Seaford Herald 03-24-2024

Dressed to impress in the city

The Seaford High School Marching Band took part in the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade on a near-perfect day last Saturday, when the student musicians debuted their new uniforms.

Story, more photos, Page 3.

Staying a step ahead of the hackers Students learn real-world applications in cybersecurity class

By CHARlES SHAW

cshaw@liherald.com

At Seaford High School, students are learning some of the latest computer skills in the district’s new cybersecurity class.

The course, which started in the fall, was designed by Project Lead the Way, a nonprofit organization that develops science, technology, engineering and math curriculum for schools around the country. According to Steven Roveto, who teaches the class, Seaford is the second district on Long Island to offer the cybersecurity course.

The class comprises 25 boys — It’s also open to

girls, but none signed up — in 10th through 12th grades, who are led by an online guide and work in groups to solve problems and complete projects.

“I enjoy it,” Roveto said of the program. “They’re a good group of kids and they work pretty hard.”

Students learn the basics of cybersecurity, which includes protection of personal devices as well as system and network security. They are taught about data protection for social media and emails, and laptop configurations for securing personal information.

Currently, Roveto explained, they are learning

An educator to students and teachers alike

By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com

This is part one of a series on two Wantagh educators who were recognized as distinguished teachers by the Harvard Club of Long Island.

Wantagh High School English teacher Heather Naughton is a mentor to not only students, but to other teachers as well, and has received recognition for her influence on both throughout the district.

During this school year, Naughton, who has been a teacher in the district for 22 years, was accepted into the New York State Education Department’s Virtual Implementation of Teaching and Learning educator program, training participants to become experts in teaching virtual and hybrid instructions to their colleagues. The state program takes a look at what good came

out of the remote learning process during the pandemic, and what educators can learn from that experience, Naughton said.

While reports of a learning loss among students swept through the country, Naughton noted that some positives included students taking their classes online, especially in Wantagh, where most had access to Wi-Fi and computers.

A t Wantagh, the teachers really make the school an amazing, fantastic school to go to every day, and I just wanted to give back.

MEl ANiE Volz Wantagh High School Class of 2021 valedictorian

“What I actually heard from some of my students was that they found it to be successful for them,” Naughton said, “that they were able to make time for their families in a way that they hadn’t before because they were home all the time.”

Naughton said students adopt rigorous schedules, which include school, sports and extracurricular activities. Through remote learning, students said they had time to study, read a book and spend time with their fami-

Continued on page 5

Courtesy Seaford school district

What’s neWs in and out of the classroom

HERALD SchoolS

School newspaper features old-school journalism

The young journalists of Wantagh High School’s student newspaper, The Warrior, are making an impact both in print and online.

Editor-in-chief Michelle Smith, a senior, received honorable mention in the best sports story category in the Quill Journalism competition. Awards were presented at Adelphi University’s Press Day on Feb. 16. Her piece, which appeared in The Warrior’s fall edition, was a recap of the 2023 varsity football season. Michelle was the paper’s sports editor last year and plans to major in broadcast journalism in college, with aspirations of becoming an NHL announcer.

“I was really excited and it was nice to get the recognition in as a senior,” Michelle said of receiving the award. “I love getting to explore what I’m passionate about and I do enjoy writing about a variety of topics.”

Newspaper adviser Chris Rafferty commended Michelle for her hard work and dedication to the paper, from writing stories, to planning each edition, to managing a staff.

“Michelle is a phenomenal editor-in-chief and deserves every accolade that she gets,” he said. “She is a very talented writer and interviewer.”

The Warrior is expanding beyond its thriceannual print publication. Michelle and junior

Lorenzo Hilliard have joined together to expand The Warrior’s reach by using social media. Michelle took over management of the Instagram account as a junior, and this year welcomed Lorenzo to the team, whose video interviews with students and teachers are creating a buzz around the school.

Lorenzo’s Corner launched in January and he posts one or two new interviews each week on the @wantagh_warrior_newspaper Instagram account. He asks the interview subjects about music, school activities, favorite foods and more. His inspiration comes from Instagram and TikTok personalities who do on-the-street interviews, and wanted to bring that to Wantagh High School. Lorenzo said it merges his interests in theater and journalism.

“It adds something original to the school,” Lorenzo said, noting that the interviews are light-hearted and meant to make people smile. “Everyone seems to love it.”

Michelle added that The Warrior’s growing presence on Instagram is beneficial to the newspaper and brings more attention to the great work of the newspaper staff. When people visit the Instagram page to view Lorenzo’s Corner, they frequently click on the link to The Warrior website in the bio section to read the latest stories.

Members of the Wantagh Fire Department attended the Grand Marshal Dinner, hosted by the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce, on March 7 to present John Theissen, this year’s grand marshal, with a fire department St. Patrick’s Day sweatshirt. The fire department says they support many of the John Theissen Children’s Foundation events throughout the year and congratulated Theissen for being chosen as the 2024 Grand marsh

Courtesy Wantagh Fire Department

Courtesy Wantagh school district Wantagh High School junior Lorenzo Hilliard has launched a new video interview series for The Warrior newspaper’s Instagram account and editor-in-chief Michelle Smith received honorable mention for a sports story in the Quill Journalism competition.

Heather Naughton is humbled to be recognized

Continued from page 1

lies, according to Naughton. Some students found positives in remote learning, and Naughton wanted to find ways to merge both in-person and virtual learning environments.

The state program centers on all types of learning environments and looks at what worked for students from emergency remote teaching, according to Naughton. She added that the program focuses on how to engage all students and their families and how to keep implementing these positive experiences that came from remote learning.

“It’s about the technology, it’s about the relationships, it’s about finding the best learning environment for all students,” Naughton said of the program. “But it’s also about maximizing every learning environment for all students.”

