Relive Monday's election speech highlights

Here's a very, very abbreviated version of Monday's speeches, focusing on some of the funnier moments. There's some amazing stuff that had to get cut, so if people are interested we can post some more, but YouTube holds you to 10 minutes.



Andrew Garcia--overrepresented much? Oh well. :)
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The Mysteries of Beaver: The History of Baba and Coco

MADDY KIEFER '08 and TOPH TUCKER '08

It may not really be the sort of mystery you're used to, since you've probably never heard of it or even seen any hint of it. But sixty years ago, the Beaver campus, in addition to students, had a small collection of animals! A storybook written by the fourth grade class (oh yeah, they also had an elementary school) in 1940 tells the tale of two of these animals: Baba the lamb and Coco the goat. Rescued from the archives, read the full story (with pictures!) after the break.

THE HISTORY of BABA AND COCO

Story by
Joan Adie
Dotty Beckwith
Isabel Closson
Nancy Eaton
Patsy Fahnestock
Barbara Hicks
Anne Hopkins
Edie Howes
Teedy LaCroix
Joan Olmsted
Isabelle Paine
Pegsy Tyler
Judy Wyatt
Nancy Fay Williams

Photographs by
Pegsy Tyler
Miss Lincoln
Miss Lundstedt
Miss Torrey
Dr. Williams

Manuscript Writing by
Miss Lincoln

To
Miss Voorhees
who loves animals,
especially
these two,
this book is dedicated.

---

THE HISTORY
of
BABA AND COCO

by CLASS FOUR
BEAVER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

MAY 1940

---

INTRODUCTION
This is a book about two unusual animals. You may have heard of Mary's little lamb who went to school, but did you ever hear of a goat and a lamb who went to school together? That is what Baba and Coco have done. Many times this year we have heard their feet come tap-tapping down the hall and into the classrooms. They have even been in plays.They are great friends although they are very different. Baba is calm and patient. He has quiet manners. Coco is just the opposite. He is frisky and mischievous and is likely to set a bad example for Baba. He is a smart little goat and he knows it very well too. He cannot bear to be last. He has even grabbed the first page in this book, even though it is mostly about Baba.

This is Coco. He looks like an ordinary goat, but he isn't. Once he went down the slide you see in the picture. When you run, he comes jumping after you. He has a tiny tail and when you spank him, he wags it

Here is Baba, our lamb. His wool was three inches thick, so Mr. Crory sheared him. But you will hear about the shearing somewhere else in the book. This is when he was not sheared. He is visiting the rabbits. Don't you think his wool looks thick?



Coco is feeling lively today. He knows it is meal-time and he is eager to get breakfast. We shut the log cabin door when we get his food so he won't gobble it all up. He gets very impatient when he is waiting and jumps up on the door. But the door is locked and he can't get in this time.

Baba knows we are putting his food in his pan inside the log cabin. He is trying to get the door open to get in to his food. But he isn't as frisky as Coco is. He waits patiently and does not jump for his breakfast. There is a pail of water outside the door, but Baba is not interested. He says, "Breakfast comes first."

Baba and Coco are eating their meal of grain. If you were to push Coco on his forehead he would make a funny little noise to show you that he did not wish to be disturbed during meal time. When Coco, the fast eater, finishes his meal he goes to Baba, the slow eater, and finishes eating out of Baba's dish.

This is the day that everybody has been waiting for, and that is to see Baba being sheared. Mr. Crory is shearing him. His legs are tied together so he will not kick. The children are watching from outside the fence. If you touch Baba's wool, it is very oily. It is yellow inside. Baba is being very good.

How would you like to help shear Baba? That is what we are doing in this picture. Everybody is going to have a turn. Nowadays our wool clothes are made in factories. Children do not often get the chance to cut the wool off the lamb and go through the whole process of making something useful out of it.

Coco was taken out for a little walk so that he wouldn't make Baba excited while he was being sheared. In this picture he has just come back and is wishing that Baba would come and play with him. Poor Baba is having a bad time of it, but he is almost finished.



Now the shearing is over and Baba is feeling a little embarrassed without his coat. He does not know what is going to happen to it.

If you could have seen Baba's wool when it was first cut off! It was dirty and greasy and full of straws and sticks. So we washed it and dried it and picked it over till it was clean. Then one sunny day we went out-of-doors and dyed it blue and red and yellow. Some of it we left white.

Before wool can be spun it has to be carded. The cards have little wires that comb the fibres so they all go one way. We are carding in this picture. Coco has come to see what it's all about.

