by Mary Macary

Whether you live in Maine or you’re just visiting, one way to enrich yourself with art, culture, history, and new experiences is to visit some of the excellent museums of Maine. 

1. Portland Museum of Art

With a rich history of over 140 years, the Portland Museum of Art (PMA) is one of the oldest museums in the United States. This magnificent museum has permanent historical pieces inside, but it is also the host of exhibits and collections that come and go, guaranteeing that you’ll see something new and exciting with every visit. This museum is family-friendly, with Family Days that offer opportunities for kids to experience and experiment with art-making and films. The hands-on interaction doesn’t stop with Family Day though, because PMA also has workshop days to help guide visitors through unique spaces and allow them to participate through hands-on activities or prompts to immerse themselves into the experience. For a wide variety of art from both artists of the past and artists of today, and for immersive interactions with opportunities to meet some of the artists showcased in the museum, if you have any interest in art, Portland Museum of Art is the place for you and your family. 

2. Maine Maritime Museum

As a history museum that offers specialized interest in Maine and the sea, the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, Maine is an excellent place for people interested in history and the maritime environments of Maine. This museum offers glimpses of the past with exhibits showcasing historical artifacts such as the contents of their historic boat collection. Not only does it have historical offers, but it also allows marine biologists to showcase replicas and discoveries of things in Maine’s very oceans. For maritime enthusiasts and history lovers, Maine Maritime Museum is a pot of gold waiting to be discovered. 

3. Farnsworth Art Museum

If you’re looking for a more culturally relevant and diverse museum, Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine is hard to overlook. With lots of diversity and inclusion, the museum offers a broad look at Maine’s art and culture, showing who the people of Maine truly are. Along with ever-changing exhibits, this museum also has permanent exhibits from many influential artists such as sculptor Louise Nevelson, painter Gilbert Stewart, and impressionist painter Childe Hassam. When it comes to Maine’s historical and modern influences in America, the Farnsworth Art Museum has it all. 

by Schuyler Hunt

Every year on April 1st, April Fools’ Day is celebrated. April Fools has been linked back to as far back as the 1500s. The origin of April Fools has not exactly been discovered; however, there are a few different theories on where this holiday originated. Some have suggested that April Fools comes from the early 1500s when the calendars were changed from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar starting in France. “In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1,” (Zapata C.). So from this, it is believed that there were many people who were late to receive the news of the calendar change and continued to celebrate the new year, which became a joke that later led to the holiday of April Fools. Another origin that some believe April Fools came from was an old festival celebrated in Ancient Rome called Hilaria because of April Fools’ similarity to it. Followers of the cult Cybele celebrated this by “dressing up in disguises and mocking fellow citizens and even magistrates,” (Zapata C.). There is another theory of where April Foold came from, people have linked the vernal equinox. People believed that Mother Nature was playing tricks due to weather changes. Although the origin of April Fools is not truly known it is a fun joke-filled holiday that many people have fun with each other.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2008, July 14). Revolution Day (Egypt) | Holiday, celebration, & history. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Revolution-Day

Zapata, C. (2024c, March 18). April Fools’ Day: Origins, Meaning & Hoaxes | HISTORY. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/april-fools-day

by Schuyler Hunt

Easter will be recognized on Sunday, March 31st this year. It is a Christian-based holiday that symbolizes Jesus Christ’s resurrection and is celebrated by many Christians worldwide. “Easter is a Christian festival and properly begins on Ash Wednesday and has the 40 days of Lent (a time of fasting or giving up something for many) leading up to Holy Week, for Easter is a whole week-long festival in many churches across the world,” (Team, A. E).

According to the Bible, it is said that Christ died on the cross on a day called Good Friday, and then he was buried for the next three days. After this, Christ is said to be resurrected, on the day we call Easter. Easter has been associated with bunnies as well as eggs, which some people might view as an odd combination. The reason that bunnies and eggs are the biggest symbol of Easter is because of what they both mean. They both symbolize, fertility, rebirth, and new life.

From other’s perspectives, these two are the symbols of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. The eggs more specifically have been painted red to symbolize his blood and Christ’s empty tomb. Eggs were also a part of the Lent as they were one of the foods given up. 

For those of you who may celebrate this holiday, Happy Easter.

