Hoofbeats june 2014 pdf by Jason Boland

(photos by Becca Lewis)

Seniors Samantha Sanky and Harry Davis model at the Senior Experience Fashion Show. This year, the show raised close to $9,000 for Smestad’s Knights.

Fashion shows true heart by René Beccaris Staﬀ Writer

The annual Senior Experience Fashion Show was, as always, a highlight in the school and Merrick community, raising money for a worthy cause. The show, which was organized by the Senior Experience students,

featured clothing from Runway Couture, La Pink, Calhoun’s own store, The Stable, and several other places. The style and flash of the clothes were not what won everyone over, though. The true appeal of this year’s Fashion Show was the charity that the students picked to donate their money.

Food for thought by Julia Losner Staﬀ Writer

Students with allergies have expressed concerns with the availability of information about food oﬀered in the school cafeteria. Inside the cafeteria, there is no daily listing of foods that contain common allergens or even ingredients in that day’s lunch, much to the chagrin of students with re-

stricted diets. Although the school knows about the students’ allergies, the students do not know about the food unless they have previously attempted to seek out that information. However, school lunch oﬃcials said there is no need to worry. “Typically speaking, parents who have children in the district

College list for Class of ‘14 pages 4 & 5

(see FOOD page 14)

“Every year the students of Senior Experience are given the choice to choose the charity to donate 100 percent of the proceeds,” said Mrs. Kate Caporusso, who teaches the social studies half of Senior Experience. “Recently, our classes have decided to stay local because there has been a need for our support right here on Long Island and this year, Merrick.” Senior Valerie Monsen proposed working with ‘Smestad’s Knights,’ the Relay for Life team page created in support of social studies teacher Mr. Douglas Smestad. Mr. Smestad was recently diagnosed with cancer and his battle was not ignored by the community or the school. To quote the ‘Smestad’s Knights’ team page, “it would be a crime” not to support him. “We helped ‘Smestad’s Knights’ reach and exceed their original goal of $2,000 by raising close to $9,000 for their cause,” said Mr. Ja-

Counting down the Seconds page 9

son Elias, Senior Experience’s English teacher. The personal connection of this year’s show was the likely reason for its extreme success. “This has been the most local cause yet, and it was truly one of the greatest feelings knowing that the night was in support of such a legend like Smes,” Mrs. Caporusso (see FASHION on page 6)

Charles Westhoﬀ and Kiera Devens walk the runway at the Fashion Show.

Softball battles into the playoﬀs page 15

Hoofbeats

June 2014

NEWS

‘Houn takes Virginia by Jeremy Frank Staﬀ Writer

The Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir, and Crescendo traveled to Virginia Beach to compete in the Music in the Parks competition at Busch Gardens. Music in the Parks is against schools along the East coast. The three groups did extremely well, which was no surprise. Mr. Edward Tuminelli, Wind Ensemble director, said, “This is my tenth consecutive year doing the tour. It really helps build the group and for me; it’s the most fun weekend of the year because I get to spend it with the students outside of the classroom.” Wind Ensemble took second place with a score of 90.5 and a rating of superior. Senior and Wind Ensemble President Alex Boyd said, “We had an extremely driven group this year and I think that’s reflected in our results. The band worked unbelievably hard in preparation for the competition this year.” The group rehearsed during after school sectionals and night rehearsals, in addition to every day during class. Wind Ensemble performed “España Cañí,” “Rush,” and “And Hope Led them Home.” The superior rating was what the band was striving for this year, since the competition at Disney last year did not bring the results they had hoped for. “It’s disappointing I won’t be able to return with the band next year,” Boyd said. “I think I can speak with the rest of the seniors

(photo courtesy of Kelsey Cotton)

The seniors of Wind Ensemble are proud of how successful their weekend in Virginia Beach was.

that this was exactly how we wanted our last trip to go, and we owe it all to the younger members of the band who really stepped up this year. I’m excited to hear from them next year.” Concert Choir, lead by Mr. Sanford Sardo, also took second place with a score of 82.5 and a rating of excellent. Choir performed the “Calhoun Alma Mater,” “Elijah Rock,” and “Blow, Blow, thou Winter Wind.” Crescendo once again took a first place trophy home with a score of 89.5 and a rating of excellent. For the competition this year, Crescendo performed “Roar,” “Change,” “Let It Go,” “Eye of the Tiger” and “Dreams.” Crescendo rehearsed every throughout the week, after

school and at each other’s houses. Crescendo soprano section leader Cassidy Nelson said she was thrilled to have won first place. “We worked extremely hard this year to win that trophy. We really came together as a family to give the best performance we could, and it worked,” she said. Along with each group’s placement, the music department as a whole brought home the prestigious Esprit De Corps Award. The Esprit De Corps is presented to the most mature and professional group at the competition. “I could not be happier about how the trip went. Not only on stage but oﬀ. We had incredible performances for both our competition and also won the Esprit De

(photo by Rebecca Spina)

Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir, and Crescendo came together to enjoy the sun in Virginia Beach.

Corps. Overall it was a fun trip and an amazing experience,” said Calhoun Choral Program (CCP) vice president and senior Alix Kozin. “As sad as I am to be leaving Calhoun and the CCP at the end of the year, I am excited for the future that lies ahead of me,” Kozin said, “I am confident that Calhoun and the CCP has prepared me for life and to hopefully join and choral group in college. I am thankful for the CCP memories and experiences that have made me who I am today,” she said. Individual awards were also given out. Junior Noah Turner won the award for Best Accompanying pianist in the song “Blow, Blow, thou Winter Wind.” Turner had heard about the award beforehand but didn’t know if he would get it or not. “Winning the award was amazing! I felt so appreciated and everyone was really happy for me,” he said. After the competition, Concert Choir and Crescendo made their way to Washington D.C. to give even more great performances. This was the first time the spring tour has taken a detour to Washington. The two choral groups performed at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial and the National Naval Memorial Plaza. Mr. Sardo said this was a special trip for all involved. “This was a unique tour,” he said. “We’ve never performed at two locations in Washington, D.C. That was a high point for me because we got a great audience and people got to see what the CCP is all about.”

News

June 2014

Hoofbeats

Special teacher set to retire been an educator? Mrs. Klasson: I have been a Special Education teacher for 38 years.

by Brianna Paoli Colture Editor

Calhoun will be saying farewell to Special Education teacher Mrs. Jill Klasson, who will be retiring at the end of this school year after teaching for 28 years at Calhoun. As she prepares for her retirement, Mrs. Klasson reflected on her time here and the many memories she has of her time as a teacher. Hoofbeats: How long have you

Hoofbeats: Why did you choose to work in Special Education? Mrs. Klasson: As hard as this will be for anyone to believe, I was a bit of a quiet nerd in high school. When I was able to help friends with their homework and reports, something felt right inside. I followed this instinct to college where I found the right match in

(photo by Katie Hecker)

Mrs. Klasson is looking forward to traveling after her 38-year long career in teaching.

Special Education. Hoofbeats: How long have you worked at Calhoun, and what do you like best about it? Mrs. Klasson: I started at the district’s Jerusalem Avenue Middle School for six years. When it closed in 1986, I transferred to Calhoun. My sons also passed through these halls, and it has been my second home for the past 28 years. Our school is unique because it is a model for other Special Ed programs on Long Island. My career started at an exciting time, when new laws were being passed guaranteeing the right for education for all children. I witnessed the beginning of a new frontier in education for exceptional children, with the dawn of IEPs, test accommodations, and inclusive classrooms. As part of a caring, compassionate team of teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators, Calhoun’s Special Ed department has become a loving family for the kids and staﬀ. Hoofbeats: Do you have a favorite memory of your time here? Mrs. Klasson: There are too many that I cherish to pick just one. For about 20 years, I have especially loved teaching the PREP Art class. I also loved all the collaborative

teaching I did over the years and the opportunities it gave me to reach more students and to teach new subjects like Discrete Math, Global History, and American History. I can’t forget to mention that I was a class adviser for six graduating classes. Even though I never attended my own senior prom in 1972, I organized six beautiful senior proms for Calhoun. Hoofbeats: What will you take away from your experience at Calhoun? Mrs. Klasson: I have a lifetime of memories and hundreds of faces to go with them. I watched how hard my students worked despite the obstacles they needed to overcome. I saw them face failure more often than success, but with a little help, they found another path, often to success. Being part of their journey has left their footprints on my heart that can never be erased. Hoofbeats: What are your plans for retirement? Mrs. Klasson: I plan to do some traveling. I want to do more hiking in far away places. I have tons of interests, so I’ll keep learning by taking classes. Volunteering and giving back is important to me. I will also spend time with my sons and family.

