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Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Spiral of Ants by Lemon Demon By Stephy Varughese Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Image provided by Onedio Spiral of Ants - YouTube Over and over The pheromones, the overwhelming harmony Consuming the colony The Circle rules your life Chop, chop! Don't want to be late Lift up and carry your weight You've got no choice but to dance in a spiral of ants True bugs might laugh in your face Don't fret, you're leading the race Don't let the bastards step on your hands in a spiral of ants You can't remember where you came from (In a spiral of ants) You can't remember where you're going (In a spiral of ants) You can't remember knowing You are one ant Over, it's over The pheromones, the self-avoiding odyssey Consuming the colony The Circle rules your life Now, now! Don't run out of breath Don't feel surrounded by death, no Take the wheel, this could be your chance, in a spiral of ants False bugs, you'll soon be alone See how they drop like a stone You're free now forever to dance in a spiral of ants. Now you remember where you came from (From a spiral of ants) Now you remember where you're going (To a spiral of ants) You've got to keep it flowing. You are one ant (Over, over, over) Over and over The pheromones, the overwhelming harmony Consuming the colony Creating its own gravity Before we knew it, we became a hurricane. And the bugs who laughed got blown away. As we proclaimed: The Circle rules your life _______________________________________ Lemon Demon is a band made by internet star Neil Cicirega. Cicirega had been on the internet making funny videos like “The Harry Potter Puppet Pals,” Ultimate Showdown, random skits, and of course, Lemon Demon, since the late 2000’s and as a teenager. The song “Spiral of Ants” comes from one of his more recent albums, Spirit Phone , which focuses on strange phenomena in history, mixed with a story. I highly recommend listening to his music if you like weird indie songs and overall randomness with upbeat tunes. Spirit Phone is a great starter album if you are interested. The title “Spiral Ants” is a natural phenomenon that happens in real life to a certain species of ant. There are ants called Army Ants who, unlike other species of ant, are completely blind. This is because of their compound eyes that are used to sense light activity instead of sight. However, because of this, these army ants have a tough time sensing each other out. The solution to this problem is releasing specific pheromones so that the ant before them can sense their pheromone and vice versa. When the scent of the last ant gets lost, the ant before that ant gets confused and get cut off from the main pack. The ants then look over and over, following the wrong trail which makes them walk in a never-ending spiral. Because they aren’t aware that they are walking this spiral, they keep walking thinking that they are reaching their destination. This leads to them walking till they eventually die. This is called the Death Spiral or, in this case, the Spiral of Ants. The speaker is never mentioned in the song, but we can assume that the speaker is a high being or just a disembodied figure. This is proven by the speaker speaking directly about you especially in line 20 “Now, now! Don't run out of breath” and the constant use of “you’re” in the chorus. Repeatedly in the song, the speaker tells “you” which is to assume is the listener. Also, in the song, they refer to the listener as “one ant”. This would mean that we are considered “ants.” The tone of the song sounds repetitive, mysterious, and collected in the beginning then goes into a very upbeat tune while still keeping the same unsettling vibe. “Before we knew it, we became a hurricane” is a metaphor that compares ants to a hurricane. This whole song in itself however is a metaphor in itself because it's comparing us people the spiral of ants. The song’s theme or the message is that despite living in and endless death loop, you’ll always be part of society. What I mean by this is that the “spiral” represents society, and the ant, you. The song starts you off with an omen-type tone as if you were not there at all, yet everything is still in shape. In lines five though eleven, the song hurries you up as if to say, “Come on, it's time to start your life!” Everything in the tone feels like you are new, unfazed by death or harm. This is supported in the lines when “you can’t remember where you are going” or “you don’t know where you came from.” This proves that at this stage, you simply are naïve about how the “spiral” is. Like how they, “you are one ant” like, you are only just a person existing. Then when it says “true bugs might laugh in your face”, they are referring to people outside of your life or people who try to weigh you down. This is confirmed later in the song where it says, “And the bugs who laughed got blown away.” This shows that despite people weighing you down and