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Back to Articles Advice Back to Sections Advice From a Senior Sahar Ali Volume 5 Issue 5 July 5, 2025 The time has finally come for many to graduate from Valley Stream North. After studying at VSN for the entirety of my middle school and high school career, I’ve picked up a load of information from experiences, both good and bad. Often feeling alone at times without guidance, I wished that I had the perspective of a student who had once been in the same or similar situations as me to gain more practical and helpful advice during middle and high school. Knowing that these 6 years are a critical time in a student’s life, here are some tips to help you get through high school in both academic and social aspects, coming from a senior. #1 : Leave your comfort zone Transitioning from elementary school to a middle school combined with high school can be a difficult adjustment. Yet this change from a smaller school to a bigger school comes with bigger opportunities. VSN offers an array of clubs and sports that allow students to express themselves and investigate their likes and dislikes. The main idea is: LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE! In my own experience, I began writing for VSN’s student newspaper, the North Star , and instantly loved it because I was able to write articles on almost any topic. If I had not left my comfort zone and refrained from even writing an article, I would not have had the opportunity to contribute to the club and even become the News section editor. Additionally, I tried out multiple sports including cross country, winter track & field, and badminton; from those experiences, I learned that I could do wonders with abilities I did not know I possessed. Looking back at my experiences, I urge you to try something new. You never know what you can do until you try. Although I know pushing yourself can be difficult at times, it opens up many opportunities. #2 : Learn how to manage your time As a student progresses through high school, the workload typically increases. With that, it becomes hard to manage sports, clubs, and academics. But knowing how important it is to make time for all aspects of school, whether it be extracurricular activities or homework, can significantly increase productivity as well as decrease stress. Based on what activities you have going on at home or at school, plan your day in the morning to know how to manage your time. One key method I used to help me manage my time was to make a list of when assignments were due and when I had certain activities. Then, whichever assignment(s) were due the earliest were the ones completed first. This method helped me manage my time in the best way possible. Additionally, any free time I had at school, whether it be a study hall, lunch, or free period, was used to complete assignments to decrease the workload when I came home after practice or a club. However, it is still always possible to face an overwhelming amount of work. Similarly, in this situation, prioritize the most important task and complete it first. Everyone is different, therefore try different techniques to manage your time! #3 : Stay on top of everything Many times, it is possible to miss out on key information regarding your schedule, courses, and grades. It is extremely important you understand what courses you need to take and what you should be doing, academically and extracurricular-wise. Do not solely rely on guidance counselors to consistently provide you with information since they have more students to assist, but they are always there if you need advice. Do not expect to be handed information easily on a platter; instead, be ready to ask for information as soon as possible! In my own experience, I realized that I had no clue as to what I was doing, mainly because I never asked anyone what steps I should be taking, especially once freshman year of high school started, and did not ask for a long period of time. Please be prepared and do not hesitate at all to talk to your guidance counselors and even teachers to have a feel about what you should be doing as each student is different and has their own paths. If I could go back and change one thing from my high school experience, I would try to gain more information about what steps I should be taking in school and outside of school to ensure I was on the right path towards my goals and to stand out as much as possible when the time came for college applications. #4 : Take challenging courses Another aspect I would change from my high school experience would be the number of AP classes I took. Not only do they help boost your overall average, but AP classes also open up a student to more information that a regents-level class does not always offer. Although AP classes aren’t for all students, there is no harm in trying a class out; you could end up liking the class! Additionally, AP classes help save students money when it comes to college. Depending on the college you choose to continue your studies at, certain AP classes and AP scores can get you credit. Most colleges take a score of 4 