According to the program’s website, educators who complete all requirements will receive a stipend of $14,500 and statewide designation as a VITAL Trainer at the conclusion of their training in July.

Naughton is also co-director of the Wantagh-Seaford Teacher Resource And Computer Training program, also known as TRACT, which she has been a part of for 10 years. TRACT, a professional development center for teachers, introduced more virtual training workshops last year, which Naughton said has made it more convenient for teach-

ers with busy schedules. With TRACT, teachers discuss teaching, best practices for students and how to grow as an educator.

“I’ve invested in teaching teachers for a long time,” Naughton said. “I think that the best parts of our practice grow out of conversations with each other.”

In February, Naughton received a letter from the Harvard Club of Long Island, announcing that she had won the club’s Distinguished Teacher Award for 2024. Each year, the club asks current Harvard undergraduates to write a letter nominating teachers who made the greatest difference in their lives.

Melanie Volz, Wantagh’s Class of 2021 valedictorian, wrote a letter describing Naughton as a “fearless advocate for us, and amazing mentor for two years, able to cater to all the students’ needs and help them grow in their success.”

Volz, a junior at Harvard University, nominated Naughton, who was her teacher for the AP Capstone program in Wantagh, because she wanted to show her appreciation of teachers who had a meaningful impact on her life.

“At Wantagh, the teachers really make the school an amazing, fantastic school to go to every day, and I just wanted to give back,” Volz said.

In the AP program, Volz worked on research projects and wrote reports while Naughton helped develop her

in addition, naughton

the Harvard Club of Long island’s distinguished teacher award.

writing style through discussions and commenting on her papers. Volz said that receiving criticism for her writing was hard, but Naughton’s comments left a lasting impression.

“After coming to college, I realized

how much of a stronger writer I was compared to my classmates,” Volz said, “and it was solely because of this program and especially Miss Naughton for giving me a chance of explaining my own interests in research projects and also just always being there.”

Naughton said of Volz, “She was a phenomenal student. I joked with her all the time that she didn’t really need a teacher.”

Wantagh High School Principal Paul Guzzone said Naughton sets a high bar for her students to succeed, but she is there to help them reach it.

“She takes children who never thought they could do certain things, and by the end of the year, they’re doing those things,” Guzzone said. “I’ve seen tears of celebration between students and Miss Naughton. It’s truly magical with some of the stuff she does with students in her classroom.”

According to the Harvard Club of Long Island, Naughton is one of 10 teachers across the 125 districts of Long Island to be recognized for this year’s award.

“It is deeply humbling,” Naughton said of receiving the award. “I can’t lie and say teaching hasn’t been harder in the last couple of years, I think that’s just across what’s been unprecedented challenges. The kindness of students to recognize the work that you’ve done is what touches me most about it.”

Courtesy Wantagh School District Heather naughton, an english teacher at Wantagh High School, has been accepted into the State education department’s VitaL educator program to train colleagues in virtual learning.

received

Embracing AI — but in a responsible way

By Rachele Terranova, Parker Schug & Brendan Carpenter

Continuing a series exploring the presence of artificial intelligence in our schools — and, over time, in society as a whole. Thoughts? Questions? Ideas? Email us at execeditor@liherald.com.

What place does artificial intelligence have in schools? Should it be feared? Embraced? Somewhere in between?

These are conversations that didn’t even exist a year ago — at least as far as education is concerned. But as AI becomes more and more accessible, students and teachers alike are finding they can use software to ask questions, find answers, and even complete their work faster — and maybe even better — than they ever could.

But no matter how some may feel about AI — or simply not even understand what AI is — the tool is making its way into schools and curriculum. How fast and how much depends on the district. But at this point, it seems teachers and administrators on Long Island are accepting AI rather than running from it.

Revolutionizing teaching and learning

One of those districts is Bellmore-Merrick Central High School, which is not just introducing AI to its students — it’s already turning it into a college-level course.

Offered through the computer science department at Calhoun High School in Merrick, the magnet course partners with Long Island University to offer the college credit to not only Calhoun students, but also those from Kennedy and Mepham high schools in Bellmore, too.

“Each project is aligned with artificial intelligence topics that showcase the practical applications of AI,” said Danielle Caliendo, the district’s mathematics and computer science chair.

Students learn the Python programming language while creating AI chatbots. They also program a robot created by a French technology company to use AI features like facial recognition. And they fly drones.

Students also completed a linear regression project designed to make predictions based on existing data, like how public company stocks might perform.

Each project is aligned with AI topics that showcase the tool’s practical applications.

Joe Innaco, who leads the district’s administrative and instructional technology efforts, sees technologies like ChatGPT— a free chatbot system designed to provide a human-like response to a prompt— as fascinating possibilities.

try class.

“If you look at the history, there was a lot of resistance because it would eliminate all the thinking of doing trigonometry,” he said. “It was used, and it was embraced. And it saves more time for creative thinking and innovation.”

“Our vision is of opportunity and innovation,” he said. “That’s how we see technologies like these. Opportunities and innovations for teachers. We want to provide training. We want to encourage exploration in model classrooms, spotlight success, and really host conversations about it.”

Embracing AI goes right to the stop of the Bellmore Public Schools district, where superintendent Joe Famularo already serves on several AI advisory boards at institutions like Adelphi University, New Tech Institute and LIU. He also participates in think tanks conducted to discover how to incorporate AI into the classroom in a safe and responsible way.

While change might be daunting to many, Famularo points out that it’s not unprecedented. Just think about how much opposition there was to bringing something as simple as a slide ruler into a trigonome-

Eventually came scientific calculators, and then the internet. Both received significant pushback, but now who could imagine a classroom without them?

