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Back to Artwork The Memory Project Back to Sections Zainab- Sophia Mura Sophia Mura February 24, 2023 Volume 3 Issue 3

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections North Wrestling Team Wins District Championships By Andrew Lavoie Volume 3 Issue 4 May 18, 2023 From bottom left to bottom right: James Fischman, Jonathan Nilsen, Frankie Polizzi, Philip Burmann, Andrew Lavoie, Salvatore Montalbano, Sebastian Madruga, Paul Testa, Giuseppe Scarpa, Luca Dekel Top left to top right: Eddy Turcios, Anshdeep Singh, Adebayo Kayode, Thomas Krsulic, Yonny Turcios, Yusuf Hamid, Alex Balack, Justin Gangi, Francisco Castillo Not pictured: Jordynn Thomas, Dante Melisi, Daniel Pasquaretto Head Junior High Wrestling Coach: Joe Goetz Head Varsity Wrestling Coach: Chris Bottjer JV Wrestling Coach: Jordan Gonzalez Image provided by Joe Goetz North Wrestling Team Wins District Championships “When you aren’t working hard, the other person is getting better.” That is what VSN’s Junior High Coach Joseph Goetz says to his wrestlers every day at practice. Well, that hard work paid off. Two Saturdays ago, the junior high wrestling team won Coach Schiavo’s Spring King of the Ring Royal Rumble. They were competing against South and Memorial for the title of District Champions. This tournament wasn’t just any tournament for Coach Goetz. As a wrestler, he went to state championships once but did not win. He has said that he wants to wrestle “through” his wrestlers and win with them. He worked very hard throughout this season and shaped his wrestlers into champions. Several first-year wrestlers won their weight classes. Eddy Turcios and Frankie Castillo were both first-year wrestlers who won their divisions; Eric Innis, Justin Gangi, Sebastian Madruga, Jonathan Nilsen, and Yonny Turcios were also first-year wrestlers who placed in the top four in their divisions. As to why Coach Goetz believed in this team enough to run a whole tournament, he said that this is one of the hardest working groups of wrestlers he has ever coached, and he has been coaching for ten years. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections En Garde! By John McCarthy Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Original photo by Coach Mary Parisi Winter sports have been back for two weeks now, and one team in action is our district fencing team. North’s own Ms. Parisi and her squad has already competed in three matches, with two wins against Syosset and Cold Spring Harbor. The team looks very promising, according to Ms. Parisi. The smart and passionate coach had this comment about the team: “I am very excited to return as head coach of the girls’ district fencing team. From the first ‘en garde’ to the last touch, these ladies truly give their all in practices and competitions. The team has been vigilant in adhering to the new safety protocols this season, and it is truly a pleasure to work with such a responsible and talented group of young ladies. In actuality, fencing strategy can be applied to everyday life, since an important part of the sport is maintaining a safe distance and keeping your mask on! I’m overjoyed to be coaching again and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds!” Here are our own fencers from VS North: Afira Mahmood (epee, 2 wins) Marisa Mohan (epee) Diane Tomax (foil) Filomena Pereira (foil, 1 win) Irene Quintero (foil, 2 wins) Tayler Rochester (sabre, 6 wins) Congratulations to the girls for the success they’ve had so far! Although no spectators are allowed at matches, I’m sure we will hear great things about our sports teams, especially fencing. The Winter Sports season has much more to it, and we can’t wait to see what will come next. Go Spartans! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections Leaps and Bouts: Adaobi Okammelu's Fencing Feats Rehmat Kaur Volume 5 Issue 4 April 8, 2025 Image Provided by Adaobi Okammelu Adaobi Okammelu started fencing during her freshman year, inspired by her Aunt from Arkansas. After years of trying to convince her mom to let her play a sport, Okammelu decided to give it a try after finding it listed as one of her district’s winter sport offerings. During tryouts, the gym was packed, but only 22 girls were allowed on the team. Then Okammelu realized that she would be “stabbing” people and getting “stabbed.” At that moment, she described herself as “the worst fencer on the team;” however, she had spirit and drive, so she appreciated the opportunity to fence in exhibitions rather than beating herself up for not fencing in official bouts. Fencing is an individual combat that contributes to the overall team score. During a meet, there are three