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 21 Issue 1
Sewanhaka Says Farewell to the Class of 2010 Chieftain - June
The Chieftain The Chieftain Editor-in-Chief Ketsia Saint-Armand Layout Editor
Armaghan Behlum SEWANHAKA HIGH SCHOOL 500 Tulip Ave.- Floral Park, New York 11001
PHOTO EDITOR
Emtiaz Uddin
Monthly Update Page 3-5
Teacher Feature Page 6-7
Staff
Courtney Balgobin Mary Jane Dumankaya
Greetings from the Editors: With the school year winding down, we’d like to encourage everyone to consider joining the school paper and getting a head start on next year’s valuable work of student journalism. This year, we’ve managed to implement quite a few changes and are looking forward to doing much more next year as your editors. Throughout the summer, if you have any suggestions, feel free to email them to chieftain@sewanhaka.k12.ny.us—we welcome your suggestions.
contents
Contributors Gregory Alexis Karen Gimenez Catherine Johnson James Wighaus Advisor Mr. Alfino Photogr aphs Yearbook Club Ketsia Saint-Armand
Student Feature Page 8
Special Feature Page 9
Editorials Page 10-11
Entertainment Page 12-13
Student and Community Issues Page 14
Sports
Page 15-16
Be a part of YOUR school. Be a part of YOUR Chieftain!
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Chieftain meets Thursdays, 7:20 A.M. in Room 237. All new writers and cartoonists are welcome! Chieftain - June
Monthly Update Student Government Looks Forward to Another School Year Courtney Balgobin
This year’s Student Council hosted its last meeting on May 21, 2010, wrapping up business and getting ready to embrace its new Executive Board. Next year’s Student Council Executive Board will be comprised of: Mary Jane Dumankaya, treasurer, Sidrah Usman, secretary, Courtney Balgobin, vice president, and Karim Lahlou, president. When asked on his feelings for next year Lahlou says, “It feels awesome to be president and the future of Sewanhaka is bright!” Ms. Deegan and Mr. Tesoro will remain as advisors for the club. The new executive board looks forward to the new upcoming year and hopes to plan a lot of new activities. Already, activities like Homecoming and Spirit Day have been planned for next year. At the final General Student Council meeting, awards were presented to the winners of the Follies Talent Show. Second place solo winner Sara Cataldo was there to receive her award along with the first place group winners, The Story of Six. Their prizes were presented to them and it was a wonderful experience. The Student Council will cap off the year with an end-of-year party for all clubs and officers who participated in school activities, which will be held on June 8, 2010. Chieftain - June
The Chieftain Says Farewell to Its Seniors Editorial Staff
This year’s departing seniors have all made important contributions to the school newspaper, and some of them will continue to do so in college. While The Chieftain will miss them greatly, it wishes them luck in all their future endeavors. Here are their profiles: Emtiaz Uddin: During his time here at Sewanhaka, Emtiaz has participated in a variety of clubs and sports, making him a true scholar-athlete. A member of Mock Trial, Varsity Lacrosse, and the Science Olympiads, in addition to being the writer of the Student Council Holiday Play, Emtiaz regularly balances his academic ambitions with an active co-curricular career. He also won an award for the Best Entertainment Piece in a district-wide contest and serves as the newspaper’s Photo Editor. Not only does Emtiaz participate in sports, but he is also a member of TAG, where he regularly takes part in math and trivia contests. A member of the winning Trivia Challenge team for two years in a row, Emtiaz has made his mark here at Sewanhaka as a student proficient in many fields. He will go onto Stony Brook University next year with the intention of majoring in biology.
Anthony Jean: As the “Best Writer” award recipient of this year’s districtwide newspaper contest, Anthony Jean has made regular and substantial contributions to Sewanhaka’s paper. He will continue his path of success at Hofstra University next year, where he will major in the difficult field of Mechanical Engineering. Of writing for The Chieftain, he says this: “Writing for The Chieftain has given me insight about the abilities and talents of those in the senior class, the student body, and the faculty of Sewanhaka. After writing three feature articles and winning the Best Writer award at the Sewanhaka Inter-District Newspaper Competition, I have found journalism to be an unexpected skill of mine. During my time in college, I hope to write for the Hofstra Chronicle.” James Wighaus: James has contributed regularly to the Chieftain as an excellent sports writer, in addition to his chronicling of school events. During Senior Awards night, accolades were heaped upon him, and he ended the night on an excellent note by taking in five awards. As a recruited football player for Hartwick College, he will go there to major in history and education.
