MASSAPEQUA AFTER SUPERSTORM SANDY p6-7
EDITORIAL DECISION ON MAKEUP DAYS p3 ENTERTAINMENT MHS PLAY REVIEW p8 SPORTS RIVALRY OF THE TOWNS p12
DEC 14, 2012 Vol. LXI - ISSUE 2
Massapequa High School
@thechiefonline www.thechiefonline.com
4925 Merrick Road Massapequa, NY 11758
mhsthechief@gmail.com
Hurricane Sandy makeup days and midterm solution BY JOE ZAPPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
losing state aid.” Superintendent Sulc informed those who attended the Board meeting that the district would lose 145,000 dollars in state aid for every day the district should have been open and was closed. In addition to these makeup days, the district has decided to conduct
of learning lost in the beginning of the second quarter and to ensure maximum preparation for Advanced Placement (AP) exams in May,” principal Dr. Williams said. Dr. Williams mentioned another concern many members of the school community have about the days lost
NELSONGOMEZ//THE CHIEF
Since Hurricane Sandy tore through the town, Massapequa students and teachers have been wondering what will be done to make up for the six days Massapequa schools were closed as a result of Sandy, and that leaves days to make-up for legal purposes as well as instructional purposes. On one hand, Massapequa must open school for only five more days which were supposed to be vacation days (one of the six days lost was made-up on Election Day). This must be done to fulfill the state’s requirement of 180 instructional days, a requirement which Superintendent Mr. Charles Sulc informed the community will not be waived, despite rumors that the governor’s office would pardon the lost days due to the extremity of the natural disaster. Mr.Sulc proposed a plan to makeup the lost days which was approved by an unanimous vote from the Board of Education on Thursday, December 6. Mr. Sulc suggested that the district make up the days during what was supposed to be the Winter Break, from Tuesday, February 19 to Friday, February 22. Hurricane Sandy tossed trees, brought down power lines, and flooded roads The vacation day on Monday will remain because it is a national holiday, regular instructional days during the to Hurricane Sandy, the AP curricula. Presidents Day. Additionally, students traditional midterm week, during While most high school courses will attend school on Friday, May 24. which students usually come in for culminate in a final examination in June However, Spring Break will “remain a couple hours a day to take exams. (often created by MHS teachers), AP intact.” While students generally miss five courses end in nationally standardized Mr. Sulc explained the calendar days of instruction for these exams, tests which always occur in early revision as a necessary, albeit this year midterm week will consist of to mid May, regardless of regional undesirable solution to the problem Monday off due to Martin Luther King weather complications. Therefore, AP of making up the days lost to Sandy. Jr. Day, Tuesday as a testing day in teachers may be inclined to support According to Mr. Sulc, the New York order to administer the English Regents extra instructional days, which can State Education Commissioner John Exam, and three days of regular school provide maximum preparation for the B. King Jr. has warned Long Island Wednesday through Friday. tests their students will take in May. school districts that they “must exhaust “The primary goal of substituting “I think it is a good idea that the possibility of using any vacation instructional days for the traditional midterms are postponed because my days afforded to [them] or else risk midterm week is to recuperate the days students would not be ready for a
traditional midterm in January; the extra instructional days will also allow us to prepare for the AP exam,” AP Calculus teacher Kathleen O’Hara said. “In place of the traditional midterm, we may give a cumulative exam in February.” While many teachers and administrators see the replacement of midterm week as an essential academic maneuver, the schedule change has received mixed reactions from students. Many do not understand why extra instructional days have been added to midterm week if the days lost to Sandy are to be made up during vacation time. “I can understand taking away February break, but adding full instructional days to midterm week seems to be a little much,” senior Ryan Cooney said. Senior Nicole Passariello agreed with Cooney. “I think it is unfortunate that we have to go to school during midterm week because midterm week usually provides a nice break from the school routine.” Assistant to the superintendent Dr. Thomas Fasano explained that the instructional days during midterm week are still necessary, despite the makeup days in February, because they ensure that all students will be fully prepared for AP and final exams. Regardless of student and community feedback, these decisions are final. Students will have full school days for the last three days of midterm week and the Winter Break has been reduced to a three day weekend. Students and teachers will not like going to school in the middle of February, but this is the price we must pay for an unexpected hiatus in the fall. Unfortunately, everything in life has a trade-off.
New teacher evaluations: a step forward or backward? BY RYAN SCHULTE & KORINNE SCIORSCI JOURNALISM STUDENTS
The New York State Department of Education has a new method of evaluation that will be used to adjudicate all of New York’s teachers this year. The program is titled Annual Professional Performance Review, or APPR, and it is causing a great deal of controversy. According to the NYSUT (New York State United Teachers, a professional union for teachers in New York) website, NYSUT President Dick Lanuzzi believes that APPR is “good for students and fair to teachers.” However, English Teacher Molly Fagan feels that “The system makes education a lot less personal and a lot more like a business. It may hurt students by taking away some of our ability to be creative in the classroom.” This decrease in creativity is probably due to the amount of test preparation teachers will now have to force upon students. As their jobs now depend on students’ performance on exams, many feel they may have to teach
to the test and give up more abstract or interesting lessons. New York State Department of Education’s website states that under APPR, school districts are mandated to base teacher evaluations on a rigid scale: 20 percent according to the performance of their students on state assessments, 20 percent according to the performance of their students on district-wide assessments, and 60 percent according to in-class observations. The evaluation system rates teachers as highly effective, effective, developing, or ineffective; two ineffective ratings in a row means a school district can begin procedures to fire the teacher. The first question on the public’s mind, though, is how this wide-reaching education reform will affect students. “I’m not planning on changing my teaching,” AP and Applied Chemistry Teacher Dr. Paul Hesleitner said. “APPR is supposed to be proving the effectiveness of teachers in teaching students. If I’m accomplishing that, I don’t believe that I’ll have to change
the way I teach.” Mrs. Fagan largely agreed. “My teaching will not be changing very much—it’s still going to focus on college and career readiness.” As an extension of Barack Obama’s Race to the Top Education Reform, it is clear that the intention of APPR is to help students as much as possible. However, educators and administrators across the state are questioning whether the program benefits students as much as it is meant to, especially considering the program’s heavy weighting on test scores. Massapequa Federation of Teachers President Tomia Smith indeed thought that one of the most dramatic changes is the “system’s concentration on state assessments. There’s too much testing on the students—it is a lot of time out of the school year that could be dedicated to much more meaningful education.” MHS Principal Dr. Barbara Williams agreed that if there were anything she could change about the program, it
would be the amount of importance it places on student test scores. “One test score cannot reflect everything that a teacher does or a student does throughout the course of a school year. This overemphasis on testing bothers me.” Nevertheless, after a long legal battle to make the legislation something that both the State and NYSUT could live with, both sides are officially supporting this legislation as a positive revamp for our public schools. That means APPR is probably not going anywhere—at least for this school year. Educators and administrators are trying to remain optimistic despite the obvious flaws they see in the system. “I like the professional discussion that a teacher and I have when I observe lessons. APPR requirements give me more of an opportunity to have them,” Dr. Williams said accordingly. “The program could help teachers improve, acknowledge what they’re doing, and reward them for it, which will definitely help both teachers and students.”
NEWS BRIEFS
DEC 14, 23, 2012 MARCH 2012
Tiny attendees of MHS
BY CHRISTINA STILE & NATALIE D’AMICO JOURNALISM STUDENTS gross. Although, they are a good protein source in some countries.” “These insects are attracted to Occasionally, one will hear highpitched screams from students in the water from the sewers and food that hallways. As the students scamper has been left on the floors. They appear away from a certain spot on the floor, when the sewers are dry and when there the inch-long culprit stands alone. The is no water,” school custodian Moses students cry “cockroach!” but what Carlo said. “An exterminator comes once a month to put out traps and to they are really seeing is a water bug. Waters bugs have been discovered use safe pesticides.” The exterminator reports to in many unexpected areas throughout Massapequa High School after school Massapequa High School. For years, hours at around 2:30. numerous students and teachers have “The school district limits the been complaining and wondering why these insects have made their home in extermination because of health issues among students and teachers,” said Dr. our school. “Any building this size will Williams. To limit the amount of water have some sort of insect inhabiting it,” principal Dr. Williams said. bugs, students should be conscientious Massapequa High School is located on when eating and should dispose of their a low-water table which makes it even garbage properly instead of throwing it on the floor. Although it is the more prone to water bugs. Water bugs have appeared in school’s job to eliminate pests, it is the the gym locker rooms, the basement, students’ job as members of the school the hallways, and also in some of our community to minimize the problem classrooms. “It’s a huge problem,” by acting responsibly. senior Joseph Doria said. “They’re
No talent in MHS BY MARY STEVENSON JOURNALISM STUDENT
Massapequa’s Got Talent, the talent show that has been in preparation since October, is definitely being rescheduled. “I’m not sure,” tenth grade girls’ chorus teacher Mrs. Dempsey said when asked for the new date. “We might have to wait until February, what with the play and the winter concerts— we don’t know when we’ll be able to get the stage.” As many would-be attendees are disappointed and possibly a little miffed about spending eight dollars for a ticket, the music department will probably try to reschedule soon before people start demanding their money back. “All the money raised will be going to the music department’s annual trip to Disney World. It will be used to
help those who can’t afford to pay for it themselves,” junior Katlyn Gallery said. It would be a shame to see a show funding such a good cause get canceled, but Dempsey says that it will definitely be rescheduled. “I’m really excited about performing because I love the song we’re doing!” Junior Jennifer Enochs said before the storm. “It’s probably my favorite song to perform.” It appears that attendees will not be the only people disappointed if the show is cancelled; the student performers will be disappointed as well. From acts like singing to performing short stories, the range of talent is overwhelming. “Not only do we want them to support their peers,” Mrs. Dempsey said. “But they might be inspired to audition themselves next year.”
