2014 - 2015
Echo
Volume: 85 Issue: 1
GCHS Masquers Presents:
Rumors Michael C. Arianas
When was the last time you laughed? No, I don’t mean a casual laugh over an annoying coworker’s too often repeated joke, I mean wholehearted laughter that leaves you feeling better. Well, if that seems like too long ago , you should’ve come to see the GCHS production of Rumors. In Rumors, four couples gather in suburban New York for their friends’ tenth anniversary party. Charley, the Deputy Mayor of New York City, is hosting it with his wife, Myra. The first guests to arrive, Ken and Chris Gorman, frantically try to hide the fact that Myra is
gone, the help is missing, and Charley is unconscious on his bed with a gun in his hand and a bullet hole in his ear lobe. Because of his position, the stakes are raised as they realize what a scandal of this nature would do to his career. As the other guests begin to arrive, the story changes and the plot thickens, making for one preposterously comedic night that will leave you dumbfounded with just how fast a rumor can spread. This farce was a spectacular success, drawing larger audiences Friday and Saturday nights than ever before because of the brilliant talent and ability
to work together that this cast of all grade levels showed. The cast consisted of Catherine Chu (Chris Gorman), Troy Sorensen (Ken Gorman), Kathleen Beatty (Claire Ganz), Michael Malaszczyk (Lenny Ganz), Lexi Spera (Cookie Cusak), Stephen Iovino (Ernie Cusack), Michela Murray (Cassie Cooper), Michael Arianas (Glenn Cooper), Andrea Laisure (Officer Welch), and Daniella Giammona (Officer Pudney). Rumors, directed by Mrs. McLaughlin and produced by Mr. Mayo, was definitely not the Masquers performance to miss.
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Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Editors in Chief: Michael C. Arianas and Alexis Gogh Editors: Jack Casler Nicole Crilly Elizabeth Butler Brendan Dolan Jamie Silk Michael Snyder
Contributors: Tim Bensen Meghan Creaven Annie Crowley Eileen Farrell Kate Farell Taylor Gladd AJ Liberti Hallie Mallozzi Layne Meyer Breanne Naegele Joe Ostapow James Ostowski Mary Vivian Schott Bridget Strysko Stephanie Tarian Seunghyun Woo Seungmin Woo Faculty Advisor: Ms. Samara Skolnik Send feedback to: skolniks@gcufsd.net Garden City H.S. 170 Rockaway Ave. Garden City, NY 11530 (516) 478-2000
Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not represent the opinions of the school board, the advisors, or the administration.
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Assistant Principals: Mr. Dave Perrotta Mr. Kevin Steingruebner Principal: Ms. Nanine McLaughlin Superintendent: Dr. Robert Feirsen
The GCHS community is encouraged to contribute to ECHO. Submissions may be emailed to Ms. Skolnik at skolniks@gcusfd.net
Editorial Alexis Gogh
The first semester of school is always the start of new beginnings. Change is evident as the new juniors become upperclassmen and seniors enter their last year of high school. It is a time for Saturday football games, homecoming, pep rally, and the fall play. But most importantly it is a time for new memories to be made as another year of high school begins. So sharpen your pencils and buy some loose-leaf because the first semester is well under way. For seniors the school year consists of one thing: The Common App. At the beginning of the first semester all seniors start sending out applications and close to the end of the semester students start hearing from their colleges. For juniors, their school year consists of preparing for the ACT and SAT and heading out on college road trips. For sophomores, their school year consists of studying for the PSAT and taking their first round of AP classes. As for freshmen, balancing a new school and a new curriculum can have its ups and downs, but it is nothing they cannot handle. Therefore, the first semester is a challenging one with new obstacles to be faced every day. So rise to the occasion, because a new school year is filled with new events and experiences happening constantly. In the word’s of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens “This is the start of something new!”
Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Scotland Votes No for Independence Michael Snyder
Royals Trivia
Breanne Naegele morning sickness and has been forced to cancel her first tour of duty abroad to Malta with Prince William. Hopefully she will soon be feeling well again and is currently resting at Kensington Palace. We look forward to meeting the new royal baby, who will be fourth in line for the throne. The only question left to ask is whether we will be expecting a royal prince or princess.
2. In what year did Kate Middleton and Prince William get married? A) 2010 B)2011 C)2009 D)2007
3. Where did Kate Middleton and Prince William have their first public outing? A) Anglesey B) London C) Paris D) Rome 4. When did Prince William become interested in Kate Middleton? A) In class B) At a restaurant C) Fashion Show in 2002 D) On Vacation 5. Kate Middleton is famous for her... A) Talent B) Beauty C) Style D) Personality
3.A 4.C 5.C
It looks like the royal family will be expecting another new member. It has been confirmed that Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton will be expecting another child sometime this spring. The announcement of Kate’s pregnancy was heard two months after the celebration of her son Prince George’s first birthday. Price George, born on July 22, 2013, will soon be a big brother. The Duchess’s pregnancy, however, has not been smooth sailing. Once again, she is experiencing acute
1. Where did Kate Middleton and Prince William meet? A) Oxford University B) St. Andrews University C) University of Cambridge D) University of London
to an end.” Still, Salmond conceded that “we know it is a majority for the No campaign... [the vote] has been a triumph for the democratic process.” In voting yes, the Scots spared England from substantial financial instability too, and prevented England from having to find a new base for its nuclear arsenal, losing a large amount of land, and losing influence with the European Union and United Nations. Hopefully, Britain will make good on its hasty, panicked, and admittedly vague promise to Scotland to give them significant new powers in government; it hasn’t lived up to its promise yet.
