Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections History of Easter Leah Ally Volume 5 Issue 5 July 5, 2025 While Easter is globally recognized and celebrated in both religious and secular contexts, its true origins, and details about the holiday itself often get hindered. In a religious context, it is typically celebrated by Christian individuals for the resurrection of Jesus, but how did the celebration come about and how did it continue to evolve? Typically known to be celebrated on a Sunday in April, many people do not understand how the exact day is determined, as this year it took place on April 20th. Before diving into the various ways Easter is celebrated today and the specific details of determining the day, it is crucial to understand its origins beyond the basics. First and foremost, without Good Friday, there would not be Easter Sunday. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter which serves as a day of commemoration of Jesus’s crucifixion. It is significant to understand that Jesus’s crucifixion was carried out by the Romans as they viewed him as a threat to authority. This was because his claim as the Son of God also known as the Messiah meant that he would be more powerful than any other leader and be deemed as the King of Jews. So, the Romans perceived this claim as the beginning of a possible rebellion against their traditional political system. As Jesus began gaining followers, it became clear that the Roman government would inevitably face resistance from its citizens. After being arrested and going on trial, a decision had to be made; Therefore, the only decision that appeared most justifiable was to carry out the execution of Jesus. Crucifixion was a popular punishment used during this time because of the intense and cruel pain it caused due to the strain it put on the body. This somber event marked Jesus’s death and was and is still seen as Jesus’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of the world’s sins, according to Christianity. Shortly after, he was buried in a tomb, and this led to the idea of Holy Saturday. This is simply the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. After a seemingly uneventful day, the resurrection of Jesus takes place, and, according to belief is risen from the dead. This discovery is first made when his tomb is found empty by women who are later told by angels that he had been resurrected. To prove he had risen from the dead, Jesus made numerous appearances to his disciples. In the span of forty days after his resurrection, Jesus serves as a teacher to the disciples as he reveals the importance of spreading his gospel to as many civilians as possible. After these forty days, Jesus officially ascends into Heaven, marking the end of his time on Earth. Now that the religious context of Easter is understood, this leads to how Easter began to be celebrated and why. It may serve as a surprise to many that the origins of Easter celebrations are not religious. Easter was originally a celebration of the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. This is where both night and day are 12 hours each, symbolizing the transition from winter into spring. It was only the resurrection of Jesus that caused Easter to become a religious holiday. Not only was it because the resurrection occurred around the same time as the vernal equinox but because they both represented rebirth and relief. While Easter was celebrated along with the spring equinox in 325AD, the first major church council, the Council of Nicaea, officially determined a new time for Easter to be celebrated. It was determined that it should always be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. Since Easter was heavily associated with springtime, it eventually became represented by rabbits and eggs. In the pagan celebration of the arrival of Spring, eggs and rabbits were seen as symbols of fertility and rebirth which made sense for it to be associated with the resurrection. Additionally, eggs were already a prominent symbol for Christians because of Lent, a 40-day celebration meant for fasting and abstaining from what an individual desires. In this case, Christians abstained from eggs during Lent and would celebrate on Easter Sunday by having eggs. Over time and as we see today, the Easter Egg Bunny became a prominent figure in how Easter is recognized and celebrated. It is now common to celebrate Easter with not only church services and prayer but also egg hunts and Easter baskets. Therefore, Easter has faced numerous transitions since its creation from a pagan holiday to a religious holiday and now incorporating secular traditions. All in all, Easter’s rich history has proven itself to be complex, yet significant in how it is celebrated today. While the secular traditions reflect how our world has changed over time, it is just as important to recognize Easter’s religious importance and why it continues to be observed with prayer and worship. It cannot be denied that Easter is a globally celebrated holiday that will continue to carry on its pagan history. Sources: Easter | Origin, Christianity, Jesus, Traditions, History, Name, Facts, & Dates | Britannica Easter Symbols and Traditions - Easter Bunny, Easter Eggs & Christianity | HISTORY The history of Easter - Christianity BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections “What is the Best Christmas Movie?” Mya Hans Volume 4 Issue 2 January 16, 2024 Image provided by Beaver Tales With the Holiday season approaching, there are a lot of activities to do. Whether it’s making gingerbread houses, caroling, or putting up Christmas lights, everyone is getting festive. Typically, as December starts to roll around, people watch Christmas movies. My personal favorite is Elf . It is about a human named Buddy who grew up thinking he was an elf but figures out that he was actually adopted by Santa Claus. He travels from the North Pole to New York City in hopes of finding his real parents. This simple plotline makes for a hilarious yet heartwarming story. I look forward to watching it every year. Despite my opinions on the best Christmas movie, many people might think otherwise. There are so many to choose from. What do the students and teachers at Valley Stream North think the best Christmas movie is? Tenth grader Naomi Gonzalez says Home Alone is her favorite because she likes the “creativity” and the “planning process Kevin has when he sets up the traps for the burglars.” Eleventh Grader Afaf Aswad says her favorite Christmas movie is The SpongeBob Christmas Movie . She likes it because it has her favorite cartoon character, and she likes the aesthetic of the movie. English teacher Nicole Ryan’s favorite is Elf because she loves the actor, Will Ferell, and the scenes where he goes to New York City for the first time. Other student and teacher favorites included The Grinch, A Christmas Story, The Princess Switch, Die Hard (debatable), The Polar Express, The Nightmare Before Christmas , and more. There were many answers, but the majority of the students and teachers at Valley Stream North thought Home Alone was the best Christmas movie, saying it was their favorite. This is a staple Christmas movie, which makes sense why it was favored the most. Have you seen this Christmas classic? If so, do you agree? Happy Holidays! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections World Language Week By Everton Prospere Volume 2 Issue 5 March 28, 2022 Image provided by Bilingua From March 28th to April 1st, Valley Stream North’s annual World Language Week will occur. The school-wide event, spearheaded by the Language Honor Society and Culture Society, seeks to spread awareness of the cultural diversity within North and heighten school spirits as pandemic restrictions ease. World Language Week, hosted nationally by many schools and organizations, celebrates cultures and languages from around the globe. Primarily because of North’s unique environment, World Language Week brings important information to students and staff on the variety of our students’ cultures in the building. It highlights the importance of an inclusive school environment. According to the nonprofit organization GreatSchools, a reputable informative source on education around the United States, North’s student population has a wide range of races: 33% of students are White, 26% are Hispanic, 19% are Asian, or Pacific Islander, and 19% are Black. These statistics stress the significance of hosting a culturally celebration week to inform about and highlight the backgrounds of our students and staff. The Language Honor Society and Culture Society have planned several activities for World Language Week in order to promote the event throughout the entire school: 1. Daily Trivia - Every day on the North Microsoft Teams page, a set of trivia questions based on a selected country will be posted through a Microsoft form. The unique questions will not only introduce a competitive environment to World Language Week but also inform students and staff of interesting facts about countries around the world. 2. Culture Day Event - Language class levels four, five, and Advanced Placement will be invited during their class periods to a fun event in the library that promotes World Language Week. The event will include several activities including dancing, arts and crafts, language lessons, and cultural games.  3. Culture Night - On April 1st, the biggest event during World Language Week will occur - the annual Culture Night. This event invites North families to learn more about the cultures in the school and attend a wide range of activities. The event will include live performances, a fashion show, and food tasting. In addition to these events, countries worldwide will be represented with decorations throughout the school and daily informative announcements. The Language Honor Society and Culture Society hope that the North community comes together for this World Language Week, so mark your calendars for March 28th to April 1st! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Thanksgiving: History and Traditions By Charis Hackman Volume 3 Issue 2 December 23, 2022 Image provided Getty Images Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated by people all over the country. The holiday is observed on November 24. The holiday is based on the ideals of the original Thanksgiving, a harvest festival, that the pilgrims and settlers from England had with the Native Americans of the area, the Wampanoag in 1621, probably over 400 years ago. History Of Thanksgiving In 1620, Pilgrims came to the New World on the Mayflower, seeking religious and economic freedom. Their original destination was between Virginia and the Hudson River area in what is now the state of New York. But bad weather, like storms and rough waves, caused the ship to change course resulting in the boat arriving in the area near what is known as Cape Cod on November 11, 1620. But after failing to find open land to settle on, they ventured further to the Plymouth area in Massachusetts. But there were people already living in Massachusetts long before the pilgrims came. Native Americans like the Wampanoag have lived in the Massachusetts area for hundreds of years. The pilgrims arrived in Plymouth on December 16, 1620, and started building their colony there. But the Pilgrims were not prepared for the winter in the area, which was very different than the winter in England. As a result, many got sick with exposure, scurvy, and many other contagious diseases as well as malnutrition, as the seeds they brought from England would not grow in the soils of early America. The pilgrims did not know how to hunt and fish on the land, as it was different than the land in England which resulted in many deaths and only half of the pilgrims surviving that first winter in the New World. In March, the pilgrims were visited by a man named Samoset, who welcomed them. Later, he brought an English-speaking man named Tisquantum, also known as Squanto, who was the last of a native American tribe called the Pawtuet. He was kidnapped by a sea captain who had come to his people’s land years before and taken him to Europe. He later gained his freedom and traveled back to the Americas, where he learned that all of his people had died from the plague; then, he began living with the Wampanoag people. After he was introduced to the pilgrims, he decided to help them and teach them how to survive the American wilderness. He taught the pilgrims how to catch fish, cultivate corn, find berries and plants and to tell which ones were not poisonous. Around the same time, the pilgrims, with Squanto’s help, made an alliance with the Wampanoag which lasted for more than 50 years. By the time fall rolled around, the pilgrims were doing much better, thanks to the Wampanoag. To celebrate, the governor of the pilgrims, William Bradford, organized a feast. He invited the leader of Wampanoag, Chief Massasoit, and some of his people to join them in the celebration. It lasted for three whole days. They ate duck, deer, turkey, berries, corn, corn soup, seafood, and the vegetables they grew that year, like carrots and beans. Thanksgiving Traditions People in the United States each have their unique way of celebrating Thanksgiving. The most common is having a traditional dinner with friends and family, eating turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, collard greens, etc., and desserts like apple and pumpkin pie. But there are other ways to celebrate Thanksgiving than just eating dinner. One of the most popular is watching Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, established by Macy in 1924. The parade draws more than 3 million spectators and more than 27.4 million viewers as of last year. Macy’s Thanksgiving parade is an event in which giant balloons of characters from popular culture, like Charlie Brown, Blues Clues the dog, and Hello Kitty. The parade also includes performances from famous singers and performance groups like the Rockettes, with Santa and Ms. Claus arriving at the end of the parade. Another Thanksgiving tradition is watching football which was developed in 1876 when the IFA (Intercollegiate Football Association) started hosting their championship day on the holiday. However, it was not as popular then as it is now. On Thanksgiving Day, the NFL hosts three football games; this year consisted of the Cowboys and the Lions, per tradition, with the Bills, Giants, Patriots, and Vikings. Another tradition is breaking a wishbone, a forked bone found in most birds and some non-avian birds, which is thus found in the turkey. It is said that with a wishbone, two people make a wish on it, then break it, and the one with the most significant piece of the bone wins and gets their wish granted. Another more recent tradition is the celebration of Friendsgiving, a casual meal enjoyed by friends, specifically during Thanksgiving. Friends get together, eat meals, do puzzles, do a scavenger hunt, play games like Bingo, Jenga, Connect 4, UNO, Poker, or Headbands, decorate pumpkins, and watch movies. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Follow my Letterboxd Jasmine Roberts Volume 6 Issue 3 Image Provided by Jasmine Roberts I will not begin this without admitting that I am a begging fool. I have prostrated upon my knees; my head rests in folded thighs of shame, my spine and plucked like a bow, and I can admit that even if the merciful position is uncomfortable, I shall not move from it: Join my Letterboxd, I declare! I will use this power of magic, a spell that I crafted from time and despair, desperation and loneliness, rambling and self-expression, to speak of my need for my Letterboxd to be free for all, like Lenin’s best dream, my Letterboxd if liberated and can be followed by the masses, each and for all! I wonder if there will be a foe or a friend that finds themselves inclined