Panther Print
"What kind of person do you want to be today?"
2nd Edition of the 2020-2021 BAMS Panther Print, Volume 14, Issue 2
Look Who's New to Bel Air Middle!
By: Kimberly Mallon
Welcome to BAMS Mr. Redmond! Let's learn a little bit about him.
Q: Why did you chose to be an Assistant Principal?
A: “As a teacher, my favorite part of the job was connecting with kids and having an impact on their life. As an Assistant Principal I get to do that with more kids than I could as a teacher.”
Q: How many years have you been an Assistant Principal? Have you been one in any other school? If so, Where?
A: “This is my 7th year working as an Assistant Principal. I worked the last 6 years at Southampton Middle School, and this year I am split between BAMS and BAHS.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about working at Bel Air Middle so far?
A: "The excitement the students have for being here at BAMS!”
Q: What is a challenge of being an Assistant Principal?
A: “Having an enough time to help every student that needs me.”
Q: If you were not an Assistant Principal what would your dream job be?
A: “Principal. :-) I am looking forward to one day having my own building.”
Q: Before becoming an Assistant Principal you were a teacher. What did you teach, and why did you want to become a teacher?
A: “I always had the urge to help people. I originally wanted to become a doctor, but decided early in college that wasn't the best path for me. I took an education class and did a visit to a school, and I fell in love with it. I taught 8th grade Science at Edgewood Middle School for 9 years, and then biology and zoology at Fallston High School for 2 years before becoming an Assistant Principal.”
Q: How many years did you teach? What grade levels and schools did you teach at before you became an Assistant Principal?
A: “I taught 8th grade Science at Edgewood Middle School for 9 years, and then biology and zoology at Fallston High School for 2 years before becoming an Assistant Principal.”
Q: Do you think Covid/virtual learning is a good learning situation to learn from for students? Why or why not?
A: “Definitely. While this has been a super difficult time, one thing I am looking forward to is what teaching and learning will look like next year. We have learned a lot about what works and what doesn't work for students, and I am excited to see what teachers can do when we come back next fall.”
Q: What has been the funniest thing that has happened in your teaching/Assistant Principal experience?
A: “I once broke a bus window on dismissal accidentally while trying to get a student's attention because they were standing in the aisle."
Q: What is something fun you enjoy doing outside of school?
A: “I love playing fetch in my backyard with my dog, Bunk.”
Q: What is something that most people don’t know about you?
A: “I studied biology and music in college and am certified to be a vocal music teacher.”
2020-2021 SGA Officers
By: Mia Castellano
As we all know, to be an SGA Officer, the candidates normally make a speech in front of the whole school, trying to make the students vote for them. This year they made a video on the computer, and had the students vote. This takes a lot of guts, and a lot of bravery. So, let's hear it for our SGA Officers!
President - Lia Lucas (8th grade)
Vice President - Emma Rose (8th grade)
Secretary - Madeline Freda (7th grade)
Treasurer - Pragnya Jagarlapudi (7th grade)
Governor - Vibha Nanduri (6th grade)
Q: Why do you feel you will make a good SGA officer?
A: Lia Lucas (President) - "I feel like I will make a good SGA officer because I am a good leader, confident, and considerate."
A: Emma Rose (Vice President) - "I feel that I will make a good SGA Officer because I am very creative, energetic, and kind. I love helping people and love coming up with fun ideas."
A: Madeline Freda (Secretary) - "I have been doing SGA since I was in the 3rd grade and have always enjoyed doing it. I have also worked and personally know many of the people who ran and are the current officers."
A: Pragnya Jagarlapudi (Treasurer) - "I'm good at keeping organized and have always loved planning events."
A: Vibha Nanduri (Governor) - "I think I will make a good SGA officer for governor because of my qualifications, dedication, and passion for this SGA and towards the 6th grade. If you saw my speech, there are many things that qualify me for the governor of 6th grade. As well as my dedication to working with the 6th students! Not to mention, how much I love helping the SGA so everyone in Bel Air Middle (including the 6th grade students)!"
Q: What made you want to run for an SGA office?
A: Lia Lucas (President) - "I wanted to run for SGA office because I wanted to be able to help the student voice be heard."
A: Emma Rose (Vice President) - "I wanted to run for an SGA office because I wanted to help our school and plan fun events."
A: Madeline Freda (Secretary) - "I ran last year and was a finalist so I ran again."
A: Pragnya Jagarlapudi (Treasurer) - "I wanted to be able to make sure that we could still hold fun events during virtual learning."
A: Vibha Nanduri (Governor) - "What made me want to run for an SGA office was helping others, the school and working with other SGA members. To me, I plan on helping students better their interests so I can help plan events for them as well as getting to know the school (it is my first year at BAMS). Working with the other SGA members has been a pleasure! I knew all of those would be benefits of the SGA, so that’s why I ran for governor!"
Q: Were you nervous about the election? If so, what were you nervous about?
A: Lia Lucas (President) - "I was nervous about the election because I was running against some very talented people."
A: Emma Rose (Vice President) - "I wasn't that nervous since the election was held virtually, but I was nervous that people wouldn't vote for me or they wouldn't like me."
A: Madeline Freda (Secretary) - "I was very nervous about many things. I was nervous about what to say and how people would interpret it. I was nervous about how to look in the video. I was nervous about putting myself out there and then to lose. I also even get a little nervous now if what I am doing is correct, if I have forgotten something on the notes and more."
A: Pragnya Jagarlapudi (Treasurer) - "Yeah, I was definitely nervous! I was mostly nervous about whether or not people would find my speech boring, or not very compelling. I was also nervous about election results and if I would get the position or not."
A: Vibha Nanduri (Governor) - "I was quite nervous for the SGA elections because it was virtual, and I did not get to personally meet any students. Luckily, I got over all that fears/nervousness after the speech was over. Sometimes you must be prepared, even if you don’t win the elections. But it is a great overall experience!"
Q: What are you planning to do for the school while we are still virtual?
A: Lia Lucas (President) - "We are planning to have some fun virtual events that showcase some of our students' talents!"
A: Emma Rose (Vice President) - "I am planning to have fun virtual live events, for example, I'm trying to add an Art Night where students can have fun expressing themselves through art."
A: Madeline Freda (Secretary) - "I am planning on getting the students more involved with what the SGA is working on and in our decisions. As well as inform them on the things that we are working on."
A: Pragnya Jagarlapudi (Treasurer) - "We are currently trying to get a couple different events going. One of which, if approved, won't just be a one-time thing. It'll be something we hold fairly often."
A: Vibha Nanduri (Governor) - "I don’t want to spoil too much, since we are still working on things, as well as planning them. But if you saw my speech, I said that I would help plan special events, programs, and activities. A few things we are planning to do are a talent showcase/ display and an art night all virtually! More information will come out as soon as it is finished! And we can’t wait for BAMS students to see it!"
Q: What is one way that you think the 2020-2021 SGA is going to make a difference at BAMS?
A: Lia Lucas (President) - "I believe that the 2020-2021 SGA will create new ways for the students to interact and be engaged during virtual learning."
A: Emma Rose (Vice President) - "I think that the 2020-2021 SGA is going to make a difference at BAMS by holding fun events that can lift everyone's moods, relieve some stress, and have some much-needed socialization."
A: Madeline Freda (Secretary) - "I think that we will give students more opportunity to see what the SGA does a lot of the time."
A: Pragnya Jagarlapudi (Treasurer) - "This year's officers have a lot of good ideas! I think we'll be able to start planning more events that become yearly traditions at BAMS."
A: Vibha Nanduri (Governor) - "The 2020-2021 SGA is such a pleasure to work with. We are planning to make many differences here at BAMS. Though, one thing that stands out to me is that the SGA will help students express themselves, especially since everything is virtual. Lots of students are hiding their talents and we will help bring them out!"
Q: Did you like the way the election was run virtually, or would you rather have had the election in its traditional format?
A: Lia Lucas (President) - "I personally liked how the election ran virtually because when we were giving our speeches, we were able to have many takes before we did the official one."
A: Emma Rose (Vice President) - "I personally liked the election virtually because I only had to make one speech, and I didn't have to keep repeating it throughout the day."
A: Madeline Freda (Secretary) - "I think that it was well put together. I also liked that I could redo my video as many times as I needed to."
A: Pragnya Jagarlapudi (Treasurer) - "We had a very poor voter turnout for the virtual election, so it would've been nice to have this election in the traditional format."
A: Vibha Nanduri (Governor) - "Knowing it is my first year here at BAMS, I didn’t get the chance to know how the traditional elections would have been. Though, I have had it explained to me. It does sound a little bit more nerve-wracking, but it might have been more ideal to do it that way. So, I would love to try a traditional election"
Congratulations to the 2020-2021 SGA Officers.
President - Lia Lucas
Vice President - Emma Rose
Secretary - Madeline Freda
We’ll Miss You Mrs. Malooly
By: Pragnya Jagarlapudi
Recently Mrs. Malooly, the 6 West science teacher, retired. We wanted to bid her goodbye with an interview.
Q: Why did you become a science teacher?
A: "I love anything hands on and getting kids active and involved in learning. I started out as a 4th grade teacher, and while I was at Emmorton Elementary, I taught science for all of the 4th graders. It was then that I decided I wanted to focus on teaching science. I had an opportunity to go to Bel Air Middle School, and that's what I did."
Q: What was always your biggest goal when teaching students?
A: “My biggest goal teaching was to get students to enjoy science as much as I do. Everybody's a scientist when you think about it. You walk down the street, and you notice something, and you wonder how that happened? Or why is that like that? Science starts with asking a question about the world around you. Most kids are curious by nature."
Q: Did you accomplish it?
A: “I hope so. I think so. I mean, as a teacher, you want to make a connection with students, and hopefully, spark some interest and maybe inspire some kids to choose a science-related career."
Q: If you weren’t a teacher, what other job would you have pursued?
A: “Well, I really enjoy being outside and doing outdoorsy things, so probably working in a park or something like that. I'm actually volunteering at Rock State Park now! I am working in the Adopt- a-Garden program to establish areas that highlight native plants and pollinators. So much fun! If you are interested in helping, go to the State Parks website and check it out: Volunteer with Department of Natural Resources (maryland.gov)."
Q: What’s one thing you want to say to all the students, now in 7th and 8th grade, that had you?
A: "I really miss seeing the kids every day! I got to meet and get to know so many students over the years and that was the BEST part!"
Q: How long have you been a teacher?
A: “I taught for 23 years so it's kind of a second career. I had no idea I was going to be a teacher. You know when you're a little kid and you get together with kids in the neighborhood and you're going to play school? I never want wanted to be the teacher. I wanted to be the bad kid in the class because that was more fun. I originally had a career in business. Once my own children were in school, I started substituting and really liked it, so I decided to go back to school and get a degree in education."
Q: How long have you been at Bel Air Middle School?
A: "17 years"
Q: Was there any reason you chose Bel Air Middle School to work at?
A: "When I decided I wanted to focus on science education, I applied to a couple of different middle schools in the county, and BAMS was the first school that had a position open. I knew it was a great school because my own kids went there, and I felt so lucky to be able to teach there."
