by Ashley ThomAs

This year, Ms. Rizzuti earned the well-deserved and prestigious title of “Teacher of the Year”. New Hyde Park alumni, Ms. Rizzuti has taught at New Hyde Park for ten years while being the epitome of an extraordinary teacher, coach, mentor, and col-lege. As a physical education, Ms. Rizzuti brings a copious amount of experience to the classroom with an immense amount of enthusiasm for what she does. With her rich passion and constant strive for greatness, she is continuously teaching new information each and every day while eliciting in-dividual student potentials whether in the gymna-sium, court, field, or the classroom. In response to winning the title, Ms. Rizzuti was very shocked and excited and stated, “I feel honored to be Teacher of the Year among so many of the teachers who have inspired me throughout the years.” Ms. Rizzuti’s passion for teaching began in high school because of the guidance of her own high school teachers. She was inspired to return the guidance she got to students like herself. In class, Ms. Rizzuti stresses the importance of having a positive attitude. In reference to con-stantly surrounding herself with a positive attitude while always giving off positive vibes, she stated, “I believe whatever you put out to the world, you will receive, so if you put out positive attitude, you will gain positive experiences. Along with putting out a the positive attitude during school, Ms. Rizzuti brings her positive at-titude to the court and field. Ms. Rizzuti started coaching Junior Varsity Softball in 2003 along with Junior High Field Hockey and Volleyball. She started coaching Varsity Volleyball in 2007 and was named coach of the year in 2008 and 2009. She started coaching Varsity Softball in 2010 and just finished her 6th season. They have made playoffs every year, advancing to the quarter finals every year. The exception was last year, when the team advanced to semi-finals. She was named coach of the year in 2016 for softball. Along with Varsity Volleyball and Softball, Riz-zuti was one of the coaches of the twice-victorious District Sports Night team. Her dedication and contributions to the team show her creativity as well as her determination to bring the win to our school. In addition to these attributes, Ms. Rizzuti is in charge of the leaders program in our school. The

Teacher of The Year: rising rizzuTileaders class is a class that takes students out of their comfort zone and shows them what it is like to be a teacher. It teaches students accountability, responsibility, and reliability. These are all the char-acteristics that Ms. Rizzuti finds important in the classroom and life in general. Ms. Rizzuti has been an inspiration to many stu-dents here in New Hyde Park. She creates connec-tions with all her students. Athena Fernandez, cap-tain of Varsity Softball stated, “Rizzuti is honestly one of the greatest people I have been blessed to meet in my life. Having her as not only my coach but a friend has been such a great experience and I know I can count on her for literally anything. She has been such a great shoulder to lean on in the last six years I’ve got to know her and I’m so happy we share such a great relationship!” Ms. Rizzuti is

known to have great relationships with all of her students. Veena Anil, a Varsity Volleyball player stated, “Rizzuti has taught me that no matter where I am, I will never stop learning. She constantly tries to teach new things in the classroom and on the court.” Though Rizzuti has spent ten years inspir-ing others here at New Hyde Park Memorial, she will continue to be an inspiration to everyone in this school as time goes on. Ms. Rizzuti loves to be part of this athletic department and elicit student abilities and potentials. Ms. Rizzuti reveals, “Fu-ture plans in my career would be getting another masters degree in administration. As much as I love teaching physical education and health I want to have the option for my future to potentially be-come an athletic director.”

Have a PulcHritudinous day, nHPby Kyle FrAncis BAngug

Being the Student Council President of New Hyde Park Memorial High School has to be the greatest experience I’ve ever had in my life, and I’m eternally grateful to the stu-dent body for letting me be its leader this past year. When I was elected it meant the world to me because it meant that the entire school believed in me and my ability to promote change. Not once did I ever take that for granted.

I truly worked my hardest to improve the lunches through the NHP Food Service Advi-sory Council. I’m proud to say that our hard work paid off and we were able to provide a deli bar, daily pizza and new lunches into our lunch pro-gram. After many years of eat-ing subpar lunches, that taste of a freshly made ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato and chipotle ranch sandwich tastes so much sweeter.

I’ve done my best to keep on playing new feel-good mu-sic on the loudspeaker whether that’s High School Musical, Jo-nas Brothers or Justin Bieber. Other than the lunch reform, I think the music in the hall-ways has to be my greatest ini-tiative as the Student Council President. Music is a language that everyone understands. Music has the mystical power to create joy and bring smiles to everyone, and that is exactly what I intended to get across when I played music all year. I thank everyone over the course of this year who has given me song suggestions and I hope

those songs were a bright spot in your day and helped you take your mind off of work for a good four minutes.

It’s been almost 180 days and if you haven’t noticed I still do say a new and differ-ent word on my sign off mes-sage everyday. I hope all of you were able to learn a new word or were able to enhance your vocabulary through my daily message. Being able to say things like, “Have a su-percalifragilisticexpialidocious day” every morning to an en-tire school was such a unique and fun experience. Changing up the daily vocabulary word everyday was one of the more subtle reforms I initiated this year, but I hope it captivated and amused you guys for just a split second every morning over the course of a year.

I would like to give a huge shoutout to my Student Coun-cil team; from the officers to my amazing advisors, Mr. Kowalcyzk and Ms. Esposito. They are extremely creative, hard-working and committed people who have listened to me with open ears ,even if I have a completely outrageous idea. I couldn’t have asked for a better team. You guys are what made this experience a lot of fun for me.

I would like to give a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart to the student body. I’m the man I am today be-cause of the encouragement and support of every student. Without your belief in me, I

THE CHARIOT“Carries The News”

StaffEditors-In-Chief-----------Gregory Kothesakis, Christina PanouisCopy Editors---------------Grace Lee, Alishbah SaddiquiNews Editors---------------Shaheer Ilyas, Jordan WilliamsFeatures Editors------------Emily Budhram, Fiona KiernanSports Editors--------------Tyler Baron, Vishruth GirishEntertainment Editors----Roby Daniel, Eleni KothesakisStudent Life Editors-------Jana Cruz, Krupa PatelCartoonists------------------Priyanka Algu, Matthew WongBusiness Managers---------Michael Valentino, Karina WongPublicity Coordinators----Margaret Cotter, Danielle SchwartzManager---------------------Millena SkugorAdvisers----------------------Michael Stencel, Ellen VanWieWriters: Kyle Bangug, Claire Friel, Alyssa Garcia, Carolyn Mikowski, Anush Shah, Vishwajit Sharma, Jessica Shechtman, Yahya Sheikh, Diya Shroff

THE CHARIOT - 2016 - 2017 STAFF

Editors-In-Chief-----------Emily Budhram, Eleni KothesakisCopy Editors---------------Mariyah Rajshahiwala, Nivetha ShanmugarajahNews Editors---------------Alexa Blandeburgo, Dave DodsonFeatures Editors------------Anooja John, Krupa PatelSports Editors--------------Christopher Kerrane, Matthew NotineEntertainment Editors----Abha Japi, Anush ShahStudent Life Editors-------Margaret Cotter, Danielle SchwartzBusiness Manager----------Saumya SharmaPublicity Coordinator-----Ryan JoseStaff Photographers--------Zahra Gittham, Diya ShroffAdvisers----------------------

couldn’t have achieved all of the goals that I have reached in making this school a bet-ter place for everyone in it. If there’s one piece of advice I can give to any aspiring students, it’s to have complete faith in whatever you’re aspiring to-wards. That faith compliment-ed with hard work is enough for you to achieve whatever goal you set your mind to. Ul-timately, good luck for next year. This school is in great hands next year as Jenna Weiss succeds me as Student Council President. For now I only have two words left to say: PRESI-DENT OUT. *drops mic*

Student Council President Kyle Francis Ban-gug and Student Council Vice President Jor-dan Marie Williams take a presidential visit to the headquarters of the United Nations in the Upper East Side neighboorhood of New

York City

Requiem for a Dictator - Greg’s Goodbye OMG Guys Wait Stop - Christina’s Goodbye

cHariot editors-in-cHief Goodbyes

Dear Staff,

This year has been nothing less than inter-esting. Its been a roller coaster that consisted of stress, laughing, yelling, and yes of course fight-ing. Well mostly the fights were between Stencel and Gregory, but we all had to witness that. We had a common goal to make the paper better than its ever been this year, and I think we all reached that goal together.

