Back to Artwork Heckscher Back to Sections Heckscher - Anonymous - 3 Entry 12 April 14, 2022 Acrylic Volume 2 Issue 6

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections A Lack of Representation By Alain Deen Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Image provided by the European Broadcasting Union For centuries, the film and media industry has faced a lack of diversity, most often due to internalized prejudice and misrepresentation among their big budget productions. This concept has become normalized in recent times to the point where seeing a talented ensemble of black performers comes as a shock to critics. These instances of discrimination stem from a long history of blatant racism in these industries becoming increasingly subtle over the years. The film and media industry are arguably the most dominant forms of storytelling, whether through captivating news stories or feature films. Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that biased views are spread through these outlets, influencing audiences across the globe. For example, award-winning journalist Elizabeth Llorente argues that there is “improper and little to no representation among people of color in journalism”. The same can be said for the film industry as well. For instance, the release of Marvel’s 2018 smash hit, “Black Panther” was met with either dubious or celebratory reviews for the very fact there was a black superhero lead. Again, this is due to the normalization of excluding colored actors in major feature films. In recent decades, films have developed a stereotype for Black males, portraying them as violent, aggressive, criminal, and/or uneducated. These tropes provide a myopic view of black life, shedding a perpetually negative light. This concept translates into real life as well. African Americans have experienced exclusion, aggressive discrimination, and police brutality which continues to plague society. These stereotypes also create cynical working environments for African Americans, and not just in the film industry. Therefore, it’s necessary that the film and media industry indulge in new projects with open-mindedness, unbiased opinions, and acceptance and encouragement of diversity. In terms of future generations, audience members of all colors can see someone on the big screen that happens to look like them, and actors can see themselves getting more work. 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 Polaris Back to Sections The Pen's Soul Catherine Duong Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 Image provided by iStock Author’s Note: The story below was my first draft of my college admission essay, talking about my life like a pen and breaking free from being controlled by outside forces. Since my English teacher said it was too fictional/not straight to the point, I could not let this go to waste, so I transformed it to make it into a fictional story by tweaking it a little. As this tale has not specified who the hand is, feel free to symbolize it differently while you read! I, as a soul of a pen, wrote words in neat, straight, and perfect rows for all my life, being fully guided by the hand. My black ink flows as smooth as untouched snow against the paper. Until I’ve found curiosity in numerous things, like... what if I write each word with one smooth stroke? What if I bend letters in a bubbly or ridged way instead of the standardized and authentic Arial font? What if I use different colors for my ink like yellow or green? And so I began, dragging my tip against a clean sheet of paper for testing all sorts of things from different fonts to using all sorts of colors without the guidance and silent observance of the hand. As a pen, we are always guided by a hand or hands, and I never fathom or thought of the idea of independence; doing everything all by myself. Dependence is something I’ve stuck with my whole life up until now. As I kept exploring over time, I found new ways to express myself, growing out of the ordinary of a regular blue or black pen and creating my own ‘voice’ through my strokes across the paper. It’s like those humans who found themselves in different hobbies and making them, them! Until there came a day where the hand scanned my actions, their movement at first hesitant, but instantly grabbed hold of my body, their fingers intwined. I would typically let them hold me, but this time I felt different. This newfound knowledge from my experiments gave me some kind of weird strength to rebel against the hand, and so I did. I attempted to wiggle myself free from their grasp, but all the hand did was grasp onto me tighter and force me back to where I started. Over time, there was a constant long, and conflicting cycle between the hand and me: I tried to express myself, and the hand saw me and finally forced me to undo my discoveries. As much as I wanted to surrender, I refused to. After pondering on how to break this endless cycle, I hid under the desk by rolling away and slipping away the cage I was once placed in, now free. BACK TO TOP

