Sewanhaka Chieftain Issue #5 by Armaghan Behlum

Chieftain —the chief source for all the news you’ll ever need.

Sewanhaka High School a 500 Tulip Avenue • Floral Park, New York 11001 a

2010 Volume 20 Issue 5

Sewanhaka Gets All Shook Up!

The Sewanhaka Cast poses for a group photo in their very last dress rehearsal before the opening night.

Musical Feature pages 13-14 with EXCLUSIVE pictures and more! Chieftain - May

On the short-lived internet phenomenon of Formspring: Is Social Media Risky?

The Chieftain The Advisor’s The Chieftain Corner Mr. F. Alfino

Editor-in-Chief Ketsia Saint-Armand

SEWANHAKA HIGH SCHOOL 500 Tulip Ave.- Floral Park, New York 11001 Greetings from the Editors: The Chieftain is now accessible from Sewanhaka’s website at http://shs.sewanhaka.k12. ny.us/info.html. Be sure to check us out! We’d also like to extend our congratulations to Mr. Nelson, Mr. Premisler, and Mr. Alfino on the becoming new fathers! Be a part of YOUR school. Be a part of YOUR Chieftain!

Input Editor Courtney Balgobin Mary Jane Dumankaya Layout Editor Armaghan Behlum PHOTO EDITOR Emtiaz Uddin

Staff

Sue Chen Elsa Gimenez Andreas Pavlou Katrina Simon

Contributors Catherine Johnson John Miller

Advisor Mr. Alfino

Photogr aphs

CONTENTS Monthly Update………………………………….……3-5 Student Feature……………………………….…………6 Teacher Feature…………………………….……………7 Editorials………………………………………………8-9 World News…………………………………….………10 Movies & Music…………………………………..……11 Musical Special…………………….………………12-13 Sports………………………………...…………...…14-15

Madeline Boldyrew Yearbook Club Emtiaz Uddin Ketsia Saint-Armand

“I didn’t do it.”-Barthalaum Simpson. To me, an avid lifelong Simpson’s fan, this line is a classic. However, it is not as funny in real life. It seems to be the growing trend that more and more being responsible for one’s own actions is happening less and less. Everyday, in the news, and in our very own lives, shirking responsibility has become as common and what’s worse, as acceptable and as easy as… breathing. But I digress, daily I witness, as I’m sure you all of you, too many acts of irresponsible behavior. At what point does someone look themselves in the mirror and say, “it was my fault” or “yea, I’m responsible for my actions.” It takes a bigger person to admit he or she has done wrong then it does to deny wrong-doing. When it did become considered responsible behavior to not graduate because you can’t get to class enough days or because you fail a class that is required for graduation? When did it become considered responsible behavior to be late to class over, and over? The definition of insanity is attempting the same action repeatedly with the same failing result. When did it become considered responsible behavior to leave valuable property such as Ipods, cell phones and money out in the open and when

Chieftain meets Thursdays, 7:20 A.M. in Room 237. All new writers and cartoonists are welcome! Chieftain - May

Monthly Update did it become considered responsible behavior to take other people’s property rather then return it or turn it in. When did it become considered responsible behavior to not do your class work or homework? When did it become considered responsible behavior to act up on the day of a state exam and then say, “but we were just kidding around.” When did it become considered responsible behavior to be rude and disrespectful to teachers and other students? And when did it become considered responsible behavior to leave your lunch trays and garbage on the tables in the cafeteria like it’s not your job to clean after yourself? I must say, there is a silver lining in all this...this is not the majority. For the most part, we here at SHS do a pretty good job of policing ourselves. It is the small minority that needs a wakeup call. It is not up to the administration or the teachers to make this change. It is your school, it is up to you. If you want things to be better, then you, the student, need to anti up and pitch in. if you see something say something. Now I’m not talking about being a rat or a snitch, I’m simply saying, if you see someone leave a tray, say, “Hey, clean up your mess—this isn’t your house. Or if you have a friend who is failing or in danger of graduating, talk to them. If you see some leaving something valuable on a table or in an open locker give them a word of advice that they shouldn’t do that. Have you ever seen that commercial where one person witnesses someone else perform an act of kindness and then they “pay it forward” by performing one themselves. This is what we need more of! Responsibility is a disease and easily caught. All it takes is one person to see someone touch another’s life in a positive way and they themselves will be infected.

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Sewanhaka MUN Armaghan Behlum

an award for Sewanhaka, there was an overall improvement in the impact Sewanhaka had on the event. Shana Brouder, who is now SecretaryGeneral of SIDMUN XVIII, had this to say about the event: “I feel, as a whole, the club did well. We most definitely did leaps and bounds better than last year.

n April 10, 2010, the Sewanhaka High School Model UN club met together at Floral Park Memorial High SIDMUN School to compete at SIDMUN XVII. XVIII SecSIDMUN, or Sewanhaka Inter-District retary-GenModel UN, is a Model UN conference eral Shana held every year at a different Sewanhaka Brouder. Central High School District school. Each of the schools chooses children to debate as representatives of actual Model UN countries within specific committees to deal with global issues. Each school contributes 5 students to act as “chairs,” or students in charge of establishing and maintaining debates for the delSewanhaka delegates lift their placards during DROMUN. egates, or debaters. This “However, there is still room for imyear, Amit Persaud, Danielle Brogna, Jen provement in the club, and I, along with Brogna, Ketsia Saint-Armand, and Armathe other senior members of the club, will ghan Behlum acted as chairs representing make sure it happens I am looking forward Sewanhaka High School. Along with the to representing Sewanhaka as Secretarychairs are the Under Secretariat and the General at next year’s SIDMUN and hope Secretary-Generals who are in charge of to win some pride for our SHS Model UN regulating the conference program! We have some great kids and I in general rather then am more than ecstatic to form them into the specific committees. excellent debaters!” SIDMUN XVIII will One of this year’s three be held at Sewanhaka High School and all Secretary-Generals was the members of the club are prepared to Sewanhaka’s Stanley Sohandle the burden of hosting such a presman, who helped to ortigious event. Mr. Sakowich, the advisor ganize and maintain the SIDMUN XVII that is in charge of Sewanhaka’s MUN, entire event. Though only Secretarybelieves that the club has seen an overall Daniella Amell and Shana General improvement this year and is even more Brouder were able to win Stanely Soman hopeful for next year. 3