rounds consisting of nine bouts. A bout is a three-minute individual match where the fencer who reaches five points first wins. Each round has three bouts, one for each of the three fencing weapons: foil, sabre, and epee. Sabre is fast paced, with slashes to the opponent's upper body and head. Foil, the most technical, targets only the upper body and excludes the head. The referee is more critical of attacks and movements with foil, as it is the lightest sword. Epee has fewer restrictions, allowing you to hit anywhere on the body without right of way. Foil starts the round, while epee concludes it, leading into the next round. You win the meet by reaching 14 total bouts first. The team that wins the meet by achieving 14 total bouts first wins. Okammelu won about 2-3 bouts out of the entire season which is approximately 60 potential bouts. To prepare for meets, Okammelu finishes long assignments the night before, eats a filling dinner, packs her gym bag with fencing gear, shoes, and medical supplies, and ensures that she gets a good night's rest. After school, Okammelu prepares for fencing by stretching, practicing drills with a teammate, and coaching epee fencers. She leads a prayer before each round to reassure teammates and offer encouragement. Have you faced any challenges in fencing? How did you deal with them? Okammelu: “I’ve faced many challenges, which I can break down into three categories: mental, physical, and social.” When facing an opponent on a 14-meter-long strip, “I experienced anxiety and thoughts about losing, tripping, or stepping into the warning line.” Most of the time, Okammelu felt she was an opponent to herself. She shares “I would beat myself up over losing a bout or letting my opponent get close to scoring when I could have easily prevented it by changing my movements.” Okammelu talks about her experiences in fencing, highlighting what her coach said about the importance of giving oneself grace and not constantly criticizing oneself. Okammelu has experienced physical injuries, but the worst was when she collapsed during the finalist round of the Manhasset tournament, “at that point, I’d been fencing for almost five hours straight.” Despite the pain, she decided to continue with the tournament after receiving a hug from her coach: she placed 4th out of 40 girls! “I’ve never been prouder of myself. Fencing is about pushing yourself, just like any other sport, and I’m glad I was able to continue even when pushed past my limits,” Okammelu remarks. Okammelu elaborates on a social challenge she faces and states, “A social challenge that many of my teammates and I face as well is racism. Our district’s fencing team is one of the few, if not the only, team in the county with more than three black fencers. Over half of our team is black. Due to this, there have been microaggressions from other coaches or opponents, in subtle ways that don’t warrant a yellow or red card for discrimination.” Okammelu recalled an incident where the coach of an opposing team tried to get their teammate carded for the “inappropriate” length of her faux locs, which concerned the team. “I’ve overheard opponents openly pointing out or discussing when my teammates and I wear bonnets or scarves to protect our natural hair. I’ve even heard coaches and parents say to their children, “Don’t lose to someone like her.” Okammelu keep her head held high and expresses, “this challenge is something we all face, in different ways, throughout our fencing—simply because we’re in a sport dominated by people who don’t look like us. The best way we address it is by making sure we win our bouts. There’s nothing we can say to change their mindset, so we prove we’re here to do one thing and one thing only: fence.” Okammelu finds the team to be more like a found family. “Like many siblings, we sometimes get into silly arguments, eat each other’s food as if we bought it ourselves, or decorate each other’s hair with pink bows for our Wednesday meets, when we all wear pink. Our coach is the glue that keeps us together, even if that means rubbing his bald head like a magic ball to give us ‘good luck’ before we go on the strip to fence. When I joined fencing, I didn’t just gain armor and a weapon—I got a family.” Okammelu aims to improve her parries and flushing techniques, which are hand movements used to set up or prevent an opponent's attack. They use parry 6, which involves tightly circling the blade against the opponent's, parry 4, which beats and presses against the opponent's sword while leaning in to land the attack, and parry 8, which involves tightly circling over the opponent's blade, aiming for their thighs. Okammelu also wants to improve her blade work when performing