NORTH STAR SENIORS VOLUME 2 CLASS OF 2022 Senior Appreciation Article: 2022 By Shinedip Kundlas, Christina Ossa, Matteo Somma, Elyas Layachi, and Everton Prospere June 13, 2022 Read More To give our senior editors a little "Senior Surprise," we clipped bits of our messages throughout the year and collected their memorable quotes and sayings. We wanted to show our appreciation for their integral role in reinvigorating North Star and making our club close-knit and fun! North Star would not be this beautiful or successful without all of your hard work and dedication, so thank you for a wonderful first year and we wish you the best in your future! Click on "read more" to view their writing, artwork, and quotes VOLUME 1 CLASS OF 2021

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections North's Captivating Courtyard: Spotlight on North's Hardworking Clubs By Ericka Leus Volume 1 Issue 8 June 8, 2021 Original photos by Christy Mansfield and Christina Ossa. Top left: National Junior Honor Society, Top right: North Star, Bottom left: Interact, Bottom right: Art Honor Society You have most likely heard the saying “April showers bring May flowers” before, and that is exactly what has happened to North’s outdoor areas! Pushing through the heavy showers of April and moving into the late season of Spring, it has enabled several clubs at North to participate in cleaning up the outdoor garden areas of the Valley Stream North building’s courtyard. It has been the goal of these clubs to renovate and beautify the courtyard as a good way to end off the year on a high note, and it is true! As of the end of May, the courtyard and garden areas by the Valley Stream North sign look colorful, tidy, and inviting to those who view it. In this article, I will be discussing what some of these clubs have done to participate in North’s outdoor cleanup and their thoughts on it. I will also be introducing some outdoor aspects that these clubs are currently in the process of creating, so be sure to stay tuned! View the original photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/3fBKmcb9rM29fL7YA National Junior Honor Society: The National Junior Honor Society has played a big role in cleaning up the courtyard area of the school. Interestingly, NJHS has been working on this ongoing three-year project all this school year! They began their work in the fall and continued the work in early April. NJHS has received help from their many student members to help in its cleanup efforts, and their work is truly outstanding. With the help of advisors Mrs. Italiano and Mrs. Suarez, the club has been busy painting chairs, benches, and tables, planting flowers, painting the stones with intricate designs, and overall, renovating the various areas, even turning one into a ‘Zen Garden’. They have also done important physical work such as pulling weeds, washing stones, clearing bushes, and moving bricks. Currently the club is planning to work on the concrete stage and a pathway in the courtyard. The motivations that drove the club to clean up the courtyard was the idea of students and teachers occupying the courtyard during class. Currently, there have been multiple English classes that have taken their students out into the courtyard for independent reading and to take a break from their screens. Not only is the cleanup good for the garden, but it is also beneficial to our North community. It was believed that the better the courtyard looked, the happier it would make the North community: “The courtyard is a blank canvas for a garden and has so much potential to be beautiful” said NJHS advisor Mrs. Italiano. Mrs. Suarez also commented that “being outdoors and enjoying what we have played a huge role in encouraging the courtyard cleanup.” Regarding the courtyard, NJHS President Hannah Lee added, “We wanted to beautify it and make a safe, relaxing place in our school.” NJHS’s ‘Zen Garden’ is currently being worked on, and their progress so far looks amazing! Make sure to check it out when you have the chance to do it at school! Interact: The Interact club, led by faculty advisors Ms. O’Donohue and Mrs. Baker, have taken their part in the courtyard cleanup by painting furniture such as chairs, tables, and benches. Over the last month, its several members have taken time to work after school to design images for the furniture. In the future, the club plans to volunteer on remaining projects for the courtyard. The inspirations for the club’s decoration all revolved around the missed opportunities this year due to Covid. Learning and school events are some of the important aspects of North that have changed. Therefore, cleaning up the courtyard would give students a push of motivation. After being masked in all day, having a nice, clean, and decorative outdoor courtyard to hang out in would help students. The chance to beautify the courtyard has also opened student service projects, which have been limited in the past year. But so many students earned many, many service hours because of the courtyard cleanup. North Star : North Star ’s faculty advisor, Mrs. Mansfield, came up with the great idea of having different clubs or grades “adopt” a