October 2014 issue

Ursus

A new trend

A big victory A big day

B E D F O R D M I D D L E S C H O O L / WESTPORT, CT 06880 / BedfordUrsus@gmail.com

Vol. 1 Issue 1 Monday, October 20, 2014

Page 12

Page 11

‘I got you!’

BMS harnesses team building skills

By Maria Maisonet STAFF WRITER

During the week of Sept. 28, the eighth graders of Bedford set out into the woods of North Salem, N.Y. for the annual team-building ield trip.

What exactly is the purpose of the trip?

“The underlying purpose of the team building trip in grade 8 is to build camaraderie between students who may not know each other, help students possibly learn something new about students they may have made assumptions about, and help build positive connections between students and teachers,.” said Dr. Adam Rosen.

If the ield trip was judged based off this statement, it would be considered very successful. Students were able to work with other peers they normally wouldn’t have because the Mountain Workshop faculty, the group hired to lead the trip, made the groups instead of the students.

Another one of Dr. Rosen’s hopes was that, “students get involved with the activities and support one another through the dif icult and challenging activities.”

Again this hope was made true. Not only did students provide each other with moral support, they also provided one another with it physically.

In one of the activities, two students stood on parallel ropes and had to shufle together down to the end. But in order to do so, each person would have to stabilize his or her partner by bracing on to their forearms.

It is safe to say that the ield trip was

Council plans fun run

By Genevieve Domenico STAFF WRITER

High overhead, Lizzy Tonsberg reaches out to Lily Tucker on the Islands in the Sky as a part of the BMS team building ϔield trips. bene icial. It taught students the important life lessons of trust and teamwork.

It brought unlikely people together and also strengthened the bonds between students and teachers.

For more Team Building photos, turn to page 2.

Tossing colors for a chartible cause

By Nishika Navrange STAFF WRITER

A bundle of vibrant colors in the form of dust is flung through the air, staining matching white t-shirts and bracelets.

On the cool morning of Sunday, Sept.

21, the Color Flash 5K run took place and spread miles of happiness to runners and cancer fighters alike.

The run was sponsored by Phoebe’s Phriends, which is an organization founded by Phoebe Spear. She was diagnosed with cancer and went to Bedford Middle School. After surviving the cancer, Phoebe began raising money for research.

Her aim was definitely met with the Color Flash. Over $65,000 was raised.

Organizers want to thank all who helped raise money and participated in the fun run. Every time a runner finished a kilometer, he or she may have saved a life.

Pages 5-6

The Blue and Gold Council, a collection of selected students from all three grades, has looked to the needs of the student body, and responded to them through academic, athletic, spirit, and community events.

The next event they will be focusing on is the annual Fun-Run on Wednesday, Oct. 22. The Fun-Run is for the Save the Children organization. For every half mile students run, they get a bracelet. The fee for entering is just $10. Forms to join are available in the P.E. hallway.

Contact Mrs. Mary Martinik for more information.

Later, on Halloween, Oct. 31, it’s going to be Crazy Hair Day. Halloween themed hair is something many in the student body and teachers are looking forward to.

Hoops for Heart, which raises money the the American Heart Association, will be on Nov.7. Make a team with your friends, and raise money.

There will also be the Indoor Soccer Game on Wednesday, Nov. 26. It is where students from each grade compete against each other in a heated soccer game. The teams are based off our school colors blue and gold. At the end, the eighth graders get to face off against the teachers. A teacher from your pod might be competing against you.

Participating in any of these events will get you blue or gold points. Support your team and lead it to victory.

If sixth graders want to join the council, applications will be sent out to the pods around Oct. 22. So, keep your eyes open.

inside iphone 6 Is it worth the hype? pg. 6 M

.M

M

BMS teachers and teenagers from around the area participated in the Color Flash on Sunday Sept. 21, 2014, at Sherwood Island, to raise money for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

News

2 Ursus

Monday, October 20, 2014

Snap shots of three grades bonding Story on page 1 .

6th graders from the Latorre pod strenuously work together to try and transfer a ball, contained inside a coffee can, to another can, which is in the center teetering on the attached ropes they are holding.

.

7th graders venture out on canoes during the ϔield trip to Cockonoe Island, Westport, Conn.

.

Elterich pod 7th graders crafted this boat from miscellaneous beach items during their ϔieldtrip and worked together to row the contraption around a loop.

“None of us are as smart as all of us.”

Ken Blanchard

A

H

Guides at the Mountain Workshop showcase a tidbit of the fun they assisted the 8th graders in having.

R

This girl takes a leap, trusting that the person holding the other end of the rope will tug on the rope and slow her fall enough for her to land gently.

Teens from the Gray pod strive to make a catapult from elastics and plastic tubes and launch a ball the farthest compared to other students’ groups. They also had to make a commercial about their group before launching the ball.

Opinions

Ursus

Monday, October 20, 2014

3

Ursus Ursus is Bedford Middle School’s student newspaper. It prints 800 copies, ive times a year. All content and opinions come from the newspaper staff and do not re lect those of the teachers or administrators of the school.

G

B :S

B

Time for old COWs to moove on We have noticed that many of the desktop computers at Bedford are kind of old. And slow. And often broken. We’ve also noticed that many of the COWs (Computers On Wheels) are old. And slow. And often broken.

