Newspaper Issue 2- Feb 24 Final.pub
Transcription
Newspaper Issue 2- Feb 24 Final.pub
PAW PRINTS Official Newspaper of the West Islip Lions Follow us on Twitter! West Islip High School 1 Lion’s Path West Islip, NY 11795 February Vol. I Issue 2 @WIPawPrints A Unique Veteran’s Day Celebration Ryan Doherty order to serve their country. It is not often that someone gets to interact with a veteran on such Before looking at how Veteran’s Day a personal level, and the fact that the veterans’ was celebrated during 2013, it only makes sense experiences were used to educate our students is to see where the holiday comes from in the first something undeniably unique and valuable to place. Veteran’s Day was created in 1918 by the students that attended the assembly. president Woodrow Wilson in order to celebrate The United States as a whole has not the end of World War I, and was initially called been celebrating Veteran’s Day with the caliber “Armistice Day”. Back then, celebrations of that it deserves. This is unfortunate, as veterans Armistice Day consisted of parades, public deserve much more appreciation, especially on gatherings, and the pause of business activity. Although it was celebrated traditionally, it was Veteran’s Day. In the past, there have been parades and numerous other public celebrations to not federally sanctioned until 1921, when an commemorate those that have fought for our unknown soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on Armistice Day. Now, every country. In recent years, West Islip hasn’t seen Veteran’s Day, there is a wreath laying ceremo- so much as a parade. In fact, many people have stated that they don’t even celebrate Veteran’s ny at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Day in the manner it was initially intended: to holiday became known as “Veteran’s Day” in 1954, after World War II and the Korean War. honor our veterans. Nevertheless, the assembly This was also when the holiday began to recog- given here shows a step in the right direction in terms of honoring these veterans and educating nize veterans of all wars, not just veterans of World War I. The United States is not the only students on why they are so important in our country to have a Veteran’s Day. Nations such society. They have risked their lives in order to preserve our freedoms, and continue to do so. as Britain, France, Australia and Canada all have different versions of this holiday. For ex- The least we can do to give back is to celebrate and honor them in a more dedicated fashion. ample, Britain celebrates Remembrance Sunday, the second Sunday in November. SuperlaƟve Winners Most changed Kate Nastasi & Jack Douglas Most Likely to Never Leave West Islip Nicole e Pagliarulo & Andrew Forcino Best Friends Jesse Cohen & Gabbi Pa Best Smile Frank Raia & Taylor Dundon Best Eyes Brooke Sommers & Sal Vi orio Best Looking Rebecca Bauer & Sam Ilario Future Olympian Lindsay Darrell & Craig Nelson Most Likely to Be late to GraduaƟon Kate Nastasi & Ed Ryan Biggest Klutz Kirs e McAteer & John Barcia Most Likely to Take a Selfie Bryanna Forle a & Guy DiStefano Most Likely to Succeed Casey Read & Sco Nelson Most ArƟsƟc West Islip American Legion Hall Members The Vietnam class created by Mr. Murphy and taught here at the high school features a distinctive topic as well as one of the most unique methods of teaching. It covers a relatively short period in American history: the period between World War II and the end of the Vietnam War, and touches upon numerous topics within this period. Students are immersed within a military -style classroom setting starting on the first day. They are taught to see themselves as soldiers in the Vietnam War, and to see the war from a soldier’s point of view. There was a special assembly held at the high school that further emphasizes the unique style of education offered by the Vietnam class. This assembly featured numerous veterans from West Islip’s own American Legion hall. The students were able to truly understand the viewpoint of the soldiers, giving them the opportunity to truly understand and appreciate the sacrifices the veterans made in Photo Credit: Ms. Poalicelli The assembly that was given on Veteran’s Day was truly effective in getting the message of Veteran’s Day across to our students. It also showed us that veterans deserve much more gratitude than they are currently getting. It showed us that we should be continually honoring and celebrating veterans every day, not just on Veteran’s Day. All of this being said, I feel as though the assembly should be continued in future years, if possible. I also believe that it should be open to all students, not just those enrolled in history and Vietnam. This allows the assembly to impact all who attend, not simply a select group of students. All students deserve the opportunity that this assembly provides, as it enriches both the student and the veterans involved. Farhan Is aq & Kaela Gabrell Class Clown Keilani Zajmi & Nick Nicolosi Best Tweets Erin Vande e & Steven Fogel Trendiest Kris n Pilliterri & Chris Reese Best Laugh Jess Pace & Andrew Schlosser Most Likely To Brighten Someone’s Day Brooke DiPalma & Ma Crawford Beauty & Brains/Brawn Nicole Cro on & Colin Hi er Lindsay Ryan & Alex Sesto School News Superlatives Continued: Midterm Madness Senioritis Lindsay Ryan & Ray Gaudio Best Nickname Kayla LaRosa Kristin Pilliterri & AJ iIchert Cutest Couple Jared Schuman & Alex Sesto Dare To Be Different Princess Ibezim & Brandon Saloy Mr. & Ms. Fiesta Danielle Durso & Kyle Kickel Broadway Bound Nicole Moy & Zach Mike Teachers Ms. Gifford & Mr. Murphy Ice Boating on the Great South Bay Ryan Doherty This has been one of the coldest winters we’ve had in a long time. A winter sport that is relatively unknown to most Long Islanders but has a large following is ice boating. The recent “polar vortex” was welcomed by ice boaters. The conditions need to be just right for ice boating. Cold frigid temperatures for a number of days are needed in order for solid ice to form. Like sailing, wind is needed but wind conditions should not be too strong since these boats can really fly. Ice boating is like sailing with skates! Ice boating on Long Island started out of necessity. People needed to get supplies over to Fire Island when the bay was frozen over. Eventually, the excitement of flying across the bay took over and people would go out ice boating for fun. On Long Island ice boating takes place at a few different spots. Lake Ronkonkoma is one location. On the south shore of Long Island, Bellport has a large following of ice boaters and a very active club. The South Bay Scooter Club is one of the oldest and was established in 1921. Another popular place is Mecox Bay on the South Fork. Back in 1937 The Detroit News sponsored a design contest and today you can still find these light weight designed ice boats around with “DN” designated on the sail as is the boat depicted in the picture. Ice boating off of Fire Island., Photo courtesy : Mrs. Chlinkel When coming back from a relaxing Christmas break, teenagers have two things on their minds when it comes to the month of January: New Year’s resolutions, and the dreaded midterm examinations. Midterms, from the perspective of teenagers, can basically be defined as stress inducing, sleep depriving exams that occur in the half way through the year, and essentially control your fate when it comes to passing or failing second quarter. Many believe that these tests waste time, cause stress and confusion, and impact grades way more significantly than they should. One of