The Cougar Crier - February 2023

TheCougar Crier

Midterm testingw eek returnsafter tw o-year absence

Withthenew year underway, manyaredelightedwiththe continuedprogressionof the steadyreturnto?normal?

pre-pandemicschool life as theBidenAdministration planstoendtheCOVID-19 publichealthemergencyin May2023,thisyear mayhold thereturntoalmost complete pre-pandemicnormalcy It is important torecognizethat after threeyearsof thisbrutal global pandemic,manyinour communitywill still haveto deal withthepainof alost lovedoneduetothisvirusfor muchlonger Therefore, peoplecontinuetobe mindful of thestruggles othersarestill facingand support their mental and emotional health

OnewayinwhichKennedy hasreturnedtoa pre-pandemicprotocol isin thereturnof theregular midtermweek testing schedule Themidtermweek of thepast twoyearshasbeen disturbedbytheCOVID-19 pandemic It wasinitially significantlymodifiedand thencanceledaltogether That madethisyear?s midtermweek thefirst of its kindsincethepandemic

Withthat beingsaid,it wasa shift for everyone I interviewedvariousfaculty fromtheBellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District tobetter understandhow thingswereworkingbehind thescenesandontheground

Social StudiesChairperson

Ms Ann Donaldson spoke with satisfaction, statingthat ?a great deal of effort wasput intoplanning for [midterm] week ?Ms Donaldson notedthat this year?smidterm examweek closely resembledthat of January 2020?s,a positivesign that COVID-19isnolonger impedingastudent?sabilityto receiveahigh-quality educationwithtestingcycles that cansecurelycheckpoint their academicformation ?Thispast midtermweek was structuredverymuchlikethe examweeksof thepast decade,beforetheCovid interruption,?addedMs

Donaldson Midtermweek is structuredbyfour non-instructional days devotedtotestingblocks, which,inmost classes, concludeswithaRegents exam

Mr Robert Soel,Science Chairperson,reflectedupon thepast midtermweek,

sayingthat hebelieved?the midtermtestingwent smoothly?Lookingback at thepreviouspandemicyears, Mr Soel spokeon the dilemmateachersfacedwhen evaluatingtheir student?s progressamidst the pandemic ?Inresponseto COVID-19,wecanceled midterms,andteachers[had

touse] themarkingquarter assessmentstodetermine how [students] were progressingwiththe curriculum Thiswasbecause themidtermsweremodeled after theRegentsexams,and at that time,theRegentswere alsocanceledinNew York State?Highlightingthisvital issue,it becameclear that teachers neededtofind equilibrium tobemore flexiblewith their testing format and pacingof the curriculum Thiswas especially necessaryfor thecontext of the COVID-19 pandemic becausemany studentshad extendedabsencesdueto illnessandquarantine ?This year,sciencemidtermswere back tothesameformat we usedbeforetheshutdownin January2020,?addedMr Soel

InEnglish,Chairperson Ms AdelineAtkinswas?pleased withtheadministration and

resultsof theexam?after the two-year moratoriumhalted testing In 2022,theEnglish LanguageArts(ELA) Regents werecanceledlast minuteby theNew York StateEducation Department,causing disorientationwithclasses alreadypreparingfor the examandforcingteachersto ?makepreparationsfor aJune administration?of theELA Regents In2021,theRegents werecanceledentirely In regardstothisyear'stesting week,Ms Atkinspointedout that ?99%of our students passedtheRegents,?stating that thiswasa?suresignwe arereturningtonormal as reflectedintheacademic achievement andexcellence that JohnF KennedyHigh School studentsandteachers areknownfor ?Ms Atkins saidshewas?extremelyproud of our studentsandteachers?

Chairpersonfor Mathematics, Mr DavidPrince,spoke highlyabout thisyear?s administrationof midterm exams,agreeingwithhis colleaguesthat ?midterm week went well ?Mr Prince addedthat these?high-stake standardizedexams[aidin reinforcing] studyskillsfor

BYCHRISSÁNCHEZ Staffwriter

StudentsinaLivingEnvironmentworkontheirreviewpacketinpreparationfor their midtermexam

Casey Moskow tz |THECOUGAR CRIER

PHOTOCOURTESY JFK SCIENCE

JonathanIlardo,JaredPlotkin,Sameer KhanandAlisonWohlstetterstrategizeduring theVEX RoboticscompetitionheldatKennedy Coveragebeginsonpage7

Staff

Candygrams' sweet historycarriedonat Kennedy

JessicaBlumberg Editor inchief

JessicaBlumberg Editor inchief

Sammer Soliman

BYRILEYTHAYER Staffwriter

Copyeditor

Copyeditor

Ben Greco

Newseditor

Sam Schneider Featureseditor

JessicaMehr Opinionseditor

AntoninaGerunda

Casey Moskow itz

Photographyeditors

Candygramswerecreatedin 1959byacompanycalledThe Western Union,atelegraph businessbasedinRochester, New York, formedtobuilda telegraphlinefromBuffalo, New York,toSt Louis, Missouri Telegraphssent informationbymakingand disruptinganelectrical connection Peoplein industriesandcorporations weregrantedaccessto

telegraphstocommunicate withother businesses This includedSamuel F B Morse, an Americanpainter and inventor,whosent thefirst telegraphtohisfriendAlfred Vail Together,theyinvented theelectrictelegraph,aswell astheuseof morsecode The first messagesent was,?What hathGodWrought??This messagewastaken fromthe Bible,discussingthequestion, ?What HasGodMade??

Thetelegraphwascreated

strictlyfor businessand government purposes

However,withtheincrease incommunicationbyusing themachine,peoplestarted usingtelegraphsfor personal use What wasmeant tobe sophisticatedbecamea valuableoutlet for everyday conversationsover long distances Inthelate19th century,theWesternUnion capitalizedonthenew useof telegraphsandprovided speciallydesignedtelegrams Specifically,WesternUnion providedValentine?s Daytemplates Thetop of thetelegramwould includeanintricate drawingof Cupid surroundedbya plethoraof colored hearts Themessage that onedecidedtosend wouldbewrittenon the pageand hand-deliveredbya messenger fromthe WesternUnion

What if someone neededtobemore creativeor heartfelt?