Harry Potter & Peer Aids BY ALYSSA LOMANDO JOURNALISM STUDENT
Harry Potter and his gang flew into MHS earlier this month to teach students about HIV/AIDS. The Peer Aids club emphasized HIV/AIDS awareness during the week of December 1, and continued to spread knowledge to students from seventh to twelfth grade by conducting assemblies in Berner and Massapequa High School until December 5. Mr. LaBella, a teacher and athletics coach at MHS, has been running this program for the past six years. He picks about 25 students to go to Berner and 25 different students to hold an assembly here at Massapequa High School. Mr. LaBella said that the assemblies do more than simply provide prevention tips to students; they also provide students with information on how not to contract HIV/AIDS. “We provide education for the individual.” He believes the assemblies truly impact the students.
The Peer Aids educators have an amusing way of keeping the students involved, interested and engaged. “We try to make them have fun--we do skits and obstacle courses related to HIV/ AIDS,” Mr. Labella said. This year, the assembly theme was Harry Potter, and included many of the characters from the world-renowned novels and movies. “I found it useful because it taught me to be careful with my choices that will affect my life forever,” sophomore James Grillo said of the play. According to the school website, “[the assemblies] provide helpful, accurate information regarding HIV/ AIDS.” The Peer Aid educators are there to teach the importance of the HIV/AIDS predicament, the modes of transmission, the disease itself and prevention tips. The focus is to reduce the frequency of HIV/AIDS by encouraging students to make the right decisions. This program has been running for 18 years now, providing students in the middle and high schools with the right information.
THE CHIEF 2
Field of honor BY KATRINA GICK
JOURNALISM STUDENT
In honor of Veterans Day, the Kiwanis Club, along with the Key Club, constructed their annual Field of Honor on November 10. The Field of Honor construction was supposed to take place on November 3. According to the Massapequa High School website, a ceremony was to follow on Sunday, November 4 at nine in the morning, but was rescheduled for November 11 due to Hurricane Sandy. One month prior, flyers were posted, giving people the opportunity to take part in the event and donate to help veterans in need. “With the Field of Honor, we look to pay tribute to not only those who have served, but also those of our family who we choose to honor by placing a flag in their dedication,” Field of Honor Chairperson John Kilgus said. All proceeds earned from the event benefit local veterans and community programs. “Being a veteran myself and seeing how all of this helps not only other veterans but also those active in the military, it gives you a rewarding and proud feeling,” Mr. Kilgus said. He also said that he hopes to see the continuation and success of this event in the future. Annual preparations for this event begin in March and prove to be very involved and time-consuming. Various tasks that need to be accomplished include but are not limited to several meetings with participating schools and groundskeepers, purchasing the
actual flags along with other necessary supplies, and alphabetizing the name tags for the flags going on display. Each task involved requires diligence and effort. However, it is all worth it in the end. “When the community and honorees show up and see what has been accomplished, it brings a sense of pride and unity to us all,” Mr. Kilgus concluded. The Field of Honor dedication is a nationwide event; notably, several other towns on Long Island participate every year, including Amityville, Plainedge, Farmingdale, and Seaford. Mr. Kilgus says the Massapequa Kiwanis Club became involved with this event through hearing about it from other clubs in the state. “We immediately desired to take part in it,” he said. Since then, approximately 1,600 flags have been sponsored and 3,000 flags have been installed. This has been the third annual Field of Honor event constructed by the Massapequa Kiwanis Club. The Key Club participates by helping to set up the flags on the construction date. The display appeared on the front lawn of the High School until December 8 when it was retired. It stood tall and proud for all those passing by to see. “It makes me proud to honor all of the hardworking veterans,” sophomore Bridget Keegan said. “They have put their lives on the line to ensure safety for citizens everywhere.”
The annual tree lighting BY KAITLIN BATIK
JOURNALISM STUDENT
“3…2…1…0! Happy Holidays!” The annual Massapequa tree and menorah lighting took place on Saturday, November 24. The festivities included Christmas carolers, performances by the cheerleaders and Chiefettes, and the annual appearance from Santa. Various politicians, including Mayor
James Altadonna and town supervisor John Venditto, made speeches. MHS students also made appearances on the bandstand. Anthony Romano and Danielle Garillio emceed the event. Senior Marigrace Maley sang the National Anthem, and ASL students Katie Wall, Olvia Axelberd, Colleen Bourgal, Jennifer Raffaele, and Erin Mosier signed along.
EDITORIAL
MARCH 23, 2012 DEC 14, 2012
THE CHIEF 3
EDITORIAL
It’s the end of the world as we know it
As the year comes to an end, many people are starting to wonder: is civilization also coming to an end? There have been numerous rumors about what will happen on December 21, 2012; many ideas either contradict or have no relevance to each other-besides the fact that those super-smart Mayans stopped writing out their calendar on this date. Nevertheless, we, The Chief, are sure one theory is correct. Back when sticks and stones not only broke bones, but also built houses, tables and bed frames, the ancient Mayans made the ending date on their calendar December 21, 2012. Many people foolishly believe that this marks the end of the world; however, they have not spent thirty-plus years with Mayan elders, as Drunvalo Melchizedek has. Melchizedek explained the actual prophecies of the Mayan elders in a televised interview. According to the elders, the world will be destroyed by geo-ecological problems within several years of the December date. They described the beginning of the end being marked by an unusually large blue star. “Comet 17P/Holmes stunned comet watchers across planet Earth earlier this week,” nasa.gov reported in 2007, “On October 24, it increased in brightness over half a million times in a matter of hours.” EDITORIAL
“I don’t believe a star marks the end of the world and it’s not a sign because there are plenty of stars and just because one magically turned blue doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world,” skeptical senior Kevin Hastings said. “Mayan Elders met and agreed Comet Holmes was the star foretold in their prophecies,” reported december212012.com, “The seven year period has begun.” A continuation of this theory, posted on the “official December 21, 2012 website,” december212012. com, explains in simple terms exactly what they believe is going to cause the massive damage that will supposedly end civilization as we know it. The video explains the concept of “solar conveyor belts” which control the magnetic field of the sun, a concept NASA scientist Dr. Mausumi Dikpati discovered. When these belts move too quickly, they create sunspots which are like “electromagnetic storms that shoot out tsunamis,” the scholar narrating the video described. According to this theory, the sunspots will lead to numerous electromagnetic hurricanes, which will translate to tsunamis all over the globe. At this time, all of Earth will not be able to use electronic communication devices, as occurred in 2007 when the people of Southern China temporarily
This year, there was a noticeable change in the outlook of students on the first day of school. The pure anomaly of starting school on August 30 was a reminder to everyone that they were in school when they should have been sleeping in, laying out on the beach, or getting some last minute back-to-school shopping in. At least unhappy students and faculty members were comforted by the thought that this early start would mean having a winter break. But, at the December Board of Education meeting, this possibility was taken away when it was announced that February vacation had been canceled because of Hurricane Sandy. Many might object to this decision, but it is a logical and necessary solution to a problem that cannot be ignored. New York state requires 180 instructional days in order for the district to receive maximum state aid.
Clearly, the school would not be able to reach this number with five days of school lost due to the storm. Therefore, school will now be in session from Tuesday, February 19 to Friday February 22, and on Friday, May 24 to make up for the days lost. Spring break, however, will not be affected. This change of schedule will provide sufficient time for teachers to prepare their students for the cumulative exams at the end of the year. Though many will be disappointed by this decision, the school board canceled the February break because they simply did not have any other choice. Massapequa is already facing problems as a result of state budget cuts, and if the district didn’t meet the requirement of 180 days of instruction, even worse economic problems would arise. According to Mr. Charles Sulc, Superintendent of Schools, if the
District’s hands are tied
district does not exhaust all possible vacation days as make-up days and the 180 day minimum is not met, the district will lose 145,000 dollars in state aid for each day school is not open. That money ensures that the district has sufficient resources for various educational programs. Students would suffer more from budget cuts than they will from the loss of a winter break. One misconception that some residents have regards “waiver” legislation, which allows districts to use up to ten days of relief from the school calendar. In other words, the state would forgive the district of the days lost because of Sandy, and those days wouldn’t have to be made up. This would only be applicable, however, if all vacation days were used up prior to using these relief days. Vacation days from March 26 through April 2 in addition to the February break would have to be used in order for the district to receive any sort of legislative aid. “We have no choice under these circumstances and the government is giving no forgiveness,” Mr. Sulc said. Against the above background, one must be aware of the fact that scheduling of the Advanced Placement (AP) exams will not change come hurricane or earthquake. Certainly, students want to be confident when it comes time to take that test in May, knowing that they have received maximum preparation for their exams. It is safe to assume that no one wants to walk into that testing room feeling insecure about certain topics because there wasn’t enough time to learn them. Regardless of whether the district had any choice in its decision or not, students have a right to express their opinions about it. “I understand where [the Board of Education] [is] coming from since we did miss a lot of days from Hurricane Sandy,” junior Gina
KATRINA GICK//JOURNALISM STUDENT
Students complained about the frigid weather and lack of heat and power after Sandy
lost electronic communication use as a result of a solar flare, the video explained. Without the use of electronic communication devices, senior Scott Kirschner feels that the worst scenario is “Definitely that I can’t Instagram with a great filter of fire and brimstone raining down from the sky.” “My biggest concern,” expressed senior Danny Blaustein, “is [to] no longer [be] able to pretend to Snapchat on my Blackberry to feel included in the iPhone population.” Therefore, any person who is intelligent enough to follow this theory should quickly log onto december212012.com and order himself a gas mask for a low price of 36 dollars and 32 cents; even though poisonous and hazardous gases are not mentioned in either theory, the website informs us that it is the newest trend. Just to be safe, The Chief encourages all people wishing to survive the disasters caused by “consistent hotel-sized tsunamis” to go to the site and purchase their loved ones survival kits for 98 dollars and 99 cents as Christmas and Hanukkah presents. Remember to give them as early gifts, though, since Santa Claus really won’t be coming to town this December!
