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Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections OPERATION GREEN LIGHT JUST AHEAD! Chris Cavaliere Volume 5 Issue 2 November 25, 2024 Image Provided by Turner Publishing, Inc. Valley Stram North Spartans proudly wear green, their school color. Green is the color of hope. We wear it to show school spirit for our sport teams, clubs and for the pride we have for our school community. How about we shine green for our veterans this month? Did you know that November is National Veterans and Military Families Month? Veterans Day is November 11th. Respecting veterans and their families on a day or a month needs more recognition. Greenlight a Vet is a campaign of recognition, support and appreciation for our veterans and their families. It’s simple: change one lightbulb at your home to green. Just think of driving through our community at night during the month and seeing homes with green lightbulbs shining bright. We could start a great conversation and message of gratitude. Lightbulbs symbolize ideas. We can plan assemblies and share ideas on how to continue honoring veterans though our Student Council, National Honor Society, students and teachers. We can expand appreciation by participation at Wreaths Across America. It happens in December and May for remembrance during the holidays and for Memorial Day. I have placed wreaths at veterans’ gravesites at this event and it gave me a feeling of pride. I was also lucky enough to participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington Cemetery. Veterans should never be forgotten. Do you know the significance of folding the American flag and how it should never touch the ground? Do you know how to retire a flag? I am a Boy Scout, and I’ve learned many protocols that symbolize respecting veterans. Let’s learn and honor our veterans together. Participation in Operation Green Light will continue the Spartan spirit in a way that has never been done before. Think of this, one night a veteran or a family member of a veteran drives through the Valley Stream community and sees streets of homes with green lights shining! I have had one in the front of my house for many years. This will be an incredible “Thank You” for them all to receive, so let’s start the conversation and let’s make it happen. Sources: https://www.nysac.org/issues/veterans-affairs/operation-green-light/ https://www.militaryonesource.mil/media/toolkits/service-provider/national-veterans-military-families-month/ https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/ https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/flagdisplay.pdf BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Don’t Drink and Drive: The Simulator Cody Sung Volume 4 Issue 4 May 29, 2024 Image Provided by Elaine Ching Ever wanted to know what it’s like to drive drunk without the risk? Ever wonder why it’s important to not drive after drinking? The juniors and seniors at North got the answers to these questions at the Save a Life Tour event in the gymnasium on Thursday, March 28, 2024. The Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club helped organize this event along with the company behind the Save a Life Tour, Educational Support Systems Inc. The Save a Life Tour comes to North every year thanks to this partnership, with this year’s event being the latest installment, with both seniors and juniors being able to sign up for it. Once they entered the gym, the students had a chance to wear a headset that simulated vision while drunk and attempt to put shapes into a container while wearing the headset. They then were able to sit down at two simulators – one for drinking and driving and one for distracted driving. Both simulators had a large screen, a chair, a brake, and a gas pedal in front of it, and a repurposed Xbox controller as a steering wheel. The screen showed a car interior that reacted to input from the steering wheel and the pedals and a city with various vehicles and pedestrians. The drunk driving simulator had a VR headset that showed the view inside the car and delayed reactions to simulate the participant being drunk, while the distracted driving simulator involved the participant using a phone to simulate texting while driving. I got to help with the event and tried both simulators myself. I do not know how to drive, so it made both simulators even more difficult. I began with the drunk driving simulator – I pushed the gas pedal to start, began to drive...then fell off a cliff into the water. I tried it again and got stuck on a curb before crashing – again. I had a bit more luck with the distracted driving simulator and managed to avoid cars and drive quite a bit before crashing into a small pole. I tried again and got stuck on a curb, got off the curb, got onto the highway, and crashed into a car after driving 60 miles an hour, mostly on the median to avoid other cars. In the end, we all had