The Cougar Crier - April 2023

TheCougar Crier

April

Kennedy head custodian retires after long, accomplished career

BYCHRISTOPHERSÁNCHEZ Staffwriter

JohnF KennedyHighSchool will soonbidfarewell toone of itsbelovedstaff members, Mr TimothyWalsh,whois retiringafter animpressive37 yearsof servicetothe

Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Sincehe beganhisjourneywithJFK in December 2004,Walshhas beenanintegral part of the school community His favoritepart of thejobwas always,hesaid,?interacting withthestudentsandstaff ?

Throughout histenure, Walshhasbecomean essential part of Kennedy?s positiveenvironment because of hiswork organizing outsideevents,settingup regular sportingevents, managingtheHVACsystems, andinvolvement inother commendableactivities

Together withhisteam,he

hasalwaysmadean effort to beopentoall of our community'sneeds

Walshstartedhiscareer in thedistrict in1986 Before joiningKennedy,Walsh spent 18yearsat SanfordH CalhounHighSchool, workinghiswayuptohead custodian Duringhistenure, hewastheVicePresident of theCSEA (Civil Service EmployeesAssociation) He servedon several committees, suchasthesite-based committee,reopening committee,andhiring committees

Mr Walshwasthehead custodianduringtwo tumultuoustimesfor the school,HurricaneSandyand theCOVID-19pandemic Bothrequiredhimandhis staff toadapt totheexternal circumstances Duringthe former,thecustodial staff,

under hisleadershipprepared theschool buildingfor re-openinginSeptember 2020andworkedthroughout theyear toensurethesafety

AreAPexamsworth it?

CollegeBoardprogramcanhelpwithfinancialburden,but withothercosts

BYJESSICA MEHR Opinionseditor

APclasses,whichareoffered bytheCollegeBoard,have beenahot topicinhigh schoolssincetheir creation

Inthe

Bellmore-Merrick

Central High School District, over twodifferent APclassesare offered,including newer courseslikeAP

HumanGeographyandAP

Microeconomics APclasses, alsoknownasAdvanced

Placement classes,aremade tochallengestudentswhoare interestedintakingaharder class Theseclassesculminate intoafinal examinMayfor theopportunitytoearncredit incollege Manycollegeswill awardcredit for studentswho passcertainAPexams The scoresrangefrom1to5and

manycollegesaccept scores rangingfrom3to5 However,manystudentsdo not taketheseclassesonlyfor thecollegecredit,astaking manyAPclassescanbeideal whenapplyingtocolleges In thecollegeadmissions process,takingadvanced classessuchasAPclassescan strengthen your application andset youapart fromother students

Regardlessof thebenefits, manyview APclassesas corrupt or not worthit One of themain concernsisthe low passingratesof manyAP classes Thelowest passing ratefor an APclassisPhysics

1withapassingaverageof 433%followedbyUnited StatesHistorywith482%and Government andPolitics witha486% Low passing ratesfor manyof theAP coursesschoolsoffer is discouragingfor studentsasnot passingnullifies anychanceof credit However, thereareclasses withgreater passingratessuchasArt and design-drawingwith883%, Chineselanguagewith869% andart anddesignwith 866%

Different classesyield differingratesof APscores, but atrendthat scorershave beenseeingisthat classesthat haveaharder curriculumare

AP|Page6

andwell-beingof students andstaff

Asaunion leader,Walsh negotiatedfour contractsfor

Mr TimothyWalsh,thelong-timeheadcustodianatKennedyHighSchool,retiredonApril29after almosttwodecades

AntoninaGerunda |THECOUGAR CRIER

''Nevertheless,anytransfer of creditscanput studentsaheadincollege,andinsomecases,allow studentstograduateearly...''

WALSH |Page3

Frankie?sPizzeriademonstratesastrongsenseof community in new beginnings Staff

JessicaBlumberg Editor inchief

JessicaBlumberg Editor inchief

Sammer Soliman

Sammer Soliman Copyeditor

Copyeditor

Ben Greco Newseditor

Sam Schneider Featureseditor

JessicaMehr Opinionseditor

JoshuaSheldon Managingeditor

SophieClancy Artseditor

AdrianaCalifano Sportseditor

AntoninaGerunda Casey Moskow itz Photographyeditors

Alex Michals Businessmanager

Sydney Brew er

AlexaGaspar Socialmedia

JoshuaLazar

JoleneShau

KristinaShau

Staff Photographers

KayleeAyuso

Max Blum

TaraBrow n

Chloe Courtenay-Frydman

GabriellaElliott

Aidan Ford

AvaGaffney

Gavin Halper

MadelineHyman

Daniel Kahn

Kyriaki Kammas

AlexandraLevitt

Jack Levitt

Jacob Levy

MariaMontemarano

ErikaNozhinsky

Devin Pryor

Eric Rogers

SiennaRosenthal

Benjamin Roth

Christopher Sánchez

Jordan Siegel

SophiaSt Surin

GabriellaTejada

Riley Thayer

Jaden Waldinger

Aaron Zacharia Staff

Mr Brad Seidman

Dr DennisUrban Facultyadvisors

TheCougar Crier ispublished bythestudentsatJohnF KennedyHighSchool Our missionistoserveasthevoicefor thestudentbodybyaccurately representingthediverseviews andconcernsofeachofthe students

John F Kennedy HS 3000BellmoreAvenue Bellmore,NY11710 (516) 992-1400

Mr GerardOwenburg Principal

BYGABRIELLA TEJADA Staffwriter

Belovedlocal pizzeria

TomatoandBasil has establisheditself asavaluable part of theMerrick community Knownfor its kind,hardworkingstaff and wonderful Italian cuisine,this local businesshasserved families,friends,andstudents for twenty-oneyears

Recently,TomatoandBasil closeditsdoorsinits longtimestorefront,and fortunately,thesamebusiness openeditsdoorstoanew beginningasFrankie?s Pizzeria& Restaurant

Twostorefrontsawayfrom itsoriginal locationinthe Merrick Commonsplaza, Frankie?scallsattention with an impressiveentrance:the company?slogoincorporated withsleek tilesliningthe walls,agrandcounter displayingan extensivearray of deliciousfood,anda beautiful brick oven Adoptingacontemporary

style,Frankie?shasgotten bigger andbetter withmore seatingspace;thereisevena partyroomwhere customerscanbook their own events Whilethe restaurant has modernized,it has maintaineditsstrong senseof community

Passionateowner Frank Lonigroreflectson this new restaurant, emphasizingthe importanceof the communityinthe realization of hisdream

When Lonigrostarted hisbusinesstwodecades ago,hewasonlyin Merrick for business purposes However,he lovedthecommunityand becameaMerrick resident withhisfamily Infact,hischildren ended upattendingLakeside, Merrick AvenueMiddle School,andthisveryhigh school AstheLonigros becamepart of the Merrick community,so

didtheir business Tomato andBasil wouldcater tolocal elementaryschoolslikeBirch

School,andthisrestaurant oftenbecamethelocals?

JFK Dramaspringmusical showcasesstudent talent

BYSAMMERSOLIMAN Copyeditor

Thisspring,JohnF Kennedy?sdramaclubput on aspectacular showingof the musical MammaMia,which followsthestoryof anItalian girl namedSophiedaysbefore her wedding,asshetriesto liveout her dreamof walking downtheaislewithher

father Unsureof her true father,Sophieinvitesthree menfromher mother'spast relationshipstothewedding

Thecast perfectlyperformed thehilariouschaosthat ensuesbetween Sophie?s mother,Donna,andher past relationships

IntheleadrolewasJenna

Lanzilotta,whoplayed

Donna,Sophie'smother This isthefirst musical Jennahas performedin,but shehas beeninvolvedinthechoir for her entirelife Alongsideher

wasZaraSelvin,whoplayed

Sophie Together,they flawlesslyportrayedSophie

andDonna's mother-daughter relationship throughout theshow Other cast members,EthanLido, LucasCohen,andJohnny Casazzaactedwithmuch emotionastheyplayedeach

of Sophie?sthreepotential fathers Johnnyplayedthe roleof SamCarmichael, Ethanplayedtheroleof Bill Austin,andLucasplayedthe roleof HarryBright One quirkytouchtothepart of Harrywastheattempted Britishaccent that Lucas dedicatedlycarriedfor the entiretyof theshow Other actors,MaxineZalewski and MikellaRahimplayedthe

rolesof TanyaandRosie Thesecharacterssupported Donnaduringtheunexpected arrival of her menfromher past relationships,whilethey alsoreminiscedon times whentheywereyounger Maxine,Jenna,andMikella didagreat jobestablishingthe relationshipbetween their threecharactersasnostalgic andnurturing

Other supportingrolesinthe

show includethecharacters Ali andLisa Thesecharacters arechildhoodfriendsof Sophieand,subsequently,her bridesmaids Similarlytoin themovie,Ali,playedbyboth CaseyMoskowitzandGianna Bernadini,wasactedout inan impulsiveandexcitingway Lisa,playedbyJessicaFlitsch andRowanPerrotta,was

AntoninaGerunda |THECOUGAR CRIER

FrankieLonigro,left,andJakeLonigro,right, aretheownersofFrankiesPizzeria

DRAMA |Page3

LucasCohen,left,andJennaLanzilotta,right,starredinthisyear'sspringmusical

portrayedaskookier and providedtheperfect amount of comedicrelief tothestory

Themusical endedina heartwarmingplot twist whenDonnamarriedSam, oneof her exes,after he revealedthat hewasdivorced andhadlovedher all this time Sophiepostponesher marriagewithSky,playedby AshtonMartire,totravel the worldwithhiminstead