To Emily: Your smile is unmissable. I always loved sitting in the office with you, you made stressful situations into ones that were worth laughing about. Next year as you take on the role of editor in chief, keep that positive and bubbly attitude. Keep your head high and remember that you are ready to take on this leadership role. I am confi-dent that you will be able to keep the paper on the path of success.To ElEni: I met you when you were two years old, and I’ve watched you grow up, both in an out of school. I am so proud to be able to pass on the torch to you as editor-in-chief next year. Although you are blood related to Greg, I know you have a warmer soul, and a kinder demeanor than your brother. However, I know you possess the same leadership ability and will do just as great a job. To Krupa: Thank you for being my co-feature ed-itor last year, and helping me learn the ropes. Your dedication to Chariot is remarkable and I com-mend you for sticking with it for so long. Good luck next year and enjoy being a senior, it’s going to be one of the best years of your life. To ShahEEr: Although we’ve clashed heads once or twice, your witty remarks about being too lazy to go to layout and your arguments with Gregory have always made me laugh. Although I know ev-eryone was hard on you, the news section wouldn’t of been the way it turned out to be without you. To Jordan: Every time I would get annoyed at Greg and roll my eyes, you were always the person that would catch me and smile along. Thank you for listening to my complaints and helping me laugh about it after. To Jana: Your laugh is unmistakable, and I’d know you were in the office once I heard it boom-ing from outside. Thank you for lifting everyone’s spirit especially in times of stress. To roby: This year we’ve gotten to know each other a lot better, and I’m 100% positive that you

think I’m a psycho. That’s my fault, because I find a way to bring up completely random things that all of you guys really just don’t care about. Regard-less, thank you for listening to them, and for try-ing to put up with me.To Fiona: I know that this year, you’ve had some ups and downs, but I am honestly so proud that you stuck with Chariot regardless of everything that went on. I look up to you for sticking up for your ideas, and working so hard. To ViShruTh: First and foremost, thank you for allowing me to barge in on you and Tyler’s third period work sessions to talk your ear off. I’ve shared far too many stories with you, and things that I know you now use against me. Although I’ve known you since the 6th grade, it wasn’t until Chariot that we formed a friendship, and I am ex-tremely thankful that we did. Although you were a sports editor this year, you were really an honor-ary editor-in-chief. You helped Greg and I in more ways than one. To TylEr: Oh Tyler, since the moment I met you, I think we’ve had a love-hate kinda relationship. You’re mind-blown by the things I say, and always find a way to make some sort of comment about a reason why what I'm saying isn’t rational at all. You’ve been there to witness all of the arguments since the fetus days, and you’ve been my friend for as long as I can remember. You and Vishruth did a phenomenal job this year on the sports section and it was seriously my favorite section to read. To GrEG: So, we did it. We made it through this year without killing one another and I’m extreme-ly proud. There is nobody else I would’ve rather worked with. As much as you drive me crazy, I look up to you in so many ways. You commit yourself to your ideas, and never go down without a fight. You do everything 110% and apply your-self in everything you do. To mr. STEncEl: I’ve known you since the ninth grade, as I sat in your advanced class and listened as you made jokes. I loathed you that one time you made me reenact Romeo and Juliet with Mi-cael. However I still took journalism the following year, and am so grateful I did. You have helped guide me through most of my high school ca-reer, and are the reason behind my respect for the newspaper and journalism.

To my Staff

*THIS PART IS DONE, I JUST NEED TO

PHYSICALLY GET IT FROM THE CHARIOT

ROOM COMPUTER*

To TylEr: Don't change anything about you. We’ve been friends for thirteen years since you shrieked at me at Clinton G. Martin and I thought you were a freak. You’re the most reliable, organized person on staff, and working with you these past two years as your co-editor in entertain-ment and watching you make the sports section great again has been great.To ViShruTh: Change is a good thing! You often think too highly of yourself, you constantly argue with me over minute details, and you never take criticism well. However, you have made the most stunning layouts this paper has ever seen, your writing is sublime, and your persona is tolerable.To Emily: It’s been a rough year, Emily. I’ve put a lot of pressure not only on your section but on you as an editor and as a person. You’ve proved me wrong though in more ways than you know. Your work ethic and devotion to the paper make me hopeful for a Chariot without me, and if there’s anyone who can continue on the admiration for journalism and love for the Chariot, it’s you.To Krupa: Smell ya later! Just kidding Krupa. I don’t really know enough about you as an editor (I do have extensive knowlege of your tutoring schedule, though). However, you’ve been in the Chariot longer than even I have, and that kind of persistence and drive doesn’t come from someone who doesn’t rise to the occasion every single issue.To ShahEEr: It has been a rollercoaster of a year, Shaheer. From our friendly days in journalism where we wrote about Jerin’s bowel movements in KFC, to our silent cutthroat race to editor-in-chief, and now in the present day in our silence and conflict, it has truly been an experience to work alongside you. Even though I’ve had to shoot you (and your power moves) down on more than one occasion, you still bring innovation, accuracy, and edge to the news section, and next year's news editors will be standing in your tall shadow.To Jordan: Wait, you're on staff? News to me I. Haha, get it? News to me? Cause you're a news editor but in like a metaphorical sense? Jordan last year you did absolutely nothing, actually I'm pretty sure you only stepped in the office once and it was to hang a picture on the wall. Since you set

such a low bar last year I guess you technically did improve a lot. Despite me (and everyone who is actually on staff) heckling you into nonexistence for not showing up to layout ever, you are still my go-to editor whenever I need something done. Even though you're a primordial animal with a nickname that sends school administrators into shock, it has still been an honor to be your friend.To roby: Robito, somehow you are both the most intellectually developed person I've ever met, and somehow also the most fetal. You make basic mistakes every single issue. But that's part of what makes you great: you're not perfect. You constantly look for help and you constantly ask for new ways to make your section better. Your lack of common sense will be missed.To Fiona: Fiona, thanks for being a reliable, hard-working individual who never ceases to come up with great ideas. Your Gaelic flair and sassy ideas are great at long meetings, and you do your job so effortlessly that I barely need to help you at all.To Jana: Janacruz, you've become the most hard-working, independent, and creative person on staff. Your ideas are world-class, your layouts are stunning, and your bubbly attitude make you one of my favorite people to work with. We came from journalism together, and I still can't believe the amazing final product that you create every single issue. You're an awesome editor, a great person, and a fantastic friend.To chriSTina: There's nothing in this short blurb I can write that encapsulates a lifetime of friend-ship and a year of working alongside you as co-editor-in-chief. You might be a little emotionally unstable, but you'll always be my little hot mess. Thank you for everything in my life.To STEncEl & VanWiE: Stencel, you have made my year. We've yelled at each other in the hall-way, we've wrestled with authority disputes, we've stressed about the tight deadlines and impos-sible staff, but without you there would be no Chariot. Your guidance and influence have made the Chariot the best it's been in years. It's a true tragedy that this will be your last year as adviser, but you will be leaving a legacy of excellent staff members and seniors who adore you. Vanwie, you have been the mother goose of the Chariot. You've taken us underneath your wing, protected us from the worst parts of layout with your kindness (and pizza), and your presence, despite your insistince otherwise, is something we all cherish. To nExT yEar'S STaFF: lol good luck

At the beginning of this year, I came into this position with the slogan, "Make Chariot Great Again". No, we're not funded by The Donald and no we're not taking a stance. The Chariots of the 1960s and the 1970s showed excellent layouts, journalistic integrity, quality articles, and gram-attical neatness. I wanted to bring the Chariot back on that track this year. I wanted to make the Chariot great again. Well, we rekindled the tradition of April Fools, we restored neat and in-novative layouts to the paper, and ultimately we were recognized for having the second best paper in the entirity of Long Island. I couldn't be more humbled, in the Chariot's 60th year of publica-tion, to have had this amazing year. Thank you all, for everything.

Adelphi UniversityVeena AnilTyler CabreraThomas DailyJulian DePazElizabeth DuongAthena FernandezChristina FerranteJasmine GarciaFrederick GrimshawShane Jacob (NYU College of Dentistry)Vinay Maddula (NYU College of Dentistry)Meekha MathewJillian MyersSherah Thomas

Arcadia UniversityJames Brooks

Bentley UniversityKristine Leung

Boston UniversityCarolyn Wilson

University of BridgeportLouis Plomitallo

City University of New York (CUNY)Baruch CollegeJibin AbrahamJeffin KuriakoseAnthony KurienAlicia Manjila (Macaulay Honors)Amal MukalelAngela PuglieseRichard SamYasmin SeweidYahya SheikhBrandon Young

Brooklyn CollegeChrismal Abraham (Macaulay Honors)

Pryanka Algu (Macaulay Honors)Roby Daniel (Macaulay Honors)Jena PobleteJordan Williams (Macaulay Honors)

City College of New YorkYardelis Diaz (Sophie Davis School)Carlo EspejoJustin HongKimberly Keblish (Macaulay Honors)Gregory KothesakisRandy MahadeoJeffery MathewAbir Petiwala (Macaulay Honors)

Hunter CollegeMariam AliArgeroula CothalisCiara GallagherYuling HuangMohuya KhanMichael Pak

John Jay College of Criminal JusticeYogita Tandon

LaGuardia Community CollegeNaomi Pyle

New York City College of TechnologyKetsia Surena

New York City Technical CollegeMalik Laird

Queensborough Community CollegeFrancine ChirinosBrandon Meredith

Queens CollegeArub AhmedMusa Almiggabber

“My wish, For you, Is that this life becomesall that you want it to.”