the first problems that students encounter when it comes to midterms is that they simply take up too much time that could be used focusing on learning material needed for the culminating Regents and other final exams that take place at the end of the year. Dedicating an entire month to material that a class has already visited in order to pass one test seems a bit like a waste of valuable classroom time. This time could be spent continuing through the curriculum, especially for the AP and Honors classes, who often seem rushed to get everything covered by the year’s end. From what students experience day to day, they know that a lot can get covered in one week. Some classes can cover units at a time within the span of five days. Why not donate the weeks they spend preparing for midterms on actual material needed for the end of the course, and possibly leave time at the end of the year for more detail and review. Another issue that often is associated with midterms is the stress and ill preparedness. If one were to ask ten students when their midterm exams are being administered, it’s practically guaranteed that half of them won’t know. If one were to ask ten students if they feel prepared for their midterms, the same result would be obtained. Flashcards, cramming, and endless review packets are often not taken seriously by students, and most feel unprepared or over- whelmed when it’s time to take the actual exam. The schedule is also confusing and overwhelming to students as well, because it’s hard to keep track over which midterms are in class and which ones are in the actual “midterms week”, which isn’t actually a week, more so three days set aside when the tests are being administered. Some can take up to three tests in one set-aside midterm day, whereas some don’t have any actual midterms during the three days, but instead have them in every class the week before. Most would agree that midterms week, should be an actual week, to avoid the majority of this confusion. Finally, the biggest argument when it comes to midterms is the amount of impact it has over the second quarter averages. A student can be doing well all quarter, or in some cases, barely getting by, and a midterm exam can essentially come along and plummet your average significantly. Most midterms count up to 20% of the second quarter grade, which has the inevitable power to change it drastically. Given the fact that most students are overwhelmed and unprepared for these tests, that is basically a set up for disaster. Midterms should not be able to change a grade in it’s entirety, when taking into consideration the student’s performance all quarter. Midterms obviously are not going away anytime soon, but some of the fallacies and issues with them should be addressed in a way that makes it more fair for the students as far as significance, preparedness, and time management. Paw Prints Staff Editor-In-Chiefs: Writers: Advisors: Hashim Masood Cole Ivy Joanne Macrelli Jonathan Loughlin Gabriella Minicozzi Kathleen Chinkel Chris Chiusa Jake Salemo Artwork: Managing Editor: Sydney Matone Sarah Novello Ryan Doherty Vincent Minicozzi Disclaimer: Danny Kelly Ryan Doherty Editors: Jonah Wegener Kayla LaRosa Lilyan Guastella Rumiya Malik Ashley Hansmann Paw Prints is the official newspaper of West Islip High School. The editorials, unless signed, are the consensus opinion of the editorial board and do not necessarily reflect the view of the advisors or the school administration. Kelly Armetta Corrections: Alex Ledinsky If omissions or errors are found, please contact WIpawprints@gmail.com School News Unsung Heroes of West Islip High School Ashley Hansmann & Lilyan Guastella Many people in West Islip High School are unaware of the hard work and dedication put forth by the custodial staff. In addition to cleaning during and after school hours, the custodial staff also provides our school with the ability to have numerous events during and after school including sport events, plays, and assemblies. Their work after school is sometimes overlooked because people aren’t always aware that they are behind the scenes making sure our students and staff have what they need Photo Courtesy of Sydney Matone in order learn and participate in extracurricular activities. Their diligent work is important to chairs, and cutting the grass on our numerous fields are only a few jobs on the growing list of recognize and should be appreciated more ofthings that they do for our school. A large part ten. of our school attends sport events, clubs, music Cleaning the gym floors, moving the events, fundraisers, or assemblies multiple bleachers for sport games, monitoring the pool, sweeping the locker rooms, setting up risers and times a month. The success of these events can partially be due to the hard work put in by the custodial staff. Their work put in for both the students and the rest of the staff is innumerable Ultimately, the custodial staff working diligently at our high school should be commended for their contribution to the success of the various during and after school events. Our sport teams, musical groups, clubs, the various fundraisers, and essentially all of the people at West Islip High school benefit from the hard work the custodial staff continuously puts in. Many people don’t realize their constant work behind the scenes at our school, but it’s important to start recognizing the different things they do both during and after school. Thanks to their efforts, our high school is able to participate in various activities we would not be able to without them. Trekking Ancient Footsteps Lauren Howard La bella paesa! From the incredible architecture to the amazing Mediterranean Sea, Italy was a trip I will never forget! All 25 of us set out on our journey to Italy as acquaintances and came back to America as a family. We stayed for nine days, which wasn't long enough because as we all know, time flies when you're having fun. We visited five cities and each city was better than the next! The tours were awesome, the food was fabulous, and last but not least let's not forget about the Italian boys! For example, the bus driver, Giorgio was everyone’s secret crush. Italy was breathtaking and I know I can speak for every- one when I say I made the best memories and From the cities, the beaches, and the people, I had the best experiences while traveling believe that all should experience something through Italy. We went to a “gelato” factory this beautiful. and made our own gelato, it was incredible. We also went to a Tuscan cooking school and prepared and ate a fantastic Italian meal. Also, we went to visit the coliseum and got to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was so great to finally put to use my many years of studying and practicing the Italian language and applying it while in Italy. I couldn't thank Mrs. Fodera and Mrs.Kaminsky enough for giving me one of the best opportunities I've ever had. Photo Courtesy of Ms. Kaminsky Italy is an overwhelmingly pretty country. Acne Fix! portant one pertaining to acne is its antibacterial properties. That means it’ll aid in preventing Most teenagers share one common ene- nasty bacteria causing acne from building up in my: acne. The infamous skin sabotaging infec- pores and follicles. Bonus: it also reduces redtor tends to strike during adolescence, ages 13- ness! 19. Usually, we just accept the fact it’s there If you have oily skin and are wondering and try to cope as best as possible; whether it why adding more oil is a good idea, it’s bebe smearing on a lot of salicylic acid and