Monthly Update The Profound Paradox of Student Journalism Ketsia Saint-Armand

A Day at the Adelphi Quill Awards

n Wednesday, March 24, 2010, Sewanhaka High School sent a small delegation of its editors to Adelphi University’s annual Quill Awards. At the Quill Awards, students receive prizes for demonstrating excellence in their school newspaper, with categories ranging from cartoons to editorials. However, the awards ceremony comprised only a small part of the entire day during which the Quill Awards were given out; the first several hours were replete with opportunities for students and advisors alike to gain valuable insights into journalism, especially regarding the relationship between administrators and school newspaper, with the inclusion of salient points from both sides of the argument for the extension of the freedom of the press into schools. A panel of school administrators, student journalists, and newspaper advisors took questions from an eager audience for approximately an hour. During this time, issues as diverse as student suicides to school spirit were debated, with the conversation taking an adversarial turn at some points as the audience booed the adults on the panel and cheered on the students. Hazelwood School Dist. v. Kuhlmeier (1988) was a Supreme Court case in which it was decided that the First Amendment did not require schools to promote particular types of student speech. Speech that was “inconsistent with the shared values of a civilized social order” did not have to be permitted by the school, and administrators were free to censor what they felt would be disruptive to the “pedagogical order.” This precedent, established by the conservative Rehnquist court in 1988, was fiercely attacked by many of the student journalists present. The moderator of the discussion 4

opened his speech with a clear statement: “Oftentimes, stories that portray the school in a good light are welcomed: other stories are not.” This set the tone for much of the discussion, which was quite frank as school administrators, one of whom was from the Sewanhaka District (Carey), expressed their unwillingness to field calls from angry parents and an even angrier central administration due to reckless student publications. Their attitude was encapsulated by a short statement from the moderator, in which he correctly stated that “smaller stories that take the school to task for one reason or another are not fit for print.” The crux of the discussion, however, centered around one point: where school administrators, who, according to Supreme Court rulings have near-absolute authority in determining what gets to be printed, should draw the line and allow students to exercise their basic—and constitutionally guaranteed—right of free speech, despite the latitude they as a school had been handed by the Supreme Court in restricting it. As this is an ongoing issue in many of our schools today, it remains to be seen how the Roberts court, which is conservative in a manner similar to the Rehnquist court but has proved capable of making some sweeping decisions, will handle future cases that will ultimately determine the fate of student journalism. Schools that operate by a “we don’t hang our dirty laundry in public” philosophy will no doubt be watching very carefully. The Sewanhaka Chieftain, represented by Ketsia Saint-Armand, Courtney Balgobin, Mary Jane Dumankaya, and Emtiaz Uddin, won an Honorable Mention for Best Page One Layout for the Homecoming Issue later in the day during the awards ceremony.

Focus on Nutrition Week Andreas Pavlou

he Family and Consumer Sciences department sponsored “Focus on Nutrition Week.” Since March is nutrition month, the Family and Consumer Sciences teachers Mrs.Levintelis and Mrs. Amaris, took a whole week to raise nutrition awareness. The teachers emphasized the importance of eating well balanced meals—including breakfast. The teachers didn’t just talk about nutrition: they planned many fun activities for the students to participate in. In Mrs. Levintelis’ class, they made awesome posters that show good nutritional choices. These posters also reinforced the topics that they discussed in class. Mrs. Amaris’ “Food and Nutrition” class held an “Eat This, Not That” exposition. In this activity the students learned to substitute traditional ingredients for healthier ones. One example is substituting whole egg for egg substitute. Once the classes made their food, they set up in front of the teacher’s cafeteria to have the staff sample their healthier food. The students also made morning announcements in which they spoke about nutrition tips. The staff also had some activities planned for Nutrition Week. Mrs. Amaris and Mrs. Levintelis set up a “Cooking Light Workshop” for the staff members. One session focused on healthy thirtyminute dinner recipes. One recipe the teachers worked on was “Surf and Turf,” which consists of steak, scallops, and asparagus. Another session focused on appetizers, where the teachers made “tapas”, which are basically dough with a topping. In the spinach and tomato pizza “tapa”, the staff substituted regular flour with whole wheat flour, and olive oil for regular oil. None of these changes sacrificed the taste of the food. The students and staff proved that food can be healthy and still taste great!

Chieftain - May

Monthly Update Languages Connect Us

Foreign Language Week 2010 Sue Chen

uring the week of March 1519, Sewanhaka celebrated the National Foreign Language Week. A national event that schools throughout the nation partake in, it is dominated by an annual theme; this year’s was “Languages Connect Us.” Everyone contributed to this event at SHS. The French, Italian, and Spanish clubs decorated the Foreign Language department’s hall with posters; the Foreign Language Honor Society created posters as well. Besides the posters, there were decorative streamers that extended down to the main lobby for the entire school to see. During National Foreign Language Week, teachers in the Foreign Language department had fun activities for students to enjoy, including a mini-potluck where students brought in dishes related to the culture of the language they were studying. Not only did students receive exposure to different kinds of foods, but they also enjoyed the art of Salvator Dalí, which was hung in two banners on the wall. Many teachers bought their classes to the hallways to experience the art as they would in a museum. After that, the students either painted what they saw or made a presentation based upon their perception of Dalí’s artwork. At the end of the celebration, the students in the Foreign Language department had a poster contest. The posters were voted on, and the best one was sent to the Long Island Language Teacher’s (LILT) contest, which Sewanhaka participates in annually. The enlightening experiences the students of the Foreign Language department had were widely shared and certainly reinforced this year’s theme that languages connect us all.

