News
Travel
Mock Trial teams heat up the court
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Massapequa High School 4925 Merrick Road Massapequa, NY 11758 mhsthechief@gmail.com
Feature
‘Egg Roll and Dumpling Day’ continues to grow
Cheap places to go and sights to see in New York City
Pages 6+7
The
Sports
Page 10
Will the Massapequa pool stay a myth or become a reality? Page 12
Chief
Vol. 66 – No. 2
January 17, 2018 www.thechiefonline.com
Massapequa High School’s Chief Source of News
MTAC looks to be solution to growing drug misuse issue BY LIAM HIGGINS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
PETER TOUTOULIS SPORTS EDITOR
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MTAC
With overdoses and drug misuse at an all time high in Nassau County, the Massapequa Takes Action Coalition (MTAC) has stepped up to educate and prevent drug misuse in our local community. The MTAC seeks to focus its efforts on combating prescription opioids, as misuse of these synthetic painkillers often leads to abuse of other drugs such as heroin. The coalition especially wants to raise awareness about keeping medications away from those who are not meant to take them. The MTAC conducts an annual anonymous survey of high school students in order to obtain accurate data about how many students use drugs and how often they do so. With this data, the MTAC can focus its efforts on promoting awareness throughout the community. In particular, the group places a strong focus on eighteen- to twenty-five-year-olds, as this is the most likely demographic to get involved with
prescription drugs and heroin. “Overdoses are the leading cause of death in Nassau County for ages eighteen to thirty-five,” Coalition coordinator Cathy Samuels said. This staggering reality is exactly what the MTAC looks to mitigate in the near future. The Coalition hopes to do this by coordinating activities with several Massapequa High School clubs. “We are out there working with kids.” Mrs. Samuels said, “We are working with Chiefs Challenge and active minds right now.” Mrs. Samuels and the MTAC wish to expand their connections with high school students by working with the SADD club in the near future. Interactions with high school students, the MTAC believes, is crucial since many young adults start misusing drugs during high school. They hope that by establishing contacts with high school students and clubs now will lead to a decrease in drug misuse in the near future. “We felt like we needed to do more to bring the broader community in to address this issue,” MTACC co-chairman Mark Wenzel said.
MTA takes action across Long Island | People off all ages join to fight against drug misuse. Some of these clubs have begun placing posters around MHS that encourage parents to keep their medications in a location that only they know. The goal is to educate and try to prevent drug misuse before it starts among children. ¨The mission is about kids and making healthy decisions. We encourage parents to talk with their kids,¨ Mrs. Samuels said. Hopefully these conversations will prevent the issue before it starts. With their efforts, the MTAC is hoping that parents will be more aware of where they store their prescription pills so that it is much more difficult for kids to take them.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MTAC
MTAC on misuse | The coalition looks to grow in numbers to combat the current drug issue.
“Of drug misusers from the ages of eighteen and twenty five, 71% get them from the medicine cabinets of family and friends,” Mrs. Samuels said. While the MTAC’s main concern is drug misuse, not drug abuse, the coalition looks to branch out to combat the issue of drug abuse, specifically that of alcohol and marijuana among teenagers. According to the MTAC website, the group’s goal is “to help young people and their families find better ways to manage their emotional pain and minimize their stress without using or abusing drugs and alcohol.” One of the organization’s “stakeholders,” or partners, is
YES Community Counseling, a center that provides psychological services to individuals struggling with drug addiction. The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS) has awarded funds to the MTAC through its Partnership for Success Grant. “This particular grant is specific to heroin and prescription drugs and the primary message is to secure your drugs, monitor them, and dispose of them properly,” Mr. Wenzel said. The MTAC will also use this grant to advance its mission to educate the community on the damaging effects of drugs and alcohol and to help healthcare providers determine whether to prescribe opioids and how large the doses of opioids should be. The group also has produced pamphlets with questions that a patient should ask his/her doctor when being prescribed painkillers to make sure that the patient is taking the medicine correctly and only for the amount of time that is necessary. The MTAC has started distributing these pamphlets, including at Ames during a meeting for parents of the incoming freshman class. Through participation by parents and students, the MTAC looks to expand even further to combat the numerous drug related issues that plague Nassau County, and more specifically Massapequa.
LOCAL NEWS The scoop on March Awareness week at MHS
THE CHIEF
JANUARY 17, 2018
BY NANCY GUTTILLA STAFF WRITER
room teachers and broadcasted on the announcements. This year, to have more people exposed to this important event, they are trying to generate an email or notification through Chromebooks. At the end of the week, students that attended the workshops fill out evaluation forms to help improve the program for the following year.
Students who have attended workshops or are part of them have had major improvement in their life. A student, who has asked to remain anonymous, has been part of the bereavement group for over two years. She has grown mentally because she knows that she has “a group that supports” her, and they all understand what she is going through.
The student always goes back every year because it aids her in the recovery process. Awareness Week does not expect to make you feel bad for yourself or others, but rather to help and create remarkable stories of success and human growth.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE CHIEF
Once a year, Massapequa students and professionals get together with the goal of raising student awareness and education regarding issues that relate to most teens through informational workshops. March Awareness week is an event when the social workers in Pupil Personnel Services choose issues that are pertaining to many of the teens in. These workshops show students how to overcome and/ or cope with the battles they have and to give them a reason to feel good about themselves. Social workers, Mrs. Diane Marascia and Mrs. Joanne Waters work their hardest to make students feel that they have help if they ever need it. By choosin guest speakers that are experts in their particular fields. The chosen workshops typically concern topics that are heard among the student population. “Since, between guidance, social workers, and psychology, we see quite a number of students and we get an idea of the main issues,” Mrs. Marascia said. Topics of concern may include drug misuse, anger management, suicide, alcohol, dating violence, stress reduction through yoga, and responsibility.
This year’s turnout is expected to be huge. Students in Chief’s Challenge and The Active Minds clubs spread the word to everyone. “Students may choose to sign up themselves or teachers may sign up their classes,” Mrs. Marascia said. The workshops are advertised on a schedule that will be given out to the home-
Stretch relief | Past Awareness Days included activities such as yoga and stress reduciton.
The Chief takes the gold and earns press association award BY CAITLIN LE GOFF COPY EDITOR
The Chief, Massapequa’s award winning newspaper, has won yet another prestigious award. The newspaper was awarded a gold medal with all Columbian Honors by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, which is the highest honor a high school newspaper can receive. “Each year I am more
and more amazed at what the students in The Chief accomplish. They put countless hours in during the school day, after school, and at home to make this the award-winning quality publication that it is. I couldn’t be prouder to be their advisor.” advisor, Mrs. Elyn Coyle said. The Columbia Press Association judges and critiques newspapers in order to increase their success. The judge
reviewing the submission evaluates the strengths and weakness so the staff can continue to grow and improve their paper according to CSPA. Additionally, critiques are made so the staff can better delegate their time to areas of the paper that need improvement. The awards a publication can win are bronze, silver, and gold. The score ranges for bronze are 599 and
below, silver 600-799, and gold 800-1000. The Chief scored a 926 which showed the newspaper excelled in the various categories. Winning this award continues to show the dedication of the students who are apart of The Chief. This is the second gold medal The Chief has earned. “It was truly an amazing surprise to know that we won
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE CHIEF
Gold metal status | Massapequa newspaper earns Columbia Scholastic Press Association gold medalist critique.