ben- cause coconut oil will absorb into the skin to moisturize not sit on top of it. Coconut oil is a zoyl peroxide (common active ingredients in acne treatments) or under very full coverage good oil, unlike the nasty one that likes to show concealer….. Sigh. up midday and make you look like a grease But, hold on a second—could it be trap. It is quite moisturizing, so it also replaces moisturizer as well as any acne treatment. there is a more natural way to effectively reduce acne or get rid of it all together? Yes, yes I’ve been using coconut oil myself for about there is. This magic acne killer is coconut oil. one and a half months now, and can tell you the Coconut oil has been edging its way into the improvement is drastic! My acne has cleared skincare and beauty realm slowly but surely. up about 90 percent; my skin isn’t as oily anyCoconut oil has numerous beneficial more either. How I use it: ditch everything beproperties to it, which can be easily found sides your daily face wash; wash your face evethrough a simple Google search. The most im- ry morning and night, then smooth on a pea Kelly Armetta size amount of coconut oil all over. Make sure to use extra virgin, organic coconut oil. It can be bought in jars from places like the supermarket or Costco in larger sizes. Results are never guaranteed since everyone’s skin is different, but this is certainly a fix to try! Super Bowl THE GREAT AMERICAN HOLIDAY SUPER BOWL SUNDAY that is the Lombardi Trophy which is awarded to the Super Bowl winner. The trophy is The Super Bowl is one of the more named in honor of legendary NFL coach of the hyped-up events every year. Super Bowls also account for the 21 most-watched programs in Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi. For the two weeks leading up to the American TV History in terms of total audiSuper Bowl, the host city is completely transence. The game can either make or break a formed into a tourist paradise, not only for player’s careers and change lives forever. Players like Joe Namath and Joe Montana are football lovers but also for people who are simply interested in experiencing an incredible known for their Super Bowl heroics while players like Dan Marino and Barry Sanders are event. When deciding where the Super Bowl will take place, the NFL looks at the Super haunted by the fact that they were never able Bowl location as a way to reward cities that to win the big game. Although the Super are expanding the NFL’s sphere of influence, Bowl is defined as the National Football League championship game, played annually either by fielding a winning team, building a between the champions of the National and the fancy stadium, or ideally, both. Cities bid for the honor of hosting the Super Bowl because it American Football conferences, it is much more than that. It is an event that affects many brings in tourist dollars and prestige. more people than just the ones playing in the A major reason why the Super Bowl is game. watched and loved by so many is because it Joe Nowotarski Every year there are two teams that are able to navigate themselves through the AFC (American Football Conference) and NFC (National Football Conference) playoffs. The AFC champion receives a trophy known as the Lamar Hunt Trophy named after the founder of the AFL (American Football League). While the NFC champion receives the George Halas Trophy named after the longtime owner and coach of the Chicago Bears. The George Halas Trophy and the Lamar Hunt Trophy, were redesigned both for the 2010-2011 NFL playoffs by Tiffany & Company at the request of the NFL in an attempt to make both awards more significant. Although both trophies are symbols of great accomplishment all teams in the NFL are after one thing and one thing only, attracts so many different types of people. Football and sports fanatics love the game while many others are intrigued by the magnitude of the event. The annual halftime performance is regarded as one of the most-watched events in American television annually with over 100 million viewers in the United States alone. Since performers are exposed to such a large audience, the performers do not get paid a dime. They understand that the amount of exposure that they are getting is more than enough compensation for their time and efforts. Halftime performers regularly experience significant spikes in weekly album sales and paid digital downloads due to the exposure that they receive. Another reason why the Super Bowl is watched and loved by so many Vince Lombardi—Super Bowl Trophy Vincent Minicozzi on September 3, 1970 in Washington, D.C. at Bowl is winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy. age 57. After Lombardi’s death, he was honLombardi is a major figure in football history ored by the Rotary Club of Houston with the and is considered to be the greatest coach of establishment of the Lombardi Award, an annual honor that recognizes the nation's best all time. Before his involvement in football he collegiate lineman. Posthumously, Lombardi was inducthad studied to become a priest. Lombardi was ed into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 born on June 11, 1913 in Brooklyn, New York in a poor Italian family. He attended St. and the NFL renamed the “Super Bowl Trophy” to the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl TroFrancis Preparatory High School in Brooklyn, NY and also attended Fordham Universi- phy in the same year. Lombardi was also inty in the Bronx, NY. Throughout his coach- ducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of ing career, Lombardi coached at various high Fame in 1975 and Fordham University’s schools and colleges, including both Fordham famed “Seven Blocks of Granite” which is University and the U. S. Military Academy at the nickname for the University’s famous offensive live. West Point. The big prize at the end of the Super Lombardi remains today as one of Lombardi’s professional football coaching career for the NFL began with the football’s most outstanding coaches in the Green Bay Packers in 1959. In his rookie history of the NFL. year of coaching Lombardi won coach of the year and amazingly, he won five NFL Championships, including Super Bowls l and ll with the Green Bay Packers. Lombardi also coached the Washington Redskins from 1969 -1970. Other accomplishments include his induction as a charter member of the Fordham University Hall of Fame in 1970. Sadly, Lombardi died after battling intestinal cancer “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” Vince Lombardi non-football fans is because of the commercials. The amount of prominence and attention that is received through Super Bowl commercials came at a high price for companies at Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, the average cost of a 30-second advertisement was around $4 million. Super Bowl advertisements have become a cultural phenomenon of their own; many viewers only tune into the game to see the commercials. The Super Bowl has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon attracting so many different types of people every year. There is something for everyone, whether you are interested in the game itself, the music and entertainment during the halftime show, or even the commercials. Some have termed Super Bowl Sunday a “National Holiday” in this country but even this terms doesn’t quite fit as the Super Bowl is watched and enjoyed by so many worldwide! Super Bowl XLVIII Joe Nowotarski In the most recent Super Bowl, the Seattle Seahawks took on the Denver Broncos in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The