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Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections Professional Sports' Response to the Corona Virus By John McCarthy Volume 1 Issue 2 November 24, 2020 Image provided by Al Belo COVID-19 has had a major impact on multiple aspects of our lives. The response to the virus is a dividing issue that strengthens or weakens the faith in a system. The question surrounding every school, business, and state, has been whether to reopen their facilities or to remain closed to prevent the spread of the virus. Have professional sports leagues dropped the ball in their COVID-19 responses? Sports fans are emphatic about the fact that once again, professional sports are being played. We love watching and talking about the excitement, competition, and tradition of our favorite teams and players. Although viewer engagement and money flow through sports once again, coronavirus cases are a common occurrence, especially in the contact sports. There have been many cases of players and staff members contracting COVID-19. On the grand stage, every decision and repercussion is amplified for league officials. Each of the Big 4 leagues, the MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL, have given players and staff the choice to opt-out of activities because of coronavirus concerns, but does the operation of the leagues themselves eschew the severity of COVID-19? The Los Angeles Dodgers recently won the 2020 World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays after a shortened sixty game season. After the seventh inning of game six of the World Series, Dodgers’ third baseman Justin Turner was taken out of the game because he tested positive for the coronavirus. The Dodgers went on to win the game and the series. A World Series celebration typically consists of a dog pile on the pitcher’s mound followed by popping champagne, and there was no exception this year. A beautiful and crazy moment for the franchise, winning their first championship in 32 years. Justin Turner participated in the celebration, hugging his teammates and coaches without proper PPE (Dave Roberts, the Dodgers’ manager is a cancer survivor). Although the excitement can get the best of anyone, nonetheless this was a blatant example of a poor decision that shows a lack of integrity on the part of Turner. The NFL has seen its fair share of COVID-19 cases in its first ten weeks. Games have been postponed because of positive testing. Eleven Tennessee Titans players and 13 staff members contracted the virus after their Week 3 game. Instances such as these can cause a ripple effect across the league due to contact tracing. The Titans were fined by the NFL for not following the safety protocols. However, no suspensions were made. Players and staff contracting the virus on various teams continues to cause postponed games. The NBA has set a great example of a safe way to conduct their league despite the coronavirus. The league set up a “bubble” in Orlando, Florida where every game would be played. Moreover, players would live in the Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World. Lakers center, Javale McGee, said life in the “bubble” was similar to dorming in college or a three-month road trip. The “bubble” worked extremely well. The LA Times wrote, “The NBA may be the U.S.'s best coronavirus success story, thanks to the bubble.” The NHL had a very similar protocol to the NBA. In a 24-team playoff bracket, the NHL reported zero coronavirus cases in over 30,000 tests. The league set up two bubbles, one in Toronto for the Eastern Conference and one in Edmonton for Western Conference teams. With stringent guidelines and minimal travel, the NBA and NHL show how sports can continue safely and orderly, with much of the excitement a normal season would have. Although the coronavirus cases caused modified seasons the return of sports, most of the major leagues put good safety protocols in place so we can all watch the sports we love. The world of sports, parallel to America, had its economy shut down for months, causing measurable suffering for multimillionaires. The real suffering was apparent in the boredom of die-hard fans unable to tailgate or watch their favorite teams. If league commissioners and players would have known how many cases would occur league-wide, would money and TV ratings still prevail? I believe sports have been shut down long enough, but the league operators and team administrators need to recognize the intense health issue COVID-19 presents and step up their game. I hope that sports continue to entertain, inspire, and empower safely in spite of a formidable opponent, COVID-19 BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Implications of Capitol Hill Attack By Simar Thind Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 No Image available at this time On January 6, 2021, Donald Trump held a rally in Washington D.C. to call on politicians to reverse the results of the election. By making claims to his supporters that action must take place to “Save the Steal” and vocally denying the outcome of the election, Trump contributed to the violent rhetoric that allowed for the attack on Capitol Hill to take place. This was planned. Extremists planned the January 6 insurrection, and the evidence is apparent on many conservative websites (Timberg). Many wonder about the lack of security preparations leading up to that day. Protesters holding Blue Lives Matter flags while fighting the police to trespass into the Capitol building truly captures the irony of that day. In the moment, we could not comprehend the full picture of the attack. However, as we slowly see footage that pieces together the events, the brutality reveals itself. Rioters shout threats against Vice President Pence and the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Pipe bombs and guns were found at the scene. Members of Congress were under lockdown and hid for their lives (Reeves). Terrorists trespassed into the building as windows were broken and officers trampled, some holding zip ties to handcuff lawmakers (Timberg). Anti-Semitic symbols and Confederate flags accompanied pro-Trump signs among