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Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Dulcetta By Nora Chery Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Image provided by the Food Network Sophia let out an exhale when she plumped down on her chair. She sat there, quickly gathering as much oxygen as she could, then releasing it inside the small space of her kitchen. She used her left forearm to wipe the sweat from her forehead, though the rest of her body was coated with it, staining the red baggy shirt she was wearing. When her session of heavy breathing had somewhat dampened, she shot out a huff of annoyance. She was, once again, disappointed with herself; a minuscule time of eight minutes and she already felt like she was running a 24-hour long marathon. “It’s such a challenge to lose even a pound”, she thought to herself, making a trip to the refrigerator. She reached down, her hand passing the chocolate pudding and the left-over butterscotch cinnamon pie for the container spinach-kale salad. Grabbing a plastic fork, she sat down on her chair and sunk the fork into the salad. She took small bites and munches; the salad tasted decent enough, but it didn’t compare to the sweet smell that caught her attention. Sophia immediately froze when she noticed who the smell belonged to. So, she’s still here . The heels of her shoes clicked across the tiled floor, making their way towards the backside of Sophia. No doubt it was her - Dulcetta. Her soft chest leaned on the space of Sophia’s back, her chin resting on her shoulders. A long slow exhale through the nose let out cinnamon sugar scent. It had nearly made her betray her promise, to herself, of keeping a calm composure. “Are you forgetting someone, Sophia?” Her breathy honeyed voice asked, sinking her weight. Sophia kept her focus on the salad, gulping slowly. Dulcetta was brightly gorgeous with soft lips, people of any preference, would dream of kissing. Her body in a beautifully designed dress with unconscious elegance, Sophia knew why she had come. “No” Sophia had replied lowly, “I don’t — I don’t think so.” “Cleary... you’ve forgotten about me,” she soothed. Dulcetta placed her thin pointer and thumb under Sophia’s plump chin, giving a somewhat stern squeeze. Just as Sophia’s body did not do any sort of action, her salad abandoned. She was once again relentlessly breathing hard, as she tried to make herself uncomfortable under the sweet woman’s grip. Dulcetta barely noticed or even cared. “You’ve always started and continued the day with me,” she said calmly “I’m a bit hurt.” Sophia’s stomach churned, as she gulped, the smell was becoming more and more intoxicating; Dulcetta smirked. “Not now... not anymore,” uttered Sophia “I’m-I’m going to change, and I can’t have you waltzing around in my life, ruining it.” Dulcetta’s grip on Sophia’s chin grew tighter. “Oh, darling no — darling c’mon, you don’t mean that,” Dulcetta stated sweetly. “You don’t want to change, you don’t want that salad, you want me. And I want you because you’re my little piggy.” Sophia said nothing. She only looked down at her spinach-kale salad, her large chunky body shifted. The salad didn’t seem all at that decent. She felt her pudgy face turn towards Dulcetta’s smiling face. “Who’s my little piggy?” Dulcetta asked as she leaned over for a kiss. “I am.” Sophia muttered ---- Sophia leaned down to take a bite of her butterscotch cinnamon pie. It’s such a challenge to lose even a pound , she told herself, cutting out another piece. But I can always start another day . BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Back to Sections Isabella Mascetti By Isabella Mascetti Volume 3 Issue 1

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Next Level Electives Noa Cordova Volume 4 Issue 2 January 16, 2024 Image provided by The Guardian New School Year, New Electives Creative Writing, Public Speaking, Journalism, Intro to Film, and Theater are some of the many English electives offered here at North. What if students had the opportunity to take English electives that would prepare them for their English studies outside of the English classrooms here at North? For the 2024-2025 school year, the English department proposes five English electives, three that will provide North students with the opportunity to earn college credit from either Molloy College or Stonybrook University. How does will these new opportunities impact students’ future studies of English at the college level? Are they worth taking? Students should definitely consider taking these new English electives as they will encourage students to expand their horizons and delve into multicultural literature, essay writing, film, creative writing, and theater at a college level, while earning college credits before ever leaving high school. Why Take Electives to Begin With? As we go through our years here at North, our schedules become fuller, and the workload becomes heavier; it’s easy to set aside our passions to focus on core curriculum classes. Although most electives don’t have any weight to your GPA, they do carry some weight apart from your transcript. By taking electives you can “identify and develop new skills that will make you a valuable addition to any workplace” (College Raptor, 