By Ellen Stoyanov Being given the opportunity to travel is a gratification that cannot be reimbursed. Furthermore, how can you repay the organizers, administra-tors, chaperones, parents, and students that all contributed to making a trip the most wonderful experience of your life? The trip to Spain, organized by EF Tours and managed by Forest Hills High School, was just that – the most wonderful one could have ever imag-ined. Speaking biasedly and having attended the trip, I must say that there has never been a more thrilling and awe-inspiring event in my life. There is an inadequate amount of adjectives in the Eng-lish language to describe the greatness of this trip. The trip consisted of three main locations: Barcelona, Madrid, and Toledo, all of which were beautiful. We explored and learned about the cul-ture face to face with the ancient landmarks. Each day there were local tour guides leading us through places like Park Güell and Sagrada Familia, leaving us speechless as we went. Samantha Morsen, senior at FHHS, described it as “an incredible learning experience and a great way to make new friends.” Everything from our main tour guide, Jesus Martin who became a beloved friend by the end of the trip, to our chaperones, who were better than we could ever ask for, to Spain

itself, was quite honestly amazing. Jesus Martin is the tour guide who stayed with our group from the mo-ment we landed in Barcelona to the moment we boarded the airplane in Madrid to come home. He was “very professional and passionate about his culture,” as Ms. Salane described him, while still being fun and interactive with the students individually. Jesus Martin became part of our ‘Spain fam-ily’ so-to-speak, and he is still greatly missed amongst the students! He was a big influence on the vitality of the trip. Between exciting bus rides

and funny conversations with our newfound friend Jesus, were breath-taking sites. Witnessing the lavish features and monstrous heights of the Sagrada Familia was absolutely astounding. It was interesting being a part of the local culture; visiting local markets made us feel as though we were casually shopping for tonight’s dinner. Even the fruits and vegetables, full of life and color, filled our hearts

with awe. We were lucky to experience a

ride on the ‘Bullet train’ from Barce-lona to Madrid, on which we got to see vast countryside going nearly 190 mph. In Madrid, we went to the Prado museum, which captivates some of the most prized works of art in the world. Later that day we got Flamenco les-sons at an authentic café bar, contrib-uting to our taste of Spanish culture. Finally, our hearts were left in Toledo, which is an ancient city remaining practically untouched by the modern world. The feeling of being in the midst of such a rich country, filled with history, art, and culture, leaves behind an ambience that can only be described as ‘Europe’.

In between these exhilarat-ing events, we were given time to roam the areas that we knew well in small groups. This gave us time to experience travel independently. This is the time during which friendships were created to last a lifetime. Senior at FHHS, Taylor Persaud, said that “going to Spain was one of the best experiences of my life and I hope I get to go back one day!” You can imagine many of us were disheartened about leaving this wonderful place. All of this action left us exhausted and famished. We did not mind this much because the food was generally up to par, and our hotels were all suitable and adequate. In this aspect, we could not give much atten-tion because Spain filled with “good people, good food, and good sights,” as chaperone, Mr. Perez, would say. As for the students on the trip, Ms. Salane said we were great, an “excellent group” even! In regards,

By Jourdan Howard “Food, friends and fun,” three words senior Brittney Cabbel used to sum up Senior Trip – one of the big-gest events for seniors. From Febru-ary 6th to the 8th two hundred seventy students left for a weekend we would never forget. When everyone arrived at Pinegrove Dude Ranch the strong vibes of excitement and freedom weren’t hard to miss.

The trip was planned by Mrs.

Grant, our senior advisor. Mrs. Grant said she chose Pinegrove because they are family oriented and accommodate large groups well. At Pinegrove there is a plethora of activities to partake in. Horseback riding, ice skating, rock climbing, hay rides, paintball, and my personal favorite, the teen club, also known as the “boom-boom room”. Along with Forest Hills two other high schools from Brooklyn and Staten Island were at Pinegrove as

well. “Meeting new people and getting to know my fellow seniors all in one weekend was amaz-ing and I’ve made memories that I’ll keep for a lifetime,” senior Najiyah San-chez smiled. An-

other senior Joshua Lorcy said “it was fun to leave the city and get out of my element. I barely touched my phone during my time on the senior trip and the food was great too!”

Of course the trip would have been nothing without the willing and kind hearted chaperones. I sat down with Mr. Kuchmeister, one of our schools social studies teachers, who also chaperoned the trip. The gentle soul told how he loved the rustic feel and seeing the large group of mostly strangers come together and bond and it was one of the best feelings. “Going against my students in paintball was awesome I loved seeing how competi-tive they all are.” Both Mrs. Grant and Mr. Kuchmeister agreed that out of all the years they have managed

to the chaperones, Ms. Salane says they “supported me,” they were open-minded, and “we were a team.” This was her third visit to Spain, and she says, “every time I fall in love.” It made a great impression on us that Spain was incredibly clean; the metro, the streets, everything was very well kept. It was evident that the local people enjoy life very much. Ms. Salane summarizes Spain as “one of the most beautiful ancient countries when it come to architecture, art, and history.” Senior Miguel Martinez says, “That week was not enough!” The students were able to bond with each other as well as with the chaperones. The tone of the trip was lighthearted and high-spirited! These experiences are never forgotten. This trip gave us a sense of experience and independence that is only ac-quired by traveling to new places. We are eternally grateful for the experi-ence!

Hola España!Volume 2 No. 2 Principal S. Gootnick 67-01 110th Street, Forest Hills, NY 11375

the trip, class of 2015 was the best of them all.

The memories that were made on senior trip are something money could never buy. On behalf of the seniors that attended the trip we are greatly appreciative for all of the time and effort it took to make one event special. In addition if you enjoy the rustic cowboy feel and are looking forward to spending time with family, friends, or even strangers Pinegrove Dude Ranch is the place for you. Class of 2015 skiing at Pinegrove Dude Ranch

Class of 2015 gearing up for paintball.

Toledo, Spain

Cathedral of Toledo

Senior Trip Adventures

SOPHOMORES Director: Jake Slewett

Cast: Vita Davydov, Michael Kalantarov, Milana Kaziyeva, Elvira Khaimov, Ornella Ilyayeva, Leyden Mendez, Karim Tharani, Elizabeth

Trabanino, Tanise Crubbrest

JUNIORSDirector: Jules Lorenzo

Cast: Natalie Brzuszek, Christian Rios, Gabriella Zavul, Brandon Mattis, Michael Espinal, Brenn Lorenzo,

Jennifer Schuster, Elisabed Khiskiadze, Rinata Atabayeva, Shyion Byfield,

Anton Simenario, Ekaterina Khiskiadze,Gina Djafur

Crew: Shruti Tamrakar, Stephanie Pannizzo, Leo Flores, Jakub Murawski,

Nick Evans

SENIORS Director: Roseanna Rivera

Cast: Catherine Jerez, Elisa Beltran, Kayla Dietz, Kaille Mendoza, Aris

Suarez, Luz Rodriguez , Katherine Mercado, Arianna Agudo

Crew: Victoria Kaon, Francine Phillips, Coral Pichardo, Angelica Calderon,

Vincent Casella

By Kaille MendozaThe unstoppable perform-

ers entered the auditorium with pride, expressing their preparedness to win the competition. As soon as the lights brightened up the stage, the crowd cheered with all their support for their picks. Magical, memorable and mean-ingful--these are words that perfectly described every masterpiece that was presented on this year’s production of SING!

SING! is an event where Sophmen (Freshmen and Sophomores), Juniors and Seniors compete through the art of performing in different ways. Most of the productions from the past years were musicals that also had some dancing in it. What’s most inter-esting about this event is that the plays are written, directed, choreographed and arranged by students themselves who are passionate for sharing their talents.

This year, there were only Sophomores in the Sophmen group but they did an impressive job working on a creatively-written magical moral story. The Juniors, on the other hand, exhibited a very interesting concept and also captivated people’s attention with their perfectly organized playl-ist. Last, but not least, the Seniors acted their hearts out for their intense, mind distorter plot that shocked the audience. All teams were assisted by their advisors Miss Andrea Kotsay (for the Sopho-mores), Miss Aguirre (for the Juniors) and Ms. Juliana Fragias and Mr. Gary Kuchmeister (for the Seniors), who are worthy of praises for their patience and utmost support for their respective groups.

“We always look forward to seeing each other when we have re-hearsals,” Karim Tharani, an actor from the Sophomore group, stated. Everyone agreed that it was their way of making a tiring day of school more fun. There were difficulties such as not having enough stage presence and not getting

Page 2 April 2015

the right timing for some songs but all in all, they had fun with the production.

