News
Feature
Republicans secure crucial win in Nassau County Elections
Page 2
A&E
Paris Fashion Week sees superstars model fashion items
MHS Alumni Alec Baldwin returns to his high school roots Page 4 + 5
Pep Rally
Page 8
Awesome pictures from the 2019 Pep Rally
Page 12
Massapequa High School
Vol. 68 – No. 1
4925 Merrick Road Massapequa, NY 11758
November 25, 2019 www.thechiefonline.com
mhsthechief@gmail.com
‘Pequa shows their Pride as the Chiefs Win 36-0 BY SABRINA ALBERTI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
RYAN PAGANO
MANAGING EDITOR
PHOTO PROVIDED BY // SAMANTHA STIEHLER
Massapequa’s annual pep rally, parade, and homecoming day game was with electrifying cheers, dances, and of course, pies in the face. The weekend brings the Massapequa community together to show their ‘Pequa pride. The week leading up to homecoming, is the one that students and even faculty at MHS look forward to, where everyone can dress up and show their creativity through their outfits. The four themes for spirit week included pajama day, wacky wednesday, patriotic day, and Chief day. Seniors also wore their festive t-shirts with friends as they took their senior picture on Wednesday. Every year at the end of spirit week, the senior student government creates a themed banner with the graduating class’ names scattered around the two staircases in the center lobby. This year, the government chose a roaring twenties theme, with black and gold accessories pasted on the iconic banner. As spirit week came to a close on Friday, October 18, the excitement of pep rally spread throughout the halls. Periods were shortened to make time for the blue and gold festivities throughout the student body and introduce the fall sports teams, kickline, and the homecoming king and queen. The event was announced by Gerry Gutilla, Alexandra Chianese, and Alexander Carmenaty. As many students were nominated by their friends to get pied in the face at the
end of pep rally, only some were lucky enough to get hand picked and have the student body’s attention on their whipped cream filled faces. Many students look forward to seeing their fellow peers getting pied, but also watching their teachers get pied from one of their peers. This lively tradition allows students and faculty to share their excitement leading up to the big game. The following Saturday kicks off with the parade, filled with joyous students marching through
town, starting at the Massapequa town hall, and ending at Massapequa High School to kick off the football game which started at 2 o’clock. Chief nation crowded the corner of Massapequa’s home bleachers to cheer on the team with ecstatic screams and colorful outfits. The Chiefs showed how dominant they were on both sides of the ball by shutting out the the Westbury Green Dragons by a score of 36-0. Michael Rollo forced a Westbury fumble, allow-
ing quarterback John Giller they played at Hofstra Unito rush for two more touch- versity against Freeport on downs to extend the score November 14. to 36-0 going into halftime. The Chiefs held on for the win. As the Chiefs remained victorious, the players seemed to be in good spirits. When asked regarding his first season as the Chiefs, “Everyone’s playing well, everyone’s doing their jobs, and we’ve never had a better opportunity than today to come out and get the win.” Giller said. The Chiefs ended their season off united as
Stop by Pg 12 for more great pics from the pep rally!
THE CHIEF NEWS Republicans secure crucial win in Nassau County Elections
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
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BY ALEX CARMENATY BUSINESS MANAGER
Big win for the Republicans | Hempstead Supervisor-Elect Don Clavin celebrating the Republicans’ big victory.
Oyster Bay. Labriola won his election for town council as he makes his return to the town. There are also new faces in the game as some of them include figures such as Long Island Business Owner, Laura Maier, Former Vice President of a Fortune 500 Company, Rich LaMarca and Former Oyster Bay PTA President, Vicki Walsh. These three won their races as Maier and Walsh were elected to the town council, along with Labriola. LaMarca was elected Town Clerk, a position Labriola held over 10 years ago.
In Hempstead, it was the same narrative, Don Clavin, alongside his team pulled off major wins as Clavin was elected as
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...the National political climate is affecting local elections.
