Chieftain Issue #3 2010

Yes

No

This Issue’s Editorial:THE CIVIL WAR

CAUSED BY SLAVERY?

A heart filled with gener-osity and willingness change everything. The players and the audience of the Dodge Ball Marathon extended their hands to help the Lym-phoma Society. About sixty kids who participated.

Read more on page 5

“Never doubt your-self.” As the most im-portant thing Daniel Cedeno has learned through his wrestling career, he lives by this saying every day

Read more on page 8

DODGEBALL!!!

Sewanhaka High School a 500 Tulip Avenue • Floral Park, New York 11001 a 2011 Volume 22 Issue 3

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

Read more on pages 10-11

2Chieftain - February

SEWANHAKA HIGH SCHOOL

500 Tulip Ave.- Floral Park, New York 11001

CONTENTS

School News......………………………………….……3-6Entertainment………...……………………….…………7Student Feature…………………………….……………8Teacher Feature…….……………………....……………9Editorials……….....…………………………………10-11World News…………………………………….………12Senior Banquet………………………………...……13-15Sewanhaka Question..………………………...……16-17Sports………………………………...……………...18-19

The Chieftain

Greetings from the Editors:

A Happy New Year to all Sewanhaka High School students and staff. The Chieftain hopes everyone is enjoying their new year so far. We would also like to give a nod to anyone that has just recently discovered that they have been an Ophiuchus or any different zodiac sign than the one they had for the past 3,000 years without knowing it. The change might have occurred due to the change of the Earth’s tilt, but you should take this time to change for the better or firmly secure your own identity. We would also like to take a serious moment to pay our respects to the vic-tims of the Arizona shooting. Our hearts and prayers are always with them.

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 SimonRory O’Reilly

StaffHelen Abraham

Nancy Agyeman-DuahKrishanthi Devendran

Safiya FavradElsa Gimenez

Marianela GimenezAna Harsham

Priscella HarshamJohn Mair

Suzette NarinesinghMatthew Salzarulo

Khadeza UddinJevin VargheseKevin Wang

Jaclyn WisniewskiMichael Zunno

AdvisorMr. Alfino

Student CouncilCornerSidrah Usman, Suzette Narinesingh, and Karim Lahlou

Sewanhaka’s Student Council has start-ed off the year very well. Student Council held a thank you party for the volunteers of the Elementary School Holiday Play after school on January 13 and ended off the same week with school spirit at the winter pep rally. The pep rally was a huge success!

During pep rally, the Spirit Day win-ners were announced. Seniors Rugrats won first place, followed by the juniors with their Scooby Doo themed hallway. The freshman class held third place with Loo-ney Toons and finally the sophomores came in 4th place with Popeye the Sailor Man. Congratulations to all class board mem-bers who participated and dedicated their time and hard work.

Our first meeting of the year was held on January 21st and I invite all of you to come out to our next one. Attendees of Student Council meetings are given a chance to introduce the clubs they are a part of and inform us about upcoming activities. We look forward to having an-other great year with you.

If you’re interested in coming to our meetings they are at 3:00 p.m. once a month in room 301.


School NewsYay! We’re #...2??Mr. Alfino

On December 16th, the Sewanhaka Drug Free School Committee had the pleasure of having speaker Tony Bellizzi visit them. Members from SPICE, FC-CLA, SADD and GSA met during an after school field trip to listen to Mr. Bellizzi’s story, watch a riveting documentary and play a few personality-revealing games.

Tony Bellizzi went to Bolivia one year to chase after a girlfriend of his. While things with his girlfriend didn’t work out, things with the children living in the streets of Bolivia did. Tony founded Hope for the Children, a foundation created to help the children of Bolivia living in the streets. The foundation teaches the chil-dren different trades, such as fire juggling, ribbon twirling, and bracelet making so that way they will be able to raise money to create a better life for them-selves and their families.

To start the conference off, Mr. Bellizzi played an icebreaker game with the students. The goal of the game was to keep a beach ball in the air for as long as possible. The club members had fun hitting the ball back and forth and working together to keep the ball in the air for over 14 minutes. “The icebreaker game really helped us to experience teamwork and it was a lot of fun working together to beat the re-cord,” said Suzette Narinesingh, a mem-

An Inspirational Conference

“If your not first... your last.” Ricky Bobby Sr. As a parent and a teacher, I am torn on this issue. I do want my children to succeed and achieve at the highest aca-demic and athletic level. But at what price to their sense of self-worth?

The fact that everyone gets a medal, that there are no losers on the athletic field, and dodge ball is no longer played in gym because- “it is detrimental to a child’s well being,” to me, goes against ev-erything this country was founded upon. What about the winners? Doesn’t winning bolster one’s self-image and stimulate our desire to achieve?

In a January 2011Time Magazine ar-ticle, Tiger Moms: Is Tough Parenting Really the Answer, Amy Chua (The Tiger Mom) has nothing but contempt for the way the western world raises children. The gist of her argument is: we praise too much, and western children feel a sense of entitlement because we, as a society, are delivering that message to them.

In a 2010 study, China has surpassed Japan as the worlds #2 economy and are closing in on the U.S...FAST! Studies show that by the end of 2012, China will have usurped us as the #1 most powerful nation in the world. How do we stop this freight train? Maybe by showing kids that its not who many times you get knocked down but how many times you get up that matters.

I’ve participated in many contests, ath-letic and otherwise, and have lost...many. However, I and those who coached and mentored me, never looked at me or my teammates as losers. We prepared, worked hard, gave 100% ..and lost. And it was ok...and it wasn’t ok. Because it made us try harder, work harder, and prepare better for the next time.