2023). Electives can essentially help you learn more about yourself and your interests. You may discover a new passion while taking an elective, and discover it as something you may want to pursue a future career in. Apart from opening yourself up to new experiences, electives provide you with the power to control what you learn about and help foster an intrinsic motivation to explore different topics (Marzano 2023). Choosing an elective because you are passionate about it or because you want to try something new may feel like a breath of fresh air in a day packed with more traditionally structured classes. It’s a common belief amongst many highschoolers that your schedule must be packed with as many AP classes as possible, but it's time to consider that electives have a different type of importance; they may lead to the discovery to new passions, help balance your schedule and motivate you to learn. College Theater and Film: Behind the Curtain and Behind the scenes Theater and Intro to Film are electives currently offered at North; however, College theater and Film will be offered in cooperation with Stony Brook University. College theater will provide students with the opportunity to play all the roles in theater; students can play the role of an actor, director, and playwright. College Theater may be the perfect elective for those that participate in the VSN Drama Club productions regularly, but it may be equally suitable for someone who’s never stepped foot on a stage. Electives are your chance to step out from behind the curtain and into the spotlight. You may find yourself surprised by what theater can do for your public speaking and performing skills. Giving up your seat in the audience to learn about the backstage goings on of theater may prove to be an enlightening experience you wouldn’t have lived otherwise. I’ll also encourage you, whether you are a film buff or not, to move from in front of your screen to behind the scenes with the college level Intro to Film elective. In this half-year elective, you will learn the various components of film, from directing techniques to the social impact of film. Taking a walk-through time as you explore the different film styles from eras will expose you to the unique perspectives of accredited film makers and deepen your appreciation for the countless themes that those behind the cameras portray. For three college credits, Stony Brook welcomes you to take a walk behind the curtain and behind the scenes. College Creative Writing: Learning the Craft and How to Draft In cooperation with Molloy College for three college credits, our English department here at North offers a college creative writing class taught in a workshop approach. For those, like me, who took Creative Writing in the past, this course offers the chance to delve deeper into the writing process touched upon in Creative Writing. For aspiring poets, or those who can appreciate strong creative writing pieces, this elective will help you master the craft of imagery, creating dialogue and analyzing the many wonders of literature. You may want to consider taking this elective as a break from the typical non-fiction pieces that take up your class periods throughout the day and focus on something a little more personally realistic, like the deep ideas conveyed through creative writing. Finding Your Voice in Literature and English College Prep: Multicultural and Multifaceted Our Valley Stream North English Department encourages you to ‘’expand your horizons’’ and immerse yourself in ‘’diverse literary landscapes’’ with the new elective, Finding Your Voice in Literature. As we’re taught in Social Studies classes we live in a globalized society, meaning we should acknowledge and try to understand the different perspectives of the world around us. Exposing yourself to multicultural literature will enable you to hear the powerful voices of people around the world through silent letters of a page. Our English Department teachers remind us of the danger of having a single story, a reminder of what author Chimamanda Adichie talks about during her TED Talk, The Danger of a Single Story. You may want to think about welcoming multi-cultural literature into your world, not just in preparation for college, but for your own edification. On the topic of voices through writing, the English College Prep elective helps you learn to distinguish your voice from the thousands of other applicants through your college essay, a personal narrative. Your college essay gives you the freedom to show admissions officers who you really are, so I’d say it is worth your while if you're looking to wow the admissions officers. We all know by now that the college application process is multi-faceted and requires more than just a college essay; resumes can be equally as important. This elective will help you create a resume that will shine a light on your passions and the skills you have to offer, so that you can stand out. The transition from high school to college is far from easy, but you may decide to try this elective to help smooth your transition and make the multi-step application process seem less daunting. Will you consider giving these electives a try? If so, what will you choose? Will you explore what goes on backstage or behind the camera? Or will let your imagination wild with creative writing? Maybe you’ll learn to make your voice stand out. Whichever electives you choose to check off when Guidance comes around, you’ll surely be able to get an idea of the exciting college elective experience. Sources: College Raptor Staff. “Why Students Should Take College Electives - College Raptor.” College Raptor Blog , 23 Oct. 2023, www.collegeraptor.com/getting-in/articles/questions-answers/take-electives-electives-important/ . Marzano, Robert. “The Highly Engaged Classroom, Tips.” The Highly Engaged Classroom, Tips , www.marzanoresources.com/resources/tips/hec_tips_archive/ . Accessed 7 Dec. 2023. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections DART By Cody Sung Volume 2 Issue 3 January 14, 2022 Image provided by NASA On November 24th, 2021, most people in the United States were preparing for Thanksgiving, traveling across the nation, and figuring out what to cook for their big feast. NASA, though, had different plans: to launch a cube-like spacecraft that will purposefully crash into an asteroid 6.8 million miles from Earth. NASA estimates there are around 25,000 near-Earth objects (NEOs) that are 460 feet or longer in diameter, which is large enough to cause mass devastation on Earth upon impact. While no known NEOs have a significant chance to impact the planet in the next 100 years, NASA estimates only around 40% have been discovered. This is where planetary defense comes in. One of the possible methods to defend our planet from an asteroid is by changing the trajectory of the object. A way to do this is to crash something significant into the object so that its trajectory is altered slightly to not hit Earth. NASA is testing this by crashing the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft into an asteroid called Dimorphous. Around 560 feet in diameter, Dimorphus is around the height of the Great Pyramids, and orbits another, larger asteroid called 65803 Didymos, which has a diameter of around 2600 feet. The DART spacecraft was launched on November 24, 2021, inside a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The size of a vending machine, the spacecraft is not expected to destroy Dimorphos but to change its orbit slightly upon contact in September 2022. To locate its target, DART will use an onboard camera called DRACO, along with, according to NASA, sophisticated autonomous navigation software. The impact is expected to change the orbital period of Dimorphos for several minutes, enough to be detected by telescopes on Earth. Another spacecraft, the Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids (LICIACube), will witness the DART impact and take photos of Dimorphos after the collision. Overall, the DART mission will be an interesting experiment for the mechanics of deflecting an asteroid and will be a good first look at whether the method is feasible to protect our planet. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections North Spring Sports Recap By John McCarthy Volume 1 Issue 8 June 8, 2021 Original photo by Michael Frazer It has been an exciting spring season for North athletics as we wind down to the end of the school year. All sports have been successful and some teams have done exceptionally well to find themselves in the playoff picture. Wrapping up the year in this final issue, we look back to the teams and their moments who made this shortened spring season a great summer send-off. Baseball The Varsity team has found a spot in the postseason with a key win over Plainedge on Monday June 7th after pre-game festivities honoring the late Spartan Club President Paul Kay and the team’s seniors. After starting off slow this season, the boys kept their spirits high, earning tight wins against Lynbrook, Floral Park, and Mineola. Moreover, varsity baseball swept their cross-town rivals from Valley Stream South with scores of 10-1 and 15-4. The boys look for more clutch moments as we arrive closer to the Conference 4 playoffs. Jack Lang has been the ace pitcher for the squad, being helped by clutch hitting and defense all season from Ryan Restivo, Andrew Lusterino, and freshman sensation Jimmy Strohlein. Michael Capolino and Luke Sibblies have also pitched very well overall, and the whole roster plays a role in making baseball at North memorable. Looking forward to playoffs, baseball wants to continue the legacy past teams have set by adding more playoff wins this season. Softball “North’s Girls Varsity Softball team, under the guidance of Dan Tronolone, continues their hard work as they head into their second playoff game against Mepham High School, after a 14-1 win against Manhasset High School. Starting pitcher, #8 Christina Ravo, Sophomore, has 58 strikeouts and 9 RBIs at the plate. Catcher, #15 Kayla Santo, Sophomore, batted .472 with 12 RBIs, 3 home runs, and 15 runs scored. She threw out 63% of runners who attempted to steal and picked off 5 base runners. Second basemen, #8 Emmy Saracino, Senior, has 9 RBIs. Starting shortstop, #10 Jillian Cosme, Senior, scored 9 runs and will be continuing her softball career at Queens College.” - Jillian Strojan, Class of 2021 Track and Field Track and Field has a great reputation at North for both boys and girls with banners covered with conference