Justice Has Been Done - East Meadow School District

The Jet gAZETTE
“we’re all jets here”
East Meadow High School
June 2011
Photo courtesy of The New York Times
Volume I, No. 4
“Justice Has Been
Done”
by Samantha Weiss
out with the Pakistani government.
The Navy Seals were shot
upon by Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, Bin
Laden’s courier, as soon as they entered the compound. He was killed,
along with a woman who was with
him. Following these deaths were the
deaths of the courier’s son, who had
attempted to attack the commandos,
and Khalid, Bin Laden’s son, who
had also tried to take out the Navy
Seals. They then reached Bin Laden
and killed him, along with a woman
who was with him. In initial reports,
the U.S. government claimed that
Bin Laden was armed, though later
reports revised this statement, saying that he was unarmed, but had
weapons within arm’s reach. His
death ends a ten-year effort to bring
down the man who had wrought so
much pain on the American public in
2001.
On September 11th, 2001, 19 Al
Qaeda hijackers took control of four
commercial airlines. Two of these
airplanes flew into the World Trade
Center in New York City, collapsing
both towers in two hours and leaving
2,752 people dead. A third plane was
flown into the Pentagon in Arlington,
Virginia, and a fourth crashed in a
field in rural Pennsylvania after passengers and crew members attempt-
ed to regain control of the plane. The
attack was one of the most horrific
events to ever take place on American soil, and launched a ten-year war
on terrorism that is still continuing.
The death of Osama bin Laden, who
had command control of Al Qaeda
for nearly two decades, marks a significant victory for all those fighting terrorism, as the organization is
thrown into disarray as it strives to
find a new leader.
The death of Osama bin Laden
was, for many whose family members had perished in the 9/11 attacks
that he had planned, a gateway to a
sense of closure that they had longed
for through nearly a decade. As the
tenth anniversary of the attacks
draws near, the mastermind behind
them is brought down, allowing and
ensuring that the events of that day
are once more in the forefront of the
American public’s mind.
Table of contents
News
Pages 1-4
Features
Pages 5-7
College Decisions
PAGES 8-9
Editorials
Pages 10-11
A&E
Pages 12-13
Sports
Pages 15-16
June 2011
In a late-night appearance on May
1st, 2011, President Obama somberly
yet triumphantly stated that “Justice
has been done.” An effort that had
lasted nearly a decade—the search to
bring down Osama bin Laden, the Al
Qaeda leader and mastermind behind
the 9/11 attacks—had finally come
to a successful close. People all over
the United States were celebrating,
gathering in huge crowds in places
like Times Square, New York City,
and Washington, D.C. Throughout
the night, a celebration and candlelight vigil were held at Ground Zero,
a mixture of sadness and joy commemorating the 2,752 people who
died in the World Trade Center attack.
Bin Laden was not, as many
believed, hiding in a remote, tribal
area along the Pakistani-Afghan border, but in a massive, well-protected
compound just an hour’s drive from
the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. The
compound was only a third of a mile
from a Pakistani military academy,
which led many to question just how
much the Pakistani government actually knew about bin Laden’s whereabouts. After months of preparation,
a raid was carried out by 79 American
Navy Seals, who quickly finished the
mission before a confrontation broke
2
NEWS
Staff
Congratulations
incoming Staff!
Editors-in-Chief
Editors-in-Chief
News Editor
News Editors
Mohamed Nathani
Lauren Thomas
Sam Weiss
Features Editor
Sarah Hwang
Editorials Editor
Alexandra Lopez
Sunil Reddy
Akash Shetye
Anson Wang
Features Editors
Sarah Hwang
Amanda Iorizzo
Gabriella Vukelic
Jaclyn Gangi
Editorials Editors
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Amanda Chambers
Advisor
Arts and Entertainment Editors
Mary Fernandes
Amanda Chambers
Alexa Spieler
Copy Editors
Sports Editors
Leanne Minkoff
Alexa Spieler
Alexandra Lopez
Jesse Sherman
Jobin Johnson
Akash Syed
Graphic Designers
June 2011
Leanna Minkoff
Paul Klika
Richard Renkle
Andrew Wolfson
Advisor
Mary Fernandes
Publicist/Advertising
Pooja Amin
Andrew Rabinowitz
Michael Pepe
Angel Reyes
Michael Petti
The Jet Gazette is a student run paper for the students’ information
and entertainment. All editorials are the opinion of the editorial staff
unless signed. The Jet Gazette accepts signed letters to the editor,
but reserves the right to edit them. The Jet Gazette accepts advertisements, but reserves the right not to print them.
Graphic Designer
Andrew Rabinowitz
NEWS
Letters from the Editors
3
Dear Reader,
My last submission to the Jet
Gazette; what a memorable four years
it has been.
During the
last four
years, I’ve
had the opportunity of
working as
a journalist
for The Jet
Gazette. This
year, my
contributions
to the paper
were the
greatest as
I served as
Co Editorin-Chief, and
the paper improved into
a student-run
production
everyone
can enjoy,
and perhaps
even keep in
a “time capsule” to remember one’s
high school years many years from
now. This drastic improvement was
not easy, requiring the ideas, creativity, time, dedication, and money of
many individuals. Although I am glad
to be leaving High School,
I will never forget the paper, despite
the fear of literature and zombie-esque
personality it often
induced during
periods of “hell
week.” Nonetheless, the newspaper was a valuable
experience, as I
have met many
great, hardworking people
while also learning to be a better
person and leader.
Members of the
Jet Gazette were
acknowledged
twice this year for
their exemplary
work by Newsday
and by Adelphi
University. I wish
the best of luck to
all future writers
and editors of The
Jet Gazette and
hope it continues
to improve for
years to come.
Yours truly,
Mohamed Nathani
Editor in Chief
Dear Reader,
Now that my time has come to a
close, I find myself sad that it’s over.
All of the kids who are on board for
next year are so excited to be a part of
something. We have excelled and our
classmates have noticed. These kids
are so full of vitality that I know without Mo and me at the helm, the paper
will continue to be just as amazing, if
not better (thanks to Ms. Fernandes
as well)! Making the newspaper fun
was one of my main priorities. If it’s
not enjoyable, then what’s the point?
People want to join now, not because
they want it on their resume, but
because they want to have fun while
making a difference in their school.
This is what I wanted and after I leave
I know it will last.
Students who say nothing in
class can have a voice and will not be
ignored, anyone who wants to become
enlightened about other opinions.
People want to banter and the paper
provides a safe-haven where you can
be yourself. I hope all my friends
whom I leave behind join even if they
only write one article, take photos, or
draw cartoons. Get involved, because
there’s nothing better than having a
place where people care about you and
the things you accomplish.
Yours truly,
Lauren Thomas
Editor in Chief
Introducing...
The 2011-2012 Editors-in-Chief
Dear Reader,
Sincerely,
Sunil Reddy
Editor-in-Chief
It is literally the day before the
Jet Gazette goes to print, and Ms.
Fernandes is going to “murder” me.
I never thought that this “Letter from
the Editor” would bring so much
pressure. The title alone is scaring
me to pieces, but I guess this is what
I should’ve expected coming into the
Jet Gazette. Being a part of this paper
can be stressful most of the time, especially with all of the constant deadlines! I never thought the Jet Gazette
would become such a big part of my
life. It is truly an experience I will
never forget.
This paper is the unity of the
whole school where the student body
can be brought together in one place.
Seeing the things that are affecting the
student body as a whole has opened
my eyes on how we’re all alike. I
never thought I would find similarities, but it turns out all of us at East
Meadow High School are alike in
some ways. I am so excited to have
the opportunity to be on the staff of
something so great and spend another
year being part of the Jet Gazette.
This year, the Jet Gazette has
improved in so many ways. This is
thanks to the hard work and dedication that is put in by the staff for every
issue. I believe that in this upcoming
year, the paper can reach its full potential!
Sincerely,
Alexandra Lopez
Editor-in-Chief
June 2011
With much pride and honor, I’d
like to introduce myself, Sunil Reddy,
as your new
Editor-In-Chief
for the 2011-2012
school year. Although this is the
last issue for this
year, there is a lot
to come for next
year (expect big
things).
The countless hours put in
by staff members
during what we
refer to as “hell
week” are only
a minor portion
of what goes into
the paper. Everyone puts forth his or
her best foot forward in order to make
this paper what it is today, your school
newspaper, The Jet Gazette.
