Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Final By Huan Evo Alipio Volume 2 Issue 7 June 13, 2022 Image provided by TN Tech Blogs The heat beaming, the sun scorching, and this glamorous weather Almost to the end of the finish line, all must cross With everyone exhausted, people managed to complete this year's course Though it has been quite an experience It will be missed by some Many will leave and never come back Many will remain to start to unpack So, shocking this is occurring But memories will stay and remain Then, this cycle will repeat itself and happen all over again BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections Junior High Cross Country By Andrew LaVoie Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Circle Schools The North Junior High Cross-Country team is an outstanding team to join. Cross-Country is an excellent sport, and the North team is very good. First, Cross-Country is a perfect sport because unlike football or soccer, you do not need equipment except for your body and clothing. There are also some health benefits to cross-country track. According to  www.schpemerald.org , “The faster you run, the harder your heart works and the stronger it gets. Running bolsters your cartilage by increasing oxygen flow and flushing out toxins and strengthening the ligaments around your joints. Not only that, but it is also one of the best forms of exercise to lose extra pounds or maintain a steady weight.” Those are just some benefits of the sport of Cross-Country as a whole, but the North team is very incredible too. Coached by Anne Schroder, the Junior High Cross- Country team is fun and a great experience to push your body to its limits. We had two girls finish first and second, and two boys finish second and third. However, as a nonbiased reporter, I warn the sport of cross country can be very challenging, but I know to never give up. Sign-ups for the team are closed for the year, but next season we would love to have you on the team. BACK TO TOP

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

Back to Articles Fiction, Polaris Back to Sections Emily Dickson By Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 3 Issue 4 May 18, 2023 Image provided by Wikipedia Emily Dickinson was a prominent American poet born in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1830. Dickinson is known for her unique and unconventional style of writing poetry that often challenged the traditional forms of poetry during her time. She is recognized as one of the most significant and influential poets in American literature. Emily Dickinson was born into a wealthy and prominent family in Amherst, Massachusetts. Her father, Edward Dickinson, was a prominent lawyer and politician, while her mother, Emily Norcross Dickinson, was a homemaker. Dickinson received her early education at Amherst Academy, where she excelled in her studies and demonstrated a strong interest in literature. As a young woman, Dickinson was deeply influenced by the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Transcendentalist movement. She began writing poetry at a young age and continued to write throughout her life. Despite her love for writing, Dickinson was a private person and rarely shared her work with others. Dickinson's writing career spanned over three decades, and she produced over 1,800 poems during her lifetime. However, only a handful of her poems were published during her lifetime, and it wasn't until after her death that her work gained widespread recognition. Dickinson's poetry is characterized by its unconventional style, including her use of slant rhyme and irregular meter. Her poems often explore themes such as nature, death, love, and spirituality. Dickinson's work is also known for its use of vivid imagery and metaphorical language. Emily Dickinson's poetry has had a significant impact on American literature and culture. Her unconventional style of writing and her exploration of themes such as death and spirituality has influenced generations of writers and poets. Today, Dickinson is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential poets in American literature. Her work continues to be studied and celebrated, and her legacy as an iconic American poet remains strong. One of Emily Dickinson's most famous poems is "Because I could not stop for Death." This poem explores the theme of death and the speaker's journey toward it. Here is the poem in its entirety: Because I could not stop for Death— He kindly stopped for me— The Carriage held but just Ourselves—  And Immortality. We slowly drove—He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility— We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess—in the Ring— We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain— We passed the Setting Sun— Or rather—He passed us— The Dews drew quivering and chill— For only Gossamer, my Gown— My Tippet—only Tulle— We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground— The Roof was scarcely visible— The Cornice—in the Ground— Since then—’tis Centuries—and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses’ Heads Were toward Eternity—   References: Franklin, R. W. (Ed.). (1999). The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Variorum Edition. Belknap Press. Sewall, R. B. (1974). The Life of Emily Dickinson. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Smith, M. (Ed.). (1998). The Emily Dickinson Handbook. University of Massachusetts Press. Miller, C. R. (1997). Emily Dickinson: A Poet's Grammar. Harvard University Press. Vendler, H. (2010). Dickinson: Selected Poems and Commentaries. Harvard University Press.   Emily Dickinson was a prominent American poet born in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1830. Dickinson is known for her unique and unconventional style of writing poetry that often challenged the traditional forms of poetry during her time. She is recognized as one of the most significant and influential poets in American literature. Emily Dickinson was born into a wealthy and prominent family in Amherst, Massachusetts. Her father, Edward Dickinson, was a prominent lawyer and politician, while her mother, Emily Norcross Dickinson, was a homemaker. Dickinson received her early education at Amherst Academy, where she excelled in her studies and demonstrated a strong interest in literature. As a young woman, Dickinson was deeply influenced by the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Transcendentalist movement. She began writing poetry at a young age and continued to write throughout her life. Despite her love for writing, Dickinson was a private person and rarely shared her work with others. Dickinson's writing career spanned over three decades, and she produced over 1,800 poems during her lifetime. However, only a handful of her poems were published during her lifetime, and it wasn't until after her death that her work gained widespread recognition. Dickinson's poetry is characterized by its unconventional style, including her use of slant rhyme and irregular meter. Her poems often explore themes such as nature, death, love, and spirituality. Dickinson's work is also known for its use of vivid imagery and metaphorical language. Emily Dickinson's poetry has had a significant impact on American literature and culture. Her unconventional style of writing and her exploration of themes such as death and spirituality has influenced generations of writers and poets. Today, Dickinson is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential poets in American literature. Her work continues to be studied and celebrated, and her legacy as an iconic American poet remains strong. One of Emily Dickinson's most famous poems is "Because I could not stop for Death." This poem explores the theme of death and the speaker's journey toward it. Here is the poem in its entirety: Because I could not stop for Death— He kindly stopped for me— The Carriage held but just Ourselves—  And Immortality. We slowly drove—He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility— We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess—in the Ring— We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain— We passed the Setting Sun— Or rather—He passed us— The Dews drew quivering and chill— For only Gossamer, my Gown— My Tippet—only Tulle— We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground— The Roof was scarcely visible— The Cornice—in the Ground— Since then—’tis Centuries—and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses’ Heads Were toward Eternity—   References: Franklin, R. W. (Ed.). (1999). The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Variorum Edition. Belknap Press. Sewall, R. B. (1974). The Life of Emily Dickinson. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Smith, M. (Ed.). (1998). The Emily Dickinson Handbook. University of Massachusetts Press. Miller, C. R. (1997). Emily Dickinson: A Poet's Grammar. Harvard University Press. Vendler, H. (2010). Dickinson: Selected Poems and Commentaries. Harvard University Press.   BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections People vs People By Huan Evo Alipio Volume 2 Issue 5 March 28, 2022 Image provided by Titus Lunter February 24th, 2022 a big foot steeped into occupied land  Land that was ran by people Land that was a society  With many varieties Though this creature wants to fill his fantasies  The people of the land have multiple tactics and strategies  But, this creature is no ordinary The people must proceed with cautionary It’s also a sad thing to know that this creature is one of us  And have no plans to discuss  Explosions filled the sky  With many families having to goodbye  People vs People is one rough ride  Even though both land had an agreement back in ‘96, the creature has gone wild In which his body is controlled by vivd mind  His Arms that stretched for miles  Unfortunately for the monster, the people of the occupied land will succeed while looking at him with wide smiles  BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections School Threats By Erin Seitz Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Herald In recent times, there has been an uproar of conversation on gun violence and the