Q: What are you going to miss the most about teaching?
A: “My favorite part of teaching is planning fun science activities. So, I miss doing that. But now, I get to watch my little grandson once a week. He's only 11 months old, but we're already doing science together. He's fascinated by everything. Everything is new and interesting.”
Q: What’s one thing that happened to you while teaching that you’ll just never forget?A: "So many things. My first day at BAMS we were doing a lab, and I didn’t know that the small sinks are relatively useless. So, we ended up with a small flood in my room. Then, there was the time we had a slight trash can fire... But mostly, I’ll remember the students."
Q: What was it like when you first came to Bel Air Middle School?
A: "It was a real transition because I went from fourth grade to eighth grade and that was a culture shock. I went from little fourth graders to eighth graders; most of them were bigger than I was. BAMS is a great school. I've always known that. I've always felt very blessed to work here. Good kids, good parents, wonderful colleagues. So really, that's what it boils down to, the people."
Q: What’s one piece of advice that you’d give to all the students reading this?
A: “Find something you love to do and make a career out of it. It’s like the cheesy quote: “If you love what you’re doing, you're never going to work, you're just doing what you love.”
Q: What did you think of teaching during virtual learning, even if only for a short period?
A: “I'll be honest, I just did not like it. Science is hands on, so I tried my best to make it interesting for the kids, but it wasn't as rewarding to be honest with you. I would prefer to be in a room full of 34 kids.”
Q: Do you have any advice for someone that wants to become a teacher when they’re older?
A: “Don't focus on the nitpicky things. Look at the big picture and what are you’re trying to get across. What's the most important thing with each lesson, and what do you really want the kids to take away from that day's lesson?”
Q: Anything else you want to add?
A: “Just that I am so grateful to have had this career and the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people.”
Mrs. Malooly was an amazing science teacher that was so much fun to have in class. She made science fun and continued to inspire curiosity in all her students. She’ll be missed, and we wish her a happy retirement!
Among Us
By: Kimberly Mallon and Josie Gottschalk
Have you ever heard of Among Us? This game was made by Innersloth on June 15, 2018. However, the game didn’t get popular until last year. Since then, many new updates have been added, and the game has only gained popularity. Many twitch streamers and youtubers have used the game for content for their channels, and for others the game is just a nice pass-time and cure for their boredom. But what is the game itself, we can tell you!
We believe that Among Us is a great game that can be enjoyed by all ages! Among Us was created by Innersloth for entertainment and fun. You can create servers in the game, join public games, and join private games with friends and family members by using a code that is automatically generated. There are many different settings that you can adjust if you host a game. Some settings can include the speed of a player, crewmate or imposter vision (how far around the players can see), how many tasks you have, etc. At the beginning of each game, you will see a screen that says shhhh! After you see that if will reveal your role. You can either be a Crewmate or Imposter. If you are an Imposter, you can kill, sabotage, and ultimately win the game! Sabotages are actions that make it harder for crewmates to win the game; including closing doors in certain rooms, turning the lights off, and depending on the map there can be sabotages such as reactor, communications, etc. When you are a Crewmate, you will have a list of tasks to do. There are many different types of tasks according to each map. Some tasks are medbay scan, card swipe, unlock manifolds, divert power, download data, garbage, wires, water the tree, vending machine, dress mannequin, etc. When the Imposters sabotage the crewmates will fix it by going to the place that the Imposter sabotaged. The Maps are The Skeld, Pollus, The Airship, and Mira HQ. You can report dead bodies after the Imposter kills someone, and you can call emergency meetings when you think somebody is suspect or you saw them vent or kill. If you haven’t downloaded it yet (and your parents are fine with you getting the game) go, try it out! It’s fun and a great game for your free time!
We asked 74 students here at BAMS what their thoughts were about Among Us, and some of the new features. The responses we got had a large variety of answers. One question we asked was, “What is your favorite Among Us hat?” When looking at the responses, many students liked different hats. Overall, the black hat had the most votes. However, the red beanie came in second. Then the cowboy hat, bear ears, and banana skin all tied for third. As far as votes go, the black hat had 15, the red beanie had 11, and the other three all had five votes. In the survey we sent out, we also asked the students to tell us their favorite color. The majority of people chose black/dark gray, and third place was white. This leads me to believe that many of the students that took the survey prefer neutral colors. Now, as many of you know, Among Us has recently added a new feature called quick chat. If you don’t sign into the game, you must use preset terms that the game creators chose. You also must pick a randomized name. Well, we asked Bel Air Middle School kids if they liked this or not. I was shocked to see that most people do. While 29 people disagreed and said they did not like the feature, a whopping 45 out of 74 people preferred it. As an option, the kids could explain their reasoning. A few responses stood out to us. Such as, “I do not like quick chat because you cannot say everything that you want to say, your limited” and, “I like the quick chat because you can discuss the game with people who are not live with you which makes it easy to communicate with others.” A lot of people who enjoy quick chat explained that they find it easier to communicate with other players, as stated in the last response. On the flip side, the people who don’t like quick chat said things like, “I can't defend myself...” and “I feel that it is way quicker and easier to just type...” So, what do you think? Is quick chat a good or bad thing? The last questions we asked in our form were about the maps, role choice, updates, and how many imposters they like to have in game play. When asked, 68% of people said that they liked playing the skeld map the best. Then, 82% of students said that 2 imposters are their favorite to play with. Finally, 54% (40 students) said that they like to play the regular version of among us over the Christmas or Halloween version that were made in the past few months, and 63 out of 74, also known as 85%, said that playing as the imposter was their favorite (over crewmate). So, what do you think? What are your opinions on Among Us?
So far this school year the Game Changers, Mr. Sanchez, along with many teachers have helped to make all 3 Among Us Events possible. Thank you to all the teachers that have helped with the event. The teachers that have helped to make this event possible were: Mr. Sanchez, Mr. Nines, Mr. Rudd, Ms. Castellano, Ms. Wollenweber, Ms. Chatham, Ms. Shirk, Ms. Magness, Ms. Curio, Ms. Poper, Mr. Schenning, Ms. N. Ingram, and Ms. Wilhelm. The events were always so much fun! The teachers that helped with the event made it so much more fun than it would have be just like playing with your friends. I mean think about it, you get to kill your teacher's Among Us character if you are the Imposter. From all the events we always heard the teacher say that their character was always the first one to die. I know in the most recent one when Ms. Ingram's group merged with Ms. Castellano's group, Ms. Ingram said that she was barely able to play 10 seconds without dying. I have been in Ms. Castellano's group 2 times so far, and I really love her group. She always makes it so much fun to play. When I have been in her group, I know everyone has always had a blast between her jokes and her everyone on camera smiling. Now you may be wondering how it goes in the breakout groups or how we all join so let me answer those questions for you. At the beginning of the event, we would all go into the main meeting via the link Mr. Sanchez sent us through E-mail and then he would separate us by the groups we signed up by. After that the groups would discuss stuff like what map, how many imposters, number of tasks, visual tasks on or off, etc. All the groups would play for the remainder of the 2 hours the event was set for. If you have been too late to the signups and you know none of the teachers left, contact Mr. Sanchez before the signups become available to the whole school that way, he can secure your spot with your teacher of choice. You will hear when Mr. Sanchez sends out the signup link by watching the Virtual Attendance. That’s all I have for you on the Among Us events, but don’t forget to keep an eye out for future among us event sign ups from Mr. Sanchez on itslearning and through your student E-mail.
In conclusion, Among Us is a great game that we believe can enjoyed by many people. At BAMS, we asked 74 students that play the game to tell us about their preferences in game play, and there was a large variety of responses! Among Us is used by many youtubers/streamers to make money, so that means the game is even helping adults with their career. The Among Us school event is also a great way to have fun with the game and make new friends. The teachers running it are so kind, and we guarantee you’ll have fun. So, if you are allowed to, but haven’t downloaded among us yet, go try it out! It’s fun for all ages!
Kamala Harris’s Journey to Vice President
By: Olivia Nerad
The election of 2020 made history. Kamala Harris was elected as the vice president, which broke many barriers. This is the first time that a woman has been elected vice president. This is the first time that someone of African American descent was elected vice president. This is the first time that someone of Asian descent has been elected vice president. Harris has earned her position as vice president when all odds were against her.
Harris was born to Shyamala and Donald Harris on October 20, 1964. Harris’s mother, Shyamala, was an immigrant from India who worked as a biologist and cancer researcher. Harris’s father, Donald, was an immigrant from Jamaica and worked as an economics professor. Since Harris’s parents were both involved in the civil rights movement, she attended civil rights protests as a child, which served as the beginnings for Harris’s career in politics.
Harris received a bachelor's degree in political sciences and economics in 1986, from Howard University. She then earned a law degree in 1989 from University of Hastings College of the Law in San Fransisco. After earning her degrees, she took a job as deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. She held that position until 1998, when she became the managing attorney of the Career Criminal Unit of the San Fransisco District attorney’s office. In the year 2000, she began to lead the San Fransisco City Attorney’s Division on Families and Children. Then, in 2003 Harris was elected San Fransisco District Attorney. She was reelected for that job in 2007. In 2010, Harris was elected state attorney general and took office in 2011. This was the first time that job was held by a woman, someone of African American descent, or someone of South Asian descent. In the year 2014, she was reelected. She spent her terms combatting transnational gangs and investigating banks engaged in mortgage fraud.
When Barbara Boxer announced that she would not seek re-election for the senate in 2016, Harris announced that she would begin campaigning for the seat. Harris won the election against fellow Democrat U.S. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. During her term, she served on many committees, including the judiciary, budget, homeland, and intelligence committees. She supported reforms to help middle class and working families. Harris also supported gun control. She supported efforts to defend the legal rights of immigrants and refugees. Additionally, she raised minimum wage to $15 an hour.
On January 8, 2019, Harris published a memoir, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey.” Also in January 2019, Harris began to campaign for the office of President. She chose to drop out in December 2019 because she was trailing in campaign funds and public support. In August of 2020, Joe Biden named Harris as his Vice-Presidential running mate. Two issues that the campaign focused on were the Covid-19 Pandemic and tensions between black communities and the police. After a long and difficult campaign against Donald Trump and Mike Pence, many major new outlets called the election on November 3rd. Biden and Harris won.
A few days before Harris was sworn in, she had the luxury of resigning her senate seat. Kamala Harris is an inspiration to people everywhere, showing that we should not let the fact that something may be difficult, keep us from pursuing it.
Citations
"U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris." World Book Student, World Book, 2021. Online photo,
www.worldbookonline.com/student/media?id=pc371763. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021.
Shenkman, Kenneth J. "Harris, Kamala." World Book Student, World Book, 2021,
www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar756836. Accessed 17 Feb. 2021.
"Harris, Kamala (1964- )." Scholastic GO!, go.scholastic.com/content/schgo/D/article/106/042/10604247.html. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021.
Top 5 Sci Fi Themed Shows Coming to Disney Plus
By: Ivo Louvado
Disney plus is constantly getting new shows and movies. There are many things to get excited about. Disney plus has already had some hits such as the Mandalorian and Wanda Vision just to name a few. Disney has just revealed some of their biggest new projects. Now we know about all the new Marvel, Star Wars and other shows and movies. Here are the top 5 pieces of content to look forward to on Disney Plus.