Meagan DaubleAlyssa GarciaDhara PatelJailene Sumba

Coastal Carolina UniversityJack Belmonte

Cornell UniversityGrace Lee

The Culinary Institute of TechnologyAmanda Rego

De Anza CollegeMichael Chan

University of DelawareMcKenzie LynchSteven Teixeira

Fairfield UniversityGina Melone

Fordham UniversityKarina Wong

University of HartfordJana Cruz

Hofstra UniversityFrank BachhuberTyler BaronBinitha BenjaminKevin GarciaHussain GitthamAlishbah SaddiquiChristina SajiGoldie ThomasMichael ValentinoBeverly Varughese

Iona CollegeJennifer Miter

Ithaca CollegeAbby Wizel

Long Island University (LIU)PostKevin CondronGregory HaynesBrandon MohanSean MoranMichael OrlikJulia Singh

BrooklynAngel George

Loyola University MarylandSarah NgBrian Saramago

Marist CollegeMaya GuzmanJoseph Weiner

Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyJohn Stampfli

Mercy CollegeAhmed AlamiJennifer JosephScott KelnhoferMatthew Mastoridis

Molloy CollegeMark ChambersNatalie CullenSean DailyKyle DonohueVasia HalicosKrupa Jacob

“Ain’t about how fast I get there, Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side, It’s the climb.”

Jenny JoseAsisdeep KaurThomas KoshyJames MessinaArun NairAndrea SalmeronArchana SenthilkumarApoorva ShajiAnisha ThomasAnjana ThomasNeesa ThomasJake Villacis

Montserrat College of ArtDavid Mshar

Mount Saint Mary CollegeFiona Kiernan

Nassau Community CollegeAiden AyauDominick BarbaroJoseph BurattiNicole CaruanaToni-Anne ChiofaloKayla DavalosAnita DeSantisMatthew DoeringJohn DunnCatherine EscobarLinda GeorgeZareen GoolcharranAmal JohnAshil JohnJoseph KakkanattuSachin KumarJia Rong LiDeana MallickYegor ManoniNicholas MarchelosHenry MedinaAnthony MontoyaBrendan Murnane

Akhil NjaliyathuAaron NouzaDennis O’BoyleBrianna PalmieriMareena PhilipAdriana ReyesLeen SakkijhaArmaan SinghSuresh SinghSurjit SinghDylan Stansbury

National University of La Plata(Argentina)Angelica Coniglio

New York Institute of TechnologyRija AhmedMerve AltinbasAjay BenjaminChiara BushatiSalahuddin QureshiKristopher SinghNavjot SinghRobin ThomasEshita Verma

New York UniversityTahmid Bhuiyan

Northeastern UniversityEmily Park

Pace UniversityAaron Perkins

Quinnipiac UniversityCassandra Oncioiu

Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteSteven Cano

“Cause I’ve had the time of my life,And I owe it all to you.”

Sacred Heart UniversityChristina PanouisSamantha Zebitsch

State University of New York (SUNY)University at AlbanyChristein JosephRyan KlettJoshua RajanAlisa RajuJoshua RayappaMaika Rivera

Binghamton UniversityAnas AbbasSabrina BalducciJobin JosephMillena SkugorAshley Thomas

University at BuffaloJerin AbrahamAmi AjmeriEdwin Biju

CantonNicholas Favale

CortlandDana BattagliniVictoria Mooney

Delhi State CollegeLorenzo FocarinoDax ShethiaAnthony VerdeJoseph White

College of Environmental Science and ForestryHayley Glover

Farmingdale State CollegeRiyad AzeezMariElena BatistaSteve DaCostaJoseph GhotraFarheen HyderShaheer IlyasSunny TalrejaZachary ValesJared Wu

Fashion Institute of TechnologyJonathan AngBetsabe EspinalDaniella LujambioCatherine LyonsAshley Miranda

Geneseo State CollegeBenjamin Cradin

Maritime CollegeKevin KernKevin PeteroyDavid Rackoff

Herkimer CollegeNando Viera

New PaltzJessica FoxEric GonzalezNicholas LaskoKishan PatelMichael RomandoTania Velin

Old WestburyAlexandra BongiornoLauren CarboneHyo Kyoung ChoiKaynat Pal

“It’s something unpredictable but in the end is rightI hope you had the time of your life.”

OneontaJeremy ElkashashJason PriestNatalie Stein

Stony Brook UniversityKimberly GilotVishruth GirishReshma IttyWei Hua JiangKarthik NairNidhi PatelNimi PatelJorge Isaac PincayCameron PonManpreet SinghYash TrivediJoelle WrightBrian Wu

St. John’s UniversityJoseph CicackTiffany DominicDanielle GerbeSachin JacobSharon JohnMary KellyEmily LackrajJacob LeedsTanay MaddulaDaniella MalliaeDanielle MallickReianna MathewsMaria MichaelAmanda NegrettiJames RonsonSilvy ThomasJamie WongRonald Zekthi

Suffolk County Community CollegeAshley Moran

Syracuse UniversityRyan Hugh

United States Marine CorpsDarren BonuraAnundamodaran Kumarakurup

United States Merchant Marine AcademyJoseph Gardella

United States NavyDean Ferreira

University of the Sciences in PhiladelphiaAswathy MadathilSeema Sakaria

Vaughn College of Aeronautics andTechnologyZachary Fazekas

Villanova UniversityKyle Bangug

UndeclaredJordany AzconaKayla CaldasRyan DollbaumElmer GranadosMariana HernandezZubaer HossainAaron JamesYannis LeveskiAdam MerzouguiJiapei Zhou

“As we go on. We remember. All the times we.Had together”

by millenA sKugor

In 2009, with a booming economy and a city known for its beautiful beach-es and people, Rio de Janeiro seemed liked the perfect location for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. But fast forward to June 2016 and the country of Brazil is drowning in a pool of problems it has created for itself. Everything that could’ve gone wrong did. President Rousseff is awaiting her impeachment trial, the economy has gone into a recession, there is a national outbreak of the Zika virus, and crime has become rampant. Now, less than two months away, it seems that the In-ternational Olympic Committee (IOC) chose possibly one of the worst places to host the event that is expected to attract thousands of tourists from all around the world. Both the federal and state govern-ments are unprepared, with various ven-ues being incomplete. Rio de Janeiro’s state government is in a financial crisis and does not have the means to pay public workers, including fire fighters, policemen, teachers, and doctors. This prohibits them from paying the many workers needed for the games. Many of the large projects are unfinished and

by AlishBAh sAddiqui

National outrage was sparked when zookeepers were forced to shoot and kill a gorilla named Harambe in Cincinnati. Trespassing the barrier separating vis-itors and animasls, three year-old Isiah Gregg fell into the gorilla’s enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo last week and spent a total of 15 terrifying minutes alone with the 450-pound ape. Animal rights activists all across the globe have started petitions and created Facebook pages, such as Justice for Harambe, in response to the way the situation was handled, especially since silverback gorillas are an endangered species. As seen in the video, Harambe drags the boy around in the water in a seemingly aggressive way. The child suf-fered no serious injuries. Animal experts say that the gorilla’s body language indi-cated that he did not want to hurt the child, but rather protect it. The loud, irritating cries of the onlookers likely caused the gorilla to act in such a man-ner. Senior lecturer in Primate Behavior Dr. Emily Bethell stated, “His behavior is very gentle, he’s acting if he is sim-ply interested in this new being.” PETA states, “Gorillas are self-aware. They don’t attack unless they’re provoked.” From this, it’s clearly evident that the gorilla did not deserve to die. Harambe was not acting aggressively and was just acting in accordance with normal ani-mal behavior. However, in such a stress-ful situation, the zookeepers had to act fast. Although it would’ve been ideal if there were other measures that could’ve been taken in order to protect the child’s

by emily BudhrAm

In the first week of May, there had already been two robberies of local Sub-way shops in New Hyde Park, causing a great deal of stress and chaos across Long Island. Since the beginning of March, there has been a chain of knifepoint robberies occurring not only in New Hyde Park, but in the surrounding area as well, spreading from Oceanside to Massapequa Park. These robberies occur mostly at local stores and restaurants,