Learning responsible use of AI Instructors at Lawrence Woodmere Academy in the Five Towns are guiding students there in to use AI responsibly. John Tiliakos — who teaches computer science in the middle and upper schools — tends to let his students lead discussions surrounding AI.

AI is coming into his middle schoollevel engineering and technology classes, as well as his more high school-level courses in aviation, aerospace and computer programming.

But even before that, Tiliakos was spreading the word about AI, teaching a class at LWA on how artificial intelligence works in our world.

While that class no longer exists, Tiliakos said he and the other teachers at LWA are still focusing on the same values of providing knowledge for proper use of the technology.

“AI is a great tool,” Tiliakos said. “There’s nothing wrong with it, if it’s used in a positive way.”

That’s why he focuses so much of his attention on inputs — the written instructions given to AI systems. Tiliakos believes that inquisitive nature of teenagers could lead to devious uses of the technology — like writing term papers and the like.

His responsibility, Tiliakos said, is to direct students toward feeding AI prompts that result in helpful information to be used for beneficial causes.

“When you use AI, you see scenarios based on what you did,” he said. “Every action is a reaction.”

But some teachers — even at LWA — aren’t too keen about the AI presence.

“I don’t think it’s positive or negative,” said Christopher Clark, a senior at the school. “It just depends on how you use it.”

One unlikely way of putting AI to use is through another somewhat newer technological offering: podcasting.

“AI is still new. But for podcasting, it’s still very, very new,” said Henry McDaniel, a theatre arts and oration teacher at LWA. “What it can do is help you write a script for your podcast.”

Podcasting students also can use AI to reproduce their own voice to read their scripts, McDaniel said. They then post the productions online.

“Our motto here is ‘at home with the world,’” he said. “What we’re trying to do is give them skillsets, but (also) teach them the responsible way of using those skillsets.”

Testing the waters

Implementing AI has been a little slower going in Long Beach, where the discussion on how best to use it continues.

Lorraine Radice, the school district’s literacy director, has worked to alleviate many of the fears some Long Beach teachers might have when it comes to AI, while looking for ways they could try to implement the technology into their respective classrooms.

“Over the summer, I taught two professional development courses in the district and taught teachers how to use ChatGPT,” Radice said. “I surveyed teachers in the fall across the district as to who was using ChatGPT and who knew about it. Even in the fall after about nine months of ChatGPT being in social media circulations and in the news — not as many people had used it as I expected.”

While Radice would very much like developing ways on how AI chatbots like ChatGPT can be used in classrooms, a lot of her time is still focused on educating teachers what exactly the AI software is.

“So, part of the goals of those summer professional development courses was to raise awareness of how to use it,” Radice said,” and then to really start to support teens in thinking about how it could be used from the planning side of being a teacher. And then also how it can be used as a tool to provide support and equitable access to writing and generating ideas for

Courtesy Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

New to schools in Bellmore and Merrick is a college-level artificial intelligence course. Partnering with Long Island University, the class is offered at Calhoun High School, where students can earn college credit by learning about the emerging technology.

Some teachers worry AI goes a little too far

ConTinued From PreViouS PAge

kids.”

Having access to AI has impacted classrooms already by allowing students to use it to aid research, while many teachers worry they could go too far and have AI completely answer questions and even write essays for them.

But that just means adapting.

A I is a great tool. There’s nothing wrong with it, if it’s used in a positive way

John TiliAkos teacher, Lawrence Woodmere Academy

“A teacher raised a great question during a session when talking about using artificial intelligence tools to analyze classical texts,” Radice said. “The same question has been asked so many times, and she asked, ‘If I could just get the answer from a tool like ChatGPT, then what’s the point of even asking this type of question?’

“That’s a great thing for people to think about. What is the point of this question? Can I rephrase this question that really puts the student at the center of the thinking, and not so much (a) media tool?”

But there is still a ways to go before AI becomes more commonly accepted in classrooms, Radice said. At least on Long Beach.

“I wouldn’t say that there is a push,” she said. “I think part of that is because of the privacy. We want to make sure that we’re using tools that are safe to use in school. And once we do that, then it can become a more consistent part of our practice.”

Parker Schug/Herald

Lawrence

Teaching kids to identify computer threats

about coding, and how to use it to prevent cybersecurity attacks. They learn to identify malicious processes, such as unauthorized users in a system, and how to terminate any programs the hackers install.

It’s kind of cool that the kids get to see why cybersecurity is so relevant.

Steven Roveto Seaford High School cybersecurity teacher

While computer science courses can be complex, Roveto said, the students have been progressing well. Sophomore Jonathan DiPietro said he enjoys the class, adding that Roveto makes it a fun environment in which he and his classmates learn to identify scams.

“It really opened my eyes

to the students so they can apply what they learn. In one scenario, they acted as security officers for a water treatment facility that had been hacked, and they were tasked with finding the malware in the system, eliminating it and restoring the facility’s normal opera -

see why cybersecurity is so relevant,” Roveto said.

When a real-world incident occurs, such as the cyberattack on MGM Resorts in Las Vegas last September, Roveto said, he discusses the news in class, and goes over how the attack happened and how it could have been pre

ries to show his students why data security is important.

In one class, Roveto used a suspicious email he had received, claiming to be from the United States Postal Service, as a lesson in security. He made a screenshot of the email and asked the students to identify any red flags. They pointed out typographical errors, and the absence of a government email address. With examples like this one, Roveto said, students are seeing the practical applications of what they’re studying.

Some have presented their own experiences with scams. “One of them went on vacation, and tried to join the Wi-Fi network there, and got a really weird message,” Roveto said. “He screenshot it and brought it into the class when he came back, and we looked at that. So it’s pretty interesting. They definitely saw the real-world implications.”