2.B
Kate Middleton’s Pregnancy
because of its oil reserves and high-achieving education. Still, most believed this to be a “heads versus hearts” campaign because of the obvious benefits of remaining in the Union. Even though Scotland has voted no for independence, David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, has still promised them more independence in their government. Salmond, who resigned after the no vote, believes the fight for independence should continue despite the referendum’s results. Salmond commented “for Scotland the campaign is not over and the dream will never die,” while Cameron, in contrast, said “like millions of other people, I am delighted... it would have broken my heart to see our United Kingdom come
1.B
nation. Had Scotland ended its 307-year union with Great Britain, Wales, and Northern Ireland, it might have faced some pressing economic issues. Firstly, Scotland would have had to switch its system of currency from the highly successful English pound. Secondly, the question of how England’s 1.3 trillion pound debt would be divided loomed over voters. The yes campaign argued that Scotland could continue using the pound, but even if this unlikely currency union passed, Scotland would probably still have faced some economic turmoil. Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), argued back that Scotland could be economically independent
Answers:
September 18, 2014 was a day which will hold incredible historical significance for the history of the United Kingdom and of Scotland. After years of relentless campaigning for independence by the Scotland Nation Party, the United Kingdom offered Scotland a referendum to vote for independence. Scotland voted no, but only by a slight margin; 55.3% voted no, and 44.7% voted yes. Most people over the age of 16 could vote, and most did; there was a staggering voter turnout of just fewer than 85% of eligible voters. Older voters voted to preserve the union, concerned about economic well-being, while the younger voters tended to vote for independence, elated by the idea of building a new
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Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo NYC Comic Con
NY Fashion Week Bridget Strysko
Jamie Silk
New York Comic Con took place this past October. This annual event began in 2006, starting with just 15,000 guests and has grown to more than 150,000. This event has become so incredibly popular that 151,000 tickets to the event sold out in a matter of hours. This is the largest number of tickets ever sold for New York Comic Con. This year there were many exciting panels for guests to see. One of the oldest attendees of Comic Con is Marvel, which celebrated its 75th anniversary with a series of panels that lasted all weekend, each revealing news about what Marvel’s future holds. This includes a series on Netflix, Daredevil, the return of “Secret Wars” and “The Black Vortex” event. All of this news stunned audiences and made Marvel one of the most exciting panels of the weekend.
Courtesy of Google Images
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In addition to the planned panels, it’s a Comic Con tradition for celebrities to show up unannounced to surprise attendees and promote their new projects. This year, George Clooney surprised guests by showing up onstage during the Disney panel to promote his new movie “Tomorrowland”. Elijah Wood also showed up unannounced to promote a new miniseries on Cartoon Network that he is working on, called “Over the Garden Wall”. New York Comic Con was extremely memorable for fans who attended and fans who followed the action at home. If you enjoyed this year’s event, mark your calendars for October 8 - October 11, 2015 for next year’s Comic Con!
September 2014 marked Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week of New York City. Various shows take place during the course of the week, showcasing established and upcoming designers. The shows were created to display the trends of Spring 2015, giving clientele and other professionals in the fashion industry time to analyze and purchase different looks. The most popular trends seemed to be plaid, fringe and tassels, floral patterns, slits going down the thigh, sheer, pattern mixing, women’s suits, and athletic wear incorporated into designer fashions. Also, be on the lookout this spring for lavender, aqua, shamrock green, poppy, electric blue, and bottle green all of which were seen in collections of high quality designers. Designers like Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and Calvin Klein put on criticallyacclaimed shows and dis-
Courtesy of nyulocal.com
played even better fashions. Throughout the week, many celebrities were spotted either on the runway or looking at the runway. Kendall Jenner had quite the presence throughout the entirety of New York Fashion Week, which has resulted in a very successful modeling career. Miley Cyrus showed her support for Jeremy Scott’s collection. Scott and Cyrus have been collaborating on artwork true to their individual styles. Rihanna made numerous appearances to shows throughout the week as well. Celebrities often arrive at fashion shows wearing certain designers in order to offer their support. Celebrities are always at fashion shows because they are the ones who make the established trends popular to the public. As NYFW came to a close, models, designers, celebrities, and the public were gearing up for the next Fashion Week--in Milan!
Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Pep Rally Elizabeth Butler On Saturday October 25, Garden City held its annual Homecoming Parade and Football Game. In a lead up to this year’s homecoming, Spirit Week took place in the high school where students and teachers dressed up to show their school and town spirit. Monday was comfy-cozy day, Tuesday was Western Day, Wednesday was America Day, Thursday was Color Wars and Friday was maroon and gray day. There were outstanding displays of school spirit from many students who were excited to show support for Garden City. On the Friday before Homecoming Day, GCHS held their traditional Pep Rally led by Mr. Heedles, where Jazz Ensemble and Marching Band performed. All fall sports teams were announced, many of which performed skits including Girls Varsity Soccer,
Girls Varsity Field Hockey, Varsity Football, and Girls and Boys Cross Country. Pep Rally also included Mr. D’Ambrosio’s signature skit and teachers and students from all grades participated in a fun dodgeball skit. At the conclusion of pep rally, Kathleen Burke and James Michielini were crowned the Homecoming Queen and King. This year’s pep rally was one no one will forget. On Saturday, the Parade took place at 1pm with many clubs from GCHS marching with their banners, along with the GC Varsity Cheerleading Team and GC Varsity Kickline. At the end of the parade, Principle McLaughlin chose Students Helping Students as the best banner, and the club received $100 toward their club funds. It was a weekend no one wanted to miss in Garden City.
