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Back to Artwork Chalk Pastel Peppers Back to Sections Chalk Pastel Peppers- Aafia Aswad Aafia Aswad November 6, 2023 Chalk Pastel Volume 4 Issue 1

Back to Articles Advice Back to Sections Welcome Back: A Short Guide to the Beginning of the Year at North By Ala Paruch Volume 2 Issue 1 October 8, 2021 Original photography by Alicja Paruch Welcome back North Star Readers! I hope you all had a relaxing summer and a promising beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. With the world, including schools, starting up again, I hope I will help you all accommodate and enjoy it as much as possible! Similar to last year, feel free to send me all of your questions, school or non-school-related, and I will try to help you to the best of my abilities. To kick off a new year, I would like to introduce you to some of the electives and clubs that our school has to offer. Starting with departmental electives, I recommend Drawing and Painting from the Art Department. It can help you get to know yourself better and develop your art skills. Additionally, from the math department, AP Statistics is an excellent choice. Besides changing students’ perspectives on mathematics and the world around them, it teaches valuable skills for adult life. Women’s History , taught by Social Studies Department Chair Ms. Parisi herself, teaches students about the systemic biases towards women in history and the present, making them more self-aware. And lastly, if you have any previous experience in Band , Orchestra, or Chorus , consider joining them again here at VSN. They are great for bringing students closer to the music world and appreciating all types of music. After attending the Club Fair, I can recommend a few of VSN’s clubs as well. Firstly, Senior High Student Council , for grades 10-12, and Junior High Student Council , for grades 7-9, and individual grade councils serve essential roles in moving the school and your grades and leadership skills forward. You can help organize school events and get to know your schoolmates. The Alliance , the school’s club for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies, is also worth joining for diversity, social activism, and fun. Currently, they are preparing for National Coming Out Day, so if you would like to help them, feel free to join! Last but not least, with no bias whatsoever, North Star! North Star , the club in charge of the magazine you are reading right now, brings the North community closer. You can submit an article to us and become a member anytime you would like! Of course, there are many more electives and many more clubs. If you want to find out more about them, contact your guidance counselors or ask your friends who made it to the Club Fair. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Have a great school year, everyone! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Fiction, Polaris Back to Sections Precious Gems By Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 3 Issue 4 May 18, 2023 Image provided by Elaine Ching Amidst the branches Pearl-like blooms with golden cores, Nature's precious gems BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections The Future of the Supreme Court By Craig Papajohn-Shaw Volume 1 Issue 3 December 16, 2020 Image provided by AP News The recent passing of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in late September has led to a controversy surrounding the judicial branch. Her passing under the currently Republican Trump administration caused a problematic uprising among Democratic politicians. Many claimed a new justice should only be appointed once the election has taken place. Democratic Senators such as Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) were outraged with President Trump’s decision to make an appointment to the Supreme Court, tweeting on September 20, “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.” Much of this backlash was provoked by the perceived hypocrisy within the Republican Party when former President Obama attempted to appoint a new justice in his final year of office. He made this effort after Justice Anthony Scalia, a conservative, passed away in February of 2016, 237 days prior to the 2016 presidential election. However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) dismissed him from doing so, stating back in 2016, “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.” President Obama would go on to nominate Circuit Judge Merrick Garland; however, the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee prevented any hearings from being held for the judge. Mitch McConnell further said in 2016 that, “One of my proudest moments was when I looked Barack Obama in the eye and I said, ‘Mr. President, you will not fill the Supreme Court vacancy.’” Even with the past precedents that Republican senators set, President Trump would still nominate Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be the next Associate Justice on the Supreme Court, this time only 27 days prior to Election Day. The Republican Senate would ensure her placement on the court, as only a majority