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Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections The Amazing Kayla Santo By John McCarthy Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Original photo by Kayla Santo Today, we are featuring one of the most incredible athletes at North and beyond, Kayla Santo. She is a three-sport varsity athlete, and has played sports all of her years at VS North. Not only is she a three-sport varsity athlete, she has been a varsity athlete for four years already, and she’s only in 10th grade. Many athletes only start playing varsity sports in 10th or 11th grade. For Kayla, she played Varsity Softball in 7th grade: he only one to do so, ever. Moreover, her talent at an early age doesn’t stop at softball; she started playing Varsity Girls Volleyball and Varsity Girls Basketball in 8th grade. In a virtual interview with the amazing Kayla Santo, she gave inspiring answers to my questions. Here were her responses: Q: How do you balance your schoolwork with practices and games? A: “In the past I’ve learned to make a schedule to help me get through the day with less stress. My normal routine that I follow now is I do my homework right after school and try to get it all done, then I will go to practice or my games and if I don’t finish my homework before I have to leave I will finish it before I go to bed.” Q: From what I understand, you played Varsity Softball in just 7th grade. How did playing with older students make you feel, and how do you think it has affected your athletics later on? A: “At first I was really nervous and excited because it was a whole new experience with people I’ve never met before, but as the season went on I became super close with them and created great friendships. Playing with the seniors especially has taught me a lot. I believe playing with them made me stronger mentally and physically because they always pushed me to be my best as well as learning to understand and trust new people that I’ve never played with.” Q: How much of your personality do you think can be explained by sports? A: “I believe a lot of my personality contributes to sports. With my team in practices I would definitely say I’m very energetic (even in the mornings) and I absolutely love to hype my team up. When it comes to game time I get really competitive mostly because I am kind of a sore loser but I think that benefits me and helps me get through the game strong.” Q: Is there any advice you would like to give our young athletes at North? A: “For anyone who wants to branch out and try new sports, now is definitely the time to do so. Playing another sport or a new hobby can teach you so many interesting things that you never knew and can really bring a light into your life.” Q: Finally, favorite sport? A: “I would say my favorite sport is definitely softball. I’ve played softball since I was 6 and It has shaped me into the person that I am today. I wouldn’t give it up even if I was offered $1,000,000.” As you can tell from her answers, Kayla is a dedicated student-athlete and has great passion for all the sports she plays. A true inspiration for young athletes looking to defy the odds, only a sophomore, Kayla still has much left in her sporting career. Whether it is on the court or outside on the field, she will continue to do amazing things. Go Spartans! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections What is number theory? By Alyssa Garufi and Hannah Lee Volume 2 Issue 3 January 14, 2022 Image provided by Interesting Engineering Anyone who has ever fallen in love can tell you it is the little things about the other person that make them attractive: the way they do their hair, the peculiarities of how they write, the way they sing a certain part of a song out of key every time... Such details come to define us. They trace the outlines of our personalities, and, to the observant eye, they illuminate true beauty. In the eyes of some, there is no finer beauty than that found in mathematics. Some look at numbers and, just as you’d never define your beloved human solely based on their eye color, the math lover sees beyond the mere function of numbers. The likes of 1, 2, and 3, turn into something more sublime than simple carriers of information. The math lover looks for questions, patterns, and proofs as to why simple equations like 1+1 equals 2. This is essentially what number theory is: the study of subtle and radical relationships between and among numbers. Euclid of Alexandria was a key contributor to the foundation of number theory. He developed and proved the concept of infinite primes, which eventually became a key notion in the field of number theory. As most of us know, prime numbers are integers that are greater than one and have only two factors - one and themselves. Euclid hypothesized that there was an infinite number of primes, which he then sought to prove. He did this through a method known as proof by contradiction. Essentially, Euclid assumed that there was a finite number of primes, and disproved that concept, which leads to the conclusion that an infinite number of primes exist. This concept of infinite primes