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Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Call and Run By Nora Chery Volume 2 Issue 5 March 28, 2022 Image provided by Adrian Swancar Call   An old lover calls Through a neglected hotline It says please hold close Run   Many nights they run For sure they'll never see God With proof they could see BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections New Year Traditions Around The World Machai Augustine Volume 5 Issue 3 January 14, 2025 Image Provided by Max Ching Each year, January comes around and surprises us with another new year for new hopes, dreams, and wishes. We all enjoy having some sort of tradition to celebrate. Nearly every culture has different customs and traditions that determine how our new year will go. So, let’s learn about how various cultures and regions celebrate the new year. Ireland is known for celebrating with drinks on New Year’s, but they have other traditions. For example, one popular tradition is banging bread on the walls and doors in your house. If bread isn’t available, you can also use pots, pans, or spoons. This superstition-based practice is done to ward off any evil spirits in the area that could haunt and ruin the celebrations and bring good luck and protection for you and your family in the coming year. Another Irish tradition is putting berries and ivy under their pillows, which is supposed to bring you good luck when it comes to romance. Unlike citizens in most other nations, South Africans celebrate the new year on both the first and second of January. This is because historically, slaves in Cape Town were given a day off on January 2nd. Because of this, they use this day to not only celebrate the new year but also remember the mistreatment of their people in the past. Despite this solemn aspect of the holiday, South African traditions are overall like American ones, involving lots of partying and going out into nature to celebrate. One of Greece’s quirky traditions is hanging onions on the doors of houses. In some cultures, onions symbolize rebirth due to their fertility and how they seem to grow even when neglected. This tradition is meant to help household members thrive and become a new person in the new year. There is also a traditional dish that the Greeks have for the new year: vasilopita , a special sweet bread. Vasilopita honors Saint Basil the Great, a saint beloved by Greeks because of his passion to help those in need. The reason why this sweet bread is so special is because of a coin planted within the bread, meant to symbolize the wealth and treasures that Saint Basil gave away. Now that you know a little bit more about new year traditions around the world, what will you try to implement into your New Year celebration? Sources: New Year's Eve Irish Traditions - Twinkl Greek New Year Traditions Celebrating New Years Day in Africa | Africa Imports New Year's Day 2025 in South Africa How to do Christmas & New Year the Greek way - Greek from Greece BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections North Drama Club Glows in “Radium Girls” Cody Sung Volume 4 Issue 2 January 16, 2024 Image Provided by Amy Italiano North’s Drama Club presented Radium Girls which ran on the cafeteria stage for three performances from Friday evening, November 17 to Saturday evening, November 18. Described as a “powerful” and “engrossing” drama by critics, it follows the early 20th-century story of young women who applied radium to watches under the belief that it was a substance with no harmful side effects. In time, the devastating side effects in fact wreaked havoc on their bodies, leading to a major lawsuit against the US Radium Corporation, the company that employed them. The play begins with the girls working at a radium watch factory owned by the US Radium Corporation. They cleaned the radium-covered brushes with their mouths under the impression that it was safe – after all, Marie Curie, played by Zaida Ayestas, had told them so. However, after a few years, the girls begin to fall ill stemming from a jaw condition – this leads to one of the girls, Irene, played by Gianna Perlaza, dying. Irene’s two friends from the factory, Grace, played by Isabella Mascetti, and Kathryn, played by Quinn O’Connor, question the factory and its owner, Arthur Roeder, played by Rachel Ezeadichie, over the mysterious deaths of Irene and other girls from the factory. While they begin to question the radium factory, Grace and Kathryn begin to fall ill themselves. This only heightens their suspicions about radium and its side effects. As more women die and the government begins investigating the plant, members of the press, played by Justin Levine and Carolina Caraballo, brings the story to national attention. Grace, driven by support across the country, begins the process of suing the US Radium Corporation, while the company scrambles to mitigate the reputational damage, hiring investigators and lying to the government about the results. The heightened pressures on Grace take a toll on her relationships with her boyfriend, Tom, played by Giancarlo Oliveri, and her mother, played by Laney Ching. Continuing