Dec 14 2012 Vol LXI Issue 2
The Chief Editorial Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joe Zappa MANAGING EDITOR Jessica Graff COPY EDITORS Joe Fiola Nelson Gomez Meghana Rao Melanie Sheehan SPORTS EDITOR Jon Grant BUSINESS MANAGER Matt Hirsch EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Brandan Lawrence Allison Latini ADVISOR Elyn Coyle
The Chief Editorial Policy The Chief, the student newspaper of Massapequa High School, is an open forum to discuss the student body’s issues and concerns. Members of The Chief will make every effort to publish following the legal definitions of libel, obscenity and invasion of privacy. Consistent with the first amendment of the United States Constitution, the staff also will refrain from printing material that may incite students, be a violation of MHS’ Student Code of Conduct or disrupt school operations. The editorial board of The Chief welcomes and encourages submitted letters, stories, cartoons and/or any other student feedback to the editor. Please send all submissions to mhsthechief@gmail. com. Letters sent by email may need to be verified by student signature before publishing. •Although letters to the editor are not printed, names will be published upon request. The Chief has the right to deny publication of any editorial, column, review or comment. •Grammatical and/or spelling corrections will be made; however, the content will not be altered. All columns, reviews or commentary are strictly the opinion of the writer and may not represent opinions held by the school board, administration, sponsors, parents, student body or advertisers. However, all editorials reflect the viewpoint of The Chief editorial board. Distribution: 1600 copies
Massapequa High School 4925 Merrick Road Massapequa, NY 11758
Sanchez said. “It is necessary for us to make up the lost time since it is unlikely that the College Board would change the date of the various APs. But am I happy about it? No.” February break is a popular time for families to go on vacation; it gives people the opportunity to escape winter at its harshest moments. Many people make reservations for trips during February as far back as the previous summer. Given such short notice, families would have to pay an exorbitant amount of money to cancel flights and hotel reservations. Some students have no choice but to miss four consecutive days of school. Then again, teachers will be understanding of this fact and will be willing to accommodate those students so they do not become overwhelmed with work. The five days off from school in autumn were certainly no vacation. A majority of Massapequa residents did not have power for as long as two weeks. Most families had no heat or hot showers, and others had to live in shelters, hotels, or stay with friends and relatives. No one, including Mother Nature, could have predicted the extent of Hurricane Sandy’s damage. In the aftermath of this disaster, we are forced to pick up the pieces. We may not like the sacrifices we have to make, but upon reflection, they are necessary if we ever want to return to normalcy.
MARCH 23, 2012 DEC 14, 2012
OPINION
THE CHIEF 4
Social networking and our ‘electronic’ impulses BY JOE FIOLA COPY EDITOR
upon being accepted by others that we sometimes lose focus of what truly matters in life. Lastly, I’d like to touch upon what I feel to be the most disturbing side ef-
Illustration portraying the disability for many to escape the lures of Facebook It is also saddening that some people post on Facebook or Twitter solely in an attempt to elicit approving remarks from their peers. Our culture places such an enormous emphasis
fect of the modern social networking craze. Electronic communication has the peculiar ability to make people feel as if they can say whatever they want. For some reason, social norms and po-
lite, respectful conduct tend to go out the window when people go online. A new type of bullying, known as cyberbullying, has emerged as a result. MerriamWebster’s definition of cyberbullying is “the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person, often done anonymously.” This form of harassment has the potential to cause enormous harm to its victims, as was seen in the case of Tyler Clementi—a student at Rutgers University who committed suicide after his roommate live-streamed footage of him kissing another man. Cases such as this one can be avoided if people understand the importance of using social media responsibly. Rather than acting on impulse, one must carefully consider his actions before making an irreversible decision. Social networking can be rewarding socially and practically. However, those who use sites like Facebook and Twitter must remember that face-toface communication is more important than the digital world too many live in nowadays. Furthermore, we must remember that the power to post online does not absolve us of the duty to be considerate of others. Failure to abide by these axioms of moral conduct give credence to those who say social networking is a detriment to society. Many people who did not grow up with social media are inclined to believe “Facebook is for losers,” as history teacher Ms. Gail Hayes remarked. It is incumbent upon young people to prove her wrong.
LOPEZ//MCT CAMPUS
It is impossible to get through a day at school without hearing at least one person reference a social networking site such as Facebook or Twitter. While some aspects of these sites have proven to be useful and productive, it seems that our dependence upon them has become excessive. People sometimes forget to think before they post, and this lax attitude can cause a lot of trouble. As our society progresses towards a digital age, certain elements of the dystopia that George Orwell envisioned in Nineteen Eighty-Four have become reality. Take, for example, the story of thirteen Virgin Atlantic crew members who were fired after making disparaging remarks about the airline on Facebook. Since it is true that “Big Brother is watching you,” it is imperative that you are careful about what you post online. Aside from concerns about privacy, we must also evaluate the way in which social networking affects our culture. Junior Michael Holland feels that “social networking can be useful as far as staying connected, but it ultimately impedes our social skills and over-inflates our egos.” Mr. Holland raises an excellent point. Whenever I walk into a restaurant, I’m almost certain to see a teenager paying very little attention to her family because she’s too busy texting on her cell phone. People need to know how to communicate with others face-to-face if they want
to survive in today’s competitive business environment, and I feel that this widespread obsession with electronic devices does a disservice to the younger generations in our society.
A souring apple, not at the top of the tree anymore BY TOM CLEMENTE STAFF WRITER
If Apple was truly the innovative company it says it is, it would have no problem with such competition, as their devices are supposedly superior. Apple’s ‘patent trolling’ has hindered innovation in the tech world, as their lawsuits cost their company and their competitors money that could be better
bought. While the idea of a personal voice assistant seemed appealing at first, through use one can see that it performs less than spectacularly. Oftentimes it cannot understand what a person has said; for example, it cannot perform simple system tasks such as “Turn off wifi.” “I really don’t use it very often. It helps if you’re traveling and you’re not quite sure where the nearest gas station or restaurant is located, but other than that it is not that helpful,” senior Adam Davi said. When Siri was first unveiled, Apple announced that it would be a ‘beta’ product, or one that is not complete. This deviates from the traditional path the company has taken, usually releasing products when they are extremely polished and finely tuned. In iOS6, Apple dropped Google Maps in favor of its own maps product, which was harshly criticized for performance below expectations. The new maps app is another incomplete product, with far less information, less accurate locations, and worse directions than that of Google Maps. A recent poll conducted by marketwatch.com indicated that more than 60% of those polled called Maps a failure. In the past few years, Apple has had a disappointing track record when it comes to innovation. While its sales figures are still strong, the company has relied heavily on its brand image as a source of advertising and reliability. Unfortunately, Apple cannot continue this trend for long without falling sales as other companies continue to push the bar higher with more appealing features.