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Town Supervisor. Clavin, the town’s receiver of taxes, will unseat the Democratic incumbent, Laura Gillen, in a surprising and
close victory. Not only was Clavin’s win pivotal, but the rest of his team, including Kate Murray, Jeanine Driscoll, Bruce Blakeman, Thomas Muscarella and Chirstopher Carini all picked up big wins in their respective races during the Republican sweep of Hempstead. “Republican Don Clavin’s win by a narrow margin in a predominantly Republican area is an example of how the National political climate is affecting local elections.” Betsy Broderick, a town of Hempstead resident, said about how crucial of a win this is for
Massapequa Challenger Baseball: Batter up! BY SOPHIA THEODOROUS COPY EDITOR
Massapequa is a dynasty of sports to say the least. One incredible sports program that has evolved in the town is one truly different from the rest. There’s an additionally field, donated by the Town of Oyster Bay, for a special sporting event. It is hosted in the far back corner of John J. Burns Park. The event is known as Massapequa Challenger Baseball which occurs every Sunday. It is probably the most inspirational sporting event that takes place in this town. Athletes ranging from five years old to grown
adults will come from all over Long Island to participate in softball games. These athletes have special needs that range from handicap to fully functioning athletes. Here, they have the opportunity to play at different levels divided among the four fields. This organization was started back in 1991 with only 22 athletes. Now, it has grown to over 100 athletes. Al Freise, the league commissioner, has been working for this organization since opening day. “The children definitely benefit, but the parents do too,’’ Al Freise said. “We get a lot of volunteers who help out push kids in wheel-
chairs or help kids in walkers and the parents get to sit on the side and talk and talk to other parents and find out things available to them, other programs, other soccer programs” Massapequa Challenger becomes a social atmosphere for children. For those who have difficulty communicating, making friends could be tough. This program provides a great source of socialization. There’s a spot on the team for any athlete who wants to join. The different levels of competition help provide accommodations for the children. “We have beginning
level children that are in wheelchairs, they are handicap, there are autistic children, and children with cerebral palsy who play in a non-competitive game where everybody bats, plays in the field, and take turns hitting and running the bases.” For the majority of the volunteers, they help out at the beginning level. However, volunteers can help out with the travel team as well. At the top level there are two travel teams in which the players are pitching, playing balls, and strikes like a regular baseball game. Since it is such an in-
PHOTO PROVIDED BY // CASEY SAMMON
If the Republicans in Nassau County, especially in the Town of Oyster Bay and the Town of Hempstead, needed a major win sometime soon, now was the time. The Republicans swept through the competition with Supervisor Joseph Saladino’s team getting elected all together in Oyster Bay, while Don Clavin’s team in Hempstead pulled off major victories, ousting Laura Gillen and her administration. In the Town of Oyster Bay, which Massapequa is a part of, Supervisor Saladino was re-elected, and alongside him are several of veterans in the game of Nassau County politics. Jeff Pravato, the mayor of Massapequa Park, was elected to be the receiver of taxes in Oyster Bay, one year after a crucial loss he suffered in the ninth District New York State Senate Race to State Senator John Brooks. This was a major election victory for Mr. Pravato and his staff as he is back into the game of politics, with a seat confirmed in Oyster Bay for the next few years. Another familiar face in the Town of Oyster Bay was Steve Labriola. Labriola, an experienced politician was a former New York State Assemblyman and a Clerk for the town of
Republicans. The Republicans win big on Election Day, shaking up power in Nassau County as they look to retake the County Executive Position, held by Laura Curran. With two years to go in the County Executive election, the Republicans have lots of momentum as they look to completely change Nassau County by winning the County Executive position, last held by the Republicans under the Ed Mangano administration.
credible program, Massapequa Challenger Baseball has a lot of sponsors from all across Long Island that donate to the organization. Zim Zari, a local restaurant of Massapequa, was able to host a cinco de mayo festival fundraiser in honor of the Massapequa Challenger Baseball Organization. They have also been featured in the Massapequa Patch and News 12. This program is a great way to give back to the local community and anyone interested in volunteering or sponsorships should visit their website.
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
Editorial
EDITORIAL
Senioritis: Is it all a hoax? EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sabrina Alberti MANAGING EDITOR Ryan Pagano LAYOUT MANAGER Billy Boye SPORTS EDITOR Julia Ruocchio BUSINESS MANAGER Alexander Carmenaty ONLINE MANAGER Billy Boye COPY EDITORS Mackenzie White Sophia Theodorous ADVISOR Ms. Brittany Lindo 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.
while another one opens.” A variety of electives are EDITOR-IN-CHIEF offered at MHS, allowing Many seniors suffer students to pick electives from what many know as that spark their interest, “senioritis,” as their final such as broadcasting, asyear of high school ends, others still reminisce about ...because their elementary days and childhood friendships they I want to enare leaving behind as they joy life before head off to college. The Chief staff conductanother door ed questions during Spirit opens. Week to discover how seniors actually feel about leaving their hometown tronomy, and band. “Broadand high school behind as casting gave me a chance to they head off into the “real be creative and let me see if I wanted to pursue it as world,” The staff had sever- a career in college,” Senior al types of questions to ask Giuliana Sambone said. Some students don’t seniors, such as their favorite electives at Massapequa, want to take another day of what advice they would their high school careers for give to upcoming seniors, granted, while others will and what they will miss the take the chance to gradumost about Massapequa ate tomorrow and head off to college if they had the once they are in college. “I would not take chance. For example, sethe chance to graduate tomorrow because I want to niors get up to three periods enjoy life before another to themselves in their scheddoor opens,” Senior Ky- ule simply because they do lie Dragonetti said. “Never not need any more credits take anything for granted, to graduate. This gives stubefore you know it, a chap- dents more freedom to leave ter of your life will close school and have more time BY SABRINA ALBERTI
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THE CHIEF
to themselves away from the classroom. “I personally use my outs to catch up on homework,” one senior said. “It’s nice to have outs but not too many because colleges will see how many classes a student is enrolled in.” On the contrary, many students like to take advantage of their freedom and “cut class” so they don’t have to go back to school. But some students are excited to see a world outside of their hometown, and open new doors that can lead them to new opportunities in college.