fun and got an experience to help us learn about the dangers of drunk and distracted driving. Afterward, the participants had the opportunity to fill out questionnaires about their experiences with the simulators, sign a pledge not to drive distracted or drunk, and get a rubber wristband. I had a lot of fun helping with the event and am glad it showed people the dangers of drunk and distracted driving. I hope everyone reading this will learn to protect themselves and others by not drinking alcohol before driving and not being distracted by anything while on the road. For more information, go to home - Save A Life Tour BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Advice Back to Sections About Me! By Chloe O'Connell Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Marketing Sage Hi, my name is Chloe O’Connell! I’m in 7th grade, and this is my section called “Ask Chloe”. Here’s a little about me. I am the oldest and I have two siblings. I have a dog named Bandit. Fun fact: I was born with plagiocephaly, which means I was born with a flat head, so I had to wear a helmet when I was a baby. When I grow up, I want to help kids and become a pediatrician. My family is Puerto Rican and Italian, and we are also a bit Irish. I hope this helps you get to know me! Please send in your questions for our new “ Ask Chloe” advice column to oconnelc3990@vschsd.org, and Chloe will try to help you navigate the wonders of middle school. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections NS New Teachers Opinions Sarah Velez Volume 5 Issue 2 November 25, 2024 Image Provided by Valley Stream Central High School District New Teachers’ Opinions- What do they have to say? Here at Valley Stream North, it is crucial to provide a welcoming environment to everyone, whether we are speaking to young seventh graders, or teachers who have been here since yearbooks were printed in black and white. I got the opportunity to interview three new teachers here at Valley Stream North: Mr. Mounce, Ms. Enella, and the new head of the language department, Mrs. Gallegos. Mr. Mounce, ELL What inspired you to become a teacher? Mr. Mounce : “I think like a lot of teachers, I’ve had a lot of teachers in my life that inspired me to want to become an educator. I can think back to my high school life and a lot of teachers that I still keep in touch with, and they’ve impacted my life in ways that I would like to do for the next generation of students. I have also always had a passion for sharing things I’m interested in and teaching always seemed like a good fit for me.” Why did you choose ELL? Mr. Mounce : “So for me, I’ve always had an interest in language. Growing up, my mom spoke Greek and though I never learned to speak it, I think it made me become more interested in language and how we communicate with each other. I studied linguistics in college and my passion for language along with my interest in education made me believe that being an ELL teacher would be a great fit for me.” What has been your favorite part about working at Valley Stream North so far? Mr. Mounce : “My favorite part is the people. Everybody I’ve met has been very helpful and friendly and I can’t wait to meet even more people and make many friends along the way.” Ms. Enella, Social Studies What are your expectations for this school year? Ms. Enella: “My expectations for the school year is to continue to learn and grow in this profession and to continue to establish myself here at north, become more involved in the community and at the school.” Why did you choose History? Ms. Enella: “I chose history because I think it’s very valuable knowledge for people to have and I really want to show that to my students. It’s important to have context to be a knowledgeable person or citizen here and personally I just think it’s very interesting to see how we came from very basic beginnings and have established society thus far.” What inspired you to become a teacher? Ms. Enella: “I’d always really liked social studies, and I’ve always worked with children, so once I was thinking about college, it kind of just made sense to combine both of them. There's a lot of benefits that come with teaching, you get summers off and it’s a good stable career.” Mrs. Gallegos, World Language Dept. Chair Why did you choose World Language? Mrs. Gallegos: “I love languages, and I think it’s not just the language that I love, it’s the cultures that come with the languages. You learn the words, you learn the expressions, but you don’t really learn them until you know the culture. I just think it’s so interesting how people who move to the United States find people who also speak their same language or have their same culture, and I think what languages do, is they bring common ground. I feel like languages have a human effect that brings people together.” Is this your first teaching job? Mrs. Gallegos: “I’ve been in education for 25 years; I actually started my