these parries so she can reduce her reliance on performing the same parry over and over. Flushing is a quick move meant to surprise the opponent, and she has only successfully hit her opponents a few times with this technique and would love to master it.” Full Interview with Adaobi Okammelu How have your challenges impacted your motivation to play sports? Okammelu: “The challenges I face only reinforce my goals to be better. Any microaggression or injury I encounter motivates me to show others that I’m good at this sport for a reason—and I want to show them why.” What do you want to see our school team accomplish? Okammelu: “I want to see over half of our team make it to individuals [County Fencing Championships].” What role do you want to play on our district’s team? Okammelu: “While I am currently captain, if there’s a chance to return after graduation as either a referee or coach, I’d love to!” Coach Ferrante, who has been Okammelu’s coach since her freshman year, and according to her, “one of the funniest, nerdiest, and most teddy-bear-like coaches you could ever meet,” constantly pushes her to improve and reach her full potential. He has taught her to be strong and fence aggressively, constantly defends the team during their meets, and ensures they are treated fairly by both referees and opposing coaches. “He’s a great coach, and I’ll be sad to leave him after our last season together.” One major highlight for Okammelu was their meet against Garden City, where they had been ahead by 6 but tied at 13. Okammelu was originally supposed to fence in two rounds but was subbed in for the final round, knowing she would be the last fencer to fight in the final round. In the final bout, she faced a very skilled opponent. With 20 seconds left, the score was tied at 4. “My teammates were yelling from the sidelines, and my anxiety was through the roof.” As the referee began the bout again, her opponent rushed towards her, “surprisingly, I extended my arm and scored the final point. It was one of the most stressful moments of my fencing career, but also one of the best.” What do you want our readers to know about fencing? Okammelu: “Fencing is just as technical and intense as it seems. It requires time and dedication, just like any sport, so don’t be fooled by its elegance thinking it’s soft. Getting hit with a sword isn’t as bad as it seems. Most of the time, depending on the weapon, you’re getting hit in the same areas, and eventually, you get used to it. While bruises do happen, it’s rarely serious. However, epee fencers often find bruises in the weirdest places! Also, we don’t have a boys’ fencing team at the moment, but hopefully, with time, our district will open up fencing to boys as well!” What do you hope for this season, both for yourself and the team? Okammelu: “As this is my final [senior] year, I hope to perform my best one last time for our district’s team. I just want to go out strong with some of my favorite teammates. While I do worry for the team’s success each year as the seniors leave, I can proudly say we’ll be alright—and even better—after this season.” BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Opinions on the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Editorial Staff Volume 4 Issue 2 January 16, 2024 Image provided by VOA News The Israel-Hamas war has affected Muslim and Jewish communities all around the world. As a Muslim myself, it saddens me to see this conflict taking place. Many people don’t know why this war is taking place and what led up to it. You may or may not have heard about Hamas and the IDF, the Israel Defense Force. Many people are being one-sided without knowing the history behind Palestine and Israel. So why did this war break out? Let’s go back 80 years. During the 1940’s, European Jews made up about 90% of the Jewish population at the time. Around this period, the Holocaust and severe antisemitism towards European Jews was taking place. Overtime, nationalism grew in the Jewish community: Jewish people wanted to establish their own state in what they considered their ancestral homeland. This ancestral land is located in the Palestinian region and referred to as the “Holy Land,” since it is an important site for three major religions: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Christians refer to this region as their Holy Land since it was where Jesus Christ lived and died. For Muslims, this specific region was mentioned in the Quran, as Allah names it the “Holy and Blessed Land.” It was also the home for many Muslim prophets. For Jews, the region is the birthplace of Judaism. In 1917, the Balfour Declaration was issued by the British government, which favored an independent state