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Back to Articles News Back to Sections Peer Diversion Court By Everton Prospere Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Nassau County Are you interested in law and criminal justice? Perhaps you have an innate desire to help other teenagers in Nassau County? Peer Diversion Court, a restorative justice program that offers a second chance for young criminal offenders, creates a unique experience for the entire courtroom.  A decade-long special youth court program run through Nassau County’s District Attorney’s Office, the Peer Diversion volunteers and adolescent offenders all are under eighteen years of age. The young malefactors, charged with a real crime, face two options from a family court judge: face a real trial with the possibility of being found guilty with jail time and, in turn, have a permanent criminal record, or face a jury in Peer Diversion Court. If young offenders choose the latter, they admit guilt, but face a much lighter sentence, and a record that will not affect their futures. Nassau County’s Peer Diversion Court Coordinator, Michael Jasmin, and the Special Counsel for Adolescent and Juvenile Justice, Arianne Reyer, divide the program into two parts, the volunteers/interns and the defendants. The volunteers and interns apply for the program and undergo an extensive screening process. If accepted, these volunteers attend training sessions to understand court proceedings. After successfully completing the training, the volunteers can serve as either a bailiff, court clerk, defense advocate (a simpler version of a defense lawyer), or community advocate (a simpler version of an adult court prosecutor). The defendants, or the criminal offenders, are briefed before their assigned court date by Mr. Jasmin and Ms. Reyer and begin community service to ensure their commitment to the program. A typical court case takes two days during a week. Tuesday, the preparatory day, focuses on the defendants and the advocates. The advocates read a police report that provides personal information about the defendant, the crime committed, and any evidence or witness statements. After reading the police briefing, the defense and community advocate sit with the offender and begin to discuss the case. This provides a chance for the defendant to explain their story without a police report that can possibly consist of vague information or a biased witness statement. Thursday, the trial day, emphasizes an environment about the defendant. While many youth courts may focus solely on the volunteers and their criminal justice experience, Peer Diversion Court highlights the adolescent offenders. The court proceeding begins with an explanation of the case by the judge, usually a former volunteer that has outgrown the program, the bailiff, and the clerk. After the defense and community advocates make opening statements, the defendant is called to the stand to testify. After questioning from the defense and community advocates, the court gives the jury and witnesses in the room the opportunity to ask questions. The jury consists of former defendants who must complete a certain number of jury duties as part of their sentence. This, in turn, forces the jury members to reflect on their own case and engage in other cases that may have similarities to their own situation. After the questioning from all parties, the court goes into recess and the jury begins their deliberations, which may take anywhere from five minutes to over thirty minutes. Once the jury enters a decision, the court resumes its session and a jury member reads the disposition. Regardless of the sentence, the defendant will have to serve a number of community service hours and jury duties. In addition, the community advocate often asks for more requirements, such as a letter of apology or therapy. After the jury announces a decision, the court comes to a close, and the defendant must immediately begin their sentence. The exhilarating experience at Peer Diversion Court makes all parties, whether volunteers or offenders, connect through the restorative justice system. As a volunteer for Peer Diversion Court, this program has changed my perspective on the world as I have participated in cases on marijuana possession, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and assault. However, whether I work on a case with a defendant from East Meadow, Garden City, or Hempstead, a commonality exists among all the offenders, the desire for a second chance and to improve on their lives. If you have an interest in Peer Diversion Court, you can fill out this application and contact Arianne Reyer at areyer@nassaucountyny.gov .  BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports, Feature Back to Sections TOPSoccer: Valley Stream Soccer Club Looking for Volunteers Manal Layachi Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 Image provided by Valley Stream Topsoccer/Valley Stream Soccer Club BACK TO TOP

