Back to Articles News Back to Sections School Threats By Erin Seitz Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Herald In recent times, there has been an uproar of conversation on gun violence and the effects it has on schools and education in Valley Stream school communities. In the school we go to every day, Valley Stream North, there has been another recent threat to student safety. Starting on Snapchat, there was a threat of a shooting and bombing to an educational area, where students are supposed to feel safe. Gun violence is leading to a change in scholars’ educations and causing a threat to their safety in a building where all they are supposed to be worrying about is learning. As the threat arose through social media, parents and guardians had to face the choice and worries of sending their child to school that week. The threat was stated to be from Tuesday, October 25th, until Friday, October 28th. As missing school for 4 days isn’t an option for most students due to the pace of learning in every class, parents and guardians had to watch their children leave the house in the morning with the nagging fear of what could happen at school. Some parents made the difficult choice, causing their children to face the educational consequences of staying completely home from school. This threat also was sent to other schools such as Long Beach High School, all stating the same thing. Worries from the students and parents all arose, as uncertain questions about what to do developed. It was reported that upwards of half the student body remained home on Tuesday, either due to their guardians’ worries or their own. How is it fair that students had to miss days of education to these threats? How is it fair the students had to fall behind in classes due to the nagging fear of violence? Shootings and bombings in schools have had a recent uprise. Since 2012, the year of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, there have been approximately 948 school shootings. Valley Stream North fortunately hasn’t had a shooting but has had multiple threats to the safety of its students and educators. In 2018, there was a shooting threat to the school, leading to the arrest of a past senior. On October 24th, 2021, a bomb threat was sent to Valley Stream North High School, threatening the lives of the building’s students and teachers. Now, on October 24th, 2022, there has been yet another one. How many more times are students’ and teachers’ lives going to be threatened? Schools came up with temporary solutions to the recent threat such as banning backpacks for the duration of the week and only allowing laptops into the building to try to ease fears. Extracurriculars, from sports to clubs, had all been cancelled as well. But schools shouldn’t have to worry about coming up with solutions to help protect the students and teachers inside of them. The fear of guns and weapons being in the wrong hands should not be involved in an educational building’s worries. The worries a student should have are about learning, studying, and completing assignments. The fear of being injured or worse, killed in the building they are sent to everyday, shouldn’t be a worry they have to face. 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 Artwork Prism Back to Sections Minayle Rahman - Prism By Minayle Rahman November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Mean Girls (2024) – Pros and Cons Maleah Gossai Volume 4 Issue 4 May 29, 2024 Image Provided by Elaine Ching Over the last decade, many have pointed out that Hollywood has been doing more reboots and sequels than ever before. These criticisms came out at a time of Disney live-action remakes of classic animated films and sequels upon sequels to movies that either didn’t need it or had several sequels already. These criticisms have only proven truer with this year’s release of Mean Girls , a screen adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the 2004 movie. Mean Girls (2024) hasn’t just been critiqued for being a reboot of a cult classic, however. No, the criticisms go much deeper than that. The film, despite being a musical, was not at all marketed like one, leading many to believe that it was a cheap, cash-grabby remake rather than an adaptation of a Broadway show. This, along with claims of the actors not doing the characters justice and of the film just being bad, left a sour taste in the mouths of many viewers. However, today I’ll delve deep into the pros and cons of the film, at least from my perspective, to evaluate if these complaints are justified or if people were just desperate for a reason to hate the movie. Pro : The movie brings the musical to more people. As any musical fan knows all too well, seeing shows live on Broadway is, unfortunately, expensive . Many who wish to see a show will