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Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Interview with Mr. Malizia: Featured New Faculty Member Manal Layachi Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by Ms. Ansbacher Mr. Malizia and North Star's Sports Editor Manal Layachi Mr. Malizia is the new junior high (7th and 8th grade) band director at Valley Stream North High School. I had the opportunity to interview him about how he came to North, his personal connection to music, and advice he has for musicians at North and future music teachers. How he came to North: What college did you go to/what degrees did you earn in college? “I went to Hofstra University, and I got my Bachelor of Science in Music Education. When you go to Hofstra you are technically a dual major if you go there for education. You major in education and also major in whatever subject you want to teach.” Did you always want to become a teacher when you were younger ? “Teacher was always something that was in my head because my mom is a teacher, but she just retired recently. When she was a teacher and it was something that I had always seen, was familiar with, and how the teaching life works. I have always been around teachers as my mom’s friends were teachers. I was never set on teaching as a career until high school.” What brought you to teach at North High School? “I met Dr. Erdos playing in a pit with him for a musical and that’s how I heard about the job. I applied, picked up my resume, and had an interview at North. I had to play a little bit on a primary and secondary instrument. I played my trumpet, and the clarinet as well. After that, I did a demo lesson with the current 8th graders to show how I taught. Now that I have the current 8th graders, there are a couple of kids that I had made a brief connection with during my demo lesson, and they are my students now, so I get to really foster that connection which is pretty cool.” How was your first day at North? “Week One was a whirlwind because our first day was on a Friday. Leading up to that, the whole week was like ‘I don’t know any of my students. I don’t know what to expect. What’s going to happen?’ I planned out every second of that first day and even almost scripted myself. I created a little bit about me presentation and I kind of just rolled with it. I did a lot of planning and had a lot of preparation. I was like ‘What do I do? What if they don’t like me?’ It was nice to have Day One over with and have it under my belt. I met them. I got in a room. I did it. Only 179 more to go! Every day is a learning experience.” His Music Life: What is your personal connection to music? “It’s everything. It’s so much of who I am. I really feel like music is a living and breathing art form. Every single emotion that anybody has ever felt can be portrayed in music with sounds. Every idea and concept. Music has always been a big part of my life. I have always taken private lessons and always been involved in the music department. My personal connection to music blossomed in high school. I went to Farmingdale High School, and at Farmingdale we had such an amazing community within the band and in general. The Farmingdale community is an amazing community to be a part of and something that really fostered that love for me was being in music and the music department there. I felt it was so unique that we had what they have currently, and always have had. Everyone is so supportive of each other there and it is a positive environment to be a part of and welcoming. This spans further than where I went to high school and that is something I am also trying to foster here as well.” How do you support your students’ goals and musical endeavors? “I always tell my kids ‘You are always welcome in the band room. I am never going to turn you away.’ I grew up with the concept of we are creating something greater than ourselves. We are doing something so much bigger than one person can do. Everybody is important and makes a difference. Being involved in music is more than just making sounds and playing together. It’s this whole concept of doing something bigger than yourself and accomplishing things that you never thought could be accomplished. Developing your own sense of confidence, responsibility, and time management. Working as a team. Doing your part and also letting others do theirs. I could go on forever…” What do you love most about teaching? “Helping other people realize that you can do something that’s greater than yourself. What we are doing here is mental, physical, and all of the above, whereas Math is mostly mental. I wouldn’t argue that math or science is a physical thing. Putting the mental into the physical. It’s a full body thing. Music is the only subject that caters to every kind of intelligence. Some people are visual, logical, physical, or natural learners. Music is the only subject that really truly caters to all kinds. It’s a very unique subject.” What led you to join the Division 3 NMEA Festival Committee? “In college, I was always involved in volunteering at these festivals. A big part of our job is advocacy. Advocating for our students. Advocating for our programs. Advocating for the reason why music is important in our schools. It can be easy for people to be like ‘scratch the music program’ they do not truly understand what we are doing, so a lot of this advocacy that we