Natural Disaster Hits Japan Joe Ostapow A typhoon and a volcano flattened Japan this fall. The volcano erupted on September 28, 2014 and the typhoon followed in the next few days, hitting in early October .The typhoon, named Phanfoe, hit Okinawa, Japan and left one U.S airman dead and two others missing. The strong typhoon whisked the two airmen out to sea and the search for them was stalled due to the high waves and strong winds. Thousands of households have lost power and Japan's two largest airlines have suspended many flights. One major Japanese newspaper stated that the Okinawa Police saw
the two airmen taking photos of the large waves on the beach when they were sucked into the sea by large waves. After the typhoon moved away from the major island of Okinawa it started heading towards Tokyo. It then passed over the island of Kyushu, one of Japan’s four main islands and injured several people because of the high winds and heavy rains. This typhoon has stopped emergency response crews’ efforts to continue the search for bodies after central Japan’s Mount Ontake volcano erupted. Fifty -seven people have died as a result and nine people still remain missing. Rescue workers are using helicopters and
searching on foot and a total of one thousand firefighters and police officers are involved in the search. This eruption is one of Japan’s worst in 90 years.
Image from Google
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Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo The Common Application
US News: National University Rankings
Jamie Silk Each year, as the deadline for college applications nears, you can feel the stress in the air at Garden City High School. Seniors run around making sure each aspect of their application is ready to be sent to colleges, ranging from the official transcript to the teacher recommendations. Add in the college essay and you have a recipe for anxiety. The Common Application was originally intended to make the college application process easier by providing one general application that students could fill out rather than filling out individual applications for each college they are applying to. While only having to fill out one application is definitely a benefit, I think all seniors can agree that filling out the Common Application is still tedious and extremely stressful. It can take students several hours to answer each of the very specific questions that the Common Application asks, starting with the
basics of your name and address and ending with the years your parents graduated college. The Common Application ends with five essay prompts; you choose one to answer. While this may seem like an easy task, that could not be farther from the truth. Admissions officers at universities will be reading thousands of essays, so it is important, especially if applying to top tier schools, that students make their essays stand out. The college essay writing process is a tedious process of brainstorming, writing, editing, re-writing, re-editing and re-writing again. The cycle only ends once you are left with an essay which is almost definitely entirely different than the one you started with. The entire college application process is stressful, but it is something every senior must go through. Good luck to all the seniors completing their college applications!
1) Princeton University Enrollment:5,323 2)Harvard University Enrollment:6,727 3) Yale University Enrollment: 5,430 4) Columbia University Enrollment:6,048 5) Standford University Enrollment: 7,061 6) University of Chicago Enrollment: 5,659 7) Massachusetts Insitute of Technology Enrollment: 4,528 8) Duke University Enrollment: 6,646 9) University of Pennsylvania Enrollment: 9,712 10) California Insitute of Technolgy Enrollment: 977 11) Dartmouth College EnrollmentL 4,276 12) John Hopkins University Enrollment: 6,251 13) Northwestern University Enrollement: 8,688 14) Washington University in St. Louis Enrollment:7,336 15) Cornell University Enrollment: 14,393 16) Brown University Enrollment: 6,455 17) University of Notre Dame Enrollment: 8,477 18) Vanderbilt University Enrollment: 6,835 19) Rice University Enrollment: 3,965 20) University of California--Berkeley Enrollment: 25,951
Universities Who Do Not Use the Common App 1) Georgetown 2) Ohio State 3) University of Illinois 4) University og Wisconsin 5) Rutgers 6) MIT 7) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 8) University of California 9) University of Florida 10) University of Texas at Austin 11) University of Maryland 12) James Madison University 13) Clemeson University 14) Penn State
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15) Auburn University 16) University og Mississippi 17) University of Alabama 18) Townsen University 19) UC Berkley 20) University of Southern California 21) University of Chicago 22) Georgia Tech 23) Oxford 24) Arizona State University 25) Louisiana State University 26) University of Olklahoma 27) University of Illinois 28)Univesity of Pittsburg
Courtsey of http://www.collegeconfidential.com/ *Note these are just a few of the universities that are not on the Common App. Ask the Guidance Office or contact your schools of interest directly to find out how to apply. *As students are not only applying to schools but hearing back from the admissions committee at universities all aross the country, the newspaper thought it would timely to list these statistical facts.
Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Thanksgiving Traditions Nicole Crilly Every family has their own Thanksgiving traditions. Of course, there are the usual suspects: eating turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and other autumn foods. Then, there is the Italian traditional Thanksgiving which includes the traditional Thanksgiving dinner along with lasagna and other classic Italian foods. These traditions are fairly common among several different households. Many students of Garden City High school have family traditions. For example, Caroline Ferri, a Garden City High School senior, runs the Garden City Turkey Trot with her mom,
brother and sister every single year. Another senior, Elizabeth Butler, watches March of the Wooden Soldiers after the Macy’s Thanksgiving day Parade as a yearly tradition with her whole family. Several students, including Alexis Gogh and Amanda D’Antone, watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with their families as a yearly tradition. Each household has its own traditions, making the holiday special and unique for each family.