effects it has on schools and education in Valley Stream school communities. In the school we go to every day, Valley Stream North, there has been another recent threat to student safety. Starting on Snapchat, there was a threat of a shooting and bombing to an educational area, where students are supposed to feel safe. Gun violence is leading to a change in scholars’ educations and causing a threat to their safety in a building where all they are supposed to be worrying about is learning. As the threat arose through social media, parents and guardians had to face the choice and worries of sending their child to school that week. The threat was stated to be from Tuesday, October 25th, until Friday, October 28th. As missing school for 4 days isn’t an option for most students due to the pace of learning in every class, parents and guardians had to watch their children leave the house in the morning with the nagging fear of what could happen at school. Some parents made the difficult choice, causing their children to face the educational consequences of staying completely home from school. This threat also was sent to other schools such as Long Beach High School, all stating the same thing. Worries from the students and parents all arose, as uncertain questions about what to do developed. It was reported that upwards of half the student body remained home on Tuesday, either due to their guardians’ worries or their own. How is it fair that students had to miss days of education to these threats? How is it fair the students had to fall behind in classes due to the nagging fear of violence? Shootings and bombings in schools have had a recent uprise. Since 2012, the year of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, there have been approximately 948 school shootings. Valley Stream North fortunately hasn’t had a shooting but has had multiple threats to the safety of its students and educators. In 2018, there was a shooting threat to the school, leading to the arrest of a past senior. On October 24th, 2021, a bomb threat was sent to Valley Stream North High School, threatening the lives of the building’s students and teachers. Now, on October 24th, 2022, there has been yet another one. How many more times are students’ and teachers’ lives going to be threatened? Schools came up with temporary solutions to the recent threat such as banning backpacks for the duration of the week and only allowing laptops into the building to try to ease fears. Extracurriculars, from sports to clubs, had all been cancelled as well. But schools shouldn’t have to worry about coming up with solutions to help protect the students and teachers inside of them. The fear of guns and weapons being in the wrong hands should not be involved in an educational building’s worries. The worries a student should have are about learning, studying, and completing assignments. The fear of being injured or worse, killed in the building they are sent to everyday, shouldn’t be a worry they have to face. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections The Console Wars Elijah Dyal Volume 5 Issue 2 November 25, 2024 Image Provided by Max Ching The Console Wars Ever since the release of the PlayStation on December 3, 1994, and the N64 on June 23, 1996, Sony and Nintendo have been dominating the market and entertaining us with their interactive gaming machines. As the PlayStation and Nintendo continued to get more popular, Microsoft decided it was about time they entered the gaming industry. As Microsoft was building the Xbox, PlayStation came out with their PS2 on March 4, 2000. Microsoft realized that they were behind by 2 generations, so they sped up the process and released the Xbox on November 15, 2001. These 3 consoles competed with the Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, and the Nintendo GameCube. As Microsoft started to capture people’s attention with their Xbox, PlayStation had sold about 270 units (PS1 and PS2s.) Microsoft started to become even more popular and had finally started designing their 7th generation console; the Xbox 360. Sony released the PlayStation Portable (PSP) on March 24, 2005. The Xbox 360 was released on November 22, 2005. Sony’s biggest rival finally got ahead of them, but little did Microsoft know, PlayStation was coming out with something revolutionary. November 11, 2006 marked the release date of one of the best consoles of its time. The PlayStation 3 boasted many 3D capabilities, HDMI compatibility, and had one of the biggest leaps in performance from its predecessor. It even had its own home screen, unlike all of the previous generation consoles manufactured by Sony. Along with this beast came the DualShock Sixaxis controller. It wasn’t the biggest upgrade from the DualShock 2, but it still had new features. Later, Sony released PlayStation Plus, a subscription that allowed the users of the PS3 and later to do it all. Every PS3 model was compatible with the PSP. Sony even released the PS3 Slim on Sep 1, 2009, which was a smaller and better console than the original. The Nintendo Wii was released on November 19, 2006. This console