Hoofbeats December 2022

by KateAmmirati Staff Writer

Families and friends united together to celebrate a tradition known for showinggratitude.

The 16th annual “Calhoun Cares” event emphasized togetherness and the importance of cherishing beautiful memories. This marked the first time the event was held in person since November 2019 because of the pandemic and COVID-19restrictions.

“I am excited for the love and joy of seeing this family, communalmeeting,”saidPrincipalNicole Hollings before the event. “I hope that it is filled with as much love andjoyasthepreviousThanksgiving dinners.”

First created in 2006, the “Calhoun Cares” Thanksgiving dinner is a culmination of efforts from all over the district. It is both a feast and an event to raise funds for the Community Cupboard, a school community partnership dedicated to giving families in crisis greater accessibility to food assistance.

Members of the Community Cupboardcollect donatedThanksgiving food items such as turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy to serve families in need. In addition, over $1,000 was raised forthe Community Cupboard.

The night began with tables of wonderfully crafted raffle bas-

kets for families with prizes like a “Movie Night” themed basket, a wine and cheese basket, a spa night gift card, and even tickets to a baseball game. This was only the beginning.

When entering into the dining area, visitors were pleasantly surprised by all the orange and

yellow Thanksgiving decorations sprinkled around theroom.

At the beginning of the night, there was a performance by Express Yourself, a group comprised of members of the On Tour Company and Special Education students. Smiles were brought to

New era for Taylor Swift

Girls’ volleyball win states

Members of the National Honor Society serve food at the 16th annual “Calhoun Cares” event.

(photos by Ava Kamlet)

Julianna Belbol and Jackie Dobbs were part of the night’s performances.

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Calhoun now has the best girls’ volleyball team in New York State.

A week before they clinched the state title, though, it appeared South Side would easily defeat Calhoun in the Nassau Class A girls’ volleyball championship.

However, the tenacious Lady Colts wouldn’t go down without a fight and came away with the program’s first-ever countytitle.

The Cyclones had yet to lose a set in the postseason and met their match.

Julia Lawrence had 14 kills, five aces and a combined 52 digs with Ella Maldonado and Grace Miller adding 10 kills, as third-seeded Calhoun came back to win 15-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-18 over South Side at SUNY Farmingdale.

“This year, we really, really wanted it,” Lawrence said. “As a team, we really came together, and we knew that we weren’t giving up. We knew we wanted it so much.”

TheLadyColts,whowerecountyfinalistslastseasonafterbeating South Side in thesemifinals, rolled Sayville for the Long Island Class A title to secure a shot at the New York State Championship title.

South Side has been a known

forcetoreckonedwithingirls’volleyballandwasdefinitelybringing pressure to Calhoun when they wereleading7-1rightoffthebatin the second set.

South Side led later on, 18-12, before Calhoun gained on the Cyclones quickly with a four-point run and two kills from Lawrence.

“They love playing in deficits,” said Head Coach Christina Strezenec. “I guess it’s an adrenaline rush. Because of that, we developed pre y good stamina throughout the season, and that’s why I think they’re able to turn it around andhave short-term memory loss.”

The Colts finished the set scoring seven points after being down 20-18, bringing the set to a tie, and then breaking ahead with an ace from Lawrence, a kill from Olivia Ruisi, and three kills from Miller.

Once again, South Side brought the heat into the third set with another 7-0 lead over Calhoun, and then again 11-3.

However, as coach Strezenec said, the girls do their best under pressure,andthegirlsscoredeight out of the next 10 points bringing the score to a tie, 16-16.

South Side regained the lead at 19-18, but Calhoun closed the session with another 7-0 run high-

Juniors Gianna Lucchi, Ava Giuliano, and Johanna Esposito revel in a Calhoun win.

(photo by Grace Miller)

by Julia Baguiao Sports Editor

The Lady Colts rush the court to celebrate their state championship, defeating Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in three sets.

(photo by Johanna Esposito)

everyone’s faces as they enjoyed songs such as “Jingle Bell Rock” and a Thanksgiving-themed version of “Hokey Pokey.”

A endees found themselves grinning ear-to-ear as they watched the performers passionately sing and dance along.

“I am havingthetime of mylife at this event,” said Isabella Gonzalez, junior and member of Express Yourself. “I love how it is like an early Thanksgiving gathering dinner for me.”

As the night progressed, it was time for what everyone had been anticipating: the Thanksgiving meal.

Members of the National Honors Society served a variety of Thanksgiving foods such as turkey,mashedpotatoes,gravy,stuffing,sweetpotatoes,chicken,macaroni and cheese, and potatoes.

While visitors enjoyed their meal and the time everyone spent

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together, the OnTour Company joined in on the holiday cheer through their own performances of songs such as “Let it Go,” by IdinaMenzel, “The ShowMustGo On,” by Queen, “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,” by Elvis Presley, and “The Loco-motion,” by Kylie Minogue.

Visitors could not help but sing and sway along with their friends to the delightful tunes.

The energy in the room was unmatched; there was not a single personwhocouldnotfeelthepure happiness simply just being with each other.

Dessertincludedpies,cupcakes, and cookies that were taken to satisfy the sweet tooth before it was time to leave.

Principal Hollings described the night as “an evening that fills up my love bucket” because when she sees everyone having a beautiful time together, it makes her feel full of love.

Marissa Bello, Molly Gargan, Sude Akgun, and Aleyna Ozay help serve dinner for the “Calhoun Cares” event, which raised over $1,000 and collected food for those in need.

(photo by Ava Kamlet)

The “Calhoun Cares” event invites students, families, and the community to the event.

(photo by Ava Kamlet)

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Family holiday tradition?

by Julia Baguiao Sports Editor

P.J. Kakalos - Senior “Myfavoritefamilyholidaytradition is opening gifts on Christmas Day.

Ilove doingthisbecausemyentirefamilyisspendingqualitytime together during the best holiday. In my house, we grew up taking turns watching each person open their gift and then move on to the nextperson.

I love this tradition because not only did we get to enjoy that Christmas morning joy longer, but it’s alsopriceless toseethe faces of my family members opening each gift they have received.”

Charlie Imhof - Senior

“My favorite holiday tradition is my family’s fine cooking that is done on Christmas Eve.

Everyone on my mother’s side ofthefamilygetstogetheratoneof the four rotating houses each year and eatsforhours onend.We start with a fantastic homemade antipasto boardand continue on to eat three more courses of pastas and fish. We then finish off the night of

eating with the best desserts that can be made. This meal is looked forward to all year as we only get to enjoy it on Christmas, which makes it even more special.”

Paulina Kakalos - Sophomore

“My favorite family holiday tradition is decorating the Christmastree.AllyearIlookforwardto bringing down the boxes and bins of Christmas decorations we have

Charlie Brown Christmas Special” on Christmas Day. It makes the holiday spirit last throughout the winter, and we get to spend time together as a family.”

Peter Thomann - Senior

“My favorite family holiday is watching “It’s A Wonderful Life” with my family during the Christmas season.

Ilove doing thisbecauseI getto

unique to my family. I am able to share the holiday season with all membersofmyfamily,andIgetto celebrate Christmas twice!”

ConnorFaughnan - Senior

“Myfavorite holiday is Thanksgiving,andmyfavoritetraditionis the family Thanksgiving football game. This tradition is special because we get to do something we love: play football. Spending time

collected over the years. My family and I each have designated ornaments we put on the tree as my dad films us every year.

IlovelisteningtoChristmasmusic and ge ing hit by so many old happy memories when opening up the bins of ornaments. I love throwingthetinselaroundthetree andplacingthestaratthetopafter my sister and I put our Christmas cookies in the oven to bake. I am so grateful I get to experience this family tradition every year.”