Both types of computers seem to have similar problems, but Bedford, help may be on the way.

The COWs have problems. They always seem to need to update, which can take lots of time. They also spontaneously shut down and then take even more time to restart.

According to some students, these setbacks can affect their ability to get assignments done in class. With approximately 40 minutes to a class period, students need all the time they can get to work on assignments. It is unproductive for a student not to be able to complete their class assignments due to school computer problems, and those problems have to be ixed.

For example, in many science classrooms, only one desktop computer is available per table, with four students to a table. The desktops are generally more likely to function than the COWs,

so one student per table has access to a computer that they will probably be able to get their work done on.

Sure, one or two of the other students at the table might have their own laptop. But what about those who do not?

Should they be subject to using a subpar laptop, while other students have access to much higher quality ones?

The answer is no, and we need to make sure that all students at Bedford

EDITORIAL have access to high quality and fully functioning computers. In order to do this, we urge the Board of Education to devote more money towards computers and their maintenance. They need to make sure that the money being spent is going to a useful cause.

Dr. Rosen is working to get better technology into Bedford. According to the principal, the school has invested in Chromebooks, and more are on the way.

There has been a world-wide delay in getting these computers; they should arrive at BMS soon.

We agree that the school needs to invest in Chromebooks. These computers are generally cheaper than most laptops. They also use the cloud for storage, and their simplicity helps teachers better integrate technology into their classes.

“The Chromebooks have direct access to the Google software, which is what students use to work on projects, email, and go to Schoology. Using these Chromebooks makes it easier for students to work on one project on different devices,” said Dr. Rosen.

Chromebooks are not able to download many programs or softwares (like SketchUp) as well as desktops, so the more powerful computers should still be kept in computer labs. That way, students can still have access to these programs.

Computers at Bedford Middle School are in high demand because there aren’t enough good ones a lot of the time.

Westport students should always have access to a functioning, high quality computer.

STAFF Zarah Ahmad Priya Banerjee Strat Becker Cole Burnham Luiza Cocito Adam Danchak So ija Djordjevic Genevieve Domenico Michael Fording Alejandro Garcia Bridget Groves Johanna Haka Honor Heisler Agnes Holm Angela Ji Charlie Kleeger Kendall Kowalsky Maria Maisonet Conrad Mann Sophie McCabe Elysse McCambley Aidan Nichols Anna Rhoads Zach Rosenberg Lexi Schwartz Bliss Sidell Owen Spangler Gersemi Zauls ADVISER Stephen Rexford CONTACT US BedfordUrsus@gmail.com Bedford Middle School 88 North Ave. Westport, CT 06880 203.341.1586

Regarding Halloween...

Eighth graders just want to have fun Sophie McCabe STAFF WRITER

Halloween in eighth grade usually provokes one major question: Am I too old to go trick-or-treating?

To me, the answer to the question has nothing to do with being too old or too cool to dress up. The question, to me, is whether or not I enjoy it.

Personally, I do.

I have always enjoyed being able to dress up as whatever I wanted. In my experiences, my favorite theme was dressing up as various characters from books. Call me a dork, but I always thought it was cool to be able to place yourself in a ictional world and be the character that you admire for one night of your life. I have been the mockingjay from “The Hunger Games,” a cat from the Warriors series, and the horse character, Black Beauty.

Another part of Halloween that I enjoy and a reason why I will not give it up is the candy. Surprisingly, I am not like most other Halloween fanatics who eat every single piece of candy that comes into sight. My favorite part about get-

No one’s too old to have a little bit of fun.

GRAPHIC BY: CAT GRAHAM

ting the candy is hanging out with two of my best friends and trading it all after we inish trick-or-treating.

Most every year I will go over to my neighbor’s house and sit down for about two hours just trading candy while talking with my friends.

We talk about all of the crazy costumes we saw, the most elaborate house decorations, and just about anything else that

pops into our heads.

It’s so nice to sit down and talk to your closest friends.

Like me, my friends all agree that they will continue to trick-or-treat this year.

Despite all that I love about Halloween, there is one major downside: not itting in with your friends.

Last year, all of my friends wanted to be vampires for Halloween, but I was not

so keen on the idea. I had designed the perfect snake charmer costume, complete with a tunic top and snakeskin lip aplíques.

I was so excited about my cool, original costume that I didn’t mind that I was going to be something totally different.

But as Halloween night grew closer, I began to feel otherwise.

I felt really awkward that I did not look like the rest of my friends. I thought that I would look weird walking around Compo because I looked different than them, so I began to rethink my costume.

I made the decision, though, to stick with my original costume, and I rocked it. But it still did not erase the fact that I was self-conscious about being different.

Despite its problems, I still do think that Halloween is an amazingly fun holiday, and it should be celebrated by everyone. By that I don’t mean every little kid.

I mean every eighth grader, too. I personally don’t think that eighth graders should feel too old to go trick-or-treating.

Because, hey. No one’s too old to have a little bit of fun.

4 Ursus

Opinions Monday, October 20, 2014

Economics offers a different View Charlie Kleeger STAFF WRITER

G

B M

M

To Read, or Not to Read

Should Shakespeare’s works be read in school?