for Jews in the Palestinian region. Later, in 1922, the League of Nations granted Britain complete power over Palestine. Eventually, Jewish migrants started to pour into the region as they were forced out of Europe. However, violence erupted between the Arabs and Jews as Palestinians tried to prevent Jewish migration into their homeland, causing the British government to eradicate their mandate. The United Nations started to pitch in and suggested that the region be split into two separate states, one being an Arab state and the other being a Jewish state. Arabs rejected the proposal completely, whereas the Jews gratefully accepted. Opposing ideas started a civil war between Arabs and Jews in the region. But, in May of 1948, Israel declared its independence, which provoked nearby Arab countries surrounding the region to invade Israel. This occurred multiple times; however, Arab forces failed, and Israel prevailed, gaining more territory than the Partition Plan intended to grant. As the war waged on, 80% of Palestinians fled their homes as Israeli forces conquered their land. These Arabs were not allowed to return home. Ever since, Palestine has been losing its power over the region as Israel gained power and land. Without permission from Palestinians, the state of Israel was established on their own land. The formation of the State of Israel in May of 1948 resulted in the displacement of 700,000-800,000 Palestinians who ended up migrating to nearby Arab countries. Further, in 1964, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, better known as PLO, was established. It signified Palestinian desire for self-determination and the creation of an independent Palestinian state. It also called for the eradication of Israel. The PLO relied on acts of terrorism against Israel to achieve its goals, later relying on diplomacy. Additionally, in 1987, Hamas was established. The militant group uses arms resistance for the formation of an Islamic Palestinian State in the place of Israel, a Jewish state. After the militant group forced Palestinian Authority out of power, Hamas has maintained control of the Gaza Strip since 2007. Palestinian leadership has been weak; more importantly, these aggressive militant groups do not represent the Palestinian people. This war has created a lot of sadness for people, including myself. As a Muslim, my heart aches for the Palestinians and the loss they have had to endure. My heart aches for all the children killed on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides; they did not deserve to have their lives taken away. I am neither condemning nor condoning the actions of Hamas or the actions of the Israeli military. I do not support Hamas acts of terrorism. Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. The actions of the Israeli Military do not represent Jews, nor am I anti-Semitic. Israel has the right to fight for the protection of its people, but killing thousands of Palestinians in a matter of two months seems barbaric. Since October 7th, Israeli attacks have killed over 20,400 Palestinians, whereas Hamas’s attack on Israelis have left at least 1,139 dead at the time of this writing. Unfortunately, Hamas built tunnels under hospitals in Gaza and in other densely populated civilian locations, deliberately using civilians as human shields in their planned attack. There have been numerous American and Israeli hostages taken by Hamas. The IDF has also captured Palestinians and made them hostages. Many individuals created a stance on this topic when they have little to no knowledge about the history of Israel and Palestine. One of the few messages I want readers to take away from this article is to always do some prior research before you take a stance on any topic. However, according to Al-Jazeera, many journalists have criticized media coverage accusing the western media of biased reporting on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. There are so many factors to consider. For example, the nations have urged Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, to curb its power over Gaza. As of this writing, Israel has announced it will start withdrawing some troops. Most of the more than 20,000 people who have been killed in Gaza have been civilians. And now, health authorities and the United Nations report that the delivery of aid is so restricted that almost more than one million remaining civilians in Gaza are at risk of starving. The United States, by providing arms and aid, is apparently siding with Israel. Again, Hamas is a terrorist organization that does not represent all Palestinians, but what is happening to people in Gaza by Israel’s retaliation for the attack on October 7th