ECHO SPRING ISSUE 2017 SPRING 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Student Spotlight Seunghyun & Mina Woo
Community News-
Julia Foxen & Michelle Parente
Sports-
Meghan Galligan & Caroline Dolan
Reviews-
Gabby Yepes & Paige Accetta
National NewsGeneral
Student Editors-
Hallie Mallozzi & Kaylah Bozkurtian
Faculty AdvisorMs. Skolnik
Design EditorKaylah Bozkurtian
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NOTE: The opinions expressed in the following articles DO NOT represent the opinions of the administrative staff at GCHS, merely those of the writers themselves.
HEAD IN TH
HE GAME by Mina Woo
Julia Beckmann, volleyball superstar, is currently a junior at Garden City High School. She first tried out for an indoor volleyball club team in sixth grade, and as soon as tryouts were over, she was convinced volleyball was the only sport she wanted to play. Julia loves volleyball for the amazing experiences and connections that have been brought into her life. Over the years, she’s learned to communicate well with others on and off the court and appreciates the value of collaborative hard work . Playing for the Garden City Varsity Volleyball, she led the team to the win in their division this year. She has also played for Academy Club Volleyball, the USA Volleyball pipeline performance programs both indoors and outdoors, and beach leagues and tournaments during the summer. Some of her proudest moments playing volleyball have stemmed from the USA Volleyball’s High Performance Program. Every year, tryouts are held across the country where all the best volleyball players compete for a chance to train at the highest level . For the last five years (and three years with the beach programs), Julia was fortunate enough to have been selected to attend this top program for Indoor Volleyball.. Many times, these camps are held at one of the three US Olympic Training Centers, allowing chosen players to train, eat, and
even sleep in the same facilities as Olympians. Julia exclaims, “one time I even saw Michael Phelps in the same dining hall as me!” The last three years, she has played in the High Performance International Championships, competing for the world title against teams from all over the globe (Puerto Rico, Canada, Dominican Republic, New Zealand, and more). Julia explains, “these opportunities have meant so much to me, and I love being able to say that I have represented Team USA.” This volleyball superstar’s biggest inspiration for playing volleyball from the very beginning is her father. As a pro-beach volleyball player and former indoor player at UPenn, he has incomparable insight into the sport and has supported her in every aspect of the journey. “I’m so grateful to have him as my ‘number one fan’ (as my dad often says), and I definitely would not be the player I am today without his support,” Julia expresses. One of her favorite memories in volleyball was playing on center court in the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) Beach Tour last summer. When the AVP, a series of tournaments in which the best beach volleyball players in the country compete, came to NYC, Julia and her beach partner Cass Patsos
competed in the juniors’ division. However, they had not realized they would be playing the finals on the main court in front of hundreds of fans, just before Olympians Kerri Walsh, April Ross, Nick Lucena and Phil Dalhausser all played their final games. Julia states that although she couldn’t say that her playing was stellar that day (a huge crowd and the jumbo-tron tends to bring out a few nerves!), it was definitely one of the most amazing days of her life. One challenge Julia has struggled with is staying mentally tough and not succumbing to destructive self talk. She states, “too often I let harsh words from a coach or myself bring down my self confidence, and once that happens I’m capable of some of the worst volleyball you’ve ever seen. However, I have gotten a lot better at this by staying positive and having helpful support from others.” Outside of volleyball, which isn’t all that much time, Julia loves to read, hang out with friends, take photos, work hard in school, and travel, especially to warm places. Three words Julia uses to describe herself are driven, reliable, and intelligent. There is no doubt that this talented student has a bright future ahead of her.
