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

BACK TO ALL ARTICLES VIEW ARTWORK BACK TO SECTIONS ART & CULTURE History of Easter Leah Ally July 5, 2025 Read More Open For the Flower Nora Chery - Class of 2023 November 6, 2023 Read More The History of Christmas By Leah Ally December 23, 2022 Read More Halloween Traditions Around the World Leah Ally November 6, 2023 Read More Crack A Smile Nora Chery November 6, 2023 Read More A Dominican Bodega That Sells Amazing Food for a Great Price By Benjamin Amirazodi November 7, 2022 Read More 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 7

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Jeselys Vazquez Volume 4 Issue 2 January 16, 2024 Image provided by Amazon.com Are you a Hunger Games enthusiast who has seen the movies and loves the thrill and suspense of who wins? Then the novel, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins, released on May 19, 2020, would be a wise choice for you. This novel is a prequel to The Hunger Games about Coriolanus Snow’s life when he was 18 years old and introduces his story about being a mentor for the 10th Hunger Games. Throughout the beginning of Part One, you learn about his background, where he lives, how the Games used to work, and get to learn about who the Gamemaker is, including secret discoveries as told from the first-person point of view of Coriolanus about the secrets he uncovers; he must keep the secrets or else he loses everything. As you read along to find out what happens next, you feel like you are really in Panem and the arena in moments you can create clear images of in your head. As you reach Part Two of the book, you start to engage in the thrill, suspense, and romance that Coriolanus experiences, but intervenes with his desire to win the game at any cost. That man vs. man conflict with himself causes his personality to change makes readers question whether he is a reasonable person or just denying reality of who he is turning into. As you reach Part Three, there is a twist that grabs your attention more and makes you want to find out how the story ends and if he gets what he deserves. Throughout the book you learn about his life when he was a young adult, find out who he was before any titles were given to him, and how he developed into the Head Gamemaker. Before, you would believe the villain came from a harsh environment or followed the wrong people down the road, but you come to be proven wrong in this story and develop unexpected sorrow for him. Suzanne Collins’s writing strategy makes it difficult for the reader to pick between considering him a reasonable person for the choices he had to make along to way or a villain who cannot accept that he is turning into his father who he does not want to become. Overall, I recommend you try this book. It is a 10/10 for any independent reading project and will be a unique read compared to other books you have read. There are free audiobooks on YouTube to make you feel more involved in the story, and a movie that came out a couple of weeks ago that you can watch with your friends and family in movie theaters! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Inspirations Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 4 Issue 2 January 16, 2024 Image provided by Elaine Ching In the quiet of dawn, where dreams take flight, Inspiration whispers, a beacon of light. It dances on breezes, a muse in the air, A spark in the heart, a passion to bear.   In the depths of despair, it's a lifeline of hope, A lifter of spirits, a boundless scope. It paints the world with colors anew, Inspiration, a friend, forever true.   From nature's wonders to stories untold, Inspirations are treasures, more precious than gold. They fuel our ambitions, ignite the soul's fire, A force that propels us to reach ever higher.   In the darkest of nights, when shadows surround, Inspiration's a torch, a love that's profound. With words, art, or music, in all that we do, Inspirations create, and dreams they pursue.   So, cherish these moments, these gifts from above, For inspiration is the heartbeat of life, the purest of love. It's the whisper of angels, the courage to soar, Inspirations are timeless, forever, and more.   In every sunrise and each silent star's gleam, Inspiration resides in life's vibrant stream. A wellspring of power, an eternal muse, Inspirations are boundless, in them, we infuse.   They guide our endeavors, through journeys unknown, Inspirations as captains, our hearts they've shown. In the tapestry of life, they weave, and they blend, A source of creativity, with no limit or end.   So, embrace their embrace, let inspirations ignite, Your spirit and dreams in the day's brilliant light. In the dance of existence, through each twist and turn, Inspirations shall guide you, make your soul burn. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections James Webb: A Cosmic Time Machine By Elyas Layachi Volume 2 Issue 3 January 14, 2022 Image provided by NASA Introduction On December 25th, 2021, at 7:20 AM, the James Webb space telescope was launched aboard the Ariane 5 rocket from Arianespace’s ELA-3 launch complex in French Guiana. The telescope began its million-mile journey to the second Lagrange point (L2), a point in space where gravity from the Sun and Earth balance the orbital motion of a satellite. There are five known Lagrange points, and each makes a perfect viewing location for space telescopes. After launch, over the following 30 days, Webb will begin and continue to unfold and prepare itself for use, as it was previously folded up in the Ariane 5 rocket for launch. You can check the current progress of Webb’s unfolding and voyage here: Where Is Webb? NASA/Webb The development and construction of Webb officially began in 1996, and the telescope was named after James E. Webb, NASA’s second administrator who served between 1961 and 1968. The telescope was originally expected to launch in 2018, but complications led to its delay to May 2020. However, further complications due to the Covid-19 pandemic and technical issues led to another delay for launch. The launch was rescheduled to September, then November, then finally December 25th, 2021. The telescope is one of world’s most powerful space telescopes and will revolutionize current scientific knowledge regarding the universe. Overview Purpose The James Webb space telescope has many purposes, including: To search for light from the first stars and galaxies that formed in the Universe after the Big Bang. To study the formation and evolution of galaxies. To understand the formation of stars and planetary systems. To understand planetary systems and the origins of life. Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, which studies the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, the James Webb space telescope is designed to study the infrared, or heat portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared radiation has less energy than visible light and therefore requires both sensitive and precise instruments to measure. Design The James Webb space telescope’s design consists of many intricate parts, including: Optical Telescope Element (OTE). Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM). Sunshield. Spacecraft Bus. The ability for each part to work correctly and coordinated with the others is crucial to the mission. Below, we will examine each part and the role it plays for Webb. Optical Telescope Element (OTE) This portion of Webb includes the telescope’s 18 hexagonal-shaped mirrors, which help reflect light into the telescope. They are made from beryllium, a strong yet light element. The mirrors are so large they must be folded up during launch to fit into the rocket. The OTE also consists of a secondary mirror and a backplane, which is a large structure that holds and supports the hexagonal mirrors of the telescope. It also carries the entire module of scientific instruments, A.K.A. the Integrated Science Instrument Module (see below). Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) Also referred to as the “main payload” of the James Webb Space Telescope, this module houses the four main instruments that will detect light from distant stars and galaxies, and planets orbiting other stars. The first instrument is a Near-Infrared Camera, provided by the University of Arizona. It can detect light in the near and mid-infrared wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum and can see light from the earliest stars and galaxies in the process of formation, the population of stars in nearby galaxies, and young stars in the Milky Way and Kuiper Belt objects. Furthermore, it is equipped with coronagraphs, which, according to NASA, are instruments that allow astronomers to take pictures of very faint objects around a central bright object, such as stellar systems or planets orbiting stars. The second instrument is a Near-Infrared Spectrograph, provided by the European Space Agency, NASA, and the Georgia Student Finance Commission. This device is used to disperse light from an object into a spectrum. Scientists can use the spectrum of an object to learn more about its physical properties, including its mass, temperature, and chemical composition. The third instrument is a Mid-Infrared Instrument, also known as a MIRI, provided by the European Consortium with the European Space Agency and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It has both a camera and spectrograph that sees light in the mid-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes wavelengths longer than our eyes can see. It will be able to see the redshifted light of distant galaxies, newly forming stars, faintly visible comets, and objects in the Kuiper Belt. The final instrument is a Fine Guidance Sensor / Near InfraRed Imager and Slitless Spectrograph, provided by the Canadian Space Agency. This combination of smaller instruments allows Webb to point at specific regions in space precisely so it can obtain high-quality images. It has a wavelength of 0.8 to 5.0 microns. Sunshield Webb’s sunshield has the purpose of protecting the telescope from external sources of light and heat so it can detect the faint light and