is unfair to the Gazans. Where did our humanity go? It might seem as though my Muslim identity is influencing my opinions on this topic, but it isn’t. You do not have to be a Muslim or an Arab to support Palestine; all you need is humanity. My belief system and my Muslim identity teaches us to remain faithful. Indeed, those in Gaza are displaying a tremendous amount of resilience. SOURCES: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | Global Conflict Tracker ( cfr.org ) Israeli-Palestinian conflict: How Israel became a country - Vox History of Palestine - Wikipedia Why is Western media accused of bias on Israel-Palestine? | TV Shows | Al Jazeera Timeline: Key Events in the Israel-Arab and Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | AJC National Counterterrorism Center | FTOs ( dni.gov ) Israel-Hamas war updates: Dozens killed, many buried in Israeli air strikes | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera What is a human shield and how has Hamas been accused of using them? | Israel-Gaza war | The Guardian https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/01/01/world/israel-supreme-court-gaza-news 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 Articles Feature Back to Sections Interview with Alliance Club Officers By Elaine Ching and Melody Chen Volume 2 Issue 7 June 13, 2022 Original photography by VSN North High School has a multitude of clubs, but one of the most welcoming is The Alliance. I took some time to interview the oldest and the youngest officers of the Alliance, Grace Martinez, the president who is a senior, and Sophia Reese, the vice president who is a freshman. “What is it like being an Alliance officer?” “Very fun, meeting new people, having new experiences, great officer and club experience as only a freshman, becoming higher up ranks in other clubs in future years”- Sophia “It is really fun. The Alliance is a club full of people dedicated to the Alliance’s success and that very much shows. Additionally, I’ve been a part of the Alliance for many years and being able to lead it at this capacity, is incredibly enjoyable.” - Grace “What is the Alliance?” “Alliance was originally the GSA, the Gay-Straight Alliance, but we changed it to the Alliance, so we’re more inclusive to other parts of the community, including the Trans community”- Sophia “The Alliance is North’s LGBT affinity group; we work to help support LGBTQ+ students at North alongside the straight members in North’s community”- Grace “What is your experience with the Alliance and how has it helped your experience with your sexuality?” “I’ve met more people that I’ve become closer with, and they’ve been encouraging to me, and through that supportiveness they’ve helped me be more comfortable, and now I can truly express who I am.”- Sophia “I knew I wasn’t straight from a really young age, but finding a sense of community was difficult as I didn’t know any non-straight people. When I started here, The Alliance was very small, but I felt like even in that small number of people there was some sense of community and because of that I was able to be more open with myself and open to the people around me because I knew that I wasn’t going to be the only one. I was never going to feel alone in who I was.” - Grace “What would you say to incoming seventh graders who are thinking about joining the Alliance?” “Please join, it’s great for club credit. We don’t meet as much as other clubs, so it’s more of a flexible club and we have many opportunities to help decorate and to help spread awareness.”- Sophia “Never be afraid to try. The Alliance is a place where you may find comfort or you may not, but never be afraid to show up on that first day. You’re always welcome to show up and leave, and you’re always welcome to come and try it out. Just keep trying. The Alliance has a space to accept you no matter who you are, but only when you’re ready to be accepted.”- Grace “What would you say to your former pre-alliance self?” “Put yourself out there more, meet new people, join more clubs, and make connections with people that aren’t just from your grade.”- Sophia “It’s okay. Things get better. You’ll find a place where there are people like you, and you’ll stop feeling like the worst person ever for having feelings like you do. Learn to laugh a little bit, it’s okay to have fun.”- Grace “Do you have any messages for graduating alliance members?” “I am going to miss the seniors, so much. Thank you for giving me rides after school, so I don’t have to walk home! Grace’s legacy of The Alliance will live on because Grace made it what it is today.”- Sophia “Outside of myself, thank you for always being here. It’s difficult to be the only person your age in the room, and I really appreciate you guys showing up, I wish you all the best.”