I have seen many examples of teachers

ber of FCCLA. “Tony was very interactive and he was a very inspirational speaker,” added Iris Jacob, SPICE president.

After the game, Tony presented his documentary about the street children in Bolivia. “The video was so inspirational. It made me really want to do something to help the children out,” said Krishanthi Devendran, a member of SPICE, who was moved to tears by the video. “To me, the video brought up really important teen is-sues in developing nations and sent a mes-sage: we should all be doing whatever we can to help,” added Petrice Hutchinson, the president of GSA.

After Mr. Bellizzi left, the Drug Free School Committee discussed the video and other problems experienced not only in Bolivia, but here, in their very own school. They addressed topics that affect teenag-ers and tried to come up with solutions to these issues. “I was proud of and touched by the sensitivity, generosity and spirit of our Sewanhaka students,” said Ms. Dee-gan, one of the advisors of SPICE.

“The conference brought me closer to all of the people in the drug free clubs. The movie was so inspirational and it showed me that we need to work to achieve greater things,” Alexis Alvarez said of the confer-ence. The conference as a whole was ex-tremely inspirational to many of the stu-dents involved.

and parents holding students to a higher standard and many students who have an-swered that challenge.

But what happens when there are no more teachers and parents to “steer” you and keep you focused. Students of all grades need to know that in the real world there is no make-up exam, deadline exten-sion or extra credit project. If we as a na-tion want to remain #1, we need to answer the bell and come out swinging.

Elissa Sanci

Various Leadership Clubs pose for the camera.Photo provided by Yearbook


The Junior High Winter Con-cert included the choirs trained by Mrs. Daloia, bands conducted by Mr. Lewis , and orchestras lead by Mrs. O’ Connor. The 7th grade Orchestra performed songs like Nutcracker March and A Celt-ic Christmas Fantasy while the 8th/9th grade Orchestra played Ukrainian Bell Coral and Christ-mas Fiddlers on the Housetop. The Junior High Chorus sang Winter Storm and My Sha-la-la-la Locker’s Stuck after which the Treble Choir played In Our Town in December and Durme, Durme. Mia Kuna and Emily Morales sang the solo for

Our Young Mozarts Take the StageKhadezea Uddin

School News

During this past windy November, STAC, FBLA, and The Student Council joined together to sponsor the Thanksgiv-ing Food Drive. The Thanksgiving Food Drive took place from November 15th to November 23rd. This special food drive is extremely important. Did you know in your local towns of New Hyde Park, Flo-ral Park, and Elmont, some families need help in giving their families a wonderful

Thanksgiving? This was made possible by the dona-tions of hundreds of stu-dents willing to give fami-lies hope and joy. This food drive was a great way to get students involved in their community. STAC also cre-ated a Giving Tree for the St. Judes Children Hospital that was put up from No-vember 29th to December 3rd. Since 1980, the Make a Wish Foundation has en-riched the lives of children with life-threatening medi-cal conditions through its wish- granting work. The foundation’s mission re-flects the life-changing im-pact that the Make a Wish experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors and entire communities. With STAC’s efforts, candy canes with children’s names on them were hung on the Giving tree, which was displayed in the Sewanhaka High School Lobby. All in all, STAC, along with FBLA and Student Council cre-ated joy and a good holiday for many needing families.

Priscella Harsham

Food Drive/ STAC Giving Tree

Math for fun may seem like torture to many, but not to those members of Sewan-haka’s Senior High Mathletes. Students who love math compete in one competi-tion every month against the four other schools in the district. Rose Mathews and Jesus Duque are both leading scorers with 8 points followed closely behind by Daniel Myrick, Sam Lin Ye, and Courtney Bal-gobin with 6 points each. The high scoring members will be competing the Nassau Math Tournament on Friday, February 4th at SUNY Old Westbury. Advisor Mrs. Dunphy is excited about this years students. “I’m proud of our Senior High Mathletes. We keep improving each meet and I admire our motivation and enthusiasm. We always rise to the chal-lenge and give it our all, while having fun at the same time!” The seniors of the team sure “add” to the success and will be sorely missed when they gradu-ate and our team is “divided.”

Krishanthi Devendran

Nothing Beats Mathletes!

Something Told the Wild Geese. The 7th Grade Band played First Holiday Concert and Christmas Overture while the 8th Grade Band played Changing Times and Sleigh Ride. Jingle Bell Rock, a Combined Choruses and 8th Grade Band performance, wrapped up the concert. The students thank their music teachers for preparing them for such an amazing musical performance. They all look forward to the Spring Concert, when they will be perform-ing a whole new slew of songs.

The STAC Giving TreePhoto provided by Mrs. Wichard

STAC celebrating their hard work.Photo provided by Mrs. Wichard


Sewanhaka seems so much brighter in the happy spirit of the holidays. Since September the chorus, orchestra and band members have diligently been prac-ticing their music for the Senior High Winter Concert. On December 14th, the concert consisted of the Senior High Orchestra, String Ensemble, Jazz Band, Symphonic Band and the Chorus. Choir member Amanda Montoni, Veronica Ponce and Sara Cataldo had “amazing solos in great songs like ‘On My Own’ and ‘All That Jazz,’” shared a few se-niors who attended. Led by chairperson

The Melody of WinterElsa Gimenez

FBLA or Future Business Leaders of America, is a charitable as well as a com-petitive club advised by Mrs. Lacastri and Ms. Zubko. One of the many events that help build business savvy is the trip the club takes upstate every year and partici-pates in math, business leadership, law, and public speaking competitions.

New officers and members inducted for the 2010-2011 school year include President Joe BarbaGallo, Vice President Kieran O’Reilly, and Vice President Gina LaBarbera.