Photo via http://www.gcturkeytrot.com/
Volleyball Dig Pink Game Jamie Silk After working hard all season, the Garden City girl’s varsity volleyball team held a fundraiser, known as “Dig Pink”, to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness. This game took place Friday, October 24th with the JV team playing first followed by the varsity team. With the gym decorated in pink and the stands filled with family, friends and teachers, both teams played a friendly game against New Hyde Park’s JV and varsity teams. The game was accompanied by a bake sale, raffles, and t-shirt sales. With the help of Coach Soper and Trainer Chris Napoli, the girls were
able to not only win the game, but collect hundreds of dollars to donate to breast cancer research. The $600 they raised was donated to Adelphi University to help them with their search for a cure. This is the first year the event has been held, so the team is excited to see how much money the “Dig Pink” game will raise next year, after the event has gotten more attention. Thank you to everyone who came and supported the volleyball team in their fight against breast cancer!
The entire girls varsity volleyball team.
Some of the seniors on the team.
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Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Garden City High School is excited to welcome its new teachers! We sat down and got to know a handful of them. See our next issue to get to know more new teachers!
Ms. Kemitzer Meghan Creaven This year at Garden City High School, we are happy to welcome a new film and 9th grade English teacher, Ms. Kemnitzer. Ms. Kemnitzer has taught for several years since graduating college. Prior to teaching 9th grade this year at Garden City High School, Ms. Kemnitzer has taught 9th, 11th, and 12th grade. Ms. Kemnitzer became interested in teaching while working for a publishing company, where she taught the new editors how to edit. Outside of school, Ms. Kemnitzer enjoys spending
time with her son, riding bikes, and working on her house. Ms. Kemnitzer’s teaching goal is to have her students leave class happy and still talking about the class afterwards. Her guiding principle of teaching is aiming to have her students engage in the text and to help her students learn to enjoy writing. Similar to her goals and guiding princaples , Ms. Kemnitzer’s favorite memories from teaching are when her students leave class still engaged and thinking about what they have just learned.
Seungmin Woo
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Seungmin Woo We are so lucky to have a new music teacher, Ms. Conte, at the high school. Ms. Conte received both her Bachelor’s Degree in music education and Master’s Degree in voice performance at SUNY Fredonia. Prior to teaching in Garden City, she has taught Voice Class at SUNY Fredonia to both music majors and nonmusic majors for two years, as well as private voice lessons to students of a wide variety of ages. Brought up around music and teaching, Ms. Conte first developed her dream through her mother, who is also a music teacher. With her strong passion for teaching and singing, she couldn’t imagine pursuing any other career. Ms. Conte’s favorite memory while teaching was when a very shy boy in class showed an outstanding vocal performance in front
of the class at the end of the year. She could not believe the amount of improvement he underwent throughout the year, and the feeling he showed in his performance. Ms. Conte’s favorite song to sing and teach is “Over the Rainbow,” because of the moving lyrics and familiar melody. Aside from singing, she enjoys cooking in her free time. Ms. Conte believes that music should not be thought of as a noun, but more of as a verb. She states, “Music does not exist unless one does it. I try to leave a lecture style of teaching out of the music classroom. Just like scientists learn through performing experiments, musicians learn by creating and constructing their own knowledge.”
Ms. Whiston
Mrs. Gutierrez
Here at the high school, we are lucky enough to have gained a new Spanish teacher, Mrs. Gutierrez! This is Mrs. Gutierrez’s tenth year teaching. She has taught various age levels, from elementary to high school. There are many interesting facts about Mrs. Gutierrez. She enjoys fun physical activities in her free time such as playing tennis, going to the gym, riding her bike, and gardening. Mrs. Gutierrez loves doing lots of DIY projects around her house. Her passion for the world languages started at a young age, when her parents spoke Italian around the house, and her next door neighbors spoke Spanish.
Ms. Conte
Alexis Gogh
Mrs. Gutierrez was intrigued by the similarities of the two languages and pursued them throughout high school and college. A Nelson Mandela quote she uses as a guiding principle in her passionate teaching is: “Without language, one cannot talk to people and understand them; one cannot share their hopes and aspirations, grasp their history, appreciate their poetry, or savor their songs.” Some of her favorite memories from teaching are hearing her students in the halls speaking and singing in Spanish. She loves to know that she has excited and inspired students.
Ms. Whiston has joined the high school as the newest member of the Guidance department. She received her graduate degree for school counseling at Hofstra University, which she feels was an excellent program. She came to Garden City High School after several years as a middle and high school counselor in Smithtown, Massapequa, and Brentwood School Districts. She is thankful for those experiences because she enjoyed helping students through the progression of middle and high school life and had the opportunity to learn from knowledgeable professionals.
Ms. Whiston truly enjoys helping students to meet their fullest potential. She knows that at times situations get in the way of students doing the best they possibly can and she enjoys working with students to help them through those difficulties. When asked what made her decide to pursue a career as a guidance counselor, Ms. Whiston said, “I always knew I wanted to work with individuals in a proactive way. As a school counselor, I have the opportunity to help students grow and make positive choices. I have an opportunity to teach students skills that they can use in real life situations.”
Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Teacher Feature: Ms. Getchell Alexis Gogh
For this issue’s Teacher Feature, we interviewed Ms. Getchell, a math teacher who keeps student council running smoothly. Q: What made you get involved in Student Council? Are you involved in any other student activities? A: Mrs. Crawford got me involved with Student Council! It is a pleasure to work with her and all the dedicated students we have met over the last three years. She and I also are the club advisors to the Trojan Club, which basically runs the snack shack and promotes school spirit.
Q: Where did you go to college? A: I attended St. John’s University in Queens. Q: Did you teach anywhere else before Garden City?
Q: What made you want to become a math teacher? A: I always wanted to be a teacher. My first consideration was English but when I went to high school I had four of the best math teachers. They encouraged me to be a math major which I decided was the best subject for me.
Q: What’s your favorite memory from being a teacher? A: There are a few. I guess it was a letter I received from a parent written by her son. He was writing it for a college essay. I was named as the person who changed his future. It really doesn’t get any better than that!
Q: What advice do you give your students? A: You must take a job that you love because you have to get up every day and go to that job. It doesn’t matter how much money you make. If you are not hapy at your job, it can make for a very long day!!
A: I have taught at St. John’s Prep in Astoria, The Mary Louis Academy (my alma mater) in Jamaica, Sewanhaka Central HS District and Garden City. Q: Since you are a high school teacher, what was your favorite high school memory from back when you were a high school student? A: I loved all the social events. Who doesn’t? Mrs. Mannion was also a classmate of mine. I also played basketball and enjoyed that very much. Q: How long have you been a teacher? A: I have been teaching mathematics for the last 27 years. I spent my first nine years in a private school in Astoria where I first met Mrs. Scala! After that I went to Sewanhaka HS for one year. I have been teaching in GC for the last 17 years. Q: Why did you choose to teach at the high school level? A: I love high school math and its many applications to real world problems. I also enjoy the age group at the high school level.
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Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Ebola Virus Continues to Spread Layne Meyer Chaos continues to arise in Western Africa, causing great concern among the international community. The Ebola outbreak has entered its ninth month, and has already taken the lives of 3,349 residents from Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Underfunded health programs in the region have been overwhelmed by a stream of sick and dying patients. Governments have declared martial law and established a series of blockades around infected areas. The virus has shown no signs of slowing down, and many are questioning its ability to spread.
A slight fever, rashes, extensive bleeding; this is the deadly progression victims of this virus have endured. These symptoms are highly contagious, and have proven deadly throughout its history. Ebola originated in Africa in 1976, and has wreaked havoc on the region ever since. Common human-wildlife contact there has proven deadly, according to MSF epidemiologist Kamiliny Kalahne. Kalahne explains that this contact enables the disease to spread throughout human settlements, which has allowed this crisis to unfold.
The expansion potential for Ebola has worried nations across the globe. Health officials warn that the lethal disease is no more than a plane ride away. This idea has pushed world leaders to develop a response in the event of a spread, beginning with air travel. The FAA has established screening areas for incoming African flights. Despite the efforts of the international community, the virus has spread. A number of Americans have been infected; all of whom contracted it in West Africa. One of the most recent victims is Thomas Duncan, a Liberian
native who traveled to Dallas for a family visit. Symptoms of the virus emerged during his time in Dallas, and he was rushed to a local hospital last week. Questions have emerged over how this case went undetected, especially after the US and other nations recently announced increased efforts to contain Ebola. With more and more people falling victim to this disease, the world is keeping an evermore watchful eye on the situation in West Africa.
Heart to Heart Trip to Madonna Heights: A Student’s Reflection Taylor Gladd Madonna Heights is a shelter run out of Dix Hills, Long Island that is dedicated to helping families create a strong base for their future. With my current English teacher, Mrs. Regis, and Ms. Skolnik, I had the opportunity to go with some classmates (the Heart to Heart club specifically) to the shelter to spend time with children and some of their families. We did activities such as holiday arts and crafts, nail painting, and reading books with children ranging from ages one through about 15. We also played games such as Ring-Around-the-Rosie and Red Light, Green Light with the kids. Snacks and drinks were also provided for the children. Along with spending time getting to know the kids, we also helped Santa give each child a present at the end of the visit. The whole experience is one that I will never forget
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and will appreciate for the rest of my life. Getting to know the children associated with the shelter and seeing their faces light up as they walked over to retrieve their gifts from Santa really helped me appreciate what I have and it helped me realize that little acts really do go a long way. In one afternoon, I had the opportunity to get to know several of the children and learn about their interests and hobbies. One young boy loved sports for example; so a few friends and I played a little make-shift football game with him and a few other interested boys as well. The innocence and laughter of the children and their genuine appreciation of our small gesture reminded me that true happiness comes from giving to others. The whole trip really meant a lot to not only the children at the shelter, but to their fam-
ilies and my classmates and me as well. What was most surprising to me was that as I boarded the bus to head back to school that day, I realized that I was truly the one that benefitted. Being able to give back, even in a small way, to those special children was an experience that I will never forget.
Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Apple’s New Gadgets: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and Apple Watch Seunghyun Woo The highly anticipated iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus flooded into the markets this September. Almost everyone had been straining his neck by hypothesizing what the next iPhone would entail. Would it be holographic? Or would Apple finally divert away from its notorious rectangular shape?The new iPhones are bigger and supposedly better. They are made from aluminum. Additionally, the new phones have larger screens, higher resolution, bigger cameras, thinner and lighter complex, and rounded corners! There is also a new slo-mo effect. Colors that are available include gold, silver, and space grey. Some people believe that what is bigger must be better. However, some are complaining about the discomfort of their large iPhone 6 Plus. They claim that the use of two hands, rather than the original one hand, to manage the phone has become an irritating
necessity. It is tedious and discomforting. In addition, there are statements that the new iPhone 6 Plus is bendable! Many have posted videos of the phone bending to the force of two hands. Hence, many worry that their phones would bend by placing it in a front pocket. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that the phone would undergo enough pressure to bend it in daily usage. Besides the exciting news of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple released the news of its new Apple Watch to come soon in 2015. With the new watch, consumers can communicate using iMessage, listen to music, email, call, be guided through fitness, as well as tell the precise time. The watch will even give a gentle tap when a message arrives, providing fast and useful alerts to stay on top of things. It is basically a phone within a small, user-friendly watch.
Christmas In September
Photo courtesy of Google Images
Alexis Gogh The “most wonderful time of the year,” is in December, according to singer Johny Mathis. On the contrary, stores seem to be pushing the holiday season earlier and earlier. One obvious example is the profusion of twitter photos that it seems everyone takes of the Christmas tree at Roosevelt Field every October, with the caption, “But it’s not even Halloween yet.” In addition, K-mart tried to deceive consumers with a commercial that starts with, “Hello America, it’s too early for Christmas so, just to be clear, this is not a Christmas commercial.” However, the reality is that this is a Christmas
commercial that made its television debut, only two weeks after school started...TWO WEEKS!! Similarly, Macy’s had already started hanging posters around its stores with models wearing holiday sweaters holding ornament wreaths in their hands. The main question on everyone’s mind is “Why?” The reason for businesses using such early marketing strategies is to engage in the “Christmas Creep’ — the extension of holiday marketing well into other months,” according to The Signal. Stores want to get the lowest prices and extend the “Christmas Creep” to consumers as fast as possible, in order to beat out competi-
tion and curtail the prevailing online Christmas shoppers. The Signal says, “Many small businesses either live and die [during] the holiday season. From early November through after Christmas...is where many companies make the bulk of their income. This keeps many afloat year to year, so they rely on this Christmas Creep to allow them to sell as much as they can in the short period of time that they have.” So, while one might think these retailers deserve to be on Santa’s naughty list for bringing in the holiday season too fast and too soon, there is actually a clear and ambitious motive behind such action.
Photo courtesy of Google Images
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Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo GCVSD 16th Consecutive County Title Nicole Crilly The Garden City Girls Varsity Swimming and Diving team has worked hard for years under the leadership of Coach Anne Sullivan. Since 1999, the swim and dive team has been undefeated in counties. This year, the team won their 16th consecutive undefeated title. The girls did not achieve this without hard work. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, the girls meet at Adelphi at 5:30 AM for practice. Through hard work, perseverance, determination, and very, very early mornings, the girls swim and dive team has had 16 consecutive county titles, and the girls hope to continue the streak for many years to come.
Courtesy of Patty Zariello Julia Hall (Left), Gabby Clarkson, Caroline Germano, Kerri Heu ser, Caroline Bianchi, Nicole Crilly, Veronica Trzeciak (right)
Varsity Fencing AJ Liberti If you asked people at GCHS what sports were offered at the school, 9/10 people would skip over Fencing. While it’s not the most popular sport in the world, everyone on the team is super spirited and very committed. Fencing is broken down into three weapons; Saber, Foil, and Epee. Each weapon preforms at a different speed and has a different target area in which you could attack. When it comes to Nassau County, Garden City is a power house. For the boy’s team, James Ostrowski and Michael Snyder lead Epee, Alessio Iccari leads Saber, and Spencer Cox leads Foil. For the girl’s team, Bridget Strysko leads Epee, Elisa Pitella leads Saber, and Emily Fallon and Kathryn Tomasi lead Foil. With the help of great captains and great coaches, Garden City has proven to be a top team in the county. The girls
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team has won two consecutive counties and hope to win their third title this year. The boys who have previously placed 2nd and 3rd, hope to win a county title this year. Many people believe that almost anyone can pick up fencing just like that, but, contrary to popular belief, fencing is a lot more methodical than perceived. You need to be conscious of what you are doing. You always have to be aware of how you are moving, and most importantly, be one step ahead of your opponent. This year, Garden City High School is proud to host individual Counties where we hope to have all of our team place in the top three.