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Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Not all of us are perfect-Chapter 2 By Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 2 Issue 7 June 13, 2022 Image provided by Canva -May 1st, 1990 Okay, breathe in and out. Calm down, Jules. We don't want to have a panic attack, do we now? After steadying my breath, I pushed the door to Caleb's room. Here goes nothing; you got this. "Oh, hey Jules. What's up, kiddo?" Caleb says, slightly startled by my arrival. "Nothing much, um, I just have a question?" I ask. What are you doing, Jules? "Sure, go for it," he reassures me, noticing my twitchy, anxious behavior. "Have you ever heard about the Paris Mansion? Cuz, I just found out that we have a mansion," I say. Gosh, you sound so stupid, Jules. Shut up, shut up! "Oh yeah, you learn about it when you are 18, and there's this whole thing where you inherit something ‘special’ that steers you on the right path. Or something, I don't really know; it's like a mansion full of expensive things that our family has owned for decades. Has it been a century? I don't know. I inherited our grandpa's brother's pilot hat from the U.S Airforce," he rambles while spinning a pair of car keys. "Wait, is that why you wanted to join the Airforce? Cuz of a hat?" I question, angry tears starting to well up in my eyes. "No, it was encouraging, but- wait, are you crying, Jules?" Caleb asks, softly getting up from his chair. He walks over and pulls me into a tight hug. Gosh, I couldn't even hold in a few tears. I didn't want Caleb to leave, to abandon me. Sensing my thoughts, Caleb looks me in my eyes and says, "Juliana Valentina Paris, you listen to me; I am not abandoning you. I'll be back for vacation and for some days off as well. Nothing is going to happen that's going to keep me from being with you. You can always write letters, and we'll stay in contact. There's nothing to worry about." He wipes my tears away. And at that point, I couldn't hold it in anymore because everything was not going to be okay. "No, listen, I heard dad and Aunt Jackie talking in one of the rooms. And I heard this…." Using my photographic memory, I repeated exactly what I heard to Caleb. Sitting down, his face turned from shock to confusion to stress. "Do you know anything about this--" "Sorry for interrupting, but I do know what this is about," Julian said, pushing open the door and walking into the room. "Julian! I said not to let them know we were eavesdropping! Wow, you're such a snoop; you can't keep your nose out of anything these days." Julie sneered, obviously mad at Julian for something. "I'm a snoop? Well, hello there, Miss I'm-so-innocent; you were the one rummaging through mom's jewelry so you could go to that little party of yours. Guys, did you know that Miss Julie here has a secret boyfriend? And she's been hiding it from the rents because he vapes and has tattoos. Oh, and piercings, let me add. Wait, and did I tell you that he..." Julian kept on rambling on and on about Julie's secret boyfriend. "Alright, that's enough. I said ENOUGH! We do not need to know every little detail about Julie's little boyfriend. And we'll keep your secret. Julian, please shut up and tell us what you know about the situation," Caleb said, slightly annoyed at the twins. Julian replies, "Aye-aye Sir. Okay, so listen to this. I was walking through the house the other day--" "Can you just get straight to the point?" Julie snaps, pissed at her twin for spilling her secret. "Alright, sheesh, who ruffled your feathers? Anyways, there are 5 siblings, right? 5 is an odd number, so you know, things can't be split evenly into five. Since dad was the only male, he got most of the goods that grandpappy left. This obviously made the others angry, you know what I mean? Lawyers were called, and court hearings happened. And then dad still got the majority, except the sisters each got a little more. Blah, blah, blah. Our aunts never stop complaining. I remember the other day…." "Julian, will you get back on topic! For Jesus' freaken sake!" Julie snapped again. Something definitely happened between them. Julie never gets this mad. "Jeez, okay. Back to the topic. Now at your grand wedding Caleb, Aunt Jackie, in front of most of the people living in East Hamptons, will hand over that beautiful necklace to Amanda. As Jules said, it's missing, or shall we say stolen. I looked at dad's book in which he keeps checking all the items in the mansion, and the necklace isn't the only thing missing. The emerald, green gemstone collection is gone. The paintings of Pablo Picasso that our family collected are gone. So, on so forth, we got a lot of stuff in there. And there are other things, but my mouth is getting kind of dry," Julian says, his mouth exhausted. He grabs a water bottle on Caleb's desk and starts gulping it down. So basically, we were getting robbed. But by who? I mean, since I never heard of it, that means not many people know it exists, so that means one thing, right? It's got to be someone in the circle. "Who knows about the Paris Mansion?" I asked them. "Well, all five siblings know, the uncles, their