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the award. It is nice to know that the hard work and dedication of Danielle and the amazing editors and writers paid off, and to win a gold medal from such a prestigious university will always be an honor we hold dear to us.” Editor in Chief, Liam Higgins said. Danielle Anzelone, the previous Editor in Chief of the paper in 2016-17, was also amazed and grateful that The Chief was awarded such a title. “It is truly an honor to have been part of The Chief while it received such an outstanding award. So many hours were put into each and every edition last year and there is no way we would have made it to the end if it weren’t for the hard work and determination of each and every member of the paper.” she said. “Our advisor Mrs. Coyle, pushed us to present nothing but our very best work and her motivation is definitely what helped us to achieve a status high enough to make us worthy of such a title. I have a strong faith that this year’s members of The Chief are working hard enough to maintain our status and get us recognized by the CSPA yet again.”
LOCAL NEWS Massapequa Mock Trial teams have busy seasons
JANUARY 17, 2018
THE CHIEF
On their A game BY MICHAEL RIGGI MANAGING EDITOR
PETER TOUTOULIS SPORTS EDITOR
“
I’m excited to put everything we’ve worked towards... into these cases.
”
- Sam Cupolo
Beware the B team BY KYLE FIENE STAFF WRITER
The “B” team gets its case in July every year for its Empire competition, and the team begins preparing its Empire case over the summer and into the beginning of the school year. “We’d always love more time, but it’s generally adequate,” Mr. Pardue said. The process of preparing for the case is quite interesting in that the more it goes on, it begins to fit together like a puzzle. The team goes through a series of steps to work on its case. First, it develops a case theory and theme. Then its witnesses to practice playing their characters. The attor-
neys then embark on writing direct and cross examinations with their witnesses as well as opening and closing statements which they will deliver. The “B” Team competes against different schools, sometimes from different states and, even in a few instances, from different countries. There’s quite a lot an opposing team can throw at Massapequa. “We may encounter different case strategies, different theories, different ways of presenting, and different comfort levels, different uses of objections,” Mr. Pardue said. This means you must think ahead and anticipate any possible move the opposing
team may throw at you, like a game of chess. The more prepared the team is, the less likely it is to be caught off guard. Preparing for a competition puts a lot of pressure on the mock trial students, but in the end it is incredibly rewarding. “In many ways it is pretty stressful because you know you want to compete at your highest level, but it’s also fun,” Mr. Pardue said. “Because of the experience of getting to work with my students, any interacting with different people and seeing the fruit of their hard work. It’s a lot of stress, but still fun at the same time.”
One supreme court | A team and B team together in the MHS court room.
MHS students further their interest in health professions BY ISABELLA ITALIANO COPY EDITOR
SOPHIE THEODOROUS STAFF WRITER
On December 8, a group of selected students from Massapequa High School’s Healthcare Explorers Club or Mr. Malone’s Intro to Health Professions classes went on a trip to the heart hospital at North Shore University Hospital. Students choose between the Coronary care or the nutrition program(s).
Each spent the day following an administrator, learning about the hospital’s facilities and health occupations. “The trip was both fun and educational in that it gave us information yet had an interactive tour...It provided us information on occupations that I have never heard of before and gave me more of an insight on the jobs I was familiar with” 10th grader, Jaclyn Portogallo said. The coronary care stu-
dents toured the cath lab, an examination room where they do procedures on the heart without doing open heart surgeries. The nutrition group prepared a three course meal with the hospital’s nutritionists that is easy to make and full of healthy choices. In the weeks following the trip, each team will put together a two minute presentation and career advertisement based on what they learned for the annual Spark Challenge
hosted by Northwell Health. On April 12, 2018, a panel of judges will view each group project winners of first, second and third place will be given cash prizes. “[The trip] gives a great opportunity for our student to learn first hand from professionals in the business and on the front line,” health teacher Mr. Malone said. “It also provides the opportunity for our student to improve the current healthcare setting /system with
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SAM CUPOLO
As part of its preparation for the New York Bar Association competition, the “A” team takes a trip to Harvard University to scrimmage against teams from other states. The team also sends two teams of four to the New York Mentor Moot Court competition. This particular competition involves no witnesses; the lawyers present their case in front of a panel of judges that can ask an unlimited amount of questions at any time during the case. In addition, all of the cases had to deal with the First and Fourth Amendments, giving another level of seriousness for the case. The top two teams in Nassau County advanced to the finals. This year, The team of Liam Higgins, Sam Cupolo, Kayla Collins, and Tom Digennaro advanced to the County Final of the competition.
This February the “A” team also competes in the New York Bar Association case. The team has prepared for months and consists of three lawyers and one witness per side of the case. One team will be the prosecution and one will be the defense. The case this year involves a story of a fictional student being charged with disorderly conduct. “Overall I feel confident in my team and confident in all of the hard work and time we’ve dedicated to preparing,” Senior Sam Cupolo said about her last time competing in the Bar Association case. “Of course we’re all nervous, especially us seniors on the team, since it’s our last case as a mock trial team and we want to make it count. But I’m excited to put everything we’ve worked towards over the past three years into these cases.” The “B” team, on the other hand, competes in the Empire Mock Trial competition in November in New York City. The teams competes against other teams from all over the world. In addition the team competes against teams at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Mock Trial Competition. The “B” team gives spring athletes the opportunity to participate on the team with the Empire Competition in November.
A team heats up court | The A team travels to the Appellate.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SAM CUPOLO
Tucked away in the corner of the school sits a room like no other. MHS’s very own courtroom is home to the very talented young lawyers and witnesses of the Mock Trial Competition Team. The team practices long and hard in order to compete against teams across Long Island and New York. The school has two Mock Trial teams—the “A” Team, headed by Mr. Daniel Bachman, and the “B” Team, headed by Mr. John Pardue. Anyone who knows the ‘in’s and ‘out’s of teams in Massapequa High School’s sports would know that there are two types of teams: Varsity and JV. Varsity is often considered the pros, and JV is training to reach that level. However, at MHS the mock trial program does not necessarily work that way. The two teams both compete in difficult competitions; the main difference is in the types of competitions they both compete in. “Both teams compliment each other, both teams are important,” Mr. Pardue said. Both of these teams work incredibly hard for long hours to prepare for their competitions. The process of preparing for a case is very labor intensive and requires not only long hours, but a tremendous amount of brain power and attention to detail.
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the project opportunity that northwell health is offering.” In 2018, Northshore University Heart Hospital is going to be the first hospital to perform a heart transplant on Long Island. The trip proved to be a great experience for every student interested in the healthcare field. If you’re interested in learning more about these occupations, join the Health Explorers Club, or take Intro to Health Professions.
