Chieftain Issue #2 2010

The Fall Edition

A look at the Fall Drama, The Twelve Angry

Jurors Pages 4 & 5

A glance at the re-touched cafeteria mu-

rals! Page 7

Sewanhaka High School a 500 Tulip Avenue • Floral Park, New York 11001 a 2010 Volume 22 Issue 2

Chieftain —the chief source for all the news you’ll ever need.

2Chieftain - December

SEWANHAKA HIGH SCHOOL

500 Tulip Ave.- Floral Park, New York 11001

CONTENTSMonthly Update………………………………….……3-5Student Feature……………………………….…………6Teacher Feature…………………………….……………7Editorials………………………………………………8-9World News…………………………………….………10School News.......…………………………………..……11Entertainment........................……….………………14-15The Sewanhaka Question...................………….…...16-17Sports News................................................................18-19

The Chieftain

Greetings from the Editors

The editors of the Sewanhaka Chieftain would like to apologize for some errors in the previous issue. Haiti was spelled wrong as “Hati” and we are very sorry for that. Ms. Amazan-Sassi’s name was spelled wrong in the last issue and for that we apologize to her. There was also some erroneous information in the article, as Ms. Amazan-Sassi received her masters from Hunter College and SDA from The College of St. Rose.

The Chieftain

Chieftain meets Thursdays, 7:20 A.M. in Room 237. All new

writers and cartoonists are welcome!

Editors-in-ChiefArmaghan BehlumCourtney Balgobin

Mary Jane Dumankaya

Input Editors Elissa Sanci

Katrina Simon

Layout EDITORShahrukh Khan

StaffNancy Agyeman-DuahKrishanthi Devendran

Nicole FreitagElsa Gimenez

Anna HarshamPrisceilla Harsham

Suzette NarinesinghRory O’Reilly

Kieran O’ReillyAndreas Pavlou

Matthew SalzaruloElissa Sanci

Khadeza UddinJevin VargheseKevin Wang

Jaclyn WisneiwskiMichael Zunno

AdvisorMr. Alfino

The Student Council has kicked the month of December off by organizing and directing the Elementary School Holiday Children’s Play, which was a wonderful process.

It was held on Tuesday, December 7th and everyone did an amazing job. Volun-teers from Sewanhaka gave their time af-terschool to work with the students from three of the local elementary schools to teach them their lines and provide them with support and encouragement.

The young actors came from Clara H. Carson Elementary School, Covert Avenue Elementary School, and Stewart Manor Elementary School. The play had five underlying plots that folded into one giant problem. In the end, all the actors came together to solve the problem to-gether. The young actors and volunteers worked very hard and put on a spectacular play. There was even a special appearance by Santa Claus and everyone had a great time!

The Student Council would love to hear your opinions and concerns. If you would like to be a part of this awesome student council come to the next meeting on Friday, December 17th at 3:00 in room 301 (The Chorus Room). Get Involved!

Student GovernmentBy Karim Lahlou


Monthly UpdateThe Advisor’s CornerBy Ms. Amaris

International Night this year was held on Friday, November 5, 2010. There were many programs this year ranging from classical pieces to contemporary Indian dancing. This year’s international night was considered to be one of the best per-formances ever. The audience greatly en-joyed the show and this was partially due

Dancing the night with DiversityBy Jevin Varghese

On Thursday, November 18, the annu-al Fall Blood Drive was held at Sewanhaka High School in collaboration with Long Island Blood Services. The student body showed tremendous support by volunteer-ing their time to help with recruitment, scheduling, registration and donating. Students who were 16 years of age or older were eligible to donate. There were many members of our faculty who helped with supervision and donated as well. Sewan-haka collected 103 pints and helped make a difference by giving the “gift of life” to so many deserving people and their families. Thank you Sewanhaka!

Performers at International Night were ready to rock the stage. Photo provided by the Yearbook Club

to the fact that there were three great hosts: Amanda Torres, Jordan Riddick, and Jevin Varghese. They helped to make Interna-tional night a success with their hilarity and charm. The performers spent a lot of time working hard as well. Many of them stayed after school for hours to make sure that their act would come out perfectly. This definitely paid off; the show ran very smooth. Many people worked behind the scenes and put a lot of hard work into this event together. Mrs. Acevedo, the Foreign Language Department chairperson, spent many hours after school to make sure that the performances were as close to perfec-tion as possible. Mr. Gonsalez and Mrs. Fagain also worked tirelessly along side Mrs. Acevedo. All of the performers were also able to have a great time and truely enjoyed themselves. Many of the seniors

Hosts Jordan Riddick and Amanda Torres smile for the cameras. Photo by Yearbook.

are leaving with a great of memory of their final year at Sewanhaka.

At the end of the performances there was a special suprise. All of the performers came out on stage as well as a few special guests and they sand We Are The World 25 for Haiti. The performance was organized by senior Kunle Ogenlowo. It was a special tribute for the many Se-wanhaka Students who have family mem-bers in Haiti.

Everyone is hoping that next year’s In-ternational Night will be just as good as or better than this year’s show.

The performers of International Night prepare for their big night! Photo by Katrina Si-mon.