to press on with her lawsuit, she rejects substantial cash offers from the press for exclusive coverage and from the US Radium Corporation to halt the suit. Eventually, the situation reaches a tipping point, with internal conflicts inside the company over the mismanagement of the crisis and the founder, Edward Markley, played by Bryce Sloane, revealing that radium is, in fact, extremely dangerous. The judge for the lawsuit, also played by Laney Ching, lets the lawsuit advance to a trial, despite the Corporation’s continued attempts to delay the trial. Eventually, the affected women and the US Radium Corporation reached a settlement for the company to pay each woman a substantial cash sum and to pay for their medical bills resulting from their radium illnesses. Grace returns to a more normal life, although she is severely debilitated. The performance was a masterpiece and captivated the audience’s attention and emotions throughout with the strength of the actors’ performances and the seamless work of the stage and tech crew. Dr. Small claimed that it “was a shining testament to the talents of the young actors and stage crew,” while Ms. Belbol, the English Department Chair, commented that the “performances were deeply emotional, leaving the audience in tears and in shock at this deeply troubling story in our American history.” A phenomenal job by the Radium Girls cast and crew! Sources https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/26052945 https://www.playbillder.com/show/vip/Valley_Stream_North_High_School/2023/Radium_Girls_155523 Amy Italiano: RADIUM GIRLS REVIEWS ARE IN! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Mexican Femicide By Pratiksha Kaur Volume 1 Issue 7 April 22, 2021 Image provided by the BBC Femicide encompasses the intentional murder of women based on their gender. The rates of femicide around the world have seen an increase; however, in Mexico due to the lax enforcement of laws, gender killings have gone out of control. Even though in Mexico about seven women suffer death every day due to gender-related killings, President Obrador’s government has not taken direct action towards combating the situation. The lack of governmental action has caused Mexican women to take to the streets and fight for their human rights. 2016-2017 “Femincido en México. ¡Ya basta!” (Femicide in Mexico. Enough is enough!) Mexico saw the rising of gender-related killings as seven women lost their lives daily due to the lax implementation of comprehensive laws. Prevailing impurities such as corruption create an obstacle for many women who seek justice such as Irinea Buendía for her daughter, Mariana Lima. Mariana Lima’s husband, a police officer, abused and emotionally tortured Mariana before killing her on June 28, 2010. Irinea fought to bring her daughter justice; ultimately winning after six years. Mariana’s case, similar to that of many women in Mexico and other areas of Latin America, illuminates the impurities within the justice system and lack of implementation of gender-related policies. Although Mariana’s case did not receive worldwide recognition, it remains a historic order passed by the Mexico’s Supreme Court. After this decision, many Mexicans believed that the rate of these types of killings would decrease; however, they did not. 2018-2019 “¡Ni una Más!” (not one more!) With the precedent created by Mariana Lima’s case, many Mexicans believed that the numbers of gender-related killings would slowly trickle down; however, by 2018 Mexico saw an increase of 288 cases per year (2018: 893, 2016: 605). In 2019, the country also saw an increase in women’s frustration with the justice system’s incoherent manner when approaching the situation, as only 726 cases were investigated; however, 3,142 women were murdered in gender-related killings. Due to the rise in frustration, women took to the streets to demand President Obrador pass new legislation that would protect women from these killings, but nothing was done. President Obrador’s lack of direct action only angered Mexican women further. 2020-2021 “Not one more, not one less, we want them all alive” “Not one more! Not one less! We want them all alive!” chant the Mexican female protestors against the increasing number of femicides during International Women’s Day in 2020. Although femicides made up 10 percent of all murders in 2019, the rate has grown exponentially by 145 percent over the last few years, with 2020 accumulating the most deaths. In Mexico, 10 women experience suffocation, strangulation, drowning, and stabbing daily, ultimately leading to their deaths. With the worsening situation and lack of government response, Mexican females have taken matters into their own hands. They took to the streets to march against the daily civil rights violations to put pressure on the Mexican government to take some action against femicide. In 2021, with the ever-growing number of femicides and the lack of government support, females have taken up another measure of protest. Continuing with their marches, Mexican female protestors have written down the names of 939 victims on the colonial era building that serves as the presidential