THE CHIEF ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Looking ahead: the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
JANUARY 17, 2018
BY BILLY BOYE STAFF WRITER
doom for our beloved heroes. These stones each dignify a different power in their names. These are the Space Stone, the Reality Stone, the Power Stone, the Mind Stone, the Soul Stone, and the Time Stone. The only stone we do not currently know the location of is the Soul Stone. However, there is a fan theory that may answer this question for us. Eagle-eyed fans have noticed that the locations of the infinity stones spell out Thanos’ name. The Space Stone is located in the Tesseract, the Reality Stone is located in the Aether, the Time Stone is located in Dr. Strange’s necklace, the Power Stone is located in the Orb, and the Mind Stone was located in Loki’s scepter, but is now located
in Vision’s head. This leaves the letter H for the Soul Stone. Many believe it to be inside of Heimdall, the gatekeeper for the Bifrost in the Thor movies. This is because his name starts with an H, and his eyes are orange, the same color of the Soul Stone. The other big idea is that it lies somewhere in Wakanda, a fictional African country that is extremely advanced in technology and is home to T’Challa. Although Wakanda does not start with an H, it is possible that there is a temple in Wakanda that holds the Soul Stone that starts with an H. Thanos plans to collect all of the Infinity Stones and put them in the Infinity Gauntlet, a weapon designed specifically for use with the stones.
PHOTO COURRTESY OF DISNEY.COM
Marvel Comics is undoubtedly a household name in almost every aspect. Their characters are known worldwide, as are their movies. Many of these movies are quickly met with universal praise, with their expert directing/writing and all-star cast. As Marvel fans know, all of their characters and their respective films are all connected in one big universe, known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Heroes such as Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and The Hulk have teamed up multiple times over the 10 years of Marvel Studios films. Films such as The Avengers bring these characters together in a great spectacle of heroes and villains. On May 4, 2018, these heroes will reunite once again for an epic battle with Thanos, the Mad Titan, in Avengers: Infinity War. But, there is one question that many Marvel fans are asking; what’s in store for the future? Let’s consult the Eye of Agamotto[a] and find out. Before the release of Infinity War, we have another
film on the horizon: Black Panther, coming February 16. Many fans have been speculating that either one of the post-credits scenes of this film or the plot of the film itself will lead into a plot point of Infinity War, due to it being the last MCU film before Infinity War. Black Panther, otherwise known as King T’Challa, is set to appear in Infinity War, as well as lots of newer MCU characters, including Doctor Stephen Strange, Ant Man, and the fan favorite, Guardians of The Galaxy. One of the main plots for Infinity War is Thanos’ journey across the world to collect the six Infinity Stones. If he is in possession of all six, it will give him control over all space and time, meaning
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We know from the trailer for the film that Thanos will indeed collect the Space Gem and the Power Gem, as we are shown him putting them into the gauntlet. During D23 2017, Disney’s bi-yearly expo, they revealed Thanos’ children, AKA the Black Order. So far, we have only seen footage of Proxima Midnight, when she throws a spear at Captain America that he easily catches. These are mysterious characters that have only appeared in comics, so many fans are excited for what they have in store during the Infinity War. After Infinity War, Marvel Studios is far from over in the film industry. Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, has stated that the MCU has a planned 20 movies lined up after Infinity War. Some of these films include Ant Man and The Wasp, Captain Marvel, and Avengers 4. Many Marvel fans are excited for what Marvel Studios holds in the near and far future, hoping that the MCU is taken in many new directions and takes fans on new exciting adventures in the years to come. PHOTO COURRTESY OF DISNEY.COM
PHOTO COURRTESY OF DISNEY.COM
Many marvelous movies to come | Marvel Studios plans to release many new and exciting films for years to come.
The Last, but not least, Jedi (Star Wars: Last Jedi Review) BY LAURA FRANCAVILLA LAYOUT ASSISTANT
PHOTO COURRTESY OF DISNEY.COM
After a two year wait, Episode VIII of the Star Wars franchise hit theaters December 15, 2017. The Last Jedi was met with huge success, making $450 million in its opening week. Fans of the franchise were ecstatic to finally be able to see how the cliffhanger of The Force Awakens would turn out. The Last Jedi pleased millions of people so far, but some were displeased with the plot itself. During the film, Finn, played by John Boyega, and a new face, Rose Tico, who is portrayed by Kelly Marie Tran, embark on a journey to look for the Code Breaker. Instead of being helpful to the plot, many felt that this distracted from the main plot. While on their journey, they find themselves in a casino with Rose complaining the whole time about
The Last Jedi, but not the last ‘Star Wars’ | New Star Wars episode divides many fans. weapons and the treatment In various scenes of the evil for the movie’s entirety. of people and other beings. movie, she is seen talking A bright side of the film The new main character, with antagonist, Kylo Ren, was the original characters. Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, played by Adam Driver. Mul- Luke Skywalker, although not also faced issues of her own. It tiple scenes show her talking as valiant as in the original trilseemed that her main goal was about finding her parents. ogy, acts as a hermit and is a foil not to bring Luke Skywalker, Kylo Ren shows a more com- to Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. played by Mark Hamill, back plex and interesting charac- Many saw him as washed up to his former glory, but to find ter for the series. He is con- and ineffective, a disappointout who her parents were. flicted between good and ment to what he used to be.
General Leia, played by the late Carrie Fisher, came back in her prominent role. A favorite character of many viewers, fans were excited to see her return, even though it is unclear how the next movie will be following Fisher’s death. Laura Dern also made a surprise appearance in the film. Her character, Vice Admiral Holdo, was liked by some and disliked by others. Other characters made appearances, such as Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaac, and the always loveable BB8, R2-D2, C-3PO, and Yoda. While fans had high hopes for this movie, it didn’t completely deliver what they were expecting. There were plot flaws and character issues that some found hard to look past. Even though nothing will compare to the original trilogy, fans still will flock to see this installment and the next film in the future.
THE CHIEF 5 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ on Broadway captures the hearts of many
JANUARY 17, 2018
BY EMILY HARRIS STAFF WRITER
KAYLA LEW
STAFF WRITER
This musical is a rollercoaster of emotions, from the witty acting in “Sincerely Me,” to the heartbreaking ballad performed by Evan’s mother, Heidi Hansen, in “Good for You.” Unfortunately, one member of the original Broadway cast has left, but the rest are still performing. The lead, Ben Platt, left in November to pursue other opportunities. In the near future, he will be debuting his own music with Atlantic Records. In late November, Noah Galvin took on the role of Evan Hansen and will play the part until mid-January, when Taylor Trensch will take over. Even with this switch, fans of the critically acclaimed show will continue to support its run on Broadway for years to come.
Why fans are Just Dancing in 2018 BY CAITLIN LE GOFF COPY EDITOR
EMILY HARRIS STAFF WRITER
Video game company Ubisoft has released its highly anticipated game, Just Dance 2018. The game allows players to interact by following the dance moves on the screen. As players get more moves correct, the game scores, them giving it a more competitive edge.
