Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections Interview with Jaela Cardoza-Alvarez Rehmat Kaur Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 Image provided by Jaela Cardoza-Alvarez Jaela Cardoza-Alvarez is a charming, outgoing individual and an incredible tennis player who played on our school's team. Throughout the season, we had numerous wonderful and amusing experiences. Unfortunately, this was her last tennis season with our school's team, and I wish her all the best in the future. Through this interview, I got the amazing opportunity to learn more about her passion for tennis. Her responses to the following questions are as follows: What is your position on the school’s tennis team? “First singles.” What is your position preference (singles or doubles)? “Singles.” What is your preferred type of court? “Hard tennis court." What are your favorite tennis shots? “Cross court forehands and volleys." What do you do when you are not playing tennis or practicing? “Hang out with friends, listen to music, or workout." Who is your favorite tennis player? “Serena Williams.” What is your favorite meal after a game? “Pasta.” What is your pre-game routine? “Just get hype and remember to play your hardest and your best." How did you come to be a tennis player? “I actually started off dancing, and when I got old enough, I expressed to my family that I didn’t like dancing and didn’t want to do it anymore, so they tried to find other stuff for me to do, and I didn’t like anything else, but then I found tennis." Who is your role model or someone you looked up to? “My mom is my role model." How has your experience playing high school tennis been? “My experience playing high school tennis has been so much fun. It’s taught me some stuff here and there. I’ve learned to play against many different types of playing styles, I enjoyed playing with my team, and I had a great coach." Who were your past coaches? How have they helped her become a better tennis player? “My first ever coach for tennis was named Milton. I had him as a coach for 2 years, and then he left to move on with his life. I was then introduced to Coach Akins, who has now been my coach for a total of 3–4 years. He’s definitely encouraged me to play better, play smarter, and is always pushing me to play stronger and reach new levels. My family is the reason I am who I am today, especially my mom. I receive endless amounts of love and encouragement from all of them, and they are truly amazing." What do you look for in a coach? “I look for a coach that wants me to succeed and will push me to the next level." How do you maintain focus in a game or deal with stress? “I take deep breaths, and I always look at my opponent and tell myself, “I want this more than they do.” My opponent will never understand how much more I want this than they do." Do you see yourself playing tennis even more competitively in the future? “I do see myself playing more competitively in the future because I really do love playing tennis." What makes someone good at tennis? “I think that with enough practice, anyone can play, but to be good, you have to have what it takes to win. You need to have enough discipline and confidence to tell yourself that you are good and that you have the ability to win." BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections Space Junk and the Moon By Elyas Layachi Volume 2 Issue 4 February 10, 2022 Image provided by MIT Introduction Every year, thousands of spacecraft are launched into Earth orbit, whether they be satellites, telescopes, or rocket tests. These spacecraft have been accumulating since the launch of Sputnik 1 (the first artificial satellite), and many are now either broken or retired. Known as space junk, these dead spacecraft have nowhere to go and remain in Earth orbit until they near the Earth’s atmosphere, posing the threat of collisions with other, active spacecraft. Such collisions produce even more space junk that becomes lethal to both active satellites and astronauts. In some rare scenarios, space junk can exit Earth’s orbit and impact our distant neighbor: the moon. SpaceX and Space Junk One of these rare scenarios is about to occur with a SpaceX rocket. One of SpaceX’s rockets that launched several years ago is on a collision course with the moon and is scheduled to impact it very soon. This rocket, the Falcon 9 booster stage from a SpaceX mission launch in 2015, was supposed to return to Earth, but it did not have enough reserved fuel to do so. As a result, it remained in its orbit, which was chaotically placed between the gravitational forces of the Earth, moon, and Sun. With so many sources of gravity acting on the booster stage, its orbit became chaotic, and the moon’s gravity began pulling it towards the surface. This anticipated collision with the lunar surface could be the first documented rocket collision with the moon. It is expected to hit the far side of the moon on March 4th, 2022, at about 5,771 miles per hour, exploding on impact. Conclusion Despite how interesting and rare this event is, space junk is still a great problem and poses a threat to both spacecraft and astronauts working in Earth orbit. With space junk increasing with every collision and space launch, action must be taken. If we continue to ignore the space junk problem, Earth orbit might become so crowded that leaving it to travel to the Moon and beyond will seem dangerous and impossible. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Christmas Traditions from Around the World By Sahar Ali Volume 3 Issue 2 December 23, 2022 Image provided by A&E Networks Celebrated every year on December 25th, Christmas is a religious holiday observed all around the world by Christians and non-Christians. Christmas is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Throughout the world, countries have different and interesting ways of celebrating this holiday full of joy. Let’s go around the world and learn about the different Christmas traditions that people around the world have! EUROPE Iceland – Icelandic families celebrate 13 days of Christmas, similar to the 12 days of Christmas in the United States. During these days, young children are visited by 13 Yule Lads each night leading up to Christmas day. Children will place their shoes by a window and proceed to bed. If the child has been good, they will be given candy in the morning. However, if a child has been bad, they will receive shoes full of rotten potatoes. Sounds worse than being greeted with coal in your stocking! Finland – On Christmas morning, Finnish families eat a porridge made with rice and milk topped with either cinnamon or butter. Inside the porridge, a hidden almond is placed. The first person to uncover the almond “wins”. Some families, however, end up adding extra almonds into the porridge to prevent children from getting upset. And at the end of the day, Finnish families will warm up in a sauna. LATIN AMERICA Mexico – Members of the church from all around Mexico present a Shepard’s Play, or Pastorellas , which retells the Christmas story. The country’s Christmas season starts in early December with a march that reenacts Mary and Joseph’s journey, known as Posadas . Mexicans also use beautiful, vibrant red poinsettias in holiday arrangements for decorations throughout the country. El Salvador – On December 24th and 25th, Salvadorians toast Christmas with fireworks. Young children are given volcancitos (translated to little volcanoes) and estrellitas (translated to little stars), which are small firecrackers. On the other hand, older children and young adults prefer larger firecrackers and Roman candles. ASIA Philippines – In the city of San Fernando, the Giant Lantern Festival, known as Ligligan Parul , is held every year. This festival includes dazzling parols (lanterns) that represent the Star of Bethlehem. In each parol , there are thousands of spinning lights that brighten the night sky. San Fernando has become the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines” because of Ligligan Parul . Japan – Since 1% of Japan’s population is Christian, Christmas is not a national holiday in the country. However, the Japanese have found a rather interesting way to take part in this global celebration. On Christmas, Japanese families go to KFC instead of having a dinner around the table with their families. This tradition started in 1974. The fast-food chain has remained popular, and now many families order months in advance. On the other hand, some people choose to wait and stand on lines that are two hours long in order to get their meal. NORTH AMERICA United States – American families decorate their homes with colorful lights or large snowmen and/or Santa Clause figures. On Christmas Eve, parents along with their children place cookies and milk as a snack for Santa Clause when he comes to deliver presents during the night. Many people also watch Christmas movies throughout the month of December, decorate gingerbread houses, and exchange gifts. Canada – Just like American families, Canadians also decorate their houses with vibrant lights. Additionally, stockings are hung by the fireplace. In northern Canada, Sinck Tuck is a celebration observed by the native Inuits. This celebration includes dancing, feasting, and the exchange of presents. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Homemade Gravy and Cranberry Sauce: Is it Worth the Time? By Christina Ossa Volume 2 Issue 2 November 19, 2021 Original photography by Christina Ossa Thanksgiving is a time for sharing, reflecting on your gratitude, and enjoying fantastic food. However, the star of Thanksgiving is usually turkey, a delicious, juicy, and flavorful tradition of this time of the year. The sauce that pairs with turkey would usually be a tasty, savory gravy or a more bittersweet cranberry sauce to add to the quality of each slice of turkey. But, with many dishes already having time put into them, there’s usually no time left to make either of these delicious sauces from scratch. As a result, many households opt for store-bought versions of cranberry and gravy sauce. And for many of you, I’m sure this goes for your family as well. While I agree, yes, it is convenient and consumes less time, but