making fun of status, they aren’t in a worse situation as you. This also shows the change you felt before about the outside bugs changed when you got more engulfed into the spiral for in the beginning, these bugs were called “true bugs” while later in the song, these true bugs were now called “fake bugs.” By the second verse, the sudden realization that you are being controlled by society kicks in. Especially when the speaker says, “don’t feel surrounded by death.” You are now realizing the reality of it all, yet you try to get ahold of yourself and be a leader since “it could be your chance in the Spiral of Ants.” Later on, as stated previously, all the true bugs become false bugs as you realize that the true bugs you looked up to aren’t the same bugs anymore. The chorus of the song, however, brings this statement farther up by saying that you know where you are going and doing yet all in all, you are still just an ant. Yet you work and work to keep that spiral going. Then the repetitiveness of “over” really hits hard on this sad outcome of life. Then reaching the last chorus, we see the noticeability of the destruction of life. The overwhelming harmony of society that “consumes” the colony still goes on and on from the moment you were born till now. The remaining lines reflect how chaotic and crazy everything is to you as even society makes “its own gravity.” Everything is swirling around like a hurricane and all scattered in a mess. However, in the last two lines, it shows that despite it all, the circle still rules your life and repeats itself over and over again. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Black Lives Matter: Effects of Social Movement on Social Media By Nehilah Grand-Pierre Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Image provided by The Pew Research Center June 2nd, 2020 started as each day of quarantine did, resisting the urge to check Instagram first thing in the morning. Yet, this day was different. Unlike the previous days of quarantine posts, there were no whipped coffee or at-home workouts shared. There were only black squares, from classmates and friends to celebrities like Rihanna, and companies such as Apple and Netflix. According to Forbes, there were already 28 million black squares hashtagged “ #blackouttuesday ” by 11:14 am that morning. So, I posted mine, perhaps out of sheer obligation, but asking myself if that really helped. What is Black Out Tuesday? The reason behind this mass sharing of nothing for the day was because June 2nd marked one week since the passing of George Floyd, the 46-year-old black man murdered by the white police officer, Derek Chauvin, captured on the viral video which shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck. Instagram was not the only platform on which users demonstrated a viral response to the tragedy. However, Researchers at Pew concluded that from May 26th to June 7th, #BlackLivesMatter was used 47.8 million times on Twitter alone. “George Floyd's death was filmed, but he still died” states Sasha Smalls, 17-year-old high school senior, and President of the Black Student Union here at Valley Stream North High School. “The filming hasn’t changed anything other than the fact that more people can see it in real time.” Now, it just isn’t that the world is watching, but also reacting, as on May 28th 2020, 8.8 million Twitter users shared post tagged with #BlackLivesMatter while protests began to emerge across the country, and the globe. The Difference With the advent of social media, movements like Black Lives Matter are able to gain traction fast, and with a larger audience than ever before. “The use of social media has evolved from simple conversations” says Tomi Akitunde, the head writer of MaterMae, an online resource with articles and aids for black mothers, which strides to educate others on the black community; the MaterMae Instagram page currently has over twelve thousand followers. “People are using it to be seen and say things they might’ve thought but never felt comfortable speaking out loud because they didn’t have people in their immediate community who felt like them or looked like the way they did. Now they have the whole world to listen to them”. Instagram and Twitter offer the opportunity for more people to get involved, with news coming in faster than experienced by any previous generation. “These social issues have become a part of our day to day lives” states Akitunde. “Now everything is right there because of social media. Now celebrities are involved, it's in your face”. The video of George Floyd’s death perhaps was the most in-your-face example of police brutality, a key conflict that the Black Lives Matter movement seeks to eradicate. Though the Black Lives Matter movement began in 2016 when the murder of Treyvon Martin occurred, more people have been forced to join the conversation in 2020 because of how undeniably graphic George Floyd’s death video was, whether they agreed it was worth protesting against or not. The Day Everything