Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections My Predictions For The New York Knicks 2024-2025 NBA Season Yusuf Hamid Volume 5 Issue 2 November 25, 2024 Image Provided by Elaine Ching Predictions for The New York Knicks 2024-2025 NBA Season As the 2024-2025 NBA season starts, I wanted to share my prediction for the Knicks’ upcoming season. The Knicks made huge moves this current off-season by trading two superstars, Mikal Bridges and Karl Anthony Towns, and Jalen Brunson’s selfless move to take a $113 million pay cut (Brener, 2024). Their expectations, not just for Knicks fans, but for all NBA fans, are tremendous. It is vital to talk about the Knicks’ last season. The Knicks finished their regular season with a record of 50-32 and the second-best team in the east. While this is upstanding news, there was a “bitter pill” the Knicks had to swallow along the way. The Knicks’ starting power forward, Julius Randle, injured his shoulder on January 27th against the Miami Heat (Sam, 2023). Randle was not able to play for the rest of both the regular season and post season. This was devastating news to hear as a Knicks fan because Randle plays a key role on the team. Randle averaged 24 points, 5 assists, and 9.2 rebounds per game. To lose such a player like Randle felt like blowing out a tire while racing the Daytona 500. Luckily, the Knicks had a spare, Josh Hart. When Josh Hart was pushed to the starting role for the Knicks, he averaged 11.4 points, 5.5 assists, and 10.3 rebounds (Stat Muse). This statistic clearly showed the proverb, when one door closes, another door opens. Some Knicks fans even talked about trading Randle overall because Josh Hart was doing a better job at power forward and the uncertainty of Randle’s shoulder injury and how it would affect his ability to play basketball. When the Knicks entered the post season, they had to verse the 2023 MVP, Joel Embiid, and a menacing 76er team in the first round. It was a “dog fight” between these two teams, but overall, the Knicks beat the 76ers in 6 games. Beating the 76ers was a magnificent accomplishment for the Knicks, but they suffered injuries to Mitchell Robinson, Bojan Bogdanovic, and OG Anunoby. This hindered the possibility of the Knicks' chances of winning the NBA Finale. The Knicks then had to beat the Pacers in the second round. During this series, even more Knicks players got injured like Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. Even after facing these difficulties, the Knicks were able to take the Pacers to seven games, where they eventually lost and were eliminated from the playoffs. This was devastating news as a Knicks fan, knowing that the Knicks were expected to, at the bare minimum, make it to the Easter Conference Finals, but were affected immensely by how many key players were injured on their team. The Knicks were simply dealt a bad hand. This current off-season, the Knicks made two huge trades for two huge superstars. The Knicks first traded away Bojan Bogdanovic, Mamadi Diakite, Shake Milton, and an astonishing five first round picks to the Nets for Mikal Bridges, Keita Bates-Diop, and a second-round pick (NBA News Service). Mikal Bridges is a 6’6 small forward who is averaging almost 20 points per game. The Knicks then traded away Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, other small role players and a second-round pick for Karl Anthony Towns. According to USA Today Sports basketball section, HOOPSHYPE, Karl Anthony Towns is the fifth best power forward this upcoming NBA season. And the “cherry on top” was Jalen Brunson’s selfless act of taking a $113 million pay cut so the Knicks could afford all their players. With their star-studded line up, the Knicks were one of the four teams that were predicted to win this season’s NBA championship (Cluff, 2024). Overall, this could be the Knicks’ year as they went through immeasurable mishaps last season. The combination of Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns will be one of the best all-star duos in the league. Plus, the chemistry of this team overall is significant. Nerveless, there is always the chance of the unpredictable, but as for right now…expect in June to see Jalen Brunson holding the NBA Finals championship. Sources: - https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiJ-9fSxJuJAxUqFlkFHVfiAEIQFnoECBMQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.statmuse.com%2Fnba%2Fask%2Fjosh-hart-stats-without-randle-on-knicks&usg=AOvVaw2blqFcryiwYoo-g4RGatoX&opi=89978449 - https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjHnPu_v5uJAxVoEFkFHYWxLcgQFnoECBMQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2F10136150-knicks-rumors-julius-randle-expected-to-return-from-injury-for-start-of-nba-season%23%3A~%3Atext%3DRandle%2520injured%2520his%2520shoulder%2520during%2Cseason%252Dending%2520procedure%2520in%2520April.&usg=AOvVaw0XxY3bmVwBcOBJryWn-LFd&opi=89978449 - New York Knicks Legend Carmelo Anthony Addresses Jalen Brunson Contract ( si.com ) - 2023-24 New York Knicks Roster and Stats | Basketball-Reference.com - Knicks acquire Mikal Bridges from Nets for haul of picks, Bojan Bogdanovic | NBA.com - Knicks acquire Karl-Anthony Towns in 3-team trade | NBA.com - NBA ranking: The Top 24 power forwards for the 2023-24 season ( hoopshype.com ) - https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjg9oyD55uJAxVKKlkFHcHVNDcQvOMEKAB6BAgOEAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.azcentral.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fnba%2F2024%2F10%2F18%2Fnba-championship-odds-celtics-thunder-knicks-76ers-2024-25-season%2F75737066007%2F&usg=AOvVaw1e6tWZjGXP6dUmO9ja7T6r&opi=89978449 BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Art Guild Back to Sections My Sister and I By Willene Exinvil November 24, 2020 Charcoal Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections In Honor of Gina Pellettiere Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 Image provided by Massapequa Funeral Home In the world of music, a teacher's grace, Gina Pellettiere, a shining face. Dude, was her call, all fun through and through, In her community, bonds forever grew.   In the band that felt like a family's embrace, She built a supportive, positive space. A safe haven where her students could be, Impacting their lives, a legacy to see.   