Spinning is the most fun, even though it is hard. You give the spindle a twirl and that twists the thread. Sometimes it breaks, but you must not be discouraged. A little practice will make you a good spinner.

At last we have begun weaving. Back and forth, back and forth go our shuttles. The gay colors are growing on our looms. The cloth will soon be done.

Coco is inviting Baba to spend the summer with him at camp and Baba has accepted his invitation. Do you think they will be glad to come back to school next fall? We hope they will be able to go into the fifth grade.

We want to say thank you to Madame Lannoye for helping us about spinning.
We also got ideas about spindles from
The Weaver's Craft - Simpson

Thanks to Ms. Boylan for finding and scanning the storybook

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Where are they now? - Mr. Lenci

TOPH TUCKER '08

Kent Lenci taught 6th Grade Humanities and 7th Grade History at Beaver for several years, in addition to briefly serving as Middle School Dean. He may have left four years ago, but his legacy lives on...

Mr. Lenci sends along this message:

"Anna Soybel's ceramic pig adorns my window sill at school (yes, I know that she, too, has moved on from the Beav), and Frankie Orangecapris (the attractive, orange rat) hangs from my bulletin board (I believe he was named by the [class of '07]). I teach seventh grade history and head the social studies department at Brookwood, which is a coed, pre-K through 8 school in Manchester, MA. To most in the Beaver community, it is old news that Jessica Stillman and I were married in July of 2006; to some it may not be.

"I think of you all often! Best wishes to the whole crowd."

As for anyone wondering about the whereabouts of everyone's favorite class bird, he says, "I fabricate my own enticing birdseed, which has lured Wheedle from whence he once perched outside my former classroom."

Don't worry, I bet he still visits now and then. :) Many thanks to Mr. Lenci for the update!
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Beaver planning to beef up Internet connection

TOPH TUCKER ‘08

It’s a common complaint: the computers at school are just too slow. Sometimes it may be an issue with the computer itself, although the school is constantly upgrading the machines. More often than not, though, what students are noticing is that the connection to the internet is slow.

Anyone fortunate enough to have been on one of the computers when the school is mostly deserted will have noticed that when you get it all to yourself, the connection is great. The issue is so many students doing so many bandwidth-intensive things at once.

In a couple months, Beaver plans to remedy that with a new connection 30 times as fast as our current one. While you aren’t likely to get much use out of it this year, we thought we’d give students a look at what’s to come. We spoke with Pat Ausman, Director of Technology, about the changes.

What is our current internet connection?
We currently have a T1 connection. It was installed 7 years ago. (Ed. note: hey, that’s when I came to Beaver! –Toph) It has a speed of 1.5 MB/sec. Some would equate this to the speed of what you have with a cable modem at home. It really is better than that because we have the full 1.5 MB/sec reserved while at home you share your cable speed with others on the same node.

What are we upgrading to?
We are going to install a T3 connection. It is rated at 44 MB/sec. We are also upgrading the main router and firewall networking boxes to make sure they can handle the additional potential load.

Why are we doing this?
At certain times of the day we are using 100 percent of our bandwidth. Last year at the same time we were using about 80 percent at peak times. With the explosive growth of video available on the web we needed to be able to better support our BCDS business processes that use outside database resources and provide more robust access to all types of web products for use in the classroom. We looked into various solutions, such as just getting an additional T1, but decided that a T3 connection would give us over 30 times the bandwidth for about 3 times the cost of what we spend now. We wanted more than just a one year solution.

When will it happen?
The physical connection of a T3 connection is different than a T1 so a new router has been ordered. The order for the line has been placed. Sixty days is not unusual for installation, though you can never tell. “The last mile”—which is the connection between our building and our service provider's nearest point of presence—is only handled by the local phone company, not our service provider. This tends to be the most unpredictable factor in determining the timeline. Also, there will be some delay once all the pieces are here and installed to allow the switchover to occur in a non-critical time. (Ed. note: that probably means “not before summer break.”)

Should students be able to see a noticeable improvement?
Yes.

------

Thanks to Ms. Ausman and the Tech Department for keeping things running smoothly, and for keeping us in the loop.

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Missing tennis courts found at 44° N, 69° W, altitude of 248 ft.

TOPH TUCKER ‘08

After reporting on the mysterious disappearance of the Beaver tennis courts last September, we are happy to announce that Beaver Reader investigators may have located three of the four courts in a lonely neck of the woods eighteen miles north of Augusta, Maine. (For satellite imagery of the courts-in-hiding, click here.)