featured many new and different games and controllers, including their famous Wii Motion Plus. This was a controller that allowed users to play games such as Major League Baseball 2K10. Sony couldn’t stand Nintendo having a controller that they didn’t, which resulted in them releasing the PlayStation Move on September 15, 2010. Meanwhile, Microsoft consoles were suffering from general hardware failures which caused the Red Ring of Death on many of their Xbox 360 consoles. The Red Ring of Death meant that there was some sort of hardware issue inside the console. They even tried releasing the Xbox Kinect on November 4, 2010, but the number of Red Rings of Death were increasing and were skyrocketing to almost all of their consoles. The end of this generation was marked by Sony’s release of the PlayStation 3 Super Slim on September 25, 2012. This wasn’t their best console, but was a cheaper and smaller alternative to the PS3 and PS3 Slim. On November 15, 2013, Sony released the PS4, and on November 22, 2013, Microsoft released the Xbox One. At this point, PlayStation and Xbox were like fish and land. PlayStation accommodated more exclusive and more aesthetically pleasing games, while Xbox started supporting a wider variety of games. As soon as one company did something good, others created something to compete with it. PlayStation sold more than double the amount of Xbox Ones. Then Microsoft released the Xbox One S, in 2016, which supported 4K resolution, and Cross Generation Play, but the PS4 still outsold it. On March 3, 2017, Nintendo announced the release of the Switch. The Switch was a big hit, with over 125 million units sold. It even featured removable Joy-Cons. The Nintendo Switch Lite didn’t have removable Joy-Cons and was a smaller alternative. The Nintendo Switch Oled featured a sleek design, while still maintaining the iconic Nintendo Switch design. Nowadays, there are rumors of a Switch Pro or Switch 2. On November 10, 2016, Sony released the PlayStation 4 Pro. This was an advanced version of the PS4, that supported 4K and other modern features. Microsoft had to catch up, and they did, with the release of the Xbox One X on November 7, 2017. This was the direct competitor to the PS4 Pro, as they kept going back and forth. On November 10, 2020, Microsoft released the present-day Xbox Series S and X. These consoles boasted features that were never used in consoles before, such as external SSD expansion. They feature high resolution outputs through HDMI-CEC. They even offer extraordinary reliability, unlike the Xbox 360. Meanwhile, Sony took advantage of the Xbox release date to see the capabilities and used the extra 2 days to modify their next generation console to compete with the Xboxes. On November 12, 2020, Sony Interactive Entertainment released the Sony PlayStation 5. It has a more than unique design. This console has many new features, and also features expandable SSD storage. As Sony promised, they also released the PS5 Slim on November 10, 2023. This is just a slimmer version of the PS5 with minor performance improvements. This year, many new variants of the Xbox Series X and S have been released, as Xbox catches up with PlayStation. As you can see, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are the biggest rivals in the gaming console industry. Who knows what the future holds for these companies? Sources: https://www.ign.com/articles/all-playstation-console-release-dates-in-order , https://www.ign.com/articles/all-xbox-console-release-dates-in-order , https://www.ign.com/articles/all-nintendo-console-release-dates-in-order , https://sonyinteractive.com/en/press-releases/2010/playstationmove-motion-controller-to-hit-worldwide-market-starting-this-septemberfor-japan/ , and https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/timeline-a-look-back-at-kinects-history/ BACK TO TOP

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 8 June 8, 2021 "PERIASTRON" ARTICLES A Goodbye to North By Olivia Neuner Feature Read More A Year Around the World in Four Fairs By Kashmiraa Pandit Art & Culture Read More Ask Ala: Pride By Ala Paruch Advice Read More COVID-19 Crisis in India By Matteo Somma Science & Technology Read More Eid al-Fitr and Ramadan By Charis Hackman Art & Culture Read More Gender and Sex: The Misunderstandings and Differences By Rachel Ezeadichie Feature Read More Goodbye DeBlasio: How the 2021 NYC Mayoral Election is Turning Out By Logan Balsan News Read More Learning about Sikh and Indian Weddings By Elaine Ching Art & Culture Read More My Past, Not Relevant By G Heiss Polaris Read More North Spring Sports Recap By John McCarthy Sports Read More Proud By Eva Grace Martinez Editorial Read More Recent ISS Crew Dragon Mission By Elyas Layachi Science & Technology Read More Soldier By Nora Chery Polaris Read More The Importance of Intrinsic Motivation By Alain Deen Editorial Read More The Season of Summer By Carolina Grace Figueroa Editorial Read More The Wonders of Poop By Cody Sung Science & Technology Read More A Scholarly Quest in Statistics By Ala Paruch and Lucy Wu Science & Technology Read More April Showers Bring