Theensembleprovided beautiful backgroundvocals for theshow,consistingof studentsPhaylindaEstimable, SadieFreifeld,Tali Eisner, LiamGorelin,Veronica Hanna,SarinaKhan,Matthew Klein,Krystal Petit-Frere, AllisonRedicam,Giovanni Scimeca,ErinneSerrano,and JuliaZinerco Thankstothis ensemble,thedancenumbers couldbebrought totheir full potential under theguidance of student JessicaFlitsch In additiontothecast,thecrew workedtirelesslytoperfect their set for theshow to immersetheaudience entirely Throughhardwork andeffort,thecrew built aset

resemblingatwo-story buildinginjust acoupleof weeks Inaddition,the costumesfor the?Dancing Queen?number werespot on tothemovieandsurprisedthe audienceinthebest way possible Another aspect of immersionwastheattention topropsandother technical detailsthat wereincorporated throughout theshow

Examplesincludethe"Money, Money,Money?number whendollar billswerethrown ontothestagebythe ensembleandanother number inwhichanilluminateddisco ball descendedfromthe ceiling,enticingeveryonein theaudiencetodancealong withthecast! Thisattention todetail highlightedtheeffort that went intotheshow from studentsSarinaKhan,Sameer Khan,AntoninaGerunda, JuliannaNatale,andArisara Soontarodom,whowere heavilyinvolvedinthestage crew

After their closingshow CaseyMoskowitz,oneof the seniorswhohascontributed toDramaClubsinceher freshmanyear,said,?It?sgreat that therearesomany underclassmen tokeepthe clubaliveafter theseniors

graduate?Althoughthe seniorsaresadtobeleaving thedramaclubbehind,they happilypassthetorchonto theunderclassmen andtrust themtoleadtheclub Before theshow premiered,oneof theseunderclassmen,Mikella, stated,?I?malittlenervousto perform,but alsoexcitedto start off myhigh-school actingcareer ?

Anybodywhowatched MammaMiacouldnoticethe seniors' effort inmakingtheir last show their best Seniors AlexandraLevitt,Gianna Bernadinni,JessicaFlitsch, EthanLido,Casey Moskowitz,andElizabethle Van,whohavestayed committedtoDramaClub sincetheir freshmanyear, wereparticularlyexcitedto sharetheir final show with Kennedy Duringclosing night,seniorsandother dramaclubmembersshareda heartfelt andreminiscent thank youtoMs Shapiro,Mr Sheffield,andother faculty memberswhohelpedrunthe production It isclear how the show hasleft alastingmark on thegraduatingseniorsand how,inthecomingyears,the dramaclubwill continueto createlastingmemoriesfor theunderclassmen

ScienceOlympiad team thrivesat regionals,earnsmedalsat state

BYBENJAMIN GRECO Newseditor

TheJohnF KennedyHigh School ScienceOlympiad Teamhadhighstandardsto liveuptothisyear Not only didtheteamplacesixthat the NassauCountyregional competitionlast year,but theyalsomadeit tothestate tournament Yet,accordingto ScienceOlympiadPresident Tyler Bissoondial,theteam onlyimprovedfromlast year ?Thelevelsof teamwork and theamount of effort everyone put intohelpingeachother out werekeytoour improved performance?Thisyear,the teamplacedasthethird-best school inNassauCountyat theregional level,qualifying for thestatetournament again At thestate tournament inSyracuse,they showedaremarkable performanceamongthetop schoolsinthestate

Tobetter understandthe magnitudeof these performances,it?simportant tocomprehendhow these competitionswork Every teamisrankedbasedon the qualityof their performances inanumber of different events,eachof which

PIZZA

frompage2

restaurant of choice

Besideswinningtheheartsof Merrick residentswithhis delectablepizza,Lonigro recallshisstrongconnection withthecommunitywhen HurricaneSandyhit in2012

Thisstormbrutallyhit Merrick anddevastatedlocals: manyhomesfloodedwhile otherslost accessto electricity Despitethelossof electricitythroughout the town,TomatoandBasil still hadaccesstogas Withaccess tothiscommodity,Lonigro andhisemployeesworked hardtomakepizzasand deliver themtolocals?houses

Thisbusinessrelentlessly operatedtooffer support to localsworriedabout the aftermathof thehurricane

Out of all hisyearsof operatingthisbusiness, Lonigrofeelsthat Hurricane Sandystoodout tohimasa timewhenthe?community cametogether ?

Over adecadelater and Frankie?sstill maintainsthat senseof community Lonigro describeshow hisfavorite part of therestaurant is,by

WALSH

frompage1

MembershipAward

far,thepeoplehemeetsashe makesmeaningful connectionswithcustomers Whileinterviewinghim,a customer sharedexcitement about therestaurant?snew opening Clearly,this restaurant isspecial for the wonderful relationships fosteredwithlocals

Upondescribingtheprospect of expandingthebusiness, Lonigrochuckles Hehopes thebusinesswill grow and hassonshewantstosharethe businesswith Althoughthe futureisnot hereyet, Frankie?sremainsavibrant part of theMerrick community Withits hard-workingownersand employeeswhocreateawarm andlivelyenvironment inthe pizzeria,thisrestaurant demonstratesthe togethernessof the communityinMerrick Walkingintothisrestaurant offersamemorable experience:afamily-like atmospherewithsmiling employeeswhosefriendliness createsthewarmththat customerscrave(alongwith therestaurant?sdelicious food) Next timeyouget hungry,makesureyoustop byFrankie?sandcheck out the exquisitecuisine

involvesonlytwoor three individualsfromtheteam

For example,at regionals, Kennedyrankedfirst infour out of themanyevents,and medalledinsixteentotal events Thismadetheteam?s total scorethethirdhighest out of all other schoolsin NassauCounty,qualifying themfor thestatetournament withease At states,thesame format followed,but with evenbetter andmore preparedcompetition

Despitetheheightened opposition,theScience OlympiadTeamexcelled, especiallyinafew competitions Asaresult,they medalledinthreeevents In the?WriteIt DoIt?event,an ultimateamount of teamwork wasrequired Onestudent wasgivenan object and neededtowriteexact instructionssotheother student couldrecreateit

precisely For Kennedy, GavinChenandSara

Maltempi wereuptothetask, cominginfifthplaceinNew York State Next,Kennedy receivedaneighthplaceinthe stateinthe?Detector Building?event Here,David GreenbergandCole

Wasserman wererequiredto buildaforcemeter,or a devicethat detectedtheexact amount of forceappliedtoit For example,their device neededtoaccuratelymeasure themassof an object witha predeterminedandset mass Finally,OttoVeltingand MassimoMarinoearned tenthplaceinthe ?Environmental Chemistry? event

WhileBissoondial sayshe?s certainlyproudof how the teamplaced,he?smost excited about thewaytheycame together tosupport each other Tyler saysthat many studentscameinduringthe midtermweek totest their buildsfor different events, includingthosewhoweren? t evencompetinginthose events ?It wasremarkableto seehow hardpeopleworked andthetimetheyput into helpnot onlythemselves,but their teammates?

Kennedyshouldbeproudof itsScienceOlympiadTeam?s performancethisyear This groupisbecominganelite forcenot onlyinNassau County,but onLongIsland andinthestateasawhole

However,whenaskedabout hismost prizedaward,Walsh gratefullymentionedthat he wasacknowledgedbythe student government withthe Friendof theStudent Government awardin2010, an accoladethat hetruly cherished ? I will missthe studentsthemost," hesaid Walsh'spositiveattitude towardshiswork andhis studentshasbeenan inspirationtohiscolleagues andstudentsalike Hehas shownunwaveringdedication andastrongwork ethic, leavingalastingimpact on the John F KennedyHighSchool community

Our school principal,Mr Owenburg,affirmedMr Walsh'scommitment tothe studentswhenreflectingon hisimpact at Kennedy "What I'll missmost about himisthe pridehetakesinthebuilding andthecampus,that we're alwayscomplimentedabout how niceour school is,how neat everythinglooks,how cleanit is,andMr Walshis thereasonfor that Andit goeswaybeyondthefact that hedoesagoodjob,it'sthe pridethat hetakesinit,and hecultivatesthat prideamong

hisstaff andheisa student-first person,sono matter what needstoget done aroundhere,evenif hewere tofindout late,at thelast minute,if hefelt likeit was somethingthat wasgoodfor kids,hewasgoingtoget it done," hesaid

AsWalshpreparestoenter thenext phaseof hislife,he looksforwardtoretirement andspendingtimewithhis family "MywifeandI will be first-timegrandparentsthis year,andwewill spendalot of timetravelingandvisiting our twogirls," hesaid Asa LongBeachresident,Walshis accustomedtoabeachy summer town settingandis excitedtoexploretheworld "I can? t wait totravel to Australia,andthentour Europe," headded

AlthoughWalsh'sretirement iswell-deserved,heleaves behindabittersweet feelingin theJFK community His dedicationtohiswork and relationshipswithstudents andstaff will not beforgotten Ashedepartsfromtheschool, theJFK communitywishes himall thebest inhis retirement Mr Walshhas trulyleft hismark on KennedyHighSchool,andwe aregrateful tohavehadthe opportunitytowork alongsidehim