likely not due to the high price of tickets, which can be at least a hundred dollars a person. So, the release of a film adaptation of Mean Girls the Musical provides many aspiring theater kids with the opportunity to experience the musical for a fraction of the price. While yes, movie tickets have gotten much more expensive in recent years due to inflation, many who can’t afford Broadway tickets can still afford movie tickets, and with the movie recently hitting streaming, this brings the experience of Mean Girls in the comfort of one’s home, providing those who maybe can’t fork over the hundreds of dollars for a trip to Times Square with the chance to watch the Tony-nominated musical. Con : The songs in the movie fall flat. There’s a reason the movie was marketed without any mention of the songs: it’s because they’re not exactly the best. The songs from the new movie lack the same emotion, depth, or even just the composition as the ones from the original Broadway cast recording, and it shows. Take the song “Stupid with Love” as an example. It’s a song by our main protagonist Cady Heron about how she may be intelligent but simply cannot understand love and how it works as she navigates feelings for Aaron Samuels, the movie’s love interest. In the musical, actress Erika Henningsen sings the song with emotion, matching the song’s peppy and bright instrumentals with her vocals. However, in the movie, actress Angourie Rice, while her singing is pleasant, sings with less tone variety, making her iteration of the character seem much less enthusiastic than Henningsen’s. The song “World Burn” has this issue, too. The song, sung by our main antagonist, Regina George, is meant to convey how Regina feels after she realizes she’s been conned by Cady and as she begins framing Cady for having written the infamous Burn Book. In the original cast recording, actress Taylor Louderman sings the song with rage in her voice, exactly conveying how Regina felt in the moment, and the backing vocals reading out the terrible things written in the Burn Book make the song one of the best in the musical. In the movie, actress Renee Rapp does an excellent job as Regina, but the backing vocals and instrumental fall short of doing what made the original so great. Pro : The movie incorporates more diversity through its new cast. The original Mean Girls wasn’t exactly the most diverse movie. Sure, it was the early 2000s and diversity was not as good as it is now, but it still could’ve done better. This issue is somewhat adjusted in the 2024 adaptation, with three of our main characters – Janis, Karen, and Damian – being actors of color. Karen, now Karen Shetty rather than Karen Smith, is played by Indian actress Avantika Vandanapu. Janis, now Janis Sarkisian instead of Janis Ian, is played by Hawaiian actress Auli’I Cravalho. Damian, now Damian Hubbard rather than Damian Leigh, is played by Black actor Jaquel Spivey. While sure, nothing can ever truly “fix” the original film’s diversity issue, and yes, Hollywood should be funding original films with characters of color rather than rebooting films and casting actors of color in them, this more diverse cast is a welcomed change from the original film and gives people of various backgrounds a chance to see themselves in a movie as classic as Mean Girls . Con : It’s far, far too soon to reboot a cult classic. The original Mean Girls is having its 20th anniversary this year in October. However, while 20 years is a long time (especially since this movie is older than I am), it feels way too soon to shove the original to the side in favor of the new movie, especially one as ingrained in pop culture as Mean Girls is. The movie is a classic, there’s no denying it, and while the new movie can stand on its own as an adaptation of the musical, it just feels like a cheap attempt at making money based on existing intellectual property (IP), which, unfortunately, it is. Maybe if it had been worked on for longer, if it had been given a few more years for the original movie to become an “old movie,” it would’ve been more successful as a reboot. The original Mean Girls has never been an “irrelevant” franchise, as its sheer status as a classic 2000s teen flick has been enough to cement in the minds of adults and teens. If the movie had been pushed back a few years to a 2029 release date for the film’s 25th anniversary, maybe it could have been an excellent, critically acclaimed musical adaptation that pays respect and homage to the original. As it stands, the movie falls into the same category as Disney live-action remakes: a film created in order to capitalize on the success of the preexisting IP of a beloved franchise. That’s not to discredit the movie’s quality in any way, of course, but the film has that air of “Hollywood cash grab” to it that unfortunately