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For what has seemed like centuries, shiny polycarbonate green and maroon helmets have clashed together in the small rival towns of Billerica and Chelmsford. As turkey is being placed on the dinner table and mashed potatoes are passed around from uncle to cousin, the pig skin can be seen taking flight just outside of the high school walls. Students with visions of warmed rolls and stuffing dancing in their heads can be heard all across town, dawning hats and sweatshirts of gallant green or magnificent maroon. But the real excitement takes place somewhere unexpected.
The year is 2012, and Mr. Piwowar is just starting out his first term as superintendent. Making quick friends with Chelmsford superintendent Dr. Lang, Piwowar noticed a shared competitive streak between the two
With both of the towns' history and Thanksgiving day rapidly approaching, the superintendents decided what better way to spend the holiday than with “ a little friendly wager.” Ever since, this turkey day trash talk has become a beloved tradition Each year, the rivalry is heated up as playful jests are exchanged and bets are created. Piwowar not so fondly remembers a time when he had to concede victory, stating that when the Indians fell to the wrath of the lions, “I had to serve lunch in the cafeteria line at Chelmsford High School while dressed in Chelmsford Lions gear ”
With the winning streak standing strong at Billerica 5, Chelmsford 4, however, the burgundy soaked town has had their fair share of embarrassment. One of the most notable concessions was in 2017. After Billerica’s Thanksgiving win, the following Monday Dr. Lang could be found at the Billerica Town Center, dressed head to toe in a football uniform, waving to cars as they went by for their morning commute.

With plans still in the making for this year's bet, Piwowar and Lang urged students to keep their eyes peeled and their voices loud, open to any suggestions as to what Chelmsford–I mean the losing team–might face.
With turkeys beginning to defrost and ingredients for pie being collected, the Thanksgiving day game was just around the corner. To Chelmsford and Dr. Lang: “just know that Billerica is coming for you ”
A LOOK INTO WOODSHOP


Oftentimes in our culture, we overlook our simple privileges. Every morning the majority of us wake up in our house and don’t think twice about it. We rarely stop and think about the complexities of building a house- the nuances of a door, the intricacies of cabinets or floors These luxuries are necessary and often taken for granted The skills to design and create such pieces can be seen in varying settingsarchitectural design, set building, or simply creating a gift Luckily, BMHS offers multiple classes in the woodshop taught by Mr Orsini in hopes of fostering such abilities
The main course offered in the space is standard Woodshop class. This class is typically open for eighth graders and initially focuses on safety protocols, which include learning to use equipment and properly measure “As the semester goes on through, we would switch to a class schedule that started with a question of the day and the rest of the time was typically dedicated to independent work on projects,” says Dakota Difria In class, students are typically given creative liberty when selecting their projects One that Dakota is typically fond of is a set of three cutting boards they gifted on Father’s Day
Skylar Boilard '23A LOOK INTO WOODSHOP

Another class offered is set building. This class also focuses on safety but specializes in set design and production for theatrical performances. The set-building class will be spending a decent chunk of the next two months preparing for Blue Stockings, which hits the stage in January. Until then, Mr. Orsini has been dedicating time to assisting Mr. Dearbeck, as he has for numerous past productions, on the stellar Into The Woods set. Composition and construction of sets can often go unnoticed, yet takes hours of commitment and truly guides a story through a journey.
As we move through Thanksgiving and the holidays, let us all feel grateful for the modest aspects of our lives. By examining the dedication and caution it takes to operate the woodshop, we are encouraged to reflect on elements often believed simple. Those who specialize in construction and design are essential to all aspects of life, as they are the ones who create the roofs over our head and the framing to our bed.

On October 22, the Billerica Memorial High School robotics team hosted its inaugural New England Robotics Derby, or as they call it, N E R D As a part of FRC, FIRST Robotics Competition, the high school team, Team 4909, worked hard with students and mentors to pull the event off With twenty-eight teams from across New England in attendance, it’s safe to say N E R D was a huge success
When talking with the students who attended, the passion for STEM and innovation was evident Moreover, they were able to make the idea of building robots fun Through a community and program that fosters learning through hands-on applications, it was easy to see the appeal. The excitement of competition and being able to see the direct product of your hard work makes building robots the perfect mix of knowledge and creativity.
[we] are Raising awareness for robotics in the community
Mr. Drake Robotics Team Advisor
The Competition started off strong with 22 Qualification matches determining the rankings of the competing teams. The top 8 teams became alliance captains and choose whom they would like to form an alliance with.

Anuva A. 40% Dhvan S. 7% Karan R.