5.) The Ahsoka Show
Ahsoka Tano made her live action debut in “The Mandalorian” season 2 episode 5, The Jedi. Fans of Star Wars all over were ecstatic to see Ahsoka in live action. Ahsoka was played by Rosario Dawson in The Mandalorian and she is going to play her in the stand alone show. In the episode Ahsoka was featured and she teased another character that will be important for the Ahsoka show, Grand Admiral Thrawn. This was in the episode because it is believed that Thrawn is the main antagonist of Ahsoka’s show. This show only made 5th place because we do not know much about what is going to happen in it. While we don’t know a lot about any of these shows we know the least about this one.
4.) Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness
The sequel of Dr. strange is something people have wanted ever since he made his appearance in Avengers Infinity War. He has become a fan favorite and he has one of the most interesting backstories in the entire M.C.U (Marvel cinematic universe) Dr. Stranges sequel immediately made it on this list because of one reason. Wanda Vision. Wanda Vision teased the movie and made every wish that we didn’t have to wait a year to see the movie. We knew that Wanda was going to make an appearance in the movie, but we didn’t know what side she is on. Now that the Wanda Vision finale has come out, we know that Wanda is the main villain of the movie. People have speculated what a fight between strange and Wanda could be. Now fans will get to see an epic fight between two of the most powerful M.C.U characters ever.
3.) Loki
Loki Is an M.C.U fan favorite. He was introduced as a villain in the first Thor movie. He has gradually become a protagonist. A lot of fans have wanted a Loki centered piece of content. (WARNING these next few sentences will include spoilers for Avengers Endgame) We last saw Loki in Avengers Endgame when he used the tesseract to teleport himself away to escape the Avengers. Where he teleported to we don’t know, but now this show is going to show us Loki traveling through time and space. The main villain in this show is supposedly Lady Loki. I do not know how they are going to explain her, but if Loki is traveling through time and space anything is possible. This show is going to be filled with mystery, magic and misdirection. Frankly, I am intrigued to see how they pull it off.
2.) The Bad Batch
The end of Star Wars the Clone wars happened in 2020. The Bad Batch is the continuation of the show. If you don’t know The Bad Batch is a team of 4 special clone troopers that each have different abilities. Hunter has strong tracking skills. Tech is extremely smart. Crosshair never misses his targets and Wrecker, he wrecks stuff. The Bad Batch has already gotten a trailer that was released on Disney investor day. This show is going to be full of action and fun. The Bad Batch are just exciting and different characters which makes this show earn the number 2 slot on this list.
1.) The Book of Boba Fett
The best and most anticipated shows on Disney plus is of course, The Book of Boba Fett. In the Mandalorian Season 2, the barbaric Boba Fett made his incredible return. Fans of this iconic character have wanted him to return ever since 1983 when Star Wars Return of the Jedi came out. This show has been reported to take place at the same time as The Mandalorian season 3. This show is most certainly going to have some of the greatest action scenes, I mean it is Boba Fett after all. The main setting of the show is supposedly Tatooine arguably the most famous Star Wars location. This show is going to give answers to questions a lot of fans have wanted. All this combined This show is looking out to be one of the greatest pieces of Star Wars content ever.
Why Esperanto is Worth Learning
By: Eleanor Starbuck
Have you ever wanted to learn a new language, but did not know where to start? You would start learning, maybe online or in a classroom, with a teacher or not, but after a bit of time you feel like you have gotten nowhere? You spend an hour learning it, and it feels like 30 minutes later you do not know what you learned. That is how I felt. Believe me, I have about four courses on my Duolingo account. And then I discovered Esperanto. I immediately loved its simplicity and quickness to learn. In only a couple of weeks, I realized I was now speaking full sentences in it, even figuring out new words and phrases in my head. And it was not just in Esperanto. I went back to my other Duolingo courses and even though I had not practiced in months, and most of the vocabulary had long escaped my memory, I felt more confident, I found myself typing the answers more than using the word bank and answering quicker. Why? Because this is what Esperanto does. And it’s not just me. Studies have shown that students who learn Esperanto for 2 years and then another language for 3 years have a higher comprehension of the second language than a student who learned the second language for 5 years straight.
You may have noticed I mentioned Esperanto a few times and were wondering what that is. Esperanto is an artificial language created by Polish optometrist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887. It was created to have to be a universal second language for everyone, with nothing attached to it. It was designed to be the language of international cooperation and business. And even though it never made it there, it is still worth learning.
Esperanto is worth learning because it is arguably the simplest language to learn. There are only 16 grammatical rules. Every word if formed with a root that addresses the and then a variety of prefixes and suffixes to change its meaning, and then a suffix to dictate its part of speech. This makes learning new words incredibly easy. In Esperanto, if you know a word like the one you are trying to figure out, your guess will most likely be correct. For example, lerni means to learn, lernejo means a place of learning, or a school, and lernejesto is the leader of the school. You can also work backwards. If you know the word for army (militistaro), you can remove the suffix and get milito, or war. With just 3,000 root words, one can make about 20,000 words, the amount known by most native English speakers. In addition, the spelling and pronunciation is very streamlined. Each of the 28 letters makes one sound and the emphasis always falls on the second to last syllable. This makes it easy to implement into your day-to-day life.
Esperanto is also worth learning because it connects you with a whole lot of people. While it is not used in day-to day life, around 2 million people know it and use it occasionally, mostly talking on the internet. These people live all over the world, from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, all speak the same language and use it to come together. In fact, Esperanto has a quite strong online presence despite its small population. It has the 36th highest amount or articles on Wikipedia, more than Serbian (which has four times as many speakers). There are lots of online message boards, filled with people speaking Esperanto. These are people from all over the world, with different first languages, cultures, ages, religions, and sides of the political spectrum. This is the beauty of Esperanto. It was made exactly for this, to be a second language for everyone, connecting the world. And since the group of people is pretty small and all in one place, it puts you in a select group of people, a tight-knit bunch. It’s like when you were a little kid, and you and your best friend or sibling tried (and probably failed) to make up a secret language so no one could eavesdrop on you.
Another reason why Esperanto is an important language is because of its flexibility. Like mentioned before, prefixes, suffixes, and root words can be formed to make lots and lots of words, but they don’t cover everything. That is why there is the World Esperanto Congress is for. When L. L. Zamenhof created the language, he wrote that this group could create new words for new things from existing roots and affixes. However, if no such word exists, the congress can make one up (most of the time, it is borrowed from another language), and the language has changed quite a bit in the past century. When the language was first created, it was meant to be assumed that any noun is masculine, unless it has the suffix –ino, but that has changed in the past few decades. Nowadays, most speakers assume that all nouns are gender neutral unless the (unofficial) suffix –icxo is used.
My final reason why Esperanto is worth learning is because it will help you with language learning in the future. Many of Esperanto’s root words are from Latin, which means that there are many cognates (words that are the same or very similar between languages) with Indo-European languages. In addition, it teaches one a lot about structure of languages and types of words beyond the simple noun-verb-adjective model we all learned in elementary school. This is extremely helpful when learning more complicated languages. If you still are on the fence, imagine Esperanto like when you had to learn recorder in third grade music class. Your teacher didn’t teach it for you to play recorder professionally, or even in the school band a year later. They used it to teach you about music. You wouldn’t just hand an instrument to a fourth grader who has never laid eyes on music and expect them to be good at it, so why are we trying to jump headfirst into a language without learning about how languages work? This is another purpose of Esperanto, it’s a path to multilinguism, which will lead to a more united world.
Even though Esperanto didn’t make it as a worldwide second language, it is still very much alive and existing. It doesn’t take much time to learn, and it is very much worth learning due to its social nature and flexibility. So, what do you know, maybe give it a try, and I’ll greet you with a Saluton!
NCAA Lacrosse
By: Emma Rose
What is NCAA lacrosse?
The National Collegiate Athletic Association or NCAA is a college lacrosse league for both men’s and women’s lacrosse. The NCAA is home to all Divisions of college lacrosse. Some teams in the NCAA are Syracuse, Duke, Virginia, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and more. The current top 10 teams are Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Denver, Virginia, Lehigh, Rutgers, Syracuse, and Georgetown. The top ten women’s teams are North Carolina, Northwestern, Syracuse, Boston College, Notre Dame, Virginia, Stony Brook, Duke, Florida, and Jacksonville. Check the polls weekly as they are constantly changing so you can stay on top of the top ten teams. The selection for the Men’s 2021 NCAA lacrosse tournament begins on Sunday May 9th. The actual tournament begins on May 29th and ends on May 31st. The Women’s NCAA tournament begins on May 28 and ends on May 30th. Be sure to check out the NCAA’s website for details on venue locations, tickets, times, and more. Interested in playing college lacrosse? Check out the interviews below with two current NCAA players.
Interview with Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse Midfielder #16 Brendan Curry
Q: How long have you been playing lacrosse?
A: "I have been playing lacrosse since I was 5 years old. My first team was Towsontown Blue team!"
Q: What is your favorite part about playing college lacrosse?
A: "My favorite part about lacrosse is the fast pace and teammates I’ve met along the way. Scoring goals is fun too!"
Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to play college lacrosse?
A: "Advice I would give for someone looking to play college lacrosse is to have as much fun as you can while staying on top of wall ball and shooting! Academics are important because grades matter when schools recruit high school athletes."
Q: Did you always know you wanted to go to Syracuse and play for their lacrosse team?
A: "I have been a die hard SU lacrosse fan since I was a kid, so yes I have always dreamed about playing for the orange."
Q: Growing up, who inspired you the most to play lacrosse?
A: "My dad was my role model on and off the field. He coached me my whole life and is the reason I love the sport as I do."
Interview with Denver Pioneers Women’s Lacrosse Midfielder #32 Ellie Curry
Q: How long have you been playing lacrosse?
A: “I have been playing lacrosse since I was in first grade.”
Q: Did you always know you wanted to go to Denver and play lacrosse there?
A: “I did not know that I wanted to go to Denver, I actually went to Syracuse, then did not like it and transferred and now I am at Denver and love it!”
Q: What do you like best about playing college lacrosse?
A: “Being on a team is probably the best part about playing lacrosse in college. You are automatically given 35 friends who become your best friends who you hangout with all the time and do everything with. The lacrosse is fun, but definitely your friends and team make it much more fun.”
Q: What do you think is the hardest position in lacrosse? Why?
A: “I think that offense is the hardest position. You have to be able to catch, shoot, throw and dodge. Offensive players have to have the best stick skills on the team, which can be a tough task.”
Q: Did you play any other sports when you were growing up? If so, which was your favorite?
A: “I also played soccer when I was growing up. I did love soccer but ultimately I loved lacrosse more as did everyone in my family. Soccer was also a lot more of a commitment once I got older than lacrosse was, so I had to pick one or the other, and I chose lacrosse.”