LOCAL SONGBIRD SOARS Much of Annalise LoBiondo’s time is occupied by musical pursuits, as she is a member of the Garden City High School Women’s Chorus, formerly played Tracy Turnblad in an out-of-school production of Hairspray, and performed as a cast member of the Garden City High School production of Little Shop of Horrors,. Most recently, the privilege of performing in concert in New York City’s own Carnegie Hall has been added to Annalise’s list of accomplishments. Through an opportunity afforded to her by the Honors Performance Series (found at https:// www.facebook.com/HonorsPerformanceSeries/), LoBiondo entered into an international competition which pitted 18,000 high school students from across the globe against one another, some even from such locations as Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Canada; the students, passing through a rigorous audition process, competed for a total of 450 seats that spanned several smaller ensembles. Distinguishing herself vocally from the sea of applicants, LoBiondo was selected to be one of the 150 members of the Honors Women’s Choir, and through her experience had the chance
to form lasting friendships with other young women from around the world. Equally unique was the chance to work with well-respected conductor Dr. Tim Seelig (of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus). When asked about Dr. Seelig, LoBiondo gushed: “He’s such an amazing conductor who really gave me insight into the artful part of choral singing.” Rehearsals, she said, renewed her love for choral singing, and the capability to work with such high-profile musical staff as she did was a truly unbelievable experience. However, the wonders of the five-day program (spanning from Thursday, February 2nd to Monday, February 6th) were not merely limited to those of the practice hall. Involved students were situated in the Sheraton Hotel of Times Square and were able to take part in perhaps one of the most famous traditions of a stay in New York, New York: a visit to Broadway. With her chaperone group, LoBiondo had the privilege of seeing a performance of Wicked: the Untold Story of the Witches of Oz on Friday, February 3rd, which in her own words “knocked [her] socks off.” Rehearsals occupied much of the 4th and 5th, but
the evening of the latter was one filled with festivities for the Honors Women’s Choir; as part of the program, the girls were treated to the Finalist Celebration Cruise on a private yacht the night before their performance. The morning of the 6th was filled with another series of delightful excursions throughout the city, even to the top of the Rock. Perhaps the most enchanting portion of the experience, according to LoBiondo, was the soundcheck before the actual performance. In a back corridor of the concert hall hung photographs detailing the view of the audience that she and her fellow performers would have from the stage, capturing the majesty of the gold-and-velvet seats and impressive ceiling, which in LoBiondo’s words, “took [her] breath away.” The performance itself captured the essence of choral singing, and grateful for the opportunity afforded her, LoBiondo said the experience nearly “brought [her] to tears.” She hopes that she will be able to audition again next year for the possibility to make new memories onstage and off.
by Kaylah Bozkurtian
PHOTO CREDIT: ALEX PRIMOS
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS This year’s musical at GCHS was unlike any other. From the upbeat rock ‘n roll to the terrifying man-eating plant, Little Shop of Horrors was truly one of a kind. In a decade not too far before our own, it takes place in downtown Skid Row in a run-down florist’s shop managed by Mr. Mushnik, played by Will McLaughlin, and constantly inhabited by six urchins, played by Amanda Nastasi, Gabrielle Montanaro, Lexi Spera, Gabrielle Frandina, Annalise
LoBiondo, and Lara Abruzzo. Everything seems completely hopeless until one day, the submissive floral assistant, Seymour Krelborn, played by Anthony Boccia, discovers a new breed of plant that he names an Audrey II - after his coworker crush, Audrey, played by Julia Foxen. (The voice of Audrey II is played by Liam Dougherty while the mechanics are performed by Cate Shick.) Audrey II promises Seymour fortune and fame as long as he contin-
ues to keep feeding it BLOOD. However, Seymour begins to discover that this alien carnivore will stop at nothing to get what it wants. And it isn’t long before this plant reveals its intention of complete and utter global domination! Directed by Ms. Katherine Sckalor and Mr. Stephen Mayo, and choreographed by Ms. Amanda Conte, this musical was truly one to remember.
by Julia Foxen
A Look All’interno Del Club Italiano By Hallie Mallozzi
Grounded by love of Italian culture, the Garden City High School’s Italian Club has become a spot for students to engage in charitable and cultural experiences. Although the club is centered around Italian culture, many students of both Italian and non-Italian descent appreciate the inviting atmosphere the club offers. Throughout the year, the club holds many events and fundraisers to promote Italian customs while also raising money for good causes. This year, the Italian Club has decided to donate its earnings to earthquake relief funds that help to rebuild
the villages of central Italy that got destroyed in the August earthquake. Along with their humanitarian work, the Italian Club also takes a trip into New York City during the holidays to go to Eataly and see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. This January, students got the privilege of seeing the opening night performance of the world-famous Italian opera Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera. Finally, the annual La Festa di Primavera celebration, which is being held on June 9th, is an event the Italian Club
organizes. At La Festa, students and adults partake in eating Italian food and dancing the famous Italian dance The Tarantella. The event, enjoyed by all ages, is always a big hit and the money raised goes to a Scholarship Fund for the Italian students. Through their events, trips, and service work, the Italian Club proves itself to be one of the most dedicated clubs in GCHS. The club is held on Tuesday afternoons in room 106. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the club advisor, Signora Brunetti. The Italian Club is always looking for new members so please stop by!