Women'sHistory Month honorstherich, longhistory of protest, accomplishmentsin theUnited States

BYAVA GAFFNEY Staffwriter

Inthemonthof March, peopleall over theworld celebrateWomen?sHistory

Month Since1987,March hasbeendedicatedto observingandcelebrating women?srolesinhistory

Throughout history,men havegenerallybeenperceived tobesuperior towomen The patriarchyhasexistedsince prehistorictimeswithout muchchange Womenhad few rightsandwereexpected tobesubmissivetomen

anythingtoensurewomen obtainedtheright tovote

Women protestedinfront of theWhiteHousedayand night Policethenarrived,and manywerearrested Alice Paul,intheact of protest, thenstartedahunger strike

Women whowerethrownin jail wouldrefusetoeat Asthe women weakenedand starved,attendingdoctors threatenedtotakethewomen toaninsaneasylumwhichis wheretheywouldbe force-fed Thislater occurred whenthewomen still refused toeat Thesewomen didsuch painful andunthinkable thingstovoteandhaveasay inchoosingapresident or governor After all the dedication,hardwork,and hope,their effortsfinallypaid off Womenhave accomplishedsomuchin history,andtheir accomplishmentshavehada noticeableimpact onfuture generations

community InMontgomery, Alabama,in1955,RosaParks refusedtogiveupher busseat toawhiteman Duringthis time,segregationwas cementedintolaw Thebuses weredividedintotwo:the front half wasreservedfor whitepeople,andtheback wasfor Black people One day,awhitemangot on the busandhadnowheretosit in thefront section,sothe driver toldthefirst row of peopleintheback half of the bustostand Threeof the four passengerslistenedtothe driver;however,RosaParks refusedtoget upfromher seat Shewas sick andtired of being mistreated becauseof her skin color

Sonoma,California,a week-longcelebrationof women?sroleswasobserved Theseorganizationsandideas werebeingspreadamong school districtsnationwide President JimmyCarter,in 1980,later declaredthat the week of March8thwouldbe National Women'sHistory Week Sevenyearslater,in 1987,theNational Women's HistoryProject convinced Congresstodedicatethe monthof Marchtowomen

Women'sHistoryMonthis whenwetaketimetorespect andremember theinfluential women inhistorywhohave

madeadifferenceinthe worldanduseddedication, courage,andhardwork to accomplishsuchamazingand life-changingthings Because of them,women haveavoice andtheright tobeheard today Wehaveavoiceand candowhatever wedreamof doing;wecanbewhoever we want tobe Thisisall because of thosestrongwomenwho took thechancetoconfront thosewhospokedownupon them Their voiceshada snowball effect,sowe dedicateawholemonthto celebratingwomenandall their achievements

Wells

Womenhadtofight for their rightsandfor what they wanted For example,within thewomen'ssuffrage movement from1848to 1920,ElizabethCadyStanton andLucretiaMott ledthefirst conventioninSenecaFalls, New York Namesyoumay recognizethat also participatedinthewomen?s rightsmovement include SusanB Anthony,AlicePaul, LucyStone,andIdaB

What all thesewomen have incommonisthat theywere all suffragistswhowoulddo

Women havealsomadea significant impact on the African-American

Wheredid Women's History Month originate?In 1975,at the school district of

COMIC: A YEAR WITH THE MURRAYS

BY SIENNA ROSENTHAL

LIBRARY OFCONGRESS

WomensuffragistspicketinginfrontoftheWhiteHousein1917

JFK Fashion Show

SkyeSaunders,Alison Wohlstetter,AshleyCotroneo,andValentina Genoveseshowcasetheir dressesduringtheannual fashionshow, whichwasheldonWednesday,April 19,inthehighschool auditorium Theevent wasorganizedbyMrs Janet Goller,aformer Kennedyparent andthecurrent vicepresident of theBMCHSD Board of Education

Room228/Room329 John F KennedyHighSchool Bellmore NY

cougarcrier@bmchsdorg

SUBMIT TO: Unsignededitorialsand cartoonsaretheviewsof the staff;personal commentaries reflect theviewsof the writers Submissionsand lettersareeditedfor accuracy, clarity,andfairness

April 2023

A responseto theNYT piece on J.K.Row ling

BY ALEX LEVITT

OnFebruary16, 2023,TheNewYorkTimes postedanarticlebyopinion columnist PamelaPaul entitled?InDefenseof JK Rowling?Paul developsthat themoniker of ?transphobe? attributedtoher isunfair and wrong;sheclaimsthat the hatreddirectedat her is misguidedandrootedin disinformation Inciting specificexamples,Paul simply showsher owntransphobia, leavingher defenseessentially null

Inher article,PamelaPaul illustratesher incomplete imageof thehatredtargeted at JK Rowling Sheclaims that theHarryPotter author isnot transphobicas?shehas not fought todeny transgender peopleequal pay or housing,?amongother objectivelytransphobic claims Paul feelsthat because Rowlingdoesnot actively denytranspeople?sright to exist,sheisnot transphobic, but thiscouldn't befurther fromthetruth Tooffer praisefor not wantingto

persecuteanother groupof people,especiallythosewho havenobearingon your life, isthebareminimum

Throughout her article,Paul continuestopraiseRowling, yet her attemptsfall short, illustratingher own biases Citingthat Rowlinghas includedtransgender charactersinher books,Paul claims,?It takesacertain kind of persontoseethisas evidenceof bigotry? Immediatelytakingthe defense,Paul iscompletely out of lineinmakingthis claim Thisisbecauseher credibilityislacking,assheis not whogetstodetermine what constitutesbigotryand hatredtowardsthe transgender community She iscisgender,andsheshows readershow her argument is baselessbyintegratingherself intospacesshedoesnot belong It isimpossiblefor her tohonestlyspeak on the experiencesandbeliefsof a communityabout whichshe hasnoeducation

Perhapsthemost blatant exampleof Paul?sfailing argument isher referencing Rowling?sprevious

statements,whichearnedher thetitleof ?transphobic?She explainsthat Rowlinghas assertedthat ?determininga person?slegal gender status, self-declaredgender identity isinsufficient ?Besidesthe overt toneof disgust about theconcept of ?self-declared gender identity,?sheclaims theprior statement isnot transphobic However,one?s gender identityisalways ?self-declared?;that iswhyit iscalledgender identity The distinction between gender andsexissignificant andlost inthisone-sidedargument It isuptoeverypersonto decidehow theyidentify;no oneelsecandothat for them

Throughout thearticle,Paul?s toneisaccusatory,insinuating that thosewhodisagreewith her point areequivalent to bigots Paul tellsof how Rowlingwasinvolvedina scandal for following MagdalenBernsonTwitter, whoshedescribesasa ?lesbian feminist whomade incendiarycommentsabout transgender people?

Includingthisdetail about Berns?identitymakesit appear anti-feminist and homophobictodisagreewith

her comments It connects back toPaul?slack of complete understandingof thenuances of thesespacestoday Just becauseBernsispart of a minoritygroupallowsher to speak about another group shedoesnot identifywith Althoughher wordshold somevalue,theyshouldstill besubject tothesame scrutinyasanyoneelse

Women suchasRowlingand Bernsarenot feminists To excludetranspeoplefrom your activismandyour feminismnegatesyour ?feminism?Noactivismexists without intersectionality amongall minoritygroups,so believingtransgender people arenot includedinthispush for equalitymakesthewomen themselvespart of the problem

Citingasimilar exampleto that of Berns,Paul tellsthe storyof aScottishlawmaker? JoannaCherry?whohas recentlyfacedsimilar ridicule for challenginga??self-ID?law that wouldallow peopleto legallyestablishbythemere declarationthat theyare women after livingfor only threemonthsasatransgender

SavetheIndian Child WelfareAct

ICWA protectstheir right to preservetheir cultureand raisetheir own children

TheIndianChildWelfareAct (ICWA) wascreatedin1978 inresponsetothealarming ratesat whichNative Americanfamilieswerebeing brokenapart bythe government It wasa necessaryandlong-overdue steptowardsrecognizingthe rightsof theIndigenous peoplesof theUnitedStates andprotectingthemfromthe damagedonebycenturiesof colonizationandsubjugation

Today,theICWA isunder threat duetoacaseinthe SupremeCourt that challengesits constitutionality Thisisa pivotal moment for the87 millionIndigenouspeopleof theUnitedStatesasthe

At theheart of theICWA is therecognition that Native American childrenhavea right toberaisedwithintheir communitiesandwiththeir own cultureandtraditions

Throughout history,theUS government hashadmany predatorypoliciesmeant to marginalizeandoppress NativeAmericans Thishas remainedan issue,from forciblyremovingthemfrom their landstoforced assimilation schemesthrough abusiveboardingschools Up until the1970s,Indigenous familieswerebeingbroken apart bystategovernments,as children werebeingremoved

fromtheir familieswithout reasonablecause,tobeplaced inthefoster caresystemso theycouldbeadoptedby non-Indigenousfamilies This policydevastatedNative American childrenandtheir families,whowereoften

deniedtheright toseeeach other or maintaintheir cultural connections The ICWA now preventsthis fromhappeningbygiving prioritytoplacement within thechild'sowntribeor extendedfamilyandby requiringthat cultural and familial connectionsbe consideredinanyplacement decision