Brendan Curry - Syracuse Men’s Lacrosse Midfielder #16
Ellie Curry - Denver Pioneers Women’s Lacrosse Midfielder #32
Art from the Heart... Mrs. Griglock Retires
By: Shaye Nowosielski
Mrs. Griglock has taught at Bel Air for 32 years. She shared her passion and knowledge with her students and taught them great techniques. Mrs. Griglock loved what she did and helped her students understand art and love it. The awesome murals on our walls created by the Art Club she facilitated will allow us to enjoy her art legacy for years to come. Many people will be sad to see her go, but she has done some amazing things for Bel Air.
Q: How long have you been a teacher? Were those years always at Bel Air, if not where?
A: "I’ve been a teacher for 34 years. All were at Bel Air except the first 2 which were at Joppatowne High School.”
Q: Have you always been an art teacher? If not, what other types of jobs did you have?
A: "My professional job has always been an art teacher except for the 1st year selling shoes at Macy’s.”
Q: What is your favorite grade level to teach?
A: "If I were forced to pick one it would be 8th grade because I like to teach higher level art, but I love all the kids, and they are all different from each other.”
Q: Why have you decided to retire?
A: “My husband’s retired, and he makes it look fun. I have been here a long time and there has been a lot of change, especially with technology. It’s time for me to pass the torch on to the next generation art teacher. I’m ready to travel, and I want to go to the beach in September.”
Q: Was it a tough decision to leave this job? Why or why not?
A: "Yes, and I will miss the kids, the liveliness of the building, and I’ll miss all the teachers and staff that have become my friends.”
Q: What will you do in your retirement?
A: "I definitely want to travel, and my mom is older so I can be home more for her. I’m going to paint and continue singing with my band.”
Q: What will you miss most at Bel Air?
A: " The kids and the staff”
Q: What was the best moment of teaching here?
A: "It's not one moment but it's things where my kids win an art contest, or when my kids create magnificent pieces of art that I wouldn’t have been able to make at their age.”
Q: What is one piece of advice you would like to say to the students?
A: "Always do your best. We learn most things from the mistakes we’ve made, and it helps us grow. Be kind to each other.”
Q: Do you have any hobbies you do when you are not teaching?
A: “I sing with my band, I love to knit fashionable items, paint particularly with watercolors, baking, and I will walk a lot and go to the gym.”
Quarantine Games To Play When You're Bored All Day - Word Search
By: Mia Castellano, Emma Ingram, Lia Lucas, and Grace Pennington
How Virtual Reality is Being Used in the Real World
By: Parker Sweeney
What comes to mind when you hear the words virtual reality? For most people its gaming or one of those cardboard phone holders that allowed you to watch a video in 360 degrees. While those are very fun uses of virtual reality it's only a fraction of what VR (virtual reality) is being used for. Here I will try to showcase the various ways VR is being used in places you may never have guessed.
One field that VR is becoming more and more common in is the medical field. It is used in various ways from training medical professionals in more advanced ways than ever before to giving hospital patients with long stays a way to escape the sometimes-boring hospital. As VR gets more and more advanced and doctors can get more training through advanced methods such as VR, medical care is only going to improve it seems. The medical field provides a unique place to look at how impactful VR can be to people in a place you would never expect it.
Another way VR is being utilized in the real world is in the field of architecture. Architects have always faced the problem of trying to know what the building they are designing might look like. It used to be the only way to know was with drawings or computer renderings. With VR, architects can take it to the next level and view a preview of their building in virtual reality. This can help them really get a sense of what needs to be changed and how certain things will look. VR also provides architects with a unique opportunity to show their clients as well and get their input of the building before anything is really set in stone.
The last field I will showcase is policing. Police departments have been using VR quite a bit lately since it offers a unique type of training. In a video by the YouTube channel “Columbia Business School”, it showcases how police departments are using VR to train their officers to respond to situations in a non-violent manner. The training actively simulates a realistic stressful encounter an office may encounter and helps them practice how to handle it in a non-violent way. This training provides a unique realistic feeling environment so that officers can be prepared to respond to many situations much more effectively.
While these are just three of the hundreds of ways VR is being used in the real world these examples at least give you an idea of how virtual reality is changing the world and how diverse of a technology it is. One can only imagine how impactful it will be as virtual reality becomes more and more advanced.
Sources
1.) “Virtual Reality in the Healthcare Industry.” VISUALISE, 22 Sept. 2017, visualise.com/virtual-reality/virtual-reality-healthcare#:~:text=Treatment,-Patient%20Education&text=The%20ability%20to%20view%20the,reconstruction%20of%20their%20anatomy%20%26%20pathology.
Fashion Staples Throughout the Decades
By: Emma Ingram
Have you ever looked back at what the fashion used to be like for everyday Americans? A lot of the styles and fashion trends that we see today were also embraced in other decades. Like bell bottoms and plaid sets. From the 1900’s to the 2020’s men and women had a very different style but as the decades move forward so does more overlap of the styles. It is very interesting to learn what was popular in each era compared to what I thought, and many other may have thought were popular during that time period.
1900’s:
For women, the 1900’s were all about gloves. Women were expected to wear leather or suede gloves (a type of leather with a napped finish) while they were doing work around the house. (Remember this is a different time period where women were required to stay home and tend to the house and kids.) In the evening and for special occasions, they wore long, lace/silk-lined gloves. In the winter they wore wool gloves.
Middle-Class Men’s Suits were the main thing that men wore during this era. These suits consisted of a jacket, trousers, and a waist coat or vest. They also wore morning coats that had a curved, asymmetrical tailcoat and then striped tailcoats during the day. Lastly, in the 1900’s men wore darker colors and richer fabrics at night.
1910’s:
The craze in the 1910’s was the Lampshade Tunic, designed by Paul Poiret. This dress was created with a wire hoop that produced a circular shape at the bottom of it. The Lampshade Tunic was meant to be worn with a corset.
Suits were still a fad for men but now they were made with lighter fabrics which generated a simpler look. The daytime suit had a “straightforward single-breasted jacket with narrow lapels and high buttons” and were usually paired with straight trousers. Also, one of the big trends were detachable collars because people felt the collars needed to be washed separate from the whole suits.
1920’s:
The Flapper Dress is a drop waist shift dress which is a dress where the seam is a few inches below the natural waist. They are usually decorated with beads, fringe, and other playful elements. This style of dress made women feel impowered which went along with their new right to vote.
The 1920’s started the Dapper Look. The Dapper Look included patent leather shoes (shoes made with a high-gloss finish), double-breasted suit jackets made of flannel, wide legged pants, light colors, day and night looks, dickies bow ties (In this case the word dickie is a slang word for shirt), and lastly, in the summer, straw boater hats.
1930’s:
This decade was all about Accessible Extravagance and a nickname for this decade was the “Golden Age of Glamour”. U.S. Old Hollywood Stars would often be seen wearing long, backless evening gowns made of silk, velvet, or chiffon (Chiffon is a fabric that is known for being sheer, floating, and almost like tissue paper.) This fashion lifestyle was envied by many American women.
Broad shoulders created with shoulder pads, thin looking waists, tapered legs, wide, pointed, elongated lapels (the fold on the front of a suit jacket), and dark and neutral colors all fell under the category of the Superman Silhouette. This look emphasized a man’s broad shape. Also, the thin waist was to conserve fabric because America was going through the Great Depression at that time.
1940’s:
When the U.S. went into WWII it caused thousands of men to be drafted into the war making a need for women in the work force exponentially greater. Women didn’t want to wear their expected attire to the job, so the Boiler Suit was created. These suits were made of denim or heavyweight cotton canvas with buttons down the front. The suits were loose-fitting and easy to get in and out of. The Boiler Suit set the stage for womenswear over the next several decades.
Ties. Every man in the 1940’s wore a tie as a way to express their individuality. These ties were wider, shorter, and made in colorful patterns. They were a fun fashion statement that was not only allowed but encouraged.
1950’s:
Women were held up to a high standard in the 50’s. They were expected to stay home and look perfect while doing chores around the house. When doing so, women wore Pearl Necklaces as a sign of elegance.
A popular style and group for men in the 1950’s were Greasers. Greasers wore greased-back hair, which is where they got their name. Their typical look included fitted white and black t-shirts, ringer t-shirts, baseball shirts, denim/leather jackets, bomber jackets, letterman jackets, fedoras, motorcycle helmets, vintage, leather caps, flap caps, army boots, creepers, winklepicker shoes (a shoe with a sharp-pointed toe), and Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars. This style of dress was typically worn by the working-class youth and motorcycle gangs.
1960’s:
The Babydoll Dress was seen everywhere during the 1960’s. The Babydoll Dress had a high waistline with and ultra-short hem length. This dress helped women express their liberation for Feminism by being a piece of clothing that wasn’t restricting.
Men’s clothing during this generation was very Youth Driven. Styles during this time included Modern which involved tight fitting suits, narrow trousers, army coats and Demin jackets that replaced suits. Other styles were Rocker, Hippie, bold, lighthearted, and outfits based on the Beatles. Outfits became more modern and feminine throughout this decade.
1970’s:
Ah the 70’s. Everyone one worn groovy outfits and bright colors. The flared style of Bell-Bottoms was originally worn by sailors during the war of 1812 but is now worn by women all over the U.S. But these bell-bottoms served more for fashion than function. The different types included flared Demin jeans to wild floral patterns.
Platform shoes, leisure suits, wide collar shirts, tracksuits, chunky cable knit turtleneck sweaters and floral polka dot and checkered, plaid patterns. Also, bell-bottom trousers that were high waisted, tightly fitted to the thighs, and flared beginning at the knees were all part of the Groovy Fits that consisted in men’s fashion.
1980’s:
Shoulder Pads were “totally tubular” in the 80’s. Power dressing is when women adopted menswear in a feminine way with a professional appearance. In the 80’s a new generation of women enter the workforce in large numbers which inspired the desire for power dressing. Shoulder pads were a big part of power dressing and they started in blazers and then slowly made their way into dresses.
“Dude, take a chill pill on that preppy dressing.” “But dressing casual is just a barf bag.” This is where Preppy-Casual Dressing came through. This style included “denim jackets, long sleeve velour shirts, Levi’s, neutral-colored suits, knit, square, bottom ties, graphic-print buttons-downs, pleated trousers, bomber jackets, preppy paid designs, polo shirts, turtlenecks, and activewear.
1990’s:
Cher Horowitz from Clueless started this trend. Do you know what it is? Plaid sets. These sets are usually in form of an all-plaid blazer and skirt combo. It was inspired by high fashion designers like Vivienne Westwood.
Almost all trends from decades before were gone and Minimalism was in and ready to shine. This type of style included t-shirts, shorts, jeans, trainers (sneakers), sweatshirts, hoodies, tattoos, piercings, and prominently displayed brands. There were also leather jackets, knit sweaters, flannel button-downs, baggy denim jeans, overalls, baseball caps, jorts (jean shorts), manpris (man capris), parachute pants, and graphic tees. Also, many men wore saggy, boxer-baring pants.
2000’s:
Velour Tracksuits were “cool beans” in the 2000’s. Velour Tracksuits were low-rise pants that often had “Juicy” across the back with a matching sweatshirt. Almost every early 2000’s celebrity had a few pairs of these tracksuits made by Juicy Couture. This may surprise you, but these tracksuits were worn for almost any occasion even though they had a casual appearance.
