Official Newspaper of the West Islip Lions

PAW PRINTS
Official Newspaper of the West Islip Lions
NOVEMBER 2014
Vol. IV Issue 1
West Islip High School
1 Lion’s Path
West Islip, NY 11795
“The Roar of the Lions”
Bomb Scare at WIHS
By Kayla La Rosa
and means of security, and debated whether or
Public high schools are no strangers to not it was safe to continue their daily routine on
bomb scares and threats to the school environ- campus. ―I think Security handled each situament; they‘ve been making headlines for years, tion in the best way it could based on the inforand have gotten more serious and threatening as mation we had at the time,‖ says Burns, when
time has progressed. Recently, West Islip High asked about the issue. ―We are constantly reSchool has been a target of these threats and it evaluating our protocols, and we have learned a
lot from these recent incidents.‖
has caused a stir among the local community.
most obvious being the feeling of disconnectedness and anonymity of social media, and a
sense of not being held accountable for one‘s
actions. ―This was a very stressful, upsetting
series of incidents, and it is always unsettling to
think something like this could happen in a
place as personal as your school community,‖
Burns added.
In every serious event that occurs, particularly in this case, there are always rumors
and misconceptions as to what is the ―real story.‖ Three calls were made in the course of one
week, each currently being investigated by the
Suffolk County Police Department to identify
who made the threats. Bernadette Burns, Superintendent of West Islip School District, clarifies
that ―In all three incidents, the moderator of a
chat room reported the threats to the Suffolk
County Police Department. We are not certain,
but we suspect the threats are connected.‖
Some have speculated that these threats were
connected to Mount Sinai and Hempstead,
where similar incidents had occurred around
the same period of time; this rumor has since
been dispelled.
Thankfully, the threats have ceased to
continue, but have had a lasting effect on the
community as a whole, and have sparked a conversation about the reality of threats of violence
in our proximity. ―Over the next few weeks and
months,‖ Burns said, ―the Board of Education
Safety Committee and the administrative team
will review our district plan to ensure a secure
environment and the safety of our students and
staff.‖
Burns also posted a letter to parents on
the district‘s website and encouraged them to
actively monitor their children‘s access on the
Faculty and students reported to the cafeteria during
web including social media and online games.
one of the bomb threats. Photo by Kelly Armetta
Based on the Code of Conduct students engaging in ―any computer misuse in the form of
threats or abuse...are at risk of suspension, and
Because shootings and bomb scares
possibly expulsion and/or arrest, depending on
populate mainstream media and headlines so
Although the threats have been conthe violation.‖ Should students experience any
frequently,
it
is
clear
that
fear,
paranoia,
and
firmed to be empty, the community of West
that ―what if‖ feeling escalates when a threat is ―apprehension or anxiety‖ counselors are availIslip had been uneasy for the duration of the
presented. There are many factors attributed to able to students. The district is working on
days following these incidents. Students, parkeeping a safe and secure school environment.
ents, and faculty started questioning their safety the rise in these types of incidents, one of the
Heroin in Suffolk County
released regarding the statistics of heroDrug addiction, as we all know in related deaths in both counties, Nasby now, is a serious problem for youth sau and Suffolk. Overall, heroin killed a
all across the country; on a more local ―record-high‖ 144 people in 2013,
which on paper may not seem like a
scale, heroin addiction is taking over.
This craze is a result of several different significant number; however, it is a
factors, but overall is an extreme danger 45% increase from a previous study
done in 2012.
for teenagers all over Long Island.
Local authorities as well as largThe addiction to heroin seems to
er organizations such as the DEA have
begin as a second resort; studies have
shown that many heroin addicts present been looking into the growing epidemic
on Long Island were originally addicted of heroin, particularly across Long Isto prescribed painkillers. Due to recent land, where the trend has been progresslaws put into place and the state crack- ing rapidly and exponentially. Thankfully, there are plenty of resources to
ing down on prescription drug abuse,
many suffering from this type of addic- help victims of drug abuse, which help
tion may turn to heroin as a cheaper and aid in rehabilitation and the supply of
information and awareness, which can
a more easily obtainable solution.
hopefully lead a brighter future to the
Another possible explanation to youth of the Island.
this current epidemic is that heroin is
The Suffolk County Executive‘s
not nearly as spoken about as other
drugs, namely marijuana; however, it is Office has an extensive resource guide
to combat heroin on its website. The
present in communities all across the
guide is designed to provide education
area and is extremely dangerous.
on the drug which will hopefully lead to
Recent information has been
its prevention.
By Kayla La Rosa
An Unsung Hero
A Veteran’s Day Salute
ByKelly Armetta
You probably walk past
him a dozen times or so on any
given day and take his presence
for granted but few, if any, may
know that one of our custodial
workers deserves your respect
for his time he served in the
military.
“For God And Country”
Our own Tom McLoughlin is a Vietnam Veteran. McLoughlin
served as a Marine in the Marine Corp and was stationed in
Danang, North Vietnam. McLoughlin was attached to an infantryman company that led men on combat and reconnaissance missions. Soon after, he received the Navy Commendation Medal for
heroic achievement. He has this to say about Veteran‘s Day and
what it means to him, ―I had the best time and the worst time of
my life when I was in the Marine Corps. I was with some great
men many of which never came home. I always remember them
especially on Veteran‘s Day.‖
SchoolNews
Every year we see changes in faculty and staff for one reason or another and this year is no exception, especially with so many female
faculty members having babies! With over 150 faculty and staff it is
not always easy to learn the building personnel. Obviously, each
student will never experience having a class with every faculty
member but it‘s still nice to know who our teachers are.
New Faces in the HS
Ms. Cutler,
Mrs. Enright, English
Social Worker
Taught 7th & 8th grades at
Beach St. for 14 years.
Loves seeing her former
students. Always loved to
read and write and knew
from a young age that she
wanted to teach.
Has 25 years of experience in
other school districts. Loves
working with the students
and families to meet their
needs and support their success.
Ms. Gifford, English
Mrs. Lydon, English
Is now in her 29th year of teaching and
has spent 22 years previously at the HS.
Has worked the past 6 years at Beach and
Udall. Loves her job because the health
field is always changing and it has an
impact on students lives today.
Is a native Italian speaker and
wanted to share her love of the
language and culture. Attended
Stony Brook University and has
taught at the middle school and
high school level.
In for Mrs. Wasserman who is out on maternity leave.. Has taught in Harborfields,
Jericho, and Garden City schools. Trying
to engage students before the sun is up is a
challenge but finds our students take pride
in their school.. Chose to teach English to
share her love of literature.
Ms. Maguire, Special Education-Math
Mr. Mauro, Health
Has taught for the past 11 years in various school
districts including a residential school. Attended
SUNY Plattsburgh and Touro College. Had tutored friends in Math in HS and college and
chose to work with the special needs population
after working at Adventureland.
In for Ms. Perperis who is out on
maternity leave. Previously taught
at Udall for 8 years and enjoyed
that level because of the student
involvement. Health and fitness
was always a passion.
Mrs. Storan, ISS Supervisor
Ms. Morace, Music
Covering for Mrs. Senatore in
Chorus, Vocal Motion and Music
Theory. Attended C.W. Post and
CUNY Queens and worked at
Sachem, Mineola, & Garden City.