A Brazillian Problems Lead for Silverbacks

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have even resulted in tragedy. Multiple construction sites have collapsed, mak-ing the death toll due to the games rise to eleven workers. Despite this, the most concerning problem is the mosquito borne Zika vi-rus that can be easily spread and can lead to miscarriages or birth defects in preg-nant women. The WHO has declared the virus a “global health emergency.” The Olympic Games will promote the unnecessary exposure of thousands of tourists who will then return home, increasing the possibility of the disease becoming even more widespread. The public health disaster that can ensue is threatening and may have devastat-ing effects. However WHO also stated, “Canceling or changing the location of the Olympics will not alter the spread of Zika virus.” Doctors and critics have called for the games to be relocated elsewhere or even cancelled. To many people’s dismay, the Olympics will remain in Rio despite the recent events that would encourage it to be moved elsewhere. The IOC has failed to make a contingency plan and has no other option but to maintain the loca-tion it chose seven years ago.

life in that moment, there weren’t. Tran-quilizers would not have worked since they can take up to ten minutes to start taking effect; and in those ten minutes, the animal could have lashed out and panicked, hurting three year-old Isiah. Unfortunately, many have started to blame the kid’s parents for the situation. FOX News is even going as far as look-ing at his father’s criminal record, even though he wasn’t present at the scene at the time. Many also blame the mother for being so negligent. In fact, some on Twitter have even tweeted things like, “Save a gorilla. Shoot a mother.” However, it is important to note that she was also tending to several of her other kids at the time and children, es-pecially young boys, can be particularly rambunctious. If anything, the zoo is at fault for not taking precautions to en-sure that no one is able to get through the barriers. And if people really cared about the well-being of the gorilla, they should be criticizing the mere existence of zoos, as they can be extremely damag-ing to the animal’s physical and mental health. PETA commented, “This trag-edy is exactly why PETA urges families to stay away from any facility that dis-plays animals as sideshows for humans to gawk at.” Although many believe that the gorilla didn’t deserve to die, a child’s life was at risk and a decision was made. Cin-cinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard stated, “Looking back, we’d make the same decision.” A three year-old’s life was protected, but an animal was lost.

including Dunkin Donuts and gas sta-tions. This is quite contrary to the nor-mal peaceful atmosphere of New Hyde Park that usually goes undisturbed, causing many people to worry about personal safety and the safety of busi-nesses. The concern during the daytime is substantially lower than that during the night, considering the time frame of most of these events. The beginning of May was graced with two robberies of the Subway on Jericho Turnpike in New Hyde Park. According to a police investigation, the second robbery was unrelated to the other knifepoint robberies. The assailant was described as a white man, approxi-mately 5’10”, who entered the shop at 9:10 at night with his hand covering his side, as if to hide a gun. The man demanded money from the cashier, and the gun was never shown. Threats like this are still real, though, and the investigation is ongoing.

Paris, France - Evacuation efforts have been underway as torrential downpours cause deadly flooding throughout central and northeastern France. Aside from the immediate danger this has presented to civilians, it has also caused a threat to the valuable pieces of art located within Parisian museums. The rainfall has also caused a disruption to the French Open, leading to the postponement of several ten-nis matches. President François Hollande links the rainfail to global warming.

-J. Williams

News in Pictures

Source: Dondi Gist

Subway Swipers

Fallujah, iraq - ISIL command cen-ters and tunnel networks were bombed by coalition warplanes, with dozens of militants killed. The airstrikes targeted the operational units of ISIL. An estimated 50,000 residents are currently trapped in the conflict between opposing combatants. Civilians are asked to place white sheets over their homes to avoid bombing. Many people have the fled the city in seek of ref-uge. However, surrounding areas are de-prived of basic human necessities.

-J. Williams

Source: Reuters

Source: thestar.com

Striking a Feminist ChordX-MEN is X-ceptional

Grande’s New Album DeliversLittle Enjoyment

by Anush shAh

This year more superhero movies have been made than any year before, and with the amount of money and suc-cess they have made so far, the super-hero movie genre has no sign of slowing down. However, after the tremendous-ly successful Captain America: Civil War and the surprisingly entertaining Deadpool, what is next for the super-hero movie genre? The answer is X-Men Apocalypse. The X-Men franchise is one of the lon-gest lasting movie franchises starting in 2000, with X-Men. After critical failures such as X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it looked like it was time to say goodbye to the fran-chise. However, after the surprising hit X-Men: First Class, it looked like the X-Men franchise was back, and this was solidified with X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is deemed not only the best X-Men films, but one of the best super-hero films of all time. After waiting for two years, the X-Men franchise is back with Apocalypse, but did it live up to the hype that audience members were crav-ing after Days of Future Past? X-Men Apocalypse, unfortunately is not as great as Days of Future Past, but is still an extremely entertaining film. Veterans of the franchise, James McA-voy and Michael Fassbender, are still outstanding as Professor X and Mag-neto. Both actors understand the char-acters very well and also understand the

dynamic relationship between the two characters. Michael Fassbender truly steals the show in this film, portraying Magneto as a broken and complex char-acter, who does not know on which side he belongs. One of the biggest flaws of the film is the pacing. The beginning of the film is very slow, as it spent a lot of time set-ting up all the characters in the movie. The problem of having so many charac-ters in one film is that each one has to have an ample amount of screen time and this gets frustrating. The first ten minutes of the film involves Apocalypse in Egypt and how he became Apoca-lypse, and the scene is very tedious and predictable, and also unnecessary.The entire first act of the film revolves around Apocalypse recruiting his Four Horsemen and though it is necessary, it could have been cut shorter as it felt much longer and more drawn out than it needed to be. Other than the slow pacing of the film at the beginning, some of the char-acters being very forgettable, and a dull villain, the film is very entertaining and a must see. With amazing acting, fun action, and a great story, the film is a perfect addition to the X-Men franchise, and although it isn’t as noteworthy as Days of Future Past, it is still a fantastic film. It is another great addition to the superhero genre and the movie is sure to get you excited for the X-Men franchise.

by VishwAjiT shArmA

Before Fifth Harmony, girl bands seemed like a trend that was dying out with the last girl bands existing about a decade ago. Fifth Harmony marks the rebirth of these bands and it seems to be competing well with other bands and singers of the time. Many of the tracks on 7/27 display the style Fifth Harmony is best known for: loud, booming, and catchy. You want to sing aloud and dance to the beat of these songs. Many of the timeless songs on the album are classic because they are odes to women everywhere. They all have strong staccato beats followed by a stronglegato beat in the chorus, which creates a strong, hard beat that empha-sizes female independence. "Not That Kinda Girl" demands that men treat women with respect and equality and "That’s My Girl" encourages women to fight for themselves. Everyone has had

by eleni KoThesAKis

In the three years since Ariana Grande released her last album she has been caught licking donuts, appearing on the show Scream Queens, and looking flawless at award shows. All of that was forgotten when Dangerous Woman was released. Although her album was released on May 20th, Ariana Grande released the song “Dangerous Woman” more than three months prior. Since the single was released it has been on the top of the charts, and rightfully so. With lyr-ics such as “Cause I’m a giver/ It’s only nature/ I live for danger,” this song was the perfect teaser for her new album be-cause it shows how much Grande has progressed as an artist since her last al-bum.

The last five songs on Grande’s album are more boring than watching paint dry. Her album started off strong with music that was so different than what she did in the past, but as the album goes on it is as if Ariana Grande is going backwards. Ariana Grande’s whole album contra-dicts itself. Her style of music may be more soulful but the songs that she sings are still as bland as ever. Music is sup-posed to affect people’s emotions and make the person listening to the song feel the way the artist feels. Grande’s music does none of that since, as hard as she may try to get rid of it, she still has a whiny voice. The only emotion that Grande’s new album made me feel was a sense of hopelessness for a brighter fu-ture in the music industry.

their highs and lows, and it’s important for a woman to pick herself up and keep fighting, not wait for a knight in shin-ing armor. The album 7/27 is a home run. It matches catchy rhythms with mean-ingful messages, makes people want to dance and think, and gets people to sing and become a little braver.

Rick Riordan’s Riveting Read Reveals Real Rewardsby diyA shroFF

When I heard that Rick Riordan was coming out with a second sequel series to the Percy Jackson series, I was excited to read about what had happened to the characters I had adored so much as a child. But, I was also slightly wary. Al-though the second series was very enjoy-able and filled with cliffhangers, it was not comparable to the first. To my surprise, the first book of the The Trials of Apollo series, The Hidden Oracle, was refreshingly funny and very well written. While people who have read the previous novels may enjoy the novel slightly more due to minor refer-

ences to the previous protagonists and the familiar writing style, you do not need to have read the previous series to understand and appreciate the novel. While this book is a good read for any-one of any age, it targets a younger pre-teen demographic. The novel centers around the god of prophecy, Apollo. Zeus, has cast the “al-mighty” god Apollo from Olympus and has made him “a mere mortal teenager” because he believes that Apollo caused a large war which was the central con-flict written about in the previous series. Although many readers are drawn to

this book for its adventure and violence, what made me enjoy the novel was Apollo himself. Apollo’s constant hilari-ous comments of self-entitlement which usually praise his former glory and in-sult the average human never ceases to cause laughter. For example, Apollo says, “I will never understand how you mortals tolerate it. You live your entire life trapped in a sack of meat, unable to enjoy simple pleasures...And now, heav-en’s help me, I was one of you—just an-other meat sack.” If you are a fan of silly humor, you will love this book.

