Garden City High School ECHO: Spring 2016

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GARDEN CIty High SchOOl News

EDITORS: STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Seungmin Woo, Hallie MAllozzi

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SPORTS

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Brendan Dolan

CommuniTY NEWS Julia Foxen, Michelle Parente

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WORLD/NATIONAL NEWS

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breanne naegele, Seunghyun Woo

REVIEWS Gabby Yepes, Paige Accetta

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PHOTOGRAPHY Mary Vivian Schott

EdiTOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Snyder

LAYOUT EDITOR Kaylah Bozkurtian

STAFF SUPERVISOR Ms. Skolnik

Principal Mrs. McLaughlin

AssisTanT Principals Opinions expressed are those of the writers, and do not reflect the opinions of staff or administration.

Mr. Perrotta Mr. Steingruebner

GARDEN CITY HIGH SCHOOL

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PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE NEWSPAPER CLUB

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT STUDENT SPOTLIGHT ST

DAVID PAPPAS:

Photo courtesy of Garden City Highschool Website

AIRBORNE

BY ALEXANDER JOUDEH

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT STUDENT SPOTLIGHT ST

The wonders of flight have always called out to David Pappas. He was born on March 10th, 1999, in the town of Hempstead, New York and grew up in Garden City with his mother, father, sister, and dog. Ever since David was a boy, he has had an avid interest in aviation.

Pappas has aspired to become a pilot since the third grade. Now, he is finally fulfilling his dream by training to become a pilot.

David Pappas’ journey begins with his father.

Although Pappas’ father wanted to be a pilot, he Photowas courtesy of Garden unsucunfortunately City Highschool Website he could cessful. Though not achieve this dream, he shared his love of aviation with his son. Pappas learned so much about planes from his father that he basically grew up around them. His father would take him to airports to watch the planes take off or land, and to air shows to watch jets in high-speed action. When Pappas was about nine years old, he experienced his first flight en route to a vacation in Orlando, Florida.

As David disembarked from

that airplane, certainty set in. David was confident he wanted to become a pilot.

In September of 2015, he started training to make his dream of soaring through the skies into a reality.

David currently goes to two different schools for various types of training. He attends Barry Career and Technical Educational Center for his ground school and Farmingdale State University to fly actual planes.

He receives his ground training from one instructor, and flying training from another.

Mr. Carry, his flight instructor, is an adept pilot, and despite the time he spends soaring through the sky, is quite down to earth. Before David started the actual flying sessions, he practiced the skills necessary for maneuvering an aircraft in simulation flights. Once he had mastered the simulations, he began flying. The planes that Pappas flies are the Cessna 172 and the Piper Warrior 3. For the full flight training, David must follow a series of steps to ensure that he will complete a full flight without causing any

hazardous situations. These steps include informing the control tower about his status, taxiing towards the runway, taking off with precaution, flying, and landing safely. In the air, he typically practices stalling and flying, then lands and taxis to the hangar. Although aviation is a huge responsibility to shoulder, Pappas perseveres to fulfill his dream. It is clear that Pappas has a great deal of dedication to and passion for aviation.

In the future, David hopes to take his aviation career to new heights (pun intended!). Pappas will be applying to Embry Riddle in Daytona Beach, Vaughn Aeronautical College in Flushing, NY, and Farmingdale State College. Pappas aspires to fly a Delta Airliner someday. Pappas is thrilled that he has had the opportunity to achieve his longterm goal, a privilege not everyone can have. This young man puts passion, courage, and dedication into his study of aviation. If that’s not ambition, then nothing is.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT STUDENT SPOTLIGHT ST

STEFAN GEREK FUNDRAISING FOR A CURE

BY HALLIE MALLOZZI

This year, students of Garden City High School had the privilege to see their principal get soaked with buckets of ice cold water to help raise money and spread awareness for ALS. However, what most students don’t know is that, with the help of his peers, student Stefan Gerek made this all possible.

The idea was sparked for Stefan when Ms. Squires’ 12th grade economics class was in the process of planning a bake sale. of Stefan Photo courtesy Gardenand his class agreed that the monCity Highschool Website ey raised from the bake sale should go to the ALS Foundation in honor of Stefan’s mother, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. Motivated by the cause, Stefan and his classmates went around to fellow students, friends, teachers, and family members asking them to donate money or baked goods. Ms. Squires’ class kicked off the fundraiser with a strong foundation of funds that they raised through collections. The actual bake sale was a major triumph; the vast array of desserts ranging

from fruit kabobs to doughnuts intrigued so many students that by lunch time, the economics class had to go out to buy more food to sell.

By the end of the day, Stefan and his classmates raised an impressive total of $6300. In addition, Stefan raised money by starting a “GoFundMe” account where anyone around the world could donate money to the ALS foundation online. Stefan didn’t stop there; believing there was still more to be done to spread awareness for ALS, Stefan decided to organize an Ice Bucket Challenge with his economics class.