School News

By Safiya FavardFriday, October 29th and Saturday,

October 31st, the Sewanhaka High School theater was filled with insults, arguments, and 12 Angry Jurors. The Sewanhaka High school Drama club put on a spec-tacular production of the 12 Angry Jurors. The show kept people in suspense as they wondered what would happen next. The play was taken from the original 12 An-gry Men written by Reginald Rose. The

Twelve Angry Jurors

platook place in the summer of 1954, in a hot, humid and muggy jury room. It was the duty of the 12 jurors to come to a verdict on deciding if an 18 year old man is guilty of murdering his father in the first degree beyond a reasonable doubt. The jurors came from various parts of our society, each bringing with them their pre-conceived prejudices, ideas, morals and convictions. This group of jurors did an extraordinary job at portraying each member. The jurors are all at odds on reaching one decision. At the beginning of the drama 11 jurors are positive that the man is guilty, but the 8th juror, played by Amanda Montoni, is unsure if he is truly guilty. The 11 jurors are angry, hot and in a hurry to come to a quick verdict. In a very convincing and dramatic role the 8th juror vividly reviews the evidence and spends the whole play trying to convince the rest of the jurors that the man is not guilty. The 8th juror is cool, calculated, and walks about the stage with confidence afraid of no one. The 3rd juror, played b is compelled to compare his terrible father and son relationship that his has with own son to the abusive relationship that the ac-cused has with his father. His thoughts are blurred and prevent him from looking at the evidence with an open mind. The poignant portrayal of a bitter and unhap-py man is dramatically brought to life by the 3rd juror. He is filled with discuss, and hatred for the 8th juror. The built up of pride and ignorance is impressively shown by the 4th juror, and the prejudice of the 10th juror powerfully influences them

The initial votes show overwhelming support for a guilty conviction but can one lone juror( Juror #8 Amanda Montoni) change that? Photo by Yearbook Club

Ryan Tuohy, Marilyn Alvarez, and Jevin Vargheuse singing the national anthem at Interna-tional Night. Photo provided by the Yearbook Club

Salsa Dancing shows our cultural diversity at International Night. Photo provided by the Year-book Club.


School News

The cast of The Twelve Angry Jurors smile for the cameras. Photo by Yearbook Club

to vote guilty for most of the play. As a cast member I portrayed Juror number 9 who was an elderly woman with much insight and understanding, in a quiet and soft spoken manner she helped members of jury to focus on the evidence. As the play reaches its climax members of the jury aim their anger toward juror number 8 for insisting that they question them-selves, their motives, their prejudices, and the evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. With much excitement and rising anger chairs and tables were thrown across the stage even landing in front of the audi-ence. At the end, the young man is vot-ed not guilty, but while hearts of all the other jurors are changed, the heart of the 10th juror is still left untouched. The play never had a dead spot; it was filled with anger and passion to finding a common ground. Many in the audience said “This play was suspenseful and nicely acted out. It was a beautiful play. This was not a high school play, and could easily be considered an off Broadway production.” The play’s director Miss Crimmins said “This was a challenging play. It had to focus on bring-ing out the students acting and actions in the show, as oppose to having extravagant costumes. It was challenging to act out what we were trying to expose about the true character of people. The devotion of the cast made it a successful show.” Se-nior Amanda Montoni said “I love that each cast becomes a family, everyone is so welcoming. I love that I got the chance

to portray a different character.” As being part of the cast I love how we all become so close. This was the closest cast that I have been a part of. There was never a dull moment during rehearsals. Each rehearsal was filled with lots of laughs. It was fun to work with the cast each day as we all slowly went insane. It is heart breaking to say goodbye to the seniors who are leav-ing the drama club, but the drama club members will always have their friendship for years to come. Bravo to this thrilling, gripping and sensational play. The acting was absolutely superb and exciting with many emotional, and thought provoking moments. As we say in the drama club “Everything is A-O.K.!”

This years Class of 2016 election was a major success! Many people were nominated for different positions, but unfortunately we only need one to do the job. Give thanks to all the candi-dates, teachers, and all the 7th grade students voting for their peers!

There were four positions that any-one could be nominated for. These offices are President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. After a long period of writing out their speeches, and reciting them, it was time for Elec-tion Day! In our Social Studies classes, we had the opportunity to vote for one candidate in each position. Dur-ing homeroom, the selections were made and announced. Our President is Gregory Beharry, Vice President is Sheryl Harry, Treasurer is Cindy Mangray, and our Secretary is Selena Thomas. I would like to thank all my peers for participating in this years Class of 2016 Student Election. Also, congratulations to all the candidates!

Student Elections- Class of 2016By Khadeza Uddin

Juror #2 (Hector Rosado) and Juror #3 (Ryan Tuohy) argue the case. Photo by Year-book Club


School News

October 20th, 2010 was a big night for the Sewanhaka High School Marching Band. Led by band director, Mr. Doherty, and drum major, Christina Johnson, the band participated in the 48th Annual Newsday Marching Band Festival which is hosted every year by Hofstra University. The festival is held over the course of three nights. High school marching bands come from all over Nassau County to play for thousands of people on Hofstra’s football field.

Sewanhaka’s theme this year was “marching in the shadows of Motown.” The band attended rehearsals every Mon-day night and even had three days of “band camp” before the start of the school year in preparation for the festival. After about a month of rehearsals, the Indians were ready to hit the field! With thousands of people watching them, the band pushed aside their nerves and gave their best performance. You could find the crowd dancing in their seats when the band played the clas-sic hits, “Get Ready,” “My Girl,” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” Senior members of the band can agree that the night brought a bittersweet feeling to their hearts. One senior said, “it’s nice to have our Monday nights

Motown MarchBy Christina Johnson

“This is a warm fuzzy. I’ve done some-thing nice for you, now you do something nice for someone else. Pass it on.” I’m sure you’ve received at least one of these on Na-tional Mix It Up Day. “Wait, national?” you might be thinking to yourself. Yes, Mix It Up Day is, in fact, a national holiday in which many schools participate. Sewan-haka’s S.P.I.C.E. (Students Participating In Community Events) members took charge in leading a very successful Mix It Up Day. They made over 200 fuzzies to pass around the school, and took a special effort to talk to people they did not know. Following in the lead of the S.P.I.C.E. members, many students switched around where they sat at lunch and spoke to someone new. Who knows? They might have made a friend that will one day grow to be their closest friend. Mix It Up Day has become a tra-ditional part of Sewanhaka High School. Each year it gets better and better with

By Krishanthi Devendran

Sewanhaka Mixes It Up

back, but at he same time we worked so hard and made so many friends, it’s hard to see it end.”

