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Congratulations to Rachel Ezeadichie for being invited to Valley Stream's Poetry Out Loud! BACK TO ALL ARTICLES BACK TO SECTIONS FEATURE Welcoming Mr. Bracco! Mikayla Aziz Read More December 22, 2025 Enjoy the Silence Jasmine Roberts Read More December 22, 2025 Senior Send-Off Leah Ally Read More July 5, 2025 The Return of Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Ava Augello Read More December 22, 2025 A Drive into the Archive of New York’s License Plates Akilan Subramaniyan Read More December 22, 2025 The Ice Bucket Challenge: Does it help the Mental Health Cause? Mya Hans Read More July 5, 2025 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 ... 28

Back to Artwork Beauty in Nature Back to Sections Fence By Quinn O'Connor February 10, 2022 Photography Volume 2 Issue 4

Back to Artwork Art Guild Back to Sections Art Guild- Chamille Malcolm Chamille Malcolm November 6, 2023 Mixed Media Volume 4 Issue 1

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Senior Send-Off: Class of 2024 North Star Editorial Staff Volume 5 Issue 1 September 20, 2024 Images Provided by Elaine Ching In almost every North High School extracurricular activity, seniors and upperclassmen always develop strong bonds with younger generations. The North Star/ Polaris: The Creative Literary Magazine is no exception to that rule. Throughout our shared time in the club, the 2024-2025 editors for the North Star and Polaris have learned so much from our graduating members! The 2024-2025 North Star/ Polaris Editorial Team wanted to thank our Class of 2024 members for all the contributions they’ve made to our publication. Below are some messages for our graduating seniors that we hope shows just how much we appreciate them: Jeselys Vazquez “Jeselys, your feature articles always managed to shine a bright light on the best parts of North. Thank you for highlighting every part of our community. From North staff to SADD events, you always managed to bring attention to every bit and piece of North. Best of luck at John Jay!” Ismaela Andre “Ismaela, your scientific and curious mind resulted in amazing accomplishments, but it also gave us some amazing Feature articles. You always made amazing contributions to our publication, and we’ll miss reading your articles. Best of luck at the University of Connecticut!” Catherine Duong “Catherine, your creative contributions to Polaris helped make the Creative Literary Magazine into what it is today. We hope your love of creative story writing continues to grow and develop in the future. We wish you the best of luck in the future!” Cody Sung “Cody, you were our brightest and youngest editor! From your Science articles to your Feature articles, your articles were always full of fascinating facts and compelling journalistic integrity. We wish you the best of luck at New York University!” The North Star/ Polaris Editorial Team wishes North’s Class of 2024 health and prosperity as they enter the next chapter of their lives. BACK TO TOP

