Back to Articles Advice Back to Sections About Me! By Chloe O'Connell Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Marketing Sage Hi, my name is Chloe O’Connell! I’m in 7th grade, and this is my section called “Ask Chloe”. Here’s a little about me. I am the oldest and I have two siblings. I have a dog named Bandit. Fun fact: I was born with plagiocephaly, which means I was born with a flat head, so I had to wear a helmet when I was a baby. When I grow up, I want to help kids and become a pediatrician. My family is Puerto Rican and Italian, and we are also a bit Irish. I hope this helps you get to know me! Please send in your questions for our new “ Ask Chloe” advice column to oconnelc3990@vschsd.org, and Chloe will try to help you navigate the wonders of middle school. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Choice and Voting Jasmine Roberts Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by Harvard Law School When one thinks of voting, we usually settle on the idea of large showings of national support for a specific candidate especially with the upcoming U.S. Presidential Election occurring this year. However, with most of us being barely old enough to step into a ballot box, I would like to support the idea of voting and voice an opinion in general: to be important no matter your age. I believe that one of the most universal feelings every teenager feels no matter their age or grade, is the hinderance to their autonomy. In such a chaotic world of growing up, parents, and school, it can feel as if the world is pulling you from one side to another without your word or consent on the matter. In truth, this isn’t your fault. Even though we are the ones maturing in a world that seems to reject large groups of us, we don’t have to suffer in silence. In this technologically advanced world, it is both immature and folly to believe that minors do not have a grasp on mature ideas. Ironically, some adults barely even have a grasp on these ideas themselves. We cannot blindly follow the leader. We minors deserve our own voices. People who desire to oppress the voices of youth are the same that train a future of compliance and the status quo, even when that norm might be despicable and detestable. We need bold, intelligent kids who desire change for the better, and we need courageous, articulate adults who will not comply with the evils of the rich and powerful. Even in the classroom and in homes, there needs to be a precedent of allowing minors to have opinions and convey their feelings, respectfully of course, because we are humans too! One silent voice is always one step away from democracy. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Attacks on Women Sahar Ali Volume 4 Issue 4 May 29, 2024 Image Provided by Elaine Ching Imagine walking down a street in New York City. You are minding your own business when out of the blue, someone attacks you, more specifically, punches you. This was the reality for some women in New York City. Recently, there have been multiple reports of young women claiming to have been punched by a man while walking in New York City in broad daylight. This issue has gained attention through social media platforms such as TikTok, in which the women involved revealed the details of their attacks. The news of the attacks started to surface on March 17th, 2024. Women in their 20s and 30s took to social media to share their experiences. Some of the women stated that they had been on their phones as they were walking when the attack took place. One woman claimed that she was attacked while walking home. Another claimed she was attacked while on her way to work and another asserted that she was attacked while walking her dog. Two of the women who were punched described their attacker to be very similar; it is possible that the aggressor was the same in both cases. Since March 17th, a dozen women have shared that they were attacked and two of the women went as far as to file police reports. One of the women involved in the attacks, Halley Kate Mcgookin, posted to TikTok on March 25th, stating, “You guys, I was literally just walking, and a man came up and punched me in the face.” Mcgookin went on to file a police report the same day. The video Mcgookin posted on TikTok had 49 million views and consisted of comments that tagged other women who experienced similar attacks. This included Olivia Brand. On March 17th, Brand posted a video stating she was also punched in the face. She goes on to say that the man said “sorry” and further went on to punch her in the head while on the sidewalk. A third victim, Mikayla Toninato, also commented on Mcgookin’s TikTok post; she too had been walking when a man approached her and hit her in the face while she was looking down at her phone. Following Toninato’s attack, Sarah Harvard was also attacked on March 19th while in the Lower East Side. Harvard did not post information regarding her attack on social media unlike the other victims; however, once she witnessed a buildup of posts about the same attacks, she explained her similar situation on Instagram and Twitter, following with a police report filed on March 27th. Selena Pikanab and Karina Dunford, two additional victims, also released posts on social media describing comparable incidents. So far, the New York Police Department has arrested a suspect: 40-year-old Skiboky Stora from Brooklyn. Stora has been charged with misdemeanor assault in Mcgookin’s attack. During his arraignment, Stora pleaded not guilty but was still in custody. Skiboky Stora has an interesting past as well. In the last three years, Stora launched long-shot bids for government positions