March 2011

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MARCH 2011

Massapequa High School

Vol. LIX - ISSUE 3

mhsthechief@gmail.com

Massapequa? More like Mess-apequa

BY NOELLE WITT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Chief has coined a new term – Messapequa. Perhaps you’ve seen it or stepped on it. Maybe you’ve even contributed to it.

Recent accumulations of snow have illuminated the collection of cups, wrappers, lighters, cigarette butts, and other assorted waste products that are scattered around the strip of sidewalk near the Buttered Bagel, the bagel shop located next to MHS. Students often “grab and go,” especially when it becomes warmer outside. But as Principal Dr. Williams pointed out, where does the garbage go when they are done?

“I can’t say it’s not our kids contributing,” Dr. Williams said.

Dean of Students Mr. Howard and Executive Assistant to the Principal Mr. Quigley help to control the waste, making rounds during the warmer months to encourage students to clean up. This becomes difficult from November to March, however, for much of their focus is directed toward the maintenance of MHS itself.

“My understanding of the law or town code,” Dr. Williams said, “is that the person who owns that particular strip of property is responsible.”

These property owners are aware of the problem as well, though there may a multitude of causes. The former XXL Gym, located among the strip of stores, has been vacant for about two years, meaning there haven’t been store owners to regulate the issue.

“It’s always a mess,” Marvin Maltomato, a Buttered Bagel employee,

said. “I think it’s mostly from kids from the school.”

Many students outside the Buttered Bagel declined to comment.

Mr. Howard believes that there are multiple factors that contribute to the mess: wind, kids, pedestrians, and cars.

The wind blows the garbage toward the store fronts, causing it to build up against the buildings and snow banks.

Pedestrians and car passengers may find it easier to simply deposit waste out the window or nonchalantly drop it onto the sidewalk. This ultimately leads to a collection of gum wrappers, crushed cans, straws, bottles, cigarette boxes and even an unopened tampon that spoil Massapequa’s image.

“It’s unsightly,” Mr. Howard said.

Mr. Howard added that both the Town of Oyster Bay and the Village of Massapequa have trash cans outside of the Buttered Bagel. “We need a third can,” he said. “Two cans are not enough.

They overflow and the garbage is scattered.”

Many believe that the issue ultimately comes down to respect, for the mess is an eyesore that detracts from Massapequa’s character.

“The garbage reflects that there are people who don’t care about the physical appearance of the school,” Mr. Kabelka, Spanish teacher and advisor of the Surfriders Club, said. If the community is an extension of the school, then the community might lack this respect as well.

“We have gone out and asked students to be mindful and to use the proper receptacles,” Dr. Williams said. “After

JENNA FRATELLO // THE CHIEF

A small portion of the mess located directly next to a garbage can near Merrick Road. all, it is our reputation on the line.”

But the mess can affect more than the school’s reputation; the environment may suffer as well.

“If the trash is paper or recyclables, it won’t have a huge impact on the environment,” Mr. Kabelka said. “But other garbage may make an impact.

Cigarette butts take more than a year to break down.”

Many research groups have found that cigarette butts take even longer than a year to decompose, and some have found that they never decompose at all because the filters are made of a type of acetate that never fully breaks down, according to cigarettelitter.org.

“It is definitely not good if seagulls are using the cigarette butts in their nests because they are full of carcinogens,”

Mr. Kabelka said. Seagulls often occupy the sidewalks in front of stores to take advantage of the food waste, an act that can make them overweight.

If seagulls may even suffer, then the mess of Massapequa is certainly a community issue.

“It comes down to how your actions impact everyone else,” Mrs. Scamardella, Executive Assistant to the Principal, said. “It’s not just about ourselves, but about the world around us.”

Mr. Howard seems to agree with Mrs. Scamardella, as does much of Massapequa’s population.

“There’s a lot we can do,” Mr. Howard said. “It’s about the community, municipality, and the education of kids.”

Students snowed out of midterm but lose vacation days

BY TOM STRONG-GRINSELL MANAGING EDITOR

While the news of having a snow day may come as a joy to elementary students, the feeling isn’t always the same in high-school.

The once blissful moments of realizing you had time to enjoy the snow are now filled with the inevitable awareness that you have even more work to do; and of course, the day must be made up come spring, when many are yearning to be outside.

Long Island has broken records this winter due to the massive amounts of snowfall, totaling 9 snowstorms so far and overall, 56.1 inches of snow with no end of winter in sight, according to Newsday.

Breaking the 1925 record of 27.4 inches of snowfall in January, Long Island has accumulated a new statistic of 36 inches, according to NBC. School closings and delays are the most pertinent to high school students at MHS, however; in this year alone, two closings and a two-hour delay have been declared with winter coming to a close. And while delays do not need to be made up, closures do. Now, with the

TOM STRONG-GRINSELL // THE CHIEF

Countless residents taking advantage of the snow and the hills at Cedar Creek Park.

Friday before Memorial Day and the last day of April break gone, it is upsetting to students.

“Instant gratification isn’t something I really prefer, rather would have a longer break,” said junior Bryan Somaiah. “Especially since the snow days are announced in the morning, it ruins plans with friends the night before, and you have to cram all of your work in that night to be sure. Losing days is the worst in general; would you want to cut your weekend in Malibu in half?”

New York State requires a man-

datory 180 days of instructional days of school per year, and currently, Massapequa has 181 instructional days built into its program, including two teacher conferences days.

Although Massapequa does not have any snow-days built in, there are reserve days built into the school year depending on the calendar year with the best interest of the community kept in mind. “It has to give somewhere; whether it’s in December, February or April a concession has to be made,” District Superintendent Charles Sulc said and

added that, if other districts have snow days it is just a matter of terminology as every district is mandated to meet New York State educational requirements.

On January 27, math midterms for students were cancelled, and while it was a day in which most students would have only had to go in for an hour and a half, due to the elementary and middle schools having full days, it affected MHS as well.

“Overall snow days should be made up since students lose days that are vital in some classes to finish the course. The one we had during midterms, I feel, should not have to be made up because it was not a school day. If they wanted us to really make up that day we should just go in for an hour and a half for the midterm,”sophomore Jessica Graff said.

While for now snow days give students both a time to relax and enjoy the day off, participating in what may seem like anomalies for high school students, it ultimately adds to the amount of work needed to be done in order to complete courses. This season, snow has not been the joyous weather we once knew.

NEWS

MARCH 2011

THE CHIEF 2

IB Program gives competition for AP

BY TOM STRONG-GRINSELL MANAGING EDITOR

For years, Massapequa students have become accustomed to enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) courses in order to receive both college credit and elite academic distinction amongst their peers.

However, after taking a look at the educational structure of other Long Island schools, Massapequa has decided to implement the International

ate change to course selection or daily school lifestyle; there is a process to adopting the program.

“It does take a while. We haven’t applied to be a candidate school yet so the earliest, if we moved on it quickly, would be at the beginning of not the coming school year but the following one,” Dr. Williams said.

The IB program would be incorporated into the curriculum while continuing the district’s strong AP

“The IB program would be incorporated into the curriculum while continuing the district’s strong AP program” Baccalaureate, also known as the IB program, to provide more options, catering to students’ varying needs. The IB program differs from the AP, for IB is an internationally recognized diploma, while AP only offers Certificates of Achievement.

This program is as equally as prestigious as the AP program, and multiple districts across Long Island including Northport and Long Beach have instituted it.

This would not cause an immedi-

program. Students would be allowed to take courses within both programs; the only difference that lies within the IB program is the IB Diploma, awarded through specific tasks offered in the program, which is considered an international standard of excellence.

Students trying to achieve the diploma , commonly referred to as IBD, would have to complete an advanced certificate in the six-major areas of study, including Language, Second Language, Humanities, Experimental

BY JOE ZAPPA

of the past and move forward. ” Republican Peter Schmitt described the takeover as “nothing more than a coup,” according to Newsday, and Mangano has accused NIFA of taking over so that it can raise property taxes.

Mangano was elected in great part due to his promise to relieve the tax burden of Nassau County taxpayers, who are certainly eager to feel the effects of that promise. Mangano has indeed come through on that promise in the repeal

Tax struggles for Nassau STAFF WRITER

Officials of the country’s fourth highest-taxed county have made another economic gaffe.

A New York State oversight board, the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA), took over the Nassau budget and financial administration due to the alleged 176 million dollar deficit in the current administration’s 2011 budget.

For months, NIFA has been debat-

Source: ibm.org

cause it requires more in-depth thinking.

But, knowing that the grading process is not based on an equal standard and colleges might not get an accurate report, students might benefit more from taking a just as difficult course in the AP program,” said junior Marissa Accordino.

With the fate of Regents examinations remaining up in the air, New York students are soon to lose a benchmark standard compared to other students within the state. Although the IB program may not be the solution for this problem, it will provide students with an even more diverse course selection to measure and expand each student’s individual level of academic strength.

DECA qualifies for States

BY KARAN CHHATPAR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Yet another year and students from Massapequa High School have qualified for the DECA States competition.

41 students have made it to States and have worked very hard to get there.

Some have passed through the Regional competition that was held at Molloy College on January 9, while others have performed extensive research and written a report in order to qualify.

“DECA club is an awesome club if you’re looking to practice for the real business world. We participate in a variety of competitions including the Virtual Stock Market Game and we also participate in the DECA club Regional, of a home heating tax enacted under State, and National Competition. States previous county executive Democrat is a great way to meet new people and Thomas Suozzi’s administration, but you learn a lot about one specific field that benefit for the taxpayers led to a of business. I enjoyed it last year and I 40 million dollar gap in revenue which can’t wait to go again. This year we got a must be made up elsewhere. The repeal lot of people to States and hopefully we of the home heating tax, though, is only plan to take Nationals by surprise,”said part of the alleged problem, and NIFA senior qualifier Justin Goldberg Though many students have qualimembers assure Nassau residents that NIFA “is not going to recommend or fied, the competition is split up into divisuggest that taxes be raised,” according sions, including sports and entertainment marketing, financial analysis, and mock to longislandpress.com.

The state officials claim they are interviews. The qualifiers take exams doing their job in planning out a budget specific to their section and roleplay in which currently presents a large deficit, a business-styled situation, also specific and the county officials continue to as- to their section. The judges grade them sure the public, without explanation, on how well they do on both aspects, that the budget includes no insurmount- and determine their overall score. The able deficit, and that the NIFA members top three scorers in each division move are overstepping boundaries in order to past States and head straight to a more alter county policy. With the economic challenging competition.

“DECA has helped me gain more situation for our county unclear and our elected officials struggling to fix that confidence and allows me to understand problem, Nassau residents must wonder business better,” junior and qualifier Spencer Nord said. “I’m very excited when their taxes will be decreased. to be heading up to Rochester for states to compete against some of the best

“Officials of the country’s fourth highest-taxed county have made another economic gaffe” ing with Republican Edward Mangano, Nassau County Executive, regarding his control over Nassau’s economic situation and has been urging him to sort out this budget under the threat of taking it over. On Wednesday January 26, NIFA came through on its threat, but neither side has given Nassau County taxpayers a clear explanation of what has occurred.

Under the heat of constant accusations, the officials of the Mangano Administration have maintained that the budget they set up is fiscally sound, and now plan to sue the state for a takeover they declare is unfounded.

County Executive Mangano is cleaning up the 343 million dollar deficit created by Diane Yatauro and her Democrat colleagues,” said Brian Nevin, senior policy advisor and communications director for the Republican county executive, according to the Long Island Press. “Rather than play politics, Legislator Yatauro should recognize that these firms were hired to protect taxpayers’ wallets. It’s time to expose the truth

Sciences, Mathematics and the Arts.

Aside from completing an advanced certificate in each area of study, diploma candidates must also complete three additional requirements throughout the course of the program: the Extended Essay, the Theory of Knowledge presentation, and a CAS, otherwise known as a creative, action, service, or community service requirement.

The Extended Essay is an essay designed to test investigative strengths, where students compose a paper of up to 4,000 words from a list of approved topics. The Theory of Knowledge presentation is a combination of an externally-assessed essay, something similar to an AP free response question, and an internally-assessed demonstration based upon the students’ topic choice.

These requirements only apply to diploma candidates, but students would still have the choice to take IB courses in solely their area of strength for a completion certificate, known as IBC. Students enrolling in an IB course would also be given the opportunity to take the AP exam, placing a variety of options within the students’ grasp for significant academic achievement.

“I think that the IB program has great potential to further the average education of a high school student be-

salespeople in New York.”

The competition is challenging because each division only accepts the top three places in order to proceed to the ICDC, or the International Career Development Conference, which takes place in Orlando, Florida.