table or bench in the courtyard, and personalize it after Mrs. Italiano reached out regarding our Courtyard Beautification project underway for the past three years now. So North Star has its very own table, and it is an item you cannot miss! The green-and-white-painted table displays the North Star logo and is amongst the pieces of furniture that stand out. This special project started just last month with help from junior Jack Schwabe, who helped prime the table. Other painters included Everton Prospere, Craig Papajohn Shaw, Lucy Wu, Garrick Neuner, and Grace Martinez, Mathew Olivencia, as well as Alyssa Garufi. Every day, there were kids out there willing to help with anything that was needed. Mrs. Mansfield described her experience as a “mood-elevating activity!” The renovated courtyard provides the opportunity for a change of scenery and fresh air on a nice day, and it will also be much more comfortable for the audience during the Drama Club’s annual “Shakespeare in the Courtyard”. There are QR codes on the table which bring you right to our North Star website, so be sure to check it out! Readers can read Issue 8 or check out our archives. Art Honor Society: The Art Honor Society, alongside faculty advisor Mr. Nafte, is credited with adding the intricate artistic touch to the courtyard. The plans for the courtyard consist of painting designs on stone slabs. Also, the honor society has plans to paint a special mural on the brick wall in honor of North. Rumor has it it’s going to be a lotus with a featured Spartan head, so be sure to check that out! AHS’s designated table in the courtyard is the colorful table with fruits on it, and it is currently in the final touches stage. The club has also displayed a garden sculpture, hoping to start a “garden sculpture revolution.” President Alena Moreira has done some impressive work on her own for the courtyard. She has dedicated her time to painting some chairs and tables in the past few years. The motivations for these decorative additions were inspired by the students of North. The courtyard is one of the very few outdoor places on North grounds where students can hang out during school hours. Having a student-personalized area to hang out allows students to feel safe and relaxed. “It’s like adding and maintaining a mini park on school grounds” said by Alena regarding AHS’s work. The outdoors was a big motivator as well. Taking advantage of the space makes it enjoyable to all. A breath of fresh air is something we all need during these times of staying indoors. As Mr. Nafte enthusiastically commented, “long live the courtyard!” or “Viva le courtyard!” Ecology Club: The Ecology club is fully dedicated to beautifying North’s outdoors and has been doing it for an impressive 15 years. This club focuses on the building’s outdoor areas and takes into consideration its condition. Once a month, its several student participants pick up trash on both school grounds and the area of Seabury Avenue. Not only do they make the Earth happy, but they also make residents happy as well! This school year, the Ecology club’s achievements include starting cleanups during the Fall. Have you seen the beautifully planted flowers by the Valley Stream North sign? That is all thanks to the Ecology club. With the help of faculty advisor Mrs. Restuccio, the club has planted over 100 tulips by the sign. The creation of a welcoming and attractive landscape was the main inspiration for their work. Planting and gardening itself is a process that students can benefit from, and the satisfying product of delicate flowers is a reward. Mrs. Restuccio emphasized the important idea that “gardening also has a positive physical and psychological effect on people.” Especially during Covid times, we have all been on our devices constantly. Gardening provides an opportunity where we can get off screens, get in a good workout, and have a positive mood. Thank you, National Junior Honor Society, Interact, North Star, Art Honor Society, and Ecology Club for your outstanding work! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections The Serena Williams By Shinedip Kundlas Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Image provided by Shutterstock When people hear the name Serena Williams, they probably think: tennis, No. 1 in women’s tennis, or think about her older sister, tennis great Venus Williams. However, Serena Williams is more than a great athlete; she is an inspiration for many young girls and women around the world. Serena was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan. She started learning tennis at 5 years old from her father on public courts in LA. At the age of 17, she defeated Martina Hingis and won her first Grand Slam. Serena has won three double gold medals at the Olympics and has won 23 Grand Slams, more than any woman or man during the open era. At the age of nine, Serena and her family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, so that she could attend the tennis academy of Ricci Macci. However, Richard Williams stopped sending his daughters to National Junior Tennis matches when Serena