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Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections North's Hidden Gems Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 5 Issue 4 April 8, 2025 Image Provided by Rachael Ezeadichie While most students at North High School are engrossed in their studies, academics are not the only opportunities children have access to here. Students can always join one of the many clubs at our school, whether it’s B.S.U. or S.T.O.P., or something else that interests them (acronym optional). One of the lesser-known clubs at Valley Stream North is the Weightlifting Club. Recently, I have started to attend their meetings and have found a welcoming community and an opportunity to improve my strength and health. The Weightlifting Club at VSN meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the weight room (which has been moved to the wrestling room) from 2:45 to 3:30. Despite its name, the Weightlifting Club is not just for lifting weights, but for anyone who wants a place to work out after school without having to commit to joining a sport for the semester. When I first started going in early December, I was nervous as I was not used to working out using the equipment there, and I had never been in that “gym environment” outside of Phys. Ed. But, after just one session, I had already started feeling more comfortable with working out on the machines and accepting help when it came to correcting my form and technique. While I was there, I had the opportunity to interview Coach Dias, the club’s advisor, and ask him some questions about the club and its community: Who is welcome to join the club? Dias: Everyone is welcome. There are no restrictions. What characteristics and activities do the club promote? Dias: It’s a fitness and weightlifting club, so it promotes fitness, people lifting weights to get stronger for either a sport or just to look better and feel better. Do you enjoy being the club’s advisor? Dias: I think, for the most part, there’s a nice comradery among all the people that come here, it’s a good group. Everyone helps each other. Obviously, I tried to help people with how they’re doing their exercises, but it really is a nice group. What would you say to someone who is hesitant or debating joining? Dias: Well, if you’re hesitant or debating whether to join because you feel self-conscious, it’s a very good group. Everyone helps each other; there’s nobody here that’s super-advanced to where you would feel inferior. So, I think everyone should give it a chance. You’re going to feel better, you’re going to look better, and you’re going to have more confidence in everything else that you do. The Weightlifting Club is one of North’s hidden gems, a part of the school that I am glad to have discovered. Even if you’re only slightly interested, consider visiting and see if it is a community right for you. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Prism Back to Sections Kaitlin Barry - Prism By Kaitlin Barry November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Artwork Line Back to Sections Cianna Nadal - What is Line By Cianna Nadal November 1, 2020 Photography Volume 1 Issue 1

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 By Manal Layachi Volume 1 Issue 2 November 24, 2020 Image provided by Warner Brothers Studios Subject of review is wizardry. The perfect coffee mug for any Potterhead. Espresso Patronum. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 is the last “Harry Potter” movie of the series. Harry Potter and his friends are trying to kill Voldemort and destroy the horcruxes. This story takes place in London in the United Kingdom during the 1990s. The main characters are Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore, Dobby the house elf, Severus Snape, Hagrid, Neville Longbottom, and Professor McGonagall. This story about a boy named Harry Potter who survived getting hit by the darkest wizard Lord Voldemort. Harry Potter is now trying to kill Lord Voldemort once and for all. This terrible wizard killed his family, and some of his friends. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) did a great job acting because he really conveyed the emotion, and he looks exactly like his character described in the books. Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) did a good job as well because of her expressions and how she portrays her character. Rupert Grint (Ronald Weasley) did a good job because his expressions were funny to watch. Also, I like how he acts petrified when he sees spiders. I don’t think any character did a bad job at acting. I loved this movie and I read the books. My favorite scene was when Harry Potter faced Voldemort. I liked how dramatic it was and how everyone was depending on Harry to save them. My least favorite scene was when I saw people injured and how some of my favorite characters died. I felt sad and emotional during that scene. Another scene I liked was when the movie showed Harry Potter and his friends with families and children. This part gave me a nice feeling because Harry Potter and his friend’s survived great adventures. I am sad that the series is finished, but I love this series. A lesson I learned in this movie is that there is no ‘I’ in team. I think that others will learn that working together is better than working alone. Also, there are benefits when you work together. People of all ages will love this movie. I would recommend this movie to people who have a wild imagination and love action and adventure. I would not recommend this movie to people who like Non-fiction and calm movies. The film rating is PG-13. My final word on the film is GOOD. I would give this movie five stars. Manal Layachi is a thirteen-year-old girl who loves reading books. She read all of the Harry Potter books and has watched all of the movies. Her favorite sports are soccer, karate, and tennis. BACK TO TOP