it tastes bland and underwhelming. So, is making these sauces from scratch really worth your time? Here, I’ll try my best to convince you that once you switch from store-bought gravy and cranberry sauce, you’ll likely never turn back. Last year, out of pure curiosity from a recipe I saw on YouTube, I was inspired and tried making my own cranberry and gravy from scratch. Did it take more of my time during the holidays? Yes, it did. Was it worth that time? In my opinion, it was. When I made the cranberry sauce, all I needed were these ingredients: sugar, water, an orange, and cranberries; also, it only took 15 minutes. I added my ingredients to a medium saucepan and let it simmer on low for about 15 minutes (you could simmer it for longer if you feel like the cranberries are not reduced enough). On my first taste test, the cranberries were reduced to a beautiful jam-like color and tasted bittersweet and flavorful. The texture tasted like a more bittersweet version of raspberry jam. It did not have that artificial aftertaste that I’ve found store-bought cranberry sauce leaves. Next, I refrigerated my sauce in a glass container overnight and served it the next day. Once you refrigerate the sauce, it turns into a beautiful jello-type texture that melts onto the turkey once you place it onto your plate. This recipe is very low-maintenance, and it produces a mouth-watering result all in 15 minutes - and can be prepared the day before. If you’re not satisfied with the more artificial flavor of store-bought cranberry sauce and have just a mere 15 minutes to spare: I’d recommend you try this recipe. If you don’t bake or cook anything for Thanksgiving, this recipe would be an excellent addition to bring to someone who’s hosting. It also takes less time than almost any Thanksgiving recipe I’ve tried. The gravy sauce was also way better than any store-bought or even restaurant-style gravy I’ve tried before. It was rich, packed with flavor, and kept the integrity of the turkey. It only added to the taste of the turkey, and when paired with the bittersweet flavor of the cranberry sauce, created an impressive depth of flavor. This recipe does take a bit more work but is so worth the time it takes, in my opinion. This recipe also includes parts of the turkey many people aren’t sure how to use or cook, including the bones and other parts of a turkey not commonly included in a Thanksgiving meal. For this recipe, I used the neck/spine of the turkey to create my own turkey stock, along with a roughly chopped onion, roughly chopped celery, and some chopped carrots. Next, I used a medium-sized saucepan. I added my ingredients and the water I put on the stove on medium-high heat until it came to a boil. After this, I let it simmer on low for about three hours, then strained it through a sift to separate the liquid and ingredients I added for flavor-sake. Now, three hours may be a long time compared to the time it took for the cranberry sauce, but compared to the amount of time the turkey would bake in the oven, it isn’t much time at all. Also, don’t be scared of how this was only the first step for the gravy because I promise making the stock is the hardest part. Once you have your stock, take either the same or a different saucepan and add/melt your butter in it. After the butter has completely melted, put in the flour and stir generously. This part of the gravy process is probably the most crucial. You’re creating what’s called a roux in the culinary world: the base to making almost any thick, more creamy-based sauce. After you have a roux, which should look almost like light-colored caramel, add your turkey stock and whisk until it thickens to the point where it should lightly drizzle off a spoon. If you’d like to be fancier, you could also season it with salt and pepper and add herbs like thyme for extra flavor. While the process of creating gravy is a lot more time-consuming than cranberry sauce, it most definitely is worth it. In the end, it may be cheaper than buying store-bought gravy, and it tastes so much better than store-bought. The sauce is creamy, flavor-packed with that delicious broth created straight from the turkey. It’s almost like the turkey’s partner in crime since they were both made from the same source. Paired with the cranberry sauce, it’s a bittersweet-savory wonderland of flavor. So, in the end, was it worth the time to create these two sauces for scratch? In my opinion, it was. It usually is either way since store-bought sauces. And store-bought items, in general, are packed with artificial flavors and preservatives that muddy the overall flavors each item is attempting to achieve. Also, when making this recipe last year for Thanksgiving, it was more rewarding than anything. The feeling of showing your gratitude through adding to the family Thanksgiving meal was gratifying to me when my family tried my food last Thanksgiving. So you should try making one of these sauces for Thanksgiving if you’d like to add something to your family dinner. They’re both very straightforward and delicious recipes. No matter your skill level in cooking, your family would