such as governor, mayor, and city council member. On social media, it has been documented that Stora’s posts consists of pictures of him posing shirtless while appearing in front of a Donald Trump flag. On the darker side, many of Stora’s posts include videos of him harassing women as they are going about their day on the subway or street. In many areas of New York City, there has been an increase in misdemeanor assaults. Especially now, women are the main target. It is important for women of all ages in New York City to be aware of their surroundings, especially since men have assaulted many women this past month. Women should not have to worry about having to deal with such circumstances, however, everyone in New York City should take precaution in order to prevent these circumstances. SOURCES: Multiple women online say they were punched while walking around New York City ( nbcnews.com ) What we know about viral TikToks saying women are being punched in NYC streets ( msn.com ) BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections NASA Artemis: We Are Going By Elyas Layachi Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Image provided by NASA The Beginnings of Artemis In 2017, the hearings to appoint a new NASA administrator took place. Jim Bridenstine, the candidate for this position, was confirmed by the full Senate on a party-line vote in 2018. He had two goals for his term: to win over his former critics, and to successfully start Project Artemis, the project to create a permanent human presence on the moon and beyond. The Trump Administration specifically wanted humans on the moon by 2024, and this deadline sadly will not be met. Since 2018, NASA has come a long way in Project Artemis. Many spacecrafts have been developed and tested, and a plan is officially underway, with launches beginning in 2021 through 2028. This article will discuss Artemis, its goals, costs, and main components, and the future of human space exploration. Artemis: Meaning and Overview The Artemis program is named after Artemis, the sister of Apollo in Greek mythology. This makes sense, since Apollo was the name of the primary lunar landings, and Artemis is following her brother’s footsteps. The main goal of Artemis is to “use innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before,” according to NASA. The program began in 2017, when President Donald Trump signed the Space Policy Directive 1, which authorized Artemis and provided it funding. Sadly, it has not received enough funding to occur before 2024, but NASA hopes to land the astronauts and carry out the program no later than 2028. The mission consists of many lunar launches and deliveries to set up the resources and habitation the astronauts will use while exploring the moon. These include exploration ground systems, the space launch system, the Orion capsule spacecraft, and the gateway space station. This article will go into depth regarding each of these components of the mission. Exploration Ground Systems The exploration ground systems program is one of three NASA programs designed to develop and operate the systems and facilities “necessary to process and launch rockets and spacecraft during assembly, transport, and launch,” according to NASA’s overview document. The EGS department of NASA is working on different spacecraft, including SLS and Orion for the first Artemis mission, Artemis 1, with a goal of testing Orion and SLS for a moon launch. The exploration ground systems for Artemis, in other words, include all the structures on the ground to support launch. Space Launch System Dubbed the “most powerful rocket in the world,” SLS is one of the core stages of Artemis. NASA will use it to send humans and cargo to the Moon and beyond, and it was designed to be flexible and evolvable depending on the mission. It is also NASA’s first deep space rocket since the Saturn V, which was used for the Apollo moon landings. NASA defines SLS as a “super-heavy-lift launch vehicle that provides the foundation for human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit.” NASA claims that it is the only rocket that can send Orion, the exploration capsule, astronauts, and cargo to the moon on a single mission . During launch, the SLS will help Orion reach speeds up to 24,500 miles per hour, which is necessary for a trajectory to the moon. Each of the configurations of SLS use RS-25 engines, and the first vehicle, AKA Block 1, can send more than 59,500 pounds to orbit beyond the moon. The first three Artemis missions will use this rocket. The core stages of SLS were built by Boeing in Huntsville, Alabama. Over 1,000 companies from across the US, including Boeing, have contributed to the construction of SLS, and its construction was managed by the Exploration Systems Development Division within the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. SLS can be considered the backbone of the mission. Without its capabilities, sending humans to the Moon seems like a wild aspiration. Orion The Orion Space Capsule, named after one of the largest constellations in the night sky, is designed to “meet the evolving needs of our nation’s deep space exploration for decades to come,” according to NASA’s fact sheet. It will carry the crew to lunar orbit, where it will dock with the Gateway to prepare the crew for lunar descent. After the lunar mission, the crew will return home, and the capsule was engineered to withstand the extreme heat during re-entry. On Artemis 1, its first uncrewed mission, Orion will venture thousands of miles beyond the moon for around three weeks to pave the way for flights with astronauts. Orion is like Apollo in that