This quarter, I truly realized how
much work and effort everyone puts
in, the way Ms. Fernandes critiques
each article, with much thought,
Dear Reader,
all the people that edit/layout the
paper, and even those who write the
articles. Everyone puts forth the best
he or she has to
offer to create one
prestigious paper.
I want to congratulate the new
staff for its hard
work and dedication to the paper.
Also, a big farewell to the seniors
leaving the Jet
Gazette. Without
you guys, the Jet
Gazette could’ve
never made it this
far! As your new
editor in chief, I
hope to make the
Jet Gazette achieve great heights and
will strive to make the paper the best it
can be.
4
NEWS
East Meadow Walkathon
by Akash Shetye
On May 27th, 2011, the stu-
she found out that a former stu-
medical bills to pay. Due to this,
dents of East Meadow High School
dent, Samantha Eisenberg, was
Mrs. Sideri set up the Walk-
walked the school track during
in an accident and had massive
A-Thon at East Meadow High
their English periods. While this
tha. This year, the Walk-A-Thon
was arranged to help Andrew Alderman, who raised money to help
pay for a transplant for his cousin,
Walk-A-Thon did not exactly fit
Matthew.
the requirements of an English cur-
The event was arranged by the
riculum or seem like the most fun
National Honor Society, which is
thing for somebody, like me, who
led by Mrs. Sideri, Mrs. T, and their
despises any ounce of physical la-
respective board. Each student in
bor, the event was organized for
the school paid $5 to receive a T-
an extremely heartwarming cause.
Shirt and walk the school track.
Through research and observation,
This money helped fund the event.
one realizes that the Walk-A-Thon
In addition, businesses made do-
is not just some random event. In
nations towards the event. On the
reality, the Walk-A-Thon is neces-
day of the Walk-A-Thon, students
sary and is probably the most in-
went to the track during their Eng-
spirational thing going on annually
lish classes to partake in the event.
at this school.
At the event, entertainment, food,
Mrs. Sideri, who teaches Eng-
drinks, and music was present to
lish and Sci-Fi, came up with the
add to the mood.
Walk-A-Thon idea last year. She
Overall, the event was a major
was on a cruise, and heard about
success. I know that my friends
a Walk-A-Thon that was going on
and I had a fun time. More impor-
there. Mrs. Sideri ended up pay-
tantly, we were all glad to be part
ing $10 for a T-shirt and partici-
of something that truly makes a
pated in the Walk-A-Thon. When
difference. I cannot wait for next
she returned to East Meadow,
Photo courtsey of Lauren Thomas
June 2011
School to raise funds for Saman-
year’s Walk-A-Thon.
FEATURES
Are College Fairs Worth It?
Satriano Foundation
by Leanne Minkoff
pus. After all of this, I selected a
few colleges I could be interested in
applying to in the future. A couple
of them were schools I had previously been interested in, but I had
also found schools I had never really considered.
Overall, my college fair experience helped me to prepare for the
future. Although I had gone a year
earlier than necessary, I now know
what I need to have for each school,
and I have determined what kind of
school interests me.
So, are college fairs worth it?
They are only worth it if you make
the best of the experience and get
as much information you can. You
cannot be afraid to ask the representatives questions and to look at
schools you never thought of looking at. You will have a better understanding of what kind of schools
you should look at, and you may
even go home finding the college of
your dreams.
When a family-member is diagnosed with cancer, the impact
is devastating. Not only does the
patient suffer, but the whole family is emotionally taxed. The experience is especially draining on
children whose parents are battling
the deadly disease, or have passed
away. For many of these children,
their childhood is shortened as they
are forced to quickly become adults
and take on greater responsibility.
Furthermore, the high cost of treatment makes paying for college a
challenge, while the chances of a
kids throughout the United States.
In its first five years, the foundation
awarded over $50,000 in scholarships to over 53 students. This year
was even more successful, as the
foundation handed out an astonishing $75,000 to over 80 kids, including nine students from right here
at East Meadow High School. The
foundation is most active on Long
Island, but this year expanded its
scope of service to students in Montana, Florida, Pennsylvania, and
New Jersey.
The money that is used from the
scholarship are decreased due to
the impact the situation can have on
academic performance.
Joe Satriano witnessed all this
first hand. His wife Susan, passed
away in 2005 and he saw the impact
it had on his two kids. He knew his
kids weren’t the only ones suffering from such a situation, so he created the Susan Satriano Memorial
Scholarship Foundation. The aim of
the foundation is to provide scholarships to kids who are graduating seniors attending an accredited
college, who have a parent who is
either battling, or has passed away,
from cancer. There are no essays to
write or tests to take, just a common
unfortunate characteristic.
This is the sixth year that the
scholarship is generously helping
foundation comes from three main
sources. First, funds come from the
life insurance check of Susan Satriano. Second, there are donations
from family, friends, and others.
Third, is the sale of an inspirational
book written by Joe Satriano entitled In Sickness and In Health: A
Memoir of Love. The book narrates
the story of the Satrianos and their
journey together through all the
challenges. It is an inspiring read,
encouraging you to always move
forward and enjoy and appreciate
what you have.
Anyone who would like to learn
more about the foundation, donate,
or order a copy of the book may visit
www.susansatrianofoundation.com
June 2011
pect, especially as a sophomore,
but once I stepped foot in Hofstra’s
arena, I knew I had underestimated the immensity of a college fair.
With over three hundred schools,
the room was filled with many
booths, school colors, and especially, people. Some were rushing
around, crowding around their favorite booths, and some were simply roaming around to visit schools
they might have never even heard
of.
Before entering the “main
event,” the first thing everyone
received was a plastic bag with
Hofstra’s logo on it. The most important item inside the bag was a
map of every school’s booth location in alphabetical order. I did what
I thought any other person would
do, and started at the beginning and
made my way to the end. Each representative at every
booth was different. Some were
very talkative and full of informa-
by Mohamed Nathani
Photo courtesy of Google
tion, whereas others just stood there
and allowed you to browse through
the reading materials they brought
with them. These reading materials
included statistics about the school,
information about admissions, a list
of majors and minors, and other tidbits unique to the school.
Once I was done visiting every
booth I found myself interested in,
I went home and sorted through every pamphlet and reading that I had
picked up. I read about the grades
and SAT/ACT scores I would need
to have, if they had majors I would
be interested in, and simply just
looked through pictures of the cam-
Photo courtesy of Google Images
College fairs are events where
hundreds of different colleges send
representatives for prospective
students to meet and talk to while
receiving information about the
school. These events are mainly
for juniors to attend to help them
choose where to apply the following
year. Hofstra, who has been hosting their annual college fair for 40
years, held its spring college expo
on May 11th in the Mac Sports and
Exhibition Complex. It hosted over
three hundred schools, including
their own, and hundreds of people
from all over Long Island.
I was not very sure what to ex-
5
FEATURES
6
Idiocracy
Island in the Sun
by Pooja Amin
Photo courtesy of
Google
Ever wonder how much you
would really know about what’s
going on in the world without Facebook or Twitter? With our generation’s computer dependent and,
more specifically, reliance on social
networks to tell us what we should
already know from watching the
news or reading a newspaper, there
would be a loss of knowledge about
our current global issues. If it wasn’t
for our history teachers following
the crisis of outbreaks in the Middle East, only a handful of students
would know that revolutions were
on the spark, let alone the details of
these events. It’s funny how on late
Sunday night when Osama’s death
was announced, one Face book Status led to another, generation some
form of nationalistic remark or stating how many people had heard of
the death of the world’s number
one enemy, but how few knew the
circumstances under which he was
found and killed of any further information on the subject. So what
is my point exactly? My point is
simple: I think without the internet,
our generation would be so lost in
terms of knowing what’s going on
outside of our personal circle of
friends. We are so caught up in the
by Sam Weiss
latest gossip, instead of what is becoming of our future and soon-to-be
history. Reading an article from the
local newspaper is a rare to unheard
of thing for people our age and in
my opinion that is truly a shame.