Men’s fashion during this time mainly focused on Accessories. That could either be white belts, aviators (a type of sunglass), trucker hats, and flip-flops. The fits using consisted of a smart-casual look. And men usually wore sneakers like Chuck Taylor Converse’s and Nike Air Jourdan’s.
2010’s:
Most of us grew up in the early 2010’s but we were young which meant our parents mainly dressed us. So, we weren’t able to a part of many of the trends. But one of the trends for women in the early 2010’s was Dad Sneakers. Brands like Fila, Balenciaga, Nike and Louis Vuitton all produced different styles of these shoes. These sneakers are usually chunky and white. They were part of athleisure wear and were paired with everything from mom jeans to a casual dress.
For men it was the Classic Preppy and Hipster Look that was trendy in the 2010’s. These styles were comprised of khakis, tweed jackets (jackets made of tweed which is a rough woven fabric usually made from wool) and layered shirts. Loafers, boat shoes and tween sports coats made up the business casual. Many wore wristwatches, cufflinks, fedoras, non-prescription glasses, rave bracelets and athleisure wear.
2020’s:
Even though the 2020’s aren’t close to over, I still want to talk about one fashion trend that we all understand. As we all know and understand 2020 was a chaotic year. Yes, there were a few other fashion trends that were very popular but the main trend that we all “know and love” was Masks. Masks are known as fashion in the age of COVID-19. Masks are made to be worn for protection, but you can also make them stylist. Whether that be finding masks with different types of fabrics, colors, styles or ear loop styles. You can also buy mask chains (like a sunglass chain but for your mask). Maybe next time you wear a mask you can embrace the idea of matching masks to outfits.
Fashion is a huge part of American Culture even in the 1900’s. We all value fashion whether you know it yet or not. I hope looking back at these trends helped you get new ideas for your wardrobe. Go start trends even if no one follows!
Works Cited
1.) https://www.crfashionbook.com/fashion/g27033975/fashion-staples-throughout-decade/?slide=2
2.) https://www.purewow.com/fashion/biggest-fashion-trends-of-the-year
3.) https://www.ties.com/blog/100-years-of-mens-fashion
4.) https://aspiringgentleman.com/fashion/decades-mens-fashion-style/
Cleaning Tips for Teens!
By: Amelia Mason
In this wonderful world of virtual learning (not) it can be awfully difficult to keep your room clean. Your parents tell you to clean it, and then you get distracted by something. It’s not a great cycle, the clothes pile up, the trash bin overflows, dishes stack into towers. By now, your room is a wreck. Take a deep breath before going into panic mode. Here are some tips and tricks from me, a teenager just like yourself! (I am in no way the cleanest person or the neatest person, don’t worry, this is what happens to me as well).
- Put on some music or anything that will get you focused.
- Now, put your phone somewhere that you won’t get distracted.
- Start with making your bed. I know that sounds weird, but making your bed can help you start with something small. Also, it will help you get rid of any clothes on your bed.
- Next, you will clean the floor. I recommend getting a trash bag and any other cleaning materials at this point, such as vacuums, brooms, mops, etc.
- Pick up the trash first. Get rid of food and other waste.
- Now, bring your dishes downstairs and wash them.
- Continuing on the floor. Get your laundry bin and place the dirty clothes from the floor into it (if the clothes aren’t dirty fold the clothes and put them away.)
- Bring your laundry bin to the washing machine, put those clothes in. Look at how much you’ve already done!
- Pick up any other clutter on the floor, books, toys, shoes, art materials. Put everything either where you know they go, or organize those materials so it looks nice and you know where they are.
- Now vacuum/sweep the floor. Make sure you get every spot, no skipping any spots!
- If your clothes are done washing make sure to put them in the dryer as soon as they are done!
- Dressers are a big issue as well. Mine get very cluttery. So take all of the stuff off and place them on your bed. Go through the objects and decide what you wish to keep on the dresser. Wipe any surfaces that you place stuff on down with a Clorox wipe or damp towel, to minimize dust. Place them on the dresser neatly or place them back where they belong.
- You’re done the hardest parts! Congratulate yourself! Pat yourself on the back because you are almost done.
- Now, the clothes that you washed earlier need to be folded. So, fold those clothes as soon as they are down. I recommend organizing your dressers every once in a while, to ensure that you have clothes that you like and clothes that fit you. I promise you it is worth it!
- Organizing clothing by types is what I recommend. So pants, t-shirts, sweaters, jeans, etc. It makes it easier for school mornings when you’re rushing. Instead of tearing apart your drawers, now you know where to access certain clothes you would like to wear.
- Decorate, and pick up any other clutter on the floor!
- Use some room spray or put on the lights.
Just like that, your room should be pretty clean! This is the easiest way for me to clean my room, but do whatever works for you! Keeping a clean room can help you feel better. As they say, “A clean room is a clean mind!”
Get to Know your New BAMS Staff!
By: Lia Lucas and Shaye Nowosielski
There have been several new staff that joined the BAMS family over the past year. We interviewed each of them and asked them some questions. Bellow you can read and get to know the new staff.
Q: What is your name, what grade and subject do you teach?
A: “Elizabeth Mitchell, Speech Language Pathologist”
A: “My name is Alex Wilhelm and I teach 7th grade mathematics.”
A: “Mr. Rosling Physical Education”
A: “My name is Ms. Shirk! I teach 7th grade (go 7 West!) ILA and Reading.”
A: “Kristie Smith – 7th grade science – Biology”
A: “Cynthia K. Loskot and I’m a secretary in the main office and responsible for attendance.”
Q: How long have you worked in a school system? Where did you work before BAMS?
A: Mrs. Mitchell: “15 years, North Bend Elementary”
A: Mrs. Wilhelm: “This is my first year as a teacher, but my second year at BAMS. I completed my student teaching here at BAMS, working under Mrs. Ferrari.”
A: Mr. Rosling: “First full-time teaching position. Long term sub at North Harford Middle School last school year.”
A: Ms. Shirk: “This is my first ever year working in a school system. I am a first-year teacher, and am so fortunate to have found my home here at BAMS. Before BAMS, I had internships with Baltimore City Public Schools, Anne Arundel Public County Schools, and Baltimore County Schools. My student teaching placement was with 11th and 12th graders, so middle school was a big change!”
A: Mrs. Smith: “This is my 9th year as a teacher! I previously worked at Edgewood Middle School for 6 years and Warren County Middle in North Carolina for 2 years.”
A: Mrs. Loskot: “I have worked for HCPS for approximately three years. Prior to BAMS, I worked at Magnolia Middle School in Joppa as a Paraeducator.”
Q: What inspired you to work in a school?
A: Mrs. Mitchell: “I enjoy working with children and to help teach them new skills and become confident communicators.”
A: Mrs. Wilhelm: “I grew up in a family of teachers, so I have been able to see the positive impact we can have on our student’s lives. These differences we can make has always motivated me to become a teacher.”
A: Mr. Rosling: “Started out coaching basketball. I loved working with kids and helping them improve their skills. As teacher I get to focus more on helping students learn new skills rather than perfecting specific basketball skills.”
A: Ms. Shirk: “I come from a long, long, long line of teachers. When I started college, I had to figure out whether teaching was something that I thought I should do, or something that I wanted to do. The moment I stepped into a classroom for a field experience, I knew. I am passionate about literature, and about building relationships with students. Teaching gives me the opportunity to do both!”
A: Mrs. Smith: “Science and the environment has always been a passion of mine, so I pursued a degree in Biology. I realized though, that what I love even more than science, is nurturing curiosity in young people and helping others to see the wonder and awe in our world. I feel incredibly lucky to be a teacher and get to go to a job every day that is more of a passion than “work.”
A: Mrs. Loskot: “I was attracted to the positive environment and missed being around younger children since mine have grown up.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about working at BAMS?
A: Mrs. Mitchell: “I enjoy being able to work with a variety of aged students and build relationships with students and staff. It will be nice to follow students and watch them progress from BAMS to BAHS, since I work at both schools.”
A: Mrs. Wilhelm: “My favorite thing about working at BAMS is the amazing students we have. I could not ask for a better group of students to teach during my first year. The compassion and kindness of our students is unbelievable.”
A: Mr. Rosling: “So far working with the students and other BAMS staff. They have been super helpful with helping me adjust to starting in the middle of the year and adjusting to a new school.”
A: Ms. Shirk: “In this unusual year, I haven’t been able to experience BAMS like I usually would. I am so grateful for the team that I get to work with every day, and our wonderful administrators who support both staff and students. But my favorite thing about BAMS are the students who make me smile and laugh every single day!”
A: Mrs. Smith: “MY STUDENTS!!! I have the best students a teacher could ask for. Even in this virtual setting they make me laugh and smile every day.”
A: Mrs. Loskot: “Staff and Students. I was welcomed with open arms by the entire staff and that made the transition so much easier and the empty halls, no giggles or bopping of heads made me realize how much I miss the awesome students at Bel Air Middle.”
Q: What is something fun you enjoy doing outside of school?
A: Mrs. Mitchell: “I enjoy going to my daughter’s soccer games and spending time with my family on the weekends. We used to go out for dinner as a family on Saturdays, but currently we order take out. It’s something I look forward to each weekend.”
A: Mrs. Wilhelm: “Outside of school I enjoy doing craft projects, such as diamond paintings, spending time with my dog, and playing Pokémon go.”
A: Mr. Rosling: “My favorite thing is to get outside and hang out with my friends. We play basketball and football regularly.”
A: Ms. Shirk: “Outside of school, I craft, write creatively, read, and sometimes even play video games. In non-pandemic years, I am known to perform in theater and musical productions. Sometimes, I even direct them!”
A: Mrs. Smith: “Anything outdoors! Exploring hiking trails with my family, biking, paddle boarding, camping, traveling, swimming…”
A: Mrs. Loskot: “Crafting!”
Q: What is something that most people don’t know about you?
A: Mrs. Mitchell: “I do not like to be the center of attention, I would much rather ‘fly under the radar’.”
A: Mrs. Wilhelm: I can read the entire Harry Potter series in 5 days.
A: Mr. Rosling: “I am a huge nerd. I love Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. I watch anime and I play dungeons and dragons with my friends.”
A: Ms. Shirk: “Most people have it figured out by now, but I’m a Disney fanatic. I’m left-handed! The real secret is that I just got roped into playing Dungeons and Dragons once a week and am actually loving it!”
A: Mrs. Smith: “I play piano and guitar… (and used to write and sing songs too! Like a not-as-good Taylor Swift, haha!)”
A: Mrs. Loskot: “I like to cook and garden.”
Mrs. Mitchell
Mrs. Wilhelm
Mr.Rossling
Ms. Shirk
Mrs. Smith
Mrs. Loskot
Identity in South Asia
By: Pragnya Jagarlapudi
How do you, so far from home, find people you can identify with? Many people look for others in their community to relate to, to find some comfort knowing you have shared experiences in one thing. That one thing for many people is their culture. Both South and Southeast Asia are incredibly diverse places with thousands of different languages, cultures, and people. South Asians have a unique insight into something called “racialization” in the U.S. For years people in America have viewed race in a black, white dichotomy. That means that due to America’s history, it’s hard to conceive of and understand race outside of black and white people. Even further than that, there’s a lot of tension between East and South Asian when it comes to identifying with the term Asian. But all that has to do with race, I want to talk about ethnicity. Because, while many of us don’t know where exactly we fit in when it comes to our racial identity, we can find community in our ethnicity.