Ma hewAraneo - Senior

“Myfavoriteholidaytraditionis that we always watch the “Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special” on Thanksgiving Eve, “The Polar Express”onChristmasEve,and“The

sitonmyfavoritecouchwithsome hot chocolate and spend time with my family. “It’s A Wonder Life” is our favorite movie to watch as a family around the holidays because it brings a lot of spirit and because it is a great movie. This movie is correctly classified as one of the best movies of all time.”

Athena Silver - Senior

“My favorite family holiday tradition is called New Christmas. Usually, I am not able to see my whole family on Christmas Day.A part of my family that I don’t usually see celebrates Christmas on New Year’s Day, and we have created our own holiday called “New Christmas.” This is my favorite holidaytraditionbecauseitistruly

outside in the crisp air on Thanksgiving is so much fun. The best part is after the game ends and we head inside and enjoy the Thanksgiving feast that is already on the table by the time we are done.”

Marissa Bello - Senior

“Myfavoritefamilyholidaytradition is one that my grandmother madeup.EveryChristmas Evemy sisters and I would receive a le er from Santa telling us how proud he was of us for what we’d accomplished that year, leaving gli er on the front doorstep and reindeer food for us to leave for Santa’s return in the morning on Christmas Day. This is my favorite tradition becauseitissomethingthatwecan onlysharewithourgrandmother.”

P.J. Kakalos - Senior

The kids in the hall:

Paulina Kakalos - Sophomore

Charlie Imhof - Senior

Ma hew Araneo - Senior

Athena Silver - Senior

Peter Thomann - Senior

Marissa Bello - Senior

Connor Faughnan - Senior

by Ella Stanek Staff Writer

Nothing says December more than listening to holiday music. Here are a few of the best holiday songs.

“TheChanukahSong”byAdam Sandler. This song is one of my favorites. Due to the lack of Hanukkah songs for the holiday season, Adam Sandler gave everyone a class, and he made it funny and catchy.

In this song he mentions all of the famous celebrities that no one really knew were Jewish and makes a catchy line for each person. This is why this song is definitely one of my favorites for the holidayseason.

Originally played live on “SaturdayNightLive”in1994,Sandler released the popular song on his 1996 comedy album, “What the Hell Happened to Me?”

“Rockin’ around the Christmas tree” by Brenda Lee. This song is a classic Christmas song that was featured in the top-rated holiday movie “Home Alone” and many

other holiday-themed shows and movies.

I love this song because just hearingitmakesmereadytositby the fire, light a Christmas candle, and sit with a warm cup of hot chocolate. This song truly gives that Christmas vibe, which is one of the many reasons why this will always be one of the top holiday songs.

“White Christmas” by Bing Crosby. I love this song because of theoldvibeitgives,aswellasBing Crosby’s voice.

This song is also from the movie Crosby was in called “White Christmas.” That movie has always been one of my favorite classics to watch around the holiday season. I love this song because it portrays Crosby’s talent. He is one of the best artists for holiday songs.

“Some Day at Christmas” by Stevie Wonder. This song is one of my favorites because I always loved the sound of Stevie Wonder’s voice and how talented he really is.

I love this song because it is

unique and only one person has sung it compared to all the other popular holiday songs that have been covered by several different artists over the years. “Some Day at Christmas” is played several times during the holiday season in my house, which also contributes to why I love it so much.

The song was released in 1967 on the Wonder’s album of the same name. Other holiday songs on the album worth a listen are “Silver Bells,” “Ave Maria,” and “The Li leDrummer Boy.”

“Last Christmas” by Wham! This song is definitely one of my favorites notonly for thevibe of it, but also for the lead singer George Michael and how talented he is.

Whenever I hear this song I immediatelythink oftheholidayseason and everything that has to do with Christmas. This song is definitely one of my all-time favorites and honestly, I would listen to it before or after the holiday season, as well.

“All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey. This song isverypopulararoundtheholiday

season, and everyone loves it for Mariah’s vocals. Every time I hear this song I am immediately impressed with how high her voice can go. This song just makes me feel so happy and ready for the holiday season every time I hear it. Mariah is so talented, which is why this song is one of the best holidaysongs.

Sheoriginallyrecordedthesong on her firstholiday album, “Merry Christmas,” in 1994. Very quickly, it became a holiday classic. In fact, The New Yorker described “All I Want for Christmas is You” as “one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon.”

“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot LikeChristmas”byMichaelBublé. This song is easily one of my favorites because I love the way he sounds in this song. It is one of the first ones I listen to at the start of the holiday season, and it really gives thatholiday feeling.

First wri en in 1951 by Meredith Willson, there are dozens of versions of “It’s Beginningto Look a Lot Like Christmas.” Most famously, Bing Crosby’s version is probably the most well-known.

Hoofbeats

Streaming suggestions

Withaccesstocountlessstreaming platforms, we have thousands of television shows at our fingertips.

It can be overwhelming decidingwhattowatch,butwhodoesn’t want to tune out the world and get sucked into another universe? Here are a few shows that should be on yourmust-watch list.

Recently“TheVampire Diaries” wasremovedfromNetflix(despite it’s substantial fanbase), but it’s now available on HBO Max.

“The Vampire Diaries” follows the story of two brothers, Stefan and Damon, and the girl that they’re both pining over, Elena. However, it’s so much more than asimplelovestory.Thetwobrothers are vampires, and suddenly, thetownofMysticFallsissomuch more than what meets the eye. It’s easy to get sucked into this bingeworthy TV show, and you will be feelingarollercoasterofemotions.

By the show finale I was heartbroken, and it took me multiple hours to stop crying from shock.

“The VampireDiaries”universe doesn’t end there, and I’d argue that the spin-off, “The Originals” (on Netflix) is even be er.

“The Originals” follows the original vampire family and their journey living in the 21st century. This show takes place in New Orleans, which makes the show that

muchbe er.It’seasytofall inlove with every member of the original family and watch how they create friends and enemies and embark on new relationships. It’s not necessarytowatch“TheVampireDiaries” before watching “The Originals,” but both stories deserve a binge watch.

It’s almost certain that you’ve heard about “Euphoria” on HBO. Last year, Euphoria received unmeasured amounts of hype, but it was definitely deserved. Zendaya stars in “Euphoria,” and her performanceis incredible.

“Euphoria” follows the lives of high schoolers, but their lives are way crazier than typical students. This show deals with heavy topics and has many mature scenes, so I recommend ensuring you will be okay to watch it if you’re typically sensitivetothetopicstheshowaddresses.

“Bridgerton” is a relatively new show on Netflix, and it is based off of The Bridgerton Series, written byJulia Quinn. The story takes place in London in the 1800s and follows the Bridgerton family, which consists of eight very different children. In this story, nothing stays a secret for long. Lady Whistledown, an anonymous gossip source, makes sure the whole town knows thedrama.

Thefirstseasonfollowedrevered daughter, Daphne, and the second followed the eldest son, Anthony. Bridgerton fans are eagerly await-

ing the next season on Netflix to see whichBridgerton familymember we’re learning aboutnext.

“Grey’sAnatomy,” available on Netflix, is a classic show, and for good reason. “Grey’s” follows the main character, Meredith Grey, from an intern to a top doctor. Morethanfocusingonhermedical journey, the show focuses on her life. She is a character who is able to withstand all that life throws at her, which is certainly a lot. The show is still on TV, with a whopping 19 seasons so far, and it’s one that everyone shouldwatch.

“Gossip Girl” is one of my top three favorite shows. It followsthe story of wealthy Manha an teenagers, and their lives are full of

drama. Their every move is being published on a gossip blog, which simultaneously ruins and enhances their lives.