Their play was basically about a boy named Emmett who yearns for the understanding that his divorced parents never gave to him. Like a typi-cal pessimistic, angsty pre-teen, Emmett wishes for a better life by writing in a journal that his teacher, Miss Playton, required the class to work on. Apparently, the journal that Miss Playton gave him has the ability to make someone’s wishes come true. Without any intention to physi-cally harm anyone at first, he wished for things that would make his life better but ended up getting discovered and hated by the girl that he likes.

The play ended on a positive note saying that people should be able to solve their own problems and have a better outlook on life. Jake Slewett, the writer, director and lead actor of the play, said that he’s happy with what they came up and that they were confident to show everyone the result of their hard work. For next year, Leyden Mendez, one of the actors who finely sang solo for a number, is planning on directing the play for Juniors SING!

The Juniors made sure that they would “rock” the audience as they chanted “We Will Rock You” by Queen for their entrance. Battle of the genera-tions was the idea of their play and they successfully presented it by dancing to different genres of music and striking-ly singing songs from certain eras. I asked them how many weeks did they prepare for the show and I heard a “Not Enough!” (jokingly protested by Anton Seminario) from the back of the room.

Aside from lacking time to prepare, Jules Lorenzo, the writer and director of the play, mentioned how they gained and lost members and struggled with not having everyone during rehears-als. Despite these complications, they still had the “Time of Their(My) Lives(Life)” on stage. A definite eye-candy for the

second half of the show is a masked man by the name of Michael Espinal who acted as the battle’s mediator and flawlessly danced at least 10 dance routines. Their flamboyant play finished with a meaning-ful message recited by Brandon Mattis, saying that people should always remem-ber to go back to their roots and that every generation could be considered as the best.

As I enter the room to interview my fellow seniors and cast members, we all felt mixed emotions. We were excited but exhausted; nostalgic and melancholic; nervous yet still zealous. We literally gathered everyone’s thoughts during our first meeting and what we had at the end of everything made us all proud.

Aris Suarez, who had his act-ing debut in this year’s SING!, added that his saying yes to SING! was such a great decision and that he was regrets that he just joined on his last year of high school. Aris played Mark, the kidnapper/unexpected savior of college students: Alli, Jennifer, Sam and Victoria who were being controlled by Lila (a two-faced character) who started everything. Doing an intense suspense drama was a first for most of us but we “slayed it” and were awarded as the SING! 2015 champions.

It all went great but it’s still very disappointing how just a small amount of people know about SING! It is a great event that gives an abundance of students the opportunity to showcase their talents. I actually made my first high school friends through SING! when I was a new student and it made me more comfortable being in FHHS and knowing that I belong somewhere. If you’ve got something that you want to share with a lot of people, make sure to sign up for SING! next school year. It may be a small event now but its popularity will start with you. On behalf of everyone who performed in SING!, thank you for those who supported us and may this tradition from almost 70 years ago live on!

School NewsPage 3 April 2015

By Jacqueline Frye With Forest Hills High School having so many clubs and students you would not think that there is possibly a way to start a new club. Well think again. The Girl Up Club was created this year and has been extremely successful. Ms. Simonetti is the one in charge of one of the big-gest clubs with 70 members helping to make a difference. With such a tre-mendous amount of students within the club, it is tougher to man-age and organize. Luckily thanks to the mem-bers and Ms. Simonetti who is like the glue for the whole club, it has been super successful.

The Girl Up Club came to life when Ms. Simonetti was given a list of clubs and she researched The Girl Up Club. With having a background in doing things for women’s rights in college and liking what the club stood for, the club was made. When asked how she felt when she saw the amount of people interested in the club, Ms. Simonetti responded, “I was overwhelmed. With over 70 active members and having a mix of 10-15 men was shocking to know they were interested in something like this.”

When joining the club, you will have to give a ten minute presen-tation relating to the club and discuss

By Yesenia Colindres

Forest Hills High School is about as competitive in terms of teams and other extracurricular activities as it is crowded. A prime example of this is our own We the People Competi-tion Team. Making it once again to the States Competition, the We the People team is no stranger to hard work. We the People is a class that works as a team to present a state-ment, mirroring a congressional committee. Students learn and get a chance to showcase their in depth knowledge on constitutional princi-ples including Judicial Review, the Jury System and the Magna Carta. After giving their statements they are asked follow up questions by committee members. The students also are grouped into six different units that focus on different aspects of government. For the city competition, Unit 1 focused on comparing and contrast-ing classical republicanism and natural rights philosophy. Unit 2 focused on important principles from the North-west Ordinance and important fail-ures of the Articles of Confederation

next steps in fundraising. So far with two fundraisers the club has been able to donate to the Girl Up Club $950 in the name of Forest Hills High School. The goal this year is to have three more fundraisers which include the color run and movie night.

The Girl Up Club raises money and donates it to countries like Malawi, Guatemala, Ethiopia and Liberia. The money is used for women

who can-not find a way to go to school and afford essentials needed in life that we take for granted. With wom-en in these countries, every year of learning increases

a woman’s earning by 10-20% which is amazing. Our school has been able to help women get transportation whether it be a bus or bike and even help attending school.

“The most important thing is that the kids realize how lucky they are and how much they have. Many do not have ways to go to school while the kids in the club get to wake up and go to a great school,” states Ms. Simonetti when asked what is the biggest experience you want the members to encounter. Next year the club would like to set up more fund-raisers and help raise more money. If you would like to join the outstanding Girl Up Club, you must be dedicated since this is a powerful opportunity to help women in other countries. Attend

By Phillip Taylor

Everyone knows New York City is known for its hectic crowds and harsh winters, but it seems the past few years these winters have become increasingly worse. This year New Yorkers have seen a staggering 42 inches of snow (Nycareaweather.com) blanket their homes, cars, roads, and most important of all, sidewalks. Here at Forest Hills High School there are students who travel all across New York City to get to school every day. And their biggest obstacle this winter wasn’t waking up on time or staying warm during their travels. It was maneuvering the unshoveled, and icy hills from in between the train stations or bus stops to the entrance of the school. This winter it was truly something scary to see so many kids slipping, sliding, and falling just trying to get to school everyday. And not only students but teachers and staff too were forced to walking in the street which seemed to be clearer than the sidewalks but not as safe due to people driving in a rush to get to work. So people were forced to choose between risking a dangerous fall on a slippery sidewalk and being struck by a car. This is a decision students shouldn’t have to make just to travel to and from school. In New York City it is the law to clear your property of this snow and ice within four hours after the snow has stopped (NYLawCodes.

while Unit 3 focused on the difference between the adversary system and the inquisitorial system as well as the procedural safeguards of the 4th and 5th Amendments. Unit 4 had to articulate advantages and disadvantages of ex-ecutive orders and signing statements as well as if the President should be allowed to carry out a law they believe to be constitutional. For Unit 5 the

question was, “Why has the Supreme Court struggled to find a neutral course when it comes to religion? What criteria should be used to deter-mine what religious practices should be protected and which should be lim-ited?” Then finally, Unit 6 answered the question “Does increasing the diversity enrich the nation’s economy and culture or are there limits to how much diversity the country can ab-

sorb? Should the federal government handle immigration or should it be left to the states and why is immigration called a political minefield?” The team worked on those questions each day after school and even Saturday mornings. While at run-throughs, everyone would participate by giving feedback and working in sister units. Their hard work and prep-

aration paid off when the team took home first place at the City Competi-tion. Unit 2 even won a special unit award. Unit 4 member Grace Rosado expressed that winning City’s was “a great experience. It was the biggest celebration for us and all we wanted was to do it all over again.” After passing the first round of competition, Ms. Kelly and the We the People team made their way to Albany

for the State Competition. A few of the topics included, Compromises of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and distinguishing between someone who is unprincipled and someone who is principle ridden, is the Supreme Court a constitutional guarding court and a last resort? What checks exist of the Supreme Court and should there be term limits for Supreme Court Jus-

tices? Unfortunately, the team’s road to Nationals was cut short when they placed third, needing first place to continue. Another mem-ber of the team said, “Even when we lost all we wanted to do was keep going and that was the worst part about losing.” However, the team is not stop-

ping just because they’re no longer going to Nationals. They’re currently working on an in class competition, working just as hard as they would for any other competition. Liz Agude-lo, from Unit 5 expressed her feelings on being on the We the People team, “It was worth it. I learned a lot, not just from researching but from my peers and coach.”

com). So why has snow gone un-touched for days at a time in front of some homes? The snow eventually melts, only to refreeze and become deadly ice. For people who don’t remove this snow or ice, they should receive a fine of no more than a hun-dred and fifty dollars (first offense), two hundred and fifty dollars (second offense), three hundred and fifty dol-lars (third offense), and if there is a fourth offense you could spend up to ten days in jail! (NYLawCodes.com)

“I can’t remember it being this bad to be honest,” says Ramell Love. “I know its cold but if you choose to buy a house you take on the respon-sibility of shoveling the sidewalk outside your property”, he continues. He is one of the hundreds of students who takes the train to get to school everyday and must walk the five or six blocks in between the train station and the school.

