Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Interview with Mr. Lodato: Featured New Faculty Member Rehmat Kaur Volume 4 Issue 2 January 16, 2024 Image provided by Rehmat Kaur I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Lodato, the new Special Education teacher, and learning more about his journey that led him to being a teacher here at North. Before he started teaching, he coached baseball for around 8 or 9 years. He worked with a teacher and recognized many similarities between coaching baseball between 13 and 18 and teaching. He felt strong at communicating, teaching, and being hands-on with his players, and after discussing with his coach, he stated, "I decided to go into teaching, and I'm very lucky that I did!” Mr. Lodato played college baseball for a short time, but he wanted to complete his studies first. Following that, he opted to pursue an undergraduate degree in Communications with a minor in English at SUNY Farmingdale. It started with Liberal Arts, then moved on to Communications and a lot of public speaking. After finishing his Bachelor's degree, he leaned toward Journalism and English. After deciding what he wanted to do, he went to Molloy University for a dual master's degree in English and Special Education. Mr. Lodato only heard positive things about North from Mr. Pandolfi, and he felt fortunate that his résumé was accepted and handed to Mrs. Vickse, who ended up interviewing him. " Here we are, and this place is great, I love it! " Mr. Lodato added. Currently he co-teaches two IST classes with special education students. He has a 10th grade IST class (Earth Science with Mr. Roveto) and an 11th grade IST class (English with Ms. Belbol) for individual skill development. He also finished his first season coaching Junior High Football in fall, coaches Varsity Girls Basketball in winter and will jump on board with Mr. Sanfilippo and Mr. Casella for Varsity Baseball Team in spring. What do you love most about teaching? “The connections that you make with the students. Everyone remembers, at least for me when I was in high school. You remember the teachers that you really liked or really did not have good experiences with, and I always try to remind myself of that and go on the side of being the one that kids do remember in a good way. It is important, especially in the age group of 14 to 18 the high school age when lots is going on and you are trying to figure out what you want to do in life, so it is important to have an adult figure point you in the right direction.” What characteristics do students want their teachers to possess? “Kindness, lead with kindness. I'm a big believer in first impressions, so especially as a new teacher I don’t want to come in, not that I'm like this anyway, but you don't want to come in with the grumpy face or being angry. As a substitute, I learned fast, I was a substitute teacher for the last two years at Island trees at Levittown. If you walk in with a bad attitude, the kids feed off that. I think their day takes a hit if you walk in with a bad attitude. So, I think kindness and positivity goes a long way as a teacher.” How was your first day or week here at North? “It was cool, I mean it was different, being in a different area you always have to take some time to adjust a little bit but I'm lucky that I have a special ed department that's so welcoming. There's so many of us and everyone has been super welcoming and nice and upfront. It also helps that I coached football guys over the summer. There were summer clinics, I knew some people already before the first day of school, I knew Mr. Casella, Coach P, and a couple of other football guys and I also knew Mr. Pandolfi like I said. Knowing people in the building, instead of just walking into a place without knowing anybody definitely helps.” His advice to cope with stress and to motivate students is to look at the bigger picture. It is easier to take steps little by little instead of having negative thoughts. “I try to motivate them to finish the task at hand, instead of just looking at the grand scheme of things” Mr. Lodato adds. Mr. Lodato shared this beautiful quote: “ Show me your friends and I’ll show you what kind of person you are” Mr. Lodato’s dad has told him since middle school, and it really resonated with him. He states that it is important to surround yourself with good people doing the right thing and are on the path of having a good life. Some fun facts about Mr. Lodato are that he enjoys sushi and that The Great Gatsby is his favorite novel. He read it in high school, and it is the book that stayed with him the most. Fall is his favorite season because “ football is on, it's hoodie season, and I associate fall with peace and relaxation." He also enjoys watching hockey, playing baseball, and reading autobiographies. Mr. Lodato is an exceptional individual with a lot of enthusiasm, and we are extremely fortunate to have him as a teacher here at North. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Forward By Varshanie Naitram Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Image provided by LorenZemlika 2021 came without warning, Time moves faster than it did before. The year ends and I barely get a thought in. Where will I be in 20 years? What does the future have in store for me? Who will I become? Is it my choice to decide my future? Or could it be my fate or destiny? 18 is the age I turn, But I'm still a child. Growing up happened kind of fast. I wonder how the world will change. Will I have kids? Will I be lonely? Who could I have lost? Should I be thinking about this? I guess I'll just have to wait and see. - Varshanie Naitram BACK TO TOP