The band had a great time at the festi-

Sewanhaka High School’s Drumline sets teh beat at Newsday. Photo by Yearbook Club

Sewanhaka High School’s Drum line sets the beat at Newsday. Photo by Yearbook Club

val as they do every year. Members of the crowd can agree that the Sewanhaka High School Marching Band, along with the other schools in our district, brought a lot of energy and excitement to the field. IT was an unforgettable night enjoyed by all.

The trumpets and flutes hype up the crowd . Photo by Yearbook Club


School News

Debate, debate, and more debate! Se-wanhaka students spent more than twenty hours debating worldly issues as specific nations in a mock United Nations during the four days of November 11-14. While it may seem like a lot, the debating time flew by for Sewanhaka’s Model UN club, who recently returned from a Model U.N. conference that took place at Rutgers Uni-versity in New Jersey. This 4-day trip to Rutgers has been an annual trip for many years, bringing excitement to many of the students who receive the opportunity to go. This year, the club brought: 7 seniors, 3 juniors, 4 sophomores and 2 freshmen, students who were chaperoned by Ms. Brennan, and Model U.N. advisor Mr. Sakowich. When asked about the confer-ence, Mr. Sakowich said, “The delegates’ hard work for two months definitely paid off, every delegate did an awesome job, and it was one of the best groups we’ve ever brought here.” What made this trip a truly exceptional one were the two nationally recognized awards won by partners Arma-ghan Behlum and Keren Thomas as well as partners Joseph De Jesus and Katrina Si-mon! Noted as a great step up for the club, Sewanhaka’s Model UN has shown great improvement from previous conferences. When asked about the success of the club, President Shana Brouder enthusiastically exclaims that she is very proud of her club and hopes to do even better at the Model UN’s next trip to American University in February. Best of luck to this club in the future!

MUN Brings the FUNBy Katrina Simon

At the beginning of the Great De-pression the United States Congress passed a series of reforms known to-day as the New Deal during President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first term in office. The New Deal served as a counterattack to the nations declining

economy after the stock market crash of 1929. Roosevelt planned to create jobs for American artists and other devastated Americans who were un-employed and in need off work. This resulted in the Works Progress Admin-istration (WPA).

The greatest accomplishment of the New Deal was its art program which consisted of over forty murals painted throughout Long Island. Two of these historic oil painted murals are located in the third floor cafeteria in Sewanha-ka. Both 80” x 158” oil paint on can-vas Indian Scene murals were created by Frederick Marshall in 1937.

Although both murals are located in the cafeteria, most Sewanhaka stu-dents themselves know nothing about the true history of the murals. Se-wanhaka students who were asked to

Cafeteria Murals Get a Touch-UpBy Suzette Narensingh

tell us what they knew of the murals responded by saying the murals were there to show us “we are walking on what used to be an actual Indian vil-lage”. The murals however are an im-portant part of the nation’s history and the struggle of Americans’ to make a

living during the Great Depression.The fact is that Sewanhaka High

School in itself was built in 1929 just after the stock market crash and the murals located in the school’s caf-eteria were painted less than a decade after that. Due to the murals age, the breaking ceiling just above it, and its location in one of Sewanhaka’s busi-est rooms it has suffered tremendously over time. Fortunately Sewanhaka re-ceived a grant this summer enabling us to restore the work of art to its original condition. A painting conservator, Jon-athan Sherman, worked on the murals for two weeks this summer in attempt to restore the artwork. Mrs. Lidowsky, who has been tried numerous times to get workers to refurbish the painting, is ecstatic and extremely pleased with the work that has been done.

One of the Sewanhaka High School murals that recently received a touch-up.

more ideas being accomplished. This year when you met someone new, you traced your hand on the paper along with you new friend’s hand. This symbolizes your new friendship, the fact that no single per-son is left out, and everyone is there for everyone. Just this simple act of tracing hands helped people get along well, and make friends in an easier manner. Mix It Up Day was a success once again and will be seen again next year.


Student Feature

“Do what you love to do and give it your very best, whether it’s business, the theater, or sports.” In Sara Catal-do’s case, her love lies with the the-ater. At the age of 11, a passion for the theater sprouted within her. Her sup-portive family provided her with the drive to act on her passion; she started taking dance lessons. As time passed, and as Sara was exposed to more and more theatric productions, her desire became clearer and clearer. “Seeing shows and how the performers af-fected the audience helped me realize

By Iris Jacob

Our Shining Star

that one day I want to leave the same impact on people.”