are doing is really important. That’s a big part of what NMEA does and that’s a big part of All-County. Having these organizations really helps with advocacy and being able to provide these experiences for the next generation. I was a chairperson for the Division 5 All-County Jazz, and I also helped the Division 3 Chorus chair people.” What instruments are you able to play? “My main instrument would be the trumpet which I studied in college. I also studied the tenor saxophone a lot. I played trumpet in high school in the jazz and concert band ensembles. I also took private lessons in 5th grade for alto saxophone. I switched over to tenor as well. In 6th grade, I started clarinet and in 7th grade, I started flute. I did those four for NYSMMA every year going up levels five and six. In 10th grade, I did Allstate for trumpet and tenor saxophone. I got a 98 on trumpet and I got 100 on the tenor saxophone, but I was an alternate. I auditioned for the alternate all-National concert band and got in for tenor saxophone. I will never forget that day. I jumped up from off the couch and was like ‘I got in!’ It was such a cool experience! The next year I did four All State solos.” Advice/Closing: Do you have any advice for someone who wants to pursue music education in the future? “My suggestion is to get involved. Meet people, get involved, volunteer for things like All-County, the PEAK festival, and other events that NMEA does. Try teaching on your own such as private lessons for fourth and fifth graders. In college, get involved. Take private lessons, give private lessons. Just immerse yourself.” Do you have any advice for musicians at Valley Stream North High School? “Don’t take it for granted. There are not many opportunities that you really get to have. In the music department, we get to have so many different experiences. Being in a performance ensemble is so different than any other class period of the day. It’s worlds apart. It’s more interactive and personal. Being in the senior high groups, you get to know the upperclassmen and be in a class with people in other grades. There are not many classes and experiences like it. Little inside jokes and experiences with you and your friends in the ensemble. You go on different field trips, meet people, and have many different experiences that you would not be able to have if you weren’t involved in that.” Is there anything else you would like to add? “I am so lucky to do what I do. I am so fortunate to be here. You do what you love, and you never work a day in your life. I do love what I do. I try to pass that passion on to my students and try to make it a little contagious. I am really excited to help my students progress, be stronger, get them geared up to go onto the high school level, and be ready for everything that they are going to have thrown at them going forward. I am having a lot of fun and it's great getting to know all of the students. It’s been a lot of fun, and I am really fortunate to do what I do. I am very lucky, and I truly love what I do.” It was a pleasure interviewing Mr. Malizia, and he inspires me to continue on with music for the rest of my high school career and beyond! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections 2024 Presidential Candidates Sahar Ali Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by Commonwealth Fund It is finally 2024, which means that during the month of November, eligible United States citizens will cast their vote for the next president. The presidential election takes place every four years and consists of candidates that come from the two major parties in the United States: The Democrats and Republicans. Currently, Democrat Joe Biden is President of the United States, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman in the history of the U.S. elected Vice President. As citizens of the United States, it is especially important to know who our presidential candidates are. Being the president of the United States is a big responsibility, which is why all eligible voters must think deeply and consider all the reasons why they are casting their vote for a certain candidate. In this article, you will be getting an idea of who the 2024 presidential candidates are. DEMOCRAT – JOE BIDEN Joe Biden, the current president of the United States, will be running for a second term in the 2024 election later this year. Political experts argue that Biden is the most probable democratic candidate to defeat Donald Trump, the most influential Republican candidate. For over 50 years, Biden has worked in the realm of politics and runs a platform that includes gun reform, health care, and abortion rights for women. Joe Biden is the oldest President in the history of the United States at 81 years old. Before Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States, he was the 47th Vice President from 2009 until 2017 under President Barack Obama. Not only that, but Biden was a U.S. Senator, representing Delaware from 1973 up until 2009. DEMOCRAT – DEAN PHILLIPS Dean Phillips, a former CEO, and a three-term congressman from the state of Minnesota, is the second Democratic presidential candidate. Phillips challenges Biden by asserting that the next generation should have the ability to lead the country. Not only that, but Phillips has also brought up multiple issues regarding Biden’s old age; being the oldest president at 81 takes a