FirstofferedbyWesternUnionin1959,theboxreads?Thisfinecandymadeexclusivelyfor Candygram,IncbyStevensCandyKitchens,IncChicago,[copyright]1959?

statementsfor theconsumer Thereweremanyoptionsto pick from,suchas,?Thelatest newsbywireisthat I amjust asanxiousasever tobeyour Valentine?and,?Totell you what I think of you,themail isfar tooslow Mymessage must flyswift andtrue,asthe arrow fromthebow ?The Western Unionthenallowed peopletosendcandyboxesto accompanytheheartfelt messages Whether it was gummycandyor chocolates, anykindof candycouldbe sent Candygramsbecamea year-roundthing People couldsendtheir loverscandy boxesfor all occasions, includingValentine?sDayand Easter

TheBell Telephone Companystrongly discouragedpeoplefrom usingtelegraphsfor social conversations Thetelegraph systemscouldonlyhandle several callsat atime,sothe timefor essential callswas beingtakenaway Important political andbusiness conversationshadtocompete

Mr Brad Seidman

Dr DennisUrban Facultyadvisors

TheCougar Crier ispublished bythestudentsatJohnF

TheWestern Union providedmultiple heartfelt andemotional

Thewomen of Iranarenot backingdown

Theprotestmovementcontinuestochallengethecountry'soppressiveregime

BYMADELINEHYMAN Staffwriter

OnSeptember 13,2022, MashaAmini,a22-year-old womanfromthe northwesternKurdishCityof SaqezinIran,wasarrestedin Tehranbythemoralitypolice for ?improperly?wearingher hijabbecauseof amandate statingthat womenmust cover their hair andwear loosefittingrobes Shewas reportedlybeatenon her way tocustody,accordingto witnessesthat Amini?sfamily havereferredto,andsuffered acoma,dyingthreedayslater

Authoritiesclaimedthat Amini enduredheart failure anddiedfrompreexisting conditions,denyingthetrue reason for her death The deathof MashaAmini sparkedprotestson the streetsof Iran

Onehundreddaysafter the protestsarose,theybecame thelongest-lasting anti-government protestsin IransincetheIslamic Revolution in1979 Thefirst protestsbeganafter the funeral of MashaAmini in Saqez,Amini?shometown

Women withdrew their headscarvesamidst an uprise

of protests Therewere demandstooverthrow the stateandfor morefreedom Soon,therewerevideosof protests,includingwomen cuttingtheir hair inpublic Protestorsrepeatedtheslogan ?deathtothedictator,? referringtothesupreme leader,AyatollahAli Khamenei Theyalsochanted, ?Woman,life,freedom?

Schoolgirlsdemonstratedin playgroundsandstreets,and largenumbersof menand teenageboysjoinedthemto gainfreedomsfor women

Fivehundredprotesters, including69children,were killed Tocurbprotests,the Iranianregimebanned videotapingandreportingby foreigncorrespondentsand accesstotheinternet for

Iraniancitizens

DespitetheIranian government?seffortsto silencethevoicesof protest, celebritieshavejoinedinthe chorusfor freedomand solidarity TaranehAlidoosti, anIranianactress,washeldin

Sammer Soliman

NATIONAL MUSEUM OFAMERICAN HISTORY

prisonafter shecondemned theexecutionof ayoung protester bynot wearinga headcoveringandholdinga signthat read,?Woman,Life, Freedom?

Furthermore,another formof protest canbeseenamongthe GenerationZpopulation: ?turbantossing?Thisisthe methodof knockingaturban off whilesneakingupbehind theShiaMuslimClerics, consequentlyrunningaway ArshiaEmamgholizadeh,a 16-year-oldboy,wasarrested for reportedly turbantossingin thenorthwestern cityof Tabriz He washeldfor ten days Beforebeing released,hecommitted suicide A sourcecloseto Arshia?sfamilystatedthat the likelyreasonfor hissuicide wasthetreatment hesuffered duringhisdetention, consistingof unknownpills beinggiventohimandbeing beatenwithbatons

Asof recently,four known executionshaveoccurredin Iraninwhat hasbeenreferred toas?shamtrials?byAmnesty

International OnJanuary7,a 22-year-oldkaratechampion, MohammadMehdi Karami, washanged65daysfollowing hisarrest OnNovember 3, Karami wasarrestedfor his involvement inthe anti-government protestsand allegedinvolvement withthe murder of amember of the

paramilitaryBasij forceinthe cityof Karaj Karami went on trial on November 30with16 other people,includingthree children Hewasindicted under thecapital offense, ?corruptionon Earth?Karami wasnot permittedtochoose hisownlawyer,and journalistsandfamily memberswereprohibited frombeingincourt The judiciaryput forththeonly footageof thecourt case, whichisheavilyedited On December 5,Karami andthe other four co-defendantsin court that dayweresentenced todeath,andthechildren, accordingtothejudiciary, weredealt lengthyjail terms

Therehavebeenprotestsby individualsworldwide, includingIranianslivingin other countriesandcitizensof theworld For example,on October 22,about 100,000 Iraniansandsupportersrallied inBerlin,Germany In unity, theyprotestedfor more Westernsanctionsagainst the RevolutionaryGuardinIran andfor Iraniandiplomatsto beremovedfromWestern capitals A rallytook placein Strasbourg,France,on January16inthevicinityof theEU Parliament A tribute toMashaAmini wasdisplayed ontheEiffel Tower These arejust afew examplesof the manyprotests worldwide

" theybecamethelongest-lasting anti-governmentprotestsinIransincethe IslamicRevolutionin1979 "

Theseprotestshaveigniteda flamethat hasspread worldwide InSeptember,the Bidenadministrationissueda guidelinethat easedinternet restrictionsinIran Antony Blinken,theUSsecretaryof state,said,?Wearegoingto helpmakesuretheIranian peoplearenot kept isolated andinthedark ?On October 3,theCanadian government sanctionedIranianofficials CountriesintheEuropean Union,includingDenmark, France,Italy,andGermany, havealsosanctionedthe Iraniangovernment In December,Iranwasremoved fromtheUN commission on thestatusof women for the rest of thefour-year term

OnJanuary25,the U S Houseof Representatives overwhelmingly passedabipartisan resolution expressingsolidaritywiththe Iranianpeopleriskingtheir livesfor freedomand democracy Thevotewas approvedby420to1

CongressmanJosh Gottheimer,theco-leader of theresolution,said,?Iranis theworld?sleading state-sponsor of terror We must standwiththebrave peopleof Iranastheyfight back against theoppressive Iranianregimeandtheir humanrightsabuses?Inthe wordsof Albert Einstein, ?Theworldisadangerous place,not becauseof those whodoevil,but becauseof thosewholook on anddo nothing?

CANDY frompage2

withsocial exchangesfor time andtransmission Whilethis wasdetrimental to corporations,people continuedtousethetelegraph tobenefit their social relationships

Candygramswere convenient for peoplewho couldnot seetheir significant othersfor special occasions? receivingacandy gramfilledwithtreatsand lovelymessagesallowed peopletofeel affectionfrom milesaway It wasan excellent waytokeepastrong relationshipbetween two peopleandincreasethe excitement for thenext time theyreunited Not onlyisit special for long-distance relationships,but it isalsoa nicegesturefor aclose relationship A candygramis theequivalent of buying flowersor chocolates Coupleshavealso incorporatedan element of funintocandygrams Candy gramscanbesent anonymouslytoaddthe element of surpriseand suspicion

TESTING

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students,?whichisvital to recuperatinggoodhabitsat an academicallyrigorousschool ?COVID took awayan opportunityfor studentsto get amid-year check-in for their progress Now that midtermsareback,students havethechancetoreview the entirefirst semester of the year all at once,whichhelps later on beforetheRegents,?

Mr Princesaid Aswordof advice,Mr Princehadtosay that ?studentsshouldhavea goodsenseof wherethey're at,?explaining,?if youdid well,keepupthegoodwork, andif youdidn't,spendsome timereflectingon what mistakesyoumadeonthe examandwhereyoucan improve It?simportant to alwayslook forward!?