Mr. Stidd
Technology
Has taught at Udall and at PatchogueMedford Schools for 2 years. Studied in
Caracas, Venezuela in HS and is also
certified to teach English. Enjoys teaching
Spanish on all levels and holds a graduate
degree in ESL.
Has taught art at Bayview, Captree, Paul
J. Bellew and Oquenock. Currently is
split between the HS and PJ Bellew. Formerly worked in East Islip teaching Interior Design, Fashion, and Home and Career. Inspired by his HS art teacher.
In for Mrs. Iacobellis who is out on maternity
leave. Formerly worked for 26 years at
Beach St. teaching Spanish and in district
office for eight years as an administrator. Has
a passion for languages and sharing cultural
experiences to increase global awareness.
Expecting
New Babies
Gianluca Nicholas
Iacobellis
Bodhi Myles
Broderick
Matone, Sydney
March 29
September 22
Armetta, Kelly
McElwee, Maddy
McLaughlin, Molly
With Big Sister
Alessia and Mom
7 lbs. 13 oz
DeAntonio, Frank
Murphy, Matt
Minicozzi, Gabriella
Mrs. Iacobellis.
Staff Writers
Photography:
Ms. Studley,
Armetta, Kelly
Armetta, Kelly
Italian
Math
Armetta, Shelby
Advisors:
Violet Mae Senatore
Armetta, Samantha
Mrs. Joanne Macrelli
September 24
Behrens, Emma
Mrs. Kathleen Chinkel
8 lbs. 7 oz. – 20‖
Cosentino, Natalie
Disclaimer:
Mrs. Senatore,
DeAntonio, Frank
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.
LaRosa, Kayla
Loughlin, Jon
Malik, Rumiya
Education
Mr. Zocchia, Italian
Editorial Staff
Lafferty, Shannon
Special
Mr. Van Wyen, Art
Staff
Kelly, Daniel
Ms. Szoyka,
Previously work in WIHS in Phys
Ed—Aquatics and coaches Varsity
Gymnastics. Worked at the Oswego
School District for 17 years. Holds
two Masters degrees—one in education and one in school counseling.
Ms. Travaglia, Spanish
Paw Prints
Ivy, Cole
Previously
taught at the
HS and formerly at Udall.
Ms. LoPiccolo, Italian
In as a leave replacement for Ms. Studley who
is out on maternity leave. Previously worked at
the HS as a leave replacement and taught at
Beach St., in addition to subbing at both middle schools and taught at North Babylon. Math
has always been like a game to solve and her
goal is to help students discover the world of
math.
Greschler, Athena
Technology
Ms. Holland, Health
Ms. Maglione, Math
Flynn, Erin
Mr. Gural
Covering for Mrs. Muma
who is out on maternity
leave. Attended SUNY
Oneonta and student taught
at the HS and middle school.
Her love of literature—
Harry Potter and Shakespeare lead her to teach.
Corrections:
If omissions or errors are
found, please contact
WIpawprints@gmail.com
Cali Cia Perperis
Moms
20.75‖
Mrs. Muma & family
English
September 29
Lily Angelina
Wasserman
5 lbs. 11 oz. –19‖
October 21
With Mom,
6 lbs. 14 oz.
Ms. Perperis,
Mr. & Mrs.
Health
Wasserman
English & Sp. Ed
Mrs. Barry, English
World News
By Matthew Murphy
The Global Threat of ISIS
When you hear statements being made
by terrorists such as ―Everyone will be targeted‖ or ―Kill all disbelievers,‖ it is understandable that one be alarmed. The widening and ever
-growing power of ISIS (or ISIL) and statements such as this one have made ISIS a frightening but popular topic in the news.
stretching from north Syria to central Iraq,
causing people across the globe to live in fear.
Slowly building an empire, ISIS has gained
control of an area roughly the size of Belgium.
experienced an attack on their Parliament building and a soldier was killed at the Ottawa War
memorial by a terrorist with ISIS association.
In New York City, a ―lone wolf‖ also with conThe group also is thriving economically. nections to ISIS attacked two police officers
Unlike other extremist groups, ISIS doesn't de- with an ax causing a serious head injury to one
pend on foreign aid to survive. They collect the of the officers.
Due to the abundance of the term‘s ut- equivalent of taxes in Syria, as well as selling
ISIS has been gaining strength and reterance on national TV and the plethora of
electricity and exporting oil to fund its militant mains a threat to all civilized nations and bealarming headlines containing the acronym, the activities. In this manner, it is estimated that
cause of their actions a fear of Muslims in genterm ―ISIS‖ has become extremely visible.
ISIL brings in around $3 million USD each
eral is on the rise. However, it is important to
However, few students might actually know
remember to not make hasty judgments about
day.
the entire Muslim population because of the
what the group ISIS / ISIL is.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi took over the
ISIS is the acronym for the Islamic State leadership of the group four years ago and fol- actions of a few.
in Iraq and Syria, or sometimes referred to as
lows a precedent set by the previous al-Qaeda
Unfortunately, acts of random terrorism
ISIL, the acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. It wasn‘t are difficult to protect against. President
and the Levant (term refers to Eastern Mediter- until 2013 that Al-Baghdadi claimed his group Obama and other nations may find that a full
ranean). The state often refers to itself as The
to be known as ISIS. As early as February
blown war against ISIS with ―boots on the
Islamic State; however, this term is rarely used 2014, al-Qaeda renounced ties to the splinter
ground‖ in necessary to destroy this world
in American media due to its ill-matched mean- group ISIS. Al-Baghdadi has earned a reputathreat. The air strikes have been somewhat efing. The state would more fittingly be dubbed
tion as a brutal leader who engages in highfective and the whereabouts of Abu Bakr al―The Un-Islamic State‖ since it defies the
profile beheadings and mass suicide bombings, Baghdadi remain uncertain after a recent air
preaching‘s of the religion of Islam.
in turn terrifying the world.
strike against an ISIS convoy.
ISIS was born as an Iraqi franchise of al
-Qaeda in 2004; its leader is Abu Bakr alBaghdadi who now goes by the name AlKhalifah Ibrahim. It was a somewhat minor
and unassuming force, too, until it broke ties
with al-Qaeda and rebranded itself in April last
year. ISIS claimed that it controlled Jabhat alNusra, the official al-Qaeda splinter in Syria,
and defied orders from al-Qaeda's leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, to back down. It was the first
time a leader of an al-Qaeda franchise had publicly disobeyed the movement's leader.
But what do they want? ISIS wants to
create a caliphate: an enormous Islamic state
that encompasses all Sunni Muslims from
across the world. They want to overthrow all
existing governments in the unstable region and
to establish their own state without borders. In
attempting to do so, they would need to eliminate all non-Muslims from the region; this can
explain the groups ―convert or die‖ tactics.
President Obama‘s goal is to ―degrade
and ultimately destroy‖ the Islamic State and
the United States has begun to carry out airISIS also dissented against orders to kill strikes against ISIS. In retaliation, ISIS, using
social media, has called for jihadists around the
fewer civilians in Syria. Today, ISIS and alworld to target police and military in all those
Qaeda compete rather than collaborate. Both
groups compete for influence over Islamist ex- countries that formed the coalition against
tremist groups around the world and many be- them. Unlike al-Qaeda, ISIS is very adept at
using social media to incite lone wolves to their
lieve ISIS will soon overtake al-Qaeda as the
cause around the world.
most influential in this area.