FBLA Vice President Kieran O’Reilly urges students to donate money and help support FBLA.

Welcoming Our Future Business LeadersAna Harsham

School News

A heart filled with generosity and willingness can change everything. The players and the audience of the Dodge Ball Marathon extended their hands in an attempt to help the Lym-phoma society. There were about sixty students who participated in the event and approximately seventy students who came to donate. The two-hour event flew by so fast that the partici-pants wished that they could do it all over again. Ms. Kelly was eager to an-nounce to all that the event was very successful. Sewanhaka High School is a generous building as proven by the easiness with which students came out to support the event. They were able to raise about $1200. Ms. Kelly wishes to show her gratitude to the players and the audience for their unlimited support. She is also thankful that none of the players got bruised during the game. There were eight teams that par-ticipated in the Dodge Ball Marathon

A Game For Charity

and it was ‘Team Target’ that succeed-ed in the end. ‘Team Target’ includes seniors: Gina Cangelosi, Monique Roberge, Michelle Mongiello Patrick Bahan, Josh Castro and Kevin Brethel. The audience claimed that the tourna-ment was filled with excitement and curiosity since it was between the two teams that maintained the best records. They also declared that the Dodge Ball Marathon served as an example of real fun! Ms. Kelly is planning to repeat it in the spring expecting the same par-ticipation.

Helen Abraham

Ms.O’Connor, the string ensemble im-pressed the audience with their rendition of “Contredanse en Rondea” and “Al-legro in D.” The Jazz band, directed by Mr.Doherty, played a funky “Mission Im-possible” that the audience enjoyed. Once again the talented musicians and singers of Sewanhaka performed an enjoyable con-cert making it a success. They continue to practice and improve their skills, making everyone look forward to the spring con-cert in May!

Team Target, the winning team at the dodgeball marathon.Photo provided byYearbook Club

Monique taking aim for Team Target.Photo provided by Yearbook Club


“Santa’s Magical Cookies” is a holiday play written by Sewanhaka seniors Karim Lahlou, Sidrah Usman, Tavena McPher-son, Mary Jane Dumankaya, Courtney Balgobin and sophomore Chris Rothwell. The cast of “Santa’s Magical Cookies” con-sisted of over 20 first and second grade students from Stewart Manor, Clara H. Carlson and Covert Avenue Elementary Schools. This dedicated group of kids came together for ten days during the month of December to work with Sewanhaka’s Stu-dent Council volunteers to practice their lines and learn their parts.

The play, supervised by Mr. Tesoro, the Student Council Advisor, was performed on December 7th at all three elementary schools, and later, at Sewanhaka High School. Volunteers had the opportunity to see all of their hard work play out as the cast performed while adding their own personality to their characters.

The cast also spread their holiday spirit in Sewanhaka when they performed after school and received a surprise visit from Santa himself, played by Mr. Sakowich. “It’s always fun helping the children learn their lines. Working with them was so much fun,” said Sidrah Usman. “The play turned out great!”

Suzette Narinesingh

Santa’s Magical Cookies

On Wednesday, December 8, 2010 our young scientists in the seventh grade were part of the Sewanhaka Science Fair. The science fair consists of several experiments. Many of the topics ranged from eye color variations to the different playlist songs on your i-pod. It started off exactly at three o’clock in the student dinning hall. At this point, Women in Science helpers Nancy Agyeman-Duah and Ny-Asha Simmons went around aiding the youngsters. How-ever, the highlight of the night was in the auditorium where many parents and fac-ulty members amalgamated to share this important moment. The top ten winners from Sewanhaka High School are: Kayla Albright, David Gambino, Christian Hermans-Fabien, Jezebel Lopez, Nicho-las Rullo, Shazaib Saleem, Alyssa Thom-as, Selena Thomas, Matias Weilman and Daniel Drucker. Mrs. Reece sums it up stating that “the top ten students will be going to Long Island Congress on April 7 to present to two new judges. Schools across the island will also attend.”

Science FairNancy Agyeman-Duah

School News

On January 6, 2011 the alumni re-turned to Sewanhaka to enjoy a breakfast together. Everyone gathered around to spend time catching up with their former classmates, talk about life in college, and reminiscence about the memories of high school. All of them enjoy the new experi-ence of college. On the other hand, they do miss several things about Sewanhaka. “What I miss the most about Sewanhaka is the teachers here,” said Mikhail Gilbert, “they truly care how well are student’s achieve. Ultimately, I thank them for pre-paring me for college.” The alumni attend great colleges as local as Adelphi and C.W. Post, to as far as Harvard and Boston Uni-versity. They are on their way to success-ful careers in business, education, law, and medicine. After the breakfast, the alumni gathered in the library to give advice and guidance to our seniors. They guided the seniors how to, well ....survive in college! Madeline Boldyrew told them “the most important thing you must do in college is to manage your time. If you do that, you can earn excellent grades and have fun! Re-member to study and finish school work first, then you can hang out with friends.” It was very kind for the Sewanhaka alum-ni to give guidance to our up and coming graduates and we all hope they return to visit again.

Return of the AlumniMatthew Salzarulo and Jevin Varghese

Junior Katrina Simon with her child from the holiday play.

Photo by Mary Jane DumankayaSenior Mary Jane Dumankaya poses with children from the

holiday play. Photo b yMary Jane Dumankaya

The young actors of the play.Photo by Mary Jane Dumankaya


Entertaiment

Capricorn Jan. 20 - Feb. 16In order to succeed, a competitive edge is necessary. Don’t expect to succeed in a task without giving it your full attention.

