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Back to Artwork Black American Artists Back to Sections Slum Gardens No. 3 By Joseph Norman February 12, 2021 Volume 1 Issue 5 Medium: Charcoal on Wove Paper, Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Back to Artwork Contemplation Back to Sections Noorish Atif - Contemplation By Noorish Atif June 8, 2021 Graphite Volume 1 Issue 8

Back to Artwork Heckscher Back to Sections Heckscher - Anonymous - 2 Entry 8 April 14, 2022 Watercolor Volume 2 Issue 6

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Knicks’ Current Season: The Knicks’ Defense Yusuf Hamid Volume 5 Issue 3 January 14, 2025 Image Provided by Max Ching The New York Knicks are the fourth seed in the East. Overall, the Knicks have been doing decent so far. As of the time of this writing, they are fifth in the league for points scored per game and ninth in the league in assists per game, which is terrific. On the other hand, the Knicks are twenty-fifth in the league in rebounds per game and seventeenth in the league in points scored against them, which is not terrific (via NBA). The dilemma with the Knicks is not with their offense, but rather with their defense. The Knicks have the third-best rating in offense in the league, scoring an average of 122 points per game. Nevertheless, they have the seventh-worst rating in defense in the league, receiving an average of 116.9 points per game scored against them. There are many factors that could contribute to such poor defense. One factor could be how their exceptional rim protector, Mitchell Robbinson, is out due to injury. Last season, Mitchell Robbinson averaged 8.5 rebounds per game, 1.2 steals per game, and 1.1 blocks per game. The solution to this problem is simple: wait until he fully recovers. To lose a remarkable interior defender would obviously hinder a team's defensive success, but not to the point that they are the seventh-worst rated team in the league in defense, which leads to a second factor contributing to the Knicks’ poor defense. Although the Knicks have OG Anunoby, a defensive mastermind on their starting lineup, a chain is as strong as its weakest link, and the Knicks have two huge weak links. These weak links are Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns. Sam Quinn, a CBS sportswriter, believes that “Town’s and Brunson are average at best on defense.” To have one poor defender in your starting lineup is acceptable, but to have two is definitely not, especially when it is your center. It is common knowledge that the easiest place to score a basketball is closest to the hoop. To have a player on defense who is poor at their primary objective, to make sure getting close to the hoop is impossible for the opponent, is unacceptable. I believe a solution to this problem is to move Karl Anthony Towns from the center position to the power forward position (a position that focuses less on interior defense) and bring up a backup center with better interior defense into the starting lineup like Ariel Hukporti or Jericho Sims. All in all, the main focus for the Knicks is to fix their defense. They already have one part of the game mastered (their offense) and to fulfill their defensive standards will make the Knicks a juggernaut of a team they are expected to be. Football coach, Bear Bryant once said, “Offense wins games…defensive wins championships,” and I truly believe that. Sources: New York Knicks Team Info and News | NBA.com https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj4r4yC1IWKAxVwkIkEHW2lAzQQFnoECBoQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.statmuse.com%2Fnba%2Fask%2Fknicks-average-turnovers-this-season%23%3A~%3Atext%3DThe%2520New%2520York%2520Knicks%2520have%2Ctimes%2520per%2520game%2520this%2520season.%26text%3DStatMuse%2520has%2520team%252C%2520season%252Dlevel%2Cto%2520the%25201973%252D74%2520season.&usg=AOvVaw2EBH_q1RDM3jXje5zsQmns&opi=89978449 Mitchell Robinson - New York Knicks Center - ESPN ch NBA teams will be best (and worst) on defense this season? Projecting where all 30 squads will finish - CBSSports.com BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Cody's Words of Advice Cody Sung Volume 5 Issue 1 September 20, 2024 Image Provided by Elaine Ching It has been an amazing five years at Valley Stream North High School. Before I leave, I want to give a few words of advice. Don’t procrastinate. I procrastinate with everything (even with this article!) and while I have made it out, it was very stressful sometimes. Something that I found helpful is taking breaks every 30 minutes. Use around 5 minutes to drink, exercise, or do anything else that you find helpful, and then focus for the next 30 minutes. Keep going until you are done with the task. Manage your time well. I always struggled with this since I always underestimated the time I needed to do a certain task. Always allot significantly more time to a task than you think it takes. Additionally, start early with big projects. I always waited until the last day or last few days, and I always stayed up multiple