Respondingtoan inquiry, WorldLanguages

Chairperson Mr Enrique Montesstatedthat his department ?didnot have official WorldLanguage midterms?However,it is important tonotethat this wasnot duetoCOVID-19 reasons Instead,teachers executedindependent plans duringtheweek,entailing their unofficial midterm examsandcontinued

Theuseof candygramshas continuedinJohnF Kennedy HighSchool Studentscan purchaseasmall bagof candy tosendtosomeonetheycare about Similarlytothe year-roundcandygramsin the19thcentury,JFK High School hasprovidedthe opportunitytopurchase candygramsfor Halloween, Christmas,andValentine?s Day

Inaninterview witha representativefromthe student body,thestudent describeshow candygrams shouldcontinuetobe purchasedandsent throughout highschool Even if it isjust asmall boxof candy,receivingonecanput a smileon anyone?sface The student specificallysaid,?it is heartwarmingtoknow that someonecaresandwantsto brightenupyour holiday? Whilethereisn? t theoption tocopyaheartfelt statement, theschool?scandygrams allow thebuyer towritea sweet,kindmessage Whether theit issent toa friend,ateacher,or a?special someone,?thisValentine?s Day,studentscanspreadthe loveandpurchaseacandy gram

learning

Special Education Chairperson,Mr John Jimenez,spokepositivelyon thesubject,considering?the fact that studentshavenot takenmidtermssinceJanuary 2020,midtermweek wasa success?For manyKennedy students,thiswasanovel experience,especiallyfor ?ninthgraderswhohave never taken midterms,?added Mr Jimenez Duringmidterm week,most studentswho receiveaccommodationsare placedinseparaterooms,so their needscanbefulfilled ?Accommodationsmay includeextendedtime,breaks, textsreadaloud,useof aword processor,andscribe,?Mr Jimenezexplained Kennedy pridesitself onbeingan inclusiveenvironment for studentswhohavespecial needssotheycansuccessfully achievetheir academicgoals

Asour school community continuestobetter acclimate toitspre-pandemicself,it is essential toacknowledgeand thank thoseworkinghardto managethistransition from thelockdown Thisincludes administrators,teachers, librarians,andother staff Returningtotheregular midtermweek scheduleisyet another stepcloser to accomplishingthisgoal

COMIC: A YEAR WITH THE MURRAYS

BY SIENNA ROSENTHAL

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

A responseto toxic productivity: theriseof quiet quitting

BY ALEX LEVITT

Inaworldwhere hardwork theoreticallyleads tosuccess,it isingrainedfrom ayoungagethat wemust alwaysmaintainthat standard Oftentimes,people eat,sleep,andbreatheour work Forbesreportsthat morethan40%of Americans didnot takeasingledayoff in 2015 A shiveringstatistic becomesevenmorealarming whenyouconsider that 56% of thosewhotook adayoff still worked?insome capacity?whileawayfrom theoffice Thesestatisticsare unsurprisingduetothelack of work-lifebalanceintheUS

Weareexpectedtoliveinthis mindset;workingonly40 hoursaweek isconsidered abnormal

Wemust not recognizethe previousstatisticsas impressive:it isimportant to consider theadverseeffects

CNBCclaimsat least 50%of American workersreport feelingburnedout It isno coincidencethat this?work until youcannot?mentality correspondstothisburnout epidemic Thedetrimental impactson one?smental healthareonlyonepart of what isbeinglost tothis mindset Workershaveless timefor hobbies,spending timewithlovedones,and even attendingtobasicneeds; burnout leadstoworsehealth anddecreasedsleep,whilea busyscheduledoesnot leave adequatetimefor eating

Timeoff benefitsall parties involved;workersand managersbenefit from keepinghumanityandrespect intheworkplace

Inresponsetothetoxic productivity,a counter-movement of ?quiet quitting?hasrisen Definedas ?doingtheminimum requirementsof one?sjoband puttinginnomoretime, effort,or enthusiasmthan absolutelynecessary,?People aretired;theywant tobreak out of thismonotonous routine That iswhyit isnot astonishingtouncover that ?quiet quitters?compriseover 50%of theUSworkforce

significantlymorethan before Asworkplacesbecome moreandmoreconcentrated withyounger citizens,they bringtheir philosophieswith them

It isstill possibleto counteract theimplicationsof toxicproductivity Timefor yourself isessential,and gettinglost inthesame routinesiscritical It is necessarytoset boundaries

andlet therebeadistinction between theintensityof school andthetranquilityof home Rather than being victimsof our previous notionsof productivity, welcomingthechanges representinganew futurein workingAmericais beneficial

AlexLevittisastudentinthe Classof2023

healthyandexercising Onan economiclevel,Forbessays workplaceefficiency decreaseswhenworkersdo not takevacations,ultimately losingcompaniesmoney

Thiscounter-movement notatesadeviationfromthe norm Itsexistenceisan enigmawhenconsidering traditional capitalist beliefsof thecorrelationbetweenhard work andmoney;it standsin completeopposition This typeof work attitudeisnot a shock whenevaluating demographictrends Insider reportsthat GenZ?born between 1995and2012? valuework-lifebalance

Hamlinincident highlightsthedangersof football

BYLUCASLINN Contributor

OnJanuary2nd,ascaryscene unfoldedduringatense

Mondaynight football game betweentheCincinnati

BengalsandBuffaloBillsat

Paycor StadiuminCincinnati

Infront of over 60000

in-personfansand238 milliontelevisionviewers,the most inMondayNight Football history,Billssafety

Damar Hamlincollapsedon thefieldafter receivingahit tothechest fromBengals widereceiver TeeHiggins Hamlinwastakenoff thefield byambulanceandbrought to theUniversityof Cincinnati?s medical center Hewas treatedandreleasedon January11th,ninedaysafter thecrushingblow Thissituationunitedall

viewersandplayersalike,as Hamlin?scharityfoundation hasraisedover $9,000,000 sinceFebruary2nd,garnering donationsfromcurrent and former playersandsupportive fansandbusinesses

Whileit isclear that the football communitybands stronglyaround playersafter unfortunate circumstances, what istheretobe saidabout the leagueitself?What changescantheymaketostop thisfromhappeningagain?Is Damar Hamlin'ssituationa wake-upcall for theNFL?To me,not necessarily Here?s why

Thenatureof football isthe first reason that Damar Hamlin?ssituation isnot

necessarilyasport-altering situation Playerstakerisks eachandeverytimetheystep ontothefield These professional athleteshave doneit for years,playinghigh school,college,and professional football Every timetheystepontothefield, there'sarisk of life-changing injury,yet theykeepgoing Football isadangerousgame, andsomeplayersmaynot enjoyplayingwithout the bone-rattlinghitsand powerful collisions,nor will fansenjoywatching There areevenvideosdisplayingthe hardest hitsof all timeon YouTube Thedanger isan

unavoidablepart of football

It isn? t somethingthat canbe mitigatedinagameplayed likefootball

When danger isthis prevalent,theremust be proper assistanceincaseof a situation suchasDamar Hamlin's That assistancewas imperativein savinghislife, whichisanother reason this situation isnot necessarily sport-altering The NFL ispreparedfor situations intherareoccasionof somethingthat canbe life-threateningtoaplayer

An ambulancerolledontothe fieldinlessthan5minutes

Billstrainerswereassisting within 10secondsof Hamlin falling HewasgivenCPRfor 10minutesuntil apulsewas

felt,andtrainersadministered an AED,acritical part of restoringhisheartbeat

Thepreparednessof theNFL andPaycor Stadiuminthis situation savedHamlin'slife

TheNFL andplayersknow that football isdangerous,and thereisnot muchtodoto stopthat without changing thegameentirely However, thepreparednessand protocolsof theNFL inthis situation show that they know incidentslikethiscan happen

Isit worthchangingthegame peopleknow andlovebecause of theslimchanceof an incident likeHamlin?s?If so, what typesof changescould bemade?If theNFL is preparedtohandleit asthey showedamonthago,I believe theanswer isno

"Itisnecessarytosetboundariesandletthere beadistinctionbetweentheintensityof school andthetranquilityof home."