was ten because he wanted them to advance gradually and to focus on their schoolwork. Experiences of racism also drove Williams’s experience, as Richard had overheard white parents speak about the Williams sisters in a derogatory way during tournaments. In 1995, when Serena was in the ninth grade, her father pulled Venus and Serena out of Macci's academy. From then on, the Williams Sisters’ coaching at home started. Serena Williams is one of the supreme tennis players of our time; nonetheless, to win 23 Grand Slams, she has had to prevail over challenges most tennis players have not: Serena is a black female in a predominantly white sport, she was raised in a poor neighborhood while practicing on community courts that were not always safe, and she suffered penetrating scrutiny of her body, misogyny, and racism. Serena, still to this day, has racist and sexist calls against her. She still contends with critiques of her body that perpetuate racist perceptions that black females are masculine and unattractive. Despite these challenges, Serena has remained strong and fearless, making her a role model for many young girls and women, especially those of color. Not only is she dominating in the sports world, but she is also dominating in the real world with a philanthropic mission. Since 2011, Williams has been the UNICEF International Goodwill Ambassador. Through this role, Serena operates to create schools in an attempt to offer quality education for susceptible children via UNICEF's Africa program and Schools for Asia Campaign. She created the Serena Williams Foundation to aid youth whose families have been affected by violent crimes, and to support minority youth around the globe in receiving an education by providing grants and scholarships. Since 2015, Williams has also volunteered to help immunize children in Ghana. Her career has been a rough yet amazing one, as she has been afflicted with injuries and has faced hardships both regarding her race and her being a woman. Serena continues to put herself back on the tennis court and play her best. Serena Williams is an astonishing example of how determination, practice, and motivation, can go a long way. She is an example of how no matter what color your skin is, and whether you’re a female or male, you can do it, and nothing can stop you from doing what you want to do. Sources: https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/serena-jameka-williams-2831.php https://sportytell.com/biography/serena-williams-biography-facts-childhood-personal-life/ https://kidskonnect.com/people/serena-williams/ BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Donald Trump’s Indictments and Court Case Sahar Ali Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by Kaiser Health News Lately, you may have heard about former President Donald Trump in the news. You may have heard about trials and indictments. These charges made against the former President may not seem serious to us; however, it is a significant moment in the history of the United States. WHO IS DONALD TRUMP? Former President Donald Trump was born on June 14th, 1946, in Queens, New York. His father, Fred Trump, was a real estate developer. As a child, he studied at the New York Military Academy, and later, the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania, during his adolescence. In 2005, Trump married Melania Knauss and later had his fifth child, Barron Trump. Children from his previous marriages include Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany. Donald Trump ran for president during the 2016 election. Although he had lost the popular vote against Democrat Hillary Clinton, he won the majority of the Electoral College votes, which determines who takes the role of U.S. President. Trump’s victory led him to become the 45th President of the United States of America. His slogan, which many people are familiar with was, “Make America Great Again.” During his presidency, Donald Trump made many changes and improvements to the United States. He signed a major tax reform bill into law and oversaw a reduction in federal regulations. Trump had protectionist trade policies that imposed tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum. Additionally, the Trump Administration discussed trade agreements with countries including Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, and China. The former President also increased military budgets, enforced border and immigration control, and decreased the prices of prescription drugs. But even though all these accomplishments were made by Trump and his administration, this does not mean that Trump did not have any dark moments during his presidency. As President, Donald Trump used his position to criticize the media and members of his administration. On Twitter, now known as X, Trump posted 26,000 tweets consisting of false statements reflecting the former president’s ideas, which eventually led him to be permanently banned from the social media platform. Additionally, after more than 150 years, Trump was the United States’s first chief executive to not attend the next