“Personally I feel like they just don’t care, because I’ve seen them come clear their cars but not their sidewalks, like they don’t understand these are kids just trying to get to school without getting hurt,” explains Abraham Reyes. The privately owned homes surround the school are truly beautiful; however, this winter they have been poorly managed due to the neglect the owners had to clear their property of snow and ice. Thankfully the weather has gotten warmer but is a problem that needs to be approached aggressively next winter.

every meeting and visit room 163 after 11th period on Mondays to be part of the club.

This year a new club has been added to our school that has helped change lives not just in other countries but within our school. The Girl Up Club has done such a heart-warming and life changing job in just the first

year of its creation. If you’re someone who wants to make a difference and is dedicated in helping women in other countries, The Girl Up Club is for you. Let’s make this club even big-ger and better next year and with Ms. Simonetti as the one in charge, you’re in good hands.

Hands Up For Girl Up Club Slippery Slopes

We The People Of Forest Hills High School

FeaturesPage 4 2015

By Jules LorenzoThe idea of cell-phones in

schools has always been an uneasy topic for many administrators. Whether it be for getting in contact with a parent, or relieving boredom, the use of cell-phones continued to be a major issue amongst principles as to how to enforce certain rules against technology. Until now that is. Bill de Blasio’s administration decided to lift the city’s nearly decade-long ban on cell phones in public schools. This new policy, which went into effect March 2, allowed principals to set their own rules on cell phones. According to wnyc.org, these rules included:

· Storing mobile devices in backpacks or a designated location during the school day

· Allowing mobile devices to be used during lunch or in designated areas only

· Allowing mobile devices for instructional purposes in some or all classroomsEven though the ban

was lifted to benefit the school environment, many students and staff alike weren’t too thrilled with the new policy. “Honestly, it doesn’t feel as if the new policy has changed much for us [students]. Students still aren’t able to use their phones freely yet they still go on their phones when their not supposed to” Breanna Lorenzo, a junior at FHHS, stated. Mr. Bardossas, Assistant Principal/Head of Security, was not in favor of the cell phone ban being lifted either. He believes that having a new policy mid-year was not a good idea, for it would confuse

students. It would be best for the policy to be kept the same with the one that is already in place. “Students think that if they bring cell-phones to school, they can use them,” Bardossas smirked, “Students are here to get an education.” While the ban seems to not have had a major impact on Ms. Lorenzo and her fellow peers, Forest Hills’ confiscation policy surely has.

The Forest Hills cell phone confiscation policy has remained the same for many years. The first offense results in the confiscated phone being picked up by a parent on the Friday of the week it was taken. The second offense results in the confiscated phone being picked up at the end of the year in June by a parent. When asked if the policy was too harsh, Bardossas simply replied, “It’s not.” He explained that “the deans can’t control giving phones back to parents [at various times]” and additionally that “there must be consequences.”

Although this new policy was made for schools to seek new opportunities, such as enabling students to have contact with their parents, principals have continued their relaxed policies on cell-phone use. While this new policy begins to sit on the back burner of people’s minds, old policies, such as cell-phone confiscation, begin to come to the forefront. The demand for change is rising.

Will There be Peace in the Middle East?By Michelle Baazashvili

With all the chaos going on in our world, one would think, “What else could possibly go wrong?” Well, the answer is: the possibility of a nuclear war. Iran is determined to pursue a nuclear program, in which they will have nuclear supplies that can be used if any of their bordering countries threatens them. Countries such as the United States and Israel see Iran’s push for a nuclear program quite suspicious considering both countries’ tenuous relationship with Iran. “Iran does not want a bomb to launch an offensive strike against another country,” as stated in the article “The Real Reasons Iran Is So Committed to Its Nuclear Program,” present on www.vox.com. Although Iran claims that this program will remain harmless and peaceful, Israel and the United States think otherwise, which is what provoked Iran to pursue it even more. The United States is definitely one of the most involved countries in this situation, as it is known that the U.S. helped Saddam Hussein invade Iran in 1980, causing one of

the most destructive wars Iran has ever been a part of. Hussein is known to have killed “thousands of Iranians, including with the use of chemical weapons,” states Max Fisher on www.vox.com. After this incident, Iran fears of another conflict like this occurring, and if it does happen again, they want to be prepared. Israel, a Middle-Eastern country neighboring Iran is completely against this program that the Iranian government is so eager to make official. Israel’s objections are immutable due to Iran’s support towards terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, which are a dire threat towards not just the land of Israel, but its civilians as well. At this time, the Obama administration “may be on the verge of completing a deal that leaves Iran with a substantial nuclear capability,” quotes Gabriel Scheinmann, author of the article “Obama’s Nuclear Deal Could Mean War” available on www.time.com. The United States is neither in agreement nor opposed to settling the deal with Iran to compose a nuclear program. As Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu still stands his guard, he completely disagrees with Iran’s plea for the program. On www.time.com, Scheinmann mentions that in order “to avoid war, the United States and Israel have two options: accept Iran as a nuclear power or negotiate a deal that eliminates Iran’s capacity to be one.” With all past experiences Israel has gone through with its neighboring countries, Netanyahu believes that if Iran gains the power of handling nuclear weapons, their first plan would be to target Israel, and do everything they can to wipe Israel off of the world map. While the easiest solution for the United States and Iran would be to sign a deal, Israel believes otherwise. While they haven’t provided a solid alternative to the deal, they have constantly warned the United States about the possible impacts it may bring upon. On www.the-american-interest.com, the article “Why the White House Is Getting Lonelier on Iran” written by Walter Russell Mead says that the original plan was to eliminate Iran’s potential to create nuclear weapons so they would be

no threat at all. Now the plan has changed, allowing Iran to produce nuclear weapons, but with restrictions which now makes them a threat to Israel and any other ally with the United States. Now that Iran may be given the chance to produce these weapons, anything can possibly happen which causes a threat to all of Iran’s neighbors and countries who are friendly with the United States. Israel still opposes the program and completely disagrees with President Obama’s choice to possibly comply to the action. If Iran does gain the right to pursue their nuclear program, the promise of peace will be kept, or controversy can come into play.

Updated Cell Phone Policy:Will it Work? By Mitchell Davis

For many of us here at FHHS, college is right around the corner. Researching, weighing pros and cons, decisions; these are all a part of our transition to secondary education. Among all these qualities we weigh and critique, what if we had to decide whether we wanted to attend a college that allowed students to carry firearms? This controversial issue is just one of the many components of the wider debate on gun control. Recently, gun lobbyists have taken to state legislature to push for bills allowing the concealed carry of firearms on college campuses. Of course, there are two sides to the argument. Those opposed to these bills vary in social and political stature. Often, the vast majority of college students are opposed to these laws (up to 78% of students, according to CNN), and college presidents almost unanimously share this opinion as well (95%, according to a study by Ball State University). If these public polls were to mean anything, then why does this debate exist? Proponents of such bills bring to the table a variety of points, many of such can be invalidated by facts and statistics. Often, a main point in their arsenal is to argue that arming students will reduce sexual assault and rape on campus. On the surface, this can seem like a valid arguement, but unfortunately, a woman’s risk of dying increases by 500% when a gun is involved in a domestic violence situation, according to CNN. So with these points, are these bills based on a valid foundation? Or are they aimed to further the gun

lobbyist agenda? Only time will tell with many of these cases open in numerous state legislatures.