public-school teaching career at Memorial. It’s very cool to be back in Valley Stream because I think Valley Stream is a special place.” What inspired you to become a teacher? Mrs. Gallegos: “I had no intention of becoming a teacher. I was actually studying to become a broadcast journalist and while I was doing my internship at a TV station, I received a call from a friend of mine asking if I could teach Italian at a private elementary school because their teacher had suddenly left, and I said yes and I fell in love with teaching. And so, after I graduated, I went back to school for my master’s to get my certification to become a teacher.” North Star would like to offer a warm welcome to our new teachers! BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Black American Artists Back to Sections Mother/Awaiting His Return By Charles White February 12, 2021 Volume 1 Issue 5 Medium: Lithograph in black on wove paper, Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Sweet Treats for Cold and Cozy Nights By Christina Ossa Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Original photo by Christina Ossa During the wintertime, I’m always cold, and I'd usually find myself snuggled up by the heater under a blanket. I would watch TV and try to keep warm, but it always feels like something is missing. I feel hungry, craving sweets, but I’m either too lazy or don’t want to put in much effort to prepare something. If you happen to be like me, a lazy person who often craves sweets, take a look at the recipes below because they don’t take much effort! “Elevated” Boxed-Brownies You’re probably wondering, why not just make brownies by what the instructions say on the back? Well, even if brands like Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker have been in the boxed baking business for a very long time, boxed brownies aren’t always the best. They never compare to a brownie from scratch and sometimes leave you still craving something sweeter or more chocolatey. I’ve figured out a way to elevate any brand of brownies, however, to make them taste almost as good as a brownie from scratch; you’ll only need a couple of extra ingredients, and I promise: if you put in just a little more effort than what the box says to do, you won’t regret it. Ingredients: *Prep according to box, except for water ½ stick butter (melted) ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup cocoa powder 1 tsp vanilla extract *optional* ¼ tsp coffee extract/instant coffee *optional* ½ cup chocolate chips Directions: Prep according to the box you’re using, except don’t put in the water Substitute the butter for the water Add the other listed ingredients Stir until fully combined *optional* Add chocolate chips Follow pan and baking instructions based on the box you’re using Enjoy! Hot Cocoa Bombs: While making hot cocoa bombs isn’t the easiest or most low-maintenance recipe, pre-made ones throughout a school/work week always come as a treat after a hard day! I would recommend taking some time out of your day over a weekend to make these and trust me, you won’t regret it once you use them. They make delicious hot chocolate and if you add a dash of heavy cream to your milk, it’ll taste even richer than with just the milk. Also, keep in mind this recipe accounts for each hot cocoa bomb, so when you’re filling them, add all of these ingredients in each one. Peppermint is also another amazing addition to hot cocoa that amps the already sweet flavor of the chocolate by adding a minty flavor, so if you’re a fan of peppermint like me, then you should add this ingredient! Ingredients/Tools: 6-cavity semi-sphere mold 8 oz melting chocolate (melted) 1 tbsp cocoa powder ½ tbsp sugar *optional* ¼ tsp coffee extract ½ handful of marshmallows ½ candy cane/1 full small candy cane Directions: Do the regular process of filling your mold with the melted chocolate Spoon in the chocolate until you have one layer and once that one dries take a clean paintbrush or cooking brush to brush on another layer of chocolate Put the chocolate in the freezer to solidify for 10 mins Carefully take out the chocolate molds by pushing around the sides and once the sides come loose by peeling them off gently Add the ingredients to 3 of your chocolate semi-circles Put the top halves of the semi-circles onto a warmed plate to glue your semi-circles together Once melted SLIGHTLY place the top semi-circle onto the bottom one carefully Add decorations like chocolate drizzles, sprinkles, etc. onto the top Place in a mug with warmed milk and enjoy! Mug Chocolate Lava Cake: Another low maintenance recipe to try out on a lazy, cozy day would be a mug cake. It takes only a couple of minutes for a gooey chocolate cake. Whenever I’m too lazy to bake but want something sweet, I’d usually grab a mug and make this recipe. It’s great for a quick snack or an after-dinner treat while you’re watching TV, doing homework, catching up on work, or gaming. You’ll