Sara Cataldo is a dynamic girl, full of life, and actively involved in Sewan-haka and her community. She’s part of several Sewanhaka clubs including Voices of Harmony, Drama Club, GSA and the Honor Society. She also enthusiastically participates in the Community Theater and her church worship band. Not only is she a bril-liant musician and actress, but she also has a loving, compassionate heart. Sara

volunteers her summers to lending a helping hand at the Ronald McDonald House. In addition, she is part of the Kids Performing Who Kare cast. This organi-zation raises money yearly for kids suffering with can-cer. They recently did a pro-duction of Sweeney Todd,

where Sara played the role of Johanna, Sweeney Todd’s daughter.

As a senior in Sewanhaka, she plans on majoring in musical theater at ei-ther Pace University or The University of the Arts. Sara’s fondest memory in Sewanhaka is the close, family bond she has created over the years with the fall drama cast members -- a bond that will remain forever. When asked about graduating and leaving Sewanhaka, she answered, “I feel sad to graduate and move away from my home and friends but the thought of moving to a new city, making new friends, and experiencing new things excites me!”

Look out Sewanhaka; Sara Cataldo might just be the next BIG, shin-ing Broadway star. With this unique potential, and promising future, Sara is bound for success.

The tallented Sara Cataldo smiles for the cammera.. Photo provided by Sara Cataldo. Little Sara prepares for her acting days by dressing up. Photo provided by Sara

Cataldo.


Teacher Feature

The first thing Mr. Lundergan said when requested to be interviewed for the school newspaper was “Why me?” As the interview progressed, he started to understand why he was chosen for the teacher feature, as his answers an-swered his own question! Ryan Lun-dergan has roots in South Huntington as a Long Islander and attended Walt Whitman High School. His desire for the arts and graphics led him to ap-ply and be accepted into the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. He majored in illustration with no perturbation that he would become an art teacher; he received a Bachelor of the Fine Arts degree.

Mr. Lundergan is quite the family man, with a daughter and a wife as well as a sister, a half sister and a half brother. He is very close to his family and adores spending time with them. Mr. Lundergan has a very diverse back-ground. He is mostly Irish and Belgian

Our PicassoBy Shahrukh Khan

with a sprinkle of German and English as well.

People may not know this, but Mr. Lundergan did not always desire to become an art teacher. He said that if he had not become an art teacher he would have be-come a fashion designer or even a graphic artist with just as much excitement.

A man of sports and ac-tion, Mr. Lundergan was the goalie of his lacrosse team in his high school years. He loves to watch basketball dur-ing his free time. An active person on and off the field, Mr. Lundergan has aided stu-

dents everywhere and coaches lacrosse along with teaching. Mr. Lundergan rejoices in working on his house and playing with his daughter during his lax time. An interesting thing about Mr. Lun-dergan is that he likes to dance when nobody is watching and sur-prisingly, he obsessively loves the Star Wars se-ries and is a prodigious fan of it too. Mr. Lun-dergan’s favorite movie is Goonies and the food that he prefers above all is tacos. When asked what his favorite book is, he replied “I am a man of picture and I do

not read.” Mr. Lundergan’s students think of

him as humorous and very sarcastic. His colleagues said he is organized and approachable as well as easy to talk to. He is also thought to be a great dancer by his colleagues as well. Mr. Lundergan loves the diversity of the students and freedom to express him-self through art at Sewanhaka High School and hopes to teach here for a long time. With such an openly ex-pressed mind and consideration of the many aspects around him, his art prevails and so does his teaching. Con-sidering all the aspects that compose his personality, it really isn’t surprising that he brings such a great complex demeanor to class everyday and shares it with everyone he meets as well.

Mr. Lundergan poses for The Chieftain . Photo by Katrina Simon.

Baby Mr. Lundergan smiles for the camera. Provided by Mr. Lundergan.


Editorial

The devastating 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States occurred nine years ago; nine years is not an exceptional-ly long time. However, some seem to have forgotten that planes were hijacked and due to a lack of essential security measures, nearly 3,000 civilians lost their lives. The new air-port security measures implemented by the Transportation Security Administration are for the sole purpose of protec-tion in order to prevent another disturbing tragedy.

The new form of airport security being put into use is simply a full-body scanner. The passengers are required to walk through the scanner and Transpor-tation Security Administration person-nel will view these images in a remote area and examine for suspicious or illegal items. The official viewing the scans will never interact with the passenger and the scans cannot be stored, exported, print-ed, or transmitted. The scanner can de-tect metallic and non-metallic substances such as powers and liquids that can be used in explosive and harmful devices. Such substances had slid by officials last Christmas when a man attempted to detonate explosives on Northwest flight 253. With the new scanner, these illicit substances will be picked up instantly.

For those who do not feel comfortable having their body viewed by another, there is an alternate option. Those who choose the alternate option can opt to receive the enhanced pat down. In this case, the passenger’s unclothed body will not be viewed and the passenger will be given a thorough pat down of their body. Same-gender officials who have re-ceived specific training will carry out the pat down and the passenger will have the right to ask for a private screening with their own witness. Again, this is for the sole purpose of checking for illegal or suspicious items.

An objection that passengers and the flight crew have had with the new full body scanners is the concern of radia-tion output. It has been clarified that the radiation risk from the recent scanners are miniscule. One scan will deliver ap-proximately 0.005 to 0.010 millirem, which is incredibly far

below the danger threshold, which is 10,000 millirem. In fact, one will gain more exposure from doing daily activi-ties than walking though the scanner. For example, wait-ing for a train for one hour will give you 0.060 millirems of exposure, which is at least six times more than an airport scanner. Additionally, taking a flight from New York to Los Angeles can expose one to between 3.0 and 4.0 mil-lirems. That is approximately 300 to 400 times higher than a walk through the scanner.