can’t be canceled out by its uniqueness as a musical reboot rather than just a remake. Final Verdict: It’s a good movie; it’s just a product of Hollywood’s current state. As someone who checks all the boxes for this movie’s target audience, I can safely say I liked this movie. It’s no cult classic, of course, that status still belongs to the original, and while the music isn’t on the same level as the original musical’s, it’s still a fun, enjoyable watch. Much of the criticism was unfounded, likely caused by the fact that people couldn’t handle that they rebooted Mean Girls at all, but in most cases like this, the internet often blows things out of proportion. Sure, it’s a cash-grabby reboot greenlit by Hollywood execs in order to squeeze a quick buck out of one of the most beloved 2000s movies out there, but it’s a good cash grab that makes for a good time, especially when watched with friends or loved ones. The internet isn’t always to be trusted, and this case is no exception. Mean Girls (2024) is an entertaining movie that will surely entertain fans of original and new fans alike. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Black American Artists Back to Sections Sir Charles, Alias Willie Harris By Barkley Hendricks February 12, 2021 Volume 1 Issue 5 Medium: Oil on Canvas, Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Valley Stream 2023 District Science Symposium Cody Sung Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 Image provided by Michael Frazer On April 26, 2023, the Valley Stream Central High School District hosted its yearly science symposium. It was held at South High School, with last year’s being held at Central and next year’s at North, following a cycle that goes through all three schools with the Science Research programs. At the symposium, North had the largest number of students participating in the program. How did our Science Research program grow so big, and what happened at the symposium? The science research program was picked up by Mr. Michael Frazer in 1999, after former North science teacher Ed Gruber started it in 1996. Mr. Frazer is the head of the program. Since then, it has grown to be the largest science research program of the Valley Stream Central High School District, with fourteen seniors who completed this challenging program in the 2022 - 2023 school year. A very successful course we have at North! However, it is very challenging, and takes much hard work to succeed, since it involves doing research and writing a full scientific paper in three years. The symposium had all sophomores, juniors, and seniors display their poster board of their research, with guests viewing them and with the students explaining their research to them. Every board was unique and informative, showing the best of our program and the hard work of our students. After the poster board presentation, Mr. Frazer and North Science Department Chair Mr. Pandolfi gave awards to the fourteen seniors who completed this three-year course to recognize all the hard work they have done and their dedication to their research, with a quick speech made by the head of each school’s program about each senior on South’s stage. After the award ceremony concluded, the seniors had an opportunity to present their research process and results in the South Library. All the presentations were interesting and educational and were fantastic to culminate their three years of hard work, research, and dedication. Here are last year’s fourteen seniors and their general topic of focus. Samantha Altieri – Political science Morgan Buly – Audiovisual science Valentina Castillo – Marine biology (with Christina DePippo) Christina DePippo – Marine biology (with Valentina Castillo) Naila Hashimi – Environmental science Sukhpreet Kaur – Urban science Zara Khan – Plant biology (with Jessica Sehjal) Joseph Marrone – Sport science Gabriela Mensah – Sport science Janine Olivencia – Medical science Ariel Reyes – Medical science Jessica Sehjal – Plant biology (with Zara Khan) Kira Sherman – Plant biology Neha Singh – Dietary science Congratulations to all of them for their success in this challenging but rewarding course over the past three years! And the sophomores and juniors should continue to work hard – North can’t wait to see what the program has in store for us this year! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections UDA College Nationals Giavanna Quagliata Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by Varsity TV UDA College Nationals UDA College Nationals is an event that has been all over social media; however, some may have watched it live on Varsity TV. Varsity TV is a website dedicated to exclusive live videos of cheer and dance competitions. UDA happened from January 12th to January 14th. Small fragments of each dance genre were posted to popular social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram. This increased publicity emphasized how hard each dancer and team worked to perfect the impeccable choreography they performed. What are the UDA College Nationals? UDA stands for Universal Dance Association. Most refer to this competition as, “The Super Bowl for Dancers,” which occurs every January at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex despite this year's “Dance Super Bowl” taking place in Orlando, Florida. The UDA was split into divisions. These divisions consist of the different genres of dance, including Hip Hop, Jazz, and Pom. For example, division 1 would be Hip Hop, and it continues. Each college had to choreograph for each genre and perform in front of judges, and thousands of spectators. The colleges that performed are from all over the world! Worldwide, people watched UDA, and many people had their opinions on who should have won. My two favorite colleges that competed were Ohio State and Minnesota! These two colleges excelled and didn’t miss a beat. They both had emotion and confidence. See for yourself on YouTube! To find the two videos just search up, “UDA nationals Ohio State,” or “UDA nations Minnesota.” If you don’t want spoilers don’t read! So, are you ready? Let’s see the results! Division IA - Hip Hop Results Louisiana State University, 97.2222 University of Nevada- Las Vegas, 96.4921 University of Memphis, 95.9365 San Diego State University, 95.0635 University of Central Florida, 90.6349 University of Cincinnati, 89.9206 Florida State University, 89.127 University of Michigan, 87.254 Washington State University, 85.9524 Division IA - Jazz Results Ohio State University, 98.9206 University of Minnesota Spirit Squad, 98.4286 Louisiana State University, 96.7778 University of Tennessee, 95.5556 University of Michigan, 94.6349 Texas Tech University, 94.1111 Florida State University, 93.9683 University of Alabama, 93.2857 University of Central Florida, 92.4444 Rutgers University, 91.5714 Washington State University, 91.2857 Division IA - Pom Results University of Minnesota Spirit Squad, 98.4762 Ohio State University, 97.7143 Pennsylvania State-University Park, 96.4762 Texas Tech University. 96.1429 University of Tennessee, 96.0317 University of Cincinnati, 94.9048 University of Memphis, 94.2222 University of Iowa, 93.127 Division I - Hip Hop Results University of Delaware, 90.6825 Utah Valley University, 89.9683 St John's University, 87.5714 Grand Canyon University, 86.0794 University of Saint Thomas, 85.1587 Saint Joseph's University, 84.9365 College of Charleston, 83.7302 Lindenwood University, 83.2381 Northern Arizona University, 81.2857 Division I - Jazz Results Cal State University Fullerton, 95.2063 Hofstra University, 94.2381 Utah Valley University, 93.8413 University of Saint Thomas, 93.0952 University of Delaware, 92.4921 Grand Canyon University,92.4444 UC Santa Barbara, 91.1111 University of Nebraska Omaha, 88.9683 Southeastern Louisiana University, 87.6825 College of Charleston, 87.6349 Division I - Pom Results Hofstra University, 96.0317 UC Santa Barbara, 94.6508 Cal State University Fullerton, 93.6508 Quinnipiac University, 93.0317 Saint Joseph's University, 92.746 South Dakota State University, 92.746 University of Northern Iowa, 90.381 North Dakota State University, 90.1429 Cornell University, 90 University of Nebraska Omaha, 90 Central Connecticut State Univ, 88.4127 Open - Hip Hop Results Northwest Community College, 88.2381 West Chester University, 85 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 81.0159 Stockton University, 80.9206 Rowan University, 80.1429 Univ of Puerto Rico RÃo Piedras, 79.6508 Worcester State University, 77.9683 University of Scranton, 77.4603 Open - Jazz Results Minnesota State University, Mankato, 94.2381 University of Minnesota-Duluth, 91.8889 Orange Coast College, 89.6667 St Cloud State University, 89.5397 Stockton University, 89.4762 Endicott College, 88.0952 College of St Benedict, 87.2222 Northwest Missouri State University, 87.1429 Adelphi University, 86.7619 The College of New Jersey, 86.381 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 85.0476 Univ of Puerto Rico RÃo Piedras, 84.746 St. Joseph's University New York, 83.9683 Rowan University, 82.4762 Open - Pom Results Minnesota State University, Mankato, 95.4921 Endicott College, 94.3651 University of Minnesota-Duluth, 92.1746 Orange Coast College, 90.5079 St Cloud State University, 90.3968 Northwest Missouri State University, 89.2698 College of St Benedict, 88.5556 The College of New Jersey, 86.6032 St. Joseph's University New York, 86.5238 University of Central Missouri, 86.1111 Adelphi University, 84.873 BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections LIFSA By Manal Layachi Volume 3 Issue 3 February 24, 2023 