also get a sweet surprise in the middle since it’s filled with melted chocolate just like a real lava cake. Ingredients/Tools: 1 large mug, microwave-safe 1 tbsp butter (melted) 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp cocoa powder 2 tbsp milk (add ½ of tbsp later if too thick) 2 tbsp flour 1 chocolate truffle/2 pieces of a chocolate bar/6 chocolate chips ¼ tsp baking powder Directions: Grab your mug and put in the melted butter Add the sugar to the butter and stir until combined with a spoon Add the cocoa powder and stir Add the milk, gradually, then continue to stir Add your flour and baking powder If your mixture is too thick, add about ½ tbsp of milk or enough to loosen the batter Place your chocolate into the middle of your mixture and make sure it stays in the middle for the “lava-cake” result Microwave the mug for 1 minute to 1 minute and 15 seconds Carefully take out the mug and enjoy! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections History of Badminton Sahar Ali Volume 4 Issue 4 May 29, 2024 Image Provided by Navrosedip Kundlas Have you ever wondered about the history of your favorite sport(s)? Growing up, I always played badminton; I recall waiting for the weather to get warmer to go outside, pull out my racket and hit shuttlecocks with my father or sister. After playing the sport for so long, and daily during the spring season for North’s Girls Varsity Badminton team, I sat at my desk pondering about how the sport came to be: Where did badminton originate? Who created the sport? What types of people played it? Let’s get into the basics of the sport. Badminton is typically played either on a court or lawn with a racket along with the shuttlecock, often called a “birdie”. Historically, the first rackets made for the sport were composed of a piece of wood and strings made of animal guts. To make a player comfortable while holding a badminton racket, a piece of cloth was wrapped around the handle. The racket was modified and made lighter with the use of aluminum or steel until the 1950s when carbon fiber completely changed the production of rackets. The shuttlecock is better known as a “bird” or a “birdie.” When the game first came to be, the shuttlecock was composed of unrefined bird feathers, weighing only around 5 grams. Now, many shuttlecocks are made out of synthetic materials, but many players continue to use goose feather shuttlecocks. The sport can be traced back 2000 years; however, the most modern version of badminton is traced back to 1873, England. The Duke of Beaufort is said to have brought the sport to England from India. Britain had many colonies including India, which resulted in the mixture of cultures and ideas. The sport is said to have roots in ancient Greece, China, and India and is similar to battledore and shuttlecock , an old children’s game. During Britain’s rule in India, English army officers began to play Poona while stationed throughout the colony in the 1860s; this is where badminton was derived from. As the sport diffused from South Asia to Europe, badminton gained severe popularity in England. In 1899, the first men’s badminton championship was held, which was further followed by a women’s tournament in 1900. Later during the 20th century, in 1934, the Badminton World Federation (BWF), was formed; it was formerly known as the International Badminton Federation and is the world administration for the sport. Badminton tournaments ranging from regionals to nationals take place in many countries, but the most famous includes the All-England Championships. More international badminton tournaments include the Thomas Cup, the first international badminton tournament for men, which took place 14 years later in 1948 after the creation of the BWF. Following in 1956, the Uber Cup took place, which was the first international badminton tournament for women. Badminton has gained popularity in Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and in European countries such as Denmark. The rules of the sport have evolved. Until 2001, players could score only up to 15 points, however, the scoring system has changed, requiring players to score up to 21 points in a rally in which a lead of two points is needed to win a game. The rules for serving have changed since 2006 as well; players were allowed to serve overhead in 1983, but in 2006, the serve was required to be below the server’s waist. Like all things, badminton too has evolved, all the way from rackets and shuttlecocks to the rules and regulations of the game. SOURCES: Badminton | History, Rules, Equipment, Facts, & Champions | Britannica Badminton, A historical glimpse into the sport’s changing face over the decades ( olympics.com ) BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Perspective Back to Sections Lexie Sowerby - Perspective By Lexie Sowerby December 16, 2020 Photography Volume 1 Issue 3