is needed for a Justice to be confirmed. On October 26, the Senate would confirm her with a 52-48 vote, staying along party lines apart from Susan Collins (R-ME). Senator Collins stated, “Prior to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, I stated that should a vacancy on the Supreme Court arise, the Senate should follow the precedent set four years ago and not vote on a nominee prior to the presidential election.” Her decision was striking to many, as she was in a close senate race with Sara Gideon (D). Judge Barrett would be sworn in that evening by Justice Clarence Thomas. The third confirmed justice by President Trump solidified a 6-3 conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court. During the 2019-2020 term, Chief Justice John Roberts was seen as a swing vote, occasionally joining the liberal bloc of the court, as in cases such as June Medical Services LLC v. Russo and Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California , both of which resulted in a 5-4 decision solidified by Justice Roberts’ vote. However, his role as a “swing vote” has been eliminated. This was recently exemplified in the November 25th decision of Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo where even though the ideological right-leaning Chief Justice, sided with the liberal bloc, he would still be in the minority as newly appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett sided with the conservative bloc, making this a 5-4 win for conservatives. Pending decisions on cases such as California v. Texas , which questions the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as Obamacare), which now has a penalty of zero for not buying health insurance, and if it is ruled to be unconstitutional, may further demonstrate the impact of the supermajority. Throughout Joe Biden’s campaign, the former Vice President, as well as Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), were pressed on their views regarding “court-packing,” or adding justices to the Supreme Court in order to benefit the Democratic agenda. The Constitution does not state a maximum number of justices the Court is required to have. However, the current state of having eight Associate Justices and one Chief Justice has been in place since 1869. Both the Former Vice President and the Senator have been avoiding and deflecting questions on this topic. Back in late October, Biden told CBS, “If elected, what I will do is I'll put together a national...bipartisan commission of scholars, constitutional scholars, Democrats, Republicans, liberal, conservative. And I will ask them to [spectate] over [the next] 180 days [and] come back to me with recommendations as to how to reform the court system because it's getting out of whack.” While the messages about the pressing issue from the incoming administration are unclear, it should be stressed that packing the courts is not a simple process. In the 1930s, Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt attempted to pack the courts when his “New Deal” legislation was being struck down. The Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, which would ultimately fail, was proposed as a way for Roosevelt to appoint up to six new justices for every member of the court over the age of 70. In the modern era, Joe Biden would need a simple majority in each chamber of Congress to add justices. However, even if the Democrats win both Georgia Senate runoff races in January, schisms within the party might make court-packing difficult, as certain Democratic senators have implied, they do not support the idea. As the 2020-2021 Supreme Court term progresses, the supermajority on the court will make influential decisions that will shape the country for decades to come. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections COVID-19 Vaccine: Ever-Changing By Matteo Somma Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Image provided by NY.GOV As many know, the COVID-19 vaccine has been available to the public for quite some time. Starting in late November/early December, two companies rolled out their vaccine: Pfizer and Moderna. To this day they are the leading vaccine manufacturers and distributors. Both brands of vaccine require two doses, with Pfizer’s being 21 days apart and Moderna’s 28 days apart. Both vaccines also hover around a 95% effectivity rate so far, and no major immediate reactions to the vaccine have been reported. Currently, front-line workers, residents over the age of 65, and essential workers, like teachers, have been prioritized in the distribution of the vaccine. At this time, there have been no trials on minors under 18 years old. Many people believe if you receive the COVID-19 vaccine, you will be immune to the virus. That is not entirely accurate; the vaccine only reduces the effects of the virus. You will also still have to wear a mask and socially distance in public after receiving the vaccine. However, the CDC recently released guidelines indicating that people who are vaccinated can remain indoors without social distancing under specific limitations. Despite popular belief, the COVID-19 vaccine is not a dead or weakened