Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections A James Bond Review: A Journey Jasmine Roberts Volume 5 Issue 2 November 25, 2024 Image Provided by Max Ching James Bond will always have a lasting impact on film culture. With its iconic intro illustrating the silhouette of the titular Bond walking across the screen as a gun barrel tracks his every stride, ready for the kill. Only for the masterful 007 to pull from his person, his very own smooth, black Walther PPK to hinder the perpetrator, nothing but scarlet blood dripping down a fuzzy screen. Most can recognize the phrase “Shaken, not stirred” uttered by the suave debonair that is Sean Connery, or if one is a fan of all that is Bond. Maybe they wished for an exact replica of the silver Aston Martin DB5 driven by Bond in Goldfinger. Some might desire to gallant with 007, as a beautiful, yet savvy, Bond Girl or as a siren to entrap him and kill him for SPECTRE, the terrorist organization after Bond. During the Summer, my mother and I found ourselves driven to obsession by the Daniel Craig Bond movies, the British actor being one out of seven who have played the secret agent. Amongst the quiet hours of night, we could be found in amazement at the quick wit of sardonic British humor and the profound family of MI6 shared by Bond, Moneypenny, Q, M, and even the eclectic villains orbiting the franchise. Or the way the filmography falls deeply in love with the elegant and traditional environment of James Bond’s England, forming a lush and utterly beautiful film to watch. We could also be found crying at the struggles faced by Daniel Craig's Bond. Never have my eyes felt more underwater than when Bond sacrificed himself for who he loved and subsequent lighting a guiding will-o’-the-wisp for a new Bond to emerge, as is tradition. Yet, the exploration of Bond began to tickle a certain curiosity in me. I have always had a love for the unlabored sophistication of Bond, no matter his era. Dreams lingered in my mind of Cuban cigarettes and aged wine, bespoke of suits, and legacy sports cars. When I decided to begin my journey through Bond by beginning at the first of the twenty-five movies, with Dr. No, I knew from there, my ability to turn back was forever gone from me. I finally understood, I would conquer Bond to its pinnacle. I would not consider Dr. No my favorite of the films I have watched. It has a multitude of issues, such as plot progression, unnecessary behaviors, and nullified thrills. Despite this. it was a good start in Jamaica, where the original Ian Fleming novels were written. I understood where the adaptation was planning on taking me, and I certainly liked it. But I must say that Goldfinger , the third of the films, has shown why it is the most beloved and highly rated of the Bond Films, as it is the exact opposite of my problems with Dr. No. This article was not only a review of the Bond Films, but an explanation to understand why I love them so much and my thought process in dissecting further films. Nonetheless, if all I have said entices you in anyway, then I think it would be most prudent to quickly watch the films from Connery to Craig, as James Bond is a busy man on a mission to save the world. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Back to Sections Nora Chery By Nora Chery November 7, 2022 Volume 3 Issue 1

Back to Artwork Line Back to Sections Lillian Dolan - What is Line - 7 By Lillian Dolan November 1, 2020 Photography Volume 1 Issue 1

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Groundhog Day Wardah Khizer Volume 6 Issue 3 Image Provided by Mohammad Arshad The North American tradition of Groundhog Day is celebrated every year on February 2nd. This day dictates that if groundhog Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow at Gobbler's Knob, six more weeks of winter follow. This year, when Phil emerged from his burrow, he saw his shadow. The “President of the Inner Circle [the group responsible for planning events and caring for Phil] and groundhog interpreter Tom Dunkel listened to [Phil] carefully, and the prediction was announced: Six more weeks of winter” (USA Today). The Origins of Groundhog Day Groundhog Day grew out of old European traditions where people looked to animals, such as badgers and bears, to predict how long winter would last. These old traditions blended with the Christian holiday of Candlemas, which used the weather on February 2nd to forecast the coming season, and with the Celtic festival Imbolc, another mid-winter marker tied to seasonal change. When German settlers came to Pennsylvania in the 1700s, they brought these beliefs with them and swapped the European animals for the local groundhog. The town of Punxsutawney in Pennsylvania eventually became the center of the tradition. In 1886, a local newspaper editor, Clymer H. Freas, helped turn it into the event we know today as “he proclaimed Punxsutawney Phil, the local groundhog, to be the one and only official weather forecasting groundhog” (National Weather Service). Now, the tradition has spread widely, and thousands of people watch Phil make his annual weather prediction. Punxsutawney Phil’s Immortality Groundhogs can live until they are 6 years old, but Phil has been making predictions since 1886, which makes him 140 years old. His secret to longevity is quite unique: Phil drinks a magic elixir on the first Saturday in September, adding seven years to his life for every drink he takes. The President of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club states that “The magic Elixir is something super-secret, it’s been handed down from handler to handler through the years, it’s a concoction of a lot of different herbs and spices and some super-secret formulas that only the handler knows” (WETM). How accurate are Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions? CBS News claims that “Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog, not a meteorologist. Between 2013 and 2023, he saw his shadow seven times, and of those seven, he was correct only once.” As of 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration claims that Phil is the 17th most accurate weather-predicting groundhog with 35% accuracy. Staten Island Chuck took first place with 85% accuracy. Although Chuck is dependable for weather predictions, “his behavior can be a bit unpredictable. He once bit the hand of the Mayor of New York City” (NOAA). At the end of the day, Punxsutawney Phil does not need to be accurate to hold a special place in people's hearts. Sources: Did the groundhog see his shadow? Results of Phil's 2026 prediction Groundhog Day: Ancient Origins of a Modern Celebration | Folklife Today Ground Hog History How accurate are Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day predictions? Here's how he ranks in 2026. - CBS News At 137 years old, Punxsutawney Phil has a secret to living forever BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Who am I Back to Sections Who am I?-Madisen Dubose Madisen Dubose November 6, 2023 Colored Pencil Volume 4 Issue 1