“Recently, the DECA Chapter took a field trip to Madison Square Garden to speak to their president Scott O’Neill.

This field trip allowed for the DECA Chapter to be immersed in even more business knowledge from a leader in the field”, said senior and qualifier Nick LaTorre.

Though some may win and some may lose, the privilege is still exceptional for all who have qualified for States, where the competitors are some of the best salespeople in all of New York State.

“I have been a proud DECA member for three years,” senior qualifier Brian Nani said. “I went to States in 2009 and Nationals in 2010 to compete against members from all over the world. DECA has helped me learn about business by painting a vivid picture of how people operate in the business world.”

All of the students who have qualified for States have done an exceptional job so far, and are continuing on to success.

“In 2009, we had 16 people go to States. In 2010 we had 28, and this year we have 41,” LaTorre said. “DECA’s massive growth will definitely contribute to Massapequa making it to the ICDC.” The students who have qualified for States are going to try their best, and are receiving plenty of encouragement from their peers to succeed.

NEWS

MARCH 2011

THE CHIEF 3

Eruption in Middle East unfolds

BY JENNA FRATELLO

ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

TRIPOLI—The Middle East has gotten itself into mass hysteria throughout recent months.

A new attitude birthed throughout the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities as the largest uprising in the modern history of the Arab world stunned implications for the United States and foreign countries alike.

The demonstrations against the 29-year-long ruling of President Hosni

Armed Forces Supreme Council to run the state.”

Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and leading advocate of the Egyptian democracy described the resignation as a day to be remembered by all, according to MSNBC. “The country has been liberated after decades of repression,” ElBaaradei told The Associated Press, stating he expects a “beautiful,” transition of power.

Egypt, the most populous coun-

rant on state television, according to the New York Times, attributed the revolt to “hallucinogenic” drugs and Osama Bin Laden. A day later, protesters repelled a concerted assault by Qaddafi forces, evolving the patchwork of protests into an increasingly well-armed revolutionary movement.

Richard Engel, NBC’s Chief Foreign Correspondent, reached the Libyan city of Tobruk on February 22.

“The protest movement is no longer a protest movement,” said Engel,

Police forces clash with activists in the center of Cairo (left). Opposition forces move closer to the center of Tripoli (right).

Mubarak, the longest serving president of the Arabic Republic of Egypt, according to USA Today, in Cairo’s famed Tahrir Square, concluded on February 11 after nearly three-weeks of mass protests demanding his ouster.

The protests, which began on January 25, were the largest demonstrations seen in Egypt since the 1977 Bread Riots, according to the International Business Times.

The resignation was announced in Tahrir Square by Vice President Suleiman, who also lost his post, according to the Times.

“In these grave circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave his position as president of the republic,” said Suleiman, “he has mandated the

try in the Arab region, erupted as the revolution of Tunisia, yielding earlier in the month, ignited numerous decades’ worth of blazing grievances.

Libya has begun to follow Egypt’s lead.

The neighboring country rebelled four days later, on February 15, beginning a series of confrontations in the capital city of Tripoli, and Benghazi.

The protests, described by The Economist as an “uprising that is trying to reclaim Libya from the world’s longest-ruling autocrat,” sprouted against the forty-year-long ruling of Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi, demanding the financier of an eclectic anthology of guerilla groups to step down from his position.

Qaddafi, who delivered an agitated

BY JASON CELARU

Farmingdale didn’t seem to have an end in sight, and banning Massapequa students from Farmingdale games was thus judged to be the best way to quell the violence.

As Massapequa fans may have seen, the police are stationed near Massapequa any time Farmingdale is visiting for a game. This measure was taken to ensure that the game and the events after the game are safe for all. However, none of the fights have actually occurred on the field after a game; they usually take place across the street from the school in a parking lot.

After a few issues and problems, the change in policy was made by Farmingdale affecting Massapequa fans at games.

Massapequa would like to see this precaution repealed, but safety also needs to be brought into consideration.

A way of allowing Massapequa fans to go to Farmingdale games, while avoiding any violent conflicts needs to be devised so that everyone can be safe, while enjoying a clean, fair game with sportsmanship.

Daler-Chief rivalry rises SPORTS EDITOR

Rivalry exists in almost every aspect of life. From siblings to national league teams, rivalry is always evident.

Massapequa and Farmingdale have had a rivalry for a very long time, especially when it comes to sports.

Recently, the tensions between Farmingdale and Massapequa have risen to dangerous levels. Now, Massapequa fans are no longer allowed to go to Farmingdale to cheer on their classmates at Farmingdale home games.

Principal Dr. Williams said that the decision was made by the Farmingdale administration, not by Massapequa.

“Athletes like to see their classmates come out to the games and cheer them on,” Dr. Williams said.

There have been numerous altercations between the two schools. Fights are mainly sparked by the outcome of games between these two towns.

On more than one occasion, police were called in to restore order between Massapequa and Farmingdale. The rise in violence between Massapequa and

according to NBC. “It’s a war. It’s open revolt.”

On February 28, in a standoff for control of the country, paramilitary groups that allied with Qaddafi were unable to seize any of the cities or territories held under opposition, despite episodic attacks using helicopters and airplanes, according to ABC. The loosely organized rebels have been struggling to push into Qaddafi’s stronghold as the regime remains armed with potentially lethal weapons.

Nonetheless, the United States has begun to move warships and aircrafts closer to Libya, freezing three billion dollars in assets and ramping up pressure on what a top U.S envoy calls a

“delusional” Qaddafi, according to the Washington Post.

The Obama Administration has defended its response according to the Post, saying that it had been reluctant to take any gestures that may endanger U.S citizens in the North African country.

While its position on Qaddafi is clear, the United States has been besieged to develop coherent policies toward the numerous antigovernment demonstrators.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Sources: telegraph.co.uk (left) cnet.com (right)

told the United Nations Human Rights Council it was “time for Qaddafi to go – now,” according to the Times.

Amidst the bloodshed, Libyan state television has announced that Qadaffi’s regime will give 400 dollars to every family and raise the salary of state employees by as much as 150 percent, in an attempt to raise support, according to the Times.

“This is the formidable, invincible force of youth,” Colonel Qaddafi said, according to the Times. “Life without dignity is useless.” He blew kisses to the crowd and urged them to fight to the death. “Every individual will be armed,” he said. “Libya will become a hell.

NEWS BLURBS

Nassau County police officer, Michael J. Califano, 44, was killed on February 4 during a routine traffic stop on the Long Island Expressway in Old Westbury.

The accident occurred around 11 p.m., when a car struck his parked cruiser from behind, according to NY Daily News.

Califano, a 13-year veteran on the force, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The driver of the cruiser, John Kaley, 25, was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide.

Kaley also faces three counts of assault for injuring three others in the collision, according to Newsday.

“It is very difficult to see a family in pain, and they are indeed in a lot of pain, along with their friends and police officers that serve Nassau County,” said Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano. *******************

Radio-land has expanded outside of WMHS’s door here at Massapequa High School.

The National Public Radio has recognized junior Valentina Viscardi, an active member of WMHS, through her contributions to the Children of Hope Foundation.

The foundation, which provides a safe haven for infants who cannot be taken care of by their guardians, was founded by members of the Ambulance Medical Technicians of the Nassau County Police Department in efforts to prevent further infanticide in Nassau County.

Viscardi, a student in Broadcasting II, created a Public Service Announcement to raise awareness against abandoning infants, while endorsing the Children of Hope foundation as an alternative option.

Her PSA will air on The National Public Radio in the coming weeks.

OP/ED

MARCH 2011

THE CHIEF 4

EDITORIAL

MHS students soon to gain more academic distinction

A new topic of conversation particularly among the AP student population, is the introduction of the International Baccalaureate (IB) which would coincide with the Advanced Placement (AP) program that is currently available at MHS. Though the program will not be put into action for a few more years, IB would add much more variety for upcoming students.

From the students’ point of view, the biggest matter to determine is the difference between IB and AP. Many are already familiar with AP: rigorous,

you stand compared to other students,” junior and AP student Michael LiBretto said.

Overall, the IB program focuses on four core ideas: the development of the curriculum, the assessment of students, the training and professional development of teachers, and the authorization and evaluation of students.

Making it unique, the program also offers a continuum of education, consisting of three programs for students aged 3 to 9; in the United States alone, there are nearly two-thousand schools that offer IB, according to ibo.org.

“The International Baccalaureate (IB) aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people...” college level courses with an abundance of chapter outlines, obscure multiple choice questions and a 3-hour cumulative examination in May graded on a harsh scale of 1 to 5.

Any student who has experienced both Regents and AP classes knows that there can be a large gap in difficulty between the two classes depending on students’ academic level. Students from all walks of the building are divided into these two narrow categories, however, oftentimes creating a complicated choice in course rigor.

Not surprisingly, in a small survey given to AP students to determine in which classes they would be the most interested in enrolling, the majority chose AP, most likely because they are more familiar with the program. Regardless, the IB program would add more versatility and options to students’ schedules.

“I’d rather take an AP class than an IB class because there are national standardized exams in the AP program, making it a better comparison of where

It can otherwise be a substantial jump from an eight-page research paper in high school to Harry Potter-novelsized thesis papers in college.

“IB classes take a very global perspective of the subject,” Locust Valley and IB student Craig Casazza said. “If your school teaches it right, then you get a worldlier, or ‘outside-the-box,’ experience of the class than in AP.” Assignments are usually larger and extend over longer periods of time, like extended essays that are sometimes up to 20 pages or more that Casazza believes better prepare students for college.

It seems that IB classes are even more similar to college classes as well.

The program’s cumulative test equivalent to that of AP is supposedly much easier, however.

A common misunderstanding going around is that, overall, IB courses are significantly easier than AP courses. In actuality, it is very difficult to compare the two because they are so different

Editorial Cartoon

from each other. IB tries to teach from a global perspective, putting in more theory as well as practice, while AP – because of the importance of its exam – often has to be taught to the test.

Then again, because AP exams are more challenging than IB exams, a high score on one of them has higher potential to be impressive on a transcript or application. However, IB credits also count for many more colleges outside of the country because it is run through an international organization, a significant difference in comparison to AP. On the other hand, to introduce IB alongside AP can be costly. and IB may not be supported by the current budget.

The cost to train teachers, obtain new equipment, and even buy simple things like paper add up to money that some may argue, could be put to better use.

“The International Baccalaureate (IB) aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who

help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect,” according to ibo.org.

By taking a global approach to the subject, students can get an entirely new learning experience in a variety of subjects, ultimately making the students more attractive to colleges while giving them an elite academic distinction. The school’s first priority should be the students’ education, not its price tag.

The Chief makes every effort to print news that is relevant to the student population in a fair and unbiased fashion.

Letters to the editor may be sent to mhsthechief@gmail.com. We reserve the right to edit for grammatical errors.

The Chief does not accept anonymous letters; however, names may be withheld upon request.

Read The Chief online. Go to the MHS page on the district website, click on clubs and find Newspaper Club.

Results of the graph, administered to 225 AP students, 50 of whom responded, show that AP students are more likely to favor the AP program when given the option of IBD and IBC.

The Chief Editorial Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Noelle Witt ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jenna Fratello MANAGING EDITORS Tyler Novet Tom Strong-Grinsell BUSINESS MANAGER Lynn Horowitz CHIEF COPY EDITOR Nick Barbieri CHIEF PHOTO EDITOR Paige Snider GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lauren Reisig SPORTS EDITORS Jason Celaru Rob Duffy COPY EDITORS Eileen Liebler Karan Chhatpar ADVISER Elyn Coyle

OP/ED

MARCH 2011

THE CHIEF 5

OPINION

Killing human interaction two thumbs at a time

BY VALENTINA VISCARDI STAFF WRITER

“Text me later!”

Oh the famous saying of every teenager known to man. Texting—it has become the most efficient way to communicate. Wasting five hours asking a friend if they want to go to the movies and using it when talking isn’t allowed and attention is required—like school.

I mean “LOL NO WAY!” is much more important than the new scientific technology that could potentially lead young minds to develop a cure for a disease.

Texting, although beneficial at appropriate times, has negatives that definitely outweigh the positives. Are texting and other social networking sites making our lives easier? Or are they just complicating them? Hiding behind phones demises our communication skills. “E-mail and texts have become safe havens for escape artists,” says Susan Newman Ph.D, social psychologist and 13-time author. “You can ignore messages, don’t have to answer questions you don’t like, and you never have to see how much you’ve hurt someone.

We’re missing the valuable lessons inthe-flesh talks can teach us” I can not count the number of times I have heard someone conversing use the phrase exactly as follows, “LOL, JK!” What is this 1984 where we cut out words from the dictionary?

