Yes

No

This Issue’s Editorial:Should We Have an Open Campus?

“Sail on, Titanic!” With a large cast of 40 actors, including 14 seniors, Sewanhaka High School’s musical production of Titanic: A new musical proved to be one of the greatest chal-lenges that this cast has ever faced. This closely knit band of students shined under the auditorium lights and brilliantly displayed the fruits of their labor on April 1st and 2nd. Over the span of 4 months, the cast attended rehearsals every week which

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Sewanhaka High School a 500 Tulip Avenue • Floral Park, New York 11001 a 2011 Volume 22 Issue 5

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

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SINKING THE SHIP

Courtney Balgobin is a familiar face within the Sewanhaka halls. Always cheerful, Courtney can usually be found anywhere from the science department to the field hockey field. Courtney is always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who asks, and does so with a smile on.

2Chieftain - May

SEWANHAKA HIGH SCHOOL

500 Tulip Ave.- Floral Park, New York 11001

CONTENTS

The Chieftain

Greetings from the Editors:

Spring is in the air! The Chieftain Staff would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter and hopes everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather. Study hard, because Regents’ and fi-nals are just around the corner. Hope you all enjoy the last couple months of school.

Be a part of YOUR school.

Be a part of YOUR Chieftain!

The Chieftain

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

writers and cartoonists are welcome!

Student CouncilColumnCourtney Balgobin

The Student Council ballots have been tallied and the results are in! The Student Council elections took place during the Class Board elections in each class and ev-eryone had a chance to vote, except Seniors of course. Katrina Simon will be taking over the Presidency for the 2011-2012 school year. She will work along side the new Vice President, Rory O’Reilly, Treasurer Chris-topher Rothwell, and Secretary Giovanna Braganza. The current board wishes them much luck for the up coming year!

Student Teacher Day, organized by the Student Council, ran very smoothly on April 15th. There was a breakfast in the morning for all participating students and teachers, it was a great success! Everyone had so much fun dressing up as their favor-ite teachers and pretending for the day!

At the last Student Council meeting, Homecoming themes for the 2011-2012 school year were voted on by everyone who attended and the winner was Children’s Books. Good luck to the classes next year! At the next meeting on May 20th, a Spirit Day theme will be voted on for next year. If you want to have a say, come on out and join the meeting. It will be held at 3:00 PM in room 301 (the chorus room). Get involved!

Editors-in-ChiefCourtney BalgobinArmaghan Behlum

Mary Jane Dumankaya

Input Editors Matthew Salzarulo

Elissa SanciKatrina Simon

StaffHelen Abraham

Nancy Agyeman-DuahTaesha Andre

Giovanna BraganzaShana Brouder

Krishanthi DevendranJesus DuqueSafiya FavradElsa Gimenez

Marianela GimenezShahrukh Khan

John MairSuzette Narinesingh

Rory O’ReillyAshlyne Polynice

Gina RagonaSam Robeniel

Khadezea UddinJevin Varughese

Kevin WangJaclyn Wisniewski

Michael Zunno

AdvisorMr. Alfino

School News......………………………………….……3-5Student Feature…………………………….……………6Teacher Feature…….……………………....……………7Editorials……….....…………………………………...8-9World News…………………………………….………10Entertainment.....……………………………….………11Sewanhaka Question..………………………...…….....12Sports………………………………...……………...13-15

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Monthly Update

Foreign language week is a national event that is celebrated in the month of March. This week does not just pertain to French, Italian, or Spanish cultures but to all the different cultures and languages around the world. It allows people to see the many customs and cultures of differ-ent groups of people in their classroom. The foreign language students had a fun worldly enriching week. Like always, the foreign language department had a ton of food, that way everyone was able to expe-rience the taste of many exquisite foods from around the globe. It was also very exciting for all of the teachers that teach a language as they were able to digress and learn more about the students and their cultures. The new teachers grew accus-tomed to this Sewanhaka tradition very quickly. All of the teachers worked hard in planning out the week so that it would be exciting for everyone. All of the classes also showed a film in the language that they were learning. This is one of the shinning highlights for the world language depart-ment and its students.