Some songs in this new edition are “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee, “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran, “Side to Side” by Ariana Grande, and “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars. There have been several previous games in the Just Dance franchise, like Just Dance 2017, Just Dance 2, 3, and 4, Just Dance Unlimited, etc. One fun feature on the 2018 version as well as some
previous versions is that players can earn bonus points by singing the lyrics as they’re displayed. Additionally, they can compete on the world dance floor, which is when you challenge opponents from other countries in hopes of winning. Lastly, alternate versions of songs can be unlocked when you earn a certain number of points in the game. Just Dance 2018 can be played on many different
#You will be found | Students gush over Broadway musical.
platforms like the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii, and Wii U. When playing on the Wii, you need a controller to track your movements, but if you have the Wii U, it can detect your dance moves through a camera, so you don’t have to hold a controller. In hopes of making the 2018 version more inclusive, a new feature known as “Kids Mode” has been introduced.
KAYLA LEW // THE CHIEF
Dear Evan Hansen is a 6 Tony Award winning musical, with songs written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and a book by Stephen Levinson that officially opened in December of 2016 at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. The original broadway cast consisted of Tony Award winner, Ben Platt, and Tony Award nominees, Mike Faist, Rachel Bay Jones, Laura Dreyfuss, Michael Park, Will Roland, Kristolyn Lloyd, and Jennifer Laura Thompson. The musical is based around the idea of a teenager, Evan Hansen, who experiences social anxiety, originally played by Ben Platt. He lives his life closed off from
most other people around him, until one day he stumbles across another student at school named Connor Murphy, played by Mike Faist. When Connor takes his own life, Evan gets caught in a web of lies about their friendship and gets the life he’s always dreamed about. Although Evan’s friendship with Connor starts out as a little white lie, it escalates quickly and ultimately hurts him. According to TIME Magazine, “This heart-scorching musical about the struggle to connect feels like a hallmark of this particular moment in history.” New York Times described it as “A superb new musical with great heart and humor.” Several songs that have struck a chord in the audience, such as “Waving Through A Window” and “Words Fail.”
Kids mode was created so children between ages 3-6 are able to participate as well. It features easier choreography, more child friendly songs, and a more colorful background. The scoring is easier and more rewarding, so now all ages can enjoy playing. Just Dance 2018 has brought many new songs and ways of playing the popular game, and it has gotten stellar reviews so far.
Super Mario Odyssey is ‘cap’tivating BY RYAN STAPLETON STAFF WRITER
MICHAEL RIGGI // THE CHIEF
Mario’s latest odyssey | New video game is praised by many.
From 1985 to 2017, the Super Mario franchise has consistently kept thriving. Super Mario Odyssey, which was released for the Nintendo Switch in October 2017, has continued this trend. Odyssey returns to the open-world landscape that Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine had, rather than the linear style that the Galaxy titles, 3D Land, and 3D World had. In this adventure, Princess Peach gets herself kidnapped by Bowser yet again as Bowser tries forcing her into marriage. Once Bowser defeats Mario in the opening cutscene and crushes his signature hat, Mario is launched into a land called the Cap Kingdom and meets his new companion, Cappy. Cappy has his own problems with Bowser as well as his sister, Tiara, who was atop Peach’s head when she was kidnapped. Cappy provides Mario with new abilities as well. The player can make Mario toss Cappy to collect coins, find secret areas, and more.
The most unique feature that Cappy brings to the table is his “capture” ability. When Mario tosses Cappy at certain enemies and other characters/enemies, Mario can take control of them. The possibilities are close to endless. Each capturable item can help Mario obtain Power Moons, which he needs to power a hat-shaped ship called the Odyssey. Once enough Power Moons are obtained, Mario can move on to the next world, which are called kingdoms in this game. Another great thing about Super Mario Odyssey is how much can be done in the game. Each of the seventeen named kingdoms has an average of 30-40 Power Moons each, making 507-677 total moons that can be found. Even after the main story has been completed, there are still more moons to collect. All of the kingdoms are unique in their own way and each provides a new challenge for Mario. One last detail about Super Mario Odyssey is that Mario is finally fully customizable. In the Crazy Cap stores, which
are located in each kingdom, players are able to spend coins on outfits for Mario to wear. There are kingdom-specific purple coins which will unlock items that will match for each kingdom. Certain amiibo can help unlock some specific outfits, like Dr. Mario, Luigi, Diddy Kong, 8-bit Mario, Gold Mario, Wario, and everyone’s favorite villain, Waluigi. Outfits will also be unlocked by the new wedding-style Mario, Peach, and Bowser amiibo figures. Overall, Super Mario Odyssey is a near-perfect game. It delivers so many new things to the table with Cappy and is a fun-filled game. The reviews are near perfect and nearly got the Game of the Year, with Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild just barely edging it out. This game is great for anyone, whether they are new or old to the series for its fun gameplay, beautiful visuals and music, the amount of gameplay opportunities, and the interactions within the game, both with Mario and non-Mario characters. Super Mario Odyssey is a great game for the new year.
JANUARY 17, 2018
TRAVEL
THE CHIEF
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PETER TOUTOULIS // THE CHIEF
Whitney Museum of Art
For those who like to take a break from the pieces that are found at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of Art brings a unique spin on how art can be brought to everyday objects. The museum has a feature called “From the Center of the World” which features everyday objects from keychains to refrigerators. All of the pieces have been made from objects that could be found anywhere. Moving past the art, the museum has a balcony on the eighth floor. It’s the perfect place for pictures with your friends and an amazing view during a sunset. People under eighteen years old get free admission so it is the perfect place to go for an amazing opportunity to view modern art for no cost at all.
PETER TOUTOULIS // THE CHIEF
Chelsea Market
Certainly a step up from cafeterias across the country, the Chelsea Market offers a wide variety from authentic Italian pizza to soup. Be sure not to ask for a Sicilian slice while getting pizza—the cashier will stare at you like you’re an idiot. The authentic Italian pizza place carries a wide range of pizza, but sicilian is an American spinoff of pizza. So if you’re in the mood for a slice close to regular, get the margarita slice. Its modern design offers an amazing atmosphere to look around and shop while you grab a nice, quick bite to eat instead of paying much more at a sit-down restaurant.