Changed Though Floyd’s death did not mark the first instance of a black man dying at the hands of police officers, June 2nd marked the first day of the change in atmosphere that has been present on Instagram. #TheShowMustBeStopped , another hashtag shared on Black Out Tuesday, highlights that change needed to be brought to Instagram in order to provide space for black voices and stories, as the hashtag #Amplifyblackvoices went viral as well. This shift in attitude presented on Black Out Tuesday demonstrated lasting effects. Instagram users continue to use their accounts to share infographics, petitions, links and other helpful resources months after George Floyd’s death. Posts from pages like @soyouwanttotalkabout and @chnge appear on Instagram stories, as educating others has almost become the new trend of Instagram, and both pages now have a combined following of over 4.1 million. “If I want to know how I can help out or educate myself, all I have to do is click on an Instagram story” states Smalls. “I was scrolling through Instagram 3 days ago like a normal gen-z teen, and I followed @chnge , so it came up. I stopped and I read the story without having to get up and go watch the news. Just as though I was trying to check up on Kylie Jenner, I could read about something that could affect my community.” There have been negative effects from the educational atmosphere that has seemed to present itself onto Instagram, however, despite its benefits of bringing important social issues to light. “People are finding a community, but at the same token, there’s this really polarized ‘I’m right you're wrong’ [and] no room for different viewpoints. Everything is very extreme because Black Lives Matter is a matter of life or death” states Akitunde. “Those infographics are really good at making people want to tag and share. The dangerous thing is when they are not sourced. I had to educate this woman I went to high school with once, because she shared something saying ‘Hey White People if you want to be a good ally stop saying black lives matter...what you need to say is this:...’. The source was an organization that doesn’t exist”. Allyship Though non-black POC and white allies may have the best intentions, sharing information on any social media platform should be done with caution. “Being a good ally is not something you call yourself, someone in the community has to bestow it upon you and it's also something you constantly have to be working at” tells Akitunde. The importance of allyship, however, doesn’t negate the fact that there still needs to be space left for black voices, though speaking up might be frightening. “I would love to have more white people, and republicans join the BSU meetings” Smalls says. “When I upload something like ‘Black Lives Matter’ to the BSU Instagram, I don’t want to push out potential club members.” The Takeaway Instagram has been a space where users can present the best of themselves (by literally posting their highlight reels), and display themselves through their pictures and captions. However, when the show must be stopped, social movements cause users to respond. Though selfies have been replaced by petitions, and VSCO links by www.blacklivesmatters.cardd.co/ , posting a black square is not enough to evoke change, and shouldn’t be thought of as such. “This kind of performative activism, where some people think that just posting a black screen with a hashtag is enough to evoke change, some of these people only do it because they don’t want to be hated on by those around them and then they go back to doing something that doesn’t help the movement” Smalls states. Therefore, it is not what the screen says that will push social change, but rather the character of that person behind the screen. Instagram may now provide the resources, but it is still the responsibility of the user to want to push the social movement beyond the walls of social media, and truly make the work happen, and the world a better place. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Senior Day By Olivia Neuner Volume 1 Issue 7 April 22, 2021 Original photos by VSN photographer (top left), Sumaiya Ramsaroop (left middle), and Garrrick Neuner (bottom right) On March 26th, the day before spring break, North's seniors were invited to partake in the district's first-ever Senior Day! A few weeks before the event, students were asked to create pods of 10 households to keep things organized and COVID safe. I say 10 'households' because groups with twins were allowed more than 10. For some, this was the first time they had been in the building since March 2020. Grades 7-11 had a fully remote day, and seniors who chose not to participate were excused from classes. The day started early, with some students arriving early for group pictures (including my group, who went all out with matching shirts and had my Dad take professional pictures! Included in collage .) First period, students signed in with our vice principals, had their temperature taken and