Angela Ji STAFF WRITER

“To be, or not to be: that is the question,” are probably William Shakespeare’s most famous words.

Shakespeare is well-known for his many poems, including tragedies, comedies, and love stories and is still in luential on literature today. However, many students lose their enthusiasm at the thought of reading his pieces. I recall being in L.A. class when the teacher was putting “Romeo and Juliet” in the cabinet and announced that we would be reading it in March.

Many of my classmates groaned at the thought of reading this horrid Elizabethan English whereas I was grinning inside.

I had read “Romeo and Juliet” the summer before sixth grade, and I had started “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Julius Caesar” later that year.

Clearly I have a fondness for Shakespeare, and I intend on reading “Hamlet and “Macbeth” sometime soon. But if many students frown upon his works, should we read them in school?

I think that we should, because his pieces have in luenced modern day literature, there are deep themes that leave the reader thinking, and his characters are very human-like.

Shakespeare’s in luence is obvious.

We all can probably name a story about lovers in “warring groups” due to the well-known “Romeo and Juliet.” Without this story, there wouldn’t be “West Side Story” or “Twilight.” Without “Hamlet, “there wouldn’t be Hakuna Matata and “The Lion King.” Shakespeare also inluenced our language in ways we don’t realize. You can’t say “refusing to budge an inch,” or “being tongue-tied,” without

quoting him.

Shakespeare’s works often have themes that make readers wonder. He focused on love, friendship, and death a lot---topics that are still relevant today.

His quotes are thought-provoking too.

“To be or not to be: that is the question . . .” Hamlet is contemplating if it is better to live and suffer, or die and suffer from what he doesn’t know. This quote can leave many readers thinking about the question for both Hamlet and themselves. It shows that he is a complex character. He is extremely philosophi-

P

T

S

Shakespeare, not Greek to me

cal, yet can be depressed as well. Shakespeare makes us wonder about questions we still ask ourselves today.

Shakespeare gave his characters life.

They aren’t just stick igures or names you insert---they have a purpose for being there and are as humanlike as iction can get. They feel the same emotions we do and have their own strengths and weaknesses too. You wonder about their thoughts, actions, and decisions as you read. One character I can connect with is Friar Lawrence. He married Romeo and Juliet and helped them even though it risked his life. He wanted to do something that would help them, but it failed and they died. Then, at the end, he was brave enough to tell everyone the truth.

He tried to help them out of compassion but unknowingly hurt them, and he had the courage to admit his mistake.

Shakespeare is worth trying for middle school students. He is still in luencing literature 400 years later, and will in luence middle school students too.

For those who ind it dif icult to read Elizabethan English, I suggest reading a version with translations (“No Fear Shakespeare” has the “modern English translation side by side). It’s interesting to compare and contrast the differences, but if you want a challenge, feel free to read the original.

My camp RA, a Princeton graduate who loves Shakespeare, said, “I have read most of Shakespeare’s works . . .

Students should be introduced to the Bard as early as possible.”

As we look back at Shakespeare now, we see a man, a theater, and papers. But within those papers lie masterpieces, and within those masterpieces lie collections of stories to be read.

My answer to the question, to read or not to read? Yes. Give it a shot. Read what the masterpieces have to say.

There is a lack of economic understanding in today’s teens. They don’t know about the social science that “studies how individuals, governments, irms and nations make choices on allocating scarce resources to satisfy their unlimited wants.”

One of the main concepts of economics is the relationship between supply and demand. For example, in Westport, there is a large supply of frozen yogurt stores. All of these stores effectively sell the same product for the same price. The stores largely differentiate themselves by their location and their availability of parking.

There is currently an equilibrium that exists between the price that people are willing to pay for yogurt, how far they are willing to travel for yogurt and the price that the stores charge for effectively the same product. This equilibrium would be disrupted if one yogurt store were to cut its prices.

Even if it were slightly further away

$$$ from town center, people might be encouraged to make the time to travel for the slightly cheaper product.

This simple economic model can be applied to more than just the supply and demand in the competitive yogurt market in Westport. It can also be applied to one of the most scarce resources of a teenager’s life, time.

There is never enough time, right?

There isn’t enough time to inish a novel, compete in sports, hang out with friends or write an essay. But the study of economics can help teenagers deal with this problem.

Since economics is the study how people react with the scarcity of resources, in this case time, it can be used as a guide to help with time management.

Looking at the relationship between supply and demand, it is easy to see that when there is little time students really want more time. The limited supply is the time and the demand goes up for time because of the how much it is valued by the students.

But, if the time was for a long period such as seven days to write an essay the time could have been optimized. Usually students feel that when they have this luxury of time, that it is in inite. But really it is not.

This can be exempli ied in a supply and demand graph, since there is a large quantity of resources (time) the demand for it goes down, bringing the value along with it. This makes time seemingly in inite. But as the supply goes down as the essay is due in two days, the demand goes back up, which also drives the value back along with it.

As the yogurt and time example show, when a person understands economics, he or she can view the world in a whole new way.