likely appreciate this small yet delightful addition to the Thanksgiving meal. Recipes: Gravy : Turkey Stock: -Replace for pre-made turkey stock OR -Turkey Spine -Turkey Neck -1 Onion, roughly chopped -1 Carrot, roughly chopped -1 Rib of Celery, roughly chopped -6 Cups of Water (enough to cover ingredients) Actual Gravy: -3 ½ tbsp Unsalted butter -3 ½ tbsp All-Purpose Flour -2 ½ cups Turkey Stock (either from premade or original) -Salt (to taste) -Pepper (to taste) -Fresh Chopped herbs (to taste) Directions: -Ask for the spine/neck of the turkey from whoever is cooking the turkey, or if you are yourself, remove the spine/neck (also, you could use both or either one, both would lead to more flavor) -Place the spine/neck into a medium saucepan along with your vegetables, then add your water -Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and check on it until it comes to a boil (roughly 10-15 minutes) -After it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 3 hours -Strain with a sifter or strainer, separating the liquid from the other ingredients (you could either dispose of the rest or find another purpose for the vegetables, the spine/neck is usually inedible, but there may be methods to use it that I’m unaware of) -Set aside broth to make gravy -Take a different or the same saucepan (make sure it’s empty, of course) and melt the butter over medium-low heat -Once the butter has melted, add the flour and whisk thoroughly until it forms a roux /a combined state (it should be a bit thick and gravy-grey colored once it reaches the right consistency) -To the roux, add your turkey stock and stir it occasionally until it reaches a thick consistency (should drizzle lightly off a spoon) -Optional: add your seasonings, whisking lightly for about 2 minutes just to ensure it has combined -Serve and Enjoy! Cranberry Sauce: Ingredients: -12 oz cranberries -1 Cup Granulated Sugar -Zest and Juice of 1 Orange/Lemon (orange would give a sweeter flavor) -½ Cup Water Directions: -Grab a medium saucepan and add your cranberries, sugar, and water -Zest 1 orange over the pan -Once zested, slice it in half and juice it into the rest of your ingredients -Allow your sauce to simmer over low or medium-low (depending on the size of your stoves, I’d recommend using one that will reach the entire length of the bottom of the pan) for 12-15 minutes -Once reduced and the juices are seemingly seeping and forming a jelly-like texture, remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the sauce to a glass container (or plastic but first wait for it to cool if you use plastic) -Store in your refrigerator overnight (I’d recommend making this recipe the night before thanksgiving or a couple hours before you’re going to eat) -Serve and Enjoy! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections The Evolution of Super Mario Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 Image provided by MarioStar Super Mario Bros. is one of the most popular game franchises in the world. Since 1985, Nintendo has released games that influenced the world and captivated its players. Those games remain timeless as more and more additions are added to the collection of movies and soundtracks. With the New Super Mario Bros. movie in theatres, Mario has gained an extra boost in popularity that has reopened itself and its wonders to many an audience. The franchise is centered around an Italian plumber, Mario, who with his brother, Luigi, works to save Princess Peach who is frequently kidnapped by Bowser. Mario is often helped by Toad, a mushroom-like partner/ assistant in his journey. This has been the focus of many of the games in the Super Mario franchise, but Nintendo has also added more characters and spin-off games into their collection such as Luigi’s Mansion or any of the many Mario Kart games. Although Super Mario has been refurbished many times, it is still popular with multiple generations. Games since the late 1900s have captivated many and are fun to play when bored or during any free time. The First Super Mario game was released in 1985. Directed and produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, Super Mario Bros. was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System on September 13, 1986, and in arcades in January of the next year. Super Mario Bros 2 and 3 were released in 1988 followed by Super Mario Land and World the next two years. Both games got their own sequels in 1992 and 1995. No more major Mario games were published until the New Super Mario Bros game came to the Nintendo DS in early 2006. This was followed by Super Mario Galaxy in 2007. Super Mario Galaxy 2 came out in 2010 with Super Mario 3D Land coming out the next year. Super Mario Maker came out in 2015 followed by Super Mario Run and Odyssey the next two years. Super Mario Maker 2 came out in 2019 and Super Mario 3D World and Bowser’s Fury came out in 2021, being the latest games in the franchise. Super Mario Bros. is one of the most recognizable games of all time. With reworks and spin-offs, keeping the games fresh and popular, Nintendo has been able to keep its best series afloat. Different additions to the franchise are in the works and if Nintendo continues to grow the series at its current rate, it is guaranteed to thrive for many years to come. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections LIVE Inauguration Updates By Craig Papajohn-Shaw and Logan Balsan Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Images provided by CNN Politics and Wall Street Journal, edited by Craig Papajohn-Shaw Latest Update: Thursday, January 21 [3:58 PM] Within the first couple of days in the new presidency, the Biden Administration has solidified its commitment to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, climate change, and racial inequality through executive orders. The White House will have to balance its Democratic priorities with bipartisanship in its effort to pursue President Biden's ambitious agenda in the next 4 years. [2:25 PM] Pete Buttigieg, President Biden's nominee for the Secretary of Transportation is testifying at the Senate confirmation hearings. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and former 2020 Democratic Presidential candidate, is likely to be confirmed later today with bipartisan support. Wednesday, January 20 [7:43 PM] In a bipartisan effort, the Senate confirmed President Biden’s first cabinet nominee Avril Haines for Director of National Intelligence. The vote was 84-10, with 6 senators not voting. Joe Biden will only receive one cabinet nominee on his first day in office. This is unprecedented as past presidents received more nominations on their first day in office; Mr. Trump received 2, Mr. Obama received 6, and Mr. W. Bush received 7. [7:27 PM] In the first White House Press Briefing, Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated the goal of rebuilding trust in America through “truth and transparency." Ms. Psaki discussed the private letter Mr. Trump wrote to President Biden: she said the President will not discuss the specific contents of the letter, but Biden did say it was a gracious letter. A key contrast in the new administration: they will hold press briefings Monday-Friday. Additionally, to prepare the White House for the Biden Administration, $500,000 was spent to deep-clean. Lastly, she focused on the 100-day mask "challenge" as well as the rejoining into the World Health Organization (WHO). Both were implemented by executive order. The final event tonight will be the Inauguration Special where artists such as John Legend will perform live at 8:30 PM. [5:50 PM] In his first actions as President, by Executive Order, Mr. Biden rejoined the Paris Climate Accord, a program former President Trump ceased participation in during June of 2017. The Paris Climate Accord is one of the major action groups focused on overcoming the issues involved with global warming. This is one of many orders he is expected to sign on his first day in office. Guide: Link here to NY Times's [ Biden's 17 Executive Orders and Other Directives in Detail ] [5:07 PM] Georgia Senators-elect Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock attended Biden's Inauguration. At about 4:45PM today, Democrats took control of the Senate. Both Georgia Senators, along with Vice-President Harris's replacement, Alex Padilla, were sworn this evening, in a Senate Session where the Vice-President was in the chair, performing her role as President of the Senate. This would cause a shift in power in Congress and will affect Joe Biden's overall agenda as he begins to propose new legislation in his first days in office. [2:46 PM] President Biden and Vice President Harris kept on with tradition by laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery. They were accompanied by the former Presidents. [1:43 PM] Senator Amy Klobuchar is delivering remarks to the First and Second families. She is presenting custom made Lenox crystal vases in commemoration of their Inauguration. President Biden’s vase features the White House and Vice President Harris’s vase features the United States Capitol. [1:31 PM] Republican Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted after Biden’s unifying speech, “#impeachbiden.” For the last week, the Representative claimed that she will bring papers of impeachment to the house floor on Joe Biden’s first full day in office. [1:10 PM] The Institution White House Twitter accounts including, @POTUS have been transferred over from the Trump Administration to the Biden Administration. Additionally, a new Twitter Government account was activated: " @SecondGentleman " [12:48 PM] In his inaugural address, now President Biden focused on how "democracy has prevailed" in the 2020 election. [12:14 PM] Joe Biden cites in his Inaugural Address, "The work and prayers ⁄ Of centuries ⁄ Have brought us to this day ⁄ What shall be our legacy? ⁄ What will our children say? ⁄ Let them say of me ⁄ I was one who believed In sharing the blessings ⁄ I received ⁄ Let me know in my heart ⁄ When my days are through ⁄ America ⁄ America ⁄ I gave my best to you" from the song American Anthem by Nora Jones as a message to the country. [12:00 PM] Joe Biden has been officially been sworn in by