A long-time tradition of reading
the Sunday paper will be lost in
the future as we are growing lazy
in opening a newspaper, having to
face such trouble of switching from
article to article by flipping pages as
opposed to having the computer at a
leisurely click. There is such a difference when browsing through an
actual copy of the local newspaper
and viewing an online copy. Online,
you’re not skipping through section
by section; you are just searching
exactly what you want. It makes me
Summer is approaching
quickly and bringing with it the
chance to have barbeques, pool
parties, long beach days, trips to
amusement parks, all-nighters…
and the chance to contract malignant melanoma, the most dangerous
form of skin cancer.
We’ve all heard it before,
but now is the time to really let the
information hit home. The easiest
way to develop skin cancer, particularly malignant melanoma, is by
hitting the tanning booths. Even if
you used a tanning booth only once
as a teen, your chances of getting
this life-threatening disease are increased by 75 percent. To put it simply, the odds are not in your favor
by any stretch of the imagination.
One in five Americans contracts skin cancer, and tanning only
increases this risk. If you and four
other friends make use of a tanning
booth, it is statistically guaranteed
that one of you will develop malignant melanoma. So look around
at your friends—if they’re tanning,
odds are one of them will, at some
point in her/his life, be removing
skin cancer from his or her body, if
they are lucky enough to catch it in
time. In the most recent collection
of data, 8, 461 people in the United
laugh when I realizing how clueless States have died from malignant
most of us are. I just think that most melanoma in one year alone.
people don’t care enough about Even if the statistics don’t
global affairs and that is going to persuade you, consider this: what
hurt our country’s future politically you are doing now for beauty will
only detract from it in the future,
and economically. Be bold, be difwhen your skin becomes thick,
ferent and be the one to pick up a wrinkled, and leathery due to overprint source. I can almost bet you’ll exposure to the sun. Though you
be amazed at how much you’ll learn may feel attractively dark now, you
and the feeling of being able to par- won’t feel or look that way in the
ticipate in an intelligent discussion future. People who have tanned regularly are, on average, assumed to
is beyond rewarding.
be at least ten years older than they
Would you like to win two tickets to Warped Tour?
June 2011
W3 gotz d@ huq ^
Guess how many jelly beans are in the jar, $2 per guess/$3 for five.
-Each winner has the chance to win either tickets
to the event on July 23rd or the jar of jelly beans.
Come down to the main lobby during the first week of June.
actually are, based on appearances
alone. To save yourself from looking much older and from becoming
another addition to the statistics,
there are many ways you can protect your skin.
The easiest and most immediate change you can make is to
stop hitting the tanning beds. Your
natural skin tone is made specifically for you to compliment the features you have; why would you risk
your life to go along with what is
really simply a fashion trend? Or,
if you are too into the tanned look
to forgo it all together, try spray
tanning or a do-it-yourself tanning
lotion, like Jergen’s Natural Glow
Revitalizing Daily Moisturizer. The
affordable product comes in a variety of gradual tanning shades, from
products that cater to those with fair
skin tones to those with dark skin.
Another easy, yet extremely
effective, way to combat sun damage is to simply spread on sunscreen. Now, this does not mean
that the tanning lotions found in
those brown bottles will suffice. For
sunscreen to be effective against the
sun in a way that will protect your
skin from melanoma, you will need
to buy one that is at least SPF 30,
and reapply every few hours to
ensure the protection is sustained.
Even with an SPF of 30, you will
still get a gradual and healthy glow.
As school draws to a close,
and the workload of the year is finally slowing down, who wants another thing to worry about? Cross
the worry of skin cancer off your
list by avoiding tanning beds and
rubbing on sunscreen, and you’ll be
ready to have those barbeques, pool
parties, beach days, and whatever
else you have planned for the summertime.
FEATURES
7
Put Yo u r Paws Up!
by Anson Wang
however they get lost in the suburbs. One
act after another, Gaga and her dancers
traversed the city streets, the scandalous
city subway, the haunting forests of Staten Island, and finally the visually stun-
in their own way. No song performed that
night was less than completely drained of
its excitement and potential. Although
the Monster Ball Tour had already been
performed hundreds of times, Lady Gaga
ning Monster Ball.
As for what was expected, I got
more than I bargained for. The show combined the power of a full blasting concert
and the elegance of a small club lounge.
Songs were combined with breathtaking
outfits, both pleasingly grotesque and outrageously stunning, yet gracefully subtle
still delivered the one at Nassau Coliseum
like it was her last. The show contained
almost everything that you could fit into a
concert, all that you would expect from a
showstopper like Gaga, and yet leave you
completely satisfied with the results. The
concert was filled with stunning imagery,
from the stage setting for “Just Dance,”
to Gaga’s famous disco stick during
“Lovegame,” the choreography of “Telephone,” the statue shooting sparks in “Alejandro”, to the giant tentacled
Fame Monster that enveloped
Gaga during “Paparazzi.” The
Monster Ball provided its attendees with an auditory and
visual feast.
One thing that was
truly special during the Monster Ball was the unique connection that Lady Gaga established between star and
fan during the show. “One
thing that has been lost over
the past 10-15 years, in pop
music, is the idea of showbiz” said Gaga, and this was
definitely restored during the
heartfelt moments of the tour
where Lady Gaga sang to
the audience from the piano.
Throughout the show, Gaga
fulfilled her position as a role
model, declaring to her fans
that it was okay to be different and unique their own way.
Unlike a majority of the superstars out there, Gaga has
forged herself into a mother
figure for her fans, lending
them her support and courage
Photos taken by Anson Wang
Gaga, Ooh La La! The Monster
Ball has arrived! On April 23rd 2011,
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta,
otherwise known as Lady Gaga, pulled
into Nassau Coliseum, bringing with her
the coveted Monster Ball Tour performed in front of 13,000 lucky
fans with songs from her previous
two albums, The Fame and The
Fame Monster. The only question
that remained was what to expect
from one of the world’s most famous pop stars, one who has
won numerous prestigious awards
around the world. Armed with
general admission tickets and situated only a few feet away from the
stage, I was about to find out.
The moment Lady Gaga
stepped onto stage can only be
described as ecstatic and one of
the most profound HERE I AM
moments I have ever seen, even
though it was simply her shadow
cast on a large canvas as a result of
Gaga standing in front of a vivid
purple spotlight. Standing proudly and powerfully, Gaga soared
straight into her first song of the
night, “Dance In The Dark.” As
the show progressed, she made it
clear that she in fact does not lip
sync. She was right, as her vocals were
even better than her recordings. It soon
became clear that the Monster Ball was
not created overnight, but is actually a
cleverly planned and delivered pop opera. The show was created over the plot
that Gaga and her friends were heading
to the Monster Ball in, New York City,
for the confused or misunderstood. Having faced social rejection in her youth
and even been thrown into a dumpster,
Gaga proudly proclaimed, “I am living
proof that you can always get yourself
out of the trash.” Throughout the
show, Gaga also declared her love
to her fans, citing them as her main
source of power and inspiration. In
a reciprocal fashion, Lady Gaga
bestowed upon her fans the confidence and courage to be who they
want to be, to shut out judgment
from others, and to love everyone
equally for who they are. From the
moment Gaga stepped on stage
at 10 pm, a Coliseum filled with
13,000 “Little Monsters” was instantly united, a sense of pride that
is required for this generation.
Ascending out of the floor in a
spinning orbit of metal circles and
dressed in shining Transformer-like
attire, Gaga’s show closing “Bad
Romance” was probably the best
song of the night, drawing the dramatic concert to a spectacular ending. Following the final song was
an encore performance of “Born
This Way,” where Gaga reaffirmed
her message of self-love and acceptance, because “You were born this
way, baby!” After a final bow and goodbye, she left the viewers breathless and
awe-struck as “Judas” played throughout
the stadium. Never before have I been so
eager or satisfied about losing both my
hearing and my voice in one night. It was
all worth it to attend one of the greatest
concerts to come around in a long time.