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

Back to Articles Advice Back to Sections Ask Ala: Pride By Ala Paruch Volume 1 Issue 8 June 8, 2021 Image provided by TED Ideas Hello dear readers! With the PRIDE month here, we want to celebrate our LGBTQ+ community and show them how much we care for them. As an ally myself, I encourage everyone to support and listen to your friends, not only during pride month but every day. Here is some advice for the LGBTQ+ community from the Alliance Club: From Grace So, you've decided to come out. First things first, I'm proud of you! Coming out is a big step, and it requires tremendous amounts of effort to reach that level of comfort with yourself. However, coming out can be tricky, and while we have made progress on LGBTQ+ rights and protections, it's important to know that you know your situation best. Your safety is the biggest priority when coming out. If you feel that coming out may create threats to your safety (whether that is physical, mental, financial, or otherwise) ‒ then it is probably not the right time to come out. I know it can be painful to hide such a large part of yourself from people you love, your identity is a big part of you! It's something to be celebrated, not shunned. Nonetheless, until you feel 100% sure that it won't impact your safety, it may be best to lay low. Of course, as I said before, you know your situation best, but remember ‒ safety should be your #1 priority. From Anonymous Coming to terms with your sexuality or gender can be an incredibly difficult process, from acknowledging who you are, trying to figure yourself out and then finally accepting yourself, it can be a process filled with immense inner turmoil. First and foremost, you have to stop making up excuses and start telling yourself it’s okay to question and explore. Trying to repress your feelings only makes the struggle worse, learn to accept the fact that the feelings you have are normal and valid. Then you can try to gain a deeper understanding of those feelings. Go and research, ask others questions and take your time thinking about it! (There’s always someone in The Alliance who’d be willing to talk to you!) However, it is important to remember that you never need to label yourself if you don’t want to. This is all about what you feel, and so you decide what you get to do with those feelings. Lastly, you have to accept yourself. Besides allowing yourself to feel your true feelings, you also have to accept yourself and therefore those feelings too. Find beauty and strength in your experiences and live them out to the fullest! After going through these struggles, you deserve it! I am so proud of you for being here and for trying your best! You will find happiness, and it does get better. From Cairo “Coming out” is usually seen as this huge, one time, make it or break it event; but honestly, it’s really not. As a queer person, you’ll have to come out for the. rest. of. your. entire. life . That was a bit of an exaggeration, but the point still stands. Although you don’t owe anyone an explanation about your identity, you’ll most likely have to “come out” to new people you meet for the rest of your life; not to mention that sometimes your identities change, so you might “re-come out.” Being able to come out in the first place while keeping calm is something that takes time and practice. But if you want to make it easier on yourself, try writing some kind of script and memorizing it. So, when the time comes, it’ll be easier to explain your identity. Also try to keep track of common questions people ask so you’ll be better prepared to address them if someone happens to ask. From Joseph [Excerpt from Being a Good Ally ] First, be calm. Reacting with a surprised tone can come off as negative or demeaning during this experience. Second, be kind. From what I previously said, it's very tough and scary for someone to come out to you, so make sure that they know how much you care about them. An example of this is showing them that you still love and support them, and show them that you will stick up for them. Third, be proud. This will contribute to the aspect of being kind. By fully and openly supporting your friend shows them how proud you are of them, who they are, and the courage it took them. An example of this is how all of my friends took me to the Pride parade in NYC in 2019 to show their support. Finally, be understanding. Someone who is doing all of this is going through a lot of trauma, and they might be frustrated with other people's reactions or just the stress of coming out. So if they might be struggling at being a good friend or whatever it is, understand that they are going through something that not many people experience, and they are just struggling. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections White Flowers By Nora Chery Volume 3 Issue 2 December 23, 2022 Image provided by Unsplash.com Do you remember when it rained for two weeks straight? I did and I thought it resulted in a good thing. Sure, the townsfolk, especially my mother, would disagree. "They're just flowers dearie," she'd say to me. "The town nearly washed away out of existence due to that catastrophe, and all god could offer is some flowers!?" "Beautiful flowers," I retorted softly, perching over to see the flowers clearly. My mother snorted and turned her back towards me, she lifted the hem of her dress and marched through the soaked grass, making her way back home, not far where the flowers are. They were beautiful flowers, indeed they were. A beautiful clomp of white lilies, whiter than any lily, whiter that the one’s Mrs. Harper used to sell before her store got destroyed. Whiter than the beautiful dress my mother had to sell in exchange for money and food. Whiter than the clouds that turned to gray ones drenching us with water. They smelled nice with petals soft to the touch, despite the rain. I would spend hours in my garden, tending to them, watching them grow, and dreaming of the day I could finally pick one and bring it inside. But then you came along, and at first, I thought you were the answer to my prayers. You were kind, gentle, and you seemed to genuinely care about me and my garden. You even helped me with the watering and weeding, and I couldn't have been happier. But then, one day, you took my white flowers. You said you wanted to give them to your sister, who was upset due her destroyed house, and you promised to bring them back. But you never did. I waited and waited, but you never returned. And as the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, my garden began to wither and die. Without those white flowers, my garden was nothing but a barren wasteland. And without you, my heart was nothing but a hollow shell. Do you remember when it rained for two weeks straight? I do, and I thought it was a curse. Because that's when my white flowers were taken from me, and the man I thought loved me left me behind. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections America Chavez: The First Openly LGBTQ+ Woman of Color in the MCU By Megan McDermott Volume 2 Issue 7 June 13, 2022 Image provided by Marvel Note: This will contain many Multiverse of Madness Spoilers America Chavez, portrayed by Xochitl Gomez, made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the latest movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, on May 6, 2022. Many fans, including myself, had very high hopes for this newfound representation after 2021’s Eternals featuring Phastos, the first openly gay superhero, who even having an onscreen husband and son. Phastos and his husband also kiss onscreen, which is an enormous step in the direction of representation, especially for such a big corporation as Disney and Marvel. Chavez is fourteen years old - the youngest in the movie and one of the youngest in the MCU. I attempted not to get my hopes up for full representation upon learning her age, but I was pleasantly surprised upon seeing the movie. Many close-ups of her pride pin on her denim jacket were featured, and this “controversial” scene: Chavez has two moms, and the twelve-second clip of them led to attempted censorship in places such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar. This scene consists of Chavez learning about her ability to jump through the multiverses and depicts her mothers getting lost in the multiverse after Chavez accidentally opens a portal. Due to the bans on gay content in the countries mentioned above, they requested Disney and Marvel cut the scene, but the studios refused because they want inclusion and representation to increase in their films. That news filled me with hope for Marvel to introduce more LGBTQ+ characters into their films. Many of the characters are canonically LGBTQ+ in the comics, such as Loki, Yelena Belova, and Wiccan (who translates into the MCU as Wanda Maximoff’s son, Billy Maximoff). I am very optimistic about her future in the MCU. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections The Art of Table Tennis Manal Layachi Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by Mamba Blades What is Table Tennis? Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a fun and recreational sport that can be played at any age. In order to play this game, you need paddles, a rectangular table with a net, table tennis balls, and someone to play with. Table tennis can be played as singles or doubles. I prefer playing singles because I feel as though the court is not big enough to play with a partner. Did you know that table tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988? I did not know that either and was surprised. Table tennis is like mini tennis and that is what I like about it. If you know how to play tennis, you will know how to play table tennis. The History of Table Tennis Table tennis first appeared in the late 19th century in England. It was inspired by lawn tennis and the first players were mainly members of the middle-class of Victorian society. The first game was played with materials such as champagne corks, cigar boxes, and books. Table tennis was a good distraction for the wealthy classes. David Foster introduced the first game of tennis in 1890. Seven years later, the first national championships took place in Hungary. Furthermore, James Gibb introduced a lightweight ball known as the “celluloid ball” in 1901. E.C. Gould introduced rubber bats or paddles that improved the playing of table tennis in 1902. During the same year, table tennis tournaments began, such as the first World Championship. In addition, table tennis organizations were founded; for example, the Table Tennis Association in 1921, and the International Federation in 1926. Some champions in table tennis include Austro-Briton Richard Bergmann, Aloizy Ehrilich, and Angelica Rozeanu. That is how the sport of table tennis came to be. Interesting history, right? The Rules of Table Tennis Games are played to 11 points and must be