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Poetry Out Loud Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 5 Issue 3 January 14, 2025 Image Provided by Sofia Owen Students here at Valley Stream North have many opportunities to display their creativity. Whether through art, literature, community-led works, or performance, it is important to allow students to exhibit their talent and artistry, and this belief is best exemplified with an event like Poetry Out Loud. Poetry Out Loud is a nationwide recitation competition where students from 9th to 12th grade perform poems from the event’s anthology. The competition has 4 levels – schoolwide, regional, state, and national. Sixteen students from our school have been preparing for the schoolwide portion of the competition. Each student has chosen and memorized a poem to perform in front of a panel of judges. Students can earn points in 6 categories: physical presence, voice and articulation, interpretation, evidence of understanding, overall performance, and accuracy. These students competed in the library on Wednesday, December 11th from 3 - 4:30 pm. In preparation for the competition, students went on two in-school field trips on November 26th and December 3rd to fully grasp their poems and the structure of the competition. On November 26th, Dave Johnson, a poet and former Poetry Out Loud emcee, visited our school and gave the competing students tips on how to improve their recitations. This workshop highlighted the importance of connecting with one’s poem and choosing a piece that spoke to them. Students were split into groups and were encouraged to ask the other students in their group about their poems. With everyone’s poem chosen, Johnson worked one-on-one with each student, discussing their piece with them and walking step-by-step through their thought process. An emotional connection with your poem is important to convey not only its meaning but its connection to you as an individual. To conclude the field trip, Johnson instructed each student to write a poem or a blurb based on their poem. After a couple of minutes, students performed their inspired poem for the rest of the group. Everyone who spoke had incredible control over their words and it was an insightful experience to see how each person viewed the world around them through the lens of their poem. On December 3rd, Johnson returned and this time focused on the accuracy of our recitations while still encouraging us to hone the emotional interpretations of our poems. Students split off into groups once again and discussed their poems with each other, reciting them and analyzing each line to better remember and understand their meaning. Volunteers from each group went in front of everyone and recited their poems, receiving encouragement and suggestions from Johnson on how to improve and change their tone. As he concluded his workshop, he gave advice to help everyone on the day of the competition. He advised students to take a breath and “plant” themselves and to visualize the poem as they recite it. Johnson closed with inspiring words to the whole group: “See what you say, and we will see what you say.” This competition allows students to lift poetry off the page and share their creativity through oration and performance. It serves as a wonderful opportunity for not only the students performing but those watching as well to expose themselves to new kinds of literature and creation. We at North Star applaud the confidence and dedication of the students who participated. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Portrait Back to Sections Lillian Dolan - Portrait By Lillian Dolan January 20, 2021 Photography Volume 1 Issue 4

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Interplanetary to International: Starlight on Abigail Reichbach's Research Noa Cordova Volume 5 Issue 3 January 14, 2025 Image Provided by Abigail Reichbach “Out of this world” accurately captures the focus of Senior Science Research student Abigail Reichbach’s research project. Transcending planetary boundaries, Abigail, known as Abby by her classmates, centered her research around micrometeorites. Inspired by University of Washington professor Donald E. Brownlee’s 1993 research on interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), Abby worked to find what percent of Brownlee’s estimated 40,000 tons of IDPs that fall on earth annually were micrometeorites.  