- Grace “Future plans for the Alliance?” “I’m going to run for president next year, after Grace graduates. I have the most seniority of the most officers, not including Grace. Because I got a position in eighth grade, I have a lot of experience.”-Sophia “I’ve done a lot of work to make The Alliance as a club functional, and I hope the Alliance moves past being functional and becomes something well beyond. The Alliance is a celebration of North’s community and North’s unity. I hope after I’m gone, The Alliance continues to be a celebration of all of us together, we will be more than we were. My only real hope is that we continue because that’s what matters. That people are here, and visible and present, so that the day comes when someone new walks into the room, that they have a room to walk into. I hope The Alliance grows bigger than me and that by the time I go back that I am so far gone in Alliance history, my work is borderline irrelevant for someone has done something so cool.”- Grace Congratulations to Grace on graduation, and good luck to Sophia on their future work in the Alliance! 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 News Back to Sections Pakistan’s Devastating Floods By Sahar Ali Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Al Jazeera Pakistan. A country located in South Asia with India to the east, Afghanistan and Iran to the west, and China to the north. The Arabian Sea is to Pakistan’s south. In June of 2022, Pakistan’s monsoon season began; however, it caused unprecedented flooding. The country received 190% more rain this summer. The Pakistani government declared a national emergency after more than 33 million people were affected. At least 1.7 million homes were destroyed, and thousands of people were killed as an effect of the floods. Causes of the Floods Prolonged rainfall: This is where rainfall occurs for a long period of time, causing land around a river to become saturated. This type of rainfall hit Pakistan in a series of monsoonal depressions, which are storms with low pressure. During the summer of 2022, the country experienced 8 monsoonal depressions. Heatwaves: During March and April, Pakistan was hit with heat waves. Climate change made these heatwaves 30% more likely to occur. As an effect of the heatwaves, some of Pakistan’s 7,000 glaciers began to melt rapidly into the Indus River. La Niña: This is an event that causes warmer-than-average temperatures in the ocean. La Niña added more moisture and fueled the monsoon depressions. Dam issues: Pakistan needs to work on its engineering priorities. If the country does this, then irrigation and flood control would improve. Dam issues made the rainwater uncontrollable. Overall, the main cause of these floods is climate change. Pakistan is only responsible for 1% of the total amount of human-produced emissions; however, it is the 18th most vulnerable country to climate change impacts. Effects of the Floods Damages: Pakistan’s floods have caused more than $30 billion in damage. As a result of the floods, 1.7 million houses were destroyed as well as 18,000 schools. Furthermore, 1,460 health facilities were affected. The floods also caused the death of 800,000 livestock and damaged 2.0 million hectares of crops and orchards. The destruction of food crops resulted in $2.3 billion in damages. Many bridges and many kilometers of roads were also destroyed. Effects on Pakistanis: As the amount of rainfall slowly decreased, millions of people were left stranded in the water without food or shelter, making them susceptible to diseases. In the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan, there have been outbreaks of cholera, malaria, and some skin infections. 6.4 million Pakistanis needed humanitarian aid by early September. What we can do to help Pakistan Due to the floods, people in Pakistan are in dire need of shelter, food, and clean drinking water. You can donate to Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan , which is a nonprofit organization that will provide the people of Pakistan with medical camps, tarpaulins, tents, and food. For overseas donations, you can donate to Aghosh USA and Aghosh UK which are partners of the Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections The Destructive Aftermath of Hurricane Melissa Akilan Subramaniyan Volume 6 Issue 2 December 22, 2025 Image Provided by Akilan Subramaniyan Breaking News! The path of Hurricane Melissa reveals the ruins of Jamaica, affecting 1.9 million people and claiming eight million dollars…! (“Jamaica: Hurricane Melissa | IFRC” ;) The reporter continues to yell from the screen, but…you