First, let’s get something straight. A lot of people don’t know the difference between nationality, race, and ethnicity. It’s fine if you don’t. It can be kind of complicated to understand at times. You race is based of physical features and social traits that are unique to a community. It has a lot to do with biology, meaning a white person with 4c hair isn’t automatically black. Your skin and heritage make you black. Ethnicity is more about who YOU can identify with through shared traits that distinguish you from other people. These things can include ancestry, traditions, languages, etc. Nationality is way simpler. It’s just where you were born and/or hold citizenship.
Many people in South Asia either identify with their ethnicity (the Indo-Aryan people, the Dardic people, the Iranic people, the Nuristani people, the Dravidian people, etc.) or an ethnolinguistic group. An ethnolinguistic group is defined by sharing the same ethnicity and language, but there is an emphasis on having a shared language. Now, I cannot possibly list every ethnicity and every ethnolinguistic group in South Asia. Like I said before, South Asia is incredibly large and incredibly diverse, but I have a couple websites that do just that if you are curious! I will however be able to go over the largest ethnic group in South Asia, the Indo-Aryan people.
Indo-Aryans are often found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri-Lanka. Indo-Aryan languages are often divided into the subsect: old, middle, and new. Old Indo-Aryan is composed of many different dialects often referred to as Sanskrit. The most ancient form of this language is found in a religious text known as the Vedas. There is a huge difference between Sanskrit from before and after the Vedas. Old Indo-Aryan is known mostly for Vedic Sanskrit aka Sanskrit before the Vedas.
Middle Indo-Aryan is technically traced back to Prākrit. The earliest known records of Middle Indo-Aryan languages were used for literary, philosophical, and religious texts. The most advanced forms of Middle Indo-Aryan languages can be found in “non-standard” dialects. All these non-standard dialects can be summed up to Prākrit. These were defined as more “corrupt” and “improper” dialects when compared to Sanskrit which was known as a more refined language.
Modern Indo-Aryan languages have transformed into many of the languages now found in many parts of South Asia. The thing about South Asia is that there are so many different dialects and variations of languages that we truly have no idea how many Indo-Aryan languages are actually out there today. If you want to learn more about the various dialects, the structure, and the grammar in Indo-Aryan languages (since I didn’t really get into that stuff here) as well as some more history check out this link: https://www.mustgo.com/worldlanguages/indo-aryan-branch/
I wanted to write this article to expand people’s knowledge on race, ethnicity, and nationality in countries in Asia we don’t often talk about. South Asia has such rich history, and thousands of different languages and dialects. This was just a brief look into an incredibly diverse and fascinating group of people.
Enola Holmes Review!
By: Kaitlyn Carlsen
In September of 2020, Netflix released a new movie titled Enola Holmes. Enola Holmes is the story of the famous Sherlock’s Holmes little sister who one day finds herself alone when her mother runs away on her 16th birthday. She sets off looking for her despite her older brothers Mycroft and Sherlock wanting her to stay and become a proper lady. On the way, she meets the Viscount Tewksbury who has run away from home as well and has a killer on his tail. This movie is streaming on Netflix. It stars Millie Bobby Brown, Louis Partridge, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, and Helena Bonham Carter.
I have recently watched this movie and thought it was wonderful! It shows the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement, and how Enola is making her own path in the world. When I watched this movie, one of the things that made it so great was the actors and actresses in it who you may know. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven in Stranger Things, Henry Cavill is Superman in the DC Universe, Helena Bonham Carter is Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter movies and Sam Claflin is Finnick Odair from The Hunger Games Movies. Pretty experienced cast. Another thing that really stuck out to me in this movie was the time period. This movie is set in the 1800’s where pretty much everything was different. It shows how we had different rights, and how different culture was back then.
In conclusion, this movie is amazing in my opinion. I highly recommend it if you like mysteries, historical fiction, and action.
Millie Bobby Brown stars as the inspirational female lead, Enola Holmes.
Viscount Tewksbury is portrayed by Louis Partridge
Hottman is Retiring!!!
By: Mia Castellano, Emma Ingram, and Lia Lucas
Many of you may know Mrs. Hottman; however, many of you may not. If you know Mrs. Hottman you know she is a very kind, dedicated, and special teacher. She was one of the special education teachers at BAMS. Mrs. Hottman is retiring, and we wanted to wish her a very big farewell. We decided to interview her on the ins and outs of retiring and teaching.
Q: What are you looking forward to doing after you retire?
A: “I have 3 grandchildren, and I think I will be spending a lot of time with them. I want to have the flexibility to help out with their schedules and needs. My husband and I are also looking forward to traveling to Bethany, Florida, and Nashville.”
Q: What was your favorite memory at BAMS?
A: “I have a lot of favorite memories, but some of the things that stand out to me the most was the years I taught the kids in room 40. I worked with multiple groups of kids from 6th grade to 8th grade. I pencil in my eyebrows, and one autistic boy was looking at my eyebrows, and he said I had forgotten my eyebrows. Later that day he grabbed my hands and told me to make sure I remembered to BRING my eyebrows the next day. The memories with the children in room 40 are very special memories and hold a special place in my heart.”
Q: Why did you decide to retire?
A: “It was a very hard decision, but I think this year in particular was a little more challenging, and it gave me some time to put things into perspective about time and what is important. When my grandson was in the hospital last year, I really decided to make the things most important to me a priority, and that really helped me make the right decision.”
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to students?
A: “When I talk to my students, I always tell them to do the right thing and turn in your work. Don’t settle for zeros. Even if you get a 70%, that is better than getting zeros. Do your best and try to be nice. I think that if you try to be nice and do the right thing you will be okay at the end of the day.”
Q: Have you always been a special educator? If not, what other jobs did you work?
A: “Prior to teaching, I had a career in banking for 17 years. When I started at Bel Air Middle School, I was a para-educator. I had my bachelor’s degree, so returned to school to get certified to teach and get my Masters. So, I had my teaching career for 17 years and banking career for 17 years.”
Q: What will you miss most about being a special educator?
A: “I think my students. It can be very rewarding working with kids and trying to help them learn strategies to become more successful. I really enjoyed working one-on-one with my kids over the years, learning who they are, and what they are all about.”
Q: Have you enjoyed online learning, or are you glad to be in school? Why?
A: “I am glad to be back in school. I got used to online learning like all of us, but it was an adjustment. I definitely learned with Mrs. Castellano and Mrs. Ingram’s help of course and that made me comfortable with the learning online. I got used to it, but I like being in person so much more because of the interactions and socialization for everyone.”
Funniest Moments of Online School
By: Olivia Nerad
We all have spent a lot of time on the computer at home during this virtual school year. Now that virtual school is ending for most people, it seemed like time to share the funniest moments of online school. Did someone forget to mute their microphone? Or was there something in the background of their camera? Here are a few of the best survey response.
One student shared, “My teacher had a prank war, and we spammed the chat and hid fish in their classroom.”
Molisha Patel said, “I saw a dog wearing a minion costume in health class.”
According to Addison Kuester, “Mr. Bennett brought a fake tarantula to a virtual meeting and he jumped as he screamed ‘OW!’ and we all started freaking out.”
Amelia Mason shared, “My sister walked onto my camera and sat in the background. Her and my teacher talked for a while about college. It was funny. My sister literally just walked behind me, not knowing my camera was on.”
Another student said, “My science teacher rickrolled us.”
Thanks to our fellow students and teachers, we have all had a lot of laughs this past school year, even though at times it has been a little hectic.
She Believes Cup
By: Emma Rose
What is the She Believes Cup?
The She Believes Cup is a soccer tournament that the US Women’s National soccer team participates and hosts. The She Believes Cup is a 6-game tournament. The USWNT (US Women’s National team) plays in 3 games. “Inspired by the U.S Women’s National team, She Believes is a movement to encourage young women and girls to reach their dreams, athletic or otherwise. A special bond between U.S soccer and its fans, taking a powerful message of empowerment and that of believing in yourself. The WNT [Women’s National Team] is the prime example that dreams are attainable if you set your mind to it and go after what you want. Through dedication, teamwork, perseverance and success, the U.S. Women’s National team inspires new generations of young girls and women to be better and strive for better. They inspire them to believe.,” says the US soccer website. Be sure to check out the USWNT’s website for details on the She Believes Cup and future competitions.
1st Game
February 18, 2021
USWNT vs. Canada
Final Score: 1-0 USWNT
USWNT Scorers: Rose Lavelle (asst. Lindsey Horan)
2nd Game
February 21, 2021
USWNT vs. Brazil
Final Score: 2-0 USWNT
USWNT Scorers: Christen Press (asst. Lindsey Horan) and Megan Rapinoe (asst. Lindsey Horan)
Final Game
February 24, 2021
USWNT vs. Argentina
Final Score: 6-0 USWNT
USWNT Scorers: Megan Rapinoe (asst. Rose Lavelle), Megan Rapinoe (asst. Carli Lloyd), Carli Lloyd (asst. Kristie Mewis), Kristie Mewis (asst. Casey Krueger), Alex Morgan (asst. Sophia Smith), Christen Press (asst. Lindsey Horan)
2021 She Believes Cup Champion: US Women’s National Team
MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the tournament: US’s Midfielder Rose Lavelle
Citation:
SheBelieves | U.S. Soccer Official Website. https://www.ussoccer.com/shebelieves. Accessed 29 Jan. 2021.
USWNT Team Photo 2021
USWNT | World Cup Champions | U.S. Soccer Official Site. https://www.ussoccer.com/teams/uswnt. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.
USWNT Captain: Becky Sauerbrunn #4 USWNT Defender
Becky Sauerbrunn | USWNT | U.S. Soccer Official Site. https://www.ussoccer.com/players/s/becky-sauerbrunn. Accessed 29 Jan. 2021.
MVP of the She Believes Cup
Baccellieri, Emma. “How Rose Lavelle Found Her Joy.” Sports Illustrated, https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/03/05/rose-lavelle-uswnt-breakout-womens-world-cup-shebelieves. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.
USWNT’s Alex Morgan Attacker #13
Yen, Ruey. “Birthday Girl Alex Morgan Scores Game Winner to Lead USA to 2-1 Semifinal Win over England.” California Golden Blogs, 2 July 2019, https://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2019/7/2/20678849/cal-women-soccer-alum-alex-morgan-uswnt-usa-england-in-fifa-womens-world-cup-semifinals-golden-boot.
