GOT SPIRIT?
SPORTS HOMECOMING GAME p 16 EDITORIAL EXPLOITING CELEBS p 4 OPINION THE GREAT HEALTHCARE DEBATE p 5
Special Photo Pullout on pages 8 and 9
Massapequa High School
NOVEMBER 2009
mhsthechief@yahoo.com
Vol. LVII - ISSUE 1
Ten Grand Toward Spiking out Breast Cancer! Who would have thought that so many people would come to the gym on a weekday after a long day of school for two volleyball games in a row? It seems MHS is more involved each year in the fight against breast cancer. The second annual Dig Pink
Fans wore pink; the players wore pink jerseys, pink socks, pink ribbons, and played with pink balls. The opposing team even wore pink. Last year, the teams raised $3,000, and their goal for this year was to reach $5,000. The MHS Volleyball team actually raised exactly $10,500 exceeding everyone’s expectations.
and track that had their own reasons for supporting awareness. There was even a cotton candy machine. “I thought it was a good cause because members of my family have breast cancer,” Ally Zvinys said, “So I try to support breast cancer awareness, like helping out at the cross country bake sale.” This was the second annual Dig
was held October 1, in the MHS main gym. The games were opened with the National Anthem. Senior Jenna Briedis sang for the JV game while students from Unqua’s sixth grade chorus sang at the Varsity game. Both games were extremely well attended, with the stands packed with fans in pink. Both teams won all three games played against the East Meadow Jets.
Coach Habeeb would like to thank “…many community organizations, especially Strix LLC., Massapequa hall of Fame, Massapequa Community Fund, MFT, a few MHS booster clubs and the MHS Cheerleaders and Chiefettes for their performance.” In addition to the opportunity to donate at the game, there were fundraisers like bake sales and raffles hosted by other sports teams such as field hockey
Pink event at MHS. Schools and colleges all over the United States participate in Dig Pink to also help raise money and awareness for the disease. “It was a great way for the community and our team to come together, and the win against East Meadow really just added to the excitement,” junior Keri Giaquinto said. “We raised over $10,000 this year, which was [more than] double our amount last year. It’s
BY KRISTINA BARRY
a stand against the vaccine. Even medical personnel who have never been reported to have the swine flu are being forced to get vaccinated. With jobs lost, it will be harder for nurses and doctors alike to support their families. “I’m willing to collect unemployment, and work a part time job. When it comes to my health or my job, I am obviously going to choose my health,” said Nurse Goldstein, who is clearly unwilling to get the shot, like many of her coworkers. Although a majority of people are unwilling to risk their lives for a vaccine and their yearly salary, some are considering getting the shot once it is verifiede that thier are no side effects. Another nurse at Family Practice in Massapequa, Claudia Favuzza said, “I don’t support an uncertified shot in any way; however, once it is officially approved I don’t see why my son and I would hesitate to get it.” “New York City officials began administering swine flu vaccine to children yesterday,” according to an article in Newsday October 29. At this time, Massapequa School district, according to Vice Principal Dr. McKillop, is awaiting word from the health department before making any decisions. Citizens are mainly unwilling to receive the swine flu shot because they do not want to be viewed as “guinea
pigs,” with something as serious as their health at risk. Also, people are afraid that this swine flu vaccination is similar to the one given in 1976, wherein more people died from the vaccination than the flu, according to clipmarks. com. The vaccine caused a direct deterioration of the nervous system. Government officials claim to be doing extensive work to perfect the swine flu vaccine, and to avoid complications similar to the ones experienced in the 1970s.They feel that the vaccine is completely safe because scientists took a different approach in its construction. The new swine flu vaccine is said to have been created to replicate the seasonal flu vaccine, which is completely safe, and used by approximately 100 million Americans yearly, according to CBS News. The swine flu itself is an illness that specifically attacks the respiratory system when it is transmitted from a pig
BY LYNN HOROWITZ BUSINESS MANAGER
Marissa Pelly//The Chief
The Swine Flu Shot: Will you get it? STAFF WRITER
The spike in the number of Americans suffering from the swine flu over the past six months has led to the need for the development of a vaccination to save the lives of innocent people. Although many people are thrilled with the development, medical personnel are being forced to get the shot to keep their jobs, despite thier free will. Recently, New York State passed a law requiring all medical personnel, in doctors’ offices, or hospitals, to not only receive the swine flu shot, but also receive the seasonal flu shot. Since the swine flu shot, despite FDA approval, is feared by some to potentially cause detrimental side effects down the road. According to the CDC’s October 17 update, the swine flu has been responsible for 2827 deaths since August 30. People holding jobs in the field are outraged with the fact that they are being forced against their will to receive a shot which may never be beneficial and even end up being deadly. “I am absolutely willing to turn down the swine flu shot and lose my job. I am not about to get a shot that is potentially dangerous,” said Donna Goldstein, a nurse at Winthrop Hospital. People are not willing to jeopardize their health, and are willing to lose their jobs to take
great to have the younger girls to see us play and become aware of breast cancer.” Between the games, The Chiefettes,wearing pink bows, and Massapequa Cheerleaders, wearing pink t-shirts, provided entertainment. Cheerleader Tori Hartman, junior at MHS, said, “I had a great time doing it and I’m definitely interested in doing it next year.” There was a flower dedication honoring the past, present, and future as well as a presentation to the family of a close friend of varsity Coach Habeeb who passed away from breast cancer. The team also honored and recognized a Massapequa staff member currently fighting the disease. All money goes to the Side Out Foundation, which began three years ago nationwide. The organization asks colleges, universities, and high schools to dedicate a volleyball match to National Breast Cancer Awareness. A “side out” in volleyball is when one team wins a point while its opponent is serving, thereby getting control of the play. Similarly, in the war against breast cancer, the Side Out Foundation supports health care professionals in their pursuit of practical solutions for women and men with the disease, enabling those affected to take back control of their lives. For more information on Dig Pink, visit www.side-out.org
to a human. Swine is a Latin word, and means pig. The swine flu is contagious from human to human, and spreads
Leanne Zinn, dressed as The Swine Flu for Halloween, brings comic relief to a rather serious issue through coughing and sneezing, similarly to the seasonal flu.
NOVEMBER 2009
NEWS
THE CHIEF 2
Cabaret Night: the Highs, the Lows, the Leotards
Mrs. Greene and Mrs. Dempsey. After several auditions, the two chorus teachIt’s dark. Your clumsy fingers ers then had the difficult job of selecting are slipping past each other from the a privileged few to perform on the big drips of sweat as you stand in solitude. night less than a month later. Like a crack of lightning, the spotlight’s Hosts were also selected. This on you and you’ve somehow teleported year, James Vigilante, Gina Degaspto center stage. As the music begins to eris, Devon Stolfi, Lenny Sadowsky, play, your stomach and Sam Taussig gave drops to your knees. the audience comedic Then, with a sudden relief in between pergasp for air and by a formances. “There were miracle from heaven a lot of relevant and you sing your opening current skits,” said Mrs. note. This is it. This is Dempsey, no doubt a refCabaret Night. erence to Lenny’s “SinEighteen talgle Ladies” dance and ented students went James’s “Soulja’ Boy.” through this terrifying According to the chorus yet rewarding expeteacher, this year’s hosts rience on Saturday were set apart from past October 17 while years because performing in the of their effort annual cabaret-style and preparashow in the upper tion. gym. Although orT h e ganized by chorus musical perforteachers Mrs. Greene mances were and Mrs. Dempsey, phenomenal. the event was very All of the stustudent driven. “The Paige Snider//The Chief dents had well students were really dedicated this done pieces that kept the audiyear,” Mrs. Dempsey said, “they put a ence engaged and entertained. lot of work into it.” Aside from some One of the highlights of the vocal guidance, the two voice experts show was the senior song stepped back and let the students make “Bring on Tommorow” sung their own music. by seniors Sam Masone, Jenna The process began with audi- Briedis, Christina Cortes, Kations in September. Each student pre- tie Osterman, James Vigilante, pared his or her own song to flaunt to Gina Degasperis, Nicole Filosa, Lenny BY ZACHARY URBAN STAFF WRITER
Sadowsky, and crew for that. They set up Sam Taussig. the upper gym, operated The rest of the the lights and managed singers, Jagger the sound. “The techies Kugler, Shandid really well,” Mrs. non Oliveri, Joe Dempsey said, “they Zontini, Melahelp the flow of everynie Kalin, Pat thing.” Regan, Sara In the end, CabDramer, Zacharet Night was a sucary Urban, and cess. There was a great Mariel Horn all turnout that made for did excellent great donations. All of with the accomthe proceeds that night paniment of Mr. go to a music scholarship Steven Altanell. for a senior at the end of M r s . the year. In the nine years Dempsey said Mrs. Greene and Mrs. that, “This was Dempsey have been orthe smoothest it Paige Snider//The Chief ganizing this event, this has ever run.” A lot of thanks can go was one of the best shows yet. How will
Paige Snider//The Chief
to Mr. McCabe and tech and stage
they top it next year?