Features

Ursus

Monday, October 20, 2014

5

New teachers welcomed to BMS Anna Rhoads and Kendall Kowalsky WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS

Though it may be news to you, these teachers below know that there are acutally two New Years’ Eves; the traditional one on Jan. 1 and the exclusive new teachers’ edition on Aug. 25. Please give a hearty and warm welcome to these new teachers at BMS.

Lauren Rinn

Anthony Granata

Megan Laney

Ms. Laney earned her Bachelors of Arts in Global Studies from the College of William and Mary in 2012, and will complete a World Languages teaching certiication K-12 for both Spanish and Arabic. Ms. Laney spent a semester abroad studying at the University of Aleppo in Syria. Before joining the faculty at BMS, she taught Arabic at Norwalk High and Brien McMahon; she also was the head English teacher at the non-pro it organization Educación y Esperanza in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. She has advanced pro iciency in modern standard Arabic and the Levantine dialect, and Intermediate pro iciency in the Moroccan, Egyptian, and Iraqi dialects.

Ms. Rinn, earned her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Communications from Fordham University in 2002 and earned her Masters of Arts in School Counseling from Fair ield University, Fair ield, Conn. Ms. Rinn returns to BMS from a temporary grant-funded school counselor position at Reed Intermediate School in Newtown, Conn. She was also a school counseling intern at BMS in 2013 and a school counseling intern at Staples High School in 2013 as well.

Mr. Granata, earned his Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Conn. He plays the viola and is a string instrument teaching specialist. Mr. Granata served in the role of long-term substitute in string orchestra and chorus at Amity Regional Middle School in Orange, Conn and also long-term substitute teacher at Staples High School and Coleytown Middle School. Mr. Granata is a private instrumental instructor for violin, viola, and cello as well as a Summer Strings Camp Counselor for Western Connecticut State University for several summer seasons, Connecticut ASTA String Fling Camp, Camp Hazen, and the YMCA.

Caroline Pew

Ms. Pew, earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Studies Education from New York University in May 2002 and her Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from the University of Cincinnati College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services in 2007. For 12 years she taught 6th grade social studies in South Orange Middle School, N.J. Ms. Pew is a ield hockey and lacrosse player and has coaching experience at the high school level.

Alyssa Pepe

Rebeccca Kaplan

Ms. Kaplan earned her Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology with minors in chemistry and French from the University of Connecticut and then went on to get a Masters of Arts in secondary education from Sacred Heart University. She came to BMS from Fraser Woods Montessori School in Newtown, Conn where she was the science coordinator and STEM coordinator. Prior to her role at Fraser Woods, she taught science and was a team leader at Middlesex Middle School in Darien. Ms. Kaplan is also a TED Educator, working to create original educational material, videos and piloting programs for TED-Ed, developing a strategic vision for new products and services and most currently, organizing of icial TED conferences.

Ms. Pepe, earned her Bachelor of Arts in History and Bachelor of Science in curriculum and instruction from the University of Connecticut and then went on to get a Master of Arts in curriculum and instruction also from the University of Connecticut. Ms. Pepe has taught in Mans ield, Windsor and Hartford, Conn and has toured multiple museums and historic sites in Western Europe to gain global perspectives of WWII. She also has worked with museum staff from various European history museums, and collaborated with pre-service history teachers from Nottingham, England, during a two-week study abroad program in May 2013.

We are lucky to have such great teachers here at BMS. Dr. Adam Rosen

Kathy Rupp Ms. Rupp, who earned her English and elementary education from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2012, is at BMS for another year; this time she is a 6th grade Language Arts teacher. Last year, Ms. Rupp was BMS’s permanent substitute teacher and did an outstanding job. Based on her academic background in Language Arts, her positive relationships with students and staff, and her work ethic and dependability, we’re looking forward to having Ms. Rupp and all the new teachers with us at Bedford.

6 Ursus

Halloween

Ursus

Monday, October 20, 2014

@

Mrs. Colleen Banick with the not so itsy bitsy Monster Mash spiders.

Ghouls take the school Elysse McCambley STAFF WRITER

On the night of Oct. 2, the homework will be abandoned, the sports ields will be empty, and the costumes and decorations taken out of the closet.

For two hours- from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. students will have the chance to lose themselves while dancing, gorging themselves with Halloween candy, and even taking memorable photos in the brand new photo booth.

That’s right, it’s the Monster Mash.

This long-going BMS tradition and PTA fundraising event takes place in the Bedford cafeteria and will feature music from DJ Stevie C and brand new additions like a photo booth and pizza. It will also include the usual costume contests, categories including Best Costume from a Book, Best Sports Costume, Scariest, Funniest and more, according to September Stevens, co-head of the Monster

Mash along with Liz Videler.

“We’ve de initely got a few scary surprises up our sleeves this year that the students will love. Plus a little lesson on the original and many still consider the greatest cinema vampire of them all, Nosferatu,” said Stevens.

The BMS cafeteria will be adorned with creative and scary decorations from the decorations committee and special guests the Bedford Art Club, under leadership of art teacher Cecily Anderson.

Admission this year is $15 per person.

Pro it sales will go to the PTA to bene it the school.

With all the fun new additions and old traditions the show up for the party is expected to be around 300 plus students- All grades invited. After all, “The Mash is about having fun and making memories,”said Stevens.