scanned in with their ID's. Small groups were then let inside the lobby to partake in candy guessing games, which were kept COVID safe; students scanned QR Codes, which took them to a form where they guessed how many candies were in each jar. The winners got to take the candy home. The seniors were then given a goodie bag with a T-shirt, lanyard, drawstring bag, and snack. They were also given a one raffle ticket, which was immediately thrown into the drawing pile. For the rest of first period, students relaxed in the cafeteria while waiting for the day's main activities. In between each period, Mr. Frazer hyped up students and announced raffle winners who received gift cards donated by the parents. He also sang popular songs, including the SpongeBob theme, which many students (and teachers) joined him in singing. The hallways were decked out with streamers, balloons, and handmade posters by VSN underclassmen and club members. Many students caught up with their favorite teachers during free time, saw old friends, and took LOTS of pictures. Because of the COVID pandemic, these pictures will make up a significant amount of our yearbook. Each pod received a schedule for the day, which followed the regular bell schedule. The activities were as follows: Gym Activities: Badminton, Cornhole, Kan-Jam, and Spikeball were set up in the gym. Students were given a chance to play with others who were not in their pod. Breakfast: Donations from parents and teachers made up breakfast, including bagels (premade with butter/ cream cheese) and juice. Students were seated 6 feet apart, just like in an average lunch period. Students could emerge from their pods here as well. Senior Story: Each group was given a large post-it note and instructed to write down their favorite memories at North. Some used bullets, while others wrote out anecdotes. Lunch: A generous donation from the Valley Stream Teacher's Association provided seniors with various wraps from Valley Caterers. Drinks, chips, and snacks were provided by parent donations. Students were also asked to fill out a form to be put in a time capsule during this period, which will be returned in 10 years. Some of the questions included info about favorite teachers, goals, and favorite things. Tik-Tok Challenge: Groups were given one period to create a "pass the phone" challenge video. At the end of the day, all videos were submitted to the Senior grade advisors for judging (winners TBD). I Scream for Ice Cream ! – Lenny's Twistee Freeze truck parked next to the gym, where students were given one coupon for a cone or bar. The beautiful weather was perfect for enjoying the sweet treats. Teachers were also able to grab a bite thanks to a donation by VSN Principal, Ms. Green. Senior Sign: Every Senior in attendance signed a large banner. For the rest of the period, students hung out in the courtyard, caught up, and took pictures. Scavenger Hunt: Each group started the period by finding a hidden envelope in the lobby which contained hints for the hunt. Pods were instructed to take pictures on the football field, with George, by our main sign, next to something with school colors, and next to an inspirational quote. They were also asked to create a meme. All pictures were sent to our grade advisors for collection. At the end of the day, the 30 raffle winners claimed their prizes, and the Seniors helped to clear the halls by ripping down streamers and selecting their favorite posters to take home. After that, we were let out for our spring break! For me, Senior Day was by far one of my favorite days of high school. It felt awesome to be appreciated and to spend quality time with my friends. My favorite part was the ice cream truck and the scavenger hunt. We are so grateful for all the work put in by our school Director of Student Activities Mrs. Italiano, and all teachers, parents, staff, underclassmen, and administration. A very special thank you to our grade advisors Mrs. Oliver and Mrs. Balducci! Thank you for everything you do! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Interview with Mr. Arata  By Gurjosh Multani Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by VSCHSD Q: State your name and your occupation. " My name is Anthony Arata, and my occupation is Permanent Sub here at Valley Stream North, but I am in Grad school at St. John’s University in order to become a Special Education teacher.” Q: Have you lived anywhere other than Valley Stream and if so, where? “I live in Franklin Square.” Q: Do you enjoy your job? “I love my job.” Q: Anything else to add to that? “It's an honor to be able to come back to where I went to high school and to inspire kids how I was inspired to be a teacher.” Q: What inspired you to start working this job? " My 10th grade special education teacher Mr. Achatz.” [pronounced “ACK-its”] Q: How do you feel about the recent threat to this school? "It's scary, but the reality of every day as a teacher and a student is that it can happen anywhere and there's protocols to be safe, but