Over 90 percent of teenagers use texting as their main method of com-

munication according to a study in 2004

by Plymouth University. The study surveyed texters about why they chose texting over talking. A majority of texters claim to be lonely and feel they can express their feeling more effectively in a text. Perhaps this is the reason that our generation has very poor communication and interpersonal interactions.

Upon observation, countless teenagers can not look into another’s eyes while speaking without looking away and can not articulate their words. Very few teens can effectively speak without mumbling, and use elevated vocabulary.

In addition, the fear of talking directly to others is never addressed; rather it is shoved under the floor mat.

On a more social note, ladies, let’s have a little one-on-one talk. Have you ever met a really cute guy, gave him your number, and preceded to text him every night? Don’t get me wrong, it’s a sensational feeling when you read, “I really like you” or “You’re beautiful.”

However wouldn’t it be more romantic if you could hear him speak those words to you, and let him hear your response?

And what about asking out over a text?

Guys have you not the courage to ask us out face to face-to –face? Quit hiding behind your phone and your computer screen and get the guts to ask us out in person—like the olden days.

Coming back to a more serious note, we use our phones every day. It comes as a shock to us when we don’t

The red and blue war

BY LAUREN REISIG GRAPHIC DESIGNER

It’s a war of red and blue in Congress. The debate on the healthcare reform bill passed in 2010 has once again been forced to resurface.

Republicans are now trying to undo the crowning achievement of the Obama Administration, and they are turning Congress into the battle ground for a petty bickering match.

This bickering match is in the form of the repeal of the “Job-killing Health Care Law Act.” One can sense the animosity and tension even in this bill’s name. There has even been some debate

ance and increase the national deficit.

Analysts, however, disagree. In fact, the repeal of the healthcare law would actually increase the deficit by $230 billion from 2012 to 2021, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Committee.

Moreover, the bill about which the Republicans are up in arms is one that aims to expand healthcare to more Americans and to reduce the increasing price of Medicare. The healthcare bill put regulations on healthcare giants so that the common man could not be so easily swindled.

It stated that health insurance com-

“In fact, the repeal of the health care law would actually increase the deficit by $230 billion from 2012 to 2021.” over the name after the recent shootings in Tuscon; many view the “Job-killing” part of the title to be insensitive.

Besides the tackiness of the name , it seems as if this debate has boiled down to an “Is not,” “Is to,” debate.

The Democrats say that the bill will help the economy; the Republicans say it will hurt the economy. The Democrats say the bill will provide jobs; the Republicans say it will decrease jobs.

Not only do the Republicans refute the Democrats’ position, they refute the opinions of analysts and economists.

The Republicans’ main crutch in their argument is that the healthcare bill will increase the price of insur-

panies cannot put caps on the amount that they will shell out for a person for a year, for a lifetime. It also provided funding for preventive care. This allows Americans with a way to live a healthy lifestyle, and thus in the spirit of republicanism, become productive citizens. This bill also made it illegal for a health insurance company to deny coverage to children with preexisting conditions.

It is astonishing to see how Congress has succumbed to such pettiness.

Partisanship rules over the needs of the people. This needs to stop, as does the outrageous repeal of the “Job-killing Health Care Law Act.”

Source: wtsacremento.wordpress.com

The epitome of bad decision-making, or what not to do while driving. see someone’s head bent and fingers on collision near Chatsworth, California moving feverishly. We even go as far as with another train killing himself, killing to text while crossing Merrick Road, and 25 others, and injuring 135 according to worse, driving, leading to terrible ac- Fox5 News. The cause was texting. In cidents. Texting has crossed its bound- another incident two pilots from Northaries—death—someone dying—can be west Airlines flew 150 miles past their no justification to the need to tell your destination in October 2009, because best friend you can’t believe the sale at they were too busy on their laptops.

DSW while driving 80MPH on Sunrise How can a generation of intelhighway. Where do we draw the line? ligent, aspiring adults, let a piece It is a serious problem when texting of technology get in the way of our while driving competes with DWI for success? Lives have been lost from a the number one causes of death traffic piece of technology that is supposed relating. Is it worth it, to live the rest of to be enhancing our lives—instead it your life knowing you killed someone is destroying it. Please become more with the push of a button, or to never conscious of your phone usage and let again be able to? us clean up our act before we have a On October 2, 2008, the engineer “mess”age we can’t erase. of a Metrolink train crashed in a head-

America must bear arms

BY KELLY SMESTAD STAFF WRITER

The recent Tucson, Arizona shootings, killing six and wounding thirteen, including Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, have caused rampant controversy throughout the nation.

The debate over the right to bear arms is starting again, according to PBS News. The shooting suspect, Jared Loughner, is said to have “mental issues,” according to the sheriff and BBC News. However, this incident alone should not cause even more restrictions on owning a gun.

Loughner is a mentally unstable man, and he did not need a gun to carry out his intended action. His objective was murder; had he used a knife, would the nation be debating over who can and cannot own a knife?

As the old saying goes, guns don’t kill people, people kill people.

Even so, if restrictions were placed on gun distribution, a black market would ensue. In this specific case, it’s not the gun that’s the problem, it’s the person.

In a recent update from Fox News, it was shown that Mr. Loughner was researching lethal injections and political assassinations before the incident, leading the public to believe that he would be satisfied with completing his goal regardless of what was used.

As citizens, we have the right to bear arms, and defend ourselves.

Basically, to make the government should not restrict citizens from having guns. It is a constitutional right that we are honored to have, however, that does

not mean that any random citizen should be allowed to own a gun.

There are already restrictions in place, such as not allowing people with criminal records, or mental issues to purchase a gun, and they also need to show I.D. Now, if the government puts even more restrictions on guns than there already are, that may lead to eventually outlawing them altogether “Probably fewer than 2% of handguns and well under 1% of all guns will ever be involved in a violent crime.

Thus, the problem of criminal gun violence is concentrated within a very small subset of gun owners, indicating that gun control aimed at the general population faces a serious needle-inthe-haystack problem,” said Gary Kleck in his book, Point Blank: Gun Violence in America.

Although the incident in Arizona was tragic, it doesn’t mean radical actions are necessary.

“The right to bear and keep arms has been a tradition since the founding fathers,” said Dennis DeConcini, subcommittee member of the Constitution in 1982.

As DeConcini continues, he references words that Thomas Jefferson once spoke, stating “no free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”

It wasn’t the gun; it was the person who murdered and wounded innocent citizens. As United States citizens, we have rights, including the right to bear arms, and it should be here to stay.

FEATURE

MARCH 2011

THE CHIEF 6

AP Exams: It’s that time of year again

BY LYNN HOROWITZ BUSINESS MANAGER

Pick up your pencils. Ready: begin. As second semester starts, the excitement of the end of the year grows, as does the looming danger of the Advanced Placement exams that take place in May each year.

Students should begin to study for their exams in February or March, when they should begin to review what they did in their classes in the beginning of the year. This is not so imperative for sophomores, as most are taking only one AP exam --World History -- but it becomes crucial for some juniors, for many will take three or more, and many seniors, some of whom will take up to seven exams.

“It is important for students to continuously review materials in all classes throughout the year for courses that end with any exam, including AP exams,” guidance counselor Mrs. Waxman said. “The earlier students review the material, the more time they will have to successfully understand the material.”

Though it seems far in advance, the exams are truly only about two and a half months away. If a student reviews one unit a week, with perhaps 16 units in a review book, there is still not enough time to study everything. Of course, many students do not start reviewing until the week before their AP, truly cutting their chance of getting that perfect “five” down.

Senior Danielle Roamer, who will take two exams, has decided she is going to start studying soon. “I plan to start studying later this month. It’s important to start early enough because there is so much information in an AP class to learn for the test,” she said. “The earlier the start a student gets on studying will help them do better on the exam. As a senior I would really like to get credit in college next year for taking these AP classes; they are worth studying for.”

The desire to “get AP credit” in college is very popular, and can usually only be done by earning a four or five on an exam—the importance of beginning to study earlier increases for this purpose.

However, it seems that starting to study at a later date works for others.

Salutatorian Natalie Sabia begins to study later and has done extraordinarily well on her AP exams in the past.

“I am currently taking five APs and have not yet started studying for any of them. I will probably start by early April. It can definitely be stressful taking so many APs, but what helped me last year was starting my studying in early April,” Sabia said.

Getting information to study for these exams is the easy part. There are review books such as Barron’s, Five Steps to a Five, Kaplan, or a student favorite, the Princeton Review, available at Barnes and Noble for about twenty dollars each. This price can even be cut in half by ordering the books online at

amazon.com or another website.

College Board itself has a wide variety of help to offer students. Simply by clicking on the “AP” icon at the top of its website (www.collegeboard.com) then “Preparing,” students are offered aid in their studying. There are free-response questions available for each and every test with answers, as well as study skills and test-taking tips for each type of test.

These tips not only help students study, but give them an idea of how the test is graded. For example, in the “Science and Math” section, it clearly states that a student does not have to simplify all work. Knowing this could cut down the actual test-taking time and maximize results, increasing the chance of getting a higher score.

There are, of course, other options that will maximize studying.

“I find making flashcards really helpful for social studies classes, and just writing and rewriting my notes,” Sabia said. “Basically I don’t really leave my house the three weeks before APs, except the last weekend I try to make a light studying time. I like to know everything by then, and just have to review everything that last weekend, so I’m not freaking out. But breakdowns are inevitable. So I wouldn’t worry if you feel like you can never remember everything, because you will get past that point.”

It starts now—students have the option to begin augmenting their grades.

Pencils down, time’s up.

“Make sure your midyear grades are sent,” Mrs. Fifield, an MHS guidance counselor, said. “Call and check the status of your application by contacting your regional representative.”

Careful prodding can accomplish these submissions, according to peterson.com, for in the end, the only person responsible for complete applications is the student.

Colleges offer undergraduate admissions offices that can update students on the status of each component of the required materials. Many students have also received usernames and passwords to utilize the schools’ websites to check this status.

It can be helpful to send samples of your senior year work, such as an English essay or an art portfolio, to colleges. But according to peterson.com, these should only be added if they will really improve your chances of finding an acceptance letter in your mailbox.

“If you’ve done anything outstanding that you would like to be considered as a part of your application, call the college and notify them,” Mrs. Fifield said.

Alumni and college representatives can help you to narrow down your ultimate decision, for though only the student himself can determine which school is his best fit, alumni have experienced how the process works.

Lastly, though attempting to manage senioritis while enjoying senior year can be a difficult task, it will be rewarding when Dr. Williams hands us our diplomas on graduation day.

BY EILEEN LIEBLER

The search is over

BY NOELLE WITT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I figure at this point we seniors all have our standard responses to the college questions: applications, acceptances, top choices.

And while a degree of stress remains regarding the college question, we have tackled the bulk of the challenge. Somehow we have emerged from junior year and college visits, the SAT and collegeboard.com.

So now we wait (unless, of course, you applied early decision or early action, in which case you are hopefully reading this with satisfaction in your choice). Knots form in stomachs as decision letters arrive, and I doubt we have ever checked our e-mails this much since they were a sign of newfound independence in fourth grade.

We can still prepare for college in the next couple of months, however.

Between planning prom and counting down the weeks, days, hours, and minutes before graduation, we can search for scholarships and ensure that the application process runs smoothly.

Students should follow up on the status of their applications and finalize their submissions. Guidance counselors can send midyear reports if you stop by their offices with stamped envelopes addressed to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

“During mid-winter and early spring, colleges are often still awaiting mid-year high school grade reports, a teacher recommendation letter, an official SAT/ACT report, or other various forms,” according to peterson.com.

Study Tips

1. Start early – it’s difficult to review a year’s worth of material the night before the test, so allow ample time to read through the work.

2. Buy a review book – book stores and websites sell a variety of review books to fit each student’s needs.

3. Use the review book – after all, teachers require their purchase for a reason.

4. Organize a focused study group – meet a few times leading up to the AP. You might be surprised at how much the group can remember collectively.

5. Try sample questions – oftentimes, AP tests involve strategy, not just knowledge. Practice can increase your chances of acing these questions.

6. Review vocabulary associated with the course – nothing is worse than arriving at a question and being unable to answer due to a lack of comprehension 7. Know the essay format – a lot of time can be saved during the test if you have a standard essay organization.

8. Attend extra help – take advantage of your teacher’s extra help days to summarize any topics about which you are unsure.

9. Keep a clear mind – it can be difficult to remain focused during the few weeks prior to AP exams.

10. Eat something light before the exam – the last thing you want to worry about during your exam is being hungry.

Compiled by Noelle Witt

Astrology alterations COPY EDITOR

If you always thought you were a Cancer, news of a thirteenth sign may change your zodiac to a Gemini – if you were born after 2009, that is.