New Security at MHS: How It Affects the Student Body? BY Lynn Horowitz BUSINESS MANAGER
Fact: There is new security at MHS this year. Students will have to carry their IDs in their wallets or pockets, but contrary to popular rumor, they will not have to wear them 24/7 like teachers do. Dr. Grossane said it would be extremely hard to enforce this rule because many students would find ways to get around it—like wearing the IDs in the wrong place, or “forgetting them at home.” Teachers, however, must continue to wear IDs. Their IDs may even be swiped
every morning with new machinery. Digital security cameras throughout the hallways are also new. These cameras can zoom in on incidents, and are visible to kids in the hallways. Basically—if you want to see the cameras, just look up. They are black, half moon shaped, and suspended from the ceiling. As mentioned during the “welcome back” assembly, there will be teachers walking around outside during lunch periods. According to Dr. Gros-
sane these “yellow jackets,” headed by Mr. Scarpias, consist of two to three rotating substitute teachers walking around campus to help make sure nothing goes wrong and to discourage inappropriate student behavior, like loitering or vandalism. Apparently these measures taken for safety have gone unnoticed. Junior Danielle Diverde said, “I personally believe that advancing the security due to potential negative influences accumulating in today’s society is a very
The Class That’s Taking Over Radio Waves BY MATIAS CONSTENLA STAFF WRITER
Everyone at MHS knows about the second period homeroom announcements—after all, they are kind of hard to avoid. Traditionally, the announcements have been read by the officers of the National Honor Society without any specific order. As a result, they ended up reading announcements that were no longer relevant. This made it disorganized, and it didn’t help that students often laughed while they read, making it very difficult to understand the announcements at all. Last year, many people weren’t taking the announcements seriously because they weren’t presented in a serious manner. This year, the new Broadcast
Journalism students are taking matters into their own hands. The Broadcast Journalism class is a full year English class offered to students who have taken Broadcasting I, and are now charged with reading the announcements. The class is taught by Mrs. Coyle, who also teaches some of the Broadcasting classes and is the adviser of the Broadcasting club. Many people may be wondering how the Broadcasting Journalism class got the task of reading the announcements every morning. According to Mrs. Coyle, Dr. Grossane asked her to do research on getting a television studio for the school so. among other things, the announcements could be read through there. Unfortunately, because of
the school’s budget, this wasn’t a possibility this year—so Ms. Coyle proposed a plan to Dr. Grossane. The plan was to create a course that involved many different forms of electroinic media, beginning with radio and internet podcasting. Students who had learned the skills from prior broadcasting classes would be invited to enroll. Eventually, the plan is to include a television studio and video vodcasts on the internet. Currently, the Broadcast Journalism class reads the announcements through the radio, which will be available on the web soon. During the second half of the year, a video feature will be added to the show which will also be available on the web. The communications class will assist making these video features.
bright idea. However, I did not even know this existed until [the reporter] brought it to my attention.” MHS is able to afford all this new security through a program called EXEL, which brings in funds from New York State to help enforce new security measures. But the real question is: will new security really cause a decrease in the number of violations at MHS?
The reaction from teachers and students has been mixed. Senior Matt Veltri said, “It’s too fake.” Other students have said that they think it’s corny. Senior Cristina Cortes said, “I feel they are better than last year, it’s more interesting to listen to because they put personality into it and make you want to pay attention. I give them props.” English teacher Mrs. Curiale said she thinks the new announcements are excellent and very professional. All in all, everything seems to be going well for the Broadcast Journalism class. Remember every day to stay tuned during second period to hear the announcements!
FEATURE
NOVEMBER 2009
THE CHIEF 3 ADVERTISEMENT
OPINION
Got Blood BY CHRIS RIOTTA
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Apparently Hollywood thinks we have plenty, hence the ridiculous amount of vampire flicks and television shows we’ve seen pop up lately. First it was Twilight—the movie about a girl who fell in love with a vampire…who wanted her blood. While she knew he wanted to literally suck the life out of her, she loved him. Call me crazy, but not only did I not enjoy this movie, but I thought the concept was awful too. How it created an army of fan girls (and even guys) to help keep this unfortunate box-office smash alive is beyond my knowledge, and probably Stephanie Meyer’s as well. Personally, I thought this movie was so awful that I literally had to walk out of the
room. This really says something, because getting someone like me to even consider moving while watching a movie is incredible; once I have my popcorn and soda, I become a nonresponsive sack of nothingness. However, these rules did not apply to something as terrible as this. Just saying—if you have two or more shirts quoting corny lines from Twilight, you might want to get a hobby. After this foolish waste of a movie, with almost immediate rumors that a sequel was in the works, a light must have flicked on in the brain of Hollywood. Although this obviously didn’t take genius thinking, television writers and directors everywhere realized they could make loads of money by simply using washed up actors to play the leads in their new series about tacky things including love, hatred, and vampires. Out came The Vampire Diaries, which in my opinion was a total waste of millions of dollars and people’s time. I did try watching an episode of this, but —and I know after second period I’ll have an angry mob of brain-washed, vampire loving chicks in my face with posters of their precious king, Edward, and my picture in flames – any show or movie with vampires is simply foolish. It was pointless, unrealistic, and boring. The show was even worse than Twilight, and instead of bringing my popcorn with me, I considered throwing it at the screen. Now, for me, moving is one thing, but giving up food is an entirely different ball park.
So I’m sure one could imagine how positively delighted I was when yet another show was cranked out starring these egotistical vampires and their ditsy lovers – True Blood. While I must say True Blood was without a doubt the most entertaining out of these three, it still is unoriginal: the concept is overused and beginning to not only frustrate me but also other sane people who are realizing they don’t want their generation to be remembered as the “TwiHards” or the “VampLoverz”. What is creating this overusage of vampires in our lives? What’s making them our celebrities, our musicians, our idols? Chiefs, hate to break the news to you, but if these vampires were real, they wouldn’t be returning the af-
fection you give them every day! Instead, they’d be sucking out your blood; and I bet you’d like it. That’s the problem! It’s the fact that we as people spend too much time fantasizing rather than evaluating. We like to think that charismatic vampires and love at first sight could be real even if the reciprocator wants to eat some of your flesh and vital liquids, but it just isn’t. However, there is hope for my readers, who are probably gritting their teeth and clenching their fists – I like to think we have seen the worst of the worst. This summer in Montauk I saw a couple wearing “The Lamb” and “The Lion” Twilight necklaces and almost ran into the nearest shop to puke out my embarrassment for mankind. I think if one more movie or show is made about dramatic, stupid, yet semi-attractive girls falling in love with washed up, broke, and sickly looking actors – I mean “vampires”— I’m going to have to lead a revolt against this. That’s all for now folks, and just an important reminder – physical abuse in our school district is not tolerated; please don’t hurt me after reading this. Graphic by Lauren Reisig
Got an opinion? Send it to The Chief. mhsthechief@yahoo.com
Choose a field and run with it. At Briarcliffe College we make it easier for you to run straight toward success. • Accounting / Business Administration • Criminal Justice • Graphic Design • Information Technology • Management • Marketing • Networking & Computer Technology • Paralegal Studies
• Financial aid available for those who qualify • Smaller classes • Professional instructors with real-world experience • Flexible day, evening & online classes • Graduate career services assistance
®
888.296.9777 briarcliffe.edu LOCATIONS IN BETHPAGE, PATCHOGUE AND QUEENS Text GOFAR to 839863 for event updates and more information. Standard text rates apply - check with your carrier or terms of your wireless plan for details.
The Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, accredits Briarcliffe College. The Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Commission on Higher Education Accreditation.
OP/ED
NOVEMBER 2009
THE CHIEF 4
EDITORIALS
Celebrity Deaths - the Distraction from Reality No matter who dies, it’s always sad. That’s why when we hear that someone we don’t know personally has passed, our reaction (nine times out of ten) is a melancholy state of shock. As human beings, it’s normal to feel compassion for this person and their family. However, on the subject of celebrity deaths—in which we’ve had quite a few these past few months—are we taking this compassion too far? As a result of this empathy, is the media sticking its nose where it shouldn’t be, resulting in an invasion of privacy for the person and their family members? As we all know, the media tends to dramatize everything it can in order to increase its sales. It also tends to invade the personal lives of these “celebs”, ultimately letting the public in on information that not only isn’t our business, but also may not even be true. An example of this invasion of privacy can be seen largely throughout the investigation of nearly every celebrity death within these past few months. Whether it be
the death of the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson, the original Charlie’s Angel Farrah Fawcett, the famous US Senator Ted Kennedy, the TV salesperson Billy Mays, or the “Ghost” star Patrick Swayze—the media has become all too obsessed with the minor details that the population certainly has no business knowing. In an interview on thedailyfreepress.com, Paul Schneider, a Communications professor at Boston University, stated, “Unfortunately, the whole obsession with celebrities is something like getting people addicted to sugar or drugs making it utterly destructive. While it is in the nature of media to milk stories, especially television where it is all about the ratings where they will do anything to get more eyeballs on the screen, when Michael Jackson died it was as if Abe Lincoln died. The intense amount of publicity around his death has become a circus.” Now, even though it’s sad to think that one could ever make “too
much” out of someone else’s death, it’s true. For example, when Anna Nicole Smith died about a year and a half ago, the media made it out to be like someone with as much importance as the president had passed. Did any of us know Anna Nicole so personally that we all needed to get ourselves so thoroughly involved? The answer is no. And just as the media reacted with Anna Nicole, it also did with Michael Jackson--and has continued to do so forth. While Michael Jackson was a man of unbelievable talent and success, he was not a god, and that is the cold, hard truth. Did he deserve recognition? Of course he did. But did he deserve front page story after story of news coverage on his death for weeks at a time? Not as much. The reason, of course, not only has to do with this generation’s obsession with celebrities, but also the fact that the media has, and possibly will always be, reluctant to speak unkind words of the deceased. In this day and age of politically correct this and highly
offensive that, the media is becoming increasingly frightened of offending people in the slightest. Because of this, gossip magazines and whatnot delve deep into these deaths, saying the nicest things they can think of—which, while courteous, doesn’t help us remind ourselves that they were people, just as we are, and not everything they did was amazing. So what can we do personally to solve this issue? Well, there isn’t much of anything that anyone can do to stop the media, unless of course we’re working for it. However, maybe as a start we can try to be a little less involved with other people’s business, and a little more involved with our own. People live, and they die—and yes, it’s sad. But there certainly shouldn’t be any stranger’s life that we obsess over so thoroughly that we distract ourselves from everything else that’s important in life, invading someone else’s privacy in the process.
despite the conditions.” Massapequa High School has stepped up to the plate in other ways in its attempt to conquer this disease. The second annual Dig Pink volleyball games were played on October 1 and the CARE club, advised by Mrs. Carrino, held multiple fundraisers to benefit breast cancer awareness. Fundraisers included the sale of pink carnations for one dollar each and a bake sale for which members of the CARE club supplied pink pastries and other assorted snacks, including pink frosted cupcakes and brownies. Mrs. Carrino reported that over 400 dollars was raised thanks to the support of the student body and the dedication of the club. She said, “Our members’ participation was outstanding this year!” The CARE club also sponsored a Wear Pink day for students and staff
members, during which stickers with pink ribbons and inspirational terms related to fighting the disease were distributed. “Our hope is that the student body will become more aware and in turn will be more inclined to participate because it is so accessible to them,” said Mrs. Carrino about the purpose of the events that have been held thus far. The future of the community relies on students’ and other individuals’ awareness for those living with breast cancer and other illnesses. It’s time to step up as we have in the past month and continue with our support!
