Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections This Body of Mine Madisen Dubose Volume 4 Issue 4 May 29, 2024 Artwork Provided by Madisen Dubose BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Nightmare on Main Street Back to Sections My Cartoon Nightmare By Arunima Roy October 8, 2021 Volume 2 Issue 1

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections No Swimming By Eva Grace Martinez Volume 1 Issue 7 April 22, 2021 Image provided by James MacDonald The sign says no swimming. The little man doing laps has a great red line drawn through his head. You feel the cold water on your chest and wonder how you got here. Was it the burning hot arguments with people you used to love? Or maybe the icy cool rejection from the ones you thought had your back? Did you walk here, in the midst of the summer haze? Did you drive here, in the sting of the winter chill? So many questions filter through your head. You remember, you think, the way the moon looked outside. It was brighter than ever, and impossibly white. Something surely happened, there’s a reason you’re here. Though you can’t quite remember if it was pain or success. The sign says no swimming. You’re in up to your neck. Maybe it’s okay to sink back and rest. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Two New North Clubs By Cody Sung Volume 2 Issue 6 April 14, 2022 Image provided by Chess.com There are now two new clubs at Valley Stream North High School. The first one is the Chess Club, run by Mr. Lepanto, one of our Social Studies teachers. The second one is The Readers, advised by Mr. Toffolo, our Library-Media Specialist. I was given the chance to speak with both about their respective clubs. First, I spoke to Mr. Lepanto. I asked him how the Chess Club was established. He said that students approached him and asked if he plays chess and if he would like to start a club. He is an outstanding chess player himself and would like to share his knowledge with students. He says that the Chess Club is for anyone, no matter what level of chess player. He also has his own commitment to the students of North, as he says he always wants to be available for his students. The club officially meets every three weeks on Mondays, but Mr. Lepanto says that “When I’m going to be at school working late on other days, they can stay in the library and play chess on their own.” He added that a lot of students were interested in the club. He was incredibly happy that there was a large amount of interest and said, “That’s stunning.” He hopes that they can play against each other competitively in tournaments and next year play against other schools. I also spoke to Mr. Toffolo and asked him about how his new club, The Readers, started. He said that it began with three students coming to him and saying that they wanted to start a book club. They also talked to Ms. Belbol, the head of the English department, and Dr. Small, the principal, about it. Both Ms. Belbol and Dr. Small informed the students that an advisor was needed, so they came to Mr. Toffolo. The club meets every other Friday. While The Readers is initially meant for the upper grades, he is looking forward to starting a junior high book club. The junior high book club would occur every other week as well, alternating with The Readers. Mr. Toffolo said that “Right now, our important thing is we are trying to find a good first book for us to read.” With that book, he plans to do things a little bit differently compared to a regular book club or an English class. He says that in a regular English class, you get to read, but “to study it, and not necessarily for pleasure.” Students seem to enjoy that idea. The club had many interested students at its first meeting according to Mr. Toffolo. He is hoping to have a steady member count, enough to become an official club. These two clubs have a very promising outlook and will hopefully do very well in the future. If you are interested in joining the Chess Club, please contact Mr. Lepanto at lepantob@vschsd.org . If you are interested in joining The Readers, please contact Mr. Toffolo at toffoloc@vschsd.org . BACK TO TOP