This January, the sign Ophiuchus was added to the zodiac chart, affecting people who are born from November 29 to December 17. It is a symbol is of Ophiuchus, a man holding a snake and it is one of the 48 constellations the astronomer Ptolemy listed. The sign has been added due to the fact that the position of the Earth and Moon has changed since thousands of years ago when the astrological signs were first created.

Ophiuchus is characterized as a healer of men and a doctor of medicine or science who is envied by peers and a favorite among fathers and authority figures, according to TIME magazine.

“Today, Earth’s spin axis points toward the pole star, Polaris,” said Professor Parke Kukle, a Minnesota Panetarium board member. “Around 3000 BC Earth’s spin axis pointed toward Thuban. Wait 26,000 years and the north star will again be Thuban.”

Due to this change in the Earth’s axis is the cause of the astrology chart to change and the addition of a thirteenth sign, resulting in Ophiuchus.

The reactions from other astronomers have varied, some arguing it is not possible for the horoscopes that are over three thousand years old to change, while others clarify that this change was not a shock and believe the people who proposed the 12-sign zodiac signs in the Babylonian time

period predicted this shift, according to khabrain.com.

The sign that people were born under may be different, though it should not affect the horoscope readings. The zodiac signs move back a month due to the addition of another sign, according to NBC. There has been much confusion of the zodiac signs, a result of the differences between Eastern and Western astrology. Eastern astrology is based on

Source: boncherry.com

The zodiac’s thirteenth sign Ophiuchus constellations while Western astrology is based on the seasons.

Students around MHS have been talking about the horoscope-scare as well.

“I personally never follow my sign. I just feel like you are who you are and you can’t go by what a zodiac sign tells you. I feel that each person has a little bit of each sign in their personality,” junior Nicole Nunziata said.

All of you wrapped up in you horoscope don’t have to worry because the new horoscope changes only pertain to people born 2009 and later. If you are looking for a new sign to follow there’s nothing stopping you from following the new chart, it all depends on what you believe in and how you choose to run your life.

FEATURE

MARCH 2011

THE CHIEF 7

Long Islanders join the polar bears

BY NOELLE WITT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

If you run into the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of February in nothing but a bathing suit, you are probably crazy. And if you want to run into the Atlantic Ocean in the middle of February in nothing but a bathing suit, you are crazy.

That’s the typical reaction I and many others received as members of the

event into a memorial for Paulie Bradley, Mike’s son who died in 1997 at the age of four. Paulie had a life-threatening illness, but his spirit, determination, and love of the beach inspired the movement that granted over 78 wishes through the Make a Wish Foundation in 2010 alone.

As a beach lover – much like Paulie and the rest of the event’s participants – the Polar Bear Splash hovers in

and Crocs.

Music built the good vibes as DJs broadcasted crowd favorites to more than 6,000 participants – not all 6,000 made the plunge, but the support for the movement was still impressive.

The crowd assembled across the sand and inched down toward the crashing waves to prepare for the countdown that sent the swimmers charging into the 40 degree water.

as quickly as I had entered.

Participants could fully absorb the wonder of the opportunity for revival that the ocean provides – if they are lucky enough to appreciate it – for the air was significantly warmer than previous years (whereas last year I feared my toes would fall off, this February 6 seemed to be their lucky day.)

An attachment to the event undoubtedly forms. Respecters of the

NOELLE WITT // THE CHIEF

The Long Beach Polar Bear Club makes the plunge into the icy Atlantic Ocean on February 6. (Above left) Over 6,000 people came to offer support and a warm towel. (Above right) Long Beach Polar Bear Club, a movement to experience life and to raise profit for the Make a Wish Foundation that Long Beach residents Kevin McCarthy and Pete Meyers started in 1998.

The pair decided to make the plunge before they watched the Super Bowl game – and they loved it. Brothers Mike and P.J. Bradley joined McCarthy and Meyers the following year, and the group soon decided to transform the

my mind from the last time I look back at the ocean each October to that fateful Sunday when I put on my bathing suit and ski jacket and urge my family out of the house.

A communal excitement began the moment I stepped onto the side streets of Riverside Beach in Long Beach on February 6, with people clad in Polar Bear gear and some more fashion-forward individuals in bathrobes

Giffords makes progress

BY JENNA FRATELLO

ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A meet-and-greet turned deadly when a gunman opened fire outside a Tucson, Arizona supermarket, leading to mass political reverberations for the United States.

On January 8, a mass shooting occurred, killing six people and wounding 15 others, including Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

The shootings, which occurred during an open U.S Representative meeting held by Giffords in a Safeway supermarket parking lot, have caused uproars in the media, questioning the country’s approach to mental health and gun control, the tone of political discourse, and a call for a new era of civility from President Obama.

Giffords, who represents Arizona’s Eighth District, suffered a shot to the head at point-blank range; she was then rushed to the University Medical Center in Tucson where doctors removed nearly half of her skull to prevent damage from the swelling of her brain, according to the New York Times.

The suspect, Jarred Lee Loughner, 22, was charged with five federal accounts, including attempted assassination of a member of Congress, according to Fox News.

Among those killed were Gabriel Zimmerman, 30, the outreach director for Congresswoman Giffords, Judge John M. Roll, who was appointed by George H.W. Bush in 1991, and nineyear-old Christina Green, who was born on September 11, 2001.

In addition to Mr. Loughner’s written statements, investigators have seized a cache of video recordings in which the suspect expounded on a variety of topics, mentioning assassination.

On January 12, President Obama spoke at the memorial service held for Giffords and the victims at the University of Arizona’s McKale Memorial Arena, harnessing the emotions generated by the shock and tragic losses, and urging Americans to “expand our moral imaginations,” during prime time, according to the Times.

“At a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized, at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do,”President Obama said, “it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.” After asking the American people to sharpen their instincts for empathy, he reported that Ms. Giffords opened her eyes for the first time.

Since, Giffords has made extraordinary progress; an aide for Giffords announced that the Congresswoman began speaking in late-February, according to the USA Today.

“You decide, and you do,” said Dr. Randall S. Friese, a trauma surgeon who attended to Giffords and the rest of the victims, according to the Times.

Their decisions, along with the rest of the nations, will bring about the incessant strengthening unity the United States was built on.

My family and I posed for a picture before we took a final breath, looked up at the burning sun, and, with a mental recognition of our upcoming actions, darted into the Atlantic Ocean.

I patiently awaited a wave into which I could dive, for the only way to truly experience the ocean is to be a part of a wave. My breathing seemed to halt upon impact with the frigid water, and I ran to envelope myself in a towel almost

ocean need an excuse to reunite with it before we attempt to start summer in March, after all.

The event occurs across the US, from Lake George to New Jersey to Minnesota. Canada has held the event on New Year’s Day since 1920 and boasts nearly 2,000 registered “plungers” each year according to cbc.ca – a dedication we can all admire.

Perry shines in new show

BY MELANIE SHEEHAN STAFF WRITER

Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, recently returned to television in the new show Mr. Sunshine.

Perry, a co-creator of the show, plays Ben Donavan, the self-centered manager of Sunshine Stadium. After reaching his fortieth birthday, Donavan

The cast of ABC’s new comedy Mr. Sunshine realizes that he should change his ways in order to become a better person.

However, such a realization is no easy task, considering the varied personalities that he must work with, including a big-headed boss, played by Allison Janey, who seems to do things without thinking them through as well as her unskilled son, played by Nate Torrence, fo whom Ben must find a job.

Mr. Sunshine stands out among its

contemporaries. The dynamic between the characters is unique, allowing the audience to experience something new, opposed to the typically scripted characters of today’s reality show bombardment.

The show incorporates comedy, with much of its humor coming from the supporting cast. The pilot, televised on February 9, drew in 10.6 million

Source: seat42f.com

viewers, making it ABC’s highest-rated new series premiere, according to TheCelebrityCafe.com.

Described as a “sophisticated comedy,” by the New York Times, the shows ironic title exemplifies the entire concept behind the series.

Overall, as viewers await the complete unraveling of the season, Mr. Sunshine is sure to bring some sunshine to nightly television.

THE CHIEF 8

MARCH 2011

Fitness in America: Th The dangers of dieting

BY EILEEN LIEBLER COPY EDITOR

Many have caught the health eating fever, but even more are beginning to overstep boundaries, failing to realize when they have gone too far with being “healthy.”

When looking to reach that per-

Source: faculty.ksu.edu

fect beach body, a small percentage of people truly believe that they have that body, leading to mass destruction of their mentality. To obtain that impractical goal, a person may take dangerous lengths.

One of the most dangerous and easiest ways to lose weight is simply skipping meals. By doing this, people are losing vital energy, according to school nurse, Mrs. Potucek.

Through the struggle with weight loss, risky habits lead to two common disorders, anorexia and bulimia, which cause “malnutrition, fatigue, and headaches,” Health and Physical Education teacher, Mr. Labella said.

Media is one of the biggest influences on how people diet, especially when it comes to teens that idolize the looks of celebrities. There are certain “social expectations” that influence

people to engage in a lack of food intake, causing the development of eating disorders, Labella added.

The expectation to become thin has caused unhealthy eating to reach new extremes and, according to www. sa.psu.edu, people who suffer from an eating disorder have a loss for a sense of control.

Once all sense of control is lost, dieters become mind-warped and brainwashed into an undying cycle of obsession and paranoia over what to put into their mouth and what to regurgitate from it.

While certain diets are life-threatening, the alternative of a healthy diet is still an option, though many have forgotten about it.

Many people have the misconception of all fad diets being dangerous, which is not entirely true. A fad diet is merely a diet that quickly rises in popularity and falls out of use just as quickly.

The diets that are successful will improve a person’s overall health and not just be a “quick fix,” appearance-wise.

The healthiest method to keep off the pounds is simply by eating the right foods, making sure to incorporate protein and whole grains, cutting back on carbohydrates, and drinking a lot of liquid.

“I drink a lot of water,” Mrs. Potucek said, proving that just a simple glass of water a day can amount to significant changes.

Despite the constant struggle, it is important to realize that if you want to have a toned and healthy body, there is hard work that comes along with such a life-changing process. There is no easy way out of staying fit; it is up to each individual to reach his or her goal and to achieve it through a happy, healthy, journey.

“Bigger is better” is the American doctrine: bigger homes, bigger wallets, bigger portions, and ultimately, bigger people, according to recent studies conducted by the New York Times.

In any local fast food joint, there is the option to supersize, unquestionably leading to a higher obesity rate with every order.

According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity rates in America have remained constant for at least five years for men, and closer to ten years for women and children. However, although these rates have appeared to level off, it shows that the percentage of very obese or overweight people in America is very high, and is consistently high, according to the Times Nearly 34 percent of adults are obese. This is double the percentage 30 years ago, maybe even more. The percentage of obese children has even increased to 17 percent as well, according to the Time’s study.

To nations around the world, this is the American stereotype – it is almost as if with each expansion of dominance,

to do yoga in 102 degree heat,” Ashley said. “A usual routine starts out slow, a lot of breathing and stretching.”

She said it mainly begins on your feet then varying moves such as “reaching upward with your arms and torso to prepare the body for the more intense moves.”

The intense moves, she explains, “aren’t as stagnant as the beginning [of the] routine.” These moves include familiar phrases such as: the downward facing dog, the warrior, and the dancer, all of which increase heat to the muscles which you are working out.

For “the cool down” you basically, “lie completely still on your back, palms facing up, shoulders relaxed [and] legs straight out in front. The breathing is a rhythmic inflation of the diaphragm, and exhalation; all controlled,” Ashley reported.

Although she does say that “the body isn’t at its best without a varied exercise plan” she “encourage[s] more people to do yoga as an addition to their work out plans” and recommends yoga for “anyone who is stressed or just

looking for an enjoyable workout.” She added that yoga is “a great strengthener of the mind. It takes endurance and persistence to get through such a class.”

Here at MHS there is a Yoga Club that meets every other Friday in room 140B. This club is run by students Brittany Vella and Kailyn Tropeano who come up with yoga poses to go over with the group and Kailyn brings her ipod with soothing music, club adivser. Mrs. Spagnuolo said.

“Brittany and Kailyn formed [the club], decide the poses and are open to feed back,” Mrs. Spagnuola said. “[They] took the initiative for a health wise club and it’s a fun thing to do!”

Another fun exercise to do is Zumba.

French teacher, Madame Rodriguez, who has been doing Zumba for three years and certified for two, said Zumba is “dance fitness with world music.”