MHS Gives Back The global community’s race to help those in need has been an ongoing effort for years, and this October has been no exception for Massapequa High School. Most recently, the Chiefs Challenge Club challenged us to “pay up to dress up” for Halloween. They orchestrated a fundraising event that encouraged students to donate a dollar and then dress in costume on the Friday before Halloween to raise money for UNICEF, Charity: Water, Wounded Warrior Project, and Angela’s House. But that was just one of the many charitable causes the MHS community partook in this month. The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk was held on Sunday, October 18, at Jones Beach State Park. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, this five mile walk unites “communities to honor and celebrate
breast cancer survivors, educate women about the importance of early detection and prevention, and raise money to fund lifesaving research and support programs to further the progress against this disease,” according to the Jones Beach State Park website. With whipping winds, 40 degree temperatures and a fair supply of rain, walkers purchased ponchos and set out with determination as they contributed to the fight against the illness that continues to plague men and women’s lives across the country. Many MHS students and teachers participated in this event, including members of the CARE Club, the MFT, and those who walked in the name of a family member or friend affected by breast cancer. Junior Brooke Dutka, who volunteered at a water station, said, “The walk was still a success. It was inspiring to see that people still cared enough to walk
The Chief Editorial Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Noelle Witt MANAGING EDITOR Anthony Cassero HEAD COPY EDITOR Sara Pickles PHOTO EDITOR Paige Snider EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Jenna Fratello Tyler Novet Lauren Reisig Chris Riotta Tom Strong-Grinsell PHOTOGRAPHER Kaitlin Gordon ADVISER Elyn Coyle
Editorial Cartoon by Erin Boyle
NOVEMBER 2009
OP/ED
THE CHIEF 5
Point
Is It Time to Make Health Care Affordable? BY LAUREN REISIG EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Right now in America, 45 million Americans are left without health insurance, including 8 million children. So when people get sick (and they do get sick), they are left with huge debts, or some simply do not go to see a doctor and avoid treatments altogether. Just a simple trip to the emergency room where patients may not even spend the night can cost hundreds of dollars. In these tough economic times, one should not be giving up his or her health because he or she cannot afford it. Barack Obama and Joe Biden agree with this, so they have created a health care reform bill, to provide affordable healthcare for families and businesses to ensure no one is left out in the cold. Part of this plan will create a federal health care system, which provides health care for everyone, yet does not get rid of private insurance or Medicare. This will ultimately cause competition that will lower insurance prices, because in this country, the problem is not only those uninsured, but also the skyrocketing costs of insurance, including premiums and co-payments. For those working class families struggling to make ends meet and the small businesses trying to stay afloat as businesses left and right are going bankrupt.
There are tax credits to help them afford health insurance. The President’s plan also seeks to regulate larger businesses, making them provide an insurance plan for all employees. If they do not follow this, these employers will be fined. Not only does Obama’s plan reprimand bad behavior, it also commends companies for doing the right thing. Lately, in the news and on programs like The O’Reilly Factor, and The Glenn Beck Program, people are saying that there are “death panels” to decide who gets insurance, however, this is not in the health care bill and is a completely heinous and outrageous accusation. Quite the contrary, this reform is trying to make everyone eligible for health insurance, even if one has a pre-existing condition. To add to that, the plan also is going to invest in disease management programs, to help those with chronic conditions and diseases, like diabetes. These diseases and conditions require constant maintenance, so Barack Obama is trying to lower these costs. In this bill, there is also a desire to invest in technological systems instead of paperwork. This will make the paper charts obsolete. So, when the doctor comes in, he can just look at a computerized chart; from here, he can also send a prescription right to the
pharmacy, and at the same time these files are still completely safe and confidential. This will eliminate the time at hospitals trying to find the forms and patient history, and instead links hospitals together. Lastly, this plan aims to lower
the cost of drugs by allowing pharmacies to buy the drugs from other countries for better prices and in turn more affordable prices for the consumer. The bill also prevents the blocking of generic drugs, so instead of paying fifty dollars,
one can pay ten dollars for the same drug, just with a different label. At a time when there are so many advancements in medicine, why shouldn’t all Americans be able to benefit from it? Everyday, new treatments and cures are being found, yet more and more Americans cannot afford them. Barack Obama and Joe Biden have created a plan to give universal healthcare and lower the cost so people do not avoid immunizations and treatments just because they cannot afford it. This plan benefits all Americans, especially those struggling to get by in these current conditions. Because, what’s more important Source:Discovery.org than one’s health? When times are bad, one always hears, “well, at least you have your health.” So, what’s going to happen when people get sick because they avoid immunizations they cannot afford? What else do they have?
The Great Healthcare Debate Counterpoint
To Insure or Not to Insure: The Healthcare Crisis BY JENNA FRATELLO EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
To be in control of your health is a pretty important issue, right? To be in control of an entire country’s health… well, that’s a different story. And that’s exactly what the government wants to do. But the question is: is President Obama formulating the right plan that will really help America put an end to this on-going episode of whether or not health care reform will be beneficial to American citizens? Or are we just headed for another marathon of it? Every year, fewer and fewer Americans receive health insurance, and every year, fewer and fewer solutions are made. As of now, a vast 46 million Americans do not have the insurance they need, and about 25 million more are underinsured. Now that’s a lot of people, isn’t it? You may be asking, what is the cause of these huge numbers? Well, one dominant reason is that many employers have recently put a stop to providing their employees with insurance, simply due to the cost. Now, let’s start at the very beginning. Since the start of his term as President, Barack Obama has made it clear that under his reign, the health care reform will be a process based on openness to a multitude of ideas and concerns by vowing to get a firm grip on recent rapidly rising costs and guaranteeing the choice of a doctor to every American citizen. Sounds
pretty good, doesn’t it? So what’s the problem, you ask? The problem is that although the President, Congress, the American Medical Association, and
sponsored program, we’ll need to get the permission from the government on top of all of that. Do we really want the government controlling what tests and
America’s Health Insurance Plans, all agree this needs to be fixed….they disagree on how to do that exactly. The great thing about America is that we have our freedom; we have freedoms for just about everything. But of course, there are certain limitations here and there. And when it comes to health care, right now we have a private-sponsored health care program; however, President Obama would like to evoke a government-sponsored program. With the government now having to give America approval, patients will have to wait even longer to receive the proper care that they need—and by the time they do get the care they need, it may be too late. As it is, to take certain medical examinations, and to take certain medications, American citizens need to get the approval of their insurance company and their personal doctor. With the creation of a government-
medications we can and cannot take? Well, let’s take a step back for a minute. I want all you readers out there to really think about everything I just said; how would you feel if you woke up one day and no longer had the freedom to make a decision for yourself? You’d feel pretty limited and inferior, right? Okay, now think about how you would feel if that decision concerned your health. That would make you feel much more uneasy, wouldn’t it? Close your eyes and imagine a world where the fate of your health lies in the hands of the government. Now open them…. did you like what you saw? Another problem that arises from this is the fact that this may or may not lead to a lowerquality of health care in general; yes, it may bring cheaper costs, but it may also lower our quality of health care. So the big decision is…quantity or quality? Think of it this way: do you want a
We should be able to keep our “healthcare freedom” in our hands, not the goverments. So come on America, let’s be brave and tell the government to get their hands off of our healthcare.
cheaper cost or a longer life? So everyone knows our economy has been a little down in the dumps; well, get a shovel and start digging because soon America’s private insurance companies will cause our already suffering economy to practically bury itself in its own grave. With the presence of a government-sponsored plan, a majority of the private insurance companies will lose business, leaving even more Americans without a job and an estimated 119 million with no private insurance regardless of whether or not they were happy with their previous coverage. Does that mean America will be jobless and unhealthy? By evoking a government’s say in our healthcare it will only cause more negative repercussions that will have to be dealt with: the economy would suffer to an even greater extent, taxes would be placed on those with a low-income and overall we would all be at a disadvantage with finances. So ask yourself this question: are the potential consequences worth it? The land of the free, the home of the brave…as Americans, we’ve all heard those lyrics millions upon millions of times. We should be able to keep our “healthcare freedom” in our hands, not the government’s. So come on America, let’s be brave and tell the government to get their hands off of our healthcare. The time to speak up is now.
NOVEMBER 2009
ENTERTAINMENT
THE CHIEF 6
REVIEWS
Vampire Diaries: Twilight Spin-Off or Unique Brilliance BY BRIGID BERGIN STAFF WRITER
The Vampire Diaries Thursdays 8pm on CW11 Vampires: the one word that sends thoughts racing through girls’ even guys’ minds of The Twilight Saga or HBO’s True Blood. Now there is a new show entering this supernatural realm: The Vampire Diaries, based off another vampire series written by L.J. Smith. Even if you are sick of the vampire clichés and the “Twilight craze,” upon the opening of the pilot one can not help but be intrigued by the foggy setting and Stefan Salvatore’s opening words: “For over a century, I lived in secret, hiding in the shadows, alone in the world, until now. I am a vampire and this is my story.” If you continue to watch, you’ll be immediately shocked by the events that happen next in this vampire’s story of action, fear, and love as he questions how he fits into this world. The interesting and almost parallel character to Stefan Salvatore, Elena Gilbert (Degrassi) and her troubled brother, Jeremy, just lost their parents
and now live with their Aunt Jenna in Mystic Falls. Now, some of you may be laughing at the foolish name, Mystic Falls; however, just get past the name
who is apparently a psychic,they cannot help but notice the new guy at school, Stefan Salvatore; so starts the connection between Elena and Stefan. Some may say that this is just a Twilight spin-off, considering there is a vampire that falls in love with a human starting the whole, “I can’t live without you,” relationship. Stefan also seems very similar to Edward Cullen of Twilight— the look (especially that amazing hair), the mysterious atmosphere, the fact that he is a vampire (who charms all the girls) and the, at times really awkward, cliché dialogue. Additionally, when there are mysterious attacks with Source: www.poptower.com bite marks on a girl’s because this show has so much in store neck (Vicki Donovan), they blame it on for the viewers. As Elena goes back to animal attacks, just like they did in the school with her friend Bonnie Bennett, Twilight movie.