Aquarius Feb. 16 - March 11It is not always necessary to say yes to every request that comes your way. It’s important to have free time for yourself.

Pisces March 11- April 18First impressions of somebody are not al-ways accurate, sometimes certain people need a second chance at showing you their true personality.

Aries April 18 - May 13People have been appreciating your hard work lately, even if it may not seem like they have noticed. Keep the good work up!

Taurus May 13 - June 21You’re usually a risk taker, but maybe sometimes it’s better to stay low-key. A big consequence may occur if you rush in to things too quickly.

Gemini June 21 - July 20Direct communication is the best way to get what you want, so instead of hinting at something, ask directly. You’ll be surprised at how easy getting what you want is.

Cancer July 20 - Aug. 10As much as you wish, life does not have a rewind button, nor a fast forward but-ton. Take each day one at a time, and stop stressing about the future or past.

Leo Aug. 10 - Sept. 16Sometimes the best thing may be the wrong thing to do. As you decide things, remem-ber that the hardest decision and the right decision are disappointingly sometimes the same.

Virgo Sept. 16 - Oct. 30You cannot always expect everything to be handed to you on a silver platter, some-times you must work for what you want yourself. Persistence is necessary.

Libra Oct. 30 - Nov. 23Although you may be feeling regret, there is nothing that can be done about the past. The best is to keep moving forward and take every opportunity seriously.

Scorpio Nov. 23 - Nov. 29Always remember to consider all sides of a story before taking sides. This step could be pivotal in taking sides.

Ophiuchus: Nov. 29 - Dec. 17You’re not one to normally ask for help, but when your school work gets harder, it may be necessary to seek help. Don’t be ashamed!

SagItarius Dec. 17 - Jan. 20You’ve always been a caring and helpful person, but remember that in order to tru-ly help others, one must help themselves first.

By Diomedezekiel Rodriguez

HoroscopesKatrina Simon


Student Feature

Never doubt yourself.” As the most important thing Daniel Cede-no has learned through his wrestling career, he lives by this saying every day while enduring the tough and strenuous workouts that take place during his practices. Born on June 27th in Mineola New York, Danny has been a member of the Sewanhaka wrestling program since 8th grade. What started as a suggestion from a friend turned into a love and passion for the sport. With this passion and determination, Daniel has been able to work his way to the position of captain of the varsity team, a com-mitment and form of leadership that does not come with ease.

When asked about Danny’s love for the sport, he enjoys it because of how much learned from the sport during his seasons. Along with this, he loves the adrena-line rush of compet-ing and the feeling he gets when the referee raises your hand after a match; a gesture only given to the winner

As a senior leav-ing his team this year, Danny hopes for his teammates to keep in mind that “nobody is going to motivate you but yourself ” and “the minute you doubt yourself is the mo-ment you lose.” Two

Katrina Simon

The Strong Cedenoimportant sayings that Danny lives by during his drive to be the best he can possi-bly be.

Apart from wres-tling, Danny takes part in various other activities. He assists people with their training, participates in M.M.A (Mixed Martial Arts) and he also enjoys playing X-box.

A critical part of an athlete’s success is the instructional and training strategies given by their coaches. As for Danny, coaches Mr. Horner and Mr. Rawls had many

fantastic things to say about Danny. When asked, both coaches positively stated that Danny ‘always works hard and has many positive leadership qualities.’ They be-lieve that his ‘hard work, especially during the off sea-son has paid off immensely in his training and suc-cess of the 2010 wrestling season.’ When asked about

his teammates atti-tudes towards their

captain, both coaches stated proudly that ‘Danny is a very admired and well-re-spected indi-vidual of his team. Many of his varsity teammates and junior varsity eventual suc-cessors look to him for help and inspiration to continue working hard

and improving the team.

As far as hard work goes, Danny’s hard work definitely shows from his success throughout the season. Danny’s hard training and practice assisted him in placing 3rd in the Valley Stream North Wrestling Tour-nament, 3rd place in Yonkers Wres-tling Tournament, and led him to being undefeated in the annual duel competition at Garden City High School.

All in all, Danny has been a in-

strumental part to the success of our inter-district varsity wrestling team this year. Describing himself as “weird, energetic, unique, and curious,” he is a greatly appreciated and respected student, team player, and friend of many people. Danny is a legacy of Sewanhaka who will be greatly missed next year.

Danny Cedeno gets ready to attack.Photo provided by Veronica Ponce

Danny after winning a match.Photo provided by Veronica Ponce


From being part of her high school’s kickline to now advising the Sewanhaka Rockettes and color guard team, Mrs. Keating is a multitalented teacher. Formally known as Ms. Hill, she has been proudly working at Se-wanhaka for four years. As the young-est of four girls, Mrs. Keating possesses a multicultural background which in-cludes her heritages of Irish, Spanish and Italian. Despite her multicultural background, English is the only lan-guage that she can speak. She also has a limited understanding of Span-ish. Upon finding out that she was to be the teacher chosen for the Teacher Feature in the Chieftain, she was ex-tremely excited.

She grew up in Glen Cove, located in Long Island New York, and attend-ed Glen Cove High School, where she was a member of the kick line. She was destined to become a Biology teacher since high school; science being her favorite subject. Mrs. Keating was in-spired by her high school teachers to follow her dream. She attended The University of Rhode Island where she

The Multi-talented BiologistSafiya Favard

received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. She later at-tended Adelphi University where she received a mas-ter’s degree in secondary education. Prior to starting her career in the teaching profession, Mrs. Keating worked in a microbiol-ogy research lab for a few years.