For anyone who attended, the ice bucket challenge was easy to watch not only because of its important subject matter, but also because of how smoothly it went. The event went off without a hitch because of Stefan’s strong ability to organize and plan at such a high level. Stefan’s first task while organizing the fundraiser was deciding who to dunk with water. Stefan and his classmates thought that

Garden City High School’s Principal, Mrs. McLaughlin, would be the perfect candidate because of her popularity within the school. Stefan and Mrs. McLaughlin then made a deal that if Stefan raised $500 then she would volunteer to have ice water dunked on her. With Stefan’s driving incentive, fundraising $500 came easily which meant that GCHS’ ice bucket challenge was now taking shape. The actual ice bucket challenge was a grand triumph! A sweeping crowd of students and faculty came together to see their beloved

TUDENT SPOTLIGHT STUDENT SPOTLIGHT STUDENT SPOTLIGHT ST principal get splashed with water. Altogether Stefan and his class raised a grand total of $571 from the ice bucket challenge.

Stefan’s fundraising efforts were not always easy; many challenges arose throughout the process. For Stefan, the hardest part was keeping everything, from the baked goods to the money, organized. Stefan had the sizable task of counting and keeping track of the money.

Although he admits it was a huge responsibility, Stefan learned new techniques along the way to make the process more efficient. With responsibility comes great reward; for Stefan, the most Photorewarding courtesy of part Gardenof his fundCity raising Highschool Website was that experiences together his class was able to help raise money for ALS so that one day there will be a cure for the disease. Another satisfying result of the fundraiser was the overwhelming press the event received; Stefan was pleased that his fundraising reached different news sources because it has helped spread more awareness for ALS. Stefan also received an award from the ALS foundation for his outstanding efforts and for being a top fundraiser. If he were to give advice to someone planning

a big fundraiser, Stefan would advise him or her to stay organized because it is a big job and commitment.

When Stefan isn’t fundraising or going to school, he enjoys caddying, hanging out with friends, and managing the high school’s basketball team. Stefan, who has been managing the team for two years, acts as a leader to his teammates by helping to motivate and push his team to do their best. Another passion of Stefan’s is collecting money, specifically foreign money; he has a sizable collection of currency from different parts of the world. Needless to say, Stefan’s favorite subject is economics. When asked of his opinion of the controversial question of which female leader should be on the dollar bill, his response came easily:Sacagawea. He followed up his answer by explaining that the U.S. Mint has taken Sacagawea off the dollar coin and that she still deserves to be represented. For Stefan, his role models include Ms. Squires, Ms. Birdy, and Al the hall monitor. All three of these people never fail to brighten up Stefan’s day and motivate him daily to accomplish great things.

Manifested through his fundraiser, Stefan’s philan-

thropic motivation is heavily apparent. Like anyone else who has spent time talking to Stefan, I can attest that despite any struggles he may face in life, Stefan always manages to overcome them while maintaining a positive, jovial attitude. I know that I can speak for all of Garden City High School when I say I am excited to see what Stefan will do next in his fundraising career!

For more information about ALS or to donate money please go to www.alsa.org

INTEL SEMIFINALIST: ELIZABETH RIEGER

By Mina Woo Elizabeth Rieger was named one of two Garden City High School semifinalists in the prestigious National Intel Science Talent Search this year. Elizabeth’s project involved the use of a spider plant to eliminate volatile organic compounds, a type of air pollutant. She looked specifically at the effects of a spider plant extract on formaldehyde induced inflammation in human cells and was able to determine that the plant extract decreased

the amount of formaldehyde in vitro, thereby decreasing the harmful effects of formaldehyde.

Dr. Gordon described the process as “a novel method to purify indoor air, which could improve the working and living conditions of people who spend most of their time indoors.” Elizabeth found inspiration for her project in previous studies by NASA, which suggested that certain green plants have the ability to purify air through a process called

phytoremediation. She conducted preliminary research in school last year, but worked primarily on the project this summer and fall for about eight weeks through the Long Island Conservatory, working at a laboratory in Hempstead. In the future, Elizabeth would like to incubate the cells for longer lengths of time, for example one week, to try to simulate longer term exposure to VOCs like formaldehyde without killing the cells. She aspires to become an engineer.

INTEL SEMIFINALIST: DESSIe DIMINO

By SEUNGHYUN Woo

Dessie Dimino was also among the two semifinalists for the highly competitive pre-college National Intel Science Talent Search who represented our school this year. The Intel STS is the nation’s most prestigious pre-college science competition, providing an important forum for original research that is recognized and reviewed by a national jury of professional scientists.Out of thousands, 300 were selected across the nation to be named the semifinalists.

Dessie was able to share with us her truly novel and distinguished hard work in the interview that follows.

Q&A WITH DESSIE DIMINO: WHAT IS YOUR PROJECT? My project was entitled “Development of a 3D-printed hydrogel Scaffold Through Optimization of Molecular Weight, Functional Domains and Viscoelastic Properties of Hyaluronic Acid Bio-Ink.” I created, and filed a patent application for, a Bio-Ink, which can be used in a 3D-printer to print out a scaffold for tissue engineering.The scaffold is gel-like and supports the growth of cells. By applying a person’s own cells on these scaffolds, sheets of skin can be grown that can replace skin grafts in burn victims and these sheets will avoid rejection by that person’s immune system.

WHERE AND HOW DID YOU CONDUCT YOUR RESEARCH? I conducted my research at the Garcia Center for Polymers at Engineered Interfaces at Stony Brook University which is a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. I worked in the lab of Dr. Miriam Rafailovich and lived in the dorms on campus for seven weeks with 65 high school students from all over the country.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION? I am very interested in how technology is being used in science research, and had already used a 3D-printer to make small plastic toys for a fundraiser. I had been following advances in tissue engineering in the past few years and was inspired to combine my interests in medicine and technology.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON IT? I began the research in June and continued it even after school started in September. After school, I would drive out to Stony Brook to continue my research.