significant toll on Biden’s role as President. According to NBC News, Phillip’s campaign positions include enhancing public safety, supporting immigration reform which includes improved security at the United States border, and believing that patients should have the freedom to make decisions about any aspect of their health. DEMOCRAT – MARIANNE WILLIAMSON Marianne Williamson is the third democratic candidate. After making her appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show , Williamson gained popularity as Winfrey’s spiritual advisor. In the previous 2020 presidential election, Williamson was unsuccessful as she ran for a presidential candidate. Earlier in 2014, Williamson also sought for a seat in the United States House of Representatives, but this attempt was also deemed unsuccessful. Marianne Williamson was also the first to announce that she would be a democratic candidate challenging the current president, Joe Biden. Unlike her opponents Biden and Phillips, Williamson has never held a position in any political office. According to NBC News, Williamson’s campaign positions include an effort to restrict or diminish the reproductive rights granted by the notorious case, Roe v. Wade, limiting gun violence, legalizing cannabis for medical purposes, and reaching 100% renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions. REPUBLICAN – DONALD TRUMP As you may recall, Donald Trump is the former president of the United States. He is also the top Republican contestant in the 2024 election. Donald Trump is the first former president who has had to face criminal charges, along with federal charges for violation of the Espionage Act. Not only does Trump face criminal charges, but he has also been impeached twice. Donald Trump has also made false assertions by stating that he won the 2020 presidential election against his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden. According to NBC News, Trump’s campaign positions include pardoning a large group of people after they faced federal offenses for participating in the January 6th riot at the Capitol, eliminating medical programs that focus on sex/gender transitions, and working on the exceptions for a federal ban on abortions. REPUBLICAN – NIKKI HALEY Nikki Haley is the second Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election. Before becoming a presidential candidate, Haley was South Carolina’s governor from 2011 to 2017; this was where she began her work in politics. In order to serve as the US ambassador to the United Nations, Haley ended her second term early. Previously, Nikki Haley had stated that she would not run against Donald Trump; however, she was the first Republican to announce that she would run against the former president in the 2024 presidential election. If Haley wins the 2024 presidential election, she will become the first woman in the history of the United States to be President, along with being the first US President of Asian descent as she is the daughter of Indian immigrants. According to NBC News, Haley’s campaign positions include finding a “national consensus” on abortion, preventing illegal immigration, and limiting the term for members of Congress. SOURCES Who’s running for president in 2024? The Republican and Democratic candidates | US elections 2024 | The Guardian The 2024 presidential candidates: Who’s running from both sides ( nbcnews.com ) BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Whispers of the Ocean Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 5 Issue 2 November 25, 2024 Image Provided by Zaida Ayestas Munguia The ocean breathes a timeless song, With waves that dance, both fierce and strong. Beneath the sun’s warm, golden glow, Secrets in the depths below. Endless blue, where horizons blend, A realm of dreams that never end. Whispers of salt and tales of the deep, Guardians of treasures, silent and steep. Storms may rage and tempests roar, Yet calm will follow, peace restore. The tides, they rise, and then they fall, A rhythmic pulse, nature’s call. In twilight’s hush, when skies grow dim, Stars reflect in waters grim. The ocean holds what time forgot, A canvas vast, a world untaught. So here we stand, in awe, we gaze, At the ocean's wild, eternal maze. A reminder of life’s ebb and flow, In its embrace, we come to know BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles News Back to Sections P.S. I Love You Week By Everton Prospere Volume 2 Issue 4 February 10, 2022 Image provided by P.S. I Love You Day The Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and the Wellness Center are working side-by-side to host Valley Stream North’s first P.S. I Love You Week, a time that brings awareness to mental health and bullying. Traditionally a single day, both organizations agreed to extend the celebration to an entire week from February 7th through the 11th. With a pandemic that has brought many extra hardships for students, the week seeks to bring love and joy to the entire North community. On April 23rd, 2010, the DiPalma family faced devastating news. The father of the family, Joseph DiPalma, committed suicide. This tragedy left a gaping hole within those who knew Joseph, particularly within Brooke DiPalma, his daughter. Rather than letting such a horrific event happen again, Brooke took action and worked with her family, school, and peers to annually designate February 11th as a day to ensure