We’ve all been there - waking up at the time you’d be getting out of school and feeling like you just wasted the day. That basically epitomizes the last weeks of summer. But don’t worry, here’s a jam-packed list of what to do during those grueling, refreshing weeks of bore-dom and tiredness. Let’s talk location. It sometimes leaves our mind that we live just 18 miles away from one of the greatest cities in the world. With just a few friends, the city can be the site of good memories and good times. Your first stop is the High Line. Once a deserted railroad track, it was turned into a fantastic 1.25 mile haven from the hustle and bustle that the city is known for. This elevated park includes a flowing waterway for visitors to dip their feet in during the hot sum-mer months and a garden that makes one forget they’re even in the city. The High Line overlooks beautiful views of the Hudson River with an elevated view of the Meatpacking District. It’s located on the West Side of Manhattan and begins (or ends) a few blocks from the West Village. Known as a quaint section of the city, the West Village is home to brownstone buildings and cobblestone streets. A spot to hit if you’re ever in the neighborhood is Magnolia Bakery. Fa-mous for its cupcakes and sweet treats, the bakery is the perfect spot for a quick pick-me-up. Moving along to Midtown, Dylan’s Candy Bar in Times Square is enough to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth. Even if you’re not in the market for buying $30 worth of candy, just the place alone is enough to make a visit. But if you’re in the market for some new clothes that won’t break your budget, SoHo is the perfect place. SoHo is home to fash-ion boutiques like Brandy Melville, Mystique, and many others. They’re all relatively close to each other, so it shouldn’t be difficult to locate them. But now you’re hungry, right? Just next a step away from the shopping in SoHo is Little Italy, which has the Australian-

Your Island, Your SummerThe Power of Makeup by cArolyn miKowsKi

In today’s society, more specifically on social media platforms, “makeup culture” has become a huge aspect of life. However, it’s spreading past celeb-rity makeup artists and drag queens, making makeup something that is avail-able to people of all ages and genders. This rise of makeup culture is not meant to teach people to change themselves or to hide their insecurities under ten dif-ferent products, but rather to embrace who they are and enhance their natural beauty. Starting with the YouTube beauty community, makeup has exploded all over social media and become a more prominent part of society then it ever had been. YouTubers such as NikkieTu-torials, Desi Perkins, Jaclyn Hill, Lustre-Luxe, Carli Bybel, and countless others regularly upload videos in order to teach their viewers new techniques and share products they love. Tati Westbrook, known as GlamLifeGuru, devotes her time to putting “Hot New Products” to the test, ranging from drugstore makeup to $195 foundations and $340 face masks. This beauty community is largely dominated by women, but there is also a rise of many male artists on YouTube who are receiving just as much attention. MannyMUA, Jeffree Star, and Patrick Starrr have recently gained huge success across social media, and have even launched their own makeup lines or created collaborations with well-known brands. Makeup itself has also become a huge part of pop culture and social me-dia. There are fan pages for YouTubers, meme accounts, and inspiration pages that provide even more recognition for makeup culture. At this point, it’s hard to go on Twitter or Instagram and not have something involving makeup pop up from someone who retweeted it, or on a recommended page. Although makeup is something that dates back to ancient times, it is most recently becom-ing so well known and even despised. With this rise of makeup culture, many people have rejected the increas-ing popularity of using “face paint” to alter one’s appearance, and are critical of the movement. For example, a popular meme is to have a picture of a person without makeup and one with a full face of makeup on, with the caption “Take her swimming on the first date.” These memes are often created by people who consider themselves “meninists,” or the male version of a feminist. As a result of this “makeup shaming,” the beauty community has reacted in positive man-ner, most commonly known as the trend “The Power of Makeup.” A 20 year old

YouTuber from the Netherlands, known online as NikkieTutorials, started the trend with her video called “The Power of Makeup.” The video took the Inter-net by storm, earning almost 30 mil-lion views since then. Nikkie wanted to provide inspiration for those who wear makeup, and help those who do push past societal stigmas and stereotypes and embrace who they are. The video shows Nikkie doing a “full face of glam” on one half of her face and leaving one side completely bare to show how makeup can transform someone’s face, and help people learn to embrace what they love, because there are “no rules to makeup.” Since the video was published in May of 2015, many others who are part of the online beauty community have filmed similar videos, showing how makeup can transform one’s face. YouTuber MyPaleSkin published a video titled “You Look Disgusting” in July 2015, using comments taken from her social media pages of what people had to say about her, with and without makeup. She ends the video in a posi-tive manner, stating “You are beautiful, don’t let anyone tell you differently, not even yourself.” This video points out the societal pressure, especially on girls, to always look good. It also highlights the need for one to wear makeup if one’s face is anything less than flawless, but to not wear too much because then he is she is considered “fake.” The power of the makeup movement is meant to help people accept who they are, and spread the word that if you want to wear makeup you can, and if you don’t that’s okay too. This movement points out the pressure society puts on people to look good, despite the fact that we’re all people, and we are all the same, no matter what we look like on the outside. Since the publication of the video that launched this trend, NikkieTuto-rials has created an Instagram account known as “PowerofMakeup” in order to showcase the artistry behind makeup and inspire followers to love themselves, no matter how they look. Through the account, Nikkie has shared the stories of two burn survivors who use makeup to transform themselves, but both spread the same message—that you should learn to accept yourself, and makeup is a way of transforming yourself for you and no one else. Nikkie has also shared the makeup looks of a girl who has alo-pecia, a disease which causes one’s hair to fall out. It is clear that the account’s purpose is to serve as inspiration, and to be a way for makeup lovers to con-nect away from societal pressures and makeup shame.

inspired (ironic) cafe, Two Hands. This cafe is home to the Instagram-worthy food and aesthetic that floods your Ins-tagram feed without you even knowing. Lastly (and perhaps the most famous) is Serendipity 3 on the east side. With names such as Kim Kardashian, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and more people you follow on Instagram visit-ing there, it is known for its frozen hot chocolate and banana split. Just type in a picture of the frozen hot chocolate and we won’t have to say anymore. However, this place gets packed so a reservation is strongly encouraged. If you’re tight on funds or worried about transportation, there are plenty of places to have a good time right here on Long Island. If you’re looking for an active place, go to Bounce in Syos-set with some close friends. “Bounce! Trampoline Sports” is an indoor amuse-ment center with trampoline areas as well as dodgeball and basketball events. Bounce! will have you jumping for hours with your friends and it’s a great workout. Let’s be honest, everyone enjoys sing-ing their favorite songs whether you’re talented or tone-deaf. If you’re wanting to improve your karaoke skills, Karaoke Christmas is less than 20 minutes away and not too pricey. If you’re looking for a challenge, “Can You Escape?” is an increasingly popular place in Mineola where you and a team get locked in a fully themed room and have 60 minutes to solve the puzzles, find clues and get out. If you still don’t know what to do or where to go, visit out east. Places such as Greenport, The Hamptons, and other beach towns will have you second guessing you’re in New York. The quaint towns with beautiful beaches are the best spot for a stay-cation or a day trip. Take a break from the typical trip to Jones Beach and head out east for good food and fun. No matter what you do this sum-mer, it’ll definitely be great!