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

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Senior Send-Off Leah Ally Volume 5 Issue 5 July 5, 2025 Image Provided by Christy Mansfield As the year ends it is crucial that we recognize our hardworking class of 2025 graduates that have allowed North Star to grow. We thank each and every one of them for continued dedication, effort, and time invested into growing our club and school newspaper. This would not have been possible without them, and it has been a privilege working alongside them for so long. Therefore, to send-off our North Star seniors, we wrote a personal thank you to each one. Noa Cordova : Noa, ever since you took over as editor-in-chief I knew we were in good hands. I speak for everyone when I say that your work ethic is truly admirable. Not only have you run meetings, edited articles, but also provided a strong presence as the editor-in-chief that has been the driving force behind our paper. Your positive attitude and dedication have not gone unnoticed, and you’ve been a role model to me in the time that I have worked with you. Thank you for your unwavering efforts and helping shape North Star to what it is today. Rehmat Kaur : Rehmat, as our Sports Section Editor you’ve made North Star everything it aspires to be in terms of a school newspaper. You have consistently kept up with our North athletes and sport teams throughout each season and we thank you for that. Your consistency can be seen through your many interviews and analysis that not only recognized and honored our athletes but also allowed for their voices to be heard. Your time at North Star has encompassed what it means to be a reliable journalist. Thank you, Rehmat for all your work. Elaine Ching : Elaine, as our lead Layout and Social Media Designer without you, North Star would not be what it is today. You have kept up and designed every detail of our website. From uploading articles to constant updates, you allow our paper to be the best it could be. Not to mention your dedication to producing original artwork has allowed for our paper to be truly authentic and much more enjoyable for our readers. It’s your behind the scenes work that allows for our work to be seen, promoted, and displayed for all. You’ve been a crucial part of North Star , and you deserve all the credit and more for your contributions. Thank you, Elaine! Marco Alvarez : Marco, as part of our Layout Team and our spreadsheet manager, it is your work that allows for our voices to be heard and published. You have been nothing short of consistent, focused, and all around a reliable member. Your role requires hard work that deals with many technical details and organization, and you have done that perfectly which has allowed us to thrive. Not only that, but you’ve always kept the interests of others in mind and truly demonstrated yourself to be dependable. Thank you, Marco! Isabel Barret : Isabel, as our Feature Section Editor you have produced nothing short of interesting and thorough articles. Overseeing such a broad and wide-ranging section is by no means an easy task, yet you’ve followed through time and time again. Each meeting you're always one of the first to offer ideas and suggestions. It is that very attitude that makes a paper successful and why it was such a pleasure to work with you Without you our feature section would not be the same and we thank you for everything, Isabel! Sahar Ali : Sahar, as news section editor, we’ve seen you produce the most interesting current news and political articles. You’ve brought awareness and in-depth information about the most serious world issues, and you never fail to do it well. What I most admire about you is your passion. Your passion to share your opinions while delivering some of the most reliable articles North Star has to offer. It is because of you our news section was so strong the past few years and your drive has not been overlooked, thank you Sahar. Sophia Songveertham : Sophia, as our photographer, your role to North Star is a unique one and so cherished. Your talent, your dedication, and the time put into attending North’s many athletic events can all be seen by the many photos you have dedicated to our paper. You’ve contributed to our originality, sharing the achievements of our athletes, and overall making our paper stand out. Photography is not only a skill, but an art, and you encompass every aspect of that in your work, thank you Sophia. Manal Layachi : Manal, you’ve been a prominent and consistent member of North Star for many years. Over the time you’ve stuck with us, you have produced a variety of articles regarding school life and running to science and entertainment. Even while handling so much such as being an athlete and you never fail to be an active member and prioritize North Star . Your drive for writing will be dearly missed and we thank you Manal for all the time you dedicated into helping our paper bloom. Aamna Raja : Aamna, as our advice columnist you took on a very challenging role all with the goal of helping our readers and reminding others they are not alone. Your section is not only a place of help but for comfort for those who ever needed someone thoughtful to tackle any issues. By fulfilling such a role in North Star you’ve truly helped our paper shine as not only a school newspaper but one that served students in ways beyond academics. Thank you, Aamna! Each one of you has left a lasting impact on not only North Star but also everyone that got the privilege to work with you! Your work will not be forgotten, and you’ve left a legacy that will continue to be admired. We wish you all the very best and know you will all continue to succeed! Thank you, Seniors! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections The Enemy That Should Be a Friend – The College Essay Ismaela Andre Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 Image provided by BibGuru Many seniors must write a 650-word personal statement. This is usually referred to as “the college essay.” Once they hear this they think, “Oh that’s not too bad.” However, once their teacher says, “It has to be about you,” they instantly complain or get lost. Little do they know, the college essay is a gift, not a nuisance. The college essay allows students to showcase their unique personalities and experiences. Even though your grades and standardized test scores provide a glimpse of your academic abilities, the essay showcases your character, passions, and personal growth. It helps colleges paint a picture of who you are and what you aspire to become. This personal touch usually humanizes an application by transforming a set of statistics into an aspiring student. College essays also empower students to tell their own stories. Personally, it helped me dive deeper into a past incident. It allowed me to voice an aspect of myself that makes me who I am. The college essay offers opportunities for you to discuss your life experiences, challenges you have overcome, or unique perspectives on the world. In doing so, it promotes diversity and inclusion, as it enables those from various backgrounds to share narratives and enrich the campus community with their distinct viewpoints. Another positive is that it encourages you to think deeply about your aspirations and goals. Crafting a personal statement forces you to clarify your values, beliefs, and the impact you wish to make in the world. Personally, this process was transformative for me because it further showed how much I love to support my peers and others. I learned more about who I am and what I wanted while writing this personal statement. The college essay is much more than a mere requirement; it is a benefit that serves the interests of both you and the admissions committees. It offers you the chance to express yourself, share your story, and explore your narrative creativity and true goals. Simultaneously, it aids admissions officers in making informed decisions and building diverse, vibrant campus communities. Even though the college essay seems daunting, its positives far outweigh any negatives. Therefore, it should be embraced as an opportunity for growth, expression, and self-discovery, for both applicants and institutions alike. When you start writing, it can be hard to stop and before you know it, you will have over 650 words! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Who is Rohan Murphy? By Cody Sung Volume 2 Issue 2 November 19, 2021 Original artwork by Elaine Ching On October 6th, the 8th and 9th graders were invited to a special event in the gymnasium. They got to see a motivational speaker named Rohan Murphy, who could inspire many kids by speaking to them and demonstrating his physical abilities despite having no legs. I was also fortunate to meet him after the event during my 2nd-period gym class. Who is Rohan Murphy, and how did he end up at our school? Rohan Murphy was born on December 22nd, 1983, in Queens. He lost his legs at birth, and due to this, before ninth grade, he was unable to participate in sports. In ninth grade, though, Rohan Murphy joined the East Islip wrestling team after training all summer for it with coach Ron Croteau. While he did lose his first few matches, Mr. Murphy entirely dedicated himself to wrestling, becoming one of the most decorated wrestlers in East Islip history. Mr. Murphy went to college at Penn State University, where he continued his wrestling career. During this time, he started to compete in Paralympic weightlifting events. During one of these events, in May 2006 in Busan, South Korea, Mr. Murphy won a bronze medal in his category by lifting 281.1 pounds, more than any other American Paralympian. Nike noticed this and featured him in an ad called “No Excuses,” encouraging people to make a workout plan and stick to it. Mr. Murphy is an inspirational speaker, traveling to schools around the country and motivating kids to believe that they can do whatever they set their mind to, no matter what hurdles they face. At North, Mr. Murphy had the same mission, speaking to bleachers full of 8th and 9th graders and inspiring them. Mr. Murphy gave us hope that if we believe in ourselves, no matter what our current states are, we can do it. BACK TO TOP