"TheNFLandplayersknowthatfootball is dangerous, andthereisnotmuchtodotostop thatwithoutchangingthegameentirely."

Toofast for ethics:theimmoral worldof fast fashion

BYGABRIELLA TEJADA Staffwriter

Inthepast decade,fast fashionhasswept theworld byofferingbargainpricesfor trendyoutfits Keepingup withfast-pacedtrends,stores likeZaraandH&M release hundredsof new stylesina matter of weeks Even faster areinternet-exclusive websitestakingover the fashionindustrythrough social media,likeShein and Alibaba Theymarket their productstoTikTok and Instagramusersusingtheir low pricestoattract consumers A websitewhere youcanbuydozensof trendy outfitsfor under $100istoo good Unfortunately,I have foundthistobetrue

Whenpeoplelook at fast fashionclothes,manyavoid thinkingabout thecompany's abusedworkers Peopleoften associatethesecompanies withworker exploitation, sincethewaysthese companiesusetheir laborers aresuspicious With companieslikeSheincentered inChinawithlaxlabor regulations,thesecompanies canexploit their workerswith longhoursandlittlepay In theUnitedStates,weare accustomedtoconstant discussionsabout raising minimumwagesandunions Worker?srightsintheUSare oftentakenfor granted,as manycountrieswhereour clothescomefromdonot haveasstrongregulations Sincethesecompaniesavoid USlabor regulationsby manufacturingclothesin countrieswherelaborershave

Rangersfansshouldn't give uponKakko,Lafreniere

littletonorights,onecan onlywonder about the severityof how workersare treatedinthesefactories

If fast fashiondidn? t seem suspiciousbefore,their proven damagetothe environment would Orders on fast fashionwebsites usuallytakealongtimeto shiptoyour house Your item will goonaplaneridefrom AsiatotheUS,landina warehouse,andbetakento your homeat your convenience Ontopof leavingan enormouscarbon footprint,theclothesare packagedwithalot of plastic wrapping Thisiswasteful andcontributestothedamage toour environment

Theclothesareoftenpoorly designedandnot durable Theyareusuallymadewith polyester,whichhasplastic, sotheseclothesbecome long-termproblems By establishingastandardof trendymass-produced clothes,consumersget hookedon ?throw-away culture,?wherediscarding tonsof clothesisnormal

Whilethemost apparent concernsof thesefast fashion companiesinvolvefishylabor conditionsandaterrible carbonfootprint,consumers tendtooverlook theimpact thesestoreshaveontheir

communities Duringthe emergenceof COVID-19, communitiesunitedto support local businesses That wasback in2020:it?sbeen threeyears Aswedive head-first intoinflation, companiesstruggletokeep regular pricesdownwithout

sacrificingprofit and customers,andthesefast fashionchainsarethrowing salt intheir wounds

Thesechainsarealso notoriousfor copying boutiquedesignerstokeepup withthetrends A designer, BaileyPrado,complainedthat Shein copiedover fortyof her designs RaehaKeller, another designer,was frustratedwithhow Shein stoleher designsandsold themat alower price If these companiesmimicthese trendydesignsat a considerablylower price,it seemslikeano-brainer to choosethecheaper option However,feedingintofast fashionhurtsthecreativeand hard-workingdesignerswho createstylishdesignsthat havethefateof being plagiarized Smaller businessesarebeing obliterated;thesebig companiesareplayingdirty bycopyingdesignstosteal customers

Fast fashionisan unethical industry However,fast fashionisn? t goingaway anytimesoon It wouldbe unlikelyfor afew complaints tostopthemomentumof fast fashion However,being awareof theconsequencesof thisindustryisimportant,as it caninspirechange H&M hastaken noteandalready advertiseditsproductstobe moreeco-friendly,andwhile havingconcernsover being misleading,thischangeisa start Next timeyouorder fromShein or Zara,consider goinglocal tosupport a cleaner industry

BYBEN ROTH Staffwriter

In2019and2020,Kaapo KakkoandAlexisLafreniere werethe#2and#1draft picks selectedbytheNew York Rangers Manyfansof the NHL havelabeledthembusts, astheyhaveacombined146 pointsthrough373games Althoughthat isanabysmal point total for suchhighpicks, fansneedtogivethemtime andachance

Everyonehasgivenupon LafreniereandKakko,even thoughtheyhaven? t played that poorly Theyarebeing comparedtosuperstarsin their draft class,suchasTim Stutzle,Jack Hughes,and Trevor Zegras Thedifference between thoseplayers,Kakko andLafreniere,isthat they weredraftedbymediocre teamsthat gavethem immediatetop6icetime KakkoandLafrenierehave playedbottomsixicetimefor most of their career,giving themlesstimetoput up points Also,someplayers takemoretimetodevelop thanothers FilipChytil was on thevergeof beinglabeleda bust after havingaroughfirst coupleof yearsontheNew York Rangersbut hasfinally comeout of hisshell and becomeasensational top9 scoringcenter

Their pointsonlytell part of thestory Not everythingis determinedsolelybasedon thenumber of pointsscored Playmakingisequallyas crucial asgoal-scoring Kakko hasbeengreat at controlling thepuck lately,andLafreniere wasplayinggreat

Additionally,it doesn? t help that coachGerardGallant has healthyscratchedbothplayers

inthelast twoseasonstosend messagestotheplayerstoplay better I don? t believethat that?sagoodstrategyasthat getsintheplayers?heads,and whilesometimestheyrespond withbetter play,it sometimes getsintheir headsandleadsto poorer play Thisstrategy resultsinthelossof confidencewithinplayersand couldalsoresult inthelossof aunitedteamspirit sincethe playersbegin toonlylook out for themselves Bythis, playerswill becomeselfishon theiceandcommit actions that will result intheir name beingheadlinedinsteadof thinkingandactingfor what isbest for theteam If Gallant givesKakkoandLafrenierea greater opportunitytoprove themselves,theywon? t be labeledbustsbut insteadas solidplayers

I predict that bytheendof thisseason,Kakkoand Lafrenierewill bothbe35+ point scorers,whichisn? t fantastic,but better thanwhat they'redoingcurrently Asof recently,KaapoKakkohas beenputtinguppoints playing?top-line?minuteson theicewithMikaZibanejad andChrisKreider,whichasa whole,hasbeenplaying amazinglylately That linehas alot of chemistry,and whoever hasthepuck always seemstoknow wherethe other playersare TheKakko/Lafreniere situationisconcerning The New York Rangersaregiving upon them It'schallenging for GM ChrisDruryand CoachGerardGallant Rome wasn? t built inaday,soI hope theRangersholdontothem andgivetheserookiesa chancetodevelopinto somethingextraordinary