game turned out to be a complete annihilation with a final score of 43 to 8 in favor of the Seahawks. The record-breaking Broncos offense was never able to find their rhythm during the game starting from the first play from scrimmage when Broncos center Manny Ramirez snapped the ball past Peyton Manning and into the end zone for a safety. The general consensus before the game was that if the weather did not cooperate it would hinder Peyton Manning and the high powered Broncos offense, and therefore, favor the Seattle Seahawks and their elite defense. One can only imagine how bad it could have gotten for Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and the Broncos if the weather had turned out to be as bad as anticipated. This game will be hard to live down. School News Rumiya Malik & Gabby Minicozzi On April 23, 2010, Brooke DiPalma and her father drove to school as usual. Before she jumped out of the car her dad told her, “I love you.” And she quickly responded, “I love you, too.” Brooke then went off on her regular school day. Later that day her dad committed suicide. lems. Many local school districts have embraced this day. P. S. I Love You Day has gotten mass media coverage and is spreading to high school and college campuses across our country. Brooke has remained positive in the face of tragedy and she wants everyone to know Afterwards, Brooke knew she had to do the importance of helping others. something. Her love for her father motivated Recently, Brooke said in an interview her to focus on a simple act of caring. She about the coincidence of P. S. I Love You Day ability to spread love so quickly. I truly want to wanted to ensure that this didn’t happen to any happening on Valentine’s Day this year: change the world with this. I really hope eveother family. On this special day, she asks eve“Normally, it doesn’t fall on Valentine’s ryone wears purple and gets involved.” ryone to wear purple to stand up against bullyth Day, but I think it’s really cool that it falls on ing. This year it is on Friday, February 14 , Valentine’s Day this year because it gives the 2014. opportunity to show that you don’t need a sigThe highlight of the day is to show peonificant other in order to feel the love and the ple that they will always be loved and are perpower one gets from love. I’m hanging up Post fect just the way they are. Unfortunately, there -it notes, and hopefully coming to the Love Out are many people out there who are depressed Love concert on February 11 at 7 p.m. I’m and have been victimized by bullies. Now it is more excited to see even more schools getting time to take a stand. The second Friday of every involved. I know that a school in North CaroliFebruary is dedicated to this day. Wearing Purna, Raleigh High School, is going to be inple will not only show your support against bulvolved by having a flash mob, hanging up postlying but that you believe in a positive world. ers, doing so many different activities that will No one should ever be alone with their probtruly be able to show the power of love and the Sushi Wars! Alex Ladinsky A Japanese rivalry has begun. Just half a block away from Bayshore’s very popular Aji 53, Kumo opened in October. Entering an already crowded market for Japanese restaurants with Shiki and Kotobuki in Babylon and Aji and Mitsui in Bay Shore, Kumo at first seemed redundant. However, Kumo’s distinguishing factor is that it does not only serve sushi and Japanese entrees, but it is also a hibachi restaurant. For many years I’ve enjoyed going to Aji––a great combination of fresh sushi, a wide variety of dinner entrees, and an elegant decor. Once I entered Kumo, however, Aji’s decor seemed rather bland and mediocre. The combination of a sleek silver interior, four huge plasma TVs, and wide open space contributed to a grand entrance. Although their menu is just as varied as any sushi restaurant with offerings of ikura, spider rolls, and the likes, I wanted to try what made Kumo special––its actual hibachi tables. For those that don’t know what hibachi is, hibachi is basically a front row seat at a cooking show. At Kumo, the hibachi chef was very entertaining. For example, he made an onion volcano (a stack of onions with flames gaping out), and he did various other tricks that I’ll save you the pleasure seeing for yourself. So I could get a better sample size, I tried some of the food of those who accompanied me–– hibachi steak, chicken, and scallops. My favorite of those was the chicken. Accompanied with the typical hibachi ginger sauce, it was very tasty. The hibachi steak lacked much flavor without putting any ginger sauce on it but it was still tender. I normally don’t like scallops so I suppose I’m biased, but I wouldn’t recommend getting it. For SCALLOPS it was alright. I just don’t think that scallops really have much taste in general, but Kumo did what they could and still managed to make it somewhat flavorful. The side of vegetables–– mushrooms, cucumbers, broccoli etc.–– had the perfect balance of salt content but weren’t anything special besides...well...vegetables. Overall, Aji’s ‘hibachi’ steak (hibachi in name only since there are no hibachi tables at Aji) is better and more flavorful than Kumo’s. However, the Kumo experience of being able sit at a real hibachi table and be entertained trumps Aji’s edge in food. With that being said, both still don’t top my personal favorite --Kotobuki. Olympics Olympic Dreams ankle, but he came back from the injuries to become the 2013 U.S.A Junior National Luge Champion. Cole Ivy West Islip High School will be represented in this Olympics by Aiden Kelly. Aiden qualified for this year’s luge event at the games. Aiden says he has been interested in luge since the 2006 Turin Olympics. Kelly moved to Lake Placid, NY away from his family to train when he was 15. He said he graduated from the National Sports Academy, a boarding school and training center that houses winter sports athletes. Aiden’s family is still a part of the West Islip community. His parents, Meredith and Steve, and siblings, Morgan, Colton and Olivia sponsored a fundraiser on January 26th and were able to raise $10,000. The family plans to travel to Sochi to cheer on Aiden and the U.S. team even though the cost can be more than $25,000. Learn more about Aiden on Facebook, Team Kelly. Besides Aiden, there were two other Olympic athletes who were born or lived in The luge is an extreme form of sled West Islip - Thomas Bohrer and Al Oerter. racing where the rider is face up and feet first Thomas Bohrer, a two-time Olympic medalist on the sled. Aiden competes on February 8th and a three-time medalist at the World Chamth and 9 in Sochi. He is one of 10 men on the pionships. Bohrer competed for the United States Rowing Team from 1986 to 1994, earning silver medals in the men's coxless fours at two consecutive Olympic Summer Games (Seoul in 1988 and Barcelona in 1992). He was named US Rowing Athlete of the Year in 1989, and served as the Olympic Team Captain in 1992. Bohrer was inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame in 2010. Bohrer is now coach of the Boston University Rowing team. luge team. Aiden broke a vertebrae in his back Al Oerter was a discus thrower who won 4 a few years ago and even suffered a broken Olympic Gold Medals in the1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968 Olympic Games. After college, Oerter was a resident of West Islip. He recently died in 2007. Best of luck to Aiden. West Islip is rooting for you. Luge Competitor Aiden Kelly XXII Olympic Winter Games Sochi, Russia