Mission America:A Founding Member’s Reflections By Michelle Parente
Mission America is an established organization that my cousin and I created over a year ago. We wanted to do something to help make a change, even in the littlest way possible. After a lot of preparation and hard work, we were able to create this foundation for an amazing organization for which we have done vast amounts of charity work and fundraisers. Over this past year we have accomplished many projects including making homeless kits, hosting coat drives and several food drives, participating in Autism walks, and running a bunch of different and unique fundraisers along with many
other projects to help a variety of groups that are in need. Our main goal is to support and aid anyone who may need it, not only locally but all across the country. Being that there are only two of us running this organization it’s usually a lot of work to start up and find enough volunteers for some of our projects. Therefore, I thought of getting our student body involved to help with this. With the help of our advisor, Mrs. Caputo, making a Mission America Club in our school has allowed our projects to be more deeply and widely beneficial. This club has become really manageable and very fun, while
still being extremely effective. So far our missions have included running a very successful coat drive, and hosting an amazing bake sale (which raised about $350!). Our next mission includes making homeless kits to bring to Maureen’s Haven with the money raised from the bake sale. Mission America allows students to feel a part of something while helping the lives of others. With many missions to come, we hope that more people will get involved and Mission America will grow!
INTRAMURAL QUIZBOWL Garden City High School’s 2017 Intramural Quiz Bowl was a major success. My two friends and I thought it would be an amazing and fun idea to sign up and try Quiz Bowl for the first time, since we are seniors and it is our last year at the school. Mrs. Mannion was willing to assist us on our adventurous endeavor by being on our team. None of us thought we would make it far in the competition, but knew it would be a lot of fun! There were myriad of questions, with topics on a variety of different subjects and categories. My team did very well, especially for it being our first time ever playing. We knew that nine highest ranking teams would go to the semi-finals. However, the points didn’t matter since we had a blast answering the questions during our first day of competition. We were all so thrilled and excited for the next round. In the next two consecutive rounds, we became more confident
by Zoe Caponegro
and strong in our abilities. We answered more and more questions each time and began to accumulate a lot of points to win the rounds. Then, the greatest surprise happened to my team - we made it to the semi-final round! We found ourselves up against the top teams, but kept a positive attitude about the whole thing, and excitement overpowered the anxiety. We had faith in ourselves, even though it seemed that the odds were not in our favor. However, once again, we won the round and were moving on to the finals; it was one of the most energetic and exhilarating moments to have occurred. The finals were filled with even more anxiety than the first time. It was our team versus Mrs. Durkin and Mr. Dunleavy’s teams. Both of them were amazing competitors and possessed so much knowledge. Mr. Dunleavy and his team received a record-breaking score of seventy-two points and it
was remarkable to witness the mastery and wisdom of both teams. Many people came and were part of the audience to watch and cheer on all three teams. This added an enthusiastic ambience to the room that made the final round even more exciting. I was so incredibly proud of my team because we never gave up and always had an optimistic outlook on the whole experience. I loved every minute of it and am extremely glad we jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it. Even if we didn’t win it all, the journey rewarded us in more ways than we thought. We all learned so much and it was such an enjoyable and amusing time! It was a marvelous addition to make our senior year even more special. Thank you to Mr. O’Hagan for leading a tremendously successful Quiz Bowl and congratulations to Mr. Dunleavy’s team and to all the other teams who participated!
The Pulsera Project by Seunghyun Woo
Garden City High School’s Spanish Club proudly worked towards raising awareness of social justice issues in Central America through the Pulsera Project. This nonprofit project allows students to sell beautifully vibrant handwoven bracelets crafted by Central American artists in order to empower Central American nations struggling with poverty. While selling and buying the bracelets, the students are given a chance to interact with a unique cultural experience as they delve into the deeper meaning behind the “Pulsera” and its colorful purpose. Nicaragua is one of the
poorest countries in Latin America, second only to Haiti. Students got to learn about economic poverty in Nicaragua while also seeing beyond economics to the value of broad cultural exchange. This global project employs almost 200 artists in Nicaragua and Guatemala with well-paying jobs, providing an opportunity to work in these countries which often have high unemployment and tough working conditions. Unemployment across the Nicaragua is at 12 percent, but among the poor rural families, it is over 20 percent. Artists working on
this project benefit as well from healthcare, housing programs, scholarships, and more. Moreover, this organization works alongside Central American community leaders to find high-impact investments that empower people with the skills to take control of their lives and improve their standard of living. Through the Spanish Club’s dedicated work, the bridge between global issues and high school students is mitigated to take a collective stride in working towards a brighter global future.