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Monthly Update Student-Teacher Day is a Success!
exciting and realistic matches James Wighaus your own between stuSenior year is a year full of anticipamouth. It dents and tion and opportunities. As seniors ,you was definiteteachers durget exclusive privileges that set you apart ly a change ing Studentfrom the rest of the students: not only do of pace for Teacher Day. you gain privileges such as leaving school most stuOne pair campus, but you also get to attend special dents. that defisenior events. One such event is StudentEach nitely stood Teacher day. For Student-Teacher Day, student had out was that each student gets to be that specific teacher different of J.P Tuberthat they may admire or have had a great tasks during quia and Mr. Ms. Gallacher and the day. Tsolekas. Madeline Boldyrew Some Both had were another of the Mr. Alfino and Alseveral sets of twins were matching exandra Tuminello show that filled the Art gym clothes on their Giants pride with Department on Studentteachand even had matching jerseys. Teacher Day. ers who the same hair spent cuts—which their day watching the young ones was no hair at all. Although the morning play intense games of dodge ball, announcements weren’t exactly the same as while others were Mr. Tsolekas’, he still did a subject teachers great job as a whole. Stewho gave tests ven Dyckman took the Various student teachers—and perhaps and taught lessame route in being Mr. future teachers, too—pose together for a quick sons. After spendLundergan. Not only snapshot. ing the day as were their clothes and Mr. Burgess John hairstyle the same, but relationship with throughout the years. AlMarco Militano comSteven also added craythough there is a lengthy process in particmented, “I’m tired; I ons in his shirt pocket to ipating, overall it’s not difficult. First, you didn’t think it was give the full effect. There Mr. Lundergan and Anthony Dykget to pick actually going to were many students who man have identical glasses and poses your make me tired.” took the roles as teachers in the art office. teacher, during Student-Teacher and Day, and many of them then you John Milldid a great job in impersonating them. dress like er got the Student-Teacher Day overall was a fun day them, honor to be for all, and had many great moments. Evhang Coach Kasieryone out with matis and had a them stated, “That unique for the was quick, I and Mr. Tsolekas and J.P. Tuberquia take it to the next level with day, and loved watchunformatching hairstyles! basically ing the ingetteach tense games table their classes of dodge day! for them. It’s a great day for seniors beball.” cause you get to see the other side of the There Ms. Dehler is corrected in Ms. Sherwood and spectrum. Instead of being the one heardefinitely English class by her student teacher, Martine Norgaisse are ing “You’re late!”, those words come from were many Devin McRae. both rather ferocious 4
when it comes to Earth Science.
Chieftain - June
Monthly Update Who Forgot Pi Day? Courtney Balgobin
Every year National Pi Day is celebrated throughout the world in honor of the mathematical constant, Pi. Here at Sewanhaka, Pi Day was celebrated on March 15, 2010. It was referred to as “Pi Day Minus .01” since the actual Pi Day (3/14) was a Sunday. Year after year, Ms. Sicherman rallies the math students throughout the building from every grade to participate in the event. The main objective is to recite the most digits of Pi that you can. Unfortunately, this year not one person showed up for the competition. The first place “pie prize” went to waste and it was a rather heartrending experience for the math folk all throughout the building. That being said, remember to stop by the TAG room next year on March 14th to join in on some Pi Day fun!
TAGees Say Farewell to Their Longtime Advisor
Ketsia Saint-Armand
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n May 26, in the library at 6:30 p.m., members of TAG from grades 7-12 gathered to say one last farewell to their longtime advisor, Ms. Dehler. As a mentor who urged her students to actively participate in writing activities by submitting works to various contests, like the one sponsored by Creative Communications, Ms. Dehler was beloved by all TAG participants and will be sorely missed. However, Ms. Sicherman, who generally directed the more math-oriented activities, will continue to serve as one of two friendly advisors for TAG. Chieftain - June
Screaming in the Rain
Armaghan Behlum
cause the rest of the park was working as if it was a normal day. During the day the students also had to observe the physics of the rides, understanding the energies and velocities of the ride, and then afterwards piece clues in a packet about the rides together to form a quote from former president Teddy Roosevelt that would then be presented to Mr. Sexton to receive a grade. The trip was an extremely enjoyable one.