CREATIVECOMMONSLICENSE

ProtestersinBerlintaketothestreettoarguethatfastfashionhurtstheenvironment

TheJamesWebb Telescope:A look into thegalaxy and history itself

BYJACOBLEVY

A year haspassedsincethe JamesWebbTelescopewas shot off intospacefromthe townof Kourouon the cloudyshoresof French Guiana,aprocessmorethan twentyyearsinthemaking TheHubbleSpace Telescope,namedafter thegreat astronomer EdwinHubble,known for discoveringthat thereweremoregalaxies thantheMilkyWay, waslaunchedin1990

Liketheastronomer,the HubbleTelescope providedvast amounts of information It showedusthat weare not aloneinthe universe Initsthree decadesof existence,the Hubblehasrevealed 4,000exoplanets,two previouslyunknown moonsof Pluto,more than1,000,000 observations,yielded morethan15,000 scientificpapers,and discoveredwater on Europa But thepossibly most important wasa phototakenin

December of 1995

Focusedonapreviouslydark sectionof theskyandtaken over tendays,it revealed 10,000galaxies,each decamillenniumsof light yearsacross TheHubble DeepField,asit wasknown, containedthousandsof galaxiesinlessthana 20-millionthof thenight sky,

comparabletoholdingagrain of sandat arm?slength But it alsoprovideduswith somethingevenmore interesting:Theuniverse's age:137billionyears,giveor takeafew hundredthousand years

Theuniverseis93billion

expansion allowed astronomerstocalculatethe ageof theuniversefinally But therewasoneminor issue:theHubbleTelescopeis blindintermsof thelight spectrumrange Nebulaearevast cloudsof gas andstardust,hundredsof

toodensefor visibleand ultraviolet light toreach through However,infrared light,or heat,canpass throughthesecloudsof interstellar dust,allowingit to reachthemost distant and ancient stars Thus,it begana kernel of theideathat would

light yearsacross,andit keeps expanding,sobythetimea telescopefirst detectsastar,it mayalreadybelongdead The starsdetectedbytheHubble showedsomeof theoldest starsinexistence,forminga merefew millionyearsafter theBigBang Knowingthe distancethelight hadtraveled andtheuniverse?srateof

light yearsacross Theyare thenurseriesof starsformed fromthesurrounding hydrogen andhelium However,nebulaeremained opaque,asvisiblelight was blockedout bythegasand dust that consistedof the nebula Sotoo,remainedvast sectionsof theuniverse, blockedout bydust clouds,

Constructionbeganin2003, intheGoddardSpaceFlight Center,inthesuburbsoutside of D C It wasnamedafter JamesE Webb,theNASA administrator whooversaw theGemini andMercury missions Thetelescopewas

designedwiththeutmost ingenuity It wassplit into threesections,thefirst being theOptical Telescope Element,whichconsistedof twoberylliummirrors(a primaryandsecondary mirror) usedfor gathering andreflectinglight intothe infraredcamera The secondwasthe ScientificInstrument Module,whichhoused four infraredcameras Finally,thethirdwas thespacecraft bus, whichconsistedof a paper airplane-shaped spacecraft,asunshield, an antenna,andsolar panels OnDecember 25th,fromthe EuropeanSpace Agency?smainspaceport intheFrenchGuiana town of Kourou,it was finallysent intothe great unknown Inits inaugural year,it has provideduswithsome of themost stunning photosof theuniverse, fromtheCarinaNebula, awashwithflamingreds andoranges,tothe gapingmaw of the Southern RingNebula, totheWebbTelescope?s veryownDeepField,takenof asimilarlysmall shot of the sky,revealingan almost kaleidoscopicview of the worldaroundus,surrounded bywonderspractically incomprehensibletothe human eye

becometheJamesWebb Telescope

Columnist

JAMESWEBBTELESCOPE

Full-colorimagesfromNASA'sJamesWebbSpaceTelescopeliketheonesaboveprovidedaglimpseofwhattheearlyUniverselookedlike

JacobLevyisastudentinthe Classof2026

I recentlyhadthepleasureof visitingVillaD?Aqua,located onBellmoreAvenuein Bellmore,andI was thoroughlyimpressed withmydining experienceat My preconceivednotions of thisrestaurant being solelyanItalian restaurant were provenincorrect astheyoffer various proteinsand other entrees

Theservice wasnothing short of incredible All theemployees haveextensive knowledgeof the menu,andthey takecareof their customerstoensure theyhaveapositive experienceat the restaurant I recommend thisrestaurant toall, whether after alongbeach dayor onawarmspring dayasyougrabarefreshing biteof classicItalianfood

Therestaurant'srusticyet

warmaestheticmakesit perfect for outingswith familyandfriends The restaurant servesprettymuch anytypeof traditional Italian foodaswell asalarge varietyof meatsand fish

ThoughI hadnever personallygot toask theowner any direct questions(I didn? t want tomakeit obvious they were serving a budding critic),I had talked tomost of the staff about therestaurant andtheir thoughtson workingthereas well ashow the pandemicaffected them Most of theveteransI spoketowho hadworked therefor many yearsexpressedthat they

enjoyteachingtheyoung staff thereandthat it feels goodtopasstheir trade-off tosomeoneelse

Unfortunately,thepandemic hadadetrimental effect on theestablishment astheyhad toclosetherestaurant temporarily Thoughthis wassadfor their loyal clientele,manycontinuedto purchasefromhereasthe qualitynever declined With shippingissuesandlabor shortages,maintainingthe typical priceandqualitytook alot of work However,after myexperience,it wasclear that theytriedtheir best to keepthecost down

First,let'sstart withthe appetizers Friedcalamari isa verytemperamental dish,and if not cookedproperly,it can bechewy,but at this establishment,thecalamari wasperfectlycooked The calamari wasaccompaniedby atraditional tomatosauce that wasmagnificent The shrimpcocktail wascrispand delicious,yet alsosweet and salty Youwouldnot get this typeof freshnessat anyother establishment

What setstherestaurant apart fromall theothersisthe foodquality:I don't think I havehadabetter shrimpin myentirelifeof eating seafood I wouldhighly recommendthisappetizer Ontothehighlight of my diningexperience:the entrees Right off thebat,they recommendedthat I trythe Porterhousesteak asoneof themaindishes When I receivedthesteak,I

immediatelynoticeditsrich color AsI took myfirst bite,I noticedthat thesteak seeminglymeltedinmy mouth,atexturethat I can onlydescribeasheavenly

Thenext dishI triedwasthe grilledoctopus If done correctly,it hasasimilar consistencytoapieceof pork Theycrushedit out of the park,tomydelight,andit was delicious I suggest it for peoplewhodon't usuallylike fishbut wouldliketoexpand their palettetoseafood

Thelast dishI triedwasthe pappardellebolognese It was thebest pastadishI hadtried inmyentireexperienceat the establishment It wasso deliciousandsweet,yet at the sametimesavoryandsalty, providingtheperfect mouthfeel andbalanceof flavor I recommendthisto anyoneandeveryonewhohas

steppedfoot inthis restaurant,asit most certainly openedmymindtohow I feel about pastawithmeat sauce

Overall,myexperiencesover thefew timesI went were nothingshort of amazing ConsideringI aminthe culinaryprogramat Kennedy HighSchool,it wasinspiring toseewhat great thingscan bedoneinakitchenandwhat animpact foodhason people andbrighteningtheir day

VillaD'Aquaisconveniently locatedonBellmoreAvenue about ahalf milenorthof the school Youhaveprobably passedtheestablishment on your wayhomeandhaven't givenit muchthough Consider alatelunchor early dinner next time!