the crowd. Five people died during the attack; one rioter was shot, one police officer was beaten to death, and three others died after facing medical emergencies (Healy). Horrific; undemocratic; cruel; despicable; barbaric. We do not use the word “love” when describing domestic terrorists, but it seems like President Trump did not get the memo. He attempted to reverse his actions of inciting violence at his rally by tweeting a video telling rioters “We love you and you’re very special…but go home…” (Caldwell). The failure of security and threats on their lives pushed Congress to confirm Biden’s presidential win that next morning, having the opposite effect the rioters intended. Following the confirmation, Trump conceded the election, stating that a new administration would rise to power without explicitly mentioning Biden or Harris. He claims he wants a peaceful transfer of power, but later tweeted that he would not attend the inauguration; his reasons for this are not stated. The incident acts as a harbinger of bad luck for Trump’s political future. Many urged Pence and the cabinet to invoke the 25th amendment, which would declare Trump unfit for the presidency and have Pence take his place until the inauguration on January 20th. The path to removing Trump from power through this method remains unprecedented. House Democrats have pushed an alternative option. Headed by Pelosi, they formally introduced their plan to impeach Trump to hold him accountable for his role in inciting the insurrection, and the number of Republicans supporting the impeachment continued to grow (Wagner). To this date, this second impeachment has passed the House. Much remains uncertain due to the limited amount of time before the transition of power. The exposure of vulnerabilities and potential risks of national security must be discussed. Due to this event, the United States is vulnerable to attacks from foreign entities as well as domestic threats. The attack portrays the U.S. as weak to the outside world. But that is not our biggest worry. Currently, the FBI warns of potential insurrections surrounding the inauguration in all 50 state capitols (MacFarquhar). Hopefully, states heed warnings this time around as tensions continue to escalate. Many governors’ personal safety is at risk. For instance, Gov. Brad Little of Oregon and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan both faced plots for their kidnapping. The insurrection poses many questions for the American public to consider. First, why was there more security for Black Lives Matter protests than this incident, especially when there was evidence of its planning on the internet? Further investigations will take place to evaluate the lack of security and to ensure the safety of state capitols throughout the nation. Second, is America a true democracy? It is a fact that the presidency allows certain corruptions to occur. When a man such as Donald Trump is elected President with no experience in politics and less than a majority of the popular vote, we must evaluate the system. Furthermore, we cannot allow anyone to contribute to violence that threatens national security, especially (and ironically) the President of the United States. We must remember that all government officials are public servants, and when they fail to govern a nation effectively and are a symbol of hatred and violence, the public must urge their removal from office. Many members of Congress state January 6th, 2021 a day that will live in infamy. Now we must consider how this incident will shape the country and whether the nation can grow from it, or if we will become further divided. As students, our responsibility concerns always evaluating all sides of a multi-faceted issue and behaving with empathy. Works Cited Caldwell, Travis. "Trump's 'We Love You' to Capitol Rioters is More of the Same." CNN , www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/trump-history-comments-trnd/index.html. Healy, Jack. "These are the Five People Who Died in the Capitol Riot." NY Times , www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/us/who-died-in-capitol-building-attack.html. MacFarquhar, Neil, and Mike Baker. "State Capitols on High Alert, Fearing More Violence." NY Times , www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/us/politics/state-capitols-protests-trump.html. Reeves, Jay, et al. "Capitol Assault a More Sinister Attack than First Appeared." Associated Press , Jan. 2021, apnews.com/article/us-capitol-attack-14c73ee280c256ab4ec193ac0f49ad54. Timberg, Craig, et al. "Capitol Siege Was Planned Online. Trump Supporters Now Planning the Next One." The Washington Post , www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/09/trump-twitter-protests/. Trump, Donald J. "'Save America' Rally Speech." Rev , 6 Jan. 2021, www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-speech-save-america-rally-transcript-january-6. Speech. Wagner, Meg, et al. "House Pushes to Impeach Trump after Deadly Capitol Riot." CNN , www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-impeachment-news-01-11-21/index.html. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Who Am I Back to Sections Dilraj Singh - Who Am I? By Dilraj Singh November 19, 2021 Volume 2 Issue 2

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections A Dominican Bodega That Sells Amazing Food for a Great Price By Benjamin Amirazodi Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Jovanny Quiroz The Papo Deli is located on Rockaway Avenue in Valley Stream. Despite being called a deli, it is technically a bodega . For those who do not know, a bodega is a type of store popularized in Puerto Rico where the owners would not only sell food but also anything that they can sell. For example, one could buy cleaning supplies, food, utensils, and about anything relating to taking care of your home or self-care. Some food you can buy in Papo Deli are chicharron which is pork with a tough layer of skin on it, pernil which is similar to pulled pork, and even sodas like Inca Cola, which is a Peruvian soda, spaghetti and sandwiches filled with meat, usually pork, and vegetables. Normally when I go there, I like to get a small or medium plate of pernil, rice with beans and an Inca Kola. This place is also faried-priced; one could get the most delicious, fair-sized portion of lunch, some of which might serve as another meal, for around seven or ten dollars. The workers here are also very kind, especially if you are a regular customer at the deli. The workers will almost always try to make small talk and ask how your day is going, however you should keep in mind that not all the workers speak English fluently, so if you don’t get a response right away ask someone else or if you can speak to them in Spanish. Sometimes you might run into a regular customer, which isn't too uncommon because there are two Spanish barbers nearby, they normally like to greet everyone when walking in and say goodbye to everyone when leaving. Which is always nice and always brightens up the mood. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections The Return of Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Ava Augello The Victoria’s Secret fashion show made its return once again this year on October 15 th , 2025, at 7 p.m. ET. Last October, this fashion show, well known in the past for its glamorous designs, made a return to the runway in New York after a six-year hiatus. This year the runway took place again in our state, New York, and the physical event was invitation-only. Last October, the show was held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Despite this, the event is streamed live on platforms such as Prime Video, Amazon Live, YouTube, and TikTok. Involved within the fashion show are many notable guest appearances and models. Runway models, or “Angels,” included Adriana Lima, Gigi Hadid, and Angel Reese -- who made history as the first professional athlete to participate in the fashion show. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show’s focuses on women which makes this event extremely noteworthy and uplifting. The fashion show displays a platform of diverse representation of all body types, ethnicities, and gender identities. Victoria’s Secret, last year, advertised the show as something that would “reflect who we are today.” Furthermore, Victoria’s Secret had once again opted for an all-female lineup of musical guests to perform at the event. This included Missy Elliott, Karol G, Madison Beer, and TWICE. This event’s focus on inclusivity is extremely clear, as last year two transgender models, Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani, walked the runway. The fashion show, last year, started its revival with a bang as it pulled in a peak of above 2.67 million viewers and 1.34 million average viewers across platforms including YouTube and TikTok. This year, there was also a pink carpet pre-show hosted by Law Roach and Zanna Rossi, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. If viewers end up seeing something they like, they can shop for Victoria’s Secret pieces while watching it through the platform Amazon Live. As reported by People Magazine, over 4,000 styles from both Victoria’s Secret and PINK will be available on the Victoria’s Secret’s Amazon Fashion storefront. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show’s return to the runway was a powerful reflection of the world today, and the importance of inclusivity in the fashion world. Sources: VS Fashion Show 2025 is coming up. When, who is walking, how to stream Everything to Know About the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Alex Consani & Valentina Make Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show History https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiYr4-djKSQAxVhLdAFHV_qDA8QFnoECB4QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeople.com%2Feverything-to-know-2025-victorias-secret-fashion-show-11828503&usg=AOvVaw2WeNYZYhxwM6Me52kkdJpW&opi=89978449 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwin_-f-hqSQAxWx38kDHUncHBAQFnoECCMQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.teenvogue.com%2Fstory%2Fvictorias-secret-2024-runway-show-promised-inclusivity-where-was-it&usg=AOvVaw35ZkLGIYU3Q3vIVNxUKjkI&opi=89978449 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi7_cbei6SQAxVR4skDHXRfNzcQFnoECCQQAQ&url=https://wwd.com/pop-culture/celebrity-news/alex-consani-victorias-secret-fashion-show-2024-trans-model-1236686317/&usg=AOvVaw08K4Bo8Muqua4lco-iuYJE&opi=89978449 BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections Culture Society Celebrates Chinese New Year By Barnit Kaur Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Original photos from the Culture Society On January 21st and February 11th, the Culture Society at North High School hosted an event in celebration of Chinese New Year. In the event, we had two members of the Culture Society who celebrate Chinese New Year, Lucy Wu and Elaine Ching teach us about the various traditions and characteristics about Chinese New Year. From the presentations they prepared, we learned about what Chinese New Year was, festive decorations, traditional dishes, Chinese sayings, and the Chinese Zodiac. Along with learning about the traditions of Chinese New Year, we also had two fun little arts and crafts activities. Lucy taught us how to make Chinese New Year lanterns, and Elaine taught us how to make Origami Oxen, since 2021 is the year of the Ox. Some of the festive decorations that used in Chinese New Year are lanterns, firecrackers, and red envelopes, which children receive money in. The red envelopes are meant as a blessing and sign of good luck. Chinese New Year is also celebrated in many Asian countries besides China and is based upon the Lunar Calendar and cycle of the moon. Unlike western zodiacs, Chinese zodiacs are based upon the year rather than the month. When you celebrate Chinese New Year, you get together with your family and eat a big meal together. Also, it is a tradition to wear red to scare away bad luck. One of our fellow members of the Culture Society, Cody Sung, shared his thoughts and opinion about the event. “I think the event was very fun and educational! Especially the origami ox. I made a pretty good ox. All the information is on par, at least to my knowledge. I think everyone had a great time and I hope to do more events like this!” Personally, I agree with Cody! The event was very entertaining and educational, and the arts and crafts part of the event was my favorite. I had a great time, and I also hope for more events like this. If you want to participate in events like this, join the Culture Society on Teams by clicking the link. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Former President Donald Trump's Conviction Sahar Ali Volume 5 Issue 1 September 20, 2024 Image Provided by White House Historical Association On May 30th, 2024, former president Donald Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former president in United States history to be convicted of criminal charges. Falsifying business records is considered a felony in the State of New York, which makes the former president a convicted felon as a result of his actions. But what did Trump do that led him to this position? Former President Trump is notorious for the many actions that he took during and after his presidency, most notably the January 6th riot at the Capitol, in which thousands of Trump supporters protested the results of the 2020 election. The 2020 election was between Democrat Joe Biden and former president and republican Donald Trump, the outcome being a victory for the Democrats. Following the election, Trump made many public statements regarding the outcome of the election and proceeded to claim that voter fraud was involved, causing Trump supporters to gather at the Capitol and protest for their president whom they perceived to be the rightful president of the country. Trump openly spread false statements and made multiple attempts to revise the results of the 2020 election. Not only did Trump influence the storming of the Capitol, but he had also been impeached twice, making history as the only president in the United States to be impeached more than once. Trump was victorious in the 2016 election, as he beat Democrat Hillary Clinton. However, according to CBS News, Trump’s conviction originated from a “hush money” payment that was made to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star to keep quiet about her claims that she engaged in intimate activities with the former president years before the 2016 election. “But the actual charges that Trump faced were far less salacious and dealt with the comparatively mundane paperwork that was generated when he reimbursed Cohen for the payment” (CBS News). True to form, the former president would deny the claims by stating that the statements made by Daniels are false. However, according to BBC, giving a person hush money is not considered illegal; the reason he was convicted was because Trump claimed the $130,000 payment was for legal fees. Along with that, Trump made claims regarding the outcome of the 2020 election that were concluded to be false as he attempted to overturn the decision of the election. According to CBS News, New York election laws make it unlawful for “any two or more persons to conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means,” which is what Trump did as he attempted to quiet Daniels but also claimed that the money was for legal fees, which as we know, was not true. But with the power and position Trump holds, it is unlikely that he would have to face jail time. Legal experts believe that a fine would be the most Trump has to face. Even with such a big felony on his name, it is very likely that the public will see Trump run in the 2024 election later this year as he meets all the criteria to be president which, according to CNN include, being a natural-born citizen, above 35 years of age, and living in the US for at least 14 years. SOURCES: What was Trump convicted of? Details on the 34 counts and his guilty verdict - CBS News   Two weeks since Trump’s New York guilty verdict: What have we learned? | Donald Trump News | Al Jazeera   A guide to Donald Trump's four criminal cases ( bbc.com )   Can Trump still run for president? Can he still vote? | CNN Politics BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Purpose Back to Sections Unknown Study By Elizabeth Andre November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections The Traitors Game Book Review By Leah Ally Volume 2 Issue 2 November 19, 2021 Image provided by Scholastic After years of estrangement abroad and away from the public eye, teenage Kestra Dallisor is yet again roped into her father's menacing web of government affairs, as she is ordered to appear for an arranged marriage. The infamous Sir Henry Dallisor is a subordinate to Antora’s high-handed and immortal ruler, Lord Endrick. Aware of Kestra’s royalty status, a group of threatening rebels scheme to utilize it to their advantage. They impose a quest designed for her to retrieve an ancient blade; the only object known to be capable of destruction to the everlasting lord. Things quickly became complicated, as Kestra must choose between loyalty, or her strenuous desire to do the right thing. As two familiar faces cross paths, secrets emerge and intents shift; only one can win the traitor's game. After reading Book 1 of Jennifer Nielson’s trilogy, “The Traitor’s Game,” it turned out to be a fascinating and enjoyable read. However, as I reached the midpoint of the story, I found it to be lackluster. The story was dragged out and even at certain points predictable due to dull dialogue and action. At the same time, it was interesting to watch how the story played out through Nielson’s impressive writing style. Every character in the story is given novel depth and authenticity, solely based on their actions and why they chose to fight for a particular cause. As readers witness alternating perspectives between Kestra and her captor, the expression of character development is consistent from each point of view. As you venture alongside Kestra Dallisor, she faces her distinctive battles and comes face to face with who she truly is. She portrays herself to the reader as an effortlessly relatable character, particularly to teenage girls. Ideally, I would recommend this series to readers who enjoy action-packed, science fiction fantasies. BACK TO TOP

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