POLARIS The Creative Student Literary Magazine POLARIS, VSN's Literary Magazine, and NORTH STAR, North's Student News Magazine, serve distinct purposes within the educational community. POLARIS is dedicated to showcasing and celebrating the creative talents of the school's students, primarily focusing on literature and art. It provides a platform for students to express themselves through poetry, short stories, and artwork, fostering a sense of artistic community. On the other hand, NORTH STAR serves as the school's online student newspaper, aiming to inform the student body about school events, news, and achievements, also features and opinion pieces all written by students. Both publications are important, and our publications club sets out to ensure a well-rounded representation of the school's culture and a vehicle for our students' voices. Student Originals For what is fear, if fear cannot kill? Jasmine Roberts Read More December 22, 2025 Autumn Sees Leola Garcia Read More December 22, 2025 I Want to Knit Jasmine Roberts Read More July 5, 2025 A Story of Good and Bad Leah Ally Read More December 22, 2025 Strawberry Matcha Boba Tea Shea Flanelly Read More December 22, 2025 Goodbye Leah Ally Read More July 5, 2025 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 ... 25 Featured Artist: Madison Thomas Submit Written Media Upload your original music to be featured in the next Polaris issue! Musical Media Upload your original media to be featured in the next Polaris issue! Visual Media Polaris Pod: coming soon... BACK TO ALL ARTICLES BACK TO SECTIONS

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Except from Eve Mikayla Aziz Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by Olga Kawa from Pinterest Twisted and Bent and Burnt and finally Remolded, Finally, a girl made anew. I don’t even recognize her anymore; Hopefully he won’t either. Now she stumbles around, Head still high pumped with false confidence. She speaks with someone else’s tongue, Looks through someone else’s perspective, But she still thinks with my brain. That we still share; For now. BACK TO TOP