Foreign Language WeekJevin Varghese

For years, Students Against Destruc-tive Decision (SADD) has been an influ-ential club in schools throughout the U.S. In this club, groups of students help teach others how to make positive decisions about changes they can make in their lives. Red Ribbon week is a national awareness week created by George Bush. It started in 1986, when a drug enforcement agent was kidnapped and killed for breaking up a drug cartel. S.A.D.D is advised by Ms. Forgione and meets every Thursday after school. In Sewanhaka High School, dur-ing the week of March 21st, S.A.D.D. or-ganized Red Ribbon Week so that students were aware of how their decisions could change their lives. This event was not only supported by S.A.D.D but also by the oth-er drug free clubs, such as F.C.C.L.A. and S.P.I.C.E. Ms. Curci, guidance counselor and consultant to S.A.D.D., says of Red Ribbon Week, “We tried to create thought producing statements by putting up red signs in the hallways. Our goal was to ba-sically get kids to think more about their decisions.” The members of the club had an outreach in the cafeteria and students were given objects that stood for some-thing clever. For example, they were given leis to “lay off drugs” or erasers so they can “erase their mistakes.” Overall, the event, which has been a tradition in S.H.S. for about 23 years, was indeed successful. S.A.D.D. worked very hard to organize with the goal of touching or maybe even saving at least one person’s life.

Taesha Andre

SADD Week

Follies 2011 was a magnificent show filled with passion, high energy, and a cheering crowd. On Friday March 18, 2011 Sewan-haka High School’s auditorium was the place to be. Stu-dents and faculty showed their tal-ents in song, dance, and comedy. The night began with our MC’s: Gabriel

Safiya FavradFollies

Legerme and Jordon Riddick introduc-ing the performers and getting the audi-ence lively.

The show kicked off with the jazz band playing a tune. Following that, Ryan Touhy and Kimberly Ochoa sang a beauti-ful duet and the Rockettes lived up to their Radio City Music Hall name and gave a high kicking presentation. Captain of the Rockettes Naohmie Nelson said, “Follies was amazing this year. The Rockettes made me so proud! All of our hard work this year paid off. It was great to end our season on a good note.” The class acts were amazing with the performance from the class’ of 2011 and 2012. The Class of 2011 gave a vivid performance; this was a delightful way to end their artistic experiences at Se-wanhaka. The cheerleaders gave a live and upbeat performance filled with stunts and school spirit.

The faculty acts were very entertaining. The Sewanhaka teachers gave us a blast from the past by playing their energetic rock and roll and Motown hits. It was wonderful to see the teachers play their music with passion The director of the show Mr. Tsolekas said “I am very happy and proud about how the show turned out. I thought that the performers were excel-lent and did a great job getting ready for the show.” Kimberly Ochoa said. “There were a lot of talented people who put on

a great performance. I had lots of fun and I’m looking forward to next year!” Follies was a thrilling and captivating event, it was full of laughs and cheering. It was electric, exciting, and stimulating. Even though it will be sad to say goodbye to the seniors who performed at Sewanhaka, we have many new talents to enjoy next year. This event showcased the many talents that the students and faculty of Sewanhaka High School have to offer.

Arvin Bautista and Sam Robeniol performing during FolliesPhoto provided by Sam Robeniol

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School News

Sam RobenielMusical

“Sail on, Titanic!” With a large cast of 40 actors, including 14 seniors, Sewan-haka High School’s musical production of Titanic: A New Musical proved to be one of the greatest challenges that this cast has ever faced. This closely knit band of students shined under the auditorium lights and brilliantly displayed the fruits of their labor on April 1st and 2nd. Over the span of 4 months, the cast attended rehearsals every week which lasted from 3 to 5 hours long (not including weekends and the infamous “Hell Week”). Without the concept of family, this musical would have never surfaced to be the huge success

The Captain learns there is not much time left till the ship sinks.Photo provided by Yearbook Club

shown on opening night.

Senior Rebecca Drew, who played the role of 3rd Class Passenger Kate Murphy, believes that the cast truly is a large family in itself. “It was amazing and I’m so proud of the cast. I felt like we really became a family. I can’t choose a favorite experience because everyday was awesome as we be-came closer.” Sophmore Olivia Iannuzzi who played the role as 1st Class Passenger Mrs. Thayer says the same, “the cast be-came so close this year; we truly became a family. Time flew by!”

The closing of this production was bit-tersweet, as the long and arduous rehears-als once dreaded were now over but missed dearly. The cries of despair from the tragic sinking of the Titanic which occurred 99 years ago on April 14th around 11:45 PM echoed around the world, and now echoes in the hearts of the cast.