office and residence. That wall represents the lost lives of 939 females to intentional murder but also represents the failure of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to acknowledge and act against these civil rights violations. President Obrador responded by creating a barrier against the female protestors and the walls of the colonial era building as a means of protecting the building from vandalism. These actions of the President angered many female protestors because President Obrador failed to provide adequate protection to Mexican females; however, willingly protected a building from protestors. Due to the backlash on media platforms, the Mexican President stated that he is “not a male chauvinist. [He’s] in favor of the rights of women.” Evident from the lack of governmental support, Mexican females understand that the road for protection contains numerous obstacles and challenges; however, they willingly accept the challenge as a way of protecting their mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, and neighbors. BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork The Memory Project Back to Sections Godwin By Kimberly Shrestha March 28, 2022 Mixed Media Volume 2 Issue 5

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections The Great Conjunction: A Historic Phenomenon By Elyas Layachi Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Image provided by The Scottish Astrologer Introduction In 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei discovered the four moons of Jupiter, as well as the rings of Saturn. These discoveries were historic in the sense that they changed our outlook on the solar system. First off, seeing that Jupiter also had moons, astronomers realized that the Earth wasn’t at the center of the universe, and that planets and celestial bodies orbited the sun. Just 13 years later, the first observable Great Conjunction ocurred. On December 21st, 2020, the winter solstice and shortest day of the year, this event occurred once again. However, the details make it far more historic than any conjunction within recent history. A Historic Moment According to scientists at NASA, the orbits of the planets around the sun is like a race. Here on Earth, we are like the viewers of the race from the side of the track. Jupiter and Saturn are like the runners of the race, and with an average distance of 456 million miles respectively, they can be looked at as racers in different lanes. When the Great Conjunction of December 21st occurred, to us it appeared as if the two runners were overlapping, Jupiter being in the innermost lane and Saturn being in the outermost lane. While a “great conjunction” usually occurs every twenty years, the great conjunction that occurred on the winter solstice was different in the sense that Jupiter and Saturn were not only lining up in the night sky, but they were also the closest they’ve ever been to each other in over 400 years, less than 0.2 degrees. The next time they will be this close in the observable sky is March 15th, 2080. Many people were interested and observed from various locations at which the Great Conjunction could be seen, from New York to Guatemala and even Australia. Other Phenomena in 2021 The great conjunction was a great astronomical way to end 2020 and set ourselves up for 2021, another year of major astronomical events. One of these includes a total lunar eclipse. At the end of May, when the sun, Earth, and moon align perfectly, a total lunar eclipse will occur, and it will be the first total lunar eclipse visible for most of the U.S. since 2019, so prepare to watch it this spring! On January 2nd and 3rd, the Quadrantids meteor shower occurred, with many more meteor showers occurring this year (check the following website for a calendar of astronomical events: Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events 2021 - Sea and Sky (seasky.org) ) In addition to astronomical events occurring, NASA will begin its efforts to send humans to the Moon, with the official beginning of its Artemis program (to be covered in a later article). BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Summer Sweet Treats By Christina Ossa Volume 2 Issue 7 June 13, 2022 Original photograph by Christina Ossa As summer approaches and the school year comes to a close, it’s finally time to unwind and relax. The hot weather and sunny days can be delightful during this time of year, yet it leaves us longing for something cold to snack on or drink. However, a fresh popsicle or cold sweet treat always helps, so I decided to share three popsicle recipes that you can enjoy whenever you feel a bit overheated this summer! In commemoration of Pride Month this month, I also wanted to share some sweet treats that matched some of the colors representing the Lesbian flag: White, Orange, and Red (there are also shades of pink in the flag that I was unable to include in these popsicle variations, but I did my best to showcase the colors!). During this time of year, it’s important to showcase our pride for the LGBTQ+ community, no matter if you are a part of the community or an ally, which is why I wanted to represent