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Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Who Do We Belong Madisen Dubose Volume 4 Issue 3 March 13, 2024 Image Provided by love our age “I am you; you are me. We are one. We have existed here for as long as we can remember. Do not forget what is given.” A voice echoed out into the darkness. It was cold and unfamiliar, yet warm... What was given? I didn’t know. I was floating, like a dream. Who... Am I? What are we? A question left unasked as eyes hazily open to a sea of black nothingness. This place was void of life. My body was heavy yet consciously, I was light like a feather. It didn’t make sense but was perfectly articulate. This is the birthplace ... I’m not sure how I knew, but the thoughts flooded in with profound knowledge I’ve never known of but lived all the same. The accident, on that day... I remember it. What made me, me. It was only bits and pieces, but... As my body’s matter soon began to materialize in this dark realm, I could understand my form again. It was all wrong. My arms stretched harshly with a crackle from my stressed bones, knees that can barely hold themselves up buckling in, long beast-like claws attached to my now ugly form. I tried to look at my face, but it was no longer there. The only thing to stare back were the large razor-sharp teeth that jutted from the deep void I now call a face. A true and pure monster I’ve become. All I could do was tear at my empty sockets, my sunken nose, my bladed teeth in rage and fear. For I've seen what I truly am now. No longer human. BACK TO TOP

Mikayla Aziz MANAGING EDITOR Hello North! My name is Mikayla Aziz, and I am the managing editor of North Star. I enjoy creative writing and commenting on pop culture. Outside of North Star, I love drawing and updating myself on current events. Feel free to contact me with any questions through my VSN email, and I look forward to working with you all! Welcoming Mr. Bracco! Mikayla Aziz Feature Read More Except from Eve Mikayla Aziz Polaris Read More The Artist Mikayla Aziz Polaris Read More Adiós, Señora Berg Mikayla Aziz Feature Read More I love you Mikayla Aziz Polaris Read More

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Karma Nathaly Zavala Volume 6 Issue 3 June 8, 2026 Image Provided by Unsplash When love is unrequired, the pain it brings The heartache, the longing, the shattered wings But karma waits in the shadows, patient and sly Seeking justice for the tears we cry A love that blooms but cannot be A flame that burns for all to see The heart aches with longing and desire, But fate’s cruel hand conspiring between liars In the game of love, karma plays its role, With twist and turns, it grips into a storm of love A love that’s forbidden, a love that competes Karma and revenge make their own deals A love that’s pure, get faced with defeat The fickle hand of fate, it weaves its threats Guiding in a different wave, love and revenge will reset its game Impossible love tangled and torn, in the dance of fate, we are sworn Betrayal, deceit, revenge takes its fates Like a new game The past comes back, the truth unfolds In the echoes of a love gone wrong, karma dances to its own song during the storm BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections An Interview With Ms. Sarmiento By Elyas Layachi Volume 3 Issue 2 December 23, 2022 Image provided by Elyas Layachi *Message Elyas for text * BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections The SpaceX Dragon Crew Missions: How They’re Changing History By Elyas Layachi Volume 1 Issue 2 November 24, 2020 Image provided by SpaceX Space exploration is an ever-changing process. The dawn of space exploration really began during the Space Race, from 1955 till 1991. Occurring during the Cold War, this was a competition in which the winner wanted to land astronauts on the moon first and return them back to Earth safely. In the Space Race, the Soviet Union eventually had the upper hand when they launched the first astronaut into low-earth orbit, but the United States eventually caught up and outdid them with them being the first to land astronauts on the moon through the Apollo Moon Landings. Winning the Space Race, America gained a reputation of prestige and intellectuality. Losing the Space Race, the Soviet Union was devastated, and their reputation was damaged. The Apollo Moon Landings were primarily politically driven, and after the Space Race, the United States did not continue sending astronauts to the moon. Instead, they constructed, along with other nations around the world, the