The world has seen the group seize land
By Shelby Armetta
To date ISIS has conducted beheadings
of both British and American citizens. Canada
In retaliation, another American, an aid
worker who was a convert to the Muslim religion was the third American to be executed by
ISIS to date. They hold one more American, a
female aid worker who they also threaten to
execute. The terrorist group continue to conduct
massive beheadings of Iraqi troops.
Just recently, President Obama approved sending up 1,500 more troops to Iraq as
advisors and for training of Iraqis, which now
doubles the number of U. S. forces on the
ground. Fighting ISIS will continue to be an
expensive challenge for the United States as it
was in 2003 when it cost $25 billion to train
Iraqi forces to bring down Saddam Hussein. It
was this action that stimulated the insurgency
of radical Islamic militants to wage war across
the world and eventually the spin off of ISIS
that we see today. When it will end is hard to
tell but terrorists must be faced to keep the
world safe from radicalism.
“I AM MALALA”
Malala Yousafzai is not just any girl; she
is a 17 year old from Pakistan, who was shot in
the head by a Taliban gunman when she was 15.
Not only is Malala an inspiration to many people,
she‘s also done so much to help the efforts of
providing children, particularly girls, with an education in Pakistan.
Back in October 2012, when an armed
Taliban man entered Malala‘s bus and asked
―Who is Malala?‖ After she stood up and said
she was Malala, the gunman fired a bullet into
her head. Malala was a target of the Taliban because she was smart and defied the radical Muslim group who were oppressing woman and children. As a young girl, she stood up to this group
of terrorist. After she was shot, Malala was then
transported to a hospital in Britain for treatment.
Thankfully, she had survived and became
stronger than ever. She was ready to fight back
against this irrational, violent group, and not give
up. Malala wrote a memoir called ―I am Malala‖
where she described her feelings and beliefs of
what should and must happen in Pakistan. She
explains that she wants people to be equal and
not separated because of gender, or belief. Malala has also spoken to the United Nations assembly on human rights.
For her bravery, Malala actually won the
2014 Nobel Peace Prize this year, and couldn‘t
be happier. Malala has donated the proceeds of
the $50,000 World Children‘s Prize she received
in Stockholm to rebuild a UN school in Gaza
which was damaged in the Israeli-Hamas war last
summer.
This brave girl has so much to offer in
helping the world and her home, for many more
years to come. So many people look up to her,
which is amazing since she‘s so young. Malala is
also part of a committee for supporting Pakistan
education and rights, which she hopes will attract
attention and make other people join. She is currently attending school in Birmingham, England
and is working on many projects to help the
world become a better and safer place.
School News
By Samantha Armetta
FRESHMAN EXPERIENCE
Every freshman approaches high school in
a different way. Some get very nervous and stress
about the new school year the entire summer, trying
to mentally prepare themselves for the year ahead.
Others are cool and relaxed the entire summer, and
then start to think about it and get anxious the night
before. Here are a few quotes from our fellow
freshmen on their thoughts about the first day and
what was going through their heads the days before
and after the first day of school.
What were your expectations for the first day of
high school?
Corrine Conste: ―I was really scared because it
was a new school but I knew I would see a lot of
my friends so I felt a little better. I felt frantic the
night before because I was trying to get everything
ready for school the next day.‖
Aiden Pecorale: ―I was nervous to meet my new
teachers and I was scared I would get lost.‖
thought it was.‖
Jessica Mollendorf: ―It‘s a lot better than middle
Briana Ferguson: ―I felt intimidated, nervous, and school; it wasn‘t as scary as I thought it was going
scared for high school. I was mostly nervous about to be.‖
getting lost.‖
Since you are new to West Islip, what were your
Jessica Mollendorf: ―I was really scared and nerv- feelings about going to a new school?
ous about getting lost and all the upperclassmen.‖
Justin Polanco: ―I was a little bit nervous but I
wasn‘t scared because it was high school.‖
What did you think about high school after the
first week?
Qi Di Zhang: ―It‘s stressful to kind of just start
over after spending all of your life someplace else
Corrine Conste: ―High school wasn‘t as bad as I
expected it to be. It was just another school, just
but it‘s nice to have a clean slate so I‘m kind of on
another school day, just like any other.‖
the fence about whether I like it or not.‖
High school can be a chance to start over or begin
anew for anyone. It just depends on how you
choose to handle your new situation. Many freshmen expressed similar feelings of anxiety of the
unknown and uncertainty of what to expect from
Kevin Cassidy: ―The night before my thoughts
high school. We can spend a lot of time feeling
mostly revolved around trying to find out where my Emily Rushton: ―After the first week I was very
stressed and excited at the same time leading up to
classes were and who would be in my class. I was
relieved that I got through the week and what I
the first day of school, or in a short amount of time
kind of nervous at first because it was a new school went through was not what I expected at all.‖
we can come to quickly realize it was never quite as
and I wasn‘t sure I would get to my classes on
Aiden Pecorale: ―I liked high school and I enjoyed scary as we imagined. High school is just another
time.‖
level of growing up and learning, and making new
the freedom.‖
Emily Rushton: ―I wasn‘t sure if I would get to
friends! Have a great school year!
Briana Ferguson: ―I thought it was different than
class on time and I thought I would get lost since
middle school and it was less intimidating then I
the school seems so big.‖
By Rumiya Malik
Kevin Cassidy: ―I felt like I made a good first impression with most of my teachers and the other
students, but, there was still the problem of my
schedule. Some classes I was getting to late, and I
couldn‘t figure out how to get there on time.‖
CALCULATOR ANY ONE?
694: That is the number of graphing calculators in the school. Our math director, Mrs. Sapanski, definitely knows this for she barcoded every
single one of them. Sapanski fully supports the new
calculator policy of school supplied calculators for
all students in Regent math classes. Previously, calculators were made available in class sets in math
classes but students did not have access to bring
them home or have them available for tests like the
SATs. This new policy is beneficial to the students
and saves families the cost of buying calculators,
especially when there are multiple students in a
family.
STUDENT SENATE
By Natalie Cosentino
West Islip High school is lucky to have
a Student Senate to help out our community.
They run drives to collect things such as Halloween costumes, costs, and food for the less
fortunate. Each year the Student Senate also
holds a Christmas party for faculty member‘s
children and special needs children. For the
first time this year, the Student Senate will run
this year‘s P.S. I Love You Day, which was
started by former Student Senate president
Brooke DiPalma. This year‘s Student Senate
co-presidents are Chrissy Regan and Alyssa
Frazier. Other board members include Rachel
Hurd as vice president, Sarah Feminella as
treasurer, and Kelly Lavazoli as secretary. In
addition each grade has a minimum of four
homeroom representatives. Mr. Jablonski and
Mr. Moglia are the Student Senate advisors.
Because of the Student Senate, West Islip students get the chance to lend a helping hand to
many worthwhile causes and charities.
Instituting this new policy and procedure
caused some havoc for the library. Mrs. Chinkel,
the librarian had to enter each of the 694 calculators
into her circulation system in order to make them
available to be borrowed by the students. This took
time and caused some delay for students who needed to borrow the calculators. The school district
also had to order additional calculators and that
took time too. Students needed to have a parent/
guardian to sign a permission slip agreeing to pay
for the loss or the damages if a calculator was broken. It is just like borrowing a book from the library
only this you get to keep until after the math Regents in June.