It’stheeasiestthingtolovethese characters and even believe you’re a part of their tight-knit friend group. “Gossip Girl” used to be available on Neflix, but recently it was moved to HBO Max.

“CriminalMinds,”nowonHulu, follows the Behavioral Analysis UnitoftheFBIastheysolvecrimes nootherFBIagentsareableto.The agentsoftheBAUarelikeafamily, and as a viewer I long to be a part of it. For months after watching this show I was convinced I wanted to be an FBI agent (I could not handle that) just because I needed to be like this team. The show is intriguing and heartbreaking, and the good news is they’re coming out with a sequel.

My other favorite show is “One Tree Hill,” also available on Hulu. “One Tree Hill” is about two brothers from a small town, Nate and Lucas, but the brothers have different moms. One son grew up with the seemingly perfect life, and the other, not so much. Their lives become increasingly tangled when they end up on the basketball team together, and they need to work through their differences to make things work.

Every episode is truly amazing, and it’s one of the only shows that I’ve been able to rewatch time and time again. If I could, I would be a Tree Hill raven and be a part of their lives and stories.

If you need a show recommendation, any one of these is a must watch. Grab your favorite snack, a blanket,andshutthelights.Iguarantee you’ll be stuck in bed watching episode after episode.

Hunter Schafer stars as Jules Vaughn in the HBO teen series, “Euphoria.”

At the age of 26, Zendaya has already won two Emmy Awards for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Rue Benne .

byAva Fisher Editorial Editor

(photo with permission Warner Media/Eddy Chen, HBO)

(photo with permission Warner Media/Eddy Chen, HBO)

Throwing it back to 2005

by Sophia Philis Staff Writer

Theyear2005isprobablyoneof the most iconic years of the early 2000s.

YouTube was launched, Gwen Stefani released “HollabackGirl,” the Motorola Rokr (aka the iTunes phone) was first released, and so much more. But most importantly, the films released were some of the most iconic. It’s only appropriate to rank the top 5 films of 2005, especially because it was the year most of the seniors were born.

No. 5: “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”

John (Brad Pi ) and Jane Smith (Angelina Jolie) lived a mundane life, or so they thought. Both John and Jane are hiding a secret life from one another: they are assassins working for opposing agencies. But when the two are each assigned to assassinate the same target, Benjamin Danz (Adam Brody), the truth begins to reveal itself.

My favorite aspect of the film is the chemistry between Pi and Jolie. Having a cast with good chemistry is a pinnacle part of a successful film. Pi and Jolie have some of the best banter I’ve seen, and while some credit goes to the writers, most of the credit should be given to Pi and Jolie because of their delivery.

No. 4: “Hitch”

If you’re ever in the mood to laugh, then “Hitch” is the movie foryou.

This film follows Alex “Hitch” Hitchens (Will Smith), a dating coach,ashetriestohelpthesocially awkward Albert (Kevin James) win the heart of the alluring heiress, Allegra Cole (Amber Valle a). But love is never that simple.

News reporter Sara Melas (Eva Mendes) makes it her mission to uncoverthesecretsbehindAlbert’s success. In doing so she finds out the man she’s been seeing, Alex, is behind it all. The best part of this movieishowoverlappedeachstoryline is; it truly highlights why “Hitch” is comedic gold.

When you think the story can’t getanycrazier,directorAndyTennant proves the viewers wrong. “Hitch” is just one of those films that you have to see at least once in your life.

No. 3: “Harry Po er and the Goblet of Fire”

The Harry Po er franchise has given its viewers many astonishing films throughout the years; however, “Harry Po er and the Goblet of Fire” is one ofthebest.In this film, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts for his fourth year with his friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson).

When he returns there is an upcoming tournament between the three major schools of magic. One participant is chosen from each school by the Goblet of Fire, but when Harry’s name gets picked (without him ever being entered) he must compete in the extreme competition.

One of the most memorable parts of the film is its insane visuals. Even if a film has a great plot, if the cinematography is not done correctly, then the film would be inadequate. Luckily, the Harry Po er franchise never had to face that problem. “Harry Po er and the Goblet of Fire” arguably has some of the best cinematography of the entire franchise.

No. 2: “Corpse Bride”

OneofHollywood’smosticonic duospaireduponceagain,Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, to star in “CorpseBride.”

“Corpse Bride” shares the story of Victor (Johnny Depp) as he prepares to wed Victoria (Emily Watson). Victor is extremely nervous about reciting his vows correctly. While practicing he gets dragged downtothelandofthedeadwhere he meets Emily (Bonham Carter).

One of the characteristics ofthis film that I lovedisits juxtaposition of color. When Victor is in the real world, the colors around him consist of grays, whites, blacks — just bland colors overall.

However, when Victor is in the land of the dead, all of the colors are bright and vibrant. This film makes you appreciate all the li le things that go into making a good film great.

No. 1: “Wedding Crashers”

And comingin at the No. 1 spot is “Wedding Crashers.” This film follows two best friends, Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) and John (Owen Wilson), who crash weddings in their free time. But when the two

crash a high-profile wedding, they find themselves ge ing sucked deeper and deeper into their lies, and John starts to fall for an alluring woman.

This is one of my favorite films because the director didn’t rely heavily on having such a talented and star-studded cast. The cast included Vaughn, Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Bradley Cooper, Isla Fisher, and Christopher Walken. Many films rely too heavily on the

cast to carry a film, and as a result the entire plot just turns into a disaster. Luckily enough, “Wedding Crashers” is able to avoid this and become one of the most popular films of 2005.

There are tons of incredible movies from 2005 and so many that didn’t even get listed. Some honorable mentions include “The AdventuresofSharkboyandLavagirl,” “Brokeback Mountain,” and “Narnia.”

“Having a cast with good chemistry is a pinnacle part of a successful film. Pi and Jolie have some of the best banterI’veseen.”

by Isabelle Pan Colture Editor

It’s not an exaggeration to say TaylorSwift has becomeone of the biggest superstars in the world.

Thewaitforthereleaseof“Midnights” led to many long days and sleepless nights for her fans. Every so often on her TikTok, she would randomlypickatracknumberand release the name of the song until eventually releasing all 13 tracks to the album. According to Taylor, thealbumis,“Acollectionofmusic wri en in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams…for all of us who have tossed and turned…hoping just maybe, when the clock strikes 12...we’ll meet ourselves.”

The album was released on October 21 at midnight.As per usual, Taylorthreweveryone off with the feel of thealbum.

Many people assumed it would be similar to her two previous works, “Folklore” and “Evermore,” but when it came to this album, it had more of a “Lover” and “Reputation” feel (her albums released before the pandemic).

Though it has its similarities

to her previous albums, this album feels like a completely new body of work. Each song when I first listened to it made me almost confused as to who I was listening to. My brain has this alarming feeling telling me, “This isn’t Taylor Swift!” but that’s only because Taylorhas started her next era.

If you are unaware, each Taylor album comes with a new era. This “era” involves more than just new music, with new merch, new outfits, and an entirely aesthetic. If you take a look at all the albums Taylor has released, there is a considerable difference between each album.A new sound comes with a new persona.

This album surprised me and exceeded my expectations. It reminds me of “Melodrama,” by Lorde, which is no surprise because that album has the same producer as “Midnights,” JackAntonaff.Antonaffhasbecomeahuge entity within Taylor Swift fandom and has produced a multitude of albums for many singers including Lana Del Ray, FKA Twigs, and Carly Rae Jepsen.

As much as each work sounds different, Antonaff definitely has

a discernible sound compared to otherproducersthatallowspeople topickuponmusichehasworked on.

