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Prehistoric takeover of the Coliseum By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com
Brandon Cruz/Herald
If you walked into the Nassau Coliseum last weekend, you were greeted by a life-sized dilophosaurus, an early-Jurassic period dinosaur similar to the T-Rex, but much smaller.
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum transformed into a prehistoric wonderland for Jurassic Quest over Presidents Day weekend. This immersive adventure gave the community — and visitors from all over the Island as well as New York City — up-close and personal encounters with over 80 lifelike animatronic dinosaurs, bringing the Jurassic period to life in Uniondale. The magic of Jurassic Quest lies not just in the realism of the exhibits but also in the reacCoNTINued oN page 4
Uniondale H.S. participates in naturalization ceremony By BRANDON CRUZ bcruz@liherald.com
A group of Uniondale High School students participated in an historic moment last week — as they witnessed 121 people sworn in as American citizens during a naturalization ceremony in a Central Islip courthouse on Thursday, Feb. 15. U.S. Circuit Court Judge Joseph F. Bianco presided over the ceremony, administering the Oath of Allegiance to the new citizens in the Alfonse M. D’Amato U.S. Courthouse. The students, sitting alongside friends and family of the new
Americans, contributed to the celebration by distributing flags from each person’s home country to the new citizens. According to Judge Bianco, the new U.S. citizens represented more than 25 countries. During naturalization, individuals who were born outside of the U.S. become full-blown citizens of the country after taking the Oath, reciting the Pledge of Alle giance, and thoughtfully reflecting on the significance of citizenship and civic responsibility. During the celebration, students from the high school’s choir performed an a cappella
rendition of “Rise Up” by Andra Day. C a d e n c e Pe a c e, 1 6 , t h e choir’s soloist, expressed the emotional impact she felt at the ceremony. Singing for the second consecutive year at the event, she noted that it was beyond anything she had imagined, and described feeling a little overwhelmed. “I broke down a little bit while singing the solo because I saw people crying,” she said. “This is nothing I thought I’d ever do.” The ceremony was not only attended by students in person, but also live-streamed on Zoom
for more than 40 students in the high school’s auditorium. The Uniondale School District has a 99-percent minority enrollment. Almost 62 percent of enrolled students identify as Hispanic with 35 percent identifying as Black — and many of these students’ families have arrived from different countries.
“The in-school naturalization trip was an exceptional opportunity for our scholars,” Monique Darrisaw-Akil, district superintendent, said. “It is important for young people to understand the civic process of obtaining citizenship, and to witness firsthand the journey to become an American is CoNTINued oN page 16