BYZACHARYLANDSMAN

Staffwriter

PHOTOCOURTESY OFVILLA D AQUA

ZacharyLandsmanisastudent intheCHAMPprogram

Thefiletmignonservedinaredwinesauce

Cr ier Reads

InMarchof 1991,the nation'sliteraryworldwas indictedbyBret Easton Ellis?s compellingandcontroversial novel AmericanPsycho,a satirical storyconfrontingthe attack of American consumerismon individualityandmorality

AmericanPsychotakesreaders throughWall Street?s overpricedbrownstonesand restaurant luxuries Theyare brought intotheworldof the novel?sprotagonist Patrick Bateman,amaterialist micromanager whocould nametheworthof everythingyoupossess

Americanauthor Bret Easton Ellis,amember of the young-mindedliterarybrat

by SophiaSt Surin

pack of the1980s,wrotethis novel asatestament tohis ownspiral downtherabbit holeof isolation,inwhichhe assumedmaterialismwould ?give[him] confidenceand make[him] feel good?when inactuality,it further loweredhisself-esteem The filmadaptation of Ellis?work wouldbereleasedonlya decadelater,starring ChristianBaleandJared Leto,inwhichanew businesscardbecomesa deathwish

AmericanPsycho,an exceptional work of horror fictionandpostmodern literature,takesplaceina money-hungryand all-consumingNew York City Patrick Bateman,the story?sprotagonist,isa satiricallyexaggeratedand accurateself-insert of who

Ellismight havebeenhadhe downplayedhisconsumerist behaviors Bateman isa twenty-seven-year-oldmale withacopiousamount of facial andbodycleansing products,aworryingly immoderateworkout routine,andanausterediet throughwhichheclaims self-care Throughout the novel,weseeBateman nonsensicallycompetewith hiscontemporaries,whoare equallyobsessedwith?the pleasuresof conformityand theimportanceof trends? Thesesuperficial individuals, whoseemtobetheonly peopleinPatrick?ssocial sphere,eachuseoneanother toclimbhigher inthesocial credibilityhierarchyand project their insecuritieson Thisemotionally-deficient lifestyledevelopshimtolead another lifeof psychopathic

andserial murders Readers follow amost mockable Batemanon ahorrific journeythroughbothlives

Elliscritiquestheeffectsof consumerismon independenceandhow it stripsusof beingemotionally expressive Onceruledby materialisticvalues,our decisionsarenolonger our own,but productsof what mainstreamculturehas conditionedustodesire Like Bateman,althoughthereisan awarenessanddeep understandingof issues greater thannot beingableto book areservationat atrendy restaurant,it iseasytofall victimtoan egocentric lifestyle Therefore,when thereisarevelationthat the content of our heartsisnot beingfulfilledbyconsuming goodswedon? t even need,we

mournthelossof our humanitythroughisolation, depression,or,inthe thankfullyrarecaseof Patrick Bateman,extremehomicide

If youareeasilytriggeredby racist sentiments,misogyny, and(of course)extreme violence,youmaywant to refrainfromreadingthis book,astheserun rampant throughit Thisisnot tosay that it won? t bringall readers discomfort,but theultimate goal of thenovel istoshake audiencesup Besidesthat, AmericanPsychohasearneda five-star rating Thenovel is fast-pacedandgripping, beingjust ascreativeandfun asit isthought-provoking andcontroversial If you?re lookingfor atimelessliterary indulgent,consider thisfor your next vacation

TheWhaleisafilmmaker'srepresentation of loveand grief

BYERICROGERS Staffwriter

DarrenAronofsky?sfilmsare never easytowatchand alwaysprovocative,andhis latest film,TheWhale,isno exception It facedserious criticismfor BrendanFraser?s portrayal of Charlie,thefilm?s maincharacter,inwhichhe wearsshockinglyrealistic prostheticstocreatethe appearanceof anobeseman Peopleonlinesaw thisas fat-phobicandhavesaid Charlieisanoffensive caricatureof overweight people Inreality,Aronofsky?s new filmoffersabeautiful storyof love,shame,loss,and family

Thefilmwasreleasedon December 9thof last year, withBrendan Fraser and SadieSink portrayingthe dysfunctional father-daughter relationshipof Charlieand Ellie Thefilmopenswith Charlie,a600-poundonline collegeprofessor,inhis apartment Charliebeginsto haveaheart attack,but luckilyThomas,ayoung missionaryplayedbyTy Simpkins,comesinasit occurs CharliehasThomas readhimanessayabout the novel MobyDick,aconstant referencethroughout the film,whichhelpscalmhim down Charlie?snursefriend Liz,playedbyHongChau, arrivestohelpCharlie Liz

yellsat her friendabout how heneedstogotothehospital, or hewill die,but Charlie refusesbecauseit istoo expensive,another themein thefilm

Charlieremainsisolatedfor most of thefilm,ordering food,waitingfor thedelivery guytoleavesohecanpick it up,andleavinghiscameraoff whileteachinghisonline classes Theentirefilmtakes placeinhisapartment, reminiscent of thestory?s rootsasaplaywrittenby Samuel D Hunter Thefew peoplewhoseeCharlie duringthefilmincludeLiz, Thomas,andEllie After not seeingher father for eight

years,Elliecomestohis apartment after hecontacts her Ellieholdsgreat resentment towardher father for abandoningher andher mother for Alan,Charlie?s boyfriend,whopassedaway beforethefilm'sstart,causing hisexcessiveeatingand, ultimately,hisobesity The onlyreason Elliestaysaround her father isthat heagreedto writeessaysfor her,asshe wasnearlyfailingout of school,andhewouldgiveher all themoneyhehadbeen saving Shehurlshurtful commentsat himtheentire timesheisthere,fueledby what shebelievesishatredfor him,all whileCharlieisjust happytohaveher as company

Thefilm's controversy isheavily focusedon thefact that Fraser plays amorbidly obeseman, whichis seenas offensive

Peoplesay thefilm makes overweight peopleseem monstrous andshould beashamed of themselves Many peopleused thescene where

Charliebingeeatsasan exampleof thisnegative caricature Thedialogue throughout thefilmhasalso beenusedtofurther this argument,suchasThomas andElliereferringtoCharlie asdisgusting

Charlie?sweight isnot meant tobeseenasasourceof disgust but asaphysical representation of hisshame andgrief Charliedespises himself for leavinghis daughter andex-wifefor Alan andfallsintoabottomlesspit of despair after losingAlan, leavinghimalone Hisweight comesfromthoseeventsand furthershisisolationashe hidesawayfromtheworld Theweight actsasastand-in for theeffectsof any unhealthycoping mechanisms Charliehas experiencedsomuchpain, andFraser makesthe audiencefeel everyounceof it Even withall Charliehas experienced,hestill believes inthegoodnessintheworld andpeople AsCharliesaysin thefilm,peopleareamazing

