The story
BHS has a massive sports culture. So, we sat down with academic club advisors and the athletic director.
Tell me more, tell me more
All of our interviewees agreed with our assessment of BHS culture. While all of the club advisors agreed sports were important, they all said that they weren’t everything－there should be a balance. With 350-400 kids participating per a season (with obvious overlap), it’s safe to say over half of the high school participates in athletics.
Is there a balance?
Supposedly. The school does not outright favor sports over academic clubs, even if the budget tells a different story. However, there are different aspects of playing a sport that may be considered privileges: news coverage, student support, the attendance policy, and the athletic director.
Soo…these “privileges”
BCTV films the popular sports, and the Union Leader also covers them pretty heavily. We too are guilty of focusing heavily on sports. Football, basketball, and hockey have packed student stands at games. Are these actual privileges? No. Not like the traditional “Bedford privileges.” But, these things at least give the illusion that sports are held in higher regard than clubs.
What about attendance?
The attendance policy is the closest one to being a so-called “privilege.” Generally, sports come first, whether it’s intentional or not. Mr. Parker stressed that a student can participate in both a sport and a more demanding academic club as long as they communicate with the coach. And while that may be the case, we are calling BS. Although it is ultimately up to the student to decide what they want to do, they can be penalized for missing sports－sitting the next game, not playing as much, etc. Every academic club advisor we talked to said that they have lost kids for conferences and meetings due to conflicting sports schedules.
And Mr. Parker?
Yes, it’s a weird one. But bear with us! It seems like a privilege that athletics have someone “looking out for them.” Parker told us that he’s working to get more people interested in the less popular sports like swim and field hockey. For the clubs, it’s all up to them to get people to care. On top of that, he is also looking out for all athletes. When athletes’ grades are falling, he emails them, to, let’s say, light a fire under their butts. While he might be a real pain for students, non athletes don’t have a fairy godmother.
What about the budget?
In the proposed 2020 budget, $340,097 of BHS’ operating budget would be spent on sports. Care to guess how much clubs get? $56,940. It’s entirely possible that sports need more money (equipment, transportation, coaching positions, officials). And, to be fair, there are some extra costs that some teams pay that can mount up, and all of the teams participate in the booster club’s calendar fundraiser. But, all of their essential costs are covered by the SAU.
Can the same be said for clubs?
The district does provide money for clubs, and all of the advisors said that it was sufficient. However, the money allocated for clubs does not cover all of their costs. They have to fundraise to cover the difference. And, even after that fundraising, there are frequently still costs that need to be paid by the student to participate. Yes, we’re sure that these costs are substantial, which is why the SAU does not completely cover them. One of the DECA competitions costs between $1000 to $1200 per student to go, and that’s after the fundraising and SAU’s help.
Doesn’t seem right…
Just a ‘lil. And, on top of that, athletics has a booster club to help out with costs. The only other booster club looks out for the music program. So, is the booster club actually a big deal? Uh, hell yeah. They cover roses for senior nights, plaques for any teams that win their season, and, teams can ask for money, like paying for an away tournament. Hmmm. Must be nice.
The Runaway
The atmosphere is really fueling the belief that sports are held in a higher regard than academic clubs, not the school. But hey, it’s only natural that students want to go to a football game over a Model UN conference.
What to say…
When you’re ready for the early spring…
We have one more season to go: playoff season. We know! The groundhog didn’t see its shadow－the sun was behind a cloud during those five minutes. But in Bedford, spring starts in mid March after boys hockey wins the championship. Both swim and gymnastics finished their seasons last weekend. Both boys and girls swim took home a third place, with two second place finishes by Colin Allen and two third place finishes by Alex Tjie for the boys. For the girls, Megan Leyden had two first place finishes and Sydney Leyden took home a first and second place. We think it’s safe to say that swimming runs deep in that family. But, get this－diving took home first place. Alex Beekman carried the diving team. #ifyouknowyouknow. In gymnastics, the girls took home second place, breaking into the top two for the first time ever! #Proudtears. Tara McGadden kicked ass, winning the all-around, with first place in beam, and third place in both the floor and the vaults. We will miss her next year, and hopefully find a replacement.
When you feel pretty cocky about all of these sports feats…
Aren’t we just so amazing? And, on top of our third and second place finishes for swimming and gymnastics, Niche has once again ranked us as the third best public high school in New Hampshire. We’re only a little salty because Hanover is ranked at number one. Really? Hanover? Like last year, we got a C+ in diversity, and many negative reviews due to the school’s lack of diversity. And yes, Bedford may be predominantly white and wealthy, but we’re just a tad confused on how that’s the school’s fault. Maybe the upcoming workforce housing will help with economic diversity, but there’s not much else that the town can do. 96 percent of the state is white, and 3.29 percent of the 4 percent minority population lives in Manchester and Nashua. They’re the only schools with As in the diversity category. It’s important, but it’s unfixable. So, deal.
When you feel like you’re destined for fame…
Gotta start somewhere. The Granite State Challenge, a high school trivia competition, has a new host: Mr. Cannon, our IB coordinator. Move over, Seth Meyers－we have a new Bedford star.
Things to Know
G-O B-U-L-L-D-O-G-S
It’s spirit week! Today: ‘Merica day. Not America day. There’s a big difference. Tomorrow: tropical day. Wednesday: decade day (F: 60s, So: 70s, J: 80s, Sr: 90s). Sophomores definitely won with the easiest decade to do. Thursday: Jersey day. Friday: class colors and pep rally. Saturday: semi-formal.
‘Yoff Season
Besides hockey, basketball, and nordic, winter sports are heading into championship meets this month. Track, swim, and gymnastics are over. Today and tomorrow, we have girls and boys alpine championships, respectively. And on Saturday: wrestling! Woohooo! Spirit and stuff!
Don’t Forget!
Class registration closes on Tuesday! We feel like forgetting would be bad.