Hoofbeats tops in state and national competitions For the sixth year in a row, Hoofbeats won first place in the American Scholastic Press Association’s annual newspaper competition. The staﬀ scored high enough in the contest to receive first place with special merit for the fourth time in six years, topping the list of high school newspapers in the country that serve student populations of 1001-1700. First place is given to a publi-

Best Band You Never Heard Of by Rebecca Spina Editor-in-Chief

Nothing says “Welcome to New York,” like a car accident. Joel Kaniĵ, lead singer of the Phoenix, Arizona, band This Century, along with his tour mate Nick Santino (ex-A Rocket To The Moon) were driving through New York City after playing a show in The Studio at Webster Hall when someone hit their van. “It was just a mess of a night. It was this whole thing and the guy was denying it. We called the police and it took them an hour and a half to get there. That’s not even the whole thing but I won’t even go into it,” Kaniĵ said. FiĴingly enough though, their show that night was one of the best nights of The Up Close and Personal Tour and the next night’s show at Revolution in Amityville was just as “stellar.” This Century came to be when drummer Ryan Gose and guitarist Sean Silverman decided to step away from all of these projects they were working on and do their own thing. They made their own band and recruited Silverman’s younger brother, Alex, as a bassist. When Kaniĵ met Alex Silverman after transferring to his high school, they started making music – though not initially under the name This Century. “When I was geĴing into music, it was around my freshman year,” Kaniĵ said. “I think it was just that music helped me so much in overcoming a lot of stuě and became almost like an escape for me at that time. I wanted to be able to do the same thing for people. That was kind of the main reason that got me started on music.” This Century’s most recent album, Biography of Heartbreak, was

released last May oě of 81 Twenty Three Records. Despite previous releases like Sound of Fire and To Love and Back (Action Theory Records), Biography of Heartbreak takes on a more Top 40’s kind of style rather than their traditional pop-rock sound. “We wanted to experiment a liĴle bit more and make a larger than life sounding record. We were listening to a lot of that style at the time, you know, with the sample drum beats and the synths and all that stuě,” Kaniĵ said. “We were a liĴle intimidated by it. At least for me, I know I was worried about what people would think but all the while I still wanted to do it.” Whenever a band decides to branch out and aĴempt adapting to a new sound, it can be disastrous. The experimental albums, if done incorrectly, can be viewed as pitfalls in a band’s discography as far as the fan base is concerned. However, when This Century took on a more pop than rock style with Biography of Heartbreak, the fans were more the receptive. “The fans have responded better than I thought they would. It’s been really positive. I think they see that we’re doing the same This Century thing as far as melodically and it’s my voice on top of it, which helps. It was coming from the heart so I don’t think they cared too much. Maybe if we do, like, death metal, that would probably be not good,” he joked. Biography of Heartbreak’s main focus is, surprisingly enough, the good and bad of relationships. Inspiration for their songs has always come from life experiences, whether they’ve experienced them personally or not. “Bleach Blonde,” for example, was not wriĴen with a particular person in mind but rather the idea of that happening.

(photo by Rebecca Spina)

Joel Kantiz of This Century performs at Revolution in Amityville in November.

However, some of them are based oě of actual events, like “Footsteps.” The album opens up with their up-tempo single “Slow Dance Night,” whose infectious guitar riěs makes you want to do nothing but dance around. The guitar riě, at least, sets the stage for a very catchy album. In all honesty, Biography of Heartbreak resonates with the same eěect a One Direction album would where it’s almost a guilty pleasure. Not only do songs like “Sideways” and “Love Killer” leave hints of One Direction circa Up All Night but you’ll want to scream the words at the top of your lungs with the same kind of shamelessness. “Biography of Heartbreak” holds the perfect contrast of instrumentals that make you want to tap your toes to the beat and lyrics that can and will be relatable to every person listening. Prime examples are the title track, “Biography of Heartbreak” with lines like “You’re thinking you can play me for a fool / But girl, you know you’re bending all the rules,” and “My Weakness,” a song about being addicted to someone even though you know you’ll be hurt in the long run. Despite a car crash in the middle of New York City and puĴing a handful of Arizona boys in the Northeast for the beginning of December, the tour has been enjoyable. This Century kicked oě the Up Close and Personal Tour, alongside label mate Nick Santino & the Northern Winds, in late November with a show at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, Virginia, and will end in December at Marquis

in Denver, Colorado. The whole point of the tour is to play more intimate venues and give This Century a chance to connect with the fans even more than they already have. “We’ve had a good time so far,” Kaniĵ said, “I just like meeting all the amazing people that come out to shows. It’s really cool to meet the people that are supporting and keep you going.” This Century hasn’t just been successful in the United States. They’ve had the opportunity to tour throughout the United Kingdom and Europe as the opening act on The Maine’s Pioneer World Tour in the fall of 2012, but their greatest international success has come from the Philippines. After playing a show in Manila alongside We Are the in Crowd and Set Your Goals, their songs “Everywhere, Everything” and “Sound of Fire” rose to the top of the charts. “We look up to bands like Coldplay and The Killers and hold ourselves to preĴy high standards as far as ‘making it,’ but having fans in other countries always gives you a very accomplished feeling. We’ve done a couple of shows in the Philippines and have a good amount of fans there. It’s a preĴy cool thing that I’m very proud of. It’s a very organic way that we did it and something we built with our fans. I would love to see This Century playing all over the world and playing to whoever wants to hear us,” Kaniĵ said. thiscentury thiscenturyband thiscenturyband

The NYPA gave first place in the state to Spina’s music column.

cation that scores over 850 points and, in the opinion of the judges, is an outstanding example of a scholastic publication in format, content, and presentation. Hoofbeats received 950 points out of a possible 1000. The ASPA also presented the paper an award for “Outstanding Service to the Community” for its coverage of Senior Experience’s donation to the Long Beach are after Sandy last school year. Hoofbeats was awarded third place overall in New York State by the New York Press Association. This marks the second straight year the paper has finished in the top three in the state for “General Excellence.” Also in the NYPA contest, Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Spina won first place for column writing for her reoccurring column, “The Best Band You’ve Never Heard Of.” According to the NYPA, “Rebecca did a wonderful and creative job on this column. It really tells the story of the musical tour in a very literal way, but with true emotion.

Very well-written!” The NYPA also awarded freshman Julia Losner with an honorable mention for Best Feature Story for her article about 3D printing. Locally, out of 1,200 entries in the Long Island Press High School Journalism Awards, Hoofbeats took home 12 awards. Spina won second place for the Student Journalist of the Year award. She also picked up five writing awards: first place for Local Music Review, first and second place for National Music Review, first place for Opinion - Pop Culture, and third place for Single Page Layout. News Editor Jenna Rudolfsky’s article on the baseline exams won third place for Story of the Year and first place for News Story. Also, senior Brianna Paoli won first place for Book Review, senior Landon Cooper won first place for Sports Photo, alumna Maddy Gottlieb won second place for Hurricane Sandy Recovery coverage, senior Mary Mazzie won third

place for Social Commentary Junior Jeremy Frank won Best Sports Story in the Long Island University Best of High School Journalism Awards. Finally, the prestigious Columbia Scholastic Press Association awarded Hoofbeats with a silver medal award. In the last seven years, Hoofbeats has won five silver medals and two golds.

Hoofbeats won two awards for its postSandy coverage in the June 2013 issue.

Hoofbeats

June 2014

NEWS

Congratulations to Matthew DeJesu - School of Visual Arts Nicolle Del Rosario - Fashion Institute of Technology

Nicholas D’Rozario - Continuing Education Evan Deleo - Employment John Delise - Honors Program at City College Olivia Dellova - Adelphi University Matthew DeLucia - Undecided Michael DeSimone - Pace University Kaitlyn Dever - Springfield College Kiera Devens - FREE Frank DeVito - Nassau Community Michael DiCocco - University of Connecticut Danielle DiCostanzo - Nassau Community Diana DiLorenzo - Nassau Community Emily Dolan - Western New England University

Kathleen Donnelly - Pratt Institute Brian Downey - Wentworth Institute of Tech Dylan Drasin - University of Rhode Island Matthew Edwards - University of Texas at Austin (photo by Katie Hecker)

Danielle Abrahams - SUNY Plattsburgh Zachary Abrams - Georgia Tech Danielle Ackerman - SUNY Oneonta Samantha Adelberg - Adelphi University Erum Ahmed - NYIT Brenda Alderete - Quinnapiac University Julia Alfarone - SUNY Binghamton Joseph Aliamo - FREE Teenu Antony - Adelphi University Thomas Apa - Nassau Community Noah Arbesfeld - SUNY New Paltz Benjamin Augugliaro - Marist College Eric Axelrod - SUNY Albany Muneeb Babar - Nassau Community Kirsten Back - SUNY Binghamton Philip Backus - Fashion Institute of Technology

Molly Balan - University of Delaware Logan Baldauf - SUNY Farmingdale Juan Ballon - Suﬀolk Community Ryan Bank - Molloy College Lauren Barber - SUNY Oneonta Kieran Barrett-Snyder - New York University Christopher Battista - SUNY Albany Timothy Baumann - SUNY Albany Colin Bayer - Florida Southern University Robert Bayern - Nassau Community Kristina Benada - Undecided Jessica Benitez - UMASS Amherst Joselin Benitez - St. John’s University Zoe Berke - Adelphi University Allison Bernstein - Nassau Community Melissa Bianchi - LIU Post Nikoletta Bournias - Nassau Community Alexander Boyd - Georgetown University Johanna Boyes - SUNY Binghamton Argyro Boyle - SUNY Farmingdale Caitlin Breivogel - SUNY Cortland Sarah Brinsley - University of New Haven Bryan Bristoll - Nassau Community Kerri Buckley - St. Joseph’s University Thomas Buckley - Fordham University Sammy Caban - Manhattan College Elyana Cabrera - University of Delaware Tara Campbell - Upper Iowa

Ryan Cangemi - University of Maryland Geena Cantalupo - Towson University Kayla Cappuzzo - Northeastern University Brendan Carroll - Lafayette College Kelsey Cassidy - Scranton University Matthew Catapano - Nassau Community Matthew Cavanagh - Culinary Institute of America

Mikayla Chamberlin - Molloy College Kevin Chan - Georgia Institute of Technology Nora Charidah - Villanova University Matthew Charkowick - Nassau Community Jennifer Chen - SUNY Albany Marie Chin - UMASS Amherst Michelle Chin - St. John’s University Patrick Chin - Syracuse University Nicholas Chiusano - Nassau Community Sarah Clahane - UMASS Amherst Chelsey Cohen - Elon University Patrick Connelly - Nassau Community Emily Cooke - Nassau Community Landon Cooper - Nassau Community Michael Corona - Temple University Danielle Costa - Siena College Matthew Costa - Employment/YAI Jonpaul Costello - Employment Kelsey Cotton - Towson University Jonpaul Crichton - Villanova University Caroline Criscuola - College of Mount Saint Vincent