Some of the students, he said, have expressed an interest in pursuing careers in cybersecurity. He said he hoped the class would grow, because it provides so much useful information on identifying scams and protecting digital information.

And as it grows, Roveto added, he would like to see a mix of boys and girls in the future. “I’d love to build the program for both boys and girls,” he said. “That’s going to be one of my biggest things, is making sure that enrollment

Courtesy Seaford school district

Seaford High School teacher Steven roveto, left, helping students with a lesson in their cybersecurity class. according to roveto, they learn real-world applications that help them identify scams and eliminate malicious programs.

Celebrating Irish traditions at St. Patrick’s Parade

The streets were covered in green as Wantagh celebrated its Irish heritage during Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Thousands lined up down Wantagh Avenue to watch the festivities and to hear the sounds of bagpipes echoing throughout. John Theissen, founder and executive director of the John Theissen Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit that helps sick and underprivileged children through fundraisers and donations, was this year’s grand marshal. Theissen, who led the parade in a green suit while holding a blackthorn cane, said he was honored to be this year’s grand marshal.

Officers from the Nassau County Police Department brought out the horses to trot down Wantagh Avenue at Sunday’s parade.

According to parade organizers, the event is one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day Parades on Long Island. The event saw over 100 organizations marching in the parade, which included performances from the Wantagh American Legion Pipe Band, Nassau County Police Emerald Society Pipe Band, Wantagh High School Marching Band and others. Children in the crowd were excited to see first responders and fire trucks march their way down Wantagh Avenue.

— Charles Shaw

Wantagh St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal John Theissen, right, with his wife, led Sunday’s parade. Theissen said he was honored to be grand marshal.

The Wantagh Fire Department showed their Irish pride while making their way down Wantagh Avenue during the parade.

Max Di Salvo, 3, Zoe Di Salvo, 4, and Stella Meoli, 3, watched the festivities while dressed in green.

Danielle Sinacori/Herald photos

The Wantagh High School marching band played their trumpets and drums while marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Jenner backs Blakeman’s trans athlete ban

By PARKER SCHUG pschug@liherald.com

Caitlyn Jenner wouldn’t be allowed to participate in women-focused team sports on Nassau County property — but she’s OK with that.

The transgender former Olympic gold metal-winning decathlete joined County Executive Bruce Blakeman in Mineola Monday to express her support for Blakeman’s ban on transgender girls and women participating in teams geared exclusively toward girls and women on county property.

“I have empathy for all LGBT people, and I have a thorough understanding of all the struggles, no matter how different our circumstances,” Jenner said.

Jenner — who transitioned into a woman in 2015 had a six-year career in the Olympic men’s decathlon, taking the gold at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Before, Jenner played college football for the Graceland Yellow Jackets.

She recounted her time training and competing in the Olympics, and the saliva tests that the International Olympic Committee used to test for biological male and femaleness.

“It is done in a matter to protect the integrity of the competition,” Jenner said. “Today, the problem is even more clear. Trans women are competing against women, taking valuable opportunities from the law-protected class under Title IX, and causing physical harm.”

Jenner talked about a North Carolina high school volleyball player who said she was injured after a transgender opponent spiked the ball on her during a game.

“In volleyball, we think of it as a non-contact sport,” Jenner said, “but these are the statistics.”

The women’s net is 7.5 inches lower than the men’s net, making it easier to spike, she said. Men also tend to

As estate planners, we consistently meet with people who are suffering from traumatic relationships with their children or grandchildren. Children themselves may become estranged or at odds with parents or their siblings. Sometimes, an in-law is involved that seems to turn the client’s son or daughter into someone completely different from the child they raised. The pain that these clients are going through is palpable.

Some wise sage once said that all pain comes from resistance. Many of these relationship issues may be difficult or impossible to overcome, but one thing we can all do is work on ourselves — by accepting what is. Accepting what is does not mean agreeing with or condoning certain behavior. What it does mean is that you stop saying to yourself that it is not fair, it “should” be otherwise, etc. That will not do you one bit of good and may do you considerable harm. Stress has been called “the silent killer”.

We recall reading a pithy quote a while back that went something like this “when someone disappoints you, you have two choices, you

be 8 inches taller than women on the volleyball scene, and can jump 6 inches higher.

“The average spike for the men, a good spike, is 82 miles an hour,” Jenner said. “The average spike for women, 64 miles per hour, 30 percent greater velocity playing a man. And that’s why we have to protect women’s sports.”

Since her transition, Jenner has become a transgender rights activist, and has starred in her own reality television show, “I Am Cait,” documenting her transition.

Jenner ran as a Republican for California governor during the 2021 unsuccessful recall election, earning just 1 percent of the vote.

can either lower your expectations or walk away”. What is disappointment but dashed expectations? Those who learn to expect less are disappointed less.

“Accepting what is” cannot be accomplished overnight. It is a concept or thought process that improves your outlook the more you think about it, work on it and form new neural pathways to forge the new outlook.

Estate planners inevitably become “therapists” for their clients, because estate planning involves social relationships. Over the years, we have observed that many social problems occur between the client’s two ears. As Shakespeare said in Hamlet “There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Forget about what’s fair or right and what’s not. You are only hurting yourself. The other person is often blissfully unaware of how you’re feeling. Michael J. Fox, the actor known for his optimism despite suffering from Parkinson’s, put it best when he said “My happiness grows in direct proportion to my acceptance, and in inverse proportion to my expectations”.

But not everyone agrees with what Jenner stands for — even in the LGBTQ+ community. David Kilmnick, president and founder of Long Island-based LGBT Network, said Jenner’s support of Blakeman’s executive order is a contradiction to her own identity.