For some students it is definitely better if
you buy your own calculator because you will have
it for college. Parents were very supportive, there
were no complaints and students liked having the
calculators at home and for off-site exams such as
the SAT, PSAT, and ACT exams. Sapanski said, ―I
feel they [students] should always have a calculator
available for any class not just math.‖ Other districts circulate calculators and after this year, the
procedure should go more smoothly. The challenge
ahead is how to get all those calculators back in
June! We‘ll just have to wait and see how to do just
that!
THE CLASS OF ...
YEARBOOK 2015
By Natalie Cosentino
Each grade has its own slate of student
officers and class advisors. These clubs are
known by their year of graduation and plan
events specifically for their individual grade.
At times however, all four grades go head to
head. Such events include the homecoming
banner and hallway decoration competitions.
Junior and Senior classes are also in charge of
planning and running their junior and senior
proms. In addition, certain grades are responsible for various events, such as the Mr. and Ms.
West Islip talent competitions run by the senior
class. Each grade‘s council works hard to make
their class events as fun filled and exciting as
possible. Ultimately, all of these activities are
for the benefit of the class from 9th grade
through 12th grade. The faculty who serve as
class advisors include Ms. Saadat and Ms. Colonna as the Class of 2018 advisors, Mrs. Cifelli
and Mrs. Nohowec are the advisors for the
Class of 2017, Ms. Matthews and Mr. Murphy
are the advisors for the Class of 2016, and for
our current senior Class of 2015 the faculty advisors are Mrs. Gifford and Dr. McKenna.
By Gabby Minicozzi
Get your baby pictures and senior
quotes ready! Our yearbook is now in the
works of being created, thanks to our new
advisors, Mrs. Gifford and Mr. Gershfield!
A high school yearbook captures the four
years of your time spent at West Islip High
School. It is the one thing besides a diploma
that a senior will forever cherish. Thanks to
our new yearbook club advisors, we were
able to begin the production of this year‘s
yearbook after many weeks of distress trying
to find new advisors to take over the many
responsibilities of the club. The new advisors are humbled at the opportunity to help
capture the seniors‘ four years spent at West
Islip High School. Yearbook club meetings
are being held on Tuesdays as of right now,
so if you are interested in being a part of this
senior keepsake, start getting involved and
come to the next meeting!
National News
By Kelly Armetta
2014 MIDTERM ELECTIONS
Tuesday, November 4 was election day
where the national midterm elections were held
in addition to state and local elections. The
elections are referred to as ―midterm elections‖
because they are held at the halfway point into
the current President‘s term. Unlike Presidential elections, the midterm elections do not
draw the voters out to cast their votes as they
do when it is a Presidential election. However,
what voters seem to ignore by failing to vote is
the potential for the change in ―the balance of
power‖ usually caused by the dissatisfaction of
the President, Congress, or both. So voting always counts!
According to a poll by Harvard‘s Institute of Politics, less than 23% of Americans
between the ages 18 and 29 claim they will
―definitely be voting‖ in this year‘s midterms.
The crucial millennial voters seem to indicate
that they will be swinging their votes from
Democratic to Republican in this election, as
there is less enthusiasm among the Democratic
voters to get out the vote.
69.7% responded that they do not follow local
Long Island politics.
In contrast to the 77.8% who responded
positively with regard to registering to vote,
only 38% of them responded that they identify
with a political party while 58% responded that
they do not identify with any political party,
and 4% were undecided. Of the 38% who responded that they identify with a political party, 28% identified with the Democratic political party and 53% with the Republican party.
19% were undecided, Conservative, Independent, or identified other third parties. Our seniors party affiliation is typical of our area as the
Town of Islip tends to be a Republican stronghold.
When the seniors were asked if they
knew what political party is referred to as
―Blue state‖ and ―Red state‖ 51% responded
that they knew what party was associated to
what color;. Of those who responded that they
knew the party color, 91% correctly identified
the party and color. Unfortunately, 9% who
thought they knew the correct party and color
association responded incorrectly.
election day.
The seniors were also asked if they understood why this election affected the
―balance of power‖ and 53% responded that
they did understand what was at stake in this
election. The balance of power on the national
level was drastically affected with the Republicans taking over the Senate with a total of 53
seats. The Republicans also broadened their
lead in the House of Representatives with a
total of 243 seats to the 179 Democratic seats.
West Islip is part of New York‘s 2nd
Congressional District where incumbent Peter
King is serving his 11th consecutive term and
won reelection again. Two former West Islip
High School graduates have represented West
Islip in the U. S. House of Representatives.
1966 graduate Tom Downey was elected in 1974 at 25 years old defeating then incumbent James Grover—grandfather to West
Islip High School math teacher Mr. Grover.
Mr. Downey served eight consecutive terms
from 1975 to 1993 when he was defeated by
In a survey conducted in our high
yet again another West Islip High School gradschool of 208 seniors in government and ecouate of 1976, Rick Lazio. Lazio served four
nomics classes, 77.8% of students responded
54% of the seniors answered that they terms from 1993 to 2001. He forfeited his seat
that they were planning on registering to vote did not think the President was doing a good
in the House to run for the U. S. Senate in 2000
after turning and 18. 53% of the seniors under- job. 61% did not think the country was heading but was defeated by Hilary Clinton. Both
stood why these elections are referred to as
in the right direction. When asked if they were Downey and Lazio work in the private sector.
―midterm.‖ 47% of the seniors responded that aware of the issues facing this nation 80.7%
Only 10% of our seniors responded that
they do not follow national politics compared responded that they were aware of the issues.
they
would
ever consider a career in politics.
to the 43% who said they do and 10% respond- Again our seniors are reflective of the general
Perhaps a future female president is among
ed as ―maybe.‖ A whopping 76% responded
population‘s displeasure with the tends of our
them!
that they do not follow State politics and
national politics as the voters demonstrated on
FALL
39th Annual
West Islip Country Fair
PUMPKIN BR
WEST ISLIP FAIR
more! You could find tons of wacky little trinkets and
tools too, and toys, such as bow and arrows and the
The West Islip Annual Fair this year took
classic clackers. Various candles, incents, oils and fraplace on Sunday, September 28, 2014 at the West Islip
grances were available to purchase. There was the exPublic Library grounds. In fact, this was the rain date
tremist tie-dye stand, where you could have anything
since the original date had been scheduled for Sunday,
you wanted tie-died. A number of stands had designer
September 21 but due to the horrible rainy weather that
bags, clothes and accessories available for purchase.
had occurred the whole week before, the fair had to be
The selection of items to buy was endless! There was
postponed. Luckily, the rain date was a nice bright and
something for everyone – either to do or buy. Even the
sunny day, and definitely worth the wait! The fair had a
library had a stand where you could buy a bag of books
great turnout!
for just one dollar. What a steal!
The fair hours ran from 11 am to 5 pm. People
None of this would be possible without the
of all ages from towns near and far came to join the
help of the West Islip Bicentennial Committee who ran
festivities and to shop the over 300 vendors selling their
yet another successful fair this year. The Committee
wares. There were booths with every food imaginable.
deserves a big thank you for their hard work, time, and
There was Italian, Polish, and Mexican food, in addieffort in creating this event. The West Islip community
tion to other varieties of foods. Freshly made corn on
and people of all ages enjoy the fair every year and
the cob, pretzels, hot dogs, pickles on a stick, funnel
appreciate their efforts.
cakes with extra confectionary sugar were available.