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 Artwork Prism Back to Sections Masooma Zaidi - Prism By Masooma Zaidi November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections NASA’s Recent Announcement of The Artemis II Crew By Elyas Layachi Volume 3 Issue 4 May 18, 2023 Image provided by nasa.gov (Artemis) On the morning of November 16th, 2022, NASA successfully launched its Artemis I mission to test out the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System. On this mission, the Orion spacecraft was unmanned and spent several days making its voyage to the moon and back to test its many systems, including propulsion and life support systems. Orion made it back to Earth on December 30th, 2022, after a successful mission. Artemis I was the first of four planned Artemis missions to the moon. After Artemis I, NASA began planning the Artemis II mission in which four astronauts will man the Orion spacecraft around the moon for a flyby to further test its capabilities. In Artemis III, NASA will send four astronauts to the moon once again, but this time to land on the lunar surface and establish a permanent presence, and Artemis IV will include the construction of the lunar space station Gateway to facilitate astronaut transportation between the surface of the moon and Earth. On April 3rd, on a YouTube livestream, NASA announced the names of the four astronauts who will be manning the Orion spacecraft on Artemis II: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch, and Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen. Here are some brief biographies of each crew member: Commander Reid Wiseman (NASA): Wiseman was a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station for Expedition 41, conducting important research in human physiology, medicine, physical science, Earth science, and astrophysics. He was also Chief of the Astronaut office before receiving his position of Commander of Artemis II. Pilot Victor Glover (NASA): Glover served as an astronaut aboard the Crew-1 SpaceX Crew Dragon mission and conducted a long-duration mission above the International Space Station. Furthermore, like Wiseman, Glover was also a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station, but for Expedition 64. Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch (NASA): Koch received her position of NASA astronaut in 2013 and was a flight engineer for International Space Station missions Expedition 59, 60, and 61. She also set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with 328 days in space, and she participated in the first all-female spacewalks. Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency): Hansen’s flight experience spans almost his entire life, starting with joining 614 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron. He obtained a pilot license at the age of 17 and graduated from Royal Military College Saint-Jean with a bachelor’s degree in honors space science. He is the first Canadian to traveling to the moon. Artemis II is scheduled to liftoff sometime in late 2024, and, similar to Artemis I, the whole world will be watching and anticipating the success of this mission, which will mark humanity’s return to the moon for the first time in over 50 years. To keep up with Artemis II’s status and the astronauts, be sure to visit www.nasa.gov . Furthermore, you can follow NASA, Artemis, and the Canadian Space Agency on social media (Instagram and Youtube). Sources: NASA: Artemis II Crew Astronaut Jeremy Hansen's biography | Canadian Space Agency ( asc-csa.gc.ca ) BACK TO TOP

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

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections The Artist Perspective By Nehilah Grand-Pierre Volume 1 Issue 3 December 16, 2020 Left: Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai, Right: Original artwork “I am Greater” by Nehilah Grand-Pierre Perspective is what sets aside the artist from the other people of the world. An artist looks at the bigger picture, while attending to the fine details. The artist looks at the struggles and hardships of life, and rather than pointing out the flaws, they highlight the beauty of it. An artist has an outlook that turns misfortunes into masterpieces. I drew inspiration from Hokusai’s Great Wave off Kanagawa. The work depicts a giant ocean wave, which I perceive to symbolize the waves that we face while swimming through the ocean of life. The wave is not only great in size, but also great in beauty. Though seemingly terrifying, the wave is beautiful from the viewpoint portrayed in the painting, though the people painted on the boat may not think the same. My piece highlights these concepts as I drew a hand holding the wave, thus suggesting that with the right perspective, we can take hold of our hardships and realize that struggles are our personal opportunities to overcome our fears, worries, and the great ocean of life. As the loveable animated fish Dory once said, “Just keep swimming!” BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections "Right Lucy" By Victoria Niksa Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by FreePik 6:32 It was a chilly Halloween night. Lucy had been invited by her friends to a costume party, which she was at. Everybody had been ignoring her. She wondered if it was because she was dressed as a witch, and everyone thought she was cursed or cruel. It turns out her assumption was false. A girl dressed as an angel, who was also being ostracized, invited Lucy to go on a walk. “Hey, you wanna ditch this party? Everyone seems to be ignoring us here anyway,” the girl whispered. “Oh, uh sure,” Lucy was hesitant to answer. She knew better than to go around places with a stranger. “I’m Julie, by the way. I know we haven’t met or spoken before,” the girl said. 6:48 The two had been walking around the neighborhood for about 7 minutes. Then they came across a playground. “Ooh! Maybe we should go on the swings!” Lucy suggested. “Yeah! That seems like a nice idea!” Julie replied. 7:02 The two began to grow close in those few minutes since they’d met each other. “This is like the place in horror movies where teens jump, scared by some creepy monster. Maybe we should go,” Lucy warned. “Yeah, maybe we should....” Julie paused, looking at the bushes. Listening carefully, they heard a rustle in the bushes. They both looked over in the direction of the sound. “What was that…?!” Lucy whispered. “I’ll go check it out…” Julie said with a nervous tone. When Julie was slowly walking towards the bushes, she noticed Lucy close behind her. “If we go down, we go down together,” Julie whispered. Lucy had jolted awake. “W-what… It was all… a dream?” 7:13 As Lucy sat in the corner, still in shock, she noticed a girl walking her way. She was dressed as an angel. “Hey, wanna go for a walk or something? You look a little lonely,” she asked. Lucy stared at the girl in front of her. She was about to ask her name until… “I’m Julie,” the girl said, before Lucy could ask. Lucy looked at her in disbelief. It was like she could read her mind. She couldn’t believe what she heard next. “I know. You had that dream too... Right, Lucy? ” BACK TO TOP