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I am eager to explore new places outside of Massapequa.
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“I am eager to explore new places outside of Massapequa,” Senior Mia Cafiero said. “ I want to see what else is out there waiting for me.” Students like Cafiero are counting down the
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days until graduation to explore their careers and start the journey into college that they have been waiting all year for. Many seniors have taken advantage of colleges’ Early Decision and Early Action application options, which allows students to send in their applications early. Hoping for a quicker response from their prospective colleges. There are many different viewpoints from the Class of 2020, but senioritis, along with lasting friendships and memories will leave the students with an unforgettable high school career.
Got something to say? The Chief wants to hear from you! Send your letters to the editor to mhsthechief @gmail.com
Distribution: 1,700 copies 1,647 students, 200 teachers All papers are free OLIVIA MEDFORD // THE CHIEF
FEATURES Safe Halloween: Stay safe and sweet!
THE CHIEF
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
BY MACKENZIE WHITE COPY EDITOR
ALEXNDRA FERRARO STAFF WRITER
create a safe and comforting environment for young children to gather their Halloween candy. Likewise, high school students wanted to give back to the community by providing a joy-filled event
LEAH JOHNSTON // THE CHIEF
Safe Halloween is an event hosted by the SADD club, which stands for Students Against Destructive Decisions, and creates a non-threatening environment for young kids to trick-or-treat with their families. The idea of Safe Halloween is to have an event where children are welcome to come to the high school in costume and walk through the hallway which has been decorated by the students with various themes, ranging from Disney Princesses to 80’s to Pajama Day. The children walk through, see the students dressed, and receive candy as they walk. This year, Safe Halloween took place four days before Hal-
loween on Sunday, October 27, 2019 from 1-4 p.m. This event took place right here at Massapequa High School in the main hallway. The idea of Safe Halloween stemmed from the need to
Scaring up some fun | Students dress up to hand out candy.
for small-aged kids. 10 years later, there are at least 400 students participating in Safe Halloween. There are about 60 groups of students participating, with each group consisting of around four to six students. When speaking with Ms. Angela Gallucci, who has been advisor of the club for six years, she said how much she truly loved this event. “My favorite part of Safe Halloween is watching high- school students truly enjoy giving back to the community and how selfless they are,” said Ms. Gallucci. “The amount of time, effort, and dedication that goes into the event is breathtaking”. She also added that the part of Safe Halloween that she thinks the students enjoy the most is getting dressed up and handing out candy to many
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smiling children. The students get to watch as children come through and stand in awe at the hard work these students have put in to make this event happen. Safe Halloween is not the only event that SADD Club puts on throughout the year. Get involved with some of their coat and toy drives as the Holiday Season begins to approach. Additionally, the club plans to have some new events added to their roster this year such as Christmas with Santa which will take place later on this year. Also, an Egg Hunt in the Spring followed by Grim Reaper Day which will raise awareness and teach students about the dangers of drunk driving.
The history behind the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade BY JULIA RUOCCHIO SPORTS EDITOR
JULIA RUOCCHIO // THE CHIEF
As the holiday season nears, it may be easy to overlook the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Many don’t realize how historical this parade actually is. It takes place on the streets of New York City on the morning of Thanksgiving Day from about 9 to 12am Eastern Standard Time. The parade is one of the world’s largest parades and has taken place on every Thanksgiving Day since 1924, making it the second oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States. The parade has been nationally televised on NBC since 1952, and was first seen on network television in 1948. The annual parade features giant balloons, floats, celebrities, marching bands, and cheerleaders. The event also includes Broadway theatre shows that take place on the green carpet that covers the ground on the street in front of Macy’s, which also marks the parade’s end. The Rockettes have performed at every parade since 1957, while several college bands from across the country perform at each parade. In the year of 2019, it will be the 93rd annual Parade to hit the streets of New York City, bringing excitement to everyone’s Thanksgiving. This year, the parade will take place on Thursday, November 28. It takes a unique path through the streets of the Big Apple. Putting an exclamation point on every parade’s end since 1924 is Santa Claus, who comes through on his sled with Mrs. Claus and several Elves