that no one ever feels alone. As the organization’s website states, “Tragedy should not be the force for togetherness; togetherness should be the force that ends tragedies.” P.S. I Love You Day is a day of togetherness, a day that will unite North and spread love to all. The SADD club and Wellness Center have planned several activities for the days leading up to February 11th in order to promote the event throughout the entire school: 1. The TikTok Challenge - This creative competition requires participation from all Spartans. Ending on February 9th, Spartans are encouraged to make creative videos on TikTok that bring awareness to mental health and bullying. The videos can include dances, pieces of art, or any creative media that promotes P.S. I Love You Week. The TikToks, which the administration will judge, can be made alone or in groups, with the winner receiving a $25 gift card. 2. Grade Level Purple Clothing Challenge - On February 11th, all the grades will compete against each other based on purple clothing. To participate, students should wear a purple article of clothing on the 11th to show support to P.S. I Love You Week. The grade level that collectively wears the most purple articles will receive recognition and a special award to their grade council. 3. Supportive Post-it Note Messages - Various clubs will come together on February 10th after school to make post-it notes with supportive messages. Every single locker will receive a personalized note, so all students are encouraged to visit their lockers on February 11th. The SADD club and Wellness Center hope that the North community comes together for this important cause with these events. This will, hopefully, be the start of an annual tradition at Valley Stream North. Mark your calendars for the first P.S. I Love You Week, from February 7th to the 11th! BACK TO TOP

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 Science & Technology Back to Sections James Webb: A Cosmic Time Machine By Elyas Layachi Volume 2 Issue 3 January 14, 2022 Image provided by NASA Introduction On December 25th, 2021, at 7:20 AM, the James Webb space telescope was launched aboard the Ariane 5 rocket from Arianespace’s ELA-3 launch complex in French Guiana. The telescope began its million-mile journey to the second Lagrange point (L2), a point in space where gravity from the Sun and Earth balance the orbital motion of a satellite. There are five known Lagrange points, and each makes a perfect viewing location for space telescopes. After launch, over the following 30 days, Webb will begin and continue to unfold and prepare itself for use, as it was previously folded up in the Ariane 5 rocket for launch. You can check the current progress of Webb’s unfolding and voyage here: Where Is Webb? NASA/Webb The development and construction of Webb officially began in 1996, and the telescope was named after James E. Webb, NASA’s second administrator who served between 1961 and 1968. The telescope was originally expected to launch in 2018, but complications led to its delay to May 2020. However, further complications due to the Covid-19 pandemic and technical issues led to another delay for launch. The launch was rescheduled to September, then November, then finally December 25th, 2021. The telescope is one of world’s most powerful space telescopes and will revolutionize current scientific knowledge regarding the universe. Overview Purpose The James Webb space telescope has many purposes, including: To search for light from the first stars and galaxies that formed in the Universe after the Big Bang. To study the formation and evolution of galaxies. To understand the formation of stars and planetary systems. To understand planetary systems and the origins of life. Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, which studies the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, the James Webb space telescope is designed to study the infrared, or heat portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared radiation has less energy than visible light and therefore requires both sensitive and precise instruments to measure. Design The James Webb space telescope’s design consists of many intricate parts, including: Optical Telescope Element (OTE). Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM). Sunshield. Spacecraft Bus. The ability for each part to work correctly and coordinated with the others is crucial to the mission. Below, we will examine each part and the role it plays for Webb. Optical Telescope Element (OTE) This portion of Webb includes the telescope’s 18 hexagonal-shaped mirrors, which help reflect light into the telescope. They are made from beryllium, a strong yet light element. The mirrors are so large they must be folded up during launch to fit into the rocket. The OTE also consists of a secondary mirror and a backplane, which is a large structure that holds and supports the hexagonal mirrors of the telescope. It also carries the entire module of scientific instruments, A.K.A. the Integrated Science Instrument Module (see below). Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) Also referred to as the “main payload” of the James Webb Space Telescope, this module houses the four main instruments that will detect light from distant stars and galaxies, and planets orbiting other stars. The first instrument is a Near-Infrared Camera, provided by the University of Arizona. It can detect light in the near and mid-infrared wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum and can see light from the earliest stars and galaxies in the process of formation, the population of stars in nearby galaxies, and young stars in the Milky Way and Kuiper Belt objects. Furthermore, it is equipped with coronagraphs, which, according to NASA, are instruments that allow astronomers to take pictures of very faint objects around a central bright object, such as stellar systems or planets orbiting stars. The second instrument is a Near-Infrared Spectrograph, provided by the European Space Agency, NASA, and the Georgia Student Finance Commission. This device is used to disperse light from an object into a spectrum. Scientists can use the spectrum of an object to learn more about its physical properties, including its mass, temperature, and chemical composition. The third instrument is a Mid-Infrared Instrument, also known as a MIRI, provided by the European Consortium with the European Space Agency and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It has both a camera and spectrograph that sees light in the mid-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes wavelengths longer than our eyes can see. It will be able to see the redshifted light of distant galaxies, newly forming stars, faintly visible comets, and objects in the Kuiper Belt. The final instrument is a Fine Guidance Sensor / Near InfraRed Imager and Slitless Spectrograph, provided by the Canadian Space Agency. This combination of smaller instruments allows Webb to point at specific regions in space precisely so it can obtain high-quality images. It has a wavelength of 0.8 to 5.0 microns. Sunshield Webb’s sunshield has the purpose of protecting the telescope from external sources of light and heat so it can detect the faint light and heat of distant stars and planets. It is conveniently positioned between the Sun, Earth, Moon, and the telescope. It will allow the telescope to cool down to a temperature below 50 Kelvin Degrees by also passively radiating the spacecraft’s heat into space. It also contains five layers of sun-shielding, with space in between each one, to radiate out the heat between the layers and use the vacuum of space as an insulator. The sunshield is made with Kapton, which is a lightweight material with special thermal properties. Spacecraft Bus Webb’s spacecraft bus provides the necessary support functions for the operation of Webb and houses six major subsystems: the electrical power subsystem, attitude control subsystem, communication subsystem, command and data handling subsystem, propulsion subsystem, and the thermal control subsystem. Other Parts Other parts of Webb that enable it to function include: The momentum flap, which balances the solar pressure on the sunshield. The Earth-pointing antenna, which sends scientific data back to Earth and receives commands from NASA’s Deep Space Network. The solar array, which is always facing the sun and converts sunlight to electricity to power the telescope. The star trackers, which are small telescopes that use star patterns to target the observatory. Why Analyze Infrared Light? As you can tell from both Webb’s description and its elements, the observatory is designed to study infrared light. But why infrared light, and not any other part of the electromagnetic spectrum? And how will analyzing light tell scientists about the past? Light, like everything else in our universe, has a speed limit, and it is arguably the speed limit of the universe since nothing can travel faster than light. Its speed is 3.00 * 10^8 meters per second. Since even light takes time to reach Earth, light that is farther away will take longer to reach our eyes than light closer. Scientists measure this distance in light-years, or the distance light can travel in a year, which is about 6 trillion miles. So, light from a star four light-years away, for example, would take four years to reach our eyes, and if we were looking at that star currently, we would see it four years in the past. This explains how Webb can see into the past by analyzing light from distant stars, but why infrared light? Because light from the Big Bang and the beginning of the universe is so old (13.8 billion years old to be exact), and because the universe is ever-expanding, the light has lost energy and its wavelength shifted from the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum to the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is what Webb is looking for. So, by searching for infrared radiation from distant stars, Webb can theoretically see up to 13.8 billion years into the past and study the origins of the universe. How cool! Webb and the Future of Astronomy With the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists will be able to better understand the origins of the universe and of distant stars and galaxies by studying the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. With such information, astronomy is bound to change forever. Be sure to stay connected with NASA when Webb’s first images roll out in February 2022! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Cherry Topped Cream Cheese Cake By Carolina Grace Figueroa Volume 2 Issue 7 June 13, 2022 Image provided by Food 52 Cheesecakes are dessert cakes made of cheese (usually cream cheese or ricotta cheese), eggs, and sugar. They often have a graham cracker crumb crust that is sometimes held together by melted butter. They are rich, decadent treats with a dense, smooth, and creamy consistency. The filling has a hefty, velvety texture. Some people add sour cream to make it easier to shape or fruit flavoring like strawberry, blueberry, or lemon. They reign as a perfect tasty summer dessert, chilled and sweet delicacies that make perfect antidotes to the heat outside. Cheesecake originated in Greece and was served to the Olympians during the first Olympics held in 776 BC to give them energy. Some people claim they are not really “cakes”, but more of a custard pie, torte, or tart because of the consistency of the base. The base can be made of crushed digestive biscuits and butter, graham cracker crumbs, crushed cookies, pastry, or even sponge cake. Italy makes their cheesecake with ricotta cheese, Germany and Poland use a soft cheese called “quark” or cottage cheese, while the US may use cream cheese or sour cream as the main ingredient. Toppings can range from whipped cream, nuts, chopped fresh fruits, syrups, sour cream, fruit compotes, caramel sauce, chocolate (syrups, shavings, melted), candy bars, cookies, spices, or matcha (a Japanese powdered green tea). In Brazil, cheesecake is served with a thin guava jelly or marmalade layer. “National Cheesecake Day” in the US is celebrated on July 30th of every year, an honorary day when you can indulge yourself with this delightful dessert and sample some of the tastiest flavors ever made (for example, key lime cheesecake or kit-kat cheesecake). My grandmother makes the perfect and delicious cherry topped cream cheesecake that I have ever tasted. It is topped with chilled cherry pie filling and can’t be beaten! I would like to share her infamous homemade recipe and challenge you to make it: Crust 2 ½ cups packaged graham cracker crumbs ¼ cup sugar ½ cup butter or regular margarine, softened Filling 5 pkg (8 oz. size) soft cream cheese 1 ¾ cups sugar 3 tablespoons flour 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel or 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract 5 eggs 2 egg yolks ¼ cup heavy cream Topping 2 cans of 21 oz. Comstock Cherry Pie Filling Needed One 12-inch Springform pan Make crust: In a medium bowl, with hands or the back of a spoon, mix graham cracker crumbs with sugar and soft butter until they are well combined. Press mixture on bottom and sides of 12-inch Springform pan, building up sides of pan to form a rim all around. Refrigerate until needed. Preheat the oven to 500F. Make filling: In a large bowl of electric mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon peel (or lemon juice), and vanilla. Beat at high speed just to blend. Beat in eggs and egg yolks, one at a time. Add heavy cream, beating just until well combined. Pour in the crust-lined pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250F and bake one hour longer. Take out of the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate for three hours, or overnight. Before serving, add topping; spread Comstock canned cherry pie filling to the top of the chilled cheesecake (add as much to your liking). To serve: With a spatula, loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Remove the side of the Springform pan. Cut cheesecake into wedge slices (makes 16 to 20 servings). Enjoy! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections "Right Lucy" By Victoria Niksa Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by FreePik 6:32 It was a chilly Halloween night. Lucy had been invited by her friends to a costume party, which she was at. Everybody had been ignoring her. She wondered if it was because she was dressed as a witch, and everyone thought she was cursed or cruel. It turns out her assumption was false. A girl dressed as an angel, who was also being ostracized, invited Lucy to go on a walk. “Hey, you wanna ditch this party? Everyone seems to be ignoring us here anyway,” the girl whispered. “Oh, uh sure,” Lucy was hesitant to answer. She knew better than to go around places with a stranger. “I’m Julie, by the way. I know we haven’t met or spoken before,” the girl said. 6:48 The two had been walking around the neighborhood for about 7 minutes. Then they came across a playground. “Ooh! Maybe we should go on the swings!” Lucy suggested. “Yeah! That seems like a nice idea!” Julie replied. 7:02 The two began to grow close in those few minutes since they’d met each other. “This is like the place in horror movies where teens jump, scared by some creepy monster. Maybe we should go,” Lucy warned. “Yeah, maybe we should....” Julie paused, looking at the bushes. Listening carefully, they heard a rustle in the bushes. They both looked over in the direction of the sound. “What was that…?!” Lucy whispered. “I’ll go check it out…” Julie said with a nervous tone. When Julie was slowly walking towards the bushes, she noticed Lucy close behind her. “If we go down, we go down together,” Julie whispered. Lucy had jolted awake. “W-what… It was all… a dream?” 