Despitetheclear benefitsof theICWA totheNative

American community,there hasbeenalong-standing controversyover it In opposition tothisact,some arguethat theact unfairly givespreferential treatment toNativeAmericanfamilies, andthat it interfereswiththe

abilityof non-Nativefamilies

toadopt children inneed

Thisisflawed,asit ignores thehistorical context and ongoingstrugglesIndigenous communitiesface TheICWA isnot about givingspecial privilegesbut redressingthe harmdonebycenturiesof colonial violenceanderasure

A casebeforetheSupreme Court,Brackeenv Haaland,is adirect challengetothe ICWA'sconstitutionality

woman ?Paintingher asthe victim,Paul adamantly defendsher for not feeling shecanspeak upfor her own beliefs?just likeRowling cannot Thereisclear transphobiainCherry?s comments,creatingthe themeof victimhood throughout thisarticle Claimsof workplacebullying anddeaththreatsare consistent withCherry, Berns,andRowling Simply byexisting,transpeople receivethreatsof violence andharassment that areonly magnifiedbycommentssuch astheonespreviously discussedbypublicfigures

Ultimately,theevidence presentedaboveisjust some of theerroneousclaims perpetuatedbyPamelaPaul in her defenseof JK Rowling I encourageeveryonetoread Paul?sarticle,myresponse, andother literatureon the topictomakean informed decision It isimportant to holdall figures,bothbigand small,accountablefor their words,andtobecritical with an openmind

AlexLevittisastudentintheClass of2023 ShewillattendBinghamton Universityinthefall

Thecasewasbrought bya couplewhoadoptedaNative American childandargued that theICWA interfered withtheir adoptionprocess

Theyclaimtheact is unconstitutional becauseit is basedon raceandviolates their right todueprocess

Thisargument isconcerning, asit ignorestheimportance of protectingtherightsand well-beingof Indigenous children andfamilies,who havebeenfightingto preservetheir critically endangeredancestral cultures

If theSupremeCourt rulesin favor of theplaintiffs,it could havedevastating consequencesfor Indigenous communitiesnationwide It wouldeffectivelyremovethe

BYCHRISTOPHERSÁNCHEZ

Staffwriter

Thecollegeapplicationneednot beso stressful,challenging

BYAIDAN FORD Staffwriter

Throughout thepast few monthshereat KennedyHigh School,manyseniorshave receivednoticesback from collegesthat theyappliedto earlier intheschool year The collegeapplicationprocess containsvariousstepsthat shouldbeconsidered, includingwritingout essay drafts,fillingout federal and statefinancial options, completingtheCommon Application,andmanyother aspects All of thesetaskscan leadseniorstofeel stressed andoverworked However, theawardthat canresult from all of thework anddedication ismorethanwell-deserved Thecollegeacceptance experiencearises out of all thehard work that isput in byseniorswhen completingtheir college applications

Earlier thisschool year,many seniorstook thebeginning stepsincompletingcollege applications Oneof the significant partsof completingcollege applicationsiscompletingthe CommonApp TheCommon Appharborsmanydifferent aspectsof thecollege application;thismakesit one of themost stressful partsfor studentstocomplete Joseph Vessia,asenior at Kennedy, stated,? I felt behind comparedtomypeersand didn? t know what tododueto alack of directionon how to fill myapplicationout ?The CommonAppopensmany challengesthat causestudents tofeel asif theyarenot accuratelyfillingout the information,leadingthemto

believetheyarefallingbehind schedule

Collegeessaysand supplemental questionsalso concernedseniorsduringthe collegeapplication process Matt Hirschman,asenior, said,?Thecollegeessay providedthemost difficult challengefor me I struggled tocomeupwithathemeor idea?JeremyBarkan,another senior,complainedthat ?the supplemental questionsonly providedmorework for me I didn? t know whichschools providedextraquestions?

Thesecollegeapplication elementsonlycausedstudents evenmorestress However, after countlesshoursof hard work anddedication,many seniorsgot their applications doneandeagerlyawaitedthe responsefromcollegesinthe comingmonths

After submittingthe applications,seniorswere abletoreflect upon the processtheyhadjust endured andfinallyfeel relatively stress-freefor themoment Therewasandstill is coursework that seniorsmust gothroughregularly,but manyof themnow have gottenthemost challenging part of theyear doneandjust await hearingabout their future Someseniorshave recommendationsthat juniors shouldtakewhenbeginning tofill out applicationsto collegenext year Matt Hirschmanclarifiedthat ?you shouldnot wait until thelast minutetofinishit Start it

whenever youarefreeof work ?JeremyBarkanalso providedinsight,stating, ?Preparingveryearlyisthe best thingyoucando During thesummer,youcanbegin someof thehardest parts? Theearlier studentscanstart their applications,theeasier theprocesswill feel Lastly, JosephVessiabelieves,?You shouldseeyour guidance counselor if youare struggling Seeingminemade doingtheCommonApp mucheasier?If studentsare strugglingtofill out aspectsof their collegeapplication,it is alwaysbest togotopeople that haveassistedinthe processfor manyyears

Thesepast few monthshave beenexhilarating for seniorsasthey havereceivedword back fromthe collegestowhich theyhad previouslyapplied However,theprocessseniors undergowhenapplyingto theseschoolshasbeen challengingandstressful Thesecomplicationsinthe applicationprocesscause seniorstofeel overwhelmed, andtheyoftenstruggleto meet appropriatedeadlines Tomitigatethis,studentscan takemultipledifferent steps inmakingtheprocessamuch easier task tocomplete This involvespreparinginadvance andseekingadvicefrom others,aswell asstartingthe processof essaywritingthe summer beforesenior year Thoughthesestepsare tediousandchallenging,they areapart of thecollege acceptanceexperienceand makethejourneyandfeeling of receivingtheacceptance letter muchmorerewarding

ICWA

frompage5

ICWA,andleaveIndigenous childrenat risk of being forciblyremovedfromtheir communitiesandplacedwith non-Nativefamilies This wouldnot onlybeaviolation of their human rights,but it wouldperpetuatethehorrible practicesof thecolonial past It isessential tostandupfor the ICWA andtherightsof Indigenouspeopleinan attempt torecognizetheharm donebycenturiesof US imperialismandhalt its continuation It isnecessaryto work towardsanequitable futureandlistentothevoices of Indigenouscommunitiesto support their effortstoprotect their childrenandfamilies

TheIndianChildWelfareAct isacritical pieceof legislation for protectingtherightsof

community Thedeclaration emphasizesthat statesmust work collaborativelywith Indigenouspeoplestoensure their rightsareupheld

Similarly,theUniversal Declarationof Human Rights, adoptedbytheUnitedNations in1948,statesthat everyone hastheright tofamily,and that nooneshouldbe subjectedtoarbitrary interferencewiththeir family life Thisdeclaration emphasizestheimportanceof familyandrecognizesthat the familyunit isthefoundation of society Thisprincipleis fundamental inIndigenous communitieswherefamilyand communityaredeeply intertwined

TheSupremeCourt will make aclimactericdecisionon the casethisSpring Thestakesof thiscasearehigh,andthe futureof theICWA hangsin thebalance But wecanmake

actuallyeasier topassthan

thosewithaeasier

curriculum Thismeansthat inorder toget credit,often youneedtotakeaharder classduringtheyear Taking harder classescannegatively affect studentsGPAsasthe morechallengingcoursework canmakeit difficult to maintaingoodgrades

However,manyschools attempt torewardstudents whochallengethemselvesin APclassesbyweightingtheir GPA What thismeansisthat studentswill begivena

weightedGPA ontheir transcript,andinthis advancedclass,averageswill begivenextrapointstoraise their GPA For examplein Kennedy,5extrapointsare giventoAPclassaveragesina weightedGPA

Another negativetoAP classesisthat it costsmoney inorder totaketheexam itself It isarequirement that all studentswhotakeanAP classpayfor theexam,and therearenoexceptions In theU S,takingan APexam costs97dollars,andfor studentswhoaretaking multiple,it will cost even more Consideringmany

studentsdon? t evenpassall their exams,thiscanbea steepamount for parentsto pay However,thispricecan beseenasabenefit tothe studentswhodoearncredit Manycollegeswill chargea significant amount morefor classestakenincollegeand gettingcredit withanAPclass ismost of thetimeadiscount In public4-year institutions, in-statestudentspayan averageof $313per credit hour

Another challengewithAP coursesisthat manycolleges won? t allow studentsto transfer their creditstothe universityor collegethe

Indigenousfamiliesand childrenintheUnitedStates andalignswithinternational humanrightsdeclarations

TheUnitedNations

Declarationon theRightsof IndigenousPeoples,adopted in2007,recognizesthe importanceof protecting Indigenouspeoples' rightsto their cultural practicesand traditions It specifically addressestheissueof child welfare,statingthat Indigenouschildren havethe right tomaintaintheir cultural identity,language,and connectiontotheir

adifference Wecanspeak out,educateourselvesand others,andsupport the ongoingeffortsof Indigenous communitiestoprotect their children andfamilies Wecan learn,advocate,and encourageotherstospeak up aswell Wemust not let historyrepeat itself andfinally endthispainful chapter in NativeAmericanhistory The ICWA isavital steptoward justiceandhealing;therefore, wemust fight toprotect it and ensureitsimpact isfelt, understood,andappreciated

examsisnot for everytypeof student However,it isclear that theycanbeabenefit to futurecollegestudentswho wishtobeamorecompetitive candidateinthecollege admissionsprocessor want to get aheadincollege coursework Theycan providefinancial assistance, aswell Withsomany different optionsfor AP classesat Kennedy,manydo choosetotakeoneor multiple duringtheir timeinhigh school However,it is important toconsider all of thesefactorsbeforechoosing totakeAPcourses Thiswill ensuresuccessinanychosen course

ProtestersstandoutsidetheUSSupremeCourtasthejusticeshear thecaseHaalandv Brackeen

"Thesecomplicationsintheapplicationprocess causeseniorstofeel overwhelmed, andthey oftenstruggletomeetappropriatedeadlines."