The Hi
Located in the lower west sid Meatpacking district, just out the stairway that leads to the H from former New York Centr of the Meatpacking District, t ing overview of the bridge an visitors a break from the hust associated with the city. Anot pictures and views, walking t offers an escape from the stre
By Peter T
SPORTS E
TRAVEL
JANUARY 17, 2018
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Best destinations to visit in New York City on a budget
PETER TOUTOULIS // THE CHIEF ISABELLA ITALIANO // THE CHIEF
igh Line
THE CHIEF
de of New York City in the tside the Whitney Museum is High Line, which was created ral railroad tracks. A newer icon the High Line offers an amaznd city. The vegetation give tle and bustle that is typically Times Square ther amazing spot for scenic the High Line costs nothing and Nicknamed “the crossroads of the world” Times Square sits at the center of New York. Probably the most visited location in New York City, Times Square is the eets of New York. center of the excitement the city brings. At night, Times Square is lit up like nowhere else. It is home to some of the most iconic moments in the city, most notaToutoulis bly, the New Year’s Ball that drops at midnight every year. Times Square features EDITOR Madame Tussauds, the museum of wax statues of famous icons from all time periods. It also features the iconic Disney store which kids of all ages can enjoy. GRAPHIC DESIGN BY KIERA PAGANO
JANUARY 17, 2018
EDITORIAL College Board: non-profit organization? BY LIAM HIGGINS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Liam Higgins MANAGING EDITOR Michael Riggi LAYOUT ASSISTANT Laura Francavilla
ONLINE MANAGER Leah Johnston SPORTS EDITOR Peter Toutoulis ADVISOR Elyn Coyle Massapequa High School 4925 Merrick Road Massapequa, NY 11758
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 any other 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 anonymous letters to the editor are not printed, names will be held 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. • Corrections will be printed when mistakes are found or brought to the attention of the staff. • Original stories will carry bylines, although stories rewritten by someone other than the original author will not receive a byline. Contributing writers will be listed at the end of an article. All bylined writers will be held accountable for their work. • 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: 1,700 copies 1,859 students, 194 teachers All papers are free
LIAM HIGGINS // THE CHIEF
COPY EDITORS Isabella Italiano Caitlin Le Goff
If you were to ask a student at MHS about the College Board, you would most likely be met with looks of general resentment. They might tell you about how College Board has caused them added stress or cost them too much money—incredibly unusual remarks about a “non-profit” organization. So what makes College Board different? College Board is a college-preparatory organization which administers the SAT exam and SAT Subject Tests as well as the Advanced Placement Exams. These tests are not free; they can cost anywhere from $18 for a subject test to a price in the nineties for an AP Exam. For students who take these tests several times and take Advanced Placement coursework to earn college credit, the costs can add up. “I’ve always been motivated to challenge myself by enrolling in the most demanding courses offered at our school,” senior Nicole Leonick said. “However, I wonder if the advantages are worth the high costs because paying
College Board controversy | Weighing in on the College Board. for twelve AP classes in total were to have taken the SAT and six alone this year has with the essay twice in his become a financial burden.” or her junior year, the total Each year, College cost would increase to $960. The College Board also ofBoard raises the price of each AP Exam by one dol- fers another service known as lar, with the 2017-2018 the CSS Profile, This is a finanschool year cost being $94. cial aid form similar to the Free This means that for a stu- Application for Federal Student who is taking five APs dent Aid (FAFSA), but where this year and took four APs the CSS Profile mostly differs last year and two APs two from FAFSA is in its cost. years ago, the cost would be As the name implies, the $840 for AP Exams alone. FAFSA is entirely free to fill If that same student out. In contrast, it costs a stu-
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dent $25 to submit the CSS Profile to the first college and $16 for every school after that. While it may seem nonsensical to make a student pay money to receive financial aid, most private institutions require the CSS Profile in coming to financial aid decisions. So if that same student were to apply to five colleges which required the CSS Profile, the total cost would rise again to $1,048. Not only does the CollegeBoard charge exorbitantly high prices, but the organization acts strikingly similar to a for-profit company. College Board often makes investments, lobbies legislators, and its executives get paid very large salaries. According to the Washington Post, the CEO of College Board made over $700,000 in the 2013 fiscal year. With salaries so high, it is incredibly difficult to fathom how College Board can call itself a “non-profit” organization. Its services may help students look better on their college applications and earn college credits, but these services come with a hefty cost which can not be ignored.
Letter to the editor: blocking online websites BY ANDREW O’ BRIEN CLASS OF 2019 JUNIOR
Recently, it has come to my attention that the school has blocked a large number of educational study websites, including Sparknotes, Shmoop, and CliffsNotes, across all Chromebooks. These websites are intended to provide valuable information such as plot summaries, key themes, and character studies for many important literary works. When used in conjunction with one’s existing knowledge, these sites can help student readers better understand their assigned texts. By blocking these sites, students’ access to important knowledge is sabotaged. Unblocking these sites will improve student education by enabling access to important literary information. In the past, many educators have seen the use of websites like SparkNotes as akin to cheating. When students exclusively pull information from these sites without touching a page of their summer reading, then they have taken shortcuts which hinder their own education. However, the majority of students use these sites as a source for notes about tricky chapters or to review and clarify what they have just read. In these cases, these websites do not
replace students’ education, but rather improve it. In place of blocking these websites for all, teaching students how to effectively use these sites to improve their understanding of books is a much better way to ensure student education. Blocking certain websites for students is not inherently bad. Sites which contain or promote violence, pornography, and unlawful behaviors should be blocked on school property. These sites contain information which is inappropriate for school and potentially illegal. However, educational review sites do not contain such immoral content. Sparknotes, for example, promotes itself as containing “Today’s Most Popular Study Guides,” while Shmoop describes itself as “Your one stop shop for everything academic.” These websites serve a purpose among students to help provide quality academic information. Blocking these websites to prevent cheating decreases students’ opportunities to learn effectively. In place of a complete block on review sites, teachers should teach their students how to use these sites positively. Stealing text from these sites wordfor-word is dissatisfactory use of these sites, whereas using Sparknotes to review for an
important test, in conjunction with one’s own notes, is a useful way to bolster one’s understanding of an assigned novel. By unblocking review sites such as Sparknotes, Shmoop, and CliffsNotes on school computers, students and educators will regain ac-
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cess to important, useful educational information which can help improve their overall academic performance. If the purpose of school is to provide an education to all students, blocking educational study sites seems hypocritical to that very purpose.
OPINION Net neutrality repeal leads to a web of controversies
JANUARY 17, 2018
BY LIAM HIGGINS
that a number of industries in the United States are over-regulated, it is important to remember that there still must be a reasonable degree of regulations to protect consumers from corporate exploitation. Despite these opposing views, most politicians still support net neutrality regulations. So since most politicians are in favor of net neutrality, why is it being repealed? The answer lies in the nature and structure of the FCC itself. The FCC is an independent regulatory commission. This means that it operates separate from Congress and has the power to create and enforce regulations without Congressional approval. Composed of four commissioners and Chairman Ajit Pai, the agency holds a 3-2
is putting out online. His posts are read by everyone with access to Twitter, and because of this his tweets could have severe consequences with regard
to public policy and foreign relations. So, maybe our President should be thinking about what he has to say before clicking the ‘tweet’ button.