You name it and it was most definitely there, but beIf you missed out this year, make sure to mark
sides all the wonderful food there were many various
your calendars next year, to come and join in on the
fun! The West Islip Country Fair is definitely somevendors to fulfill your crafty needs and desires.
thing to look forward to in the fall!
There was a wide variety of jewelry stands
with handcrafted necklaces, bracelets, lockets and
Submitted by Athena Greschler
By Athena Greschler
15th Anniversary
Italian Heritage and
Culture Month
and of course pasta. All the different types of
pasta dishes Italians created range from the
Italian Heritage and Culture Month
started not too long ago in 1999. It was creat- thin strips of linguine to penne a la vodka,
full thick stuffed lasagna and even the classic
ed to provide awareness of all the achievespaghetti with meatballs.
ments the Italians had contributed to in the
arts, literature, science, music, industry, food,
As most Americans are descendants
language, religion and the achievements just of immigrants, I too celebrate my Italian hergo on and on. Without their cultural influitage. My great grandmother came from Sicience, life today would be very different.
ly, Italy as an immigrant child to Ellis Island.
Her name is on the list like thousands of othNot only Italians but all Americans
take the time to appreciate the Italian contri- er immigrants that came to America from Italy. I have fond memories of the Sunday
butions by celebrating with various Italian
dishes, classical musical and movies, or just meals she would make for our family.
admiring all the success the Italians have
As with any family tradition that is
contributed. The New York City Columbus
handed down from generation to generation,
Day Parade is a major celebration and appre- cooking also is passed on from one generaciation of the Italian people and culture.
tion to next, keeping the culture and heritage
West Islip High School Marching Lions par- alive.
ticipates in this parade through the efforts of
Italians also suffered from discriminaour former Band Director, Dr. Salvatore
tion in the early days of their immigration
Fiore.
and have overcome great adversity. CelebraOne of the most influential cultural
tions like Italian Heritage and Culture Month
contributions Italians have made is in food.
help to bring awareness and pride to the ItalAround the world Italian cuisine is seen as an ian people who made great contributions to
art because of the different colors, textures,
our county. So for all who are Italian be
and presentations of their cuisines. They are proud to keep the traditions and culture of
especially known for their wines, cheeses,
Italy alive!
By Athena Greschler
Ingredients:
1t
3 cups sugar
1/2
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Dir
16 ounces canned unsweetened pumpkin
Pre
flo
ar
bin
Ble
mi
two
unt
10
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
THE PERFEC
Submitted by Athena Greschler
2t
It‘s as easy as 1, 2, 3 with these few simple ¾
steps.
¼
1/8
**This recipe has a little ―cheat-cheat‖
1t
which makes it easier to make but not any
less better!** By using the ever so easy already pre-made Pillsbury unrolled refriger- ST
ated pie crust.
To begin you are going to need 30 minutes
for prep time.
1un
ly
2en
wi
The serving size is 8.
un
Now for this recipe you are going to need 8 tog
ingredients for the crust and filling.
se
The total time is approximately 1 ½ to 2
hours.
Ingredients
Crust :
31 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, sof- are
ed
tened.
of
Filling:
to
6 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (6 medi- co
um)
¾ cup sugar
FALL
READ
ROSH HASHANAH & YOM KIPPUR
The holiday is the first of the ―High Holy
Many of us look forward to the Jewish hol- Days‖ for Jews worldwide. The day is based on
idays in September even though we may not Jew- the creation of Adam and Eve and their actions
ish, if only for the days off from school. Depend- regarding the role of humanity in God‘s world.
The tradition of sounding the ―shofar‖ or ram‘s
ing upon your family and friends you may not
know or understand these holidays. For the Jewish horn and eating foods to sweeten the new year are
celebrated during this holiday.
people, Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the
New Year according to the Jewish calendar.
Yom Kippur is the final day of the High
By Athena Greschler
easpoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon cloves
3 cup water
rections:
eheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and
our 2—9 x 5 loaf pans. Stir together sugand oil. Stir in eggs and pumpkin. Comne dry ingredients in separate bowl.
end dry ingredients and water into wet
ixture, alternating. Divide batter between
o loaf pans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or
til cake tester comes out clean. Let stand
minutes. Remove from pans and cool.
CT APPLE PIE
tablespoons all-purpose flour
teaspoon ground cinnamon
teaspoon salt
Holy days and is known as the ―day of atonement.‖ This is a very holy day when Jews fast for
a day and observe the day with prayer and repentance. The importance of this holiday is atonement
for personal sins and also national sins. In the
Jewish faith the fate of each person is sealed for
the coming year. For many Jews the High Holy
This year the holiday began at sundown on
days are the only days they attend synagogue.
Wednesday, September 24 until Friday, September
Yom Kippur is a very somber holiday following
26 when it ended in the evening. For those of the
the celebration of the new year.
Jewish faith, Rosh Hashanah is a special holiday
when everyone goes to the synagogues.
In the Jewish faith, the holiday is started
with repentance from sin and the hope of renewal.
It is a time to repair relationships with the people
you have wronged and to make apologies for your
bad behavior from the previous year. It is a time of
reflection.
OKTOBERFEST
8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
tablespoon lemon juice
TEPS 1 – 3
- Heat oven to 425°F. Place 1 pie crust in
ngreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press firmagainst side and bottom.
- In large bowl, gently mix filling ingredints; spoon into crust-lined pie plate. Top
ith second crust. Wrap excess top crust
nder bottom crust edge, pressing edges
gether to seal; flute. Cut slits or shapes in
everal places in top crust.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until apples
e tender and crust is golden brown. Cover
dge of crust with 2- to 3-inch wide strips
f foil after first 15 to 20 minutes of baking
prevent excessive browning. Cool on
ooling rack at least 2 hours before serving.
By Athena Greschler
Oktoberfest is a traditional festival that
occurs each autumn in Munich, Germany. The
first Oktoberfest was held back in 1810. It‘s celebrated during late September to early October.
You may be wondering why it is called Oktoberfest if it starts in September. The first Oktoberfest
was held in honor of the Bavarian Crown Prince
Ludwig‘s marriage to the princess Therese von
Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The original dates for
the festival began on October twelfth and ended
on the seventeenth with a horse race. Throughout
the years the festival was eventually changed to
September because of the warmer weather conditions.
Germany but the festival is so much more than the
consumption of beer.
Oktoberfest holds the record as the biggest fair in the world! The amusement park is
filled with dozens of roller coasters and rides.
There‘s the traditional Ferris wheel or in Germany
known as the Riesenrad, where you can go and
see the beautiful skyline of Munich for just four
Euros, which in American money would be five
dollars and five cents. Ride on the classical Krinoline merry-go-round or attend the carnival show
which dates all the way back to 1869!
In addition to the rides and the beer you
can‘t forget about the most important thing…
THE FOOD! Should you ever be lucky enough to
The festival is held for sixteen days and is attend an Oktoberfest in Munich, you can‘t miss
known as the world‘s largest fair. About six mil- out on the traditional bratwurst or giant pretzels,
lion people attend this event each year. A great
which are their absolute specialty. There‘s plenty
deal of hard work and months of preparation goes more though like their fish on a stick, roasted
into this celebration. It takes up to about two
ducks and chickens, ox, and their classic gingermonths to setup the entire festival and a whole
bread hearts. Amazingly, each year about one
month to tear it all down. This event is not only
million of the gingerbread hearts are made each
celebrated in Germany but also across the globe in year just for Oktoberfest.
many cities. Many German-Americans recreate
Oktoberfest is another example of how
the festivities here in the United States.
immigrants came to this country and kept their
Many people associate the holiday with
cultural heritage and traditions alive. Enjoy all the
beer which stems from the original holiday in
wonderful activities Oktoberfest has to offer!