The Athletic Lives of Our Teachers By: Alex Joudah by Alex Joudeh Everyday, Garden City High School Students attend their daily sport practices after school to stay active. One question might be asked: “Do our teachers take part in athletics?” The answer is yes. Teachers and staff members all around our school take part in athletic activities during their spare time, just like you. Teachers such as Coach Heedles, our Physical Education teacher, Mr. Rebolini, our English teacher, and Señor Giacalone, our World Language Coordinator all lead an active life outside of school. These are just some of the physically active teachers and staff in our school, but let’s see what these three do to be active. Coach Heedles is one of Garden City’s most amazing and well respected coaches. In making sure that his students stay fit, he actively participates in the same things his students do. Almost everyday before school, Coach Heedles uses his Bicycle as a form of transportation from his home to school. He enjoys biking and says that it is a nice form of accomplish-
ment. Coach Heedles bikes to school because that is the only time that he can stay active. He has a long school day ahead of him and his such little time for himself to stay active. So the best time would be his commuting periods when he has to get to school and back. On the weekends, Coach Heedles occasionally goes mountain biking at Bellmeade Stakauk Woods. That’s a lot of commitment to put in with his schedule. A very active and exciting activity that teachers do on Friday mornings is playing basketball. One teacher who participates is English teacher Mr. Rebolini. Mr. Rebolini takes part every Friday morning. He says that he loves basketball and that it’s a great opportunity to catch up with some of the teachers. It energizes him and gives him a positive vibe throughout the day. Mr. Rebolini was no stranger to basketball before the Friday mornings at GCHS. He took part in adult leagues prior to these. Mr. Rebolini’s basketball playing students love the fact that their English teacher does
what they do after school and shares their interest. Are you ready for this? Señor Giacalone, the World Language Department Coordinator, relies on coordination while teaching dance. Señor Giacalone has been an instructor in Step dance, Zumba, and Spinning. He is most passionate about Step, since he has been teaching it for 17 years. He has been teaching Zumba for 5 years and Spinning for 7 years. These activities help Señor Giacalone to be more focused throughout the day because he has to coordinate to the beat during the dance. Dancing has enhanced his teaching life and allows him to relate more closely with his students. Señor Giacalone’s passion for dance instructing is a great example of the same passion he has for teaching that is visible every Spanish class.
Boys Fencing Makes a Remarkable Comeback After Ten Years By Alex Joudeh With a record of 11-1, several medalists, and the title of Nassau County Champs of 2017, the Garden City Boy’s Fencing team, coached by Kevin Oliver, owned the season. Getting back into the game and coming out of the runner-up position of County Champions, the Garden City Boy’s Fencing team got to work. At the start of the season, the boys suffered a loss against one of their biggest rivals, Great Neck South, with a score of 12-14. Everyone believed that the boys could win the County Championship, but it is going to cost them their sweat and dedication. The team stepped up its game and went undefeated for the rest of the season. Some highlight meets include Jericho on January 5th with a score of 15-12, Great Neck North on January 14th with a score of 18-9, and Garden City’s comeback against Great Neck South on January 11th with a score of 14-13. It was the overall record of 11 wins and 1 loss that gave the Garden City Boy’s Fencing team the title of “Boys Large School Champions” and “Overall Season Champions”. The Season would not have been a success if it was not for Kevin Oliver and the Boy’s Fencing Team. Congratulations to the fencers who earned “All County” honorable mentions including: First Team - Donal Mahoney, Quentin Bucknor, Philip Acina-