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections MLB 2021 Season By Leah Ally Volume 2 Issue 3 January 14, 2022 Image provided by Sport Vault MLB The MLB (Major League Baseball) season is over, meaning that one of the most memorable campaigns in recent memory has ended. There were hundreds of unforgettable events this season, from a shocking trade deadline to the continued struggle of playing through a worldwide pandemic. Starting with the 2021 trade deadline, the MLB faced a dramatic shift with 80 players trading teams as deals were consistently developing. As trades progressed, news updates were nonstop, with transactions left and right. Almost every star player who could have been available had secured a deal—some for more apparent reasons. A total of ten players had been through trades in the same season they were to be on the All-Star team, which was record-setting. Kris Bryant, Trea Turner, and Joey Gallo were among those that took part. The Chicago Cubs were one of the busiest teams during the trade deadline as they offloaded a staggering number of top players, including notable names like Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez. As we all know, COVID-19 has affected every one of us one way or another, including the sports industry. Coming back from a brief 2020 season, during which no spectators were allowed at any MLB games, along with the risk of progressing throughout the season, 2021 sought improvement for both fans and players. Following 2020, stadiums implemented suitable procedures to effectively follow CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and accommodate fans/players, even to the point of many stadiums having the ability to carry out audience capacity. Although thorough protocols had been put into place, surges in covid cases throughout the season caused dozens of games to be postponed and became a health concern among numerous teams. An appropriate example is the 167 positive Covid cases that had reached players on 28 MLB teams, apart from the A’s and Rangers that had astonishingly achieved 0 throughout the season. To wrap up this unpredictable yet exhilarating season, The World Series took place between the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros. It would later end in 6 games as the Braves claimed their second championship since relocating to Atlanta. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections Learning about Sikh and Indian Weddings By Elaine Ching Volume 1 Issue 8 June 8, 2021 Image provided by Pinterest As a member of the Culture Society, I have the opportunity to learn about many cultures. The way they celebrate specific events and how different it is from my own is a very interesting topic to me. One of my favorite meetings was when we learned about Sikh and Indian weddings from Navrosedip Kundlas. For someone whose family holds rather simple weddings, it was a shock seeing how long (2-3 week minimum) and complex Sikh weddings can be. Of course, it was a good shock. The way Navrosedip described how much thought and effort is put into the engagement was amazing. Starting at the beginning, seeing how serious the engagement is taken was inspiring. The way religion is intertwined into the marriage is lovely since it is done in such a beautiful way. After the marriage has gained family approval and the future spouses have met in a place of worship, they move onto the Engagement Ceremony. While there are many different rituals due to Indian culture being so diverse, in the ritual I saw this is the time when the bride has to decide whether she will go through with the marriage. This is not a private event, and many people will see it. After the Engagement Ceremony comes the Engagement After-Party. The After Party seems to be the one of the most fun parts of the wedding in my opinion! People wear festive and beautiful outfits while they celebrate with dancing and drumming (it should be noted there are beautiful and festive outfits in all parts of the wedding). There are many celebrations and preparations to do other than those during the engagement phase. Firstly, the bride will receive beautiful Bengals, bracelets made of glass, which are light colored and thin. Also, the bride’s hands cannot be bare until the wedding ends. Traditional songs are played as well as applying henna to the brides and other guests. Similar to American Weddings, there is a bridal shower, bachelorette parties for the groom and bride, and a reception. However, no white is allowed to be worn for Indian events since it is worn for deaths. As a result, the bride usually wears red with gold balls on her bracelets. There is also lots of extravagant jewelry like Tika, jewelry for the head. With the bride in red and decked out in jewelry, the groom will sometimes wear a turban but change into a suit later. Later at the reception, the groom has to listen to the bride while she is choosing her outfit. Even after all this, there are still more parties to take place! BACK TO TOP