or 5 on an AP exam and give you credit for that class without you ever having to take it in college. Even though you pay almost $100 or more for an AP exam now, you end up saving thousands of dollars later if you score high on the exam and if your school takes the credit. Choose an AP class that interests you and do research about what credit the colleges you plan to apply to take. #5 : Surround yourself with the right people Throughout middle and high school, you will meet different people all with different personalities and make several friends. It is important that you choose to surround yourself with people who support you, make you a better person, and inspire you. There may be times when some people may hurt you, and this is an inevitable part of high school. There will be trial and error with certain friends, but all these experiences will help you understand what you value in a friend and help you with your development. #6 : Take care of yourself High school and middle school can get stressful many times. The pressure of work and eventually, when a student becomes a senior, college applications can affect a student’s mental health and often cause a load of stress and pressure. It’s okay to give yourself a break when there is a lot of pressure. Keep in mind that you’re working hard and you need to give yourself a break. Don’t let schoolwork and tests consume your mind; although they are important, remember to keep a balance between everything. Too much studying or too much work is not good; too much relaxation is also not good. When I was extremely stressed, I turned to music as it helped me calm down. Try to find something that eases your nerves as it is important to build these habits and methods to prevent stress from building up. These stress-reducing methods will help you so much in the future in college when your workload increases significantly and in life in general. Each student’s experience is different, and you will all make your own mistakes and learn from them. Remember while you work hard to also enjoy high school; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Always work hard but give yourself a break too. Since this is one of my last articles ever, my last and biggest piece of advice is to cherish the time you have had in high school. Time goes by quickly so don’t forget to make the most out of everything! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Proud By Eva Grace Martinez Volume 1 Issue 8 June 8, 2021 No Image available at this time It’s October 3rd, 2015; you are sitting in your room taking an “Am I Gay?” quiz from Buzzfeed . You are crying. Your lips tremble, and your voice has been lost to sobs. It’s something close to three in the morning. You are not crying because of the results; you are crying because there are none. Like some magic 8-ball from Lucifer himself, the test has told you that it is up to you to determine your identity. You are someone who lives in a world of memorizing answers and rote learning. Your parents taught you how to think critically about art, music, religion, and politics, and all the other big words adults like to use. Still, they never taught you how to think critically about this part of you. You suspect they never had to. You’re too scared to Google anything. You don’t want your mom to see your search history. So you let the questions fester. They burn into your soul with a fervor you never knew was possible. You would like to say that the burning hurts you. That the pain shapes memories and decisions, or it informs some greater understanding of the universe around you. It doesn’t. Instead, it sinks down into the shade of who you are becoming. If your eyes linger too long on the pretty woman on the magazine cover, who would blame you? You try to convince yourself that it’s just because you don’t know her name. This will not be the last time you fail to convince yourself. You know that there are words for people like you. You watch the Obgerfell V. Hodges’s decision live on TV. Your mother smiles and says, “good for them,” and that is that. You do not tell her that you feel like crying; she does not ask why you are smiling so strangely. You wonder what it must feel like to dance in the sea of colors you see on the streets of DC. Your dad smiles and then changes the channel; he wants to catch up on the Mets game. The images of rainbows large enough to swallow the capitol building are tattooed onto your synapses. Later, you see the first gay couple to be married in New York on “Say Yes to the Dress”. You sit quietly, waiting for a comment from your grandma. The comment never comes. Once, you will creep up to your parent’s bedroom door. It is 6:30 on a Saturday evening, and you will open your mouth to speak. The air around you will still for a moment; this is the first time in your life silence slips its greedy hands over your lips. It will not be the last. It will take you two years to find a space where thoughts like yours seem normal. You know better than to discuss it with your friends at the time, so you turn to the internet. Suddenly there is an explosion of life. There are words to