Quarantine Games To Play When You're Bored All Day - Crossword Puzzle
By: Mia Castellano, Emma Ingram, Lia Lucas, and Grace Pennington
Innovation in Germany: Taking Steps Towards Cleaner Energy
By: Pragnya Jagarlapudi
What if I said that you could make a difference with the click of a button? We've all already heard of climate change and deforestation. Between the Amazon forest fires and the Australian wildfires, the planet is deteriorating. The question is, “How do we help?” How about replacing your search engine? I want to share with you something you may have heard about but never taken seriously, Ecosia. Ecosia is an award-winning company known for innovation established in Germany by Christan Kroll. He founded the organization after he took a journey around the globe. During his trip, Christan witnessed the disastrous effects of climate change and deforestation on communities across the world. I wanted to write this article to persuade you to switch your browser to Ecosia and help them on their mission.
So, what is their mission? According to the Certified B Corporation Ecosia’s mission is as follows, “Ecosia aims to achieve the highest positive environmental impact per dollar possible. Ecosia aims to show the world that small changes can make a big difference.” It’s been working tirelessly to move towards cleaner energy by planting trees where they’re needed most and building solar panels to remain more sustainable. Ecosia is just as good a search engine as Google, except they have very different policies regarding energy, third party trackers, and transparency.
Google, like most other search engines, uses its earnings for salaries, research, and marketing. Ecosia, on the other hand, uses 80% of its proceeds to plant trees. This helps communities affected by deforestation get back on their feet. Ecosia also only uses clean energy, such as solar power and hydroelectricity, for their offices to maintain sustainable energy. In an article Ecosia posted about its solar panels, it said this, “Being CO2 neutral is good; being CO2 negative is better. But it’s still not good enough for us.” Ever since 2018, Ecosia has been building solar panels so your search is powered by renewable energy. But it's not just carbon neutral, meaning it doesn’t just produce zero carbon emissions, it’s actively removing “dirty energy” from the grid by producing 200% solar energy. Ecosia understands that companies on the internet bear a responsibility to help make the transition to cleaner energy. The money you provide the company by simply using the website helps them do all these things that ultimately help the environment.
In addition, Ecosia, unlike various other search engines, doesn't have any third-party trackers. This means that it doesn’t sell your personal information, or track what you do. Most search engines sell your data to advertisers who then use that information to send you ads based on what you search. This can be seen as an invasion of your privacy. While using Ecosia, you can be sure that all of your information is secure.
As for transparency, Ecosia posts all its financial reports on its website. So, if you ever want to make sure that Ecosia is using its profits for what you intended, you can check those records. They show you exactly where the money the company earned is going. This ensures that you can trust them and continue to support them with no doubt that any money is being wasted.
Let’s say you’re not willing to switch your search engine, or you just want to do something extra to support Ecosia, there is another way to help. It has a shop, which is against runaway consumerism, where you can buy all sorts of clothing. Recently people have been buying and throwing away more clothes than ever, and it does a great deal of harm to the planet. Ecosia’s shop doesn’t promote this kind of attitude and makes clothes using a zero-waste system which reuses, recycles, and repairs old or used clothing. Clothes purchased through its site can also all be sent back after use and re-made into new products.
While you may ask, “Is all this really necessary?” Yes, it absolutely is! Even if you think that the planet probably won’t become uninhabitable before we’ve all already died, we are still dealing with some of the consequences. Asthma and forest fires are becoming more and more common all because of air pollution and a rising climate. We all saw what happened: the Australian forest fires, and the absolute destruction they caused; the annual Californian fires, and the increasing devastation they cause; and the recent weather anomaly in Texas, and dozens of lives lost. Even here in Maryland, the frequency of floods is becoming a serious problem due the melting of the ice caps rising the sea levels. Climate change is a real problem that we need to address. We can start with simple things like changing a browser. Think about this, what have you done to contribute to climate change and how can you help?
Source: https://www.ecosia.org/?c=en
It’s Been a While, But Here Are The Top Ten 2020 Hairstyles!
By: Mia Castellano and Grace Pennington
The results are in. We’ve chosen the top 10 most trending hairstyles for boys and girls of 2020. Below you will see all 10 hairstyles. Five girl hairstyles and five boy hairstyles.
Curtain Bangs: https://www.fabmood.com/inspiration/22-best-curtain-bangs-for-every-hair-type-14/
Messy Bun: https://hairstyleonpoint.com/7-easy-messy-bun-tutorials/
Claw clip: https://www.dynamiteclothing.com/us/p/large-claw-hair-clip/10006296706V.html
Bandana: https://images.app.goo.gl/9zJTxpMMzYDVAtiTA
Bubble braids: https://images.app.goo.gl/bxWmgNF27aAF9o1T6
Middle part: https://line.17qq.com/articles/djbbieejz.html
Curly undercut: https://ifashionguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Curly-Hair-Undercut-
Side part: https://www.dmarge.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Last-Import-044.jpg
Curtain bangs (boys): https://haircutinspiration.com/curtain-haircut/
Messy hair: https://data.whicdn.com/images/240920838/original.jpg
A New View on Ants as Well as Facts on Ants and Their Impacts on Our Everyday Lives
By: Zacharia Lipscomb
Introduction
Many people hate ants. In many people’s eyes, they are the annoying little pests that nobody cares about. The reason for this, is the pain they can cause, the structural damage to your house some species are capable of inflicting, or their capability of legitimately killing us humans, which is very much real. However, if you look past all the negative things, and really take a look at them, you will realize the savage yet beautiful nature that they have in common with us humans, and maybe you will learn to admire them.
Basic Colony Facts
An ant colony is an amazing family of sterile daughters (with few exceptions) that acts as one. The only males that are ever produced are male elates. I will explain what male elates are later in the article. A single queen starts her colony by herself (with few exceptions within unique species) and lays her first brood pile. A queen will either be fully claustral, meaning that she will not need to get food since she metabolizes her wings muscles and the stored fats she has, there is a semi-claustral queen which will need to forage for food herself to lay her eggs, and then there are parasitic queens, which kill the queen of a pre-existing colony and takes over. Based on the example of a fully claustral queen, she will lay her first brood pile and wait for her daughters to hatch, when they hatch, they will start foraging for food as well as taking care of their queen. This is called the founding stage. Once the queen starts laying other eggs, she has succeeded the founding stage. The average colony consists of a queen or multiple queens, workers, and elates. However, for some species, the caste system can get somewhat complex, and I will explain this later in the article. Once they get past the founding stage, they are out for success.
Communication
Like all animals on Earth, ants communicate with each other. In fact, every ant species in the world has communication capabilities. How do they communicate one may ask? Ants use various communication techniques, such as pheromones, which are chemicals they emit. They use these chemicals to highlight important things, for example, they will use pheromones to guide themselves because they leave behind a trail, much like the seeds in Hansel and Gretel. Or they will use it to mark an organism of which they will attack or farm. Pheromones are not always used for communication though. They can be used to mark dominance of an individual in a colony which does not contain queens. Or they can be used to mark a queen that they will remain loyal to. Another form of communication is their antenna. When ants encounter one another, they will touch antenna to identify them, to see whether they are from their colony or another one. Their communication system is very complex, and many entomologists are amazed at how successful their communication system is.
Reproduction
Most species reproduce very simply. The queen or queens will produce elates. Elates are male and female ants that will reproduce with other colonies elates and found their own colony. During the spring and summer times, colonies will have nuptial flights. Nuptial flights is the mating ceremony where the males and females of different colonies will fly out and mate with each other if the weather is to their preference. Once the queens have mated with the males, they will shed their wings and will try to start their colony. The female elate is the one that will start the colony, the male’s job is just to fertilize the female, once he has completed his destiny, he will simply die off. Male elates are always smaller than female elates. Some female elates will just die off after their nuptial flights, whether it is because they are sterile or whether it is because they were killed by predators or other ants. Believe it or not, queens will produce hundreds of elates, the reason for this is because they are so unlikely to survive, producing many elates increases the likelihood for one queen to get fertilized and settled, to start their subterranean empire.
Caste Systems
When someone talks about a caste system, people will think of superiority and inferiority that took place in history based on wealth, power, and politics. But in the world of ants, the caste system is based on responsibilities that the type of ant will have. For example, let us take an Atta Cephalotes colony, a type of leafcutter ant. This species has the basic caste system: the queen, the elates and the workers. In addition to the basic caste system, they have minims, medias, and majors. The feature that allows them to produce these unique types of ants is called polymorphism. Polymorphism is the production of different sizes of ants. For example, polymorphic species will produce majors, a major is the biggest ant in the caste system under the queen and female elates. A media is larger than a worker, but smaller than a major, workers and medias will work together to gather food and what not while majors deal with elimination of other organisms, assaults on other colonies and colony defense. The minima are just cheaper versions of minors/workers. Minima will do the same duties and such, but they are much cheaper to produce since they are so tiny. Now every single ant in the caste system will have a different size depending on the species. For example, a Camponotus Pennsylvanicus Colony, which is the Eastern Carpenter Ant, is polymorphic, but their majors, medias, and workers will be smaller than those of an Atta Cephalotes.
Parasitic Queens
Many queens work hard to find their colony or die trying. Parasitic queens take advantage of these queens and take the easy route to success. Parasitic queens will land after their nuptial flight, fertilized, but unlike other queens, she will not found her own colony. She will go and find another colony that will most likely be related to her species. She will then enter the colony and either hide and coat herself in their pheromones so that she remains undetected while she takes the colonies food and makes the workers groom her while she starts her colony in their nest. Or the parasitic queen will charge to the colony’s queen, kill her, and lick her wounds which coats her in the original queen’s pheromones which makes the workers think the imposter is the actual queen. At which point she becomes the new ruler of the growing empire and replaces the original workers with her own. When some parasitic species become a developed colony, they will actually go to other queens’ colonies, but they will not kill them, they will actually steal the colony’s brood and raise the brood as their own. The reason for this is because they are slave-makers. For example, ants within the Formica Sanguinea species will steal other ants brood and raise them as their own because they rely on them to do their work. They literally become incapable of taking care of nest duties and whatnot and force their slaves to do it. Without their slaves, they would either get back into their old habits or the colony would fail. The dependence on their slaves sometimes increases to the point where the queen’s workers only steal brood while the slaves take care of everything else, if there is no brood to steal, they are in trouble.
Diapause
Like many animals as well as other insects, ants go through hibernation, only that the technical term is called diapause. During spring, summer, and fall, these are the favorable times for foraging, and brood production/development. During these seasons, there are lots of insects around and about, which means that ants, are on the hunt. During these months, the heat will influence ants to place their brood under rocks of which are hot, due to the cellular development being boosted by the heat. During winter, the frost, ice, and snow will send ants, as well as insects in general into diapause. During diapause, ants will be slower, less responsive, and lazy. Brood production will come to a halt. Food consumption will be lower, but the ants will still have food stores or repletes of which they can obtain food from. They will patiently wait for winter to be over, once the cold weather is out of the way, the time of war starts.