There’s no denying that this album was record breaking. Taylor Swift became the first artist in history to take up all 10 spots on the Billboard charts, with each track being a song from “Midnights.” It has become the best-selling album of 2022 and the most streamed album in a single day on Spotify. This was the biggest streaming week for any album by a woman. And those were only a handful of therecordsshenowhasaclaimon.

Once the dust se led after the album was released at midnight, Taylor had a special announcement planned that night (or morning)at3a.m.:anotherseventracks.

This album was a perfect way to stagger in-between the re-recordings of her old albums. There areso manyrandomlines andmoments where if you know Taylor and her discography, youcan hear a direct allusion to another point of her life. It’s like a bow on top of her re-recordings, as she uses this album to create something new while still staying true to her mu-

sic and story.

You can tell the album was wri en from what Taylor called the sleepless nights from her life. The song “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” feels eerily similar to a certain five-minute song from her third album, “Speak Now.”

Other tracks like “Question…?” and“Paris”giveareminderofTaylor’sbigpopera,withherGrammy award-winning album “1989.”

The song “Karma” finally put to bed the rumor of Taylor having another album in-between “1989” and “Reputation”.

This album was made for Taylor and her fans. She’s no longer a naive teenager writing about boys, and through her life experiences she is able to look back on her life and reflect.

The highs and lows in her life are seen on this album, as she has had an eventful 32 years. Along her journey, she has developed a fanbase who has grown up with her andloved her forso long.

Each Taylor Swift era is a different chapter and path of her life, and I feel she was able to weave those paths perfectly together in order to form this album.

Taylor Swift performs onstage during 102.7 KISS FM’s 2017 Jingle Ball at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

(photo with permission/Kevin Winter, Paramount Press Express)

Hoofbeats

by Isabelle Pan Colture Editor

In January 2020, Olivia Rodrigo was making history with a li le song called, “Drivers License.”

Most people became intrigued with this song because of the lore behind it, as there was a love triangle between Olivia,herexboyfriend, and what one would call “the other woman” in the situation: Sabrina Carpenter.

Because no one on the internet can keep their thoughts in their head, a mass amountof hatewas sent toward Carpenter. Everyone knew about the situationandassumedthe worstin “the other woman,” but in July 2022, she came out with her own album, somewhat addressing the situation but also writing about some of the pivotal moments in her life.

IncludedonCarpenter’s album, “EmailsICan’tSend,”ishersingle called, “Because I Liked a Boy.” She has said that the album is about a compilation of emails that she would send only to herself, almost a personal diary to communicate her feelings. It’s a reflection back onto her life like thoughts collected into emails that went straight tothe draft folder.

The title track of the album is a shortintroductionsong.Itdiscusses her warped view of love and relationshipsafterlearningabouther dad’s infidelity. It’s an extremely personal song, and its simplicity is sobeautifulasitbuildsupwardtowardtheendasthelyricsgetmore intense.

Thealbumasawholeisentirely personal while also being fun and extravagant. You can tell she had a multitude of artists influence her song writing. From Dolly Parton to Taylor Swift to Carly Simon, this body of work truly encapsulates young love and heartbreak while also telling her twisted tale of having a relationship that was criticized by almost everyone who knew about it.

WhatIenjoyaboutthisalbumis thatitfeelslikeastory—notjusta compilation of singles. Every song flows easily into the next, while each song is still able to stand on its own. It goes from feelings of frustration and anger, to regret to love to healing. Carpenter has madeaworkofart,notjustonehit single.

“Because I Liked a Boy” is the song I believe most wildly shocked not only her audience, but also the people as a whole. Carpenter never said much about the lovetriangleuntilthis

The lyrics speak for themselves, as she paraphrases hate she’s received: “I’mahottopiconyourtongue. I’m a rebound ge in’ ‘round stealin’ from the young. Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice.All because Iliked a boy.”

The song’s other lyrics and its shock value capture the idea Carpenter was already labeled and exiled because of a love triangle between herandtwootherpeople. It feels like she’s taking back what people were saying about her by acknowledging it all. The end of the bridge states, “And all of this for what? When everything went down we’d already broken up. Please tell who I am, guess I don’t have a choice. All because I liked a boy.”

It’s admirable how Carpenter is able to take such a wild situation and turn it into a work of art. She captures the “damned if I do, damned if I don’t” situation by representing what the world did to her.

Many people online saw this as her addressing Olivia Rodrigo, which shows they missed the entire point of the song and video. The video has a big spectacle with a “Moulin Rouge” inspiration. There’s a tiger, backup dancers, bejeweled costumes, and so much more all to represent how her actions (or what people thought her actions were) became a spectacle to other people.

Shehadnocontroloverher nar-

rative, so she ironically plays into it with this song.

Another stunning song on the album is “Decode,” an absolutely perfect way to end the album. The song talks about how Carpenter overanalyzedeverythingandisreflecting on her life.

Shecomestotheconclusionthat, “There’s nothing left to decode.”

To me, it representsgrowth and reflection and is simply a song dedicated to moving on.

You can truly feel the entire experience of her life from the first track to the last. The entire album issomethingIneverexpectedfrom Sabrina Carpenter. Most of my life I’ve only known her as the girl from “Girl Meets World,” but it’s really exciting to see her take on and nail this album.

I was so lucky to get to hear her playthisalbumliveonher“Emails I Can’t Send” tour. Webster Hall, a small venue in New York City

offers a personal experience, and Carpenter has great stage presence. The concert had strong energy, and the lighting and set design was truly symbolic of the album.

During one of her songs, “Nonsense,” she creates a new outro for every performance, every night in every city. Each city gets its own outroforthesong,whichIthought wassuchacutewaytomakeevery concert special.

She also played this game with the audience where she picked out apersongoingthroughheartbreak and asked what stage of heartbreak they were at. Depending on the person’s answer, she woulddo a different cover each night — another fun way to make the concert more personal and less like the same thing over and over again.

This was such an honest and genuine piece of work, and definitely falls into one of my favorite albums at the moment.

Carpenter finished a national tour with two nights at Webster Hall in New York City. (photos by Isabelle Pan)

It’s Friday, December 23, and you’re si ing in your ninth period class, anxiously waiting in anticipation for the bell that signifies the glorious beginning of holiday break.

Most students feel ji ery and uplifted as they step outside the school walls, officially launching their long-awaited break from school.However,thisenjoymentis farlesssuperficialandtypicalthan one may think.

Studies have shown the mental health crisis that lies before our eyes in our generation of teenagers. Specifically, the rates of depression in the U.S. have risen at a faster pace for teenagers than for older age groups. In fact, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health recorded an increase between the years of 2009 and 2019 from 8.1 percent to 15.8 percent of teenagers who had experienced a

recent majordepressive episode. Evenafterthatstudy,COVID-19 doubled the results of depression and anxiety among teenagers. The prevalence of mental health problems and diagnosed disorders has been on the rise for a long time now, and the issues are increasing and becoming morenotable.

Staff Editorial

gives them more time to catch up onmissed work,oreven getahead on upcoming assignments. With a li le over a full week off from school, students have time to celebrate the holidays with their families, spend quality time with their friends, and complete anyassigned work.

spacers giving students time to recuperate.

Now what does this have anything to do with vacations from school? For those who suffer from anxiety relating to school, or as a result of the overwhelming buildingblocksofhomeworkthatteachers keep piling on, a break can be everything. A break from school gives you time, and time is of the essencein today’s society.

Forstudents whoare constantly overwhelmed with the work they arerequiredtocomplete,thebreak

Some students need a mental break from the overwhelming atmosphere that high school brings. It’s an opportunity for students to let their brains rest from the perpetual work, meetings, and extra help sessions that never seem to reach an end.