JESSICA GRAFF//THE CHIEF
Since the untimely death of Steve Jobs in October of last year, it seems that Apple Inc. (AAPL) has been less innovative and has taken fewer risks than in the past. Apple’s latest product, the iPhone 5, brings new features many fans have been asking for, but does not raise the bar in terms of hardware or software. Two of the major selling points of the iPhone 5, released in the U.S. on September 21, 2012, are a fourinch retina display and 4G LTE connectivity. iPhone users have been calling for these features for a long time, and Apple has finally delivered. Although the iPhone 5 is expected to break sales records, these features are not unique to iPhone and do not make it stand out among the competition. The first large-screen smartphone is usually credited to the HTC HD2, released in November 2009 with a 4.3 inch screen, and large screens became popular with HTC’s EVO 4G in June 2010. Ever since this time, various Windows Phone and Android devices have come with increasingly larger screens, leaving iPhone users left out of the loop. Android phones also offer other features that the iPhone lacks. “One reason I chose Android over Apple is because Android offers more variety, as my phone has a physical keyboard while the iPhone does not,” senior Andrew Giustino said. Another feature that Apple has only recently introduced is the addition of 4G LTE. HTC, clearly a fast-adapting company, released their first LTE device in March of 2011. Since then, all other major smartphone
manufacturers have released LTE devices, including Motorola, LG, and Samsung. In this category, Apple was again late to the game. Apart from the technological specs of the iPhone, Apple has also become less confident in their approach to competition. Over the past year and a
Apple just doesn’t seem like it’s producing innovations at the level it bragged it would half, Apple has filed dozens of lawsuits against other tech giants, including Microsoft and Google, for infringing on their patents. Apple has tried to ban the products of their competitors in other countries around the world, and has also attempted to ban imports of these products into the United States.
spent in research and development. A final aspect in which Apple has been sloppy is its recent software developments. In 2011, the new mobile operating system, iOS5, introduced the voice assistant Siri. This addition was not Apple’s own innovation, but the work of another company that they
MARCH 23, 2012 DEC 14, 2012
OPINION
THE CHIEF 5
Foreign language and the domestic disconnect BY JOE ZAPPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
In an age where global interaction is an icon click away, Americans remain culturally isolated from the rest of the world. According to a Gallup poll, only 26 percent of Americans are fluent in a language other than English, and more worryingly, only 19 percent say it is essential to learn a language other than English. On the contrary, 56 percent of Europeans speak at least two languages, and 98 percent say it is essential that their kids learn to do the same. “Europeans see the need for foreign language education directly because they need to speak multiple languages to communicate with the people around them,” French teacher Ms. Evelyn LeGoupil said. “Therefore, European parents tend to emphasize their children’s pursuit of other languages as a main educational goal, while American parents are more likely to see it as unimportant or secondary to other subjects.” This ethnocentrism among Americans cannot persist. A failure to study other languages will perpetuate an unjust sense of superiority among Americans that undermines our ability to communicate with other nations. More extensive foreign language education in the United States will quickly right the wrong perspective in which we have nothing to gain from the rest of the world. It will also create more tolerance among Americans for immigrants. “It is very unfortunate that many Americans are still deeply influenced by the misleading information concerning China as an underdeveloped country,” Chinese teacher Tracy Pi said. “There is a saying in Chinese that ‘one who knows his own strength and that of the enemy is invincible in battles.’ As an educator and parent who has children in the United States, I think it is imperative that we teach the next generation the skills to understand our competitors in this world… [Stronger foreign language education] will help solve common misconceptions about other cultures, encourage tolerance towards others, allow our children to see the whole picture, and most
importantly help us remain a strong economic power in this fast-changing world.” Clearly, America’s poor record on foreign language education has negative cultural ramifications. However, the problems do not cease there. As Ms. Pi said, a higher frequency of bilingual Americans will not only make America a more tolerant and
Governor Huntsman said of his state’s foreign language advancements. There is no reason the same developments cannot be made in New York, and more specifically, Massapequa. Currently, Massapequa offers four languages starting in seventh grade. French, German, and Spanish have been offered for many years, and Mandarin was added to the selection
A failure to study other languages will perpetuate an unjust sense of superiority among Americans that undermines our ability to communicate with other nations. communicative nation, but also enable the next generation to compete in the global market. Bilingualism makes getting almost any job easier. Whether it is conversing with customers at a hardware store or giving a sales pitch to owners of a foreign business, speaking multiple languages is a valuable asset for someone searching for a job. While everyone may not care about cultural goals, almost every American is likely to count better job prospects as a worthy reason to pursue a new educational goal. Regardless, sometimes it is not even the will of the people that matters, but the will of one man with a vision. In fact, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman proved that great advances in this historically neglected aspect of education can be made if only a state government commits to do it. In 2005, when Mr. Huntsman took office, he set up a critical language advisory board with a critical language coordinator, and the board decided to augment existing efforts to teach kids two rare but increasingly useful languages: Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. At the beginning of his term, only a few dozen Utah students took Mandarin. By 2009, six thousand students were enrolled in Mandarin classes statewide. “We made the decision that languages are going to be a critically important driver in educating our young people. Math and science… are important, but language is going to have to be a part of that…Utah is positioning itself for the future,”
pool this year. At the high school level, American Sign Language and Italian are also available. “Massapequa School District has always had a very strong foreign language program and continues to be a leader among the top school districts across Long Island,” LOTE Curriculum Associate William Anderson said. “Our Advanced Placement and St. John’s programs prepare our students to be “College and Career Ready,” based on the requirements of the New York State Education Department. The Massapequa German program is strong and continues to grow. Our American Sign Language (ASL) program is very popular and is among the very few elite programs on Long Island. Moreover, our ASL teachers are leaders among the ASL teaching community. Our most recent addition to the program, Mandarin Chinese, was implemented in September 2009 with two sections of level one. That has grown to five sections, including our first seventh grade program and as an elective at the Ames campus.” Despite impressive credentials relative to the rest of the nation, Massapequa’s language other than English curriculum has room to grow, and Mr. Anderson, who is also the Vice President of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers, has high hopes for the future of the district’s foreign language curriculum. “In order to continue to improve language fluency and proficiency, I hope that Massapequa is able to
implement a language program in the elementary schools in the near future. According to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), research indicates that early language learning generally results in native or nearnative pronunciation and intonation. The research corroborates additional benefits including strengthening of literacy in students’ first language. With the current economic climate and the state-imposed tax cap, this will be a challenge.” As Mr. Anderson mentioned, there is a barrier standing between his goals and the extent of the programs Massapequa has today—money. As a public school district, Massapequa derives its funding from local taxpayers, and given the recession of the last few years and the state tax cap, which makes it very difficult to raise school taxes about two percent each year, it will be hard to hire the teachers necessary to implement foreign language learning at the elementary school level. Regardless, most students and teachers of foreign language know that this is the goal Massapequa must work towards if the district is to play an integral role in changing the perspective many Americans have on foreign language education. Changing the mindset of a nation is a tall order, but it must start somewhere, and Massapequa could be that launching point. Down the road, the district could turn out a class of seven-hundred bilingual graduates every year. First, though, language programs at the elementary school level must be implemented. The path to get there must include greater parental support. Massapequa already has ambitious leadership and talented teachers in the foreign language department; now, the community must step up to the plate and recognize the importance of building foreign language proficiency among students. If the community and Board of Education were to support this initiative, Massapequa could become an example for the entire nation to follow.
Christmas time, the most commercial time of the year BY JOE FIOLA COPY EDITOR
I once heard one student ask another, “How can you be both Christian and Jewish? You believe in Santa and you don’t believe in Santa?” As a Catholic who wants to “keep Christ in Christmas,” I was naturally alarmed by this naïve remark. However, what caused me greater concern was the notion that many other Americans may hold similar views of the Christmas season. Over the past few decades, our society has placed a greater emphasis on being politically correct. What once was known as the “Christmas season” has become euphamized to the “Holiday season.” This is done, of course, to ensure that non-Christians don’t feel excluded during the December festivities. Our society has taken this a step further by attempting
to secularize all aspects of this religious holiday, the meaning of which is to commemorate the birth of Jesus, whose name we no longer hear too often during the Christmas season. Rather, it seems he has been replaced by his more rotund cohort, Santa. Traditional Christmas carols are on their way out as well. They’ve been replaced by the more generic, winter-themed tunes that you often hear on the radio. On the whole, the media has commercialized and secularized Christmas to such an extent that its true meaning has been obscured. “Society is always changing and sometimes it’s not a positive change,” senior Nicole Mehr said. “In today’s society, the media is now more widespread and children are being advertised to at a younger age. Around Christmas time, children are practically brainwashed by all the toy commercials
they watch every day.” Mr. Brian Merges, an English teacher at MHS, feels that Christmas has simply “become a crass race to see who can get the best gifts.” Christmas, however, is not the only holiday that has undergone this type of transformation, as exemplified by the fact that Hanukkah’s true meaning has also been lost among the general public. For many, hearing of this holiday simply evokes images of menorahs and dreidels. Very few know that Hanukkah celebrates the miraculous occasion during which the light in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was sustained for eight days by an oil supply that should only have lasted one day. Though these changes in tradition may seem cute and harmless on the surface, we must ask ourselves if the mass media has any business
interfering with what were designed to be purely religious holidays. Speaking from a strictly cultural viewpoint, it is concerning that the true meanings of these holidays can be diluted by profit seekers. Is it really too much to ask that a spirit of charity, familial togetherness, and religious observance take precedence over incessant consumerism? It will all depend on our willingness to return to what truly
Did you know... Walmart and Toys R Us began Black Friday sales at 8 PM on Thanksgiving!