Chieftain - May

Teen Speak-Out Suzette Narinesingh

ewanhaka’s tenth grade annual speak-out was held on March 24 this year. The members of FCCLA with the help of their advisors, Ms. Amaris and Mrs. Christel, put together a wonderful performance. The speak-out was focused on commonly seen issues in Sewanhaka such as bullying and stereotyping and how this can lead to substance abuse, depression and possibly suicide. The speak-out also showed the effects of unhealthy relationships, teen pregnancy and sexting in a person’s life and the impacts on their reputation. The speak-out showed the 10th graders that, in reality things like this does happen in Sewanhaka. And when you see things like bullying and peer pressure happening you shouldn’t just sit back and watch it happen, because you may think it’s a joke but it won’t be so funny when you find out one day that the person you saw getting bullied attempted or even committed suicide, do something now before it’s too late.

Follies: A Night To Remember

Courtney Balgobin

ewanhaka High School held its annual talent show on Friday, April 16th, and it surely was a night to remember. This year’s theme was musical icons and tributes. There were a variety of acts which included poetry readings, class acts, group dances, vocal solos, and teacher performances. Everyone worked hard and put on an outstanding show. With a full house, the participants brought everything they could to the stage and nailed it. The show commenced with the beautiful piano styling of Bobby Jackson and his rendition of Clocks. Host of the show, Stephen Pink, performed in three acts: a duet with Martine Norgaisee, a tribute to the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson, and a trio with Samuel Robeniol and Immanuel Jones. Stephen Pink is true performer with

a gifted voice and has the charisma to captivate the hearts of his audience. Mr. Chris Doherty of the Music Department conducted the Jazz Band in their rendition of Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin. Of course, they rocked it as they do every single year. Unfortunately, there were no other original bands in this years showcase. Everyone awaited the two teachers’ acts, which were indeed superb—who knew our teachers had so much rhythm? Mr. Doherty and Mr. Tsolekas—the coordinator of Follies—rocked out on the guitar, while Mr. Cirolia skillfully accompanied them on the drums. The band’s new lead singer this year was Mr. Labbatto. The teacher’s dance group, choreographed by Mrs. Reece, performed Bad Romance and several other songs by Lady Gaga. There were several vocal solos that moved the entire audience. Junior Sara Cataldo sang a song from the Broadway musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie. Not only was it an incredible rendition, she even dressed like Millie! Tatiana Overton sang Chasing Pavements by Adele and with her extremely large vocal range; it was absolutely amazing. Senior, Mikhail Gilbert, read his own poem titled “Deserving Me.” Passionately reading, he expressed his feelings and proved that he truly is a brilliant orator. Additionally, last year’s winners, Story of Six, brought back their medley of R&B songs and rocked the stage. There were only two class acts this year, but they were marvelous. The Class of 2011 did a tribute to The Supremes including songs such as My Girl and Stop! In the Name of Love. The boys captured everyone’s attention with their suspenders and bow ties. With a tribute to Queen, the Class of 2010 put on quite a show with songs such as We Will Rock You and We are the Champions. It was a sentimental moment for the graduating seniors. Follies is a tradition that has been honored year after year, it really is a memorable event for the participants, as well as the audience. 5

Student Feature Ketsia Saint-Armand: Climbing the Stairs to Success Katrina Simon

You’ve definitely heard her name handy.” For her, the motto “I’m too reasons. The main reason is for their in the hallways. If you don’t know blessed to be stressed” coincides “level of perseverance,” says Ketsia. her from Model UN, Stuwith her lifestyle. Raising three children, going to dent Council, TAG, or the Ranking 3rd in her class college full-time, and working full Varsity Track team, you has come with an obvious time—despite limited financial probably know her as ‘the amount of dedication and resources—are not easy tasks, yet girl going to Harvard Unihard work. Ketsia plans to they are tasks Ketsia’s parents have versity.’ Her name is Ketcontinue this dedication achieved successfully, which make sia Saint-Armand, and she and hard work while go- them her biggest influence. can definitely be defined ing to Harvard University, In her spare time, Ketsia enjoys as one of Sewanhaka’s fincurrently ranked as the top reading diverse materials, includest students. college in the world. When asked ing manga and manwha (Japanese Born on December 30, 1992 in about her reaction and Taiwanese the Saint-Francois du Sale Hospital upon receiving the comics), the New formerly located in Port-au-Prince, news of her accepYork Times, and Haiti, Ketsia’s hard work and ef- tance, she states “To The New Republic. fort can be seen from her grades put it mildly, I was She enjoys listenand the countless amounts of out- quite shocked… ing to classical standing awards she has won. These I don’t think I’ve music and recentawards include many from Model fully processed ly became a new UN conferences, writing, math, it now.” Ketsia is member of the Spanish, as well as many for piano considering major- Ketsia performing Chopin’s “Fantasie jazz band, playImpromptu” at International Night. playing. She is also a ing in ing piano. When National Merit Compolitiasked to describe mended Student, an cal science and eco- herself, she uses words such as AP Honors and Nanomics, as well as the “neurotic, quirky, overzealous, and tional Achievement possibility of public monomaniacal.” When asked this Scholar, and will be health policy. Along question to her friends, they say graduating in June with being accepted the same thing. She defines herself with an Advanced to Harvard Univer- as “an intense individual who takes Ketsia after winning the Regents Diploma. Distinguished Delegate award sity, Ketsia was ac- things very—indeed, some may say Along with this, she at Rutgers with her partner, K. cepted to many other too—seriously.” has also won an award Lockhandwala competitive schools, From being an outstanding for ‘Best Editorial’ for including the Univer- friend, to an outspoken leader, to the Chieftain within the district. sity of Chicago, Princeton Uni- a fantastic athlete, to an exuberant When asked how she handles the versity, Columbia University, and scholar, Ketsia has definitely made stress of school, extracurricular ac- Georgetown University. a name for herself at Sewanhaka tivities, friends and family, she says Of course, Ketsia’s influences are High School. We know we’ll be that “at times, things do get to be what molded her into what she is hearing great things from her soon, quite difficult, but that’s where today. To her, her parent’s are her and she will be greatly missed once strict time management comes in biggest influences for a variety of she departs from the school. 6