there're people who want to harm students and we just have to be as safe as possible always. And if you see something, always say something.” Q: What would you do for the security of the school if you were in charge? “If I was in charge of the security... Hmm Well, we already have cameras everywhere, which is definitely necessary, and the ID is to keep track of who comes in and out. But I would maybe just have scanners that way they could see when you walk through, so it scans you. That way we can prevent the lines in the morning, so it'd be an easier transition for students and faculty.” Q: Do you have any advice for the new generation of kids? "Find your passion and do something that you love because I go to work every day, I'm happy to be there, and I love what I do. As long as you do something that makes you happy, it's then that you'll be set for life.” BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Back to Sections Nora Chery By Nora Chery November 7, 2022 Volume 3 Issue 1

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Winter Track By Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 3 Issue 3 February 24, 2023 Image provided by AAG Sports I stare across the locker room Wondering what I got myself into … I racewalk a couple laps Wondering what I got myself into … I wait outside freezing, praying someone opens the door Wondering what I got myself into … I stand on the starting line Wondering what I got myself into ...  Winter track ain't that bad That's what they all say But they're not the ones running everyday All the other athletes are nice and warm inside But here I am freezing outside   I’d rather be at home, with a cup of hot cocoa But here I am running my two warm up laps While my friends have a blast And as I put on my spikes I wonder, what did I get myself into?   But as the season comes to an end I realize, that maybe this ain't so bad After all I do have a medal to hang So as I grab the baton one last time I run as hard as I can so I end up with a good time So as I stare across the locker room I put a smile on my face … And as I racewalk a couple laps I push as hard as I can … And while I wait outside freezing, as nobody opens the door I let out a laugh at last … And as I finally stand on the starting line I smile, glad that I joined winter track BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Wadsworth: An Introspective Dive By Alain Deen Volume 2 Issue 6 April 14, 2022 Image provided by Fortune "So, in summation…It was Mrs. Peacock in the kitchen with the dagger. Colonel Mustard in the Lounge with the revolver. Mrs. Scarlet in the library with the candlestick. Professor Plum in the hall with the revolver. Mrs. White in the ballroom with the rope. And Mr. Green in the billiard room with the lead pipe." Clue: The Movie (1985) quickly became a staple cult classic. The film is based on the famous Hasbro board game of the same name. In the board game, six characters are invited to an unusual and seemingly random dinner party in the 1950s. They are led to a mansion, where a number of murders occur. The purpose of the board game is to figure out who the murderer is, underscoring its traditional "whodunit" theme. However, it is worth noting that the butler, Wadsworth, is not included in the board game, but he is included in the film and the stage play. In terms of character analysis, Wadsworth does not hold much depth. However, it is worth noting that the character of Wadsworth is a culmination of years of intricate butlery, stereotypes, and other fictional prototypes. Let’s talk about it. In the board game, Wadsworth is not included as a character. In my opinion, this was done on purpose. Here is my take on the dilemma: Wadsworth is actually included in the game, but his figurine is invisible. I am just kidding. At any rate, my point is that Wadsworth serves as a metaphorical puppeteer in the board game. In other words, each player is their own Wadsworth. They manipulate each of the six characters (Colonel Mustard, Mrs. Peacock, Miss Scarlet, Mr. Green, and Professor Plum) throughout the game's duration in an attempt to frame each of them for murder. Whether it's through utilizing various weapons or locations in Boddy Manor to achieve this purpose, "Wadsworth" is the master puppeteer behind the game's drama. I played Wadsworth in Valley Stream North's recent production of Clue; it was a great experience, to say the least. I had a lot of fun with the character and delved deep into his twisted yet comedic mind. From playing Wadsworth, I gained more insight into the character himself, learning more about the intricacies attached to his puppeteering tendencies. My character served as the driving force for all the events throughout the show. He led the suspects through each and every scene, allowing for a smooth course of events leading up to the show's dramatic culmination. He permits each of the six suspects to enter the mansion, often introducing them to each other. Once they are all comfortable, he reveals the