in a festive Christmas atmosphere. The way the parade ends symbolizes the transition to Christmas and the holiday season. The first parade, drew so much attention that they decided to make it an annual event. There was an audience of 250,000 people during its first year, which led to the announcement to hold the event every year. There are now millions of people coming to watch the parade in person. One of the most special features of the parade are the ginormous inflatable balloons. This year the parade includes a majority of the balloons from years past. Some of these balloons have been around for over 50 years. The first ever character balloon in the parade was Felix the Cat in 1927, but didn’t make his first appearance until 1931. The first Mickey Mouse balloon appeared in 1934. Some of the balloons that are currently in the parade are the Pillsbury Doughboy, Ronald McDonald, Charlie Brown, Floating on by | Fan-favorite characters and floats parade the streets. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the Uni- ry of the Spongebob Series, a from 1-8pm. The Macy’s Thanksgiving versal Nutcracker, The Grinch, new version of Spoungebob The only time the parade Day Parade began as a small Olaf from Frozen, Spongebob Squarepants will be featured didn’t go on was 1942 to 1944 parade that turned out to be the Squarepants, Trolls, Elf on the in the 2019 parade. This new due to World War II. There most successful Thanksgiving Shelf, and several Macy’s star version will include Sponge- was a high demand for rubber Parade in the world. Over 44 balloons in different colors. A bob’s snail friend Gary as and helium in the war effort, million people tune into the couple of the new balloons of they soar through the sky on so Macy’s decided to donate parade on television on an the year include Green Eggs Thanksgiving Day. their supplies and not host the annual basis and hopefully and Ham, Smokey Bear, Ma- There is even an opportunity parade.. The parade resumed the parade will continue to be cy’s Sunny the Snowpal, and for people just like you to go in 1945 and followed the same successful for many years to Macy’s Americana Spheres. see these inflatable balloons route until 2008. come. Astronaut Snoopy is making come to life on Thanksgiving The coldest parade ever meahis Parade debut in 2019 to Eve. The balloons are inflated sured was in 2018, when forecelebrate the 50th Anniversa- around the American Museum casts reached a low temperary of the Moon Landing and of Natural History, between ture of 19°F. The warmest promote the Apple TV Show Central Park West and Colum- parade occurred in 1933 with Snoopy in Space. In order to bus Ave. The inflation starts temperatures reaching a high celebrate the 20th Anniversa- on Wednesday, November 21 of 69°F.
THE CHIEF FEATURES A Massapequa Legend Returns to His High School Roots
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
BY MACKENZIE WHITE COPY EDITOR
with his high school best friend. When speaking with Mr. Conboy, the topic of Baldwin’s success was not forgotten. “He did really well as an actor,” Conboy said. One may have seen Baldwin as he has appeared in big screen features such as The Cat in the Hat, The Boss Baby, Beetlejuice, 30 Rock and many more. But what really spiked Baldwin’s popularity was his numerous appearances on Saturday Night Live
(SNL). According to NBC News, he holds the record for hosting SNL more times than anyone, coming in at an astonishing 17 different episodes. Baldwin has been asked back to the show many times because of his popular Donald Trump impression that has captured the attention of the president and SNL fans on more than one occasion. His impression has become so well known that one can even find tweets on the President’s Twitter account
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BRIAN CONBOY
As Massapequa was featured in many hit TV shows, including Seinfeld, Friends, and Saturday Night Live, many alumni have grown to become Massapequa royalty. One of these royals is Alec Baldwin, who visited Massapequa High School on November 7. During the visit, he conducted research for a documentary he is currently filming. Baldwin is a Massapequa alumnus who graduated Berner High School in 1976. While attending Berner, he lived in Nassau Shores. As many are aware, the streets are in alphabetical order, an order that Baldwin can still recite to this day and he did so for the high school’s administration. Later in life, Alec Baldwin and his brothers donated the money needed to renovate the auditorium, which they named after Baldwin’s late father, Alexander Baldwin. Who was a longtime social studies teacher and a well known figure in Mass-
apequa. “He was here because he was working on a documentary about friendship,” Principal Mr. Brian Conboy said. “Baldwin couldn’t have been nicer,” Baldwin went as far as to ask the district for permission to film the documentary in his home town and reminisced about his past high school experiences. He filmed a majority of his content on the football field which is full of Massapequa’s school pride. The main focus of this documentary is friendship and how it grows and changes as people get older. Baldwin knew he could not film this without coming back to his roots. While at the field, Baldwin posed questions to the administration about who their true friends were. He also proceeded to ask whether any of them had stayed in touch with anyone from high school. When administration asked Baldwin the same questions, he responded by telling them that he did in fact keep in contact
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regarding the sketches that Baldwin was involved in. Students who were at the school at the time had the opportunity to go down to the field and take some photos. Massapequa’s field hockey team interrupted their practice to meet Baldwin. Massaepqua now has numerous photos of staff and students meeting him to always remember the day. Baldwin knew he could not film a documentary about friendship without coming back to where it all began for him, Massapequa High School.
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Baldwin couldn't have been nicer.