Chieftain - May

Teacher Feature

Changing Students, One Chemistry Class at a Time

Ketsia Saint-Armand

hree years A stint in a hospital ago, Mrs. as a volunteer and her Lauren Foley stood advisor, Dr. Ropski, in front of her first who was also her biolchemistry class here ogy professor freshman at Sewanhaka High year, however, changed School. A freshly that life plan dramatihired teacher, she cally, and after much had come from a consideration and field markedly different observation, she decidenvironment and ed to become a teacher, pedagogical backadding secondary eduThe Chemistry Guru herself ground than the one obligingly poses for the Chief- cation to her biology tain’s camera. presented by this major. Coming from a school, and, eager family of teachers—her to try a new technique, taught mother, aunt, and cousin are all her students in one fell swoop the teachers—Mrs. Foley explains that most important facet of chemisshe may have had initial reservatry: experimentation. Consuming tions about becoming a teacher, before her students’ amazed eyes especially because doing so would what seemed to be a candle (it was mean sidelining what had been her later an almond lit on fire, she exlifelong dream. But, she explained plained), she started off her teachwith a rueful chuckle, she could ing career with a bang and has not imagine herself having to continued her string of innovative “touch people” for the rest of her successes here at Sewanhaka. career. So, with that in mind, she Born and raised in Pittsburgh, chose teaching, which would no Pennsylvania and a graduate of doubt entail touching students’ Gateway Senior High School, lives, not their injured muscles. Mrs. Foley always maintained an After acquiring her bachelors active interest in the sciences. As degree from Gannon and passing a high school scholar athlete, she the requisite exams to become a was drawn to the idea of becomlicensed high school teacher, Mrs. ing a physical therapist, especially Foley began her career at a private since she would be able to pursue school in Maryland before transboth her passion for the sciences ferring up north to Sewanhaka. and sports. Upon her high school The qualifications for being graduation, she attended Gannon a chemistry teacher, Mrs. Foley University in Erie, NY, declaring has explained, entail an extensive a major in biology with the intent breadth and depth of knowledge of becoming a physical therapist. of both subject matter and teaching technique: each high school Chieftain - May

teacher must take a general education exam that tests math, reading, general education, and art knowledge, and upon completing it, must take yet another exam pertaining to the specific subject. Credentials vary by and depend on each state, so when Mrs. Foley came from Maryland to New York, she was compelled to undergo yet another series of exams. Various workshops are also required, including one on violence prevention. Not only is Mrs. Foley a chemistry teacher, but she is also a class advisor to the graduating Class of 2010. As an advisor to the class for three years, she says that she has enjoyed her experience with the current seniors, as they are “very friendly.” This year, with the host of student activities that have been going on, Mrs. Foley has been pleased overall, expressing pleasure in the large turnout at events like Senior Banquet and in the kindness extended by members of the class to each other in selecting the winners of the Superlative awards. In terms of advice to the graduating seniors, she warns that “consistency is key” to ensuring the execution of enjoyable activities; further pearls of wisdom included being “honest with yourself and others,” not overextending oneself by overcommitting to too many activities, and, most importantly of all, valuing one’s education. 7

Editorial The Cruelty of the College Crunch

Ketsia Saint-Armand

he college admissions season has passed once again, leaving some overjoyed and others, well, unhappy—to say the least. A big to-do has been made over the decisions, with the snide and dreaded inquiry—“Where will your son/daughter be matriculating this fall?”—having been passed ‘round during awkward dinner table conversations. Tears have been shed over applications, commas in essays analyzed, agonizing and anonymous posts posted online in forums like the wildly popular College Confidential (with millions of posts to date), and wallets emptied to pay all the application fees. In short, college applications have once more been made our national pastime, a veritable Superbowl of academia. But after the dust has settled, we must ask ourselves: was it worth it? This month and the next, over a quarter of the 16.3 million high school students currently estimated to be in school by the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 U.S. Statistics Report will graduate as one of the largest classes in history. Many of them will enter college, and some of them will complete their course of study. All of them will later be entering the job market and competing against each other and against students from abroad (similarly armed with bachelors and masters degrees). It has been argued as of late that American students are “not equipped” to deal with the global realities that confront us, and that nations that turn out a greater surplus of graduates will eventually steamroll us competition-wise in the job market. However, this is unequivocally false. Of the top ten academic universities in the world, a staggering eight are in the United States, according to a the Academic Ranking for World Universities, published annually by the Institute of Higher Education of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. American graduates, who make up the overwhelming majority at these institutions, are more than qualified to operate on an equal footing with their international counterparts. Students from other countries view us with bemused amusement, wondering at the sanity of a nation that would place such a premium upon what one does for four years. Said a student at the Princeton pre-freshman (or, in the vernacular, prefrosh) weekend, “I just don’t understand it. In Australia, when I found out where I would be going to college, no one made a big fuss out of anything.” Similarly, at another prefrosh weekend, a recruited tennis player from England was in the same way incredulous of the amount of stress associated with the college process and a seeming

national fixation on brand-name institutions. Abroad, college is viewed as it should be: another step in life, and nothing more. Granted, a graduate from Oxford may have a 10-second advantage in perception in comparison to a graduate from Liverpool Community, but the long-term benefits of going to an institution that costs upwards of ₤50,000 annually can be counterbalanced by hard work and consistent self-application. The United States currently turns out approximately 1 million college graduates every year, with the students at the forefront of their fields and participating in cutting-edge research at the world’s best research universities. Other nations may have more graduates, to be sure, but U.S. graduates are as capable of working in the science and mathematics fields as they. And for those who think that we, as a nation, do not take higher education seriously, look no further than Azia Kim, the subject of a titillating segment on Fox News entitled “Scamming Stanford.” A young woman and graduate of a competitive California high school, Ms. Kim concocted an elaborate scheme, masquerading as a Stanford student for over a year. When found out, her family and friends were shocked, incapable of believing that sweet little Azia would have deceived them so. And yet, with the emphasis so many subsets of the U.S. culture place on going to big-name schools, why was anyone surprised? Azia Kim in her high In addition to the cultural re-evaluation school yearbook. necessary, there are sectors of higher education that also warrant a long, hard look. Some areas of higher education – in addition to our perception – are in dire need of reform. Take, for instance, the spiraling costs of an undergraduate education or the even steeper rise of the cost of professional schools. The tuition at some institutions has outpaced inflation by over 7%, which, when taken in conjunction with stagnating wages, makes attending college impossible without incurring substantial financial hardship for many. In spite of these daunting facts, the U.S. still manages to turn out a considerable number of graduates who go on to be leaders in their fields. There’s no need for us to further compound the stress through unnecessary pressure; simply by getting an education less than 1% of the students in the world have access to, U.S. students are already in the ranks of the elite.