refer to every type of person you could ever meet, and someone is always making more. The words scare you. There are too many, and they all hold so much weight. You are lost in a sea of language, of prefixes and suffixes that make your head spin. The riptide pulls you out to sea, and you are assaulted by a barrage of letters, all jumbled to become one infinite black ocean. You know nothing of who you are and where you will go. Here, you cannot breathe water or air. Sink or swim, you will not survive. Until you do. You survive because the water is only as lonely as you make it out to be. If you sink, you will find mermaids with tails that glitter like oil slicks. If you swim, you see ships with stories of every place you could ever know. Survival is ingrained in you, so you continue to survive. When you are done visiting mermaids, and the sailors have run out of stories. They may ask you a question or two. They simply wonder how it is precisely that you define you. You still don’t have an answer to that question. You expect the worst; you have visions of teeth and talons. You expect to be sent off the plank. Instead, you are granted kindness. They don’t know who they are either. They tell you that this ocean is for all of us who don’t know. You are shocked that the “us” includes you; it doesn’t feel wrong, so you stay. You learn to tie knots, and you learn to navigate using the stars. You know how to grow your own tail now, and the murky waters, once terrifying, now feel like home. With joy, you tell a sailor this. You see the sadness in his eyes when he tells you, “that means it’s time to leave.” You don’t want to leave. You have just found warmth in a murky black ocean. You had just learned to sail this ship, and now you are forced to chart a new course. You wave goodbye to the friends you made. You don’t know if you’ll ever see them again. One of them shouts your name, but just as you turn to face them, a wave crashes in your vision. There is no time to be sentimental now; you must keep yourself afloat. You take your map and plan your route. It is only when your boat touches land that you realize where you are. You are home. You are home with new scars and new memories, but this is still home. You ask your dad if the Mets won last night and your mom if she wants to go book shopping. For a second, everything is normal. You did not just walk off a boat from a magical sea. Your hair has not grown, and you have not changed. As the seconds pass, though, any sense of normalcy shatters. Your mother squints and asks about the strange flag on your ship. Your dad tells you not to move. Your parents have always been good with words, and the confession they drag from you is sharp and messy like broken shells washed too far onto the shore. Yet, they collect these broken shells and press them together in their palms. They tell you that you are loved, no matter who you happen to be in love with. Just like that, the cracks in the shell begin to fade. They are not fixed, they are still brittle, but they begin to heal. Oh, what healing will do. No longer will you drown in waves of words too niche for how you feel, nor will you struggle to explain why your gaze lingers on the pride displays at Target. You will still be awkward and messy, and you will cry too much over silly things, but that’s growing up. You are happy now with who you have become. You would like to think that 10-year-old you would be satisfied too. She deserves to be happy. She deserves to love herself in the way you do now. You are so far away from where this story began and yet still so far away from its ending. You no longer strain against the weight of your own fear. You are strong. You are one drop of water in a sea of color, but here, you are home. You have survived through four long years of inner turmoil for this day. It has been exactly four years and four days since the Obgerfell V Hodges decision. In that second, you realize how light you feel, no longer bogged down by the heavy questions in your soul. You have grown up, and you are no longer worried about precise definitions. You are loved by your family and friends, and you might just love someone too. Nobody cares who exactly that is. Your friend is next to you; you giggle as he smacks a rainbow heart sticker onto your forehead. It is June 30th, 2019; you are somewhere in downtown Manhattan, and you are laughing. You are waving a rainbow flag that your parents bought for you amongst a crowd of others. You hear music start playing, and then you are dancing. You don’t have to wonder anymore how those people in DC felt four years ago. You know it now too. You stand with your shoulders back, laughing and dancing. You smile at the sea of color surrounding you, and your mom catches a photo of you dancing, flag in hand. You are strong here. You are safe here. You are a part of an “us” larger than yourself. You are crying again, but this time you are happy. You are proud. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Art & Culture Back to Sections Ramadan and Eid in Islam By Nidha Dar and Mairaab Jahangir Volume 1 Issue 8 June 8, 2021 Image provided by India TV Have you ever seen or heard Eid and Ramadan greetings and wondered what they are all about? Why do Muslims celebrate Eid and Ramadan and when do they do so? What is the Muslim way of celebrating Eid and Ramadan? These are only a few questions out of a plethora that many people typically have about the Islamic month and holidays. In this article, we will be explaining a bit about both Eid and Ramadan. To begin, it is almost necessary to start with Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and occurs when the new crescent moon is first sighted. Because the Islamic calendar is based on the phases of the moon, Ramadan goes back approximately 10-11 days each year. Ramadan mainly holds significance in Islam because it is regarded as the time when the Quran was first revealed to the prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him). Additionally - it is a time of year when Muslims overall truly acknowledge the blessings that they have, and overall thank Allah for them. During Ramadan, it has been taught to Muslims through the actions of the prophet to fast for 30 days from sunrise to sunset, and fasting being one of the five pillars of Islam. Fasting includes abstinence from drinking, eating, immoral activities, and rage. Other acts of worship such as prayer, reading the Quran, and charitable giving are encouraged during this time. During the month, Muslims rise early almost every day to eat suhoor , a pre-dawn meal, and break their fast with iftar , a meal occurring at sunset. Not all Muslims are required to fast though - children, the elderly, those who are pregnant, those who are menstruating and those who have medical related health problems are exempt from fasting. If a person cannot fast, it is recommended that they make up their fast later in time, but if they cannot, they can make charitable payments known as fidya or kaffara . These help to provide to those who are less fortunate with a meal to sustain them for a day, which in turn is equivalent in action to fasting. Eid directly translates from Arabic into English as the festival or feast. In a typical Islamic year, there are two major Eids, Eid al-Fitr earlier in the year (in the Islamic month of Shawwal) and Eid al-Adha later on in the year (in the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah). Both are extremely important holidays in the religion of Islam, both with their respective and differing purposes. Eid al-Fitr simply means "the festival of breaking the fast", and is usually a three-day lasting celebration with special morning prayers. People exchange ceremonial embraces and greet one another with the phrase "Eid Mubarak," which translates as "Blessed festival." Meals are prepared at home, and gifts or money are given to younger members of the family and those in need. People will typically dress in their very best clothing, usually of their own cultural background. Muslims are taught to forgive and to seek forgiveness during these days. Practices on the days of Eid-al-Fitr vary from country to country, culture to culture, and even household to household. The other Eid, Eid al-Adha, is known as the "Festival of Sacrifice." It comes at the end of the Hajj, a pilgrimage that millions of Muslims undertake (if they are able to afford it) to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia (Hajj is also one of the five pillars of Islam). Eid al-Adha commemorates Allah's command to Ibrahim (may peace be upon him) to sacrifice his son Ismail (may peace be upon him) as a testament of his faith. The story, as told in the Quran, depicts Shaytaan or Satan’s attempt to tempt Ibrahim (may peace be upon him) into disobeying Allah's command. Ibrahim (may peace be upon him), on the other hand, remains dedicated to his actions and informs Ismail (may peace be upon him), who agrees to be sacrificed. But, just as Ibrahim (may peace be upon him) is about to slaughter his child, Allah intervenes and a sheep is sacrificed in his place. Muslims slaughter an animal during Eid al-Adha to remember Ibrahim’s (may peace be upon him) sacrifice and to remind themselves of the need to submit to Allah's will. Most of the meat from this Eid is donated to those less fortunate, or given to local family friends. A small portion of the meat is kept to the family who paid for the animal, mainly as a token of charity. On this Eid people wear their best clothing as well, and spend time with family. Both Eid and Ramadan prove to be pivotal times in Islam. With the variety of culture in the United States, more and more people are learning about what they are, and further educating themselves about Islam. As of two years ago, the Valley Stream schools close for Eid. May everyone who celebrated Eid and Ramadan have had a pleasant time, and for those who didn’t, we hope you learned a little bit about Eid and Ramadan. BACK TO TOP

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