Last year she volunteered to provide Zumba classes here at MHS. It was thirty minutes of constant workout and since Zumba is nonverbal, students followed hersteps. She added that

Exercise your way to fitness

BY BRIGID BERGIN STAFF WRITER

America has recently been branded as one of the top obese countries in the world, which is understandable with franchises such as Burger King, McDonald’s, Taco Bell and other beloved fast food restaurants taking the nation by storm. Lucky for us, however, there are plenty of opportunities in the community and at MHS to exercise and to resist the “fat label” with which the nation has been identified.

Most people cringe at the thought of exercise, but believe it or not, exercising is not only beneficial to your well-being but can also be fun.

Ask Junior Ashley Adler who has been doing yoga since eighth grade and does it at least twice a week. She started with a class at a local business and from there incorporated moves that she found in books and instruction videos from Barnes and Noble. Once Hot Yoga opened on Sunrise Highway near Caio Baby, she started taking classes and still does.

“It feels absolutely invigorating

Becoming the United States of O

BY LAUREN REISIG & BRIDGID BERGIN

GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND STAFF WRITER

there is also an expansion of the waistline.

America comes in as the third fattest country with 66.7 percent of the population being overweight, according to expatify.com.

Unfortuantely, in terms of health,

shoving 70 hot dogs down your gullet in one serving or finishing that fat juicy KFC double down first is not a victory nor a triumph of talent. Instead, it is a triumph of gluttony and a damage to one’s well-being.

Furthermore, it is not just the size of portions, but the quality of the food.

Zumba has been around for about ten years but now “it’s really becoming popular. There’s Zumba for the Wii, Zumba toning, Zumba aqua, Zumba for kids [and] Zumba circuit training at Curves.” The reason for its success, according to Rodriguez is because it’s fun! Although she is unable to offer to Zumba classes at MHS this year, there are still plenty of opportunities to do it at local gyms. Go to www.zumba. com for information about Zumba and see where classes are offered.

Teachers at MHS are also boarding the exercise train. Mrs. Colgan, an English teacher, believes it is important to try to keep active. She usually runs about five times a week and takes classes at a gym including a boot camp class, cardio kick boxing class, weight training whatever is fun!

“Good music is key,” Mrs Colgan said. “Exercise on a regular basis is good since good habits begin early…start at a young age it becomes part of your life.”

So, take Mrs. Colgan’s advice, and start a good habit early for the future – exercise.

MARCH 2011

THE CHIEF 9

he State of the U n i o n

Obesity

“I don’t think we have in place the kind of policy or environmental changes needed to reverse this epidemic just yet,” Dr. William H. Dietz, director of the division of nutrition, physical acitivies and obesity said, according to the New York Times.

A standard plate, nutritionists report, should be half vegetables, a quarter grains and starches, and a quarter meat or other protein.

If possible, it is important to eat foods that are high in fiber and low in saturated fat and sugar, and to avoid

foods with preservatives.

“The highly processed and refined products that pack our supermarket shelves are loaded with sugar, hydrogenated oils, and plenty more ingredients that we can’t even pronounce,” according to an article on downtoearth.org The fact is that through technological advancements in producing food to make it taste baster and last longer, we’ve lost the actual food in the process. Fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and other fresh ingredients should be a staple to your cuisine.

In these financially difficult times, while our nation is struggling with both the economy and obesity, it is more expensive to eat a fresh salad than an entire dollar-menu-fried-meal. It is cheaper and more convenient to eat meals full of saturated fats and oils.

Although fast food tends to mesh more with the gears of the current American lifestyle, one can still make good choices with what “fast food” to devour.

Though medicine changes each day, we have to give it time and let doctors discover new ways to keep people healthy. Let’s not overburden the doctors with a quadruple bypass surgeries to correct a life of unhealthy choices.

Gain points, lose weight

BY TYLER NOVET MANAGING EDITOR

Video games are not just for couch potatoes anymore. Countless companies are issuing gaming systems that combine exercise with a virtual experience.

After years of the Nintendo Wii ruling the motion gaming world, Sony and Microsoft have played their hands just right; they put out the PS3 and Xbox 360 to compete with the Wii. It turned out that the Wii’s overlysimplified controller made its gaming possibilities limited, whereas the controllers for Xbox and PlayStation were both ergonomic and versatile. This past holiday season, however, Sony and Microsoft released their new versions of motion gaming in the PlayStation Move and the Xbox Kinect, combining with the new games for the Wii to begin a new age of “healthy” video games.

While at first it seemed the only good games for the Wii would be Wii Sports and Mario Party 8, new games are making it easier to use the Wii for its purpose: fitness. EA Sports Active, Active Life: Outdoor Challenge, Just Dance 2, Active Life: Explorer, The Biggest Loser, and Gold Gym’s Dance Workout are all fun and easy ways to get off the couch and play video games at the same time. Anyone from sports fans to outdoorsmen to dancers to reality TV viewers can get a work out with these games.

“Wii Fit is great for customizing workouts on a schedule,” MHS junior Shoshana Rubenstein said. “The games especially help because you enjoy them and makes you more motivated.”

With the Xbox Kinect, “You are the controller.” Rather than holding a wireless controller, a camera follows your every move within its pivoting

range. You control your world using the wave of your hand, the twist of your body, and the sound of your voice in games such as Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, Dance Central, and Kinect Sports. Unfortunately, without a controller to hold, there will be far fewer YouTube videos of people throwing improperly-secured remotes into their most prized possessions to laugh at

Photo provided by Elyn Coyle

Students enjoying the new Xbox Kinect at theTechnology Career Fair last fall.

during sleepovers.

The PlayStation Move is the most exciting system, primarily from the hype it’s been getting from its “Old Spice-ish” advertisements and Kevin Butler’s maniacal laugh. It features a controller much like the Wii, but has a large, colorful censor ball on top and is sold as an attachment to the PS3 system.

Games range from sports to survival to dance – basically anything to get you up and active.

These games are certainly a step above their sit-and-wiggle-your-fingers predecessors. Maybe over time the stereotype of boyfriends loving their Call of Duty games more than their girlfriends will fade away. Well, that’s a bit of a stretch, but anything that gets America off the couch and on its feet is a step towards a healthier lifestyle.

Sometimes you don’t have the time or the money for a proper meal. Fast food is not the healthiest choice and should be avoided if possible. But, if you are going to have some fast food, here are some of the healthier choices that you can try at popular and convenient eateries.

* indicates estimated measurement.

MARCH 2011

ENTERTAINMENT

THE CHIEF 10

Jersey Shore: Stardom gone too far

BY TOM STRONG-GRINSELL MANAGING EDITOR

Jersey Shore – is it fame that has gone too far?

The cultural phenomenon that struck our nation in late 2009 is still thriving within the younger generation, and the cultural shock-wave and scenery of the show is headed abroad to Italy for the fourth season.

Although many still consider the show to be offensive towards ItalianAmericans, the current eight cast members and former cast-member, Angelina Pivarnick, have taken fame from the show all the way to the bank with multimillion dollar promotional deals, New York Times bestselling novels, and for several members, their own spin-off show.

The fact of the matter is that this group of twenty-something year old individuals achieved their fame by living their lives and by giving consent to the production company to film them.

While the original episodes of the show did not provide an immediate sign of mass popularity, they did provide mass criticism and talk about the controversy of the show.

This notoriety acted as the springboard to the show’s popularity and the cast’s various side deals. While each member of the cast makes appear-

Photo by: Josh Kessler

The season 3 cast of Jersey Shore, featuring new cast member Deena Nicole Cortese ances at clubs continually, they have also launched side deals and their own product lines.

Both Nicole “Snooki” Pollizi and Jenni “JWOWW” Farley have released books entitled, A Shore Thing and The Rules According to JWOWW, respectively. And while Snooki may not seem to be the typical New York Times bestselling author, she certainly is one.

Snooki tweeted happily to her fans, “OMG I’m a New York Times best selling author!!! Thank you so much to my fans, family and everyone who

made this possible! LOVE YOU ALL!!” upon hearing that her novel made the extended best seller list at number 24 during the week of January 31.

However, Snooki isn’t the only one profiting from being on the show; JWOWW has launched her own line of bronzer called JWOWW: Black Bronzer.

Farley and Pollizi recently shot a pilot tentatively titled Snooki and JWOWW Take the World with no special hook -- it’s just the women being themselves. Although TMZ reports a script to

the show has been found, MTV has not released or acknowledged anything.

DJ Pauly DelVecchio, the selfproclaimed “girls favorite DJ,” has also received a deal for his own spin-off show from the shore. Aside from Jersey Shore, the rising DJ has already released his own record with Universal Republic Records. MTV executive Chris Linn stated in a release, “He’s distinguished himself onscreen as the fun-loving, well-coiffed and dependable guy you can’t help but want to hang out with.

We know viewers are curious about his life away from the shore and we look forward to exploring new possibilities around that.”

DelVecchio isn’t the only one who has shown hidden musical talent. Angelina Pivarnick released a song called “I’m Hot,” and although she’s been replaced by Snooki’s friend and season one auditionee Deena Nicole Cortese, she remains a public figure through appearances.

The cast of Jersey Shore has provided drama, entertainment and common quotable phrases for its viewers.

Season four of the show will provide a viable global phenomenon as the cast is tested in its home element. Until then, “The cabs are here.”

The King’s Speech wins big on Hollywood’s night

BY NICK BARBIERI CHIEF COPY EDITOR

The King’s Speech has bested nine other films at the Academy Awards, and has been named Best Picture. It joins the ranks of past winners such as The Hurt Locker, Titanic, and Gone with the Wind. However, as presenter Steven Spielberg aptly noted, the losing films join the ranks of classics such as Citizen Kane and Raging Bull.

The awards show began with a segment featuring hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway being implanted into many of this year’s Best Picture nominees, including Inception, The King’s Speech, and The Social Network.

The segment was hysterical, featuring cameos by Morgan Freeman and Alec Baldwin.

Throughout the evening, Franco and Hathaway’s humor continued; their jokes were irreverent and comical, and they persisited until the very end of the show. Even Franco’s grandmother was funny, standing up in the middle of the crowd screaming “I just saw Marky Mark,” better known as Mark Wahlberg.

The crowd was delighted by each joke, as were many at-home viewers.

Regarding the awards, the show began with a bit of a surprise. Alice in Wonderland picked up the first award of the evening, for Best Art Direction, beating out Best Picture nominees, including the later winner The King’s Speech. The film picked up a second award later on, this time for Best Costume Design. Alice went home with two wins out of three nominations, a crowning achievement for the film.

The second award of the evening, Best Cinematography, went to Incep-

tion, which won over top contenders Black Swan and The Social Network.

This is the only award that Inception won that it didn’t truly deserve; its

source: afun9.com

Hosts, James Franco and Anne Hathaway. other three awards that it gained through the evening, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects, were rightfully earned and well deserved. Ultimately, Inception was tied with the most award wins for the evening, tying The King’s Speech with four awards apiece.

Both awards in the supporting acting categories predictably and rightfully went to The Fighter, Christian Bale winning Best Supporting Actor, and Melissa Leo winning Best Supporting Actress. They each gave heartfelt speeches, as well as truly astounding performance in The Fighter. These were the only two awards that the film won in the evening.

Elsewhere, The Wolfman picked up an award for Best Makeup, a cat-

egory that contained no Best Picture nominees, and thus very few people cared about. However, it deserved its honors for transforming Benicio del Toro into the title character.

During the ceremony, all four nominees for Best Original Song were performed; “We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3 was performed by Randy Newman, “I See the Light” from Tangled was performed by Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore, “If I Rise” from 127 Hours was performed by A.R. Rahman and Florence Welch, and “Coming Home” from Country Strong was performed by Gwenyth Paltrow. Toy Story 3 went on to win the award, marking the second award of the night for the film, following Best Animated Feature.

While it did not win Best Picture as many had hoped, The Social Network still went on to win three awards.

Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter won Best Film Editing, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ brilliant music won Best Original Score, Aaron Sorkin’s flawless script won Best Adapted Screenplay. All these awards were well deserved, and the film should be proud of its accomplishments, regardless of its Best Picture loss.

Of course, the most emotional part of the evening was the “In Memoriam” segment. Celine Dion sang a heartfelt rendition of “Smile,” originally by Charlie Chaplin, as many people whom have passed were remembered, including cinema great Leslie Nielsen. Halle Barry then introduced a special memoriam segment for famed singer, actress, and civil rights activist, Lena Horne.

Another emotional high point of the evening was when Natalie Portman took home the award for Best Actress, for her role in Black Swan. This category

was full of powerhouse performances, especially Portman’s, Annette Bening’s in The Kids Are All Right, and Jennifer Lawrence’s in Winter’s Bone. Lawrence’s performance was absolutely chilling, and it was amazing to see such a young actress do such remarkable work. Bening was also remarkable, as a lesbian wife and mother who is cheated on by her wife. This marked Bening’s third nomination in the category, having lost both times before to Hilary Swank.