won by two points. A match is won based on whoever wins the most games: the best three out of five games. Every two points, the person who serves the ball alternates with their opponent. If there is a tie which is a score of 10-10 also known as deuce, the serves are alternated every point. When serving a ping pong ball, hold it in your palm behind the end of your side of the table. You must toss it at least six inches in the air for it to count; however, the ball must hit your side of the table first before going to the other side. If you miss the serve, your opponent gets the point. The serve can land anywhere when you are playing singles; however, the ball cannot bounce more than once on your side. A serve that touches the net on the way over is a “let.” If the ball is served and hits the net on the way over, that is known as a “let” and the serve must be repeated. When playing doubles, partners must alternate hitting the ball. Volleys are not allowed. You can touch the ball with your paddle hand. Touching the table with your non-paddle hand is illegal. An “edge ball” bouncing off the horizontal tabletop surface is valid and counts as a point. The vertical sides of the table are not part of the playing surface. The Honor system applies to disagreements if no referee is present during the match. Table Tennis is a Lifetime Sport: Anyone can play table tennis, no matter the age. It is considered a lifetime sport because it can be played anywhere and even when people get older. According to Danine Fruge, racket sports such as tennis and badminton have “proven to be one of the top categories of sport for increasing lifespan.” However, not everyone has access to tennis courts and others may have injuries. Table tennis is perfect for those who have injuries as it requires “no training or particular level of fitness to start playing.” Table tennis boosts longevity as it works out your brain, improves your agility, and gets your heart rate going. Overall, table tennis is an awesome sport to be a part of and I love playing this fun game with my cousins and friends! North’s Table Tennis Club: Fellow North students, have you ever heard of North’s Table Tennis Club? I joined the club this year and I am having a lot of fun. Mr. Fischer, our club advisor, has been running this club for 50 years! I decided to join the club as I wanted to have fun and stay active. I now know a lot more about table tennis than I did when I first joined. This sport has taught me to be patient and have confidence in myself. It also helps me clear my mind and distracts me from the stress of school and junior year. I also enjoy playing as I get to spend time with my cousin and make new friends. If you are interested in joining, we meet every Tuesday at 3:30 in the cafeteria unless the time has changed. Sources: The history of table tennis - Cornilleau Official Rules of Table Tennis — PongFit Why Table Tennis Is Great for Longevity and Health | Well+Good (wella BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections Who Needs Romance When You Can Have Platonic Solids? By Lucy Wu Volume 2 Issue 4 February 10, 2022 Image provided by the Sacred Geometry Shop Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching; you can taste the sickly sweetness of candy hearts and smell the over fragranced red roses (not to mention the skyrocketing hallway PDA is pretty ick ). But let’s face the music: you’re not seeing someone at the moment, and your friends already made plans (read: you’ll be alone this Valentine’s Day). I get it: love is hard. But because I completely sympathize with your dilemma, I’ll be playing matchmaker to help you find some company. Thus, I’d like to introduce you to some of my favorite mathematical figures, the platonic solids. Of my many talents, I can also read minds, so I know precisely what you’re thinking: how will these random shapes save me from eating ice cream while binge-watching Love Island alone this Valentine’s Day? Be patient. I assure you that you too will be transfixed by the magical attributes of platonic solids in just a moment. History First of all, background is important (don’t worry, I wouldn’t set you up with someone I didn’t trust wholeheartedly). Fortunately for us, the platonic solids have a pretty, dare I say, solid track record (I promise the puns get better as the article progresses). They’ve been constructed throughout history, such as for games in ancient Italy, or by ancient Roman and Egyptian civilizations. Moreover, they’ve captured the attention (and hearts) of infamous mathematicians, including their Pythagoras, their namesake Plato, and even Kepler. Plato also correlated each solid with a natural element (more on this later), while Kepler used them to explain the enigma of planetary movement (read the Mysterium Cosmographicum if you’re interested). And the best part is, the meaning is built right into their names. In our English vernacular, platonic means a friendly and inseparable bond, never to be distanced by fading feelings or waning passion. Thus, if you choose platonic solids, you’ll never be alone, because just like a good friend, they will always be there for you. While there are multiple platonic solids, I would advise you to take your pick before they’re taken by someone else, since there are just five unique figures. The Basics So what makes a platonic solid a platonic solid anyway? Glad you asked. Dimension: Must be a 3 dimensional figure (So it must possess length, width, and height, which are all important attributes. Like I’d image it wouldn’t be as fun to hang out with a 2D figure, since their personalities are flat