Many feel that the new airport security system violates their constitutional rights. More spe-cifically they are referring to the fourth amendment, which states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against un-reasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall is-sue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” The Supreme Court hasn’t come to a decision regarding the airport screening technol-ogy, but the lower courts have high-lighted, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in 2007 that “a particular airport security screening

search is constitutionally reasonable provided that it is no more extensive nor intensive than necessary, in the light of current technology, to detect the presence of weapons or explosives.” In these recent times, it only seems obvious that a passenger’s security and welfare generally takes pre-cedence over their search and seizure rights.

In conclusion, for those who do not agree with the new security system, they must also realize that flying is a privilege and an option. The Transportation Security Ad-ministration is not looking to spend billions of dollars on the new system for enjoyment; they are doing this to help ensure the safety among the citizens in the United States and to prevent any destructive activities from occurring. Furthermore, those who absolutely do not agree with the security precautions have the right to not fly.

By Courtney Balgobin

“The new airport security measures

implemented by the Transportation Secu-

rity Administration are for the sole purpose

of protection in order to prevent another

disturbing tragedy.”

It’s Only For Your Safety!


Editorial

Airport security: always a hassle but now an invasion of privacy as well! In an attempt to protect the nation’s people in airports, there has been an implementation of new secu-rity measures that are a clear infringement on the rights of the American people.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has introduced new full-body scanners that anyone traveling via airport must go through. Those that refuse to have a full body scan when the TSA personnel deems necessary must go through an aggressive full-body pat-down. The pat-downs are intrusive enough, that in any other case would be labeled as sexual harassment. Though according to the TSA, only about 3 percent of travelers receive a full-body pat-down, 3 percent too many.

These body-scanners are to protect us from a threat that’s almost nonexistent. The odds of dying as a result of a plane hijacked by terrorists are 1 in 25 million. That means that you are twenty times more likely to be struck by lightening than to be on a plane departure that is subjugated to a terror-ism attempt. Data Statistician Nate Silver, reviewed 10 years’ worth of data spanning from 1999 to 2009, and he concluded that only one out of every 16,553,385 commer-cial airline departures has had attempted acts of terrorism. The TSA has spent $338 million on the fully body scanners. These federal tax dollars could be used on something that would yield results, without ignoring the basic rights upheld in our constitution.

Benjamin Franklin once said “those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety”. That is the case here. That is what we will gain here, a little temporary security - security that may not even be effective in reducing this already almost non-existent threat. The full-body scanners were introduced

after the failed Christmas bombings last year. The attempted Christmas bomber had failed to detonate a powder explosive that he had hidden in his underwear. These news scanners were put in place so there could be no attempt at a Christ-mas bombing again. Yet, the Government Accountability Office has stated in written testimony to the House of Rep-resentatives’ Homeland Security Committee that “while of-ficials said [the scanners] performed as well as physical pat downs in operational systems, it remains unclear whether the [advanced imaging technology] would have detected the weapon used in the December 2009 incident.” This suggests that the new body scanners may not have been able to pre-

vent that attempt, let alone new at-tempts. These new security measures are lacking in that the full body scan-ners are unable to detect powders or other low-density substances like liq-uids, thin pieces of plastic and any-thing that resembles skin. It is also unable to detect objects hidden in body cavities.

The body scanners and the “grop-ing” aren’t a new advancement in the field; they are simply ineffective in solving the real problem of terror-ism. They unnecessarily endanger our fourth amendment, which clear-ly states “The right of the people to be secure in their persons… against unreasonable searchs and seizures,

shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause.” That would translate into the fact that it is illegal for the government to search a person without a war-rant. At this state of affairs, American citizens are checking in their liberties at the door when they walk into an air-port. The government should not be able to trample on our personal rights and our privacy. That is what our founding fathers had fought so hard to stop and now our basic rights are being ignored for security measures that aren’t even truly capable of providing security.

It’s Only Your Privacy! By Mary Jane Dumankaya

“Benjamin Frank-lin, once said “ those

who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety

deserve neither lib-erty nor safety”. That

is the case here.”


World News

The video game industry has skyrock-eted in the recent years due to the low prices of games and their relatively superb visuals that allow for realistic play in vari-ous situations. In a video game, one can complete a variety of task they may never do in real life or experience a fantastic story in what seems to be an interactive movie. The question that bothers some psycholo-gist however is whether these video games are actually healthy for the mind or if they are slowly degrading our kids into violence prone and immoral people. There have been many research studies, and all of them point in various directions, but it seems that the answer becomes clearer everyday.

Videogames can be used to help peo-ple accomplish tasks easier. A study con-ducted in the 1990s found that when one played Tetris repeatedly, their brain would progressively need less glucose in active re-gions as they got better at the game. This

means the action was done more efficient-ly and was beneficial for the people. Also, there has been much research conducted on the effects of educational games, and they seem to overwhelmingly indicate a beneficial result. It seems mind-stimulat-ing brains can influence the brain and help it develop more in specific regions. Games like Brain Age are actually good for your mind, though not for all parts as the sec-tions that control motor activities are not being stimulated enough and do not de-velop as much. The same goes to games

that require you to scan and recognize what you see on the screen or solve various puzzles and challenges to proceed.