The cast of the Titanic breaks the hearts of the crowd.Photo provided by Yearbook Club

This year, Sewanhaka had the honor of hosting the annual Intra-District Model UN Conference, S.I.D.M.U.N. “The con-ference was a complete success. The whole day ran smoothly and all who attended benefited from the dedication of the entire staff.” said Daniella Amell who served as Charge D’Affairs for S.I.D.M.U.N. Even Senator Martins, who came down just to see the conference was impressed by what he saw. Other guests said that you couldn’t even tell that the conference was set up and run by high school students.

Sewanhaka students certainly stepped up their game, coming home with 5 awards. Shana Brouder, who served as Secretary General of S.I.D.M.U.N., was thoroughly pleased with the outcome of the confer-ence. “I am so proud of all the students. It’s not easy debating against these schools and they certainly proved themselves as real debaters.” The kids who debated at S.I.D.M.U.N. sure had their work cut out for them because of the sheer competitive-ness in our district. The Sewanhaka School District is seen as one of the best districts for Model U.N. in the nation. But the Se-wanahaka MUNners didn’t fail. Students Jesus Duque, Sam Robeniol, Joey Mazzeo, Christopher Rothwell, Kieran O’Reilly, and Rick Matthews won awards at the con-ference ranging from Honorable Mention to Outstanding Delegate. Advisor Michael Sakowich was also thoroughly impressed with the students performance. “Even the students who didn’t win said that they had a great time. They learned a lot and can’t wait to win at their next conference!”

Since S.I.D.M.U.N. is an all day af-fair, the students were exhausted after the days work, but they did not regret coming. “Despite the fact that I had to wake up early and spend a lot of time and effort into preparing for S.I.D.M.U.N, I was able to meet so many new people and had a great day,” said Sam Robeniol, a MUN student. Model U.N. is a club that has the

S.I.D.M.U.N.Shana Brouder

ability to not only teach children how to research and speak better, but also connects people from all over. Every Model UN student makes friends at their conferences, and to some degree that’s the best part of MUN. Model UN is up and coming in Sewanahaka and is always looking for new mem-bers! All the current stu-dents are excited for the possibilities of next year and will certainly be telling their friends to join them.

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FBLA State Leader-ship

School News

Rory O’Reilly

STAC Bowls for the Cure!

Khadezea Uddin

This year, S.T.A.C. members raised $1,200 for leukemia. In addition, all mem-bers had the benefit of free pizza and of course, bowling! Brandon DeFreitas came in 1st place by raising the most money and Chester Canasa came in 2nd place. Stu-dent Council, SPICE, Service Club, and Builders Club also helped raise money for the cause. “This year was definitely a ma-jor success and a fulfilling afternoon!” said Ms.Bolton and Ms.Wichard. Congratula-tions to the winners, and we thank every-one who participated in this years Bowl-a-thon! S.T.A.C. has weekly meetings every Tuesday afternoon in room 104. We hope to see you there!

Andreas Pavlou

The Competition is on for Young Musicians

The New York State Music Associa-tion (N.Y.S.S.M.A.) Festival took place at Sewanhaka High School on March 19, 2011. N.Y.S.S.M.A. is a music festival in which musicians work hard to learn a piece of music, and then perform it in front of a judge. They are then graded based on many factors such as quality, tone, articulation, and quality. This year there were 600 stu-dents participating district wide, and 120 Sewanhaka students. 30 judges came from all over NY to hear the district’s students play. N.Y.S.S.M.A. has always been a way for students to improve their musical abili-ties, and this year proved no different. Ms. O’Conner, Mr. Doherty, Mr. Lewis, and Ms.Daloia all saw improvement in the voice, band, and orchestra students. Most students scored in the “excellent” or “out-standing” categories, with outstanding be-ing the highest. Congratulations to all of those who went to N.Y.S.S.M.A!

Suzette Narenesingh

Sewanhaka held their bi-annual Spring Blood Drive in the auditorium on Thurs-day, April 7th. The blood drive committee, led by Ms. Amaris, was able to recruit 84 blood donors who showed up on Thurs-day to give the gift of life. The majority of these 84 willing donors were students and teachers at Sewanhaka. Unfortunately, due to low iron and weight issues, only 64 donors were able to give blood. Since each pint of blood saves three lives, Sewanhaka donors helped save 192 deserving lives.