Quick Facts

- There are about 270 million firearms possessed by civil-ians in America. - In 2011, almost 33,000 people were victims of gun-related deaths in America.- In America, approximently 268 civilians are shot every-day. - The United States is ranked number 1 in private gun ownership internationally. - About 5.5 million “small arms” are manufactured ev-ery year in the United States.- In 2010, firearms account-ed for half of all the deaths among juveniles. *All facts were obtained from NBCNews.com, Dosomething.org, and Gunpolicy.org*

Concealed Carry on College Campuses

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu (left) with President Barack Obama (right)

Women at Gun Violence Protest

April

By: Maxine Sanchez

Throughout history, student be-havior in school has always been a major issue. However, none compare to this on-going “disease” called “senioritis”. The term “senioritis” refers to an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and low grades (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senioritis). This is an epidemic that has gone viral among seniors and even juniors! It is said that once you’ve become a senior, you aren’t worried about your grades as much. But instead, worried about the real world outside of your high school. How is your future going to be? What am I going to study for the rest of my life? These are questions seniors ask themselves as they reach the end. Although students think “se-nioritis” isn’t a big deal, there are many consequences that come with slacking off. 6HQLRU�\HDU�LV�GH¿QLWHO\�WKH�\HDU�\RX�FDQ�enjoy and have fun but it’s also crucial to stay focused. By this time, you’re expected to be applying to colleges and getting acceptance letters. Students tend to have this notion that once they get ac-cepted, there’s no point in trying any-more. Wrong! Current senior, Breanna Licausi explains, “I’ve received 2 accep-tances from my top colleges and honestly, I have been slacking in some classes for the simple fact that I already know where I’m going.” It is extremely important to keep up the hard work all the way until graduation. Slacking off is certainly not the way to go. A major consequence, for instance, is being accepted into a college but then having your admission offer rescinded. Furthermore, most colleges ask for mid-year reports and if they see that you’ve dropped tremendously, they will reconsider. Staying focused is key. Believe it or not, “senioritis” is curable. From September to June, LW�LV�EHQH¿FLDO�WR�VHW�VSHFL¿F�JRDOV�IRU�yourself. This will help your mind stay on track. In addition, think of senior year as preparation for college. If you slack off, college won’t be so nice to you. Accord-ing to Mr. Kutchmeister, “College isn’t easier than high school. You have to start preparing yourself now and be proactive towards your schoolwork. Slacking off DQG�FXWWLQJ�ZRQ¶W�EHQH¿W�\RX�LQ�WKH�ORQJ�run, so keep up the hard work seniors!” Lastly, avoid obsessing over the admis-sion process. The more stressed you are about college admission, the less focused and motivated you will be in school. This can lead to your admission offer being re-scinded. In the end, everything will work out if you just stay on track. Others may argue that senior year should be a year full of nothing but fun and laughter. It’s absolutely true. Be-sides the stress, SATs, and college, senior year is supposed to be the most memo-rable year of high school. Enjoy every single day and have the most fun that you possibly can, but of course end it with a bang…on your report card. “I have senioritis!” The most fa-mous phrase among 17 and 18 year olds. A disease spreading more and more ev-eryday. Student Katie Mitchell’s gradua-tion in June from Pennsbury High School in Pennsylvania, is in full countdown mode. “I’ve been counting down the days.

We have 46 days left,” she says matter-of-factly. Another student, Mitchell whose 18, has known since November that she’ll go to Penn State University. She states, “Since I got accepted, I’ve been less stressed out DERXW�P\�VFKRROZRUN��,�GH¿QLWHO\�KDYH�VH-nioritis.” (http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2005-04-18-senioritis-inside_x.htm) One can have senioritis, it’s normal. However, if it gets uncontrollable, there can certainly be serious consequenc-es. In order to stop this epidemic, we must take action and make a change in order for students to end their year strong. By Breanna Lorenzo

It’s questionable why teens feel the need to work while balancing their school, extracurriculars and social life all at once. One of the major effects of this is sleep deprivation. It’s debatable whether working is good or bad for a teenager. For some teens, working is an easy task and WKH\�FDQ�HDVLO\�¿W�LW�LQWR�WKHLU�VFKHGXOH��But for others, working can cause them to come in late at night and do their school work into the early hours of the morning.

To look at things positively, WHHQV�FDQ�UHFHLYH�WKH�EHQH¿WV�RI�ZRUN-ing by gaining work experience and having their own money. However, they can also be experiencing the drawbacks of working for example struggling in

academics and not being able to man-age their time properly. According to Jerald Bachman in the New York Times, “Over the years we and other research-ers have consistently found that high school students who work long hours in jobs during the school year tend to have poorer academic performance and are more likely to be involved in a variety of problem behaviors, including delinquen-cy, cigarette use and other drug use”.

One big effect of working for some teens is not getting enough rest. According to WebMd not getting enough sleep can result in decreased performance and alertness. This means that reducing your sleep at nighttime by as little as one and a half hours for just one night could result in a reduction of daytime alertness by as much as 32%. There is also memory and cognitive impairment and stress that comes along with this. Decreased alertness and exces-sive daytime sleepiness will impair your memory and effect your ability to think and process information. This results in VWXGHQWV�KDYLQJ�GLI¿FXOW\�OHDUQLQJ�DQG�staying awake in class on a daily basis. According to the national sleep founda-tion, “teens need 8-10 hours to function properly”.

Working teens have to deal with balancing out work among all the other aspects of their daily routine. I in-terviewed Natalie Brzuszek, junior, who shared her views with me on working as a teen. Natalie says “It doesn’t affect me in a major way, it’s just that I don’t have time for sports after school. I think making your own money is great but it can get complicated especially in junior year.” She continued by stating, “You’re expected to be active in school clubs, do homework, be active in sports, and work which is too much pressure on a teenager. I only have time for school and work and my school work is stressful enough”.

I also interviewed Jourdana Is-rael, junior, who talked positively about WKH�EHQH¿WV�RI�ZRUNLQJ��³7KH�DGYDQWDJ-es of working are making money, after school activity and discount clothes” she says, “On the other, hand, the disadvan-tages are late hours sometimes and no free time,” Jourdana explained that if you are capable of handling schoolwork and regular work then why not do it. If you can’t do it then school work is more important. “Having a job is a great way to make money and get work ethic when you’re still in high school and it can prepare you for a real job when you’re older”. Again, according to Jerald Bachman “The research also shows that students who hold jobs requiring only modest hours per week are actually bet-ter off, on average, than those without jobs.”

At the end of the day, teenag-ers should take a step back and put their health and school life before working. There is already enough stress having to deal with school, but having a job on top of that is even more work than they need. Even though there are things that you can gain from working at this age, school is still very important along with your health.

Each year, SATs are brought to the forefront of students’ minds while preparing for college. Receiving high scores on these exams are not only necessary but also crucial when it comes to being accepted into the university of your choice. A lot of pressure is put on students to achieve these required scores, yet the big question still remains: How well do standardized tests really measure your abilities.

I don’t believe standardized tests show your full capability as a student. So many aspects of your school career go into shaping a well-rounded high schooler such as: extra curriculars; specialized programs; classes in school; clubs; and helping the community. However, despite all of this, colleges still continue to focus mainly on your SATs and GPA score. The pressure for these types of exams should be low-ered since many students feel that the test grade will make or break you. The gravity of the SATs lead to kids having to pay as much as thousands of dollars for test prep, limiting or fully cutting off their social activities in order to study, ultimately taking away the chance to show how well they excel in other areas of school.

According to PBS, the SATs were supposed to measure a natural ability referred to as “aptitude”, rather than skills learned through school. Now-adays, these exams measure “developed reasoning” both in and out of school. It’s been shown through the work of psychologist Claude Steele that the test only measures about 18% of what it

takes to do well in school. ( PBS: Front-line “What Does the SAT Really Mea-sure”) Another important matter is that the SAT is not an IQ test. Even though the use of the test may seem ridiculous in many aspects, it’s still helpful in oth-ers. As stated by US News in “SATs Do Not Take the Full Measure of a High School Student”, the SATs are used as a common yardstick to compare students’ grades at different schools. They are also used to predict your freshman year grades in college since tests have shown some parallels between test scores and college grades.

Nonetheless, a student’s brain capacity shouldn’t revolve around a test WKDW¶V�VXSSRVHGO\�³RQH�VL]H�¿WV�DOO�´�7KH�truth is, students come in all different shapes and sizes and sometimes we GRQ¶W�¿W�LQWR�WKLV�¿JXUDWLYH�FOD\�PROG-ing which is meant to represent our full capability. Sometimes certain factors such as test anxiety or just waking up on the wrong side of the bed can screw up our performance. A student in a classroom setting doesn’t have nearly as much stress as a student in a standard-L]HG�WHVW�VHWWLQJ��7KH�VLJQL¿FDQFH�RI�WKH�SATs have immensely grown from when WKH\�ZHUH�¿UVW�LVVXHG��'HVSLWH�WKLV��WKH�tests don’t show how great of a student you can be.

EditorialsPage 5 April 2015

Fighting SEN1OR5-itis Teens Balancing Work

And School

What Do SAT Tests Really Measure?

By: Jules Lorenzo

Page 6 April 2015 Editorials

By Jourdan Howard

“Hey baby, I like them long

legs you got there” one of the

many catcalling lines heard by a

female once a day. Catcalling is

not only uncomfortable it’s rude

too!

In a recent viral video on

YouTube.com a woman is

recorded walking around New

York being catcalled. The video is

“10 Hours Of Being A Woman In

NYC” the idea of the video

started with Rob Bliss, the owner

of his own video agency. Bliss

hired Shoshana B. Roberts, an

actress to walk through different

neighborhoods and to see what

would happen. Along with

Roberts walk came comments

about her appearance, greetings,

and a few cases of being followed

around. For most people this

means nothing. However for a

young woman in today’s society

this means everything.