Portman has earned her Oscar though, and she should be very proud; her performance was truly unforgettable, and it is no wonder why this is the only win for Black Swan.

Lastly, there is the big winner of the evening, The King’s Speech. It won Best Adapted Screenplay for David Seidler’s script, Best Director for Tom Hooper, Best Actor for Colin Firth, and of course, Best Picture. It was a great night for the film, as it received praise in nearly all areas of filmmaking, and initially led the other films with twelve nominations. Such a win exposes that the Academy respects traditional filmmaking, as The King’s Speech truly pays homage to old-Hollywood filmmaking.

Overall, the Eighty-third Academy Awards was a night to remember, and is sure to not soon be forgotten. No film virtually swept the awards, with The King’s Speech and Inception each winning the most awards, four apiece, and then The Social Network winning three awards. Congratulations to all the talented nominees, as they all deserve proper recognition.

MARCH 2011

ENTERTAINMENT

THE CHIEF 11

Grammy’s in an eggshell

BY ALLIE GIORDANO STAFF WRITER

The fifty-third annual Grammy Awards were presented on February 13.

It was a night filled with artists, new and old, and their peers recognizing and awarding these talented individuals for their excellent achievement in the music industry.

Before the show, the red carpet fashion was intense. Sparkles, floral prints, ruffles, sequins, and an egg – yes that’s right, an egg – made their way into the scene. Lady Gaga made an un-

source: allurbangossip.com

Some of the performers at the Grammy Awards (from left to right): Eminem, Lady Gaga, Cee-Lo, Katy Perry. forgettable and interesting entrance to the Grammy Awards in an egg-shaped container of which she could not come out because she was in incubation before

her performance that night.

It was a night filled with unforgettable performances only seen on the Grammy Awards.

The show opened with a performance by Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch, Yolanda Adams and Martina McBride paying a tribute to Aretha Franklin, the queen of soul.

Lady Gaga finally popped out of her egg and performed her single, “Born This Way.” Besides an unforgettable performance, Lady Gaga also won Best Pop Vocal Album for her album The Fame Monster.

It was also country group Lady Antebellum’s night to shine. The group performed their hit song “Need You Now” and took home three big Grammy awards for Song of the Year, Best Country Album, and Record of the Year.

Justin Beiber preformed “Never Say Never” with Jaden Smith and “OMG” with his mentor, Usher. Millions of fan girls were upset when Beiber lost the award for Best New Artist, but the talented jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding definitely deserved it.

Other outstanding performances were made by contemporary artists such Cee-Lo Green, (dressed in a peacockfeathered, color explosion outfit) and Gwyneth Paltrow in a fun, upbeat performance of “Forget You”; Katy Perry beautifully sang “Not Like the Mov-

Here’s a quick summary of the biggest awards given out at the fifty-third annual Grammy Awards on February 13: 1. Best Pop Duo: “Hey Soul Sister,”

by Train. source: countrymusictattletale.com

ies” and “Teenage Dream”; Eminem, Rihanna, and Dr. Dre preformed “Love the Way You Lie” and “I Need A Doctor.” Later that night, Eminem picked up a Grammy for Best Rap Album for his album Recovery.

Flashback – Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones took center stage for the first time ever on the Grammy’s, paying tribute to Solomon Burke with “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love.” Bob Dylan sang his hit “Maggie’s Farm,” and joined the Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons. Singer-songwriter Barbara Streisand also preformed and presented the winner for Album of the Year.

It was a surprising ending to a talent filled night when the Album of the Year award went to the talented, indie rock band Arcade Fire for its album The Suburbs. Arcade Fire beat popular artists Lady Antellebum, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Eminem for the biggest prize of the night.

2. Best Female Country Vocal Performance: “The House that Built Me,” by Miranda Lambert.

3. Best Rock Album: The Resistance, by Muse.

4. Best Pop Vocal Album: Fame Monster, by Lady Gaga.

5. Best Country Album: Need You Now, by Lady Antellebum.

6. Song of the Year: “Need You Now,” by Lady Antellebum.

7. Best New Artist: Esperanza Spalding.

8. Best Rap Album: Recovery, by Eminem.

9. Record of the Year: “Need You Now,” by Lady Antellebum.

10. Album of the Year: The Suburbs, by Arcade Fire.

The Beatles have a new beat

BY JENNA FRATELLO

ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Seeing The Beatles in concert is no longer a thing of the past.

Well, seeing the real British quartet that plagued America throughout the 60s may be, but these new guys could pass for clones.

Though the melodious nonpareil of Lennon, McCartney, Starr, and Harrison is a manifestation to which none can parallel itself, the current cast of Rain – Joey Curatolo (McCartney), Steve Landes (Lennon), Joe Bithorn (Harrison), and Ralph Castelli (Starr) – has reached vocal precision in tuning their voices to sound nearly identical to

source: freetickesclassified.com

the men of the British Invasion.

The tribute show began as an offshoot of the aesthetic pioneer and Broadway production Beatlemania, which ran for 1006 live performances through 1977 to 1979 and focused on the lives of the four singers under the

slogan, “Not the Beatles, but an incredible simulation.”

Nonetheless, this simulation is better.

On October 26, 2010, Rain premiered on Broadway’s Neil Simon Theatre for a limited 12-week course.

However, due to such a response from the public, it was moved to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on February 8 for at least 16 more weeks, according to the New York Times.

Described as “enhanced karaoke,” by the Times, a Beatles video-game plays out in front of you (the cast members are, at times, surrounded by a fake television set) without requiring advanced hand-eye coordination and tech-savvy minds for the middle-aged in the audience.

Setting it apart from other shows such as Jersey Boys and Million-Dollar Quartet, Rain unravels entirely from a storytelling perspective, assuming that the audience is already familiar with the days of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” Abbey Road, and undoubtedly, Mr. Lennon’s classic white suit.

The biographical show, which would be suited more as a concert than as a musical, opens with a re-creation of the Beatles’ appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, which drew an estimated 73 million viewers, according to TIME Magazine.

It follows the course of history by changing haircuts and sartorial statements, aided by cultural video footage, bringing the audience to Shea Stadium and the days of Sergeant Pepper amidst Vietnamese posters, evocative televi-

source: starkinsider.com

Curatolo, Bithorn, Landes, and Castelli (from left to right) take the audience through an emotional replay of the lives of The Beatles. sion commercials, and sequences of Martin Luther King Jr. Despite the covers being a bit older than The Beatles were when they originally disbanded, the energy still keeps its youth intact throughout the performance, proving its objective to be nothing more than a trip down memory-lane, rather than to capitalize nostalgia.

Each of the four men personify his given character quite accurately; Landes exudes the subdued temperament of Lennon, though his vocals take on a more raspy sound, while Curatolo exhibits Paul and his boyish features through each sequence. Both Bithorn and Castelli portray George and Ringo, respectively, with Bithorn capturing

Harrison’s awkward mannerisms, and Castelli proving to be quite the carefree drummer that many labeled Starr as.

Mark Beyer, the show’s instrumentalist and co-founder of the band, according to Spinner Magazine, impressively supports the four musicians through a variety of instruments ranging from keyboards to percussion; such a foundation is crucial, seeing as Rain successfully incorporates more sonically audacious and textually dense numbers from post-1966 albums.

Through its concert-esque deliverance and time-warped staging, Rain categorizes itself as a jaunt through the past, alongside immaculate vocals, and a near tear-ridden audience.

MARCH 2011

ENTERTAINMENT

THE CHIEF 12

The twenty-third time is the charm

BY NICK BARBIERI CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Skins has defined the image of the British youth since 2007.

Drugs, sex, parties, and the ups and downs of life have encompassed the series, and many would likely say it accompanied their teenage years.

MTV hired Bryan Elsley to adapt Skins for the US, and the revised, more modest version premiered on January 17. The series MTV calls a “wild ride through the lives of a group of high school friends stumbling through the mine field of adolescence” has received mixed reviews – here’s MHS students’ opinions.

“It didn’t keep my interest after the first 15 minutes. I got bored and turned the TV off.”

– Taylor Pugliese, Senior “I watched the first episode and I was immediately turned off. I heard a little bit about the original and it sounded cool and they put interesting parts in the commercial, but I couldn’t watch it.”

– Jen Haynie, Senior “The British version is fantastic.

They don’t censor it.”

– Brian Corey, Junior “I thought it was very unrealistic.”

– Katelyn Tamargo, Senior “The British one is preferred.”

– Steven LaMantia, Senior “My friend told me not to watch it because the original version is a lot better.

– Rachel Meanie, Sophomore

The name is Bond, James Bond, and he is returning to the big screen for the twenty-third time. Tentatively slated to be released on November 9, 2012, little is known about what is currently being called Bond 23, as the title has not yet been revealed.

As of December 20, MGM Studios has emerged from bankruptcy, since the heads of Spyglass Entertainment, Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, have joined the studio as CEOs. Prior to this, the twenty-third film had been in preproduction, but was forced to shut down and was postponed indefinitely due to MGM’s financial uncertainty.

Thankfully, the studio’s merger with Spyglass Entertainment has saved the film and the franchise has been revived.

Currently, the film appears to be fantastic. Daniel Craig will be returning to for the third time as James Bond, which is definitely something to look forward.

In the past two films, Craig has proven that a darker, edgier Bond can work successfully while retaining all the characteristics that make Bond movies so great – their style of filming and storytelling, the characters, everything.

Craig is undoubtedly the best Bond since Roger Moore played the character in the 1970s and 1980s, and is almost as good as Sean Connery, the original actor that portrayed Bond.

Sam Mendes is going to be directing this twenty-third installment in the Bond franchise. Although this is the first Bond film that Mendes is directing, he is certainly not an inexperienced director.

On his directorial debut American Beauty, Mendes won a Directors Guild of America Award, Golden Globe Award,

and Academy Award for his directing, in addition to the film winning the BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and Academy Award for Best Picture.

He is sure to bring his own unique style of filming to the Bond franchise,

able to find capable co-producers that will be able to provide decent funding for the film. Sony paid for 75% of Casino Royale’s budget in 2006, and 50% of Quantum of Solace’s budget in 2008, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Source: djproject.org

Daniel Craig returns to the screen as James Bond for the third time in the upcoming film. something that is sure to be beneficial to the film.

The script will be written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan, and both MGM and EON Productions will remain producers. Keeping sentimental value, EON is run by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, children of Albert R. Broccoli. The latter Broccoli launched the Bond franchise back in 1962 with Dr. No, and Sean Connery as the famed MI6 agent.

Assuming production goes as planned and there are no more financial issues, Bond 23 should come out right on time. Hopefully MGM and EON are

Hopefully the film will fall into Sony’s hands again, for Casino Royale is one of the best Bond films to date, and Quantum of Solace isn’t half bad either.

On the contrary, if it falls into the hands of a studio like 20th Century Fox, those producers may feel the need to take over and let EON and MGM have as little say as possible. Here’s hoping this doesn’t happen and the Broccolis are able to retain control of the franchise that has been in the hands of their family for nearly half a century. Right now, all we can do is wait to see what happens with Bond 23 and hope for the best.

American Idol gets a makeover

BY JULIANNE EXPOSITO STAFF WRITER

American Idol, one of the country’s most popular reality shows, has been giving birth to new celebrities for a decade. As the show airs its tenth season, viewers will be able to see many new twists that are sure to make for an interesting competition.

To many viewers, one of the most appealing aspects of the show has always been the judging panel, which previously consisted of Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and last season’s addition Kara DioGuardi.

However, according to MTV. com, Abdul left the show at the conclusion of the eighth season due to less pay than that of Randy and Simon. This caused the show’s popularity to dwindle. Last season, Cowell left Idol to focus on producing his show The X Factor, and TMZ.com reported that DioGuardi was fired, leaving Jackson as the only original judge on the panel.

Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler and pop artist Jennifer Lopez now sit beside Jackson. Although change can be refreshing, many fans miss the old judges.

“I’m not sure how I feel about

the new judges,” junior Ashley Hogan said. “I love Steven Tyler – Aerosmith is amazing. I don’t like Jennifer Lopez though, because I think she’s too conscious of the contestants’ feelings, but

be at least 16 to audition, but this year, the requirement has been lowered to 15 in hopes of seeking out even more prospective talent.

“A lot of young, talented people

Source: undisputedin.com

Idol judges and hosts: Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Ryan Seacrest. other than that I guess she’s okay. I like Randy Jackson too, although he isn’t a new judge. But dear producers: bring back Simon!”

But the judges are not the only changes viewers can expect to see this season. In the past, a contestant had to

are now seeking careers and representation before they turn 16. Lowering the age limit allows us to tap into this talent pool,” Executive Producer Cecile FrotCoutaz said, according to MTV.com.