With the academic rigor of our classes increasing as years pass, these weeks of rest for socialization, holidays, and a mental reset are pivotal in students’ academic careers. These interludes act as

For many, these breaks serve assomethinggoodtolookforward to. In their minds, they are thinking, “There’s one week left until break when I have off from school for a week. That week is going to berefreshing.Ijusthavetomakeit to next week. I can do that.” Truly, itcanbeareasontogetthroughthe week, just as one sighs with relief passing a landmark in a race that marks the near end of the course.

While not every student suffers from mental health issues, we all have been through waves where we become overwhelmed and stressed to a maximum.

Usetheupcomingbreakasa revitalization of the mind and reset your brains, enjoy some free time, and prepare yourself for assignments that are sure to come in the future.

Sports washing

by

Writer

Millionsaroundtheglobepause every four years for the World Cup, a soccer tournament that involves 32 teams.

ThisyeartheWorldCupisbeing held in Qatar, which has caused widespread controversy based on various issues.

Not only was Qatar accused of bribery throughout the bidding processforhostingthe2022World Cup, but they also have dealt with various human rights issues.

Since being awarded the hosting rights for the event in 2010, an investigation by The Guardian found that more than 6,500 migrant workers died in Qatar from workplace accidents, car crashes, suicides, and deaths from other causes, including the heat.

Many of these migrant workers took on the job because a good salary and fair conditions were promisedtothem.Yetinreturnfor their hard work and commitment, they were faced with extremely low wages, hours on end of brutal labor in the heat, lack of good healthcare, and restricted movement and communication because all cell phones and passports were confiscated.

These migrant workers deserve justicebuthavefailedtogetanyas the whole world is now locked in onthetournament,nottheprocess it took to create the beautiful sta-

diums.

Due to this, Qatar has been accusedof“sportswashing”byusing the popularity of the event to take a ention away from their various human rights issues. While millions of people around the world are locked in on their TV screens praying for their favorite team to win,therightsofworkers,women, and others have been neglected.

According to NPR, the Human Rights Watch group published a 42-page report summarizing what it described as “the numerous human rights concerns surrounding Qatar’s preparations for the 2022 World Cup.”

Not only have women in Qatar been banned from studying, driving, and traveling by themselves, they have li le to no opinion on howtheyareabletoact,dress,and speak. On top of all this, Qatar’s penal code criminalizes sex outside of marriage, which has led to the prosecution of rape victims.

Quatari laws discriminate against women when it comes to child custody and inheritance, as well. According to the Associated Press,“UnderShariahlaw,women can inherit property, but daughters receive half as much as sons.”

Additionally, men can marry up to four wives while women must obtain approval from a male guardiantogetmarriedatanyage. Fathers and husbands can prevent women from traveling. Single

Staff Members: KateAmmirati, London Basco, Megan Bhansingh, Jacob Graber,Arav Kapoor, Sundeep Kaur, Samantha Iuzzolino, Sophia Philis,Ella Stanek

Jacob Graber Staff

School bathrooms have never been a place where students go to solely use the restroom.

It’s a social space, a place to reapply makeup, or, for some, a place to eat lunch. However, school bathrooms have taken on a whole new role lately.

It’sraretowalkintoabathroom without being overwhelmed by a fog or the smell of either vapes or some other smoke.

Since the transition from cigare es to electronic nicotine, it’s become easier for students to get their fix throughout the school day, but this affects almost every other student in the school (not to mention the dangers to the people who are vaping).

According to the New York Post and the 2019 Nation Youth Tobacco Survey, more than 5 million kids in middle and high school reported using electronic cigare es within the last month. This means childrenattheadolescentageof12 are coating their lungs with nicotine, probably without even thinking about the long-term effects.

The New York Post also reported that10.3percentofteensusedtheir electronic cigare e within five minutes of waking up. If the first thingonedoeswhentheywakeup is crave nicotine, you know that it’s a severe issue that needs to be addressed.

Teens waking up and immediately ge ing their fix of nicotine indicates they’ll no doubt use this samedevicethroughouttheschool day, particularly in school restrooms. It makes me wonder why these students can’t simply wait until after school to get their nicotine fix in a place where it doesn’t affect those who don’t choose to participate in these acts.

Whenever I walk into the girls’ bathroom on any floor during any period, there is always a group of peoplein thelarge stall andanother gathered by the sinks passing aroundwhatever vape devicethey are using at the time. This leaves the rest of the students in the bathroom waiting in line for a stall or navigating around these groups taking over the sink area. It’s irritating,andittakesuptimethatcan more valuably be spent in class.

If these groups get caught for their bathroom actions and another student justhappens to be in the bathroomat the same time, the

studentcould be caughtinacriminal act despite not participating with therest of the students.

How are these students supposed to prove their innocence when teachers believe they can easily be lying with the rest of the guiltystudents in thebathrooms?

It makes me fearful that one day it’ll be coincidental that I am in the bathroom at the same time, but I will face the consequences as if I were smoking or vaping in the bathroom with the larger group.

Students using the bathroom in ways other than what they’re meant for affects all students. There really is no benefit to vaping in school bathrooms. You put yourself at risk of ge ing reprimanded,andyouruingoingtothe bathroom without any annoyance and aggravation for your peers. Oh, and it happens to be bad for your health.

Especially for older kids who take more stringent and demanding classes, it’s frustrating to have to wait for an open stall when you see six legs huddled together in a stall instead of two.

Taking her shot

When I frequent the bathroom, I’m missing over ten minutes of classwaitingforastalltoopen.It’s clear that one student isn’t taking that long in a stall, and when I’m walking into the restroom and see a large group of students walk in ahead of me, I am tempted to forfeit using the bathroom and simply return back to class.

Simply by listening to the announcements, it’s obvious that the administrationisfedupwiththese studentsutilizingthebathroomfor reasons other than actually using the bathroom.

In a recent conversation about the bathrooms, Ms. Hollings said, “It is extremely frustrating that some students choose to make the bathroom a difficult place to be. Students should have the right to use the facilities without fear of being in a place where others are vaping.”

Ms. Hollings said the administrationwillcontinuetovigilantly monitor and supervise bathroom spaces and impose consequences when warranted.

Teachers may wonder why stu-

dents don’t simply report what they see to the faculty, but almost no student wants the label of a “snitch.” If one student leaves and suddenly a teacher enters and the studentsarecaught,itbecomesobvious who told on these students.

Tellingafacultymembercanmake one a target to these groups because they will blame the student forge ingin trouble.

Despite serious potential consequences and numerous warnings (let alone the health risks), vaping and smoking in the bathrooms hasn’t seemed to die down. When this will finally stop?

Willittakeastudentge ingsuspended before people stop vaping atschool,orwillitsimplycontinue on for years to come? Students can only hope that this all ends soon.

This way students can once again feel comfortable using the bathroom for its intended purposes and live without the fear that one day they’ll be stuck in the crossfire when a group of students vaping in the bathroom inevitably getscaughtbyateacherorsecurity guard.

The girls’ varsity basketball team opened the season with a 60-32 win against Bellmore JFK and now have an overall record of 3-3 in Conference A1.

(photo by Gianna Lucchi)

byAva Fisher Editorial Editor

Is TikTok ruining music?

Real talent isn’t a 15-second sound TikTok spotlights new and old musicians

by Isabelle Pan Colture Editor

TikTok has caused quite the culture shift, as we now spend our timescrollingthroughendlessvideos for less than a minute each.

This app has caused viralability to be immediate and fast. And with every video comes the pinnacle aspect of it: the music.

Behind almost every good TikTok trend or video is the music. TherehavebeenamultitudeofartistswhohaveblownuponTikTok, but how has this viral app completelyshakenthemusicindustry?