Energetic and full of life's zest, She inspired her students, always their best. Happiest memories, nugget fights and more, Creating bonds that our hearts still adore.   As she played the trumpet, her passion did show, In band camp and karaoke, a vibrant flow. Her love for her students, an unwavering flame, Inspiring a music teacher, in her name.   In her work, music's rhythm, and band's charm, She led with devotion, with warmth and calm. She'd ask about muffins, the weather, and more, Creating moments worth cherishing for sure.   Gina Pellettiere, a teacher so dear, In the world of music, she's always near. Her impact, her energy, her legacy, so grand, In the hearts of her students, forever to stand. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections The Nightmare Before Christmas - A Reaction Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 Image provided by Tim Burton and Rick Heinrichs As the spooky season rears its ugly head and Halloween draws closer and closer, people are starting to rewatch older Halloween movies to get into the spooky mood. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the most well-known Halloween movies to date and is still very popular. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 stop-motion film not directed by Tim Burton contrary to popular belief but by Henry Selick who also directed Coraline . Although he didn’t direct the movie, Tim Burton produced and wrote its story. Production of the movie started in 1991 and was finally completed in October 1993. That Halloween season marked the first of many years of merchandise, costumes, and the movie’s popularity. The Nightmare Before Christmas takes place in Halloween Town. A dark, scary place where its residents prepare for Halloween each day. Our protagonist, Jack Skellington, is the representative of this town. He is respected and revered, but something is missing. We follow Jack as he travels outside Halloween Town for the first time and discovers Christmas. He feels as if he has discovered a part of him that was missing. We watch as he tries to introduce Christmas to Halloween Town and even attempts to replace Santa Claus himself. He kidnaps Santa Claus and takes over Christmas, trying to deliver presents all over the world. While Jack tries to prepare for Christmas, Santa is taken by Oogie Boogie, an evildoer in Halloween Town, and is held captive. Despite his efforts, Jack’s attempts to replace Santa fail and he is unable to deliver all the presents. Through his failure, Jack realizes that he doesn’t need to take over Christmas when he can fully appreciate Halloween Town and what it has to offer him. He returns to Halloween Town to free Santa Claus from Oogie Boogie so Santa can save Christmas. Overall, the movie is an enjoyable watch and great for a comfortable Saturday in autumn. The stop-motion animation creates a cozy feeling that, despite the movie’s Halloween theme, makes it feel a lot more Christmas-y. Stop motion is a difficult animation style that requires each scene of the film to be shot photo by photo, with someone moving each figure after every picture. Knowing this, I have such a large amount of respect for the people who were a part of the production of this film. This animation style fits the movie perfectly and helps create the nostalgic feeling the movie has today. Not only is the animation impeccable but the compositions are just as great. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a musical and each musical number was masterfully crafted by Danny Elfman. Each song is so catchy; I found myself humming them for weeks after I rewatched the movie. Even the background music makes every scene so impactful. Each song fit the scene it was in and made me enjoy the movie even more. The Nightmare Before Christmas is an amazing movie that I would highly recommend to anybody who hasn’t seen it. Valley Stream North recently hosted a movie night showing the movie with snacks and a dark spooky atmosphere for you to enjoy. Even if you missed the showing, watching this movie is definitely worth your time. Whether you see it as a Christmas or Halloween movie, one thing is clear. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a movie that will invoke nostalgia and Halloween joy for years to come. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Ducks By Navrosedip Kindles Volume 3 Issue 2 December 23, 2022 Image provided by Elaine Ching so softly floating lovely ripples in the lake Oh my…… such cute ducks! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Cody's Words of Advice Cody Sung Volume 5 Issue 1 September 20, 2024 Image Provided by Elaine Ching It has been an amazing five years at Valley Stream North High School. Before I leave, I want to give a few words of advice. Don’t procrastinate. I procrastinate with everything (even with this article!) and while I have made it out, it was very stressful sometimes. Something that I found helpful is taking breaks every 30 minutes. Use around 5 minutes to drink, exercise, or do anything else that you find helpful, and then focus for the next 30 minutes. Keep going until you are done with the task. Manage your time well. I always struggled with this since I always underestimated the time I needed to do a certain task. Always allot significantly more time to a task than you think it takes. Additionally, start early with big projects. I always waited until the last day or last few days, and I always stayed up multiple hours late finishing the project. My mom was not happy. Starting early allows you to spread out the project over many days and not have to crunch everything into a few days. There’s always the issue of you having so much work to do in a day that it doesn’t allow you to work on the project, and a more spread-out approach helps mitigate this – just work more on the project a different day when you have less work! Find a balance in life. I don’t have specific advice about this as it depends on the person, but don’t try to overload yourself with classes and activities – it’s a great way to harm your mental health. Yes, sometimes you must do that (*cough* beloved Asian parents cough ), but if you do, pick classes and activities you genuinely find enjoyable. No, “activities” doesn’t mean that you should relax for multiple hours and cram work in at the end of the day (see the first paragraph on procrastination). And as a final piece of advice: stay informed about science and the news in general. It never hurts knowing more about what’s going on in the world. Thank you for reading my articles in the North Star , and good luck. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Nostalgic Musings Back to Sections Sophia Song - Nostalgic Musings - 4 By Sophia Song February 10, 2022 Photography Volume 2 Issue 4