Host Ryan Seacrest announced this change to the show, referencing

Justin Bieber as an example of someone whose talent was discovered at a young age. The judges have been blown away by teenagers who meet this new requirement, such as JC Badoo, a 15-year-old who shocked the judges with his voice when he sang, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding.

In addition to these changes, Idol gave the contestants a new way to audition. For the first time, according to the LA Times, Idol allowed contestants to have a “video audition”, in which they were to record a forty-second video, singing a song a capella from an approved list, and submit it via Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter.

So far, many talented contestants from all over the nation have been admitted to Hollywood. Some of these individuals even live within our own community, like Robbie Rosen, a 16year-old from Merrick.

Many young performers will embark on their journey to fame. Who will be the next American Idol? Tune in Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8PM on Fox and see for yourself.

FEATURES

MARCH 2011

THE CHIEF 13

Vegan adventures of an editor

BY JENNA FRATELLO

ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Veganism is the practice of eliminating the use by humans of animal products.

This absolute flesh-avoidance became my daily life for one week.

I’m often hesitant to try anything new. I’m particularly cautious and selective, and don’t welcome change very easily. However, when I was approached with the idea from fellow editors of The Chief, I took the challenge.

I had always wanted to conduct an in-depth report; the idea of risking my health and my sanity for one week to experience and potentially understand a different lifestyle seemed the best way to do it.

I began by dispersing my savings on organic products, ranging anywhere from vegan French toast to almond milk, nixing the soy; I rummaged through package after package throughout King Kullen’s Wild by Nature section, which no, is not that wild.

Ultimately, I was able to compile a heap of vegan goods, making sure to include as many ounces of wheat, soy, and grass as possible.

I realized within merely the first hour that it is a complete dissention from gluttony.

I’m not a carnivore; and so, deleting any animal fat from my diet was nonexistent, and of course, the easiest part of my challenge. I am, however, a faithful dairy consumer, which inevitably posed an obstacle for me, seeing as how 99.9% of the world’s foods contain even the slightest amount of diary in some way, shape, or form.

Needless to say, in those times of desperation, pasta became my lifeline.

I found myself gazing admirably at any edible substance that I knew contained dairy, such as lasagna or even just regular milk; and so, I twirled my pasta around my fork for as long as possible so as not to look at the cannoli buffet that was sitting peacefully and untouched

right in front of me.

Furthermore, small foods that many people overlook, such as rice, nuts, and beans, began to plague my diet. As healthy as I knew they were, the only annoyance was that I didn’t feel as satisfied as I thought I would after eat-

TOM STRONG-GRINSELL // THE CHIEF

The organic fruit section at King Kullen.

ing them. Overall, for the entire week, I felt less satisfied than I did when I did consume dairy; I can only imagine what my week would have been like if I was a meat-eater.

“There are only so many ways to eat rice and beans before you go insane,” former Managing Editor of The Chief Anthony Cassero, who accompanied me in my week-long vegan challenge, said.

However, as negative as this vegan-memoir may appear, I was able to see past the pounds of soy and tofu that sat on my plate and understand the uncommon mentality behind veganism.

I realized that veganism is more of an outlook on life as a whole than a dietary preference. It is virtually impossible to be a vegan for just one week, and successfully gain the proper experience of veganism.

A common misconception is that vegans are weight-obsessed and earth-crazed hippies. On the contrary, I learned that their ethical and dietary

Man vs. computer

BY MELANIE SHEEHAN STAFF WRITER

Technology has come to defeat man. On February 14, 15, and 16, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, the two top players in Jeopardy history, according to Fox News, faced off against Watson, a state-of-the-art computer invented by IBM research.

Watson took four years to create, and he is named after IBM founder, Thomas J. Watson, according to the New York Times. Watson can understand the question asked of him and find the answer in as little as three seconds; such advanced programming has created the computer to be nearly human-like, giving him a sense of humor, at one point stating, “Girls dig me,” during the show.

So how would a computer fare against Jennings and Rutter?

“Watson would probably win, since they can program any question ever into the computer, but the humans hold only one person’s knowledge,” said sophomore Alana Slatky, prior to the show’s airing.

The only real setback for Watson was how quickly he could submit his answer, since he was not capable of buzzing in until after it was retrieved throughout his system, while Jennings and Rutter were often able to buzz in as they pleased.

Another drawback was that Watson could not understand the responses of Jennings and Rutter, occasionally giving the same wrong answers that were already guessed.

Ultimately, these obstacles were not enough to cost a win for Watson. In the end, Watson defeated the two Jeopardy champions, with nearly $40,000, compared to the $10,000 for Rutter, and $4,000 for Jennings.

“Cast your mind back 20 years and who would have thought this was possible?” said Edward Feigenbaum, a Stanford University computer scientist and pioneer, according to the Times.

This Jeopardy feature was an interesting way to see the wonders of technology and the powerful and now, intellectual, machines that humans are able to create.

lifestyle is more of a belief in personal Madonna, it was difficult. Despite my satisfaction. struggle, there are, in fact, many options “When I was a vegan for two in terms of vegan fashion; companies months, I didn’t find myself to be los- such as Vaute Couture, Cri De Coeur, ing too much weight,” said junior Jacky and Moo Shoes, are making their busiBernhard, who temporarily tested veg- ness throughout Manhattan and on the anism one summer, “but I felt healthier internet selling animal-free fashions. and lighter. I did it as sort of a diet chalIf you’re ever feeling like a herlenge, to see what their lives are like.” bivore, I advise you to check out their Though I lacked the time to actu- websites. Contrary to popular belief, ally create a fancy and adequate vegan vegan fashion is not matronly. gourmet meal for myself, I managed to, During my eight-day vegan at the very least, read a teenager-friendly lifespan, yes, I found myself missing vegan cookbook, PETA’s Vegan Col- certain foods and yearning for the lege Cookbook, compliments of Ms. leather boots that I hid in the back of McKenna, a teacher’s assistant and my closet; I also, however, found myself committed vegan at MHS. appreciating and respecting the compasThough at first eliminating so sionate approach of committed vegans, many vital substances from your diet universally. and your lifestyle may seem virtually Through the laughs, the tears, and impossible, the cookbook proved an the tofu, veganism has become someeasy and cheap way to continue with thing I applaud, though I know that it is veganism under the most inconvenient not the lifestyle for me; but then again, circumstances. the objective of our lives is to appreciThe Scuzz-Free Barbeque Tofu, ate everything, even those we may not one of the cookbook’s more popular fully value. recipes, is a testament that disproves In other words, if I can endure the long-lived myth that any herbivore an eight-day risking of my sanity and cannot survive at a barbeque. my health without the guidance of The As I mentioned earlier, veganism Vegan Girls Guide to Life, so can you. is a moral decision; it is not limited to your diet. Veganism is what you believe, going as far as censoring the every-day products that you buy.

I did my best to restrain from wearing leather boots throughout the week, and even though I’m not a modern-day ADVERTISEMENT

Check out Jenna’s blog at the-chiefblog.blogspot.com to learn more about her adventure.

MARCH 2011

SPORTS

THE CHIEF 14

MLB Predictions: Chief editors take a swing

BY ROB DUFFY SPORTS EDITOR

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies – With their “Phantastic Four” and extremely potent offense, how can they not win? Of course, you have to feel bad for the odd man out, Joe Blanton, but he’d be a good #3 starter for most teams!

NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers – We all know they had a strong offense, but with the additions of Greinke and Marcum to the rotation, they should make it to the playoffs for only the second time since 1982.

NL West: Colorado Rockies – With a great group of young players including Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, and Ubaldo Jimenez, this team has the ability to beat out the returning World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. Watch out for Jorge De La Rosa who could be a sleeper this season.

NL Wild Card: San Francisco Giants – Although their offense is not very strong, it can improve with KungFu Panda’s weight loss and the addition of veteran Miguel Tejada. But it’s their starting rotation and bullpen that will allow them to make a playoff run that will have you saying, “Fear the Beard!”

AL East: Boston Red Sox – Missing out on the playoffs in 2010, the Red Sox have added the speedy Carl Crawford, the big bat of Adrian Gonzalez, and hard-throwing Bobby Jenks as they look to win their third World Series in eight years. Plus, they will get back Kevin Youkilus, Dustin Pedroia, and Jacoby Ellsbury who all missed most of last season due to injury.

AL Central: Chicago White Sox – The White Sox have a great starting rotation that hopes to get back Jake Peavy before the All-Star break. They also boast a great offense, which has added the 40 home run bat of Adam Dunn and with him batting behind Paul Konerko in a strong line-up, the Sox have the chance to be a machine this season.

AL West: Texas Rangers – The Texas Rangers will be able to beat out

BY TYLER NOVET MANAGING EDITOR

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies – The best team on paper; with four starters who would be an ace on any other team, the offense can be almost guaranteed to have a good shot at winning four out of five days. If leaders like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Carlos Ruiz keep playing like they always have, they’re a clear favorite for the World Series.

NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers – Originally, my pick for this division source: wikimedia.org source: imgs.sfgate.com (and the World Series) was the CardiLong time Padres slugger, Adrian nals, but Adam Wainwright will be out Gonzalez (pictured left), who will man for the year, leaving the revamped Brewfirst base for the Red Sox in 2011 while ers to take control. The power of Prince the Phillies’s powerhouse Ryan Howard Fielder and Ryan Braun combined with (pictured right) will try to bounce back from new additions like Zack Greinke, Shaun a “down” year in which he hit “only” 31 Marcum, and Yuniesky Betancourt home runs and drove in 108 RBIs. finally make the Brewers a competing the strong pitching of the Angels and team after taking time to rebuild NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers Athletics with their stacked offense along with the addition of Mike Napoli – Even though the most of this division and Adrian Beltre to win the division for is good enough to go to the playoffs, the Dodgers are the most solid. Their the second year in a row.

AL Wild Card: New York Yan- pitching staff had one of the best ERAs kees – The Yankees will just beat out along with the Giants and Phillies last the Tampa Bay Rays, the Minnesota year. They have the combined package Twins, and the Baltimore Orioles, who of offense and defense and the energy I think have great potential this season and motivation from new manager Don under their new skipper Buck Showalter Mattingly that the other teams can’t be and with their greatly improved infield, certain will take them all the way.

NL Wild Card: Colorado Rockfor the Wild Card. They are definitely weaker than they were in 2009, but they ies – Led by some young stars, the Rockies will correct the mistakes that can still get the job done. led them to missing out on the playoffs at the end of 2010. Neither Troy TulowDivision Series: itzki nor Carlos Gonzalez seems to have Phillies beat Giants any intention of slowing down after Rockies beat Brewers last year’s September magic and their White Sox beat Yankees rotation – most notably Ubaldo Jiminez Red Sox beat Athletics – has shown that it’s capable of no-hit ball. It will be close race between pretty NLCS: much the entire NL West and Central, Phillies beat Rockies but Rockies have the youth and spirit to ALCS: carry them to the playoffs.

Red Sox beat White Sox AL East: Boston Red Sox – Clearly, the team to beat. Their already World Series: outstanding offense has added Adrian Red Sox beat Phillies ADVERTISEMENT

Gonzalez and Carl Crawford and their bullpen now has three legitimate closing options in Jonathan Paplebon, Bobby Jenks, and Daniel Bard. Josh Beckett and John Lackey both had shaky years last year, but they will likely rebound and follow Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz just fine.

AL Central: Minnesota Twins – The “big three” of this division – the Twins, Tigers and White Sox – all basically rely on the same game: strong defense, power offense, and moderate pitching. While the Twins probably lose in the pitching department, their offense and defense – led by Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Jim Thome – are solid enough to win games even if they have give up a few runs every game.

AL West: Texas Rangers – Unfortunately this entire division is rather weak. The Mariners are struggling, the Angels had a very poor offseason, the Athletics – while they are improving and can be a possible contender in 2012 – are just not up to snuff with the returning American League Champions.

AL Wild Card: New York Yankees – They are mostly the same team that won the 2009 World Series: best infield in baseball, rotation led by C.C. Sabathia, a solid and cheap outfield, and of course, Mariano Rivera chasing the all time saves record. The Yankees’ biggest concern is the starting rotation behind Sabathia, a volatile A.J. Burnett, and a very young Phil Hughes.

Division Series: Phillies beat Rockies Brewers beat Dodgers Red Sox beat Rangers Yankees beat Twins NLCS: Phillies beat Brewers ALCS: Red Sox beat Yankees World Series: Phillies beat Red Sox

SPORTS

MARCH 2011

THE CHIEF 15

Pre-season pays off for Chiefs baseball

BY TOM HERER STAFF WRITER

5:30 AM: That’s the time that most students who attend optional baseball intramurals before school wake up each morning. Although it is difficult to do this day in and day out – in addition to arriving at the school by 6:25 AM – the students know it makes a difference.