the Lesbian Flag through these popsicle colors. Main “Tools” Needed: - Blender - Popsicle molds OR Ice cube molds - Toothpicks/Skewers (if using ice cube molds) Orange “Dreamsicle”: This orange popsicle is a play on a childhood favorite popsicle: the Creamsicle. It’s made up of orange soda, heavy cream, freshly squeezed oranges, and orange pulp, creating the combination I like to call the “Dreamsicle.” This recipe is low maintenance, as it only took me about 10-15 minutes to prepare, and most of the work for each popsicle recipe lies more within waiting for them to freeze than the preparation itself. It can be tempting to remove the popsicle from its mold prematurely, but it’s best to wait the full 10-12 hours needed for each to freeze so you can receive the best reward from these frozen sweet treats. The popsicle is deliciously tangy yet smooth, with the heavy cream perfectly offsetting the sourness from the orange. Also, the natural sugars from the orange paired perfectly with the orange soda and heavy cream, creating an authentic nostalgic flavor similar to the Creamsicle popsicle flavor. If Creamsicles were your childhood favorite popsicle or snack, you should give the “Dreamsicle” a shot. The recipe is low maintenance, yet it’s delicious and cooling at the same time! Ingredients: - 2 cups orange soda (1 bottle) - 2 oranges (squeezed) - 1 ¼ cup heavy cream - ½ cup vanilla yogurt - 1 tsp vanilla extract Directions: - Grab a medium bowl or blender; if using a bowl, make sure to have a whisk - Add the orange soda, heavy cream, and vanilla extract first (all completely liquid ingredients) - Squeeze the oranges with a lemon/orange squeezer or your hand into the bowl/blender - Add the vanilla yogurt and heavy cream, then whisk/blend (on low) the mixture together -Make sure not to overmix as the heavy cream may turn into whipped cream if overmixed - Once combined, pour the mixture into popsicle molds or ice cube molds (add one skewer or toothpick into each ice cube box, it will act as a handle to remove the popsicle and hold it) - Put in the freezer and wait for popsicles to freeze overnight or for 10-12 hours - Once completely solidified, carefully pull or remove popsicles from molds/ice cube trays, and enjoy! Coconut Cream Popsicle: Coconut is a vibrant flavor, as it can be both smooth yet also watery. I tried to combine the two components in this popsicle to concoct a beautifully soft yet sweet popsicle, as I used coconut cream and milk. While coconut cream and milk can be watery at times, in this recipe, the two married well when combined with heavy cream and formed a deliciously velvety flavor that allowed the richness of the coconut to shine. This popsicle was also very sweet along with its rich flavor, as I also added sugar and vanilla extract to amplify the natural sweetness from the coconut. The recipe is relatively easy to make, like the Dreamsicle, since all you need is a bowl and whisk, time, and patience! Each popsicle recipe, including this one, is low maintenance, and the only catch would be the time you must wait for these cooling sweet treats. But, with enough effort and patience, you’re sure to obtain a fantastic result! Ingredients: - 1 can coconut cream - 1 can coconut milk - 1 tsp vanilla extract - ¾ cup coconut flakes - 1 ¾ cup heavy cream - 1 pinch of salt Directions: - Grab a medium bowl, be sure to have a whisk - Add the coconut cream, milk, and heavy cream to the bowl; whisk until thoroughly combined -Make sure not to over whisk as the heavy cream may turn into whipped cream if overmixed - Once combined thoroughly, add the vanilla extract and salt, then whisk again until fully combined - Add the coconut flakes and gently combine with the whisk or a spatula - After completely combined, pour the mixture into popsicle molds or ice cube molds (add one skewer or toothpick into each ice cube box, it will act as a handle to remove the popsicle and hold it) - Put in the freezer and wait for popsicles to freeze overnight or for 10-12 hours - Once completely solidified, carefully pull or remove popsicles from molds/ice cube trays, and enjoy! Strawberry-Raspberry Popsicle: Another fantastic flavor combination with popsicles is raspberries and strawberries, which leave a delightful yet tangy taste lingering after eating one of these popsicles. I wanted a sweet yet more sour flavor for this popsicle, which I thought combining strawberries and raspberries would achieve perfectly. Even if combining too much of these two fruits could result in a very watery mixture, this is deceiving since the mixture freezes over perfectly, creating an easily chewable and delectable popsicle. Even if this popsicle takes as much time as each other recipe to make, it is slightly easier since you don’t have to be as careful with combining the ingredients as with the other two recipes since it only requires blending until you reach a watery consistency. Also, the recipe is very versatile since you could technically add any berries you wanted to and even substitute the strawberries for more raspberries or vice versa! Ingredients: - 4-5 strawberries, with tops cut off - ½ cup raspberries - ¼ cup granulated