championships over the past two decades. With many athletes qualifying for All-County races and competitions which took place at North on Monday, Valley Stream North is about to wrap up another very successful year. While the boys finished league play with an astonishing record of 12-1, the girls had to outdo the boys finishing a perfect 13-0. Phenomenal athletes such as Ryan John and Thomas Siatsis won many events like the long jump, triple jump, and high jump for Ryan and long distance races for Thomas. As for the girls, Senior Danielle Phillip has not lost a race the entire season in events such as the 100m, 4X100m, and 200m! Accompanying Danielle, exceptional field athletes such as Sasha Smalls, And Oluwatobi Adebowale finished league play with amazing throws in the discus. Here, we have a statement from the aforementioned Sasha Smalls, part of North’s talented Senior Class, describing her reflection on her final North sports season. “The 2021 spring track and field season was bittersweet. I have to say of all the other sports I did this year (winter track and volleyball), the spring season was the most normal. We were fortunate to have spring track run during its normal months which was relieving; I can’t say I enjoyed wearing volleyball spandex in the middle of March. I enjoyed the usual warm weather and longer days that I associate with spring track but as a result of the pandemic, we were not allowed any invitational meets this year. Invitationals are by far my favorite part of competing for the track and field team. It’s an opportunity for a vast number of high schools to gather to improve their times, jumps, and throws without the competitiveness of a normal league meet. There’s a chance to win medals and buy a thrifty shirt to commemorate the experience. Although it wasn’t the most ideal senior season I can’t say I didn’t enjoy time spent with my team and especially all the underclassmen. I'm super sad to be leaving behind this year.” -Sasha Smalls, Class of 2021 Tennis Boys’ Tennis had an extremely successful season this year progressing into Nassau County’s playoffs and featuring two incredible juniors primed for an even better senior year. The boys finished 6-2 in league matches this season and Craig Papajohn-Shaw finished the season undefeated. He and fellow junior Daniel Ellis qualified and will compete in the individual Nassau County Championship at Eisenhower Park. Finally, the third athlete in the tennis Big Three, Everton Prospere, played great sets all throughout the year contributing to the great record the boys earned. Overall, the record for the team was good enough to place 2nd in Conference 3B, an impressive feat on its own. Badminton Coach Schiavo’s Badminton team has had an amazing season and the girls have fun while playing great badminton! Senior Victoria Ling and Junior Ayla Iqbal have placed well in singles matches all season to help rack up team wins for the North Badminton squad. Also, Seniors Erin St. Angelo and Caitlyn Coogan have contributed to the team’s success with doubles wins this season. This season of spring sports could not have been more fun for me, a part of the playoff bound Varsity Baseball team. I’m sure many other athletes feel the same. North has a great tradition of excellence in athletics and the students who make the school proud have fun doing it. High school sports bring out the best in an athlete and brings great moments, full of excitement and oy to the forefront. And don’t forget about racking up those W’s. Go Spartans! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Halloween Poem By Cody Sung Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by History Halloween! Oh, Halloween! It’s the holiday Of the month! You sometimes get Chills in your bones But there’s candy, too! That’s right – there's candy So don’t hide away! If you come out and knock Then you might Get some sweet candy Hooray! Halloween! Oh Halloween! It’s night With a few frights! The decorations are cool But they are A bit scary, too Ho-hey! But hey At least there’s candy So don’t get freaked out And all you must do is Just go and relax And Eat Your Candy!! Hooray! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Alana By Nora Chery Volume 2 Issue 6 April 14, 2022 Image provided by Rodeny Stewart Is this real life Or is it my radiant fantasy? My mind flooded to a landside, To escape from reality. I unlatched my tight eyes, Looked down at the crib to see, I’m a cruel girl, God will give me no sympathy There’s no chance for an easy life, an easy home A little life, nor a little home. The winds blow, Against the full yet silent crib, Does it matter to me? Alana, Just took you back, Put a pillow against your head, cut your breath And now you’re dead. Alana, a lily sprout that bloomed, I’ve gone and ripped it from the dirt. Sweet Alana, I hated your cries, But now I’m sure I’ll hear them again tomorrow I’ll carry on, carry on, as if what I did, hadn’t mattered at all. It’s too late, midnight had just begun The moonlight sends shivers down my spine, Hands been shaking all this time. Goodbye, my Alana, though you’ve gone so soon Kicked you out and faced the truth. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections Recycled Percussion Project By Quinn O’Connor Volume 1 Issue 2 November 24, 2020 Original creations by (from left to right, top to bottom) Harleen Kaur, Alicia Pichardo, Marcia Salinas, Giuliana Basile, Gianna Acevedo In lieu of our usual concert, teachers used their general music class lesson plans for the choral concert grade: a recycled percussion project! For this project, students put together an eight-measure composition with four beats per measure to play on a home-made instrument. These instruments ranged from Tupperware drums to water bottle maracas; one student went as far as making a xylophone from a wooden frame and metal pipes! Students observed how different pitches and tones could be created by using different materials and experimented accordingly. For example, coffee beans have a deeper sound than rice. It was also interesting to hear how distinctive each instrument sounded with the use of different materials as students played their instruments on each Teams meeting. Although it wasn’t the same as an actual concert, it stood in for one as a fun, creative alternative. From a hybrid student’s point of view, this project filled its purpose in a fun and educational way! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections The First Black Congresswoman By Shinedip Kundlas Volume 2 Issue 5 March 28, 2022 Image provided by Associated Press During her seven terms in the House of Representatives, Shirley Anita Chisholm, the first African American woman to serve in Congress and the first African American to seek a presidential nomination in the United States, has been outspoken in her advocacy for women and minorities. Born and raised in New York, Shirley Chisholm was born the oldest of four daughters to immigrant parents from Guyana and Barbados. While her parents worked to settle their family in Bedford-Stuyvesant during the Great Depression, Chisolm spent part of her childhood living on her maternal grandparents' farm in Barbados. She received a British education during this time. However, Chisholm returned to the states to finish high school and graduated top of her class. On a scholarship, she attended Brooklyn College and graduated with a Bachelor of sociology in 1946. Before starting her political career, Chisholm worked as a nursery school teacher from 1946 to 1953. At Columbia University, Shirley Chisholm obtained an M.A. in early childhood education three years later. From 1959 to 1964, she served for New York City's Division of Day Care as an educational consultant. Chisholm became involved in several campus and community groups throughout her training to become a teacher. Politics became her interest and her skills of organizing and fundraising developed from there. Her deep resentment towards the treatment of women originated from the role women played in local politics at that time, which consisted mainly of staying in the background and serving as an afterthought to their male counterparts. Chisholm found a way to express her opinions about economic and social structures in a rapidly changing nation through campus politics and her membership in the NAACP, an organization fighting for equal rights for African Americans since 1909. A second African American woman was elected to Albany's legislature in 1964 when Shirley Anita Chisholm was elected to the New York state assembly. Chisholm continued her service in the state assembly until 1968, when she ran for the U.S. Congress. She was elected and began serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1982. In 1972, Chisholm ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, claiming the other candidates did not represent the concerns of black and minority voters and the poor. The campaign for Chisholm's Democratic Party presidential nomination in 1972 was marked by discrimination. After pursuing legal action, she was allowed to make just one speech after being barred from participating in televised primary debates. Across the nation, women, minorities, and students flocked to the "Chisholm Trail." Despite severe under-funding and disagreements with the primarily male Congressional Black Caucus, she won 12 primaries and 152 delegates' votes. However, she did not win the Democratic nomination, yet the nation still admired Chisholm. In January 1983, Chisholm left Congress and co-founded the National Political Congress of Black Women. She campaigned for Jesse Jackson's presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988. Shirley Anita Chisholm made history as America's first black presidential candidate and first black congresswoman. Upon leaving Washington, Shirley Chisholm said she did not want to be remembered as "the nation's first black congresswoman" or, as she put it, "the first black congresswoman." Instead, she stated, "I'd like them to say that Shirley Chisholm had guts". Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm will continue to inspire generations of women of color to run for office, and her legacy will never be forgotten. "I want history to remember me not just as the first black woman to be elected to Congress, not as the first black woman to have made a bid for the presidency of the United States, but as a black woman who lived in the 20th century and dared to be herself. " - Shirley Chisholm 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