Nicole Crociata - Molloy College Casey Cummings - SUNY Albany Kaitlyn Cunningham - West Virginia University Lauren D’Archangelis - Fashion Institute of Technology

Harrison Davis - Springfield College

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

(photo by London Cooper)

Julia Egert - UMASS Amherst Jamie Elfassy - SUNY Binghamton Sean Elliott - Siena College Elias Encarnacion - University of Delaware Victoria Ende - New York University Emily Faso - SUNY Binghamton William Federico -Nassau Community Isabella Feldman - Skidmore College Sasha Fernandez - SUNY New Paltz Alyssa Ferraro - Continuing Education Jennifer Fitzsimmons - Undecided Paige Fitzsimmons - Hunter College Kevin Flay - FREE Liam Floody - Employment Cortina Florez - Nassau Community Jessica Foley - James Madison University Blake Forgione - Nassau Community Henry Forgione - Nassau Community Joseph Frasca - Nassau Community Audrey Fritsch - University of Tampa Nicholas Fronte - Skidmore College Gerard Furey - Continuing Education Corey Furia - Nassau Community Matthew Futterman - Brandeis University Vincent Gabriele - Nassau Community Grayson Gallo - Nassau Community Samantha Gallo - Employment Jacob Garber - Lafayette College Alani Garcia - SUNY Oneonta Marjorie Garcia - Nassau Community Kyra Gassmann - University of Virginia Andrew Gibbons - Nassau Community Vincent Giglia - Undecided Courtney Gill - SUNY Cortland Ashley Gladkowski - SUNY Binghamton Aaron Gochman - SUNY Stony Brook Dylan Goldstein - SUNY Oswego Rachel Gott - University of Florida Jessica Grab - Nassau Community John Grenham - Nassau Community Vincent Grippa - SUNY Farmingdale Jonathan Gross - Indiana University Rachel Gullo - Fashion Institute of Design & Merch

Katherine Gutierrez - SUNY Buﬀalo Derek Ha - Life’s Worc Kimberly Hardwicke - Adelphi University Can Hayrioglu - Turkish Armed Forces

John Hendel - Nassau Community Marc Hendrickson - Hofstra University Randy Hernandez - SUNY Binghamton Sean Heverin - Alfred University Sammy Hijazi - SUNY Canton Andrew Hinrichs - SUNY Cortland Thomas Holzmacher - City College of NY Michael Ieraci - SUNY Buﬀalo Joseph Jaghab - Employment Matthew Janicek - SUNY Maritime Gabriel Jay - SUNY Geneseo Christopher Johnsen - Nassau Community William Jutt - Hofstra University Samantha Kamelhar - Hofstra University Matthew Karp - SUNY Albany Emily Kehrli - Fashion Institute of Technology Jack Kerner - Albertus Magnus College Rachel Kessler - SUNY Old Westbury Danny Kirby - SUNY Stony Brook Brianna Kitchener - Nassau Community Alan Kovac - Continuing Education Alix Kozin - Boston University

(photo by Katie Hecker)

Kevin Krzeminski - SUNY Albany Katherine Kustas - New York University Lauren Lamonsoﬀ - University of Delaware Anderson Lascano - Undecided Caitlyn Leavey - Nassau Community Brandon Lee - Wentworth Institute of Tech Jonathan Leiner - New York University Alexander Lent - University of Washington Michael Lenz - Continuing Education Nicholas Leon - Florida International University

(photo by London Cooper)

News

June 2014

Hoofbeats

the Class of 2014 Lucas Levin - SUNY Buﬀalo Monica Levy - Bentley University Nicholas Lewis - Undecided Nicholas Libasci - SUNY Binghamton Ryan Libow - Nassau Community Gabriella Librizzi - SUNY Buﬀalo Brittney Lief - University of Rhode Island Casey Lievre - Molloy College Angela Lin - Baruch College Joseph Lizzi - SUNY Farmingdale Brenden Lloyd - Nassau Community Christopher Losak - John Jay College Colin Lowe - University of Tampa Colleen MacBride - SUNY Oswego Andrew Mahabir - SUNY Stony Brook Daniel Maldonado - Rider University Norah Maloney - Continuing Education Danielle Mancini - Seton Hall University James Manfrede - Life’s Worc John Maraglio - Nassau Community Anthony Marcantonio - Nassau Community Alexandra Marcello - Catholic University

(photo by Katie Hecker)

Samantha Marchese - Fashion Institute of Technology

Melanie Marinello - Molloy College Ashley Martin - Nassau Community Shanelle Mason - City College Zach Mastrangelo - Harford College Jessica Matalevich - Pace University Julie Matzen - Nassau Community Maria Mazzeo - YAI Mary Mazzie - Nassau Community Logan McAvoy - Nassau Community

Jennifer McElwain - SUNY ESF Kyle McGinley - Wagner University Sean McGinn - Undecided Chloe McKeon - Nassau Community Jonathan McLeod - U.S. Navy Aidan Meade - University of Delaware Kristina Meere - University of Delaware Taylor Meglio - Undecided Christopher Melito - SUNY Buﬀalo Dawn Meltzer - George Mason University Melissa Menna - Gettysburg University Jordan Mentzel - SUNY Cobleskill Jordan Meyers - SUNY Binghamton Cecilia Miguel - Johns Hopkins University Kevin Mirsky - LIU Post Max Mogel - Cooper Union Valerie Monsen - James Madison University Samuel Morales - U.S. Navy Joshua Moran - Rochester Institute of Technology

Kevin Moran - Pace University Gina Morena - East Stroudsburg University Brandon Moucatel - Nassau Community Dalian Moya - Nassau Community Gerard Muro - NYIT Katherine Musse - Nassau Community Robert Mutarelli - SUNY Binghamton Angelina Naula - SUNY Oneonta Matthew Neary - Nassau Community Sean Negron - Molloy College Julia Neugebauer - Monmouth University Raiyan Noor Ali - SUNY Farmingdale Marilyn O’Connor - Hofstra University Breanne O’Hara - UMASS Amherst Caitlin O’Hara - Syracuse University Ryan O’Hara - Syracuse University Eric Ohlendorf - Fordham University Kyle O’Sullivan - Nassau Community Francis Ott - Ohio University Elias Pagiazitis - Adelphi University Brianna Paoli - Hofstra University Allison Parascondola - SUNY Buﬀalo Vincent Pellegrino - Nassau Community William Pellegrino - Nassau Community Christian Peralta - SUNY Farmingdale Arielle Peretz - Mercy College Rebecca Peretz - Fordham University Anthony Pirozzi - Undecided Victoria Pizzimenti - Undecided Aleco Podias - SUNY New Paltz Thomas Polimeni - Undecided Dominic Pompa - Nassau Community Stephen Ponticello - University of Hartford Nicholas Ponzio - Nassau Community Asa Powell - Kean University Benjamin Prince - SUNY Farmingdale Michael Proszak - Continuing Education Athena Psyllis - SUNY Binghamton Amanda Quigley - West Virginia University Jason Raﬀ - SUNY Oneonta Giovanna Raheb - SUNY Binghamton Jesse Rallo - Nassau Community Priya Ramkelawan - Continuing Education Joseph Randazzo - Continuing Education Jacqueline Ras - Pratt Institute Eric Ravens - SUNY Binghamton Kaitlin Reategui - Hofstra University

(photo by Rebecca Spina)

(photo courtesy of Jenna Rudolksky)

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson Melissa Reeves - Hofstra University Dana Reilly - University of Tampa Alexis Ricca - Undecided Joseph Riccardo - Nassau Community Bryanna Rivera - Nassau Community Noah Rodgers - Nassau Community Amanda Rodriguez - SUNY Plattsburgh Caridad Rodriguez - Nassau Community Josue Rodriguez - Nassau Community Benjamin Rosenberg - SUNY Buﬀalo William Rosenblum - SUNY New Paltz Matthew Rosin - University of Delaware Rachel Ross - UMASS Amherst Bridget Rossi - Nassau Community Nicholas Rotondo - Culinary Institute of America

Joseph Rubin - Nassau Community Jeralayne Ruiz - Ohio University Eleanor Russini - FREE Monica Saba - SUNY Stony Brook Adam Sajdak - Hofstra University Samantha Sanky - Utica College J.J. Santagata - Rider University Chelsey Satcowitz - SUNY Potsdam Lauren Savarese - SUNY Oneonta Patrick Scahill - School for Language & Communication

Brendan Schiaﬀo - Catholic University Jaclyn Schmitz - SUNY Buﬀalo Melissa Schneider - Nassau Community Rebecca Schneider - Ohio State University Samuel Schuster - SUNY Cortland Jaime Schwarz - James Madison University Daniel Sconzo - New York University John Scopo - Employment Allison Segal - SUNY Cortland

Kristin Serkisyan - West Chester University Farah Serur - Tulane University Duncan Sheridan - UNC Chapel Hill Akeesha Sheriff - Nassau Community Christopher Silvester - Nassau Community Harpreet Singh - SUNY Albany Taylor Sipos - James Madison University Nicholas Skarren - Northeastern University Drake Smith - University of Delaware Rebecca Spina - Five Towns College Quinn Spohrer - SUNY Geneseo Daniel St. John - Continuing Education Christopher Steffen - SUNY Binghamton Jake Stein - SUNY Binghamton Lauren Strezenec - Nassau Community Stephen Tappeto - Molloy College Emily Tenenbaum - Molloy College Lauren Tew - Adelphi University Michael Tommer - UNC Chapel Hill Brendan Tucker - SUNY New Paltz Shannon Tully - Employment Joseph Turrisi - Undecided Brice Vadnais - University of Hartford Aaron Valentin - Nassau Community Shannon Vignola - University of Salve Regina Alyssia Vitelli - Nassau Community Molly Vizoso - Nassau Community Mart Vogel - Adelphi University Suzanne Vogel - Pace University Alyssa Waterman - SUNY Buffalo Jessica Weidler - UMASS Amherst Zachary Weiner -University of South Florida Lisa Weingarten - SUNY Cobleskill Adam Wilkes - SUNY Binghamton Charles Wilson - SUNY Delhi Nicole Witte - SUNY Geneseo Nicole Wojewoda - Nassau Community Anthony Wong - NYIT Kaitlin Woo - University of Delaware Eric Zhou - SUNY Stony Brook Zachary Ziccardi - SUNY Binghamton Joseph Zito - Lenoir-Rhyne University Alex Zseller - U.S. Air Force Paul Zydor - Undecided

