the Change<br />
Challenge will be used for future middle school fundraisers,<br />
like the recent bake sale during Seussical the Musical.<br />
This time the Change Challenge only raised $50, but<br />
Depelteau’s administration is hoping to make it part of<br />
something bigger. “I kind of want to push in a certain<br />
direction, and I’m just trying to get other people’s back<br />
support,” says Depelteau, explaining the new systems of<br />
order he’s implementing alongside fellow members like<br />
Owen Siket, Jonathan Giordano, Fiona Pollack, Erik Miller<br />
and Caitlin Foster. Indeed, over the past year, the council<br />
has created countless systems of organization, including a<br />
constitution, consistent documentation, a slogan, mission<br />
statements, and more. Next is proper roles like president<br />
and vice president, open forums and Robert’s Rules<br />
of Order, a system originating from the military with<br />
scheduled and recorded meetings. The hope is that through<br />
better organization, the council can be more effective and<br />
adaptive to student needs, and pave the way for future<br />
student councils.<br />
“We just really want our students to be able to succeed<br />
as much as we want to succeed ourselves. That’s why our<br />
motto is empower, inspire, achieve.”<br />
Students from the middle<br />
school student council (from<br />
left to right): Fiona Pollack,<br />
Maxwell Depelteau, Erik<br />
Miller, Owen Siket, and Jonathan<br />
Giordano.<br />
Ms. Zucco<br />
TEACHER SHOUT OUT<br />
BY ALLISON STEUERNAGLE<br />
Ms. Zucco displays her dedication and service within our school community in<br />
countless ways. As both the high school and elementary nurse, her care and support<br />
have been instrumental in ensuring the well-being of students. Beyond her<br />
nursing duties, she assumes the role of the School Resource Officer, fostering a safe<br />
and secure environment for all. Ms. Zucco’s commitment to keeping the community<br />
safe goes even further, as this fall she conducted a R.A.D. self-defense classes for<br />
women, empowering them with essential skills. Additionally, her voluntary service<br />
as a police officer at school events reflects her commitment to student safety and<br />
community engagement. Ms. Zucco not only provides essential health and safety<br />
education to students, but also serves as a role model for all. Ms. Zucco’s contributions<br />
truly make her an invaluable asset to our school community, and she deserves<br />
endless gratitude and recognition.<br />
BOLD EAGLE 19
Cannabis Education<br />
By Southern Berkshire Health Coalition Youth Co-Chair, Leslye Bautista-Cruz<br />
20 BOLD EAGLE
BOLD EAGLE 21
Parting Art<br />
Digital Illustration by Danny Wilkinson<br />
22 BOLD EAGLE