Besides those particular similarities, Vampire Diaries is very unique and intriguing once Stefan’s brother, Damon Salvatore, comes into the picture, also returning to their hometown of Mystic Falls. There is an obvious conflict between these two brothers that started centuries ago concerning Stefan’s love who Damon tried to steal. Ironically enough, Damon is now trying to do the same thing with Elena. They have a long and bitter history with each other considering Stefan will not accept the violence and death that comes from the legacy of a vampire. Therefore questions arise: will Stefan ever reveal his dark secret to Elena? Will the evil Damon take Elena for himself? Does Damon have any humanity left inside of him? Most importantly, is the town of Mystic Falls safe? There is much more to this show than meets the eye, so please do not judge it by its title and automatically assume that it is just like Twilight. I highly recommend watching the pilot and previous episodes if you are interested in the show because it takes many twists and turns, shocking the viewer one scene after another.
ABC Laughs it up on Wednesdays
hit show Greek… Overall Rating: CSTAFF WRITER The Middle Wednesdays 8:30 This season, ABC began to unveil PM a new lineup of comedy series in hopes The Middle, which also preof critical and commercial success. miered on September 30, stars Patricia Hank Wednesdays 8 PM The lineup starts off with Hank, Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) which premiered on September 30. This and Neil Flynn (the Janitor on Scrubs) as show stars Kelsey Grammer in his return a married Midwestern couple with three to network television, after the failed kids. Perhaps the best character is the sitcom Back to You. Unfortunately, it youngest son, played by Atticus Shaffer, appears that this show is destined for who is possibly the nerdiest and most a similar fate. Hank is a fairly average awkward person alive. He brings great multi-camera sitcom, and nothing about humor to the show. The sole daughter played by Eden Sher is the epitome it stands out. of failure. However, Flynn disappoints in his role as the father. Another disappointment is the teenage son, who spends the majority of his screen time gallivanting ridiculously around the house. Though The Middle has its flaws, Source: www.boston.com it is still a decent family comedy that However, the show does have a point and a purpose. It is about Hank almost anyone can watch and enjoy. Pryor, a man with a wife and two Patricia Heaton is great in her comeback children, who loses his job as a high role, and outshines Flynn consistently. paid Wall Street CEO and is forced to Though it may not have much staying relocate his family to a small town in power, The Middle definitely deserves Virginia. He is now living in his wife’s a shot to be seen. Overall Rating: Bhometown and must deal with her famModern Family ily members, resulting in typical and Wednesdays 9 PM predictable comedy action. Perhaps the most The show’s typical comedy nature continues the downfall of the multi- critically acclaimed show camera comedy. The classic sitcom with not only of this lineup, but a live audience is getting old. Perhaps of the entire fall TV season, they should consider entering the new Modern Family touches on era of the single-camera comedy, that the lives of three interrelated other ABC comedies of this lineup have families – an average mardone. Sorry, Kelsey Grammer, but this ried couple with children; is your second recent sitcom flop. At the wife’s father who was least your daughter Spencer has found recently divorced and is success playing Casey on ABC Family’s now remarried to a much BY NICK BARBIERI
younger Latina woman; and his gay son, his partner and their adopted baby. Dysfunctional does not even begin to describe this hilarious combination. This show is one of the very few shows on television that goes almost the entire show without playing any music, including a score, and uses single-camera cinematography to its finest. The actors all blend together well, and have great on-screen chemistry; however, there are a few dull moments here and there. The writers of the show are clearly very talented, and the show is said to have an Arrested Developmentlike quality to it, which is yet another show that received great critical praise; unfortunately, it did not succeed commercially and it was canceled. However, so far Modern Family is doing fairly well in the ratings and appears to have great staying power. Perhaps the funniest moment of the series so far came at the tail end of the pilot episode, when the gay couple was about to announce the arrival of their adopted baby girl. Upon bringing out the baby, one of the men plays “Circle of Life” from The Lion King and holds the baby up in the air with a spotlight on her. Sure, it may not seem terribly funny right now, but in context
it is perhaps one of the funniest TV moments I have ever seen. Therefore, this show is definitely a must-watch. Overall Rating: ACougar Town Wednesdays 9:30 PM Finally, there is Cougar Town, which marks Courtney Cox Arquette’s return to network television sitcoms following the superb hit Friends.. The lineup ends off on a good note, for Cougar provides a fun, light-hearted atmosphere that anyone can relate to. The show is simply about a recently divorced woman and her 17year old son, trying to navigate through life. The mother is trying to get back out into the dating world, while the son is simply trying to survive what is left of his high school career without intense public humiliation by his outrageous mother, which is certainly a challenge. What is best about this show is that it incredibly relates to all the teenagers out there who fear potential parental embarrassment or who are just getting through high school. Dan Byrd (you may know him from guest roles on Greek and Heroes or his starring role in A Cinderella Story) plays the son perfectly and hilariously, and makes up for anything the show lacks. Honestly, he does a better job than Cox in his role, for even though Cox is wild and crazy, she is almost too wild for her own character. Additionally, Busy Phillips’ character, Cox’s young employee, is hysterical, thus showing that the supporting cast of this series is what makes it great. Finally, it must be noted that Bill Lawrence, the creator of Scrubs, also created this show, so for all you Scrubs fans out there, get out there and see this ASAP. Overall Rating: B+
source:popcultrenerd.files.wordpress.com
NOVEMBER 2009
ENTERTAINMENT
THE CHIEF 7
REVIEWS
Romantic but not a Love Story fection by Zooey Deschanel.) The film BY NICK BARBIERI STAFF WRITER
Let me start off by saying this, I absolutely loathe most romantic comedies. I truthfully cannot stand a sappy love story where a guy meets a girl, they deal with hardship, they separate, but in the last five minutes of the movie, they get together and end it with a kiss. It is time for the general public to face it: that is not how life works. It is only under extremely rare circumstances where a real couple experiences a “fairy tale ending,” so to speak. This is why I absolutely love (500) Days of Summer, a film co-written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber and directed by Marc Webb, which is not your traditional romantic comedy. A highly original film, (500) Days of Summer explores the relationship between Tom Hanson (played to perfection by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer Finn (also played to per-
co-writers, Scott Neustadter, personal opens with a narrator experiences. He had sufoutright saying “this is fered a terrible breakup, not a love story,” imand related this experimediately catching the ence to how Tom feels viewers attention—and throughout the movie. In after that moment, the fact, in the opening title wonder never fades. card, which reads, “Any Within the first five resemblance to people minutes of the film the living or dead is purely couple breaks up, and accidental ... Especially throughout the rest of you, Jenny Beckman ... the film, the audience B****,” is about his exis transported back and girlfriend. It is meant to be forth through time, exsarcastic, obviously, for amining the full 500 the film is loosely based day relationship that on Beckman. Source: www.crankycritic.com this couple maintained. Moreover, Fortunately, a title card at the beginning from the start of the movie, it is made of each scene states the day in which the clear that the viewer is not to expect a scene takes place, to make it easier for purely happy ending, which is exactly the viewer. why I love this film. It is realistic, for in A reason why the film may be so life, the odds of miraculously meeting profound is that it stems from one of the the girl or boy you’re meant to be with
and living on happily ever after forever is nearly impossible. Thus, some may say this film is depressing; some may say that it isn’t a romantic comedy because it is not about romance; but what these people don’t realize is that it is about romance. (500) Days of Summer teaches the viewer not to rely solely on a relationship to get through life. It teachers the viewer to be independent, and is the flagship for an anti-romance tirade. However, it proves this message using clever language, and has a truly hilarious undertone. Overall, not only was this the best movie that I saw this summer, but (for the most part) as of right now, it may be the best of the entire year (it only falls behind the brilliance that is Star Trek.) The DVD is set for release on December 22, just in time for the holidays. So grab a friend and check out this phenomenal film ASAP! Overall Rating: A+
With this knowledge in mind, we are forced to watch Draco Malfoy lead a group of death eaters—that of which he magically gets into the castle through Hogwarts without encountering a single deterrent. This is in contrast to the book that included an epic battle. The battle at the end of the book leaves Malfoy alone to kill a weakened and wand-less Dumbledore, whereas Malfoy is alone with Dumbledore without any of his death eater companions in the movie. At this point, the movie forces the normally heroic Potter completely out of character as he merely watches as Dumbledore is murdered from a hiding spot. Now, am I just being an overthe-top Harry Potter fan who is bitter because my favorite scenes were taken out? The answer is no. As a fan, I am seriously concerned about how they will make the adaptations of the last
book coherent. Due to the memories that where excluded, Harry and the movie fans know absolutely nothing about Voldemort’s past. This leads me to question how Harry is going to know what the horcruxes are as well as where Voldemort is likely to hide them. I am trying to remain optimistic about the next two films, but this is proving to be difficult with rumors swirling about Bill and Fleur’s wedding being Source: Movies.Yahoo.Com omitted from the next movie. If this is true, I fear that once again the source material is being thrown out the window, and the last book will be doomed to a mediocre adaptation like its predecessor.
has their doubts, but he is determined to do it… with six other students, that is. The diva Mercedes is introduced singing “Respect.” Dramatic, fashion forward Kurt comes to the stage and holds a high note just long enough to flip his hair. Then their is Arty, the g e e k y, h a n d i capped guitarist, and punk-styled Tina who opens with singing “I Kissed a Girl”— classically with a source:boston.com piano, of course.
Yet the true talents and saviors of the club are Rachel and Finn. Rachel is the more preppy girl of the group, but she is not very popular. She is an outcast of the school who is always made fun of the cheerleaders, but she believes that she is going to be a star by performing in the show choir. Finn, the jock of the group, first doubts joining the club because he is worried about people’s opinions. After all, his pure talent is discovered by Mr. Schuester… in the shower. Yet in the end he decides to stay with the Glee Club because he realizes that is where he belongs; it is where they all belong. Glee is a hilarious show that proves that everyone has a place to fit in and that you shouldn’t care what people think because the only thing that matters is what you care about, no matter what.