WHERE IS YOUR RESEARCH HEADING? ANY FUTURE PLANS? Ideally, the Bio-Ink can be used with a wide array of cell lines and with the 3D printers unique capabilities custom sizes and shapes can be formed. For examples dental pulp stem cells grow well on extremely porous scaffolds which can be achieved with 3D printers and computer aided design software. Eventually these cells could form dentin or teeth.

WHAT DO YOU ASPIRE TO BE IN THE FUTURE? I am planning on majoring in Computer Science with a specialization in either Bioinformatics or Robotics. I’d like to continue doing research in college.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO THE WINNING OF YOUR TITLE? I would like to thank Dr. Gordon and Dr. Rafailovich for his time and efforts in helping me prepare the 20-page paper for this competition. I am very honored to have been chosen as an Intel Semifinalist.

Mary Poppins

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Coordinated by Seunghyun W

Everyone knows the notoriously complex word- “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

It is accurate to say that this word single-handedly reflects the enormity of the work put into the noteworthy production of Mary Poppins, Garden City’s anticipated musical for March 3rd, 4th, and 5th of 2016. Mary Poppins is about a unique nanny who has a special knack for controlling misbehaving children, like Jane and Jack. With her magic and charm, she captures the audience. As part of the audience, viewers see only the superficial layer of a deeply intricate process; they only have access to the glossy finished product created by the blood, sweat and tears of the cast, crew and directors. Hence, in order to accurately gain insight into the complexities of a production, the cast and crew shared their insightful perspectives.

Taking the lead as Mary Poppins: Cristin Crowley

There is so much preparation that goes into being in a musical far beyond even rehearsals in school. First, all the music is learned, and for me usually the notes come first and then I memorize the words that go along with them. I have to go home and rehearse them on my own so that they can be put together with everyone else. Then comes choreography, where I will sit

and listen to a song and picture all the movement in my head, and blocking. We all need to have our lines memorized so that we can connect the dialogue to the movement we were given to do on stage. For this show in particular, another aspect of learning lines was learning them with an accent.

This show takes place in England, and Mary Poppins is famously British, so a key component was trying to master a British accent and rehearsing everything in that accent. When you’re a lead, it is so important to take what you do at rehearsal and practice on your own to really perfect your part.

There are so many moving parts to this show so we each have to know it’s our responsibility make sure everything is done to the best of our ability in order to make it the best show it can possibly be.

As a member of the Mary Poppins ensemble: Gabrielle Frandina

There are countless hours of work and practice that go into creating a successful production.

Every person involved, whether you are a leading role, a member of the ensemble, or a member of the crew, plays an important role in making the show great. For example, the ensemble has a larger job than one would think. Even though lines are not actually said, they are just as involved in the scene. A person in the ensemble

could have more than one persona. In the high school’s production, one member of the ensemble is a chimney sweep, a park goer, a store customer and plays other small parts as well. Being in the ensemble is a lot of fun, especially in this production. There are exciting dance numbers and songs that bring the show to an even greater level. Overall, putting together a production is a lot of fun for everyone involved and is a great experience.

A literal underground perspective from the Pit Orchestra: Robert Brosnan

I have been playing in orchestras for almost 10 years, and there is honestly nothing quite like a pit orchestra. Sure, I have had long, tiring rehearsals with regular orchestras, but there is something special about the delicate balance of my viola, homework and dinner on my lap that sets pit apart from the rest.

For the most part, our rehearsals feel like any other orchestra rehearsal. We tune up, work on the music for a couple of hours and go home. It is not until the few weeks leading up to the show that things get more interesting.

The first rehearsal with the cast is always an eye opener for both parties. They always seem somewhat shocked that we are capable of playing our instruments to some level of success, meanwhile

A TRULY MAGICAL PRODUCTION

Woo, insights graciously provided by Camille Mojica, Cristin Crowley, Robert Brosnan, & Gabrielle Frandina we’re equally surprised that we know the lines just as well as them. It’s very exciting once we move out of the band room and into the auditorium because we are finally able to see the scenery and performance that we accompany right in front of us. Because we do most of the hard work before we meet with the cast, many of these “Hell Week” rehearsals are so long and drawn out because it is the cast’s first time working with the sets and stage crew so we get to sit around and watch the drama unfold when things go wrong which is always a good time. Playing in a pit orchestra is usually very challenging as the music is at an extremely advanced level and much of it is cue based. This means that we have to follow the singers carefully and often have to repeat certain sections until a certain line is given. We also produce a lot of cool sound effects for the show.

For example, the percussionists are able to create a lot of weather noises and the keyboards have a lot of patch software, which mimics things like typewriters, cell phones, and birds. We also must be creative and use tunes from numbers throughout the show as scene change music, because it does take our stage crew more time to get everything in place than in a professional production. Although we are not often recognized by the audience at the end of each performance,

we know that the cast and crew are appreciative of our hard work just as much as we are of theirs.

Stage Crew, the backbone: Camille Mojica

A cast without its back stage counterpart is like a band without any instruments.