it is the astronauts’ capsule, but Orion is much larger and technologically advanced. Gateway Built by commercial and international partners, this spacecraft is critical to sustainable lunar exploration and will serve as a model for future Mars missions. It will be an outpost around the moon and will provide vital support for sustainable, long-term human return to the lunar surface, as well as a staging point for deep space exploration. During a lunar mission, Gateway will serve as a relay station between space and the lunar surface. Orion will dock to gateway, and astronauts will spend most of their time on the station. Then, once prepared, they will descend to the lunar surface using the lunar lander and conduct science on the moon. What is the future, after Artemis? NASA hopes to learn much from Artemis, including how astronauts can handle deep-space missions, and whether or not our current technologies are capable of such goals. After Artemis, NASA will use SLS, Orion, and Gateway to pursue many more goals, including human asteroid missions and one day landing on Mars. Exploration of the moon will help us better understand the formation of the universe and will serve as framework for exploring distant worlds. As Jim Bridenstine would say, we are going, and we are going to stay. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris, Fiction Back to Sections The Luck Giver By Catherine Duong Volume 3 Issue 4 May 18, 2023 Image Provided by Sky: CotL created by the TGC company Author’s note: This short story is fanfiction based on a game called Sky: Children of The Light (Sky: CotL) made by the TGC Company. Hidden Forest (1) - The fourth sky area within the realm. It is described as a place where it oftentimes rains and has vast forests. As spring arose in the sky realm, it was as if life sprung back onto its feet; flowers started to bloom, and everything looked so colorful and vibrant! Around this beautiful season, there was one day in a year that luck would spread about by one person called the Luck Giver. On that day, they would fly across from land to land, swiftly scattering lustrous coins. It is believed that they will bring good fortunes to the sky children! Until one day, the Luck Giver ran out of luck this year. There was no such thing as infinite coins and these coins were expensive to the Giver. Standing at the ledge of the Hidden Forest (1) in front of them, they tightly gripped their staff, pondering alternative ways to keep the tradition going. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Life is a contest By Nora Chery Volume 1 Issue 3 December 16, 2020 Image provided by Getty Images Life is a contest that never ends, of course And with every loss you wonder how’ll you’ll win The overseers with their expectations High to a lifetime But what you give is so short Here with all your nuisances that cling You see your scrapes You see your dumps You see your cracks Compared to people who seem a thousand feet tall And you keep on losing Keep on losing Until you seem a thousand times small Life is a contest that never ends, of course Giving out mirrors you’ll always stare at until you’re gone Mirrors that’ll give you struggle Then strike Until the rules of the contest Move on. BACK TO TOP

BACK TO ALL ARTICLES BACK TO SECTIONS SPORTS CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR STATE QUALIFIERS, PAIGE FESLLER, DJENY DELVOIX, DOMINICK RIOS, MICHEAL MUOIO, AND NIGEL MONROSE VSN Varsity Cheer Goes to Nationals The Valley Stream North High School's Varsity Cheer Squad qualified for the National High School Cheer-leading Championship! Nationals will take place at the Walt Disney World Resort. The North Star congratulates the VSN Varsity Cheer Squad on this extraordinary success at Nationals! Interview With the Seniors of Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse Team Rehmat Kaur Read More July 5, 2025 Beyond The Pool: Interview with Varsity Swimmer Sarah Flynn Melanie Cevada Read More April 8, 2025 Student Spotlight: Eyslin Turcios (Interview) Rehmat Kaur Read More April 8, 2025 Behind the Rallies: Your 2025 Girls’ Badminton Team Rehmat Kaur Read More July 5, 2025 Boy's Varsity Basketball Recap with Interviews Rehmat Kaur Read More April 8, 2025 Leaps and Bouts: Adaobi Okammelu's Fencing Feats Rehmat Kaur Read More April 8, 2025 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ... 14

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections The Science of Studying By Alyssa Garufi and Hannah Lee Volume 2 Issue 6 April 14, 2022 Image provided by IStockPhoto Dear VSN students,  How do you study? With APs, regents, and finals coming up, it is important to master your studying technique to achieve higher grades on your assessments. Reading over notes and class materials repeatedly seems to be the first scenario that comes to mind when you hear the word “study.” However, according to scientific studies, this repetitive action of rereading notes and drilling random information into our brains tends to “go in one ear and out the other." Science shows us that our brains work best when we truly understand the topic rather than simply memorizing information that does not logically make sense to us. The way we can optimize the capabilities of our minds is through - just like learning how to ride a bike - trial and error. The more we challenge and quiz our brains, the better prepared our brains will be.  