june
2011
8
CLASS OF 2011
CONGRATULATIONS
ADELPHI UNIVERSITY
Kaitlyn Firehock
Amanda Giordano
Erica Tuthill
Margo Weber
Erin Zizza
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
Lindsey Rubinstein
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Matthew Flanagan
Ryan Leibel
BAR ILAN
Jared Smith
BENTLEY UNIVERSITY
Mohamed Nathani
BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY
Joseph Angelino
Jared Biunno
Andrew Danziger
Jenna Graff
Brian Hui
Rick Piket
Anthony Ruggiero
Matthew Wittlinger
HUNTER COLLEGE OF THE CUNY
Shafia Jami
Vivian Tang
Samantha Weiss
IONA COLLEGE
Kristen Aberasturi
Gabriella Fuduli
BOSTON COLLEGE
Simon Lee
ITHACA UNIVERSITY
Daniel Yanofsky
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Jordan Ford
JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF
CRIMINAL JUSTICE OF CUNY
Devin Centeno
BRIARCLIFFE COLLEGE
David Paperin
BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY
Brandon Noblett
JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY
Robert G. Bocchetti
Alissa Firehock
CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK
Cassandra Tinerino
KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY
COLLEGE OF THE CUNY
Ashley Parsaram
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Jonathon Lubrano
Jesse Sherman
KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY
OF PENNSYLVANIA
Dani Digenova
DePAUL UNIVERSITY
Timothy Kearon
LAFAYETTE COLLEGE
Antonio Alves
DOWLING COLLEGE
Jamie Laird
LIM COLLEGE
Maliha Manji
Andrew Palumbo
EAST STROUDSBERG UNIVERSITY
OF PENNSYLVANIA
Thomas Milian
FASHION INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY
Kyunghee Kim
Alyssa Lagattuta
FIORELLO H. LaGUARDIA
COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF THE CUNY
Ivonne Puente
Christian Serrano
FIVE TOWNS COLLEGE
Jennifer Ambrose
Tiffany Augustin
Joseph McElligott
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
Jessica Widmann
FRANKLIN W. OLIN COLLEGE
OF ENGINEERING
Kathryn Mendoza
June 2011
HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
Brianna Borresen
Kelly Chappell
Nicholas Chopyk
Justin Clark
Vanessa DePasquale
Luisa Echeverry
Mariel Konowitz
Abinaya Kunarathnam
Linda Liu
Bisma Masroor
Amanda Massidas
Charles McGuinness
Robert McGuiness
Christopher Messina
Neha Sahni
Soha Salman
Daniel Savarino
Jennifer Simberlund
Sami Waseem
FULL SAIL UNIVESITY
Nicole Settimo
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
Stephanie Zuccaro
HARTWICK COLLEGE
Nicholas Clara
LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY
C. W. POST
Danielle Arenella
Michelle Arenella
Alexis Banschbach
Joseph Bova
Ryan Cantar
Michael Cassuto
Rebecca Chan
Kaitlyn D’Onofrio
Maryssa Dazzo
Jaclyn Gangi
Megan Goldhammer
Amanda Goodman
Erin Hansen
Kaleny Mateo
Samantha Miller
Hilary Ratner
Allison Segall
Lauren Thomas
MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE
Ruben Delgado
MERCY COLLEGE
Joseph Gismondi
Ashley Guerrero
MOLLOY UNIVERSITY
Richard Bohl
Maryanne Cangialosi
Shannon Folmer
Maria Formoso
Alexandra Kaimis
Ryan Meyer
Anthony Posillico
Rachel Staiano
Jyotika Thandi
MORAVIAN COLLEGE
Jacob Krug
NASSAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Syed Alam
Heara Ali
German Almendarez
Jeffrey Angelino
Christine Anglim
Rosa Artale
Christine Backer
Theodore Banker
Laura Barclay
Aram Basmadjian
Victoria Basson
Krystal Bauer
Kurt Becker
Ryan Bezman
Diana Blanco
Tito Bonilla
Frank Borrelli
Caitlin Bratkowsky
Shelby Caban
Thomas Camastro
Michael Cameron
Nicholas Caputo
Lauren Cassino
Gaetano Celeste
Diego Chavez
Stephen Choy
Justine Cirola
Melissa Cohen
Samantha Corbett
Phillip Correale
Barbara Costa
Nicole Crawford
Michael Cuadrado
Steven Cukro
Michael D’Amico
Maria Da Costa
Katelyn Daly
Christopher Davis
Philip Dayton
Tiffany Dertinger
Leonard Di Salvo
Christopher Dolan
Luke Dunatov
James Egan
Sarah Elliott
Tatiana Espinoza
Reginald Flores
Thomas Steven Foster
Dominic Fragiorgi
Nicholas Frosos
Frankie Gagliano
Jessica Gallagher
Joanna Gallo
Kenthia Diane Georges
Luz Gonzalez
Javares Green
Shawnee-Lynn Grey
Hector E. Guerrero Medina
Marco Guglielmo
Michael Hagan
Eric V. Hagerman
Bryan Hansen
Alexandra Hassell
Diana Healy
Christian Herrera
Matthew Hickey
Lisa Hidalgo
Sean Hinchy
Dayquan Holmes
Joseph Iacopelli
Jocolyn Iniguez
Brian Jackson
Andrew Jean
Samantha Kagan
Mobeen Kausar
William Kaywood
Justin Killen
Sahar Kosari
Sara Kosari
Nicholas Kotas
Sylvia Kowalska
Brandon Kranjac
Jared Lacker
Ryan Llanos
Melissa Lombardi
Anthony Lopes
Elizabeth Lopez
Oscar Lopez
Kenneth Manalang
Jennifer Manca
Stephanie Marando
Dillon Margolnick
Christopher Mastroianna
Nichole McCann
Robert McGee
Napoleon Mejia
Deena Michaels
Anthony Minucci
Nicholas Miranda
Brian Molesky
Paige Monfredo
Kelly Moreira
America Munoz
Alyssa Napolitano
Nicole Natale
Christopher O’Neil
Kelley O’Neill
Christopher Ochoa
Reniel Mark Ormita
Andres Palacio
Christian Parisi
Domenique Parisi
Joseph Parkman
Matthew Pena
Rhiannon Pennisi
Heather Powell
Daniela Ramirez
Ann Marie Remigio
Maiya Revell
Adam Rifkin
Brianna Romano
Nicholas Romero-Huggins
Jamie Salvesen
Amanda Santo
Andrea Sardo
Michael Schloss
Bridget Schweiger
Robert Sendkewitz
Nancy Shao
David Shmuel
Alisa Siwacharan
Daniel Sparaccio
Robert Stokes
Emeale Stone
Fatima Syed
Alyse Tesoriero
Michael Tinis
Brittney Tomkalski
Jessica Torres
Gina Vallone
Salvatore Vallone
Nicole Victoria
Marissa Walsh
Michael Ward
Joseph Weddeke
Nicholas Wennik
Brittany Whelan
Krystle Wolff
Krystal Wong
Brittany Zajack
Jeffery Zea
NEUMANN UNIVERSITY
Brittany Wood
NEW YORK INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY - MANHATTAN
Christie Eustache
NEW YORK INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY - OLD WESTBURY
Shelby Ann Abraham
Jennifer Alexander
Jimmy Chen
Anthony Di Tomasso
Sohaib Gondal
Judy James
Shin Sung Kang
CLASS OF 2011
9
GRADUATES
Auj Kausar
Monica Malik
Mabin V. Mathew
Zinal Patel
Natalia Rosenthal
Fatima Sial
Sarah Udkow
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Rahul Jain
OHIO TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Joseph Anzelone
PACE UNIVERSITY - NEW YORK CITY
Christy Aisha Louis Jean
PACE UNIVERSITY PLEASANTVILLE CAMPUS
Alexander Michael Saitta
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY PARK
Bryan H. Garcia
Stephen Matos
Bryan H. Garcia
Stephen Matos
PLATTSBURGH STATE UNIVERSITY
Christopher Hanau
QUEENSBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
OF THE CUNY
Fisnike Dalipi
Ji Hun (James) Eom
Melissa Mahoye
ROLLINS COLLEGE
Colleen Wilkowski
SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY
Thomas Ford
Courtney Leary
Matthew Wrynn
SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS
Andrew Lee
SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE
Michelle Steinberg
SUFFOLK COUNTY COMMUNITY
COLLEGE, AMMERMAN
Michael James
SUNY AT FARMINGDALE
Kim Asdahl
Stephanie Cavallo
Tara Gajewski
Daniel Goncalves
Emily Hoffman
Rida Naser
Kyla Stan
SUNY COLLEGE AT BROCKPORT
Steven Rispoli
Charley Rottkamp
SUNY COLLEGE AT CORTLAND
Kyle Berger
Christina De Santis
Robert Franzese
Melissa Kester
Taylor Penziner
Nicholas Slevin
Theresa Thurau
Nicolas Torres
SUNY COLLEGE AT FREDONIA
Marc Kabigting
SUNY COLLEGE AT GENESEO
Daniel Greenberg
Kun Hee Kim
SUNY COLLEGE AT OLD WESTBURY
Sahib Rizvi
Andrew Wilmarth
SUNY COLLEGE AT ONEONTA
Esther Hering
Alana Mancini
Christopher Melnyczuk
SUNY COLLEGE AT POTSDAM
Samuel Pollenz
SUNY DELHI
Marc Osborne
Timothy Probst
Michael Ring
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
John Villano
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
AT BOULDER
Ariana Ovadia
UNIVERSITY OF
CONNECTICUT-STORRS CAMPUS
Jessica Giovanniello
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
Diana Barsky
Jordan Fried
Emily Ilson
Elizabeth LiPuma
Ryan Sacks
Allison Schuman
Christopher Swenson
UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD
Kareem Roberts
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
David Wax
Jenna Williams
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
