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North's Art Honor Society donates 10+ portraits to the children in Syria through their partnership with the Memory project. Scroll below to view some. ARTWORK CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW ARTWORK MEMORY PROJECT LOAD MORE GALLERY LOAD MORE

North Star Halloween Costume Contest Vote for your favorite costume and photo! The Art Department The Art Department The Art Department The Haunted Maze- Art Club and Art Honor Society Jen ATC and Sam Jen ATC Hot Dogs Alexa D'Andrea and Amelia Muscatelli- Pink and Yellow Princesses Mrs. Meringolo's Class Alexa D'Andrea- Pink Princess Jayda Rutledge- "Joe Cool" Marcus Chiu and Aleeza Dhillon- Wild West Abigail Reichbach and Samantha Defalco- Plum Pudding and Strawberry Shortcake Arianna Hack- Tinker Bell The Art Department The Math Department- Party Animals Fiona from "Adventure Time"- Quinn O'Connor Sophia Reese- Founding Fathers The Math Department- Party Animals Elaine Ching, Melody Chen, Jack Voss VOTE

ALL ARTICLES NEWS ART & CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA FEATURE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY POLARIS EDITORIAL SPORTS ADVICE The Destructive Aftermath of Hurricane Melissa News Akilan Subramaniyan December 22, 2025 READ MORE North's Annual Club Fair News Wardah Khizer December 22, 2025 READ MORE For what is fear, if fear cannot kill? Polaris Jasmine Roberts December 22, 2025 READ MORE Introductory - Ekin Pinar Advice Ekin Pinar December 22, 2025 READ MORE Welcoming Mr. Bracco! Feature Mikayla Aziz December 22, 2025 READ MORE Enjoy the Silence Feature Jasmine Roberts December 22, 2025 READ MORE Zohran Mamdani: Stepping up Socialism Editorial Breena Bernabe December 22, 2025 READ MORE The Return of Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Feature Ava Augello December 22, 2025 READ MORE A Story of Good and Bad Polaris Leah Ally December 22, 2025 READ MORE 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 ... 87

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Don’t Drink and Drive: The Simulator Cody Sung Volume 4 Issue 4 May 29, 2024 Image Provided by Elaine Ching Ever wanted to know what it’s like to drive drunk without the risk? Ever wonder why it’s important to not drive after drinking? The juniors and seniors at North got the answers to these questions at the Save a Life Tour event in the gymnasium on Thursday, March 28, 2024. The Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club helped organize this event along with the company behind the Save a Life Tour, Educational Support Systems Inc. The Save a Life Tour comes to North every year thanks to this partnership, with this year’s event being the latest installment, with both seniors and juniors being able to sign up for it. Once they entered the gym, the students had a chance to wear a headset that simulated vision while drunk and attempt to put shapes into a container while wearing the headset. They then were able to sit down at two simulators – one for drinking and driving and one for distracted driving. Both simulators had a large screen, a chair, a brake, and a gas pedal in front of it, and a repurposed Xbox controller as a steering wheel. The screen showed a car interior that reacted to input from the steering wheel and the pedals and a city with various vehicles and pedestrians. The drunk driving simulator had a VR headset that showed the view inside the car and delayed reactions to simulate the participant being drunk, while the distracted driving simulator involved the participant using a phone to simulate texting while driving. I got to help with the event and tried both simulators myself. I do not know how to drive, so it made both simulators even more difficult. I began with the drunk driving simulator – I pushed the gas pedal to start, began to drive...then fell off a cliff into the water. I tried it again and got stuck on a curb before crashing – again. I had a bit more luck with the distracted driving simulator and managed to avoid cars and drive quite a bit before crashing into a small pole. I tried again and got stuck on a curb, got off the curb, got onto the highway, and crashed into a car after driving 60 miles an hour, mostly on the median to avoid other cars. In the end, we all had fun and got an experience to help us learn about the dangers of drunk and distracted driving. Afterward, the participants had the opportunity to fill out questionnaires about their experiences with the simulators, sign a pledge not to drive distracted or drunk, and get a rubber wristband. I had a lot of fun helping with the event and am glad it showed people the dangers of drunk and distracted driving. I hope everyone reading this will learn to protect themselves and others by not drinking alcohol before driving and not being distracted by anything while on the road. For more information, go to home - Save A Life Tour BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Contemplation Back to Sections End of Silence By Arunima Roy June 8, 2021 Oil Volume 1 Issue 8