by meg coTTer and AlexA BlAndeBurgo

How to Be a SeniorBy yAhyA sheiKh

You’re a junior right now and you just cannot wait to be a senior. The idea of being a senior is so exhilarat-ing and thought provoking that you think about it every day. You dream about senior cut days, senior week, getting accepted to your college of choice, prom, and even graduation. But at this point in your life, also known as the end of junior year, you are very ignorant on what it takes to be a senior. That’s why you are reading this! So you can absorb ev-erything you need to know on being senior… before even being a senior. It’s simple and doesn’t require a lot of work. If you slacked off the first three years of high school, then you should not decide to start working hard in your senior year because it’s pointless. Stay true to yourself, and stay true to your slacker self. But don’t slack off to the point where you start failing all your classes. This article is about how to be a senior, not how to be a super senior, and I can’t help you with that unfortu-nately. No matter what you do, you will catch senioritis. Let it be, and don’t fight it. As the disease it is, it will spread throughout your body mak-ing you pure lazy. Just be cautious about your attendance. See what I did was not go to class a total of 18 times from September to January and due to that, I couldn’t cut on se-nior cut day a couple of times. Trust me, don’t be excessively absent all the time. It’s your final year of high school and you want to enjoy every last bit of it. Go hard on your col-lege applications! You only got one shot at it and it’s the next four years of your life. You really don’t want to regret not taking it seriously, es-pecially on college t-shirt day when everyone is wearing the shirt of the school they dreamed of going to. Something that will help in the long run is that you should really save up money and a lot of it. Dues will probably be at an all-time high since you probably haven’t paid for them in a while. Prom is expensive, especially if you’re a girl who wants to get your hair done, buy a dress, and get your makeup done. If you’re

bringing a date from outside, well then… good luck. You better have a job around this time because I can truly tell you you’re gonna be financially unstable for a while af-ter giving in your prom bid. A lot of people want to have a lot of free periods in their senior year, but you can really get unlucky and get a free period 2nd period and 8th period. This forces you to come into school at 8:00 and leave at 3:00 when you potentially could’ve came in at 8:45 and left at 2:15. Just be thoughtful and don’t take a lot of free periods, because for some reason every class you take in senior year transforms into a kindergarten class where you have to do no work at all and you just chill. This of course is excluding the advance placement classes, but those too become fun after the AP exams. That’s just a small overview on how to be a senior. You won’t really know what to do when that time comes, when you walk into school on the last first day of high school in your high school career even after reading this article. It’s a year full of experi-ences, lessons learned, and memo-ries. Just ask Student Council Presi-dent Kyle Bangug! When I asked him if he can give his advice on how to be a senior, he said “LIVE IT UP. Go to a party, support your school team, and hang out with people you usually don’t talk to. In senior year every moment is fleeting, so cherish the experience and cease the mo-ment.” You can definitely take that advice from the president and run with it. But it won’t really benefit you until you take this entire expe-rience upon yourself. Just remem-ber, it’s a really fun time filled with both sad and happy moments. From laughing to crying on your last day as a high school student, senior year will bring both ups and downs. Just remember to surround yourself with people who you can truly be your-self around and count on to be right by you. The best thing about senior year will definitely involve sharing fun memories with with the people you have gone to school with for the past six years of your life.

by jAnA cruz and KrupA pATel

If you are reading this you are probably excited for the school year to end and to become an 8th grader. Now that you have learned the ropes of NHP Memorial and no longer get lost in the halls you can proudly say you survived your 7th grade year. Throughout the year you prob-ably learned a few things, like who out of the security guards ask for a hall pass and who don’t, what teach-ers give the most homework, the days to get hot lunch and the days to pack lunch from home and how to avoid the hallway traffic by the stairs. These few things will stay with you throughout your high school career. But don’t be fooled; although you will only be in grade this upcoming September, don’t think that gradu-ation is far ahead from you. Before you know it, your senior year surely without you even realizing it will be here. Back in 7th grade I was personally told by Mrs. Phillip, “these 6 years will fly by and before you know it you will be in college.” Although back then I didn’t believe her, she was absolutely right. Time is some-thing we don’t get back so we might as well make the best of it. You are still a young Gladiator so don’t waste it; join a sports team, get involved through clubs, try out for cheer/step team/twirlers, whatever your heart desires. High school is the perfect opportunity for students to figure out what interests them and what doesn’t. I promise you that if you

don’t, you will regret it Take advantage of these years ahead of you to make memories, do well in school, learn from oth-ers, and reach your full potential in everything you do. High school is the time to make mistakes and learn from them. It’s the time to discover what you like and dislike or what you’re good and not good at. It’s time to challenge yourself, but make sure you don’t overwhelm yourself. You will learn that people change, and that’s okay because you will change throughout the years as well. Do your best, get involved, and make memories because when you’re looking back on it all as you’re putting on your cap and gown, you will be really glad that you did. Take advantage of what this school has to offer because when you leave you will miss these halls someday. For now, be proud to call yourself a Gladiator. The friendships you have formed over the course of this year may not be the same next year. The truth is that people will continue to come in and out of your life. Just know that its okay to branch off into other friends groups and look for people who share similar interests. If any of your friends seem to have a problem with you venturing out of your comfort zone, you might want to reevaluate if they are truly your friends. Remember to enjoy your time in highschool, and to make the most of your highschool career.

Dear 7th Graders...

Gladiators Go Cross-Atlantic

The New Hyde Park English depart-ment is no stranger to England, having visited more than once. This year it broadened its horizons, though, visiting Wales and Dublin as well. The advisors helped create an itinerary that was both educational and entertaining, but it was not the planned activities alone that made the trip an amazing experience. In fact, it was the candid moments and the diverse people that contributed most to creating an unforgettable adventure. Daniel Finch-Race is a professor at Cambridge University and a tour guide for ACIS. For the duration of the trip, Daniel took the group around England and Ireland, sharing his knowledge of their vast histories and the literary ge-niuses who once lived there. Knowledge was not all Daniel had to offer though. Instantly, the students felt a connection with Daniel. Over the course of the trip, the group formed a bond with Daniel as they came to love his snappy Brit-ish humor and approachability, despite his status as a master of languages and an accomplished professor. The group fondly remembers Daniel’s catch phrase “Y’know, kind of…”, and the fun time they had playing Cards Against Hu-manity with him on the ferry ride to Ireland, during which Daniel let his true colors show, and even taught the students some new words. The trip began in London, with a guided tour of the Globe Theatre, a visit to the London Tower, a walking tour of the life of Charles Dickens, watching the changing of the guards at Bucking-ham Palace, and a lot of shopping. On the very first night, the students were a little nervous for the trip. When they got to their first hotel, it took an insane amount of time to find the rooms, and the poor Wi-Fi didn’t help either. The hotel was a little strange to a bunch of people so used to lavish life in America, especially the random door labeled “se-crets.” However, once they rested and started the next day, they were able to laugh and even admire the quirks of

the hotel. During the rest of their stay in London, the students learned all about crown jewels, torture chambers and delved into the lives of literary ge-niuses like William Shakespeare. In the midst of all this, there was still room for laughs. From Mr. Yen’s merciless roast of a student’s fashion faux pas to a birth-day celebration for Maya Guzman, the group found time to goof off and enjoy each other’s company.

On their last night in London, the group visited the London Eye and had the chance to take a bird’s-eye view of the beautiful scenery London had to of-fer. Next on the itinerary was a journey into the creation of the Harry Potter films at the studio where it was actu-ally filmed. Getting a glimpse into the making of the films that defined our childhood brought students like Mary DiCanio to tears as they looked into the Mirror of Erised and tasted But-terbeer for the first time. “What house do you belong to?” became the most asked question of the trip, and students indulged in some friendly debate over which house is the best. Hundreds of pounds down and overstocked with official Harry Potter merchandise, the group departed for their next adventure. The group got to walk around the campus of one of the most prestigious schools in the world, Oxford University.

One group of students recalls their ex-perience punting in Oxford. Punting, a pastime similar to Venetian gondola rid-ing, proved to be more difficult than the students bargained for, and left a group of 5 struggling to row for over an hour. Luckily Mr. Yen and the local punt-ing employees came to the rescue. For all else though, punting was a relaxing and unique experience. This was fol-lowed by a short stay in Stratford Upon Avon. In Stratford, they went to an act-ing workshop and saw a performance of Don Quixote by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Students also got to partici-pate in an acting class led by the Royal Shakespeare Company. No one expected that trying to tap the back of someone’s knees and playing dead in the middle of a circle of people would be fun, but it was actually an incredible bonding ex-perience with a ton of laughs. Students absolutely adored the small town of Stratford, and learned a lot from talk-ing to the local owners of small shops.