hours late finishing the project. My mom was not happy. Starting early allows you to spread out the project over many days and not have to crunch everything into a few days. There’s always the issue of you having so much work to do in a day that it doesn’t allow you to work on the project, and a more spread-out approach helps mitigate this – just work more on the project a different day when you have less work! Find a balance in life. I don’t have specific advice about this as it depends on the person, but don’t try to overload yourself with classes and activities – it’s a great way to harm your mental health. Yes, sometimes you must do that (*cough* beloved Asian parents cough ), but if you do, pick classes and activities you genuinely find enjoyable. No, “activities” doesn’t mean that you should relax for multiple hours and cram work in at the end of the day (see the first paragraph on procrastination). And as a final piece of advice: stay informed about science and the news in general. It never hurts knowing more about what’s going on in the world. Thank you for reading my articles in the North Star , and good luck. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Prism Back to Sections Purple 8 Ball By Elizabeth Andre November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Valentines’ Sweets By Christina Ossa Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Original photo by Christina Ossa With Valentine's Day creeping closer and closer, why not take initiative and bake something sweet for you and your special someone? If you have a valentine, whether it be a significant other or a friend, and you’re wondering what you could give them or do for them to show some love, it could be a good idea to put in some effort to bake them something. Valentine's Day is the day of the lovers or even just special connections with others, so I’ve compiled two recipes for that special someone that you can bake. While it may not be the easiest task, baking can be an amazing way to show someone that you care. Even if you don’t have a valentine, why not treat yourself and bake these sweets for yourself! “Sweetheart” Vanilla Cookies: Similar to its sister cookie, sugar cookies, this cookie is a buttery-delight that would easily please that special someone. These vanilla cookies are a treat for anyone who eats them, as they’re crisp and crunchy on the outside but have a buttery and soft texture when you bite into them. Also for an extra “touch” if you want to add some decoration to your cookies, I added a drizzle of melted white chocolate dyed red. If you want to wow your valentine or even just treat yourself, these cookies will leave you more than satisfied even if it seems like quite a bit of work at first. But, once you have your finished product of a beautiful vanilla cookie, you won’t be unsatisfied with the amount of work you put into them, and neither will your valentine! Ingredients: 3 ⅓ sticks butter 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar 1-2 large eggs 3 ¼ cups flour 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract A pinch of salt 3 oz white chocolate melts 3-4 drops of red food coloring Directions: Either wait until your eggs and butter are room temperature and the butter is softened, or put each stick of butter in the microwave for 10-15 seconds Add your butter to a large bowl and slowly add your powdered sugar and mix with a hand mixer, whisk, or kitchen aid if you have one Add in the eggs one by one, mixing each time you add an egg Just as you mixed in the powdered sugar, pour in the flour little by little and mix it together until fully incorporated (batter should be sticky but not so much that it fully sticks to hands) Add in the salt and vanilla extract then transfer to either a piping bag to pipe the cookies or take about a golf ball size of batter and roll it in your hands into a ball Place or pipe the cookies onto a baking sheet and bake at 340°F for 10-15 minutes *OPTIONAL* Once the cookies are done and cooled down, melt 3 oz of melting white chocolate in a medium-sized bowl and dye it red with red food coloring once melted *OPTIONAL* drizzle the chocolate onto the cookies with a spoon and enjoy! “Cupid’s” Red Velvet Cake Pops Cake-pops are similar to cake since it’s the same as baking a cake only without the more complex icing aspect of it. These valentine red velvet cake-pops are especially delicious, as they’re covered by a hardened-layer of delicious white chocolate or candy and clumped together with decadent buttercream. If you’re deciding whether you want to bake a special treat for your valentine or just to treat yourself, then baking these cake-pops could be an amazing idea. The cake is airy and soft to bite, and the hint of chocolate from the red velvet flavor may be subtle, but is always an amazing touch. If the cake is a bit too much work for you, just substitute it for a boxed cake mix and follow the instructions on the back. If you’re looking for another recipe to bake for that special someone, feel free to wow them with some delicious Valentine