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Massapequa Legend | Actor Alec Baldwin returns to MHS
The Chief editors attended the CSPA Fall Conference at Columbia University on November 4. They attended workshops where they learned more about the journalism field. Some workshop highlights included “Learning how to Up your Instagram Game”, “Confessions of Former Journalism Nerds” and “Captions in 1, 2, 3!” It was a great time!
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
SPIRIT WEEK
Welcome to Wacky Wednesday! Students had the chance to show off their creative sides as they came to school wearing fun, unique outfits of their choosing. As the lower classman arrived at school in their most unique attire, many seniors dressed almost identical with their friends, wearing custom made shirts and sweatshirts to their liking for the big senior picture. This memorable picture will be placed in the yearbook for the graduating class to look back on in the future.
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WRITTEN BY: MACKENZIE WHITE // SABRINA ALBERTI // JENNA CONZA
Spirit Week kicked off on Tuesday, October 15 2019, with the famous Pajama Day. Students had the opportunity to come to school in their utmost comfortable sleepwear, which made every student wish they were still in bed.
THE CHIEF
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
SPIRIT WEEK
THE CHIEF
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It’s time to break out the red, white, and blue! Students came to school dressed from head to toe in our country’s colors and flag. Students went all out from capes, to American flag leggings, face paint, and even fun hair accessories. Teachers showed some spirit wearing red, white and blue outfits as well.
The school was flooded with blue and gold, students showed off their school spirit for the last day of the week. From sweatshirts to festive blue and gold capes, tutus, and banners, students of every grade flaunted their Chief pride. The day concluded with an hour-long pep rally where students not only got to see the fall sports members’, but amazing performances by the marching band, cheerleaders, and kickline. ART BY OLIVIA MEDFORD
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The ins and outs of Paris Fashion Week 2019
THE CHIEF
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
BY SABRINA ALBERTI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CHRISTINA MULLAN STAFF WRITER
attract the public eye, but also have a touch of tradition. Some of the 20th century outfits featured at the show included polo shirts, crochet dresses, and denim. These are just some of the new and improved pieces that are circling back into the Bohemian chic glory that many designers miss from the 70’s era. As this decade allowed people to be fashionably free, it also allowed society to express themselves through their clothes during the time of controversy. This was a time
where many had fought for equality and were shaken by the times of the Watergate political scandal during the term of President Nixon. As designers today are exemplifying the retro designs through their new looks, the freedom to express viewpoints on world issues is truly evident. Not only were the models that strut the runway in these breathtaking wardrobes an astonishing experience for viewers, but the overall presentation was what made Paris Fashion Week a show that can-
Paris Fashion Week | Superstars model fashion on the royal runway
PHOTO PROVIDED BY UNSPLASH.COM
Cameras flashing, avant garde looks walking down the runway, and celebrities lining the audience were just a couple of details from this past Paris Fashion Week. Designers like Michael Kors, Valentino, and Versace are just a few labels that were featured. Paris Fashion Week is held twice a year after Milan and New York’s glamorous shows, finishing off the industry’s debut. Hosted by the French Fashion Federation, these shows exclusively view brand new, seasonal looks worn by the highest paid models in the world. Some of these models include Kendall Jenner, Sophie Richie, Gigi Hadid, and Kaia Gerber. As these pristine models strut the runway wearing these untouched looks, Celebrities are attracted to the glamour and beauty presented to them. These celebrities arrive at events simply because they will be able to wear these looks right off of the runway and to their own events and wardrobe in the near future. Some styles that were featured were playsuits, bell
shaped skirts, and coat dresses. One popular brand, Chanel, topped off the week in the pursuit of showing off their Spring 2020 ready-to-wear designs. Chanel is one of the most anticipated shows and is always placed at the end of Fashion Week. The Chanel runway’s looks may have been unforgettable, but the new forefront of fashion for Spring and Summer 2020, are all things 70’s. Designers are taking the oldies look from past decades, and are creating new clothes that
The MCU after Avengers: Endgame... what's next? BY BILLY BOYE
LAYOUT MANAGER
April of 2019. Many more films await in the future of Marvel Studios. A new film will be released featuring Black Widow as the main character, despite the character’s demise in Endgame. This film will be released May 1 2020. To counter this, Marvel Studios has confirmed that the film will take place in between “Captain America: Civil War,” which premiered in 2016 and “Avengers: Infinity War,” that
premiered two years after. In the future, Marvel Studios is also expected to film The Eternals, ShangChi, and Blade, all of whom have not been represented in the MCU. In terms of characters that the fans know, sequels to “Doctor Strange” (2016) and “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017) are also in the works. However, Marvel Studios has more than just films coming down the pipeline. To compliment the
release of Disney +, Disney’s very own streaming service, Marvel Studios will produce a number of shows featuring their fan favorite characters. Some characters that many people know are getting their own shows, such as Hawkeye, Loki, and Scarlet Witch. However, comic book characters such as Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight and She-Hulk are also receiving shows. These characters will soon be in-
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DISNEY
