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March
2005
FEATURES
by J. R.
The Ideas of March will be forever remembered as the
day that Julius Caesar was killed and the saying “Et
tu Brute” originated. The killing of the first
emperor was thought to be a good idea by the senator
who committed the murder. He and the other senators
wanted to keep power and were afraid that Caesar would
take it all.
While this day will be remembered for its infamous
past, what is rarely recalled is what the Ides actually
is. Sure, it’s also the 15th of March, but that’s
not all. Truly, it comes from the Roman calendar along
with other forgotten terms.
First the Ides. Usually it, not they, is the 13th
day of the month. That raises the question of why is
the 15th of March called the Ides. The months of March,
May, July, and October are exception to this rule and
the others that control these focal points of the month.
For those four months the Ides is marked as the 15th.
While it is assumed by various people that the Ides
is the 15th of every month, jokes have been made that
are entirely false.
One example is a comic that shows a picture of Caesar
being warned by an old man to “Beware the Ides
of March;” then, in the next frame, Caesar is
shown surrounded by tax forms saying, “Shut up
old man! It’s April 15th I’m worried about!” Since
the man was referring to the Ides, not the fifteenth,
the joke makes little sense to a Latin Scholar who
learned this lesson in 7th grade.
Other important days of the months were known as the
Kalends and Nones.
The Kalends is the first of the month. The Nones is
the day nine days before the Ides. Usually this is
the 5th of a month except for the four for which it
falls on the 7th.
In order to find the date in Latin, these three names
are very important.
December 10th for example would be shown as a.d. IV
Id. Dec. or ante dies (days before) Ides Dec.
How these numbers are found is a relatively easy process.
First, find the nearest focal point, which happens
to be the Ides. Next, count backwards including the
Ides until reaching the 10th. Therefore, since the
10th of December is three days before the Ides of December,
the date would read: a.d. IV Id. Dec.
It helps to know Roman numerals when trying to find
out the date. Also, there is a special term for the
day before any focal point that is Pridie.
So the 14th of March would be written as Pridie Ides
March.
Soiree nets $2,000 more than last year
by C. R. and J. W.
Soft chattering and the warm glow of candles welcomed
parents and teachers alike to the 4th annual Day at
Night P. T. O. auction at Newton’s V. F. W. Post
440. A large chandelier illuminated the room. To the
left of double doors were the items for silent auction.
Four tables held a variety of objects, including a
seashell wreath, a bag of food from Trader Joe’s,
and tickets to the Boston Pops. Round tables framed
the wooden dance floor, decorated by confetti and a
long tapered candle surrounded by a hurricane glass.
A long table was weighed down with food, catered by
Baker’s Best.
The food was a favorite part of the night’s
events for many people, including J. S. “Baker’s
Best is the best caterer in Newton,” said J.
S., who came specifically for their cooking. Chicken
dumplings, pasta salad with fruit, steak, and a large
bowl of salad were only some of the delicious dishes
served as the main course. However, by far the most
popular part of the meal was dessert. A chocolate fountain
drew a large crowd, waiting for their chance to cover
strawberries, marshmallows, rice crispy treats, pretzels,
and other assorted desserts in the flowing fall of
melted milk chocolate.
Many women wore skirts and elegant slacks, while the
men wore button down shirts and khakis. As the room
filled up, more and more people found their way over
to the tables with the auction items, chatting about
prices and bids. Favored items were watercolor paintings
of Paris, London, New York and Tuscany, as well as
the bag of food from Trader Joe’s, and a tour
of Channel 7.
The reason that most people attended the auction was
to support the school as well as meeting other parents
and teachers. P. W. said, “My son is a 6th grader
and I wanted to meet some of the other parents.”
J. N. and C. M., two aides at Day came to have a night
out with friends and for the food. Mitch Goldman, another
Day parent, came to, “have fun with friends eating,
singing and dancing.” M. V. was one of many who
came to hear Neil Miller’s Rock and Soul Review
perform.
A little after the clock struck 8, the band started
to play. They started with the well known jazz song ‘Fever,’ the
melody performed by three singers. M. S., who was in
charge of the auction committee, and M. H., who is
the head of the P. T. O., encouraged others to join
them on the dance floor, but it was the song ‘Please
Don’t Leave Me’ that lured many people
to dance.
Dr. Paul Stein, the former principal of Day, attended
the auction as well. He said, “I think it’s
[the attendance] the best I’ve ever seen.”
Assistant principal Jahmal Mosley said, “I’m
expecting people to have a good time tonight…looking
around now, the place is packed… I think this
is more about community and it’s just for a good
cause.” Mosley had his eye on the seashell wreath
for his newly decorated dining room, as well as the
food basket from Trader Joe’s.
The live auction, and the highlight of many people’s
nights, started at 9:30. The auctioneers, Joel Shames
and Paul Satwicz, explained that the live auction would
be somewhat different from others. They started off
by quickly changing into wildly patterned boxers and
pants. Then, with wicked grins, they each cracked an
egg over their heads. Following this, to the further
shock and glee of their audience, each one shoved a
whipped cream pie in the others face.
As they wiped off their faces, they explained that
they would start the live auction with a game in which
a free gift would be given away. In the game, everybody
stood up and chose head or tails by putting their hands
on their head or their ‘tail.’ Then, Satwicz
would flip a borrowed quarter, and whoever chose the
correct side would remain standing. Quickly, the competition
was between Greer Hardwicke and Nicholas. Hardwicke
won on heads, and she took home a $30 gift certificate
to Rosie’s Bakery.
Then they began the live auction, which was one of
the most successful parts of the night, according to
Scorzelli. Some of the more expensive items were a
limited edition football engraved by Tom Brady, Adam
Vinatieri and Richard Seymour that sold for $250; a
tour of the Department of Astronomy Observatory and
Laboratory for the Design and Fabrication of Scientific
Instruments that are Flown on Satellites, which sold
for $350; dinner for four at the home of DAYTIME advisor
Robert Provencher, which sold for $350; and a Boston
Pops table for 5 on the floor for Spring Pops which
also sold well. Shames and Satwicz have never done
a Day auction, but they said that they participated
in 3, or 4, at Williams Elementary School.
Cindy Kane, who coordinated the dinner and dance,
said that this year’s auction had the best attendance
level of all the Day Auctions. Kane estimated that
around 250 people came. Scorzelli, Hannah, and Kane
all agreed that over 10 thousand dollars were raised
for the P. T. O. [in fact, the final total was over
$14,000]. This year’s auction was a success by
many accounts; people enjoyed the food, music and dancing
as they socialized with their friends, but money was
simultaneously raised for an important cause [Assisting
in the preparation of this article was T. K.]
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