Photos Courtesy of Julia Hall
Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Tough Loss Cannot Break Inseparable Bond for Boys Soccer James Ostrowski Led by two intuitive coaches, inspired by four outstanding captains and backed by months of dedication, the 2014 Boys Soccer Team was predicted from its inception to be extraordinary. It lost only two of the sixteen games it played and decisively beat this year’s County Champs, Southside, earlier in the season. Garden City ruthlessly made their way through their schedule, barreling over other teams. On those few occasions where they tied, their mistakes were noted and curtailed. As playoffs drew closer so did the squad. At the
conclusion of the regular season, chemistry had cultivated under the authority of captains Johnny Morris, Stephen D’Antonio, Matt Greiner and Ray Leto; skills had evolved by the example of key players, Alex Franco, Harry Furey and Chris Tavernese; and effectiveness had thrived from the strategies of Head Coach Cutter and Assistant Coach Skrivanek. Then it was late October and playoffs were here: Garden City against Bellmore Kennedy. Eleven Trojans stood awaiting the whistle that would commence the harrowing match, which
lay ahead. The clock read forty minutes, then thirty, down to fifteen, five minutes…zero. The first half expired without a score and the second half held the same mocking statistic. The regulatory eighty-minutes were up and overtime was here. This period of extra time was spent primarily in Bellmore’s half as Garden City peppered the opposing goalkeeper with shot after shot to no avail. The clock was winding down and the threat of a penalty shootout loomed large. A few hopeful attempts at finishing
Girl Varsity Soccer rain. Despite the weather, we prevailed in the end. After regulation and double over time, almost 2 solid hours of soccer, our team headed into penalty kicks ready to go. We knew we wanted it more than the other team, and the scoreboard showed our determination at the end of the match. After the scores were tied from the first 5 penalty kicks, we went into sudden death penalty kicks. When Wantagh missed their first kick, we knew we only had to make one shot and we would advance to the next round. Under immense pressure, Kerry Defliese scored an amazing goal, propelling us to the finals. As defending State Champions, we desperately wanted to hold onto that title. In the County final game against South Side, the score was tied 0-0 until the last 6 minutes of the game, in which South Side scored. We played with everything we
Girls JV Soccer Eileen Farrell
Kate Farrell The Girls Varsity Soccer Team had an extremely successful season this year. Our overall record was 10-4-3, a great outcome for the challenging season we endured. After coming off 3 consecutive losses early on in the season, one being a 1-0 loss to South Side, we knew something had to be done if we wanted to stand a chance in playoffs. After that third loss, we managed to make it through the rest of the season without losing another game. When playoffs came along, we were in peak condition and eager to advance into the later rounds. Our first playoff game against Bellmore JFK was a huge success, with two amazing goals scored by Lauren Miesemer and Julia McGuire, ending in a 2-0 victory for the Trojans. Our next match against Wantagh, the semi-finals, was an extremely difficult game fought on Halloween night in the pouring
the ball and consequently the game, namely Bobby Clarke’s cross that Alex Franco bicycle kicked, were had and both teams were thrust into penalty kicks. The better team did not win that day. Although our players left that season without any compensation for their unrelenting hard work in the form of a championship, the effort applied and bonds formed during the team’s three month run are something that no trophy or award can parallel.
had for that final push, but the scoreboard did not turn out in our favor. Despite the heartbreaking loss against South Side, much is to be said about the success of the team this year. Next year, there is no doubt in our minds that we will reclaim the State Championship Title.Thanks to the coaches, Heedles and McAuley, and the entire team for a fun season!
This season, the Girl’s JV Soccer Team was led by none other than the superior, learned Coach Quigley. Our team had an amazing record, with 16 wins and one loss. We easily beat our rival, South Side, both times we played them. However, our greatest opponent proved to be Wantagh. The first time we faced off with Wantagh, we were defeated in a rough match. Fortunately, we were able to make a huge comeback in the last game of the season, in which we triumphed over Wantagh in a 1-0 game. This was an exciting end to an amazing season. Not only did we end our season victorious, we all left the pitch with many great new friendships. The Girl’s JV Soccer Team would like to thank Coach Quigley for a memorable season.
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Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Boy’s Volleyball Brendan Dolan After a strong showing against Mepham, Boys Volleyball finished its season on October 23. The Trojans finished 7-9 overall, and 6-9 within its division. Unfortunately, this record did not earn the team a playoff berth, which would have been its first in quite some time. The boys showed resilience throughout the year, as they had to battle time and time again to get within reach of the playoffs. Following backto-back losses to Bethpage and Hewlett, the Trojans were able to secure their first victory of the season over Valley Stream South, pulling away with a 3-2 victory in a tightly contested match. A .500 stretch followed immediately through
the next 6 games, as they fell to Calhoun, Wantagh, and Great Neck North, while defeating Mepham, Lawrence, and Great Neck South. The group struggled during the next two weeks, dropping games to Herricks, New Hyde Park, Bethpage, and Hewlett. Staring down a 4-9 record with just three games to play, postseason chances seemed to be slim. However, the Trojans dug deep and won it their last three games, including two on the road. After the boys waited desperately to learn their fate, the team was informed that it had missed the playoffs by a single game. While the team was not rewarded
with a playoff spot for its efforts, a few members of this year’s group were rewarded with county and conference recognition. Junior Andrew Wood received all conference. Senior Mike Brennan earned All-County Honorable Mention, while fellow senior Kyle Beckmann brought home All-Division. Luckily, many standout underclassmen return in 2015. Some of these include juniors Andrew Wood, Zach Lambraia, Tommy Asfar and Mike Patalano, who look to fill the role left by last year’s strong senior class. The future of Boys Volleyball certainly shows promise, as many key players will be back next year; they hope to build on that prior momentum.