“Avengers: Endgame” is undoubtedly the largest and most ambitious project that Marvel Studios has ever conquered. 11 years worth of storytelling led up to the climax of the first 22 films from Marvel Studios, known as the Infinity Saga. During Endgame’s six week run in the box office, it broke an uncountable number of records. Ironically, some of these records were held by other Marvel Studios films. The most impressive record is becoming the highest grossing film of all time. This record was previously held by James Cameron’s “Avatar,” worth $2.789 billion dollars. Endgame surpassed this record, earning a total of $2.797 billion. Moving away from the money aspect, the stories of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, also known as the MCU, will still continue after Endgame. This is exemplified through “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” which was released three months after Endgame in Endless success | Marvel Studios creates a cinema phenomenon like no other
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not be missed. While clothing brand Saint Laurent awed the audience and flaunted the world famous Eiffel Tower, Christian Dior made a political statement about climate change. Industries are going above and beyond to catch a viewer’s eye. From wearing dramatic headpieces to accessories as big as umbrellas, these designers are willing to do anything to one-up their multi-million dollar competitors. A notable brand, Balenciaga, even used prosthetics as part of their models makeup routine to create a unique look for their retro use of “power dressing.” A common fashion choice in the late ‘70s and early to mid ‘80s to create a more masculine and strong silhouette for working women. Power dressing involved a heavy use of shoulder pads and created a sense of confidence at work. As decades are recirculating back into the 21st century, designers are working in the world of fashion to transform these vintage looks into artwork that society can wear today strutting down their own runway, or even make a political message.
troduced to MCU fans that have not read the comics. One name that has been tossed around is Spider-Man. Following the news that this popular character will be leaving the MCU, fans rioted to have him return, making petitions online and going as far as boycotting MCU products until he returned. Soon after the news came out, a statement was made that the deal had been reached, and Spider-Man will be featured in one more solo outing and one teamup film in the MCU. This pleased fans greatly, cementing Spider-Man’s spot in Phase 4 of the MCU. Marvel Studios has accomplished something that no other studio has, creating a cinematic event so large that all over the world, it has received nothing but praise. Marvel Studios is still going strong, with tons of new content coming in the future.
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
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THE CHIEF 10 SPORTS Another marvelous season scored for Massapequa field hockey
NOVEMBER 25, 2019 BY JULIA RUOCCHIO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
NATASHA LICHTWAR STAFF WRITER
The Massapequa Field Hockey team finished the regular season by earning a record of nine wins and three losses. The Chiefs completed their season with a final record of 9-3. As the regular season winded down, the Chiefs were hungry for another County Championship. The Chiefs competed the three-peat, winning their ninth County Championship in the last ten years. Senior captains Sophia Theodorous, Megan Cook, Kelly Rosenfeld, Ciara O’Connor, and Molly Gerasci led the team through an unforgettable season. Since fourth grade, these five girls have been scoring goals and making memories together as their journey began with the Long Island Field Hock-
ey Association, also known as “LIFA”, which is a field hockey league for girls in elementary school starting in 4th grade. According to voice of Massapequa athletics, Alexander Carmenaty, these five girls are known as the ‘five-headed monster of Massapequa.’ They are nicknamed this for their outstanding teamwork and success on the field. Forward Gerasci scored a team-leading 10 goals this season with the addition of five assists, and a total of 15 points. Playing midfield, Theodorous, used her remarkable speed for the various breakaways made throughout the season. She totalled two points this season, including one goal and one assist. Returning All-County outstanding midfielder, Rosenfeld not only scored multiple goals and made many assists this season,
but has earned herself a spot on Mercy College’s field hockey and lacrosse team. Kelly is tied with teammate Gerasci for points on the year with 15, as well as leading the team in assists with 10. O’Connor uses her exceptional skill to aid the team in adding to the score with assisting goals too. Cook was able to strike the ball into the cage on various occasions throughout the season as a result of O’Connor’s outstanding ability to create opportunities for the Chiefs. Cook contributed to the team’s success with seven goals of her own. A key to the Chief’s success was their line of defense which includes Kristi Ruberti, Bridget Rosenfeld, and Carina Ramirez. Sophomore Ramirez led the defense in preventing their opponents from scoring. She is one of the three soph-
omores on the team. Playing back midfield, Kayla Hassett supports the team with her unbelievable dodging and defensive skills. Both Kayla Schuler and Alyson Anderson contributed to the team’s success by scoring multiple goals and making assists throughout the season. Their success proves how deep of a team the Chiefs are, getting contributions from several players throughout the season. Massapequa Field Hockey is a strong team that has been working hard both at practice and during the games. They were determined to make a statement this year, and they did. Alumna Kelly Boylan is a former Massapequa Field Hockey player who was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer. As a result, Massapequa Field Hockey has set up an
alumni fundraiser game and all proceeds go to Kelly as she battles cancer. There is a GoFundMe page set up to help. This game will take place on November 27th, 2019 at 5:00 pm at Berner Middle School. The girls have already raised over $3,000 for this cause. You can still buy “Kelly Strong” bracelets that are sold for $5; all of the proceeds will go towards this cause. The Massapequa Field Hockey girls have worked hard to achieve such an admirable record of 9-3. Their success didn’t end there, though. The Chiefs brought home the 2019 County title, but lost in the Long Island Championship to Sachem East in a heartbreaker. Putting their season-ending loss aside, it was a great season for the Chiefs, who won their third County Championship in a row.