This is something I often say to the kids that are behind the scenes when it comes to the school theater productions. As a stage manager myself, and a member of the tech crew, I can confidently say that the crew is just as important to the show as the cast is. I’ve been doing crew and tech since my freshman year, and I have to say, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Being behind the scenes is so exciting because you get to see a set come to life, from pieces of wood, and you get to control the lights that set the moods that communicate with the audience, and you get to project actors’ voices out to fill an entire room. You get to make their shining moment perfect, by giving them the right environment for it. Being behind the scenes allows you to be a part of a unique process that helps others shine. I’ve always loved the feeling of watching the shows knowing that it’s my friends and I that are secretly keeping our own tempo to the movements of the actors. It’s our job to ensure their performance is the

best it can be, from the set, to the sound, and even to the lights.

This year, for our production of Mary Poppins, the stage crew has really pulled together to make the show the best they possibly can from a crew’s perspective.

The show itself has many different interactive parts that require members of the crew to hide in certain parts of the set, and pull different objects with fishing wire to make them “magically” move around the stage. Artists in the crew also provide artwork that will be hung up around the set and even used by some main characters during certain scenes.

This show, especially, has proven to be somewhat difficult when it comes to bringing all the loose ends together, but the true magic is how we always manage to make things work by the week of the show. Even when we’re only a little more than halfway there, the final piece starts to take shape, and by the time show week rolls around we’re able to showcase our hard work as a crew, and as a cast together, on one stage.

ZZZZZ ZZAZZZGCHS SLEEP STUDYZZ... ZZ...

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Imagine having a wonderful dream one night and then suddenly being awakened by a buzzing sound. The buzzing sound is not a hive of bees, but a text message from a friend saying that she needs help. After texting your friend for about a half an hour, you try to go to sleep, but are not successful. As a result, the next day in school you may be quite fatigued and zombie-like.

Many people lose hours of sleep every week due to life stressors, such as this late night discussion with a friend. In order to get the most fulfilling sleep, known as REM sleep, you must sleep uninterrupted for hours at a time. I conducted an experiment to determine how life stressors, such as using electronic devices prior to going to sleep, and other variables affect the sleep cycles of adults. With this information, people can adopt healthier habits to improve their sleep quality.

To conduct this experiment, six people were given the Zeo sleep monitor for one week in order to monitor their sleeping patterns through the reading of brain waves. This monitor enables the experimenter to see how various factors affect sleep. The first two subjects used the monitor to compare how stress affects sleep. The third and fourth subjects used the monitor to com-

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pare how light affects sleep. The fifth subject and sixth subjects used the monitor to compare how electronics affect sleep. The control group in the experiment slept in a stress-free environment without lights or electronics.

After collecting a series of data, the experiment shows that in comparison to the groups with life stressors during their sleep, the control group slept for a longer amount of time, spent more time in REM sleep, fell asleep faster and woke fewer times in the night. For example, on average, the subjects experienced 42 minutes less sleep when they used electronic devices before going to sleep.

All in all, the amount of time spent in deep sleep was greatly affected by the supposed life stressors, especially by the subject using electronics prior to going to bed. This is due to the fact that the use of electronics just before sleep may cause insomnia, which makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep for long periods of time. After conducting this study, I decided that I am going to sleep with the hallway light off and my phone on airplane mode, so that I can float into a dream that is free of life stressors.

INKSPOTS

BY MICHAEL SNYDER

On a shelf in the Writing Center there lie a few inconspicuous, weathered magazines. With a cursory glance, one would never know that these old volumes are an archive of a colorful part of Garden City High School’s history.

Garden City’s resident literary magazine, Inkspots, has been around for longer than anyone can remember. In the Writing Center, issues dating back as far as 1931 are still preserved. Besides the missing issues from ca. 1979 to 2002, all of the issues have been preserved in remarkable condition. Inkspots has undergone many vast changes in its history.

“Inkspots has evolved a lot over the course of decades,” says current Editor-In-Chief Collier Curran.

“One big example is that older issues of the magazine feature pieces written in other languages, such as French and Italian. The school now has a separate World Language Literary Magazine, so those pieces have a more specialized home. Additionally, the name of the publication has changed. I do not remember the exact year that this happened, but the name changed from Ink Spots to Inkspots, which may not seem like a big change, but it graces the cover of every year’s magazine, so it’s a big deal to us!”

For example, in the earliest issues of what we now consider to be magazine that focuses primarily on poetry, there was no poetry. A 1933 issue of Inkspots had the sections “essays,” “stories,” “lights and shadows,” and “the forum.” At times, the magazine has even featured musical scores.

While Inkspots has never received a musical score in her four years as a member, says Curran, they would definitely consider it if they received it. Students also used to have to purchase the Inkspots

issues, as mentioned in a 1933 article. In 1969, Inkspots cost 75c per copy. Interestingly enough, Inkspots also included advertisements for local businesses in their issues until at least 1980. Today, the literary magazine contains no advertisements and is given away for free as a way of encouraging the GCHS community to read it, says Curran. “The club receives funding for the printing process, and Inkspots has held its own fundraisers so it can be a free publication. I think the point of the magazine is to share something created by students, not to make a profit.” In other words, paid subscriptions goes against the modern Inkspots mindset, and it will probably continue this trend in the future.