President’s inauguration. Under the Trump administration, there was a surge of fake news and misinformation regarding racism, terrorism, illegal immigration, and sexism. The former President also made multiple claims that would require fact checking; this included his assertion that voter fraud led to his defeat in the 2020 election. Not only that, but COVID hit the United States while Trump was in power; under the Trump Administration, the nation’s economy suffered as thousands of Americans lost their jobs and businesses during the pandemic. Donald Trump decided to run for a second presidential term during the 2020 election; however, it did not go as he planned. Trump lost both the popular vote and Electoral College Vote to the democratic candidate, Joe Biden, the current President of the United States. The former President falsely claimed that widespread voter fraud was the leading cause of his loss. His defeat in the 2020 election was the start of the many issues that would later arise for Trump. IMPEACHMENT Impeachment occurs when a government official is charged with a crime. If the official is found guilty during their trial, they will be removed from office. In 1868, President Andrew Johnson, along with President Bill Clinton in 1998, were both impeached by the House of Representatives. Former President Donald Trump was impeached in 2019 and 2021; later for the unprecedented events that occurred on January 6th, 2021. On January 6th, 2021, during the “Save America” rally, hundreds of Trump supporters gathered at Washington D.C., where the former President encouraged his supporters to protest the counting of the Electoral College Votes. As time progressed, violence erupted as law enforcement was overwhelmed by the enormous number of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol. The violence caused by Trump’s supporters resulted in the breaching of the United States Capitol and impediment of the vote count. As a result, the United States Capitol suffered millions of dollars in damage and five people lost their lives. Following the violence at the Capitol, the United States House of Representatives approved the second Article of Impeachment against Donald Trump on January 13th, 2021: the incitement of insurrection. Donald Trump is the only president in the history of the United States to have been impeached twice by Congress. This January marked three years since the attack on the Capitol. COURT CASE Along with being impeached, the former President has multiple court cases to deal with. American journalist and author, E. Jean Carroll, claimed that former president Donald Trump sexually abused her in the 1990s. Trump denies these claims; however, in May 2023, a jury found that Trump sexually abused Carroll in 1996 at a luxury department store and further went on to defame her in 2022. As a result, Trump must pay $5 million dollars in damages, but the question that remains is how much the former president must pay for the defamation. As of publication of this issue, a Manhattan federal jury decided former President Donald Trump should pay $83.3 million to the writer, Carroll. The previous case is not the only one Trump must await trial for. Letitia James, the New York State Attorney General, led an investigation into Donald Trump’s business practices that eventually devised a lawsuit that accused the former President of “staggering” fraud. The investigation began back in 2019 when Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified to Congress that the former President manipulated his net worth for his own benefit. In a filing, Letitia James described how the Trump Organization inflated the value of the company’s properties. In September of 2022, James rejected a settlement offer given by Donald Trump’s lawyers. Further, James went on to file a lawsuit against the former President and his family business, which accused them of fraudulent business practices that were observed to occur in a pattern. A year later, the civil trial started against Trump on October 2nd, 2023. Although the former President attempted to have his trial delayed, a New York Appeals Court rejected his request. The judge of the case found that Donald Trump consistently engaged in fraud by inflating the value of his assets; in simple words, Trump did not conduct business according to the law, which caused the former President to lose control over many of his New York properties. Not only that, but Trump, along with his sons, could be prohibited from conducting business in New York. This case is still ongoing as Trump tries to delay the trial until after the 2024 election. Although Donald Trump and his administration had many achievements during the presidency, there are still numerous trials awaiting him. The former President has 91 felony charges for 4 criminal indictments, which include his attempt to overturn the result of the 2020 election after he faced defeat. Even with all these allegations against him, Donald Trump will again be a candidate for the 2024 election. As of publication, Nikki Haley has since dropped out of the race. SOURCES: Trump seeks delay