“Embracing policies or ideologies that undermine the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals is not only hypocritical, but also harmful,” Kilmnick said, in a statement. “Jenner’s alignment with such positions not only perpetuates discrimination, but also adds fuel to the rising number of violent and hate incidents committed against transgender individuals.”

Blakeman signed his executive order last month demanding sports, leagues, organizations, teams, programs or sport entities operating in county facilities designate themselves based on male, female or co-ed, and then only accept athletes who meet that criteria according to what was originally listed on their birth certificate.

While those born male would not be allowed to participate in female teams, the order does not ban females from joining male teams.

“My executive order has one goal, and that is to make sure that competition is fair and safe in Nassau County,” Blakeman said. “That we protect women and girls, so that when they train for an athletic competition — when they train to get on a team, when they’re in a meet or tournament — they have the ability to compete fairly.”

Attorney General Letitia James sent a cease-anddesist letter to Blakeman earlier this month, demanding he rescind his executive order, calling it not only transphobic, but also illegal under the state’s human rights and civil rights laws.

Blakeman responded a few days later by joining Mark Mullen, a Nassau County parent of a female athlete, to file a federal lawsuit contesting the order.

transgender athletes from women’s sports in Nassau County.

School performers preview ‘The Addams Family’

Talented performers from Division Avenue High School took to the stage at the Levittown Memorial Education Center to showcase their upcoming show, “The Addams Family,” at the March 6 board of education meeting.

The macabre family was brought to life by students who showed their skills in singing, acting and choreography. Three songs from the full play received the spotlight in the short preview. All are welcome to join Friday, March 22, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 23, at 1:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., at Division Avenue High School. Tickets are $15 and will be sold at the door.

Photos courtesy Levittown public schools

Division Avenue High School performers Epica Kay and Cameron Nocera brought to life Morticia and Gomez in a preview of ‘The Addams Family.’

Dozens of cast members took to the stage to preview the show.

STEPPING OUT

An artistic revolution on view at Hofstra Museum Unlocking the

By Danielle Schwab

Dreams collide with reality and the subconscious reigns supreme. That’s the essence of the transformative approach of the avant garde artists at the forefront of the Surrealist Movement. Inspired by André Breton’s 1924 Surrealist Manifesto in France, artists, writers and filmmakers diverged from conventional thought to explore ideas such as the unconscious and the irrational.

Step into the fascinating creativity of the surrealists at Hofstra University Museum of Art’s new exhibit “Les Visionnaires: In the Modernist Spirit.” It’s a deep dive into what became a new movement that transformed how artists moved on from rigid historical styles to invent new ways to respond to their world.

The exhibit commemorates the 100th year of the Surrealist Manifesto, which forever changed artistic practice. More than 70 works from 1924 through the 1970s — sourced from the Museum’s permanent collection and the Howard L. and Muriel Weingrow Collection of AvantGarde Art and Literature from Hofstra University Special Collections — are on view.

something powerful,” Giordano adds. “Their partnerships and collective approach captured the realities and hopes of modern society.”

She cites Salvatore Dalí’s lithograph “Untitled from Memories of Surrealism,” (a suite of 12 prints he created in 1971 reflecting on his long artistic career) as a prime example of the movement’s significance.

Rick Wakeman

Keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman is headed back on the road for one last jaunt, ‘The Final Solo Tour.’ Known for his incredible talents, sense of humor, and multitudinous back catalog, expect to hear some of his best-known hits from both his solo career and his collaborations with Yes, Bowie and more among musings and hilarious tales from his 50-plus years in the music industry. Wakeman — who has become almost as well-known for his intimate piano shows as his prog rock extravaganzas — has decided that after a decades spanning career spanning he is calling a halt to lengthy American one-man show tours, in order to concentrate on composing, recording and collaborating with other musicians. In addition to his musicianship, Wakeman has evolved into a well-loved television presenter and author, with his bawdy British wit endearing him to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

Friday, March 22, 8 p.m. $75, $5, $45, $29.50. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

• Now through July 26

• Saturday and Sunday, noon4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Emily Lowe Gallery, Hall, South Campus, Hempstead.

“The manifesto is important because artists from this time period are breaking away from the French Academy,” Alexandra Giordano, Hofstra University Museum of Art’s director and co-curator of the exhibit, explains. “It’s a concrete way to unify artists working in different styles. The manifesto really engages the unconscious mind, the importance of dreams and free association, the rejection of rational thought. It’s revolutionary because it’s really about the liberation of the imagination.”

• For information, and to RSVP to related events, call (516) 463-5672 or visit Hofstra.edu/ museum

Suddenly, artists whose work was tethered to the French Academy, established in 1635, realized that new modalities, mediums, and methodologies were a more appropriate way to respond to the rapidly changing world in which they lived. “Political, economic and cultural shifts inspired a new forward-thinking attitude in artists who, in turn, discovered radical innovations in aesthetic forms, techniques and content. Paris was the epicenter. Artists were drawn to the city, where a drive for pushing boundaries and sharing their transformative vision thrived,” Giordano explains in the forward to the exhibit catalog.

Jean Arp, Marc Chagall, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst and Joan Miró are among the 25 artists and writers represented here. Besides the artworks, first-edition books are on display including an original copy of the Surrealist Manifesto. Françoise Gilot, who had a tumultuous, decade-long partnership with Picasso and is the mother of two of his children, also figures prominently in the exhibit. Gilot had a close association with Hofstra and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1982. She was an honorary conference chair of the 1985 Hofstra Cultural Center conference “Toward a Reappraisal of Modernism,” a program on avant-garde art and literature.

The Surrealist movement emerged in response to shifting political and societal landscapes.