A fascinating reflection of the mindset of Garden City high schoolers throughout almost a century can be observed in the Inkspots magazines accumulated throughout the years. The 1976 issue (one year after the end of the Vietnam War), featuring a bicentennial-themed cover, featured articles such as “why do you think they call them dopes,” an anonymous article about the legalization of marijuana, and “A Casual Review of Bruce Springsteen.”

“You condone the slaughter of yellow men/ ones I have no grudge against,” Garden City poet Anne Huschle wrote, in her poem called “Sniper!” In May 1944, one year before the end of World War II, a student named Greta Jensen, in a piece titled “Ode to Battle” wrote: “Cry havoc while we bury the dead… hurry, hurry./ There are so many more./ Dig the pits, dig them deep/ While in the distance a cannon roars.”

The cover of the 1944 edition featured fighter planes, indicative of the battles fought in World War II. A 1944 short story

by Jean McLean, titled “Inferiority Complex,” explores the struggles of teenage girls who want to be

popular and their typical drama: “Anita is a fabricator, to put it nicely, and the cat of the group. Every gang must have one, and ours is no exception.” Stories and arguments from a 1930 edition, such as “Trying to Raise your Grades” and “Homework,” are still relevant and very much complained about today.

Inkspots would most likely not expand to multiple issues in the future, their Editor-In-Chief said. “It truly does take the majority of the school year to craft an issue that we are truly proud of,” Curran said. “I personally believe that multiple issues would feel rushed and would not contain that special something that makes Inkspots what it is. To us, it really is about quality over quantity.” In an interview, Curran said that she believes Inkspots’ mission statement is “to provide the students and faculty of GCHS with an anthology of the most creative, captivating, and well-crafted works of poetry and prose (as well as artwork!) of the year in order to celebrate the artistic and literary talent present within our halls… at its core, Inkspots is an opportunity for students to share their works in a physical way.”

According to Curran, Inkspots has received multiple national awards for its exemplary work, something that she says is “extremely satisfying.” In the future, the magazine will surely continue to meet the standard of excellence it has met for almost a century as it continues to portray the unique creativity of Garden City High School students.

SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS BOYS’ BASKETBALL BY BRENDAN DOLAN After a devastating defeat at home to rival Manhasset in last year’s playoffs, boys basketball was poised to redeem themselves and go deeper into the playoffs, something that had eluded the program for 12 consecutive years.

Led by captains Joe Leighton, John Wotczak, and up-and-coming sophomore Andrew DeSantis, Garden City opened the season ferociously, posting a 5-1 record that included a blowout win against Manhasset to begin league play.

However, in late December, the Trojans suddenly cooled off, losing to Kellenburg and Valley Stream Central in a Christmas tournament. The group gathered themselves immediately after these losses by beating Jericho rather handily and then Sewanhaka in front of a raucous crowd on the road. Up next on the schedule came the Trojans hardest test to that point, the Elmont Spartans, who had won the conference 4 of the last 5 seasons. The game measured up to its billing, as the 7-3 Trojans battled the Spartans the entire game, never letting Elmont get into the open court and bury Trojans in transition. With only a quarter remaining, Garden

City was in striking distance of the lead. Behind Incredible performances by Joe Leighton and Andrew DeSantis, who tallied 27 and 22 points, respectively, Garden City escaped Elmont with a win after DeSantis iced the game away with a layup that gave the Trojans the conference lead. Garden City used this added momentum to propel themselves to 5 straight wins, outscoring their opponents by an average of over 18 points per game. Unfortunately, the boys did not finish the regular season the way they had hoped, as they dropped 2 of 3 and relinquished the conference title to Elmont after the Spartans came into Garden City and took their revenge on the Trojans. All things considered, Garden City entered the postseason in a spot where it wanted to be, with a home playoff game against Lawrence next on the docket. The Trojans were aware of the task ahead of them, as Lawrence was led by senior Sammy Robinson, who averaged over 23 points per game thorough the regular season. The Trojans wrestled with the Tornadoes all game, and found themselves down one in the final minute. Yet

again, GC looked to rely on their closer, Andrew DeSantis, to save them. DeSantis did just that, as he hit a layup with eight seconds remaining that gave the Trojans the win. If Garden City wished to play in the Nassau County Class AA semifinal, they needed to travel to Valley Stream North and defeat the Spartans. When they needed it the most, Leighton’s 26 points and DeSantis’s 22 carried the team for the duration of the game. Just like last time, DeSantis’s late game heroics appeared to punch the Trojans ticket to Hofstra, as he hit a baseline layup in the final ten seconds, putting GC one point ahead. Unfortunately, VSN responded calmly and quickly, as they raced up the court and nailed a three pointer as time expired to sink Garden City’s season.

Luckily for the boys, sophomores Andrew Desantis, Kevin McNiff, and Matt Granville all were key contributors this past season and appear to be ready to advance the Trojans further, and finally achieve their goal of winning the county championship.