puro, and Zachary Ortiz; Second Team - Alex Joudeh and Matthew Quigley; Honorable Mention Ryan Connolly. Some outstanding performances were done by ours boys at special events as well. On January 28th, six of the Garden City Fencers performed great and earned medals. Fencers including: Matthew Quigley (6th place for Foil), Colin McVicar(tied for 6th in Epee), Zachary Ortiz (5th place for Foil), Quentin Bucknor (4th place for Saber), Donal Mahoney (3rd place for Saber), and Philip Acinapuro (1st place for Foil). Special performances from the girl’s team such as Lizzie Strysko (4th place in Foil) and Tia Petrides (1st place in Foil for the second consecutive year). Congratulations to our medalists. At the Brentwood Holiday Tournament for all Long Island, the Garden City Boys team had three medalists including: Zachary Ortiz (6th place in Foil), Philip Acinapuro (5th place in Foil), and Donal Mahoney (3rd place in Saber). Congratulations as well. Outstanding bouts from the Junior Varsity team in the JV tournament at Oyster Bay done by Logan O’Grady (2nd place in Saber) and Sean Maas (1st place in Epee). This year, an outstanding job done by Philip Acinapuro for earning All Long Island 1st Team and congratulations to Coach Kevin Oliver for once again awarded as Nassau County’s Boy’s Coach
of the year. Our Individual fencers made big accomplishments this year. The All County Finals of 2017 took place at Great Neck South High School on February 4th. The Semi Final meets were Garden City vs. Great Neck South and Jericho vs. Great Neck North. Special mentions to the girls fencing team for supporting the boys in their triumph. Garden City made a compelling victory against Great Neck South with a score of 14-10. This drove Garden City to the County Finals against Jericho. Jericho was the county champion of 2016 and the Garden City Boys came in 2nd. This was a rematch for Garden City. GC was losing to Jericho 4-5 in the first round. The tides turned when GC was winning 10-8 after the second round. In the third round, the GC saber squad made a sweep with all three fencers and the meet ended with a final touch from Matthew Quigley. It was an amazing moment for the Garden City Boy’s team. It was the first time Garden City Boy’s Fencing won counties after 10 years. 10 years ago, Kevin Oliver won counties in his senior year and he was thrilled to share this moment with his team after a decade. The Garden City Boy’s Fencing fought a terrific season in 2016-2017. Great record, great individual accomplishments, and great Title.
Challenger Basketball Team’s Slam Dunk of a Season The Garden City Challenger basketball team is made up of twenty players from the high school and the middle school. The team plays teams from other schools in the high school gym or travels to other schools
for away games. The team plays other schools for away games, including Valley Stream, Oceanside, Baldwin and Lynbrook. The team is coached by Mrs. Pappas and Mrs. Goodwin from the middle school and Mrs.
Going from the high school. The final game of the season was on Wednesday, March 29th against Oceanside, where our players who are leaving the high school this year were honored.
by John Mongelli & Luke Gannon
Varsity Fencing Welcomes Coach Holz In Art class, you know her as Ms. Holz, but after school in the winter, she is Coach Holz. Ms. Holz volunteered to be the girls’ coach for the Garden City Fencing team this year. Initially, she was nervous, but also excited that she received the opportunity to coach a wonderful team. Ms. Holz
has always wanted to coach, so when she heard about the opening for Girls Fencing, she immediately signed up. With the little experience she has with coaching, she receives help from the boys’ coach and the fencing captains of the team. In being a teacher at the school, she loves the fact that
she gets to see her team during school and before practice. Ms. Holz is delighted to coach next year and will make some changes now that she is more confident and comfortable coaching. Welcome to the GC Fencing Team, Ms. Holz!
per Bowl game to go into overtime, in which a quarterback won his 5th victory title and had the largest comeback from halftime in Super Bowl history. At halftime, the Falcons were up 28-3. With this advantage, many excited Georgia fans who were watching would have agreed that they were headed to victory. Then during the halftime show, Lady Gaga’s grand entrance left the crowd in awe as she was lowered down from the roof of the stadium. She performed some of her top hits including “Bad Romance,” “Poker Face,” and “Born this Way.” When the halftime
concluded, both teams took the field with high intensity, ready to finish out the last two quarters of their seasons. The New England Patriots came out way stronger than they had at the beginning of the game. An AP Psychology teacher and avid Falcons fan, Mr. Highfill, described it “as regression toward the mean”. The Patriots, not disappointing any of their fans, made an incredible comeback, making the score 3428 to earn themselves the 2017 NFL Super bowl championship title.