to do as I wager. Picking up their heavy phone, which remains pristine and forever touched from years of deft fondling, yet I ponder even more if this person with their sweet and gentle heart may do a girl a favor and join her Letterboxd! There is no moral corruption in begging, for you see Oliver Twist did it at least once a day and I love every night, I am not even asking for a vacationed penny, just a little time out of your day. There are many reasons to follow my Letterboxd, and I could list them down a parchment that would run down Everest but let me bargain here with a silver tooth flashing in my mouth. One, the films I watch are exotic as they are a blessing to artistic passion, if you adore the aged nature of vintage horror, then my Letterboxd may surely be for you, the devils, Vampires, Witches, those Wicked things that do. I enjoy those films which make the fangs of beast drip mortal blood, I adore the brining of the dark, corruption and sin, and prayers to the seedy divine. Experimentalism is my lover and together during morbid and dark nights, we dine! Second, may I say that I review every film I watch! Yes! Yes! Yes, I do! Can you believe hearing my thoughts day and night, or at least Fridays and Saturdays when I have the time? I have thoughts for all things, and my beliefs do not discriminate against them. If you love my words here, why not follow me on Letterboxd, over there? Lastly, simply why not? I steal no souls, and I only give soft and strong words. You might find one film you adore, you might find a strange little friend on the way, and I want to connect with those films which reach out of my narrow periphery. These wishes aren’t just for I, but because I desire to seek all I can find! From you! Yes, you! You are [REDACTED], right? So, I am talking to you, expanding my vista and letting me watch movies that I am ignorant of. So please, go to my Sehkmet or ⛥rdog depending on what shows up so try both, so even if one person reads this or none, hey at least I tried and I did my best, but regardless one of my bests is certainly my Letterboxd! It’s free! Follow it today! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street: What I Saw By Lucy Wu Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Original book cover by Dr. Seuss If you didn't hear, a few classic Dr. Seuss books, written and drawn by Theodor Geisel, are being banned. Which books are being banned? 1. And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street 2. If I Ran the Zoo 3. McElligot's Pool 4. On Beyond Zebra! 5. Scrambled Eggs Super! 6. The Cat's Quizzer To be fair, the books themselves are not exactly being banned. Dr. Seuss Enterprises is simply ceasing further publication of these books. The whole issue is a bit complex. Can I still read them? Technically, yes. There's no one stopping you from borrowing one of these books from the library (if they still have it). And if you really wanted to, you could buy a copy for the low, low price of $1,250 (not joking, that was a real price). Rest assured, the price will go down once people forget about this whole controversy. Just know that if I find my copy of the book, no, I won't be selling it for $999 on Ebay. But I love these books (and Dr. Seuss)! Why did they do this? Apparently (and evidently), these books contain racist imagery and stereotypes. But I'm with you. I (ironically) grew up reading the books. Even as a Chinese immigrant who could barely greet the mailman, my mother appreciated them too. She did her best to try and read to me each and every day by scrawling the Chinese translations and phonetic pronunciations in the margins of the book. I sat next to her and listened while she enunciated each word with her heavy accent and broken English (Luckily, I picked up the mechanics of the language faster than she did!) At the time, I didn't really understand why English was so difficult for her. After all, she lives in America and not China, so she should be better at speaking the language of her new country, her new home. But now that I'm older, I think I can finally see it for what it truly was. This "American" book (and many others) was not only a piece of my childhood, but a means for a foreigner to assimilate. Through learning English, her children wouldn’t need to use their mother tongue. They could blend in with the other American kids, assimilate to the culture, and become "American," basking in all the opportunities that privilege afforded - all the things that she would never have. Hold on a minute! There's something wrong! But while we read sitting on my bedroom floor, the last of our concerns was the image of the Asian boy in the corner (it was honestly not so subtle, looking back on it). It's accompanied by the line "A Chinaman who eats with sticks..." Take a look for yourself here : Actually, let's play a game: how many offensive things can you find in the image? Solution: The guy is literally yellow Rice paddy hat (the Asian conical hat) Rattail hairstyle Chopsticks in one hand Bowl of rice (I would consider this the least offensive to me just because I do enjoy eating rice a lot) Whatever "traditional" clothing he's wearing Did I forget to mention the slant eyes? (sorry, it's so common in stereotypes that this was a given) Bonus points if you noticed the traditional