Chances are you have been taught that studying through repetition works, right? Wrong . One of the biggest misconceptions in students is that repetition is a valuable way of studying. However, scientists have found that repetition is not as effective as we have been led to believe. In fact, Ed DeLosh, an associate professor at Colorado State University, has found that “might be the worst [method] compared to a variety of strategies you might use.” In addition, we have also been taught to stick to our learning style and not stray from what works best. Turns out that is false as well. It may be better for us to deviate from our usual methods and try out new strategies. According to DeLosh, struggling while learning “actually has benefits for long-term learning.” One such strategy that has been scientifically proven effective is quizzing yourself. Typically, we perceive quizzes and tests as methods to evaluate the progress of a student from the beginning of the year. However, DeLosh’s research shows that “quizzing is actually among the best ways to prime the brain to remember material in the future.” In DeLosh’s class, students take quizzes on a weekly basis - but don’t be alarmed. These quizzes aren’t meant to place pressure on students in terms of grades. In fact, every quiz is open-book and students tend to do well on all of them. Each quiz tests a similar concept but has variations of questions. By answering varying questions on the same topic, students learn to master the concepts that DeLosh quizzes them on. Not only does this help his pupils learn the material, but it also gives them good grades and helps them study periodically rather than cramming everything at the end of the year. In the end, his students were very successful in mastering the course. DeLosh’s study shows us that quizzing is, in fact, a highly effective method of studying for tests. So, the next time you are studying for a big exam, gather a couple of your friends and quiz each other on the topics. While quizzing strategies help optimize the capabilities of our brain, without the motivation to take on quizzes, the information present will be of little help to most of us. You must strive to not only take on the best studying strategies, but consider strategies that are best for you ! A “perfect” studying schedule is different for each individual and it is important to try different methods of studying to find which works best and gives you the most motivation. Joshua Robinson, a Wall Street Journal reporter, states that listening to music while studying does aid your memory and improve attention, allowing you to grasp the information more. The next time you are not motivated to sit down and take practice tests, listen to your favorite song, and use it to make studying a bit less intimidating. If music is too distracting to you, try to find a change of scenery instead. Sometimes sitting alone in your room trying to study leads to distractions. Instead, bring your books outside, or to a library, or even just another room in your house. According to Cory Stieg, a Health and Wellness reporter from Make It , changing settings while studying can boost your overall wellbeing and mood, allowing you to do better on exams.  Now you know you can study effectively. You have hopefully learned a handful of new and effective studying strategies for your upcoming test, so go out and try to use some of these methods! With a ton of tests coming up, implementing these studying strategies may help you improve a lot. Remember, do not stress yourself out too much over tests and exams. You’ve got this!  Best of luck,  Hannah and Alyssa BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections How To: Self-Publish By Leah Tyme Volume 1 Issue 8 June 8, 2021 Original infographic by Shinedip Kundlas (click to enlarge) Before anything, choose a pen name Any young and aspiring writer should use an alias when publishing their first book to save some trouble later on. Whether your book becomes world-renowned, or it bombs in the first week it’s out, your real name will be forever attached to it. Everything you do from that point forward will be compared to your novel, and if your book doesn’t do very well, it could bring down your chances for opportunities in the future. When choosing your pen name, choose something that makes you sound like a real person. It may be tempting to choose something fantastical, but very few people will be enticed to read a book by “Maximus the Dragon Master”. Choose a shortened version of your name or mix together the names of friends and family, and you’ll find the name to publish your masterpiece under! Now, write your book Okay, so now you know what name you’re going to publish under, you need to write something to publish! Figure out what story you’re going to make whether it be an autobiography, a dramatic retelling of a dream you’ve had, or even just a poem. Make sure that you spend as much time as you need to really develop and explore the topics and themes that you’re writing about but don't forget to set deadlines for yourself as to not procrastinate. Once you have a final draft, make sure you go back and edit what you have! No one wants to read a book full of typos, and you won’t be happy with a novel full of mistakes. Get an external editor (aka a friend) Now, while editing and polishing up your work can be good and beneficial for you, if you keep scrutinizing your work you might end up rewriting the whole thing! Speaking from personal experience, don’t spend too much time editing and changing your draft. Get an editor to do that instead! It doesn’t matter if you hire a professional or if you send a friend your manuscript. Most people will know if something doesn’t flow quite right and will catch a plot hole better than you ever will. Peer review is one of the best tools that you can use, and I’m sure that your friends and family will be