by Alex Joudeh
Stunning Superbowl Comeback The 51st Super Bowl was played by the New England Patriots vs. the Georgia Falcons. The New England Patriots, led by quarterback Tom Brady, have won 5 Super Bowls since 2002. On the other hand, the Georgia Falcons have not been in the Super Bowl since 1998.Nevertheless, both teams worked hard throughout the season with endless training, successfully making it into the final game as the top two teams. The Falcons’ return to the Super Bowl was a big deal for Georgia. The intense game on February 5th was a game of many firsts. This was the first Su-
by Meghan Galligan & Caroline Dolan
Garden City Boys’ Basketball Takes Conference Title The younger than usual makeup of our varsity basketball team was the storyline heading into the 2016-2017 season. After losing three star players last year and having only one senior, Ryan Pascale, nobody in the league thought that Garden City would be a force this season. However, the Trojans’ three junior captains, Kevin McNiff, Andrew Desantis and Matt Granville, had other plans. Getting off to a slow start in out-of-conference play, the team knew something had to change. Prac-
tices began to get more competitive, resulting in a 7 game winning streak. This included a comefrom-behind win against powerhouse rival Sewanhaka, not to mention a dramatic finish to avenge their loss earlier in the season against defending State Champion Elmont. With only nine seconds remaining, the Elmont game was capped off in a dramatic fashion with a fadeaway three pointer shot by sophomore guard, Joe Scattareggia. The win against Elmont put the team in a position to win
the conference title, a feat that has not been achieved since 2007. The winning streak ended with a heartbreaking 40-39 loss in a rematch with Sewanhaka. As tough as it was to accept, the team remained determined and eventually got back on track with blowout wins against Carey and Jericho. These two victories turned out huge for the team, as GC grasped its first conference title in 10 years! This was an amazing accomplishment for the team. Finally, the stage was set for a home playoff game against the Cold Spring Harbor Seahawks. It was a fight until the finish. The Trojans refused to quit, but unfortunately came up short in the end with a bitter 47-45 loss. The defeat was hard to swallow after such an exciting regular season. Congratulations to the Garden City Boys Basketball team on a hard working and successful season!
by Pat Leggett
GCHS FIGHTS FAKE NEWS The Contemporary Global Issues class recently conducted a week long study about fake news. Fake news has become a growing issue, especially during this year’s Presidential Election. At the time of the election, fake news stories attracted more attention on Facebook than some of the real stories from the biggest media outlets. As a result of this issue, school librarian Mrs. Calemmo gave the class a presentation to inform students and clarify the differences be-
tween real news, misinformation, and disinformation. The students were assigned a task in which they were to determine if various articles qualified as real or fake news stories. They learned to differentiate between the two by looking at the URL’s, the website domains, the author’s credentials, and the websites’ credibility. Students were also assigned websites for the sole purpose of checking credibility. One interesting matter the students learned about was
the large amount of young people abroad, especially from Macedonia, who created fake news websites (mostly Pro-Trump) to earn money through advertisements. In addition, the students learned about Facebook and Google’s role not only in circulating fake news, but also in working to control the spread of it. Overall, the students were able to take away good tips and useful information about this important national issue.
by Danielle Mistretta
7.7% 23.1% Other
Newspaper
30.8% Online Articles
23.1% Television Social Media
15.4%
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Westworld by Brandon Noll
Westworld is a television show on HBO about a futuristic theme park where anything you have ever wanted to do in the world of 17th century western culture can be done (hence, the name Westworld). You could rob a bank, fight some vandals, become a cowboy, or just have a relaxing chariot ride through the wilderness. Westworld contains many great actors such as Anthony Hopkins and Ed Harris. Catering to the people in the park, robots who are nearly indistinguishable from humans run about the park. The robots are involved in many storylines that can be followed around the park. In the beginning of
the single season series, there aren’t many problems in the park; but towards the end, everything turns sour. Westworld starts off slow, causing viewers to take a few episodes to fully understand what is happening. But when you finally get your footing, Westworld becomes an amazing show to watch. The show beautifully intertwines western and scifi genres. There is also a little bit of drama and thrill mixed in with the show. With the beautiful cinematography and the plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat for the whole season, I would put
Westworld on the same level as Stranger Things. If you do plan to watch Westworld, buckle up because every episode has a plot twist. Not only is the show great, the community is too. On YouTube and on many other websites, people have come up with many theories and artwork for the show. So far, HBO has only finished the first season. But with the overwhelming support for the first season, one can only assume HBO will be smart enough to continue with another. All in all, no matter what genre of TV show you enjoy, you will take a liking to Westworld.