Not all research has supported gaming, as studies of the effects of violent games show some frightening results. Games that invoke a constant rush of adrenaline and repeatedly reward their players for killing seem to cause an addiction that rivals that of drugs. The games even affect the same part of the brain that drugs do. Violent games also seem to desensitize, or make the kids used to, violence. Brain scans of people playing videogames show increases of activity in parts of the brain leading up to firing a weapon. When the weapon is being fired and right after, the activity de-creases. This indicates the person’s brain is suppressing a response to the violence they see on the screen. Repeated exposure to such violence causes even more decreases in activity in this region, and if compared to the brain of a person that does not play violent games, these peoples’ brains show considerable less activity. In short, this

means playing violent games makes it to stand virtual violence. Other re-search has also shown that people that own gaming system usually do worse on tests than those that do not play video games. Those that play multi-ple hours of videogames (on average around 5 hours) generally are more easily angered.

One should not be too shocked by the above results, as Call of Duty and other violent games do not have

only negative results. Games like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft require coor-dination and teamwork, so they can help increase one’s ability to communicate and work well in groups. Online gaming has made games a much more social experi-ence so the average gamer is no longer a loner. Recent hits like Mario and Halo are considered modern works of art in game design and inspire kids to call over friends to play together locally. As the in-dustry increases in size, it also increases in variety, so people can play sports games,

Videogames: The Good, The Bad, The Artsy Armaghan Behlum puzzle games, adventure games, and rac-

ing games. Motion controls allow people to play various sports, and so develop their motor functions, all in the comfort of their homes. Of course, motion controlled Madden is not actual football and Mario

Kart is nothing like actual driving, but these diluted experiences still give the brain some training for the real deal especially if say one cannot play football immediately due to the weather or cannot drive yet due to being under the age limit.

Another thing one should keep in mind when comparing violence and video games is one of psychology’s golden rules: “correlation does not prove causation.” Just because two things seem to occur at the same time does not mean one causes the other one. Violent games may not cre-ate violent children, the children can pos-sibly already violent and so they are the ones more likely to buy the violent games. It’s also possible that that there is an un-known third factor that causes both. An example: men that are married for a long time have less hair. A man married for 30 years has less hair than he did when he was newly wed. Does this mean that his wife has caused him to lose hair? No, the cause is more likely his age, since has he grows older he’s less able to keep a full head of hair. The age has caused both a longer mar-riage time and less hair. This situation can be analogous to the violent game-violent children situation as a third factor could influence both of these.

Call of Duty may make it easier for kids to see violence but at the same time it allows for them to experiences things like skydiving (above) and work as a team.

Games like Donkey Kong (above) are considered by some to be works of art.


School newsSewanhaka’s Top Two

By Elisa Sanci

What’s the secret to success? For Ar-maghan Behlum, it’s the daily glass of chocolate milk he drinks before leaving for school. “I don’t know why I do it, but I never miss a day.” Drinking chocolate milk has done Armaghan well—with a weighted average of 101.2, Armaghan is the Sewanhaka Class of 2011’s valedicto-rian. Armaghan hopes to be accepted to the California Institution of Technology (more commonly known as Caltech) to study biomedical engineering. His final goal? To become a neurosurgeon.

Talk to Armaghan for five minutes, and you’ll immediately know which sub-ject he holds close to his heart: science. His favorite class to date was Physics. As a professional, Armaghan hopes to emulate

A random fact about Mahelia Bissas-sar: she has to have a piece of chocolate ev-eryday. Another random fact about Mahe-lia: with a weighted average of 98.92, she’s the Class of 2011’s salutatorian. Mahelia’s dream school is Columbia University; she wishes to study there in the fall of 2011 to major in Psychology or Biology. “I can’t wait for college; it’s something new. At the same time, I’m also really nervous.”

“I work really hard, but I also make time to have fun,” Mahelia says. “I’m kind of a procrastinator, though,” she admits. Mahelia is a part of Key Club, Spice, Sci-ence Research, TAG, Recycling Club, Women in Science, Science Olympiad, and is vice president of FCCLA.

In the future, Mahelia hopes to emu-late Mrs. Reece. “She’s so dedicated to sci-ence and to teaching her students.” When asked what class was most necessary for her future, Mahelia “would have to go with Biology,” considering she wants to major in that field.

Outside of school, Mahelia is an active member of her community. She helps out at her temple, and she also participated in numerous walk-a-thons to raise money for various causes. The most challenging class Mahelia has taken over the course of her high school career was Physics. “It was definitely the most time consuming class I’ve ever taken.” One of her favorite memories of high school is the Physics trip to Six Flags. “That was just great. I had so much fun.”

Mahelia says she’s going to miss Se-wanhaka greatly. Sewanhaka wishes her the best for the future!

Valedictorian: Armaghan

Behlum

SalutatorianMaheliaBissassar

Armaghan Behlum (center right) and Mahelia Bissassar (center left) pose with Mrs. Lidowsky and as-sistant principals.

Mr. Sexton, Sewanhaka’s Physics teacher. “He knows how to handle problems very well,” says Armaghan of Mr. Sexton.

When asked if he studied hard to get to where he is today, Armaghan answers, “I did. I worked hard to understand every-thing taught to me. I had to make some sacrifices,” he adds, “like missing out on running track and not being able to be a part of as many clubs as I wanted.” Arma-ghan is an a part of several clubs at Sewan-haka, including Science Olympiad, Sci-ence Research, Women in Science, Model UN, Ecology, TAG. Armaghan is also Editor-in-Chief of the Chieftain.

“High school was very fun. The teach-ers are great, and the people are great. I’m going to miss it.” And Sewanhaka will most definitely miss Armaghan!