Dominika Swieboda
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
AT WILMINGTON
Deanna Groth
UNIVERSITY OF THE SCIENCES
IN PHILADELPHIA
Mikhail Baker
Jobin Johnson
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
Alyssa Micheli
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
Brett Lapidus
Nicholas Zakrzewski
CAREER EDUCATION
Griffin Technical for Cosmetology
Tia Aneisha King
ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY - QUEENS
Cary Chiang
Matthew Jacobs
Bhavina Prashad
Reshma Sakaria
Kevin Sanches
Alvina Song
Robert Wood
Alizeh Yasin
Sharon S. Yoo
SUNY MARITIME COLLEGE
Luke Carrick
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Christopher Mancino
Neil Zuckerman
Army
Curtis Oliver Bass II
Gary Rogers
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
AT ALBANY
Emily Brummer
Michelle Fast
Nikki Giocastro
Adam Kassoff
Daniel Spellman
Toni Turrisi
Rachel Zerah
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY
OF AMERICA
Christopher Sidor
Marines
Ranveer Bal
Leosvel Espinosa
Samuel Lee
Johnny Romero
Eric Joel Vasquez
Daniel Zamora
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
AT NEW PALTZ
Nicole Mlaneri
Elizabeth Melnyczuk
Matthew Viola
TOMPKINS CORTLAND
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Ashley Causey
TOWSON UNIVERSITY
Gina Barbagallo
Alicia Bottner
Nicole Goldstein
UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO
Shivali Chopra
Matthew De Cillis
Alison Eoviero
Ming Fu Huang
Evan Ioannides
Charles Majkowski
Catherine Masterson
Shweta Shah
Christopher Somma
Divya Sundri
Elisa Marie Torres
Paul Mitchell Cactus Academy
Lia Martin
MILITARY
WORK FORCE
Kyle Dabour
Andromeda Khan
Alfred Orzo
Angel Reyes
UNKNOWN
Tiffany Rose Field
Maria Minutoli
Kelly Owens
Hansheng Shao
June 2011
STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY
Maliha Ali
Evan Asher
Ashley Balgobind
Gherick Gonzales
Min Ju Kim
Jason McEntee
Jacqueline Miley
Jocelyn Pascucci
Ahmed Bukhtair Qureshi
Christian Turkoanje
SUNY OSWEGO
Jacqueline Shikora
Danielle Syers
10
EDITORIALS
Ask the Jet
An Advice Column
Dear Jet,
I feel that drugs and smoking are
problems in our school. What role
does the administration have in trying to prevent students from smoking or using drugs?
sions) and educate children in elementary school.
June 2011
Dear Jet,
I’m so stressed out! I have so much
work to do and regents are around
the corner. I try to get everything
Answer: School is a “Drug Free
done, but I don’t seem to be able to.
Zone,” and this prohibits students from How do I manage my time wisely?
performing any drug related activities
within 1000 feet of the school. Many
Answer: Fourth quarter can be espestudents who wish to smoke or drink
cially hard for many sophomores and
do this off school property. This means juniors, who have 3 to 4 regents to
that the school is not responsible for
prepare for and a lot of work. There
stopping them. However, there are
is no doubt that you will finish your
numerous proactive measures that
work, but it will take limitations and
happen throughout the year. Phoenix
sacrifices. The first step is to plan out
house, a non-profit substance abuse
a schedule of what you’re going to do.
service organization, comes to EMHS Make sure to include a little bit of free
health classes to teach the hazardtime, because this will give your mind
ous effects of smoking and using
a break. Participating in a form of
drugs. There is also an anonymous
exercise is great because it stimulates
survey given to students that helps
your brain and reduces stress. Next
to indicate what the target areas that
take one step at a time.
the school administrators, counselors,
Thinking about what needs to be done
social workers, teachers and staff can
in the future will distract you from
use to help at -risk students. Not all
what needs to be done now. Staying
students are going to follow what
calm and focused will allow you to get
they have been told, and these people
a lot of work done. If you stay relaxed
will suffer the side effects. I can see
and motivated, then you will have the
that you have a strong passion against confidence and ability to achieve what
drugs and alcohol and you should take needs to be done. Try to get rid of your
action. Join our school club SADD
stress, and you will feel better about
(Students Against Destructive Decyourself.
East Meadow School District
Board of Education
Brian O’Flaherty, President
Joseph Parisi, Vice President
Joseph Danenza
Corey Fanelli
Jeffrey Rosenking
Marcee Rubinstein
Walter Skinner
Administration
Louis R. DeAngelo, Superintendent of Schools
Lynne Manouvrier, Asst. Supt. for Curriculum and Instruction
Robert Gorman, Asst. Supt. for Business and Finance
Anthony Russo Asst. Supt. for Personnel and Administration
Patrick Pizzo, Director of School Facilities and Operations
Mary Ann O’Brien, Assistant Business Administrator
One Step Closer
to Summer
by Lana Ovadia
The anticipation is over! AP
testing is finished and
the celebrations can begin, especially for those
who have taken all AP
classes. If you’ve taken
all AP classes this year,
then you’ve finished
the curriculum for your
classes and are able to
just sit back and watch
as everyone else is preparing for finals and regents this June.
The first AP test is always the hardest because
you don’t know what to
expect, especially with
time. This year, it was
even harder because of
the scoring changes. Instead of losing ¼ of a
point for incorrect answers, there would be no
penalization for wrong
answers this year. Although it seems like a
good thing, it might shift
the conversion, making
it necessary for you to
get more answers right
to get that 5.
I took my first AP exams this year. The more
prep I did for the exam,
the less anxious I was about
it. My Calculus class had been
preparing for the AP test since
March, so I felt very prepared
for the test; however, I was still
jumpy during the test every time
I heard “5 minutes left” or heard
the bell ring for the end of the
period. When I took my second
AP test this year, though, I was
more confident, because I knew
what to expect. One thing that
I hadn’t known going into my
first AP test was that the proctor doesn’t give you the “5 minute warning” for the multiple
choice part. For my other AP
tests, I was more aware of the
time during the first parts of the
test.
With the AP exams over,
different courses are doing different things. Most classes are
given a week of relaxation making college posters or watching
movies, before they start their
4th quarter projects and research
papers. With the AP tests done,
AP classes are much more easygoing and less stressful. However, now it’s time to prepare
for the Regents Exams that are
also required for some classes
like AP U.S. History and AP
English 11.
EDITORIALS 11
Think Before You Post
prom
by Alexandra Lopez
by Lauren Thomas
exhausting amount of time trying to
make it “the perfect night.”
If you don’t destroy every
friendship you hold near and dear to
your teenage heart in the process of
planning prom, then you are already
ahead of the game. Some days it
seems like we live in an episode of
The Real World, having petty public
fights over dresses, dates, and preprom groups; posing the question:
Is it even worth all the drama? For
the girls who have been dreaming of
this day since they were little girls
drooling over Disney princesses, the
answer is obviously yes, and they
will do everything and anything to
planning The Royal Wedding, Part
Two. Glitz and glamour come at a
high price, figuratively and literally.
When you’re selling your soul and
unborn children to the gas station, it
is almost impossible to make ends
meet for $90 prom tickets and bus
rentals, with hundreds of dollars being put down for tuxes and dresses
as well. Though you may feel like
you’re drowning in debt, it’s a great
learning experience at the same time;
you learn to manage money, which
will be a great skill for the upcoming
years at college.