The courts’ motive remains unclear. Witnesses deny that the courts ever expressed any discontent or displeasure with Beaver, although at least one close friend admitted that certain portions of the courts were “depressed… and thus prone to poor drainage.” The courts are thought to be working in concert with a green backboard, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

It is also our sad duty to report that the fourth court may have suffered a fate too terrible to comprehend. It was last seen struggling to cross the Piscataqua River Bridge by stunned commuters on I-95. “The current there is pretty strong, and tennis courts aren’t known for their ability to swim,” stated one investigator, who asked to remain anonymous.

If anyone has any information regarding the disappearance or whereabouts of the courts or their associates, please contact The Beaver Reader at our Missing Courts Hotline: 1-888-548-0034.
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Oh FirstClass (with FirstClass tips & tricks)

TOPH TUCKER ‘08

I, like many students, have a love-hate relationship with FirstClass. During the final stretches of the Junior History paper last year, I think quite a few of us became painfully aware that it goes down from 2:00 AM to around 3:15 AM for backups. Web access is frequently unreliable, and has a nasty habit of logging you off after even the briefest spurt of inactivity—without notifying you or saving your message-in-progress. (I’ve heard it said that “FirstClass is down” is the new “My printer broke” is the new “My dog ate my homework.”)

Even when, technically speaking, it works fine, there are issues. Take, for instance, the trichotomy of Middle School News, Upper School News, and Student News. Theoretically, all-school announcements should go in Student News, Middle School-only announcements should go in Middle School News, and Upper School-only announcements should go in Upper School News. But in practice, there are very few announcements that are that specific. Usually, items just get posted everywhere they can, which results in a tremendous amount of redundancy.

A few different types of item get into these news conferences. There are, of course, the news items. There are the uploaded documents, like the Senior Yearbook Pages instruction document (which is really just for seniors) or the Support Our Troops document. But most items pertain to Lost and Found.

A few years ago, Vivek Pai ’08 designed a dedicated Lost and Found web site (akin to his Library web site) which introduced an organized and logical system for tracking those ubiquitous wayward personal possessions. Unfortunately, it was never really adopted. Other efforts have sprung up, too, ranging from fashion shows to placement in last year’s winter play. Yet the FirstClass news conferences and (to some extent) the daily meetings continue to bear the brunt of the burden.

Occasionally debates spring up. For instance, is it acceptable to campaign for class officer in Student News? A couple months ago, a lengthy discussion of the merits of various superheroes took over Student News for several days. It makes me wonder whether there should be a conference just for discussion—where better to debate school policy than on the email system that most people check regularly?

Part of the purpose of this newspaper is to provide a home for that kind of discussion. But thus far, there hasn’t been too much debate in the comments. Is it because our readership is too small? Or because our readers are hesitant to comment? Or both?

In any case, FirstClass is a huge part of our school, yet one that it not always well-understood. To help you make the most of it, we’ve compiled a list of useful tips and tricks.

Toph’s Terrific Tech Tips
dedicated to Alex Firer, who never forgave me for abandoning "Toph's Terrific Tech Tips" after just one presentation in 6th grade...

1. Want to download the FirstClass client at home? Good idea—it’s much better and works more often. Setting it up is simple:
   
   a. There are several versions each available for Windows, Mac, or Linux, and in 12 different languages. Their web site forces you to deal with a big messy table, but we’ll make it simple: Windows English or Mac OSX English. If you need something else, go here.
   
   b. Install the software and open it up. In the upper right corner of the login window, click “Setup.” Enter fc.bcdschool.org next to “Server:”, which is about halfway down the page. Click Save.
   
   c. Login in just like you would at school. You should be all set!
   



2. Stuck using it in a browser? That’s fine. A few tips:
   
   a. The site is http://fc.bcdschool.org/login (in case you forget)
   
   b. It has a tendency to log you out while you’re writing a message without telling you. So when you try to send it, it’ll tell you you’ve been logged out, and your message will be lost. Just in case, get in the habit of copying the text of your message before sending it. (On Windows, with the cursor in the message box, Ctrl-A followed by Ctrl-C should do it. Ctrl-V pastes your message back in if you lose it.)
   



3. Out of storage? At a certain point you’ll need to delete some messages to send new ones. If it still won’t let you send anything, try logging out and then back in.
   



4. FirstClass only saves messages for one year. You can keep a message for longer by right-clicking it, clicking Properties, and setting the Expiry Period to “Never.” (Pretty soon, though, you’ll start bumping up against that storage limit.)
   



5. FirstClass goes down for server maintenance every night between 2:00 and 3:15 AM. Keep that in mind when you’re putting the finishing touches on your History paper at 1:45 AM.
   