Of the top ten …universities in the world, a staggering eight are in the United States.

Chieftain - May

Editorial College Competition: An Empty Road? Armaghan Behlum

ne of the many advantages that American citizens hold over the citizens of the rest of the world is the standard of our colleges. Colleges in the United States are by far the best in the world as the United States has 18 schools in the top 40 of the world and has seven schools in the top ten in the world. This proves that the United States has the best post-secondary education available to its students, but does this education come at too high a price? Does the extraordinary nature of our colleges cause our students to become too competitive? The answer would be a definite no. Though the standards of college in the United States are exceptionally high, the quality of the average high school students in our country is lackluster. The United States lags behind many other countries in terms of the “preparedness” of its students. Of the seniors in the entire nation, only 18% of them meet the proficiency level in the science. In the 31 countries surveyed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States ranks 15th in reading, 19th in math, and 14th in science. Far from being too competitive, the American students are not competitive enough in comparison to the rest of the world. Educational competitiveness is located in only the few isolated students that truly strive for success, and it is these students who are especially devastated when they are unable to meet their standards. These competitive students are hidden somewhere in the 75% of high school graduates that actually go to college, a terrible turnout if one actually considers the numbers.

the rising job opportunities will involve some college education/training. The United States lags behind other nations in terms of education of its younger citizens, though we shine as an academically well-rounded nation in our old generations. The problem is that the older generations of the U.S. were much more competitive as compared to the new generation.

competitive nature is extremely beneficial in a competitive world. In a competitive educational system, the competitive students will word harder to achieve dominance then they would have in a lackluster school. Noncompetitive students are left in the dust of all those students that work for academic dominance. These students adopt a “who-cares” attitude that slows them down even more since they do not care about receiving the benefits of a good education. They will strive to be no higher then average, if they aim that high at all. Sewanhaka is fortunate to have students who are competitive enough to participate and strive for victory in out-ofschool competitions such as those that science research and Model United Nations attend. However, most of the students in the United States have ceased to care and therefore have ceased to be competitive about entering college.

Of the seniors in the entire nation, only 18%… meet the proficiency level in the science.

To comprehend how behind the rest of the world America is, understand that U.S. colleges and universities turn out a little over 1 million graduates per year, 70,000 of who gained degrees in engineering. India and China graduate approximately 6.4 million students apiece, about 1 million of which are in engineering. The problem of the United States is not that the students take college and education too seriously; it is that we the students take education too lightly. Many high school students graduate without truly being prepared to receive a college education; a scary fact since according to the U.S. Department of Education, 90% of Chieftain - May

In a few, relatively uncommon cases, the stress levels caused by education and by college can be too high for the students to bear. This unfortunate fact does not diminish the even more disturbing fact that the United States is falling behind in actual numbers of competitive students. We are fortunate to have such an outstanding list of colleges that out students can attend and it is about time that these students begin to take advantage of these opportunities. It is about time that out students attempted to be as academically competitive as children in other nations are and it is about time they were as academically successful as the older generation was. It is true that we are currently the leader in economic and research standards as compared to all other developed countries, but that may change if our next generation is not up to the task of carrying on the mantle. 9

World News Formspring: Ask Me Anything Armaghan Behlum

hile Facebook is still the emperor of all things in social networking, a new website called Formspring.me has recently started to impinge on Facebook’s territory. Formspring is a relatively young and new social website where people can ask each other questions on any topic, and choose to be anonymous if they wish. This allows for a variety of questions to be asked, ranging from the simple like “what’s your favorite fruit?” to the down-right odd like “is life a giant tomato?” The 31 year old founder and CEO of Formspring, Ade Olonoh, came up with the idea after he noticed that people on his original website, formspring. com, were using the website to ask questions and make comments on their friends. After a while people started using the name of the website as a verb, saying to each other “formspring me.” According to Ade Olonoh “it only made sense to launch the new website as formspring.me.” Formspring.me was launched November 25, 2009 and less then a year later, has now become the new social craze, the new Twitter as Twitter-mania itself dies down. Formspring drives its own success by not directly competing with any other social networking site. Rather, it allows its users to post their answers onto their Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr pages, thereby using the visitors of the usual social giants, but still not directly competing with any of them. This strategy has proven to be relatively successful, as formspring.me has had 50 million unique visitors in the past 30 days. It also does not make any money from its service, choosing instead to “focus on building the team, product and infrastructure” according to its CEO. The financial needs of Formspring.me are covered by its parent site Formspring.com. Not everyone looks favorably upon 10

the rise of this new social website. Some have already started to point out the damage a website like formspring.me can cause to teens and young adults. The biggest problem critics, like parents, have with formspring.me is that questions can be asked anonymously. Some may take this to mean people can have harmless fun by asking odd questions, but the danger lies in the fact that people can use this anonymous status to ask potentially harmful or extremely rude questions. Of course the only questions that are made public are the questions people choose to answer and so people have the option to delete for-

ever questions that trespass onto their private life. There are times, however, when people choose to not use this safety shield and respond back to verbally insulting questions. These small, minor arguments on a social website can escalate into a potentially hazardous event. Alexis Pilkington, a 17 year old, from West Islip committed suicide after suffering from cyber bullying on Formspring. Even after her death, anonymous posts have been made on her Facebook and Formspring that are often very disturbing for the friends and family of Alexis. Another situation occurred in Central Dauphin East High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania when a fight broke out between 7 teens after an argument over questions posted on Formspring. Some parents, who wish to remain anonymous on WLKY (news station in Kentucky), have stated that there