TheWhaleisthestoryof a manwithsomuchguilt and grief built upinsidehimyet still hassomuchloveandcare togive Charlieisan extremelyhumancharacter, andthefilmwouldnot bethe samewithout Fraser?s tear-jerkingperformance Thecontroversyaroundthis filmdistractsfromitstrue beauty,andAronofskyhas deliveredamasterpiecethat must beseen

AmericanPsycho by Bret Easton Ellis Knopf Doubleday

RickandMortycontinuesto impressten yearslater

BYDEVIN PRYOR Staffwriter

RickandMorty,atelevision show releasedin2013,has becomeoneof themost successful cartoonsof itstime It followsauniversallygenius scientist andhisteenage grandson,MortySanchez

Theytravel toother planets, galaxies,universes,andeven dimensions Sometimesthey bringalongBethSanchez

(Morty?smom),JerrySanchez (Morty?sDad),or Summer Sanchez(Morty?ssister) All of thesecharactershave uniquecharacteristics

Producedandanimatedby JustinRoiland,whoalsoplays thetwomaincharacters,Rick andMorty,theshow has grossedover 10billionviews andstill counting,especially consideringthenew releaseof season6on September 4th, 2022

If youwant toknow anything about Rick andMorty,it isincredibly dark and philosophical Thisshow is not harmless humor,asin TheSimpsons or Futurama

Thehumor isdark,the charactersaredark,andthe themesaredark Rickand Mortywill divedeepinto universallytrueissuesfor manypeople,whichiswhyso manypeoplecanconnect and fall inlovewiththeshow

What issoincredibleabout theshow isthat youcan approachit at manylevels

Youcantreat theshow likea cartoonabout analcoholic geniusthat forceshis grandsontogoon these insaneadventuresthat are hilarious,absurd,andmost definitelyout of thenorm,or youcanpick apart theshow tofinddeeper meanings

Under thefunnynamesof the colorful charactersRick and Mortymeet throughout their adventuresandthejokes, thereisadark andprofound truth Oftenyouwill find Rick speakingadeeper truth

throughout theepisodes

Incredibly,RickandMortycan pack somuchphilosophical andscientificreason intoa singleepisode

RickandMortyessentially truth-bombsor callsout everythingweholdclosetous ashumans Rick comments onlove,nature,family,and religion Nothingisholding himback,andhemakesit clear that it isalmost insignificant Thissaid,the dynamicheshareswith Mortyalmost contradictshis feelingstowardthethings mentionedabove This createdthisextrememystery that maybeevenRick,the smartest man inall the universes,can't explain somethingsuchaslove

Thesethemesareespecially exploredinseason 6,where theytalk about deep

philosophical subjectsthat are prettyeye-opening Every episodedivesintotopicslike loveandfatewhilestill maintainingabeautiful balanceof humor and deepness If youlove animation,comedy,anddark humor,thisshow isright up your alley If youloveshows that fluff deepsubjectsand significantlyaffect you,this show ismost definitelyfor you

Hopefully,theserieswill continue,asthecreator Justin Roilandhasrecentlycut ties withAdult SwimNetwork RickandMortyhasan excellent chanceof beingone of themost compelling animationsinthelast two decades I recommendit to anyonewhowantsbotha heavyshow that canbetaken prettyseriouslyor adark animatedcomedy

CINEMABLEND "RickandMorty"followsthemisadventuresofRickSanchezand hisgrandsonMortySmith

BASEBALL

frompage16

Robertson,infielder Danny Mendick,andMORE! In additiontothesefree-agent signings,theMetshave completedmultipletrades, mainlyfor bullpenhelpand pitchingdepth Withall these movesandan alreadysolid coreof playerssuchasPete Alonso,Jeff McNeil,and FrancisoLindor,aswell as youngprospectson theway, it'shardnot tobeexcited headingintothe2023season

Manyanalystsandfanssay that theNew York Metscould comeinfirst place,but some areskeptical becauseof their toughdivision Even with upgradestotheteam,the AtlantaBravesand

PhiladelphiaPhillieswill still betoughtobeat Bothteams haverecent successasthe

BravesweretheWorldSeries Championsin2021,andthe PhilliesweretheNational LeagueChampionsin2022, losingintheWorldSeries LiketheMets,bothteams madeadditionsandchanges, sothiswill beanexcitingrace towatch Nomatter how the final standingsendup,Mets fansshouldbeexcitedabout a great year ahead TheYankeesshouldbe successful thisyear,too,as theylook toreturntothe playoffs Last year,the Yankeesgot off toahistoric start going44-16tostart the season If theYankeeshad kept that samepacefor the entireseason,theywouldhave earnedabout 119wins,which would?veset anMLBrecord However,theYankeesslowed downtheir pace,earning99

wins,whichwasstill enough towintheir competitive division Their season ended witha4-0AmericanLeague ChampionshipSerieslossto theHoustonAstros,falling just short of aWorldSeries appearance TheYankees wereledbyoutfielder Aaron Judge,whosmashed62home runs,breakingtheAmerican Leaguesingle-season record In additiontohispower numbers,hecameinsecond placefor theBatting Champion title,awardedto theplayer withthehighest battingaverage Decliningan extension inthespringof 2022,AaronJudgewasafree agent headingintotheyear, but heendedupsigninga nine-year contract worth $360,000,000withthe Yankees TheYankeesalso madeother bigmoves,signing first baseman AnthonyRizzo back totheteamandstarting pitcher CarlosRodóntoa monstrousdeal

SimilarlytotheMets,many fanscanseethemcomingin first,but everyteaminthe American LeagueEast division hasachancetobe competitive TheToronto BlueJays,TampaBayRays, andBaltimoreOrioleswereall winningteamsandshouldsee continuedsuccess The Oriolesfinishedlast season witha 512winning percentage- ahuge improvement over their 321 winningpercentagetheyear before Thelast teamintheir division,theBostonRedSox, hasachancetobegood,but their roster still hassome questionablepieces What?s brewingintheBronxhasan opportunitytobespecial Muchremainstobeseenas theclubpreparesfor spring

GRECO frompage16

tobecomesuccessful Ben comments,?WhileI was doingthiswork,it entailed conductingresearchby contactingpeopletocomplete surveysandanalyzingthedata fromthoseandwritingthe paper associatedwiththis researchandtheessays requiredfor theRegeneron ScienceTalent Search?Ben?s hardwork onandoff thefield hasbeenevidenceof his character andportrayshis perseveranceand determination Ben'scoachonthevarsity

lacrosseteam,Mr Craig Papach,remarkedon Ben's work ethic,"Benisextremely busyasastudent athlete- he never hasaneasyday? many of our studentsarebusy- but Bennever cutsacorner, and never letsanyonedown He hashighexpectationsfor himself,andhedoesanything possibletoreachthose expectations

Beingagoaliecanbehighly challengingmentally, especiallyafter lettingina goal It requirestechniqueand skill whilealsorequiringa solidandconfident persona ?After allowingagoal,I remindmyself that all I cando

now istostopthenext one- I can't goback andchangewhat happened,but I canhavea positivemindset andbeready tomakethenext save?It?s essential tobeconfident with your skill andabilitieswhile beingoptimisticabout the upcomingplaysandsituations of thegame It isimportant to havethemindof agoldfish, somemaysay Ben'sexcellent character hasallowedhimto succeedthishockeyseason At timeof publication,the Bulldogswerepreparingfor a three-gamechampionship seriesagainst theSyosset Braves,ateamtheBenand histeammatesbeat byascore of 3-2earlier thisseason