would become one of the most foundational ideas of number theory. While number theory may seem like an abstract concept that is only used by those who work in the math field, it has many practical applications. For instance, many companies use encryption to protect their data, which is a concept that stems from the number theory. Oftentimes, encryption is done using basic primes of a very large number. The basic primes of a number are obtained when the integer is broken down into its prime factors, which you may know by its other name: prime factorization. Each number has a unique set of prime factors, and by using the basic primes of large numbers, companies can ensure that their data is safely protected. Now that you know the basics of number theory, try it out yourself. I will give you a sequence of numbers and you have to try and find a pattern, formula, or some sort of relationship between the numbers in order to figure out what the first term of the sequence is. Remember: think creatively, not everything is so black and white. Example: what is the first term in the sequence? ….11, 24, 75, 304 5 8 9 10 Explanation: Alright, so you decided to take on the example problem and have come searching for the answer. The answer is *drum roll* 10! I hope you got it right. If not, it is okay. Let me explain to you how I went about it. I noticed that the second term, 11, and the third term, 24 could be formed by taking the second term and multiplying it by two and adding two. However, this equation of (n*2+2) does not work for the third number, 24, into the fourth sequence, 75. The equation that does work for these two transitions is, however, (n*3 +3). Taking 24 times 3 and adding 33 to that gets you 75! Therefore, it is visible that there may be a pattern forming in the equations from each preceding number. I finally checked to see if 75 times 4 plus 4 (n*4 +4) gets you to 304, and it did! There you go! You figured out the pattern. Using this pattern, you worked backward to find out that the first term is 10 since 10 times 1 plus 1 (n*1 +1) is 11! Good job, VSN! BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Black American Artists Back to Sections Tree By Bob Thompson February 12, 2021 Volume 1 Issue 5 Medium: Oil on Canvas, Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Back to Artwork Beauty in Nature Back to Sections Nick Ottomanelli - Beauty in Nature By Nick Ottomanelli February 10, 2022 Photography Volume 2 Issue 4

Back to Artwork Nightmare on Main Street Back to Sections Fears of the Night By Sophia Song October 8, 2021 Volume 2 Issue 1

Back to Articles News Back to Sections After 96 Hours of Counting, We Have a Presumptive Winner By Logan Balsan Volume 1 Issue 2 November 24, 2020 Image provided by CNN Written by: Logan Balsan (in coordination with Craig Papajohn-Shaw) Disclaimer: Election Results can change as campaigns are contesting election results in court On Saturday, November 7th, 2020, the Associated Press announced that Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. would win the State of Pennsylvania and its 20 Electoral Votes, putting him over the 270 minimum needed to win the Presidency. However, the results of congressional elections across the country could seriously affect the Biden/Harris agenda within the next four years. In the House of Representatives elections, the Republicans have (so far, last update on Sunday, November 15th, 2020 as there were still mail-in ballots to be counted) gained 5 seats. Even here in New York, State Assemblyman Andrew Garbarino, Republican, won to succeed retiring Rep. Peter King, Republican, in his House seat. In Staten Island, Max Rose became a single-term representative, losing to State Legislator, Nicole Malliotakis, a registered Republican. Upstate, Claudia Tenney, Republican, ousted Anthony Brindisi to also make him a single-term representative. Many polls (according to Realclearpolitics.com ) had many of these incumbents or Democratic challengers up. For example, FiveThirtyEight projected Jackie Gordon, Democrat, to have a 55 percent chance of defeating Andrew Garbarino to succeed Rep. King. In the Senate elections, the Republicans held significant seats that had Democratic challengers up in polls. In Maine, Senator Susan Collins, Republican, survived a challenge from State House Speaker Sara Gideon, Democrat by more than 7 points, while polling had Gideon up 6 to 7 points. In North Carolina, incumbent Republican Senator Thom Tillis nearly lost to former State Legislator Cal Cunningham, but after a scandal cast a shadow over Cunningham’s reputation, Tillis was able to squeak out a win for the GOP. Republicans did the same in Montana between Senator Steve Daines (GOP) v. Governor Steve Bullock (D). The Republicans lost two senate seats though. In Arizona and Colorado, Senators McSally of Arizona and Cory Gardner of Colorado lost in big races that favored their Democratic challengers. The Senate majority is in tandem, with two Senate seats in runoffs: both of Georgia’s Senate Seats. Senator Perdue failed to reach 50%+1 votes in order to avoid a runoff, and in the Special Election, Senator Kelly Loeffler and Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock were unable to reach 50% as well, leading to a runoff. These two seats will decide the fate of the Senate Republicans’ majority come January. If the Republicans made gains in Congress, how does it translate to Joe Biden, Democrat, winning the Presidency? Normally, when Republicans see gains in their congressional races, it gives the Republicans a higher chance of winning the Presidency. President Trump was calling for votes to stop in some places, and recounts in others. After Joe Biden started to lead in Georgia, it was all over for President Trump, because once Biden won Arizona, he needed Georgia to have a chance to win. Did we expect Trump to concede from the get go if he lost? As predictable as he is, Trump filed for numerous court cases in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia, and Wisconsin, on the basis of voter fraud. Trump did not see much victory in any Michigan court cases, as the Michigan Supreme Court denied his cases a hearing. However, there were tabulation errors in Michigan. For example, voting technology accidentally projected Biden to win Antrim County, while Trump actually led by 6,000 votes. The Michigan GOP Chairwoman called for a hand recount in all other counties, since they used the same technology that created this error. Trump’s campaign, however, won a case in Pennsylvania that required all counting to be monitored by observers. In the Supreme Court, Justice Alito required all mail in votes that came in after Election Day to be counted separately. Another rumor was spread that voters in Arizona were given sharpies to submit their ballots, and that they bled through the ballot and therefore the scanner could not read it. Due to all the confusion and the numerous rumors spread, it is difficult to determine whether all these rumors are true or false. While it is too early, 2024 will be determined by what President Biden will accomplish in his term, as he has stated on the campaign trail he would only seek one term. Will Biden’s environmental agenda put the economy on the backburner? Will Biden’s tax program actually raise taxes on the middle class, and in New York State alone to a 60 percent cap? Will Biden be able to work with a Republican Senate majority, and a possible House majority after the 2022 midterm elections? While this may be speculation, there is a reality that concerns Biden’s ability to work with the Republican Congress that may kill his agenda point blank, and it may cost the Democrats, and possibly Vice President Kamala Harris, the election in 2024. Now, the Election of 2020 is over, and President Biden must decide the direction of America over the next four years. He has much to do, with the entire world watching him. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections *Period* Madison Thomas Volume 5 Issue 3 January 14, 2025 Image Drawn by Madison Thomas BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Art Guild Back to Sections Finish Line By Macayla McCaffery November 24, 2020 Digital Art Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections The Art of Karate By Manal Layachi Volume 2 Issue 5 March 28, 2022 Images provided by The Random Vibez and The Karate Blog I’ve been doing karate for five years now. Most people think that karate is just fighting, but it is much more than that. There are many styles of martial arts such as Taekwondo, Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing, Judo, and Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA. I do martial arts. During class, we do kumite (fighting/sparring), kata (movement of techniques), kihon (basics), and self-defense. Karate is not only about defending yourself, but having discipline, being patient, respecting your family and friends, and showing gratitude towards others. At my dojo, on the wall, there is quote by Gichin Funakoshi that says, “Seek perfection of character. Be faithful. Endeavor. Respect others. Refrain from violent behaviour.” Before we begin class, we always recite it. Many students just focus on their belt color, but it’s about how many skills, katas, and techniques you know. My brother Zak and I are 3rd kyu brown belts. Zak says, “Karate isn’t supposed to be easy during the first day, it is hard. However, if you practice karate every day it will become easier.” During kumite , we learn new techniques and tricks that will help us when we are fighting. Over the years, my kumite skills have improved. Kata is all about focus and precision. In order to have good kata , you need to have the following elements: Speed. Power. Spirit. Stances. Balance. Breathing. You also need to memorize the katas and be able to perform them at the best of your ability. Kihon is all about the basics: for example, kicks, punches, blocks, and techniques. Lastly, during self-defense, we learn techniques that can help us if we are in danger. All in all, karate positively affected my life and has made me a better person over the years. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork The Memory Project Back to Sections Suwaira By Isabella Somma March 28, 2022 Mixed Media Volume 2 Issue 5