To add on in other cases

research done by Lauren Mcewen

from The Washington Post found

that the overall percentage of

harassment between men and

women is 65% of women being

harassed and 25% of men. In

addition Judith Ohikuare from

The Atlanic.com found an app to

help women avoid street

harassment. The way the app

works is it uses the location that

the person is in and tells the

amount of encounters if any. The

Hey Baby!

By Jacqueline Frye

Within our society, there is a lack of

acceptance when it comes to equality and

gay marriage. Even though many states are

already legalizing and supporting the

marriages places like Alabama are going to

extensive lengths to have it not approved.

There are strikes and protesting occurring

in Alabama so that the law can be

withdrawn. The protesters refer to the Bible

and how marriage is only between one man

and one woman. People need to realize that

in this day and age it shouldn’t matter what

the gender is. As long as someone is in

love, let them get married and be happy.

According to Campbell Robertson

from the NY Times, “A federal judge here

ruled on Thursday that the local probate

judge cannot refuse to issue marriage

licenses to same-sex couples.” Even when a

federal judge claims that it cannot be

refused the citizens are trying whatever

they can to prevent couples to get married.

Some of the judges like Judge Davis

immediately started releasing licenses for

same sex couples to get married but was not

sure if probate judges would approve.

People in Alabama are still stuck on the

mindset that everything said in bible is

what should be followed but in reality times

have changed. When Joanne Neto, a lesbian

herself was asked how she feels about the

reactions from Alabama she responded,

“Love is love no matter what the situation

is. This world is a free world and we are

born to make our own decisions including

who we are allowed to love.” These

protestors are spending every waking

moment they have to try and make others

unhappy and have them live in a shell

hiding their true selves. Everyone should

just embrace the fact that happiness is what

is most important and let them be. Many

people assume that gay marriages are not

suitable because they cannot father or

mother a child naturally. “Same-sex

“marriage” ignores a child’s best

interests.” according to an article from

tfpstudentaction.org. This happens to be

one of the many of reasons to why many

in Alabama are still on the fence about

the marriages since to them it is like an

abomination. “If I may be blunt… get

over it. It’s not your marriage let people

get married to who they want to. If other

people can accept it why can’t you? It’s

the twenty first century,” explains Shania

O’Neil a student who has friends who are

gay about how she feels about the close

minded people still in Alabama. There

are now thirty seven states who allow gay

marriage but people continue to make

things difficult to have it banned.

Gay marriage is something that

is happening within our world and people

need to learn to accept it. Many states

have legalized gay marriage. Now people

just need to accept it. Alabama needs to

get out of the mindset from the past and

stop with the protesting and let people be.

Gay marriage is not a disease and is not

harmful; if they are happy and in love

letting them marry is essential.

app is called “Hollaback” along with

the app there is a website as well

with real testimonies from real

people.

Catcalling is not only a

problem in New York. It is a

widespread problem. All women of

every race, shape, and age have been

catcalled at least once in their

lifetime. It’s sad that it happens and

especially as a New Yorker growing

up it becomes a part of your

everyday life. Unfortunately there is

no way to prevent street harassment.

However if just a few men believed

in chivalry and showed it maybe that

would make the situation better.

Gay Rights

By: Phillip Taylor

It is easy to say that today’s youth

are practically married to their technology,

specifically their cell phones. Cell phones

have truly changed the landscape on instant

communication between two people, a

group of people, and a person wanting to

speak to the entire world with the aid of

social media. To teens, the cell phone is

seen as life support as it has become

essential in practically allowing them to

function. Besides a cell phone, there is a

more traditional rite of passage that all

teens want to conquer; learning how to

drive a car. To teenagers driving is the

symbol of freedom, as it allows you to get a

car, gets some friends, and explore

everything the world has to offer.

Unfortunately what many teenagers today

don’t understand is that texting and driving

do not mix. There has been an increase in

vehicle accidents involving teens texting

and driving, even in many cases leading to

death.

In 2011, at least 23% of auto

not only for them, but whoever else is in

the car, and other drivers on the road.

(TextingAndDrivingSafety.com)

Texting while driving is now the

leading cause of death among teenagers –

surpassing drinking and driving, according

to a study by Cohen Children’s Medical

Center. “Teens just truly aren’t picking up

the message that it isn’t safe to text and

drive,” says Jessica Sanchez, who works

for the Department of Motor Vehicle.

“They are just excited to be in a car that

they have control over, they don’t

understand they aren’t controlling the car,

they are controlling their safety and the

safety of others,” she adds.

Many know that driving in New

York City is extremely difficult on its own,

with the dense traffic jams, and the

strenuous parallel parking. Creating a

driving experience that any new driver

would find overwhelming. In an interview

with teen driver Thomas Ruiz, he explains,

“Driving in this city is tough, and it seems

to get worse by the day. With the constant

collisions involved cell phones, which equals out to be about 1.3 million accidents.

(TextingAndDrivingSafety.com) These

accidents all don’t involve teenagers, but 82%

of teenagers between 16 and 17 own cell

phones, 34% have admitted to texting while

driving, and 52% have admitted to talking on

the phone while driving.

(TextingAndDrivingSafety.com). These stag-

gearing numbers are really no surprise as

some teenagers believe that they are

experienced enough to be able to do all these

things and still operate a vehicle safely. But it

is a problem, as teens who text while driving

spend about 15% of their time driving outside

of their lane which is extremely dangerous

construction, your normal route to places

often get thrown off. Everyone isn’t the

best drivers here, everyone doesn’t stop at

stop lights, people stop short, people run

red lights, texting is just something I would

never do.”

New campaigns have launched

that have introduced preventive methods to

this increasing dilemma. Online there is a

petition that teens are signing, technically

making a pledge not to text to drive. The

ItCanWait pledge can be found on

www.itcanwait.com, a website where you

make the pledge online and already 6

million people have. The website offers

tips to help prevent the urges of wanting to

text people. For example sending “#X” to

whomever you’re texting to let them know

you’re going behind the wheel and you will

text them again when you arrive at your

destination. In addition they advertise a list

of apps that prevent your cell phone from

disturbing you while driving. All aiding in

the fight against teen texting and driving,

and saving many lives of today’s youth.

It Can Wa!t…

Editorials Page 7 April 2015

By Adina HsuIn an increasingly competitive

society that emphasizes success, children are constantly being pushed to achieve. Parents do whatever it takes to give their children an advantage. That means filling their children’s schedules with a diverse activities, after-school programs, private tutors, and so on. “They get caught up in the idea that, if their kids don’t have a full schedule of sports, music, foreign languages – basically a detailed résumé before they’ve even started high school – they’re going to be left behind,” reveals Lori Day, an educational psychologist and consultant, in New York Post. What they don’t realize, however, is that they are pushing their children too hard and essentially harming them.

The Huffington Post expresses that “they feel that their performance is connected to the love they receive.” The pressure from parents creates immense stress for children. They experience delayed self-reliance, burnout, anxiety, low self-esteem, stress-related health problems, sleep disorders, and depression. Since anxiety presents differently in children than in adults, they may experience physical symptoms such as stomachaches, diarrhea, headaches, and rashes. They may also lose interest in activities previously enjoyed or withdraw from friends and family. Some feel unworthy of their busy parents’ time as well as rejected

By Nivea Acosta Nowadays children are given awards and trophies for everything it seems. Whether they win or lose they get something. Even if a kid did nothing throughout the activity, there’s a high chance they’ll get an award regardless. The reason for this some may say is to boost the children’s self-esteem. But are we really just hurting them in the end? Research shows that the “everyone gets an award” attitude is okay, but only for very young children and needs to be cut out when they get older. Craig Sigl, an expert on sports training, claims that giving awards to all kids when they’re older ends up hurting them. He says that when they’re younger and you’re doing that, it’s okay because it reinforces what they’ve been taught. The reason that little kids should be given trophies instead of just verbal praise is because “children tend to learn through tangibles and will probably be reminded of their commitment every time they see their reward.” Sigl says for older kids, the message of their reward isn’t the same. There’s also an argument that kids will eventually lose motivation if they always expect an award or trophy in all outcomes. There was an experiment done on this by David Greene, Robert Nisbett and Mark Lepper. They took three groups of nursery kids and gave them pens to draw with. One group was told they would get a ribbon beforehand for participating, the second group wasn’t told about the ribbon, and the third group, the control, wasn’t promised an award and wasn’t given one. The first group told about the ribbon did not draw as much and showed little interest. The second and third groups maintained the same level of

By Rebecca Ebner Over the past five to ten years, technology has advanced and become an increasingly prominent factor in our daily lives. However, too much of anything at all is never beneficial either. Most importantly, if a child is exposed to electronic devices at a very young age it affects their brain development tremendously in the end. “Children under two years of age learn best from real-world experiences and interactions, and each minute spent in front of a screen-based device is a minute when your child is not exploring the world and using their senses, which is extremely important in their development process,” says Dr. Carolyn Jaynes, a learning designer for Leapfrog Enterprises. A large mistake some parents make is that they think handing their child the tablet is the easiest remedy to the screams and tears.

interest throughout the entire activity.