happy to read your work! Time to publish Now it’s time to publish your book. You can use Barnes & Noble Press or Kindle Direct Publishing to upload your completed book and use the platforms to monitor sales and popularity. KDP allows you to publish via eBook or paperback, and Press makes it easy to track your revenue. Marketing is everything Seeing as how you’re not going through a publishing firm to get your book out there, you’re going to have to promote your book yourself. Luckily, it’s the 21st century, and you can advertise anything through social media. A good strategy would be to make pages for your book on Twitter or Instagram, and you can even make ads on these websites to spread your book even more. And you’re an author You’ve done it! You wrote your book, you chose your pen name, you published it online, and you made sure that everyone and their mother knew what it was and where to find it. You’re officially a self-published author! References https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G202172740 https://press.barnesandnoble.com/ https://publishingperspectives.com/2015/02/teenagers-10-steps-to-become-successfully-self-published/ https://www.sweetmessyfaith.com/home/teens-self-publishing-the-number-one-thing-you-must-do-and-its-not-edit-more BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections MSA Interview Catherine Duong Volume 4 Issue 4 May 29, 2024 Image Provided by Merab Fatima Within Valley Stream North High School, there are a variety of clubs, both old and new, students can partake in for various reasons. Recently a new club was formed called the MSA (Muslim Student Association), and I was fortunate enough to interview the creators of the MSA, current seniors Masooma Zaidi and Minayle Rahman. Please note that I have received permission from both to record the interview and transcribe it. Direct quotes are not verbatim. Introduce yourselves, and tell me something about the both of you. “Hi, my name is Masooma Zaidi, I’m from grade 12, and I really love sports.” “Hi, my name is Minayle Rahman, I’m in 12th grade, and a fun fact about me is I like cooking.” Who or what inspired you to create this club together? MASOOMA: “So basically, one thing is everything that is going around in the world... for example, social media and the things that aren’t in social media; they portray Islam in a very negative way, and we really want to raise awareness about people having prejudices towards Muslim people. We thought the best way to do this is to have an inclusive community and create it in the public schools, and this really helps raise awareness with staff and student members and really show the true beauty of Islam and how everyone is inclusive. Besides that, there are a lot of Muslims within the student population, and it helps to get to know them and make sure they are comfortable: a brother-sister type of bond.” MINAYLE: “My personal inspiration was my sisters because both of them are in college, and in comparison, the MSA isn’t popular in high schools and I often go with them to their MSA meetings or events that they hold. It was so nice to see a community where all Muslims and non-Muslims are together; it is a safe and welcoming atmosphere, and I want to bring that to North because as Masooma said, there are a lot of Muslims here as well, but they're not seen as much as they are seen in other MSAs. We want to bring that type of atmosphere to North.” Who is the club’s advisor? Why did you both pick this staff member to approach? MINAYLE: “Our club advisor is [science teacher] Mr. DiSclafani. We chose him because we had a hard time choosing an advisor, and we wanted to choose someone we knew who would help, support, and build a strong foundation for the club for it to continue for many years. I had Mr. DiSclafani for AP Bio last year, and I really enjoyed his class. I felt like he had a good relationship with the students. He would reach out to them to make sure they are comfortable, and he is very engaging in how he would represent himself in class. We could count on him to help us to make this a successful club.” MASOOMA: “Our core values for the association are unity, inclusivity, and trust. We saw these characteristics in Mr. DiSclafani, and we thought he be the perfect MSA advisor.” What days are you meeting, in what room, and how often will the club meet? MINAYLE: “We are going to be meeting on Fridays, hopefully in the library, and at minimum once a month.” What will the club be discussing in general, and what is the purpose of creating MSA? MASOOMA: “In the club, we are going to hold a social event like the Eid party and challenge or contest nights to enable people to get to know each other better and be more social in the future years. One of the events we plan to host is the Quran Challenge, which is to see how much knowledge you have of the holy book in Islam. Whoever has the most knowledge will receive a prize, and there will be second and third place.” MINAYLE: “Our goal is to spread awareness to prevent misconceptions, raise the issue of stereotypes in the community, and for all Muslims at North to feel comfortable. Our club is very inclusive and open to all students: everyone is welcome!” How can someone join the MSA/What are the requirements? MINAYLE: “To join the MSA, you can contact either of us for the code or find it in Microsoft Teams. You can also join the MSA Instagram account [@vsn_msa] where we will post updates and the code.” Overall, I had a lovely time interviewing Masooma & Minayle. For those who are interested, I strongly suggest you join! The MSA is looking forward to seeing new members in their next meeting. BACK TO TOP