(photo by London Cooper)

Hoofbeats

June 2014

Who invented punk? For years it has been argued that bands such as The Ramones and The Stooges invented punk music. Recently new proto-punk bands that pre-date them have been discovered thanks to the Internet and the record collecting community. Who actually gets to claim they started punk’s filth and fury? Death Formed by three brothers, Bobby, David, and Dannis Hackney, Death played rock music louder, faster, and more intense than anyone had ever heard, causing immediate rejection. The band planned a 12 song album, but was dropped by their record label because of

their refusal to change their name to something more commercial. Instead, they released 500 copies of their song “Politicians in My Eyes” before fading away into obscurity for the better part of thirty years. Then record collectors began selling copies of the single on the internet, starting a buzz about the band that reached Drag City Records, who contacted the band about getting an album out. Thus, …For The Whole World To See was unleashed in 2009, 35 years after it was recorded. Death now tours with guitarist Bobbie Duncan, filling in for David Hackney after his death in 2000. Key songs: “Keep on Knocking,” “Where Do We Go From Here?”

Los Saicos Formed in Peru by four amateur musicians fresh out of high school in 1964 (a whole decade before The Ramones), Los Saicos created a wild garage rock sound that paved the way for punk rock. Thanks to the band’s manager, Harry Flores, they got exposure on television and radio and became an overnight sensation. Los Saicos

released six singles on a small label before suddenly stopping after only two years of being a band. The band was rediscovered at the start of the 21st century and has enjoyed newfound acclaim, with the surviving members reuniting for a string of shows in 2011. Key song: “Demolicion.” The Ramones Quite possibly punk rock’s greatest legends, these four misfits from Queens at least perfected punk by defining its attitude and breakneck pace. While the Ramones never broke into the mainstream during their career, they still built a dedicated following and influenced thousands of disenfranchised kids to start playing music by showing them that rock is anyone’s game. It would take 22 years and a nasty split until the Ramones finally got the recognition they deserved. Key songs: “Teenage Lobotomy,” “Blitzkrieg Bop.”

Colture

by Michael Trageser Staﬀ Writer

ten ended in fist-fights between frontman Iggy Pop and the audience. The band’s music was just as hard-hitting and confrontational, with guitarist Ron Asheton cutting through like a razor blade. The band’s on-again-oﬀ-again history kept them relevant through the decades. Releasing albums like Raw Power their lo-fi mix only adds to its sound, making it one of the most aggressive sounding albums ever released. The band remained active up until this year when drummer Scott Asheton died and Pop announced he was taking a break from music. Key songs: “Search and Destroy,” “TV Eye.”

The Stooges Formed in Detroit, Michigan, The Stooges became infamous for their wild performances that of-

Fashion show (continued from page 1)

said. “Another new aspect, we invited the Prep students to fashion Stable clothing, which was so fun!” The show was only successful due to the intense preparation involved in creating such a treasured event. The hard work and dedica-

(photos by Becca Lewis)

Mrs. Borzone and Mr. Smestad pose.

tion put forth by these students is truly admirable since the preparation and execution is such an independent experience for each student. All the ideas, planning, design concepts and communication between the school and businesses is student centered. “Every year there are interns that are assigned to plan and coordinate every aspect of the show. This year we had Ely Cabrera and Dana Reilly. The show is all about the kids so we try to have as little intervention as possible,” Mrs. Caporusso said. “Work on the show begins in January and doesn’t stop until the show is over. Even the days and weeks after the show there are still loose ends to tie up

The Senior Experience class gathers together after this year’s Fashion Show.

such as thank you letters to businesses and other various duties.” The students also reached out to businesses of small and large scales and received an overwhelming support. From Jet Blue True Blue points to a $400 prom bundle, this year’s raﬄe was a success. It was obvious that a show supporting Mr. Smestad would not truly be a show supporting him unless he made a cameo. Senior Samantha Sanky played

a princess who was looking for the right outfit to wear when she met her “knight in shining armor” at a party. When she found her dress, she met her knight who was, of course, Mr. Smestad. The crowd gave a standing ovation when Smestad walked to center stage in his medieval apparel. “It was an incredibly emotional sight,” said Mrs. Caporusso, “It was an absolutely moving tribute to such an outstanding man.”

Colture

June 2014

Hoofbeats

Summer’s hot reads by Brianna Paoli Colture Editor

When June 12 rolls around, three months of summer await. Long days at the beach and delayed vacation flights can leave you looking for something to make your summer all the more memorable. These books are just right for summer, making travelling less tedious and serving as a souvenir for all your summer experiences. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, by Morgan Matson Amy Curry is less than excited about the summer before her senior year. Her mom has decided to move from California to Connecticut in search of a fresh start after Amy’s dad dies in a car accident, and it’s Amy’s job to make the trek across the country. In addition to all of this, Amy is not thrilled to learn that a boy she barely knows, Rodger, is going to be accompany-

ing her, with his own baggage in tow. Along the way, Amy must try to cope with her dad’s death and map out her life to the best of her ability. The book’s clever use of little postcards, receipts, and snapshots give it a comfy, scrapbook feel, and although a road-trip plot may seem shallow, the book handles themes of grief, death, and family tragedy with care, making it both uplifting and interesting. Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein Set in 1943, this gripping and carefully woven novel follows the story of two British girls named Maddie and Queenie, who are a part of a secret mission in Nazioccupied France. The novel begins as a confession by an unnamed British spy, whose code name is Verity. As the plot unfolds, readers learn that the spy is Queenie, and she has been taken hostage by the Gestapo, after a plane being driven

by her best friend, Maddie, crash landed. The book is a mind-game, taking confusing twists and turns that lead to thrilling moments and shocking surprises. Code Name Verity is an intriguing look at a dark time in history, with a story of true friendship at its core. The 5th Wave, by Rick Yancey Told from multiple perspectives, this novel is part post-apocalyptic dystopia and part alien invasion. Four waves of terror sent by aliens have left Earth with only a few survivors, each wave building the fear for the fifth wave, which is meant to hunt down the last few humans and eradicate them. The Katnissesque main character, Cassie, is looking for her brother, trying to avoid “Them,” or the vaguely described aliens that hunt down humans. We don’t know why aliens have invaded Earth; we only know that they are merciless and terrifying at times. The plot is carefully

woven and the diﬀerent perspectives heighten the development of each character and the excitement of each chapter, making the book diﬃcult to put down. Roomies, by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando Elizabeth and Lauren have just received their roommate assignment for UC Berkeley. Living across the country from one another, they decide to e-mail each other to break the ice before September. Through alternating perspectives, readers learn that Elizabeth is an only child who feels trapped in Suburbia by her overbearing mother, but she’s eager and enthusiastic to start college and become friends. Lauren, on the other hand, is less excited, trying to gain some independence and freedom after living with her much younger siblings, but she’s not sure that freedom from her family is exactly what she wants. The two characters are interesting and realistic, allowing for a fresh and meaningful novel about starting college, handling changes, and friendships.

Go, go, Glamour Gals

(photos by Melanie Neubauer)

The Glamour Gals visited two senior citizen homes to help beautify several elderly women. The group’s founder, junior Sarah Sandler, said, “It’s a great experience to learn from these women, while putting a smile on their faces.”

Hoofbeats

June 2014

Colture

The Best Band You Never Heard Of by Rebecca Spina Editor-in-Chief

For any music fan, the worst news someone can deliver is that your favorite band is breaking up. Unfortunately for A Rocket to the Moon fans, those words came in a Facebook post last year. The band would play through the 8123 Tour but after an isolated show in Boston, Massachusetts August 31, A Rocket to the Moon would be just no more. Then in July, lead singer Nick Santino released his first EP as a solo artist, Going Home. It had only four songs, but that was all he needed for fans to be begging for more. Their pleas were answered in the fall when Santino released a second, longer EP, The Ones You Meet Along The Way: A Collection Of Songs From the Road. Though every Nick Santino and the Northern Wind song has its own flair, they all hold the same ambiguous honesty backed only by a guitar. “[My inspiration comes from] life really - the honesty and heartbreak of everyday living. [I write a lot about] loss and redemption,” said Santino. Being relatable is something practically every artist strives to achieve but doesn’t always actually accomplish. However, Santino does this flawlessly. Despite being so removed from the situations he’s writing about, you can’t help

but feel your heart grow heavy when “Too Good” comes on and he drops a line like, “Sometimes the ones you love are the ones you should forget.” “I’d like to think I write honest music that can relate to any listener,” said Santino. Finally on May 27, Santino released his first full length under just Nick Santino, Big Skies. The album features songs written years ago (“Back To Where I’m From”), songs recorded live and used despite not being perfect takes (“She Don’t Miss Me”), a collaboration with John O’Callaghan from The Maine (“Long Way Home”), and Sean Silverman from This Century backing up the track up with sick guitar riﬀs (“Gone Like Yesterday,” “Have A Little Faith In Me”). “[While recording Big Skies] I’d been listening to a lot of Ryan Adams, The Wallflowers, and Tom Petty,” said Santino. Santino has always considered being able to see the world and share his music a great accomplishment. Starting in Braintree, Massachusetts, he’s toured all over the country and even internationally as both a member of A Rocket to the Moon and as Nick Santino and the Northern Wind. Now after joining This Century on their Up Close and Personal Tour, The Maine on their acoustic tour, and performing several shows in Brazil and the Philippines, Nick San-

Big Skies, Nick Santino’s new album, dropped May 27.

tino and the Northern Wind will be heading out again this summer. Fans can find him playing the Acoustic Basement stage every day on Warped Tour. “Some of the worst moments [on tour] involve vans breaking down and getting stuck in crappy weather,” said Santino, “The good news is that I wouldn’t rather be stuck in that crappy weather in a

broken down van doing any other profession. Hopefully [in five years] I’ll still be doing it – obviously it wouldn’t hurt to do it on a larger scale, but I’ll take it day by day.”

nicksantino @nicksantino

Taking on the Challenge

(photos courtesy of Becca Schneider)

Many seniors volunteered to be a part of the annual Bellmore-Merrick Challenge. Left, Becca Schneider and Allison Parascondola (top row) with their buddies from Baldwin. At right, Kelsey Cotton with her buddy, Matthew.

