By Ava DeSimone
When I walked into school on last Monday, I immediately thought to myself, “I need to put my mask on."

That thought had become such a habit: putting my mask on before walking into school. At first it was unusual to say the least when seeing most students' faces. But it has proven easy to get used to, and even though it was characterized as a big change in the school systems, it seemed less of a change than I thought.

The mask mandate was lifted last week in many schools, including Mashpee Middle High School, which is something many of us thought we wouldn’t see for a while. Other than not wearing masks, there have been other changes with it, including going back to lunch tables and being able to sit right next to each other. While this is a very exciting thing for many, others may not be as excited, including individuals who are very worried about the pandemic and younger students who have only been at the school with masks on and that is all they know at MMHS. 

There is still the option for students to keep a mask on if they are uncomfortable, or even for other personal reasons. 

By Sadie Biehl
For a lot of students, school has never felt the same way it did when they left in March of 2020. Now, things are finally starting to change, with notable progress being identified from this time last year to now. The Mashpee School Committee just voted to end the mask mandate in all schools starting when students return from school break. This is a major change that has attracted the attention of the community, while there are still many other signs of the light at the end of the tunnel.

On Tuesday, February 15, multiple music groups from Mashpee Middle High school performed live for the first time in twenty-five months. The middle school band, high school band, high school strings, and jazz band all performed. An unlimited number of family members and friends were allowed to attend and support the musicians. There has not been an opportunity for students to show off their skills for the community in such a long time, so it was a fantastic sight to see. 

By Ben Kennedy
A new program at Mashpee has allowed seniors to earn money while making a difference in the lives of future high schoolers.

With the addition of a directed study into all MMHS students’ schedules, a select group of seniors were offered the chance to participate in a new tutoring program where they were paired with middle school students to provide them academic, social, and emotional support.

While this program has certainly been beneficial for the middle schoolers and seniors taking part, the state and education system as a whole is reaping the benefits as well. These students are getting to experience some of the highs and lows of being a teacher, in hopes of preparing them for an occupation in the educational field.

By David Kelley
​Creative writing is a subject that can be fun for some kids, and is also very helpful for learning. While we do have a creative writing class at this school, I also think that we should think about having an after-school club for the subject, for several reasons.

First, I am going to list some reasons that creative writing has been found to be good for kids. Among other things, an article from the University of Sydney said that it has been found to improve the writing quality of children's writing, which is something that almost everyone can use.

By Conor Baron
Mashpee High School is constantly trying to allow a plethora of options to both its current students and those coming in. The school and the administration within has really shown their care for innovation and exploration of many different fields throughout the departments. Over the past few years opportunities within the Career and Technical Education (CTE) department have skyrocketed. I have taken many classes in the CTE department. I’ve been in classes from digital art to my favorite class, Drafting and Communications, which has allowed me to find the career I am pursuing. 

The new developments within the CTE department has led to even a new expansion. This past year there has been a brand new classroom being worked on to help train students in the ways of the medical field. This class will allow any students with an interest in the medical field to gain a realistic and hands-on experience learning many different skills. It has all sorts of simulations,  from learning how to take blood to experience and learn EMT work, that will really help give experience and perspective to the students who take this class.

By Paul Menke
​Controversy has surrounded itself around CollegeBoard yet again after the organization recently imposed a $40 fee for any late submitted Advanced Placement exams. There is already a charge of $94 per A.P. exam for students inside the United States, and fee waivers do not even cover half of the cost of the exam. This can be especially detrimental to poorer students that schedule to take multiple A.P. exams. Does it really pay to be smart?

The costs do not end here, however. CollegeBoard has now adopted other miscellaneous paths for increased revenue. Now, if a student does not submit full payment for the A.P. exam(s) by the November 15 deadline, the payer is slapped with an additional $40 late fee. There are not even circumstantial exceptions to the fee, even if the student or their family is unable to receive the necessary funds due to their financial situation.

By Emmy Gorman

Let’s face it. We’re teenagers in the 21st century. We grew up with cell phones and fancy gadgets, and we enjoy the sweet freedom we get with our technology at school. But at times, can it be too much freedom?

So far, the only things the school has done to control technology use is blocked Instagram from the school WiFi, placed the phone pockets in every classroom (which are not used in most), and hosted an assembly about limiting technology use in the home.

By Emmy Gorman
​Do you like being on stage? Do you want to make friends and memories that’ll last a lifetime? If the answer to either of those questions is yes, than the BFTC, or Blue Falcon Theater Company, is for you! But wait, what if you don’t like being in the spotlight? Don’t worry, there are plenty of places for you backstage, such as being on the stage crew. However, in my personal opinion, being a “theater kid” is possibly the best thing you can do for yourself in your school career. 

As an ensemble member in both last year’s spring musical and this year’s fall play, not only did I enjoy my experience, I learned a lot about what it takes to put on a great production. Some of the unsung heroes of a great production include the lighting and sound crew, the stage crew, the set designers, the prop creators, the costume designers, and certainly the ensemble. To quote Melissa Hallett, director of last year’s spring musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, she wrote in the program, “These students have to work the hardest because there isn’t anything written for them in the script. We truly had to make this stuff up! And in my opinion, they do a fabulous job.” 

By Peyton Dauley
Last Thursday, students entered the library to find exactly the opposite of what they’re used to: handshakes, interviewing, and frantic last-minute resume-printing. If these students were not seniors, they may have been confused as to why their couch was occupied by a local business owner. But seniors were, quite literally, on the job. 

As a part of the senior curriculum, 12th graders were required to participate in two mock interviews. They were graded based on performance and had a week to prepare their responses and attire--even required to take online courses regarding how to interview and what preparation should look like.