reason they are all there in the first place. "Ladies and gentlemen, my instructions are clear. It seems the six of you have one thing in common. You are all being blackmailed. For some considerable time, all of you have been paying what you can afford, and in some cases more than you can afford, to someone who threatens to expose you." This highlights Wadsworth's knowledgeable background throughout the course of the play. He was aware of most of the events before they occurred. In other words, he was always one step ahead. He also manipulated various events, highlighting his sly, conniving background. "He was Wadsworth, my Butler" "OHHHHH!" "I want to thank all of you for killing off my network of spies and informers, which you all did splendidly, by the way. Not to mention the added bonus of our evening together: I have each and every one of you on the hook for murder." By the end of the play, it is revealed that Wadsworth is actually Mr. Boddy, directly supporting the argument that Wadsworth serves as a puppeteer in every medium of the franchise. He was behind everything all along, highlighting his sly and conniving nature. Thus, it is worth noting that Wadsworth is representative of the audience. In a sense, the audience subliminally desires to manipulate the guests' actions, highlighting their deep alignment with Wadsworth's character arc. Wadsworth's character goes deeper than the surface, and that must be noted when conducting a character analysis. He really is more than just a butler. He simultaneously serves as the audience, the narrator, and the franchise's driving force, even if his likeness isn't 3D modeled on a miniature figurine. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Tanka Sahari's Secret Life Sarah Velez Volume 5 Issue 2 November 25, 2024 Image Provided by Unsplash Photos Warning, the following program contains scenes of graphic stupidity among four lifelong friends who compete to embarrass each other- the intro we all know and love, Impractical Jokers has been a world-wide favorite since December 15, 2011. The show consists of four men, James Murray, Brian Quinn, Joe Gatto, and Sal Vulcano, born and raised in Staten Island, who have carried a friendship for over 30 years. Playing pranks and doing dares on strangers they come across, anything could happen. Randomly being approached on the street and asked to sign a waiver or having a chicken tender thrown at you, the four boys made sure to get a laugh out for those at home-and maybe even for themselves. Two of the boys go by a different nickname, James being known as Murr, Brian being known as Q, and what has recently become a famous nickname, Sal being known as Tanka Jahari . As open as Tanka Jahari may seem on screen, recent fans have discovered a truth which has been swept under the rug for quite some time. Sal Vulcano was born November 6, 1976. This germophobic TV star never fails to make those at home laugh whether it be by his most irrational fears, or reactions to what goes on while filming. His lack of affection on the show portrays a picture of how he acts behind cameras, right? Wrong. Sal Vulcano, along with co-host Chris Distefano, run a podcast called Two Cool Moms . Despite the relatively comedic factors that this podcast provides, curtains opened when Sal Vulcano stated that he has a daughter and has been married for quite some time. Sal Vulcano commented during his podcast, “I never really talk about it at all, but people know I’ve been with my lady for a very long time…I’m so, so private. Privacy is like the last thing I have, you know. Once I give it away, I can’t get it back and it’s just weird because I’ve spent a decade on television as myself.” This took fans by surprise. How could a man who had no boundaries on television manage to keep a secret for so long? The truth is, Vulcano stated he would like to speak publicly about his life, but on his “own terms.” It is a balance on controlling yourself in front of millions of people while also providing and supporting a family you love more than anything else. Vulcano melted whilst speaking about his daughter, claiming that there aren’t any words to describe his introduction to fatherhood. Vulcano stated, “Imagine having a new feeling after 45 years…I don’t need to access [happiness]. If I hear her voice, if she walks in, if I look at a photo of her right now, something happens to my body,” while tearing up. It’s safe to say despite being an open book to the media world, everyone has their own sacred privacy dear to their heart. As big of a fan that some people may be, it is crucial to respect Sal’s decision about his private life, limiting the pressure on him to reveal what goes on behind the screen. Regardless of his at home life, Tanka Jahari shall continue to be a comedic source for those in need of a good laugh. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Lights On for Education Back to Sections Rushana Jailova - Lights On for Education By Rushana Jailova April 22, 2021 Acrylic Volume 1 Issue 7