To me, the key to any good album is the concept and the story. There’s nothing be er than an album that is cohesive and well-put -together. When I can tell a singer or artist put thought into shaping therecordasawholeandcreateda visionforthealbum, it alreadyhas a good startin my book.

BecauseofTikTok’sshortnature and fast pace, everything these days is about having the perfect single. Few new artists are pu ing effortinto makinga whole body of work,andmanyestablishedartists are relying more on making the perfect single that could go viral. This is incrediblyfrustrating when the point of an album, and music in general, is to make a piece of art — not some short money making song that will only be known as, “that one song from TikTok.”

Not only that, but there have beentimeswhenIthoughtasingle IhaveheardfromTikTokmightbe good and when I find the song, I come to realize the only good part was the part that has gone viral on theapp.Whatadisappointmentto even potentially good music just for only 15 seconds of it to be decent.

Another issue that has begun to grow due to TikTok is the lack of intellect behind certain songs. Maybethisisjustme,butIhavealways been the type of person who severely cares about the lyrics in thesongtheylistento.Lyricsmake or break a song. Because of that, when I witness the new genre of music, where the basis of the song is spelling, counting, or even a lullaby to go along with knock-off 90s-grunge-wanna-be-pop-punk music I absolutely lose my mind. This type of music is simply Kidz Bop on steroids.

Asmuch as Ihavecritiqued this app, I do use it for fun, but I find no enjoyment in si ing and scrolling through 10 million videos that start with the, “Oh my God! Stop scrolling, and listen to this song about my cheating ex that goes to the tune of Mary had a li le lamb because I am not creative or original enough to come up with my own idea!”

I won’t even lie. There’s a good amount of these people who are extremely talented in the vocal aspect, but I highly suggest for them to pay someone to write their music. It’s honestly embarrassing for themusicindustrytohavesomeof these new and upcoming artists to all be writing the exact same way. And most of them are infamously popular; no one is genuinely enjoying their music.

Because it is so easy to go viral on TikTok, we have so many new influencers.Andasperusualwhen someone goes viral, for whatever reason the first thing they run to do is make music. I hate to be the one to say it, but this is becoming extremely over saturated.

I’m not trying to say you can’t explore new options once you’re famous, but why are these people pursuing music? I really don’t need the girl who went viral for dancing in her school bathroom, or a guy who got famous for lip syncing to random sounds to be dropping singles. No one asked for it, no one wanted it, and it is taking up the space of people who can actually sing and write music, but just aren’t privileged enough to already have a following. There are so many other hobbies besides singing,buttheinfluencersonTikTok all seem to believe they have voices of angels.

The negative influence of TikTok on music can also be examined when you go to a concert. Take a look at the recent Steve Lacy concerts. So many videos are floating around of people only singing his song that went viral on TikTok,”Bad Habit,” and then once that song is over the crowd is dead. That’s genuinely so embarrassing. Why would you spend money to hear one song?

TikTok has started an undeniably changed culture, and for music, it’s easy to say we are advancing backwards in our ability to get new artists with good music.

by Samantha Iuzzolino Staff Writer

TikTok is an app for everyone, with the feed of videos directly catered to each individual person.

Creators are constantly making videos that are unexpectedly going viral, while viewers are coming across content they would have never expected to see.

Whetherit’savideowiththelatest trend, a political commentary, or justsomething funny, most videos have music or a sound playing in the background.

It is easy for new and old music to spread around the platform because of the chaotic and random nature of TikTok. The more a sound is used, the more people will hear it, and the more popular a song could become.

TikTok is constantly spreading around new music, and it is nothing but beneficial.

Many new artists would love nothing more than to have their music spread around on a huge platform for millions of people to consume.

A huge example of this would be Olivia Rodrigo. Currently she is one of the most popular female music artists out there. Back in 2021, Olivia Rodrigo released her single “Driver’s License.” It was an absolute hit, and it blew up her music. The only reason her song got so much fame was because of TikTok. Everyone was using the song, and it was all over everyone’s feed.

Whether or not people actually liked the song didn’t ma er. The TikTok algorithm made the song so easily recognizable because of how often the song was played on the app.

Obviously, Rodrigo went on to be successful. When she released herentirealbum,“Sour,”everyone absolutely loved it. She already had people waiting because she was the one who sings “Driver’s License.”

Later that same year, she announced that she was going on tour. When tickets went on sale, she sold out her venues quickly. Therewerenoticketsleftatall.Olivia Rodrigo even went on to win threeGrammyAwardsforhermusic. Without her song becoming so viral on TikTok, who knows how much of a fanbase she would’ve

ended up having?

Even besides TikTok being the source of an artist’s fanbase, it can also just introduce people to new music. Therearesomanydifferent kinds of music, it is truly endless. It would be totally impossible to discover any and all kinds of music on your own terms.

LilNasXisanexampleofanartistwhowentfrombeing unknown to going viral. Once his song “Old Town Road” blew up on TikTok, the song made it to the top of the Billboard charts.

Morerecently,artistsfromDove Cameron use TikTok to promote their singles before releasing a full album. Though teenagers might know her from the Disney series, “Liv and Maddie,” Cameron is now makingit as asinger.

Oneofhersingles,“Boyfriend,” became a viral hit on TikTok and wasusedinoverhalfamillionvideos. With over 12 million TikTok followers, Cameron wisely uses the platform to increase interest in her music.

The great thing about TikTok is that you can accidentally stumble upon new music that you would never have heard before. It can open a person up to a new song, a newartist,ormaybeevenanentire genre of music.

TikTok can also expose a new generation to an older artist. The most recent example of this is when a classic from the 1980s was revived with the help of TikTok.

The Netflix series “Stranger Things” used the 1985song, “Running Up That Hill” in Season 4. The song quickly went viral on TikTok when it was used in a 30-second video that amassed millions of views and was used in over 500,000 other videos.

The song was so popular on the app that it propelled Kate Bush to the No. 1 song in the world for weeks this summer on the BillBoard Global 200 chart.

Whether it is through TikTok or other outlets, musicians have used the most popular platform of their time to gain a ention.Artists like Charlie Puth and Justin Bieber became famous with the help of YouTube, so what’s so bad about musicians who useTikTok for that same reason?

TikTokisagreatwayforpeople to share music, or even listen to music both new and old.

More teams need support

by Kelsey Walsh Contributing Writer

Sports arean important part of highschool.Whetheryou’replaying them or si ing in the crowd as a supporter, sports connect people.

While I do love Calhoun’s emphasis on athletics, especially in the newspaper, there tends to be li le variety when it comes to which sports are receiving representation. I have found that uncommon,lesspopularsports,and districtteams(someverysuccessful teams by the way) are being glossed over, and all the focus is on “America’s most watched sports,’’ such as football, soccer, baseball, and even volleyball.

How are these hidden teams supposedtobecomemoreknown without proper recognition of their accomplishments?

Swimming, tennis, badminton, hockey, rifle, golf, and bowling arethe sports thatwhensomeone hearsaboutthem,theysay,“Wait, we have a [insert sport] team?”

While they may not be the “core” sports that come to people’s minds when they think of high school athletics, these teams are very much present and severely under represented.

The media has brainwashed society into associating sports with men and what we watch. In any Hollywood film or TV show, being a high school athlete is thought of as being some “big jock” who most likely plays football and dates a cheerleader.

But that isn’t at all accurate. Most athlete’s aren’t “big” and being a “jock” in a cheesy high school romcom is a time of the past.

Being an athlete is about the ability to work with your team in order to have the most success possible. It’s about pushing your mind and body to the limit and findthestrengthtopersevere.Being an athlete isn’t easy, and all athletes should be recognized for their hard work and dedication noma erwhatthatsportmaybe.