Massapequa Volleyball: Conquering Nassau Once Again BY ALEX CARMENATY BUSINESS MANAGER
county final, the Chiefs won a thrilling matchup 3-2, after falling behind 2-1 entering the fourth set. “It was a big win for us last year we lost to them in the county finals and we knew this year that it was our redemption year and we know we were going to go up against them again. They are our biggest competition every year and we know we were going to fight with them for the number one seed and in the county finals. I’m proud of the way we played this year and it
was an honor being a captain for this team.” Vinny Colucci said on the teams’ road back to the county title, how important it was to defeat Planview once again and his role on the team, being a captain. The Boys lost to Sachem North in the Long Island Championship game 3-0. Even though they lost, they had a great season as well, claiming their way back to the top of Nassau County. Massapequa Volleyball made a statement this
season as they have conquered all Nassau County opponents, to reclaim their throne atop the county. Even though both teams lost in the Long Island Championship, do not sleep on them. If so, those who do will regret doubting a team that will make their heads spin.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY PATRICK GILLESPIE
Massapequa is back on top of Nassau County once again, after losing in the Nassau County finals last year, both the boys and girls varsity volleyball teams came back this season and took back the Nassau County throne. The Girls defeated Syosset in a 3-0 victory, while the Boys defeated Plainview in a five set thriller, winning 3-2. Both teams had lots of depth, power, and strength as the Boys were lead by Nick Bianco, Vinny Colucci, and Aidan Gregory. The girls were lead by Alexis Panagoulias, Meghan Wildes, and Gabriella Heimbauer as both teams’ power, chemistry, and height lead the way with Bianco, Wildes, Heimbauer and Panagoulias each standing over six feet tall. The Girls had been heading into the playoffs not conceding one set, sweeping each matchup 3-0. The playoffs were the same narrative, sweeping through Herricks in the first round, Farmingdale in the semi-final and Syosset in the Nassau County Championship game. Each win was 3-0 as the ladies won their 18th county title in 20 years. “We knew we had to
stay focused in practices towards our initial goal of taking back the county title and not dropping a set in the conference,“ Meghan Wildes said on how dominant the ladies were this season, especially since they did not concede a set all year during the regular season and the Nassau County playoffs. The girls’ incredible run came to an end when they gave up their first three sets of the season, getting swept by Connetquot in the Long Island Championship. The Boys on the other hand, had a strong regular season, leading to their success in the playoffs, muscling their way to a County title vs Plainview in the final. The Chiefs and the Hawks of Plainview has been the top rivalry in Nassau County Boys Volleyball for sometime now. Especially since the Chiefs defeated Plainview in the county final three seasons ago, while Plainview beat the Chiefs in the county championship last year. This year, after grabbing momentum from a major win to end the regular season vs the Hawks, sweeping them 3-0. The boys would roll into the playoffs getting a first round bye. In the semi-final, they defeated Syosset 3-0 and then in the
Nassau County Champs | MHS Boys Volleyball secures the win.