JAPANESE geta shoes Sorry to make you go through that. But in order to fight racism in your everyday life, it's important to understand the intricacies of what exactly makes something offensive. From what you saw, some things may have been obvious to you, and others may have been less so. Some of these things may be mentioned by people casually in conversation, and while sometimes it's a joke, a lot of times it's subtle mockery. You can use your discretion to judge which one it is. "Stop turning minnows into whales" I think we can all admit that was pretty bad. But the big question now is, do we need to “cancel” Dr. Seuss? There's been quite a bit of controversy. Racism is racism no matter how you slice it. But then again, nothing is black and white, so I'm glad you're here to sort out this gray matter with me. Let's consider context. He grew up in the 1930s and 40s during a time when anti-Asian attitudes were on the rise. Then, anti-Asian attitudes were also far more ingrained and commonplace in U.S. society than they are now. This is absolutely not an excuse for his choices, because racism is still racism. However, it does provide context as to why he felt comfortable putting such ideas out into the world, and why then it was just another book but now emerges as a hurtful message. In 1987, the line also underwent a slight revision, becoming "Chinese man" instead (the guy also lost his yellow pigmentation and rattail). Still, that does not exonerate the books. Throughout the course of his lifetime, Geisel would publish anti-Asian political cartoons, particularly at the peak of World War II when anti-Japanese racism was most prevalent. So maybe Dr. Seuss wasn't exactly the innocuous children’s author we all thought he was growing up. But let's talk about the timing of this whole situation. It's a little too "convenient" (in my opinion). If you've been keeping up with the news, you'll know that hate crimes toward Asians have been on the rise due to xenophobia from the pandemic. Still, many groups have been supporting the effort to combat racism. Initially, I thought this was just Dr. Seuss Enterprises doing their part to help stop the perpetuation of Asian stereotypes in literature for young children. Fair enough. However, I did a little more sleuthing and found that in October 2017, a mural was painted in the Dr. Seuss CHILDREN'S museum depicting the SAME Asian caricature from the book. Guess what they did about it? A few authors (Lisa Yee, Mike Curato, and Mo Willems) decided to protest by not attending the event that would be held there. The museum took down the mural and canceled the event, but what did they do about the Asian caricature that was STILL IN THE BOOK? Nothing. Even after it was clear it was racist and that attitudes had changed, there was no action taken. There was no outcry or anger or even further questioning. And while these events took place four years ago, did attitudes suddenly change so drastically that now these books are "outdated" and "inappropriate?" To me, it seems like an act of profitability and convenience to now realize that these ideas are hurtful and need to be removed. But wasn’t it hurtful back then in 2017? Maybe I'm looking too far into this, but I feel this should have happened earlier if it was going to happen at all. Because if it happened then, it would have been a truly genuine step to try and rectify what was wrong. And maybe it's still a genuine effort now, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth from the timing. I wonder if people will still help defend against Asian racism or if the cause will fade once the next big issue arises. "But it isn't too late to make one little change" I would like to preface this by saying I am lucky the people in my life are generally all very much not racist (to my knowledge at least), judge me for my personality rather than stereotype me, and even learn to appreciate my culture and heritage. I urge you to have conversations with the people in your life, even if they have the same background as you. Understand that while culture is important and impacts my life on a daily basis, it is not a defining characteristic that can be generalized to any stereotype. Never be afraid to speak out (I know I was for a long time, and I'm still working on that). When you or someone else experiences racism, please say something. Trust me, you might regret it if you don't. Personally, I don't think we should be actively teaching young children with books that have such blatant racism, just because children are so impressionable. Even preschool-aged children can begin to form racial biases that can impact them for years to come. As much as I want to say "It's ok, they can understand," I really doubt kindergarteners would be able to comprehend the true meaning of race and discrimination while reading Dr. Seuss. They may just see the Chinese caricature as the "Asian one" and start to form unconscious biases against those around them. On the other hand, it's still important to preserve books like these so we can look back on them as historical artifacts. They show us how far we have come in our fight against prejudice, and also how far we have left to go. Hopefully one day, blatant racism like this will be a thing of the past. "But now I don't know... it still