are “several inappropriate and very vulgar, threatening messages on this website” and “these children can say anything they want to and hide behind that computer screen.” The parents themselves are afraid to come out and say their names because they believe that such exposure will cause their child to receive even more nasty posts. FOX23 recently found some threats made between teens but even they, major news network, cannot share specific information about these comments because the comments were too obscene to share with their readers. The students of Sewanhaka have mixed feelings about the new social website. Some believe that “it’s fun, but causes too much drama” while others have written it off as “a most stupid way to waste time.” One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, says that “Formspring is just another trap to get students entangled in the networking community.” The general consensus of the students of Sewanhaka seems to be that it’s something to do when “extremely bored” but other wise there is no reason to “care” for Formspring. me The appearance of a website that collects so much information on the lives of people is scary in and of itself. Already there was a rumor in which claims were made that a fictitious CEO of Formspring, Mark Baxter, was arrested after it was made known that the personal information on Formspring.me would be made public. Of course there is no Mark Baxter and Formspring does not plan on unveiling personal information, but the dangers of such an event still echo in the minds of some people. The real CEO of Formspring, Ade Olonoho, has stated that he and his company do not plan to ever unveil the information that is collected on Formspring and will keep the members of Formspring.me anonymous so as to not interfere with a working system.

Chieftain - May

Movies & Music Emtiaz Uddin

into the script of the movie, but rather, all energy was expended on creating the 3-D effects: the film had literal depth, rather than depth in its characters and story. The best—and really, the only bearable—aspect of the film was the CGI used and the 3D shooting. Other than that, there was nothing special in “Wonderland”. Tim Burton’s attempt to resurrect a classic Disney film was nothing short of a failure. He made what was once an amazing children’s movie to something shallow and only visibly appealing. The Alice in Wonderland shows how much we have forgotten about the hope that films used to instill in us, and how we now only base our opinion of a film on its superficial appearance. One would think that bringing Alice in Wonderland in 3D would be an improvement and an upgrade, but in reality it was not. It lost most of the elements that made the previous film a classic, and this a 3/5.

Image courtesy of “Alice in Wonderland” promotional website

any of us have watched Disney movies in the past, with movies like the Lion King, Bambi, Cinderella, Aladdin, and Alice in Wonderland shaping made our childhood. With the end of two-dimensional animation, a new era has taken form with three-dimensional animation. Many films along this path have deemed to be successful and have given no reason to go back to cartoon-style movies. However, the release of the new Alice in Wonderland only makes us, the audience, realize how much we miss those cartoon films of the past. With Tim Burton directing, one would think that the film would be amazing, since Burton has such a history of directing quality films. The cast isn’t even bad, with actor Johnny Depp leading the way as the Mad Hatter, along with Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen and Mia Wasikowska as the Alice we all know. Although the new film shares the same and exact title as the old, it is much different. Alice in Wonderland takes place almost thirteen years after the previous one, with Alice accidentally returning back to Underland. The story then goes on with Alice trying to defeat the Jabberwocky dragon and the Red Queen. It’s readily—and Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. sadly—apparent that too little went Chieftain - May

B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray Emtiaz Uddin

s the days go by, musicians are only getting older, thus allowing new musicians to start new careers. Many of these newcomers have failed to make an impression, because they fail to bring anything new to the table. One exception, however, is an Atlanta-born rapper, Bobby Ray, also known as B.o.B. With the release of his new album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray, B.o.B. has proved himself a musical genius. Already, he has two singles in the Top Five of the pop charts, with “Nothing on You” featuring Bruno Mars, and “Airplanes” featuring Hayley Williams. Rapper Eminem, one of the greatest n the music game, has shown interest in B.o.B. and even has a guest appearance on the track, “Airplanes Part II”. Many of B.o.B.’s songs deal with his past and how much he had to overcome to reach fame. Notable songs include, “Don’t Let Me Fall”, “Past My Shades”, ‘Fifth Dimension”, and “Ghost in a Machine”. With so much fame and recognition in so little time, B.o.B. is on path to stardom and greatness. The Adventures of Bobby Ray truly is an amazing album and work of art, and deserves no less than five stars.

Image courtesy of “Alice in Wonderland” promotional website

Alice in Blunderland

Musical Feature Sewanhaka Puts on a Stunning Show Ketsia Saint-Armand

n March 5, 2010, the Sewanhaka Musical Club, starring Jennifer Brogna and Stephen Pink, opened the first night of its show, “All Shook Up,” an Elvis Presley adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Both a commentary on Midwestern culture of the 1950s and a romantic comedy, this musical began in a rather humdrum—and appropriately anonymous—town of the Midwest, where rock-n-roll revolutionary Chad (Stephen Pink) rolled into town, intent on changing its sclerotic institutions to be more in line with the adventurous spirit sweeping the country. In that same town, a young tomboy, Natalie (Jennifer Brogna) wished and waited for her true love to appear, which she thought would never appear.

As soon as the two left, though, the stern Mayor Matilda entered with her nervous and browbeaten son, Dean (David A. Jones, Jr.) to scold the citizens for their antics. While there, Dean exchanged some shyly affectionate gestures with Sylvia’s (Nehemie Souverain) daughter, Lorraine (Martine Norgaisse). The scene then quickly switched to that of Chad and Natalie, where she was divulging to him her ambition to take to the open road, to which Chad responded with a song, “Follow That Dream.”

horoughly smitten, Natalie sought to augment her femininity by donning her only dress, a tattered and greasy rag previously relegated to the task of cleaning out grimy car engines. Then, Unfortunately for these two young her longtime friend, Dennis (Rene Amell) individuals, though, ran to meet her, intent on excitement—which confessing his true feelings included tight pants, towards her when Chad enpublic necking, and tered, interrupted—rather loud music—was rudely, too—and asked outlawed by a prudNatalie to become his new ish mayor (Madeline sidekick. Here, the actBoldyrew) intent ing took a comedic turn on maintaining law as Dennis, obviously igand order in a nanored, became even more tion gone wild. Imcrestfallen to see his good mediately incensed, friend mooning over an Chad set to flouting obvious stranger. Natalie, the mayor’s rules by who accepted Chad’s offer, repairing its only remained blissfully oblivijukebox, which had ous to the fact that Chad been broken prior to had not intended for his his arrival. His magproposition to be taken in a ic touch soon had it Dean (David J.) and Lorraine romantic sense. fixed, and it came to (Martine N.) after confessing to life as the cast gathered each other. One encounter later, ‘round singing a lusty though, the meaning of the rendition of “C’mon Everybody.” Natalie, word “sidekick” was made painfully clear immediately attracted to this lively indito Natalie. The glamorous Sandra (Danvidual, struck up an immediate friendship ielle Brogna), a museum curator pining that Chad interpreted as seeking business, away in the sleepy midwestern town, imand with that in mind, he requested that mediately struck Chad’s fancy as he began she come repair his bike. to croon a reprise of “One Night With You,” but he was rebuffed by the polished 12