Repletes
Repletes are ants of which are found in specific species. Repletes are ants with the sole purpose of having a full social stomach. A social stomach is a secondary stomach of which ants can share food from. And will put their mouth together and secrete liquids into the other ants’ mouth. A replete performs this to the fullest. In species like Myrmecocystus ants which are honeypot ants, their repletes will fill their social stomachs with honey, water, and other liquids. Or they can liquify meat and such, it will be a liquid but will still have protein contents for brood and larva. Ants will stop by a replete, get a snack, and continue with what they were doing. Repletes are basically living water fountains. In desert regions, colonies that have repletes are very dependent on them. Because when the colony cannot find liquids or protein, the repletes are the emergency rations, until they can find a liquid source to drink from. However, because of this amazing feat, this makes colonies with repletes targets for other ants, or humans back then. Native Americans would dig to find honeypot ants and drink the honey from their repletes. In the insect world, ants or even other animals will ambush these honey pot ants and head for their repletes, tear them open and drink the honey when they have the chance. It is a savage practice, but necessary for the colony's survival. After all, if there is anything ants are best at, it is survival.
Q&A
Q: Why do ants always invade my house during spring and summer?
A: During these 2 periods of time, ants are on the hunt for food, which human houses are usually full of. Ants are also looking for a better colony housing, human houses have great insulation as well as hiding spots, which make them ideal for ants.
Q: Why is it that when ants have a trail, they take inconvenient detours instead of taking the obvious shortcut?
A: Well, when scouts are exploring places, they leave a chemical trail of pheromones. When that scout has found food, it will return to the nest or the nearest outpost and alert the other workers and soldiers. Those ants will then follow the exact pheromone trail of the scout, which will lead straight to the food, the ants are not given a GPS to use, the only way to get to the food is to follow the trail, so if the worker was going in a zigzag direction, the rest of the battalion will follow that same outline.
Q: Why do ants cause the U.S alone hundreds of millions of dollars in agricultural pest management?
A: Well, due to species of ants that migrated from south America and Africa through human activity, super colonies with thousands and sometimes millions of queens (The Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis, and Argentine Ants, Linepithema), like many ants get their food from cattle, particularly aphids. The millions of ants will migrate to green lands with their cattle, and since aphids suck on sap from plants and give ants honeydew, crop lands have lots of resources for this. The ants will protect the aphids as they graze, and when there are millions of aphids, crops drop like flies. Unfortunately, these super colonies are impossible to exterminate with their multimillion queen colonies. Entomologists have been trying to find a solution for this for years, some have come to an idea of using bio-warfare against mother nature herself, but a solution eludes them.
Q: Are ants that bad of a problem for humans themselves? In terms of security?
A: Yes, in wealthy countries like the U.S., ants can cause structural damage to our homes, inconvenience, and other insignificant things. In the third-world countries of South America/Africa, ants are brutal. Army ant hordes devastate unmodern villages and settlements. If there are signs of hordes coming, people start pouring oil around their houses. If they do not get to their house in time, they must migrate. Unfortunately for cattle, they cannot be saved. These army ant hordes force humans to migrate, or wait until they finish pillaging and move on. Their houses will have considerable damage. In the U.S, fortunately, army ants have not been unintentionally transported here, thanks to Customs and Border Protection. And agriculture wise, Leafcutter ants (Atta sp.) devastate crops. Since they use green leaves to grow their fungus which they eat, big colonies have huge harvests of crops completely razing the croplands, which causes famine and economic stress for the families.
Conclusion and Resources
Thank you all very much for reading this article. I hope you have learned something useful or interesting about the basics of the lives of ants.
Sources:
The Lives of Ants by Laurent Keller & Elisabeth Gordon (Oxford University Press)
The Leafcutter Ants Civilization by Instinct
Firsthand experiences and experiments
A Greek Love Story: Misunderstood or Just as Tragic as it Seems
By: Pragnya Jagarlapudi
As the years pass and perspective changes, many older stories are lost on us. This is most prevalent in Greek Mythology. This is because of what our conception of what a God or hero should be like. Now a days, we prefer heroes that are moral paragons that can do no wrong, think Superman, or even the increasingly popular genre of Grim Dark. In ancient Greece, heroes were known to be real, reflections of what the people were like. This leads to flawed Gods that are often changed to fit a modern audience. From reflections of the often-skewed morals of Ancient Greece, to something we’re supposed to aspire towards. Through the passage of time, the meaning of certain words have also changed, often having odd effects on how we interpret older stories. What am I getting at here? One love story that has been especially affected by this is the story of Hades and Persephone.
For example, a lot of people heard that Hades had kidnapped Persephone, then he forced her to stay. What actually happened? Well, a lot of people think this because in the original writing of the myth, it states that Hades kidnapped Persephone, so obviously people thought he kidnapped her. But the word “kidnapped” had an entirely different meaning back then. It meant arranged marriage. So technically, Hades and Persephone had an arranged marriage which Zeus of all people had orchestrated.
Now, we get into what really happened. The hymn of Persephone and Hades begins with Persephone sitting alone in a field, enjoying the flowers. As she sits there, peacefully enjoying the view, the ground begins to split open revealing the God of the underworld in a chariot there to kidnap her. Now, as I previously mentioned, kidnapping in ancient Greece was more akin to what we’d now think of as an arranged marriage. Our lovely narrator Zeus, who keeps showing up in these stories with the sole purpose of causing as much chaos and misery as possible, informs us that this marriage was arranged by non-other than himself. This all started because Hades was in love with Persephone and asked Zeus, her father, what to do about. Now, personally I’d like to ignore the fact that Hades is Zeus’ brother which would make him her uncle, but that’s also a show of what a different world Ancient Greece was. Zeus knew that Demeter, Persephone’s mom, would be livid at her daughter marrying Hades, or anyone for that fact, so he suggested Hades just, kidnap her. Worked like a charm for him. Turns out Zeus was right, Demeter WAS livid.
Now Demeter is running around Olympus in a pure state of panic looking for her daughter. No one has any idea where she went seeing as the arranged marriage/ kidnapping was mostly just kept between Zeus, Hades, and eventually Persephone. But when Demeter asks Hecate, the goddess of magic, she still hadn’t seen anything, but she had heard Persephone being abducted. With renewed hope, the goddesses seeked out more information when they ran into Helios, Titan of the sun. From his chariot he was able to see the entire kidnapping take place. He recounts the whole thing to Persephone saying that, while Hades did just kidnap her daughter, Zeus was to blame since he practically gave Hades, Persephone as a wife. Demeter becomes overcome by rage, rightfully so, when Helios tells her, in an effort to calm her down, that Persephone could do a lot worse.
Hades, comparatively, is a very good and respectful God. Like I said before, these Gods were never meant to be perfect, they were meant to be realistic. Hades, as we’d see further into their marriage, was one of the only gods that actually treated his spouse with respect. Plus, he was the God of the underworld and first-born son to Chronos giving him birthright to the entire universe. So, as we all know, one way or another you become his subject through death. So, Hades is the best husband Persephone could’ve asked for. This does absolutely nothing to calm Demeter down.
Now this is the point in the story where things begin to get off track so I’m going to sum it up in hopes of keeping this article from being too long. Demeter, now incredibly sad, takes on a mortal form to work as a nurse for a royal family’s new baby. She begins by setting the baby on fire, not to kill it, but to burn away its mortality making it more and more of a god. The mom walks in, freaks out, Demeter gets mad and reveals her true form, mom freaks out, Demeter demands her to build a temple. Done. Now Demeter is held up in a temple newly built in her honor. One problem though, Demeter is responsible for all and any plant growth. So, she’s essentially just threw the world into an eternal winter and famine, killing millions of people.
Zeus, ruler of the heavens, obviously cares about the people of Earth. He cares about the sacrifices they make to him. No people, no sacrifices. So, he sends down as many Gods as he can to send Demeter gifts because, for some reason, he cannot think of any reason she may be upset. Obviously, none of this works. Now desperate, Zeus sends Hermes down to Hades to see if he can get Persephone back to the surface. Hermes goes down to Hades to find the two just hanging out, Persephone visibly bummed out about missing her mom. After Hemes explains the situation Hades is completely willing to let Persephone go to the surface.
Before she leaves, Hades asks her not to be sad about the union. As his wife, she’ll be the highest among the goddesses and he promises to try be the best husband possible. But, don’t give him too much credit. Hades does get worried that Persephone might never come back. This is probably one of the more infamous parts of this myth, he sneaks her a couple pomegranate seeds to bind her to the underworld. How this all works is never actually explained, since older stories are known for getting damaged and leaving out important information.
When we pick back up after the part of the hymn that was damaged, Hermes and Persephone are explaining to Demeter that Persephone can’t permanently leave the underworld. She decides to split her time between Hades and her mother. Demeter, ecstatic that she gets her daughter back, brings back spring. Zeus tells Demeter that Persephone will have to spend roughly one third of the year in the underworld. Whenever Persephone leaves, Demeter gets all sad again and causes winter.
As times change and our perspective shifts, we come to interpret these older myths differently. These different interpretations have led to re-writes of the original myth to better suit a modern audience. Those new takes on an old classic can be incredibly entertaining and also serve as a way for people to fill in the gaps in the story, as well as make commentary on modern day issues, and critique the rather questionable morals of the original hymn. Whether this is a love story, or a story of a girl being thrown into a marriage she didn’t want being separated from her loved ones is up to the reader.
Which Time Period Would You Rather Live?
By: Madeleine Tabor and Emma Rose
We asked 126 students at BAMS which time period they would live in. Here are our results:
Option 1: 1850s-1890s
The 1850s to the 1890s. Some key events that took place during this time frame were: - President Franklin Pierce, the 14th US President, is inaugurated on March 4, 1853 (Shown on the right) - South Carolina secedes (breaks away) from the Union, along with Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana - Civil War breaks out approximately around 1865 - The Chicago Fire kills nearly 300 people and has left 90,000 people homeless.
How many people chose this time period: 6
Option 2: 1900s-1930s
The 1900s to the 1930s. Some key events that took place between this time period is: - The Wright brothers make the first controlled aircraft - The 17th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified - World War I begins on April 6, 1917 - The 1st long distance telephone is used on January 25, 1915 (Shown on the right).
How many people chose this time period: 14
Option 3: 1940s-1960s
The 1940s to the 1960s. Some key events that took place between the 1940s-1960s are: - Japan attacked Pearl Harbor - In 1945, World War II ended - In 1947, the Cold War began.
How many people chose this time period: 13
Option 4: 1970s-1990s
The 1970s to the 1990s. Some key events that occurred between 1970-1990s are: - The 26th Amendment was ratified - Jimmy Carter becomes the 39th US President - Mount St. Helen's erupts in Washington.
How many people chose this time period: 45
Writers' choice! Madeleine chose to live in this time period.
Option 5: 2000s-Present
The 2000s to the Present. Some key events that occurred during the 2000s to the present are: - 9/11 attack - Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans - Super Tornado Tuesday hits Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama.
How many people chose this time period: 58
Writers' choice! Emma chose to live in this time period.
Conclusion:
The time period with the most votes was the 2000s-present with a total of 58 votes. We think people chose this option because it is relevant, and they are living in the time period now. They are fine with their current time period and wouldn’t want to change their lifestyle. The time period with the least votes was 1850s-1890s with a total of 6 votes. We think that people didn’t choose this time period because it’s not relevant. The time period is not modern and unrevolutionary. This time period was also a dangerous time to live in which could factor into the reason as to why only 6 people chose it. If you were to choose a time period to live in, which one would you pick?