LIAM HIGGINS // THE CHIEF
Access denied | The repeal of net neutrality stirs up community. right to slow down or even pre- free market would be able to vent its customers from stream- protect consumers from poing content on Netflix or Hulu. tential abuses. By this, they By deliberately making mean that if an ISP is acttheir competitors difficult ing in a way that a consumer or impossible to use, AT&T doesn’t like, that consumer would bolster its own busi- could switch to a different ISP ness and increase profits at which does not slow down the expense of its customers. and block certain websites. While an overwhelming While this may sound majority of Americans—ap- good in theory, it would not proximately 83%, according work in practice. In most to the Washington Post—sup- parts of the country, there are port net neutrality, a large few, if any, competitors to the number of politicians have large ISPs. Particularly in the shown opposition to the idea. more rural areas of the counMost politicians who dis- try can you find towns that agree with net neutrality do not only have one or two ISPs. believe the government should Since competition evimpose regulations on private idently cannot stop these Internet Service Providers, but companies from abusing the without regulations there is lack of regulations, the “inno way to safeguard the free- visible hand” of the free mardom of information online. ket will not act as a solution. Others believe that the While it is certainly true
Trump tweets up controversy for the country BY LEAH JOHNSTON ONLINE MANAGER
President Donald Trump is known to cause controversy for a number of statements he has made during his campaign and after becoming president, and oftentimes these statements come from the social media platform Twitter. Some find his use of social media rather childish, but it may just be his key to spreading his messages to the ever-growing population of social media users. Twitter is a social media website that expanded from a small website created in 2006 to a worldwide news source and social networking site today. Millions of people from across the globe visit this site everyday to see tweets from celebrities and their friends. Donald Trump has over 46 million followers to his account, a number increasing each day. Why do so many people want to see what he has to say? It may simply be because he is the president of the United States, but it is also because of what exactly he puts out to the world. Through his tweets,
President Trump is able to create discussions about his issues and craft his own narratives which may even contradict what the news media says. Many of Mr. Trump’s tweets have sparked controversy over their use of provocative language and misleading contents. These tweets have also come under fire for their apparent disdain and disrespect for the news media as a whole. In a tweet posted on December 30, 2017, the President stated, “I use Social Media not because I like to, but because it is the only way to fight a VERY dishonest and unfair “press,” now often referred to as Fake News Media. Phony and non-existent “sources” are being used more often than ever. Many stories & reports [are] pure fiction!” While it is true that Fake News is a problem people get sucked into everyday, Mr. Trump may be abusing his use of Twitter to insult others and express his blatant opinions, causing him to come off as a childish president. “I think that it is crucial for presidents to be able to
communicate to their people, but Trump takes it too far,” senior Hailey Goodall said. President Trump should be more concerned with what he
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Republican majority. Pai is a strong opponent of net neutrality and, following the announcement of the repeal, grew to be rather infamous online. The FCC is part of the executive branch, and the only checks that Congress has on the organization is in confirming appointments for commissioners and in allocating funds to the commission. This means that Congress does not have much of a say in changing the legislation that the FCC creates. However, there is one way that this legislation is being challenged. A number of state attorneys general—including New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman— have announced that they will pursue a lawsuit against the FCC to reverse this decision. The lawsuit is expected to take place fairly soon once the decision takes effect. A large tech lobbying group called the Internet Association representing companies such as Facebook, Google, and Netflix has announced that it will also contribute its financial resources to fight against the repeal. It is of paramount importance that net neutrality regulations are reinstated, and hopefully the courts will agree that it is important to protect access to a fair Internet for all people in the country.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under the direction of chairman Ajit Pai, decided to repeal a 2015 decision which would require Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to treat all online data equally. The principle that ISPs must deliver the same caliber of service and speed to all sites is known as net neutrality, and this has been a major point of debate since the Obamaera Internet regulations. The 2015 regulations declared broadband Internet service to be a utility, and along with that title came several necessary regulations to enforce net neutrality. Under net neutrality, an ISP such as AT&T would be required to provide the same quality of service to all websites and would not be allowed to block content online. But without net neutrality regulations in place, there is no guarantee that AT&T would not slow down or block the websites of its competitors. Additionally, ISPs would be able to charge extra just for their customers to receive access to certain websites. For instance, AT&T owns several streaming services including DIRECTV NOW and Fullscreen. Without net neutrality regulations in place, AT&T would be well within its
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FEATURES Egg Roll and Dumpling Day rolls onwards to success
JANUARY 17, 2018
BY MICHAEL RIGGI
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Peace to the haters, love to the fans | Students performing a traditional fan dance at the event. er in Egg Roll and Dumpling ing around a hackensack. hosted the event for the first “We have had great time time with the help of the stuDay by planning out skits in the weeks prior and then per- performing skits in Egg Roll dents in the Mandarin Chiforming them on stage. The and Dumpling Day for the nese program as well as Chiskits performed often range past two years” Chinese club nese teacher Mrs. Pi. Not only vastly from one another, in- co-vice president Sam Carroll was the event a success for cluding types of performing said. “We’ve done singing, the six total schools in attenarts such as comedic con- dancing, comedic skits, and dance, but it foreshadows the versations, singing, the Chi- even a traditional fan dance.” growth and further success of nese yoyo, and even kickIn 2017, Massapequa the yearly event as a whole.
“Egg Roll and Dumpling Day was very successful when hosted at Massapequa this year,” Mrs. Pi said. “The kids really enjoyed hosting the event this year, and their participation is what helped make it such a strong show.” Egg Roll and Dumpling Day shows no signs of stopping, as Massapequa students eagerly prepare for the next 2018 event at Herricks high school. For weeks students have been learning and preparing martial arts and other skits to perform at Herricks. “All the students are really excited to perform next month at Herricks” Chinese club covice president Hannah Coleman said. “It’s an event that we look forward to every year.” As students await the inevitable return of the event back to Massapequa in the future, they have plenty of skits and martial arts moves to practice for the upcoming Herricks event in the meantime.
in 2014. They invited him and did not inform students, so they were all extremely “starstruck” to say the least. Multiple students got the opportunity to perform for him. He then talked to the students and gave them advice for their futures in the music field. He mentioned how he too experiences stage fright, regardless of how seemingly confident he appears on stage. When a student stated that she was “inspired by him and loved his music,” he said “I said the same thing to the Beatles when I saw them live.”