Original artwork by Hannah Lee On Saturday, February 5th, 2023, the 67th annual Long Island String Festival Association concert took place at Uniondale High School. Long Island’s best orchestra players performed beautifully on stage. Seniors Elyas Layachi (12th grade) and Hannah Lee (12th grade) were selected to participate in this festival. I interviewed both of them about their experience of playing in the LIFSA orchestra. Elyas’s Responses: What made you choose your instrument in elementary school? “I originally wanted to list the trumpet as my first choice, followed by the violin, and then percussion, but my dad convinced me that the violin should be my first choice because ‘it can play a wide range of songs.’” How did you feel when you got selected for LISFA? “I was very excited! I’ve heard of the festival since the fifth grade, and knew it was very hard to get into, so being selected was an absolute honor.” How did it feel to have five-hour rehearsals? “They were tiring, but by the second rehearsal I was used to it. I found it fun to work on music with people I did not know, and I was able to make some cool friends.” How did you feel when you were performing on stage? “It felt amazing. I felt very connected to the music and the group as a whole, and I had so much fun!” Did you like the music selections? “Yes, they were great selections and so much fun to prepare and perform.” What was your favorite part of LISFA? “My favorite part of LISFA was the performance for sure.” Do you plan on playing your instrument for the rest of your life? “I most certainly do! I hope to join an orchestra in college and continue taking lessons, as well as hopefully playing in a community orchestra after college.” What does music mean to you? “Music is a way of expressing myself in ways other than verbally and physically, and I find learning and playing music fun, challenging, and rewarding!” Hannah’s Responses: What made you choose your instrument in elementary school? “Honestly, I didn’t choose the violin in elementary school. I actually chose the flute in 4th grade. I had been taking private lessons for the violin and continued to play it in the school because the music teacher, Ms. Shannon, offered for me to join the elementary school orchestra.” How did you feel when you got selected for LISFA? “I was really excited when I was chosen for LISFA. It hadn’t been held since I was in ninth grade, since before COVID. I was so excited because to me it meant two things. The first is that the world was slowly returning to the state it had been in before COVID. The second was that I would be able to see people I had met in prior years at LISFA.” How did it feel to have five-hour rehearsals? “The five-hour rehearsals were so tiring. It was very draining to have the rehearsal for that long of a time period. However, I think it was worth it, as we sounded really great afterward! I also bonded with my stand partner during both rehearsals, which was nice!” How did you feel when you were performing on stage? “Performing on stage was wonderful. The exhilaration of playing in front of an audience and producing music that I had practiced for weeks on end and spent hours on was amazing. It was very exciting and a lot of fun!” Did you like the music selections? “I liked the music selections a lot. They chose good music; it gave interesting parts to all sections of the orchestra. My part was not too difficult, but still fun to play.” What was your favorite part of LISFA? “My favorite part of LISFA was talking to my stand partner in between section rehearsals. When the conductor was talking to other sections, I would whisper to my stand partner, which helped us get to know each other and bond a lot!” Do you plan on playing your instrument for the rest of your life? “I don’t know if I plan on playing it for the rest of my life. I will definitely play in college and join the orchestra there. However, beyond that I’m not sure if I’m going to continue to play. Perhaps I will for the fun of it, perhaps I won’t. Only time will tell!” What does music mean to you? “Music is a form of release. It’s always a good way to get rid of pent-up emotions. Transferring them into your playing is a wonderful way of creating expressive music and having an outlet for your emotions. I love music because it’s a sanctuary where I can let my emotions flow through the piece I’m working on.” The performance was incredible and breathtaking. Be sure to congratulate Elyas and Hannah on their amazing accomplishment. GO SPARTANS! BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Pop Art Back to Sections Sophia Song - Pop Art Sophia Song January 14, 2022 Acrylic Volume 2 Issue 3

Back to Artwork Contemplation Back to Sections Kimberly Shrestha - Contemplation By Kimberly Shrestha June 8, 2021 Mixed Media Volume 1 Issue 8