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BY BRENDAN DOLAN After the departure of a solid group of seniors, the 2015 girls basketball team was dealt the difficult task of replacing some serious offensive firepower. Luckily, the incoming seniors, led by Kerry Defliese. Michaela Bruno, and Kerry McCarraher, were up to the challenge of continuing Garden City’s success in Conference A-1. Unexpectedly, the Trojans dropped their opener at home to the Bayhawks of St Dominic, 4440. From here the girls picked it up, by winning three straight against MacArthur, Syosset, and Wantagh, before ultimately dropping a game on the road to Manhasset. Yet again, the Trojans refused to let themselves slip by winning their next four, which included a 28 point blowout of rival Carey. As predicted, the fiercest group the girls would face, the Spartans of Elmont, were the next opponent looking to snap the team’s winning streak, and were a team that had won their last 17 conference

games. Elmont’s dominance over their opponents continued, as they rolled over Garden City 5036 to firmly grasp the conference lead in their hand. This loss, however, did not deter the girls in any way, as they responded by posting a 41-11 thumping of Great Neck. Over their next five games, the Trojans took down Manhasset, Bellmore JFK, Carey, Jericho, and Sewanhaka, which gave the girls some added confidence before their rematch against Elmont. Garden City was able to hang with the Spartans for most of the game this time around, but, unfortunately, Elmont was able to fend off the Trojans, 58-49, which put a halt to their 6 game winning streak. This loss concluded the regular season for the girls, who placed second in their conference with a 9-3 record, and were now staring down a matchup with Seaford from class A-IV to begin postseason play. This test provided no challenge for GC, as they ousted

the Vikings rather emphatically with a 31-16 win. After Manhasset took care of their first round contest, they became the next team in the Trojans path, who were looking to take the rubber match against the Indians in the season’s biggest game. The girls survived the fight from their rival 37-30, and advanced to the next round.

If the girls were looking to win the county championship, they would need to finally beat top seeded Elmont, who finished the regular season undefeated in conference play. With their season on the line, the girls once again battled to the bitter end, but ultimately succumbed to the Spartans 34-27. If the Trojans hope to continue their recent success, they will need to fill the hole left by this group of seniors, primarily Defliese, Bruno, and McCarraher, who guided this group to their fourth consecutive 15 win season.

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SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS GARDEN CITY SWIMMING BY CHRIS DORIZAS

Coming off three consecutive Nassau County Championships, the Garden City Boys Varsity Swim and Dive Team (GCVSD) was looking for an unprecedented fourth consecutive title this year.

The team, led by Coach Anne Sullivan, Co-captains Ryan Brown and Christopher Crafa, and a very large senior class, were ready to guide the team to that elusive fourth title.

Different from the last three seasons, GCVSD was not heavily favored due to the emergence of Long Beach, and their number one threat, Syosset. The team was ready regardless. The team went on a hot start defeating Massapequa, Plainview, Wantagh, and Manhasset in the first four meets of the season. Going into the Christmas vacation, the team was 4-0 which is good, but the team was looking for more.

Swimmers woke up early almost everyday of the vacation for practice and this diligence definitely showed in the rest of the regular season. After a win in Farmingdale, the team had to face the three best teams in the county.

The Sewanhaka and Long Beach meets were both very thrilling and close, but they all ended up with Garden City pulling away at the end and capturing the victory. Now the team was tasked with facing Syosset. Both teams being 7-0, the winner would take the Conference Championship (regular season champions). The meet came down to the last race, but it was Syosset that defeated the reigning champions to become the Conference Champions.

With a win against Port-Washington to conclude the regular season, the team finished 8-1, but the season was not over yet. The team worked extremely hard in order to put themselves in the best position to beat Syosset when it mattered the most, in the County Championships. The week before the “Big Dance�, the team competed and won the Division A title in the Division Champions Meet, while Syosset and Long Beach won Divisions B and C, respectively.

Now the team was ready for Counties. Snow cancelled the first day of the meet which caused

confusion and hysteria among the teams, but GCVSD stayed focused and they had a fantastic showing at Counties. Being the underdogs after losing to Syosset in the regular season the team swam with a chip on its shoulder. The performance was unbelievable. Almost every single swimmer and diver performed the best they ever have, propelling the team to their fourth consecutive Nassau County Championship. This accomplishment should not be written off. It was the first time in Nassau County history that a boys varsity swim team won four consecutive County Titles. After Counties, Ryan Brown, Christopher Crafa, John Crafa, Pierce Senken, John Gaffney, and Liam Gaffney represented GCVSD at the New York State Championships.

It was another incredible season for the GCVSD due to the fantastic coaching from Coach Anne, the excellent leadership from the captains and upperclassmen, and most importantly, the hard work and dedication that every member on the team showed.

SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS

SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS

By MICHAEL SNYDER GARDEN CITY FENCING

The Garden City Fencing Team dominated Nassau County this year in one of their most successful seasons yet.

The Girls’ Team placed first in counties, reclaiming their title as county champs that they lost last season. The Boys’ Team’s impressive record of 11-1 earned them the titles of League and Division Champions. They then won second place in the County Championships, losing to Jericho in the finals.

Additionally, both teams had many fencers that won awards. For their outstanding records during the season, Charlotte Osborn and Donal Mahoney, both Saber fencers, were named All-Long Island fencers. Eight fencers on the girls’ team and five on the boys’ team also received All-County Awards.

Although the season has

been very successful, it ends on a sad note for both teams; Coach Michael Kreidman, girls’ coach for 15 years, is finally retiring after his last season this year. During his time on the team, he was a source of inspiration and leadership for both teams, and has guided them through many years of growth.

Undoubtedly, his lessons will continue on long after he has left the team.