International Space Station, a space laboratory currently in low-earth orbit where astronauts and scientists conduct experiments and perform maintenance on satellites. In 1981, the first space shuttles were launched in conjunction with the International Space Station. They helped assemble it in low-earth orbit! Known as the Space Shuttle Era, this was a period during which NASA focused solely on sending spacecraft to low-earth orbit, with no goal of sending humans back to the Moon or even Mars. Now, today, the space shuttle era is long over, and the “Artemis era” has begun. Launches are taking place over the next four years to send humans to the Moon, and for the first time, private space companies are taking part in this historical movement. Companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic are partnered with NASA through the Flight Opportunities program and are taking the next steps to send humans back to the Moon. Flight Opportunities Program According to NASA, the Flight Opportunities Program “facilitates rapid demonstration of promising technologies for space exploration, discovery, and the expansion of space commerce through suborbital testing with industry flight providers.” In short, the program is designed to have private industry develop technologies to be used by government agencies in future space missions, and they are given the task of conducting experiments in low-earth orbit for these agencies. Through this program, for example, SpaceX constructs rockets and delivers a payload, and now astronauts, to the International Space Station and back. With this partnership, instead of NASA focusing on sending astronauts to the International Space Station, they can now focus on sending humans to the Moon and developing spacecraft and technologies to do so. Furthermore, another example of this partnership is between NASA and Blue Origin, in which Blue Origin conducts suborbital experiments with NASA technologies and facilitates their overall development. SpaceX The private company that facilitated the development of the technology used in the Crew Dragon mission on November 15th was SpaceX. The company was founded on May 6th, 2002 by Elon Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla, the futuristic car company. The company designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft for NASA. It joined the Flight Opportunities program, along with other companies, and has flown various spacecraft for NASA, including its crew Dragon, and it is the first company to successfully construct a rocket that is completely reusable, meaning its fuel stages are reusable, along with the capsule. Furthermore, the rockets can land themselves after detachment, which is quite remarkable, considering that such a concept is almost futuristic. The company now has the task of launching astronauts to the International Space Station, and this is the first time a private company has launched astronauts into space for a government agency. SpaceX Dragon Crew launches to the ISS On November 15th, 2020, the first mission to the International Space Station aboard the Crew Dragon took place. The spacecraft represented a new era of space exploration, with an advanced interface and futuristic look and feel. This mission was known as the Crew-1 mission, since the astronauts were going to the International Space Station for a long duration of time rather than for a stop. They will conduct many microgravity experiments, including growing radishes in space and looking at astronauts’ brains! The launch proved successful, and the landing module was able to dock with the International Space Station successfully. The astronauts aboard, Shannon Walker, Victor Glover (the first African American astronaut in space for an extended-stay mission), Mike Hopkins, and Soichi Noguchi make up the Crew-1 mission. This mission is historic since it is the first one solely fueled by the innovations of private companies under the influence of NASA, a governmental space agency. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Dalip Singh Saund | Asian American Pacific Islanders Heritage Month By Shinedip Kundlas Volume 2 Issue 7 June 13, 2022 Image provided by Heritageseries.us Born in Amritsar, Punjab, Dalip Singh Saund became the first Sikh member of Congress and the first Asian American member of Congress. His commitment to his southern California district and its farmers was unwavering. He was also a county judge. His backstory of being born in India, a naturalized US citizen, and a successful businessman propelled him to the global stage. Saund became one of the most engaging politicians during the height of the Cold War while serving in the House of Representatives. Saund’s belief that American democracy holds promise was not shaken despite the many discriminations he faced when living in the United States. On September 20, 1899, Dalip Singh was born and raised in the village Chhajjal Waddi in Punjab, India. His father worked as a construction contractor for the British-Indian government. The Saund family had lived through the period of British colonialism, where Saund’s parents didn’t