strain like other vaccines in the past, instead, mRNA can be found inside the vaccine. mRNA is a messenger RNA, and RNA is smaller strands of polymers. What the mRNA does is it leaves a set of instructions for the immune cells to make the antigens that are needed to fight the virus. The COVID-19 vaccine is still ever-changing with new technologies being discovered every day. Some companies are working on a one-time dose of the vaccine that mutates with the COVID-19 virus, while other companies are injecting tiny lipid nanoparticles into the bloodstream to act as artificial antigens for the virus. Ground-breaking scientific discoveries are being made every day. Now, while we don’t know if any of these will work, what is for certain is that we will get through this together if we continue to stay safe. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections With The Trust I Had By Sarah Velez Volume 2 Issue 6 April 14, 2022 Image provided by Max Pixel Running through corn fields hand in hand. Not looking back to a wrecked past. Where childhood was nothing but pain. Really hope they live in vain. Worst thing is you meet someone new and they walk right out of your life. Or stab you in the back with your own knife. Wish I could have everyone who left, back here again. I don’t even know why they first came. Everyone who left me thought I was lame. Except for those few that had to go. They probably don’t even know how much they mean. If only right next to them I could be. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork The Memory Project Back to Sections Zainab- Kimberly Shrestha Kimberly Shrestha February 24, 2023 Volume 3 Issue 3

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections The Holiday Season and Representation By Alain Deen Volume 3 Issue 2 December 23, 2022 Image provided by Elaine Ching The modern holiday season occurs during the months of November through early January. Most notably, the holiday season encompasses Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Thanksgiving. It is also associated with a rigid increase in shopping, sales, and marketing. Furthermore, the holiday season has faced immense commercialization throughout the years, with industries developing a stark desire for profit. The film and media industry are primary culprits of this concept, often prioritizing profit margin in contrast to producing films which appeal to a variety of audiences, especially in the United States. This is ironic, especially considering the diverse populace of modern United States. With various races, ethnicities, and religions inhabiting the United States, it is utterly crucial to adhere to the representation and portrayal of minorities within these groups In a 2018 Variety article, the Motion Picture Association of America conducted a study to identify the spread of racial demographics in terms of movie-going. The MPPA’s report highlighted that Latinos, which represent about 18% of the U.S population, composed 24% of consistent moviegoers. Additionally, Asians fall not too far behind, accounting for 8% of frequent moviegoers. It is worth noting that Asians represent only 6% of the U.S population, as well. Caucasians, comprising 61% of the U.S population, amounted to 54% of consistent moviegoers. The study also demonstrated the ever-growing popularity of film culture among minority audiences across the United States, with the number of frequent African American moviegoers doubling to 5.6 million in contrast to the year prior. Of particular interest, film culture is only expanding across marginalized audiences within the United States, as the film industry begins to implement representational techniques in writing, casting, and directing to efficiently entertain the U.S populace. Therefore, there seems to be an increasing need for the film industry to represent and depict stories regarding the lesser-known holidays of the holiday season. To properly evaluate the necessity of representational films regarding minority-based holidays, it is best to analyze specific examples and determine their ineffectiveness in providing audiences with memorable content and even nostalgia. Specifically, seasonal films most often involve Christmas with subtle Hanukkah sublots to ensure a sense of “inclusivity.” However, to actually represent and appeal to the Jewish population, it is crucial to include the cultural values of Hanukkah itself. When most people think of Jewish holiday films, their minds might drift to Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights. In short, the film involves Davey Stone, a 33-year-old party animal who finds himself in trouble with the law. For one last chance at redemption, the judge allows Davey to the spend the holiday season performing community service as an assistant referee for a local youth basketball league, or else he heads to jail. With a severely underwhelming IMDB rating of 5.3/10, Eight Crazy Nights proves to be a massive flop for Jewish audiences across the nation. Rotten Tomatoes reviews are no help either, with critics calling the film distasteful, stereotypical, unwatchable, and offensive. This is a prime example of