Leaving was bittersweet, because despite wanting to stay, they were excited for the two countries ahead. Next was the single day when the students ate breakfast in England, lunch in Wales, and dinner in Ireland. The traveling was tiring, but the view from Conwy Castle and the authentic fish and chips in Wales made the long day worth it. When it was time to board the ferry, the students couldn’t deny their

fears. Mr. Yen warned them that the fer-ry ride may be uncomfortable, long, and nausea inducing. The downpour that ensued as they entered the loading dock only served as an omen of a rough ride, so it was much to their delight when the group boarded an enormous ten ¬story ferry complete with a cafe, multiple gift shops, and a children’s play area. When they finally arrived in Ireland, the stu-dents had the night to themselves. Too excited to go to sleep, many of them congregated in friend’s rooms to play Cards Against Humanity or film videos with their favorite purchases, life-like masks of the royal family. Though time in Ireland was short, the group made the best of the small time they had. Students ate lunch at au-thentic Irish pubs and shopped for au-thentic Irish knit sweaters. Plus, hearing everyone’s Irish accents was refreshing after 5 days of listening to British ones. Despite the daunting Dublin traffic, the group enjoyed a bus tour through the city, led by a learned Dublin native who educated the students about the rich history of the Republic of Ireland. They saw the Book of Kells at Trinity College Library and then separated for some free time to explore. The culture in Ireland was much different than in England, which created an even more diverse educational experience. A thousand cups of tea and portions of fish and chips later, the students re-turned back home with memories and countless photos. The weather was frig-id, and soaking in rain and even snow was not always enjoyable, but these memories seem to be either pushed aside or simply laughed at when looking back on the adventure. From experienc-ing Mrs. Caruso’s compulsive spending to Valentina Bauman’s addiction to car-amel lattes and cinnamon buns, the trip took a bunch of people who may not have been close at home. Mrs. Mannle, Mrs. Caruso, and Mr. Yen inevitably ended up being referred to as moms and dad by the students. The students were happy to share their unforgettable expe-riences.

by clAire Friel and jessicA shechTmAn

StudentAlami, AhmedAlgu, PriyankaAntao, Steffi MargaretArkin, Hannah P.Arkin, Hannah P.Arkin, Hannah P.Arman, Nicholas J.Aronov, Julia NicoleBialczak, VictoriaBrooker, Audrey K.Brooks, JamesBushati, Chiara SCabrera, NicoleCarrick, Christian J.Chambers, Mark P.Chambers, Mark P.Chambers, Steven MChambers, Steven MDaily, Thomas M.Daily, Thomas M.Daly, Ciara AnnDaly, Ciara AnnDePaz, JulianDePaz, JulianDePaz, JulianDiaz, DanielDiaz, DanielDiVello, Devon E.Fernandez, Athena M.Gardella, Geena GabrielleGardella, Joseph N.Gardella, Joseph N.Ghotra, JosephGlover, Hayley K.Griffin, MackenzieGrimshaw, Ann M.Grimshaw, Ann M.Grimshaw, Ann M.Grivas, AndrewGutierrez, BrandonHalicos, Vasia M.Hickey, Jennifer CatherineHoerter, Brian WJoseph, Nicole MariaKelnhofer, Scott DavidKelnhofer, Scott DavidLeeds, SophiaLockwood, LindsayLorandini, Matthew SMallick, Deana MManoni, YegorMarchelos, Nicholas ManuelMauceri, JoannaMauceri, JoannaMauceri, JoannaMcGuigan, Daniel T.Messina, James W.Messina, James W.Mikowski, Kelly AnnMooney, JamieMooney, Victoria LinnMukalel, Amal BMukalel, Amal BMukalel, Amal BNiewierowski, MarkPietromonaco, Cristina P.Pon, Cameron H.Procacci, Katherine MayRonson, James AlexanderSharma, SaumyaSiozios, DaphneSollecito, Krysta RoseStansbury, DylanThomas, GoldieThomas, GoldieVales, ZacharyVales, ZacharyVelin, Tiffany G.Velin, Tiffany G.Velin, Tiffany G.Ward, Logan MWard, Logan MWilliams, KennedyWizel, AbbyWright, JoelleWright, JoelleZabicki, Michaela H

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SportBoys’ Varsity SoccerGirls’ Varsity TennisGirls’ Varsity TennisGirls’ Varsity Field HockeyGirls’ Varsity SoftballGirls’ Varsity BasketballBoys’ Varsity LacrosseGirls’ Varsity SoccerGirls’ Varsity TennisGirls’ Varsity Field HockeyBoys’ Varsity LacrosseGirls’ Varsity SoccerGirls’ Varsity Field HockeyBoys’ Varsity VolleyballBoys’ Varsity FootballBoys’ Varsity BaseballBoys’ Varsity FootballBoys’ Varsity TrackBoys’ Varsity Cross CountryBoys’ Varsity Indoor TrackGirls’ Varsity Field HockeyGirls’ Varsity LacrosseBoys’ Varsity Cross CountryBoys’ Varsity TrackBoys’ Varsity Indoor TrackBoys’ Varsity TrackBoys’ Varsity Indoor TrackGirls’ Varsity Field HockeyGirls’ Varsity SoftballGirls’ Varsity LacrosseBoys’ Varsity FootballBoys’ Varsity LacrosseBoys’ Varsity BasketballGirls’ Varsity Field HockeyGirls’ Varsity SoccerGirls’ Varsity Field HockeyGirls’ Varsity SoftballGirls’ Varsity Indoor TrackBoys’ Varsity TrackBoys’ Varsity SoccerGirls’ Varsity VolleyballGirls’ Varsity SoftballBoys’ Varsity LacrosseGirls’ Varsity TrackBoys’ Varsity FootballBoys’ Varsity BaseballGirls’ Varsity Field HockeyGirls’ Varsity TennisBoys’ Varsity LacrosseGirls’ Varsity VolleyballBoys’ Varsity VolleyballBoys’ Varsity Cross CountryGirls’ Varsity SoccerGirls’ Varsity LacrosseGirls’ Varsity BasketballBoys’ Varsity TrackBoys’ Varsity BaseballBoys’ Varsity BasketballGirls’ Varsity SoftballGirls’ Varsity SoftballGirls’ Varsity SoftballBoys’ Varsity Cross CountryBoys’ Varsity TrackBoys’ Varsity Indoor TrackBoys’ Varsity WrestlingCoed Varsity RifleryBoys’ Varsity VolleyballGirls’ Varsity Cross CountryBoys’ Varsity VolleyballGirls’ Varsity TennisGirls’ Varsity TennisCoed Varsity RifleryBoys’ Varsity TrackBoys’ Varsity TrackBoys’ Varsity Indoor TrackBoys’ Varsity TrackBoys’ Varsity Indoor TrackGirls’ Varsity SoccerGirls’ Varsity TrackGirls’ Varsity Indoor TrackGirls’ Varsity SoccerGirls’ Varsity TrackGirls’ Varsity TrackGirls’ Varsity TennisGirls’ Varsity TrackGirls’ Varsity Indoor TrackGirls’ Varsity Field Hockey

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nhP’s sTandouT aThleTes

New Season, New Faces

Oliver Vernon - DEThe Giants paid big for potential, handing Vernon a 5 year $85 million deal in hopes that he can build on

what was arguably his finest season yet.

Eli Apple - CBThe Giants drafted Apple at 10th overall, hoping his rare combination of length and speed will allow him

to develop into a true shutdown cornerback.

Darron Lee - LBThe Jets drafted Lee at 20th overall, hoping his stellar speed and instincts will give the team a linebacker to

excel against the pass as well as the run.

Ryan Clady - LTThe Jets traded for Clady in the wake of D’Brickashaw Ferguson’s retirement, hoping he can regain the form which made him one of the best tackles in the NFL.

Unified Basketball A Success In First Year

Track & FieldNew Hyde Park track & field had one of its best seasons ever this year, with numer-ous records being broken, and the boys’ team making history by bringing home the division championship after posting a 10-3 record. Coach Buith said, “Overall we had a really great team, everyone worked hard from the bottom up and it showed. You saw people just going out there and racing hard, racing to win, and it showed in the team’s performance.” A remarkable 6 people went under 5 minutes in the mile. Standouts included Julian DePaz, Joelle Wright, Dylan Stansbury, and Daniel Diaz,

among others, who had seasons full of PRs and improvements.

Boys LacrosseThe boys are coming off of one of the best seasons they’ve had in years, after an unprecedented 7-0 run to start the season, and capping it off with a playoff appear-ance. Coach Milio said, “We were in every game except for maybe one. Everyone had a job and did their job well, and there was a team concept, which is why we did so well. We played South Side in the first round, and gave them a good game that was recognized by a lot of coaches in the county.” Standouts included junior Brian Hoerter, who led the team in scoring, senior James Brooks, as well as juniors Matthew Lorandini and Nicholas Arman. With a strong group of underclassmen

returning, the team looks to be in contention next year.

Girls LacrosseThe theme for the girls this year was development. Unfortunately, the team’s record did not reflect their level of skill on the field, but as Coach Gagnon said, “we have a young team, very talented, and in the near future, we will be more successful with increasing skill development.” All three captains on the team were stand-outs on the field, including freshman Joanna Mauceri, sophomore Mackenzie Griffin, and junior Jules Wesler, who stepped into their leadership roles and developed a strong presence on the field as the team grew. Also notable was freshman Geena Gardella, who led the team in scoring. With most of the team returning next year, ensuing

seasons are sure to be successful for the team.

Boys TennisFighting through a tough first half, the boys rebounded to have a strong close to their season, with high hopes for next year. Unfortunately, the injury of junior Pete Siozios meant an unforeseen struggle as the team entered the season, meaning every player would have to move up in their role on the team. However, as the season went on, the team members all grew into their new roles, with the standout being sophomore Garrison Shu. Although he was used to playing second singles, he had to move up to first singles, and according to Coach Stagnitta, this made him a much better player. With Siozios returning next year, and the team as a whole now

improved and better than ever, things are looking bright for the team.