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 Equality By Anonymous Contributor Volume 2 Issue 7 June 13, 2022 Image provided by Grand Rapids Pride Center They tried to take it Equality and love Of those who want the same as you, Of those who were created the same as you, Of those who are the same as you, Of those who love same The same as you do 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 Sports Back to Sections Kobe Bryant’s Lasting Legacy By Alain Deen Volume 1 Issue 1 November 1, 2020 Image provided by NBC News On January 26th, 2020, NBA legend Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna unfortunately passed away in a helicopter crash. Seven others also passed away: Gianna’s basketball teammates, their parents, coaches and pilot, Ara Zobayan. Kobe Bryant’s passing left the world in shock, primarily due to his heavy influence on basketball and society as a whole. Bryant certainly left a lasting legacy to the world, one which will be remembered for generations to come. Kobe Bryant entered the NBA soon after high school, to then lead a successful 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant, won five NBA championships, and Kobe was a two-time NBA finals MVP. On top of that, Kobe was the 2008 NBA most valuable player, and a two-time scoring champion in 2006 and 2007. Although his remarkable statistics classify him as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe did not let his statistics define who he was. Bryant had multiple interests besides basketball. He enjoyed watching soccer (“football” in Europe) and was a fan of FC Barcelona. Kobe was also friends with Barcelona legend Lionel Messi. Kobe also founded the Mamba Sports Academy, where many young athletes developed their skills using Kobe’s winner mindset. After retirement from the NBA, Kobe Bryant focused on being a good father to his children, raising them to be successful young women. Kobe also wrote several children's books, as well as a short film. Kobe’s drive toward versatility emphasizes that he was much more than just a basketball player. That same short film, “Dear Basketball” went on to win an Academy Award in 2018, breaking boundaries. In the film, Kobe told of his early roots which developed his love for basketball. He explained his mentality, as well as his mindset which pushed him to strive for more. Kobe’s message and drive inspired many current NBA players, like Lebron James. As for Kobe’s daughter Gianna, she was an avid basketball player, expected to join the WNBA when she got older. Gianna, along with her teammates Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, played on the Mamba Basketball team together, with hopes of making it big one day. Kobe Bryant’s inspiring legacy will leave an imprint on all future generations of basketball players, filmmakers, athletes, authors and philanthropists. Kobe emphasized when you stick to your dream with hard work and dedication, you can achieve anything, which is the Mamba Mentality, In the words of Kobe, “Mamba out.” R.I.P Kobe Bryant 1978-2020. R.I.P Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Winter Track By Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 3 Issue 3 February 24, 2023 Image provided by AAG Sports I stare across the locker room Wondering what I got myself into … I racewalk a couple laps Wondering what I got myself into … I wait outside freezing, praying someone opens the door Wondering what I got myself into … I stand on the starting line Wondering what I got myself into ...  Winter track ain't that bad That's what they all say But they're not the ones running everyday All the other athletes are nice and warm inside But here I am freezing outside   I’d rather be at home, with a cup of hot cocoa But here I am running my two warm up laps While my friends have a blast And as I put on my spikes I wonder, what did I get myself into?   But as the season comes to an end I realize, that maybe this ain't so bad After all I do have a medal to hang So as I grab the baton one last time I run as hard as I can so I end up with a good time So as I stare across the locker room I put a smile on my face … And as I racewalk a couple laps I push as hard as I can … And while I wait outside freezing, as nobody opens the door I let out a laugh at last … And as I finally stand on the starting line I smile, glad that I joined winter track BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Precious Memories Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 High school life, what a ride, As a junior, with dreams so wide. Books and tests, and late-night cram, Sometimes, it feels like a big exam.   Lockers jammed with secrets and chatter, Every day, something new to matter. Prom on the horizon, we're almost there, Hoping for a date, and the perfect hair.   Teachers, some strict, some really cool, In this high school world, we're no fool. Homework piling up, stress on the rise, But with friends by our side, we'll reach the skies.   Lunchtime gossip, and cafeteria food, Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's crude. Navigating cliques, and teenage drama, As a junior, life's like a never-ending saga.   But as we grow, we learn and find our way, With each passing moment, we seize the day. Junior year, it's a journey we'll survive, For in these high school memories, we'll thrive. BACK TO TOP