cannot digest what was just stated. No way could such an event happen so quickly. However, the fact is that it is true. There is nothing to do about the past. However, we can educate ourselves and prepare for the future. We must learn the ways we can help the affected, understand the magnitude of this devastating natural disaster, and acknowledge what hurricanes are. Before we discuss the specifics of Hurricane Melissa, we must be knowledgeable about what a normal hurricane is. Hurricane is how they are referred to in the Eastern North Pacific, North Atlantic regions, and the Caribbean; however, they are commonly known as tropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones are storms associated with large rain, low atmospheric pressure, and intense winds. This type of fierce circular storm derives above warm waters, supporting its strength by gaining energy from the ocean. These aggressive storms can even get wild when winds pass 119 km (74 miles) per hour. These brutal storms will now be classified as hurricanes. In the meantime, in rare cases, winds could exceed 320 km (two hundred miles) (Zehnder). For reference, Hurricane Melissa had winds of 298 km (185 miles) when it reached Jamaica (Rafferty)! A mix of torrential rain and powerful winds causes a dangerous crossover known as storm surge, raising the sea level to six meters (20 feet). Hurricanes or cyclones target coastal and tropical or sub-tropical regions. In between the summer months, these dangerous natural disasters hit places like the northwestern region of Australia, the Gulf Coast of North America, to Bangladesh and the eastern parts of India (Zehnder). The last piece of information that is important for completely understanding hurricanes is the anatomy of one. A hurricane's eye experiences warm temperatures, clear skies, and low atmospheric pressure. It typically faces calm conditions amidst horrific conditions around it! The eye ordinarily endures 960 millibars compared to Earth’s 1,000 but could go lower (Zehnder). For example, Hurricane Melissa had a lowest of 892 millibars (Rafferty). The eyewall, which is next to the eye, is the most devastating component of a hurricane. It encounters tremendous rainfall, extreme winds, and dense convective clouds elevated to 15,000 meters (49,000 feet). Finally, rainbands from which the spiral originate from the center. When a tropical cyclone makes landfall, it surges convergence and surface tension, causing torrential rain (Zehnder). It is now time to advance to the specifics of Hurricane Melisaa. Melissa began near western Africa during the middle of October 2025 as an atmospheric disturbance. In the late morning of the 21 st of October, traveling to the Caribbean Sea, the weather system merged from an expanse of scattered storms into a tropical storm, turning into a more structured storm in the process. The National Hurricane Center by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the World Meteorological Organization gave a name for this young tropical storm. Melissa halted and floated near the central Caribbean, gaining energy through the warm water underneath it. Throughout the 21 st and 28 th of October, the tropical storm was moving at a slow 3 (about 5 km) miles per hour, heading in the west-northwest direction. Tropical Storm Melissa, on the afternoon of the 25 th of October, finally matured into a Category 1 hurricane (not immensely powerful or dangerous). Unfortunately, Melissa quickly increased power over three days before touching the land. The young storm had the highest sustained winds of 160 miles (about 258 km) per hour, intensifying into a devastating Category 5 hurricane (extremely dangerous and powerful). Nonetheless, the beast still becomes more powerful for another full day, reaching sustained winds at 185 miles (about 298 km) per hour (Rafferty). The dreaded time had come. Melissa hit Jamaica with full fury at 1:PM (EDT) on the 28 th of October. It first stepped into town in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica. The hurricane moved away from the northern coast of Jamaica and instead progressed across western Jamaica by 5 PM (EDT), leaving behind ruins. Melissa briefly lost its warm water source, decreasing its sustained wind speed to 145 miles (223 km) per hour. With the decrease in winds, at 3:10 AM (EDT), the hurricane slammed into its next victim, Cuba. The hurricane entered near Chivirico, located in the Santiago de Cuba province. Melissa marched through the island, exiting from the other side near Guardalavaca. The beast slipped into the Atlantic Ocean, decreasing drastically into a Category 2 hurricane (quite powerful but not extremely dangerous); its sustained winds topping