Features

Thestoriesof extraordinary and extinct animals demonstratetheEarth'sfragility

BYJACOBLEVY

Caprapyrenaicapyrenaica (PyreneanIbex/Bukardo)

1/6/2000

ThefamedPyreneanIbexwas thedescendant of early mountaingoatsthat roamed theMiddleEast tensof thousandsof yearsago,when theicestoodasfar southas LongIsland,wandering westwardsthroughtheAlps, onwardstowardsthe

Pyrennesof Iberia Bighorns, curvedinanoutwardsspiral, areabout 30incheslong,each ringrepresentingayear Its appearanceischaracterizedby agray-browncoat inthe summer that turnsbuff inthe winter,withblack hair onthe chest andforelegs It isfound 10,000feet abovesealevel in themountainsandvalleys

?Few pictures,indeed,does theanimal-worldpresent moreperfect thanan old ibex-ram,withhisthick-set, game-likeform,hishoary coat andflowingbeard,and thosemassive,widely-curving horns? notrophymoredear tothebig-gamesportsman, andfew sohardtosecure?

wrotenaturalistsWalter Buck andAbel Chapman,a sentiment whichperfectly sumsupthemajestyof the PyreneanIbex However,this isthereasonit went extinct

Corneredinasmall Spanish national park inthePyrenees, foodstolenby herdsof non-nativedeer andsheep,the last one,adoe namedCecilia, diedonacold morninginearly January,crushed byafallingtree

Achatinella apexfulva

1/1/2019

Foundonlyinthe foggyforestsof theislandof OahuinHawaii, it boreasmall shell,075inches long,thesizeof

15grainsof sand,withpale, whitish-yellow bandsanda tipof thesamehue It lived off of scrapingthinlayersof algaeandmoldfromleaves

TheGiant African LandSnail (Lissachatinafulica) cangrow uptothesizeof asmall dog andeatspracticallyanything, includingthecropsof the farmsandgardensof Hawaii, whereit wasaccidentally introduced Theywere unstoppable,savefor one thing:therosywolfsnail (Euglandinarosea),more accuratelyknown asthe cannibal snail Therosy wolfsnail wasintroducedinto Hawaii inthe1950sto

eliminatetheGiant African LandSnail,andit didthat, andmuchmore It wipedout speciesof nativeHawaiian snails,includingAchatinella apexfulva Thelast known organismsof thespecieswere savedandbrought back tothe Universityof Hawaii,where theywerebred Theonly survivingoffspringwas dubbedGeorge,after thelast of thePintaIslandtortoises, knownasLonesomeGeorge Quitelonelyhewouldbefor 14yearsbeforedyingon New Year?sDayin2019

Thylacinuscynocephalus (Thylacine/TasmanianTiger)

9/7/1936

Despiteitsname,the TasmanianTiger wasnot a

feline,but amarsupial,more closelyrelatedtothestill survivingTasmanianDevil, withapouchinwhichit carrieditsyoung Thelargest carnivorousone,standingat about threetofour feet long withalongtail andashort, sandy-coloredcoat,haddark brownstripeshatchingits back It livedinthe undergrowthof theforests andmountainsof Tasmania, thepopulationonthe Australian mainlandhaving longbeeneliminatedby competition fromdingos It wasnocturnal,venturingout at night,huntingfowl and

small marsupialsbythesense of scent Thefirst Europeans arrivedinTasmania,first knownasVanDiemen?sland in1642,withtheearliest coloniesbeingestablishedin theearly1800s Theybuilt townsandcitiesandbrought withthemhoardsof cattle andsheep TheThylacine becamelessof ananimal,and moreof aboogeyman,blamed for anymissinglivestock By 1888,theTasmanian government waspayingfor eachkilledthylacine,1£per adult,about $200today The programlasteduntil 1909,by whichabout half of thylacines inTasmaniawere dead Evenafter,they werehuntedand killed,not just by humansbut alsoby feral dogsand starvation,asacresof forest werecut By then,it wastoolate todoanythingabout it Thethylacinewas madeaprotected specieslessthantwo monthsbeforethe last onediedinazoo inHobart It had beencaught witha snaretrap,whichwas illegal,soit hadbeen soldunder thetable It wasmost likely neglected,finally

dyingon achillySeptember night inBeaumarisZoo

A Very Important Postscript: Caprapyrenaicapyrenaica (PyreneanIbex/Bukardo)

7/30/2003

About ayear beforeatreefell andfinallykilledoff the PyreneanIbex,ear tissuewas collectedandsaved TheDNA inthecellsof thetissuewas usedtocreateaclone,which wasbornon July30th,2003 It livedfor onlyafew minutes beforedyingduetoalung defect Whilethismayseem disheartening,aspecies brought back fromdeathisa wonder beyondmiracles It will hopefullyberemembered asafirst steptowards somethinggreat Perhaps somedaythethylacinewill oncemorewander through theundergrowthof the forestsof Tasmaniainsearch of thescent of fowl Perhaps somedayahundredGeorges will clingtotheleavesof trees hanginglow inthejunglesof Oahu Perhapssomeday,the Pyreneanibexwill oncemore standamongst themountains Perhapssomedayisnot asfar asit mayseem

JacobLevyisastudentinthe Classof2026

Columnist

THEDEPARTMENT OFLAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES,HAWAII ThedeathofGeorgethetreesnailmarkedthefirstextinctionin2019

ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA

ThePyreneanibexbecameextinctinJanuaryof2000,whenafallingtreelandedonthelastsurvivingmemberofthe species

Arts

April 2023

I went toanew restaurant in Merrick calledSanMarzano, arusticItalianrestaurant focusingonservingupscale Italiancuisinefor amore modernage I havegonehere manytimesfor the appetizers,entrees,and pizzas Theoperationisa well-oiledmachine,asit workedexcellentlywiththe linechefsandheadchef In thekitchen,theyseemedto haveahandleonwhere everythingwasandmanaged tokeeptheir workspaces cleanandtidy Inaddition, theyappearedtohavean excellent understandingof themenu,andtheexecution timingwasoutstanding

ThoughI didnot get tospeak withtheowner,I talkedto most of thestaff about the restaurant andaskedtheir thoughtsonworkingthere andtheeffectsof COVID-19 ontheir restaurant

Comparedtomanyother establishmentsI'vepreviously visited,theysaidit didn't haveamassiveimpact on thembecauseof thetakeout businesstheycoulddo Additionally,most of thestaff expressedtheir sincere enjoyment about working there

It dawneduponmethat I shouldask for thechef?s recommendationsandask someworkerswhat isnew, fresh,exciting,anddelicious Onthisparticular day,the chickenpestopizzaandthe rigatoni shrimpscampi I selectedtheantipasti board, garlicknots,andCaesar salad

First,asfar astheappetizers go,I startedwithanantipasti platter whichincludeda selectionof curedmeats,such asprosciuttoandsalami,as well asavarietyof cheeses, including Parmigiano-Reggianoand pecorino Theplatter was

accompaniedbymarinated vegetables,suchasartichokes andolives,anddelicious homemadefocacciabread Everythingontheplatter was freshandflavorful Thecured meatswereslicedperfectly, andthecheeseswereof high quality Themarinated vegetablesaddedanicetangy contrast tothesaltymeats andcheeses Thefocaccia breadwasalsoastandout, withacrispcrust andsoft interior Overall,theantipasti platter wasaperfect start to our meal It wasagreat way tosampleavarietyof Italian flavors,andI wouldhighly recommendit toanyone visitingthe restaurant In addition tothat,I alsogot thegarlic knotswhichat thisparticular Italian restaurant wereexceptional Theyweremade withasoft,chewy doughperfectly seasonedwith garlicandherbs Theknotswere servedwarm, straight fromthe oven,andlightly coatedina butterygarlic sauce Thegarlic knotswere excellent,not too largeor toosmall, andwereperfect for sharing Thetexturewas just right?not toodenseor tooairy?andtheyhada satisfyingchewiness The garlicflavor waspresent but not overpowering,andthe herbsaddedan excellent depthof flavor Thegarlic knotswereservedwithaside of marinarasauce,whichwas richandflavorful Thesauce wasagreat accompaniment tothegarlicknots,addinga touchof sweetnessand aciditytothedish The description of theCaesar saladisveryenticing,asit combinesavarietyof

complementaryflavorsand texturestocreatea well-balanceddish The freshnessandcrunchinessof theromainelettuceprovidea refreshingbasefor thesalad, whichisenhancedbythe slightlybitter tasteoffset by thecreaminessof the dressing Thebite-sized piecesof lettucemakethe saladeasytoeat,allowingthe saucetocoat eachleaf evenly andensuringthat everybite isflavorful Thecroutonsadd anicecrunchandtextureto thesaladwiththeir crispy exterior andsavory seasoning Their sizeand shapemakethemaperfect accompaniment tothelettuce anddressing Theshaved Parmesancheeseisa highlight of thesalad,asits nuttyandsaltyflavor adds depthandcomplexitytothe dish Thethinpiecesof cheesemixwell withthe dressingandcoat thelettuce leaves,addingflavor with eachbite TheCaesar dressingisthestar of the

balanceddishfull of flavor andtexture Whether asa maindishor aside,thissalad issuretoimpressandsatisfy