Cole Ivy Sharpova, a four-time Grand Slam tennis On Friday, February 7, the XXII Olym- champion and Olympic silver medalist from 2012 carried the torch into the Fisht Olympic pic Winter Games opened in Sochi, Russia Stadium. For the first time ever, the Olympic with the lighting of the Olympic torch. The torch reached the North Pole via a nuclear Olympic park is located on the coast of the powered icebreaker. It also traveled to Mount Black Sea. Elbrus, Europe’s highest mountain, and went The Olympic torch relay began in An- to the depths of Siberia’s Lake Baikland before cient Olympia, Greece on September 29, 2013. it was passed in open space by Russian CosThe torch was carried for a week across Greece monauts. and on to Russia. Once in Russia, the torch Aside from the parade of athletes and was carried through 83 Russian cities and comtorch lighting, there is always a spectacular pleted its journey at the opening ceremony in show with thousands of performers at the cereSochi on February 7. Sochi native Maria mony. Each host country keeps their show a secret until the actual opening ceremony. This opening ceremony received rave reviews for its chronicle of Russian history and only had one glitch when a flower failed to morph into one of the Olympic rings. be threats by extreme groups. People of the gay community are cautious, too, because of Russian laws against them and fear they may be victims of attach by petty criminals at the games. Actual bombings have occurred in Russia in the past several weeks. Huge security will be in place and hopefully all the athletes and visitors will be safe. This will be the most expensive games ever, costing a whopping $55 billion dollars to produce. The 2014 games will have 98 events competing for gold medals and 88 countries will send over 2,500 athletes to compete in Sochi. The closing ceremony will take place on February 23. So, if you are not one of the lucky ones who go away for February break, you can always watch the Olympics! While great and exciting things are planned for the Sochi games, there has been much concern in the world about safety in Russia. Russian authorities have built a “ring of steel” around Sochi for security but still concerns for safety have been raised. The government has not given the rest of the world any details of threats. Safety concerns about terrorist attacks are very real and there continues to Olympian Aiden Kelly International Chinese New Year! those that you care about. The New Year brings Some of Jess’s favorite memories of the hope and a fresh start. This year, we welcome Chinese New Year include the common light Friday, January 31, was Chinese New the year of the Horse. shows that celebrate the new year, letting go of Year. Chinese New Year is one of the most imInterview with Jess Jin Chinese sky lanterns with family, and receiving portant holidays in Chinese culture. The celemoney in red envelopes. At home her family Christopher Chiusa brations start the day before, on the eve of the has a statue of a religious figure that is given New Year. It’s customary to stay up until midDuring the festivities I had the pleasure recognition during the holidays. night, which symbolizes giving your parents a of interviewing Jess Jin, known as Hui Jin in long life. Chinese. Jess is a West Islip exchange student When Jess and I were discussing addiOn New Year’s Day, many visit temples from China. I wanted to discover the different tion aspects of the Chinese culture, I realized to burn incense and pray for a good new year. ways in which the New Year is celebrated in the that the way the Chinese perceive dragons conIt’s a day to wear traditional outfits, and the colregion of China where she lives. trasts sharply with the way dragons are depicted or red. An old folktale tells of a monster in a in the West. The common tradition of dressing village set in ancient China who would go I discovered that the Chinese New Year around eating people. The villagers soon found up and dancing in dragon costumes in China out the monster was afraid of red, and wore it to Day is based on the Lunar Calendar, the prima- depicts a dragon without wings and symbolizes scare him off. In addition, they set off firecrack- ry calendar system that is used in China. The good luck. I told her that dragons in Western Lunar Calendar also highlights the Spring Festiers to scare him even more. The color red has culture creates an image of a monster that uses been associated with good luck ever since. val which lasts several weeks and is as imits fire to kill people in medieval fantasy, which A major part for kids on New Year’s is portant to Chinese culture as the holiday season contrasts sharply with the way that the Chinese getting red envelopes from adults. The red enve- is to Americans. view dragons positively. lopes are lucky and ornate; with drawings of Other interesting comparisons can be gold and color of anything from Chinese charJess gave me a new insight into a holimade with the way that we celebrate the holiacters to cartoon zodiac animals. What’s the day that I would otherwise not even bother to best part? They’re filled with money inside! days and the way Jess explains how it’s done in think about. Thanks Jess! Food is another major part of the festivi- China. In America, walnuts and nutcrackers are ties. Some foods are eaten because they have a symbol of Christmas; delectable tree nuts What Chinese Zodiac sign are you? special meaning. Fish symbolizes an excess in known as xiangfei are a common symbol of the If you were born in: the upcoming year, and hopefully there will be Spring Festival. This Spring Festival encom1995—Pig more than enough of everything. Oranges and passes the weeks preceding Chinese New Year. apples symbolize good luck. Pears are gifted to 1996—Rat friends as a way to wish them luck for the New The New Year celebration in China marks the 1997 –Oxen end of the festivities that take place during the Year Spring Festival where nearly all adults and busi- 1998 –Tiger Perhaps the main point of Chinese New nesses in China are given at least one week off 1999—Rabbit Year is to appreciate family and friends. Reof work. member your elders, the people you love and Kelly Armetta Thirst Project Update! Danny Kelly Corrections: It was clear that the members had two things in mind when considering this– to help as many people as possible, and as quickly as they could. The new well will be built in the community of Sikhaleni, where clean water is desperately needed. provided to communities in India. With the New Year not so far behind us, and with the start of the second semester, the West Islip Thirst Project is eager to start this new project. “I think it’s possible that we can fund at least ten filters until June, and maybe even more,” says Ms. Nilsen, the West Islip Thirst Project’s advisor. For the remaining months of the school year, the After a year of hard West Islip Thirst Project has work and perseverance, the decided to try a new approach West Islip Thirst Project has in battling the water crisis in The students all agreed once again fulfilled their goal order to provide clean water to that ten filters was a good of funding another well in developing nations. number to reach for, but it was Swaziland. BioSand filters, which clear that everyone wanted to When the students of are filters that are easily contry his or her hardest to work the Thirst Project were given structed and last for ten years, together in order to fund many the opportunity to choose provide people with the one more. For the future, the West where the