"Who is the biggest nerd on the team?" Poll results from our Instagram:@billericabeat
At the end of the alliance selection, Team 4909 was the first pick of the 8th seed alliance As the elimination bracket began, the 8th and the 1st seed went up against each other in a best-of-3 knockout. In a stunning turn of events, the 8th seed bested the 1st and continued winning to go on to play in the finals match. The underdogs took it all the way home, safely securing the 0th place trophy.

Eventually winning the competition, the two were awarded certificates among other honors as a recognition of their commitment to STEM For both, their intended major is nowhere near engineering, but the skills learned in the class can be applied to any career they decide to pursue.
It is interesting to note how drastically technology has shaped the way we live. As the world adapts to new and cutting-edge technology, we must also rise to the challenge and learn to become the leaders of the future.
Recently Billerica Memorial High School has added a digital literacy requirement to the curriculum While there has been much uproar, especially from students disinterested in STEM, many are taking it astride Two seniors, Caitlin Shea and Shannon Bailat are showing just how far you can go with engineering classes at BMHS
As a part of Ms Skrobis’s PLTW Engineering class, they submitted a video detailing engineering careers and opportunities and entered it to a competition

BEFRIENDINGBMHS'FACULTY SKYLARBOILARD'23
w environment can be overwhelming nvironment in which you’re greeted with nts five days a week may be entirely er, BMHS’ new staff members recognize e obstacles with grace and gratitude.
BEPOSITIVE
BMHS has a large pool of faculty members that are also alumni. This year we were joined by two more alumni: Ms. Longuemare and Ms. Almeida. Ms. Longuemare is our beloved new business teacher who has filled Mr Nardella’s position Funnily enough, she recounts that Mr Nardella was her teacher when she was a high schooler, as well as most of her current coworkers! When asked what drew her to a position here, she said “BMHS has always been my home. My parents attended BMHS as well as my brother and I I never wanted to leave!” Ms Longuemare also mentions that she was the only business teacher at her old school, and is therefore thrilled to be a DECA officer this alongside Ms. Lydon and Ms. Prendergast.
As for Ms. Almeida, she has recently joined our guidance program as an intern while pursuing her Master’s Degree in School Counseling. Before graduating from BMHS in 2018, she recalls being focused on bettering herself; however, now that she returns as an intern, her new goal is to better the students she works with. She says, “When you become a counselor, you are recognizing that you have a passion and dedication to making sure students make it through school having learned as much as they can while feeling supported. High school especially can be tough for some students, and my goal is to help students get through it ” This year she looks forward to getting her counseling license and learning as much as she can through her students and coworkers.


While we are incredibly excited to welcome our alumni, we are also incredibly grateful for those new staff members who were previously unfamiliar with Billerica This year, BMHS welcomes our new choir director, Ms. McDermott!



She states that her first impression of Billerica was the sense of community, which helps immensely when leading ensemble choral groups. When asked about filling the role of former choir teacher Mr. Raleigh, she said “He was very beloved and made a big difference, and I’m incredibly grateful for the program he’s helped build ” She is most excited to continue to uplift the choral program. Make sure to mark your calendars for December 12th for the upcoming winter concert to see the hard work Ms. McDermott and her students have put into their music!
While their job is certainly daunting, these three staff members are handling their first few months at BMHS beautifully. While faced with a new wake time, a different commute, and an unfamiliar building, all three seemed overjoyed to join BMHS in their current position. They all also emphasized how welcomed they felt by both students and faculty. Let’s all lend a hand to these new members and keep an eye out for all the great things they pursue next!
Leaving Your Mark
Caitlin Shea ' 23
Living within an ever-changing fast paced world, we often find ourselves in search of permanence, pondering what our impact will be. Some find this impact through relationships, others with words printed on paper. The artists we interviewed have found their calling laced within the tip of a needle. While in school, they said they were often stereotyped as lazy, irresponsible rule breakers; that it was difficult finding themselves at the butt end of harsh judgment They also felt cast aside due to the negative ideologies that encompassed their passion. Much has changed, though, since tattooing in Massachusetts became legalized in 2001. It is easy to see how the fiction behind these statements has changed in the last two decades and how the hard work and dedication of these talented artists have raised tattooing to a new art form.
When asked if BMHS had any significant influence on his character, Joe Angelo simply replied “no.” As a teenager more infatuated with sketching than his keeping up with grades, Joe often found himself spending time creating graffiti, specifically words and sayings with lettering. Angelo himself even admits, “I built my tattoo career on building letters.” Ironically, Joe also crafted his career around refusing to take no for an answer. Following his own heart, he did not let other people project their own shortcomings onto his own path, rejecting anyone who tried to redirect him At eighteen, he began tattooing his friends in his basement, and soon won a raffle that offered him an apprenticeship, an opportunity that was almost impossible to come by at the time Rolling up his sleeves–as well as creating them–Angelo dedicated himself entirely in order to get where he is today, something he does not take lightly as “ you don’t have as much time as you think ”
Inspired by his competition, Joe also finds motivation from the diverse people he is able to meet. Describing tattooing as a “sacred exchange of energy ” Angelo’s favorite aspect is the permanent mark he is able to leave on someone’s life, whether it be small or large, lettering or design Joe sums the whole process up as a strange mix of chaos and madness, and while he states, “I don’t know how I do it,” he would not trade the experiences for the world
For Katie Kambria-Melo, art has always been the answer Whether it be for self-expression or a project in class, Kambria was able to find solace in her craft More specifically, during her time at BMHS, Ms Barton-Lech pushed her art skills to be the best they could be. Katie was even given the opportunity to create a mural in the old building, something that allowed her to really hone in on her passion. As a self-proclaimed loner, Kambria found it hard to find confidence in her abilities and commonly experienced Imposter Syndrome. This resulted in each sketch to be a battle between her passion and her own mind. Her dedication did not go unnoticed, though, as one of her most prized memories from high school was winning the Most Artistic senior superlative, an award she is still honored to have won today.