Leaving also are three graduating senior from the boys’ team (Alessio Iccari, James Ostrowski, and Michael Snyder) and seven seniors from the girls’ team (Charlotte Osborn, Anna Schaubeck, Mary-Vivian Schott, Bridget Strysko, Kaitlyn Fochella, Dessie DiMino, and Kate Dirks). Although both fencing teams are losing a lot of cherished teammates this year, they will surely go on to do great things next season.

SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS

SPORTS In new York

by James Murphy

From Madison Square Garden to the Barclays Center, it seems as if there are active sports teams all over the Big Apple. It’s a blessing to have more sports teams than any other metropolitan area in the country and have at least two teams representing this city in all of the 4 big-name leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL). With so many teams comes so many different viewpoints on the sports landscape in the city.

There are even annual games where these teams play each other- not including the Jets and Giants who play every few years. Nonetheless, there are a great variety of rivalries to see pretty much every year.

It is enjoyable for the fans and their beloved city.

Despite all of this, there is still an uglier side to being a sports fan in New York City.

I should know. I’m both a Mets AND a Jets fan, two teams who have been on the short end of the wishbone since Day 1. Whether it’s a blockbuster trade gone wrong, bad-luck injuries, lack of production offensively, defensively or both, or front-office mayhem, they are just two organizations that can’t get it right on a consistent basis like their respective crosstown rivals (the Yankees and

Giants). Why, you may ask?

In simpler terms, the Mets and the Jets, along with the Islanders and Nets, haven’t been around as long as some of the other New York Teams.

It may not seem like much of an excuse, but it can play a big role in the success of a franchise.

These short-end teams have to use crumbs of revenue in New York compared to the revenues that their rivals have to work with.

Now it’s obvious that New York is huge and generates a ton of revenue. However, the Yankees, Giants, Rangers and Knicks have been around long enough to accumulate most of the revenue and maintain it. The short-ended teams, as a result, just can’t catch up.

Although they are currently having success, depending on whom you’re talking about, the other teams have just set the bar unrealistically high.

So how does this affect a New York Sports Fan? Well currently, the Mets and Jets are doing just fine, as of now, but overall it’s an experience like no other. Whether the media and fan bases go crazy after a win or sing requiems and tear the teams apart after a loss, it creates a crazy blend for young sports fans, like me!

LET’s DO lunch!: A SURVEY

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS In 1977, no one knew what to expect from a science fiction movie by George Lucas called “Star Wars”. The film’s leads were unknown and the genre was not, at the time, widely popular.

However, it left audiences stunned and created one of the most beloved film franchises of all time. The original trilogy has gone down in cinematic history, but the series hit a rough patch with a poorly handled prequel saga. Doubts arose when news was released that Disney purchased the rights to “Star Wars” and was making more productions.

Those doubts perished after audiences were once again swept away by the phenomenon that is “Star Wars:The Force Awakens.”

“Star Wars” has been known to create a sense of other worlds and it makes you truly feel as though you really are in a galaxy far far away. The new installment does just that with its beautifully shot locations and environments that make the movie come to life. Director J.J. Abrams learned from the prequel’s mistake

of having too much C.G.I and went back to practical effects used in the originals. Almost everything in the entire film is live action and not animated, whether it’s aliens, storm troopers, or the Millennium Falcon.

BB-8, a loveable soccer ball like-robot, is also a real prop that is quite amazing to see. C.G.I. is still put to use in this film, but in appropriate amounts, and looks stunning when used for characters like Supreme Leader Snoke and Maz Kanata. Visual sequences like battles between X-Wings, Tie-Fighters and Lightsaber clashes are a delight to see.

Before the original “Star Wars” came out, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, and Harrison Ford were all unknown actors, and because of the movie, they became famous overnight. Once again, Abrams has learned from the mistake of the prequel’s casting of Hayden Christensen and his wooden acting in episodes 2 and 3. Because of this, Abrams set out to find unknown actors who were actually talented, just as the first trio

was. Both the old and new cast contribute to an excellent performance, such as when Ford effortlessly slipped back into the cool Han Solo, or Adam Driver’s conflicted and terrifying villain Kylo Ren. Daisey Ridley shines in her first movie role as the lead heroine Rey, a self-reliant scavenger who begins on her path into a larger world. The only problem here isn’t the acting ability, but the amount of time you see some characters. For instance, the ace pilot and 1940s-like war hero Poe Dameron and even Luke Skywalker are sidelined.

From the same iconic opening crawl to the same ending melody, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” feels like “Star Wars”. You can even argue that it feels too much like “Star Wars” with its many parallels to the first installment, but for every similarity there’s a new element brought to the story ensuring it’s not a total copy. The story is about piecing together a map that leads to Jedi Master Luke Skywalker in hopes of rescuing the

By PJ O’Rourke

New Republic from being overtaken by the tyrannical remnant of the old Empire, The First Order. Some may complain about Rey’s seemingly limitless set of talents, the origins of which are never explained. In fact, there are a lot of unanswered questions, but they simply serve to draw the viewers in even more.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is the revival that fans of the saga have been waiting for. Lifelong fan and Director J.J. Abrams teamed up with the “Empire Strikes Back” writer Lawrence Kasdan to recreate the magic. The cast and crew put enough love and effort into this reboot to make it a modern classic. It shows a lot of promise for future installments and sets up a new trilogy nicely. It may have rehashed the first one a bit too much but let’s be honest--it was what the fans wanted and the franchise needed.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NYTIMES.com

This satirical portrayal of Donald Trump by The New Yorker highlights many Americans’ perceptions of his policies.