themed cake-pops! Ingredients: Cake: 1 ½ sticks butter 5 tbsp sugar 4 egg yolks 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract ⅛ cup milk 3-4 drops red food coloring ¾ cake flour 4 tsp cocoa powder 2 tsp baking powder 4 egg whites ¼ cup sugar OR Substitute with boxed cake mix Buttercream Frosting: 3 sticks unsalted butter (softened) 3 cups powdered sugar 1 tbsp vanilla extract 2-3 tbsp milk Chocolate Coating: 12 oz white chocolate/candy melts 1 ½ tsp coconut oil (or substitute any other flavorless oil) Toppings of choice (sprinkles, candies, etc.) Cake-pop sticks *OPTIONAL* styrofoam Directions: Follow instructions on the back of the boxed cake mix OR Make sure the butter and eggs are room temperature and the butter is softened Separate the egg yolks from the whites Add the butter to a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer, whisk, or kitchen aid until it turns a light yellow and seems airy Once the butter is whipped, add the sugar and mix until combined Add the egg yolks one by one, mixing with every yolk you add-in and add in the vanilla extract Pour in the milk and red food coloring then mix Use a sift to sift in the CAKE flour (a type of flour made to make an airy cake), cocoa powder, and baking powder then use a spatula to fold it in or mix it in then set aside once combined In a separate, medium-sized bowl, pour in your egg whites and use a hand mixer, whisk, or KitchenAid and whisk until the egg whites become frothy/bubbly on the top Once the egg whites look frothy, add your sugar in ⅓’s and 30-second intervals into the egg white mixture (meaning once the whites are frothy add in about ⅓ of the ¼ cup sugar every thirty seconds and mix in between the thirty seconds) until the egg whites form a meringue (or when you take out the mixer they’ll form hardened peaks at the tips of the whisk or mixer attachment, if still confused look up “how to make meringue” on YouTube or Google) Once the merengue is complete, add it in thirds with a rubber spatula into the cake mixture until combined Prepare 2 cake tins with butter or PAM spray and bake the cake at 335°F for 30 minutes Combine the ingredients for the buttercream in a medium-sized bowl while the cake is baking, mix the butter and the sugar together for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy then add the rest into the mixture Melt the white chocolate/candy melts with coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds each time you place it into the microwave until smooth and fully-melted then add either red, pink, or white food coloring Once the cake is out of the oven and cooled, take it out of the tin and into a large-sized bowl and mash it until it’s crumbled, and set it aside Add the frosting into the bowl with the cake until combined Form about a golf-ball sized ball of cake for each cake pop and place a cake pop stick into each ball Dip the cake-pop balls with the sticks on them until it’s fully covered then add decorations of your choosing Either place the cake pops on a baking sheet to dry by smushing the top part onto the baking sheet so that it’s flat or stick the cake pop stick into the styrofoam Place the cake pops in the freezer/fridge for 20-40 minutes until dried, and once dried, enjoy! 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Back to Articles News Back to Sections The Role of an Outgoing President By Cody Sung Volume 1 Issue 2 November 24, 2020 Image provided by Jeremy Enecio Election Day is for most politicians, especially for the executive branch. On November 3rd, people cast their ballots. On November 7th, 2020, 4 days after Election Day, major news networks announced that Former Vice President Joe Biden was going to be the next President of the United States. The time period from the election to the next inauguration is called the transition period, if there is a new president. So, what is this transition all about, and what’s the role of the outgoing president in it? First, we need to explain what happens during the transition. The General Services Administration (GSA) is the government organization behind the transition. It does everything from providing office space for the candidates to providing vital information to the Congressional Inaugural Committees (and other related organizations). It’s the central organization that authorizes the beginning of the presidential transition. If it doesn’t, then the government does not go into transition mode. During this time, the President-Elect's transition team has a meeting with the important staff of the outgoing administration and the president-elect is given access to the resources the president has, including security to keep him/her safe. The security includes restricted airspace above the president-elect's house. The “lame-duck” president (outgoing president) has a role too, though. The outgoing President can let the President-Elect read the President’s Daily Briefing so the new president can be prepared on January 20th to tackle the latest threats to the nation. In fact, President Truman let both candidates in 