When one goes to Six Flags in New Jersey, one hopes for sunny weather. When Sewanhaka physics students went to Six Flags on Physics day, March 18, 2010, that’s exactly what they did not see. The students arrived in an empty parking lot during some heavy drizzling with grumpy looking park officials. Many thought that SeSenior Math wanhaka High School would be turned away and Six Flags closed for the day. Classes Visit Local Fortunately, Sewanhaka High School’s Elementary Schools physics teacher, Mr. Sexton, was able to Ketsia Saint-Armand convince the park officials to open up ver the span of two weeks, Mr. Six Flags for Sewanhaka High School’s Fanning’s AP Calculus class students. Even though two more and Mrs. Sicherman’s Discrete Math schools joined later on, the park was class visited Covert Avenue, Stewart extremely empty as compared to how Manor, and Clara H. Carlson Elemenit would be on a normal sunny day. tary Schools to teach mathematics to Also different from a normal sunny day was the length of the lines. There were none. Physics students were fortunate enough to enjoy the adrenaline rushes of great roller coasters like El Toro, without the hassle of ever standing on lines. In fact, for the most part students were able to stay seated on said attractions rather then being forced to move on by ways of eager park fans. Students who went last year Sewanhaka students on the steps and were able to go again on outside of Clara H. Carlson school. the trip this year as mentors noticed that they were able to go on more rides in the entire fifth and sixth graders. Of the experiday because they never had to wait in ence, senior Frank Castellano says that a line. Unfortunately King da Ka and he had a “great time working with the Superman were closed for the day due kids.” The mathematics department to rain and maintenance but for most generally does this every year. of the students it did not matter be-
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Teacher Feature Sewanhaka Says Farewell to Some of Its Finest Ketsia Saint-Armand, Armaghan Behlum, and Mary Jane Dumankaya
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his year, several teachers and staff will be departing from Sewanhaka after years of distinguished and honorable service towards their community. In the Career and Technical Services department, Mr. Fred Anderes, a teacher who has been here since the 1980s, will be departing from his post as the I&A (Instrumentation and Mr. Anderes takes a rare break from teaching his AP Automation) instructor, Phsyics class to smile for the camera. leaving behind a very big pair of shoes to fill. Ever University of Pennsylvania. The since he joined the teaching staff three-year I&A program teaches of Sewanhaka in January 1981, students computer programming, Mr. Anderes has only taught the computer building, biomedical I&A program, with a bachelors engineering, and AP physics under degree from CUNY City College Mr. Anderes. As a long time teachin Electronic Engineering and a er, Mr. Anderes says he “enjoyed Masters in Architecture from the the students and the freedom to add lessons into the curriculum like holography, speaker-building, and computer-building.” When Mr. Anderes came to teach at Sewanhaka High School, he found a program that used outdated and irrelevant technologies. In a few years, he would revamp the program to include modern technology that the students would find useful when they graduated and Mr. Anderes displays his mewent into their respective scientific chanical skills with a powerful huff to blow out his first set of birthday fields. When he started, Mr. Ancandles. deres says there was “no Facebook, no email, no internet, and no 6
computers.” Slowly, computers began to invade his curriculum, to that point that the I&A curriculum now has considerable amounts of computer programming and building. Before teaching, Mr. Anderes worked as an electrical engineer for AIL where, during the Cold War, he would help them jam Russian radars. When the first man landed on the moon, Mr. Anderes was present at the back-up communications station in Puerto Rico. Mr. Anderes also writes the New York State Regents for the I&A program because there is no other school in New York State that teaches it. His expertise is unmatched in this field and it will be difficult for the next I&A teacher to fill his shoes. uidance will also be losing an integral component of its staff: Ms. Fran Kantor, the chairperson of the guidance department, will be retiring this year after many years of dedicated service. She announced her retirement at the Senior Awards Ceremony on Thursday, June third. Someone who has worked as a guidance counselor and within the school system for over two decades, Ms. Kantor grew up in the Bronx and attended high school there. Upon graduation, she attained a bachelors degree from
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Chieftain - June
Teacher Feature Sewanhaka Says Farewell to Some of Its Finest Ketsia Saint-Armand
City College and advisor and a masters degree teacher to from C.W. Post. many stuOriginally a guiddents in the ance counselor at senior class, Elmont Memorial she will High School, Ms. be sorely Kantor was apmissed, pointed guidance something chairperson student Ms. Kantor is still busy at work in the in 1994 and Stephanie came to work Guidance Office with only a few weeks to go. Augustin at Sewanhaka emotionthat same year. In ally stated in her spare time, she enjoys playing a farewell speech at the Senior golf and listening to jazz and the Barbecue. In fact, the Class of blues, and she frequently attends 2010 made a gift to Ms. Dehler of performances in nearby Manhat- a garden bench, which it hopes she will place in her garden at home. Long Island native, Ms. Dehler grew up in nearby
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Mineola, and after completing her bachelors degree in English from the College of New Rochelle, she moved to Wisconsin for several years and began teaching, all the while completing her masters degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her favorite author, as many of her students already know, is the famed Virginia Woolf, though she enjoys reading varied types of literature as well. She is an avid gardener and enjoys making quilts to enter in various competitions. At TAG Night, Ms. Dehler reminded everyone present that she was simply moving on to a new phase in her life, and that she would never truly stop teaching.