"ManyanalystsandfanssaythattheNew YorkMetscouldcomeinfirstplace, butsome areskeptical becauseof their toughdivision "

Sports

February2023

Winter track team excelled asa team, individually

BYADRIANNA CALIFANO Sportseditor

Thisseasonfor winter track at Johnf KennedyHigh School hasbeenonetogo downinthebooks Theteam hashadmonumental success andcontinuestoasmany membersadvancetoCounty Championships

CoachesMammoneand

Hischhavenamedcaptains

SaraMaltempi andChris Fieldfor thefirst timeinsix years Asleaders,Maltempi andFieldhavegreatly improvedtheteam'shigh spiritsandencouragedtheir teammemberstogivetheir all

Theteamhashit massive milestonesintheprogram?s historyat Kennedy For the first timein20years, Kennedyhashadfivegirl

throwersthrowingover 20 feet intheshot put (Grace Ham,Kei Tobias,Sophie Shiner,JillianRosenkrantz, HailieSiegler) Amongthese throwers,sophomoreGrace Hambroketheschool record intheweight throw witha whopping21?9

SophomoreAbbyFinkelstein isthefirst girl at Kennedyin recent yearstomakeit tothe 55-meter finalswithatimeof 816seconds Withconsistent work andpractice,Finkelstein wasabletoshavethat timeto 809,whichisextremely impressive

Recently,intheMarineCorps

HolidayClassicat the Armory,sophomoreMorgan Beersbrokethelongjump meet recordwithajumpof

14?115 Captain Sara Maltempi commented,?We?re luckytohaveayoungteam

Withmanyof our best athletesbeingfreshmenand sophomores,thefutureof Kennedytrack andfieldis lookingreallybright asthese talentedathleteshaveplenty of timetogrow andimprove? Seeingwhat theyoungteam cangrow intosomething even morespectacular is exciting

Additionally,for theboys, Nick Iannelli isthefirst Kennedyboyinrecent history tomakeit totheCounty Championships However, Iannelli didnot just makeit to theCountyChampionships; hemadeit tothe championshipsinthree different events,whichis outstanding

Recently,manyteam membershavewon medalsat theConference Championships EricIsaac

receivedfirst placefor the longjump,Nick Lannelli receivedthirdplacefor the 1000-meter run,andMorgan Beersreceivedfifthplacefor thelongjumpandfourthfor thetriplejump The4x200 team,EricIsaac,ChrisField, Xander St Fleur,andAshton Martire,alsoreceivedfourth place

Captain andsenior Chris Fieldsaid,? I knew coming intotheyear,I hadalot of goalstoreachandalot of timestobreakfor myraces I workedharder thanever throughout theyear and basicallyjust toldmyself that I hadtodeal withthepainof track workoutsif I wantedto reachthesegoals Giving credit wherecredit isdue, though,I wasabletokeep Gettingbetter withmy determination tocompete

withmyfellow Sprinter Alexander St Fleur We pushedeachother tobe better,whichplayedahuge roleinour successthisyear Theteamhadatremendous stringof PRs(personal records) thisyear,andit felt great tobeapart of that lookingforwardtothecounty meet next week ?

Thiswinter track teamhas donethemost inthe program?shistory,andit isso excitingtocontinuetowatch theprogramgrow Havinga youngteamhasbenefitssince it allowstheteamtogrow anddevelop Withcontinued practiceandfurther development,theschool looks forwardtoseeingwhat this bunchhasinstorenext season

New York baseball fanspreparefor springafter busy off-season

BYJORDAN SIEGEL Staffwriter

Asthedaysgrow longer, springisapproaching, meaningMajor League Baseball istoo BoththeMets andYankeeswill playtheir first springtraininggamesat theendof themonth,starting onFebruary25,2023 The Metsplaytwogames,taking ontheHoustonAstrosinthe afternoonandtheMiami Marlinsintheevening In contrast,theYankeesarejust playingoneagainst the PhiladelphiaPhillies After

springtraining,though,even bigger thingsareaheadfor thesefranchises,bothof whichwill haveexcitingand uniqueyears

Last year,theNew York Mets finishedwith101winsand61 losses,but theystill finished behindtheBraves,earning secondplaceintheNational LeagueEast Division Even thoughtheMetswere favoredgoingintothewild cardround,theyendedup losingthreegamestotheSan DiegoPadres,endingthe

2022seasonfor them This year,thefutureseemsbright for theMets,astheir multi-billionaireowner Steve Cohenhassignedsomelarge contractswithnumerousstar players Theseadditions include:startingpitcher JustinVerlander,outfielder BrandonNimmo,starting pitcher JoséQuintana,closing pitcher EdwinDíaz,catcher Omar Narváez,relievers AdamOttavinoandDavid

BASEBALL |Page15

Ben Greco hasspent hisathleticcareer goal-driven, hasreaped the rewardsof hard work

BYJADEN WALDINGER Staffwriter

Throughout hischildhood, BenjaminGrecohasbeena multi-sport athlete For the past 12years,Benhasbeen playinghockey Hispassion beganwhenhewasinspired byaneighbor whosefamily wasextensivelyinvolvedin thecommunityandplayed hockey Thispassionsoon grew asBenstartedtolove thesport,andit becamean integral part of hislife Asa goalie,Benusedtosee

himself aslessof aleader and moreof aroleplayer, stoppingthepuck andnot doingmuchelse Inreality, Ben?sroleisvital andplaysa significant roleon histeam simplybecauseheisthe goalie Heleadstheteamand directsthemaroundtheiceto ensuretheir successin defense,andheisalsoa tremendousplay-maker offensivelybyredirectingthe puck aroundtheice Benhas tobementallystrongtoplay thisposition becauseof the immensepressurethat

accompaniesbeinginthenet

AccordingtoBen,?Playing hockeywithmyfriendsand spendingtimewiththemthis wayissomeof themost funI have Inthesameway, lacrossebringsmeaton of joy?Ben hasalsoplayed lacrossegoaliefor tenyears andiscontinuinghiscareer at Hamilton CollegeinUpstate New York Hehasonemore season of lacrosseinhisHigh School career until he advancesintocollegetoplay Heisoptimisticabout the

seasonandhasshown extremeexcitement Ben?s dadhasbeenasignificant influenceon him Beinga former All-Countylacrosse player duringhighschool,his dadhasbeenan inspirationin hiscareer andhascontributed muchtohissuccess Benisa leader onandoff thefield, providinggreat leadershipto hislacrosseandhockey teammates

Balancinganacademiccareer withmultiplesportscan challengemany

student-athletes Ben hasa busyscheduleand,on topof that,isinvolvedinthe AdvancedScienceResearch program Theprogram requiresasignificant amount of work andishighly time-consuming Ben is researchingtheimpact that COVID-19andpartisan bias hadon people'sperception andtrust inthegovernment Benspent alot of time perfectinghisresearchskills

GRECO|Page15

JustinVerlandersigneda2-year,$867millioncontractwiththeNewYorkMets THEATHLETIC