With prom being one of the
final events the seniors will spend
together as a class, we should make
it count. I for one am ready to sit
back and wait for everything to
unfold under the bright lights in
the big city.
I cannot confidently say I know
a single teenager who doesn’t use
the internet. It’s even more pathetic that I don’t think the majority
of teenagers could live without it.
We’re constantly being taught the
same thing when it comes to cyber
bullying, “If you wouldn’t say it
in person, don’t type it online.” So
what happens when we’re the ones
getting bullied? Then again, what
if we’re to blame for what’s being
said to us online? I would
never insist
on stopping
the
“Don’t
cyber bully”
movement
that has pretty
much taken
over. We’ve
all heard the stories of what cyber
bullying can lead to. What’s worse
is most of us have probably been
victims of it at some point.
I don’t see why we continue
posting thoughtless and effortless
things online when we know for
a fact someone is bound to read
them. Some people choose to brag
or complain, and it can lead to others talking about what you’ve said.
I understand sometimes we just
want others’ opinions and ask for
comments but at the same time it
can make you look completely stupid. When you decide not to think
through what you’re writing, it can
be taken in multiple ways. You say
hate you, get hate; common knowledge that applies in real life as well,
so this isn’t something new!
When you create an account
for a website like Formspring.me
aren’t you just asking for hateful
comments? This website literally
allows anyone with internet access to say anything to you anonymously, with no consequences. Of
course, we don’t specifically say we
want hurtful comments, but we’re
guaranteed to get some if we give
people the ability to say anything
they
can
think of to
you. As much
as some of us
may not want
to admit it,
sometimes
the
things
we’re
told
can
really
hurt us emotionally.
Then, there are the pictures we
put up of ourselves. If you don’t like
hateful and derogatory things said
about you, then maybe you should
stop with the constant promiscuous
pictures that you’re flooding the internet with. Whether or not it’s for
attention, you will be getting some
sort of negative feedback.
It all comes down to what we’re
doing on a computer. I don’t see
why people in their right state of
mind would want hurtful things being said about them. We can’t stop
all cyber bullies, because anyone
who can type can become one, but
we can better monitor and protect
ourselves from these “people.”
Photo Courtesy of Google Images
get what they want. For guys, they
shrug and laugh at the fights as they
unravel on Facebook.
In between all of the usual senior
activities, such as, gathering the determination to attend your classes,
whining about senior project, and
pining for the weekend, you also
have to go through the motions of
Photo Courtesy of Google Images
It seems to be a popular high
school myth that once you say sayonara to your junior year, and take that
huge step into senior year, that you
can relax. That may be true for some
people class wise, but every senior
is plagued by prom. Arguably the
most important event of a student’s
high school career, many spend an
Study Now or Regret Later
by Rutul Upadhyay
Photo Courtesy of Google Images
better to be late in studying
than sorry for not studying at
all. Some other ways you can
practice is by going to websites like regentsprep.org or
nysedregents.org, search up
old regents on search engines,
or ask your teacher if they
may provide you with one. So
before thinking about beaches
or parties, you should concentrate on your studies, and
then you can have the next two
months all to yourself.
June 2011
The school year is almost two weeks left of school, it
over and then summer is fiwould be the
nally here. By now, I think
perfect time
that most people would be
to hit those
thinking about what to do
books
bewith their summer, but because if you
fore summer vacation, we
aren’t
sure
have finals or regents in our
about someclasses. I know that some of
thing,
you
you completely hate taking
don’t
have
them, but they are part of our
to worry. Our
lives and we just have to deal
school
prowith them regardless. Since
vides regents
there are only a little over review for every subject. It is
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
12
Seniors Shine At Art Show
Live Your Dream
by Nicole Settimo
by Sarah Hwang
Photo Courtesy of Ms. Sessa
On Wednesday May 11, 2011
the East Meadow High School
Art Department held its First Annual
Senior Art Show. Twenty senior artists, who have taken art classes all
four years of high school, showcased
their work throughout the day and into
the night at the National Art Honor
Society Induction Ceremony. Teachers were able to bring their classes to
the show to appreciate the art work,
as well as choose their favorite piece
of work from an artist to write about.
Families of the artists, students and
teachers were all welcome to the show,
and not one period were the artists left
bored. Mrs. Sessa and Nicole Settimo
organized the show, and the outcome
from all the participants made it a
memorable and
enjoyable
day.
Logos, brochures
and invitations
were created by
Nicole Settimo,
and members of
the show were
able to design and
tye dye t-shirts to
promote the day.
The
members
of the show all
worked hard for
months, and were
able to showcase what college decisions they have
made and whether or not art has affected their decision. Plans are already
in the works for next year’s senior art
show, reflecting how the hard work and
dedication of the artists who participated, make it such a successful day.
Fast Five
by Paul Klika
June 2011
If you’re into action packed racing films that will keep you at the
edge of your seat, then without a
doubt I recommend that you see Fast
& Furious 5. The cast features some
mega superstars including: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster,
Ludacris, and Dwayne Johnson.
Now here’s the plot of the movie. Since Brian (Paul Walker) and
Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster)
broke Dom (Vin Diesel) out of jail,
they’ve traveled across many borders to get away from authorities.
Now they’re back into trouble in
Rio de Janeiro, where they need to
pull their final job in order to gain
their freedom. As they assemble
their high profile team of top racers, their allies know their only shot
of getting out for good means they
need to confront the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But
he’s not the only one on their tail.
Ambitious federal agent Luke
Hobbs (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) never seems to miss his target.
When he’s assigned to track down
Dom and Brian, he and his strike
team plan an all-out assault to capture them. While his agents tear
through Brazil, Hobbs learns he
can’t separate the good guys from
the bad. Now, he needs to rely on
his instincts to trap his prey before
someone else finds them first. During the credits after the film, there’s
a sneak peek at what you can expect to see in the next Fast & Furious, which is pretty interesting
if I do say so myself. I’d definitely
give this movie 4 out of 4 stars!
For the first time ever in East
Meadow High School, Nicole Natale, Rida Naser, and Jamie Salvesen held the Live Your Dream Talent
Show on May 19th 2011. This exciting event was not only for students
at our school to show their talent,
but it was part of Nicole, Rida, and
Jamie’s senior project. All profits
made from the show were to be donated to Make a Wish Foundation.
Make a Wish Foundation is a wish
granting organization for children
who have life-threatening illnesses.
A wish is granted every 40 minutes
to a sick child. It is a way to put a
smile on their face, and to give them
strength and hope by granting them
one wish they desired. The great
cause of this show showed others
that by using your talents and hard
work it can help make a difference.
The talent show was a great
success and consisted of 15 acts.
All of the students that participated
surprised everyone, and it was a
great opportunity to see the amaz-
ing talents of students and classmates. This event was a way to
show off one’s talent to the school
and use it for a good cause. The
acts varied from dancing, singing,
or a combination of both. Some of
the acts performed were Pop Asian
Culture with Gina Lee, Rachael
Lee, and Precious Sahagun, a dance
performance by Ruben Delagado,
T.K.O with Joaquin Bautista, Cristian Flores, Christian Fong, Julian
Paykert, and Alvin Sumicgay, and
a duet by Ashley Gershoff singing
and Mo Javed on the guitar. All of
the performances were outstanding, and the cause of this event
was heart warming. This show was
made possible by putting together
the hard work of Nicole, Rida, and
Jamie, as well as the work of the
performers. In the end, it helped
a child’s wish come true. If you
would like to contribute to this organization, you go on www.wish.
org to make a small donation. Every donation can make a difference.
Underdogs of Television
by Paul Klika
These days, it’s hard to find television shows that are truly worth the
time. Television today is drenched in
garbage like Jersey Shore and other
reality TV “shows.” Among the stupid shows there actually do exist
shows that are worth every second
of your time, show such as Breaking
Bad. This show is about a 50 year old
high school chemistry teacher who
gets diagnosed with terminal lung
cancer, and who is forced into selling drugs so he can provide for his
family. Bryan Cranston’s acting as
the top-notch chemistry teacher Mr.
Walter White is excellent. You actually feel his pain in the struggle he
goes through for the ones he loves.