THE CHIEF 6
MARCH 23, 2012 DEC 14, 2012
Superstorm Sandy: one month later in Massapequa BY NELSON GOMEZ COPY EDITOR
One month after Superstorm Sandy’s landfall, one would barely be able to recognize Massapequa from pictures of the immediate poststorm devastation. For most, life has returned to the ordinary, but many are experiencing the residual effects of a storm that crippled Long Island with several weeks of power outages, oil shortages, and shutdowns of entire communities as business owners and workers stayed home to stay safe. “I didn’t have power and I wasn’t able to go anywhere because my parents wanted [to] conserve gas due to the insane lines at gas stations,” sophomore Julia Araque said. “Things have pretty much gone back to normal now that we have power and we can get gas.” Families displaced by Sandy, however, are continuing to rebuild their flood-damaged homes and are trying to return to a sense of normalcy. “It’s been pretty bad. I haven’t been able to live in my house for about a month and we’re only going to be
able to live upstairs when I come back,” sophomore Tom DaCosta said. “I never thought it would happen.” Other students, while not being personally impacted in the aftermath of Sandy, have still witnessed and continue to live with the effects of the catastrophe in their own neighborhoods. “South of our house there was a huge fire, and the fire department couldn’t reach it because of the flooding. We later found out that it burnt down, leaving only pavement,” sophomore Brooke Peco said. “Things have not gone back to normal in my neighborhood with so many houses still being repaired extensively... it’s like a ghost town.” Superstorm Sandy, which caused upwards of 40 billion dollars in damage, according to the Wall Street Journal, has led to an unprecedented determination throughout affected communities to help others in need. Some Massapequa students volunteered in the storm recovery. “I, myself, was an EMT volunteer during the storm,” junior Tony DiMarino said. “I watched headquarters during the long blackout we had but also hooked up
medical equipment to patients while on rounds.” School clubs, such as WMHS, hosted fundraisers on behalf of Sandy relief organizations to assist those still affected by the storm’s destruction. WMHS sold baked goods and “allday Friday song requests” to raise money. “As a club, WMHS had a bake sale and we raised about 230 dollars,” WMHS’s co-advisor Mary McKenna said. “I think it’s a great cause that’s really close to our hearts and it’s really important, so I’m proud of everyone for working hard and doing something to help out.” Widespread recovery efforts by the American Red Cross, FEMA, and other organizations have brought some stability back to Long Island, but the scars left by the storm still remain. Disabled and knotted power lines still dangle from re-energized cables along Merrick Road, while disaster relief crews remain stationed on the Island, aiding the less fortunate residents. “I would say things are kind of
back to normal, but every time I drive past Marjorie Post [Park], I still see FEMA there, and that just tells me that we won’t be completely back to normal for a while,” DiMarino said. Despite the far-reaching impacts of the storm, Massapequa and neighboring Long Island communities are focusing on the future. Shops have already reopened and many families have continued their usual lives, commuting to work, going to school, and socializing with neighbors, glad to be alive and healthy, and calling the hurricane a wake-up call. “I hope people take more caution than they did for this storm next time,” DaCosta said, “but you never know.” One thing remains certain, however — Sandy is a storm that will go down in Long Island history. “As far as rebuilding, I think that although it will take a while, we’ll be able to do it by the end of next year,” junior Mike Holland said. “However, as with every catastrophic event, it will be engrained in our memories forever.”
...7:30 a.m. I was awoken by my dad, “Joe, could you give me a hand?” I rolled out of my bed, unaware this would be the last time. He needed help moving our entire first floor onto a moving van...After the hour and a half of heavy lifting, we took numerous pictures of the house, empty...
...Jared shon down th e basem e his flashligh t en faces be came bl t steps and ou ank r saw the water r with terror. We u pipe at the end shing in from of t a open fir e hydra he stairs like a nt. n put on o u r r a i ..We all quickl y n boots downst airs to a n d ran the bas waded t ement. hrough We th all our clothes. e water grabbi ng ..
...There were n o firemen wh could put out this horrific fl ame Their big red fi re trucks could no drive in this m uch water. All we could do was w atch a friend’s h ouse burn to the gro und, not know ning if our house w ould be the ne xt to catch on fire. T his is without c ompetition the sc ariest night I have ever experienc ed...
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MARCH 2012 DEC 14, 23, 2012
THE CHIEF 7
The community comes together after Hurricane Sandy BY MEGHANA RAO COPY EDITOR
A popular Irish band, The Script, recently moved its concert at Huntington’s Paramount Theater from December 5 to November 9. Date changes for concert venues are common among artists. However, this wasn’t a typical date change due to a scheduling conflict. In fact, this was a type of concert that many Long Islanders had not previously experienced. The Script moved up its concert to headline the Strong Island Hurricane Sandy Relief Concert for which the proceeds went to the Long Island Red Cross to provide relief for those affected by Hurricane Sandy. One would have to live under a rock not to be familiar with the disastrous effects Hurricane Sandy has had on Long Island. Formed from a tropical wave in the western Caribbean Sea, Hurricane Sandy is the second-largest Atlantic hurricane on record, only surpassed by Hurricane Katrina, which infamously struck
New Orleans in 2005. The storm made landfall on October 29. The northeastern United States was heavily affected, and Long Island was especially damaged. Massapequa unfortunately experienced severe flooding which destroyed houses as well as power outages that lasted nearly two weeks for some residents. Despite the lack of light, the camaraderie formed among the residents of Massapequa proved to brighten the town. Rather than seeing the situation as abysmal, people took the opportunity to join together to ensure that no one would have to face his toughest problems alone. There were many national relief groups that were quick to aid those who were affected by the storm, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross, as mentioned earlier. In addition, local organizations were created specifically for Massapequa, such as the Massapequa Storm Recovery, started by sophomore Danielle Probst and her family. “We saw so many people sitting on
their front lawns, and their property was destroyed. I couldn’t even believe that something like this was happening to Massapequa.” Danielle said. “Then, we passed by one of my friend’s houses which was completely burned to the ground, and decided we needed to help since we were unaffected.” The Massapequa Storm Recovery was incredibly successful, collecting items such as clothes and food for victims of the storm. Over 130 employees in the Massapequa School District were displaced by the storm. The Massapequa Federation of Teachers (MFT) had a collection among members which raised 11,000 dollars. This was matched by the MFT for a total of 22,000 dollars for those staff members who were affected by Sandy. In addition, the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) partnered to have relief trucks sent to the Yes Community Counseling Center. They too hosted a drive which collected items for victims. Both teachers and
students should be commended for their remarkable work. Moreover, local businesses in the community were eager to help out in any way they could. Hair salons offered free hair washes and blowouts to people who did not have any hot water. Some salons even hosted “cuta-thons” where one hundred percent of the proceeds went toward families who were affected by the storm. A photography company also offered its services by holding photo sessions for families who lost irreplaceable family photos as a result of the storm. Nobody was expecting the enormity of Hurricane Sandy. Houses were ruined. Memorabilia was destroyed. People were without power for weeks and had to suffer through a nor’easter without any heat. However, the storm showed us how uniting against adversity can create incredible things. As Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
The fate of a giant: LIPA in the aftermath of Sandy BY BRANDAN LAWRENCE EDITORAL ASSISTANT
We live in a society that runs on electricity. Almost everything that we do uses it in some way, shape, or form. This dependency puts the providers of this power under a great deal of pressure, and when providers can no longer deliver this crucial service, society breaks into disorder. Even in the face of complete catastrophe, people feel that they deserve their power. The local power provider is the Long Island Power Authority, or LIPA. Due to the mass damage and extended outages caused by Hurricane Sandy, many of LIPA’s 1.1 million customers are beginning to question LIPA’s competency. After a storm as devastating as Sandy, it is understandable that power would be lost temporarily; however,
many Long Islanders feel that the situation was not handled correctly. According to Long Beach reporter Jamie Sumersille, LIPA earned a 20 percent approval rating among New Yorkers in the aftermath of the storm. With 80 percent of the state’s residents saying that LIPA didn’t do a very good job, something has to be done. Many homes on Long Island experienced outages that lasted for weeks; some still haven’t received power, and other houses were condemned. Fortunately, the emergency was handled well by most of Long Island; the collective efforts of shelters and kind citizens welcoming others into their homes made the recovery successful. Nevertheless, numerous
people still feel that LIPA has to claim responsibility for the extended power outages in many areas. Many community members feel that LIPA has not stepped up and tried to fix the problems with the organization. “I was without power for fourteen days; LIPA has to do something to make sure that nothing like this happens again,” Massapequa sophomore Matt Lam said. One major problem the organization faced was the lack of a strong executive board. The Huffington Post stated that LIPA was “heavily criticized for its response to Superstorm Sandy.” Following these criticisms, LIPA’s Chief Operating Officer Michael Hervey, Vice President
of Customer Service Bruce Germano, and Board of Trustees member Cristofer Damianos all resigned from their positions. So, what is the fate of LIPA? While currently there are no plans for a complete overhaul of its administration, LIPA, along with the rest of Long Island, now knows the true power of nature, and will be more cautious in the event of any future storms. If anything positive can be drawn from this situation, it is that LIPA will hopefully look at what has happened and try to improve its systems for future emergencies. All of this, of course, can only begin once LIPA has finished returning everything to normal after what has proven to be one of the most devastating storms in Long Island’s history.
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...We gathered our things and silently drove home. As we progressively got closer to our area, we began to see the damage; there were cars washed up on the lawns and boats inside people’s kitchens. As we made the right down Jetmore Place, we could see that half our block was still flooded and a pile of boats were cluttered at the dead end...Lawn chairs and even Halloween decorations piled up on our front lawn and none had belonged to my family...
...On home f the thirteenth d rom sc hool an ay, I came seven e d saw lec about ern sta tric trucks all tes...Th from so ey uth the pow er lines were working .. o the nex t couple .They did this n fo o I went outside f hours and w r hen to the rest of the p check, they to eo block, “ ld The pow ple living on my momen tarily...” er will be rest ored my pow Half an er was h o u r later, restored ...
