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Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections Perseverance: A New Addition to The Martian Robotic Family By Elyas Layachi Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Image provided by NASA Introduction Did you know that as of 2016, 18 out of the 44 missions to Mars were successful? Or that Russia has the most mission failures, and that the first picture of the surface of Mars was taken by Viking 1 on July 20th, 1976? These facts are among many regarding the robotic exploration of Mars. With the launch and recent landing of Perseverance , many more facts are coming our way, and it might even find the one question humans have pondered on for centuries: are we alone in the universe? In our own galaxy? Even our solar system? History of Mars Missions Since 1960, we have launched several dozen missions to Mars to learn more about its composition, past, and whether it has life or signs of ancient life. The first successful flyby of Mars happened in 1965, and since then, four nations have made it to Mars successfully: the US., the Soviet Union, the ESA, and India. Other nations, including Russia, Japan, and China, however, were unsuccessful in their missions. The first NASA mission to Mars was the Mariner 9 , which successfully launched on May 30, 1971, and it became the first artificial satellite of Mars. Other missions were successfully launched after the Mariner 9 , with the Vikings 1 and 2 in 1975 and 1976. They became the first spacecraft to land safely on the surface of another planet. It was quite a milestone for NASA, for it proved that robotic exploration of Mars was possible. This paved the way for more recent developments, with the landings of the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity , which were launched in 2003 and landed on the Martian surface in 2004. Although the rovers are identical to each other, they are exploring different regions of Mars. Each of the rovers carries a sophisticated set of instruments to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet’s past. The landing of Perseverance is a continuation of the Spirit and Opportunity missions, but with a different goal. Mission Purpose According to NASA, the Perseverance rover is designed to study the rock record of Mars to reveal more about the geologic processes that created and modified Martian curst and surface through time. It will test technologies that help sustain human presence on Mars someday, as well as search for possible signs of past or present life. Its first objective is to study the rocks and landscape at Jezero crater to reveal the region’s history. Its second objective regards astrobiology. Perseverance will attempt to determine the habitability of the ancient environment of Mars. It will also search for potential evidence of past life using its observations. Mission goals include determining whether life ever existed on Mars, characterizing the climate of Mars, characterizing its geology, and preparing for human exploration in the 2030s. Mission Recordings What makes the Perseverance mission special is its recordings of landing. It is the first mission to have video of the landing of Perseverance as it descended through the atmosphere and deployed during the “skycrane” stage. Additionally, with the onboard microphone, Perseverance produced the first-ever recording of Martian winds. The link to the NASA Mars library, which contains these videos and many more, is below. Video Gallery: Perseverance Rover - NASA Mars BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork The Memory Project Back to Sections Kimberly Shresta - Memory Project - 2 By Kimberly Shresta March 18, 2021 Volume 1 Issue 6

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections ENL Buddy Program VSN By Alisson Alas Volume 2 Issue 6 April 14, 2022 Image provided by VSCHSD.ORG The ENL Buddy Program, advised by ENL Department Chair Ms. Swinton, is one of the many clubs offered at North . The ENL Buddy Program offers many activities: Students get to go into ENL classes and do fun and creative activities with the ENL students. Students got to make hallway decorations for World Language Week and participated in this year’s PS I Love You Day event. Students got to go into ENL classrooms and make holiday cards for staff members. Students can help other ENL students feel welcomed to North by helping them get around during their first days in the building. According to Ms. Swinton: “The ENL Buddy program is designed to help new and/or struggling ENL students connect to the North community. Mentors, who are current or former ENL students, work with students individually, visit ENL classrooms and facilitate lessons for students that are designed to build community and also lead after-school activities during meeting time.” For me I think joining this club is an amazing idea since I was a ENL student, I definitely feel like the ENL students feel welcomed to North because they have other students who know how they feel and who are willing to help them get around and get familiar with the environment. According to Ms. Swinton: “Mentors are typically current or former ENL students because they have a shared, lived experience with our newest Spartans. Mentors often also share a similar language and cultural backgrounds with the mentees.” Here's what she said about the activities and plans for the year: “This year, mentors have planned and facilitated classroom lessons that speak to the North's core values of respect, integrity, and kindness. Members of the ENL Buddy Program have also helped to create holiday cards for members of the community, participated in PS I Love You Day by creating positive messages and decorating the school hallway with them and designed flags from around the world in honor of World Language Week.” If you like helping, doing fun and creative activities, have been or are an ENL student, this is the club to join. If you share a similar language and cultural backgrounds with the mentees, you would really be able to make someone's day and transition into our school much easier and get that amazing rush of energy while helping somebody else. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Bullying Impacts By Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 2 Issue 2 November 19, 2021 Image provided by Parents.com Bullying. No matter where it happens, whether in school, at home, or online, bullying can make a great day one of your worst days ever. Bullying occurs when someone tries to hurt, intimidate, or embarrass someone else. Bullying can happen anywhere to anybody, and its effects not only hurt the victim but also the people around them. About 20% of students nationwide from ages 12-18 are victims of bullying. This can be in the form of name-calling, taunting, spreading rumors about someone, hurting someone, or threatening to hurt them, and much more. This can cause someone to be embarrassed, ashamed of themselves, and depressed. 5.4 million students skip school at some point in the year because of bullying. Many bullying victims become disconnected from friends and family. They could have trouble sleeping and change their eating habits, which are lighter effects. Some suffer from substance abuse, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and self-harm. Some see no other way to end the pain than to take their own life. If you ever feel this way, try talking to a trusted adult or counselor. Speaking to someone will be hard, but it's one of the first steps to betterment. Even the bystanders involved in the bullying are more likely to start using alcohol, skip school, and have mental health problems. Bullying also has adverse effects on the bully. Bullies are more likely to skip school, drop out of school, start using drugs and alcohol, and fight. 60% of boys who bullied others in middle school had at least one criminal conviction at age 24. They are more likely to abuse their spouse or child. Some also get arrested because of their bullying because they forget that bullying is illegal no matter where it happens. This article doesn't even fully cover every effect that bullying may have; so, think about the next time you decide to bully someone. Remember the impact it can have on you, your victim, and others around you. If you are being bullied, try to talk to an adult. You can report bullying incidents verbally or through the district website here: Valley Stream Central High School District Parents/Students | Student Resources (vschsd.org) . Try to keep your head up! We're here to help and support you! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sarah Velez Volume 4 Issue 1 November 6, 2023 Image provided by UAB News October represents Breast Cancer Awareness month, which tragically affects about 240,000 women in the United States along with 2,100 men annually. Of those 240,000 women, 42,000 pass away and 500 men pass away each year. It is important to take a month to spread awareness of this cancer and dedicate it to those who have passed. Breast cancer is a disease in which the cells in a breast grow out of control. The type of breast cancer you get is dependent on which cells in the breast turn into cancer. In most cases, breast cancer begins in what is called the “ducts” or “lobules.” The breast is split into three main parts: lobules, ducts, and connective tissue. As the cancer grows, it spreads through blood and lymph vessels. When breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it is said to have “metastasized.” Now, there are two common types of breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma is when the cancer cells start forming inside the ducts and then grow outside the ducts into other parts of the tissue. These invasive cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body. The next most common breast cancer is called Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. This is similar to Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, but it originates within the lobules instead of the ducts. This dangerous cancer can also spread to other parts of the body. Some of the less common types are Paget’s disease, medullary, mucinous, and inflammatory breast cancer. There are many ways to prevent breast cancer, but in some cases, there is nothing you can do to control it. Maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active, and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption can be effective in preventing breast cancer. If you are someone who takes hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives, it is best to talk to your doctor and see what may be safer for you. As healthy as you may be, breast cancer is occasionally inherited through family genes or changes in your BRCA1 and BRCA2 can also be inherited. With all of this in mind, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer. Are there ways to notice breast cancer before it becomes a deadly issue? Screening is a way to check women for breast cancer before symptoms and signs are noticeable. A mammogram is an x-ray taken of the breast. Mammograms provide the benefit of noticing breast cancer early on, making it easier to treat. It is important to regularly get mammograms, to benefit both your health and be able to catch such a deadly cancer early on. It is significant to note though, mammograms do not