All Grades Welcome

G

B

G

Go to www.spookathon.com/halloween/pumpkin-carver.php to carve your own virtual pumpkin.

Spook-tacular, eerie-sistable costume stories always entertain

By Bridget Groves STAFF WRITER

Spook-tacular and eerie-sistable costume stories When people at lunch were asked “What were some of your best and worst Halloween costumes from past years?” laughs spontaneously erupted out of every single person.

The lighthearted atmosphere 10 seconds later? Obliterated. “Well…” said Maddie Friedman, stretching the L, “A couple years ago I may or may not have dressed as a tango dancer and had the skirt go a little too high and get stuck in my hair. In front of the whole street.”

The concise description drew winces and sympathetic pats out of everyone.

The story was a clear one, as was what could be imagined: a bright red dress, with accentuating vibrant hues of orange and yellow, ruffles a-plenty trailing down the fabric in streams and lines… stuck to her head.

But the poor girl’s torture was not over: “It was stuck like that for the rest

of the night and was tangled really bad.”

Interviewing BMS students was like getting a mental burn book with an angelic side for the best Halloween costumes.

Some of the good stories were nice to hear however, seeing a glow on the interviewees’ faces as they recounted their very finest of guises. Sarah Berkowsky came next, grinning fondly as she remembered an outfit she wore in her younger years of celebrating the spooky holiday.

“My parents offered to buy me one of those princess outfits too, I don’t know, prance around in. Nope. I wanted to be Buzz Lightyear.” said Sarah, laughing as she told the story of a little 7-year-old putting her foot down and outright refusing to be like everyone else.

“The costume was actually awesome, with all the buttons and lasers.” Anyone could see it clearly in his or her mind’s eye, her proudly standing in front of each house, in full Toy Story-esque regalia, zooming around gathering sweets, space suit and all.

Well, the stories couldn’t all be happy endings. Where’s the good stuff ? Here is another rather pitiable story: Caroline Kingston and the Chobani incident.

It had all innocently started with a comical idea for being a Chobani cup of yogurtt for Halloween. The masterpiece was done in time, in it’s full cardboard and marker glory, rather well made compared to what most other products would have ended up looking like.

She ventured out on that fateful night, trotting about in her costume when a vengeful, sinister, malevolent antagonist preyed upon her: rain.

With the cardboard soaked through, marker ink spreading down the decimated material, it did not make the prettiest sight. The image was clear: the cold wet cardboard slowly falling apart, the ink blooming like poisonous chemical flowers on what was left of the costume, and the rest of the paraphernalia slowly falling apart into unintelligible gook.

Hallow’s eve, an infamous time for trickss and treats, has it’s downfalls, and rainfalls, but all in all, it makes for a simply fantastic and fun holiday to celebrate, whether you dress as a procrastinator’s sheet ghost or an elaborate three-month-project princess.

7

What BMS thinks a treat

By Johanna Haka STAFF WRITER

A little girl wearing all pink, with a little pig nose, a little pig tail , and little pig ears, walks up to a house with a cemetery out front. The little pig is surrounded by a witch, a ghost, Sleeping Beauty, and Eyore.

The pig knocks on the door, and a mom opens the door. She is holding a big bucket of candy. Trick or Treat! Which candy do you pick?

Everyone knows Halloween is about candy and that kids love it, but many times they have to choose. Recently Ursus went around school and surveyed 6th, 7th and 8th graders about what candy they would choose out of that bucket.

You may be surprised to learn that 6th graders like chocolate the most. “I love chocolate, and when I go to pick a candy out of the bucket I look for chocolate with caramel,” said Sammy. The other choices were Candy Corn, Twix, Skittles, Sour Patch/ Nerds, and chocolate. Seven out of 30 6th graders would hope to pick candy corn while six out of 30 want Twix. Sour Patch/ Nerds came in 4th place with ive out of 30, and last but not least was Skittles at a whopping three out of 30.

Sour Patch/Nerds came in irst place with seventh graders, and chocolate cam in a close second. The rest were tied. Speaking of ties, the eighth graders tied with every candy choice.

According to “National Geographic,” a 2013 survey found that 72 percent of people prefer chocolate on Halloween. More that 35 million pounds of candy corn are produced annually. For one more Halloween fun fact, candy corn was originally named chicken feed.

By the way, when the little pink pig gets home on Halloween night, she dumps her pillow case full of candy on the loor of front hall and separates every piece of candy into stacks of the same type. Then, she counts how many she has. Do you do this too?

6th graders picked chocolate as the candy they want.

8th graders ϔind all candy equally worthy of collection.

What to do with extra sweets

By Angela Ji STAFF WRITER

In a few weeks, we will be rushing to costume and candy stores to prepare for Halloween. With all this excitement, many will buy and collect more candy than needed. So what should we do with all the excess candy? Spend months eating them?

Throw them out? Give them to friends? Eat the whole pile at once?

There’s another solution: donate them to troops.

One association, Operation Gratitude, sends donated candy to troops. Aside from candy, they also accept donations of dental hygiene products like: commercially-sealed lip balm, toothpaste & toothbrushes, dental loss, mouthwash (travel-size). You can ind more information about them on their website, www.operationgratitude.com. Another web-

site, http://opgrat.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/ halloween-candy-for-the-troops/, talks about the “Do’s” and the “Dont’s” when it comes to donating candy.