Colture

June 2014

Hoofbeats

More than 5 Seconds of fame by Dana Reilly Managing Editor

Social media has become a key factor in the success of overseas bands making their way into American media. For Australian natives 5 Seconds of Summer they owe all their success to YouTube. These boys are far from your typical bubble gum boy band. They are actually being credited with bringing a pop-punk style to mainstream radio. The boys, Calum Hood, Michael Clifford, Luke Hemmings, and Ashton Irwin, are quickly taking over the world. It all starts in Riverstone, West Sydney Australia where Hemmings, Hood, and Clifford all met at school. The boys had a common interest in music. Some of their inspirations include, Blink 182, Mayday Parade, and especially All Time Low. With this common love for music, the three decided to start a band. They crudely recorded some covers and uploaded them to Hemmings’ YouTube account. To say the least, the covers went viral. Girls all over were already going crazy. However, no one in the trio could play the drums. Clifford sent a detailed Facebook message to an aspiring drummer simply stating, “How would you like to come along and play for 200 screaming fans?” So the new drummer came in the form of a pop-punk teen named Ashton Irwin. With that, 5 Seconds of Summer was born. The band made their 5 Seconds of Summer debut officially with their first gig in Sydney. The band played at the Annandale Hotel on December 3, 2011. To prepare for the show, they practiced in the dark following the belief that if you can play in the dark, you can play under any condition thrown at you. That night the boys realized

they could really be a band. Two of the four dropped out of school to focus full time on making this band work. Their first big break came by being invited to support Hot Chelle Rae on their tour of Australia. 5SOS took full advantage of this and used social media to get their name out there. Being from Australia poses quite the challenge to break the music barrier. To have dreams of conquering the world from down under sounds impossible. However, luck kicked in. One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson tweeted a link to one of their covers mentioning how big of a fan he is and encouraging his fan base to get behind this new band. Tomlinson took his love for 5 Seconds of Summer one step further. The Aussie boys have completed 2 tours in OZ and some gigs in the UK and now they were to support the world’s biggest boy band in some of the most famous arena’s in the world. The band were not hesitant on 1D’s oﬀer and decided to rock every show. They have the world in their hands. The 5SOS boys took some time and recorded an eclectic mix of songs in order to focus on finally getting studio version songs on an album and out to some fans. With their first EP out in certain parts of the globe, American fans demanded an EP and a headline tour. The boys couldn’t let down their fans and their chance to finally conquer the states. They released their first American single called “She Looks So Perfect.” This pop-rock tune went straight to top of the charts and stayed there for quite some time. The tune has heavy guitar and percussion influence. Hood gives the incredible bass line and backup vocals while Irwin provides the listeners with an intense drum beat. This song is not your typical first single release. “She Looks So Perfect” is a mature tune that truly

(photo by Dana Reilly)

On April 25, 5SOS headlined their biggest concert to date in Wallingford, CT.

delivers to the mainstream radio listeners while not being mainstream pop. Following the single’s success the boys released their first American EP, She Looks So Perfect. The Aussie band is an extremely talented group that will be here for the long run. Their music is providing what other mainstream boy bands

aren’t. When you listen to their music you can clearly hear poppunk and classic rock influence. It’s bad boy music from your typical next door neighbor boys. 5SOS is a force to be reckoned with. They are currently preparing to release a full album and with shows already selling out and they are not stopping anytime soon.

(photo by Dana Reilly)

5SOS sold out their 2014 tour in minutes, a big feat for an up-and-coming band.

(photo by Dana Reilly)

Luke Hemmings fronts the Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer.

Hoofbeats

June 2014

Editorial

Lights out for the senior class T

he month of June always brings the sweet relief that the year is almost done. Teachers and students have the opportunity to clear their minds of the stresses brought from excessive testing, grades, and our amazing computer network before returning in the fall to do it all over again. However, the Senior Colts of 2014 are graduating and will be galloping oﬀ far away from the sea foam green halls of Calhoun. Let’s face it, seniors: the last four years have been something. We have battled through leaks in the ceilings on rainy days, a sales hike on the chocolate muﬃns, and having only 11 parking spots, and we are coming out stronger. High school’s been tough. Whoever said these were the best four years of your life probably never did anything after graduation, but don’t think these are days not worth looking back on.

Calhoun breeds a love-hate reAs an underclassman, it’s easy lationship with its students. We’re to take the school for granted. As expected to use the computers, but a graduating senior, you’ll look we’re left rubbing sticks together in back on everything and realize the labs; we’re a smoke-free school, this place isn’t that bad. We don’t but if we walk two feet down State realize how great we have it here. Street, we risk lung cancer; we Sure, the ceiling leaks, and yeah, the parking lot’s want to work in impossible, but the library on our Staff Editorial in the long run, oﬀ periods, but the hall monitor what’s more important – having an upstanding won’t let us up the stairs. This school is ridiculous, and faculty or an architecturally sound yet we can’t say we would have learning environment? I’ll be completely honest: I don’t wanted to spend our high school careers anywhere else. For every want to leave Calhoun. As much as moment that makes you want this school makes the phrase “I’m to count down until graduation, done” leave my lips, it’s become a there’s another that makes you beg home to me. I don’t even want to know how many hours I’ve logged for more time. On days when I have no rea- in this building over the years and son to stay after school, you would I’m sure drama kids, athletes, and think I’d be more inclined to go many others don’t want to either. What’s going to make me cry at home and nap, but I still find myself roaming the school trying to graduation is the fact that we are leaving behind a lot of good mofind a reason to stay.

ments. Who knows how long it will be before you find another teacher that sincerely acknowledges you even into senior year despite being mute in his class sophomore year? Who knows how long it will be until you have another teacher who might literally be the real-life Ron Swanson? Who knows when some random English teacher will see potential in you and tell you to join the school newspaper? Although we may not realize it now, our teachers have done much more than teach us course material. They’ve all gone beyond their job requirements and taught us to be better people. Calhoun is so lucky to have them. Granted, there are a lot of seniors who aren’t feeling this way. I feel sorry for them; they didn’t do this chapter of their life justice. So, I triple-dog dare you to try and make the connection where ever you go next. XOXO, Hoofbeats

The “best” years by Mary Mazzie Staﬀ Writer

Recognized by Columbia University, ASPA, NYPA, LIPA, and Newsday for journalistic excellence Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Colture Editor Photography Editor Faculty Adviser

Rebecca Spina Dana Reilly Jenna Rudolfsky Brianna Paoli Katie Hecker Jason Boland

Staﬀ Members: Erum Ahmed, René Beccaris, David Braunstein, Landon Cooper, Jeremy Frank, Ashley Gladkowski, Joe Grossane, Zoha Huda, Xander Lent, Julia Losner, Mary Mazzie, Claire Murphy, Sarah Sandler, Carter Simonson, Lauren Tew, Michael Trageser, Suzy Vogel, Nicole Witte Hoofbeats Sanford H. Calhoun High School 1786 State Street Merrick, NY 11566 (516) 992-1300 E-mail: hoofbeatseditor@yahoo.com Twitter: @hoofbeatspaper Volume 56 No. 5

June 2014

Hoobeats is the oﬃcial student newspaper of Calhoun High School. Hoofbeats serves as a source to inform its readers of news and events, and as a forum for the students of Calhoun to express their ideas and opinions. Hoofbeats accepts letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or refuse the publication of submissions. Letters should be sent to the school or placed in the Hoofbeats mailbox. All letters must be signed and include a contact number for the writer. The paper also accepts advertisements for a fee, but reserves the right to refuse advertisements for any or no reason. The views expressed in Hoofbeats do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the administrators, teachers, editors, or faculty adviser.

Ask some of the adults in your life about their high school experience, and you’ll get one of two possible answers. Some will tell you that high school was miserable for them. The majority will choose the low road and give the same sugar-coated lie said with nausea-inducing nostalgia: that high school was the best time of their lives. All too often, well-intentioned parents tell this to their naïve children, who are about to embark on the terrifying journey that is adolescence. The end is much better than the beginning, but those three years as an underclassman drag on while senior year seems to fly by. Maybe these have been the best years for some, but if these are supposed to be my best years, I want to speak to whoever’s in charge. High school is diﬃcult, unless you enter the first day with a steady group of reliable friends and have the next four years meticulously planned out. I still vaguely remember my first day; I felt intimidated, lost, and confused. Now, here I am in my last few weeks, about to embark on a new terrifying journey: adulthood. Despite our individuality, there is one common denominator unifying us: none of us know who we are or who we will become. But the one thing I am absolutely certain of is that we should aspire to be-

come the person you needed when you were younger. Think back to your first day. How badly did you wish you’d had someone like your present-self to guide you through not only the halls, but also the next four years to come. We’ve all made great strides and grown tremendously. The road to graduation is bumpy and appears to be never ending, but we’re almost there. Unfortunately, it took me until this year to finally find a comfortable spot to call my own here, but at least I found one. Hopefully you have too. What I wish for the most is that I could have reached this point earlier in life. I am confident that everyone would take the chance to time travel to assure a younger self that they’ll be okay, and bestow their present knowledge, which would probably be deemed prophetic by a freshman. We all possess the ability to become whoever we want and that person we needed. It’s been a rough four years, but with willpower and devotion, we made it. Now, with great patience, we will make it through these last few weeks and the actual best years of our lives. So onward to the path of adulthood. Strive to meet your own personal goals; graduate from college; fall in love; work toward a job; have a mid-life crisis; do anything. But, for their own sake, don’t lie to your kids that these were the best years of your life.