the necessity of the film industry to develop rich, authentic, stories regarding Hanukkah, effectively and sensitively representing the Jewish population. A similar sentiment is present with Kwanzaa, as about 12.5 million people in the United States celebrate the holiday. It is crucial to represent cultures of all kinds, especially through the medium of film. Most modern films regarding Kwanzaa are documentaries, namely The Black Candle (2008). Even so, the film yielded an underwhelming 6.6/10 rating on IMDB. It is also worth noting that I could not find any fictional films with Kwanzaa-related themes, plots, or even sublots, demonstrating the sheer need for films regarding the lesser-represented holidays of the holiday season. Overall, the lack of representational holiday films demonstrates the ever-growing need for compelling, rich, and nuanced stories to be told through a holiday-oriented lens. However, it is not too late. Film culture is always growing among “minority” audiences in the United States. Therefore, young filmmakers, writers, and creatives alike may join forces to create a new, diverse era of holiday classics. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections If Aldous Huxley Were a Mathematician By Lucy Wu Volume 2 Issue 6 April 14, 2022 Image provided by High Times *Note: This article contains minor plot spoilers for Brave New World , the satirical novel by Aldous Huxley. If you would like to preserve your initial reaction to this novel, please refrain from reading this article. During quarter 2, the AP Literature classes, were tasked with reading and analyzing Brave New World, one of the most notable (and existentially terrifying) works of Aldous Huxley. Unlike most dystopian books, the society is not inherently horrifying for its post-apocalyptic citizens or war-torn landscapes, but for their docile complacency and unwavering happiness (for the most part, at least). Certainly, ideas abnormal and even taboo to our modern world including a vehement aversion to literature and maintaining non-nuclear family households were plentiful throughout the novel. But while reading, something else was amiss. The thing that bothered me the most was not the artificial duplication of humans or depriving them of flowers when born. It was not even John’s secretive pursuit of Lenina (which was mildly uncomfortable to say the least). Rather, when introducing the social classes, the basis of the World-State and major source of character tension in the book, Huxley utilized Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons to delineate between the social classes. Alphas are the highest class, followed by the Betas, and continuing until Epsilons, who are the slaves of the society as they are deprived of the most oxygen in the Bokanovsky process (don’t try that at home). Each class has distinguishing characteristics from their cloned appearances to the color uniform they wear, but it is made abundantly clear that being an Alpha is most desirable. Thus, the novel fixates on just a few of the lucid Alpha or Beta men and women of the society. The book piqued my interest because of Huxley’s immaculate attention to detail, unparalleled intention, and hidden meanings peppered throughout the novel. I admired his wittiness like his play on words: instead of “Lord,” the citizens say “Ford” (like the Model T Ford) because technology and automation prevail as their God. Thus, I had anticipated a greater analysis of the classes from Huxley, and not just a quick utilization of Greek alphabet letters. So when he didn’t spend paragraphs and pages rambling on about the ornate class structure, or even scrutinize the viewpoints of each class member closely, I was truthfully, disappointed. For the rest of the novel, this perturbed me: my thoughts ran rampant and my psyche was heightened with unease. I wish I was being hyperbolic (pun definitely intended: get it? hyperbola/hyperbole?) but I’m 100% serious. Ford, the missed potential! What do these symbols really mean? How could these interpretations contribute to the themes present in the overall work? (Sorry, I stole that one from Q3 of the AP Lit exam). Thus, it begged the question: what if Aldous Huxley were a mathematician? But always, permutation matters. In our case, Huxley will still maintain all of his skill as a novelist and philosopher, but his literary choices will be laden with his newfound mathematical skill. peripheral Alphas - Grey Betas - Mulberry Gammas - Green Deltas – Khaki Conveniently enough, in mathematics, there are two forms of the delta symbol: Delta (with a capital D) is the triangle shape, one that symbolizes change over time delta (with a lowercase d) is like a snake, and generally symbolizes a tiny quantity Thus if Huxley were a true mathematician, Deltas would be the instigators for change in the society, as opposed to his fixation on solely Alphas and Betas. He could focus on the plight of the lower classes, Epsilons - Black In my opinion, out of all the social classes, epsilon is perfectly named. In the novel, the epsilons are the bottom of the barrel in society. Trust me when I say you do not want to be an