6. Did you just accidentally send a message without attaching something? Did your message have an unfortunate misspelling? Click “Unsend” on the toolbar. It’ll only work when sending messages to other school accounts, but it can be a life-saver.
   



7. FirstClass stalking: click the “History” button on the toolbar to see who has read your emails.
   



8. FirstClass’ quirks, small storage limit, and downtime mean that your messages aren’t particularly safe. But you can set it up to automatically forward everything you get to another email address. You won’t be able to reply to the sender, and you won’t have access to some message info (e.g. time sent, time received, time read), but it’s a lot better than nothing. My FirstClass account forwards everything to my Gmail account, so I can delete big 10MB emails on FirstClass but still have them on Gmail, and I can read my emails even when FirstClass is down. To set this up…
   
   a. In the program: on the Desktop, go to Edit (at the top menu bar) and click Preferences. In the Messaging tab, under “Automatically forward,” type your email address in the “Forward to:” box. Select “Yes” in the drop-down boxes for Local Mail, Internet Mail, and Voice/Fax Mail. Where it says “Method,” make sure it says “Forward.” (Do NOT set it to redirect, or else it won’t show up in your FirstClass mailbox.) Click the OK button in the bottom-right.
   
   b. On the web site: on the Desktop, click Preferences on the left. Scroll down to messaging. Under “Automatically forward,” type your email address in the “Forward to:” box. Select “Yes” in the drop-down boxes for Local Mail, Internet Mail, and Voice/Fax Mail. Where it says “Method,” make sure it says “Forward.” (Do NOT set it to redirect, or else it won’t show up in your FirstClass mailbox.) Scroll all the way down and click the Save button.
   



9. You can customize your FirstClass appearance, both the program and the web version. Play around with the different options—you’ll have to log out and back in to see the changes.
   
   a. To change the appearance of the program, go to Edit (on the menu at the top), Preferences, and then the Viewing tab. Look at the drop-down options next to “Client interface.” “FirstClass Explore,” for instance, lets you keep everything—desktop menu, mailbox, and the message you’re currently reading—in a single window. (You can change other aspects of the appearance under the General tab.)
   
   b. To change the appearance of the web version, again go to Edit, Preferences, and then the Web tab. There are a couple of interesting options in the dropdown menu next to “Web client interface.” For instance, “Mobile Device” gives a simplified interface optimized for viewing on, say, an iPhone or another cell phone.

Have any other good tips? Any questions? Any thoughts on FirstClass, on the purpose of the news conferences, or anything else? We welcome your comments.

UPDATE: An anonymous commenter pointed out another fantastic feature of FirstClass--chat. There are a few different ways to start one, but the simplest might be clicking "Who's Online" on the desktop toolbar and clicking Instant Message on the toolbar. (There's also a dedicated Chat button right in the main window, but I think it moves around depending on which version you have.) From there you can invite people with the button in the lower right.

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Spotlight: The Water Fountain Roundup

TOPH TUCKER '08

Not all Beaver water fountains are created equal. In fact, they used to be downright erratic. Many of you must remember that before this year, the water fountain in the library was incredibly overpowered and super-sensitive. The fountain by the preschool used to be dismal. Ah, but remember the old one by Sawtell Gym? (I reckon very few of you do.) I was always a fan of that one, although I seem to remember a bit of controversy about that.

Since then, the fountains have become markedly more consistent. Here's my roundup. Frankly, there's not a lot to say. The water quality generally seems identical. But I include the peak stream height (measured from the point it leaves the faucet), accessibility information (according to the Americans with Disabilities Act), and some other interesting information. Most of you will know all this by now, but it's critically important information for newer students.

Miscellaneous Trivia

All fountains are manufactured by Halsey Taylor, "Satisfying thirsts since 1912"--a mere 8 years before Beaver was founded!

These are all technically water coolers, not water fountains, because they do refrigerate the water. They are all intended to provide water at 50° F.

The brand name of the water fountain/cooler by the cafeteria is "Voyager." Ironically, a painting entitled "The Voyager" hangs over the library fountain.

1st Floor, Arts Building [double set]:

OVL-II-SER-Q; meets legal accessibility requirements

Peak stream height: 8 cm (tall one) / 10 cm (short one); somewhat disappointing water; note that they cannot both run simultaneously, but instead are reduced to a slow trickle.

1st Floor, by the "cafeteria-style dining hall":

HTV8Q 1; meets legal accessibility requirements

Peak stream height: 8 cm; nice and cold and quite satisfying, but the whole unit is awfully low; buttons are easiest to press, but also easy to accidentally bump into.

1st Floor, by the preschool [double set]:

HAC8FSCBL0; meets legal accessibility requirements

Peak stream height: 10 cm; pretty good water; unlike the OVL series, both can function simultaneously without interruption.