THE CHIEF SPORTS Massapequa Boys Soccer: Back on Top of Nassau County
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
BY ALEX CARMENATY BUSINESS MANAGER
goal. Our chemistry in the final third of the field really grew stronger as the season went on and that’s why we were so successful,” Boylan said. The Chiefs also had a top notch defense this season, led by Owen McGarrity, Mike Savella, Connor Curran and Colin Mushorn. This defense gave up only 12 goals in the regular season, shutting opposing teams in every Nassau County playoff game, conceding no goals. ̈ The defense this year was brought to new heights be-
cause of the communication and chemistry throughout our players. Most of our defenders have been playing together since we were little and it only betters our connection as a whole,” McGarrity said. The Chiefs defeated Uniondale 3-0 in the county final, getting revenge after a tough 1-0 loss in the final the year prior. The magical ride ended when the boys lost 3-2 vs Brentwood in the Long Island Championship game. Even though they were eliminated, the boys had an incredible season. This is a soccer
team that is one of the best in Nassau, from losing in the county championship game last season, to now climbing back on top of the hill in Nassau County as county champs. This year showed that Massapequa is a force to be reckoned with. The boys might be losing lots of seniors next year, but they still have a very strong team all around; on offense, defense and in goal. Don’t sleep on Massapequa, because when one does, a hefty price will be paid.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY DOMINIC FELICETTI
If the Boys Varsity Soccer team needed a major bounce back season, this year was the one. This season, the boys were looking for redemption as they made it all the way to the Nassau County Championship one season ago, losing to Port Washington. This year was a statement season, to show whether these gentlemen could maintain their dominance in Nassau County and be a contender for the Long Island Championship. The boys started the year 4-0 and they eventually became conference champions with a 1-0 win at Uniondale on October 18, clinching the conference title and finishing the regular season with a record of 10-2-1. There was a stretch of time where the Chiefs suffered tough losses to teams like Port Washington and St.Anthony’s as they could not capitalize on their chances. Ever since a big 3-0 win vs Chaminade on October 6, the Chiefs turned things around towards the end of the regular season, finishing with an eight game winning streak to head into the playoffs as the number one seed. This team was known for their
scoring as Brian Boylan lead the team in assists with 11 and 16 total points in the regular season, including his five goals. Steve Kirtyan lead the team with eight goals in the regular season and three goals in the playoffs. Matt Prusan had a heck of an end to the regular season and an exciting playoff, scoring seven goals in six games to end the season, (regular season and playoffs combined). “Our offense this year was so special because we all worked for and with each other. We all wanted to achieve the same
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Boys Soccer wins Nassau County | MHS Soccer Team wins Nassau County Championship
Massapequa Girls Soccer: Redemption Season puts Ladies on Top BY ALEX CARMENATY BUSINESS MANAGER
work to form any chemistry it was already there from the start. I had a really fun time this year and I hope they can continue our work next year as well,” For the girls, the defense has also been spectacular. It’s been Julia Stegner, Sophia Hatziyanis, Kayla Mushorn and Kalyin Ricci. These four have been a solid defensive pairing as well, conceding only 11 goals during the regular season and four during the playoffs. “A major reason the defense has been so dominant this sea-
son is the tremendous trust and support level throughout every player on the team. Defense starts from the forwards and ends at our keeper. A big part of defense is defending as a unit. Every person is willing to make individual sacrifices for the greater good of the team. That is why it makes us so special,” Mushorn said. The girls, come playoff time, began their quest for redemption, leading to their historic path. They won in the first round, 5-4, in extra time in a thrilling matchup vs Oceans-
PHOTO PROVIDED BY KAYLA MUSHORN
After a year of disappointment with a first round loss to Plainview last season in the playoffs, the Girls Varsity Soccer team stuck back this season with a thunderous roar, cruising through the regular season, dominating in the postseason and riding the momentum all the way through to the state semi-finals. Redemption was the key for the Chiefs this year, and they did exactly that. The Girls Varsity Soccer team had a remarkable regular season, starting the year 3-0 and then finishing the regular season on a six game winning streak in a tie for first place, with a total record of 10-1. They had a high-flying offense all season long with players like Sierra Brophy, Lia Howard and Gianna Savella. These three ladies combined led the offense with a total of 28 goals and 44 total points in the regular season. When Sierra was asked about the teams’ chemistry all year long, she said “I think because I played with a lot of the underclassmen when we were younger it was kind of fun to be playing again now that we are older too. We never had to work to form any chemistry it was already there from the start. I had a really fun time
this year and I hope they can continue our work next year as well,” Sierra is coming off a tough ACL Injury, last season. She has played phenomenal, as she lead the conference in goals with 17 this year, in her first season back from the injury. Sierra was asked about her comeback senior season, she said that “I think because I played with a lot of the underclassmen when we were younger it was kind of fun to be playing again now that we are older too. We never had to
Long Island Champions | MHS Girls Soccer team takes home the gold in LI Championships
ide. Then they shut out Plainview 4-0 in the semifinal and in the county final, they shutout Syosset 3-0, winning their ninth county title in 10 years. The Long Island Championship game brought flavor to it as well as it took two overtimes for Gianna Savella to finally connect, giving the Chiefs a 1-0 lead and eventually, they ran out the clock to win the title, their sixth in seven years. When asked about her first season, she stated that “My experience on my first year on this team has been very enjoyable. Everyone on the team was so welcoming and have been so fun to be around. I had the chance to play with girls I started playing with since I was young, and we automatically clicked on the field”. Massapequa Girls Soccer made a statement this year, falling down the hill one year ago, to now climbing back up as one of the top soccer schools on Long Island. Veteran players have taken leadership roles, while new faces have made a solid first impression, putting Long Island on their heels. For those who doubted Massapequa, they will definitely regret doing so as they for sure will keep their eyes wide open for these ladies come the future.
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
PHOTOS ‘Pequa’s got Pep! 2019
THE CHIEF
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