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by Micaela Fontanetta A key idea from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the idea of tolerance and that all people should be accepted for who they are. The film revolves around the Magical Congress of the United States of America, which is an organization that is determined to protect the wizarding world from exposure. This organization keeps the witches and wizards from interacting with No-Majs (everyday humans). Witches and wizards are forced into hiding and to keep their powers hidden from the humans. A strong division is created between the wizards who literally have the “power” and the powerless No-Majs. A sense of disunity is created in addition to people feeling left out and not included. This issue is relevant to today’s society. In today’s world, people feel excluded because of their race, religion, sexual orien-
tation, background, etc. The main character in the movie, Newt Scamander, brings a sense of tolerance to the community of witches and wizards. He tries to encourage them to talk to the No-Majs and be accepting towards everyone. Another key message from the film deals with the extreme measures humans take in order to handle the fear of what is unknown. In the movie, the wizards fear Newt’s “fantastic beasts”. The wizards think that Newt’s creatures are harmful and destroying the city. Therefore, Newt is sentenced to death. These wizards assumed that Newt was responsible because they fear the unknown. The wizards did not know much about Newt’s creatures, so he was falsely accused of wreaking havoc throughout the city. This theme relates to the real world, especially in the wake of the 2016 presiden-
tial election. Waves of hate crimes and violence have been spreading across the country in response to an outcome that some people feared. Different political views have caused people in the United States to resort to unnecessary violence. Many people are lashing out in fear of “the other”. At this crucial time, people in the United States should be coming together to help create a better America. The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie touches upon the themes of tolerance, acceptance, and fear. These all relate to today’s society and encourage people to think differently in an optimistic way. It is okay to be different because differences can evoke positive change. Newt Scamander was able to bring peace to New York City, hopefully time will bring peace and prosperity to America as a whole.
We asked Garden City High School’s beloved English teachers what their favorite books were and compiled their answers. Be sure to check out these fantastic teacher-recommended books at the library!
White Teeth by Zadie Smith “This novel follows the complicated and tangled story of two unlikely best friends (a British man and a devout Muslim) living in present day Northern London and their families. The novel begins with a thwarted suicide attempt and take us on a journey through war, college, marriage, kids and the problems one faces when trying to hold on to the past while living in the present. I absolutely loved this book! Zadie Smith writes with precision and beauty, and she is laugh out loud funny at times too. Once you become attached to the characters in the book (and, you will!) you will not want to put the book down.” (Ms. McLaughlin)
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
“There’s truly no one who writes dialogue like Zadie Smith. She has a finely tuned ear that allows her to recreate voices as varied as those belonging to American teenagers and highfalutin British professors. Her book On Beauty follows the intersecting lives of two families torn between various micro- and macro-cultures as their lives play out on a college campus. I loved the way this book explores the various factors that shape our identities, including family, race, and our own desires.” (Ms. Skolnik)
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri “My favorite book is The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. I love this book for a few reasons. First, it was the first time I ever slowly fell in love with one narrator only to fall deeper in love with the narrator who slowly takes over. I didn’t even recognize the disappearance of the first or emergence of the second because it was so seamless, yet their impacts were (at the same time) profound. Completely still confounds me! The second reason is because of how eye opening the conflict(s) is(are). The story focuses on the assimilation of a Bengali woman in Boston. The differences for the narrator in how to do basic tasks, learn a language, etc… to the similarities, we all face, of wanting to make friends, feel loved, resonated with me. Most importantly, Lahiri’s writing style is gorgeous. It is smooth, thought provoking, and energizing. I truly love this book.” (Ms. Tavernise)
Ishmael: An Adventure of the Spirit by Daniel Quinn “When I first read this book about a Silverback Gorilla that teaches man about his own humanity I was taken aback by the insight. I am also a big fan of J.R.R Tolkien, George R. R. Martin and Ken Follet’s Pillars of the Earth for their breathtaking scope and ability to immerse you in an entirely new reality.” (Mr. Hepworth)
Courtesy of the GCHS English Department written by Mina Woo