attend school. Despite this, education was a keystone of Saund’s life. Though he came from an uneducated family, the Saund family was known for their conscientious and successful work with a background of Sikh reformism and activism. Through the active Sikh reformism and activism in his family, Saund learned the basis of activism. During his college years at the University of Punjab, Saund supported the independence movement in India. He graduated with a BS degree in 1919 and went on to further his education in America. Saund intended to learn the fruit-canning business in America for a few years. On September 27, 1920, after traveling from Bombay to England and then to England, he arrived at Ellis Island, New York. While in the US, he earned his MA and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics in 1924. Due to his race, Saund could not find a teaching job and started farming in California. To circumvent a California law that prevented Asians from owning land, he got a friend to sign the deed on his behalf. In 1930, Saund was commissioned by the Khalsa Diwan Society to write “My Mother India”, a book supporting the Independence movement in India. His books highlighted the political and cultural problems in India. Saund closely studied the issues of the 1924 and 1928 presidential elections during his stay in California. After witnessing the struggles of the American people during the Great Depression while he was a farmer, he became a supporter of the New Deal. During the 1930s, Saund actively advocated for Indians to become citizen Americans, which Congress approved in 1946. A couple of years later, Saund became an American citizen and ran for a judgeship the following year. He was elected even amid constant racism-a reporter once asked him whether “turbans would be provided to all those who entered his court”. In 1956, Dalip Singh Saund ran for his local district’s open congressional seat as a Democrat and won the election against Jacqueline Cochran (R-). Saund served three terms in Congress. His support marked his service for civil rights legislation, small farmers, and efforts to improve relations between Mexico, the US, and India. Dalip Singh Saund has continued to inspire generations of Asian and Sikh Americans with his contributions and dedication to the American people. Dalip Singh Saund died on April 22, 1973. “Everyone though I had no chance… But I had faith in the American sense of justice and fair play .”- Dalip Singh Saund Sources 1.) https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/21228 2.) https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2008/12/19/breaking-barriers-congressman-dalip-singh-saund/ 3.) https://www.smc.edu/administration/governance/academicsenate/committees/documents/sabbaticals/HariFellowshipProposal.pdf BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections Story Behind the Shot 02 By Olivia Neuner Volume 1 Issue 4 January 20, 2021 Original photos by Olivia Neuner Welcome back to the 2nd installment of “Story Behind the Shot”! My name is Olivia and I have a confession to make; I was that crazy puppy girl in first grade. Ok… now that we have that out of the way, allow me to introduce you to my beagle, Daisy! Last year, after my acting coach made an Instagram for her dog, Winston, I decided it would be a fun idea to make Daisy one too. Over the year we have had the account, Daisy and I have made furry friends from around the world, including some dogs from England, Germany, and Japan. It has been a great way to “travel” during the pandemic. (Top) Brought to you by my self-timer, this is my favorite picture and is currently my profile picture for my Instagram. I took this picture right after filming a lip-sync video for my musical theatre class. I had been in quarantine for a few months, and this was the first time I put on a nice outfit and makeup, making me feel confident and happy with my video. Daisy laid down next to me, and I felt it was only appropriate to get a picture on the best sunny day of the month. (Bottom Left) This picture is from Daisy’s 11th Birthday at Hempstead Lake Park. My family and I throw our dog a party every year, and even during a pandemic we wanted to continue the tradition. We had a great day filled with walks and treats, and even a dog cake. (Bottom Right) This picture features Daisy with her favorite drink from Starbucks; the puppichino. The drink is simple; but to us it’s more than just a free cup of whipped cream. During the first month of quarantine, my family and I feeling desperate for an outing hopped in the car and drove to our local Starbucks drive-thru. The line was over 30 minutes long, but nonetheless we were happy for any reason to get out of the house. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to go back once a week for the next few months; the time together in the car was a great way to catch up and clear our minds, and Daisy was always very excited to go for a ride. This picture was from the second time she ever had the treat, and her hesitant yet interested look is something I find translates well even if you don’t know her. BACK TO TOP