heat of distant stars and planets. It is conveniently positioned between the Sun, Earth, Moon, and the telescope. It will allow the telescope to cool down to a temperature below 50 Kelvin Degrees by also passively radiating the spacecraft’s heat into space. It also contains five layers of sun-shielding, with space in between each one, to radiate out the heat between the layers and use the vacuum of space as an insulator. The sunshield is made with Kapton, which is a lightweight material with special thermal properties. Spacecraft Bus Webb’s spacecraft bus provides the necessary support functions for the operation of Webb and houses six major subsystems: the electrical power subsystem, attitude control subsystem, communication subsystem, command and data handling subsystem, propulsion subsystem, and the thermal control subsystem. Other Parts Other parts of Webb that enable it to function include: The momentum flap, which balances the solar pressure on the sunshield. The Earth-pointing antenna, which sends scientific data back to Earth and receives commands from NASA’s Deep Space Network. The solar array, which is always facing the sun and converts sunlight to electricity to power the telescope. The star trackers, which are small telescopes that use star patterns to target the observatory. Why Analyze Infrared Light? As you can tell from both Webb’s description and its elements, the observatory is designed to study infrared light. But why infrared light, and not any other part of the electromagnetic spectrum? And how will analyzing light tell scientists about the past? Light, like everything else in our universe, has a speed limit, and it is arguably the speed limit of the universe since nothing can travel faster than light. Its speed is 3.00 * 10^8 meters per second. Since even light takes time to reach Earth, light that is farther away will take longer to reach our eyes than light closer. Scientists measure this distance in light-years, or the distance light can travel in a year, which is about 6 trillion miles. So, light from a star four light-years away, for example, would take four years to reach our eyes, and if we were looking at that star currently, we would see it four years in the past. This explains how Webb can see into the past by analyzing light from distant stars, but why infrared light? Because light from the Big Bang and the beginning of the universe is so old (13.8 billion years old to be exact), and because the universe is ever-expanding, the light has lost energy and its wavelength shifted from the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum to the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is what Webb is looking for. So, by searching for infrared radiation from distant stars, Webb can theoretically see up to 13.8 billion years into the past and study the origins of the universe. How cool! Webb and the Future of Astronomy With the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists will be able to better understand the origins of the universe and of distant stars and galaxies by studying the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. With such information, astronomy is bound to change forever. Be sure to stay connected with NASA when Webb’s first images roll out in February 2022! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections UDA College Nationals Giavanna Quagliata Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by Varsity TV UDA College Nationals UDA College Nationals is an event that has been all over social media; however, some may have watched it live on Varsity TV. Varsity TV is a website dedicated to exclusive live videos of cheer and dance competitions. UDA happened from January 12th to January 14th. Small fragments of each dance genre were posted to popular social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram. This increased publicity emphasized how hard each dancer and team worked to perfect the impeccable choreography they performed. What are the UDA College Nationals? UDA stands for Universal Dance Association. Most refer to this competition as, “The Super Bowl for Dancers,” which occurs every January at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex despite this year's “Dance Super Bowl” taking place in Orlando, Florida. The UDA was split into divisions. These divisions consist of the different genres of dance, including Hip Hop, Jazz, and Pom. For example, division 1 would be Hip Hop, and it continues. Each college had to choreograph for each genre and perform in front of judges, and thousands of spectators. The colleges that performed are from all over the world! Worldwide, people watched UDA, and many people had their opinions on who should have won. My two favorite colleges that competed were Ohio State and Minnesota! These two colleges excelled and didn’t miss a beat. They both had emotion and confidence. See for yourself on YouTube! To find the two videos just search up, “UDA nationals Ohio State,” or “UDA nations Minnesota.” If you don’t want spoilers don’t read! So, are you ready? Let’s see the results! Division IA - Hip Hop Results Louisiana State University, 97.2222 University of Nevada- Las Vegas, 96.4921 University of Memphis, 95.9365 San Diego State University, 95.0635 University of Central Florida, 90.6349 University of Cincinnati, 89.9206 Florida State University, 89.127 University of Michigan, 87.254 Washington State University, 85.9524 Division IA - Jazz Results Ohio State University, 98.9206 University of Minnesota Spirit Squad, 98.4286 Louisiana State University, 96.7778 University of Tennessee, 95.5556 University of Michigan, 94.6349 Texas Tech University, 94.1111 Florida State University, 93.9683 University of Alabama, 93.2857 University of Central Florida, 92.4444 Rutgers University, 91.5714 Washington State University, 91.2857 Division IA - Pom Results University of Minnesota Spirit Squad, 98.4762 Ohio State University, 97.7143 Pennsylvania State-University Park, 96.4762 Texas Tech University. 96.1429 University of Tennessee, 96.0317 University of Cincinnati, 94.9048 University of Memphis, 94.2222 University of Iowa, 93.127 Division I - Hip Hop Results University of Delaware, 90.6825 Utah Valley University, 89.9683 St John's University, 87.5714 Grand Canyon University, 86.0794 University of Saint Thomas, 85.1587 Saint Joseph's University, 84.9365 College of Charleston, 83.7302 Lindenwood University, 83.2381 Northern Arizona University, 81.2857 Division I - Jazz Results Cal State University Fullerton, 95.2063 Hofstra University, 94.2381 Utah Valley University, 93.8413 University of Saint Thomas, 93.0952 University of Delaware, 92.4921 Grand Canyon University,92.4444 UC Santa Barbara, 91.1111 University of Nebraska Omaha, 88.9683 Southeastern Louisiana University, 87.6825 College of Charleston, 87.6349 Division I - Pom Results Hofstra University, 96.0317 UC Santa Barbara, 94.6508 Cal State University Fullerton, 93.6508 Quinnipiac University, 93.0317 Saint Joseph's University, 92.746 South Dakota State University, 92.746 University of Northern Iowa, 90.381 North Dakota State University, 90.1429 Cornell University, 90 University of Nebraska Omaha, 90 Central Connecticut State Univ, 88.4127 Open - Hip Hop Results Northwest Community College, 88.2381 West Chester University, 85 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 81.0159 Stockton University, 80.9206 Rowan University, 80.1429 Univ of Puerto Rico RÃo Piedras, 79.6508 Worcester State University, 77.9683 University of Scranton, 77.4603 Open - Jazz Results Minnesota State University, Mankato, 94.2381 University of Minnesota-Duluth, 91.8889 Orange Coast College, 89.6667 St Cloud State University, 89.5397 Stockton University, 89.4762 Endicott College, 88.0952 College of St Benedict, 87.2222 Northwest Missouri State University, 87.1429 Adelphi University, 86.7619 The College of New Jersey, 86.381 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 85.0476 Univ of Puerto Rico RÃo Piedras, 84.746 St. Joseph's University New York, 83.9683 Rowan University, 82.4762 Open - Pom Results Minnesota State University, Mankato, 95.4921 Endicott College, 94.3651 University of Minnesota-Duluth, 92.1746 Orange Coast College, 90.5079 St Cloud State University, 90.3968 Northwest Missouri State University, 89.2698 College of St Benedict, 88.5556 The College of New Jersey, 86.6032 St. Joseph's University New York, 86.5238 University of Central Missouri, 86.1111 Adelphi University, 84.873 BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Prism Back to Sections Minayle Rahman - Prism By Minayle Rahman November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2

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 News Back to Sections Class Acts Giavanna Quagliata Volume 5 Issue 4 April 8, 2025 Don’t know how to get involved? I have an idea for you! Class Acts is a yearly competition for grades 10 through 12. During the event, four teachers are assigned to judge the competition. Each grade performs one act in each of the following categories: band, vocal, lip sync, and dance. Once the performances are finished, the judges make their remarks privately and decide which grade gets first, second, and third overall for their performances. Signing up is easier than you think it is. All you have to do is go to your Grade Council’s Team and look for the tab that says “CLASS ACTS 2025”. Fill out the form linked along with any friends who are part of your act, and your advisor will let you know if you made it into the show! Class Acts is Friday, March 14th at 7 PM. Do you know what that means? It means you can still sign up! Even if you don’t want to perform in Class Acts, you can always be there for support. If your friends are performing, or if you just want to go to check it out! Just ask your advisor or even a friend to help you get a ticket. Class Acts is for everyone, so whether you step up and perform or just sit in the audience, there’s no reason you shouldn’t get involved in this school activity. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Purpose Back to Sections Gilana Etame - Blue Orange Study By Gilana Etame November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2