While diving into the drug business,
Walter teams up with a wise-cracking
small time thug named Jesse Pinkman, who is played by Aaron Paul
(who won an Emmy for his performance in this show). The best parts of
the show are probably when the two
of them are working together. They
form an odd-couple duo that is hilarious. Breaking Bad is black comedy
at its finest. The only problem is that
the channel it’s on, AMC, does not
air re-runs of it that often, but Netflix or Blockbuster would definitely
have it. Another incredible show that
is worth the time is Mystery Science Theater 3000. Have you ever
watched a really bad movie and made
funny jokes about it? That is the basic premise of this show. A man and
2 robots are stuck in a spaceship and
are forced to watch horrible movies.
The concept might not sound funny,
but it works out amazingly. The jokes
they make feel natural and relatable.
You can understand what they’re going through because you’re watching the same movie they are. Some
references may be a bit outdated, but
the episodes always come through in
the end. Unfortunately, the show was
cancelled in 1999, but most, if not all
of the episodes are on either YouTube
or Netflix’s Watch Instantly. MST3K
doesn’t really have that much continuity so it’s not one of those shows
where you have to watch from the
very beginning. I would highly recommend these episodes, Future
War, Time Chasers, Horrors of Spider Island, or The Dead Talk Back.
MST3K is a great show and is one of
the most funniest shows on television.
All in all, these shows rock. They
have good morals whilst not holding back or being hypocritical. If you
have the time, watching these shows
should definitely be on your to-do list.
A&E
13
Christina Grimmie: “Stay True to Yourself”
by Alexa Spieler
Do You Have The Voice?
by Jaclyn Gangi
memorable contestants on Idol.
In contrast to American Idol, as
well, the judges are not allied
forces. Rather, each of the four
musical artists is battling to produce the next “big thing.”
Christina, Adam, Cee-Lo, and
Blake must choose teams of contestants through the blind audition
process. This involves each artist being seated in a chair turned
away from the stage, and only
a button they press can turn the
chair around to reveal the singer
and to place him or her on the list
for a possible coach. If more than
one of the artists turns their chair
around, it is the singers’ ultimate
decision about who they would
like to coach them.
This show seems fresh and
promising, offering much more
on the table than American Idol.
There are no restrictions, and the
audience seems to enjoy that.
hair flip, and her never being to
Disney, we had the opportunity to
watch Grimmie’s sound check. Let
me tell you - it may have just been
a sound check - but if you think her
voice is incredible on Youtube, you
would have your mind blown away
hearing her live right in front of
you. Her voice in general is enough
to put the haters to rest and would
most certainly shut their mouths if
they heard her live right in front of
them. Following her sound check,
Christina came back out to get a
picture with us and say her goodbyes. When she was coming up the
stairs I heard her jokingly say that
she “doesn’t do pictures”. Knowing
very well that she was kidding, as
she came up the stairs, I said, “Too
good for pictures, hm?” Of course
she laughed along and said that’s
definitely not her and when she
meets fans she asks them if they
want a picture. In response to that,
I told her that in a year when she’s
huge and famous, I’m going to
hold that statement against her and
make sure she’s still living by that.
A few days after the interview took
place, Grimmie went and posted a
picture we took together on her official facebook. As a caption underneath the picture, Grimmie posted,
“the awesome girl that interviewed
me at the NY show”. Just based on
that, it’s safe to say that Grimmie is
appreciative of every single thing
that has come her way.
Be sure to pick up your own
copy of Grimmie’s debut album on
June 13th.
Rabbit Hole
by Amanda Chambers
Rabbit Hole, based on the play of the
same name by David Lindsay-Abaire,
is the story of a husband and wife dealing with the death of their young son.
Starring Nicole Kidman (whose performance was recognized with an Academy
Award nomination for
Best Actress), Aaron
Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, Miles Teller, and
Tammy Blanchard,
Rabbit Hole is the perfect blend of emotion,
humor, and sentiment.
The movie runs
on the great acting, especially of Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, and Miles
Teller. The acting keeps it from getting
too melodramatic. Nicole Kidman, who
plays Becca, was nominated for Best
Actress at the Oscars but was beat out
by favorite Natalie Portman for Black
Swan. Kidman gives her character a reality and authenticity that is needed for
such a role. Though Nicole Kidman is
the focal point of the film, Aaron Eckhart’s performance as Howie is just as
gripping and sympathetic; he brings a
great sense of vulnerability to the movie’s tone, as Howie expresses his grief
more outwardly. Miles Teller, too, gives
a brilliant portrayal, despite having a
smaller role and being
overshadowed by the
two lead performances. Teller’s character,
Jason, is very significant, however, for reasons that are revealed
as the movie progresses and because of
his contribution to Becca’s healing. The
tension between Becca and Howie is depicted beautifully as they both find different ways to deal with the anguish and
remorse of losing a child.
Rabbit Hole is definitely one of the
must-see movies for 2010. This tender
film will leave you with a mix of feelings, as great art often does.
June 2011
American Idol has been running strong for nine years, the
only voice-centric show on television, but there is a new talent
show on the network, and it isn’t
The X Factor. Musical artists
Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine,
Cee-Lo Green, and Blake Shelton
are the fresh new faces for The
Voice. The purpose of the show is
to rein in talented new artists, but
the catch is that the judges are not
able to view the singer. The judgement is based purely upon vocals,
not age or appearance. The Voice
is taking a different route than
American Idol, allowing contestants who have had prior singing
careers on Broadway and essentially having a more serious attitude in regards to the choices of
the people auditioning. There are
no humorous costumes, and each
of the singers on The Voice actually has talent, unlike some of the
wise words like that, it’s incredible
to believe that Grimmie is just a
teenager.
Putting aside the normality of
Grimmie only producing covers,
on June 13th she will be releasing
her own album. Management had
advised her not to put out her originals on Youtube just yet, because
she wanted fans to wait for the finished product on
the album. When
speaking of the
album Grimmie
said that she is “so
excited” because
this is what she’s
“been wanting to
do since she was a
little girl.” If there
is anyone who is
as excited or as
anxious to hear
Grimmie’s originals as herself, it’s
her dedicated fan
base. Her fan base
ranges from people who have been
with her since day one or have just
started tuning in now, and that’s the
beauty of the internet. The internet and Youtube have transformed
Grimmie into this star, with over
800,000 subscribers on Youtube,
along with over 122 million views
on Youtube. Grimmie said it best
when she said that there is “no one
better,” when speaking of her fans.
Following the interview, in
which we also joked about people
asking for the “Christina Grimmie” hairstyle, the Justin Bieber
Photo Courtesy of Google
to be just another girl with a good
voice is relatively common. However, that is not Grimmie’s case.
Grimmie’s voice is powerful and
passionate and, you would never
guess by listening to her that she’s
merely a teenager. Her piano playing is fantastic, seeing as though
she learns everything by ear and is
a quick learner. She learns the piano
parts in one to
two days. Her
personality is
bubbly and
energetic, yet
completely
down-toEarth.
You
can tell that
the
fame
she’s obtained
hasn’t done
anything to
alter her attitude or outlook on life.
If anything it
has made her even more confident,
despite the haters which always entail when it comes to placing something on the internet. In response to
what the haters have to say, Grimmie responded by saying, “You got
to stay true to yourself and that’s the
most important thing.” This confidence hasn’t come just on her own
though, as she thanks her brother
and close-friend, Selena Gomez,
for this as well. “My brother and
Selena have been like ‘Be yourself! Who cares about whoever
doesn’t want you to be you?” With
Photo Courtesy of Google.com
The social networking tool
known as “Youtube” has drastically changed the music industry,
and that’s an understatement. It is
most popularly known in the music world for launching the career
of superstar Justin Bieber, but Youtube hasn’t only altered Bieber’s
life. This is where unsigned teenage
artist, Christina Grimmie, comes
into play. In a matter of eighty videos uploaded, Youtube has helped
catalyze the transformation of
Grimmie from being your average
teenage girl, to an artist touring and
traveling the country with the likes
of Selena Gomez, amongst others.
Grimmie just finished up her run
on Youtube’s first ever tour, which
was known as the Digi-Tour, and
we had the opportunity to speak
with her prior to the show.