Health News
By, Kelly Armetta
EBOLA CRISIS
Ebola has been the hot topic lately.
Whether you are watching the news or making
small talk with a stranger on line for a coffee,
Ebola is bound to come up. What exactly is it
though? Why are people approaching hysteria
over this disease?
Back to the railing example, just by
touching the remnants of the infected sweat
will not give you Ebola. The bodily fluid needs
to enter your body through broken skin or a
mucous membrane. For instance, after you
touch the railing, you rub your eye.
into contact directly or indirectly with bodily
fluids. Proper safety measures need to be taken
to maintain sterility.
If you remember anything from Biology, you might recall learning about how organisms are classified. Ebola is part of the Filoviridae family and Ebolavirus genus; then there are
five different species; only four of which have
caused disease in humans. The disease can affect humans and primates, and was originally
discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. Researchers think the virus originates from bats, however, that is not verified yet.
There is no cure for Ebola, the only thing to do write this article.
is treat the symptoms. That might include getting an IV to balance electrolytes and treating
other infections that may occur. Survival depends also on the patient‘s immune system; if
the person lives, they develop antibodies to
Ebola which last around ten years.
Remember you are unlikely to become
infected with Ebola. According to the New
York Times, nine people in the US have been
First thing‘s first: Ebola is so scary to
It is hard to catch Ebola early on bediagnosed with having Ebola. Of those, six
people because it spreads through indirect and cause the symptoms- headache, fever, diarrhea, have recovered, two are in treatment, and only
direct contact with an infected person‘s bodily to name a few- are symptoms that are not spe- one has died. Meanwhile, coronary heart disfluids. That means being sneezed on is not the cific to this one disease. On average, symptoms ease kills about 380,000 people in the US alone
only way to catch Ebola. Indirect contact would surface between eight and ten days of being
each year; yet no one seems to be as worried
be like touching a damp railing, not knowing
infected.
about that.
that it‘s damp because someone infected with
After infection, victims should be put
For more information, visit the Center
Ebola was sweating and touched it before you. under immediate isolation, usually lasting
for Disease Control website and click on the
Think about that.
twenty-one days, to prevent further spreading. ―Ebola Fact Sheet‖, which was referenced to
The people most at-risk of catching
Ebola are those close to already infected people. That means family, friends, and health care
providers, because they will most likely come
Photo courtesy CDC
ENTEROVIRUS
By Kelly Armetta
The Enterovirus D68 has caused another
health crisis affecting our country. The West
Islip Health & Wellness Alliance in its Fall
2014 newsletter recently published information
from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Tim Horan, Director of Physical Education, Health, Athletics, Recreation, & Family
and Consumer Science has an informational letter regarding this virus on the school district‘s
website.
According to the CDC from August to
November there have been 1,116 confirmed cases in 47 states and the District of Columbia with
the respiratory illness. Almost all of the confirmed cases have been among children, especially children with asthma. On Long Island
there have been five confirmed cases of which
four have been in Suffolk County and one in
Nassau County.
In Suffolk County, Southampton Elementary School was closed on October 15 in
order to be disinfected after an elementary pupil
was diagnosed; however, the student was being
treated for non-polio Enterovirus not the D-68
strain. Dr. Scott Farina, the Superintendent of
Schools stated that ―As always, the safety and
well-being of our students and staff is paramount and I believe you can never be too cautious when responding to health concerns.‖ As
a further precaution, the district planned to clean
and sanitize both the intermediate and high
schools since infants, children, and teenagers are
more likely to be infected.
Considering that the virus can be spread
through respiratory secretions, washing your
hands frequently and keeping your hands away
from your face, sneezing and coughing into
ones‘ elbow, avoid kissing, hugging, and not
sharing food and drinks are simple measures to
protect yourself against this and any other virus.
Stay healthy this winter by following these few
tips.
News
The Fire Challenge: Humorous or Hazardous??
By Erin Kelly
A disturbing ―game‖ has been spreading its
way through social media. The ―Fire Challenge,‖ a
hazardous dare where a person is doused in a flammable liquid and set on fire, all while being recorded. The video is posted on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etcetera, for the world to see. The fact that
the aftermath of the challenge is never shown indicates that the outcomes are usually never good with
this social media stunt.
manage to get out of this challenge alive.
Unfortunately, another tragedy of this challenge has recently stroke in Buffalo, New York. In
July, 15-year-old James Shores had taken the challenge. In most circumstances, the victim would be
near a shower or hose in order to douse the flame if
it were to spread. However, Shores was nowhere
near a water source, and when he lit the alcohol that
was poured on his body, the flames consumed him,
and he died from his injuries.
have been maimed and scarred for life. Why you
might ask - all for a few minutes or less of Internet
fame? It hardly seems worth it but that‘s not stopping teenagers from trying this challenge.
It is hard to rationalize that the few seconds
of Internet glory are actually worth the scars and
unbearable pain of being set on fire. To risk one‘s
life doing a prank such as this is hard to believe.
The reality is that these teenagers will suffer
Now, naturally, when you set yourself on
throughout their lifetime with scars, possible skin
fire, you‘re going to end up with some burns but
grafts and surgeries, and that‘s if they‘re lucky to be
Most of you are probably thinking, ―Okay,
these burns won‘t be those tiny little guys you get
alive. Families suffer immeasurably from these acwhat charity is this for?‖ This is not the “Ice Buckwhen you brush your hand on a hot stove. These
tions regardless of the outcome. There‘s a reason
et Challenge‖. There are no donations, no money,
nd
st
burns, ranging from 2 to 1 degree, are huge, painwhy parents teach children not to play with fire –
and absolutely nothing funny about this challenge.
ful, and scarring. Some end up hospitalized, and the
fire is dangerous and deadly. Stop the insanity now
Teenagers have died trying this challenge and others
scars remain for the rest of your life. That is, if you
of the fire challenge! It‘s not worth it!
New York Comic Con 2014
Rocks the Jacob Javits Center
By Cole Ivy
Where could you go to see thousands of
superheroes, villains and other crazy looking
characters? New York Comic Con 2014 was
the place to be if that is what you were seeking.
It started on Thursday, October 9th and went
through Sunday, October 12th when 150,000
fans of the comics, superheroes, and zombies
headed to the Jacob Javits Center in New York
City to see just about every kind of comic or
things related to comics you could find.
On Saturday, in a miserable rain, I headed to New York City to see what all the fuss
was about. Even in the pouring rain, thousands
of people were dressed up in costumes and
waiting outside for the doors to open, so they
could enjoy the biggest Comic Convention in
the United States; however, there are other big
conventions around the country such as the one
was in San Diego earlier this year.
Once inside, I found thousands of fans
dressed as their favorite superhero, villain and
even some costumes I didn‘t recognize. It has
become so popular to dress up at these conventions that they have a contest called the New
York Comic Con Eastern Cosplay Championship for the best dressed costumes.