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Video Games and Quarantine By Augustine Magapan Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Image provided by the Washington Post Hello, and welcome back to another game review! First, we talked about the virtual headset, the Oculus Quest 2 , and the difference between that and the first Oculus Quest . In this issue, we are going to discuss video games I have played during quarantine, and those others have played as well. Video games served as a way to cope with boredom while being stuck at home. There will be no ranking system, but rather an analysis of the game and discussion about why people played it and how it became so popular. The first game I would like to discuss is Animal Crossing New Horizons . The trailer was released in June 2019 and no one was expecting this, but people hoped for Animal Crossing to come out for the Nintendo Switch. Animal Crossing involves you having an island or area of some sort and control what happens. You can plant trees, go fishing, catch bugs, spend time with friends, and talk to villagers. No, they aren’t the villagers like Minecraft ; instead, they are animals. You are the only human in the game. In addition, you can expand your property and do your best to make sure your island has the best rating. This game came out in March 2020 when quarantine quickly become more serious. Another thing is that there is this tanuki named Tom Nook, where he advises you and recommends actions you should take. However, when you do whatever he tells you to, you’ll be in his debt. It is a trend for the past games Nintendo has made, no matter where you go, you’ll always be in the debt of Tom Nook. To get out of debt, you’ll have to sell items and make profit off of them which can be done by selling bugs and fish, fossils, and many other things that can be valuable to his little companions, Timmy and Tommy. They run a shop where you can buy furniture and sell items to them. Going back to Animal Crossing New Horizons , people hoped there would be new creatures, fruits, more inventory space, and many more in-game functions. Once this game came out, millions of people started playing it as time progressed through quarantine. There is no competition between other people, and you’re able to be at peace when you play it. It’s a very simple game to play, and I enjoy playing it myself since you can get creative and enjoy all it has to offer. Another game that became popular during quarantine was Among Us . Yes, the game where you accuse people for being ‘sus’ or suspect for the things they do. This game first came out in 2018, but it hadn’t reached popularity until 2020. If you don’t know what this game is already, I advise you to download it on your phone for free and try it out. It is a game containing tiny space people who look adorable? I guess you can say that they look adorable for the fact they have floating hands that aren’t connected to any part of their bodies, as well as having cute legs. These brightly-colored space people must complete tasks to save their spaceship and win. Here’s the twist though: one, two, or three “imposters”. This means three players who aren’t space people. Rather, they are murderous characters who sabotage others and ultimately win by killing each space person who isn’t an imposter. If you are an imposter rather than a crewmate, knowing you need to kill every other player and making sure they don’t complete their tasks, you can also accuse them when it comes to a meeting. We will get to that later, but once all crewmates are eliminated, you win! Crewmates are the opposite of imposters; they are the ones who fulfill tasks and work together to make sure all the tasks are complete so you can win. When you see a dead body on the floor, you can report it so you can start a meeting. Meetings are when it starts to get serious because it’s like a court room. You must state your alibi and make sure you aren’t found guilty. Whether you are a crewmate or imposter, you should always try to prove yourself innocent while trying to either accuse other people. Well, that goes for me at least since when I’m in a meeting if I’m an imposter, I’d try to get into people’s heads saying that I’m innocent since I do a specific task or saying other things by the deceptive actions I have taken. Crewmates, on the other hand, should