epsilon. They cannot form coherent, independent thoughts, and we repeatedly witness Alphas and Betas mocking them, expressing their gratuity that they were not conditioned to be an epsilon. If that wasn’t enough, they’re even purposely short in stature. But Paul Erdos, the notoriously eccentric mathematician, fondly refers to the small children in his life as epsilons. Thus, epsilons in the novel perfectly match their definition, since they both denote infinitesimal quantities the closest you can approach zero without having absolutely nothing numerically and socially. For the majority of the novel, the classes have minimal intermingling and most do not even talk to each other. But I think Roof deserves a friend, so in terms of proofs, it would have made perfect sense to pair him with a delta, since they are both small forces in an oppressive society. Moreso, -------------------------- As a bonus, I’ll resolve one of our heated debates from class. John, our protagonist in the second half of the novel, is described by Mustapha Mond, the World Controller, as merely an experiment because he enters the World-State as an outsider from the Reservation. This led to the seeds for an analogy; if the society is the overall experiment, is John the independent or dependent variable in the trials that are the different colonies? As a result, John represents Keep in mind, in order to truly quantify the accuracy and magnitude of the effect, there must be a large sample size or n tested. To avoid erroneous conclusions and implications of causation rather than correlation, Mond must repeatedly test John’s presence in nearly identical societies, always checking for confounding variables. Control variable? Control group?? Existential negation In technical writing, we call this proof by contradiction. For instance, (There are many other methods to discuss, but we’d go through the entirety of mathematics before we finished.) I understand my demands are great, given the parameters. After all, Huxley is a philosopher, a constant in his writing, and not a mathematician (but one can dream, can’t they?). And to give credit where credit is due, he certainly gets some things right, such as the epsilons (roof!). However, by happenstance or intention, we may never know. Certainly, I believe peering into the lives of the other caste classes would prove illuminating, but alas, where is the political commentary in that? But my initial question lends itself to asking: what if Huxley were an economist? Or a priest? Or even a genetic engineer? How drastically would his social classes change if so? What does it all mean in the context of the novel? But after exploring the intricacies of mathematical social classes, I think such questions are best not pondered. Instead I suggest, “don’t give a damn, take a gramme” of soma. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Story Behind the Shot 02 By Olivia Neuner Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Original photos by Olivia Neuner Welcome back to the 2nd installment of “Story Behind the Shot”! My name is Olivia and I have a confession to make; I was that crazy puppy girl in first grade. Ok… now that we have that out of the way, allow me to introduce you to my beagle, Daisy! Last year, after my acting coach made an Instagram for her dog, Winston, I decided it would be a fun idea to make Daisy one too. Over the year we have had the account, Daisy and I have made furry friends from around the world, including some dogs from England, Germany, and Japan. It has been a great way to “travel” during the pandemic. (Top) Brought to you by my self-timer, this is my favorite picture and is currently my profile picture for my Instagram. I took this picture right after filming a lip-sync video for my musical theatre class. I had been in quarantine for a few months, and this was the first time I put on a nice outfit and makeup, making me feel confident and happy with my video. Daisy laid down next to me, and I felt it was only appropriate to get a picture on the best sunny day of the month. (Bottom Left) This picture is from Daisy’s 11th Birthday at Hempstead Lake Park. My family and I throw our dog a party every year, and even during a pandemic we wanted to continue the tradition. We had a great day filled with walks and treats, and even a dog cake. (Bottom Right) This picture features Daisy with her favorite drink from Starbucks; the puppichino. The drink is simple; but to us it’s more than just a free cup of whipped cream. During the first month of quarantine, my family and I feeling desperate for an outing hopped in the car and drove to our local Starbucks drive-thru. The line was over 30 minutes long, but nonetheless we were happy for any reason to get out of the house. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to go back once a week for the next few months; the time together in the car was a great way to catch up and clear our minds, and Daisy was always very excited to go for a ride. This picture was from the second time she ever had the treat, and her hesitant yet interested look is something I find translates well even if you don’t know her. BACK TO TOP