Besides fans dressed in costumes, there
were TV and movie stars from Disney, DC
Comics, and Marvel that came to sign autographs and sit on panels that discussed their
shows, movies and upcoming comic books.
There were stars from Arrow, The Walking
Dead, Marvel‘s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Star
Trek‘s William Shatner and Patrick Stewart, the
30th anniversary of Karate Kid with Ralph Macchio and wrestler Hulk Hogan and Gillian Anderson from The X Files.
As if that wasn‘t enough, there were
comic books, posters, action figures, art work
and tons of clothing all related to your favorite
comic characters! There were four floors of displays of all of these items and some were exclusive to the convention only. There were thousands of items for sale.
What I found the most interesting was
that with all of the people there, everyone was
getting along and having a good time. There
were long lines and lots of waiting, but it
seemed that no one really cared because they
were all there to have fun. I talked to one
young man who is attending NYU is from San
Diego. He had been to the San Diego Comic
Con many times and decided to try out the New
York experience. He told me that ―it seemed
bigger and better than San Diego‖ and he was
surprised at how friendly all the people were.
This was nice to hear about New Yorkers.
For my first experience at Comic Con, I
was extremely pleased with all there was to do
and see, and if this seems like something you
might enjoy experiencing you only have to wait
until October of 2015 when it will be back
again in the Big Apple!
WI Thirst Project: Seth Maxwell
By Daniel Kelly
―If you could change the world for 25 dollars, would you?‖ This past September, CEO and
founder of the Thirst Project posed this question to
over one hundred students in our school‘s auditorium. Traveling all the way from California, Seth
Maxwell‘s presentation caused a wave of inspiration over the audience.
hopes to raise money for a well in El Salvador
which is located in Central America.
Recently, students in this organization
launched a Yankee Candle fundraiser in which
over $1,000 was raised to go towards the cause.
The West Islip Thirst Project helps to raise money
to bring change to the water crisis abroad but is
also intent on remembering its roots by helping out
in the Long Island community.
Maxwell started this successful organization at a young age and the global water crisis is
This fall the organization collected over
exactly what the Thirst Project hopes to change.
seventy-five backpacks filled with folders, pens,
The West Islip Thirst Project is a chapter organiza- pencils, and notebooks to help out young students
around the Long Island area who needed supplies
tion here at the high school run by Ms. Nilsen.
for the start of the school year. The West Islip
So far, the West Islip Thirst Project has
Thirst Project encourages anyone to join their efalready raised a third of their monetary goal for the
forts. Remember, water is a human right.
2014-2015 school year. The West Islip chapter
Fire Island
By Jon Loughlin
During Super Storm Sandy, Fire Island was
devastated as was the rest of the northern East
Coast. Extensive damage was done to both the
buildings on the island and also to the island itself.
The biggest problem that Fire Island had with the
storm was the destruction of its dunes, a crucial part
of the island‘s geography. Dunes are capable of absorbing the impact of the energy from the pounding
wave action from storms and protect inland areas.
They act as a resilient barrier to the destructive forces of wind and waves. With the devastation of these
dunes from the power of Sandy, the island was left
in a very vulnerable position as was the entire south
shore of Long Island.
Plans to restore the dunes first surfaced back
in the 1960s and those plans were revised after
Sandy but a major stumbling block was the nesting
habitats of the Piping Plover, a species of birds that
would be harmed in the restoration of the beach and
dunes. The piping plover is an endangered species
and it would be incredibly harmful for their number
to be reduced more than they already were last year,
a 32% decrease in the number of sighted birds. Environmentalist placed the endangered bird over the
need to protect billions of dollars of real estate. The
habitat of these birds was totally destroyed and the
island and mainland lay vulnerable to the next major
storm.
To combat this the Army Corps plans to
build about 100 acres of new nesting grounds on the
island, as well as temporary pools for the birds. Fish
and Wildlife spokeswoman Tylar Greene said in an
email: "We are pleased with the Corps' commitment
to create a significant amount of habitat for piping
plovers.‖ Once this is completed, this should allow
work on the dunes to commence. Many of the island homeowners are eager to see this dune and
beach restoration project move forward even though
a small number of homes in the newly expected
dune line will be forfeited for the project. As a bay
front community, West Islip, as the rest of the south
shore of Long Island will benefit in years to come
from the protection of the great barrier island of Fire
Island against future storms like Sandy.
Sports News
By Frank DeAntonio
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN SPORTS
A recent and concerning trend in the world
of sports, specifically the NFL has been the increased frequency in domestic abuse cases. This
frightening trend seemed to skyrocket after Ray
Rice, running back for the Baltimore Ravens, was
arrested and charged with third-degree aggravated
assault on March 27, 2014 against his fiancé. Later
video evidence that was released proved he was responsible for striking her and knocking her unconscious on that evening in late March, leading to disciplinary action by the Ravens organization. His
contract was terminated on September 8 upon the
release of the video.
While Rice‘s trial was a main source of media attraction from March to September, others have
been also found guilty on similar charges. On May
13, Greg Hardy, defensive end for the Carolina Panthers was also charged with assaulting his former
girlfriend and went to the extent where he threatened
to kill her. Even more so under the radar includes
Ray McDonald of the 49ers and Quincy Enunwa of
the Jets. They were both arrested on accounts of domestic assault.
Then, the media shifted its gaze towards a
new star in the league. Another star running back,
Adrian Peterson, was convicted on several different
accounts, the first being domestic abuse against his
son on September 11. While Peterson claimed it
was disciplinary, the results of the punishment his
son received included several cuts and scrapes
across his legs as well as other bruises and lacerations. Peterson has since been prohibited from participating in football related activities with the Minnesota Vikings and has been placed on an unpaid
exemption list.
the following was included, ―These steps are based
on a clear, simple principle: domestic violence and
sexual assault are wrong. They are illegal. They
have no place in the NFL and are unacceptable in
any way, under any circumstances. That has been
and remains our policy…Effective immediately,
violations of the Personal Conduct Policy regarding
assault, battery, domestic violence or sexual assault
that involve physical force will be subject to a suspension without pay of six games for a first offense,
Less than a week later, another domestic
with consideration given to mitigating factors, as
abuse case came to focus, less so however due to the
well as a longer suspension when circumstances
media‘s obsession over Peterson‘s case. Jonathan
warrant….A second offense will result in banishDwyer of the Arizona Cardinals was also convicted
ment from the NFL; while an individual may petion domestic abuse allegations. He was convicted
tion for reinstatement after one year, there will be no
for head-butting his wife after she refused his sexual
presumption or assurance that the petition will be
advances, and then proceeded to punch her in the
granted. These disciplinary standards will apply to
face the next day. He too was convicted on aggraall NFL personnel.‖
vated assault charges.