“Waking up an extra hour early is really tough, especially for something that’s optional,” sophomore Danny Howard said,”but the hard work that we put in really pays off during the season.

The idea of being in shape for tryouts and the upcoming season is one of many benefits that the boys have in the morning. Most importantly, the players get an opportunity to receive insightful tips from Coach Sheedy or Coach Cafiero.

Frank Portaro is one student that

has taken notice of the effort set forth by the coaches to help out everyday.

“I think that the coaches have really shown their team how much dedication [they have] by coming to school to help us out with our swings and other skills.,” Portaro said. “It shows us that they really want this, so we have to put the effort in for them.”

The “this” to which Portaro refers is the championship program that Massapequa baseball has been known for the last few years. The devotion of the coaching staff is shown by arriving to the school early to help hone the players’ skills and abilities.

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the players have the option to either do hitting or pitching drills. Depending on the player, he will either go to the upper gym to hit off batting-tees or to the main gym to work on pitching drills.

“The different drills stress certain parts of hitting that altogether will better your swing,” Danny said. “Howie Bob” Howard, who has seen his mechanics overall improve each day he attends these intramurals.

Pitching drills, however, are quite fatiguing after the throwing has ended.

Interviewed players all noted that they were extremely sore the next day.

“The towel drills across the gym are the toughest,” pitcher Pat Healy said.

The towel drills are when the pitchers have to run with their hands on towels on the floor across the gym.

In addition to the hitting and pitching, there are also two other optional days for the players to attend. Conditioning days are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays and are definitely no walk in the park. These workouts early in the year were not too strenuous, but have changed since the intramurals

began.

Junior Dave Samberg frequently goes to the conditioning days.

“The conditioning in the morning helps me better focus during the day and it will also help me throughout the rest of the season,” Samberg said.

Mr. Schwartz, who heads the conditioning days, targets certain muscles to work on every week. After identifying a group of muscles to work on, there are different exercises for the athletes to partake in. Needless to say, the boys work up quite a sweat.

Although these intramurals are by no means easy, there are no shortages of laughs. In keeping the mood light and tensions low, potential teammates bond, helping chemistry on the field. That will hopefully help keep Massapequa’s baseball teams highly competitive and successful for years to come.

The Chiefs boys varsity track team sprints to victory

BY MATT HIRSCH STAFF WRITER

This season, the Boys Varsity Winter Track Team had a successful run, with an exciting series of events to cap off their season.

On Friday, January 28, four Massapequa runners, Andrew Valenski, Tim Callahan, Nick DeLuna, and Bryan Buttigieg, competed at the Mill Rose games in Madison Square Garden, and on Sunday, February 6, the runners attempted to win the Conference I Championships at St. Anthony’s High School, but settled for second place out of many teams across Long Island.

Two days later, another important meet was held on Tuesday, February 8.

On this day, the team attempted to become the first Massapequa Boys Track Team to ever win the Nassau County Championships.

“It’ll be the first time we’ve ever won Counties so the pressure is big,” shot-putter Adam Davi said prior to the event.

At Counties, which were also held at St. Anthony’s, Davi competed alongside teammates like runners Tim Callahan and Ryan Cooney. Unfortunately, The Chiefs, once again finished second despite impressive wins in the 600m and 1000m by senior Nick Deluna.

However, the goals end there for the Chiefs.

“We hope to get four guys AllAmerican in the 4 by mile [event],” sophomore runner Mike Puleio said.

Alongside Coach Degnan and Coach Valenski, The Chiefs, who are ranked as thirty-nine in the nation as an overall team, certainly won’t stop running after these shortcomings.

Wrestling’s rough season

BY ROB DUFFFY SPORTS EDITOR

What’s better than one? Two, of course; the Massapequa Wrestling Team knows this well, having won their second straight County Championship.

The Chiefs defeated Wantagh in the dual-meet championship on January 29 at Clarke High School.

Tom Donohue’s 3-2 win clinched the county championship for the Chiefs, leading them to a 31-21 victory over Wantagh. This county championship did not signal an end to the wrestling season as many would think – as cliché as it may seem, it had just begun.

Three Massapequa seniors, Conor Wetzel, Chris Sarro, and Rudy Lanzillotta, all went on their way to the Nassau Division I finals.

Conor Wetzel, who defeated Robert McNamara 7-2, faced off against Wantagh’s Joe Kavanagh in the 189 pound final.

Chris Sarro defeated Farmingdale’s Jovanny Concepcion 8-4 in the semis to earn his one hundredth win of his high school career. He is only the seventh Chief to accomplish this feat. Sarro faced off against Long Beach’s Dylan

Palacio for the 145 pound final. Finally, Rudy Lanzillotta faced off with Chris Perez of MacArthur, who won the 112 pound final last year. The two faced off in the 130 pound final.

Unfortunately for Massapequa, they all just came up a buck short, losing each of their respective matches.

“All three guys in the finals had tough matches but I thought they went out with class and represented themselves well,” Massapequa head coach Joe Catalanotto told Massapequa Patch.

“I am really happy with how all of my guys did.”

Although all three lost their respective final matches, Conor Wetzel did get a chance to compete in the 2011 NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships in Albany. Wetzel lost in the first round of the 189 pound bracket to Junior Tony Fusco of Shenendehowa.

“It’s an honor to go up there,” Wetzel said. “It’s an experience I’ve been looking forward to since ninth grade.”

Photo provided by Bryan Buttigeg

Track stars (from left to right), Timmy Calahan, Andrew Valenski, Bryan Buttigeg, Nick DeLuna, and Spencer Nord celebrating their second place win at Counties.

Girls basketball dominates

BY JASON CELARU SPORTS EDITOR

Massapequa aims for excellence in all aspects of a high school, and the Girls Varsity basketball team is no exception.

At the season’s end, the team finished in second place out of 11 teams in its section with a record of ten wins and two losses, trailing behind Farmingdale.

In thier final game against Farmingdale on January t6ey lost 52 to 60.

Although they were not victorious, losing by a slim margin of only eight points against a team with eleven wins and one loss can still be seen as an achievement.

Senior Taylor Elliot believes that the girls need to work on scoring and defending. “We need to improve on our shooting and defense,” she said.

The only two losses the team had were against Farmingdale, an impressive record. To increase their success, however, Taylor thought that the team needed to be more relaxed and focused.

In a recent blow-out, Massapequa defeated Syosset 62 to 33 on February

11. Nicole Scicutella led the team in points by scoring 20 points all together.

In the third quarter, Massapequa’s defense only allowed 5 points, while scoring 24 to give Massapequa the win.

Massapequa geared up for the Nassau Class AA basketball quarterfinals which took place on February 23, against Uniondale. In the first quarter, Massapequa went up 11 to 8, but fell in the second quarter by giving up thirteen points, and only scoring eight. In the third quarter, they competed forcefully once again taking the lead by scoring 19 points, and only allowing nine to be scored. They ended the third quarter with the lead of 38 to 30. However, the team fell in the final quarter giving up 19 points, and only scoring eight, making the final score of the game 49 to 46 for Uniondale.

The Girls Varsity basketball team, like any team, has room to improve, but with the determination and success that the players have shown, it is clearly proven that the varsity basketball team had high levels of talent.

THE CHIEF 16

MARCH 2011

Boys basketball leads memorable season

BY JASON CELARU SPORTS EDITOR

As time progresses, so do people.

Teams consist of people who will eventually leave that team -- an inevitable fact from national league teams to high school varsity teams. However, this year’s set of players for the Boys Varsity Basketball Team made this season a memorable one.

At the end of the season, the team had 11 wins and 6 losses overall, and in their conference they had seven wins and six losses. A major reason this season was unforgettable is the fact that the team didn’t lose one home game.

On January 29, Massapequa faced off with Uniondale, the division leaders that have a record of seven wins and two losses in their conference. Although Massapequa came up short with a score of 47 to 41, the players still proved that they have the potential of matching, or even surpassing Uniondale. Uniondale took the lead in the first quarter by scoring 12 points. However, in the second quarter, both Massapequa and Uniondale scored 11 points. In the last quarter, Massapequa managed to outscore Uniondale with 13 points, as opposed to Uniondale’s 10.

Senior Ryan Van Buren scored 16 points during the game, and senior Matt Smocovich scored nine.

On February 8, Massapequa de-

feated Oceanside by the close score of 52 to 50. Ryan Van Buren lead the team in scoring by getting eight baskets, as well as eight free throws for a total of 24 points.William Schlich and Matt Young both scored the only three point shots that Massapequa had. After the first half, Massapequa was down 26 to 33. However, in the third quarter, the Chiefs scored 14 points, while letting Oceanside score only three. Going into the fourth quarter 40 to 36 Massapequa scored 12 more points, while Oceanside scored 14 to bring the final score to 52 to 50.

Matt Hamdan, a senior on the team, had great faith in the team’s abbilities to defeat opposing teams.

“We know that if we do what we do well and keep playing hard we can beat any team in this county.”

Shooting is one of the team’s strengths as seen in their numerous scored points during multiple games.

“To be successful we need to out execute teams in different situations. I think our shooting is definitely one of our greatest strengths,” Hamdan said.

The Boys Varsity Basketball Team played with a purpose that defined who the players are. The way they played the game -- always determined and centered -- was shown every time they competed and set the tone for the entire season.

ALLIE GIORDANO // THE CHIEF

The Chief’s game against Hempstead as the boys try to reclaim a rebound.

Hockey wins county championship, eyes states

BY ROB DUFFY SPORTS EDITOR

The Massapequa High School Varsity Ice Hockey team has gone above and beyond the ice this season.

The team won the Nassau County Varsity Championship by beating Bellmore/Merrick on February 15 and 16.

With a record of 18-2 and a thirteen-game winning streak heading into the playoffs, the team earned a spot in the States Tournament in Buffalo, New York from March 3 to 6. The team looks to bring a State Championship back to Massapequa High School.

The team won their first playoff game against Wantagh-Seaford Baymen with a score of 7-1 on February 13. Phil Amato and Joey Bochichio each scored two goals in the victory, leading the team to need only two more wins in order to win the Nassau County Championship.

On February 15, in their second

playoff game against Bellmore-Merrick, the team exploded with a 7-2 victory, with Bochichio scoring three times and Chris Zito and Mike Tardino each scoring a pair of goals.

The next night, the team beat Bellmore/Merrick once again by a slimmer margin of 5-3 with clutch defense by goalie Mike Mottola, who saved 27 shots, and Phil Armato scoring the winning goal.

“I’m really excited about going to states,” said Mottola. “We lost in the semi-finals last year and that gives us some added motivation to take it all this year. The team is more experienced going into this year, and with the way we finished the regular season, I think we have a really good chance to go far in Buffalo.”

In their best showing of the year, on February 9, the Chief’s exploded with a 12-point shutout against East Williston.

Photos provided by Bryan Radigan

(Pictured left) Brian Radigan sets up for a face-off against the Wantagh-Seaford Baymen team. (Pictured right) Anthony Mangone lunges to retrieve the puck.

Senior and forward Mike Tardino having logged 42 minutes in the penalty scored five of them with only eight shots box this season. on goal, leading the team. Anthony and “We’ve been doing really great Nicholas Mangone also had multi-goal so far,” said DiGiovanna. “We suffered games as Anthony shot three goals and two hard losses in the beginning of the his brother Nicholas shot two goals. season but we bounced back and now Tardino has led the team through- were the first place team and headed out the season, accumulating twenty- toward the state championship. We plan one goals and 23 assists during twenty to bury our biscuits there and take the games thus far. trophy home.”

Defender Dom DiGiovanna has The ice may be cold, but Chiefs been one of the feisty players in the rink, hockey is hot.

Varsity swimming at division championships The Boys’ Varsity Swimming and Diving Team placed fourth at division championships in February.

Trevor Dearstyne took the division champion honor in the 50m free-style with a new Massapequa school record of 22.74.

He also placed second in the 100 free with a new Massapequa school record of 50.03.

Ravshan Kadirov achieved all division honors, placing third in the 50 free. Bryan Locher, Brian Yurasits, Ravshan Kadirov, ALYSSA YURASITS // THE CHIEF and Trevor Dearsstyne placed third in the 134.48. Ravshan Kadirov, Teddy Demos, Blase Bordengo, and Trevor Dearstyne placed first in the 400 free relay, just missing a new 200 free relay, achieving all division honors school record by 24 hundredths of a second. Pictured above left. The Chiefs Boys Swimming and Diving team celebrate their win. and a new Massapequa school record of