and sophisticated Sandra, who responded with a scornful version of Elvis’ famous “You Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog,” adapted for All Shook Up as “Teddy Bear/ Hound Dog.” Natalie’s widowed father, Jim (Ryan Touie), bemoaned the recent lasciviousness that had befallen the youth of the town in the company of Lorraine’s mother, Sylvia. However, he, too, soon meets Sandra, and is immediately smitten by her beauty—clearly an oblique commentary not only on the 1950s preoccupation with physical attributes and perfection, but also and the inordinate amount of attention it commanded in that society—but feels too shy to speak to such a beauty. Lorraine and Dean, however, make far more progress than Jim and Sandra, declaring their love to each other in a passionate fashion and then re- Ms. Sandra’s refusal of Chad’s solving romantic overtures in “Teddy to run Bear/Hound Dog.”. away together because of Mayor Matilda’s plans to send Dean away to a military school as punishment for falling in love. Jim and Chad, in the meanwhile, follow Sandra like two lovelorn fools. However, it is Natalie, dressed as a leather-jacketed male roustabout, that attracts Sandra’s attention, and her attraction towards NataChieftain - May

Musical Feature Sewanhaka Puts on a Stunning Show lie is declared with the requisite rendition of “One Night With You,” the general signal that a character has fallen in love. In awe of Natalie’s coolness (her male name was switched to “Ed”), Chad immediately declared her his new sidekick. And to the romantically frustrated Jim, Chad advised that he dress in a cooler fashion, illustrating his opinion with a song entitled “Don’t Be Cruel.”

begs Chad to teach her the finer points of seduction, but instead winds up kissing Chad, running away, and creating a thoroughly awkward situation. Confidence shaken, Chad sings “Power of my Love” to reaffirm his masculinity, then encounters both Jim and Sandra. After realizing that they are both in love with the same woman, Jim and Chad, who are equally rebuffed by Sandra, turn their interests elsewhere: Jim, to his own heartbreak, and Chad to the pressing problem of his In other parts of the newfound feelings for his sidekick. Retown, though, Mayor Mat- Sheriff Earl alizing that he has feelings for ‘Ed,’ he ilda is cracking down upon (Hector), who sings “I Don’t Want To” as an expression the perceived immoral behav- stole both of his confusion, then goes off to find the the show and ior, and to her shock comes others in the fairgrounds. Mayor Matupon a necking couple: her ilda’s heart. son, Dean, and his paramour, Mayor Matilda, followed by the siLorraine. After disobeying lent Sheriff Earl (Hector), vows to bring his mother’s orders to return home and the roustabout down in a rendition of prepare for a departure to military school, “Devil in Disguise,” which was accompaDean runs off with Lorraine into the night nied with amusing pantomime on the part towards the abandoned fairgrounds. of the Sheriff.

Chad offers his advice to the young people of Mayor Hyde’s town.

ith the citizens growing more restless and their behavior more risqué, Mayor Matilda mounts a search of the fairgrounds, where various citizens are hiding. Natalie, growing more desperate, Chieftain - May

Jim, who is still forlorn, is found by Sylvia, who confesses her love to him. However, as he is not yet recovered from his previous rejection, he rushes off to sort out his feelings. Dean and Lorraine, who were previously considering running away to avoid facing the Mayor, are discovered by Chad, who encourages them to stay and fight for their love through the song “If I can Dream.”

alizing that they were hiding the truth from themselves and others. Sheriff Earl dramatically breaks his dumb state and shouts aloud of his love to Matilda, Dance captain Amanda Monwho is then toni shows her moves. so shocked that she allows Dean and Lorraine to be together. Dennis and Sandra have a mutual realization that they love Shakespeare, and Jim realizes that he had actually loved Sylvia. Chad accepts Natalie for who she is, leading to a happy ending for all. In the dénouement of the musical, a triple wedding takes place between Jim and Sylvia, Matilda and Earl, and Dennis and Sandra. Overall, the musical was performed exceptionally well by the members of the Sewanhaka cast, making it an enjoyable night for all.

he final confrontation with the Mayor results in all of the The seniors—and stars—of the cast pose in their blue suede shoes one characters re- last time before the show. 13

Sports Varsity Baseball John Miller

lot of hard offseason work went into preparation for this season as the Indians were looking to improve from last year. The goals were set high because of the talent and dedication present this year. The team was getting together and hitting at least once a week all winter long and started getting the pitchers throwing early too. The coaching staff has taken a great interest in us and although we joke around all the time we also take the season very seriously. Led by senior captains Mike Klein and James Wighaus, John Miller, and Ernesto Gallone as well as the rest of the seniors the team has gotten off to a 2-3 overall start and a conference record of 1-2. JJ McLauglin, Ryan Miller, Kevin Brethel, and Josh Castro and the rest of the juniors have also stepped up big to make huge contributions to the overall success. The two wins came over Roosevelt and Westbury while the first loss was in a heartbreaker with Roslyn. The game went back and forth but Roslyn edged out the Indians in the last inning to take the win. Sewanhaka will have a second chance at Roslyn later in the season with two more league games against them. In the weeks to come the Indians will see teams such as Elmont, Westbury, Great Neck North, and Valley Stream South. The team is even being given a chance this year to play a game at Staten Island Yankee Stadium against Floral Park High School which will be held on May first. Everyone is encouraged to come out and support. In order to keep the playoff hopes alive every game from here on out is extremely important. The Indians look focused and should end up having a very successful season. -A.B.