Along with the “uncommon” sports, district teams also fall shortonrecognition,eventhough they are composed of athletes from several different schools. One would think that a team comprised of students from the

entire Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District would be more well-known, but this is not the case.

TheSharks(swimteam)andthe Bulldogs (hockey team) are two prime examples. While they may notbe theColts,Pirates,Cougars, Braves, or Rams, their teams are just as, if not more, powerful and connected as any other. These two teams also lack supporter turnoutsincetheirhometurfisn’t directly at aschool, whichplaysa huge role in their recognition.

Does this mean they deserve anylessthanabasketballorbaseball game held on a school campus? If a person is willing to travelforafootballgame,a10-minute drive to Eisenhower Park’s ice rink orpool shouldn’tbe muchof an inconvenience.

Lack of knowledge can also be to blame when it comes to the issue of support. There have been several cases wherea personwho didn’t completely understand a specific sport had a harder time enjoying and appreciating what they are watching.

Track and swimming, for example, have meets based on a point system. While spectators may not be able to keep score in their head or understand all the particulars, the sport itself, along with the team’s spirit, should be enough to keep those watching engaged.

As someone who has been on the varsity swim team since middle school, I have watched our undefeated seasons, division championshiptitles,andevenour accomplishments at the counties be brushed aside as our schools cheered on other teams just because they are more known by the general public.

Any teams that display heart and skill should be recognized. As I push for more equal representation, I propose the newspaper should either focus on sports based on their success or simply split the sports section in order to feature more teams.

I know, especially for the Sharks, we love our sport and the representation we already receive but would appreciate more peopletocomesupportandshare in thejoyand excitementthat our sport, along with many others, can bring.

Hail to the king

On Tour celebrates the end of a successful performance of William Shakespeare’s “King Lear.”

Sports washing

(continued

from page 10)

womenunder30cannotcheckinto hotels, and single women who get pregnant face prosecution for extramarital sex.

A country that is 20 percent smaller than the size of Connecticut where women are abused and disrespected is now in the spotlight, and it will be interesting to see if greater a ention will cause pushback on these unfair laws.

Inaddition,Qatarisalsoagainst the LGBTQ+ community. According to NPR, in Qatar, “Homosexualityiseffectivelycriminalized:Sex between men is punishable by up to seven years in prison, and men who ‘instigate’ or ‘entice’ another manto commit‘anact of immorality’ could face one to three years’ imprisonment.”

Many of the 32 teams in the 2022WorldCuprequestedtowear a “One Love” armband to show theiropposition.Thearmbandhad a heart-shaped pride flag showing unity with the LGBTQ+ community. However, FIFA has rules about uniforms that prohibit political statements, so teams backed down from wearing the armband.

Even if FIFA had allowed the armbands, Qatar does not have rights similar to the First Amendment in the United States. In fact, they have very strict laws about freedom of expression and of the press.

According to Human Rights Watch, Qatar’s penal code criminalizes criticizing the emir (the head of state of the country), insulting Qatar’s flag, defaming re-

ligion, and inciting to “overthrow the regime.”

In addition, under Qatar’s cybercrime laws, anyone convicted of spreading “false news” on the internet or positing things online that“violatessocialvaluesorprincipals” or “insults or slanders others.”

Manyimportant figures around the sport condemned the selection ofhostingtheWorldCupinQatar. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter came out and said, “For me, it is clear: Qatar is a mistake. The choice was bad.”

Human Rights Watch advocate Minky Worden also said of the situation, “We should never again have a World Cup that fails to respect basic human rights and has none of the expected assurances and protections.”

Netflix just released a fourepisode series about FIFA and the World Cup in Qatar.

The series, directed by Daniel Gordon, digs into the dark side of a sport that is beloved around the world. FIFA is literally compared to a criminal organization and accused of wire fraud, money laundering, taxevasion, andmore. Episodes discuss Qatar being awarded the World Cup despite being regarded as a high-security risk, lacking of sufficient infrastructure, and its brutal summer temperatures, which caused the tournamenttobemovedtothefall.

Considering other countries were in the bidding process, the selection of Qatar was beyond questionable.

(photo by ShirEl Wolfstein)

by Sofia Mescolo o News Editor

At some high schools, parking spots are designated for every senior.

However, it’s a “You snooze, youlose”situationhere,andmany seniors are left parking their cars on random side streets.

A few years ago, the district paved over a small field of grass and made room for more parking. While this helped provide more senior spots, there is still a major problem with student parking.

As a senior, it is frustrating to have to leave my house earlier in the morning to scavenge for a parkingspotthatisrelativelyclose to the school. Some seniors who arrive later to school would rather park in one of the many available teacher parking spots. These spots are even available in the middle of the day, which means nobody is using them. So why can’t the seniors?

There are not enough senior spots to accommodate the number of students in the senior class, yet the number of spots for teachers appears to outweigh the number of teachers. So what is the problem with seniors parking in these

spots? If no harm is truly being done, then why prohibit seniors for parking in otherwise empty teacher spots? There are obviously way more seniors than there are spots designated for students.

I’m not suggesting seniors be allowed to park wherever they want, but the parking situation in general has to be addressed. The addition of a few unused spots in one of the rows of teacher sections would go a long way.

It seems quite unnecessary for three-hourdetentionstobeadministered to students who parked one morning in an unused spot. In all honesty, the students who find it necessary to park in these spots are the ones who cannot get through the traffic of cars backed up to enter the parking lot and must find a spot at 7:28 a.m. and rushtoclass.Maybethatshouldbe addressed too.

Neighbors can’t be happy to have teenagers parking in front of their houses. Lining the streets are “No parking here” signs that bar students from parking remotely close to the school. And many of those signs were put up years ago as a direct result oftheoverflow of Calhoun students’ cars.

So if the parking lot doesn’t ac-

commodate everyone, students won’t be able to park legally on side streets either. It’s a lose-lose situation, and at this rate, we will never win.

It’s time to take another look at the morning traffic and parking

Luau Night

situation. And let’s do something about the three-hour detention, which is overkill formoststudents who just want to come to school and get to class on time, especially when their rationale is to park in spots that gounused.

Le ers to the Editor...

No need for gym

To the Editor:

Gym should not be mandatory because it prevents students from taking more desirable classes and may negatively impact students’ body image.

There are those that argue that gym improves well-being for studentslikeyourrecentpiece,“Phys. Ed. teaches many life skills” [Editorial, October 2022]. The piece cited CDC statistics that regular physical activity can help children and adolescents improve.

Whatthepiecefailed to observe is that gym classes offer negligible levels of physical activity. In fact, a 2012 study by the National Survey of Children’s Health found that “required P.E. alone generally doesn’t have any noteworthy impact on boys’ physical-activity levels or obesity.”

Another study in 2015 by Texas’s Fitness Now Program found that mandatory gym classes were “largely ineffective” and “had no impact on BMI or academic

achievement.”

Timespentin gymclassescould bespentmuchmorewiselyforstudentswithacademicallystrenuous classes and schedules. A student could take a study period to catch up on work in his or her classes. Students lacking a lunch period couldtake oneto helptheirphysical health bynourishing theirbodies, or they could take electives that interest them, such as art, orchestra, drama, and more.

Finally, gym should not be mandatory because it can interfere withastudent’spersonalbodyimage. A student’s only choice often is to change in locker rooms, which can cause anxiety. Students who are able to change into “gym appropriate” clothes often are not able to change back into their preferred choice of clothing. This can lead to a negative perception of one’s body image when one is presented in front of judgemental peers in clothes he or she does not enjoy wearing.

Throughout history nothing good has ever come out of coer-

cion. What is more beneficial is to reach conclusions from logical arguments, like those reached by Greek mathematicians such as Archimedes back in theday.