Entertainment

Expelliarmus! Wingardium Leviosa! Expecto Patronum! If lately you have been hearing students yell out these words in the hallway, do not fear, for they are just extremely excited about the new Harry Potter movie that has come out. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 premiered on midnight November 15th, 2010. Deathly Hallows is the final book in the 7 book series by J.K. Rowling. The movie was been split into two movies for there was too much to stuff into one two-and-a-half hour movie. Fans have been waiting for Part 1 to come out since July 2007; the release of the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The book series has been the best-selling book series ever. Deathly Hallows alone is the fastest-selling book of all time, having sold 15 million copies in its first 24 hours alone.

The movie opened to midnight pre-mieres across the country as diehard fans dressed in their best Gryffindor outfits to see the movie. Many Sewanhaka stu-dents attended the premiere, as did senior Mahelia Bissassar who exclaims “ I grew up with Harry Potter - the release of the books had been the highlights of my sum-mers. I cannot believe its finally coming to an end. It is bittersweet for me - the final movie comes out less than a month after my graduation. Two chapters of my life are coming to an end.”

The movie chronicles Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliff), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and Ron Weasley (Ru-bert Grint) as they search for a way to de-stroy Lord Voldemort. The movie is dif-ferent from previous as it no longer takes place in Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Magic, but in the real world. It is also much more grim, with the only comic re-lief coming from Ron Weasley.

In the midnight premiere, Deathly Hallows made a remarkable $24 million to go on to make $125.1 million in its open-ing weekend in North America. It was the

second highest opening for a potter film as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire made $127.4 million in 2005. Deathly Hallows Part 1 has made a cumulative $244.4 mil-lion as of December 5th.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)When two close friends get into an ar-gument with each other, it’s up to you to be the mediator. With your skill this should be no problem.

Aquarius (January 20-February 18)Lately you’ve wanted to stand out from the crowd. You’re always good at mak-ing heads turn, so do your thing!

Pisces (February 19-March 20)Take your free time into meeting new people and hanging out with them. New friends are always fun.

Aries (March 21-April 19)Anything can be forgiven. You may have upset someone deeply, but with the right apology forgiven will be re-ceived.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)Organization can always make a per-son feel better, and you may even come across some things you may have forgotten about.

Horoscopes

The Beginning of the End!

By Katrina Simon

By Mary Jane DumankayaGemini (May 21-June 21)Always remember that to get what you want, it is always crucial to keep your side of the bargain.

Cancer (June 22-July 22)Do not be intimidated by an illusion of perfection. The grass is not always as green as it seems. Remember every-body has flaws.

Leo (July 23-August 22)Lately, decisions have been blustering around you. What may seem good for you may not be good for others, but remember sometimes you need to put yourself first

Virgo (August 23- September 22)You’ve been putting something off for a long time, but remember the only way to finish it is to start!

Libra (September 23-October 22)A decision you need to make is not a life death situation. Think and decide, before it’s decided for you

Scorpio (October 22-November 21)Lately things may not have been going as expected, but the surprises make life more enticing!

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)As much as you want to believe some-thing may happen, you should re-member that people do not always tell the truth.


EntertainmentProud to be African AmericanOn my long JourneyWalking the streets of greatnessReach my destiny

- By Jonathan Smith

Harlem JazzMusic to my ears.Lights my darkened soulful heart.Falling into play.

-Kris D’meza

By Amy Zacharia

By Nazish KhalidBy Nazish Khalid

By Amy Zacharia

By Amy Zacharia


Sewanhaka Question

If you could be a super hero what would your power be and why? By Rory O’Reilly

Muhammad Ghafoor or SlowMomotion of the 11th grade would want the power to freeze time, so he could move at his own pace and not be overwhelmed by the world around him.

Justin John, a senior, wants the ability to fly. He could travel around with ease, and it would obviously be su-per awesome.

Captain Chrono or Matt Miranda, a sophomore, wants the power to control time. “It would be awesome to go back and re-do something you did wrong, and make it right.”

Mr. Sakowhich-or The Magician-would take mind control. All students would then do their homework. -“Now you see me…Now you don’t.”


Sewanhaka Question

If you could be a super hero what would your power be and why?

Iris Jacob, a senior, wants the power to control nature. “It would be amazing to control the temperature and the tides of the ocean. And right now I’m mad at earth because it gets dark way to early.”

Schnayder Termidor-a junior-would want the power of Spiderman. His name?-Schnayderman!

As for this writer, I would want the power to read peo-ples mind. It would have really made this a lot easier

Giovanna Braganza, a sophomore , chose the power to confuse and perplex others. “Evil villains would get confused and turn good. I’d be Confusia”


Sports News

With the tip-off to the 2010-2011 basketball season in a few weeks, there are high expectations of this year’s boy’s varsity basketball team. A roster has been comprised of those willing to work hard and to excel mentally. With an im-pressive overall record of 9-8 last year, coach Reece expects even more this year. The team is lead by seniors: Olusola “Shella” Adeniran, Shireem Cobb, David Rust, and Isaiah Pollack, who want a playoff run and are striving for a con-ference championship. With determination, hard work, and the right mindset this feat is at reach for this year’s Indians basketball team. The team needs all the support it can get so come out to the first game of the season.

Boy’s BasketballBy Joel Varghese

The Sewanhaka Varsity Track team has begun preparing for this years season. Both the boys and the girls work very hard everyday at practice to get into tip top shape and are ready for competition. This year, more boys and girls tried out for the team than usual. “Choosing the members of the team was a very difficult decision for Coach Celona and me. There are old, and some new, great runners this year that we think will be very successful.” said Coach Nola. “We have a lot of young talent this year. I can’t wait to work with them for further years to come. So far the team has put much ef-fort into their training,” says Coach Celona. The first meet of season will take place on Friday December 3rd at the Ar-mory in Manhattan.