figure out who the imposter is but can be deceived by one another. It’s hilarious during some games, and other games you are dead silent and serious. Youtubers make it look fun and it’s also fun when you play with friends. Pewdiepie, Disguised Toast, KSI, and many more youtubers make it seem like the game is fun when you start getting into it: especially Corpse, a youtuber with an interesting tone of voice. Viewers love him and so do I. You should Among Us a try since it’s still common to see others playing. It’s still pretty popular. Our final game we can discuss for this issue is Minecraft . You heard me well, the blocky Lego-looking... oops! That’s Roblox . I meant to say the blocky cube game where you are in a world of blocks and you yourself are a block. Surely you must have heard the game since it came out almost ten years ago and has been a rollercoaster ride ever since. Some years the game was popular, other years people lost interest. If you still don’t know the blocky game, it started off with a man named Steve. That is the main character of the game followed along with Alex. Of course, you can have your own skins, but it should be noted that Steve and Alex were the first two characters to be in the game. You are also known as the ‘player’. After having your character, you spawn in the world and simply mine, otherwise known as breaking blocks. You break blocks to gather resources and materials and then craft them to make more materials and structures. You continue to repeat this process as if you were in the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods creating stone and iron tools. Sooner or later, you can find DIAMONDS. Diamonds are ores as well, like coal and iron. While adventuring and mining, you are going to encounter mobs like animals, zombies, and creepers. You must butcher the animals to eat so your hunger bar doesn’t go down, and dangerous mobs might kill you. Now that you know the overworld, there was an update that made Minecraft popular again during quarantine. It was the new “nether update” which is a new version of the nether. The nether is the opposite of the overworld; it’s the underworld where zombie pigmen, ghosts, wither skeletons, and other dangerous mobs are your obstacles. You can acquire more material in there as well, and that is only found in the underworld. However, there are new creatures lurking and biomes in the underworld. This contains piglins who will kill you if you don’t wear gold armor and will trade with you. The overall goal of Minecraft is to kill the Ender Dragon and go to the end. But it is not really the end since there will be a new beginning. Other than that, you should have fun and enjoy the game as a whole. You can get creative with what you build, and play with friends. After all, it’s cross-platforming. That concludes all the game review I have for this issue. I enjoyed writing this article and discussing something that I like. If you have any other recommendations on what I should review, please reach out to me, and we can have a fun time writing and reading about it here. I probably will write another article on video games during quarantine. These were only a few, and there are many more to come in the future to discuss. Thank you for reading, and see you guys soon! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections "Flowers" Elaine Ching Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by Elaine Ching BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections VSCHSD"s Newest Position Sahar Ali Volume 5 Issue 2 November 25, 2024 Image Provided by Lori Rappa-Rodriguez VSCHSD’s Newest Position Valley Stream Central High School District recently welcomed Ms. Lori Rappa-Rodriguez, the district’s first ever Work-Based Coordinator. Like her title, Ms. Rappa’s position is entirely unique and consists of a unique experience for students as she guides them through the professional world all students must experience after high school no matter the path and occupation they choose. Ms. Rappa has been kind to provide the NORTH STAR with a Q&A about her position, and herself. Could you provide us with a description of your position ? Rappa-Rodriguez: “My job is to seek out opportunities for students to explore career options and have hands on experience that will help them make informed choices about their post-high school plans. To do this, I network with businesses, organizations, alumni, and other community members in search of partnerships that will benefit students.” How do you like working in the Valley Stream Central High School District? Rappa-Rodriguez: “It’s only been a few months but so far, I am really enjoying it. Everyone is very welcoming and excited about the services and