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Community/School News (page
New Changes to GCHS Library
By Joaquin Seneque and Daniel Butt
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As I'm sure many of you have already noticed, massive changes have been made to the school’s library these last few weeks. Over the past two years, Mrs. Calemmo, the school’s library media specialist, has worked tirelessly to implement a new multi-phase layout that merges the traditional library format with the flexibility of a learning commons found in most universities. Plans for the new and improved library were first drafted in 2019 and would have been implemented sooner if not for the pandemic. Now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, the finishing touches have been made and we’re excited to detail the new improvements to the school library.
When first establishing the new library, staff wanted to place primary emphasis on flexibility. A flexible learning environment gives students the impression that they are able to be comfortable while also being w productive. Upon entering the library, you immediately notice the detachable tables that can be moved and reattached with ease, allowing you to study wherever you please. As stated previously, learning commons found in local universities were a major inspiration for these changes. Not only are the new seating arrangements comfortable, but they also give students a feel for what the learning environment will be like on most college campuses.
GCHS took direct inspiration from local high schools as well, such as Great Neck South High School, which had a library transformation in 2019. Great Neck South’s booth-like seating was an incentive for social interaction and collaboration among students; GCHS has adopted these principles with its booth seating areas, located on the right side of the library.
Work on the recent changes officially begun on Saturday, September 24th, and the library wordd was ready for students on the following Monday, September 26th. Changes included the introduction of booth seating, detachable tables, and chromebook charging stations, which are extremely helpful, considering that schools across the country are slowly transforming into a digital academic landscape. In addition, Mrs. Callemo plans to upgrade the computer lab, located on the left side of the library, by adding multiple media tables. The inclusion of said media tables, which serve as large horizontal touchscreen structures, would prove to be one of the biggest technological improvements made to the library in recent years. All things considered, the recent changes made to the GCHS library have not only inspired more social learning practices, but more potential plans for the future.
Spotlight on Clubs
By Tara Kerimian
At Garden City High School there are about sixty clubs. Some are academic, some are creative, some are social, and some are a combination of the three. I will be spotlighting some of the clubs from each category, with a special look into the clubs I am involved in.
Academic clubs include the honor societies: there is the overarching National Honor Society and then there are language specific ones. You apply to both in the beginning of junior year and you are inducted towards the end of junior year. Both have a requirement of a GPA of 92 or above, and for National Honor Society, there is an additional community service requirement of 55-60 hours. This community service includes volunteer work performed after graduating from middle school. This club meets once a month before school in the auditorium and is run by word Ms. Young. The club is dedicated to doing community service to better our community. The German National Honor Society, which I belong to, works hard to bridge the gap between different generations of Germans and to keep the language alive with the younger grades. It usually meets once a month after school with Frau Rupes on Wednesdays in room 110. .....One creative club is Inkspots, the school’s literary magazine and creative writing club. It meets once a week on Mondays after school in the writing center. It is run by Ms. Oriani, as well as by the editorin-chief, myself. This club is open to all grade levels and all skill levels. We usually write based on a prompt, but there is no obligation to follow the prompt. The club is a very supportive and freethinking word space. Towards the end of the year, Inkspots accepts submissions for the magazine, so if you have talents in writing or art, feel free to submit something. Another creatively oriented club is this publication, Echo. It gives students a chance to review events and media that interest them and to test the waters as a journalist.
One social club is GSA, the Gay-Straight Alliance. It allows students who identify as part of the LGBT community to have a safe space, and it is also a great place to just go and make friends, even if you are just an ally. It meets in room 210 on Tuesdays after school and is run by Mr. Dunleavy.
While I only highlighted a few clubs, there are plenty more at GCHS. If you want a full detailed list, there is one on the school website. I hope you join some and have fun. word

Hope Club, Courtesy of Mr. Wiedenhoft




The Chemistry Club grows crystals for the US Crystal Growing Competition, Courtesy of Dr. Foley
By Ana Gaztañaga
GCHS celebrated an extended Spirit Week this year, spanning from September 23rd to September 30th. Once again, this year's spirit week did not disappoint. Many GCHS students took part in this eventful week that culminated with a thrilling pep rally. Due to the lack of a week solely dedicated to spirit week because of Rosh Hashanah, it was extended to begin on the Friday the week before. Hence, spirit week kicked off on September 23rd with the much beloved “Pajama Day ” , where the hallways were flooded with kids in onesies, slippers, and sleeping masks. Then followed “America Day ” on Wednesday the 28th where everyone was decked in red, white and blue. “Color Wars” took place on Thursday, where each student dressed in their grade’s designated color- freshmen in white, sophomores in gray, juniors in blue and seniors in the traditional black. The week culminated with “Spirit Day ” on Friday, on which students dressed in Garden City ’s wordddd classic maroon and gray school colors, including wearing their sport uniforms and merchandise. Each class also came up with themes for spirit week, including ‘Fresh’ Minions (Freshmen), ‘Soph’ Wars (Sophomores), Fabulous Juniors (Juniors), and Kanye West’s Graduation (Seniors). The Junior class ultimately emerged victorious in the decorating competition, in which each grade decorated the gym according to their pep rally theme.
Seniors on the football team and other varsity sports made appearances at the primary, elementary, and middle schools to get the younger grades excited about homecoming. Back at the high school, upperclassmen poured into the gymnasium at the end of ninth period where they could watch the pep rally in-person. Anna Cooke opened the event with a wonderful rendition of the StarSpangled Banner, which was met with enthusiastic applause from everyone. The school’s Marching Band then gave the word opening performance, rallying the students with energizing music and a color guard display. Afterwards, varsity kickline and varsity cheerleading performed their respective dance routines, unleashing splits, kicks, and impressive dance moves in the process. The traditional display of the other varsity teams' skits then followed. The most memorable skits included those of the varsity football team, where an impassioned noodlepool battle was reenacted, the boy ’s varsity soccer team, who danced to Shakira’s "Waka Waka" in onesies and costumes, and the boy ’s varsity cross country team, who opted to host a hotdog-eating contest instead of the traditional skit, which was ultimately won by junior William Morgan. Towards the end of the event, seniors Elle Basile and Ryan Krieg were crowned homecoming queen and king.
Without a doubt, spirit week and pep rally will go down as one of the most unforgettable events during this school year! word

Homecoming King Ryan Krieg and Queen Elle Basile stand side-byside. Courtesy of patch.com. Varsity Kickline offered a stunning performance at this year's Pep Rally. Courtesy of patch.com.
The Cheerleading squad soared high in the air to show off their school spirit. Courtesy of patch.com.