Of course, there’s the argument that it helps with a child’s self-esteem. Many people who weren’t given awards for anything write about how sad it was for them during events such as award ceremonies and their name was never called. Dr. Sharon Chappell offers solutions such as letting children know why they got an award and to be specific and praise the child. The question is, how can you do something like this in a sports game where the child did nothing but stand out in the middle of the field staring blankly at their parents? Awards for very small children, ages 3-4, are fine. But once the child gets any older you’re essentially teaching them that it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, you’ll still get what you want anyways and that’s a trophy. But the problem is, that’s not how it works in the real world. Children should be taught that they need to work to get what they want and can’t expect everything to just be handed over to them.

There has been an increase in the duration of time that toddlers spend on their electronics daily. According to Michael Golvchar from the Daily Post, “A recent survey found that 38% of children under the age of two have used devices like iPhones or tablets.” So sad right? Technology leaves us more alone than ever before. An increasing problem with video games or being on a device for too long is that the children become socially isolated. As they grow up, playing games will take the time away from doing homework or having hobbies. Becoming attached to games and electronic systems at a young age eliminates the opportunities to be creative. Likewise, there are many other health related complications. Some issues may be delayed development, sleep deprivation, aggression, and even rapid brain growth. According to Cris Rowan from the Huffington Post, “Between zero and two years old, an infant’s brain triples in size.” When an infant/toddler is overexposed to a brain stimulant, there have been reported associations with attention deficit (ADD/ADHD,) cognitive delays, inability to retain information, and a decrease in their ability to self

when their parents leave them behind with caretakers. For many children, their anxiety and exaggerated fear of failure block learning skills.

Alvin Rosenfeld, MD and author of The Over-Scheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap, states that being pushed too hard is a major contributing factor in drug use, early sex, and binge drinking. A 2013 study by UNICEF ranked American children at 26 out of 29 developed countries for psychological well-being. According to Tanith Carey, author of Taming the Tiger Parent, in New York Post, “It’s very difficult to come to the realization that what you think is in the child’s best interest is doing them harm. Whatever happened to just being a child? We’re creating the most anxious generation ever.”

Even though parents shouldn’t push their kids too hard, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t push their kids at all. Sometimes, children need a push. By pushing their children to succeed, parents are preparing them for the future. They are teaching their children about hard work and giving them the best chance to excel in life. If parents don’t push their children, no one else would. It is important for parents to find a middle ground. They should remember that it’s not about their needs, but their child’s. Although it is normal for them to want their children to succeed, they shouldn’t overdo it. They should encourage their children to explore and participate in activities that they actually enjoy.

regulate. Although it might take some time to solve this growing dilemma, the best way to resolve the issue would be JUST SAY NO. What is this, drugs? Parents should tighten their grip with the freedoms of technology. In Ms.Rowan’s recent report, 75% of children ages nine and ten are sleep deprived and their grades in school have taken a sharp decline. Unbelievably, 75% of those children reported are allowed to have their electronic devices with them at night. While passing by my old elementary school, students were seen with small tablets and phones, running around the street without looking. When my generation was in elementary school, we couldn’t wait to get out our crayons and paint to start making a mess. It seems as though children in this day and age have lost their sense of creativity.

Trophy Galore Running Rampant in Kids’ Sports

Word to the Wise: Stop Pressuring Your Kids!

How Much is Too Much? With the help of yourself and others, spreading the word about the downsides to over exposure of technology to children, we can end the epidemic. The most important obstacle that can be avoided is obesity. If the kids already lost their creativity, along goes their desire to be active. With easy access to the kitchen, its almost like the perfect formula for mass destruction. Technology isn’t a bad thing, on the contrary, it has benefited us to an extreme…but lets end the problem before it starts, introduce moderation to your children.

Kids might be motivated to do less when constantly given awards.

Parents may be putting too much stress on children at a young age.

Children can learn without the aggressive force as well.

Young children constantly on tablets and other technology can be bad for their developing minds.

Less time outside will lead to growing cases of obesity.

FUN FACTS ( According to Dr.Joshua Straub)

• Children ages 12 to 18 spend nearly two hours a day texting alone.

• 8 to 10 year olds, aver-age almost 8 hours a day.

• Those ages 11 to 18 spend more than 11 hours per day.

• Parents, on average, spend between 2-3 hours a day with their kids.

If You’re Reading This It’s Too LateBy Rebecca Ebner

Over the span of 17 tracks, If You’re Reading This Its Too Late features Travis Scott, Lil Wayne, and PartyNextDoor in a mix of rap/hip-hop splendor. Unlike his previous albums, he speaks of hardships with his mother and growing up in The 6, (Toronto, Canada) often referring back to when he had to live out of a suitcase as a result to everyone’s doubts of his music abilities. He captures the crowd with serious rhythm and pulse.

After interviewing a few students in Forest Hills High School on their opinion of Drake’s new album release, Ana, age 17 remarked, “I never really liked Drake and for no apparent reason. I don’t hate, I’m late.” Drake is known for his seductive hooks and continuous rhyme, usually very open about his emotions. However, this is the least vulnerable he has ever shown himself on record… at least until you come across the song “You & The 6” where he paints a picture of a one sided conversation with his mother. “I used to get teased for being black, and now I’m here and I’m not black enough.

Cause I’m not acting tough, or making stories up bout where I’m actually from. But I just roll with it momma…You and the six raised me right, that

s**t saved my life.” According to Entertainment Weekly, during the making of his new album, rumor has it that Drake, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj have teamed

up and intend to walk out on their troubled record label YMCMB, (Young Money Cash Money Billionaires,) due to a financial dispute. The development of Drake’s music over the years led his fans to

take in his music as manna straight from heaven… or at least from Canada. Since this album was a surprise release, he had less pressure on what the crowd wanted to hear and more focus on his strengths. It wasn’t even a song dump to fulfill his contract, it had substance. Although his records never come from a truly dark place, this one record is a warning. If Youre Reading This Now Its Too Late, was a fully forced rage. Drake’s brags have become less than humble, and the threats more sharp. According to Simon Vozick-Levinson from Rolling Stones, “ Trusted collaborators like Boi-1da and Noah “40” Shebib weave together murky piano loops and wispy R&B samples that lurk in the background, leaving plenty of room for Drake to go off. He doesn’t want to give the impression that he is one of the greats… this time he just is.”

EntertainmentApril 2015 Page 8

Chappie: Human-ity’s Last Hope Isn’t HumanBy Sabina Chan

Imagine a future when robots and humans coexist with each other. Chappie explores this possibility of a near future when robots take tech-nology to a whole new level. At first thought, Chappie sounds like any other movie, in which robots take over the world and threaten the existence of mankind. However, Chappie is a science fiction thriller that introduces a robotic police force to stop crime, and the anticipated main star of the movie, a robot that is able to experi-ence feelings and think for itself.

Directed by Neill Blom-kamp, Chappie is exhilarating with the action scenes that involve ex-plosives and machine guns. A little comedy was thrown here and there, which was refreshing to find. However I believe that the attention should be on the artificial intelligent robot named Chappie, voiced by Sharlto Copley, who is programmed to have its own consciousness. It was fascinat-ing and thought-provoking to see what a robot would be like to be “humane” like us. Like a baby, Chappie comes into the world scared and incapable of taking care of himself. However Chappie progres-sively becomes a human who learns to communicate, experience happiness, fear, love, and hate, and what I think is most important, experience reality.

Life is not perfect; Blomkamp shows that by dropping Chappie in an environment where he is raised by money-hungry people, who have no mercy in selling and manipulating him for their own egotistical desires. What makes Chappie so heartwarm-

ing is when Chappie tries to find the good in all the badness he has so far seen in the world. He desperately tries to fit in and understand why people try to hurt each other. An example was when Chappie said, “They threw fire, even though I said, “please”,” after his failed attempts to stop a group of men hurting him for no reason. The little scenes, when Yolandi Visser, Chap-pie’s human “mommy”, tells Chappie that he is a black sheep, and Chappie petting a small dog after being beaten up by strangers, depicts the fragility of humanity and grim reality of life. I was, however, disappointed as Chap-pie’s development as a human had so much potential but was not explored.