Ms. Torres at her familiar post in the Guidance Office before her departure.
tan clubs. Also, the secretary of the Guidance office, Ms. Torres, will be departing from the Sewanhaka staff to take on a banking job later this year. Ms. Kathleen Dehler, of the English department, will also be leaving this year. As a TAG Chieftain - June
Ms. Dehler poses for a quick snapshot during a rare break eight period, when she teaches one of her two AP English classes.
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Student Feature Sewanhaka’s Best Heads Off to a Bright Future Ketsia Saint-Armand
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nown to her teachers as a conscientious student, to her friends as a willing listener and dependable individual, and to her peers as a serious, intellectualminded person, Michelle Balgobin has made her mark here at Sewanhaka in a variety of ways. The Valedictorian of the Class of 2010, Michelle has attained a sky-high G.P.A. of 101.4%, which she attained while taking a variety of Advanced and Advanced Placement courses, which rank as the most difficult in the school. She is a member of a variety of clubs, especially Women in Science, which she credits with cementing her “desire to pursue a career in the science field.” A member of the club since her sophomore year, she has supplemented her activities there with participation in the Talented and Gifted program, where she became a published author. Her writing is not limited to getting pieces published, though: she also participates extensively in Sewanhaka’s literary magazine, The Arrow. Strong performances on her AP Exams led to her being awarded the title of AP Scholar, which entails scoring a 3 or higher on three or more exams. Not only did she earn accolades from the College Board, but she also was inducted as a member into several Departmental Honor Societies. Michelle regularly volunteers through service organizations here at Sewan8
influencing her career goals; her brief tour of the life sciences in her first year at Sewanhaka, along with the fact that “Mr. Naraine made science interesting and enjoyable,” have helped formulate her “love for science and searching for answers to experimental issues.” owever, Michelle’s pursuits are not limited solely to the academic sphere; in addition to community service, she plays the violin as a member of the Senior High Orchestra. Of playing the violin, Michelle says that “playhaka like Key Club and the Foreign ing [the] violin provides an escape from the monotonous work of a Language Honor Society. Michelle was born in the Booth classroom,” and her musical enMemorial Hospital in Queens, deavors have no doubt contributed New York. After moving to Flori- to her well-rounded personality. Outside of school, Michelle enda for a brief time, she moved back joys listening to reggae and soca to New York in elementary school. music. She cites Project Runway She will remain in New York for and Myth Busters as her her post-secondary edufavorite shows. With cation, and will attend regards to fashion, she St. John’s University as likes to be “unique and a Pharmacy major with chic.” the career goal of obtainWhile her favorite ing a PhD in pharmacy school subject is scito work in a hospital ence, she enjoys a vasetting. Her parents are riety of other activities her “number one fans,” which have all enriched and Michelle has their her as an individual. support in whatever enNo matter what road deavor she ultimately she eventually takes in chooses. She credits her her career, success will experience as a seventh not easily pass her by. grader in Mr. Naraine’s Michelle as a class with sparking her young toddler on her interest in science and way to becoming a budding scientist.
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Chieftain - June
Special Feature 2.
Senior Week is a Smashing Success!
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Purple and White Day: Day 4 The week culminated with the Senior Barbecue, at which students were encouraged to showcase their school spirit by wearing purple and white. Stephie-AnneDuliepre as Laila Ali and Mujitaba Zafar as Fred Flinstone on “Celebrity Day.”
Celebrities Day: Day 2 Seniors took this opportunity to be creative and dressed as celebrities from a variety of mediums. Some chose to dress up as real-life people; others decided to go the fictional route. On Wednesday morning, they gathered together to admire each others’ outfits at the Senior Breakfast.
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Karen Gimenez as an orange M&M poses with Minnie Mouse on “Celebrity Day.”
Chieftain - June
Victoria Lobos, Tatiana Overton, Mujtaba Zafar, Presilla Daniel, Madeline Boldyrew, and Julia DeFeo all representing different decades in U.S. History.
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Decades Day: Day 1
Emtiaz Uddin as a rapper, Vrindra Singh as a rock band guitarist and Christian Lucke as Beyoncé for “What I Want to Be When I Grow Up” Day.
What I want to be When I Grow Up Day: Day 3 On this day, seniors were asked to dress in the outfit their future occupation would require. There were a lot of doctors, but some took the creative route and posed as musicians of all kinds.
As the title of the day suggests, seniors dressed up in a variety of outfits from all different time periods. Some students even went international in their outfits.
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Cindy Gallardo, Miguel Ponce, Christine Garcia, Jacques Gustave, and Stephie-Anne Duliepre pose for the camera on “Decades Day.”