7:13 As Lucy sat in the corner, still in shock, she noticed a girl walking her way. She was dressed as an angel. “Hey, wanna go for a walk or something? You look a little lonely,” she asked. Lucy stared at the girl in front of her. She was about to ask her name until… “I’m Julie,” the girl said, before Lucy could ask. Lucy looked at her in disbelief. It was like she could read her mind. She couldn’t believe what she heard next. “I know. You had that dream too... Right, Lucy? ” BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Art Guild Back to Sections Corkscrew Contour Line By Elizabeth Andre November 24, 2020 Graphite Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Articles News Back to Sections North Winter Concerts Cael Javier Volume 4 Issue 2 January 16, 2024 Image provided by Cael Carillo-Javier As December comes around, so do holiday concerts. Many students in different ensembles had been working hard, rehearsing for their portion of the concert. I’m an eighth-grade student in North’s band, and I felt very excited for our concert. I enjoy performing in front of people, and I like listening to music and playing instruments. Here, I will talk about my experiences of performing on stage, being part of a band, and some of the ensembles that have performed. We had been rehearsing for this concert since the beginning of the school year. We went over tempo, dynamics, balancing, and articulation. I play percussion, making it important to practice what volume we had to play, the speed of what we are playing, and what notes to play. We performed holiday-themed and other genres of music for our concert. There is a dress code we must follow when we are on stage: white top with black bottoms. Jeans and sneakers cannot be worn on stage, and all dress shoes must have heel support. Before our concert, the band waited for the other ensembles to finish their performance. After they left the stage, we quietly walked to our seats. While entering the stage, we had to be as quiet as possible. A clarinetist played a note to help us tune our instruments, and the rest of the band repeated it. Before each piece, a student speaker gave a summary of the music piece. We must always watch the conductor when performing, since they cues us in, and shows us the tempo in which we are playing. When our section was over, we walked off the stage in an orderly fashion. We are usually the last group playing. I was able to interview the directors of the Junior High Band and the Junior High Chorus about their thoughts on each of our performances, which took place on December 14, 2023. With Debra Schneider as director, Kathryn Rogers on piano, and Aleene Antanesian on bells, these are the songs that the Junior High Chorus performed: “Sleigh Ride” - A song originally recorded in the 1960’s by Leroy Anderson and Michael Parish. The chorus performed a pop version of this song arranged by Kirby Shaw. “Just One Star” - An original song by Mac Huff about hope and simply wishing upon a star. “Holiday Road” - Arranged by Roger Emerson, this song by Lindsey Buckingham was featured in the 1980’s National Lampoon movie series. “Last Christmas” (Bella Voce) - This song, written by Wham! Arranged by Greg Gilpin, it is about love and loss. It is about a failed relationship with someone and then meeting them again a year later. This song features Alene Antanesian, Sophia Daly, Jolenny Duran, Gabriella Giammarino, Kristianne Kissoon, Lindsey Moreno, Aubrie Plinto, Nelissa Rodriguez, and Maddi Saez. “ My favorite part of being a teacher is to be able to work with my students. I think it’s really fun to work with them. I love it when they first start out with music and how they’re just learning it or maybe struggling, and then as we progress through it all the success that we find. And then, seeing the final product at a concert is really exciting.” – Debra Schneider, 2023 With new Music Department teacher Anthony Malizia as band director, these are the songs that the Eighth-grade Band had performed: “Afterburn” - This piece by Randall Standridge is a great opener that has lots of energy and a fast tempo. This piece is about a plane taking off into flight and the different things that you see and what happens when you kick on the afterburners. “Blazing Clarinets” – This piece has a fast clarinet section feature composed by Andrew Balent. It’s whimsical, jumps around, and highlights the clarinet section. “Selections from the Polar Express” – Written by Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri and arranged by Michael Story, this is a medley from all the notable songs from the 2004 movie, The Polar Express . It goes through many different styles and tempos, making it big on contrast. It features The Polar Express, When Christmas Comes to Town, Hot Chocolate, Believe, and Spirit of the Season. “This is my first full concert where it’s with students that I started the year with. I have done two concerts before on my own, so when I was starting with student teaching, I was able to conduct one of the pieces that I was working on with the group that I was working with. I conducted this piece, ‘Santa the Barbarian’ with a sixth-grade band, and it was a lot of fun. There was shouting in that too and it was just a very heavy piece.” Anthony Malizia, 2023 Throughout December, there were multiple concert dates. The Eighth Grade Band performed on December 14th, along with the Junior High Chorus. There have also been other ensembles that performed this month, such as the Seventh Grade Band, Senior High Band, Senior High Chorus, Senior High Orchestra, and Junior High Orchestra. Congratulations to all performers and directors who performed! Big thanks to our custodial crew for all of their hard work. BACK TO TOP