He also told the kids that “the more you write the better you get” when asked about how to write a hit song. Joel was extremely down to earth, and even asked the students to identify the song that had been stuck in his head (which was the Peanuts theme song). He saw how dedicated each student was, and he was glad to have been able to help. His name has become ubiquitous at LIHSA ever since he made a one million dollar donation two years ago. He knew that the school was experiencing issues with
making enough money to stay open, as many school districts refuse to let students attend. Massapequa, however, has always provided students with the opportunity to succeed in whatever deep passion lies in their hearts. Joel also happens to be a Long Island native and wishes that the school was around when he was a teen. Later on, during the ceremony, he stated how his mother was one of the “only people that believed in him” and that she provided him with the tools to succeed. He recently gave a twenty thousand dollar
scholarship to a piano prodigy at the school for the arts to pursue his dream and attend Berklee College of Music. Joel has stated that he is interested in possibly providing that scholarship to another arts student this year. Joel hopes to expand opportunities for students to pursue their passions in the performing arts and by providing these scholarships and visiting LIHSA, he certainly has inspired a number of Long Island teens to live their dreams and continue working with the arts in the future.
shortly after, the large screens displayed a video made to introduce the former Vice President. The video featured the 45th President, Barack Obama praising his friend. At the conclusion of the video, Joe Biden and “Today” anchor Al Roker took their seats in the center of the arena on the circular stage. For an
hour, the stage rotated as Roker and Biden discussed his family and life in the public eye. One aspect discussed was the meaning of the title of the autobiography, Promise Me Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose. Many people thought that it implied Beau wanted his son to promise him he would run for president,
but Joe was quick to clarify. Before Beau Biden died of brain cancer on May 30, 2015, he begged his father not to give up once he was gone. “Promise me you’ll be okay,” he said. One of my favorite parts of the night was when Roker asked about Biden’s relationship with the former President. For his response, Biden
mentioned the viral memes of him and Obama, and how they could not have been created if it wasn’t for their incredibly strong friendship. Several times throughout the night, audience members shouted pleas to Biden to run for president in 2020. Biden said he was flattered, but “If the Lord almighty came down right this moment… and said the nomination is yours, but you have to take it right now, I would say no.” When asked why he would turn down such a prestigious job, he said that moving on from his recent life events took time, and he hasn’t realistically thought about running yet. Biden did leave the audience with a little hope, ending the night by saying come next Thanksgiving, he will sit down with his family and discuss the possibility of a presidential campaign in the next race.
MANAGING EDITOR
PHOTO PROVIDED BY TRACY PI
For the past two years, students in the Mandarin Chinese program at Massapequa High School have been offered the opportunity to participate in the annual “Egg Roll and Dumpling Day” performance show. Egg Roll and Dumpling Day, a cultural performance show composed of different skits from the Chinese programs of Massapequa school district and neighboring school districts, aims to showcase the talents of the increasingly implemented Mandarin Chinese programs in school districts across the island. “Egg Roll and Dumpling Day has showcased Chinese culture and language since it started in Jericho in 2016” Mandarin Chinese teacher Mrs. Tracy Pi said. Modeling the basis of a talent show in many regards, students from each school “compete” against one anoth-
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LIHSA gets surprise visit from music legend Billy Joel BY ALYSSA MENER STAFF WRITER
Imagine you’re sitting in class on a normal Tuesday, practicing some music for an upcoming show. Now, imagine Billy Joel walks in. He then sits down and waits to be entertained. That’s what happened to Long Island High School For The Arts (LIHSA) students. On December 19, the school decided to honor Billy Joel by renaming one of the buildings the Rosalind Joel Conservatory for Music and Theatre after his mother, Rosalind who died
Joe Biden, out of the limelight, into the spotlight BY ISABELLA ITALIANO COPY EDITOR
America’s grandpa | Al Roker and Joe Biden discuss Biden’s new book.
ISABELLA ITALIANO// THE CHIEF
Most of the country knows Joe Biden as the 47th Vice President of the United States, a public figure you see on a TV screen. Not many people are given the opportunity to get to know him out of the public eye. On November 14, 2017 Biden released his seventh book, Promise Me Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose recounting the loss of his son Beau, 46, three years earlier. Shortly after his book hit the bestseller list, he announced dates for a four month, 19 city book tour. As soon as the event appeared on Facebook, I purchased four tickets. On November 27, 2017 my mom, cousin, aunt and I went to the NYCB Theatre at Westbury to see Joe Biden. At the door,workers were giving each ticket holder a copy of his book. We took our seats and
SPORTS PROFILES Winter sports spotlight: ricocheting rifle season
JANUARY 17, 2018
BY JESSICA HUNT STAFF WRITER
seen her shoot in matches multiple times. “Olivia is really good and when we were trying out the first time I was shocked because she had never picked up a gun before and she was very good,” Victoria said. “Liv is the type of person that if she puts her mind to something she will accomplish it and it has shown in the scores that
she has received this season.” Both Olivia and Victoria believe that one of the best aspects of being on team is the love and support shown by their teammates throughout the practices and matches. They also believe that everyone on the team is very dedicated to the sport and has the passion to continue striving for better
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BY LAURA FRANCAVILLA LAYOUT ASSISTANT
Massapequa is a town known for its impressive sports program for high school students. Many have made their mark in Massapequa’s sports program, and this year is no exception. Senior Kevin Voigt, a
player for the varsity basketball team, is ending his last year as a Chief player with a bang. “Basketball has always been my passion. It is such a hard game to play and the intensity of the competition is something I feel that is more prominent in basketball and not in other sports,” Kevin said.
The team’s goal this season is make it back to the county semi-finals and beyond. The team hasn’t been to the county semi-finals since Voigt was a sophomore, and it is a goal for him and his team to make it back and win. “I was on the team as a sophomore so… three years
PHOTO PROVIDED BY KEVIN VOIGT
Posting up | Kevin Voigt sizes up his opponent.
scores each time they shoot, resulting in how well the team has done this past season. The MHS rifle team has become a second family for the teammates and the sport has shown the players the values of determination, patience and positivity.
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Readying up for rifle team | Olivia Weber in uniform during rifle team practice.