Ms. Amaris and the blood drive com-mittee would like to thank both the stu-dents who gave their time working at the blood drive and those who went to English

Spring Blood Drive

Shahrukh Khan

Pi Day

Just as love is natural, irrational and very important so is pi. Every year at Se-wanhaka High School a Pi day contest is held usually on or around the 14th of March. It is very simple and all you have to do is memorize as many digits of pi as you can. Even though many students entered the contest, three winners emerged out of the contestants. In third place was senior Mary Jane Dumankaya who memorized 30 digits of pi, in second place was 7th grader Nayab Khan who memorized 200 digits of pi and in first place was sophomore Shah-rukh Khan who memorized 275 digits of pi. All three winners were rewarded with apple pie and vanilla ice cream after school in the math office with the organizer of the event, Ms. Sichermann. Ms. Sichermann encourages more students to come out and participate in the contest next year to make it more competitive and excit-ing. Congratulations to the winners of the 2011 Pi Day contest!

A club known for its mature business etiquette and fun bonding trips, F.B.L.A. has recently returned from their most re-cent state competition. Many fellow stu-dents from various grades in the school attended the competition. Junior and first year F.B.L.A. member, Rory O’ Reilly, was “not sure what to expect”. Upon reach-ing Rochester, the students went straight to socializing with others and preparing for competition. After long days of com-peting, Sewanhaka students won in indi-vidual competitions. Sewanhaka’s sopho-more Kieran O’ Reilly, placed 1st in two events and 5th in another. Due to his prestigious wins in two categories, Kieran will be attending Nationals in Orlando, Florida this summer. Along with Kieran, freshman Michael Mosie won 3rd place in Basic Decision Making. Junior Justin Kal-lickal also placed 5th place in the Sports Management category. After 3 days of making a name for Sewanhaka, F.B.L.A. proudly returned home later in the week. Congratulations to all those who won and good luck to Kieran O’ Reilly in nationals this summer!

classes to recruit donors. They would also like to give a special thank you to the 64 donors who gave the gift of life and helped save lives.

The drama of the musical captured the distress of the lives on board, and emotions vividly displayed the feelings of those lost at sea. Mrs. Doherty, the director of the musical had nothing but positive things to say about her cast for this show. “As a director I have never worked with a group that was as patient, dedicated and hard working in so many aspects of their lives as well as the show. In order to deal with that a good director needs a dose of patience, a great set of stage and company managers, well documented excel spreadsheets and a sense of humor.”

The cast thanks their director Mrs. Doherty for her unconditional love, nev-er-ending patience, and undying passion which radiated onto everyone who par-ticipated in this production. Although Se-wanhaka will forever bask in the memories of Titanic and miss the graduating senior class, we look forward to the upcoming year.

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Student Feature

Courtney Balgobin is a familiar face within the Sewanhaka halls. Al-ways cheerful, Courtney can usually be found anywhere from the science department to the field hockey field. Courtney is always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who asks, and does so with a smile on.

Courtney, ranked 5th in her class, was accepted to many prestigious uni-versities including Cornell, Princeton, Duke, Binghamton, The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, and Macaulay Honors. “Never in a mil-lion years did I ever think I’d get into Princeton,” Courtney said on her ac-ceptance to the Ivy League school.

Elisa Sanci

Princetonian Princess“It’s usually just something you dream about, not something that actually happens.” Courtney was accepted to Princeton University with almost a full scholarship. “I’m glad my mom made me apply to Princeton,” she says.

Courtney is an active member of

the Sewanhaka community. She’s cur-rently one of the editors of the Chief-tain, the Vice President of the Student Council, the Treasurer of Key Club, President of Mathletes and participates in Model UN, Mock Trial, Women in Science, and TAG. Courtney also played Varsity Field Hockey in the fall. She says she loves being involved in so many groups; being in so many differ-

ent clubs has introduced her to many new people through-out her time at Sewanhaka.

Along with being an ac-tive member at Sewanhaka, Courtney is also an extremely active member in her commu-nity. “I volunteer at Winthrop Hospital and at a clinic every Saturday that specializes in pulmonary disease and inter-nal medicine.” Courtney also tutors an elementary school student in math and science, and even had her own column in the Elmont Herald titled, “Courtney’s Corner.”

Courtney credits all her success to the support system she has at home. Throughout her life, Courtney says that her parents have been her greatest influence. “My parents, Gai and Tony, are my moral pillar in life and they’re always there

Courtney Balgobin, is excited to attend Princeton University.Photo by Beena Biju

for me when I need someone to lean on. They support me in all I do and I really look up to them.” Courtney also looks towards her two older brothers

for guidance. “I give my brothers a lot of credit—they take me to all my re-views and all my practices. I couldn’t have gotten this far if it weren’t for my family.”