— Joseph Darcourt,

Class of ‘24

Dahmer drama

To the Editor,

As someone who has watched the Netflix series about Jeffrey Dahmer, I feel the writer brought up some very good points in your last issue[“Dahmer is nota story,” Editorial, October 2022].

I was left disturbed after watchingtheseries,butunlikethewriter I think that there could be some benefits that come from the show.

Something that could come out of this show is helping people understand how law enforcement should do a be er job at protecting civilians. While police departments have advanced since then, peoplestilltend to forgetwhathas happened in the past.

During this series viewers were able to see how law enforcement

failed all of Dahmer’s victims, especially Konerak Sinthasomphon. We got to see how police would believe a white male over an AfricanAmerican.

While it was necessary to add in parts about Dahmer’s childhood, it would have been be er if the episodes showed the victims more. Viewers didn’t really get to see how the victims’ families processed their loved ones’ disappearance or found out through the media that their son, brother, uncle, cousin, father, or husband was killed.

The only way of doing this would have been talking to the victims’ families, which we know they didn’t do. The show could have been amazing if it didn’t glamorize the killer, but unfortunately Netflix really flopped on this one.

By glamorizing all of his crimes, it made people feel sympathy for Dahmer instead of the victims.

Jeffrey Dahmer doesn’t deserve sympathy.

—Ava Phillips, Class of ‘24

Fans show their school spirit on “Luau Night” at the girls’ basketball game against Kennedy High School.

(photo by Ava Kamlet)

lighted by two more Lawrence aces and two kills by Miller.

To start the fourth and final set of the Nassau Class A championship, the Lady Colts started with a large lead of 13-5.

South Side got as close as 15-13, butCalhouncollected10ofthelast 15 points, including Gianna Lucchi’s touch volley off a fake pass that sealed the match.

Several days later, they won the Long Island championship and earned a bus ride upstate with a 25-21, 26-24, 25-19 victory over Sayville.

Theteam was lead by seniorcocaptains Lawrence, Ella Maldonado, and Victoria Zovich all season.

Lawrencehad 10 kills, five digs, and two blocks against Sayville. Zovich has five kills, six blocks, and four aces. Maldonado had 17 digs and an ace. Lucchi added 30 assists.

“We went upstate not knowing what to expect,” Lawrence said, “but the team brought a fire that they knew was there all along. They left li le doubt about who wastheretowinandtakethetitle.”

“Weknewitwasadreamofours,

andweknewwecouldgetit,butit was a ma er of how far we were going to go,” Coach Strezenec said after the titlematch.

In order to make it to the finals, thereispoolplayatthestatechampionship where each of the four Class A teams played the other threeinshorttwo-setmatches,and the schools with the two best records out of the six sets advanced to the final. The Lady Colts finished pool play with a 5-1 record.

Calhoun swept Burnt HillsBallston Lake in the opener, 25-22, 25-21, which were their only two losses during pool play. The Colts then trumped Cornwall, 25-12, 25-22, before kno ing with Irondequoit, 25-17, 18-25, and sealing their spot in the finals.

“The girls knew the game plan heading in, and we had posters with the strategies for each team this entire week,” Coach Strezenec said. “The girls really stuck to that.”

After dominating Saturday’s four-team pool play that included all the other Class A teams, the Lady Colts completed an incrediblerun totheirfirst-everstatetitle

by taking down the two-time defending Class A-champion Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 25-11, 25-19, 25-19 in Sunday’s final.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, who finished the season with a record of 20-3, did not go down easily. Calhoun won the first set of the finals on Sunday; however, Burnt Hills kept fighting to keep their title.

The second set was a fight for every point, even more so in the third set because the Spartans began with a 9-1 lead over the Lady Colts.

What the Spartans didn’t know was that they were creating the perfect environment for the Lady Colts to show what they can really do and perform comfortably under the pressure.

Calhoun took the lead, and

Grace Miller’s kill at 24-19 iced the championship. Miller had nine killsintotal,Lawrencehad16,and Ruisi added five.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Maldonado said. “To be state champs is sospecialtoallofus.BurntHillsis a very talented team. Every point was a ba le even though the final score didn’t reflect it.”

The Lady Colts lived uptotheir preseason rallying cry, “Road to States,” which,according to Coach Strezenec, was wri en on the team’s white board in response to the Nassau County final defeat by Wantagh the previous year.

Coach Strezenec, a 2010 graduate of Calhoun, enjoyed every moment of the playoff run.

“I’m so glad that white board message has been with us these past few months.”

Gianna Lucchi and Grace Miller celebrate the Long Island Championship win.

(photo by Ava Giuliano)

The Lady Colts are the first girls’ volleyball team in school history to win the states.

(photo by Ava Giuliano)

by Julia Baguiao Sports Editor

The varsity boys’ volleyball team reclaimed its title of county champs after facing Roslyn yet againforashowdowninthefinals.

The Colts regained the Nassau County volleyball championship after capturing the Class A title in the spring of 2021 and finishing runner-up to Roslyn last fall.

Calhouncamein as thetopseed to play Roslyn at SUNY Farmingdaleand caughtthe winin athreeset a ack.

Tommy Bello had 20 kills and five blocks, Brian Sanchez had 23 digs, and Ryan Pucella had 26 assists to propel the Colts.

“We played our hearts out,” Bello said. “This group of seniors, we’ve been the best of friends for five years. Our chemistry is off the charts.Wewerefocusedallyearon

thecountychampionshipandreally wanted toface Roslyn to avenge last season’s result.”

In the second set, an illegal substitution by the Bulldogs went unnoticed by the refs for some time, which led to a lengthy delay as officials sorted through the mess, trying to figure out what went wrong.

After a 15-minute discussion, it was determined the substitution penalty occurred with Roslyn trailing12to8,wipingoutits14-12 lead and taking six points away.

This reversal ultimately led the Bulldogs to lose their groove and allowed Calhoun to slip into the lead for good.

The Colts went on to earn 13 of thenext24pointstocapturetheset and inch closer to the title.

“They were definitely down after that, and we fed off it,” Bello said.

Takingfulladvantageofthefuel of last year’s loss and the events of the second set, Calhoun won the game as a perfect send-off for the 10 standout senior players. “We’re a senior-heavy team that works hard and wants to win. These guys haven’t forgo en last year’s county finals,” Calhoun coach Ryan Pastuch said during the season.

SeniorrightsideMa hewKalfas is a four-year All-County starter with a deadly jump serve, Pastuch noted. Kalfas led the team in aces while ranking second in kills and digs.

“He’s such a powerful, aggressive, and consistent server and hitter and also a strong defender,” Pastuch said.

Senior middle hi er Tommy Bello was awarded All-Long Island honors and was one of many Colts named to the All-Tourna-

ment Team.

“Tommy’s our go-to guy and knows where to hit the ball,” Pastuch said. “He has great court awareness and is a great leader.”

Senior Brian Sanchez set the defensive tone and was led all of Nassau in digs with a striking 230. Sanchez also earned All-County andAll-Tournament honors.

“He’s a dynamic defender and getsusintosyncwithserve-receive and passing,” Pastuch said.

Senior Ryan Pucella is a thirdyear starting se er and also AllCounty andAll-Tournament.

“He’sblossomedintoastandout and can set the ball anywhere on the court,” Pastuch said.

Seniors Sean DiPaola and Luke Gallo are the starting outside hitters, and senior Dylan Palmer is a tough defender.

“Itwas anhonortoplaywith all of these guys,” DiPaola said.

The boys’ volleyball team has now won two of the last three county championships after they defeated Roslyn this season in a three-set match.

(photo by Julia Baguiao)