final total of thing that most of us take for Islip Thirst Project is hosting a $12,016.32 would be used to granted – safe drinking water. raffle on Thursday, February build a well, they were not hesThese filters, which cost $175 13, and possibly a basketball itant to take the first option per filtration system, will be tournament. that they were given. On page two of the previous issue, in the article titled "Helping Africa One Well at a Time," Paw Prints incorrectly claimed that the Volunteer of the Year Award was given to West Islip High School, when it was given to Ms. Nilsen personally. Also, the event that Ms. Nilsen attended was held in Beverly Hills on June 25, 2013 and was called The 4th Annual Thirst Gala, not the 4th Annual Awareness Event. New well in Swaziland, Summer 2013. Photo Courtsey of Ms. Nilsen School News College Applications! Ryan Doherty what you have. Colleges want to know about who you are as a person, not just as a student. For everyone that will applying to col- Make sure you keep note of this while writing this essay. Always evolve the essay until you lege, don’t fret! I am here to tell you all about think it’s perfect. Some colleges want what’s the applications process! First thing’s first: choosing which col- called a “writing supplement”, which is a secleges you would like to attend. First of all, you ondary essay that goes alongside your Common Application essay. These supplement essays can might want to figure out what locations you want to go to. Do you want to stay in New York range from a wide array of topics, and colleges can require any number of supplements, but the or off the island? Out of the state? How far? most I’ve seen required is four. They usually Secondly, what size campus best fits you? Do seem to revolve around why you want to go to you want a campus that spans 200 acres? Or a more consolidated one? Finally, does the school that specific school and/or real-world experiences that you’ve had outside the classroom. have a program that suits what you pursue? The other crucial aspect to college apNext, the only logical step would be to visit the colleges you have chosen. The colleges plications is, of course, academics. In addition you like could be a considerable distance away, so be prepared to take an overnight trip and stay at a hotel. When you arrive at the campus, pay attention to the surrounding area, not just the campus. Do you prefer colleges located in a metropolitan area or a smaller town? You can also opt to interview officials from the schools that you’ve chosen in order to make your interest known and to hopefully get an improved chance at admittance. This is optional, but is recommended for most universities. to worrying about GPA, students must also take The essay wasn’t as bad as I thought it a flurry of standardized tests in order to meet would have been. Of course, it’s a strenuous the admissions requirements of the colleges process to write it, but there is guidance. For they want. Although colleges look at a student example, the Common Application gives vari- holistically, SAT and ACT scores are often big ous prompts in order to guide students to what parts of admittance. Preparation for these tests they should write about. This year’s prompts usually requires some sort of study aid, as the included writing about a transition from child- tests themselves are so odd. People usually hire hood to adulthood, reflecting on a time where tutors or purchase an array of review books in you challenged beliefs or authorities, and reorder to help themselves prepare. Unfortunatecounting a time where you experienced failure. ly, this is necessary in order to be successful on From there, you should brainstorm ideas as to these tests. The SAT and the ACT are designed what events in your life apply to these prompts, to trick you, and it’s often more about outsmartand write it. You should start with a single idea, ing the test rather than testing what you know. and expand upon it. Create numerous drafts of The SAT in particular is grueling in terms of the essay, and constantly re-read and revise trying to trick students. In order to succeed on Chris Chiusa the SAT, a student needs to memorize a plethora of vocabulary words, grammatical structures, and mathematical techniques. On the other hand, the ACT is a bit more lenient in terms of test format. Whereas the SAT focuses on only math and English, the ACT also has sections regarding history and science. In regard to scoring, the Critical Reading and Math scores are the most important on the SAT, and ACT scores seem to be evaluated equally, but heavy emphasis is placed on Math and English scores. As for the writing portion of the SAT, it is fairly new and subjective, so colleges don’t really know what to do with it yet. As I stated before, colleges look at a student as a whole, and standardized test scores won’t necessarily make or break you if you have a strong essay, GPA, and extracurricular. However, these tests do make admissions that much easier, provided that you do well. These are the main components of the college application process. Of course, there are other factors such as extracurricular activities that matter, but it all boils down to a good essay, good grades, and test scores. The Scarecrow “The students dragged the lifeless ragdoll thing down the hallways, ready to stake it on the cross….” Yes, this happened, but as dark as it sounds, it was one of the greatest days of my High School career. Alright, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I’ve got an interesting story to tell… Do you remember looking out the window on the first day of school, out in the courtyard, and saw what looked like a public execution? What you’ve actually been seeing is a scarecrow, erected sometime in late June of 2013 by a few passionate students in one of Ms. Peperis’ health classes. Passionate for what you ask? While not particularly passionate for scarecrows, the blue-jeaned flanneled strawhat stands guard against the crows that pose a threat to the precious ducklings that try to grow up in the courtyard every year. And every year has been the same story! The ducklings come in the spring, grow for a while, and when the grass is cut in the summer, With the permission of Dr. Bridgeman, the crows are easily able to pick out the duckstudents in the health class (including myself) lings and they get eaten as a meal, leaving the put together the scarecrow and its stand after mother by herself. class last year with the hopes of saving the ducklings that will most likely come again. Staking the cross into the ground was actually harder than you’d expect. A couple of strong students were required to dig a large hole in the ground. All the while, students were watching from their windows and teachers held their breath. But after a couple of periods of work, we were satisfied with the results. Let’s hope that when the snow melts this year in 2014 the ducklings survive the crows. Photo Courtesy of Vincent Minicozzi School News The Cult of Personal‐IB Chris Chiusa Taking college classes for the first time is different from what students are used to, but the IB Programme is clearly a unique experience altogether and is promoted as such. Kids will hear a lot of rhetoric from teachers about what the IB Programme was intended for and what taking it feels like. However, there is a ton of insight that can only be gained from a student that is actually going through the experience. I conclude that the IB Programme is not for everybody, but it can be wonderful depending on the kind of person you