1952 read the President’s Daily Briefing due to him being upset that he didn’t learn about the US making an atomic bomb until over a week into his presidency. The outgoing president also invites the president-elect to the White House to have a conversation, which is what President Obama did for President Trump. Most importantly, the outgoing president must allow resources to be directed to the president-elect, including the President’s Daily Brief. In short, the outgoing President must provide the President-Elect with the intelligence and resources necessary to have a smooth change of power on January 20th, so the new president can govern on minute one. And yet there is one more thing traditionally done by the leaving president: writing a little note for the new Commander-in-Chief. President Obama wrote a friendly note to President Trump and placed it in the top drawer of the Resolute Desk, and President George W. Bush wrote a note to President Obama as well. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Election Turnout: Divided Democrats Can’t Understand a Winning Strategy By Craig Papajohn-Shaw Volume 2 Issue 2 November 19, 2021 Image provided by The Democratic Poltical Initiative Democrats witnessed their worst nightmare as they viewed the results for the 2021 election. Nationally, Virginia's once trending Democratic stronghold obtained a Republican Governor, Glenn Youngskin, Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsone Sears, and Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares, who defeated their respective Democrat opponent. In New Jersey, a state President Joe Biden (D) won by 16 percentage points, narrowly re-elected Democratic Governor Phil Murphy by three percentage points. Locally in Nassau County, Anne Donnoley (R) defeated New York State Senator Todd Kaminsky (D); one of the most significant upsets of the night was Bruce Blakeman (R) defeating incumbent Laura Curran (D) for County Executive. Curran, the favorite to win and the first female executive in the county, did not concede the election as 19,000 absentee ballots were still to be counted. She conceded on Tuesday, November 16th. The Republican “red wave” locally and across the nation during this off-year election exposes the unclear agenda of the Democratic party and how it affects voter turnout. Since the Democrats have taken complete control of the executive and legislative branches, the party’s factions have been highlighted in their disagreements. From the progressive side of Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes (D-NY) and Cori Bush (D-LA) to the moderate Democrat Senators of Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), policies including the Build Back Better and Infrastructure plans have been difficult to pass with a slim majority in each house of Congress. Exit polling showed President Biden’s controversial decisions regarding Afghanistan, his failure to fulfill campaign promises, unclear agenda, and a low approval rating heavily contributed to the outcome of the 2021 elections. While Decision 2021 was an off-year election, the results show the plausible implications of Decision 2022, the midterm elections, and how Democrats could lose control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Not only that, focusing on the low voter turnout locally, let’s analyze turnout in 2017, 2020, and 2021. Just as in 2021, 2017 was an off-year election, meaning neither the Presidential nor midterm elections occurred. The former Nassau County Legislature from the 5th district, Laura Curran, ran against Republican opponent Jack Martins. Curran defeated Martin by three percentage points with 147,102 votes, compared to the 139,204 votes Martins received. Nassau residents in this race cast 288,281 votes. In a similar off-year election in 2021, Curran was up for re-election and received 123,317, while her Republican counterpart received 135,128 votes (excluding the approximate 19,000 absentee ballots). Including the approximate 19,000 absentee ballots, about 277,845 Nassau residents would have cast their vote in the recent election, over 10,000 fewer votes cast than the previous county executive election. States including Texas, Florida, and Georgia have implemented new voter restriction laws, unlike in New York, where legislators attempt to pass laws that ease voter registration. Logically, it doesn’t make sense that voter turnout was lower on Long Island in 2021 than in 2017 especially considering the divisive political nature and strong opinions about the country's future. Aside from that, 723,220 Nassau residents voted in the 2020 Presidential Election, displaying their neglecting to participate in local elections. As much as the liberal and conservative media like to focus on party politics, they fail to hold voters accountable who are registered to go to the polls but choose not to, especially in states where it’s easy to vote. If Democrats look to maintain or even add onto their majority in both houses of Congress, they need to focus on voter turnout, as they did in 2020. Use instances from activists such as Stacey Abrams (D-GA) when she assisted in registering hundreds of thousands of voters in the state of Georgia, which debatably delivered Joe Biden the win in that state. The strategy of registering new voters and making sure they voted as well as swaying moderate voters proved successful in 2020. However, the confusion in the party narrative contributed to the decreased voter turnout. This divisive environment of the Democratic Party and a diminished sense of urgency compared to the presidential election, where moderate voters voted for Biden, resulted in those who voted blue in 2020 voting Republican as they had in years past or not turning out to vote at all. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris, Fiction Back to Sections Two Flowers By Victoria Niksa Volume 3 Issue 4 May 18, 2023 Image Provided by Elaine Ching “His eyes like a vorTeX- AHHHHHHHHHH” “CIRICE. IT HAS BEEN THE SAME ALBUM FOR THE PAST 2 HOURS!” Layla shouted as she dragged Cirice off her bed by her legs onto the cold, hard floor. Layla was Cirice’s childhood friend. They met in first grade and despite argument after argument, they were older now and more mature. “OH? YOU’RE MAD ABOUT THAT? HOW ABOUT WHEN YOU REWATCHED THAT SAME VIDEO FOR 10 MINUTES WITH THE SAME 6-SECOND AUDIO?” “OH, COME ON! I WAS SENDING IT TO FAY, YOU KNOW THAT!” Despite being older and more mature, they still argue over the dumbest things imaginable. People say that if you have different zodiac signs or almost nothing in common, you’ll clash with the other person and you guys can’t have fun. But Cirice and Layla were a perfect example of that being untrue. After a few minutes of bickering over absolutely nothing, the room held a long silence; until the two busted out laughing. “We are absolutely nuts. Fighting over nothing?” “It’s giving…” “Us in elementary school!” The two said in unison while wheezing with laughter. “Ok but I’m serious, I hear this album one more time I will burn all your CDs. Headphones exist too, you know!” “I’d use them if they didn’t give me a migraine every time I wore those dumb things.” “Ok, well please can you figure something out because I don’t wanna listen to songs about spirits in the form of heavy metal music again, please and thank you.” “Meh, yeah you’re welcome.” “Well, I did like that one at what I’m assuming is the beginning, the one in Spanish!” “Infestissumam? Layla… I hate to break it to you but that is in Latin!” “Oh…” “Yeah, you have quite a bit to learn. Also, once you find out the English translation you are probably going to hate it.” Whenever these two were together, chaos can unfold; and fast. The two girls are and have always been drama queens and sass lovers which to someone else who doesn’t know them would seem like a bad thing, but to these two and them only, it was something they could laugh about later. They can talk and talk for hours about the same subject whether or not it was interesting. Even if it was interesting for Layla and not for Cirice or vice versa, the other would be heavily invested regardless of the topic. The Next Day “Soo Ciri… How’s you and you know whoooo?” “Really? We can talk about any topic and you’re choosing him?” “Oh! I forgot… We have three to talk about now! Your pick, which boy do we talk about today?” “I regret telling you anything about this.” “Hmm…What were their names again? Ah, yes… Jacob, Ryder, and Liam!” “No way you remembered all that…” “Aww, and you think I don’t listen to you! Silly Ciri!” “Ugh, can we talk about Ghost instead?” “Yes! Once you tell me about your crushes~~” Layla doesn’t stop until she gets what she wants. She knows what she wants to know and when she wants to hear it. She’s just a little too impatient. “Ok, here, let’s make a deal. You can put on whatever songs you want. Ghost, Metallica, Nirvana, whatever. But you have to tell me about your crushes. Ok?” “Negotiation really is your middle name… ugh, fine I guess.” An Hour Later “Ok maybe I just set you up with someone, these boys suck! Ew, they’re so unromantic I can’t. It’s disgusting…” “I think you’re forgetting we’re in 8th grade…” “Tch, being in 8th grade doesn’t mean anything, if these boys aren’t at your feet, then leave!” Cirice was hoping one of her other friends would text her and get her out of this situation. She can’t even bear to listen to another word about how she deserves princess treatment from boys. She doesn’t like to think she deserves anything from anyone, especially not boys her age. She knows all she is to everyone else is, “The weird girl” or “The crazy one.” “Hello?! Are you even listening to me? I’m giving you valuable advice right now!” “Yes… sorry my mind is just all over the place…” “Sigh, well I guess I can just tell you everything later…” “Actually, there’s no need for that…” “Are you thinking what I’m thinking…?” “SLUMBER PARTY!!” The two shouted in unison. “Oh my gosh we should totally invite Alexis and Kassie!” “We should! It’s been so long since we’ve all hung out together!” “You text Alexis, I’ll text Kassie.” BACK TO TOP