Kevin Voigt: an amazing last year as a Chief
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went by way too quickly,” Kevin said. “I’m excited to have the chance to be a senior and a leader on this team after looking up to some great players the last two seasons.” During his first season, the team broke a ten year streak of losing a conference title. On his first season on the team, they won the conference championship.“... it was really special to be a part of the first team in ten years to do that,” he said. Kevin has also been recognized as an All Conference Player and is a top player for Nassau County this year. Not everyone is given such a high honor in their athletic careers. While the entire team enjoys playing basketball, Kevin has a special connection to the sport he has grown up with. His dad, teacher and Coach Martin Voigt, is his team’s coach. While most athletes would be nervous to play for a relative, Kevin hasn’t found that it affects him. “... my dad is nothing but supportive and pushes me to do the best,” he said. “It is really just a special experience for me to have gotten to play for him…”
LAURA FRANCAVILLA // THE CHIEF
When most people hear the word “basement,” they tend to picture something dark, wet, and grimy. But the basement at Massapequa High School is actually just the opposite. It houses the MHS rifle team’s shooting range and acts a second home to the members of the team, including Olivia Weber. Olivia has been on MHS rifle team for the past two years and is one of the 6 shooters on the team this season. She decided to try out for the team last year as a joke between herself and her friends which eventually turned into passion for the sport. “When I was in ninth grade, I heard about the rifle team on the morning announcements and I thought it would be funny to tell people that I’m going to try out for rifle because most people wouldn’t trust me with a gun. So, I tried out.” Olivia said. “During the tryout process, I wound up loving it and really wanting to be on the team.” Olivia made the team last year and has since been improving at the sport. She has learned that in order to shoot and score high in her matches, it takes a large amount of patience and focusing skills. “When shooting, we’re not really supposed to focus on
anything and we have to clear our minds.” she said. Since joining the team, she has also been taught under the training of Mr. Norden how to make sure not to force your shot if it’s shaky by putting the gun down and starting again. Olivia also said “I have learned the tricks and techniques that are crucial for consistently shooting high scores.” So far this season, the MHS rifle team has won all of their matches and has been scoring extremely well with the best score being 745/800. Olivia has also gotten the chance to score her personal best in one of the team’s matches against Freeport with a score of 186/200, making one of her best memories on the team. “Throughout the first part of the season, Olivia has consistently placed among the top 3 or 4 scores for the team. Furthermore, she has scored 187 and 184 (out of a possible 200) in the last 2 matches. Her consistent production should help the team contend for a great season” Mr.Norden said. Olivia has also gotten the chance to score her personal best in one of the team’s matches against Freeport with a score of 186/200, making one of her best memories on the team. Victoria Marsico, another member of the MHS rifle team, has practiced with Olivia for a few months and has
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“Words cannot describe how proud I am of all his passion, dedication, hard work, and sacrifice he has displayed in both his academic and athletic journey during his years at Massapequa High School,” Coach Voigt said. Hard work from a player rarely goes unnoticed when colleges come to pick their future athletes to play for them. “As a result of his outstanding performance, he is a recruitable college basketball player with high expectations and options to play at the next level of college basketball!” Coach Voigt said. The Chiefs varsity basketball team has made impressive feats these past three seasons, and Kevin couldn’t be more proud to have helped them achieve them in his last year as a chief. “We have fourteen guys who work as hard as they can everyday at practice to prepare us for our games and then leave everything they have on the floor on game days,” Kevin said. “With this group of guys, we have the ability to have a really successful season.”
THE CHIEF SPORTS Pequa’s proposal to build pool at Berner Middle School
JANUARY 17, 2018
BY JONATHAN SEEBACK STAFF WRITER
Proposed pool | Artist’s rendition of what might become the pool at Berner Middle School. emy Cuebas said. “It would Of course with every prop- swimming since he was ten make it so much easier for my osition, not everyone believes years old. He feels very strongplayers to juggle their time, that this pool is necessary. ly about the construction of the practice, school work, and Local juniors Marco Mus- center at Berner. outside commitments such as so and Julia Rossello both dis“I would like to see Massclub swim.” agree with the creation of the apequa have a pool one day Mr. Cuebas said that the pool at Berner. because all of the great opporpool would increase the prac “I don’t think that tunities it could provide to the Berner should receive a pool because the cost of it would The school dis- be way too much and I don’t It would make it trict will not proceed think there’s enough room for much easier for my a pool there,” Marco said. unless they have the “I believe that Berner players to juggle their community’s support. shouldn’t have a swimming time, practice, school pool because the cost would -Alan Adcock and outside be way too excessive,” Julia work, said. “Meanwhile, there are commitments. tice time for his students and many other problems and is- Coach Jeremy strengthen the program so that sues that need to be attended more kids could swim. to and I don’t think we should Cuebas “Kids struggle with the prioritize a pool over other long practice time and balanc- more detrimental things.” ing their homework and out of On the other hand, many community and its students,” school commitments,” Coach students agree with building Jimmy said. Cuebas said. “The pool being an aquatics center at Berner. Jimmy has an extremely built here would definitely aid MHS Senior Co-captains strong passion for swim and in helping the students and Jimmy Aird, Sean Maurer, for the program here in Massmaking it overall much more and Michael Cowan are all on apequa. He remembers being convenient for myself, the stu- board with the construction of a freshman and experiencing dents, and the program as a a pool at Berner. a wonderful culture of the upwhole.” Jimmy Aird has been perclassmen helping the low-
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The swim team would finally have a good place to practice. -Megan Maloney
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Opinions from MHS students | Left: Megan Maloney. Right: Thomas Jordan.
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LIAM HIGGINS // THE CHIEF
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JONATHAN SEEBACK // THE CHIEF
While the majority of high schools on Long Island have a swim team, comparatively few school districts have a pool in which teams can practice and compete. Currently, Massapequa is not one of those lucky few districts, but that may soon be changing. Following future public meetings, the Board of Education will put the proposal of a pool at Berner Middle School to vote alongside the budget vote. “Residents can voice their comments, concerns, and ask questions at meetings,” Deputy Superintendent Mr. Alan Adcock said. “The school district will not proceed unless they have the community’s support.” The pool could include a variety of benefits such as being a place where the swim team can practice and have meets, thus giving the Massapequa Swim Team a homefield that it has never had. The center could also be used by the town for special events as well as a unit in gym at Berner Middle School. Currently, the idea of a pool at Berner sounds much more of a reality than a rumor. Director of Facilities and Operations Mr. Tim O’Donnell said it would take “around three years to complete the construction of an aquatics center at Berner Middle School”. According to Mr O’Donnell, if this proposal is passed, it would take a few months to create designs, then twelve to sixteen weeks for approval. It would be the winter of 2018 by the time they get this far. Next would be the bidding process, which would take around six weeks. The construction would finally start in the summer of 2019 and would take around a year to finish. This entire project is estimated to cost around 14.5 million dollars. The funding for the pool would come from a bond. The pool has the potential to make practices and competitions more advantageous for the Massapequa swim team. “It would be way more convenient for my team and my students,” Massapequa varsity swim coach Mr. Jer-
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er classmen. Now he’s in the shoes of the latter and wants to return the favor. Sean Maurer has been swimming for as long as he can remember and has been active in the swim community here in Massapequa for years and believes we should have a pool at Berner. “Your kid could be the next Michael Phelps and you would never know because there’s no pool at ‘Pequa,” Sean said. Sean is also a very committed person to the swim program. He has been on the swim team since his freshman year and has a very similar mentalility to that of Jimmy. He hopes that one day kids on the team wouldn’t have to deal with all the stress that having practice in Brentwood causes all the players. Michael Cowan has been swimming for over ten years now and firmly believes that having a pool in Massapequa for the team to use for practice would be a phenomenal thing for the program. “The pool at ‘pequa would benefit the future development of the swim program here,” he said. Michael has a large influence on the team. He really takes pride in his position as a captain and tries his very best to make a path for his teammates to follow. He believes that having a pool in Massapequa for the team to use for practice would be beneficial for the program and would ultimately bring more attention and strengthen it as a whole. Overall, the Massapequa Aquatic center is no longer just an idea, it can become a reality. “The convenience of the pool would help our students, the team, and our program as a whole to strengthen and grow here in Massapequa,¨ Coach Cuebas said. In the end, it’s all up to the voters of Massapequa to decide whether Berner will have a swimming pool and the swim teams a homefield. If the proposal is passed, the pool would be an interesting addition to Massapequa athletics.
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I think a pool would be a great idea because the swim team would really benefit from it, and it would add an entirely new aspect to gym. -Thomas Jordan
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