are. For those that are unfamiliar, the IB Diploma Programme involves a series of IB college classes and is offered here at WIHS. While the classes offered here are not as vast as some other schools across the world that have adopted it, the program is complete in that it requires a certain amount of IB courses to be taken, to ultimately receive an IB Diploma and its merit. For 10th graders that have previously challenged themselves with honors classes and have maintained good grades, it could be a suitable option that would reward them after completing two years of work. However, with AP classes having been an option for a longer period of time, along with the many people that have ferocious opinions about which classes give more overall benefit, it can be a stressful time for students that are looking ahead to the future. take them have a 1.15 weighted average factored into their weighted GPA. These classes are typically not as difficult as the core subjects and allow for a higher grade potential. The workload, so far, isn’t significantly different from that amount of work one would expect in a college class. Meaning, that if you’re a student that takes college classes for every core subject, it’s roughly the same amount of work. In fact, there are several AP classes that are widely reported to be harder and tougher than its IB equivalent. However, I believe that the biggest factor in determining the difficulty of a class at the college level is the teacher that you get and what their expectations are. This subjectivity means that the teachers that are currently teaching IB will have a big impact on the quality of the program and is subject to change. But in my opinion, one of the biggest factors affecting the quality of the IB Programme is your relationship with the people that are doing the program with you. Typically there have been ten to fifteen kids in our school that are doing the diploma program in your grade. Consequentially, every IB class you have will have most of the kids in it. If you’re an agreeable person, willing to make new friends, the IB Programme will give you the opportunity to do that. If you can get a close friend to do the program with you, the experience is a lot easier. Overall, the experience will bring the students doing the program closer together. This has been the case for me and twelve other students that are in the program as juniors. When taking the Diploma Programme, you must take at least one IB elective class that is separate from a core subject. These classes are great in that they provide college level insight/credit into subjects that would normally not be offered in the school, plus students who Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Chinkel Ryan Doherty school in Brooklyn. Her principal was Mr. Paul Kirdahy, who she remembers as being friendly and caring to her as a new student. Chinkel also recalled witnessing Bayview Elementary School being constructed during her time in Captree. Paw Prints proudly announces that Mrs. Chinkel, the high school librarian, is now the co -advisor of the newspaper. Being an alumnus of West Islip High School, Chinkel has spent over 30 years with the District. She officially moved As West Islip began to grow, more back to the high school in the fall of 2009. changes took place. In 1968, Chinkel saw the Ever since the school was opened in West Islip Public Library be constructed in its 1957, there have been about ten different librari- current location. Previously, it had resided on ans. “From the 1960s until the early 1980s, due Union Boulevard in the Captree Shopping Cento large student enrollments, two librarians were ter. Around the same time, St. John the Baptist assigned to the library following New York High School was also built. Good Samaritan State mandates for staffing and student body Hospital also was expanded upon. Finally, Our enrollment. As the student enrollment started to Lady of Consolation Nursing Home was built at decline, the district began staffing the library this time. In essence, Chinkel saw the area south with only one librarian,” according to Chinkel. of Montauk Highway be converted from wetThroughout her years here, Chinkel has lands to a hub of activity. witnessed many changes at West Islip High School. Her family moved to West Islip in 1962, and she attended Captree Elementary School. She previously attended parochial Over the years, Chinkel saw West Islip evolve from vacant lots to a booming town between the 1960s and 1970s. Chinkel remembers going to West Islip Beach down by the West Islip Marine to swim in the bay. She recalled how children would have picnic lunches on a huge sloping lawn that went down to the creek, which is now the senior parking lot here at the high school. “Those were the golden days in West Islip,” said Chinkel. A former West Islip high school librarian had steered her into attending graduate li- brary school. With hard work and dedication, Chinkel earned a Master’s in Library Science degree from Palmer Graduate School of Library Science at C.W. Post in Brookville, Long Island. This led her to become a New York State certified Library Media Specialist for grades K12. Chinkel completed her student teaching at Captree Elementary School, Beach Street Junior High School, West Islip High School, and Secatogue Elementary School, which is now P.J. Bellew Elementary School. She was subsequently hired by her former principal, Dr. Kirdahy, who had become the Superintendent of the West Islip School District. In his honor, Captree Elementary School was renamed to Kirdahy Elementary School. When she began teaching, many of her former teachers were still teaching as well throughout the district. Now, after many years of teaching, Chinkel works alongside almost a dozen former students. Chinkel is one of about 30 alumni of West Islip High School that have returned to teach. Furthermore, Chinkel experienced having her daughter return to the high school as a student teacher with Mr. Weiss in the spring of 2012, thus continuing the next generation of alumni returning to West Islip High School School News Senior Play “Rumors” LIONS’ PRIDE VARSITY Kayla LaRosa After coming off of the serious tone of The Laramie Project last year, the cast and directors of the annual Senior Play decided to take a very different approach, lending a comedic hand to this year’s production of Rumors. Rumors is a play about an anniversary dinner hosted for Charlie Brock, the city’s deputy mayor, and the aftermath of his apparent attempt at suicide. Michael Marinelli and Hannah Kim were excellent in their respective lead roles as Ken and Chris Gorman, the couple that hosts the dinner party where the action takes place. Another couple introduced later to the plot are Lenny and Claire Ganz, two more guests and friends of Charlie Brock. Kerri Gleeson played Claire, a demanding woman with an accentuated New York accent who drew much laughter from the audience. Matt Crawford, who played Lenny, Claire’s husband, was the breakout star of the show with his incredible monologues that made the whole crowd rupture in applause; he was the key character who revealed most of what did happen to Charlie Brock. Together, the pair had great chemistry, making the audience truly believe they were a wealthy, comedic married couple. Furthermore, Kim Sannito and Ryan Small were pure comedic relief to the already engagingly funny plot- line, playing a psychologist and cooking show host with humorous quirks. Zachary Mike and Kara DiResta played Glenn and Cassie Cooper, two characters at the party that had