Harry Potter andmurdered the inHalf-Hearted Effort front of Harry. How does BY ANTHONY CASSERO MANAGING EDITOR
Over the summer, many Harry Potter fans may have felt like Draco Malfoy in the way that they were forced to do something they would grow to regret (seeing this movie) by a force so powerful they could not resist it (their love for Harry Potter). This adaptation of the book is a textbook example of what goes wrong when a director deviates too much from the source material. However, before I begin to explain why this movie could potentially cripple the next two Harry potter movies, I feel obligated to compliment director, David Yates on what he did well. He attempted to make a funny, upbeat movie about a child losing his idol, and he succeeded. In nearly every scene, fans are able to find something to laugh at. This creates a fun atmosphere and an enjoyable watch (as long as you ignore your brain screaming at you about how the most important parts of the story are left out.) That aside, the tone of this movie is offbeat from the beginning. At the end of the last movie, Harry’s godfather and father figure, Sirius Black, is
this movie show Harry coping with the pain of losing the closest thing to a parent he ever had? Is he as quiet and depressed as his book counterpart? No. This Harry has seemingly forgotten all about Sirius and is found cheerfully attempting to woo a girl. In my opinion, this movie completely missed what the book was meant to convey. The heart of The Half Blood Prince is Harry learning about Voldemort’s past (which is ironically similar to Harry’s,) so that he can find the horcruxes in the next book. This important part of the book is reduced to about a scene and a half, merely to give a semi-reasonable explanation for Harry following Dumbledore on a fantastic journey near the end of the movie. Possibly one of the worst endings in cinematic history was following this journey. When Harry first arrives at Hogwarts this year, the movie depicts an eerie mood as the students at Hogwarts learn that aurors (magical police) will be stationed at the school. This is because according to Dumbledore, “dark forces are attempting to penetrate [the] walls.”
Fit in with the Outcasts of Glee BY BRIGID BERGIN STAFF WRITER
Glee Wednesdays at 9 on FOX Oh, the melting pot of high school—the profound cliques of the jocks, cheerleaders, popular kids, nerds, and the Glee kids at the “subbasement” of the social hierarchy, as cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester would say. At McKinley High School, the Glee Club was renowned in its earlier years, but with no motivated students joining, it just seems to be sinking into nonexistence at the high school. The optimistic Spanish teacher Will Schuester, however, is going to change all of that. He wants
to bring the Glee Club back to all its glory and win the Nationals. Everyone
THE CHIEF 8
ue
ue e nd Q Kin ga
eL ica ri lia nn
Ju
o&
Hey to all you chiefs out there! We’ve got some news about our spirit! From October 19 to October 24 the halls of MHS were overflowing with spirit, as every inch of every corner was illuminated with blue and gold. On Monday we went back to the Wild Wild West; Tuesday, Character Day, was like a living comic book; we took a time machine back to the 60’s for Hippie Day on Wednesday; on Thursday everyone just rolled out of bed and came to school in the favorite pajamas and we ended the festive week by showing off our pride with Blue and Gold Day on Friday. This school day concluded with the pep rally, where the school met all the varsity spors players and were entertained by the performances of the Varsity and JV Cheerleaders, the Chiefettes, and the Treble Singers All of this lead up to the Homecoming parade and game on Friday. Despite worries of cancellation due to rain, the weather held up and the festivities proceeded. In the end the whole week was bursting with more spirit than Massapequa
Julianne Licari • Ho
nd Q
Kin ga
g
&
mecoming King an
• Julianne Licari
in
g
om ec
in
o cin
ec om
s Ca ike
m
n: Mike Cascin
om •H
M
Ho
en :
NOVEMBER 2009
d Queen: Mike Casc
ino &
Source: Lors Photography
S
I R I P
E E W T
P & K
Paige Snider//The Chief
M Accordino//The Chief
This year’s homecoming court from left to right: Brianna Saba, Joe DeMarco, Patrick McDermott, Nicole Scicutella, Monica DeLuca, John Doria, Nicole Scoca, Joey Garland, Julianne Licari, Mike Cascino
NOVEMBER 2009
P E P
L RA
THE CHIEF 9
9 0 ‘ LY
Photos by Kaitlin Gordon Page Desgin by by Lauren Reisig, Jenna Fratello, and Tyler Novet
NOVEMBER 2009
ENTERTAINMENT
THE CHIEF 10
CONCERT REVIEWS
Paul McCartney Rocks Citi Field BY NOELLE WITT AND PAIGE SNIDER EDITOR IN CHIEF AND PHOTO EDITOR
The parking lot filled. The band practiced. Paul prepared. Rock star and former Beatles member, Sir Paul McCartney, stunned audiences the weekend of July 17 when he graced the stage of the newly constructed CitiField stadium that Friday, Saturday, and Tuesday night, in his supposed final performance of his lifetime. Opening with “Drive My Car,” the first track of the 1966 album Revolver, McCartney commenced the night with a surprising twist. Not widely considered one of the Beatles most popular tunes, “Drive My Car” gave the performance the excitement of the unknown. The unknown, however, proved a bit displeasing for some attendees. McCartney followed with tracks off Electric Arguments, an album he recently produced The Fireman. The nostalgia lessened for some time as many fans were unable to sing along to the fresh releases. The show picked up soon with some classic 1960s hits including “The Long and Winding Road,” for which Sir Paul was seated at the piano, and the acoustic “Blackbird” from the White Album entitled The Beatles, which Paul explained was written from the perspec-
tive of a young African American girl during the Civil Rights Movement. Songs from McCartney’s ten year career with Wings lit up the stage with performances like “Band on the Run” and “Live and Let Die,” a crowd favorite that was accompanied by fireworks with each heavy beat of the drums. MHS Junior Rob Duffy identified this as his favorite performance due to, “the great special effects including the fire coming from the floor.” Senior TJ Corona tagged the Source: 92zew.net song as “controlled chaos,” and junior Erin Geier added that, “Paul seemed to get really into that one.” The second half of the nonstop two and a half hour show proved to be extremely successful among the fans. Composed almost entirely of hits from his span of time as lefty bassist of the historic Beatles, Sir Paul confirmed that he has, in fact, maintained his spunk from his early twenties when he graced the stage of Shea Stadium in 1965. In between jamming to “Back in the USSR,” “Day Tripper,” and a seated piano melody of “Let It Be,” McCartney
StillBYWarped After Fifteen Years Teenagers usually have to get KAITLIN GORDON STAFF WRITER
For fifteen years, Vans Warped Tour has traveled all over the U.S. to bring music to teenagers. Not only has Warped Tour brought us music, but it has also demonstrated creativity. People who go to Warped Tour tend to try to stand out. If you want to see exotic, crazy teenagers, then you’ll have gone to the right place. Once at Warped Tour, you will see teenagers with colorful pants, some with no pants; you’ll see teenagers dressed up as Teletubbies, bananas, cows; you’ll see spiked hair, rainbow hair, tutus, wild make up, wigs and so much more. When you go to Warped Tour, you can be anything or anyone. The most important thing about Warped Tour, however, is that the music brings us all together. This year Warped Tour came to several major cities and venues throughout the U.S. The closest place to Massapequa that Warped Tour visited was Nassau Coliseum. It wasn’t necessarily in the coliseum, but outside in the parking lot. At the Coliseum, there is always plenty of room to run around and see all your favorite bands. Warped brings the artist to you, setting up tents so that you can meet the musicians and hang out with them. Warped tour also includes a blow up slip-n’-slide because it usually gets extremely hot, especially when you stand in the crowd for hours.
to Nassau Coliseum at 10 am, so in order to keep these teenagers awake, plenty of energy drinks are sold. In the case that you don’t like energy drinks, the Coliseum is open, so you have the option of purchasing food as well. In my opinion, the lineup for Warped Tour was phenomenal. The bands that performed included: 3OH!3, A Day To Remember, Aiden, Alexisonfire, Anti-Flag, Bayside, Chiodos, Escape The Fate, InnerPartySystem, Jeffree Star, Madina Lake, Saosin, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Senses Fail, The Devil Wears Prada, Underoath, etc. In particular, there were two bands that many teenagers wouldn’t stop talking about: Chiodos and The Devil Wears Prada. These bands had the biggest mosh pits of the entire day. According to users on Urbandictionary. com, a mosh pit is “the ultimate way to show your love for your loud, pounding music taste.” The bands had such a wild crowd going that you couldn’t take any pictures or even stay in one place
KAITLIN GORDON/The Chief
remarked on the difference between his previous concert at Shea and the stunning show he was temporarily taking a breather from. He asked for some noise from the females in the audience as he reminisced about the screaming hysteria girls created as The Beatles attempted to broadcast their music throughout Shea Stadium with limited speaker equipment. But at age 68, there isn’t much missing from Paul’s charisma and performing abilities. “I’m Down,” was played with Sir McCartney’s classic boyish charm and adorable jumping and shaking that had once caused fans to coin him “The Cute Beatle.” His voice sounded right-on, and although he forgot some lyrics to “Eleanor Rigby,” Paul seemed sharp as ever. Tributes were also played throughout the night as McCartney emotionally connected with the audience. In memory of John Lennon, “Here Today” choked up Paul as he sang and spoke of his friend. Erin Geier described this performance as a “poignant dedication” to the former Beatle. Following this was a heartwarming rendition of “Something,” to honor George Harrison, the guitarist of The Beatles who passed away in 2001. This was played by Paul on ukulele before the band joined him, as George had once done after inviting McCartney over to catch up on life postband breakup. Guest star Billy Joel returned for more than five seconds. The crowd was constantly moving and, as we all
Paul’s favor of playing at his “Last Concert at Shea” last summer by making an appearance at the Friday July 17 show during “I Saw Her Standing There.” The following nights did not feature guest stars though Rob Duffy had been, “hoping for a Ringo [Starr] sighting.” Crowd favorites also included McCartney’s signature “Hey Jude,” melody, with “Na, na na na na na nas” that seemed to envelope the entire audience into a trance of amazement. In the past, many fans have claimed that participating in singing this song with Sir Paul has been a highlight of their lives, and this statement certainly held true each night. The Beatles hit, “A Day in the Life” transitioned into an extended version of John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance,” during which McCartney asked each section of the stadium to participate in singing the chorus. Junior Paul Schiano identified this concert as, “an unforgettable moment,” in his life, for as a longtime supporter of The Beatles, “finally getting to see the closest thing to seeing them as a band live was amazing.” Finally, in true McCartney fashion, Paul wrapped up the concert with a bang. In a two-set encore, the final “Get Back” performance led into Abbey Road’s “The End,” reminding the crowd that with this star, “the love you take is equal to the love you make.” And believe us, there will definitely be more McCartney love in the future.