MARCH 23, 2012 DEC 14, 2012
ENTERTAINMENT
THE CHIEF 8
“You Can’t Take it With You” a huge success! BY ALLIE LATINI
to watch, but it successfully conveyed the idea that a person should do what Ongoing laughter, quirky quips, makes him happy. This moral explains vociferous applause, and memorized all of the eccentricities of the Sycamore lines filled the ears of audiences in the family—they do what they do, despite Baldwin auditorium as a lively cast their talents and abilities, because it moved about the beautifully decorated makes them happy. It also reveals that and well-propped stage. the Sycamore family is better off than On November 30 and December so-called “normal” families in that 1, 2012, the Massapequa High School they are genuine people and always Drama Club took to filled with happiness. They love the stage with their one another unconditionally production of the 1936 despite their flaws and quirks. play You Can’t Take It The drama club did a wonderful with You. The show was job of depicting this love and directed by MHS English acceptance throughout the teacher and theater show. enthusiast Mr. Hue. “Mr. Hue wrote a great When I first sat note in the program on how down in the Baldwin the show is extremely relevant Auditorium and heard in the context of post-Sandy the old fashioned music recovery, but I think it goes even playing overhead, I was further,” senior Joe Mogavero, not quite sure what to who played Grandpa Vanderhof expect. As the lights said. “The love between the dimmed and the actors characters and their innocence took the stage, the and goodness are the qualities show proved to be both that we can all hope to achieve whimsical and unique. at any place, anytime.” The cast used their However, at some points, acting talents to portray a the play’s events were too story of a young woman chaotic and confusing to follow. who is nervous to bring There were several subplots her fiancé’s family home that were interwoven within to meet her eccentric the main plot of the show, relatives. causing some scenes to be a bit The beginning overwhelming. The audience of the play focuses on needed to pay close attention developing each character to what certain characters were of the Sycamore family saying in order to understand as they go about a typical the direction in which the play evening at home. As the was going. show progressed, the Despite these minor audience learned about drawbacks, the show was a each family member huge success. It was filled and the quirks that made with memorable characters, each of them individuals. The MHS drama club performed “You Can’t Take it With You” outstandingly, leaving audiences laughing hilarious comic relief, and Mrs. Penelope Sycamore, good morals that we can all learn for example, has a love of writing which the Kirby family visits the home put together, and each cast member fit from. The drama club did an excellent interesting—and quite awful—plays of the Sycamores. Everything seems his or her role perfectly. “The characters job this year and I am looking forward about everything from war to romance. to go horribly wrong for Alice—the were so interesting and enjoyable to to returning next year to see its next Her husband, Mr. Paul Sycamore, is Kirbys arrive on the wrong date, watch!” junior Natalie Gramegna said. performance. obsessed with creating fireworks. Their dinner is not prepared, Mrs. Sycamore “It was a great performance through daughter, Essie, desires to become a accidentally causes a fight between and through.” ballerina despite her lack of dancing Mr. and Mrs. Kirby, and a drunken Not only was the show enjoyable EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
ability. Alice Sycamore, Penelope and Paul’s other daughter, is the only seemingly normal member of the family. She is often embarrassed by her family’s eccentricities, and fears that they may scare away her fiancé Tony Kirby’s parents. The majority of the production revolves around a dinner party in
actress visiting the Sycamores staggers around the house in a stupor. To top it all off, both families are arrested by the United States government due to a misunderstanding. All in all, the first act was very long, but the comical script kept everyone’s attention. The amusing antics of the cast helped move the plot along nicely. The production was well
BRANDAN LAWRENCE//THE CHIEF
An interview with Mr. Hue during production BY COURTNEY TAYLOR JOURNALISM STUDENT
Taking on the role of director for the MHS fall drama You Can’t Take It with You is an easy task for Mr. Jordan Hue. Ever since his directing debut during his senior year of high school in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Mr. Hue has been addicted to theatre. “That was really the show that made me realize I wanted to continue directing,” Mr. Hue fondly said of the show. “It was the first time I felt like I was really good at something.” According to production assistants Ashley Markiewicz and Jessica Falvey, what Mr. Hue said rings true. “He knows what he’s talking about, what he’s doing, and what kind of acting he wants from the actor,” Jessica said. “We’re very serious and get things done, even though we always have laughs,” Ashley said, echoing Jessica’s statement. “That’s what the
play’s about.” When asked about what he enjoys most about directing, Mr. Hue referred to the story of Oedipus Rex, in which the title character is destined to — (“Spoiler alert!” Mr. Hue warned jokingly) — kill his father and marry his mother. “No matter what he does, that is going to happen, but we read the play knowing that, fascinated at the decisions that he tries to make to avoid coming to that conclusion.” “When you are directing a play, and you are helping the actors make their choices, even though you know the outcome, it’s like you get to shape destiny for a little bit,” Mr. Hue added. “As a director, you’re helping people along their set path, but you’re creating the illusion that the path is not set.” As for Massapequa’s own Huedirected play, it was spectacular. The production assistants enthusiastically agreed that the play went smoothly. “Mr. Hue gets the job done and is fun
about it without slacking off,” Jessica said. Markiewicz agreed. “In the end, we always get things done.” As for his directing, Ashley added that “You can see his take on things and the cast’s take on things because we all collaborate. It’s not just his play; it’s everyone’s play.” The esteemed director also likened the path of plays to sculpture. “Most people just see the block,” Mr. Hue said. “It’s the director’s job to see the shape that’s inside of it, to see the statue or whatever it’s supposed to be inside of the block of clay, and the actors are the tools you use to get to that thing in the middle.” That “thing in the middle,” he explained, is what the audience feels. “It is the catharsis; it’s the reason why we all come to the play.” Throughout the path and shaping of Massapequa’s You Can’t Take It with You, Mr. Hue demonstrated his skills
on how to guide and sculpt this piece correctly. “I can’t say I have other play experience, but I can tell the cast enjoys him by the way everyone has fun,” Ashley explained. Jessica laughed. “Everyone loves him,” she said. “Pick your projects wisely and don’t over commit yourself,” Mr. Hue said, giving advice to aspiring directors. Having acted in multiple shows, he says that the actor is “one piece in a puzzle.” “When you’re the director, you’re the person putting the puzzle together… You can’t have multiple puzzles going and expect them all to come out looking the way they’re supposed to look.” “You have to pick a show that you really love, that you really think is true for one reason or another,” Mr. Hue said. “Directing something completely takes you over.”
MARCH 23, 2012 DEC 14, 2012
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THE CHIEF 9
MARCH 23, 2012 DEC 14, 2012
FEATURE
How to find the silver lining after the storm BY MEGHANA RAO COPY EDITOR
It’s hard to believe that it’s already the holiday season; Hurricane Sandy made November fly by. Normally around this time of year, I would compile a list of presents that I would like, and then I would “accidentally” email the list to my mom, hoping she’d get the hint. This year, though, I’m not making a list. During the summer, I had an internship at the Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center, and I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to shadow a doctor for the day. Witnessing the experiences of those patients gave me a reality check on the value of life. As soon as I arrived at the hospital that morning, I was greeted by Dr. David Chung, an Associate Attending in the Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Service. The first thing that I noticed about him was his exhaustion. He had dark shadows under his eyes that could only have come from fatigue. However, those shadows did not conceal the glimmer of hope in his eyes when he explained to me what his average day entails. First, he and the other nurse practitioners would have a meeting to review each patient they were going to see that day. Then, they would make patient rounds, where they would visit these patients to examine their daily
progress. All of the patients in this wing received bone marrow transplants (BMT) as a result of various blood cancers. Unfortunately, the body sometimes rejects these BMTs, and starts to attack itself. Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is an incredibly dangerous disease that patients get when the body rejects BMTs; the disease destroys the patient’s immune system.
from ovarian cancer. The doctor gently woke her up, and it was clear by the way her eyes lit up that it made her day to see him. When asked how she was doing that day, she responded, “Well, I have considerable pain in my back. I see food but I never feel hungry enough to eat it. Everything hurts. But, I can finally sit up today, so I’d say it’s a good day.” “That’s great!” replied Dr. Chung, “We’re taking it one day at a time; just
“We’re taking it one day at a time; just live for tomorrow.”- Dr. David Chung Before visiting each patient, we had to put on a sterile gown, face mask, and gloves (after using hand sanitizer), and they had to be changed for every single room. At this point, even a common cold could kill a patient with GVHD. As I was fumbling to put my gown on quickly enough to keep up with the fast-paced doctors (they had to do this for about fifteen more rooms before lunch), I was trying to anticipate what I was going to see. We opened the door to find a woman who was fast asleep. I had a lump in my throat. She looked like my grandmother who passed away
live for tomorrow.” I realized that what Dr. Chung was saying was not some cliché expression, this woman needed to hear his words of encouragement, because otherwise she would lose all faith. Through Dr. Chung’s hope and determination to help his patients, they found the strength to get better. I saw many more patients similar to this woman, and after lunch, I prepared to go home. I quickly thanked Dr. Chung and left the hospital as soon as I could so no one would see me become emotional. It wasn’t even the pain that the patients were going through that made me upset; I was just
Fashion professionals speak to MHS classes BY FAITH GRAHAM JOURNALISM STUDENT
Most high school classes involve a great deal of theoretical education-students read textbooks and write papers on subjects which are prominent in the real world. Standing out from the crowd is the fashion marketing class, which provides students with first-hand experience to prepare them for a career in the industry they study. Mrs. Conte, the Fashion Marketing teacher at Massapequa High School, has broadened the students’ knowledge regarding the fashion industry by inviting guest speakers to speak to her class on a daily basis. “My goals for the fashion marketing class are to expose the students to a variety of guest speakers to gain more knowledge and experience in the fashion industry,” Mrs. Conte said. Whether the speaker is from a college or successful business, the visit is sure to leave a lasting impact on the students.