“You had World War I and World War II that were devastating events, but at the exact same time you had Sigmund Freud’s interpretation of dreams,” Giordano says. “All of these new ideas were being explored, juxtaposed to these scary world events. Artists were responding to it all.”

Paris became a hub for artists to collaborate — sharing ideas, living spaces, lovers, and friends.

“They show us how we can work with our peers to produce

“It reflects on the stream of consciousness with this out-of-body experience,” she says. “You have this large eye in the background, there’s a clock on the pupil and (in the forefront) there’s butterflies. It captures otherworldliness.”

Not only was a change of ideas happening at the time, but also a change of mediums.

“They focused on interdisciplinary vision using a lot of different materials,” Giordano says. “In addition to this dream-like quality and imagery, there is also this idea of collaboration for bookmaking, photography, collage, poetry, set design and film. These artists created these new ideas towards art, which was a deviation from the expected outcome.”

One of the ‘Les Visionnaires’ as they were known, was filmmaker and artist Jean Cocteau, who directed the 1946 adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast” (La Belle et la Bête). Based on the original fairytale with a surrealist twist, the film is a testament to bringing the traditional to reinvention. Visitors can view portions of the film throughout the exhibit.

As always, related programming enhances the exhibit. For those who want a more in-depth look, join Giordano for a guided exhibit tour and discussion, Tuesday, April 16, at 5 p.m. During the tour, as Giordano puts it, participants will learn all the “juicy tidbits.”

As Long Island’s only nationally accredited public-facing academic museum, Hofstra Museum is an important local resource.

“Our neighboring communities don’t realize that they don’t have to travel to New York City to see wonderful art, they can come here,” Giordano adds. “They can be nose-to-nose with important artists, and experience this beautiful art in their backyard.”

The exhibit includes Salvador Dalí’s etching and lithograph, Untitled, from Memories of Surrealism, Portfolio, 1971. A gift of Benjamin Bickerman. Also Françoise Gilot’s lithograph IX, from On the Stone: Poems and Lithographs (Sur La Pierre: Poemes et Lithographies), 1972. Courtesy of Special Collections, Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, Hofstra University.

Comedy’s ‘Ivy League’

The Ivy League of Comedy arrives on Long Island with their elite brand of clever humor. Carmen Lynch (above), Ryan Reiss and Shaun Eli deliver the laughs in this fast-paced evening of stand-up. Lynch, who made it to the semi-finals of NBC’s ‘Last Comic Standing,’ is known for her deadpan delivery and riffs on life. A rising star from a bilingual family, who lived in Spain as a child, she’s appeared on a string of latenight television shows,’Inside Amy Schumer,’ and more. Funnyman Reis, also a writer-actor, began his career while attending NYU, and quickly became a favorite act on the scene. His quick wit and instant likability have made him one of the most sought-after comics on the club circuit. Eli has rightfully been called one of America’s smartest comics. Whether it’s a story about dining with a vegetarian or successfully fighting a parking ticket in criminal court, master storyteller Eli shows you that there’s hilarity in the ordinary if you approach life with a comedic warp. For just about anything he’s experienced he has hilarious stories at the ready.

Saturday, March 23, 8 p.m. $45-$50. Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. Tickets available at MadisonTheatreNY.org or (516) 323-4444.

Francois Gilot

Salvador Dali

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March 30

So Good: The Neil Diamond Experience

Get ready for an unforgettable night on the Paramount stage, Saturday, March 30, 8 p.m. Robert Neary honors an icon with The Neil Diamond Experience, a tribute show like no other. With over 35 years as a Broadway, TV, and film actor, Neary brings a unique touch to this production, weaving Neil Diamond’s greatest hits with stories from interviews, quotes, and autobiographical books. Neary creates an incredible cut above the rest tribute show. You will swear you are watching the master himself as he and the band perform Neil Diamond’s greatest hits. With his powerful presence, from the moment he struts on stage wearing trademark black, gray, and silver sequined jacket, Neary, uncannily, resembles Neil Diamond at the height of his touring career in the 90s and 2000s. His wit and mannerisms on stage is spot on, especially when he plays his guitar. When he speaks and tells the stories and trivia behind some of Neil’s most popular songs, his rich baritone gravelly voice can easily be mistaken for Neil’s own speaking voice. But make no mistake about it at all, if you close your eyes and listen to him sing any of the 22 classic Neil Diamond songs with the magnificent band behind him, you will swear you are listening to the Master himself. This truly is, the most authentic tribute to one of the greatest artists in musical history. The title says it all. It is the quintessential Neil Diamond Concert Experience. With a finale that will blow your mind, the show is guaranteed to have you on your feet dancing and cheering. $49.50, $39.50, $35, $29.50, $25. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or ParamountNY.com.

March 24

Bird walk

See some birds with the South Shore Audubon Society. All are welcome to join members for the next in its series of bird walks, at Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve, Sunday, March 24, starting at 9 a.m. The entrance road to the Norman Levy Preserve is located on the south side of Merrick Road, just east of the Meadowbrook Parkway. Walk leaders, other birders and nature enthusiasts are happy to share their knowledge and experience with you. Bring binoculars. The group will meet at the gazebo. To register, text your name and contact information to (516) 4679498. No walk if rain or snow. Text regarding questionable weather. For more information, visit SSAudubon.org.

Weekly bingo

Bingo everyone! Temple B’nai Torah host fun-filled bingo sessions, every Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.; every Thursday, 7:15 p.m.-10 p.m. Prizes, progressive games and refreshments are available. 2900 Jerusalem Ave., in Wantagh. For more information, visit TBTWantagh.org or call (516) 221-2370.