sugar - ¼ cup water - 2 tbsp lemon/lime juice Directions: - Grab a blender (preferable option)/food processor or medium bowl, be sure to have a mashing device if using the bowl Blender Version: - Making sure to cut the tops off the strawberries, add the strawberries and raspberries to the blender - After adding fruits, add the sugar, water, and lemon/lime juice - Blend on medium speed until fully combined/watery consistency Bowl Version: - Making sure to cut the tops off the strawberries, add the strawberries and raspberries to the bowl - Use the masher to mash together the strawberries and raspberries until fully mashed - Add the rest of the ingredients (lemon/lime juice, sugar, and water) with a whisk and mix until thoroughly combined to a watery mixture - After completely combined, pour the mixture into popsicle molds or ice cube molds (add one skewer or toothpick into each ice cube box, it will act as a handle to remove the popsicle and hold it) - Put in the freezer and wait for popsicles to freeze overnight or for 10-12 hours - Once completely solidified, carefully pull or remove popsicles from molds/ice cube trays, and enjoy! 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Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections Homecoming 2022 By Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Rachel Ezeadichie On October 8th, Valley Stream North High School hosted its annual homecoming game. It was as boisterous as ever, with the Homecoming Festival beforehand and Mr. Daddino as the announcer was exciting the crowd and football team. North's homecoming game was something the entire school was waiting for, and our football team did not let us down. Although the season expectations were unclear, our Spartan football team pulled through for homecoming, giving us many highlights and winning 27-6 against Hewlett.                Along with a fantastic game by our Varsity football team, we also enjoyed an incredible performance by North's Marching Band, Cheerleaders, JV Spartanettes and Varsity Spartanettes. The food was also great, with the legendary K-Dogs making their appearance again as a staple of North's football games.            If you were not at the game or want to watch our incredible Varsity football team one more time, the entire game is available on YouTube to rewatch those amazing moments.   Valley Stream North vs. Hewlett Varsity Mens' Football - YouTube BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections SADD’s contribution to bringing awareness to P.S. I Love You Week! By Jeselys Vazquez Volume 3 Issue 3 February 24, 2023 Original artwork by Jeselys Vazquez From February 6th to the 10th, the SADD club has made another active and fun week to spread more kindness in our school community and to love all our chapters. The theme color for 2023 of the P.S. I Love You organization was purple, to support mental health awareness and its importance. The SADD club members, as well as other honor society members, helped decorate the entire school. Meaningful messages were placed on each student’s locker. The SADD Club members decorated our main office hallway and the glass display box by the cafeteria entrance; in addition, they were in charge of our daily acts of kindness and plans for the week. As Valentine’s Day approached shortly after the end of the campaign, adolescents tend to lean on the idea that it is mostly for lovers. However, if we do not have a significant other, we tend to focus on our insecurity and lack of appreciation for ourselves. With the daily plans for each day, the SADD club was hoping to be more kind to our peers, enlighten someone’s day, and know that we are in this together. Therefore, we should love the chapters we have gone through in our lives because they make us who we are. Even though not all are the best, those moments teach us to grow from them. We mature by understanding the right and wrong of a situation, what should be done, and what to avoid next time. With the P.S. I Love You organization, we are here to support the mental health awareness of students to make it an easier academic environment and understanding for one another. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections The Neuroscience of Summer Vacation By Alyssa Garufi and Hannah Lee Volume 2 Issue 7 June 13, 2022 Image provided by Manual Red Eye As the school year comes to an end, most students begin to experience improved moods and excitement for summer. Summer is a time of year in which students do not have to worry about school or tests; it is a break from the constant cycle of work during the school year, whether through a prolonged trip to another country or even just an escape to the local beach. Vacations lead to a change in a student’s life from the usual rhythms of school during the summer. This change in routine can limit an individual’s stress and anxiety and cause them to feel happier and more adventurous. There is no doubt that summer vacation imbues significant improvements in an individual's health; however, some research shows that it is not only the lack of school that causes these improvements, but the very science behind the summer season has shown to limit mental fatigue.  