Currently, Mrs. Keat-ing lives with her husband and her beloved Beagle, Ginger. Mrs. Keating is a woman with many interests. Some of her favor-ite past times include spending time with her family and friends, shopping around town and of course spending quality time with Ginger. When it comes time to kicking back, relaxing and watching the tube, her favorite television shows are How I Met your Mother and The Office. Her favorite movie is Almost Lost. Reading is also a favorite part of her recreational activi-ties with Little Women being one of her favorite novels. Listening to music

helps her relax and wind down. Some of her favorite bands in-clude New Kids on the Block, Weezer, U2, and The Police.

When asked what type of foods she enjoys, she emphati-cally stated “I like all weird foods, and I like them a lot.” Some of these weird foods that Mrs. Keating states she likes include olives, pickles, arti-chokes, and octopus. Believe it or not, surprisingly her favorite

color is purple. If it was possible

to go back in time, her first pick would be the Roaring Twenties. She says that the fashion then was amazing.

As one of Mrs. Keating students I find her to be a dedicated and moti-vated teacher. She brings the subject of Biology to life and simplifies the difficult aspect of the material, mak-ing it appealing and interesting. She has aroused many of her student’s in-terest in science. When asked by her students to further explain a particular topic, she is very approachable and is more than willing to help her students better understands the subject matter.

Being an advisor for the Color Guard and Rockettes gives her the opportunity to motivate the students to be the best that they can be. When asked about her favorite thing about Sewanhaka High School, she says “I love the interaction that the students have with one another and their teach-ers. The school celebrates diversity, extracurricular activities and different cultures coming together.” Mrs. Keat-ing is a very talented teacher with a lot to offer to Sewanhaka.

Teacher Feature

A Young Mrs. Keating poses for the camera! Photo provided by Mrs. Keating

Mrs. Keating smiles for the camera.Photo by Courtney Balgobin


There is no denying that slavery is a stain upon Ameri-can history, but the Civil War should not be tainted by this stain. It must be acknowledged that the Civil War was not just a war over slavery but of something much deeper, a division in the infrastructure of the North and South. The two regions were divided economically, politically and socially. The War Between the States had been brewing for a long time and slavery was the final straw.

The most divisive of the issues between the North and the South was the tariff. Socialist Karl Marx who followed the war closely, stated, “The war between the North and the South is a tariff war. The war is further, not for any principle, does not touch the question of slavery, and in fact turns on the Northern lust for sovereignty.” This war had been for a long time com-ing. The North had by 1861 become an industrial giant while the South remained technologically backward. The tariff issue came to heat with the Tariff of Abominations in 1828 which was a tariff of 40 % on imported goods. The South provided the bulk of the Union’s exports which were sold in an unprotected world market, while all American consumers were subjugated to buy their goods in a highly protected market. The tariff was entirely beneficial to the North-ern manufacturers who produced these protected goods and the South which was forced to buy them for a lack of their own ability to manufacture. At the time the nation had almost gone to war, with the threat of secession by South Carolina and their outspoken states rights leader John C. Calhoun. A war had not started, but the thoughts and differences remained for another two decades.

By the year 1858, the Southern farming states were paying 87 % of the federal tariff revenue. All together the South was paying 75 % of the money used to operate the Federal Government, and half of that money was from just 4 southern states: Virginia, North Carolina, South

Carolina, and Georgia. Hardly any of this tax money was being returned to the South. The industrialists of the North wanted the South to pay for the industrialization of America without any concern for the economic system of the Southerners. The tariffs had just as much impact if not even more than slavery. It was time for secession when Abraham Lincoln came into office, as he had promised to “collect the duties and imposts” when running. He was in full favor of the tariff, and would go to increase the rate of the tariff to a level that exceeded the “Tariff of Abomina-tions.” It was impossible for the South and the North to be under the same government.

The War Between the States as it is referred to in the South was more about the principle of self-determination than it was about actual slavery. Most Southerners did not own slaves, and would not have fought as hard as they did if it had been a matter of protecting the slave system. It was the principle of self-government – the right to not be taxed to support a government that is biased towards its own citizens.

Charles Dickens blatantly presented the truth by saying “the Northern onslaught upon Southern slavery is a specious piece of humbug designed to mask their desire for the economic control of the Southern states.” The South believed that the North

had no Constitutional right to free slaves held by citizens of Sovereign Southern States and by doing so they would be exerting economic and political control. Slavery was a scapegoat for all the differences that existed between the North and the South.

The iconic leader Winston Churchill once said, “Thus ended the great American Civil War, which must upon the whole be considered the noblest and least avoidable of all the great mass conflicts of which till then there was record.” The Civil War was inevitable, with or without the issue of slavery.

Mary Jane Dumankaya

Charles Dickens once said

“the Northern onslaught

upon Southern slavery is a

specious piece of humbug

designed to mask their de-

sire for the economic control

of the Southern states.”

Civil War: More Than Just Racism

Editorial


“A toast, to high treason” Nicholas Cage said in his mov-ie, National Treasure, in reference to the signing of the Dec-laration of Independence. He was right to say that, because that is exactly what the action was; a group of citizens of one country, rebelling against their own country. The action was treasonous, but it was also a heroic stand for humans rights as the Founding Fathers fought to establish a democratic na-tion instead of suffer the harsh cruelties of a tyrant in front of whom they had no representation. When the Southern states rebelled they also committed treason, but their stand was neither heroic nor in support of human rights. The South seceded for immature reasons, the most important of which was they could not have their way with slavery. The soldiers that fought for the Confederate armies were, without doubt, brave men, with many of them fighting only to defend their respective states, but the leaders of the states do not deserve such noble designations.