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Editorial And My Favorite is…Not You! Mary Jane Dumankaya
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eachers favor certain students over others – this is a fact of life. Far from being an unusual phenomenon, it’s quite simple: human beings prefer or like certain things or beings more than others. It’s not out of the norm for certain students to be likeable and therefore get more leeway or just a more positive disposition from a teacher. This preference by teachers doesn’t necessarily translate into an increase in grades or free passes for certain students, it could be as simple as encouragement from the teacher or extra help.
Nine times out of ten, favoritism is obvious to anyone willing to look.
Coaches, who have the same students in class as on the field, may be accused of giving preferential treatment to athletes These students might receive more time for assignments, and an excess of opportunities for extra credit. There is a whole new level of a perception of favoritism outside of the classroom when it comes to extracurricular activities, especially because most teachers double up as coaches and advisors. In 2000, a coach at John Jay High School, Bob Kear, was accused of showing favoritism not only to the varsity lacrosse team members, but also to his sons, which caused the school board to view his activities as a conflict of interest. By placing teachers in the untenable position of having to defend the athletic quality of their team in addition to supporting an active academic career, there is an invitation to favoritism that, unfortunately, some teachers succumb to. 10
Others will argue that it’s all in the mind of the student—this is not necessarily true. Nine times out of ten, favoritism is obvious to anyone willing to look. Teachers may not admit to having favorites because that would mark them as hypocrites. Favoritism is defined by Merriam Webster’s Dictionary as “the showing of special favor.” This showing can be in any number of ways, with the most extreme being the inflating the grades of those “special students.” However, this is the most extreme case, as most teachers will assist any student willing to show they care about their education. Less extreme situations occur every day, in almost every class. Certain students feel “picked on” more than others. Sometimes you feel, no matter how quietly you sit there, you are a hundred times more likely to get yelled at for talking than that chatterbox across from you. Just remind yourself everyday that, you’re one day closer to finishing the school year and ultimately being free. The teachers are not completely at fault; it is a Even in a marine enpart of human nature to show preference or favor vironment, preference—at least for these baby sharks— for some over others. It is requested if not openly can only be hoped that displayed. a uniform adherence to ethics is made the standard in every classroom.
Chieftain - June
Editorial Paranoia is in Bloom Armaghan Behlum
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ow that the school year is almost over, most students will start looking back at this year with either joy or anger. The people who look back at this year with joy probably enjoyed their classes and liked their teachers. The ones that are not so happy most likely disliked their teachers. They may believe that their teachers hated them or that their teachers could not do their job properly or these teachers unfairly supported some students over others. These students should re-evaluate themselves and look closely at their year because they are probably wrong. Favoritism in schools is not truly a widespread problem. It occasionally shows up on the news, usually when one teacher has allowed a below average student to receive higher grades to help boost their average so that the student can participate in extracurricular activities like clubs and sports. One fact people fail to notice is that these cases are relatively scarce and most schools have never had a case in which teachers have shown obvious favoritism to students. Students may believe they see it firsthand when they witness other students receive a better grade with much less effort. The problem in this situation is that these students are making an assumption. They assume that since the other student took less time, his or her work must be of subpar quality. The sad fact of life is that sometimes some people can produce brilliant work in a short amount of time and this work truly does deserve its reward. The teacher does not see the number of hours any one student may or may not have put into his or her work. Rather, they see the quality of the assignments they receive. Teachers cannot blatantly show favoritism to any one student. There are many reasons for this, the most obvious of which is that such discrimination among students can cause the teacher’s professionalism to be questioned. Subtle favoritism does not work also because even though it is possible for a teacher to aid a student throughout the year, in the end the ruse will become exposed because
the student will be forced to take state or national exams. These exams test the capabilities of students without discrimination and low marks on these exams do not bode well for the teachers. The exam grades truly reveal which students are the ones that have learned throughout the year and which students are the ones that have been rolled along to the finish line. If a student is doing outstandingly well throughout the year and then fails his or her Regents or AP exam, the situation becomes highly suspect and the student has gained nothing in the end. Teachers are the ones that truly understand their curriculum. Most have taught for many years, have seen others teach, and have taken courses on how to teach class. They have a very strong and credible understanding of how to educate their students fairly. If a teacher teaches an advanced class or an AP class, they are most likely qualified to do so and have had success in the previous years. If a teacher truly does not do his or her job well, chances are, the teacher will either be let go or will learn and be able to do his or her job much more efficiently. If a teacher had unfairly advanced a student in one of these classes, the student’s score on a standardized exam would be called into question. If students believe they are being treated unfairly or are not doing as well as they want to in class, they can always talk with their teacher, guidance counselor, and/or parents/guardians. It is possible that a teacher that we, the students, encounter may not treat everyone fairly. But what is the real reason for this? Could it be the attitude and work ethic... or lack thereof of the student in question? Nine out of ten times it is probably the student that is being paranoid. Teachers do not arbitrarily hate their students. Most likely it was the student that did something wrong that infuriated the teacher. If it seems a teacher does dislike you, it never hurts to sit quietly in class and pay attention to prove you do care.