BaseballWith a strong senior presence and under the guidance of Coach Robins and Coach Nails, the boys went 10-8 and made it to the playoffs for the first time in many years. When asked about how he felt the season went, senior Mark Chambers said, “The season went well, we made the playoffs which was one of our season goals. Our record wasn’t what we wanted it to be but we played strong baseball when we needed to and I think the overall season was a success. Anytime you make the playoffs after not making it in the past couple of years it is a victory in itself.” With

a winning record and a trip to the playoffs, it was a season to remember.

SoftballThe girls had another very successful season, playing off of the strengths of the nu-merous veterans and the experience and leadership that they brought to the team, going 13-6 overall and 12-3 in league. Team co-captain and senior Victoria Mooney said, “This year we had basically a whole new team and although it didn’t seem like we were going to do as well as did in past seasons, we all worked really hard and improved 100% as a team from the beginning of the season and that’s all I could ask for in my last high school season and as a captain of this amazing team.” Returning standouts like juniors Hannah Arkin and Sophia Jacoby means that next year’s team

can look forward to continuing the tradition of success. by AlyssA gArciA

This spring our school joined Uni-fied Sports with Special Olympics. These sports allow mainstream stu-dents and students with Intellectual and Development Disability (IDD) to be placed on a basketball team and play and play effectively and competitively. This team helps mainstream students become more open and willing to be-come friends with the special education students. At the last home game we had the privilege to begin a “Unified Cheer Squad”. This squad consisted of 4 main-

stream students, Alyssa Garcia, Jenna Wheis, Rebecca Olivari, Valentina Bau-mann and and two students with an IDD, Samantha Duggan and Maria Na-tale. The Squad performed in between quarters and during the half they were welcomed and appreciated by a cheerful and supportive crowd. This team’s first year was very successful and really made a difference to the students. The goal for the future is to help more students with an IDD and turn Unified Sports into a big part of NHP sports.

How an Average Runner Became the Greatest in School History

LEADING BYEXAMPLE

The Times Speak For

Themselves400m - 55.5800m - 2:01.51600m - 4:29.73200m - 9:37.94000m - 13:48.25000m - 17:02.9

“I almost became a sprinter,” says Julian as he thinks back to his first days as a runner. It’s incredible to think that this entire story rests on this one decision - one that put J. DePaz on the record books, instead of leaving him one of the also-runs of school history. Countless athletes have run as a Gladiator, but only a few names have stood the test of time. The most notable name, J. Morris, has inspired awe for many, holding nearly every significant sprinting and mid-distance record for over 40 years. Julian remembers the first time he looked up at the board and saw the looming names, “I saw G. Skugor and J. Morris up there with maybe seven records each. At the time I thought the records were completely unreachable. The indoor mile record was 4:44, and I was wondering if it was even possible for me to break six minutes on the mile.” The first season was tough as Julian started out slow, trying to gain his footing on the track. Unbeknownst to everyone at that time, there was talent in this scrawny tenth-grader. His first ever 800m (approximately half a mile) was 3:04, but over the course of the tenth grade, he was able to cut it down to 2:19. He even managed to run a mile at 5:00, which was a remarkable im-provement as he’d increased his distance while simultaneously increasing his pace. By the end of that first year, Julian had taken his place as one of the best runners on the team. He battled with fellow sophomore Tommy Dai-ly and junior/team captain Thomas Condron for the best mile time throughout that spring season. Julian smiles as he thinks back to that chase. “Tommy ran a 5:15, Tom [Condron] ran a 5:10, I ran a 5:11, then Tommy ran a 5:07.2.” He chuckles as he says, “and I beat Tommy by a

few hundredths of a second, running a 5:07.12, then Tom ran a 4:55 out of nowhere and finally I ran five flat.” It was this competition that drove him to him to success, as he credits his team-mates for making those personal records (PRs) possible. With a successful sophomore year under wraps, Julian looked forward to continuing his growth during cross country. He trained all summer, running miles and miles in the blister-ing heat. He ran workouts on the track, meet-ing up with his teammates several times a week. These workouts were brutal, and often left Ju-lian and his teammates doubled over, struggling to breathe as they finished. As teammate John Stampfli describes, “Under the blazing sun, you push your body past its limit in an effort to fin-ish, whether it be a tempo run, fartlek, or any other type of workout.” With his base mileage in

place, Julian was in prime position to establish new PRs. He started off strong, cutting down on his times by huge margins each race. Over the course of five meets, he’d managed to run a 15:14 4K and an 18:59 5K, and it seemed an All-County honor was within his grasp. Mean-while, Julian was battling through some aches and pains, which is not at all uncommon over the course of such a long and grueling season. “I was nicked up for the second half of the season, with this sharp pain in my hamstring,” he says. This injury slowed Julian down from his usual standards, but it appeared to be a minor bump in the road for him. He continued training, tak-ing careful measures to help himself heal in time for the County Championship Meet. Holding to Murphy’s Law, anything that could go wrong went wrong. “Five days before Counties, I started feeling this soreness in my groin that just wouldn’t go away,” he says. “I couldn’t run, and I could barely walk.” Julian took several days off to recuperate and trained on an exercise bike to keep in shape. In spite of this injury, he maintained that he could run at Counties. Still wanting to help his team fin-ish high in the standings, and still hopeful of an All-County honor, he lined up at the start. Looking back, Julian says “I ran the worst 5K of my life that day.” Running this race proved to be a bad decision, as he re-aggravated his injury and limped to the finish line nearly two minutes off his PR. Sidelined for a good portion of a month, Ju-lian was unsure what his winter season would bring him. He spent the month strengthening his body, and when the time came to start run-ning again, he rehabilitated with Tom Condron.

Tom, coming off a stress fracture, and Julian, coming off a strained groin, spent their prac-tices together - slowly jogging for half a mile, then walking for half a mile. They repeated this routine, working to gain back their endurance which made them the runners they were. This process was a grueling experience, and as Tom attests, “rehab sucked… it’s tough coming back to full speed after all that time off.” Julian’s first race back was simply a test for his body, checking to see if he could handle the vig-ors of all-out racing. “[Coach] Buith told me to take it easy, so I let the others pace me through the race,” he says. After he made it through the line with no indication that his groin or ham-string were troubling him, the experiment was deemed a success. With the all-clear given, there were no restraints on him the next time he stepped on the track. He ran a 5:07 mile, and

he quickly made it clear that he wasn’t too far off from his PRs. By the end of that winter, he had a 4:56 mile under his belt, and his injuries far be-hind him. All that was left was to look forward to a PR-filled spring season. With his continuing growth as a runner, Julian was now given the opportunity to run three races, or triple, at each meet. He’d often times run the 1600m, the 3200m, and run a leg in the 4x800m relay, and wind up setting PRs in all three races. Although his mile time had stagnated around 4:55, Julian continued put-ting in work at practice, hoping to find his big break. This break arrived in the form of a 4:44 mile, run in an important conference meet at Herricks. “At first I thought it was a fluke,” he says. “I expected to go right back to 4:55 and stay there.” Although he had doubts about his own ability, his times served to validate his tal-ent. He proved that the 4:44 wasn’t a fluke, by running a 4:45 the very next meet in extremely windy conditions. At the Division Champion-ship Meet, Julian helped the team to a strong second place finish, scoring huge points with top 3 finishes in all three races he ran, in what he calls “the best performance of [his] career up to that point.” Capping off his career, senior year is a story of PRs, a story of winning, and ultimately, his-tory. Julian managed to lead the Cross Country team to a 10-3 record, the best in school history. He led by example with his 13:48 4K and 17:02 5K, which broke G. Skugor’s records and earned him All-County honors and a ticket to the State Championships. Julian is the first Gladiator to ever qualify for this prestigious meet. He fol-lowed up an impressive Cross Country season with an even more astounding Indoor Track

season. His mile time continued its down-ward trajectory, and his 4:36 mile proved to be enough to return to State Championships, where he earned All-State honors for his ef-forts in the Intersectional Relay. In addition to the mile record, he put his name in the record books for his 1000m time, and was part of the record-breaking Distance Medley and 4x800m relays. Spring was when he captured the final of his nine school records, with the 3200m record and the 4x800m relay. The 3200m record is perhaps most notable, as the previous record of 9:49 stood since 1975. His 9:37 amounts to ap-proximately two miles at a blistering 4:48 pace per mile. This remarkable record is sure to stand for a long time. His name will hang on the very same record board that he once looked up to. It will read J.DePaz, for all those who come after him.

“I was wondering if it was even possible for me to break six minutes on the mile.”

by VishruTh girish