ees were lucky enough to see WiL on his mo-ped riding around the parking lot. Underoath was a band that got crowds sweaty and hyped up. The crowd was so large that it was very difficult to get in. Once you got in, however, you immediately got trapped in a mosh pit and the crowd forced you to move all the way to the ground. If you are planning on going to Warped Tour, don’t try to go into the middle-center of the crowd. You will most likely get trapped in a mosh pit. KAITLIN GORDON//The Chief One of the last bands that played was know, when you get caught in a mosh InnerPartySystem, who had excellent pit, it’s hard to not just move with it. stage presence. They put energy into Another band that caught many their performance and mixed rock with fans’ attention was Aiden. Lead singer techno. They really got the crowd movWilliam “WiL” Francis, formerly from ing considering that they their small William Control, moved up in the crazy band size. department. When you seeing this guy There were downfalls to the you might think he is completely insane. tour, however. The down side to crowd He usually wears black eyeliner and has surfing is that the people are forced to tattoos covering his body. If you think he carry you when they really don’t want looks strange, however then you should to. Many people don’t like lifting up see how he performs. WiL jumped into people while trying to listen to their the crowd several times and formed a favorite bands and it is very frustrating wall of death. He spread out the crowd to try to take a picture and all of a sudso it looked like two walls separated. He den feel that someone is on your head. then jumped back on stage and clapped However, crowd surfing is very fun and his hands together signaling the crowd it gives you an adrenaline rush, but it is to collide. And that’s exactly what it did. important to protect your head just in Next, WiL told the crowd to start the case you fall. biggest crowd surfing rampage possible. Nevertheless, Warped Tour He told the crowd that he wanted the brings all different genres and people security guards to really work. The only together. If you are planning on going thing you could see in the crowd was the to Warped Tour next year, wear a lot of random people flying into the air and sun block and a bathing suit, because it riding the group. Later on in the night gets extremely hot. The life of a music when everyone was leaving and walking fan isn’t easy, but it sure is fun into the parking lot, some of the attend-
NOVEMBER 2009
ENTERTAINMENT
BOOK REVIEW
Should Have Stopped at Nineteen BY MATTHEW GOLDENBERG STAFF WRITER
Its historicity is the only thing going for it. From the two-dimensional characters to the insultingly predictable plot, The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan is best left unread. The novel starts off with Ghias Beg and his wife Asmat deciding what to do with their new daughter, Mehrunnisa. Due to the dire economic straits they’re in, they have no choice but to leave her by the side of the road. A merchant rescues the girl and returns her to her family, covering her living expenses. Ghias and Asmat thank Allah for their good fortune; they should have thanked Allah for not sending Child Protection Services, but that’s another matter entirely. Mehrunnisa is fixated with becoming an Empress and marrying a powerful man. When she first meets Prince Salim, an alcoholic whose ego is only matched by his drive to kill his own father, it is stereotypical love at first sight. Salim, a drug-addicted polygamist, can’t take his mind off of Nisa. It’s understandable that as heir he would be enjoying all of the amenities of palace life, but for the entire first half of the book he does nothing but get wasted and spend time satiating his carnal desires with the harem girls, actions that don’t exactly characterize him as a viable life partner. Emperor Akbar rewards Ghias for his hard work in the Imperial Court and gives permission for Mehrunnisa to marry a soldier, Ali Quli. Furious,
Salim makes two murder attempts on his father in order to become Emperor and claim Nisa for himself. One assassination attempt would be forgivable to some extent, but by the second you can’t help but laugh at how pathetic it
Source: Blogs.kcls.org
all is. Akbar dies of old age and Salim becomes Emperor Jahangir, with his wife Jagat Gosini as Empress. Sundaresan tries to sweep all of Salim’s history under the rug, but she fails miserably. Anyone who doesn’t suffer from severe attention deficit disorder will struggle to empathize with Jahangir, who only a few chapters ago proved himself a petulant, patricidal maniac who obsesses over women he barely knows. Nisa, already married to Ali
Quli, continues to dream about Salim and what could have been. In the meantime, Jahangir has had multiple children, most notably his son Khusrau. Unsurprisingly, Khusrau is as much of a jerk as Salim is. Prince Khusrau tries to kill Jahangir and seize power. Jahangir captures Khusrau, forcing him to watch his own soldiers being hanged in an attempt to teach him a lesson. Khusrau rebels again, but this time Jahangir shows no mercy and gouges out Khusrau’s eyes. Good parenting right there. Ali Quli, a staunch supporter of the rebellion, goes insane. In a fit of rage, Ali Quli takes on the Imperial Army single-handedly. He is killed in the conflict. Nisa and Jahangir confess their mutual love for each other, but Mehrunnisa refuses to join Jahangir’s harem; she wants to be his wife. As anyone who has read the title could have told you, Nisa becomes Salim’s twentieth wife and they all live happily ever after. (Except Akbar, the only tolerable character in the entire story.) There is no reason to subject yourself to this artistic abortion of a novel. Do yourself a favor and read something else. The book is shallow, insulting, and offensive to women. To be blunt, it fails on every conceivable level. Do you know why children today don’t enjoy reading? It’s because they are given boring, sterile dreck like this. The Twentieth Wife tries hard, yet it ultimately appeals to no one. Sort of depressing, really. If you want cheesy romance, go read Twilight instead.
THE CHIEF 11
THE VIBE
BY ALEX JOURNALISM STUDENT This Condition Genre: Alternative/Indie Members: Nate, Nick, Anthony, Mike and Stephen Location: Long Island, NY Check out their new single entitled “Home (I Won’t Let You Go)” featured on their Myspace, or listen to their EP entitled, “We Don’t Have to Be Alone” on iTunes. Catch them on tour this fall with special guests The In Crowd and The Bride Wore Black. www.myspace.com/thiscondition
Photo source: MySpace.com
The Hoodies Genre: Alternative/Indie Members: Dan, Joey, Brandon and Paul Location: Rochester, NY Take a listen to their new EP released in August entitled, “What’s Yet to Come” featuring their newest singles “Backwards” and “Archangel.” Find them on the November to Remember Tour this fall featuring bands such as The Morning Of and The Graduate. www.myspace.com/thehoodies
PLAY PREVIEW
“Look Homeward, Angel” in Action BY NOELLE WITT EDITOR IN CHIEF
Small lime green booklets are drawn from the depths of backpacks. Their pages are marked with a look of experience: highlights and underlines suffocate the text beneath their covers. These books have obviously been used, and for good reason. Students have been preparing for months for the MHS production of “Look Homeward, Angel,” a stage play written by playwright Ketti Frings that will be performed in the auditorium of Massapequa High School on November 20 and 21. The play is directed by Mr. Rian Romeo, a teacher at MHS who until this year worked as an assistant of the annual school dramas with Mr. Benbasset. Mr. Romeo chose “Look Homeward, Angel,” as he looked through a collection of great American plays while he read a number of different ones. “It is a coming of age story that high school students can relate with and it sends a positive message,” he said. The story follows the maturation of Eugene Gant as he lives in a small town in North Carolina with his mother Eliza, a woman who makes “deals” with businesses and individuals while she runs a sketchy boarding house
called “Dixieland.” The cast of “Look Homeward, Angel” is determined to create an enjoyable and true-to-text experience for the audience, seen in their dedication each day after school. Practices range from two and a half to three hours, and while senior James Vigilante acknowledges the time sacrifice, he said the process is worth it because the cast has “grown really close and sort of become a family. It’s a lot of fun.” The casting process was vital in choosing students who would not only be dedicated to the production but who would realistically portray the nuances of the characters that ultimately perfect the performance. “Casting is largely an assessment of vocal quality and volume as well as physical presence and character interpretation. Mr. Romeo said, “I tried to choose personalities that fit the characters. I want them to be believable.” Although originally opened on Broadway in 1957, the students have been able to adapt their acting to some of the older concepts of “Look Homeward, Angel” with the help of Mr. Romeo’s guidance. “We try to improve from the day before” he said. “You can’t stop improving because if you are just satisfied you might as well give up. There are
always things that can be improved.” While this is often true, Junior Joan Stanton believes that the 2009 Drama Club production has “a really dedicated cast who will put on a great show.” With many returnees from past plays, including Jenna Breidis, Jagger Kugler, Zach Urban and Gina DeGasperis, “Look Homeward, Angel,” is sure to be a hit. And so, as the lights of the Baldwin Auditorium flicker on and students assemble daily on the stage with their tiny green booklets, a plot is festering – a plot to entertain and encourage the Massapequa High School student body. “My hope is to elaborate on literacy study, to foster the development of young actors, send out a positive message to the audience and influence the way people think about the world,” Mr. Romeo said. With a strong cast, a determined director, and an intriguing play, “Look Homeward, Angel,” will envelope the stage with what will most likely be a stunning performance. Be sure to remember when watching the play, however, that this success originated with the opening of a script, proving that at times even the smallest of print can be the largest inspiration.
Photo source: MySpace.com
Oh My Massapequa Bounce Back Genre: Pop Punk Members: Mike Fursa, Matt Brucato, James Walsh and Bryan DeStefano Location: Massapequa, NY Massapequa High School’s very own four piece pop punk band has recently released their new EP entitled “Long Island Sound”. While they have no scheduled shows as of now, lead man Mike Fursa would like you all to “keep your eyes open for future dates coming this winter.”