Winter Track Is Back!Matthew Salzarulo

WrestlingBy Michael Zunno

The Sewanhaka wrestling team returns to the mats after a 9-8 record last year. This year, they are being led by new head coach, Kevin Horner, a teacher from Elmont High School, and two returning coaches, Coach Rubenstein and Coach Rawls. The team’s goals for this year are as simple as “to sur-vive,” as Coach Rubenstein puts it. There are seven Se-wanhaka seniors on the team: Brian So-mar, Marcos Guil-len, Travis King, Chris Lespinasse, Ron Simon, Gean-franco Garcia, and Captain Daniel Cedeno. “We should have a good year with the new head coach, Kevin Horner, coming over from the

Hicksville Wrestling team. We have a nice, good group of young wrestlers that will help the team out a lot,” said Coach Rubenstein. The 2010-2011 wrestling team hopes to make it through this season with a good record and no injuries. Veronica Ponce, three year man-ager of wrestling says, “I have high expectations for the team this year and I wish them all the best.” Senior Captain Danny Cedeno adds on “Let’s make it to States!” Good luck Indians!Travis King (left) and Brian Somar

(right). Photo by Armaghan Behlum.Gina Ragona, Vicky Casso, Kaya Holder, Paige Przykuta (left to right). Photo by Courtney Balgobin.

Senior Captain Daniel Cedeno smiles for Chieftain. Photo by Armaghan Behlum


Sports News

“Go sailfish!” The team may not be visible in the halls of Sewanhaka High School, but it is our District swim-ming team. Senior Captain Kevin Brethel says “Our team is getting stronger every year and we will definitely be a contender for the long island championship this year!” The team is composed of mostly students from New Hyde Park High School but one of our own is also part of it. The team has dry land practices at Carey High School after school. They also continue to increase their performance practicing at Great Neck South Middle School during the evenings. Led by Coach Hammil and Mrs. Kennedy, the team is looking forward to a successful season.

SwimmingBy Elsa Gimenez

The Sewanhaka District tennis team is a beautiful blend of Sewanhaka, Floral Park and Carey high school girls who all share a love for tennis. This year the district tennis team finished the season 8-6 in the conference led by Coach Christine Roblin from H.F Carey. The team has only three “Indians”: senior Sajeeda Chin, junior Maleeka Chin and freshman Denise Vollmer, but yet they have grown into one big family. Maleeka Chin says, “This season wasn’t like any past season, at times I wanted to give up but I kept pushing through, knowing it was the last year to play with my sister; Sajeeda.”

TennisBy Sajeeda Chin

Girl’s BasketballJaclyn Wisneiwski

The 2010-2011 Girl’s Varsity Basketball team is already hard at work doing what they know best, playing ball. With the addition of new teammates, this season is only look-ing ahead in a positive direction. The starting five include captains Monique Roberge, Jaclyn Wisniewski, and Megan Mullaney, along with returning varsity player Shantell Mc-Call and starting point guard Celine Jolicoeur. McCall says, “I think everyone is looking forward to a very successful sea-son, including coach and all of our new team members.” On that note, with their hard work and dedication we wish them the best in their season.

The Sewanhaka Track team attended its first meet on November 3rd at the Armory in Man-hattan. The track meet had 55 different schools from Nassau County with each school bring-ing about 50 runners. The Sewanhaka team did quite well, placing in numerous events. Senior captain Johane Accime came in 1st place in the girls 55m dash, and se-nior Vanessa Senat came in 3rd. The relay teams also received medals.

There was more than just races at the Armory. The Sewanhaka Winter Track team also had the

pleasure of meeting Derrick Adkins an Olympic gold med-alist in the 400m hurdles at the 1996 Olympics.

The team has a core of seniors with girls’ captains Johane Accime and Kaya Holder and boys’ captains Keenan Woods and Derek Thompson leading the pack. The other seniors include Vanessa Senat, Ashlyne Polynice, Gina Cangelosi, Vicky Casso, Tavena McPherson and Brian Wint. Coach Celona stated, “I have a lot of seniors that I’ve been working with for years and I hope they get All-County or even make the state meet.”

Derek Thompson a senior captain on the Winter track team was more than enthusiastic to speak of his love for the sport. He exclaimed “I’ve loved track ever since I was in kindergarten and I just always wanted to run. Running for Sewanhaka, from my freshman year to my senior year helped me to realize that this was somethin’ for me. I’m working on my goals my final year to get all-county again for long jump and hopefully for the first time in the 55m and 4 x 2 relay.”

The Winter Varsity track team has 7 more meets of the regular season. Support the Indians in their quest for Gold!

Track at the Armory!By Mary Jane Dumankaya

Senior Captain Derrick Thompson. Photo by Courtney Balgobin.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”

-Helen Keller

Sewanhaka Central High School District

A Nationally Recognized District of Excellence

Mrs. Debra Lidowsky - Principal

Mr. Warren A. Meierdiercks, Superintendent Of Schools

Board of Education

Jean Fichtl - President

DavidT. Fowler - Vice President

Joseph Armocida

David Del Santo

Laura Ferone

Lorraine Ferrigno

Michael Jaime

Joan Romagnoli

Hank Logerman Award

American Scholastic Press Award NEWSDAy H.S. jOurNALISM AWArD

2009 AND 2010 QuILL yOuNG PEOPLE PrESS AWArD

Documents

Chieftain Issue #2 2010