The neuroscience of summer vacation starts with the increased prevalence of vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential component of the human body that comes from the sun. It is good for the absorption of iron, proper function of the immune system, wound healing, and maintenance of cartilage, helping an individual sustain a healthy life. However, during the winter months, there is less sun exposure, resulting in a widespread vitamin D deficiency among individuals. There is a great correlation between vitamin D deficiency and mental illness, usually resulting in depression, chronic stress, and anxiety. It is the very vitamins themselves that come from the sun that makes summer as appealing as it is. Not only does the sun give you excess vitamin D, but so does exercise. The more physical activity you partake in, the more vitamin D your body produces, thus decreasing levels of stress and anxiety. The summer climate also plays an important role in this production of vitamin D, since increased temperatures mean there is a greater chance of an individual running around and partaking in physical activity outdoors, like swimming. The summer season has a strong correlation between increased levels of vitamin D in the body, and thus greater well-being.   In addition to an increase in vitamin D during the summer days, there is also more time for physical activity. While many of us may instinctually want to rest and relax, it is incredibly important to ensure that we take some time for physical activity during the summer break as well, due to the numerous benefits it yields to our mental health. A recent meta-analysis of studies found that aerobic exercise prevents age-related deterioration in the hippocampus, which is the region of the brain that controls memory and learning. As we age, our hippocampus shrinks, thus decreasing our ability to remember and learn information. People who make time for aerobic exercises, such as running, hiking, or swimming, demonstrate a much slower rate of deterioration. This allows the hippocampus, and our memory and learning skills, to remain intact much longer than those who did not exercise. Making time for this sort of exercise is incredibly important in maintaining our brain health, and during the summer we have plenty of time to do so. The exercise required doesn’t have to be extreme, it could be anything from a bike ride to the store or a morning walk around your neighborhood. By increasing your physical activity during the summer break, you can easily improve your brain health and decrease the rate at which your hippocampus shrinks. Summer vacation also gives us the time to relax and take a break. As many scientists have already concluded, cell phone addictions are a prevalent problem in many people. We use our cell phones for nearly everything, and it is rare that we are found without our phones. Most of our population has a cell phone by the age of 12, and an even greater percentage has a phone by the age of 14. A 2015 study found that 63% of American university students had an evident cell phone addiction (Scheyer). Addictive behavior dysregulates the reward system of the brain. It leaves a lasting impact on both behavioral and emotional domains such as reward anticipation, judgements, and rational decision-making skills by altering the dopamine levels in the brain. An addiction to cell phones is correlated with loneliness, poor sleep, and chronic stress, which all lead to chronic inflammation in the brain. This increases the rate of neurodegeneration, decreases cognitive function, and causes issues such as chronic anxiety and depression. Vacation can allow us to disconnect from our cell phones, thus allowing us to recuperate from the stress induced by our always-connected lifestyle. Taking a break from our cell phones is incredibly important, as it will relieve the anxiety and stress that comes from always being on them. Breaking our constant connection to our cell phones during our summer vacation will allow us to relieve some of the depression and loneliness that results from our phones. This also helps us break our addiction to cell phones as well, allowing the effect on our behavioral and emotional domains to be lessened. Overall, summer break can help us in many ways. Increasing our levels of vitamin D intake, raising our levels of physical activity, and decreasing the amount of time spent on our cell phones will allow us to relax and limit our mental fatigue. This allows us to increase our brain health by decreasing the prevalence of mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety. Scientific studies have found that taking a break such as summer results in decreases in the psychological measures of stress and depression, as well as improved brain health. However, while it is important for us to focus on improving our brain health, it is also important for us to focus on ourselves during this break. Ensure that you enjoy your time off so you can be refreshed and re-energized for the upcoming school year! Source: The Neuroscience of Summer Vacation - Maze Engineers (conductscience.com) BACK TO TOP