“We assert that fourteen of the States have deliberately refused, for years past, to fulfill their constitutional obligations, and we refer to their own Statutes for the proof.” Those are the words of the Declaration of the Im-mediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union, under which South Carolina left the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. What was this obligation the North failed to up-hold that precipitated the secession of South Carolina? The Declaration states “The Constitution of the United States, in its fourth Article, provides as follows: ‘No person held to service or labor in one State .... shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up.’” Put very simply, South Carolina’s government was angry that the northern states would not obey the fugitive slave laws that forced citizens of the north to return slaves to their “owners.” The greatest worry of the South Carolina government was “The slave-holding States will no longer have the power of self-govern-ment, or self-protection, and the Federal Government will have become their enemy.” No where else in the secession document did South Carolina present any other argument for why they were seceding. The other states, all of which

supported slavery, were more subtle about their reasons but they were also seceding because of slavery.

The southern states may have seceded for states’ rights, but they were for states’ rights in regards to slavery. Yes they complained of being taxed, but it was taxes on slaves they hat-ed the most. They did not want the north to count the slaves as 3/5 of a person for taxes. The southern states complain of the Civil War being a War of Northern Aggression, yet they were the first to fire at Fort Sumter which was property of the federal government. Once again, it is understandable to consider the Confederate soldiers as being brave men de-fending their states. I would even place Confederate General Robert E. Lee in the same category as he famously said “I shall never bear arms against the Union, but it may be nec-

essary for me to carry a musket in the defense of my native state Virginia.” But the other leaders of the Confed-erate States of America only deserve criticism for their support of the in-stitution of slavery and their stubborn determination to save it. Even Gener-al Lee believed the Confederacy to be a terrible idea until he was forced to resign because of Virginia’s secession

since he once stated “I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than dissolution of the Union.”

Southern leaders should not be considered heroes be-cause of the absurdity of secession from a democratic state. Why would certain states have the right to leave a binding union if they cannot have their way? The point of a democ-racy is to leave important decisions up to the will of the peo-ple. There are some people that are in support of decisions that pass and others that are opposed. The losers of a major democratic process, such as the election of a president, can-not just leave because they do not enjoy being a minority. A democracy is a large network of compromises; people gain some goals and lose some goals. If the ones that lose quit an organization every time they fail to achieve some goal, then what is the point of democracy? The “wrongs against states’ rights” that the North had supposedly committed were non-existent. The Southern leaders broke away only to protect their institution of slavery.

Secession: Slavery’s SpawnArmaghan Behlum

“I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than dissolu-

tion of the Union.”

Editorial


On Saturday, January 8, 2011 a horrific shooting took place in Tuscon, Arizona during a “Congress on Your Corner” event outside of a supermarket. It was approximately 10 o’clock in the morn-ing and a few dozen people were gathered to speak with Con-gresswoman Gabri-elle Giffords when the gunman shot her in the head with a semi-automatic pis-tol. He then went on to target the crowd with shot upon shot. The gunman has been identified as Jared Loughner and it has been re-ported that he killed six and severely injured thirteen. It took ten minutes for the ambulance to arrive and five people died on the scene. Among those killed was a nine-year-old girl, Christi-na-Taylor Green, who was the grand-daughter of former Mets and Yankees manager, Dallas Green. Another per-son killed was Tuscon Arizona’s chief federal judge, John Roll, who simply dropped by to say hello to his friend, Gabrielle Giffords.

After emergency surgery, Congress-woman Giffords did survive the gun-shot, though she remained in critical condition. Since then she has been progressing in her recovery everyday. She went from critical condition, to se-rious condition, to being able to move her legs and then finally being able to stand up. Giffords will be moved on Friday, January 21st to TIRR Memo-rial Herman Hospital, which is part of the immense Texas Medical Center

complex. She will no longer require 24-hour medical attention allowing her to get up to five hours a day of physical

therapy and rehabilitation on an outpa-tient basis. In rehabilitation, she will be re-learning how to think and plan. Whether she will be able to speak again is unclear. The

doctors are say-ing that her re-

covery is going superb, as well as her husband, Mark Kelly, confidently stat-ing that she will be better in no time.

As of January 19, 2011, the federal grand jury has in-dicted gunman, Jared Lough-ner, on three counts. U.S. Attorney Den-nis K. Burke stated that these charges are “just the beginning of our legal ac-tion.” The Jus-tice Department officials claim they fully intend to seek an indictment of Loughner for two additional counts, but they need more time to build their case just right so that he will receive the death penalty.

Additionally, from this shooting, a few issues have surfaced for Arizona

Shocking Events Hit ArizonaCourtney Balgobin

lawmakers including state laws gov-erning gun purchases and legislators’’ efforts to change the mental health laws. An issue with changing mental health laws is the budget. The budge crisis in Arizona could result in massive cuts to already implemented programs for the mentally ill. It seems that be-fore Loughber showed signs of mental instability, some political leaders ex-pressed that the budget cuts would re-sult in mentally unstable people being turned away and thus becoming a po-tential threat to society. Furthermore, concerning the gun issue, a number of people feel that it isn’t right that Loughber was allowed to buy a semi-automatic 9mm gun legally when he had record going back to 2007 when he was arrested. Also, a similar law

permits the residents of Arizona to by-pass a federal background check. But Ari-zona is a state that feels that their gun laws are “a symbol of freedom and an important part of self-de-fense.”

In conclu-sion, the shoot-ing on January

8th truly startled entire country. Mo-ments of silence were held and flags were flown at half-staff because it cer-tainly was a misfortune. Six lives were innocent lives were lost and the Justice Department will see to it that justice will prevail.