Courtney is excited for the future. “I’m excited for college, but at the same time, I’m sad to be leaving Se-wanhaka. Sewanhaka’s been my life for the past 6 years, and I’m going to miss my friends, my teachers and the close, small environment of high school. At the same time, I look forward to em-bark on new journeys and make new friends.” More success is destined for Courtney in the future, and she will be missed here at Sewanhaka.

Courtney Balgobin tap dancing at 11 years of age.

Photo provided by Courtney Balgobin

7Chieftain - May

An Exponential RunnerThomas Brown

Teacher Feature

The Math Department’s Mr. Fan-ning is Sewanhaka’s Teacher of the Year, for 2011-2012, which comes as no surprise to those who know him. He

has been selected for this prestigious honor because of his hard work and dedication to his students.

Mr. Fanning grew up in Mount Si-nai, Long Island, when asked, what type of student was he, he joked, “Not a good one but, I always loved math and science”. Growing up he looked up to his math teacher. Mr. Fanning explained how he still, “hears himself saying things his math teacher said to him when he was a student in the classroom.” However, what makes Mr. Fanning such a good teacher is that he

brings “energy” to classroom, and he “connects math with students daily life activities. He explains that math is a necessity you can use in the future

since, “most jobs include the usage of math”.

So how can we use math in our every day life? According to Mr. Fanning, he proclaimed that he uses math during his “daily runs and training.” “When I’m doing my runs I’m always calculating distance, rate and time to achieve my goals.” Mr. Fanning loves running, and he is also the coach of the Sewanhaka’s Cross Country team.

Mr. Fanning is respected heav-ily throughout the building, amongst the teachers and stu-dents. Students admire his dedi-cation towards his work, and coaching. When asked to de-scribe Mr. Fanning in one word, Maleeka Chin, a student in one

of his 11 grade

classes said, “Genius.”

When I asked Mr. Fanning his thoughts on praise such as Maleeka’s he responded “genius... no, I look at my life as a journey, short-term goals to reach

long-term goals throughout the way”. When asked if he could possibly de-scribe himself in one word he simply said, “disciplined.” Which you need a lot of to be a good distance runner.

In the future, Mr. Fanning plans to help the Math department boost Re-gent’s scores, and graduation rates. He also plans to pursue a teaching certifi-cation for Physics, as he has such a pas-sion for science. Mr. Fanning is always deliberately improving on his teaching skills, and qualifications.

In his free time, Mr. Fanning enjoys photography and obviously running. He likes to think of math problems as he runs, and doing so helps him both stay determined while running and grow smarter through experience. His favorite novel is Into Thin Air. He also enjoyed The Lord of The Rings Trilogy, both as a book series and a movie se-ries. His favorite TV show of all time is Seinfield .

Mr. Fanning incorporates fun into his lesson! Photo provided by Armaghan Behlum

Mr. Fanning as a young boy! Photo provided by Mr. Fanning

8Chieftain - May

Leaving school grounds is a privilege, not a right. Webster’s dictionary defines privilege as a prerogative, a special right; favor. Our school’s system is not based on merit but on seniority. The majority of these seniors have survived five years at this school. They have had to endure school lunches without much variety, as well as grueling hot days in a packed cafeteria. It is because of this that they earn the right to leave their senior year. This is the year of their graduation after which most of them will join the real world – either getting jobs or attending college. College is an education system solely based on freedom and an individual’s own wants and desires. The ability to leave as a senior is an incentive for under-classmen to remain in good be-havior; it is a perk for seniors, one that makes there final year even more special. There are reasons beyond the fact that this is tradi-tion that we have a closed cam-pus for all grades except seniors.

Thinking in more practical rea-sons, it would be nearly impossible for the security guards in this school to be able to track all 1500 students as they leave and enter at their wish. It would not be practical to screen every person who enters the school if all students are free to leave. This would cause an increase in cost and overall decline in the safety of the school. The school would become a pandemonium - education would be on the back fron-tier. What teenager wants to spend math class doing radicals when they could be planning where to go next period? Not I, for sure. There is also the matter of time, every period is 42 minutes. That’s 42 minutes to leave your class, go to your locker, meet your friends, walk to where you want to go, order, eat, and then return in time for your next class. This is illogical because you will either end up having to be late to your next class or unable to get your food, a lose-lose situation. Most

seniors can drive or have friends that can drive and are therefore less limited. Seniors also have mostly finished the requirements of high school, have fewer classes than the underclassman and more back-to-back free peri-ods to go out and eat. By the age of 18, these seniors will have had more experience driving and less likely to have an accident, rushing to get back to class. At this age, education should be the number one priority.