May Flowers By Manal Layachi Science & Technology Read More Being a Good Ally By Joseph Evola Advice Read More Desserts to Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride By Christina Ossa Feature Read More Fun vs. Responsibility By Alanna Tieschmaker Polaris Read More Girl’s Badminton Celebrates the Senior Class By Garrick Neuner and Olivia Neuner Sports Read More How To: Self-Publish By Leah Tyme Feature Read More Letter from the Editor: End of Year Report By Craig Papajohn-Shaw Letter from the Editor Read More Nayib Bukele - Democratic Leader or Autocrat? By Everton Prospere News Read More North's Captivating Courtyard: Spotlight on North's Hardworking Clubs By Ericka Leus Feature Read More Ramadan and Eid in Islam By Nidha Dar and Mairaab Jahangir Art & Culture Read More Senior Interview with Shubhdip Kundlas By Shinedip Kundlas Advice Read More The Culture Society's "Just One Africa" Event By Cody Sung Art & Culture Read More The Presenter and the Friend By Navrosedip Kundlas Polaris Read More The Truth About Vaccination By Aleeza Dhillon News Read More CONTEMPLATION LOAD MORE

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections An Athletic Humanoid Robot Named “Atlas” By Carolina Grace Figueroa Volume 2 Issue 2 November 19, 2021 Image provided by I will Always Write Back Boston Dynamics, a robotics company in Massachusetts, developed a bipedal humanoid robot, meaning with two legs, named Atlas. Atlas is 5 feet tall, weighs 190 pounds, is very athletic, demonstrates human agility, and was unveiled to the public in July 2013. Since its reveal, Atlas has learned to run, walk, leap, jump over logs, and even haul 25 pounds. Atlas uses sensors to balance on one leg, can navigate rough and uneven terrain including grass and snow, can climb independently using its arms and legs, and can turn 180 degrees while jumping. In September 2019, Atlas demonstrated the ability to perform a fluid floor routine in gymnastics, including handstands, cartwheels, tumbles, and somersaults. In December 2020, Atlas exhibited agility and balance while performing a dance routine to the song “Do You Love Me” and showed it can even do “The Twist” dance move. And most recently, in August 2021, engineers have taught Atlas to do parkour, which is the art of moving from one place to another using obstacles. Atlas was taught to do many parkour tricks including backflips, jumps on slanted platforms, and routines on balance beams and vaults. You can catch sight of Atlas in action by watching videos of the robot’s routines on YouTube. Atlas is a research platform for whole-body robotic mobility. Its advanced control system and state-of-the-art hardware make Atlas the world’s most dynamic humanoid athlete robot. Lead engineer at Boston Dynamic Scott Kuindersma and his engineering team taught Atlas how to pick itself up from a fall and how to dance to a pop song. However, Kuindersma believes that Atlas is still at a disadvantage compared to a human, claiming “if you or I were to vault over a barrier, we would take advantage of certain properties of our bodies that would not translate to the robot. For example, the robot has no spine or shoulder blades, so it doesn’t have the same range of motion that you or I do.” Amazingly, this team has created robots with human-like 3D printed body parts whose movements mimic humans with a high degree of accuracy, grace, and agility. To teach Atlas its new tricks, a set of rules, called an algorithm, was created by the team for the robot’s onboard computers to follow. The algorithms reason through complex dynamic interactions involving the whole body and environment to plan movements. The team then watched how the robot performed and tweaked the algorithm as a result. There were many failed attempts before Atlas successfully completed the parkour course for the first time. According to Wikipedia, Atlas is “custom battery-powered and hydraulically activated with 20 degrees of freedom. It has RGB cameras and depth sensors [that] provide input to its control system. All the computation required for control perception and estimation [happens] in three onboard computers.” Atlas has an advanced control system that enables highly diverse and agile locomotion; however, the team has not yet found a suitable power source to fuel this robot. In the future, robots like Atlas could one day be used for search-and-rescue missions in places where parkour moves are useful for navigating obstacles. These robots will be intended to aid emergency services in search-and-rescue operations, performing tasks such as opening doors, shutting off valves, and operating powered equipment where humans could not survive. Atlas robots are evolving every year. It is fascinating, yet frightening, to know that robots can now dance like humans, climb into and drive a utility vehicle, connect a hose to a pipe, open a door, and climb a ladder. Who knows what Atlas robots will be able to do in 2030, but I am excited to see! BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Prism Back to Sections Jodi Viason - Prism By Jodi Viason November 24, 2020 Volume 1 Issue 2