2nd Floor, Arts Building [double set]:

OVL-II-SER-Q; meets legal accessibility requirements

Peak stream height: 7 cm (both); essentially identical to set on 1st floor, except for stream height; again, they can't run simultaneously.

2nd Floor, Middle School Wing:

S500-5D-1* (*best guess); does not meet legal accessibility requirements

Peak stream height: 7 cm; all around, pretty average; an old favorite of mine from my middle school days; thumb-push button is not as easy as, say, the HTV Series; height can be an advantage for some and a disadvantage to others.

2nd Floor, Upper School Wing:

S500-5D-1; does not meet legal accessibility requirements

Peak stream height: 7-8 cm; all around average; sister fountain to the Middle School Wing one. It lacks the small stool that the Middle School fountain features.

Library ("The Voyager")

WM8AQ_1Q* (*best guess); does not meet legal accessibility requirements

Peak stream height: 9-10 cm, impressive but still a serious downgrade from last year; aside from height, the water is downright delicious; likely the best water fountain in the whole school; height of the unit is especially nice; button action is superb.

Outside the Library

WM8AQ_1Q; does not meet legal accessibility requirements

Peak stream height: 7 cm; sister fountain to The Voyager, but not nearly as good; still, a major improvement over past years, when getting more than a trickle out of it was nearly impossible

Language Wing / S5 [double set]

HACBL-A L/R; meets legal accessibility requirements

Peak stream height: 10 cm (both); can run simultaneously; sister fountains to the preschool pair

Conclusions

"The Voyager," in the library, is the one clear standout in the crowd. Others are satisfying; some are disappointing.

Average quality has improved dramatically over the past few years. Of course, accessibility remains an issue, and quality could easily lapse again. I hereby call for a survey of the school's water fountains every four years, in order to ensure that future generations can enjoy the same consistent water supply that we do today.

Personally? I recommend we get a few of Halsey Taylor's Explosion Proof Coolers. You know, just in case.

P.S. I realize that I am missing the water fountains in the gyms. This is just for the main building, but don't worry, that's coming soon!

Update 6/Dec/07: corrected a couple things pointed out by Nick and Mr. Manning. (Unfortunately, the "cafeteria" language in the poll is already set in stone.)

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Alumni Watch: Matt Selman, Simpsons writer & producer, has a few choice words for Rockstar

TOPH TUCKER

Those of you who were at Beaver during the last Red Sox World Series victory may remember Matt Selman. A writer for The Simpsons, he remains one of the most legendary speakers in recent memory.

With the videogame The Simpsons Game nearing release, certain parties have enthusiastically objected to some of the game’s satirical content. Specifically, Rockstar, the makers of Grand Theft Auto, asked the creators to remove a parody called “Grand Theft Scratchy: Blood Island.” Or, as Mr. Selman puts it, “they spazzed out like little babies.”

Further reading:
Simpsons Producer and Writer Matt Selman ’89 Visits BCDS
Joystiq: Simpsons writers say Rockstar ‘spazzed’ over GTA spoof [with video]
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Clubs Kick off With a Bang

TOPH TUCKER

The 2007-2008 school clubs have begun to meet, with Block A clubs (including such perennial favorites as Yearbook, Ping Pong, and Dodgeball) meeting last September 28 and Block B clubs (like the Science Club and the Young Republicans Club) meeting this past Friday, October 5.

In the case of the Science Club, the year literally kicked off with a bang--or rather, nine or so of them. Dry ice was used to blow up soda bottles, and Mr. Clippinger brought back the long-retired potato gun.


Video: BSEC: First Meeting (Third Year)
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New playground a step in the wrong direction?

TOPH TUCKER

Late last year, as horrified Spanish students looked on, the long-standing Beaver playground was viciously demolished. Now, returning students have been surprised by a brand-new playgrond. Anonymous sources say it wasn't free, yet some students question whether it's a step in the right direction.

"I think it's sort of terrible," says Toph Tucker. "It's as colorful as the Arts Building, Athletic Center and now the Middle School Wing, but that doesn't make it better. It's too small, for one thing. And also, it's dangerous. I think Dan Woo nearly blacked out on that weird spinning bowl-seat the other day. And that circular treadmill of doom? That's a skull fracture waiting to happen."

Worst of all, Toph regrets the way in which the old playground's life unceremoniously ended. "No announcement, no warning, no nothing. No epitaph! Is nothing holy?"



Top image: aerial view of old playground, from Virtual Earth
Bottom image: panorama of new playground by Toph Tucker
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