She spent the summer preceding her junior year formulating ideas so that starting in September she had a topic, research question, and a methodology to begin applying in January. In spring, she took her research to the next level: her grandmother’s rooftop. The micrometeorites’ iron and nickel composition enabled Abby to collect them from a marked-off quadrant using a magnet. She dedicated this summer to sorting through and examining her collected particles using a microscope and a camera. As the school year began, she analyzed her data and finalized her results. Abby shares her cosmic findings, “I determined that 113.3 metric tons of micrometeorites fall on earth each year, which is .28% of all IDPs.” Abby acknowledges that her findings leave room for future research, but currently, there is no published research breaking down Brownlee’s estimate. Throughout her research journey, Abby worked closely with Mr. Frazer, her science research advisor, and Dr. David Deamer, a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz and her mentor. Bringing her findings from space to Earth, she presented at the International Forum for Research Excellence, a conference hosted by the renowned science research honor society Sigma Xi, in Washington, D.C. on November 15th. ----------------------------------------------------- Full interview with Abigail Reichbach: How did you get this opportunity? Abby: “As a science research student you have to be working on research with a scientist or professor. I’ve worked with the University of California, Santa Cruz professor David Deamer since the summer before junior year. We email and use Zoom to communicate. He was the one who sent me the email to apply to the conference. High school students sent their abstracts and research, and from there I was selected to present.” What inspired your research project? Abby: “I've always been interested in space science, and I also really like biology. We had to find a mentor who would help us with the process, so I contacted Dr. Deamer to find something that would combine astronomy and biology... astrobiology. You can apply research outside of one field and could do the research hands-on instead of just in a lab.” What was your biggest challenge? Abby: “I would say the distance between my mentor and I. He lives on the other side of the country, so the time difference was a bit of a challenge. While I didn’t get the experience of doing a lab with my mentor next to me, I learned a lot experimenting independently.”  What did you find most enriching about this experience? Abby: “Honestly, the biggest takeaway from this was meeting other passionate students. Also, it was enriching speaking to professionals who are there to help you learn and take you seriously… it’s cool to teach experts about something new.” BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Tired Blood Caitlyn Hunte Volume 6 Issue 3 Image Provided by Mohammad Arshad I look at all these people and they all seem so tired of me I look up at them quietly I can't keep my head down, don't shut up, my mouth moves, it's tiring Honestly, who let me speak? Why’d they never try stopping me? They know too much, they back up, I’m afraid and they're done Just put a knife in my back, let it bleed out, that's what my feelings have become Standing on a rooftop, on the tip of a ledge If just two fingers graze me, I will stumble off the edge I am the remnants of water being crushed inside a bottle No one can reach me, but some keep trying, they beseech me To give them that one final drop, they hurt, they throttle Ring my neck, promise they’ll keep me But I am watercolor, I wash off, promises die, and that is not just a feeling How good must I be at acting For you to not tell I’m masking I want to give it up, You wish for me to tell you every day and each minute But with everything I share, my honesty has a limit Please take this satirically I promise I’m fine mentally Just let me fill your cup Distract you so you don't know it's with my blood BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Opinions on North’s latest generation: What is good? What is bad? Max Ching Volume 4 Issue 4 May 29, 2024 Image Provided by Max Ching As we are coming closer to the end of this semester, with the new group of seventh graders, as well as a few new additions to North High School, I believe that seventh graders should be interviewed and questioned about their current thoughts, appreciations, dislikes, and overall opinions on a few set themes, here at North High School. The first topic is the Smart-Pass. There's no doubt you do not know what SmartPass is, but if so, SmartPass is a computer-based app that times you to make sure that when you leave the classroom, you make it back to class within 5 minutes. Now, when seventh graders were introduced to this new form of restroom passes, most of the seventh graders, myself included, reacted negatively to this situation. Student Zion Laurenceau thinks that the time allotted on SmartPass should be increased because he thinks that students will not have enough time to use the bathroom and make it back to class in time. Another student, Matthew Watt, agrees with this, saying that the maximum time of 5 minutes is strange. Matthew also agrees that students will not have enough time to travel back to class. An important part of school is lunch. Making sure that students are not hungry is important. But what do seventh graders think of the lunches? A student Darnell Christie thinks that the lunches are nice and that 41 minutes to eat and chat is an enjoyable time limit. But seventh grader Muhammad Khan thinks that snacks being sold in the cafeteria are a swindle, and says that the snacks are overpriced, and that he can buy a much, much bigger bag of potato chips for a lower price elsewhere. Tyler Gilbert agrees with this statement, saying that the snacks are too expensive. The period system is quite common in most middle and high schools. Students at North are given 41 minutes for each period and have 4 minutes to travel to their next class. But what do seventh graders think of this system? Most students I interviewed mostly had the same response, liking the period system, and thinking it is an effective way of having a schedule and liking how they can see other students every period. Overall, from the students I interviewed, it is interesting how nobody had a single complaint about how classes are scheduled, which suggests how efficient this method is. Even though most responses I found were positive, I also asked students what they think should be improved if they were able to change one thing about this school. One student I interviewed, Kyle Cooper, said that they would change the food options. So, halfway into the semester, many students have many opinions, and they think that overall, North is a nice school. However, some believe that the Smart-Pass should be changed, the lunches should be changed. In conclusion, the seventh graders so far enjoy North but believe that changes should be made. BACK TO TOP