support that I will be able to offer to students.” Do you work with students specifically at one of the schools in the district? Rappa-Rodriguez: “Because the Career & Technical Education classes: Culinary, Cosmetology, Auto Tech, Medical Assisting and Certified Nurse Assisting are located at Central High School, I spend more time there. However, I am getting more referrals from guidance counselors in the other buildings to work with students interested in finding career exploration internships or part-time jobs that will give them exposure to the world of work.” What inclined you to get this position? Rappa-Rodriguez: “This is my dream job! I went back to school five years ago to get my teaching certification with the goal of becoming a Work-Based Learning Coordinator. I really enjoy helping people identify their strengths and talents and have experiences that will help them advance their career goals. When I first got certified to teach, there were no Work Based Learning (WBL) positions available, so I taught Accounting, Career & Financial Management and Computer Technology at Baldwin High School, then Hewlett-Woodmere High School. Then a position became available with Nassau BOCES, and I got it. Valley Stream was one of the schools I was assigned to at BOCES, and I just loved being here. Now I get to be here ALL the time. I also love that my commute from home is 10 minutes!” Are there any major differences for students who work with you instead of being in a traditional classroom? Rappa-Rodriguez: “The big difference is that our work is one-to-one, so I really get to know the students and can offer guidance on what they need to do to be successful, whether it’s an informational interview, a job shadow, internship, or paid work experience. I expect students to interact with me the way they would a prospective employer, and I coach them on professionalism and work readiness.” What is your favorite part of being a work-based coordinator? Rappa-Rodriguez: “I love the fact I get to do a variety of things each day. I get to meet with students one on one, I get to collaborate with colleagues on how best to support students and I get to be out in the community networking for opportunities to collaborate. Although my office is located in District Office, I travel from building to building, and every day is different.” Is there anything you dislike about your position? Would you change any aspects about it? Rappa-Rodriguez: “Since I’m the only person with this job title, I don’t necessarily have a peer group or department, and that can be hard sometimes. District administration, my supervisor, Mr. Tagliaferro, the school principals, guidance counselors and the Transition Coordinator, Ms. DeStefano, have all been very helpful in making me feel welcomed and connected.” Do you have any goals you would like to achieve with your new position? Rappa-Rodriguez: “One goal is to establish a Community Advisory Board made up of business owners, alumni, parents and others who will provide guidance on their workforce needs and opportunities for students to explore careers in their fields of work.” Has being a Work-Based Coordinator changed your perspective on anything? Rappa-Rodriguez: “I am so excited that more and more schools are understanding the value of Work-Based Learning for high school students. There are many careers that favor hands-on experience or industry certifications over college. Students should be exposed to these options as well.” Would you like to share any more information about yourself? Rappa-Rodriguez: “I’m not originally from New York. I grew up in a suburb of Boston and moved to New York City after completing two years in the Peace Corps in Honduras after college. So, yes, I speak Spanish, but I’m not a native speaker. I have three grown children who are all working in their respective fields of study: Elementary Education, Actuarial Science, and Child Life. My husband is a Pediatric Pulmonologist. Anyone interested in one of these career fields can contact me at rapparol@vschsd.org or call (516) 872-5646. I’d be happy to put them in touch.” Thank you to Lori Rappa-Rodriguez for all her hard work for our students and for giving us this interview. We appreciate you! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections The History of the Iceberg A68A By Cody Sung Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Image provided by English News To start off here, let’s have a bit of context on icebergs. Icebergs are pieces of ice that broke off from Antartica for multiple reasons. Larger and more frequent ice breaks are oftentimes considered an effect of climate change. They can be an issue to ship traffic and oftentimes wildlife. As well as being a problem for wildlife nearby, melting icebergs cause sea levels to rise. Note that only large icebergs have names, and names vary depending on the original sighting area and child icebergs breaking off (for example, iceberg D300 breaks into iceberg D300A and D300B). In July 2017, Iceberg A68 breaks off from the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antartica, which is expected from scientists, as cracks were visible for months at this point. A couple of years after that, a piece (A68B) separates off from the main iceberg (A68A). This is the start of iceberg A68A proper. A68A continues to move north, just like iceberg A68 when it was named that way. In April 2020, another chunk of ice, A68C breaks off from A68A. There are now 3 icebergs, although the most significant one, A68A, continues its march north. After this, in the month of November 2020, A68A is now considered a threat to the wildlife on South Georgia Island, which is in the Southern Hemisphere, near Antartica and South America. Local penguins, seals, underwater life, and other wildlife are at risk. In December of 2020, the scientific community believes a collision is now almost inevitable, at less than 31 miles away. Later in December, A68A scrapes the seabed near South Georgia Island, causing iceberg A68D to come off. Later in the month, a few days before Christmas, icebergs A68E and A68F break off A68A. A68A starts to fall apart faster compared to before, as the warmer weather up north finally starts to kick in. In January 2021, A68G splits off from A68A. This is the end of the road for iceberg A68A, as the complete breakup of the iceberg is almost inevitable given the conditions. As of right now, A68A has vastly diminished from its size when it was the largest iceberg in the world, about the size of New Jersey. The iceberg will continue to diminish in size as it is facing warmer temperatures and harsher conditions. It was once considered a major threat to wildlife on South Georgia Island, and even scraped the bed of the island, but is now a diminishing iceberg. The sheer size of the iceberg when it broke from Antartica has raised a debate over the possibility that climate change had a role in this, and if we’ll see more massive bergs like this in the future. For now, only time will tell what will happen to Earth’s icebergs. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections The Way I Really Play: Album Review By William Mullin Volume 2 Issue 2 November 19, 2021 Original image from William Mullin On November 12, 1967, Oscar Peterson, Sam Jones, and Bobby Durham recorded at the private studio of Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. On piano, double bass, and drums, respectively, this trio headed by Oscar Peterson dazzlingly performed originals and renditions of jazz standards to a selectively picked small audience. Peterson was an extreme virtuoso, taught by one of Franz Liszt’s pedagogical successors, one of the most renowned virtuosos of the classical era. Originally classically trained, Peterson shifted focus to ragtime, blues, and jazz, bringing his extreme virtuosity and classical understanding of the piano. The Way I Really Play is the third volume in a series of recordings done in the private studio called Exclusively for My Friends , and debatably the most impressive and cohesive of them all. In this series, Peterson does not hold back. 1. “Waltzing is Hip” Originally this piece was composed by John Wayne and Ray Brown. However, as is the case with many of the pieces Peterson performs, the original does not even compare to Peterson’s rendition. The recording begins with some claps from the audience, and then Oscar Peterson just releases this insane sound from the piano that shoots off into the stars. The central melodic theme, mixed with Peterson’s glissandos and intricate riffing, is jaw-dropping. This piece makes me want to jive to this impossible-to-follow jazz waltz. The fact that a human could be so talented and passionate is disturbing. Also, the idea that this is a trio performing live following each other’s solos is ridiculous to imagine. The only factors that detract from this performance are some of the drummer's solos. While they are impressive, they are not especially memorable and take up a lot of time. That being said, without the drum solos, this would have been rated as at least a 9.3. Favorite Phrase: Approximately around 1:42 - 1:49 Rating: 8.7/10.0 2. “Satin Doll” Satin Doll, a jazz standard created by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington, was given new life by Peterson and his trio. Much slower and more reminiscent with a hint of melancholy in comparison to Waltzing is Hip ; however, the harmonies that