Photo source: Facebook.com
THE CHIEF 12
NOVEMBER 2009
SATBY DANIELLE Writing Section A No-Go? student’s writing prompt, regardless KILLKENNY STAFF WRITER
Many colleges such as Purchase, Nassau, Pratt, and Oswego are not including the writing portion on the SAT/ACT test scores, causing some frustration for the upcoming graduating classes of seniors. Many students have taken the SAT or ACT placement tests many times and, with college deadlines soon approaching, each student is taking his or her own best foot and putting it forward. As reported in the tech MIT’s online publication 56 percent of 1,000 four-year colleges don’t use the writing section for admissions. Many colleges, such as Suny Purchase, have not counted the writing portion ever since it was first added to the exam. The Admissions counselor, Simone Varadian, said “Purchase College does not count the writing portion of the SAT because we feel as though it is not an appropriate predictor of success here, as there is not enough data. We do receive the writing score and the essay from College Board but we do not officially use it as a means to determine if a student is accepted or not. Also, as part of the application process, an essay is required which we will use to access the student’s writing ability. “ Several SUNY colleges have stated they will not be accepting a
learning measures.” Colleges similar to said Charles Deacon, Georgetown’s of it being their best subject, or worst. Smith agree with this, such a predica- director of undergraduate admissions. Colleges have declared they will test a ment has placed the Admissions offices This news will surely scare student’s writing ability through either and Advisors into a very hectic frenzy. many seniors who are facing their bigtheir personal essay when upon submitMany schools are unsure how to gest challenge in their lives so far. Will ting an application, or the future writing go about the writing portion, while oth- they make it into their school of choice? classes they will take once they enter ers flat out say that they feel it doesn’t With many students depending on the the school. correctly represent a student’s writing writing section to pull them through, Many students have said how ability. “There is not enough informa- students may be in an uproar— or those they feel it is unfair to them. What about tion in place to support the value of it,” who find the essay a waste of time; the student who excels at Writing but ecstatic. flunks in Math? Many call it an unfair The senior class was recently surveyed regarding their knowledge of advantage. “We don’t think of this as the SAT and ACT. During a random sample survey on October 15 and 16, an unfair advantage for the student. We approximately 150 seniors were asked how much they knew about the will be able to access their writing powriting portion of the SAT test and that some colleges do not count it. tential through the essay that is required when you send in the application. If a student is a strong writer, then a score is = 10 Seniors not a good measurement which is why we require an essay based on a specific = 10 Seniors topic,” Ms. Varadian said. It seems each school has a dif= 10 Seniors ferent opinion. Georgetown University, Knew that not all colleges consider Smith College, and MIT are among the applicant’s writing score (71) schools that ignore the writing score altogether, while Wellesley College, Believed that all colleges should consider writing Tufts University, and Harvard take varyscores (38) ing approaches, with none placing high Unaware that not all colleges consider writing scores (5) importance on the score. It still seems many major schools are not accepting, Didn’t care whether or not colleges consdiered writing scores (8) not counting or even blatantly ignoring the score. Deborah Schaefer, Director of Believed that colleges shouldn’t consider writing scores (30) Admissions at Smith, said “This is not great writing, these aren’t higher-level poll conducted by Amanda Staats, Danielle Kilkenny and Zach Urban
Signing at Citi Field - ASL Has Got Tune BY SARA PICKLES HEAD COPY EDITOR
On Saturday, October 3, 2009, five students from MHS traveled to Citi Field to sign the National Anthem in front of the New York Mets and the entire stadium audience. According to Mrs. Melanie Smith, the organizer of this event and an ASL teacher at MHS, ASL students have signed the National Anthem for the Mets for the past three years. Not only that, but they have signed it for the Islanders as well. Luckily, planning this event was easy for her because she was familiar with certain people who worked in management for the two sports teams. All she had to do was
simply call them and request such an event, and they were of course elated to comply.
The best part about this, Mrs. Smith pointed out, is not only do the crowd and management love the performance, but it also promotes Deaf awareness, which is an excellent and muchneeded thing. “The whole event was very successful, just as it has been each year,” Mrs. Smith said. She also mentioned that with the learning process of the ASL national anthem, “everything went smoothly.” “[The national anthem] was actually very easy to Photo provided by Mrs. Melanie Smith
learn,” Kyle Mahoney, one of the MHS students that participated in this event, said. “I didn’t have a hard time at all.” Kyle said he decided to do this because, “I love ASL, and I thought it would be a good experience— which, it was!” Mrs. Smith hopes to continue this event next year. After all, it’s almost become tradition now. So there you have it, MHS sign language enthusiasts. If you keep practicing your ASL, you may just be signing at Citi Field next year as well! So be sure keep on the lookout for this event next year, and try your best to become involved!
Facebook: Helpful or Hazardous? BY MEGHAN MCNAMARA STAFF WRITER
In an age of technological advances, social networking websites have become highly popular means of contact and self advertising all over the world. However, many argue for all the good that these sites bring, the dangers that accompany them outweigh their usefulness. For many such as special education teacher Mr. Romano, Facebook is simply a way of keeping in touch with friends. According to Mr. Romano, he never really thought about the dangers of Facebook. “I put on all my privacy settings, but if someone hacked into it, there really isn’t much I could do,” The site also has its uses for professionals such as Mrs. Varrichio, a commercial artist who uses Facebook to contact galleries and drum up busi-
ness for herself. Mrs. Varrichio said she worries about the dangers of the site. “Because of ID thefts and other things, I try to keep important information off of Facebook. For instance, if I’m traveling, I don’t broadcast that so people don’t know my house will be empty.” She continued, “To this time, I’ve had no problems with Facebook. I find it much more helpful than a hindrance.” Despite its popularity however, there are many people who do not use Facebook—such as computer instructor Mrs. Sullivan, “I just don’t want people to find me. I feel if I wanted you in my life you’d be in my life – you wouldn’t have to find me on Facebook,” she said. The computer instructor also
the matter of protection Dr. Levantrosser said, “I advise teachers not to be on Facebook at all because it blurs their role with students, because when you go on Facebook you ‘friend’ somebody. But when you’re a teacher, you’re not really a student’s friend. I have a negative view point on Facebook though it might be an unpopular view.” The psychologist continued, “I think it makes people narcissistic Source: pittsburghrantsanddraves.com and egocentric. It’s Dr. Levantrosser, a school just not that interesting to know people psychologist, also confirmed that she are at home doing homework.” doesn’t use Facebook though she knows many kids and adults who do. The psychologist said, “I think it could be a dangerous site if people misuse it.” On
confirmed that the dangers of Facebook worry her. “Absolutely,” she said, “I don’t want people to be able to log in and see pictures of my family or address.”
NOVEMBER 2009
THE CHIEF 13 ADVERTISEMENT
THE CHIEF 14
NOVEMBER 2009 ADVERTISEMENT
New Faces at MHS
Rama always had the Clarkson gene. Do you? Q: Madison is now three times as old as Justin, but five years ago she was five times as old as he was. How old is Madison now? a. 30 b. 15 c. 12 d. 24 Text your answer to 35350 for free downloadable games.
ClarksonGene.com Standard text message rates apply.
Potsdam, New York
Mr.Abrescia, Dean
Ms.Conte, Business
Ms.Gallagher, Social Studies
Ms.Manger,Special Education
Ms.Levantrosser, PPS
Mr.Loew, Social Studies
Mrs. Porcellini, Science
Ms.Pi, LOTE PHOTOS BY GRACE RIVERA AND KELLY CORCORAN
Get Rid of the Jewels in Gym BY JEREMY KIPNESS STAFF WRITER
gym!
Another zero for the day in
Each gym class goes by with numerous students receiving zeros for the class. This has nothing to do with their participation and effort, but rather the fact that students decided to keep their jewelry on. For a while now, Massapequa High School has prohibited any jewelry from being worn during class. This includes earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. According to gym teacher Mr. Sauder, “this rule is in place to promote safety for all participating members.” He continued, “The rule has been in place for a while, but has been bigger the last four years.” Many students are against this rule and feel that they shouldn’t have to take their jewelry off for gym class. Senior Nick Mannino explains, “This rule should be in place for sporting events, but not for gym class.” Instead of just taking them off, some students have decided to keep them on to prove a point. “It’s not fair
for us to take off things that won’t in any way harm any of us,” said Mannino. On the other side of it, Mr. Sauder clearly expresses that he doesn’t think it’s a big deal for the students to take off their jewelry. “If a student chooses not to take off their jewelry, it’s fair they get a zero because they’re breaking a rule.” With that being said, many students think that taking out earrings can be a very hard and complicated process. Timothy Jaegar was quoted as saying, “Some people just get their earrings and if they take them out, the hole closes. That’s not fair to them.” Mr. Sauder feels that earrings are actually the most dangerous type of jewelry to wear. “Earrings of any kind can get caught on something easily.” When it’s all said and done, gym classes continue and the fun doesn’t stop for most of the kids. However, almost two months into school, there are still a few students who sometimes wear a necklace or earrings. The students might not think the rule is fair, but a rule’s a rule, and in Massapequa High School, you can’t get away with it.
NOVEMBER 2009
THE CHIEF 15
First Time in Fifteen Years BY WHITNEY SMITH
For the first time in fifteen years, the Massapequa girls cross country team won the Conference Championship Team Title. Leading the way for the girls was Emily Marchini who came in first place. Amanda Schmidt finished third, Shannon McBrien finished eighth, and Julianne Licari finished fifteenth. They all earned All Conference honors. This past spring was monumental, as the girls’ track team, led by Coach Michael Lisa, went undefeated and won the Conference Championship.. After a victory as triumphant as this one, the Chiefs were determined to continue on
patterns in the months that followed primarily in preparation for the extremely selective Great American Cross Country Festival in Carey, North Carolina. As one of three Long Island teams selected to attend this invitational, the Chiefs set out to succeed. With great team finishes in both the seeded Varsity
to the fall cross country season with full force. In order to prepare for this victorious season, the squad of 28 athletes put in about 200 miles over the summer and continued the same rigorous training
race and the JV race, Captain Emily Marchini won the seeded 5K Varsity race in 18:38, a personal best. Marchini and Co-captain Tatum Heath have led this talented team to success through invitational races and
PHOTOGRAPHER
Mrs. Simpson, English
Ms.Scarpias,Math
Ms.Weinstein,English
Whitney Smith//The Chief
an undefeated status in all league meets, causing the girls to be named Division Champions. Yet another accomplish-
Whitney Smith//The Chief
ment that reached this season was the defeat of longtime rival East Meadow, a team that has not lost a league meet in many years. “This win really got us going. We can do anything we set our minds to. After all of our training and hard work, there is no reason why we can’t continue our winning streak to counties,” Marchini said. “Hey, we could probably make it to the Space Jam,” she added with a laugh. With that kind of promise, make sure to check out the girls’ cross country team race their way to victory at the country championship race on November 7 at Bethpage State Park. Go Chiefs!