The students learn about new careers in the fashion industry and what they entail. Just recently, Mrs. Conte invited Mrs. Joy Davis of the Art Institute of New York to discuss the college programs in relation to fashion. Mrs. Davis prepared a PowerPoint presentation that included a wide variety of information concerning the process of clothing design. Fashion marketing student and sophomore Emily Ridings called the presentation “extremely helpful.” “Enjoyment and a greater knowledge base” is exactly what Mrs. Conte wants her students to take out of the guest speaker presentations, which is why she tries her hardest to schedule them frequently. “Typically, five to seven guest speakers are scheduled to visit for each class,” Mrs. Conte said. This enables students to view many different professions within the industry. In general, the students take the fashion marketing course to better learn the
principles of fashion marketing and to explore employment opportunities within the industry. Students have many things to look forward to when taking this course. “I am hoping to once again have my students plan, coordinate and put together a fashion show at the mall for the ‘Celebrate Massapequa’ event in the spring, and to decorate a retail store window,” Mrs. Conte said. This event will give students a hands-on opportunity to see what it is really like to work in fashion. Mrs. Conte “loves working with the students at Massapequa High School” and she clearly exhibits that through her efforts to make the Fashion Marketing course an interactive class focused on experiential learning. Fashion marketing is a great elective for any student interested in fashion and eager to dive into real-life situations concerning it.
Makeup trends, what’s hot and what’s not BY NOELLE FERRARA STAFF WRITER
With plenty of time on my hands after completing my college applications, I have become interested in makeup. My interest in makeup has led me to learn a thing or two about what is in fashion right now. So, what is popular this season? Dark colors. More specifically, dark eye shadows and deep lip colors are what girls should aim for. Although, girls must remember that this is not a look for everyone. The combination of having dramatic eyes and lips differs from the traditionally ideal look. Normally, a dark eye with a nude lip or a light eye with a dramatic lip is best, but not this season.
Think about the colors associated with Thanksgiving – dark browns, golds, bronzes, reds, blacks and even deep purples. For more of a Christmas feel, incorporate dark blues and deep emerald colors. In fact, Maybelline and other makeup brands have recently created deep, 24-hour colors for that lasting cool look. Overall, the look will require a focus on the browns, blacks and golden colors on the eyes, and reds – specifically deep reds – on the lips. A color called oxblood red is popular now, especially for clothing – and it makes a good choice for lipstick as well. The last thing is the eyeliner. Thick, dramatic eyeliner is hot right
now. Play around with different shapes and thicknesses, even different colors. Depending on one’s eye color, the color of eyeliner that best accentuates the eyes differs. Not all eyeliner has to be black or brown. For brown eyes try purple liner; for green eyes try green or blue eyeliner; for hazel eyes try light purple or a bronze, and for blue eyes try blue liner. Of course, not everything looks great on everyone. Girls need to experiment with different styles to determine which look fits them best. Therefore, this season provides women with a good opportunity. An unusual style is in right now – try it out, you may find exactly what you have been looking for.
THE CHIEF 10
so moved by the fact that not even a single patient showed any sign of selfpity. The patients realized that each day gave them another chance to get better, which was enough for them to continue to fight. Even their family members remained strong despite all the heartache they felt. This whole experience made me realize how lucky we all are to have even the simplest abilities. I can eat when I’m hungry; when I’m lying down, I can reach across to move a pillow on my bed. I will never forget how happy that woman was just to say she could finally sit up. During the holiday season, people are constantly trying to outdo each other by giving the better gift, but, in this entire gift-giving chaos, people forget the essence of the holiday spirit--companionship and wellness. If we constantly focus on what is lacking in our lives and try to find what is missing, we will never be satisfied. However, if we are more thankful for what we have, we will end up finding more reasons to be happy. If people in the most hopeless situations can find a reason to smile, what is stopping the rest of us?
MHS trends BY JESSICA GRAFF MANAGING EDITOR
my!
Eyeshadow. eyeliner, mascara, oh
Almost every female student at MHS wears some type of makeup product. In fact, high school is the time many girls begin to use and experiment with different types of makeup. There are hundreds of various products and brands, each claiming to be the best, the longest-lasting, and the boldest of the bunch, but each person and look has its own perfect product. So what have the girls at MHS decided was the best? Here are a few favorites from students at Massapequa High School. “I like Maybelline mascara and eyeshadow because it works really well and just looks good,” senior Kaitlin Habekost said. “I primarily use the brand Maybelline. I really like the mascara; it goes on smoothly and gives a lot of length to my eyes without it being all clumpy. The mineral powder bronzer works for me as well. It’s light and fits my skin tone, giving it a nice color without looking too heavy or giving me the “too-much-makeup” look. It’s very natural,” senior Sabrina Fregozi said. Maybelline, the leading sub-brand of L’Oreal USA, has outperformed Cover Girl since 2011, making it the hottest product line in USA’s makeup industry, according to euromonitor.com. It’s no suprise that it’s highly praised by MHS students.
MARCH 23, 2012 DEC 14, 2012
FEATURE
THE CHIEF 11
Mrs. Smith teaches lessons about ASL and life BY KELLY SOUTH
JOURNALISM STUDENT
Massapequa High School’s deaf American Sign Language teacher Mrs. Smith views her hearing impairment as a way of life. She continues to inspire people by overcoming judgments and false assumptions about the deaf community. As a child, doctors told Mrs. Smith’s parents that she wouldn’t be able to live a normal life. She wouldn’t be able to drive a car, get a job, or have a family when she was older. However, Mrs. Smith has proven all skeptics wrong. Mrs. Smith decided on getting a surgery for a cochlear implant in 2004. According to the National Institute of Health, the cochlear implant is a permanent magnet that “directly stimulates the auditory nerve” that sends signals as sounds to the brain. The implant is extremely different from any ordinary hearing aid and only certain people can qualify for
it. Many deaf people do not want a cochlear implant because they would not be used to having the ability to hear. Mrs. Smith got it so she could be more cognizant of her surroundings at home, especially considering she has two young children. There was an incident where Mrs. Smith’s first child Cara had gotten stuck behind a couch and was screaming for her help. Cara was only one. Because Mrs. Smith couldn’t hear Cara yelling, she didn’t find her daughter until a few minutes later. “I got the cochlear implant because I wanted to be extra safe with my own children,” Mrs. Smith said. Mrs. Smith has to deal with difficult experiences due to how others view the deaf. She said that the hardest part has been facing the “closed minded” or the “uneducated” people. Smith agreed that people are generally less ignorant now, but every now and then she runs into rude people which she explains is “annoying.”
When Mrs. Smith was in high school, she was not allowed to play in her soccer games for more than one minute because her soccer coach thought her hearing impairment would make the team lose. Although Smith was a talented player, she ultimately quit the team. She regrets quitting now because she feels as if her coach won the battle. Mrs. Smith says being an ASL (American Sign Language) teacher while also being deaf can be difficult at times. Even with the cochlear implant, it is still difficult to understand what students are saying at times. Students sometimes do not speak loudly or clearly enough, or she does not read their lips correctly when they ask questions which makes it harder for her to give them a straight answer. “The kids may be confused, and I really want to answer them to the best of my ability.” It also gets confusing when they sign incorrectly, making communication difficult. Fortunately,
there are usually other students in the class who can better explain to her what somebody is trying to ask. American Sign Language 2 students say Smith is an inspiration and they hope to someday achieve their goals just as she did. “Mrs. Smith has had to face a lot of things in life, and she is so brave and courageous to have gotten to where she is today. She is really successful and loves what she does!” sophomore Lisa Passariello said. “I love learning about different lifestyles such as the deaf community and culture; it is cool how they can communicate through their hands,” ASL student Ally Dumas said. Adored and admired by her students, Mrs. Smith is a popular and inspirational member of the high school teaching staff. Her life story serves as an example to that with determination, one can overcome seemingly insuperable obstacles.