Peterson employs show the range of Peterson’s skill. Yes, Peterson can be bold, loud, and flex his virtuosity, evident in Waltzing is Hip . But Peterson can also be sentimental, poetic, and lyrical, slowly taking his time to pour his woes into the piano, evident in his rendition of Satin Doll . The tempo ramps up as the piece progresses, and Peterson gets a little brasher as he creates multiple climactic parts until he eventually decrescendos to end in a shy, relieved manner. Favorite Phrase: Approximately around 5:40 - 6:30 Rating: 9.2/10.0 3. “Love Is Here to Stay” Another jazz standard, this one created by the Gershwin brothers, Peterson again makes beautiful art music out of a simple theme. The intro and outro of this piece specifically stick out to me, and the transition from the solo piano to the trio is memorable. This piece is blissful and withholds a sense of comfort, almost as reassuring and comforting as knowing another’s love for you is here to stay. As corny as it sounds, even if the title of this standard were not Love Is Here to Stay , the same atmospheric imagery would appear for me. Favorite Phrase: Approximately 1:48 - 2:12 Rating: 9.4/10.0 4. “Sandy’s Blues” An original by Peterson himself, dedicated to his then-wife Sandra King, Sandy’s Blues, takes on a different meaning with this context. Interspersed with bluesy riffing and running, Peterson is exceptionally light on his feet in this piece. In this recording, you can also hear what seems to be Peterson riffing with his voice. Although this is present in the other recordings to an extent, it is much more noticeable in this one. Peterson’s passionate musicality is most clear in this piece, which I am sure was lovely to hear for his wife. Favorite Phrase: Approximately 4:05 - 4:58 Rating: 9.0/10.0 5. “Alice In Wonderland” Composed by Sammy Fain for Disney’s 1951 animated film Alice in Wonderland , this is by far Peterson’s best piece on the album. The melody is so rich and ethereal. An upbeat and jovial jazz waltz that I cannot help but blush and smile at. And the same central theme is repeated just enough times with the right amount of embellishing, as it is interspersed with solos. Again, Peterson gives the audience exactly what it wants. This piece, to me, is just simply lovely. I do not want to give too much away or create too much of an influence, but this is without a doubt the piece I put on first when I go to listen to this record. Easily my favorite. Peterson’s rendition of this piece is revolutionary. Favorite Phrase: Approximately 2:06 - 2:59 (honestly, it was hard not to just put from the beginning to the end). Rating: 10.0/10.0 6. “Noreen’s Nocturne” As a Chopin fanatic, I am obsessed with nocturnes. All of Chopin’s 21 nocturnes hold a special place in my heart and make me feel more human. However, Peterson subverts expectations and redefines what one can call a nocturne. Nocturnes are supposed to evoke images of the night. Chopin’s were created as somber, lyrical, and ethereal pieces. One can connect multiple emotions to Chopin’s compositions, but all with this sad imagery of venting one’s late-night woes to the piano. However, Peterson’s nocturne is on the complete opposite side of the aisle. Noreen’s Nocturne evokes the image of a midnight dance with your beloved. Jiving and dancing the night away. You do not want to go to sleep, nor do you feel the desire to. Wasting away all the hours of the night with the one you are with, except it is not a waste. Favorite Phrase: Approximately 2:28 - 2:41 Rating : 9.6/10.0 Reflections: This recording is a masterpiece. The lowest rating of the pieces is an 8.7, and that was me being harsh, justifying the low score with my dissatisfaction with the long drum solos where I wished for more Peterson. If I were discussing this with my friends, I would give all these pieces a 9.0 or higher and be much less critical. However, due to the nature of this being an article, I feel I must be a little more judgmental and have more of a disparity between the ratings of these pieces. Either way, Oscar Peterson, Sam Jones, and Bobby Durham created something breathtaking with this trio, and I am sure to specially selected for that live audience was priceless. Each piece stands out and is memorable. With each listen, I find myself remembering some of the small phrases in these vast pieces, blissfully scatting out the melodies and dancing to the vibe as I walk to my car, fold laundry in my room, or wander around my town on a late-night stroll. To hear and see Peterson play live must have been quite an awakening. Final Ranking: Alice In Wonderland 10.0 Noreen’s Nocturne 9.6 Love Is Here to Stay 9.4 Satin Doll 9.2 Sandy’s Blues 9.0 Waltzing is Hip 8.7 BACK TO TOP