I come from a family of wavers. We wave at each other (brothers, aunts, sisters in law), acquaintances (neighbors, businessfolk, fishermen), and strangers (you know who you are). I also come from a town of wavers. Pittsfield, though geographically located in Massachusetts, shares more personality traits with Fort Wayne than it does with Boston. Waving, then, is not only in my blood, it’s in my brain as well.

In this wild and scary world there are numerous challenges facing teachers. There are so many aspects to being an effective teacher that begin with mastering content and developing a strategy for how to teach it, meeting ever-increasing state mandates, dealing with the mass of paperwork and finally, meeting the learner in the classroom. There is the curriculum, mandated and explicable, but then there is the hidden curriculum reinforcing inequities and socio-economic differences and based on some abstract idea that there is a regular learner.

Last week nearly 500 religious communities around the country screened the movie Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, a film that raises such questions as: how did torture become an accepted practice at Abu Ghraib and what governmental policies allowed it to happen? Here on the Island, it was shown at the Hebrew Center on Oct. 24 in a jointly sponsored, interfaith program by local religious communities. Why screen a film about the torture of political prisoners perpetrated three years ago, in prisons halfway around the globe, and for which several of the perpetrators have already been tried?

We are this week’s editors for Sophomores Speak Out. We are sophomore members of the class of 2010. This week we have a range of topics. All of our writers have strong opinions: Abbey Etner is passionate about dancing, Troy writes about Island restaurants, Haley Pierce explores the motivations for kids to do their work, and Jesse Shayne is excited about the Celtics. All these students chose to write about things that are a part of their lives. We hope readers enjoy.

— BreAnne Russell and Troy (85) Small

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We Love Food

Mysteries of Vineyard forests were revealed in a walk last Sunday afternoon at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary. More than 10 naturalists took a walk with Beth Schwarzman, a Falmouth writer, geologist and savant who, like a detective, can read the hidden tales within ancient landscape.

Every forest has a tale, Ms. Schwarz-man said, though it may not be an obvious one. In this region, the natural progression of plants is towards forest — so whatever its previous use, land left alone becomes forest. What plants dominate that forest can offer clues to its past life.

West Tisbury Library Hosts

Community Poetry Reading

The West Tisbury Public Library invites poetry lovers of all ages to listen or to read aloud at an open poetry reading on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 5 p.m. Organized and hosted by Shelton Bank, these twice-yearly library poetry readings are a longstanding West Tisbury tradition.

The Island was on a roll Friday night at the Viva La Vineyard casino night at Outerland sponsored by the Island Affordable Housing Trust.

Money was raised for an Island family needing a few thousand dollars to get over the top of their mortgage needs, a hard-working single mom won the $500 Hinckley’s gift certificate for most chips, and 125 Islanders got dinner and two and a half hours of nonstop music from drummer Jerry Bennett and his Sultans of Swing.

On Sunday, Nov. 11, children and their parents will bring homemade lanterns to gather at North Tabor Farm for the annual Lantern Walk. This is a seasonal festival celebrated by Waldorf communities, honoring ancient traditions of carrying light into the darkness of the coming winter.

Two leaders of the new generation of very talented Irish musicians — pipe and flute player Louise Mulcahy and fiddler Oisin Mac Diarmada — perform a concert of traditional music at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3, to finish off this year’s outstanding Irish music series at Katharine Cornell Theatre on Spring street in Vineyard Haven.

This spectacular pairing of two All-Ireland Champions promises energy and creativity in their playing combined with a true love and respect for the tradition.

Oldies Night

Because he believes classic rock n’roll is ageless, deejay and James Dean impersonater Ray Whitaker hosts a night of boppin’ to the oldies on Saturday, Nov. 3 at Outerland. Called Burgers, Brew and Bop, the benefit event begins at 7:30 p.m. The guest with the best costume wins dinner for four at Gigs Bistro, and second place costume winner receives two tickets to an Outerland show.

Tickets are $10, and include a donation to Vineyard Nursing Association.