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Do we need to "cancel" Thanksgiving? By Habib Rattani Volume 1 Issue 2 November 24, 2020 Image provided by Getty Images Covid cases have risen once again, so should people cancel Thanksgiving celebrations altogether? Some people agree while others disagree. Personally, I feel everyone can have their own opinion, but they should be free to make their own choices. Individuals should be able to make their own decision, but it is hard with all the opinions going around in the news and on the internet. These opinions spread fast and far, influencing others to believe certain things including on this matter. America stands for freedom, so individuals can make their own decision without one person or group dictating what they can or cannot do in their own homes. Thanksgiving is a time to spend with loved ones and be thankful for what you have. If everyone in the household tested negative and is comfortable with being around one another, then I don't see an issue. If everyone is Covid-free and keeping precautions in place, they should be able to have a gathering. At the end of the day, it's all up to the attendees attending the event being organized. There are some set guidelines, but there has been advice given by health experts stating their concern and suggesting everyone stays home and celebrates with only the individuals living in their household. According to some statements by health experts, ABC news reported "The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is to celebrate with people in your household," the agency reported what one of those experts said: "If you do plan to spend Thanksgiving with people outside your household, take steps to make your celebration safer. My hope is I think a lot of people were not going to travel who did in the past," he said. "I think a lot of people made that decision already for a variety of reasons. My hope is the folks who were on the fence and were hoping to travel, you know, thinking about it, planning a little bit, will now realize it's not the time to travel." I agree with the enthusiasm towards taking precautions, but the fact of the matter is, if someone feels safe and comfortable enough, they should be able to travel. I don't agree with health experts adding comments toward the matter which may manipulate the audience in one direction or another. A number of Covid deaths were due to other health issues in the individual’s body, but the “cause of death” would be reported as due to Covid. For example, someone may pass away from Covid, but also had heart disease or diabetes. There are many underlying factors that go into the cause of death due to Covid, not just Covid alone.  People need to attend to all of their health needs, especially during the pandemic. In some cases, celebrating Thanksgiving with people not living in your household could be unsafe. Covid cases have risen once again and the second wave is said to be upon us. Due to some of these factors, I can justify the concern of others for travelling and spending Thanksgiving with more distant loved ones as an issue. Due to these concerns, precautions should be taken. For example, if you had planned on travel, you should have been tested, and quarantined, to make sure you do not affect others if you happen to have Covid. As reported by ABC news, “The CDC says to make Thanksgiving safer; if you are with friends or family outside your household, you should wear a well-fitting mask, keep 6 feet of distance from people who do not live with you, and keep hands clean. The agency also recommends bringing your own plate, cups, and utensils, store your mask safely while eating and drinking, avoid going in and out of the kitchen while food is being prepared, and using single-use options for condiments and food containers.” These are some suggested safety measures that could be taken which do make sense and help provide as much safety as possible for those who choose to celebrate Thanksgiving with people outside their immediate household. Even with these suggestions, the decision should be up to the person without others' opinion manipulating the individual's thought process. Agencies and media outlets’ opinions weighing too heavily could create drastic measures being taken, like banning travel altogether. A solution to the problem could be as simple as providing insight on statistics and the current situations for the area you wanted to travel to for the holiday. Depending on all the evidence and looking at the situation wisely, if the individual is comfortable with traveling, they should be free to do so. However, precautions should be taken, for example, wearing a mask when travelling, staying six feet apart, and getting tested. The real question is: do you think Thanksgiving should be “canceled” due to Covid? BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork The Memory Project Back to Sections Gurleen Kaur - Memory Project By Gurleen Kaur March 18, 2021 Volume 1 Issue 6

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections Artistic Perspective By Olivia Muscatelli Volume 1 Issue 3 December 16, 2020 Original artwork by Olivia Muscatelli The images I enjoy taking the most are of landscapes. Like Ansel Adams, a famous landscape photographer, I visualize each picture before taking it. I think about the way I want the picture to look in the final image before I start shooting and prefer a realistic approach rather than relying on heavy editing. I also believe careful composition and balancing the contrast between the light and dark areas of an image lead to the best results. These were all techniques Ansel Adams applied to his work. Although he is known for black-and-white photographs, I also like to use color to bring more life to certain images. BACK TO TOP