The twenty-first century British invasion BY KATIE CRESSER STAFF WRITER
The five girl-loved, teenage boys that make up the British-originated boy band , One Direction Brown and Britney Spears. Her single “Domino” made the biggest impact in America, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2011. That same year, Jessie J appeared on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest. She has found a way to infuse aspects of hip-hop, R&B, and soul music into her work, which has made her truly unique among modern artists. Many would consider Adele the most successful artist of the second British invasion. Her debut album 19 achieved double platinum status in the U.S. and helped her to win two Grammy awards in 2009. 21, Adele’s second album, won her five Grammys and two American Music Awards. She is the first artist to have three singles (“Set Fire to the Rain,” “Someone Like You,” and “Rolling in the Deep”) in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, prompting Billboard to name her artist of the year in 2011. Her unique, soulful songs about heartbreak and loss have been praised by critics and artists alike, including Guns N’ Roses’ guitarist Slash and American icon Madonna. Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, and Louis
Tomlinson make up the world-wide boy-band-sensation One Direction. The band was put together by X-Factor judge Simon Cowell in 2010 after they had each been eliminated from the show’s solo competition. One Direction eventually placed third on the show, and was later signed to Cowell’s record label. Die-hard fans (nicknamed Directioners) and casual listeners alike are familiar with the band’s hit singles “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Live While We’re Young.” These songs and the pop group’s other popular hits draw from elements of rock, keeping each tune interesting and fresh. Due to this success, One Direction has transcended the title of band and has become a brand. Retailers across America, as well as around the world, sell a variety of One Direction merchandise, ranging from clothing to dolls. The Wanted, comprised of Tom Parker, Max George, Siva Kaneswaren, Nathan Sykes, and Jay McGuiness, is another boy-band that has emerged from England. While some may not be familiar with the group, almost everyone has heard their debut U.S. singles “Glad You Came,” “Chasing the Sun,” and, most recently, “I Found
VERNON BRYANT//MCT CAMPUS
In the 1960s The Beatles spearheaded the British Invasion, a movement during which British music and culture became very popular in the United States. Some of the most prolific artists of all-time emerged from the British Invasion, including The Who and The Rolling Stones. Today, we have the United Kingdom (UK) to thank for a multitude of chart-topping hits. History has repeated itself, but instead of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Satisfaction” we have “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Glad You Came.” For British artists, you haven’t made it big until you “break the States,” and now more artists are making the leap across the ocean. Some of the more recent musical sensations to gain momentum stateside include Ed Sheeran, Jessie J, and Adele. This so-called second invasion has revived the familiar boy-band concept in the form of One Direction and The Wanted. Ed Sheeran, a twenty-one-yearold Halifax native, began writing songs at a young age. He collaborated with other songwriters to create the popular Cee-Lo Green hit “Forget You” and gained a worldwide following through his YouTube channel. He released his first single “The A Team” last year. Earlier this year, Sheeran toured with Snow Patrol in the U.S. and is currently in the midst of supporting Taylor Swift on her Red Tour. Listeners appreciate Sheeran’s unique tone and his heart-touching lyrics. He makes a point to emphasize that he writes all of his own songs, and has even written songs for One Direction, including “Moments” and the group’s most recent single, “Little Things.” Taylor Swift fans will soon be familiar with his work in the song “Everything Has Changed,” which he co-wrote with Swift for her new album. Jessica Cornish, or Jessie J, is another skilled lyricist and the mastermind behind the Miley Cyrus hit “Party in the USA,” as well as many other songs sung by artists such as Chris
You.” The group was formed from mass auditions in 2009 and eventually arrived on the U.S. music scene in 2012, making an appearance on the late-night show Chelsea Lately and performing at the Beacon Theater in New York City. The Wanted strive to break the boy-band mold, appearing older and rougher around the edges than the preteen-friendly One Direction. The group infuses elements of rock, dubstep and techno to achieve this unique sound. The Wanted also avoids cliché colorcoordinated outfits and makes no attempt to hide a partying lifestyle. Music is not the only British phenomenon to spread across the Atlantic. Popular shows, such as X-Factor, Hell’s Kitchen, The Office, Skins, and American Idol (originally known as Pop Idol in the UK) have broken into the U.S. market. Even the British flag, known as the Union Jack, has become a fashion statement, adorning countless clothing items, bags, and shoes. This great migration of British culture to the Unites States can truly been seen as a Second British Invasion.
THE CHIEF 12
DEC 14, 2012 MARCH 23, 2012
Ryan Cooney, crushing records and leaving a legacy BY JON GRANT SPORTS EDITOR
SUBMITTED BY RYAN COONEY
Ryan Cooney is a symbol of hard work, raw talent, and dedication. He has recently shattered many of Massapequa High School’s cross country records. One of the few captains of the team, Ryan energizes the team before races and commends them afterwards, leading his teammates to work harder at each practice, and more importantly, each race. Currently, Ryan has four school records under his belt for cross country alone: two of them in the 5K race (3.1 miles) and two of them in the 4K (2.5 miles). Of these four location-specific records, two of them are the overall best times for the 5K and 4K in Massapequa history, regardless of location. Ryan ran a 15:28 5K at the Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational race. Additionally, he ran 12:48 in the 4K race at Bethpage State Park. Andrew Valenski was the last person to set the two records, which he did two years ago in his senior year.
Ryan set location-specific records at have a really good shot at winning Sunken Meadow in the 5K at 16:35 the County title.” The team is only and at Van Cortland State Park in the expected to improve throughout the
Ryan Cooney blows past runners at the St. Anthony’s Cross Country Inviational meet 4K at 12:52. rest of the season. One might think “As a whole the team is really that without Ryan and the rest of the coming along well,” Cooney said. “We captains (all of whom are seniors),
the cross country team may not do as well next year. However, Cooney has a different perspective. “Even though all of our top guys are seniors, we have a bunch of good young guys who will lead the team in the future,” he said. This season has been a great one not only for Ryan but also for the whole team; they are a perfect example of a cooperative and dedicated sports team. Cooney has brought out the best in his team, which has shown what the Massapequa cross country program can accomplish. Throughout one season, he has single-handedly broken four records at four different locations, giving runners in oncoming years new heights to reach. Leading by example, Cooney is doing an excellent job in not only shattering already amazing times, but also managing the team and whipping new upcoming Massapequa runners into shape for an even better season next year. Ryan Cooney is the epitome of a champion athlete.
Rivalry in sports: Massapequa v. Farmingdale BY MELANIE SHEEHAN COPY EDITOR
According to CBS Los Angeles, a year and a half later, he is still “unable to walk, has loss of motor skills in his arms and hands, is unable to carry on a normal conversation, unable to control his bodily functions and unable to care
How can such hatred be evoked over sporting events? Outside of the influence of alcohol, it is proven that people act differently when in groups. Myers’ Psychology for AP describes two influential factors: deindividuation, which is the loss of self-restraint caused by the anonymity of being in a group, and group polarization, which is “the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussions within the group.” So, fans’ hatred for an opposing team is exaggerated by discussing these feelings with other fans. This, coupled with decreasing selfcontrol, leads fans to act more hastily in targeting opposing fans and in turning to violence. Rivalry is a wonderful aspect of sports that makes games more interesting. However, the desire to beat the opposing team is much different than the desire to beat up the other team. The hatred for an opposing fan, which is born out of prejudice against a team or town rather than a judgment of a person’s character, is unacceptable.
the nation. Right here in Massapequa, fights often break out in the parking lot when Massapequa plays its rival, Farmingdale; this was clear after this year’s football playoff game at Hofstra. Senior Alana Slatky described the
SUBMITTED BY STEPHANIE SCHIEDA
Sports have always been a means of peaceful competition; the Olympic Games in Greece, the lacrosse games between Native American tribes, and the 1980 hockey game between the United States and the Soviet Union have all given bitter rivals a nonviolent means of vying for bragging rights. However, in recent years, across the country and especially right here in Massapequa, we see a growing problem—rivalries in sports are evoking violence among fans. One of the worst cases of a sports rivalry taken too far came in 2011, when San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow was beaten, without reason, by two Los Angeles Dodgers MHS students show school spirit as they, like many colleges, “white-out” the stands to intimidate Farmingdale fans outside Dodgers Stadium. The for himself” because of his injuries. scene she witnessed in the parking attackers continued to punch and kick Stow’s life and the lives of his two lot after the game, in which students him even after he lost consciousness. children were forever changed solely gathered in a huge mob and threw Stow was left in critical condition, because of a sports rivalry. punches at one another. “I personally suffering a severe, traumatic brain This is an extreme case of a think this violent rivalry is completely injury caused by a fracture in his skull. problem that is occurring throughout unnecessary,” Slatky said. “It’s sad.”
MHS junior Kara McKenna goes the distance BY TJ MCCONNELL
“Joining was easy,” she said. “I always wanted to be a runner ever The Girls’ Cross Country and since I was younger.” Track and Field teams have always She quickly became a strong been near the top, both in Nassau force on the team, competing in varsity County and New York State. Every races during the winter track season of year, athletes on these teams achieve her freshman year. She became an allall-county and even all-state status. conference champion in the 1,000 and Junior Kara McKenna, a distance 1,500 meter races. She then went on to runner, has already competed in state compete in Nationals against the best. and national championships multiple Success didn’t stop there. As a times for both track and field and cross sophomore, she was a key component country; she also received all-county of the girls’ varsity cross country team, honors as a sophomore and junior. The which became county champions last most impressive thing about her is that year. By the time the winter track season she is still getting better. came, she was winning varsity races McKenna’s journey began as a and carried that success to achieving freshman. county champion status in the 1,500 JOURNALISM STUDENT
meter race. She again qualified for the national meet. McKenna is now a junior, already a county champion in cross country and an all-state competitor. She is one of the top distance runners in the state, and is out to maintain that status during the winter season. Her accomplishments and dedication have earned her the respect and trust of her coaching staff and teammates. “Kara is a true leader and a major part of this team,” team captain Amanda Moore said. “She is one of the hardest workers we have.” How does someone already so decorated in these sports continue to improve?
“Putting in the extra miles. Running twice a day over the summer really helped me get my mileage up,” Kara said. “Never hold back. Just keep running hard and good things will happen.” Kara is determined to make it to the state championships in each of the remaining seasons she has as a Chief; she would also like to be a part of competitive relay teams for the highly regarded Penn Relays meet, where the best track athletes compete. We don’t know exactly what the future holds for Kara. However, her history suggests that no goal is unattainable.