On exhibit

Inspired by L. Frank Baum’s stories, this clever adaptation puts the audience front and center, literally, on the Long Island Children’s Museum stage, Friday, March 15, 10:15 a.m., noon, 6:15 p.m. (sensoryfriendly performance); Saturday, March 16, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, March 20-21,10:15 a.m. and noon. Kids become cast members, singing dancing, and acting on stage alongside the professional cast.

One of the museum’s most interactive shows, it received rave reviews in its prior run. Going beyond the traditional telling of the Oz stories, the performance uses personal journal entries and historic newspaper headlines to bring the history of L. Frank Baum and illustrator W.W. Denslow to life. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion take the audience with them on this lively, playful trip down the yellow brick road.

$10 with museum admission ($8 members), $14 theater only. Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5800 or LICM.org.

offering a delightful journey through ancient recipes reimagined for contemporary palates.

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Levittown council hosts earth day cleanup event

The Levittown Community Council invites individuals and groups to celebrate Earth Day by volunteering to participate in a cleanup event, which the council has hosted for years.

The event involves bringing together local residents, school and community groups to groom local parks and public areas. Students in an Honor Society, religious education programs, Key Clubs, scouts, sports teams or anyone needing community service credits are welcome to participate. Certificates for hours worked will be provided at the end of the event or when participants leave. Certificates are given when volunteers report back to the Council at Veterans Memorial Park.

Volunteers will gather at Veterans Memorial Park on Hempstead Turnpike and Shelter lane in front of Levittown Public Library at 1 p.m. to sign in. All participants under the age of 14 will require an adult chaperone,

and adult supervision is required for all groups.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own rakes, picks, shovels, spades, clippers, and brooms, but equipment may be borrowed by the Town o Hempstead. All borrowed equipment must be returned to Community Council volunteers at the park by 4 p.m.

The Council will provide individual volunteers groups with local parks and community areas to be cleaned, and groups may join with another group.

Participating community groups may choose an area for their group to clean, but must notify the Council no later than April 5 about which area they are interested in cleaning. Personal property is not eligible. The Council can provide locations of areas that are eligible for cleanup. To receive such information, contact the Council at levittowncouncil@yahoo. com.

Photos courtesy Wantagh school districtt Wantagh Middle School Seventh graders Ava DeVita and Lucas Tartakoff were the top finishers in the Hoops for Heart finals, a basketball competition that’s part of a fundraising effort to raise money for the American Heart Association.

This year’s top fundraisers for the American Heart Association during the Hoops for Heart event were, from left, Victoria Guber, $795; Landon Fusco, $750; and Maisie Stachlik, $368. This year, the school’s donations exceeded $6,000.

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We asked for a variance and were turned down

Q. After a lot of delays, due partly to Covid, we were turned down for a zoning variance and are wondering what to do. We have a café that has been operating for over 20 years, which we bought from a couple who were retiring, and everything seemed to be legal. Our building department told us that we needed a variance because we didn’t have enough parking, and that we had 20 seats instead of 12. Twelve seats was a takeout, but these days, if you don’t have enough seats, you won’t stay in business very long. So we asked for a variance, and we were turned down. Also, our plans didn’t show that we do have parking on the street, and use a public lot and some other businesses nearby. What can you tell us about our situation? We don’t want to lose our location, and anything we do will need plans, and we realize our architect had never dealt with this before.

A. As common as this problem is, you would need to appeal your case by filing for the appeal with the court, with an attorney, within 30 days, in what is referred to as an Article 78. In order to make your case, you would need accurate plans, plus what you already have, the minutes of your hearing for an attorney to review, plus any documentation you already had through the process of the building application over all the time you described.

Ask The Architect

Monte Leeper

In addition, you would need all the old records of the property that were filed for any and all permits for the previous uses going back to the very beginning of the take-out or retail space. It sounds like a lot, and it might be, but you have a difficult case to prove, because parking on your property is usually the biggest issue in any use variance. A use permit always requires that there be adequate parking, and if there isn’t enough on-site parking, the request for a variance (to vary from the requirements) would then be your appeal.

By changing the use from takeout, where people are coming and going, to an assembly space of people who are lingering, triggers all kinds of building and safety codes. Once you get to a restaurant from a take-out by serving more than 12 people, you need male- and female-use restrooms or, depending on the jurisdiction, enough fixtures and privacy to serve the occupants, based on specific chapters from the plumbing code, the handicapped-access code and the building code, requiring more floor space.

You also have issues with fire marshal and fire safety equipment, depending on the area in square feet area and the number of occupants. Your attorney and architect can craft your case, but you have to be flexible enough to meet certain basic codes to be able to convince a court that the first level of the process can be overturned. You can do this! Good luck!

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Our communities need more doctors who look like me

I’m 26, and have lived virtually my whole life in Hempstead. I’ve seen a lot of health-related issues — lowincome people of color, like me, suffering from chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and untreated mental illness. Often they haven’t been able to receive proper treatment for their conditions. I wanted to do something about it, and soon I will be able to, because I’m on my way to becoming a doctor.

There was a one-in-a-million chance that I would ever reach this goal. I’m an African-American woman from a low-income neighborhood, raised in a single-parent household. My father was incarcerated by the time I knew what it meant to have one, and remains imprisoned to this day — though he’s using this time to reflect and to continue his education. My mother, a crossing guard, worked extremely hard to provide for my brother and me, but

there were days when the money she made didn’t seem like enough to put food on the table, or ensure that we would keep a roof over our heads, or keep us from falling victim to the violence that plagued our community.