Boy’s Golf Jack Casler For the second season in a row, Garden City Golf finished undefeated. However, this year the team had 12 matches, whereas last year there were only 8 matches. There were two new teams added to the conference, Wantagh and East Meadow. Garden City handled the early season matches easily, defeating their opponents by large margins. Towards the end of the year, however, the Trojans faced their tougher opponents, Sewhanaka and South Side. These four crucial matches came towards the end of the season, and were
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not easy wins. Strong showings from all members of the top 6 allowed Garden City to win these pivotal matches and take the conference title. This allows Coach Jim Malone to send 6 players from the team to the county championship in May at the Bethpage Blue and Red Golf Courses. One member of the top 6, Jonathan Granville, was the first Garden City golfer to make the state championship in over 5 years. This year, the golf team will not only have a chance to send members of the team to states, but also
great opportunity to win the county championship. Low scores from all members of the top 6 will be needed. The other top competitors for the county championship include Sayville and Huntington. These two teams were the only teams ranked before the Trojans, who were named as the third best golf team in Nassau County by MSG Varsity. Next season, the team will again be strong. The boy’s golf team will be led by current juniors Joe Plaut, Jack Casler, and Peter McCarthy, and by sophomore Conor Maloney.
Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Looking for Alaska Hallie Malozzi If you liked The Fault in Our Stars, then you’ll love John Green’s debut novel Looking for Alaska. Green lets the reader see through the eyes of Miles, a new student at Culver Creek, a boarding school in the South. At Culver Creek, Miles befriends Alaska, a daring yet unpredictable girl. Miles now has to get a handle on his academics, an old bitter rivalry, and figuring out his role at his new school all while trying to “seek a great perhaps.” Looking for Alaska is a great young adult novel for our time because of John Green’s ability to make a reader laugh, cry, and empathize all within the same chapter. Green adds in a profusion of memorable metaphors that cause the reader to stop and dwell on the words. I recommend Looking For Alaska to anyone who wants a great read.
We Want to Hear From You... Have you read a book you like? Seen a movie that you could talk about for hours? Listened to a song that is stuck in your head? We want to hear about it! Contribute your review on any new music, books, or movies that interest you. Contact Mrs.Skolnik or e-mail your article to gardencityecho@ gmail.com to be featured in our next issue.
Four: One Direction’s New Album Elizabeth Butler In recent music news, One Direction’s new album Four was released on November 17 by Columbia Records. This album was the third out of four to debut at the top of the UK Albums Chart. The members of One Direction described the album as a natural progression of them growing up, with an edgier and more sophisticated sound. One significant change from their previous albums is that the boys in One Direction helped
to write most of the songs for Four. The album got mixed reviews; Rolling Stone magazine only gave the album two and half stars, while AllMusic stated on their website this was the band’s “fourth well-crafted, packed-with-great-pop-songs album in a row.” One Direction announced several dates for the album tour, On the Road Again, which starts in February 2015.
1989: Taylor Swift’s New Album Nicole Crilly Since she released her first album in 2006, the world has seen Taylor Swift as a loveable young country artist. After the release of her last album, Red, her fans saw a change in the type of genre of her music. Although it was still country, it had a pop feel to it. Her most recent album had fans in a frenzy. In late November, Taylor Swift released her new purely pop album, 1989. After the release of her new album, Taylor’s fan base grew tremendously. She now has both her new and old fans. The album sold 1,287
million copies within the first week of its release. This broke the record of albums sold within the first week of release, made when Eminem’s album sold just over 1.3 million copies in 2002. Taylor’s new album is so unique that it fits into several different genres, one of the various reasons that the album has been so successful. Some of Taylor’s newest hits are “Blank Space,” “Shake it Off ” and “Wildest Dreams.” EVERYONE should check it out! You definitely will not regret it!
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Echo Echo Echo Echo Echo Why Is the Music Industry Struggling? Tim Bensen On September 9, 2014, U2 released their album Songs of Innocence to the public for free. What got many consumers upset about this though was how the album was automatically downloaded onto their phones without their permission or consent. I was one of those consumers who received this album for free. The album had only one or two good songs with decent solos and rhythms. The rest though sounded the same, so I wanted to delete the album, but I couldn’t. Other people had this problem, so Apple decided to create a delete button for people who wanted to delete the album! This is one very good, recent example how the music industry is struggling. People don’t even
want free albums from one of the most popular bands in the world. When U2 releases a new album, it usually sells up to 1 to 2 million albums in the first two or three days. Surprisingly, this free album only got 200,000 downloads in the first week, even though it was for free! Maroon 5, a well-known group, had the same problem. When they released their new album, “V”, a few weeks ago, they only sold 168,000 copies in the first week, a large difference from the 600,000 copies they sold in the first sales week of their previous album. The point is, people are tired of listening to the same stuff, and they want something new. Since people want something different, the music industry is struggling due to the low demand for
new albums released by wellknown bands and artists that all apparently sound the same!
Courtesy of google images
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Jamie Silk On November 21, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” hit the theaters and broke the record for the biggest debut of 2014, bringing in $123 million for the franchise. The movie started off showing Katniss in a complex beneath the supposedly destroyed District 13, where she must decide whether or not she wants to continue being the “mockingjay”, the face of the rebellion against the capitol. She finally agrees after seeing her home, District 12, reduced to nothing but rubble. Through a series of rescue missions and propaganda, Katniss and the other rebels
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of District 13 are able to spark a series of rebellions in the other districts. While all of this is unfolding, Peeta is still being tortured by the capitol. Katniss is very focused on continuing the rebellion, but even more preoccupied by the whereabouts of Peeta. This action-packed movie ends with a heartbreaking cliffhanger that leaves every viewer anxious to see part 2, which will come to theaters in November of 2015.
Courtesy of google images