As she grew older, Kambria fell away from drawing, going as long as five years without picking up a pencil. Without many sustainable work opportunities in the arts, she found herself Bartending, a job that Katie says, “sucked the actual life out of me.” Feeling hopeless and overcome with depression, Katie knew she had to take action to turn her life around - so she did just that. Listening to her heart, with no expectations, she picked up her pencil once more. Posting her art online, Kambria took up tattooing her friends out of her basement and eventually moved into a shop a year later. Even with her background in drawing, Katie expresses that she is still “learning every single tattoo,” and that in her gratitude and new experiences she will be “forever learning.” She finds inspiration in people, nature, and dark imagery.
Giving your own art love is one of the most important messages Kambria relays, as “ no matter how cliche it sounds,” no one can love you before you love yourself, an idiom that reflects every aspect of life, even art. For any students interested in taking up the art of tattooing, Kambria says to find an apprenticeship, work hard, be a nice and cool person who is willing to learn, and appreciate everything you can take away. Most of all, she urges you to “listen to that voice in your head.”
Most recently, Kambria has been able to truly see how much her hard work has paid off, as in late September she participated in the Boston Tattoo Convention in hopes to meet and learn from other artists. After three diligent days of tiresome work, her leg piece won Best of Show, an honor she will forever take pride in. Katie explains how important this type of recognition is for artists everywhere, as it quiets the doubts echoing in your mind, and allows you to put ink to skin with no hesitation.
From drawing on table tops and bathroom walls to inking friends in parents' basement to permanently etching one's art into someone else’s skin, tattooing is an incredibly beautiful art form that demands the unwavering diligence of some amazingly talented human beings. While their paths may be unconventional, they are some of the most compassionate, easygoing, and inspiring people around. If you, too, wish to pick up an ink-dipped needle or pursue any other dream of yours, remember to follow your heart and not allow the voices of others to shut you down.

AnuvaAgrawal'23




This past November we had a record number of voters come to the ballots and vote for senator, governor, and state representatives. Along with the representatives in government, we had many important questions to vote on. Just in Massachusetts we had questions pertaining to drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants and a tax on millionaires.
As many BMHS students are right around the corner from 18 or already at the age to vote, it has become crucial to pay attention to world issues so that we can make informed decisions.
Model UN is a club at the high school that simulates the working of the United Nations. The United Nations is a worldwide organization that deals with issues pertaining to human rights, the climate, and international peace.
ences relate to modern day issues like the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine, others take a more fun spin on it. There are topics ranging from the Trojan war to the mystery of Harry Potter. All of them help students to gain critical skills in relation not only to global politics but also interpersonal interactions. They make speeches, debate, and form resolutions, all with people who might be trying to work against them. The club is perfect for anyone hoping for a future in politics or even looking to gain some public ki kill





At the high school level, Model UN simulates the debates and procedures that happen in the real world. Before conferences, students are given their roles as well as a background guide to brief them on their debate topic. There can be different types of debates such as a Security Council, General Assembly, or Crisis Conference. During the conference, delegates must debate with each other and try to form a resolution that will pass the vote. FOLLOW BMHS MUN @BMHS.MODEL


Staff Picks
Some of the things our staff have enjoyed most this fall...
Educated by Tara Westover


A memoir recounting Westover's survivalist family and her journey to higher education. A gripping story with an enlightening message on the importance of education, no matter the background.
About You by The 1975

The 1975 is a rising rock pop group founded in the UK. "About You" is a song from the band's album Being Funny in a Foreign Language.
Enola Holmes
Starbucks Order: Venti Iced blonde vanilla latte with light ice and 3 pumps of vanilla
A mystery movie following Enola Holmes in a pursuit to solve the case of her missing mother.