of civil trial in E. Jean Carroll defamation suit - CBS News Donald J. Trump | The White House How federal impeachment works | USAGov Text - H.Res.24 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. | Congress.gov | Library of Congress Trump Trials: Two court appearances as Trump’s appeals and civil cases continue - The Washington Post How America Changed During Trump’s Presidency | Pew Research Center Trump NY Fraud Trial: What to Know After Closing Arguments - The New York Times ( nytimes.com ) BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Echoes of You Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 5 Issue 2 November 25, 2024 Image Provided by Elaine Ching In quiet moments, shadows cast, A laughter echoes from the past. Cousin, friend, with spirit bright, Now lost to us, like stars at night. Memories linger, bittersweet, In every smile, in every heartbeat. The games we played, the dreams we shared, In every corner, your spirit’s bared. Time moves on, yet still I stand, With heavy heart and empty hand. Your voice, a melody in the breeze, A whispered comfort, a gentle tease. Though distance stretches, love remains, A bond that time can’t break or change. In every tear and every sigh, You live within me, never goodbye. So here I hold your memory dear, In every moment, you are near. Though we must part, this truth holds fast: Love knows no end; it ever lasts. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections The Strange Results of The Reverse Flynn Effect Max Ching Volume 5 Issue 1 September 20, 2024 Image Provided by Max Ching As society and technology have evolved with multiple inventions of life-changing machines like the radio, telephone, airplane, and many more, a theory stating that humans become smarter every decade has developed. This theory is called The Flynn Effect. According to The Debrief, James Flynn, who discovered a 13-point increase in an IQ test between 1932 and 1978, developed this theory in 1984; this theory has been fully accurate for the time being. However, researchers have claimed that in recent years, the average IQ has dropped. This is called, “The Reverse Flynn Effect.” As previously stated, The Reverse Flynn Effect is the exact opposite of The Flynn Effect , where IQ test scores drop instead of increase over decades. According to The Debrief , this effect has presented itself in Norway, Denmark, Australia, Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, and the United States. So, why is this happening, and is there any way to prevent this from happening any further? There are many reasons why this trend is occurring. According to The Debrief , some researchers have suggested that education quality, poor nutrition, and a lack of confidence in test-taking among children contribute to the effect. Also, children may no longer respond well to IQ tests. This does not mean that humans have become mentally less intelligent in the past decades, but instead, maybe their ability to take exams has worsened. Even researchers have supported this claim. Doctor Elizabeth Dworak, a research Assistant Professor of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, states, “It doesn’t mean their mental ability is lower or higher; it’s just a difference in scores that are favoring older or newer samples.” She has also said, “It could just be that they’re getting worse at taking tests or specifically worse at taking these kinds of tests.” So, this also proves that children are not actually becoming less intelligent, it is just that they may have a problem with taking exams. So, now that we have discovered why this event is occurring, we will now cover how to prevent this event from evolving even further. Well, according to The Debrief , environmental changes have been attributed to this effect; increased air pollution and lead exposure have been associated with drops in IQ levels. To prevent this effect from progressing, we could decrease air pollution by taking better care of plants, using less energy, limiting backyard and city fires, and using fewer fossil fuels. Also, not all mental skills are decreasing for children. Researchers have found that IQ scores related to spatial reasoning, or the ability to visualize 3D objects and draw conclusions based on limited information, have increased over time ( The Debrief). So, in conclusion, we have learned that the Reverse Flynn Effect is the exact opposite of the Flynn Effect, where it is evident that IQ scores have decreased over the past few decades. However, we have also learned that this could be because children just are not comfortable with taking tests. Also, we have learned that IQ scores relating to spatial reasoning, and the ability to draw conclusions and visualize objects has increased. So, although some might think that society is soon to be doomed due to the apparent dwindling IQ scores, this is not the case, as this effect can be reversed. SOURCES: https://thedebrief.org/new-study-reveals-sharp-decline-in-american-iq-scores-as-the-reverse-flynn-effect-takes-center-stage/ https://www.verywellmind.com/the-flynn-effect-7565614 BACK TO TOP