doesn't seem right." Truthfully, I've done quite a bit of thinking and mulling over what I feel. But I'm still conflicted, so I urge you to do your own research as well and see how you feel. What should this book represent to me now? A) A book that will forever remain in my heart as a cornerstone of my childhood, untouchable by society B) A path for my mother to assimilate her children into American culture through language C) An example of how media continues to subtly stereotype and oppress Asians D) A way to speak out against racism in the future And yet, I don’t think my answer is listed here. There is no right choice. Really though, I would cross out all of those answers and instead circle E) All of the above. *All subheadings are lines taken from And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections Badminton Season Rehmat Kaur Volume 4 Issue 4 May 29, 2024 Image Provided by Coach Croce The badminton season started, and the team has new players and captains this year. With tryouts from March 18th to March 19th, Coach Croce has chosen the 19 best players who will positively impact the team and its performance. I had the lovely opportunity of interviewing some of my teammates and asking them about their hopes and aspirations for the badminton season. COACH CROCE: “My hope for this badminton season is not only just to win our matches, but continuing to build relationships with the team, while helping them become even more successful scholar-athletes, always improving their skills. This is a special group that I have this season, and I believe, whether we win or lose, we will have an impactful, positive, and memorable season.” Captains: MELANIE CEVADA: “I hope that this year, now that we are more educated in badminton, we can grow as a team and get better. We have a lot of girls who have great potential and show great sportsmanship that I have a lot of faith this year. I believe that our entire team can achieve the best of their skills and prosper with our abilities.” REHMAT KAUR: “My hopes for the team are that we discover our potential and get a lot of wins. Last year was a tough one, but I am very hopeful for this year. We have many new talented players that have a lot to offer to the team. For me as a player I have gotten better with both my strokes and movement since last year, still a lot to work on but I’m welcoming this season with a ton of positivity!” ALISSON ALAS: “I hope that this year we become a stronger team not only physically but mentally. I hope we get more wins than last year and to just grow together as a team. As for me after 11 years of playing badminton as this is my last year playing, I want to make this year count and to be as successful as possible with the team. I hope to become a better player and fulfill my role as one of the captains to my best ability.” RICHMIA ERISNOR: “My goals for this badminton season are to not only get better as a player but get better as a person. I hope that with the experience that I'm getting from the team and all the different aspects of this season, my performance skyrockets. I also hope that I can receive more smashes and drop shots. I hope that the girls and I continue to stay friends, even after the badminton season ends. I hope that I can be a good role model for the upcoming girls as their captain.” Players: SAHAR ALI: “This badminton season, I hope to make a contribution to the team and myself as well. We have a strong team with strong players, who have each other's back; even if we lose, we learn from those mistakes to improve. I look forward to what the rest of the season has to bring!” IMAN ALI: “My hopes for the season are to have at least three or more wins as a team and beat teams. We lost to last year. I also hope that we can improve on our weaknesses and perfect our techniques.” JESELYS VAZQUEZ: “My hopes for me are to become a better player than last year and learn new techniques and master them. So far, I have been seeing well progress with my teammates' support and kindness, making it feel less embarrassing. As a team, my hopes for the badminton family are to grow, stay supportive, maintain a safe place for all the practices, become a better version of ourselves and be top 3 of the school’s team and win a lot of games with our hard-working players and new members.” NAVROSEDIP KUNDLAS: “My hope for the season is to improve from last season. I feel we have a really strong team this year, and by learning and improvising, we can achieve all our goals. Personally, I would like to move up on the lineup with my doubles partner and win as many games as possible. By working on my drop shots and smashes, I hope to improve my own skills. I can't wait to see what comes next!” AVA HINSON: “My hope for this season is to become a stronger player and to be more involved. I hope that our team wins a lot of matches and that we become a tight knit group.” HIBA KISHORE: “My hopes for this badminton season are improving as a person, as a player and helping my teammates get better. We are not just a sports team but a small family that helps get better as a community practice after practice and game after game. Hopefully someday the VSN Badminton Team will win a conference, but step by step we’ll get there.” These are the goals and aspirations of the badminton players and the coach for this season. Hopefully, we can achieve them and make the year memorable! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Double Standards: State Instruction Allows for High-Risk Sports but Not Performance Groups By Craig Papajohn-Shaw and Lucy Wu Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Images provided by Robert Summerlin (top) and the University of Richmond Orchestra (bottom) On Friday, January 22nd, Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) set forth guidance to allow sports that are classified as “high-risk” after much pushback from parents. The Governor advised local officials, who would make the final verdict on the play of high-risk sports, to determine “whether there has been a more transmissible variant of COVID-19 identified in the area; local rates of COVID-19 transmission or rate of positivity; and local ability to monitor and enforce compliance.” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) announced that high-risk sports will be permitted to begin play, while Nassau’s Executive Laura Curran (D) finalized and approved procedures a few days after.  During County Executive Curran’s press conference, she expressed two policies that were in contrast of Executive Bellone’s policies: athletes playing high-risk sports in Nassau would not be mandated to take part in weekly COVID testing, and two spectators per athlete will be allowed to attend Section VIII sporting events. However, districts can choose to opt-out of partaking in high-risk sports, or add additional safety measures, such as testing, as they see fit. The Valley Stream Central High School District has indicated mandated tests will be enforced for those athletes participating in high-risk sports. However, the letter released from the District Director of Athletics, Mr. Scott Stueber, on January 25th - which outlined the kick-off to Winter Sports - did not mention safety procedures. Reassuringly, Mr. Michael Frazer, the Valley Stream North Athletic Director, reiterated Curran’s mask and social distancing mandate in a message to students on February 1st. It is worth mentioning students who are “full-remote” may still come after school to participate in after-school sports in person, as per state instruction. High-risk Junior-Varsity and Varsity sports include basketball, competitive cheerleading, football, wrestling, volleyball, and lacrosse. The Winter sports of basketball, competitive cheerleading, and wrestling began tryouts around some districts in Section XI and Section VIII as early as Wednesday, February 3rd. The district further announced it would allow Junior-High sports for the modified “Fall” and Spring season. It is worth noting COVID-19 rates in both counties are still high; the 14-day average on January 28th was 6.6% in Nassau County and 7.1% in Suffolk County, but are slowly declining. These rates are still over the 14-day Nassau County average of 1.1% on September 6th when Executives deemed high-risk sports as well as low and moderate risk sports unsafe to go forward with. Many were unsure about student safety, especially in wrestling. Patrick Pizzarelli, the Section VIII Executive Director, which is the governing body of sports in Nassau County, stated he is "concerned about the safety of wrestling. We are already seeing the implications of allowing high-risk sports. Newsday reported on February 9th that 14 basketball teams and two wrestling programs had to pause their season in Suffolk County for either positive COVID-19 tests or contact tracing. While wearing masks is required for sitting on the sideline or spectating in the audience, when playing a sport, no mask is required. However, it is advisable to mandate masks while performing a sport. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) announced the mandate of masks while playing volleyball, a high-risk sport. While it was not a mandate of masks in all high-risk sports, it was a step in the right direction from the Association to keep everyone as safe as possible. In addition, according to NYS, the District will lose over a million dollars or a nearly 4% depreciation in total aid for the 2021-2022 school year. VSCHSD is within the top 10 school districts in Long Island that will suffer from losses to state aid, yet the district is still prioritizing sports programs even with the knowledge of the imminent future. Guide: Link here to Newsday [ 50 LI school districts would lose state aid under Cuomo's proposal | Newsday ] While high-risk sports will occur no matter the potential risk or cost, performance-based extracurriculars, and other music programs are still not allowed to take place. Currently, at Valley Stream North (VSN), Orchestra is the only music class where students are permitted to play instruments in person which started in September; everyone must be separated by six feet and masked, based on state guidelines. Chorus and Band, on the other hand, are only permitted if 12 feet of distancing between instrumentalists or vocalists is available; however, Mr. Holly and Mr. Morris’s band classes are playing with special masks at 12 feet apart, which just started on Tuesday, February 9th. Furthermore, performance-based extracurriculars are also not allowed to be held in the school district, regardless if proper distancing can be