Now on totheentrees,my favoritepart of themeal becauseit highlightsthe chef'sknowledgeabout the menu Thechicken pesto pizzaI recentlyhadat an Italian restaurant wastruly exceptional Thepizzahada thin,crispycrust,just the right thicknesstoholdall the toppingswithout becoming toosoggy Thecrust wasalso lightlybrushedwitholiveoil, whichaddedapleasant nutty flavor tothepizza Thepesto sauceon thepizzawas homemade,andyoucould tastethefreshnessof thebasil andgarlic It wastheperfect complement tothejuicy grilledchicken,seasonedwith ablendof herbsandspices: thetender,flavorful chicken pairedperfectlywiththe creamypestosauce Thepizza wastoppedwithagenerous amount of mozzarellacheese, whichwasmeltedandbubbly

withplump,juicyshrimp

Therigatoni pastawas cookedal dente,perfectly cookedwithaslight bite The pastahadagreat textureand wasnot overcookedor mushy Theshapeof the rigatoni allowedfor thelight saucetoclingtothepasta, ensuringthat eachbitewas flavorful Thegarlic-infused oliveoil andwhitewinesauce werelight anddelicious, perfectlyseasonedwithgarlic andwhitewine Thegarlic addedabold,savoryflavor that pairswell withthewhite wine'sacidicnotes Thesauce wasnot heavyor overwhelming,allowingthe shrimp'snatural sweetnessto shine Theshrimpthemselves werecookedtoperfection Theywereplumpandjuicy withadelicatetexturethat wasnot rubberyor overcooked Theshrimp wereseasonedwithjust the right amount of salt and pepper,whichenhancedtheir natural sweetnessand complementedthegarlicand whitewinesauce

Thedishwas finishedwitha sprinkleof fresh parsleyandgrated Parmesancheese, addingapopof color andaburst of flavor

Theparsleywasa refreshingtouchthat brightenedthedish, whiletheParmesan cheeseaddedanutty andslightlysalty tastethat perfectly complementedthe other ingredients

Thecheesewas perfectlymelted, creatingacreamy texturethat beautifullytiedall theflavorstogether

dish,withitscreamyand tangyflavor that packsa punch Combininggarlic, anchovies,lemonjuice,Dijon mustard,andoliveoil creates arichandsavorytastethat complementstheother ingredientsperfectly The dressingisnot tooheavy, whichallowstheflavorsof theother elementstoshine through TheCaesar saladis anexcellent optionfor anyonelookingfor adelicious andsatisfyingsalad Its combinationof freshlettuce, crunchycroutons,shaved Parmesancheese,andcreamy dressingcreatesaperfectly

on topof thepizza The cheeseaddedacreamyand tangyflavor tothepizza, balancingtherichnessof the pestoandthechicken The pizzawasfinishedwitha drizzleof balsamicglaze, addingasweet andtangy flavor It wastheperfect finishingtouchtothepizza, combiningall theflavors

I alsoorderedtherigatoni shrimpscampi,whichwas simplyoutstanding Thedish consistedof perfectlycooked rigatoni pastatossedin garlic-infusedoliveoil and whitewinesauceandtopped

Overall,therigatoni shrimpscampi dishperfectly balancedflavorsandtextures

Thepastawasperfectly cooked,thesaucewaslight andflavorful,andtheshrimp wasperfectlycooked The additionof parsleyand Parmesancheeseaddeda freshnessandnuttinessthat roundedout thedish'sflavors beautifully I highly recommendthisdishto anyonelookingfor adelicious seafoodpastadishat an Italianrestaurant

BYZACHARYLANDSMAN

Staffwriter

ZacharyLandsmanisastudent intheCHAMPprogram

ThemargheritapizzaatSanMarzanoisahighlightofthemenu

PHOTOCOURTESY OFSAN MARZANO

KeepingIrish cultureand tradition alivethrough dance

BYRILEYTHAYER Staffwriter

TheIrishstepdance originatedinIrelandinthe 17thcentury,andthis once-regional traditionhas sincegoneinternational It is now beingperformedona competitivelevel worldwide Thedancewascreatedbythe CeltsandtheDruidsasafolk dance Thedancewas performedat Irishfestivals calleda?feis?Oneparticular festival wasat the?Hill of Tara'' wheremanypeople cametocelebrateIrish culture AsIrishdance evolvedtobecomemorelike thestyleof danceweknow today,peopleinIreland encouragedotherstolearn andperformaswell In1893

theGaelicLeaguewasformed topromoteandencourage Irishculture,includingthe lessonsandrulesfor Irish dancing It wasimportant for peopletoappreciatetheir culturethroughexpressive methodslikedancing

TheIrishfacedoppression fromtheBritishfor quite sometime At onepoint,the Britishwent asfar astoban theexpressionof Irishculture intermsof dancingand singing Imaginelivingina worldwhereit isillegal to dance WhiletheIrish continuedtheir methodof Irishappreciation,they alteredit tofit thecriteriaof theBritish TheIrishdecided toteachpeopletoholdtheir armsat their sideswhile

dancing Thisway,if aBritish soldier weretowalk byand seesomeonedancing,the armsat thesideswouldtrick thesoldier intothinkingthat thepersonwasnot dancing Dancershavecontinuedthe practiceof havingarmsat their sides

Historyaside,it isimportant toappreciatethejoythat surroundsIrishstepdancing Routinesareperformedusing ?hardandsoft shoes?This helpsthedancer jumparound andmakenoisealongwith thebeat of thesong The ?hardshoe?isusedwithtunes of hornpipes,treblejigs,and treblereels The?soft shoe?is usedfor songswithreels, slips,light jigs,andsinglejigs

Thedancer usestheshoeto

tapalongtothebeat of the songthat isplaying The musicisalivelymixof multipleinstrumentslikethe fiddle,thebodhran(a handhelddrum),thetin whistle,theconcertina(like anaccordion),andthe bagpipes A primeexampleof asongtoIrishstepdancetois

JigsBandridgebytheLassies Band Themusicisessential intheroutine,asarethe clothesandthewigs The clothesareusuallygreenor vibrant Malestypicallywear

aT-shirt withavest andtie, andfemalesusuallywear dresses Thedressesareabove thekneetoshow respect and modesty Girlsarealso requiredtowear extremely curlywigs Thesewigshelp

createtheillusionthat the dancer isjumpyandcheerful whiledancing Dancerswho competearejudgedbasedon their timelinesstothemusic, clothes,andwigs

Irishstepdancingisthe perfect waytoshow appreciationfor Irishculture I remember learninghow to dancewithmygrandmother inthecorner of my grandparents?livingroom It wassomuchfundancingin timetoIrishfolk musicand laughingalongsidemy grandmother andfamily members It wastheperfect waytocontinuethetraditions myIrishancestorswishedto passdown

Shyamalan'slast tw ist isadisappointingfilm

BYERICROGERS

Staffwriter

TheOscarsprovidedan opportunitytolook back on thegreat moviesof thispast year;however,while reminiscing,onemight stumbleuponsomeflopsin themix OnesuchflopisM Night Shyamalan?slatest film KnockattheCabin Themovie starredafew recognizable actors,suchasDaveBautista (Guardiansof theGalaxy), JonathanGroff (Hamilton), andRupert Grint (Harry

Potter) Withthiscast and enticingtrailers,themovie appearedtobeanother excitingthriller Still,in reality,it fell short,witha poorlyexecutedplot and surface-level metaphors, makingthefilm disappointing

Thefilmisbasedon the2018 novel TheCabin at theEndof theWorldbyPaul Tremblay

Thefilmmakesslight changes but heavilydeviatesfromthe novel regardingtheending Thestoryfollowshusbands

EricandAndrew andtheir daughter Wenastheir vacation isinterruptedby four individuals Thesefour peopleclaimtheyhaveseen visionsof theapocalypse,and thereisonlyonewayto prevent thetragedy:Eric, Andrew,andWenhaveto chooseoneof their family memberstokill This interaction eliciteda frightenedreactioninthe family,astheindividuals restrainedthemandwere armed Andrew saw the

individualsashomophobic lunaticswithsomekindof collectivedelusion,but Eric seemedtobelievethem The moviekeepstheaudience guessingwhether or not these peoplearetellingthetruth sincedevastatingevents occurredinaccordancewith their predictionsandvisions

Themovie?scoreconcept is interesting:thephilosophical debateof sacrificingsomeone sodear toyoufor thegreater good Thismoral dilemma hastheaudiencethinking,but

it istheonly thought-provokingaspect of themovie Themovie?s attemptsat social commentaryarepretty surface-level They acknowledgeissuessuchas homophobiaandpolitical polarization,but thetopics arenot discussedinanuanced way Also,themetaphorsin themoviearenot executed well either Towardstheend of thefilm,thefour individualsaredescribedas four piecesof humanityand asthefour horsemen,andthe meaningbehind themisthrownin thefaceof the audience,not even givingthema chancetothink for themselves

Thebook thefilmis basedon isbetter executed Thefilm producers' changes underminedthe story'sthemesand madeit amuchless compellingstory

Overall,thefilmhas aninteresting concept but misses themark almost entirely Witha great cast and premise,Shyamalan wassettingupan excitingmovie,but ultimately,it was just a disappointment

BenAldridge,JonathanGroff,andKristenCui starinM NightShyamalan?smysteriouslygrippingnewfilm"KnockattheCabin"

SOURCE:JERRY BURNS} USA TODAY CROSSWORDS

AmazingDemon Boy isfanatical, comical

BYKYRIAKA KAMMAS Staffwriter

Bringtothestage? Amazing DemonBoy!