Spotlight On Sports: Griff Morley BY ANTHONY CASSERO COPY EDITOR
A quarterback has tremendous responsibility on a football team. He has to look into twenty eyes in the huddle, say the play, and convince the team that this play is going to work—that this is the play that will score a touchdown. At Massapequa, these responsibilities lie on the shoulders of senior quarterback Griff Morley. This summer, the Chiefs were forced to replace star quarterback Ron Von Bargin. The coaches of Massapequa held an open competition for the starting job, which included juniors like Michael Barry and Ryan Neu. However, it quickly became clear that Morley was the man for the job. “I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me,” said Morley about being named the new quarterback, “But I thought I could do it.” The work ahead of him that he referred to was switching from free safety last year to quarterback this year. Anybody who has some knowledge of football can recognize that these two positions are very different, and not an easy transition to make. However, despite the differences of these two positions, Morley believes that his time spent playing free safety has helped him as a quarterback. “It helps me see the game quicker,” said Morley, “and it definitely helps me read defenses.” Another benefit of his time spent at safety could be his ability to handle pressure. As a safety, he was the last line of defense the other team would have to get past. If ever he missed an assignment and let a receiver get behind him, it would very often result in a touchdown. This ability to deal with pressure revealed itself as he led a fourth
quarter comeback against Calhoun. With Morley named the starter, the offense was forced to adjust to his skill set. While his predecessor, Von Bargin, was more of a classic pocket passer—Morley is a duel threat quarterback, meaning that he is dangerous throwing the ball as well as running with it. Offensive Coordinator Lyons described this year’s offense, with Morley, as “more diverse,” and “a better running team.” The first time Morley took the field as starting quarterback was on September 10, against Syosset. He described the feeling as, “overwhelming but, as soon as the game started all that went away.” None of those pre-game jitters seemed to affect his play as he threw for 147 yards and ran for thirtyseven more, as he guided Massapequa to a 24-7 victory. Seventy eight of the 147 yards Morley accumulated through the air went to his number one receiver, junior Steve Ramano. “[Romano] is one of the first people I look for,” commented Morley. Not only is this touchdown tandem close on the field, but they’re also close off it, as Morley called Ramono, “a good friend.” Morley credited the chemistry that he shares with his good friend on the field to this bond. Unfortunately, for both the Chiefs and Morley, he injured his ankle during a game at Farmingdale on Saturday October 17. According to Coach Nolan, he is out indefinitely. This leaves the Chiefs in the hands of the less experienced, Junior Ryan Neu, who has seen limited playing time at quarterback this season. Time will tell if the Chiefs will be able to continue their winning ways despite this setback.
Congratulations swim team. This year an all conference honor was given to Nina Sabatini, Katelyn Boland and Kyle Sanders in their events. The school record was broken in the 400 relay by Katelyn Boland Sarah Exposito, Kyle Sanders, and Nina Sabatini. Source: Facebook
Skatewars: Security vs Skaters asked if he has ever argued with a security guard JOURNALISM STUDENT One possible solution to this probMany people feel that skateboarders have become menaces to lem is building a local skate park..“Skate society. It seems this question has parks would keep some kids from two very different and strong sides. skating at local businesses, but most Much of the negative view of skate- kids are going to skate there anyway boarding comes from business owners regardless of a skate park.,” Scarpa said. and security guards. An anonymous “You get dirty looks from adults when security guard that works at the Sunrise you skate around, even if it’s just to get Mall gave me his input on how kids act from one place to another.” Frank said when being kicked out of a the mall when asked if he is judged based on his for skateboarding. “Most of the time hobby. The anonymous sunrise security they complain and ask if they can skate guard supported this when asked if he for a couple more minutes, but for the would judge a kid differently if he had most part, they are cool about it and a basketball opposed to a skateboard. just leave,” the security guard said. He said “yes, kids with skateboards are Frank Scarpa, a local skateboarder, usually the ones that we look at closer disagreed with the security guard’s and make sure aren’t causing trouble.” statement that skaters leave peacefully. Is this going to be an issue forever? “Yes, I have [argued with security gu- Frank Scarpa thought so when he said rards] many times.” Scarpa said when “I think this is going to be a lifelong rivalry.” BY AUSTIN HUANGS
THE CHIEF 16
NOVEMBER 2009
Chiefs Charge to a Victory at Homecoming BY ANTHONY CASSERO MANAGING EDITOR
The 2009 homecoming was a success for the Massapequa football team as the Chiefs defeated the Highlanders from Herricks 32-0. This was the first game for junior quarterback, Ryan Neu. Normally, the Chiefs offense is led by senior Griff Morley. However, due to an ankle injury suffered in the previous game against Farmingdale, Neu started instead. Neu not only had to contend with the eleven players on Herricks’ defense, but also the rainy conditions and muddy field (which have become the norm at Massapequa’s homecoming games.) The muddy field caused him to lose his footing on a number of plays, and even fall down once. “When it rains it pours, and when it pours there’s mud. And where there’s mud, I fall,” said Neu of the conditions. Although the weather hampered many of the players, running back Kenny Fundus thrived in the conditions as he rushed for over 200 yards and scored two touchdowns. “The weather was the least of our problems,” Fundus said
about the playing conditions. This was the Chiefs’ first game after their first loss of the season, a 35-7 trouncing at the hands of Farmingdale.
Kaitlin Gordon//The Chief
“We were embarrassed,” senior defensive back Robert Goren said about the Farmingdale loss. Coach Nolan at-
Spiking to Success! BY ANTHONY CASSERO MANAGING EDITOR
This season the Massapequa girl’s volleyball team has had an outstanding season, as they have won all fifteen regular season games they have played. This has landed the team in the playoffs again this year. Their first playoff game was on Tuesday November 3, and they defeated Calhoun in all three games they played. Seniors K a t i e N e w man and Kristen Silk have become the captains and leaders of the team this season. “At first I was nervous, but then I thought, ‘Hey I can do this,’” said Silk of being named the captain. “She is very supportive, she’ll pick us up when we make mistakes,” said Junior Sam Berna about Silk’s leadership. Together, Newman and Silk have led the team to an undefeated regular season. We all know that athletes love to win; however, there might be a downside to all these victories. “Everyone expects us to win, so there
tributed the poor performance against Farmingdale to the players not being on the same page. At the homecoming game, ev-
is always pressure,” Silk said. The only team that has even challenged Massapequa this year has been St. Anthony’s. “It’s good to have a challenge because better teams make us work harder and play to the best of our ability,” junior Sam Berna said. Last season the team made had an outstanding regular season and made it all the way to the Long Island championship game, but Seaford defeated
Source:Facebook.com
them. Some teams get nervous during the playoffs. However, Katie Newman doesn’t believe that Massapequa will be one of these teams. “We will perform better and play with more fire,” Newman said. The entire team hopes that this season will have an even happier ending than last season, as they wish to go to states. “It would be a great way,” Newman said, “to top off this season.”
eryone on Massapequa’s defense was on the same page as they shut out Herricks. “The biggest difference was our
mentality,” Goren said comparing the games against Farmingdale and Herricks. The Chiefs’ defense gave the offense great field position as they forced three interceptions and two safeties. Although the Chiefs had a comfortable 14-0 lead going into halftime, their play drastically improved in the second half. “We were playing down to their level,” said Fundus. Herricks is currently 1-6, and their only win was a two point victory against the winless Hempstead. Fundus attributed the team’s improvement in the second half to a halftime speech given by Coach Nolan, which reminded the players that this was their homecoming. One of the most controversial moments of the game came early in the first half when the Chiefs were up by 14 points and found themselves in a fourth and goal situation. Coach Nolan decided to forgo the opportunity to kick a field goal and take a 17-0 lead. Massapequa ran the ball and attempted to score a touchdown. This risk backfired on the Chiefs, as the offense was halted by the Herricks defense and Massapequa came away without any points. In spite of that one negative series, the game was a huge confidence booster for the Chiefs. The prior week Massapequa got derailed by the Dalers, but this game got them back on track, and from the way things are shaping up that track leads straight to the playoffs.
High Hopes for Girls Soccer BY JASON CELARU STAFF WRITER
The Massapequa Chiefs Girls Varsity soccer team has had another successful season. So far, the girls have played a total of fifteen games. They are currently in second place behind South Side, with a record of twelve wins, two loses and a tie. The Chiefs have nine wins, two losses and one tie and are ranked second place in their conference. Similar to last year, the team has experienced overall success. Last year, Massapequa reached the Long Island Championships. Goalies EmmaLee Meyer and Morgan Roessler, and Forward Taylor Elliot and Center Back Tori Lander grasped this strong lead. Assistant Coach Brigit Canlé said, “The team has great overall talent, experienced players, and good work ethic, and great depth.” The coaches Bruce Stegner and Brigit Ana Canlé led the team, through expert coaching to the wins they have experienced. Ms. Canlé believes that the team needs to keep up their intensity and capitalize their opportunities during the post-season games. Hopefully they can continue this demanding lead throughout the season. On November 3, Massapequa defeated Syosset 1-0; Andrea Arnold
scored a goal assisted by Casey Marks. Morgan Roessler had four saves, and got the shutout. The post-season for the Chiefs has already started and on November the 7 the Chiefs will play in the semifinals against Farmingdale, the Chiefs defeated Farmingdale in both games that they played with them during the regular season, if they can successfully beat Farmingdale than they will prog-
Jason Celaru//The Chief
ress to the finals. Coach Canlé believes that the team needs to keep up the intensity, and capitalize on their opportunities. The entire Chiefs team is looking for another victory, and also the chance to play in the Long Island Championship, which is a game between the best team of Nassau against the best team of Suffolk. Hopefully, the Chiefs can defeat the teams still standing in their way, and get to the Long Island Championship, and maybe even progress to the state finals.