achieved. Music groups at VSN such as Breakfast Club, advised by Ms. Rebecca Hayden, 7:10 Downbeats, advised by Mr. Adam Thorn, Jazz Band, advised by Mr. Todd Holly, and Theatre Productions, directed by Mr. Joseph Moniaci, were all halted due to the pandemic. However, the commencement of high-risk sports raises the question if it is necessary to prevent these groups from performing. The only planned music performance for the entire school year is the Virtual District Music Festival (VDMF). It will consist of two pieces of music chosen by the respective conductors in the Orchestra, Chorus, and Band. Students involved will record themselves playing each piece individually and will send it to be incorporated in an integrated video. While many are grateful to have even one performance this year, although virtual, the music department will not hold its two regularly scheduled student concerts in the Winter and the Spring. If contact sports such as football and wrestling can occur, why can’t extracurricular performance groups perform in person when social distancing can easily be achieved? Furthermore, Dr. David Brown, President of the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA), has addressed the hypocrisy of choosing to allow sports but not music in an impassioned letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo. Guide: Link here to letter [ https://www.nyssma.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Letter-to-Governor-in-regard-to-Atheltics-and-12-Feet-for-Music.pdf ]. The double standard of prioritizing high-risk sporting events and sports in general, which debatably put students at a greater risk of contracting the virus, displays the misinterpreted message of “safety” that districts are attempting to exemplify. As we are approaching the one-year mark of the pandemic, many students feel desperate to go back to “normal.” On January 25th, the District sent an email to parents surveying the interest in hybrid students to go into school five days a week. To some capacity, this would combine cohorts A and B leading to larger class sizes. However, proceeding with this plan only contributes to the double-standard, especially when extracurricular performance groups cannot meet even when social distancing can be attained. Once again, this option raises safety concerns for students especially when some students and faculty members have failed to properly wear masks in certain instances. Because this is the case, musical groups objectively pose a smaller risk because they require no person-to-person contact and as in Orchestra groups, will mandate masks. When high-risk contact sports are allowed to practice and play games, and students will soon be ushered back into the building, what is to stop musicians from performing together in-person? BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections Pianotime By Quinn O'Connor Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Image provided by Microsoft As an alternative to singing or playing shared instruments, students have been learning the basics of piano in a new and safe way. Using the extension “Pianotime” on school-issued computers, which is free to download with a quick search, students can learn the basics of piano without an instrument in front of them. While using the touchscreen and tablet mode, students press the keys on a keyboard as one would with a real piano. Students have learned right-handed scales and a few basic songs; they are currently learning to play chords and how to use the left and right hand simultaneously. While using a computer in tablet mode instead of a real piano has its setbacks. For example, it can be hard to play multiple notes at the same time accurately. This alternative has been overall successful in teaching the basics of piano. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections The Foundation of My Tree By Arielle St.Amand Volume 1 Issue 7 April 22, 2021 Image provided by the National Tropical Botanical Garden We were planted in the fertile soil adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, Southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. Our roots extend through the fruitful land of Cap Haitien, And in between the cracked crevices of the concrete jungle. As our trunk emerges from the terrain of Port-Au-Prince. We prevailed from the bondage of slavery, without a wince. In awe of the horizontal blue and red stating, “Unity is Strength,” we overcome our obstacles, highlighting our bravery. Our branches lengthen and grow with time, from Doret, St. Cyr, to Dominique. Names of great sublime; we continue to expand our legacy, so eloquent and unique. We were planted in the fertile soil adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, and now produce flowers ready to reproduce. Paired with Painson, Bernard, and St. Amand, I begin to be woven, excited for my journey and ready to be put to use. I carry the pain of discrimination. From the beautiful isles of Haiti and in this “United” nation. I reminisce of the smells of liberation found in the soup joumou, the vigor of my predecessors I relay from me to you. I am thankful for my ancestry, for providing me with insight of my great destiny. My story begins with the seed planted in the depths of the roots, the foundation of my tree. BACK TO TOP