AmazingDemonBoyisa

?Theatrical Horror Rock?/Metal band,but it describesitself as?Halloween Fright Rock ?Their live performancesaredescribedas ?KISSmeetsMEGADETH directedbyTIM BURTON ?

Their soundisinfluencedby famousmetal androck and roll singerssuchasRob Zombie,Murderdolls,and AliceCooper Amazing DemonBoyquicklybecamea crowdfavoriteat eventswith their comical,fantasy,and theatrical act Withtheir energeticmusicmixingmetal, rock,horror,andgoth,thisis not theshow tomiss The bandoriginatesfromNew York but tours internationally,especiallyin theUK Their performances aresaidtobeanunforgettable experience,astheir trademark is?GET YOURGHOUL ON? with"TheWorld's Most ExcitingHorror Rock Show"? !?

Thebandconsistsof six people:ScottytheDeadBody

BYDEVIN PRYOR Staffwriter

How far wouldyougofor love?Well,intheTV series

You,developedbyGreg Berlanti andSaraGambleand roughlyadaptedfromthe book seriespennedby CarolineKepnes,aninnocent bookstoreowner Joe Goldberggoesto extreme? andI mean extreme? measuresto

on guitar,FrankieI/Casanova on bass(andsomeguitar tracks),LightningLouon the drums,Needlezasa performer/?freakshow?/backup vocalist,Demongirl,Rebecca CarnageRampageasa featureddancer and performer,andDemon boy himself,VoKills,whosayshe ?runstheshow 100%?The bandhasbeentogether for about 11years,andtheyhave playedat hundredsof events Likemanyother bands,they havetheir merchandiseline, whichincludest-shirts, leggings,albums,CDs,and more What makesthem different istheir veryown comicseries,all availableon their website

With14monthlylisteners and85followersonSpotify, AmazingDemonBoyis criminallyunderrated Songs like?ThisHalloween,?? I KissedaDeadGirl,?andmany morecanbestreamedon

AppleMusic,Spotify, Pandora,YouTube, SoundCloud,Deezer,or other services If you?reafanof horror rock/metal musicor just want totrysomething new,check out Amazing Demon Boy!

Netflix show might befor you

?protect?thosehe?loves?The show first airedinSeptember of 2018on Lifetime,but it didn't reallystick Soonafter, it wasbought byNetflix, whereit finallygot its ground,averagingaround40 millionhouseholdviews withinitsfirst four weekson Netflix(thisisextensively debated,asmuchof that comesfromviewersonly seeingthefirst 70%of the first episode) It hassince becomevery popular, especially withSeason Four released inMarchof 2023 But enoughof statisticsand fluff,let'sget tothemeat of You

RADIOTIMES

PennBadgleyplaysJoeGoldberginNetflix'sdrama,You,whichis nowinitsthirdseason

Youisapsychological thriller that focusesonthelovelifeof JoeGoldberg Eachseason he hasanew love(obsession), whereuponhemakes decisionsthat hefeelswill benefit them Eachseason focuseson anew fixation, witheachfixationgetting increasinglyout of hand

However,Season 4isquite different fromtheformer seasons It feelslikemoreof a crimedrama,withelements of thepast JoeGoldberg It setsitself apart fromthe seasonsthat precedeit It takeson moreof amurder mystery,wheresomeone playsJoe?sgameanddrives JoemadasJoeplaysdetective - sort of likeatasteof hisown medicine

If I'mgoing,tobehonest with you,I didn't liketheshow at first It wascringey,withthe randominner voice

interjections,soapyscenes, andexplicit scenesthat seemedarbitraryor too unrealistic But thenit dawnedon me(after about twoepisodes)? thisiswhat theshow isabout! It's supposedtobeasoapy, over-the-top,extremestalker psychological thriller that has youcringingandsayingto yourself,?What didI just watch??Fromthenon,I fell inlovewiththeaddicting narrationof JoeGoldbergand hislovelife I oftenwatched twoor threeepisodesina row without evenrealizingit What makestheshow so goodisthat youknow who Joeis Astheaudience,you know heisthistwisted, murderoussociopath,but to everyoneelseintheshow, theyseethedorky,charming, intelligent JoeGoldberg On another note,thisshow is

seriouslytwistedandnot for thefaint of heart It contains violence,uncomfortable scenes,andmanyexplicit scenes

Thisshow isaddictivefor a coupleof reasons:first,the audienceisbrilliantlyplaced insideof Joe?sthought process,resultinginthis weirdcravingtodiscover how everythingwill godown Thenext thingisthat you never know how hecanget out of thesituationsheplaces himself in Throughout the season(s),hedigsdeeper and deeper holesfor himself Out of all theseasons,I think season 2wasmyfavorite To me,it hadthemost meat I don't want togiveawaytoo much,but if you'reinterested insoapy,twisted,very different televisionshows, Youmight befor you

Kennedy girlsvarsity lacrosseteam isacombination of veteransand rookies

BYADRIANNA CALIFANO Sportseditor

Thisseasonwill besignificant for theKennedyGirls?Varsity Lacrosseteam Last season, thegirlsdebutedinthe Division4bracket,moving uponedivision It wasa rockygofor thegirls,witha mixof devastatinginjuries At theendof last season,the girlsmadeit totheplayoffs, losingtoRosylnwithascore of 18-6 Thisseason,thereare highspiritsandnew talent

Last season,EllaGaljanich went throughatremendous injury,tearingher ACL duringher gameagainst CareyHighSchool Thiswas ahugelossfor thegirls becausealthoughshehadan injury,Ellawastheleading goal scorer for theteam After her surgeryinlateMay,Ella hasreturnedthisseason as

strongasever Shewas nominatedcaptainandisvery excitedabout what the competitionhasinstorefor her andtheteam

Additionally,seniorsand captainsJill O?Holloran,Kate O?Holloran,andCaroline Scalli arethrilledtoreturn

Captain Jill added,?This season,thegirls' varsity lacrosseteamhasatalented groupof girls ThisseasonI expect ustowin games,improve skillsand teamwork,and demonstrate sportsmanship anddedicationonandoff the field Theteamisalsostriving tomakeit totheplayoffs

Throughtheseason,we shouldmaintainapositive attitudeandcommitment to our sport ?Especiallyas seniors,thegirlswant the

best for theteamandtoenjoy what timetheyhaveleft asa KennedyCougar

Furthermore,theteamhas four new prospectsjoining themthisseason Freshmen JordyKahn,Jordy Wholloben,SammyFrank, andDakotaHoehn havebeen keyplayersintheteam's development thisseason The girlscamewithfireandan unmatchedwork ethicthat theteamwaslookingfor SammyFrank andJordyKahn havebeenkeyplayersinthe development of thedefenseof theteam JordyWhollben joinsher sister,junior Alexa Wholloben,tobeahuge power forceontheattacking

anddefendingend Lastly, DakotaHoehnisakey attacker,makingplaysand shotstogivetheteamthe edgetheyneeded Withthese new girls,theteamhasa fightingchancetomakethe playoffs

Sofar,thegirlshavehadfour games:threenon-league games,withtheir first league gameonMonday For their opener,thegirlsfacedoff against Floral Park, adivisionthree team Sadly,the girlslost inafight inovertime The followingweek,the girlsplayedahard-fought gameagainst Plainview-Old Bethpage,losingwithascore of 13-8 Recently,thegirls playedtheir last non-league gameagainst East Meadow, winningwithanail-biting scoreof 8-7 Thegirls

showcasedtheir grit and determinationtopull out this win against aDivision3team

For their first leaguematch, thegirlsplayedHicksville highschool Intheprevious season,thegirlslost tothis sameteaminquadrupleover time It wasanail-biting game,but thegirlscamein thisseasonreadytowin That isexactlywhat theydid The girlsledthegame,winning withascoreof 16-6 The leadinggoal scorer wasjunior EllaGaljanich,withsixgoals LaurenRobinson also showcasedher gamewith four goals SophiaFischetti scoredthreegoals,and DakotaHoehn scoredtwo GoalieAdriannaCalifano made17savestokeepthe Cougarsinthegame It wasa hugewin andagreat wayto start theregular season

Quarterbacksmoves, franchisetagshighlighted the start of NFL freeagency

Withthefirst waveof NFL freeagencyover,it istimeto look at teamswithdifferent prospectsacrosstheleague Whilemanyteamssigned new playerstostrengthen their roster or resigned playersfromlast year?sroster, several teamsalsolost key players