Favoritism in schools is not truly a widespread problem.
Chieftain - June
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Entertainment Artist of the Decade: Eminem Emtiaz Uddin
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he new millennium had an array of fine and talented musicians. But among the many musicians, the one that shines above them is Artist of the Decade, Marshall Mathers, better known by his stage name, Eminem. Eminem released his first album in 1999 with The Slim Shady LP. After its release, Eminem won instant fame, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. Eminem’s debut album wasn’t his only album to win a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. In fact he has won a Grammy for each of his albums, except for Encore. Other albums such as, The Marshall Mathers LP, The Eminem Show, and Relapse, have all won a Grammy. After coming short with his Encore album, Eminem took a break from his music career. He would later break his five year hiatus, with the release of Relapse. The songs in Relapse mention Eminem’s addiction to prescribed medicine, and how he had to overcome it. Although Relapse received many accolades, it was looked down upon by many of his fans and critics. This was because of the extensive use of an accent he used in each song. Months after the release of Relapse, Eminem began to collaborate with many rappers in today’s generation. Such collaborations include the Forever Remix 12
which also features, Drake, Kanye West and Lil Wayne. Eminem has also guest featured in Lil Wayne’s single, Drop the World, and up and coming rapper, B.o.B’s single, Airplanes Part 2. Each guest feature has Eminem doing one verse, but each and every verse by him has one new thing in common. And that is the new style in which Eminem now raps—unbelievably fast.
,is set to be released on June 18th, this summer. If one thing’s clear, it’s that Eminem knows how to rap and please his fans. Eminem has gained so much fame through his previous albums, and there is no question he’ll add more with his next.
Iron Man 2 Much Emtiaz Uddin
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Not only has Eminem made guest appearances, but he has also released some of his own music too. After revealing his upcoming album, Recovery, Eminem has released a freestyle as a promo and his first single off the soon-to-be-released album. The Despicable freestyle, has Eminem rapping over two instrumentals, Over and Beamer, Benz or Bentley. His newest single, Not Afraid, is different from many of Eminem’s lead singles. In his previous lead singles, Eminem raps with a taste of comedy. Not Afraid is far from comedy and has Eminem rapping in a serious tone, about his personal life and previous flaws. Not Afraid has already reached number one on the Billboards and has a music video slated to be released soon. His album, Recovery
hen Iron Man first hit theatres, new life was brought upon Marvel comic-based movies. Previous films, such as Fantastic Four and The Hulk came out shorthanded and ended up as flops. Although much of Iron Man was overshadowed by The Dark Knight, it was still a mind-blowing superhero blockbuster. With the success of the first Iron Man, much awaited hype was put on to its sequel, Iron Man 2. Not only is it the first summer blockbuster of the year, but the sequel has an outstanding cast of talented actors. Big names include, Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and replacing Terrence Howard as James Rhodes/ Warhawk is Don Cheadle. The previous film ended with Tony Stark revealing himself as his alter-ego, Iron Man. Iron Man 2 picks up from that ending, and raises questions if the world really needs a man under an iron suit of armor. Classified as a weapon, Iron Man is tried in court. Although Tony Stark is allowed to put on the suit, he begins to question his roles as being Iron Man. These questions lead to the appearance of the fan-favorite, Warhawk. It would seem that Iron Man 2 would be amazing with both Iron Man Chieftain - June
Entertainment and Warhawk fighting side by side. The only problem is that the movie barely had any fight scenes. With the addition of more characters such as Nick Fury, Whiplash, Justin Hammer, and Black Widow, you would think that would mean more action. Unfortunately, Iron Man 2 is just a soup of characters, missing that spice— action scenes.
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lthough the fight scenes were missing, there was a lot of character development in the film. The audience got to experience how Ivan Vanko (Rourke) became Whiplash, the hatred Justin Hammer has for Tony Stark, how Warhawk came to be, and how Nick Fury and Stark became close. Each character in the film had their own scene, and that’s what made Iron Man 2 different from its predecessor. There were just too many characters, and most of the film was spent on dissecting each one. History shows that films that have added many characters for the fans have always dropped in reviews. Such an example is Spiderman 3. Iron Man 2 is basically another Spiderman 3. Too many characters led to few fight scenes. The only real fight scene we get is at the end, and it doesn’t even last long. If you want to please a crowd, you need to be able to balance out characters with action. Iron Man 2 Chieftain - June
failed in that aspect. Unlike other superhero films, Iron Man 2 was more of a comedy, so maybe that could be another reason why there was a limited amount of action; or just an excuse for the people if they didn’t like it as much as the comics. Much hype was put into Iron Man 2, but at the end all you get is another hint on what is going to happen to the upcoming Avengers film. Iron Man 2 was too long and just too much.