Editorial

June 2014

Hoofbeats

Respecting art and the artist by Mary Mazzie Staﬀ Writer

Everything in this world is made and designed by artists: clothes, cars, housewares, magazines, text fonts. Everything. That said, there are three major points I want to make: eliminate “anyone could do that” from your thought process when observing art; support and compensate small artists; and for heaven’s sake, don’t plagiarize. Society’s treatment of art and artists is positive for the most part, but there are always the self-titled critics who make it seem as though our entire life’s work is meaningless. I’ve heard my fair share of snobbish thirty-somethings touring Chelsea art galleries, sneering at sculptures or photo series, whispering, “A child could do this,” or even worse, “I could do this.” Yeah, well you didn’t. Any artist should be outraged upon hearing this, as it devalues the years of practice and hours

of labor that helped make their works possible. Art is the culmination of hours of not only hard work, but also passion, drive, and originality; to make art is to create something out of nothing. Another thing I’ve heard is, “I would pay for something like that,” both at galleries and school art shows. Congratulations, you recognize that a piece of artwork is worthy of your money. When someone asks an artist to make a piece for them - be it friend or family or a complete stranger it is implied that they will be commissioned, with the exception of gifts. Expecting an artist to make something for free is the same as saying it’s worthless. It hugely devalues the artist and his or her work. “But you like spending all of your time and money on art! Why should I pay you for that?” This is why artists suﬀer and starve. Not because they pursue arts. Not because supplies are expensive (although they most definitely are). Not because we spend tens

of thousands of dollars on art degrees. It is because people like this have such a sense of privilege that they believe they’re entitled the fruits of our labor without compensation. Society needs to stop taking advantage of young, new artists because “exposure” does not equate pay; for all we know, someone could be reselling other people’s art as their own. Besides, artists nowadays don’t have to rely solely on word of mouth — the number of social media sites available, specific to art or not, is at an all-time high. The digital age is upon us and makes it easier than ever for young or new artists to get their names out. However, this breakthrough is somewhat bittersweet. While the availability of social media creates a new platform to share and display artwork, it also creates the opportunity to steal said artwork. When someone uses a reference image, of course a certain amount or percentage of changes can be made for it to be considered “their

own,” but it’s a grey area. Some reference photos are so easy to recreate, whether it’s a flower or a still life or a figure drawing. No matter how good someone’s rendering of an image is, those photos are not theirs to use and take credit for. Copying a piece of art is plagiarism, the theft of another person’s artistic and intellectual property. The worst of all is when people steal images from popular websites such as Tumblr or Pinterest, or even from Google Images, and expect to get away with it. A photograph from Tumblr could have upwards of 300,000 notes (meaning that 300,000 people have seen it and “liked” it or re-posted it to their blog), but that doesn’t stop some people from deciding that this photos is now theirs to use, take credit for, and maybe even submit for a grade in art class and later on, the AP Art exam. I know it. Everyone knows it. Long story short, you need to recognize the arts. Without artists, we’d live in a grey world and only Times New Roman.

More of the same for late night TV by Brittney Lief Contributing Writer

David Letterman shocked the TV world when he announced his retirement from The Late Show. A week later, CBS made the biggest mistake they could: they hired Stephen Colbert to fill Letterman’s shoes. This is not 1962 anymore. There are high profile African American actors, female newscasters, openly gay actors, and those who fit all of those categories grazing our TV screen each night. On the big networks, the late night show’s hosts all share one thing: they are white men. The most diverse member is Scotsman Craig Ferguson on The Late Late Show. Cable networks on the other hand, have no problem with diversity. They have a woman (Chelsea Handler), a Hispanic (George Lopez), and a gay man (Ross Matthews). Why can’t the big networks have this? In general, CBS has nothing

on NBC or ABC. They could have made a major splash if they went out of the box with their late night programs. Instead, they are just like everyone else. Let’s be real, who needs another white dude on their TV screen? Les Moonves, the Chairman and Chief Executive Oﬃcer of CBS, made a statement about Stephen Colbert saying, “He’s a great social commentator, and that’s sort of what we want.” No one knows for sure the true reasons behind CBS’s decision, but Colbert’s set fan base, thanks to The Colbert Report, seemed to have a large role in it. As of now, the only ones who seem happy with Colbert taking over The Late Show are his fans from Comedy Central, and those who just watch late night shows to fall asleep. For many, it was a major shock when they first heard Colbert was filling Letterman’s shoes. With all the BuzzFeed and news articles saying who should replace Letterman, Colbert wasn’t a prominent figure on those lists.

A common misconception is that Colbert will be his authentic self. On The Colbert Report he plays a character that oﬀers a satirical spin on politics, when in reality he is nothing like that. One of the few times America saw him as his true self was on Oprah’s Next Chapter discussing his life, and how he got to where he is today. Viewers are in for a treat to see how Colbert really acts in real life. The first week will probably get a lot of viewers but after that, who knows? Three people who would have made excellent replacements for Letterman are Neil Patrick Harris, Chris Rock, and Ellen DeGeneres. Neil Patrick Harris is one of the most talented people in Hollywood. He sings, dances, and acts: a triple threat. Not to mention he already has great standings with CBS. He stared on How I Met Your Mother, showing he’s funny, and has hosted the Tony Awards numerous times, showing he can host. Everybody loves NPH. He would have put a fun, creative spin on The Late Show. Chris Rock would have brought a new light to The Late Show. He is sickeningly funny and entertaining. Rock would have made an epic return to TV. It is hard to not laugh while listening to Rock; he is one of

those people that you would look forward to watching each night. CBS would have transformed the way we watch late night shows, innovating The Late Show so much with Rock as the host. A major contender for The Late Show was the brilliant Ellen DeGeneres. Everybody in the country wants to dance with her. Her daytime talk show on NBC has been on for over 10 years. It would have been a great change for her and for her fans to see her on a late night show. She is a wonderful interviewer who brings out the fun in people. Her personality can take anyone out of their comfort zone. Her innovative approach to talk shows could have boosted CBS’s ratings to records the never seen before. Only time will tell how Stephen Colbert will do next year. For CBS’s sake, hopefully Colbert glides into success.

To submit a letter to the editor, e-mail the staﬀ at hoofbeatseditor@ yahoo.com

Hoofbeats

June 2014

Editorial

Pt./Counterpoint:

Is it online piracy or file sharing? File sharing helps everyone in the end

Stealing is wrong, no matter the method the radio daily. Their sole source of income, their reason to continue making music, is largely impeded Obtaining and consuming me- by the widespread pirating of their music. If this continues, they will dia has never been easier. Anyone can buy a song off have no more reason to make muiTunes, watch a movie on Netf- sic, which means bad news for lix, or download a video game anyone who enjoys them. The same thing holds true for on Steam. With the abundance of these services that help make digi- video games: the smaller, indie y tal media available, many people games will die out, not the moneystill turn to the shady and risky making machines like those of EA t’s eco onom nomics css—a — economics—a world of illegal downloading— and Activision. It’s o tin t ue to service or productt will con continue better known as pirating. kes m one ney. ne y. Whe When Wh n money. For some, it’s a method of sav- exist only if it makes hing, hi n musicians, ng, mu usic siiciaan sician ans, ans, ing a few dollars; for others, it’s you pirate something, mm mers are ba me basisia political statement against “big artists, or programmers heir he i time ir time for for no business.” Nevertheless, pirating cally sacrificing their ould y ould oul ou u wor ork k Would you work is illegal and it should stay that compensation. Wo way. Not only does it hurt the en- for free? oading g is ju ust not Illegal downloading just tertainment sector, but it can also he standard stan andar an da d p dar roprohurt the artist you like and ulti- worth the risk. The loading g a m mo ovie ie ie cedure for downloading movie mately hurt you. di iis going i on The concept of ownership has or other piece of media been skewed due to illegal down- one of the many pirating websites loading. In the past, if you made on the Internet. Who is supplying these free files? something, it was yours; you “Pirating opens a Pandora’s Hiding viruses or were able to de- Box of problems that can spyware in a torrent is extremely cide how it was be avoided by spending the easy. All you distributed and what you would equivalent of a slice of pizza have to do is click on something you enjoy.” on the wrong file, get in return. and you’re comThis concept is pletely vulneralmost nonexistent in the digital age. People can able to spying, identity theft, or a forcefully seize a producer’s work total hard drive crash. Refusing to without giving them compensa- pay $5 for media can actually end tion. The justification? Because up costing you $500 or even $5,000, they can. Now, all those hours whether it be in the form of buyof working on creating this song, ing a new computer or paying an movie, or game have been lost, enormous bill because somebody solely because you are too cheap got your credit card number from to pay the equivalent of a coffee to your computer. Paying for media is obviously a struggling artist. Some may argue that a loss of $5 the better choice. You get to supis nothing compared to the billions of dollars flooding into the entertainment sector. This may be true for some of the ultra-famous artists who wouldn’t really notice a loss of a couple dollars. In reality, most of the people who are pirating are the typical tech-savvy adolescents whose tastes don’t really align with the established norm. port the artists you like They tend to esteem lesser-known artists across a spectrum and urge them to continue making of different genres, unlike the mon- the music or video games that you ey-making bubble gum pop on the enjoy. Pirating opens a Pandora’s radio. These smaller artists cannot Box of problems that can simply afford piracy—they aren’t getting be avoided by spending the equivpaid by a huge record company, alent of a slice of pizza on someand their songs aren’t played on thing you enjoy. by David Braunstein Staff Writer