TI had to fight every step of the way to become the person I wanted to be. I graduated from Hempstead High School in 2015 in the top 1 percent of my class, and then, thanks to Stony Brook University’s Economic Opportunity Program, I graduated in 2019 with a double major in biology and psychology, and went on to earn a master’s in physiology and biophysics. I was the first person in my family to go to college, so there was no blueprint to follow but the one I created along the way.

icine and Biomedical Sciences is lifechanging. There are classes to prepare me for the rigors of medical school, and a stipend I can use for living expenses so I can focus on my studies. I have mentors to turn to for help.

here was a one-in-amillion chance that I would ever be able to go to medical school.

I got jobs in the health care field, but becoming a doctor seemed out of reach until I was selected for the Diversity in Medicine pipeline program sponsored by Associated Medical Schools of New York. This post-baccalaureate program at SUNY Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Med-

Most important, if I successfully complete the oneyear program, I will go to medical school in the fall, and could be selected to receive AMSNY’s Diversity in Medicine Scholarship to help defray the cost. This amazing program is 100 percent state-funded.

Pipeline programs like this are needed to help diversify the physician workforce. Research has shown that patients are more likely to visit and follow the instructions of doctors who understand their language and culture, resulting in better health outcomes. Yet in New York state, where more than 30 percent of the population identifies as Black or Hispanic, just 13 percent of the state’s doctors come from those groups.

Physicians from racial and ethnic groups that are underrepresented are

more likely to go into primary care and practice in under-served communities, where they are desperately needed. I have seen 30 to 40 people waiting, endlessly, to see a doctor; minor symptoms that were left untreated develop into chronic disease; and people with mental illness who are homeless, unable to pay for the care they need and jaded by past interactions with the health care system. People in these communities do not trust that system. I want to be a doctor who can change that, and earn their trust.

Growing up, I never saw a doctor who looked like me. Now I am one of 24 future physicians in this year’s AMSNY program who want to give back to our communities. I am immensely grateful to our state representatives and Gov. Kathy Hochul for making that possible.

In the past two years, the state’s investment in Diversity in Medicine programs has tripled. This funding must continue, and even increase, so more people like us can become doctors and leaders of change for our communities.

Shakia Miller is scheduled to complete the AMSNY Diversity in Medicine program in May.

It’s me, not ChatGPT . . . at least I think so

Why should I work this week? No one works anymore, or if they show up, they bring attitude or the three stages of incompetence: Don’t care, don’t want to be here, don’t notice you standing there at my counter. (I don’t mean you, of course. Herald readers are all diligent, responsible people.)

Anyway, as an experiment with AI, and a way not to work, I thought I’d ask ChatGPT to write my column. What I specifically asked for in the query was: Write a 750-word column in the style of Randi Kreiss.

RANDI KREISS

It took about two seconds, and I got a piece about the idea of detoxing ourselves from our exposure to screens and devices. Not an original idea, not a bad idea, but between you and me, I hope it wasn’t an example of how I usually write, because it was sooooo booooring.

This was the last paragraph of the pseudo-Randi column, written by ChatGPT:

“So let us embrace the digital detox not as a fleeting trend, but as a timeless

reminder of our innate capacity for connection, creativity, and contemplation. Let us reclaim our time, our attention, and our humanity from the clutches of the digital realm and rediscover the beauty of life beyond the screen.”

I mean, there’s nothing wrong with the writing; it’s just so blah-blah-blah. All of which leaves me with no other choice than to abandon AI and deploy my own skills, which are both modest and flawed.

WIf I were going to write about the toxicity of screens and devices — and I am, now that ChatGPT gave me the idea — I would connect it specifically to our current political madness. We are bombarded 24/7 by repetitious news about the threat to our democracy by former President Donald Trump and his acolytes. Is there really anything else to talk about that carries the gravitas of a looming democracydestroying, unhinged presidency? The Orange Man lurks behind us just as he stalked Hillary in the 2016 debates. He is meaner than the last time around. His alleged crimes have earned him dozens of felony indictments. We can’t stand watching the coverage, and we can’t stop.

about President Biden’s age and oratorical misadventures.

hen I asked it to write a column like I might write, it let me down.

For a long time, I tried to see the issues from all sides. I figured that I have more in common with Trump supporters than the issues that divide us. I figured that when he fully revealed himself as an authoritarian wannabe, folks would recoil, seeing the threat to our freedoms. I wanted to stand in their shoes and see what they saw, but Trump’s singular determination to take down our democracy blots out the sun. Legitimate disagreements over immigration, the economy and taxes pale compared to his promise to dismantle the pillars of government and build camps for people he determines are unwelcome or undesirable.

There isn’t a legitimate other side when the other side is a dictatorship.

Trump must be removed from political life, and we must find ourselves again. That means removing ourselves from obsessional newscasts. Watch the candidates’ speeches for yourself, without the filters, and believe what you see. Look and listen to who Trump is. Listen to Biden.

men are too old for the job, but Biden and his team will keep faith with the American public. The country is sound and well-connected to our friends around the world. Biden’s experience has brought us through these difficult years. The alternative is more than a flirtation with authoritarianism and institutionalized racism. Young people do not realize how quickly bellicose talk can turn into tanks rumbling down our streets.

In many homes, the TV is on. It’s always there, in the background, too loud, too repetitive, too insignificant. We all know that news shows ran out of news long ago. Most of the time they reprocess the meat of a story until it comes out like sausage, link after link, hour after hour. Is it news when a know-nothing anchor interviews a reporter who once interviewed a spokesperson who represents an insignificant staff member of a mid-level politician?

We can improve our lives by disconnecting from our devices. Voting is easy and analog. The conflation of politics and screens is wearing us down. Let the candidates speak for themselves.

Thanks, ChatGPT, for priming the pump. I just needed to say it in my own words.

Other news outlets beat the drum

We must retire the would-be dictator, and that means re-electing Biden. Both

Copyright 2024 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

SHAKIA MILLER