Halloween Candy Buy Back is another option, although the candy does end up going to Operation Gratitude or other groups. This group “buys the candy back” with cash, coupons, toothbrushes, creative exchanges, and more. I strongly suggest looking at their website, www.halloweencandybuyback.com for more information about donating candy and to ind a participating dental practice nearby.

Both websites are possible ways to donate candy to troops. So when trick-or-treating is over, there is one more option to consider. One small donation can make a difference.

A&E

8 Ursus

Monday, October 20, 2014

He’s ‘The Top’ Cole Porter (1891-1964) was a composer and songwriter and is considered an American master of muscial theater. He defied his father’s and grandfather’s dream of working in finance and devoted himself to music. He composed his first songs as early as the age of 10. “Anything Goes,” (1934) a musical comedy set on a cruise from London to New York, is considered one of Porter’s best.

--Alejandro Garcia

Performances A group of Bedford’s actors rehearsing the mop scene with director Mrs. Karen McKormick after school for their winter play “Anything Goes.”

Nov. 5,6,7

The effort to make ‘Anything Goes’ go

By Cole Burnham and So ija Djordjevic STAFF WRITERS

You may be wondering about Bedford Middle School’s new play, “Anything Goes.” With rehearsals and auditions well underway, how do cast members feel about their roles and how does the work on the play re lect on their school life?

To answer these questions, Antonio Antonelli, who plays Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, shared his thoughts on his point of view on the subject.

During the afternoon, Antonio was interviewed about the subject.

When he was asked about the auditions, he talked about trying to calm his nerves.

“Rehearsals were very laid back and relaxed, and of course I was nervous, but I built up my con idence and tried the best I could,” said Antonio. “I am very passionate about acting, and would like to become an actor some day. I also think it is very fun, and it is a good way to make new friends.”

Some have been wondering what are the expectations of the play and whether it affects your academics or not.

“It’s really hard to balance both homework and the musical especially when you have rehearsal every day. It makes it much harder to have free time. I feel that the expectations are different for everybody and I believe that my personal expectations are currently being met,” said Antonio.

He also talked about some of the pros of being part of the play, “Everything is great. It is all such an amazing experience, both being on stage, and being in a production. The acting and music directors are all so nice, and they are always helpful when you have a problem.”

But such a big production does require patience. ““Sometimes when the directors are working with someone else you have to wait, and sometimes you are assigned to watch, and you can’t do homework or you have to practice a scene alone, which is hard to do sometimes with the thought of homework itching at the back of your mind.”

Therefore, if you were ever wondering whether or not to join the play, it’s up to you. If you decided to join the play, some tips would be to focus more in class so you have less homework and have a good understanding of the subject so you won’t have to study as much.

The play leaves port Nov. 5, 6 and 7.

Play Director Mrs. Karen McKormick

Avery Smith and Summer Hutchinson practice their songs while tech crew member Connor Hanely after school on the bridge above the library.

Ursus

December 5,6, 7 Tickets On Sale Soon!

Www.bedfordactinggroup.com

9

A&E

10 Ursus

Monday, October 20, 2014

GAMING

F I L M R EV I EW

Two views, one game:

Not your average dystopian film

‘Minecraft’ rocks

Aidan Nichols

Bridget Groves

WRITER

When I irst saw the trailer for “The Maze Runner,” I had my doubts--knowing how bad some ilm adaptations of books are--but when I stepped out of the movie theater, I was not disappointed with this movie. It had a great mix of science iction, action, and a small amount of horror.

Sixteen-year-old Thomas, inds himself in a rusty elevator known as The Box. He has no memory of who he is and has no idea what is going on. He is then greeted by several other boys, and he inds out that he and the other boys are trapped. The only way that they can get out is through a long and complicated maze.

Despite being trapped, the boys have created a society in the middle of the maze which they call the Glade. Thomas learns from Chuck, a fellow Glader, that there is a group called the Runners, who run into the maze to ind a way to escape. However, the Runners must return before nightfall because that’s when the entrance to the maze closes. If the Runners do not make it back before dusk, then they are trapped in the maze for the night, and as he learns from another Glader, Newt, no one has survived a night in the maze because there are deadly creatures called Grievers that live in the maze.

WRITER

P

M

P

.

Dylan O’Brien, Ki Hong Lee, and other gladers ϔight Greivers and dead ends while struggling to stay alive in the maze. Rated PG-13.

One night, when the head Runner named Minho can’t make it out of the maze by dusk, Thomas runs into the maze, and for the irst time in history, they both make it out of the maze alive.

I won’t give away the rest of the movie for your sake, but I will tell you that the ending has shown that there will be a sequel to “The Maze Runner” if this

movie does well (which I hope it does).

The special effects were stunning, the actors were incredibly realistic with their part, and the Grievers were so extremely frightening that I found myself curled up in a ball a couple times.

It was worth entering the maze of this movie.I give it an overall four out of ive stars.

When playing “Minecraft,” the thing that catches the eye of most of the players is the extreme variety of what you can do. There are many things to report on, but mods and servers are some of my favorite parts of Minecraft.