By spending less on digital files, the public can spend money elsewhere and stimulate the economy Every teenager has heard their while decreasing the crime rates. parents say, “Just because everyWhat about the musicians who one else is doing it, doesn’t mean aren’t receiving exuberant salayou have to.” However, the over- ries? The musicians who are just whelming number of teenagers starting out in the industry trying pirating music asserts that future to make a salary? The Weekend, generations will be okay with pira- Soulja Boy, Colbie Caillat, Sean y After all, the teenagers of today Kingston, Cody Simpson, Austin cy. are the adults of tomorrow. Mahone. The list goes on of artWhen h “the “th generation of pi- ists discovered through the InterWhen rat ate iss in charge ates” ch rates” of making de- net. Whether it was Myspace or cisio cis ci ions, th io the se outdated copyright YouTube, these artists wouldn’t be cisions, these laws are ar bound bou ou un to be outlawed, so where they are today if they didn’t laws no ot make ma ake the changes sooner, have the Internet to thank. No one why not in instea ins nsteaad of ns of convicting co con on n instead teenagers for would pay for a song by an artist pointl po ntles e pira ess es rac ra a charges? pointless piracy they never heard of, but download U2 ma makes $195 million per it? The Internet is helpful for the n Bon Jovi makes $125 mil- small artists who are just starting year. Jon l n per lio per year. year Lady Gaga makes out. Viral popularity is key in crelion $90 million p per year. I’m pretty ating a career; the $300,000 Justin h sure these multi-millionaires can Bieber makes a night in one conmake do without your $0.69 cents cert once started out as a free song for a single. that someone listened to, liked, With 61 perand decided to cent of teenagers “By spending less money on download. already illegally The only dedigital files, the public can downloading tail preventing over 210 million spend money elsewhere and digital music songs last year, it stimulate the economy while files from being would be killing decreasing the crime rates.” free is the copytwo birds with right law. Laws one stone: stimudealing with the lating the economy while decreas- regulation of creative property ing crime. have been around forever. As Lord This is not to be misunderstood Mansfield once wrote in a case as a condemnation of the work of concerning the English copyright these artists; these musicians de- law to include sheet music, “A perserve money for their hard work, son may use the copy by playing but does Madonna really does not it, but he has no right to rob the audeserve a daily salary of $95,000. thor of the profit, by multiplying One must consider how musi- copies and disposing of them for cal artists generate this income: his own use.” concerts, publicity events, and alHowever, peer-to-peer file sharing doesn’t generate a profit for those sharing the music, so is it truly violating the original basis of copyright laws? Copyright laws should only apply to those who are making a profit oﬀ playing the music, not those listening for their own enjoyment. Eliminating the costs of digital music files would help in bums all contribute. creating a more buoyant Artists wouldn’t be substaneconomy while reducing the tially hurt by these changes. On amount of crime. their latest summer tour, U2 made Making mp3 files free of charge $770 million in ticket sales alone would save money for 99 percent and popular artists like Kenny of the population, and help deChesney and Tim McGraw made crease the massive number of pi$4.2 million per night per concert. racy crimes committed each year. by Sarah Sandler Staﬀ Writer

Editorial

June 2014

Hoofbeats

Taking the easy way out by Claire Murphy Staﬀ Writer

My 12-year-old neighbor came up to me a few weeks ago holding a novel in her arms. I asked what she was reading and she described a story about a young girl growing up on a prairie. She said she was “super jealous” of the main character who only had to go to school for five years, gets married and then only has to cook and clean. How could this be? Is my neighbor simply a rarity amongst female youth? Or is she one of millions of little girls who would rather stay home to cook and clean for their husbands rather than make a life for themselves and strive to be the best they can be? I couldn’t stop thinking about what she had said. There’s no disputing the fact that America’s youth is becoming more and more apathetic. Kids spend more time learning to cheat on tests than actually studying, and cell phones make copying homework easy. Students spend more time looking for assignment

answers online than it would take them to actually do the work. Young girls shouldn’t choose being a housewife over getting a college degree simply because it requires more work. If we even hope to fix this issue, we must determine if it is the school districts, the parents, or American society and culture itself that is instilling this concept into the minds of little girls. It could be the schooling system in our country. Maybe it’s not what kids learn in school - there are a myriad of interesting topics for kids to learn in school, ranging from ancient Egyptian history to modern genetics. Maybe it’s the way kids learn in school. Every day, especially in elementary school, is the same for students, and everyone knows how boring school becomes after you’re a couple of weeks shy of summer vacation and the daily, tiresome routine of school sets in. Children may think going to college and working as professionals follows this same pattern and merely wish to escape thick, uninteresting textbooks, brainless memorization,

and pointless mandated exams. Furthermore, girls are unaware of what women in the past went through to simply earn the right to vote, let alone have equal opportunities as men for education and work. Women protested, were thrown in jail, outcast, and much worse, all to achieve what is now available to women everywhere — equality. It seems to be both disrespectful and rude of us to completely disregard what these women fought for and not educate young people on what they stood for. Maybe a stronger emphasis should be placed on what it means to be a young woman, as girls obviously still have the so-called “traditional” roles of women playing a major role in their lives. These

traditional roles still haunt us today after decades of reform — it’s frightening to imagine how long they will continue to be a part of society if we blindly ignore them. Aren’t we, as a society, to blame for this problem? It’s not like 12 year old kids can be blamed for the way they were raised. We should make school and learning in general fun for kids instead of forcing it down their throats, and should do all we can to keep kids from cheating and copying work. We must teach little girls to want to use the rights women worked so hard to gain years ago to their advantage. What kind of a world do we live in where a young girl would rather stay home to cook for her husband then make her own living and provide for herself?

Where’s the creativity? by Anna Paulin Contributing Writer

The past few years in Hollywood may as well be dubbed “The Recycle Years.” Out of all of the new movies that have been and are being released, not one of them is really “new.” Whether the box oﬃce is filled with remakes or books-to-movies, Hollywood barely shows an ounce of originality. Catching Fire, Divergent, The Book Thief, The Great Gatsby (the 2013 version, if I may point out, is actually a remake considering the last movie remake of the book came out in 1974), 12 Years a Slave, The Hobbit, and majority of the Marvel and DC comics are only a few that have been thrown from the bookstores to the big screen and made massive amounts of money. This isn’t surprising considering it attracts insanely large groups of people whether they’re typically movie people or not. It is unfortunate to see that these movies are what tend to attract the most people due to their already-present fan bases and not because of the actual quality and originality of the movie.

Judging by the hype that exists at the announcement of a book or comic-based movie is what makes it apparent that Hollywood could just never easily attempt an original movie again, yet it wouldn’t cost them a dime. What’s worse is that they’re fully encouraged to do so. People are practically begging for their favorite reads to be turned into the next success of Hollywood. There will always be that demand, which is why books like The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green, The Maze Run-

ner, by James Dashner, and comics like Spider-Man already have their movie debut dates circled on calendars everywhere. Then there are endless sequels and straight up remakes like Thor 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Hobbit 3, Finding Dory, How to Train Your Dragon 2. Is it really necessary to keep beating a dull drum? It’s understandable if they’re just continuing a book series, but take Finding Dory for example. What is the purpose besides money? It

has the potential to be well-liked among children and the teenagers who grew up with Finding Nemo, but what substance will it actually have when it appears to simply be about a fish with short-term memory loss and a quirky personality? But here they are making that movie when they could be funding an original movie that may be ten times more interesting and meaningful. Spider-man is another victim of constant remakes. There are five remakes between 1977 when the original, The Amazing Spider-Man, was made and 2014 when The Amazing Spider-Man 2 came out. That’s a bit excessive. Yet there are still many people waiting anxiously for the “new” version while there was just a reboot in 2012. Is it truly impressive that the movie industry has been so successful lately? The script is basically laid out for them already, complete with a plot, story, character development, setting, and every last detail that they could possibly need. It’s about time we started showing faith in new ideas, new actors, and new plot lines. The industry is meant to make movies, not steal ideas and fashion them into a money-making tool.

Hoofbeats

June 2014

Sports

Solid season for baseball team by Jenna Rudolfsky News Editor

The Colts lost a quarterfinal series to Plainview JFK, ending their strong season. Going into the post-season, the team was ranked as the No. 4 seed after finishing in second place in Conference AA-III with a conference record of 12-3. From the first game of the season, the Colts made their mark. The team kicked oﬀ their season with a 6-3 win against Baldwin. Senior Colin Lowe was a key component, giving up no earned runs on one hit and striking out four in the six innings he pitched. “We’ve had really solid pitching

and timely clutch hitting this season,” said junior Michael Jean. Another highlight of the season was a 12-game winning streak. After closely beating Herricks 3-2, Calhoun proved itself in their next game, beating Herricks 12-2. Daniel Donato went three for four with two RBIs and Corey Furia went two for two with two RBIs to seal the win. The boys kept going with their third consecutive win against Herricks with a final score of 10-2. The boys moved on to Long Beach, beating them 6-4 and 7-6. In their final game against Long Beach, the boys really brought it, winning 20-9. Next, the boys shut out Elmont twice, beating them 11-0 and 10-0. The boys won their

(photo by Katie Hecker)

Senior Nick Fronte and the varsity team finished in second place this season.

last game against Elmont 7-4. After coming oﬀ 12 wins, the Colts moved on to the playoﬀs. The team finished with an overall record of 13-7, giving them a bye in the first round.