Horoscopes
Aquarius: Friends : If you’re worried that you won’t be able to afford to do what you want this summer, don’t freak out! Talk to your parents about making a budget so that you can figure out the best way to save some money. Pisces: You may be tempted to make a hasty decision this week, but try to keep yourself under control. Think about all the consequences, not just the ones that sound good. Aries: This week is all about communication, Aries. You really want people to listen to you, so you might need to find some clever ways to get their attention. Taurus: Your family is very important
to you, so this will be a perfect weekend to spend time with them and share the love and happiness you’re feeling! Gemini: Your friends may be surprised to find out you want to celebrate your birthday in a non-traditional way, but have fun anyway! Cancer: If you’ve been struggling with money stuff lately, it looks like your luck may change this week! Keep that great energy going, Cancer, and things will get much better! Leo: This would be a great week to express your creative side by doing some kind of writing. Whether it’s keeping a journal or writing articles for the school paper or maybe even working on a story, , go for it, Leo! Virgo: This might be a very good week for you to look at your schedule and see if maybe you can lighten things up a little. Try to find a few minutes each day to just take a deep breath and relax. Libra: You may not be quite ready to decide what you want to do with your future, but this will be a great week to do a little research about things that interest you. Scorpio: It looks like maybe this week all your hard work at school will finally be recognized, Scorpio! Your teachers (and your family) are really pleased with how well you’ve been doing. Sagittarius: Looks like your offer to help out will really be appreciated this week, Sag! Everyone knows what a hard worker you are, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself working on a volunteer project at school or in your community. Capricorn: You usually have a pretty clear idea of what it takes to get something done, and this week you may get a chance to put that talent to work. 13
Student and Community Issues SAT Prep Classes: Are they Worth their Outlandish Prices? Mary Jane Dumankaya
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or the past month, the number one thing on students’ minds was the SAT, which was administered to millions worldwide on May 1st. The SAT stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test and is regarded as the end all be all for college admissions, along with your high school G.P.A. The mean SAT score for students in 20072008 was 502 on the math and 515 on the critical reading. Of the three sections on the SAT, the writing has the least weight out of the three in college admissions, being that it’s only been a part of the exam for the last five years. A score of above the average is what every student aims for. For those who are aiming for especially selective schools, a score in the 700 range is a necessity. The SAT is supposedly a measure of the skills you have acquired over the course of your schooling, but nonetheless there are more than enough courses that try to teach you how to take the SAT, even without the skills.
longer an option to study independently for most students. Some don’t have the motivation, and for others, time is the question. With a set structure of an hour every week, students can be guaranteed study time, especially with parents forcing them to go to class.
SAT
prep courses teach math algorithms and critical reading shortcuts, but they’re not the best choice for everyone. A good deal of parents wonder whether or not SAT courses are really worth it—after, all, for that couple hundred dollars, are you really learning something new?
“For those who are aiming for especially selective schools, a score in the 700 range is a necessity.”
SAT
courses range from brand name classes for six weeks costing up five hundred dollars, to the old fashioned way of studying on your own with a thirty-five dollar Collegeboard book and tons of free time. Even our own school offers a course at a lesser price of $200, taught by our own Math and English teachers. For those who need one-onone tutoring, there are more than enough SAT “gurus” eager to travel to your house and assist you in all that you need, all for the mere price of $85 an hour. It’s no 14
Sewanhaka Budget Ketsia Saint-Armand
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he Sewanhaka budget for the 20102011 school year, which was voted upon on Tuesday, May 18, 2010, passed with record turnout in a vote, according to the Long Island herald, of 5,994 to 4,117. Superintendent Warren Meierdiercks referenced the large turnout as one of the reasons for the budget’s ultimate passage, with the
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pending hours on a Saturday morning in a classroom with peers won’t help if one is not paying attention. This is often the case in many SAT study programs, where students feel like they are forced to take the exam. I remember going to my private course and glancing at the boy next to me only to realize that not only did he have his Advanced Placement U.S History review book rather than his Barron’s SAT book, which was required for every class, but he didn’t even have a writing utensil for the first hour of class. This is a perfect example of a waste of his parents’ money and his own time; he still came to class because his parents had paid for it but he wasn’t getting anything out of it. SAT courses can only do so much: each student must take the initiative themselves to really understand and practice for the exam. Whether you are taking prep courses in school or learning from private companies such as Princeton and Kaplan, it makes no difference if the necessary effort is not put in. After all, these study programs are only worth the price, if one takes that step in trying to do well.