Spring Track Dusts their Competitors Ketsia Saint-Armand

arsity Spring Track began the season with three young, talented captains leading the boys’ and girls’ teams. Coach Nola and Coach Felicetti were at the helm of the boys’ and girls’ teams, respectively, and the hard training regimen they have put into place has produced great results. Standouts Jenny Leak, senior, and Celestina Pipia, eighth grader, have continued their shotput and discuss success, with both athletes setting new personal bests for themselves throughout the season. Similarly, Jeffery Joseph threw over 14

120 feet in the discus event, setting himself up nicely for contention as an All-County athlete. Senior Remini Banks has continued to be an integral member of the girls’ Darrian Watkins passes the baton off team, coming in to anchor Diana Diana Leak during the 4x400 relay third place in a county-wide meetrace at Mitchel Complex three weeks ago. Captains Johane Joseph, Ashlyne Polyniece, and Vanessa Senat have continued to post strong performances as well. Christopher D’Meza, sophomore, and John Lazo, freshman, have been running exceptionally well and are on their way to doing great thigns as the vanguard of Sewanhaka’s next generation of long-distance runners. At the last two meets, both the Sewanhaka boys’ and girls’ teams came in first place by hefty margins, thus showcasing the overall strength of the team. We look forward to seeing great things from the athletes on the team this year.

Sewanhaka Lacrosse Looks Ahead Emtiaz Uddin

“W

e are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” After missing the playoffs by a game last year, the Sewanhaka Boys Lacrosse have taken the initiative to start from the get go and make lacrosse and winning a habit. Lacrosse is a spring sport, but the team has been practicing since the end of last season by institutThe Sewanhaka team scores a goal! ing a Summer League, a Summer Camp, and a Winter League. The coaches have gone out of their way to make sure that team Chieftain - May

Sports was prepared for this season. Even the players have shown their dedication and commitment by hosting practices when the coaches were A Sewanhaka player looks for a pass. absent. With many players graduating last year, the lacrosse team this year is very young. There are only a handful of seniors, and the juniors and even the sophomores have stepped their game up, improving remarkably from their Junior Varsity days. Leading the team are captains and seniors Cody Vassallo and John Marco Millitano. Millitano has been on the Varsity squad for four years, playing as the starting goalie. Vassallo is the team’s leading scorer with already over 25 goals and has been on Varsity for three years. When asked about the team’s attitude and Sewanhaka players head off a group of Mandirection this hassett defenders. season, Cody Vassallo replied, “Lacrosse is more than just sport but the connection you have with your teammates. The team this year has become a family. Ever since the end of last season we have all come together like a family and have had each other’s back like family.” Coaching the lacrosse team are Coach Burgess and Coach Sakowich; and they have instilled hope and motivation in this year’s lacrosse team. Already having played ten games, the Indians have won three against Uniondale, Wheatley/Carle Place, and a thrilling overtime victory against Clarke on their lacrosse day. With only five games remaining, the Sewanhaka Indians Lacrosse team hopes to end the season on a good note.

Girls Varsity Lacrosse Elsa Gimenez

he varsity girls lacrosse team’s favorite saying is “Give them nothing! Take everything from them!,”

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and that is exactly what they have being doing. With a record of 7 wins and only one loss to Valley Stream Central’s team in overtime by one point, the team is pumped and ready to dominate its future opponents. Captains and seniors Gabby Ford, Karen Gimenez, and Katie Hogan have lead the team to victory, with each one utlizing their own strong skills. Coaches Brennan and Stewart have been dedicated to coaching the team every day after school, before school and on weekends. Both of them have been of great guidance and inspiration, pushing the girls to their fullest potential. The team looks poised to complete a dominating season this spring.

Girls Varsity Softball Catherine Johnson

“O

ffense wins games, defense wins championships.” This could not be any truer than as displayed by the Sewanhaka Varsity Softball team of 2010. With hard work and dedication, the members of the team under Coach Kelly and Coach DeSabato have made it up to conference one this season after strong showings in the past two years. Facing a tough schedule and top teams in the county, the team has been off to a rough start but is ultimately adjusting, day by day, to prepare for a good run in the playoffs. Coming down to the last three games of the season, the team has high hopes, taking the last two games into extra innings scoreless. Not one girl on the team gives up; there is so much heart in each player, and pressure means nothing. With a loss of 1-0 to number one seed Floral Park to start the season, and recently a 1-0 loss in the tenth inning to them, Sewanhaka softball is definitely putting up a fight. We play under a “never say never” mentality, and that definitely proves true in each and every inning played. The last game was a win 5-1 over Carle Place in the eleventh inning; it’s looking like a strong finish for the girls. The team has an enormous amount of fun, while keeping in mind one genuine goal--a win in round one of playoffs--to make it further than prior years, and hopefully a continuation through the rounds. Led by senior captain and third baseman Katie Johnson, and junior captains Monique Roberge on the mound, and Michelle Mongiello in center field, the defense has been phenomenal and a huge aspect of the success of the team. Key senior players include outfielders Kristen Lucke, Carmelina Mottola, Cindy Gallardo, and Amanda Levin, while juniors also play a large role with Paige Wighaus at first base, Jen Cersosimo in the outfield, Gina Cangelosi behind the plate and Brianna Yannuci. Sophomores include shortstop Jackie Wisniewski and Nicole Freitag at second base, and two freshmen have also helped to keep the team in shape--Rachel Wisniewski and Cassidy Johnson. Sticking together, this team is unstoppable, forming a bond on the field that will ultimately benefit in playoffs. “Some wish for it, we work for it.” 15

“When in doubt, tell the truth.” -Mark Twain American Scholastic Press Award

newsday H.S. journaLISM AWARD

Hank Logerman Award 2009 and 2010 Quill YOUNG PEOPLE PRESS award

Mr. Warren A. Meierdiercks, Superintendent Of Schools

Board of Education Jean Fichtl - President DavidT. Fowler - Vice President Joseph Armocida David Del Santo Laura Ferone Lorraine Ferrigno Michael Jaime Joan Romagnoli Mrs. Debra Lidowsky - Principal Sewanhaka Central High School District A Nationally Recognized District of Excellence