This is a matter that Goodell and NFL execThe NFL has reacted to these cases by imutives take seriously and hope to amend in as short a
plementing a new punishment system for players
time period as possible and if left unattended, will
accused of domestic abuse and was previously under
surely degrade the reputation of their league. As for
fire for not having a strong disciplinary system for
fans, we can only hope that these problems are replayers guilty of these charges.
solved quickly so the NFL‘s focus can return to our
In response to recent events NFL commisprinciple area of interest- the sport itself.
sioner Roger Goodell released a statement, in which
FAREWELL TO DEREK JETER
tion as a player, he was finished. Jeter was not
just a player who performed in the elite tier but
With the beginning of each season of
any professional sport, it is inevitable that some he was also an athlete who reinforced several
players will be embarking on their final season. positive qualities such as perseverance, dedication, and respect for himself and the passion for
The 2014 Major League Baseball season was
the game.
the final in which we would see one of the
league‘s greatest players, Derek Jeter. This seaThe decision by Jeter looms large for
son was his final one and was something we
the Yankees as it ends an era for them: The
had all expected after Jeter publically anDerek Jeter era. This era influenced more than
the team; it also influenced many children and
nounced this during spring training.
athletes of our generation. While it is upsetting
A local hero and inspiration for many
young ballplayers internationally, Jeter decided to see that the career of a legendary player has
that after 19 seasons in the Yankees‘ organiza- come to an end, we should all consider ourselves lucky that we even had the opportunity to
By Frank DeAntonio
#2
witness the career of such a talented and successful baseball figure; however, it‘s not like
we will never see him again.
Jeter has hinted that he would be interested in taking a management or executive role
in the Yankees‘ organization in the future.
Nonetheless, Derek Jeter was undoubtedly one
of the greatest players of our generation and
will forever be remembered in our hearts. He
captured our hearts with his exemplary behavior
both on the field and off, and he embodied the
attributes of an all American baseball player
destined to become a Yankee legend for future
generations to dream of becoming.
BASEBALL DREAMS DO COME TRUE
final start of the season in which he got the
start against the New York Mets playing at Cit―I did it, Ma, I made it.‖ These were
ifield. Even though he lost, he reflected on his
the words spoken by Nick Tropeano, former
opportunity to start here in New York by sayWest Islip High School student and baseball
ing, ―Warming up, you could hear them
star upon hearing the news that the Houston
Astros had officially announced that they were screaming, ‗Trope!‘ and that kind of stuff.
You know, good, bad, win, lose, it‘s kind of a
calling up their 2011 fifth round draft
pick to play in the major leagues for the
first time in his career. Tropeano became the first West Islip graduate (and
third Stony Brook University graduate)
to play for an MLB team. This moment
was a fulfilling one for Tropeano. He
stated back in the beginning of the year
that he was aiming to be one of the Astros‘ September call-ups. He succeeded
in doing so and was awarded with the
playing time he had desired his entire
life.
By Frank DeAntonio
professional month with a record of 1-3. He
pitched to a 4.57 ERA in his 4 starts for the
Astros. The outlook to next year seems positive too. Tropeano said, ―I‘m coming in with
that confidence that I‘m going to make the
team out of spring training. I‘m going to come
in as fit as I can be and come in, work hard,
and stay focused.‖
In more recent news, Tropeano
was recently acquired by the Anaheim
Angels in a trade with the Astros. The
Angels as the most recent American
League West Champions are going into
the next season with voids in their starting rotation and saw the young Tropeano as a potential fit. They went out
of their way to bolster their roster with
his addition. This is both a testament to
his abilities as an athlete and to the potential
greatness
he presents. Undoubtedly,
celebration for me just being here, and making
Tropeano got his first start in the bigleagues against the Seattle Mariners, a start in it up here, playing the New York Mets, it‘s sur- baseball fans will be seeing a lot more from
Nick Tropeano in the upcoming season and for
which he pitched 5 innings and earned the win. real. It‘s good.‖
many more years to come.
He proceeded to start three more times this
The West Islip native finished his first
September. The most special was probably his
Photo courtesy of Mr. Ed Bell
SportsNews
HOMECOMING!
By Shelby Armetta
On October 6, 2014 the Mr. & Ms. West
Islip auditions took place. Many 12th grade students auditioned; however, only 14 students
were selected to advance to the next round of
the competition. For the auditions, students had
to present their unique talent.
The students who were able to advance
were the following: Rob Albers, Sarah
Birkhoff, Ally Brewer, Stephen Courtney,
Thomas DeNapoli, Gregory Florio, Kerri
Gleeson, Dylan Hornik, Megan Leiss, John
Loffredo, Hashim Masood, Sami McEvoy,
Christina Shaw, and Kylie Walsh.
Gregory Florio explains that, ―Mr. and
Ms. West Islip are a symbol of what represents
West Islip.‖ He auditioned with his talent of
singing. He is also in ―Vocal Motion‖ which is
directed by Mrs. Senatore.
All photos courtesy of Mr. Ed Bell an WI SD
Ally Brewer says she wants to become a
part of Mr. and Ms. West Islip, because she remembers going to many performances when
she was younger and remembers them as a great
experience. She explains, ―When I was in middle school I went to performances, and I always
knew who the people were.‖
Thursday October 23 was when the next
and final round of the competition took place.
The results were: Sami McEvoy- Ms. West Islip
Runner Up, Dylan Hornik- Mr. West Islip Runner Up, Sarah Birkhoff- Ms. West Islip, and
Gregory Florio- Mr. West Islip. These students
also appeared at our 2014 Homecoming Parade,
during the presentation of the senior banner. A
great job was done by all who participated in
the competition, and congratulations to Mr. and
Ms. West Islip.
Ally Brewer sings
the Star Spangled Banner
per usual, to prepare class floats for Saturday morning's parade. The four classes developed beautiful,
Spirit week kicked off in style with a
artistic banners incorporating both class themes and
―Monday Night Football‖ theme, followed by Patrithe game to make for another spectacular homecomotic Day and Impersonation Day. Thursday‘s theme
ing. Kudos go out to all the student participants and
was the classic Blue & Gold Day and Friday, of
class advisors who stayed late into the night to comcourse, was Class Color Day. Participation in spirit
plete banner preparations.
week among the student body and faculty was more
than plentiful; thus, revealing an immense amount
The annual West Islip Homecoming festivities were once again successful this year. The comof enthusiasm and pride within the school.
munity and student body came out to show support
Friday‘s Pep Rally was also successful in
for the football team. The passion displayed rehyping the student body about all of our fall sports
vealed the whole community being on the same
teams. Later that evening the freshman, sophomore,
page with one common goal: beat Centereach and
junior and senior classes met at the bus garage, as
By Matt Murphy
the Lions did.
Before Saturday‘s game kicked off, the
community gathered to watch and participate in the
Homecoming Parade. By the time the afternoon
came around, the community became one voice in
their support for the success of our West Islip Football Lions. The twelfth man, the fans, gathered in
full support of a win. Ultimately, the Lions picked
up their first win of the season against Centereach;
West Islip unwaveringly defeated Centereach,
crushing the opponent with a score of 35-0. Congratulations to the football team for a successful
Homecoming win!
Sports News
WIGS
Kylie Walsh singing the
Star Spangled Banner
By Frank DeAntonio
Congratulations to the West Islip Girls Soccer team on another
excellent season! The WIGS claimed the Suffolk County Championship once again and qualified for the Long Island Championship
playoffs with an impressive victory over the second seed team from
Smithtown West. The 5 seed Lions battled hard behind clutch performances by Paige Sherlock and goal keeper Cali Loeffler. The girls
earned their matchup against the defending champions from Massapequa for the title as Class AA Long Island Champions. Even though
the girls fell short of this title, we are all still proud of their remarkable
accomplishments this season. The girls rightfully deserve any and all
praise sent their way. Coaches Greco and Robertson must be very
proud of their team.
All Photos
Courtesy
Of
Mr. Ed Bell
&
WISD