A screenshot of the Superintendent’s letter to the district from the Sewanhaka district website.
plurality of “yes” to “no” votes the district’s largest ever. Early in the springtime, the Sewanhaka district launched a concerted effort to ensure the budget’s passage, beginning with informing all residents in the community in Sewanhaka’s quarterly newsletter, the Sewanhaka Scoop. In this newsletter, the budget was broken down into various expenditures, with special attention paid to those programs that would be cut if the budget did not pass. On the school website, www.sewanhaka.k12. ny.us, the Superintendent posted a letter to all visitors that emphasized the need for the budget to be passed. With the passing of the budget, Sewanhaka has preserved sports and music programs, along with its clubs like Model United Nations and Mock Trial. Cuts have been made in all sectors of the budget, but special attention was directed towards ameliorating co-curricular and athletic programs, which received increases of 4.66% and 4.07%, respectively.. Overall, the budget increased 3.7% from last year’s. Chieftain - June
Sports Varsity Lacrosse
Varsity Baseball
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Emtiaz Uddin
he Sewanhaka Varsity Lacrosse team finished the season with a 7-8 record. Led by senior captains Cody Vassallo and John Marco Militano, the team boasted two All-County ranked athletes—John Marco and Cody— and three All-Conference Players: John DelLatto, Devin McRae, and Miguel Cifuentes. Coaches Burgess and Sakowich, who were in charge of a young team that contained a lot of sophomores, had a motivational saying of “Sweep the Week,” which stated the team’s goal to win every game that week. While they may not have achieved that exact goal, they set a very high standard for next year’s more experienced team to follow.
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eaded by Coach Reece and Coach Ryan, in addition to senior captains James Wighaus and Michael Klein, the Varsity Softball team has achieved record of 8-10 for the Spring 2010 season.
Varsity Softball Catherine Johnson
The Sewanhaka Varsity Softball team finished its season with a record of 6-14. Though perhaps not the optimal result, the team did quite well, considering that it had moved up to Conference 1 this year and was competing against extremely seasoned teams. Captains Catherine Johnson, Michelle Mongiello, and Monique Roberge worked hard with the team this year to overcome the competition. Coach Kelly and Coach DeSabato hope that the team can begin to compete on a more equal footing with the other teams in Conference I next year, something they will undoubtedly be able to do with the experience they have received in the 2010 season.
Chieftain - June
Sewanhaka’s #1 is up at bat and ready to hit the ball out of the park!
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Sports Varsity Volleyball
Varsity Girls Lacrosse
Gregor Alexis
Karen Gimenez
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Under Coach Brennan, the Varsity Girls Lacrosse team here really flourished, and maintained a spectacular record of10-4. The team as a whole worked extremely hard to achieve such an outstanding performance, from early morning practices to intensive weight room workouts. Senior captains Gabby Senior Karen Gimenez sprints to the Ford, Karen Gimenez, and Katie net to try and score one Hogan led the team this year, and for the team. the excellent results are the result of their leadership and teamwork. This year, Gabby Ford achieved a career high of 63 goals, and junior Lindsey Montoya posted a similarly strong performance of 47 goals. Next year, the team hopes to maintain such an excellent performance and will strive to do so by maintaining its work ethic and commensurate performance in games.
he Varsity Volleyball team maintained a record of 5-10 this year, and even appeared in a match on MSG Varsity, Cablevision’s high school affiliate, in which one of Sewanhaka’s athletes was named MVP. Headed by captain Oscar Corado, the volleyball team has worked hard under Coach Anderson to develop as a team. Richy Remaris, a senior, says that volleyball helped him to learn “the importance of discipline.” Though the team may not have had the most successful season, they have set the foundation for greater successes next year. The team gathers in a huddle for a pep talk just before one of their games.
Varsity Track and Field Ketsia Saint-Armand
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he Varsity Track team has finished on a nice note this year, finishing in third place in the conference. All-County athletes were Jenny Leak (senior) and Celeste Pipia (eighth grade) and Jeffery Joseph (senior) in the Shotput. Headed by Coaches Felicetti and Nola, the team has steadily improved its performance year after year, and looks to continue to make great strides in achievements. Both coaches have expressed their eagerness to begin working with their team next year, and they believe that with hard work, anything for this team is possible. 16
M o r e P h o t o s
Chieftain - June
“Happy is the man who can say, “Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today."” -Horace 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
Chieftain - June
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