World News

This map shows the significant areas and their relative locations from the day of the shooting.

Representative Giffords is swoarn in by Speaker of the House John Boehnor weeks before the shooting.


Banquet

The Senior Banquet was the first event of the year that was held only for the Class of 2011. The seniors had been waiting for this night since the beginning of 7th grade. The Senior Banquet stood for something more than just a dance; it was the begin-ning of the end of high school. This is the year to look past previous discrepancies and divisive barriers, and to come together as future adults. The Senior Banquet was held on November 6th, 2010 at Pompeii. “Senior Banquet was a night to remem-ber and I can’t wait for the rest of senior year,” said senior Courtney Balgobin. The Senior Banquet will be followed by more unforgettable events such as Follies, Se-niorTeacher Day, Senior Barbecue, Prom, and, of course, Graduation. A third of the senior class attended, as well as teachers and the principals.

It was a fun-filled event with tons of picture taking, eating, and dancing. The seniors had a hard time coming off of the dance floor when it was time to head home. Senior Jordan Riddick had his own thoughts about the night as he said, “honestly, it was like one of those parties that everyone wanted to go to. Everyone had a good time and no one was worrying about anything. Sewanhaka had its own Jersey Shore— Long Island Shore.” Another senior, Isaiah Pollack had no words for the night, he did his best to describe what he felt; “It was live! I was speechless, it was some-thing I didn’t think much of and when I got there it was more than I had expected, if

every party was like that people would go bananas and the world would never be the same.” The seniors will have their best year yet.

The End Is Near for the Class of 2011!Mary Jane Dumankaya


Senior Superlatives

Monique Roberge and Brian WintMOST ATHLETIC

Armaghan Behlum and Ashlyne PolyniceMOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

Karim Lahlou and Melissa Bermudez and Roy DavisBEST HAIR

Justin Chen and Ashley PinaCUTEST COUPLE

Jonnaton Gonzalez and Jennifer Cersosimo MOST FLIRTATIOUS

Ryan Miller and Brianna YannucciMOST POPULAR

Andrew Mantone and Iris Jacob MOST HUGGABLE

Gianfranco Orlando and Stephanie RodriguezMOST CHANGED

Travis McKie and Mary Jane DumankayaMOST TALKATIVE

Josh Castro and Amanda MontoniMOST DRAMATIC

Tyler Amrhein and Jillian Campbell MOST REBELLIOUS


Senior Superlatives

Nicole Vigliotti and Shireem Cobb BEST LAUGH

Isaiah Pollack and Naohmie Nelson BEST SMILE

Monica Gooding and Dejon and Demitri Nemorin BEST DRESSED

Paige Wighaus and Vance Clay BEST EYES

Nazish Khalid and Chester CanasaMOST ARTISTIC

Dylan Riccardi and Jordan RiddickCLASS CLOWN

Courtney McManus and Joey PlatiaTEACHER’S PET

Kevin Brethel and Willy Pokorny Kaitlyn LaTorre and Brianna Tallos

BEST FRIENDS

Kaitlyn Latorre and Danny BoodhooBEST LEGS

David Rust and Sara CataldoBEST MUSICIAN


Sewanhaka Question

If you could meet a celebrity who would you meet?Iris Jacob

Cayla Williams said “Drake - He is a great rapper and I love his music.”

Hussein El Shahaat said “Lionel Messi - He is one of the best soccer players and he has good control of the ball. I would like to learn tricks from him and play for Egypt’s international team one day!”

Cindy Mangray said “Taylor Swift - Because she is an inspiration and gives good advice to everyone. She’s also a good singer!”

Arslan Younas said “Tom Brady - He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.”


Sewanhaka Question

If you could meet a celebrity who would you meet?

Victoria Casso and Gabriel Legerme “Keira Knightley - She is a really pretty and a good actress. Also, Domino and Pride and Prejudice are really good movies!”

Megan McManus said “Jean Scmmuns – I grew up lis-tening to him and I watch his shows.”

Mr. Sexton said “Jesus - He came from a poor back-ground and went on to do great things. Even 2000 years later, many people can see how Christianity has revamped the world.”

Parrish Davis said “Ray Louis - He’s a football player and he can give me tips on how to perfect my game, ya feel me?”


Sewanhaka boys’ basketball has started off in the right direction. The team is led by Olusola “Shella” Adeniran, Shireem Cobb, David Rust, Kunle Ogunlowo, Kevin Powers and head coach Dan Reece who are working hard to keep it going. In the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament, Sewanhaka was able to get past Divison High School in the first round. To win the tournament they had to face a Her-ricks team that had beat them last year at this point in the same tournament. The Indians fought hard and gained vic-tory in this game and at the same time won it all. After the tournament Sewanhaka went on to play a non-divisional game against Floral Park where they suffered a 57-74 loss. After the game, the team realized that they needed to focus and get back on track after that tough loss. In the next game, the Indians faced Plainedge where they were able to demolish them in a 62-19 win. Since that upsetting loss to Floral Park, Sewanhaka was able to win four straight games including one against Island Trees in the first round of the Great Neck Holiday Tournament. However, the Indians have hit a rut losing four games in a row. One of these losses included a heartbreaking 56-58 loss to South Side where Shella Adeniran converted a three-point play to tie the score at 56 with 50 seconds left. The team plans on us-ing these losses as motivation to play harder the rest of the season. Sewanhaka currently owns an overall record of 6-4 and is third in the conference with a record of 3-2. With this year’s motto being “TOGETHER” the Indians Basket-ball team hopes to play well in a unified fashion the rest of the season. None of this can be done without great sup-port from the fans. Help make a team ready to earn a spot in the playoffs and win a conference championship by coming out to the rest of the remaining games!