Thefirst daysof NFL free agencywerehighlightedby twostar runningbacks gettingthefranchisetag placedonthem:JoshJacobsof theLasVegasRaidersand TonyPollardof theDallas Cowboys Thefranchisetagis aspecial typeof one-year contract onlyintheNFL, whereateamlocksinaplayer about tobecomeafreeagent withanon-negotiablesalary for theupcomingseason Teamscanonlyplacethe franchisetagononeplayer per season Althoughplayers withthefranchisetagget paid theaverageof thetop5 highest paidplayersat their position,manyathletesdislike gettingthetagplacedon them,asit failstogivethem thesenseof securitya long-termdeal would Sofar,themost significant moveof freeagencyisthe ChicagoBearstradingthe first overall pick inthe2023

NFL Draft totheCarolina Panthersfor amassivehaul of draft picksandplayersin return TheBearsreceived Pantherswidereceiver DJ Moore,the9thoverall pick,a 2ndroundpick thisyear,a 20241st roundpick,anda 2ndroundpick in2025 For theBears,themovewas perhapsano-brainer They havetheir franchise quarterback inJustinFields, whomtheycanbuildaround Secondly,noplayer outside thetopquarterbacksstuck out asthebest player inthedraft Asexpected,three quarterback went inthetop four picksintheNFL Draft thispast week ThePanther usedthefirst pick toselect BryceYoungfromAlabama Youngislistedat 6feet tall and194pounds,whichis consideredsmall for an NFL quarterback Additionally, whilehehadsuccessin college,hehasonlyplayed oneseason asastarter,which isanother major concern Besidesgivingupmanydraft picks,thePanthersalsotraded DJMoore,who?sbeena consistent,high-endwide receiver for thepast five seasonssincetheydraftedhim in2018

TheArizonaCardinals,who heldthe3rdoverall pick, tradedthepick tothe

HoustonTexansafter signing their franchisequarterback Kyler Murraytoasignificant contract extension The Texansusedthepick toselect Will AndersonJr ,anedge rusher fromAlabama The pick isnot surprisinggiven new headcoachDeMeco Ryanswill probablytryto replicatethedefensivefront hecoachedinSan Francisco Besidesthissubstantial league-changingtrade,many other bigmoveshave occurredduringfreeagency JimmyGaroppolosigning withtheRaiders,Derek Carr gettingtradedtotheSaints, Daniel Jonesgettingre-signed bytheGiants,theCowboys tradingfor twoveteransin BrandinCooksandStephon Gilmore,andJalenRamsey gettingtradedtotheDolphins weresomeof themost notablemoves Most notably, thispast week,Aaron Rodgerswastradedfromthe PackerstotheJets,givingthe Jetsthehigh-endquarterback they?vebeenmissingfor years whileprovidingPacker?s youngquarterback Jordan Lovewithanopportunityto showcasehistalent TheJets traded2023first-roundpick, a2023second-roundpick,a 2023sixth-roundpick anda conditional 2024pick In return,theJetsreceivedtwo

draft picksalongwith Rodgerswhore-structured hiscontact togivetheJets moreflexibilityasthefree agencyperiodcontinues

TheNFL FreeAgencyperiod

goesthroughmid-Julyuntil trainingcampstarts Fanscan expect moreroster movesas teamscut their roster sizeand trytodisposeof non-guaranteedmoney

BYAARON ZACHARIA Staffwriter

"Withthesenewgirls, theteamhasafighting chancetomaketheplayoffs."

April 2023

Sami Levinepreparesfor fifth year on varsity softball

Sami Levine,atwo-sport athleteat Kennedy,is enteringher fifthseasonon thevarsitysoftball teamand spent four yearson thevarsity volleyball team Over thelast year,though,shedealt with recoveryfromanACL injury that shesufferedwhile playingsoftball Whilethe injurypreventedher from playingbothsportsthis season,it hasnot deterred her Shehasaccomplishedso muchasastudent-athletestill that shewill playsoftball next year at Binghamton University

Sami rememberswatching her older brothersplay baseball whenshewas younger Fromthose experiences,shedevelopedan interest insoftball Whilea student at Merrick Avenue MiddleSchool,she participatedinasoftball clinic After that experience, shewent hometolearnmore about thehighschoolerswho rantheclinicat MAMS Thosestudents,fromafar, becameher rolemodels Since then,shehasrunclinicsfor younger kidstosharethe passionfor softball that was sharedwithher asamiddle schooler

Theoutstandingsoftball player wouldhaveher career stalledwhenshetoreher ACL runningintheoutfield duringasoftball game ?This injuryhasbeenlikenothingI haveever experiencedbefore

Assomeonewhoplayssports throughout theentireyear, not beingabletoplayinmy senior seasonespeciallyhas beenincrediblychallenging for me,?

Sammie explained Shehad surgeryin August and hasbeenin physical therapythree timesaweek Sheis currentlyat theendof a longrehab processand canfinally seethelight

Theinjury interrupted what had alreadybeen asuccessful highschool athletic career When discussing Sami,Mr CraigPapach commented, "Sami Levine?s school years canbe definedby 100%effort and unconditional commitment Sheexcelsineverythingthat sheisassignedwhile remaininghumble,loyal and

grateful Sheseesobstaclesasmore challengesandquietlyand quicklyovercomesany obstacleinher path"

Despitetheinjury,Sami earnedan offer from Binghamton University, whereshewill playnext year

?A few daysbeforeI wasable tocontact Division 1schools, I attendedmyfirst camp there I wasnervous,yet this didnot show asI playedthe best I had probably ever played before I hit ahomerun, andtriple, andstruck out at least tenbatters Come September 1st,just a few days after the camp,the Binghamton softball coach contacted me expressing her interest inme,?Sami said From there,she realized Binghamton wasright for her and decidedto playthere last November Despite beingonthe sidelinesto start,Sami hashigh expectations for the season comingintoher senior year Sami helpsher team succeedbynot dwellingon

thelossesandjust learning fromthemtoimproveeach dayat practice Insteadof beingnegativeafter aloss,she bringspositivitytotheteam bynot focusingon onlythe mistakesmadeinagamethat theteamlost but instead focusingon thegoodthings about thegameandfiguring out how theteamcan improve Practicecouldbethe most important asset for a team,andhow theteam practiceswill reflect ingames Sami explainshow shecan balanceher academicswith softball Sami said,?It isvery difficult tomanageboth softball andmyacademics, but over theyears,I have learnedtoprocrastinateless andprioritizemore?Sami putsworryingasideabout her obstaclesandfocuseson completingthework that needstobedone Shebelieves thisrelievesher stressand makesher abetter student Thisalsoenablesher to completemorethorough work Stayingon topof your work andbalancingthat with astrongwork ethicis extremelyimportant Sami knowsit takessignificant timeandeffort toplay Softball andmaintain good grades

Next year,Sami planstoplay softball at Binghamton University Sami workshard dailyonandoff thefieldto remain asuccessful player and student A bright future awaitsSami asshefinishes her highschool career

Kennedy badminton teamshavestrongstart to 2023season

Withthestart of thegirls? badmintonseasonthisspring, bothJV andvarsityteamsare expectedtohaveasuccessful season Thevarsityteamhas seenareturnof manyplayers, all of whomareexcitedabout theseasonandwhat the upcomingweekswill bring Similarly,theJV teamhas bothnew andfamiliar faces pickinguparacquet,whether it befor thefirst or umpteenthtime

Thevarsityplayershadtheir

first matchon April 3rd, wherethegirlsdominated West HempsteadHighSchool inasix-to-onematchvictory SinglesplayersElyssaUlip andKaylin Zhoutook the courtsinstride,whileevery doublesmatch-upwasa victoryfor thegirls Since 2021,whenmanyof thegirls on theteamfirst joined,they havebeenworkingon offensiveanddefensive strategiesandtactics,all of whichhavebeenpayingoff andimprovingtheir performanceon thecourt Thisvictoryisagreat

indicator of what istocome Their next gamesbeganthe week of April 17th,with matcheson all four daysof theweek:April 17thagainst ValleyStreamSouth,April 18thagainst Levittown,April 19thagainst HerricksHigh School,andApril 20th against UniondaleHigh School Whiletheylost to Levittown,thegirlsalsohad hard-earnedvictoriesagainst ValleyStreamSouth

Similarly,theJV playershave dominatedintheir games, withtheir first twogameson March29thandMarch30th

Thegirlsemergedfromboth of thesegamesvictorious Eventhoughsomeof these girlsarenew tothesport, theyquicklypick it upand alreadyshow talent and promisefor therest of the season Singlesplayers GabriellaDihtyar,Kristina Shau,andAlexaIsaac,along withtherest of theteam,are excellingandmakingstrides intheir playing As doubles-player Joleen Shau said,? I think that theseason isgoingreallywell Wehave gottentwowinssofar,and we?reonour waytoget [a]

third,hopefully?

CoachesSansanelli and Dell?Oliobelievethat these teamshavethedriveand potential tomakethe conferencechampionships After thevarsitygameagainst DivisionAvenueHighSchool inLevittown,Coach Dell?Oliostated,?Wearetwo inonewithaverydifficult gameagainst Herricks cominguptomorrow We haveanicemixof veteran playersandnew players,so I?mexpectingustocompete for theconference championship?

BYJESSBLUMBERG Editor-in-chief

BYJADEN WALDINGER Staffwriter

PHOTOCOURTESY OFSAMI LEVINE

Sami Levineatbatinagamefor theCougarsagainstSeafordHighSchoollastApril