Photo Courtesy of The New Yorker

WHY TRUMP? an editor’s analysis

by Mina Woo

Donald Trump is an extreme political outlier. He asserts outrageous promises to “make America great again” that have no factual basis on how he will achieve them. The one that is most resonant in my mind is, of course, his vow to end immigration from Mexico by constructing a “great, great wall” across the southern border, which will somehow be paid for by Mexico.

Moreover, Trump has mocked a reporter with disabilities, insulted women, and made inflammatory remarks about different races. Why then, is he the front-runner for the Republican Presidential nomination? What exactly is driving the Trump phenomenon?

Firstly, the broad majority of his support comes from two main groups: voters who do not have a college degree and Americans who feel that immigration weakens or threatens the future of the country. It is safe to say that an ever present well of xenophobic anxiety and nativism has always existed, routinely emerging in periods of economic uncertainty and social change. Referred to as “one of the oldest American political genes” by Evan Osnos,

writer in The New Yorker, the concepts of xenophobia and nativism were exemplified in the 1840s when Americans became fixated on the threat that they had perceived from the German and Irish Catholic immigrants in the United States. In 1882, the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act marked the first and only law deliberately designed to target a specific national group by limiting their immigration.

But what exactly are people afraid of? Many white nationalists believe that the American identity and culture have been slowly eroding.

Demographers predict that in 2042, non-Hispanic whites will no longer be the largest ethnic racial group in America. And thus, people fear that as immigration increases and the percentage of the white race in American population diminishes, they will become vulnerable and defenseless.

Trump reflects this unconscious vision that whites in America may soon become a minority subject to social and economic degradation.

Through his repugnant immigration plan, which involves immediate mass deportation of 11 million immigrants, he

manipulates this fear. Trump also plays off of the racist, anti-Muslim stigma in the US and the need for many to find a scapegoat for everything going awry. Unfortunately, this tactic has worked. When an individual is able to speak loud enough and provides the masses with a group of people to hate, he often becomes popular.

Many Trump advocates are oblivious to the fact that they themselves are descended from both legal and illegal immigrants who fought the prejudiced sentiments of people just like them to become accepted citizens. These sentiments are essentially the surfaced emanations of a crowd mentality phenomenon that has a deeper meaning and persistent historical roots.

Deadpool Movie Review By: Breanne Naegele

Deadpool was one of the most highly anticipated superhero movies of the year.

The film met its high expectations and broke many records at the box office including biggest R-rated opening weekend, biggest opening weekend for a first time director, and biggest opening debut for an X-Men movie. The film, starring Ryan Reynolds, is about Wade Wilson, a former Special Forces operative who now works as a mercenary. His world comes crash-

ing down when evil scientist Ajax (Ed Skrein) tortures, disfigures and transforms him into Deadpool. With help from mutant allies Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), Deadpool uses his new skills to hunt down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

With Deadpool making jokes about Ryan Reynolds himself, superhero movies in general, his world around him, and the Marvel universe, it was unlike any other superhero

movie I’ve ever seen before.

Despite the fact that superhero movies are primarily seen as action movies, this movie was listed as an R-rated comedy. This can be seen as a risky approach, but for a superhero movie like Deadpool, it was needed. Because Deadpool is known for his sick, twisted sense of humor, the movie rendition was like the comic book come to life.

I would highly recommend seeing this movie with a group of friends.

THE APPLE WATCH by: paige accetta and GABBY YEPES The Apple Watch is now considered by many to be the hottest Apple product on the market. Although this product has gotten great reviews, some people think that more could be done to make this product even better. The device serves as an upgraded watch. It provides easy access to messages and other applications, right at your wrist. Compared to

the other technologies offered

by Apple, the Apple Watch is considered very convenient and user-friendly. However, some customers who bought the watch were somewhat disappointed. Even though the device allows people to be notified of certain messages they receive, they are unable to respond to those messages.

One sophomore, Ann Sulli-

van, commented on the Apple Watch; “I love my Apple Watch, however I wish to had the opportunity to respond to my friends using the watch.”

Along with these issues, the watch is only available at prices that many find to be exorbitant. The trendy device offers a plethora of features--but only if you can stomach the cost.

The Swegway

by: paige accetta and caroline dolan

The Swegway is an international sensation that surfaced during the winter season. Over the course of the last winter break, many children were lucky enough to receive this popular technology. This addictive form of transportation left many kids pleased, but with it came several flaws and unfortunate injuries. The Swegway has had varied effects.

The positive effects include a new, innovative and fun way to transport. Unfortunately, there are many detriments to the invention. Before using the Swegway, the user must employ a charger to power up the device. Nevertheless, overcharging may result in unexpected explosions. People may fall off and seriously injure themselves. Ann Sullivan, a sophomore at Garden

City High School, commented on the Swegway saying, “I love it, however it can get really dangerous!” Liam Muldoon, a sophomore, said “It’s a great way to [travel] in the streets and to explore the adventures of the environment.”

While the Swegway may be very enjoyable device, it comes with its fair share of unfortunate dangers.