Another downside was that I was expecting compelling music that most movies have, but it was displeasing to not hear any dynamic and energetic soundtracks stuck in my head. Many songs played in the movie

are by the rap duo, Die Antwoord, con-sisting of Yolandi Visser and Ninja, who star as them-selves in the movie. While the songs can be considered upbeat and fun to listen to, there were times when I felt that it didn’t fit with the scenes in the movie.

As I had foreseen the ending, I was taken by sur-prise when Blom-kamp added a small twist to it. And of

course, there is a death of a major character, but I believed that Blom-kamp dynamically depicted how death affects Chappie’s growth as a humane robot. I believed that the ending was satisfying as it also left a cliffhanger to what happened after.

Overall, I thought it was a pe-culiar but interesting and great movie to enjoy on my free time. As the world is heading toward a place dependent on technology, it wouldn’t hurt to watch the possibility of what might happen in the future.

We Are The Walking Dead By Sabera Qazi

There’s something about dis-gusting, flesh-eating, undead humans that tend to spike an interest in many, no matter their age. To say the AMC TV show, The Walking Dead, is a suc-cess would be a huge understatement. Even dat-ing back to it’s premiere in 2010, the show rounded up a total of 5.3 million view-ers, as according to The New York Times. The show, based off of the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard, is based around sheriff Rick Grimes attempting to protect his son and a group of once strangers in a zombie plagued world. Recently, the show returned for the second half of Season 5, re-ceiving a record total of 17.3 million viewers for it’s midseason premiere in February, according to Variety.com. For long-term fans of the show, we find ourselves mourning over the fallen characters, and having contin-ued worry for the surviving ones. In the most recent episodes, the group stumbles upon Alexandria, a small community that our main man, Rick, describes as “lucky” for being so well off in a post-apocalyptic world for so long. The group is wary at first, due to previous communities that had turned out to be run by psychotic “villains” (See: Woodbury in Season 3 and Terminus in Season 4). Upon ar-rival, we are hit with constant worries that being in a place with such nor-malcy will make them weak, as voiced by both Carol and Carl. A worry that is overturned by Rick by mentioning that if the people of Alexandria can’t

keep their town together, then “we’ll just take this place.” We spend our time watching as the group attempts to live a life of a pre-apocalyptic world, with run-ning water and home baked cookies. In a place of real safety and security, it seems the group themselves have turned into the villains, with Carol faking as a self-proclaimed “den-mother”, and Rick kissing another man’s wife, and constantly keeping a hand on his hidden gun. In a show

like this, the viewers all know hap-piness and tranquility does not last for long. Our only solace is to remember Rick’s mov-ing speech to stay strong; “I know we’ll be okay,

because this is how we survive. We tell ourselves that we are the walking dead.” You can catch The Walking Dead Sunday nights on AMC at 9/8c.

Movies To Look Out For!

April 3 Furious 7

April 10 The Longest Ride

April 17 Unfriended

April 24 Age Of Adaline

May 1 Avengers: Age of Ultron

May 15 Pitch Perfect 2

June 5 Insidious: Chapter 3

June 12 Jurassic World

June 26 Ted 2

ReviewsPage 9 April 2015

By Nivea Acosta

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is one of the more ground-breaking Call of Duty titles in recent years. But, fans were disappointed that the initial game lacked the beloved zombie mode. The latest map pack (costing only $15), Havoc, brings back that mode, enhanced, and plenty of more exciting things such as four intuitive maps and a new laser gun. To start off we have the new exo zombies mode. This mode is guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours as you and friends go against endless swarms of zombies. There are new dynamics such as zombies that have exo suits (which means that you won’t be safe if you decide to camp out on a high area) and zombies that can now contaminate you. But instead of losing some health you now have to run and get decontaminated in a des-ignated area. These two things add a little more challenge and help it from becoming a repetitive camp out in a

corner game. It also introduces being able to use your own exo suits in the mode, with exo upgrades replacing the previous perk machines. The only re-ally downside is that only one map is included but knowing Sledgehammer this won’t be the last zombie map. Another part to the map pack DLC is, obviously, the four maps included. The first, and more popular, map is Sideshow. Sideshow is located at an eerie-looking abandoned motel over-run by clown galore. The motel sign is a giant clown that sets off colorful bombs that can be picked up by play-ers to throw at each other. This is a map perfect for snipers due to its large size and rather open area. The second map is Urban. As you can guess for the name, this map takes place in a city. This map is a mostly close quar-ter combat map, sort of like Nuketown or Hijacked for any Call of Duty vets reading this. It’s also a breath of fresh air considering most of the maps have

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfarebeen larger and better suited for long distance combat. Most of the action takes place right in the center where it’s best for assault rifles and SMGs but there are two buildings that snip-ers could find themselves situating in. The third map is Core, a destroyed nuclear fusion facility. The large ma-chinery is good for taking cover but beware of running into chokepoints. The ability to jump high using an exo suit can definitely be considered a pro when caught in a tight area getting flanked on here. Finally, there’s the less played Drift. This map takes the cake appearance wise in my book. It’s set on a ski resort with a jolly Christmas theme. The map does have a small, dynamic part to it. An ava-lanche sets in and snows in a bit of the area which can help keep cover while you and your teammates hold it down. This map truly feels like a map where all types of players can feel comfort-able playing their particular playstyle.

It was hands down my favorite map to be on. Last but not least is the new laser gun that was included. The gun is the AE4 and comes with a variant, the widowmaker. It is a very interest-ing gun to use and looks aesthetically pleasing but there is a downfall to it. The gun does not work for every-one who uses it. People report being able to use the gun’s variants but not the original gun itself. This can be especially frustrating for those who purchase DLCs solely for the guns. Overall this map pack is worth purchasing. The price is fair for what’s included and considering it brings back the fan-loved zombies mode. The tiny downsides do not compare to everything else that this DLC has to offer. Sledgehammer proves to be a worthy developer next to Treyarch and Infinity Ward with this map pack. Go out and buy it, you won’t be disap-pointed.

Looking into this Tribeca business from the outside does not arouse neither luxurious nor expen-sive thoughts to the mind, lacking an aesthetic that makes the place look exclusive and unaffordable. But that is perhaps the best part of AIRE Ancient Baths. Its simplicity makes it all the more elegant and luxurious. Beyond its tall and rustic white doors lies an ambience excep-tionally different from the stressful, rushed, and uptight New York City lifestyle. Once the first step is taken into the spa, the smell of oils, salts, and green tea infuse the senses so that you immediately enter a state of pure tranquility with the help of melodious Spanish guitar strums. The location’s high ceilings, brick interior and pil-lars, as well as its candle-lit amenity suite, instantly transports its clients to the Greco-Roman time period charac-terized by baths that were thought to be rejuvenating and magical. Different from many spas in the tri-state area that are often packed, loud, and often times lacking cer-tain amenities due to the amount of people, AIRE allows 25-30 people per two-hour session to enjoy the thermal baths. The Flotarium as AIRE calls it, includes pools of ice, warm, and hot

By Stephanie Guanemewater, the salt bath and jet bath, as well as the oil-infused steam room. Depending on the package the client may choose (I chose the Ther-mal Baths with a 30 Minute massage), AIRE offers yoga, massages, and/or private baths or as they call them, rituals, with red wine, olive oil, and Kerala in the dim lighted grotto rang-ing from $75-$85 (Thermal Baths and Aromatherapy), $124-$315 (Thermal Baths and Massage dependent on time), and $450-$550 (Rituals). AIRE Ancient Baths is most definitely “worth the buck” as its workers are very kind and polite, the site is extremely clean, the highest tone of speaking is a whisper through-out the grotto, and every client is entitled to a locker containing, slip-pers that must be worn throughout the entire location (for health and safety purposes), a robe, towels, clothes hangers, and of course a key (in the form of a bracelet) that can access only your locker. If you are stressed and in need of a getaway, if you want pure peace and tranquility, or would like to treat your friend or significant other to something unforgettable and romantic, AIRE Ancient Baths is the place for you.