children, I assume, lawyers, family friends. I don't know who else," Julian says, thinking aloud. "We have to find this robber. You know what dad said; if we don't figure out what's going on, our family will be torn apart. I can't let that happen; we need a plan. Also, this will be a great experience for my future of being a detective. I'll call my squad to help out." I speak. "We're like teenagers with one guy who just reached the drinking age; how are we going to find some criminal mastermind who's been going behind everyone's back and trying to destroy our family?" Julie questions me. "Guys, calm. Take a chill pill; no one's out to get us. I'm pretty sure it's some random old robber. The police can deal with this." Julian says, not caring about anything in life besides snooping on people. "Of course, you don't care. Here's your nose back, Mr. Take-a-chill-pill. It was in my business" Julie sneers. I mouth to Caleb CODE RED. We've got to get the twins away from each other, or else they might just start physically fighting. And it's happened before, and the damage is not pretty. "Why don't we solve this case, you know, since school's let out, and we've got nothing else to do with our lives," I say, trying to settle things down. "You mean besides Julie making out with her secret boyfriend," Julian teases. "You know what, you little-" "Why don't we make this team eight? Hmm? I can help with the connections I have in this town" Amanda says, startling everyone in the room. "Woah, dude, where did you come from?" Caleb asks. "Nowhere; you said we were gonna have some ice cream, so I came and heard this little plan to catch a thief. I want in," Amanda says. "You're in; let me call the squad. Let's meet at the beach where we surf. Amanda, do you think you can get us some files on the case? I'm pretty sure my dad reported this." I ask, ready for a great adventure. "Sure, girl, I'll sneak into my dad's office and find what I can," Amanda replies. With that, everyone leaves, and I head out to grab my skateboard. It was time to convince my friends that this plan would be fun and not dangerous at all. I mean, after all, how difficult can catching a thief be? 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 Spotlight Back to Sections Avoiding the Unknown By Elaine Ching March 28, 2022 Watercolor Volume 2 Issue 5

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Goodbye Leah Ally Volume 5 Issue 5 July 5, 2025 It was a mild night in February when a little girl decided to leave her home. Her parents had gone out that night and wouldn’t be home until an hour later. So, she had decided to use the time to explore her new neighborhood freely. They had just moved there and therefore knew very little about their surroundings. As she made it to the pavement outside her home, she excitedly began skipping along the sidewalk as she had never felt such a sense of independence as she now did. Not only was she out past her 9 pm curfew, but she was by herself. As she curiously looked at all the houses in her neighborhood, it began to dawn on her that she had traveled so far for so long that she had no sense of direction of how to return home. Not only that, but she had no sense of time, either. With tears forming in her eyes and her feet slowly dragging on the cement, she saw a boy seemingly around her age sitting on the opposite side of the sidewalk. Out of desperation, she cautiously crossed over to him and began questioning who he was and why he was out so late. The boy never looked up and merely muttered that he did not have a family. As a soft rain began to fall, he slowly stood up and made eye contact with the girl. Though somber, he made a small gesture with his hand that motioned that he wanted her to walk with him. For what seemed like forever there were no words exchanged between the two of them. Only small glances that said more words than sentences could. After some time, they introduced themselves, still walking in a light rain that thumped on both of their jackets. Even though they did not know each other well, they knew that they were one of the same, children with seemingly no direction. Later that night the police, who were notified by the girl’s parents, eventually found her with the boy. She was ushered into the car to be taken home. A sense of relief rushed through her body. But sadness also loomed over her as her watery eyes glanced over the boy’s face. She knew in her heart she wouldn’t see him again. His eyes were still fixated on hers as his gaze softened just enough to communicate a “goodbye”. With no words she understood him. The entire night she understood him more than anyone else ever had. It mattered in the moment, but not now, not as the car drove off, forever separating the girl and the boy. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Lights On for Education Back to Sections Gilana Etame - Lights On for Education - 1 By Gilana Etame April 22, 2021 Digital Art Volume 1 Issue 7

Back to Artwork Heckscher Back to Sections My Dream Closeted Entry 1 April 14, 2022 Mixed Media Volume 2 Issue 6