On a personal level, Grimmie
first caught my attention around five
months ago. Other Youtube celebrities, Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider,
had put up a brand new cover of
Nelly’s “Just A Dream,” but rather
than just Sam singing and Kurt doing the instrumental half, a female
now joined them. That female was
Christina Grimmie. Upon hearing
her solo, I was instantly hooked;
there are certain people where you
just hear their voice, or see them
live, and you know they have that
special ‘something’ to them. That
is exactly what Christina Grimmie
has. It’s safe to say that in the next
year, Grimmie won’t be just a Youtube star; but a superstar. I will not
say that it’s easy, by any means, but
June 2011
SPORTS
EMHS’ Chances
Track and Field
Overview
by Nilam Patel
The spring season for the boys and
girls track and field teams came to a conclusion with the division championship meet
at Macarthur High School. The boys’ team
placed second out of the 7 teams in the division with a score of 108. The top three in each
event earned the honor of All-Division. East
Meadow boys swept the top three spots in
the 110 hurdles with Chris Garzia, Tom Ford,
and Tom Milian placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd,
respectively. An impressive performance in
the 3200m with a time of 10:19, earned an
8th grader, Michael Grady a second place
finish and Sean Grady also placed fourth.
Off the track in the field events, Mike Ring
won the high jump of 6’02” and Tom Milian
placed second in the pole vault. Chris Garzia
also won the long jump and Tom Ford won
the triple jump, while Garzia was second.
The girls’ team placed 3rd out of
the 7 teams with 104 points after a close loss
to Port Washington for second place. The
leading performances included a 3rd place
finish for Jennifer Flores in the 400m hurdles
and 2nd place in the 100m hurdles. Rachel
Levy won the 1500m and Nilam Patel won
the 3000m. Also running a personal best of
11:31 was Stephanie Fertitta won earned alldivision with a 3rd place finish in the 3000.
Sarah Elliot also scored points in the field
events with a throw of 108’04”, which placed
in 2nd position for the shot put,Two other
all-division performances were by Kayleigh
Morein in the discus and Charice Cross in the
high jump. The girls’ 4x100m relay ran a season best of 51.7 seconds and just missed first
place to Port Washington.
The division championship meet
ended the season for the team; however,
many of the athletes will continue on to compete in the county meet. The boys shuttle
hurdle relay also will return to nationals this
year in North Carolina.
15
by Andrew Wolfson
With East Meadow having several county champi-
onships over the years, one would have to ask when the
next one will be. Whether the sport is football, baseball, lacrosse, tennis, golf, badminton, volleyball, basketball, swimming, or field hockey, whether the sport
is a guy’s sport or a girl’s sport, which will be the next
EMHS sports team to win a county championship?
Football
Baseball and Softball
Tennis and Soccer
Lacrosse
Golf and Track
Badminton
Swimming
Volleyball
Basketball
Field Hockey
First Round
With all the practicing
football does all year
they make it to the
next round.
Softball has been
doing very well the
past seasons and has
almost won the county
championship in the
past few years.
Who Would
You Pick?
Baseball
Track
Volleyball
Football
Softball
Softball
Football
Volleyball
Round Three
Round Two
Softball has the best
record out of all
sports.
Both Volleyball and
Football have made
it to the playoffs in
years past but have
both lost.
Softball has one of
its most talented
team in history.
They also won the
County’s last year.
Football has shown
new talent and
some potential for a
playoff run.
Volleyball has a lot
of young talent and
has some all county
players.
Softball
The Favorite!
Softball has the best
chance of winning
County’s next year.
Softball with young
talent and a vast amount
of experience from
playing travel softball,
has an overwhelming
advantage over its
competition. East
Meadow softball is also
the reigning county
champions and has the
most experience, having
won it last year. This
gives softball the best
chances to win it again.
All County Winners
Football
Robert Healy
Dom Morales
Volleyball
Rebecca Syers
Nicole Laneri
Cross Country
Sean Grady
Soccer
Hector Guerrero
Jessica Widmann
*All State*
Luisa Echeverry
* All State*
Basketball
Robert Franzese
Bowling
Jeff Juarez
Erica Tuthill
Wrestling
Andrew Danzinger
*All State*
Evan Pantofel
Salvatore Vallone
Lacrosse
Sean Hinchy
Vanessa DePasquale
Baseball
Robert Healy
Softball
Jamie Laird
Samantha Miller
Danielle Cutuli
Spring Track
Christopher Garzia
*All American Shuttle
dle Relay team*
Thomas Ford
*All American Shuttle
dle Relay team*
Kyle Bettex
*All American Shuttle
dle Relay team*
Thomas Milian
*All American Shuttle
dle Relay team*
Michael Ring
HurHurHurHur-
April 2011
Golf
Tim Kearon
Tom Camastro
Winter track
Sean Grady
Christopher Garzia
Amanda Ashe
16
Player Spotlight:
Robby Healey
by Rich Renkl
image courtesy of Rich Renkl
Playmaker is defined as a
player in a team game who leads
attacks or brings other players
on the same side into a position
from which they could score.
The East Meadow Jets have
such the Varsity athlete. His
name is Robbie
Healy.
This
year
Robbie
went All-County in two sports
as a junior.
In the fall,
we can root
him on at the
football field.
The ball seems
to
find
his
hands, whether
or not he is going out for the
pass, when he
averages a little less than 12
yards a play, or
if he is on target to the run the ball back for
an average of 24 yards. His talent doesn’t stop there: he had 3
interceptions and he has scored 8
touchdowns.
In the spring, Robbie is no
stranger to the great outdoors, and
you will find him on the baseball
diamond. He has been our starting shortstop since sophomore
year. He is our Varsity’s lead-off
man. His job is to get on base and
make things
happen, and
that is exactly
what
he does. Out
of 8 attempts
of
stealing
a base, he
was successful 100% of
the time. He
crossed
the
plate 30 times
in order to
help the Jets
make it to the
first
round
of playoffs.
Robbie
had
10 extra base
hits, five doubles, 3 triples
and 2 homeruns.
His
batting average was .465, with
an On Base Percentage of .553,
while his On-Base plus slugging
is a whopping 1.257.
Congratulations to him; we
can’t wait to see what next year
brings.
Softball Season Re-cap
by Akash Shetye
From May 23rd, 2011, to May 26th,
2011, the East Meadow Varsity softball
team competed in a three-game series
for the Nassau County Class AA Championship. This event marked the second
straight year that the Jets had made it to
the finals. Sadly, the Jets lost two out of
their three games in the County Championship to Farmingdale. However,
even with the second-place finish, nothing can diminish the success of the girls’
softball team. The fact is that the team
played extremely well over the course
of the season, made a brilliant run during the playoffs, represented this school
with pride and honor, and showed that
the Jets softball team will be a team to
watch out for in the future.
The team won many games this season, which helped them attain the fourth
seed in the playoffs. From that point
on, led by the amazing play of Madison
West, Kerri Shapiro, and Sam Miller;
the team excelled on the field. The overall result was that the team played for
the County Championship for the second year in a row.
The Jets were hoping to retain the
title, which they had won last year.
However, their opponent, Farmingdale,
was a tough one. Farmingdale won the
first game by the final score of 3-1. In
the second game, Farmingdale got off to
a 1-0 start. Yet the Jets refused to give
up. Inspired by a two-run shot by Madison West, the team took the lead. After
that, the Jets added to their lead. The final score of the game was 5-1. This allowed for a showdown in the third, and
final, game. The Jets played hard, but
Farmingdale finally walked away with
an 8-5 victory. Even with that score, I
am sure everybody will agree that the
Jets put forth an amazing performance.
Also, losing two out of three games
should not be considered a disappointment. Finishing second is still great. On
top of that, one must consider that the
series was only three games long, and
that it was a close series. If this series
was extended to ten games, the likelihood would be that the Jets and Farmingdale would have taken five games
apiece. After all, the teams are evenly
matched. When considering that fact,
the conclusion that is reached is that the
softball team was not less skilled than
Farmingdale. Instead, the team was less
lucky.
However, even with the loss, the
future holds much promise. As stated,
this is the second straight year that the
team made it to the championship. This
fact shows that the Jet softball team is
a powerhouse that should be taken seriously. Also, the team was led by some
young members, which included three
freshmen. As these members continue
to grow, they will gain valuable experience. This experience will only help the
Jets win more and more games.
The Jets Varsity softball team may
not have won the Nassau County Class
AA Championship this year, but the
team still played well. Everybody in this
school should be proud of the success
that the team has accomplished. And
with the strong foundation that the team
has built, one thing is for certain, The
Jets Varsity Softball team is and will remain a powerhouse in softball for a long
time to come.
June 2011