Chief Justice Roberts. He is now the 46th President of the United States as of 12:00PM. Joe Biden, the former senator and Vice President from the small-town of Scranton, Pennsylvania, starting a career in politics at the young age of 30, is now the new leader of the free world, alongside his Vice-President Kamala Harris. Joe Biden is expected to sign many executive first orders during his first day in office. Biden will now give his inaugural address. [11:58 AM] Biden asks the nation to join him together in one cause: unity. [11:50 AM] President-Elect Biden is now President, and Donald Trump now joins the list of single-term Presidents. [11:45 AM] Jennifer Lopez is performing "This Land is Your Land." [11:42 AM] Vice President-Elect Harris is being sworn in right now by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, making her the first person of color and female to take the oath of the vice presidency. [11:39 AM] First African American female, Andrea Hall, to be named Captain in her Georgia fire department recites The Pledge of Allegiance. [11:34 AM] Incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden is wearing a stunning ocean blue Markarian dress and overcoat to the inauguration. Designer Alexandra O’Neill, also made the complimentary blue mask. [11:30 AM] The Pledge of Allegiance is being recited and the National Anthem is being performed by The United States Marine Band. [11:26 AM] Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri is next to speak as Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Inauguration. [11:21 AM] Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar is the first to speak at the 59th Presidential inauguration. [11:19 AM] President-Elect Biden is about to walk out to the outside platform where he will be inaugurated. House and Senate Leadership is currently being introduced. [11:17 AM] Former Vice President Dan Quayle from the H.W. Bush Administration is also in attendance. [11:14 AM] In a historic moment, Vice President-Elect Harris is seen having a quick chat with outgoing Vice President Pence. It also appears to be snowing in a small flurry. [11:04 AM] Mike Pence has officially chosen to attend the Inauguration, instead of going to Trump's own planned send-off to Florida [10:57 AM] The nine Supreme Court Justices have taken their spots on the inaugural stage. Chief Justice Roberts will read the oath of office to former Vice-President Biden. Vice President-elect Harris selected Justice Sonia Sotomayor to read the oath of office to her. In an effort to show a sign of unity, Former Presidents Obama, W. Bush, and Clinton are attending the inauguration, and have taken their spots on the stage. [10:36 AM] Both the President elect and Vice-President elect have just arrived at the Capitol for the inaugural ceremony. Replacing the large crowd in front of the capitol, a sea of flags cover the grounds symbolizing those Americans who cannot attend the ceremony. To date, 400,000 have lost their lives to the coronavirus pandemic. [9:31] Although President Trump has broken from many traditions when it comes to a peaceful transfer of power, advisors have said he did uphold one norm: leaving a note for the incoming President. The contents of the note are unknown at this time. [8:49 AM] A large, closely-packed crowd of supporters came out to Joint Base Andrews to watch Trump's last expected speech as President, which ended at 8:45 am. He focused on his successes as President such as the economy, the stock market, and how his great relationship with Congress allowed for the passage of successful legislation. Mr. Trump stated to supporters: “this is just the beginning." He thanked all of his administration, including the Vice-President, and wished the incoming administration "the best of luck." [8:31 AM] Mr. Trump has left the White House for the last time as President this morning around 8:00 AM . He will be traveling to Palm Beach, Florida with the First Lady. Trump will still travel with the nuclear football (the satchel with the nuclear codes); however, at 12:00 PM, Joe Biden's nuclear football in D.C will be activated and Trump's will be deactivated. Because Trump will not attend the inauguration, two nuclear footballs were required during this historic transfer of power. [7:53 AM] Before the inauguration ceremony at the Capitol at noon, President-Elect Biden along with Speaker Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Schumer, House Minority Leader McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader McConnell are attending a morning service at St. John's Cathedral in Washington. [6:57 AM] Washington D.C is on lockdown this morning. Over 25,000 National Guard Troops are overseeing the inauguration in order to provide high security. Additionally, the FBI is on high alert due to threatening information posted online. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Interview with Mr. Lodato: Featured New Faculty Member Rehmat Kaur Volume 4 Issue 2 January 16, 2024 Image provided by Rehmat Kaur I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Lodato, the new Special Education teacher, and learning more about his journey that led him to being a teacher here at North. Before he started teaching, he coached baseball for around 8 or 9 years. He worked with a teacher and recognized many similarities between coaching baseball between 13 and 18 and teaching. He felt strong at communicating, teaching, and being hands-on with his players, and after discussing with his coach, he stated, "I decided to go into teaching, and I'm very lucky that I did!” Mr. Lodato played college baseball for a short time, but he wanted to complete his studies first. Following that, he opted to pursue an undergraduate degree in Communications with a minor in English at SUNY Farmingdale. It started with Liberal Arts, then moved on to Communications and a lot of public speaking. After finishing his Bachelor's degree, he leaned toward Journalism and English. After deciding what he wanted to do, he went to Molloy University for a dual master's degree in English and Special Education. Mr. Lodato only heard positive things about North from Mr. Pandolfi, and he felt fortunate that his résumé was accepted and handed to Mrs. Vickse, who ended up interviewing him. " Here we are, and this place is great, I love it! " Mr. Lodato added. Currently he co-teaches two IST classes with special education students. He has a 10th grade IST class (Earth Science with Mr. Roveto) and an 11th grade IST class (English with Ms. Belbol) for individual skill development. He also finished his first season coaching Junior High Football in fall, coaches Varsity Girls Basketball in winter and will jump on board with Mr. Sanfilippo and Mr. Casella for Varsity Baseball Team in spring. What do you love most about teaching? “The connections that you make with the students. Everyone remembers, at least for me when I was in high school. You remember the teachers that you really liked or really did not have good experiences with, and I always try to remind myself of that and go on the side of being the one that kids do remember in a good way. It is important, especially in the age group of 14 to 18 the high school age when lots is going on and you are trying to figure out what you want to do in life, so it is important to have an adult figure point you in the right direction.” What characteristics do students want their teachers to possess? “Kindness, lead with kindness. I'm a big believer in first impressions, so especially as a new teacher I don’t want to come in, not that I'm like this anyway, but you don't want to come in with the grumpy face or being angry. As a substitute, I learned fast, I was a substitute teacher for the last two years at Island trees at Levittown. If you walk in with a bad attitude, the kids feed off that. I think their day takes a hit if you walk in with a bad attitude. So, I think kindness and positivity goes a long way as a teacher.” How was your first day or week here at North? “It was cool, I mean it was different, being in a different area you always have to take some time to adjust a little bit but I'm lucky that I have a special ed department that's so welcoming. There's so many of us and everyone has been super welcoming and nice and upfront. It also helps that I coached football guys over the summer. There were summer clinics, I knew some people already before the first day of school, I knew Mr. Casella, Coach P, and a couple of other football guys and I also knew Mr. Pandolfi like I said. Knowing people in the building, instead of just walking into a place without knowing anybody definitely helps.” His advice to cope with stress and to motivate students is to look at the bigger picture. It is easier to take steps little by little instead of having negative thoughts. “I try to motivate them to finish the task at hand, instead of just looking at the grand scheme of things” Mr. Lodato adds. Mr. Lodato shared this beautiful quote: “ Show me your friends and I’ll show you what kind of person you are” Mr. Lodato’s dad has told him since middle school, and it really resonated with him. He states that it is important to surround yourself with good people doing the right thing and are on the path of having a good life. Some fun facts about Mr. Lodato are that he enjoys sushi and that The Great Gatsby is his favorite novel. He read it in high school, and it is the book that stayed with him the most. Fall is his favorite season because “ football is on, it's hoodie season, and I associate fall with peace and relaxation." He also enjoys watching hockey, playing baseball, and reading autobiographies. Mr. Lodato is an exceptional individual with a lot of enthusiasm, and we are extremely fortunate to have him as a teacher here at North. BACK TO TOP

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 Beauty in Nature Back to Sections Fabian Rivera - Beauty in Nature By Fabian Rivera February 10, 2022 Photography Volume 2 Issue 4

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections The Price of Reformation Elaine Ching Volume 5 Issue 4 April 8, 2025 To reform is to struggle. Power, Injustice, and Tyrants oppress and resist. But we must Labor, Suffer, and Sacrifice. BACK TO TOP