First off, a de inition of “Minecraft” mods. Mods are unique additions that are downloadable to a computer, for interesting modi ications. Some mods you can try are: Aquatic Abyss, which spawns new water creatures, Pandora’s box, which is a craftable item which releases armies and terrain changes, Mutant Creatures is where the original antagonist mobs are modi ied to have new dif iculties and traits. Last but not least is the practical Enchanting Plus mod.

This mod’s most notable quality is that you can choose what you want enchanted onto the item.

Lastly, servers are a shared world where players can congregate to work, build, and adventure together. There are thousands to choose from, but I will mention just a few recent ones: Play Minecrack, Arkham Network, Mineplex, and the TheHive.

All in all, there is much you can do. I haven’t mentioned: skins, texture packs, and biomes among many things. Play “Minecraft” yourself, to explore the possibilities.

ON TECHNOLOGY

Is new iPhone6 worth switching?

Owen Spangler WRITER

Everybody is crazy about the new iPhone, and with good reason. For a long time, Apple fanboys have waited for a iPhone that has a larger screen. There is hype about the specialized camera that halves facial recognition time, aluminum backing, and features galore like the new ApplePAY. And, please, this is a new iPhone. Everybody’s going to want it. But is it worth switching from the “old” iPhone 5S? The Short Answer: The screen size has improved, along with the new processing chips, but it is necessary to buy a protective case, the phone bends under extreme stress, and the new operating system has bugs. Wait for the iPhone 6S. The Long Answer: For starters, the iPhone has created two different sizes, standard, and the hyped PLUS. From the iPhone 5S’s four inch screen, the screen on the standard iPhone 6 has increased its size to a good 4.7, and an impressive 5.5 inches for the new PLUS version. The phones have also slimmed down, from the iPhone 5’s 7.6mm to the 7.1mm of the PLUS and 6.9mm of the standard iPhone 6. But while the size has gone down, the iPhone has gotten about one to three ounces heavier. But overall, this phone is great in size specs.

Many people will be happy to hear the new phone has aluminum instead of the glass back of the old iPhone. The old back, while pretty, shattered somewhat from brute force, so this year, Apple will

P

New iPhone 6 featues

K

.

‘Minecraft’: The Lego of the 21st Century Gersemi Zauls WRITER

• • • • • •

4.7inch diagonaly 1334-by-750 pixel 1400:1 contrast radio dual domain pixels display zoom reachability

The iPhone 6 is bringing long lines to a store near you. Is it work it? try to avoid that.

But speaking of design, the biggest and most talked about problem by far with the iPhone 6 is that it bends. If you leave it in a tight situation for a very long time, like a back pocket in skinny jeans, while sitting on it, the case will bend. Although it bends, it takes 70 pounds of force, as demonstrated by “Consumer Reports,” which can really only be created by extreme events or most likely, by purpose.

On the inside, the new A8 and M8 chips bring up the processing power of the phone, and the new camera, though still 8mp, has increased facial recognition time by 5 percent and comes with

.

many helpful features. But with a new phone comes new problems. It is almost mandatory to buy a protective case, like from Otterbox, for the new phone because of the protruding camera. You do not want to scratch the camera on your new phone. Also, the new iOS 8 is having problems from internet connection to battery drain, so stay tuned for bug ixes, and maybe hold off the order for the phone.

In the end, the iPhone 6 is a great new phone, but you may want to wait for the update in the iOS, or just wait for the iPhone 6S. The iPhone 6 just has too many laws to be worth it.

“Minecraft,” an endless game fueled by imagination. People can do so much with this game, from survival mode, where players would fend for their life, build a house, mine ores, and keep their health bar up, to creative mode, where you have unlimited blocks and health, free to build whatever a heart desires.

I prefer the building part of the game, with the challenges of collecting the blocks to build the desired house, apartment building, store, city, and even countries.

The experience of chopping of wood, mining of cobblestone, the smelting of an ore, making a portal to a dreaded dimension called the nether, with boiling hot lava that kills almost everyone who sets foot in it, and makes an avatar too terri ied to even sleep, is one of a kind.

Building the house, brick by brick, is so satisfying once the house, or whatever was desired to create, is complete. Who wouldn’t want to build breathtaking creations that could make a person doubt that it was actually in the game?!

With these endless possibilities of creations and ginormous lands, “Minecraft“ is an amazing game for all ages that is well worth the price!

A&E

Ursus

Monday, October 20, 2014

ALL STAR Style

The shoe that’s taking over BMS

By Zarah Ahmad and Zachary Rosenberg STAFF WRITERS

Chuck Taylors made by Converse are becoming a very popular shoe among Westport teens.

The Simple, fun, retro design in a whole bunch of colors makes them cool.

The growing trend is a little bit strange since Converse was founded in 1908. It could be because Converse is a subsidiary to Nike, and has been since 2003. Either way, the shoe is growing, and fast.

If you look at girls in Bedford you will see that most of them have a pair or two. However, don’t make it weird by constantly looking at girls feet.

“They are colorful and fun, and overall great to look at,” said one Bedford student.

Is that why Bedford loves them?