completely different dynamics than the rest of the cast. The pair’s excellent acting added a more serious tone and gave the audience an insight to their dysfunctional relationship. Although the small cast’s acting was incredible enough to fill a big stage, the play was a bit long and some of the more mature jokes, unfortunately, went over the heads of some younger viewers. Overall, Rumors was a very different approach from last year’s play, but it was funny, engaging, and was another great performance from West Islip High School. Chris Chiusa On Novemeber 22, the West Islip Varsity Cheerleaders traveled to Toms River, NJ to compete in the Northeast Regionals. They placed 6th among the many teams that competed and earned a place at the Nationals in Disney to go against the best teams in the country. The weekend of February 7-9, the team arrived in Orlando for the competition. Their goal was to advance to semi-finals and the girls achieved that goal. Coaches Barone and Fulton were thrilled for their team. During the semi-finals the coaches encouraged their team to, “Have fun! There is no pressure, you already hit the goal.” The girls had a flawless routine; the absolute best of their entire season. Their efforts led them to the finals, and tears of joy were flowing from every eye. On Saturday the finals were held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports HP arena. The girls competed against the best teams in the country. After hitting their third routine, the girls placed 13th in the nation. Aside from Nationals, they placed 5th at Long Island Championships the week before. WI Varsity Cheerleaders Photo Courtsey of Ms. Barone Above all the girls’ greatest accomplishment was being awarded the sportsmanship award for overall best attitude by the other teams they competed against. Way to go girls! Advertisement School News It’s Driving Juniors Crazy! Sydney Matone berry lot only. Now here is the part that many find to be unfair: a senior and a junior may have New York law states that any person the same driving privileges, but they are not that has reached the age of 17 and has taken a given the same rules. Some think that there is course in driver’s education may receive their not enough room for all students to fit within senior license. So the question that many 11th grade students raise is, “Why aren’t juniors al- the parking lot, however not all students are fortunate enough to have a car, so in this case it lowed to drive to school or go out to lunch?” The talk of this controversial topic has gone on shouldn’t be an issue. Also, if less students were riding the buses it might give the school an opfor many years, and students argue that the whole system is unfair. One thing that frustrates portunity to save money on fuel costs. many students is that they have taken drivers Why can’t a junior go out to lunch? education not just at any school but at their own There are many local pizzerias and sandwich high school! So even though West Islip High shops near the high school, so the issue of time School offers the opportunity to obtain a senior should not be a problem. Being a junior is a license, it doesn’t allow the student to use it to huge responsibility, and many could agree that it is one, if not the most, stressful years in their its full advantage. high school career. Another problem that arises According to the “Motor Vehicles and is that some students take part in full time jobs Driving Privileges” section in the student handbook, it states that seniors must park in the Bar- after school. So what happens when a student has to work after school? They have to take a bus home and then take their car to work?... So shouldn’t students who might be taking college courses, possibly managing jobs for the first time, or driving around with a senior license be treated with the same dignity as a student who is a senior? Take a “brake” and think about that one. School Cell Phone Policy Jake Salemo Aside from the attendance policy, and the fact that homicide is punishable by five days OSS, the school rule that students are most frustrated with is the cell phone policy. According to the Student Handbook, all cell phones must be turned off and cannot be visible during class. Breaking this rule more than once will always result in ISS, no matter what type of student you are. Even though not every teacher enforces this policy, most students vehemently disagree with it. Despite this, there is nothing wrong with the current cell phone policy; it is easy to follow, and cell phone usage in class is linked to both cheating on tests, and eroding one’s attention span. Furthermore, it has been scientifically proven that being attached to one’s cell phone lowers your attention span. Simply put, cell As of late, cell phones have been at the phones are a distraction. It’s hard to focus on a center as massive cheating scandals across the lecture about Division of Labor when you’re United States. It appears that writing the days sitting in class wondering how many more folof writing the answers to a test on your hand or lowers you’ve amassed in Twitter, or if you on the inside of a water bottle have ended; in- want to hop on the Internet and find out the latest news about Kim Karadashian. You may stead, cell phones give students the ability to chuckle to yourself because your teacher never stealthily communicate with one another while taking exams. Internet access allows students finds your “clever” hiding place for your phone (i.e. under the desk, in your pocketbook), but to simply google answers, and cheating scandals involving cell phones have even occurred when it comes time for the test and you haven’t at standardized tests and in high profile colleg- listened to a word your teacher said, your Facebook status won’t help you. es. Preventing students from using their cell phones entirely during class is the easiest and most efficient way to ensure this wave of cheating doesn’t spread. Chris Chiusa If you’re a Junior, you’re probably up all night with nail biting anxiety about “Junior Prom”. Just kidding. You’ve probably already forgotten that the school is having one, otherwise it’s become the butt of a few jokes. The sad truth is that there simply aren’t many kids that are interested in going, and ideas of the “anti-prom” sentiment are growing high. “Junior Prom” is a misnomer, as it’s widely thought to be an actual prom. But it’s actually Junior Banquet and does not necessarily reflect the experience of going to Senior Prom. And at a cost of around $80, that alone is enough to discourage many kids from attending. It seems that there are two camps: those that hate prom and those that love it. There are trends that are being seen among these groups as well. For starters, prom seems to be a lot more popular with girls because of the excite- ment that comes from buying a dress. Secondly, even within a group of friends some are going and some are not. A particular clique may think the idea is lame or it becomes an obsession. But as stated previously, prom has just become another aspect of school life that students love to hate. Attitudes towards having a junior prom have changed over the years. Many years ago, our school did not have a junior prom at all. Now after years of having a junior prom, students are becoming disinterested. My opinion? While I have no plans to attend, I have no doubt that anybody attending would have a fun time. As with most plans, it takes a lot of work getting everybody together to go. But once you know that all your friends can make it, it’s not a bad idea after all.