because they literally lack dimension.) Faces: If you’re familiar with rectangular prisms, you might know they have sides made of squares and rectangles. Or pyramids have a square base and triangular sides. But platonic solids are special in that their faces are ALL composed of congruent, regular polygons. Meaning, the sides must all be squares, or triangles, or even pentagons for instance. (You might say this makes them boring, but I promise that you’d prefer their constancy and predictability over the chaos that is fractals.) These aren’t requirements, but I’d recommend you take notes before you get lost. Prefixes: Each has a special name composed of the prefix and suffix. The Greek suffix - hedron denotes that it has a specific number of faces. Meanwhile, the prefix changes for each solid to signify the number of faces. For example, tetra- means four in Greek. Edges: The lines composing the sides of the figure, or where each side meets the other side Vertices: The points where lines join up for multiple sides of the figure (they look like spikes) Now that you understand their history and terminology, let me introduce you to each of our lovely platonic solids. Tetrahedron (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 4 Edges: 6 Faces: 4 Element: Fire – Since it has the smallest volume in relation to its surface area, it actually becomes the most “flexible” of the solids. It’s ready at a moment’s notice and will certainly fight for you. Planet: Jupiter Hexahedron (a.k.a Cube) (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 8 Edges: 12 Faces: 6 Element: Earth – This is the most stable of all the solids because of its solid base and naturally will keep you grounded. Planet: Saturn Octahedron (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 6 Edges: 12 Faces: 8 Element: Air – Interestingly, you can spin an Octahedron on its axis, making it a moveable object. This is a match made in heaven if your head is in the clouds and you enjoy daydreaming. Planet: Mercury Dodecahedron (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 20 Edges: 30 Faces: 12 Element: Universe – The Greeks are great mathematicians but even better astrologers: 12 faces correspond to each of the 12 zodiac signs. If you’re high maintenance, choose Dodecahedron because you can quite literally have the entire world at the palm of your hand. Planet: Mars Icosahedron (Credits: Bijan Davvaz) Vertices: 12 Edges: 30 Faces: 20 Element: Water – This is the opposite of firey Tetrahedron since it has the largest volume in relation to its surface area, making it the least “flexible.” But fear not, as its many sides will protect you through thick and thin. Planet: Venus But wait... there’s more! Dual Polyhedron Now, you may have noticed that some of the solids have the same number of vertices as the number of faces of another solid, and vice versa (if you didn’t, look back and see if you can find the corresponding pairs). Another fantastic trait of the platonic solids is their duality, that is, their corresponding half, or partner in crime. (This doesn’t mean they’re two-faced, by the way. It simply demonstrates they have the flexibility to change and collaborate which each other, or another facet of their personality if you will.) To construct their hidden counterparts, imagine drawing a point at the center of each face. Then, connect these points with internal line segments, making new sides. Shave off the rest of the shape that doesn’t fall within these sides. If you did it correctly, you should end up with another one of the platonic solids (or Tetrahedron again, if you started with Tetrahedron)! If you’re having trouble visualizing, here’s a diagram. Hexahedron and Octahedron are each other’s duals, while Dodecahedron and Icosahedron match each other as well. Tetrahedron is the most self-aware of them all, since its geometric dual is itself. 1: Platonic Solids 2: Corresponding Duals 3: Superimposed on each other (Credits: Wolfram MathWorld) What’s more is that you can even go back and forth. It’s like taking the reciprocal of a fraction, you just flip. To go back to the original fraction, just flip again. In a similar fashion, by taking the dual of a Hexahedron, you create an Octahedron, and taking a dual of that brings you back home to a Hexahedron once more. Higher Dimensions Let’s also touch upon the fact that these lovely platonic solids manifest their true selves in higher dimensions. For instance, our trusty cube becomes a hypercube (or tesseract, if you’re into that) once you approach it in the 4th dimension. In addition to our height, length, and width, we add the last variable of blurring the constraints of time. For you, this means that just as a cube has a square on each face, the hypercube has a cube on each face instead. (The technicalities can be explained in a future article, but you have to admit this is pretty cool.) I’d advise staring straight at the middle to see the effect (Credits: Joel Grayson) Needless to say, it’s clear why this Valentine’s Day, you should forget your sorrows (and definitely skip the ice cream and Love Island ). My job as Cupid (or Eros if we’re trying to be Greek) is done for now. Instead, I urge you to indulge in the limitless possibilities of a platonic solid that will constantly transcend both space and time for you; just not in a romantic way, only platonically of course. Sources https://www.sacredgeometryshop.com/sacred-geometry/the-secrets-of-the-platonic-solids/ https://mathworld.wolfram.com/DualPolyhedron.html https://brilliant.org/wiki/tesseract/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_solid BACK TO TOP