help cure breast cancer, they only help recognize it to ensure the cancer gets taken care of early on. Thanks to the advancement in technology and the medical field, there are many ways to treat breast cancer. Depending on how far the cancer has spread the type of treatment you will receive can be determined. Surgery is one of the most common options. The doctor will simply cut out the cancer if it has not spread too far. Chemotherapy is a medicine that is used to shrink or kill the cancer cells. The medicine can either be given in shots or pills, although in some cases it may even be both. Hormonal therapy blocks cancer cells from receiving the hormones they need to grow. There are many other medical procedures that help treat breast cancer. It is extremely important to discuss what medical procedure may be best for you. There are many ways to support people struggling with breast cancer. You can donate to breast cancer foundations and even start fundraisers to donate the money. Wearing pink can also help bring awareness to this tragic disease. It is important to spread awareness to help those who need it and partake in actions that can lead people to live and brighter and healthier life. Sources: https://www.cdc.gov https://www.mayoclinic.org BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections Ingenuity: An Engineering Marvel By Elyas Layachi Volume 1 Issue 7 April 22, 2021 Image provided by NASA On Thursday, February 18th, 2021, the Perseverance rover touched down on the Martian surface. Its primary goal includes studying the Martian soil and hunting for signs of ancient or current life (see article in ARCHIVES: Issue 6 for more information). However, Perseverance has another job. It was the primary transport vehicle for Ingenuity, a Martian helicopter experiment. The results from this experiment, if successful, will significantly impact future exploration of the Martian surface. Ingenuity is equipped to deal with a host of hostile conditions on Mars. For starters, the Martian atmosphere is only 1% as dense as Earth’s atmosphere at the surface, meaning it will take more power and lighter weight for an aircraft to lift off in the Martian atmosphere. Secondly, during the Martian daytime, the planet’s surface receives only half the amount of solar energy that Earth receives during its day, which means that Ingenuity’s solar panels and battery must be as efficient as possible. Third, the nighttime temperatures on Mars can drop as low as minus 120 degrees Fahrenheit, freezing and cracking unprotected electrical components. This means that Ingenuity must also have proper protection for its parts, or else it will malfunction. As stated previously, Ingenuity is a Martian helicopter/drone. It was carefully sterilized on Earth to avoid contaminating Mars with microbes, and it dropped its protective debris shield on Mars on March 21st, preparing for its first flight. It is, according to NASA, the “first attempt at powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet.” Its flight will be the first time an aircraft will attempt to fly through another world’s atmosphere. After deploying its protective shield, it will take the helicopter another six days to prepare for its deployment. For its first test flight, Ingenuity will power up, run its rotors at 2,537 rotations per minute, lift-off, climb at a rate of 3 feet per second, and hover at 10 feet above the surface for up to 30 seconds. Images, video, and possibly audio footage will be taken off the flight by Perseverance’s cameras and microphones, and they will be relayed to Earth soon after. If the mission proves successful, it will hail a potential new generation of Martian explorers that can scout ahead of rovers and even humans in the decades to come to make surface exploration easier. Additionally, if successful, drones or helicopters could explore even more distant worlds, such as the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Now, it is safe to say that the Earth’s sky is no longer the limit. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections My Thanksgiving Family Traditions By Ismaela Andre Volume 2 Issue 2 November 19, 2021 Image provided by DOGO News Thanksgiving is a meaningful holiday for my family and me. We have many traditions. One is to eat dinner with each other. We all sit in the dining room and enjoy the delicious homemade food. Another family tradition is to give thanks. Before we eat the food, we sit down and go around the table to say what we're thankful for. I love sharing what I am grateful for every year, and most times, what I am thankful for does not change. Our last tradition is pie. Every year we get multiple pies like pecan, apple, shoefly -- a Pennsylvanian pie that is made with mostly molasses and sugar -- pumpkin, and many others. It is like a pie buffet! I love all our Thanksgiving family traditions; however, this year is going to be totally different. This year, my birthday is the same day as Thanksgiving! I am so excited and can't wait to celebrate it. My birthday is always near Thanksgiving, so I am extra excited for this year. One thing I look forward to the most this year is to continue our family traditions. I hope you and your families enjoy the holidays and create some traditions for yourself as well! BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Art Guild Back to Sections Dying Savannah By Malachi Lewis November 24, 2020 Pencil, Charcoal Volume 1 Issue 2

Back to Artwork Heckscher Back to Sections Memory Tree Entry 5 April 14, 2022 Mixed Media Volume 2 Issue 6

Back to Artwork Portrait Back to Sections Nayab Raja - Portrait By Nayab Raja January 20, 2021 Photography Volume 1 Issue 4