Looking for new flavors to add to your taste palate? One of Chelsea’s latest venue hot spots will blow your mind with unique dishes and aromas. The Park is a club-restaurant, offering various decor in each of its five dinning rooms, infusing a differ-ent experience in each. The Atrium room offers a cozy, intimate setting with small tables, next to a fireplace. The Main Room is created for those who love sitting by the bar. The Red Room combines elegance and silk meant for receptions. Finally, The Penthouse is a rooftop patio that overlooks the Highline. The essence of earth and nature is a theme held throughout each room, especially The Garden, giving The Park its original-ity. When I entered the restau-rant, the dim lights surrounded me in a different atmosphere almost auto-matically. The hostess led my party of nine to the Garden. Lanterns decorat-ed the ceiling as we walked amongst trees wrapped up in lights. Even though the outside was windy, the en-closure was warm and snug. Leaves often fell from the trees around our table, enchanting our experience. Some of the famous dishes included baked artichoke dip with olive oil crackers, grilled flatbread with Medi-terranean salads, wood oven pizzas, and a range of large-portioned entrees worthy of their price. Having sampled most of the menu, I reached the con-clusion that not all of the dishes were noteworthy.

The overpriced appetizers were mostly bitter and left in the cen-ter of the table, essentially untouched. However, the meal was saved thanks to typical American food, such as Burgers and Pizza. The classic park burger with aged cheddar was simple but sumptuous. In addition, having sampled a range of pizza slices, I was impressed by how the crust was so thin and crispy. However, if dinning at the Park, the waiters recommended sampling the strozzapretti with little-neck clams, octopus and charred ro-maine. It is a favorite with most of the diners and proved to be highly desired amongst our table as well. The main seafood ingredients were chewy and sweet, giving the dish mild zest when combined with the seasonings and herbs. Finally, one thing we all agreed on as a whole was ordering hot choco-late to draw our dinner to a close. The hot chocolate arrived in a giant mug with a single huge marshmallow in the center. It was a great way to warm up before having to leave back to the cold outdoors. With meals ranging from $10 to $27, my advice is bring an even $30 per person. The portion sizes justify the price; however, make sure you know what you are ordering. The staff knows the whole menu inside and out and are willing to help with ones din-ing experience. Overall, The Park’s main feature is the ornamentation rather than the food. Even though the meals are sui generis, your eyes will have a bigger feast.

By Aleksandra AronovaLet’s Take a Walk in The ParkAIRE is Spa-tacular!

One of the gorgeous salt baths offered by Aire Ancient Baths.

By Nivea Acosta

The Garden venue offered by The Park. (retrieved from TheParkNYC.com)

Sports April 2015Page 10

By Breanna LorenzoHere at Forest Hills we have

many sports such as basketball, soc-cer, volleyball etc, but one of the lesser known sports at our school is lacrosse. We’ve had lacrosse at For-est Hills for four years and it isn’t as popular a sport as basketball. The girl’s lacrosse team recently held try-outs and has a solid new team for the upcoming spring season. Along with a new team came a new coach. The last coach of the girl’s lacrosse team, Ms. Shimizu, has left the new coach Mr. Bralower to take the reins.

Having recently discussed this topic with two members, Kate Gerodias and Polly Chu both were able to convey messages based on their history and understanding on lacrosse. When asked about the popularity of the sport, captain Kate responded by saying “I don’t think people know too much about la-crosse, and therefore don’t think it’s interesting since it is fairly new to the school”. In contrast to this Chu said she thinks the sport is popular, espe-cially due to the fact that they were undefeated two years ago.

To make the sport more popular in the school Polly suggested, “letting people know about our home games.” This would definitely be a

more effective way to spread the word about the team and also help it gain more relevance at Hills. Gerodias says, “I think that if people saw how competitive and fun lacrosse was, it would become more popular. I guess they’re accustomed to more familiar sports like basketball and volleyball. Maybe in time.”

The next thing we talked about was the new coach, Mr. Bralow-er. Kate expressed her feelings saying, “I really like the new coach. He really knows his stuff and knows how to coach a team, and get us to work hard. He’s really motivating and encour-aging and that’s something I really appreciate in a coach.” Polly added to this saying “Although the whole team misses Ms. Shimizu, he’s a great coach. I think he’s very well prepared and very devoted to help the team.”

As captain of the team, Kate shared her goals for the team this year. “My goal for this team, and for any team is always to get into playoffs and get the chip. But as for short term goals, I would say to become bet-ter everyday whether it’s at running, cradling, catching, passing whatever it may be. I just want my team to im-prove in every practice.”

The girl’s lacrosse team defi-nitely deserves more attention because of the hard work and dedication that is put in from its players. Announcing more home games can help increase its popularity and hopefully give it the recognition that it deserves. All sports should have equal school support because students are putting their time and effort into representing the school in positive way. They deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments.

Lady Rangers Want Lacrosse in the Loop

By Jazmin Rickerson As our first semester came to an end, so did many of our boys’ sports teams. Some teams rose to the occasion, and a few didn’t quite make it. While the boys’ varsity wrestling and varsity basketball teams had a good season, the boys’ varsity soccer and varsity bowling teams didn’t quite have the same. In an interview with our very own wrestling coach Mr. Stephen Serio, he explained how this season went. Even in his fifth year coaching wrestling he explains how this year is no different from any other. “My kids know I run the team the same. I run it the way I want and my expectations don’t change”, he explains. Coach Serio’s methods have proven to work ending the season with only one loss and ranking the number one seed in the city before the playoffs.

This wasn’t an easy task with mostly underclassman starting this year. Yet there were many notable players

from this season, which included, Jason Rodriguez, Christian Kelley, Yakubmier Borukhov, Arseny Averyanov, and Agustin IV Cardenas. Coach Serio explained them to be leaders of the team that looked over the others. Overall he

states,” I accomplished everything I wanted to, my kid’s wrestled tough all year with intense training. I would like to thank all my kids for all the hard work, to the parents for helping the team, and for the kids next year to come and try out”. Although wrestling season was a success, boys’ varsity soccer team and varsity bowling team wasn’t; the soccer team only winning one game and the bowling team winning only three. Despite the fact that the soccer and bowling teams didn’t have a good season, didn’t hamper the boys’ varsity basketball team. Nicholas Evans, a player on the team, spoke about this past season: “It went alright, I had a lot more expectations. I wished it could have been better but all I can do is change for next season”. During the 2014 -15 season the varsity team won seven

The Highs and Lows of Boys’ Fall Sports

By Maxine Sanchez“Strike one! Strike two!

Strike three…you’re out!” The famous words of the most popular game we call softball. With the season just be-ing around the corner, the Forest Hills Lady Rangers brace themselves for this upcoming season. Led by current dean and physical education teacher Christina Sequiera-Ruiz whom is no stranger to the game, coaches Forest Hills High School Lady Rangers. According to coach Sequiera-Ruiz, “This is going to be an emotional year for me”. She adds, “But that’s why my girls are going to play til’ they can’t no more, get ready.”

Forest Hills High School is well known for their beautiful campus but their field is well up there as well. Softball games have been hosted on the field for decades. Unfortunately, the field went into repair the year of 2013 due to the damaged walls surround-ing it. Current senior and co-captain, Brianna Licausi expresses her thoughts, “This isn’t fair. It was said that the field needed wall reparations but every time I pass by, the workers aren’t doing any-thing. So they closed the field for what? Just for the fun of it? It’s my senior year and it sucks that we can’t have any home games.”

Moreover, it was said the field would be accessible in two years, that is, if the workers are working on schedule. But why does this have such an affect on the girls? Coach Sequiera explains, “This field is like a confidence booster

for the girls. Every time they step on it, they feel at home. Definitely a bummer for everyone, especially the fans who usually come out to watch and support.” Besides the field being “unplay-able” and unfortunate, the Lady Rangers have other great deal of things to work on and decide. Almost seven seniors graduated last year and most of them were starters. Indeed, it left a big hole on the team but it’s not stopping our team from winning. From playing base

ball since I was four years old and switching to softball when high school started, I think I know boundar-ies when I see them. But let me tell you, it didn’t stop me from working hard. As a captain for my Lady Rangers, I always tell them that no matter what or whom we have, we play together as a team and to the best of our abilities. The biggest thing about softball is adjusting. We have to adjust to whatever is neces-sary and continue to play hard. Despite of all the lost seniors, we are still the underdogs of our division and we’ve been preparing ourselves to face other competition. They didn’t bump us up to the A division for nothing!

With the Lady Rangers first game starting on March 20th against their rivals Bryant, the girls continue to practice and hit the cages daily. Coach Sequiera gives no days off! It’s either go hard or go home! Lets see what this season has in store for us.

of their eight games and ranked fifth overall in Queens. In the course of the first semester our boys’ sports teams had their ups and downs. But one thing they all had in common was their passion to play and supportive coaches. Everyone is looking forward to next season so let’s not disappoint. Go Rangers!

Swingin’ Into Softball Season!

Forest Hills High School Girls 2014-2015 Lacrosse Team

Forest Hills High School Girls 2014-2015 Softball Team

Lady Ranger’s Team spirit

Forest Hills High School Boys Varsity Basket-ball Team 2014-2015 season