Not only is it the girls who are jumping on the new “shoe” trend, but boys too.

Basketball shoes are the new rave for boys. There is talk on the buses on the way to school of spending hundreds of dollars on a pair of shoes that they are going to grow out of in a year.

And when they do grow out of them, they sell them. Not for $20 or $30 but for $100 to $200. Where boys are getting this money from only can boggle one’s mind.

But Converse shoes are another story. They range from $50 to $60 at the Converse store, but are even less at department stores. Where they range from $20 to $30. So it’s a lot more realistic to be buying these classics than a pair of sneakers that cost hundreds of dollars.

These classic canvas sneakers are bringing back the retro look and it is safe to say that they are taking ov verr o ur sschool. ch hoo ool. ool. over our

8th Graders in the Rondon pod show off their all star style.

Believe it or not Chuck Taylor was an actual person. He was an inspiring basketball player who ended up being the creator behind the best selling basketball show of all time.

11

Sports Monday, October 20, 2014

PAL

Wreckers shutout Darien Blue Wave Honor Heisler

Below, Wreckers celebrate in the endone after a great play, that ended in a touchdown.

STAFF WRITER

After a two game losing streak, The eighth grade PAL football team came back with a huge win against Darien on Oct. 7.

Last year the Wreckers lost to Darien by a landslide, so this game was expected to be like the last. This year was different, the Wreckers played hard in the first quarter, not letting Darien get a single touchdown.

The second quarter is when Westport started to take control of the

Westport Darien

P

22 0 Three Wreckers players take down the poor Darien player with the ball.-

game, great play after great play lead the team down the field towards the endzone. After their first touchdown was scored the spark led to the flame of touchdowns as the wreckers dominated the field. The Wreckers smoked the Darien Blue Wave, twenty-two to

zero.

“This was the turning point of our season,” said Jack Saltus the quarterback for the wreckers. Who hopes that this would be the starting point of a long streak of wins this season.

“The offensive line played great,

they’re the reason that we played as well as we did,” said fellow player Cole Brockwell. The team played great together, and showed a great example of teamwork as they passed, tackled, and punted the ball.

After the game a few Darien players

were overheard discussing how they should have won.

It seems like Darien underestimated the talent of the Wreckers.

Let this game be a reminder: never take an opponent lightly.

P

Peyton Manning continues to be a fantasy points grabber.

P

MCTC

Grif in Kass STAFF WRITER

What a week.

It was illed with busts, some new star players and some outstanding performances.

First, let me start by telling you about the star players and the busts of week 5.

Stars Man, did the Bronco’s Demarious Thomas show up this week, with 226 yards, eight receptions,and two touchdowns. He grabbed forty fantasy points and was the top leader of week 5.

My second star player of the week goes to Arian Foster with 157 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, ifteen receiving yards and two receptions. He grabbed thirty fantasy points. All I have to say to that is he was having one heck of a day.

The third star player of week 5 is none other than Peyton Manning. He was unstoppable with 479 passing yards, four touchdowns, but this is not the most surprising thing of football.

My fourth and inal player of week 5 is Eddie Lacy, coming out of his slump and getting 105 rushing yards, two rushing

New Pick To Checkout With the new star players we got Brandon Oliver, running back on the San Diego Chargers. He had a breakout performance against the Jets. Oliver’s stats we re off the charts, 114 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 38 receiving yards

.

Adam Danchak STAFF WRITER

and 5 receptions.

Well that’s the wrap up for week 5 . I will report back soon with more exciting stats, busts, star players, and most importantly, the breakout performances.

P

MCTC

.

Brady era over?

Last week’s fantasy showdown touchdowns, three receptions, and twenty receiving yards. Welcome back, Eddie Lacy.

Busts Now we go to the bad side of week 5, the busts.

First off was Michael Crabtree just getting two receptions and sixteen yards and two fantasy points. I guess just a bad week for Crabtree, because he has had great year so far.

Chris Johnson is my number two bust, only getting 24 rushing yards and a fumble which equals him to 0 fantasy points.

It is dif icult for Johnson though with Chris Ivory playing some magni icent football.

My last bust of week 5 is by far Larry Donnell who did not even get a reception or a yard after destroying the Redskins with three touchdowns. Now, that’s what you call inconsistency.

MCTC

.

Chris Johnson’s lack of fantasy points has some scratching their heads.

With a 3-2 record in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Tom Brady and Patriots team management have come under ire recently for poor play and poor team management. So the big question on everyones mind is, is the Tom Brady Era over?

Most signs point to the Tom Brady era being over because of a feud between Brady and the Patriots front ofice and a chance of missing the playoffs for the irst time in six seasons.

But, the real deal with Tom Brady’s poor play is the lack of playmakers around him. Tom Brady’s best playmaker in his receiver corps is wide receiver Rob Gronkowski, but the problem with Gronkowski is that he is in and out of the injury report. Brady’s next best weapon is Julian Edelman, but the problem with Edelman is that he was a college quarterback.

Who knows whether this will be the end of the great Brady Era, we will just have to keep watching how he plays in the next couple games. Most hope that this will not be the end, but Giants fans are eagerly watching as Tom Brady loses his touch. For now all we can do is watch and wait until the playoffs to know for sure.