The boys are no strangers when it comes to playoﬀ pressure. Two years ago, the baseball team won the Long Island Championship and played in the States, and last year they went to the semi-finals.

Food for thought (continued from page 1)

with allergies generally reach out to me and want copies of ingredients for all foods served in the cafeteria,” said Nancy Muth, the Director of Cafeteria Services for the school district. That information is then given to each of the schools so they are aware of students in the building with particular allergies. “At the kitchen site, my head cook is made aware of students with allergies and what their sensitivities are to certain ingredients, Ms. Muth said. “Each allergy student has an open-dialogue with my cook or any staﬀ member in the kitchen if they have any doubt or question regarding a particular item’s safety.” Freshman Ronni Schweitcer, who is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, said she had a positive experience when she contacted the cafeteria about getting nut-free lunches. “The cafeteria is pretty good with most things. At the end of sixth grade, before I started going to middle school, my mom and I met with the school nurse, and they gave us a giant booklet of everything they serve here with all the ingredients,” Schweitcer said. In contrast, according to freshman Erin Grgas, the “special accommodations” for people with food restrictions only goes so far. Grgas has Celiac, which prohibits her from eating wheat, gluten, and barley. “I’ve brought lunch to school

every day since sixth grade. I tried [buying lunch at school], and they gave me a list of all of the foods that were gluten free, and it was [limited]. They told me to approach everything else with caution,’” Grgas said. She displayed some annoyance toward the school cafeteria, saying, “We’re normal people, even though we have food allergies.” In her capacity as the Special Education chairperson, Mrs. Emily Paluseo said she believes the cafeteria staﬀ is proactive and extremely supportive of students’ dietary needs. “We have had students with celiac disease and wheat allergies. They were provided with a separate microwave in the cafeteria to prepare meals to ensure that they did not have cross contamination with gluten or wheat based products,” she said. The cafeteria recently started selling peanut butter, and with it, the concern for those with peanut allergies arose. Schweitcer had concerns over the sale of peanut butter in the lunchroom. She, who can neither touch nor consume nuts, said of the new addition to the menu, “It kind of makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I don’t really want everyone walking around with peanut butter.” Mrs. Paluseo said food workers pay close attention to the students. “I have found that they take the students’ needs very seriously. From having worked with students with severe allergies — spe-

(photo by Julia Losner)

Students are concerned with the lack of information posted about food in the cafeteria.

cifically to peanuts — I know firsthand that Ms. Muth takes time to meet with parents, the school nurse and cafeteria staﬀ to ensure that everyone understands the needs of the individual,” she said. Mrs. Paluseo added, “On the building level, we have typically tried to schedule students with allergies for the first lunch period as the cafeteria is at its cleanest at that time. EpiPens are stored in the cafeteria as well and staﬀ are trained in how to administer them as a precaution.” The school’s website does provide some nutritional information about lunchroom food, but it does not contain all of the information regarding the foods’ ingredients. If it did, it would be known that food items such as the buns for the hot dogs, hamburgers, and beef sliders contain azodicarbonamide, which is used as a food additive to make

flour appear whiter and bake better. It can also be found inside yoga mats and rubber shoe soles. According to CNN, azodicarbonamide has shown a negligible risk to humans, but was found to cause cancer in lab mice. Azodicarbonamide has been linked to a slew of health problems, including asthma and allergies. In February, Subway announced that they would be removing the chemical azodicarbonamide from its bread products in the U.S. after the company was criticized by the public when a popular blogger started a petition to ban the chemical’s use from Subway’s breads. While some of Calhoun’s packaged breads contain azodicarbonamide, Ms. Muth assured that the sandwich rolls in the cafeteria are baked fresh daily by a local bakery and do not contain azodicarbonamide.

Sports

June 2014

Hoofbeats

Battling against the best Softball makes the playoﬀs again by Rebecca Spina Editor-in-Chief

When no one knows how long it’s been since a team made the playoffs, it must be quite some time. But for the second straight season, the girls’ softball team made the playoffs in Nassau’s top conference, this year hosting a game as the higher seed. Though a first-round playoff loss to Baldwin ended the season for the girls, to be included among the county’s best is a long departure from the winless seasons of just a few years ago. After years and years of missing the playoffs and playing in lower conferences, the Lady Colts finished in second place in Conference AA-II, with an 8-8 record (6-7 in league play), one game behind first-place Syosset. Against the four teams in Conference II, the team went 6-2. Leading the way was ace Nicole Imhof, who was named one of the Top 100 softball players on Long Island by Newsday. The lefty sophomore was awarded her third

straight All-County after batting .500, with an .806 slugging percentage. On the mound, Imhof posted a 6-5 record, striking out 70 in 77 innings, with an ERA of 2.86. Junior captains Lauren Trimarco and Allie Abbene also won postseason awards, after both finishing their fourth season on varsity. Trimarco, who won an All-County Honorable Mention award, batted .429, with 2 home runs and a teamleading 14 RBIs. Abbene, the slick-fielding second baseman, was a spark plug at the top of the line-up, leading the team in stolen bases and winning an All-Conference nod. “It’s clear that this team has grown immensely since the first year I played varsity softball,” Abbene said. “You can tell that we all have the same goal in mind, which is competing and winning at this high level.” Though the playoﬀ loss was a tough one for the team, it symbolized the grit and determination that the girls showed throughout the year. Over the

Lax on the attack

last few seasons, it’s been that determination that now has the Lady Colts crossing over to play the top five teams in Conference I, perennial softball winners such as Oceans-

ide, MacArthur, Massapequa, Mepham, and this year’s eventual Nassau champions, Easy Meadow. Crossing over to play the teams in Conference I was diﬃcult, it helped the team understand the

speed of the game and what it takes to play. Moving forward, the Lady Colts will be returning most of their starters and compete once again against the county’s best. Junior Joanna Marmo, the AllCounty Honorable Mention catcher, said, “I think our success this year foreshadows our success next season.” The last game of the season turned about to be the key win of the season. After beating Hicksville, 5-2, early in the season at home, the Lady Colts played at Hicksville in a game that would determine second place. Imhof was at her best, striking

out 12 batters and scattering five hits in a 7-3 Calhoun win. Trimarco hit a bomb over the outfield wall for a solo home run, going 3-for-4 in the game. Another turning point for the team was a season sweep of Long Beach High School. For at least the last decade, Calhoun had never defeated Long Beach once, let alone twice in one season. However, the Lady Colts beat Long Beach at home, 8-6, and then, 4-3, in an windy game on the road. In the second game, junior Kristina Barry had the key hit, an RBI double in the top of the sixth inning that scored freshman Jordan Walley. Barry, playing her first year on varsity, won All-Conference this season. Though the girls said there is more work to be done, they believe a winning culture has been established for the program. “Now that we have been playing against these teams in Conference I, we hope to be able to start beating them next season.” This makes two straight seasons in the post-season for the softball team. Last season, the team made it into the playoﬀs as an 11 seed, losing to Oceanside, 2-1. (photos by Katie Hecker)

Above, sophomore Nicole Imhof, who was named All-County for the third time.

(photo by Katie Hecker)

Senior Kyle McGinley looks for a pass as the lacrosse team takes on Massapequa High School. The boys’ lacrosse team lost in the quarterfinals, after a successful 6-5 conference season (9-7 overall).

Junior Allie Abbene

Senior Caitlin O’Hara

County champs again

(photos by Landon Cooper)

Angela Lin, Kat Kustas, Jen Chen, and Alyssa Waterman celebrate after the badminton team defeated Port Washington in the Nassau County Championship.

by Brittney Lief Contributing Writer

The girls’ badminton team helped bring Calhoun back to glory with another Nassau County Championship title. The girls took the title back from Port Washington, 5-2, under the leadership

of coaches Dan Bowker and David Quartarone. Port Washington has previously won the last two titles. This is Calhoun’s first county title in badminton since 2011. Senior Jen Chen said, “It feels good to win again” after two years of losing to be County champs.” The road to get to the Nassau County Championship was a long one. Calhoun demolished Syosset 7-0 in the quarterfinals. Next up was Jericho, a team that had defeated the Lady Colts earlier in the season. However, Calhoun was able to come up on top 5-2 bringing them to the championship. The championship match came down between the first seed Port Washington, and the second seed Senior Becca Schneider

Calhoun. First singles, senior Jen Chen, won her match along with Niamh Woods and Claire Murphy at second doubles. Calhoun’s doubles players were key to them winning the county title. Along with second doubles, Giovanna Raheb and Sarah Clahane won the third doubles match, and Gabi Librizzi and Rebecca Woods won at fourth doubles. The last match came down to senior Alyssa Waterman and Catherine Tasnady from Port Washington. Every point was filled with draw-dropping suspense. Waterman was able to steal the match away from Tasnady, winning 21-19, 20-22, 21-18. Waterman’s victory helped solidify victory for Calhoun. “It was truly an amazing season,” Waterman said. “With a great group of determined girls, I knew if we set our minds to reach our goals by working hard, we could

persevere and win the championship.” The starting lineup and key components to help the team win the Nassau County Champions were Sarah Clahane, Jen Chen, Katherine Kustas, Gabi Librizzi, Angela Lin, Claire Murphy, Giovanna Raheb, Rebecca Schneider, Alyssa Waterman, Niamh Woods, and Rebecca Woods. Not to mention the whole entire team that worked just as hard to help push the girls’ badminton team to success. The Lady Colts ended their season with a 13-2 record. Their two losses came from Jericho and Port Washington, but they were able to defeat them in the playoﬀs to clinch the Nassau County Badminton Championship title. As has become the custom, a sign will soon appear in the Calhoun gymnasium displaying the title and hard work of the 2014 Calhoun girls badminton team.