Team, A. E. (2023, April 6). So why do we celebrate Easter? And what is it with the eggs and bunnies? | The Inclusive University blog. https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/equality-and-diversity/so-why-do-we-celebrate-easter-and-what-is-it-with-the-eggs-and-bunnies/#:~:text=Easter%20is%20an%20important%20Christian,to%20life%20on%20Easter%20Sunday.

by Mary Macary

In a Choices Matter Campaign on March 19th, 2024, author and public speaker Chris Sandy visited our High School. He told his story, revealing that he had driven drunk and killed two people. For this, he was sent to prison for eight years, and he is still on parole for what he did to this day. Sandy, in great detail, told his story, shared his regrets, and brought reality to the distracted driving accidents we all hear about from his unique perspective. He described his time in prison and discussed the ways in which he did, and continues to, atone for what he had done, such as being part of the Enduring Regret film, befriending a victim of a distracted driving accident, and trying to be the best person he can be. Despite all this, he acknowledges that he can never be simply forgiven. Sandy’s presentation was powerful, impacting students and teachers alike to reflect on their mindsets and to be more aware than ever of just how dangerous distracted driving can be. 

While Sandy focused on his own personal experience of alcohol-induced distracted driving, the message extends to distracted driving as a whole. When you are not focused on driving, people can get hurt. One way he really honed in on his point was by emphasizing that the party he was driving to when he caused the accident was just down the road from his previous location. It was a road he was familiar with, a road he drove on with confidence. Many of us can relate to the familiarity of certain roads, the type of road that you grew up on, one where you feel invincible. But you are never invincible, as proven by Sandy. Careless driving can cause severe harm even if it’s somewhere you know or if you’ve driven on the road a hundred times, or even if you’re just driving down the road. Sandy enlightened us to his past experiences in order to prevent us from making the same mistakes that he did.

by Mary Macary

It’s March, which means it is Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month. MS is an unpredictable autoimmune disease that is detrimental to those who have it. It affects the central nervous system and affects everyone who has it in differing intensities. MS gets progressively worse over time though. Currently, the cause of it is unknown, but researchers have observed that it is about three times more likely to occur in females than males, and a total of about 2.8 million people have it globally. MS can be incredibly painful to those who have it because their immune systems are attacking themselves. The range of potential symptoms and complications include, but are not limited to, fatigue, paralysis, loss of vision, depression, and even death. 

Not only can MS directly affect those who have it, but it can indirectly affect the loved ones of people who have it. MS can make it difficult for an individual to function properly physically, mentally, and emotionally, depending on the person. This can cause a strain in families, causing potential psychological distress. 

Thankfully, in the last decade, there have been impressive advancements in MS research, therapies, and medications. While it is still currently incurable, MS can be slowed. People with MS have been showing an increase in expected life spans within the last decade of up to 7 years on average, meaning the average life expectancy has gone from 75 years to around 82 (Gower). Awareness of MS has led to donations that have made it possible for scientists to gain funding for research, for MS patients to get help paying for treatment, and for many opportunities to facilitate education on the disease.

Works Cited

Gower, Timothy, and Brunilda Nazario. “MS: How Does It Affect Your Life Expectancy?” 

WebMD, WebMD, 14 Jan. 2021, www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/features/ms-life -expectancy.

Works Referenced

“Multiple Sclerosis (MS).” Johns Hopkins Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, The Johns 

Hopkins Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Health System, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/multiple-sclerosis-ms. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024. 

“Research News & Progress.” National Multiple Sclerosis Society, The National Multiple 

Sclerosis Society, 27 Feb. 2024, www.nationalmssociety.org/Research/Research-News-Progress. 

by Orion Hudson

Today I spoke to Mrs. Perkins in the Counseling Office about a program called Y.A.N.A. which is something I’ve never heard about until not long ago. I interviewed Ms. Perkins to learn more about Y.A.N.A., so that if it is something of interest to you, you can attend.

Me: What is Y.A.N.A?

Mrs. Perkins: It is a therapeutic group anyone is welcome too. It’s a drop-in group which means you don’t have to come in consistently, which means you can come in whenever you want. It’s a confidential space where students can talk with their peers for support as well as myself.

Me: Who is Y.A.N.A. for?

Mrs. Perkins: It’s for anyone who is interested in sharing their emotional perspective and connecting with other people who have similar experiences or not.

Me: How widespread is Y.A.N.A.?

Mrs. Perkins: Currently, it’s not that widespread. I have a handful of students currently, but I’d love to see it more widespread and accepted into our normal activity in our school.

Me: Are there any plans for Y.A.N.A in the future?

Mrs. Perkins: I would love to if there is interest in it. I’d like to turn it into a mental health club in the school, but I need more helpfulness and more participation.