out at one hundred miles (about 161 km) per hour. Melissa’s final suffer is the Bahamas, hitting the island with a lower ninety miles (144 km) per hour sustained winds and as a category one hurricane. After traveling away from the now destroyed islands, the hurricane passed between 130 miles (209.2 km) of Bermuda during the overnight October 30 th (Rafferty). The catastrophic destruction is over, and the beast has left behind a demolished Jamaica, ruined Cuba, and a wrecked Bahamas. The worst is yet to happen-the aftermath. Seventy percent of Jamaica's and most of eastern Cuba’s electricity was wiped out by the morning of the 29 th of October. Additionally, news sources have not given precise or necessarily reliable information on the damage inflicted by Melissa on Jamaica. Although it is clear the victim islands have all encountered massive devastation. Several examples of the destruction that took place in Jamaica included the wreckage that littered everywhere in developed areas, roofless buildings, and the roots of palm trees exposed. Moreover, mudslides occurred, and farmlands became submerged in water, both caused by a torrential downpour. The unfortunate seaside town named Black River, existing in Jamaica’s St. Elizabeth Parish region, was the most affected and the area that directly took Melissa’s rage. A storm surge of sixteen feet (4.9 meters) in height caused the town to be plunged into water, while rain and wind took care of the rest, making 90 percent of the houses roofless. The absence of electricity and streets engulfed in muddy water were the last things the residents needed (Rafferty). On the other hand, we never talked about Cuba’s extensive damage. Cuba faced similar challenges and devastation as Jamaica, with flash flooding and storm surges alike taking place on the southern coast of the island. The southern coast also experiences heavy annelation of buildings and the now usual landslides. Fortunately, evacuation efforts were underway before Melissa reached the coast. Officials evacuated an estimated 735,000 people. On the flipside, many folks living in remote neighborhoods were detached from the rest of the island because of Melissa. An unlucky 100,000 Cubans were left isolated by overflowing rivers. Leaving Cuba, the Bahamas were pushed into an exhausted but still violent storm. According to Britannica, “Although many people in Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas are feared dead or injured, casualty reports thus far have been largely scattered” (Rafferty). In simpler terms, we cannot conclude with numbers, but many may be harmed. The mayor of Petit-Goâve has reported twenty-five people deceased in a town on Haiti’s westward-facing southern peninsula. The deaths were caused because of Hurricane Melissa’s intense rains from the hurricane’s outer-lying bands overflowing the La Digue river (Rafferty). Hurricane Melissa, a system that originated near Africa, turned into a mighty Category 5 hurricane, flipping Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas upside down. At the time of writing the article, it was said that there were sixty-seven confirmed deaths and nearly four billion dollars in damages, according to NBC News (Li and Cusumano). Chances are; these could grow. There are still hundreds of thousands of people who are trapped in debris, starving, and without the basic needs of a human (Smith and Lavietes). However, it is in your hands whether you are going to read this article and move on or help the affected. One way you can help is by donating to reputable organizations that will use the donated money to directly help the victims caught by Melissa. A few examples of these organizations are the Red Cross, The Salvation Army, IFRC, and United Way (Pasquini and Adams; Yancey-Bragg and Neeley; “Jamaica: Hurricane Melissa | IFRC”). Furthermore, another way you can aid in these efforts is by going in person and donating food and supplies to local schools, centers, and more. Any Valley Stream North High School student can directly contribute to the relief in Jamaica by giving supplies to their school. Websites: Jamaica : Hurricane Melissa | IFRC Hurricane | Britannica Hurricane Melissa | Path, Jamaica, & Facts | Britannica https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clylqpyg8pjo Hurricane Melissa death toll rises to sixty-seven as insured losses in Jamaica could top $4 billion Hurricane Melissa has wreaked havoc in the Caribbean. Here is how you can help. | United Way Worldwide How to Help Hurricane Melissa Victims Recover from Historic Storm Hurricane Melissa leaves recovery challenge for Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba after more than thirty killed BACK TO TOP