Together, it is possible!Joel Varghese

The Sewanhaka Varsity Track team has performed well so far this season, with three more meets to attend. Both the boys and the girls work very hard everyday at practice to get into tip top shape. Ultimately, their hard training has paid off. Brian Wint and senior captains KeenanWoods, and Derrick Thompson have ran their best. These three talented runners have placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the 55 meter dash at several track meets and are ranked in the top 10 in the conference. The rest of the team did well in the 55 meter and 300 meter dashes, setting personal records. For the field events, Jerry Bolivar and Derrick Thompson jumped big distances in the long jump. Our star thrower, freshman Celeste Pipia, placed first in shot put in several meets and is currently ranked 2nd in the conference. The winter track meets consist mainly of individual events. However, there are several group events. Johane Accime, Tavena McPherson, Ashlyne Polynice, and Vanessa Senat came in 1st place for the 4x200 meter relay two weeks ago. The race was won not only because of their talent, but also because of their ability to work together as a team. “The team has put much effort into their training and encourage each other do their best,” said Coach Nola. Next week, our team will attend a qualifying meet for the county championship. Coach Celona stated, “I have a lot of run-ners who I’ve been working with for years and I believe they will qualify for the All- County and maybe even the State Championship. We all wish the team good luck for the rest of their running season and keep up the hardwork towards winning the Gold!

Let’s make it far!Matt Salzarulo

Sports News

The Indians watch as Senior Isaiah Pollack takes a free throw. Picture by Keren Thomas.

The wrestling team is grappling hard with their para-mount goal--submission. With a record of 6 wins and 9 losses the wrestling team is hoping for the best. A meta-phorical pin-tack acquainted with a promising message has been thumbed into their mind. What does this message say? Ironically and simply-PIN. In a recent tournament, their goals came to fruition. Captain Danny Cedono placed 1st, followed up by Dennis Melendez and Malik Morris plac-ing 2nd and 3rd respectively. Coach Rawls stated “We’re really proud of those guys who have stuck with wrestling. It’s a tough sport and they have made great strides since the beginning of the season. We’re a young team and we look to continue to build on our success. The Sewanhaka family

WrestlingMichael Zunno and Rory O’Reilly

is confident that the wrestling team will build upon their success-No be-wishing of luck is needed.


The 2010-2011 Girls Varsity Basketball team is halfway through the season and continue to work towards their goal: playoffs. This year the girls are in a new conference, with a new type of competition. Although you can’t win them all, the team is dedicated to the sport and is growing not only as ball players, but also as people.

Although the starting for-ward, Jaclyn Wisniewski, was injured in the beginning of the season, the team did not suffer. Senior Sajeeda Chin stepped up with her great defensive skills. Other seniors include Monique Roberge, and Megan Mullaney, who have been part of the varsity team for more than 3 years. Other key play-ers include junior and starting point guard, Celine Jolicoeur, and sophomore Rachel Wis-niewski-the unstoppable three point shooter. This year’s ros-ter is made up of 13 very talented girls who play important roles on and off the court.

With a few games left, Coach Alex Soupious has high hopes for this team to make it to the playoffs. He agrees whole heartedly that, “A person does not become whole un-til he or she becomes a part of something bigger than him-self or herself.” Good luck and best of luck to the team!

Girl’s BasketballJackie Wisniewski

“We have a really great team this year,” says Jessica San-toli of her gymnastics team. Jessica is the only girl from Sewanhaka on the distract gymnastics team, coached by Katie Mosey. “We have a lot of talented girls this year.” The 11th grader has been practicing gymnastics for almost six years now. “It takes a lot of focus and determination.” The team, which practices at New Hyde Park Memorial High School, has won four of the five meets they have attended. “I’m looking forward to a very successful season,” Jessica says with a smile. Sewanhaka wishes Jessica and rest of the district gymnastics team luck for the rest of the season!

CheerleadingMarianela Gimenez

BowlingJohn Mair

As far as sports teams go, Sewanhaka is exceptionally fruitful with many diverse sports to offer. The Sewanhaka District Bowling team is no exception. It offers the athletes a firsthand experience to become involved with peers in their community as well as those in other communities. When

asked about the team’s progress and their goals for this year, Tommy Genova, the captain of the Varsity Bowling team, responded “Our season is going great, and we might be headed to states again.” Being the captain of the Varsity Bowling team, Tommy has learned a lot from his experiences as a leader and as been able to hand off advice to his fellow teammates, siblings Nick Genova and Kristina Genova. He says that he

first got involved in bowling when he was just four years old, and has been eager for more ever since. The team’s current record for this season is 9-1, and, given their performance, they’ve got more than an opportunistic shot for the state’s championship this year! Needless to say, our District Bowl-ing team is just one of the few activities that shine at Sewan-haka High School!

Sports News

A.T.T.A.C.K! Attack attack attack,” they cheered spirit-ing onto the varsity competition mat at North Valley Stream High School. Varsity captains Lauren Vass, Caitlyn Arrieta, and Courtney McManus, shared with us that they were quite nervous before stepping onto the mat. Although they were determined and ready to lead their team after their long and hard days of practice and determination, cheering and chanting their Indian spirit. “They did amazing and were so proud, it’s first place in our eyes,” the captains shared, and although they didn’t leave with a first place trophy, they know its only the beginning.

GymnasticsEllisa Sanci

The Lady Indians eagerly watch Rachel Wisneiwski’s free throw shot. Photo by Yearbook Club

“WHEN IN DOUBT, CHECK IT OUT, ESRT!”-MS.SHERWOOD

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 #3 2010