As Mr. Nelson looking at if from a parent’s perspec-tive put it so eloquently, “It’s a safety issue.” It is as-sumed that if you have reached the age of 17 or 18,

the age of most seniors than you can be responsible for yourself. As long as you are in school grounds, the school is responsible for you. If you are injured, the school can be liable. The school and most adults cannot willingly let a 13 year old go off, crossing streets and turnpikes. As Sewanhaka is situated on the cross between Tulip Ave and Co-vert Ave, it is even more of a danger.

There is the matter of rights that is brought into this argument; do underclassmen not have the right to leave? What power does the school have in denying them this basic freedom? The school has the power as it does over every other right; when we enter the school building, we check our rights at the door. Freedom of speech is limited, the right to privacy and don’t even think about the second amendment. This is the way it should be, school is for education with no distractions and no politics. The school chooses to allow seniors this right as a perk for having made it so long in their schooling.

A closed campus if the best decision for every-one and it is a privilege to be valued that seniors are allowed to leave. For the safety and the educa-tion of all, no one should be allowed to leave campus.

Mary Jane Dumankaya

“What teenager wants to spend math class doing radicals when they could be planning where to go next period? Not I, for sure.”

EditorialIt’s a Privilege, not a Right!

9Chieftain - May

Imagine—it’s a beautiful April day. The tempera-ture is a balmy 67 degrees and you’re sitting next to the open window in math class. The sun is shining and the wind is blowing lightly. The bell rings and it’s lunch time. You walk towards the double doors in the lobby. You’re inches away from the doors, inches away from the beautiful weather, you’re almost there—and then the security guard stops you. You can’t leave.

After all, you’re only a junior.

Every student dreams of the time when, finally, he or she can leave school to grab a bite to eat. How-ever, this is a privilege reserved sole-ly for seniors at Sewanhaka High School. To leave the building, a laminated yellow pass must be presented to the security guard who stands by the doors, and only then can you leave for lunch. But why should you have to wait? Why shouldn’t under-classmen be allowed to leave school as well?

The underclassmen who attend Sewanhaka deserve the privilege to leave school just as much as the seniors do. The juniors and the sophomores sit through tiring classes all day long, just as the seniors do. They deserve to have a period or two where they’re allowed to go outside of the school’s campus to enjoy a slice of pizza or an ice cream cone.

Many principals argue that underclassmen shouldn’t be able to leave school for lunch because they feel that younger students aren’t as mature as the seniors. What makes a senior more mature than a junior? Considering there’s only a difference of one year in age, juniors are just as mature as seniors. Of course, there are definitely some juniors that aren’t as mature as seniors. However, it works both ways: just as there are some seniors that are more mature than juniors, there are also juniors

that are more mature than seniors.

Some seniors here at Sewanhaka believe that un-derclassmen shouldn’t be allowed to leave campus—they say that the underclassmen are undeserving of the privilege. Most seniors believe that after six years at Sewanhaka, they now have seniority and the earned

right to go outside the school for lunch. However, seniority alone is not a good factor to determine whether or not a student should be allowed to leave the campus. A student should be allowed to leave the school based on merit. If a stu-dent proves himself to be a responsible, hard working student, then he should be able to leave, whether he’s a senior or not. Limiting who leaves the building

to only seniors because they are the oldest is not a fair a reason to the rest of the deserving students at school.

Allowing students in all grades to leave the school during their free periods would help increase the stu-dents’ productivity. When a student is happy and con-tent, he will work harder, especially if it’s his hard work that is allowing him to go out for lunch. A system like this will allow students to work towards something and will serve as an excellent incentive for them to keep their grades up. If this were the system at Sewanhaka, grades would be much higher and the morals of the students would be higher as well.

Over all, high school students deserve a chance to have some freedom, whether they’re in tenth grade, eleventh grade or twelfth grade. Being allowed to leave the campus for lunch shouldn’t be based on how old a student is--it should be based upon how well the student does in school. Allowing students in all grades to go will supply them with an incentive to do well in school. Grades will go up, and students, parents and teacher alike will be much happier.

Younger Kids Deserve to Have Fun Too!Elissa Sanci

Editorial

“High school students deserve a chance to have some freedom.”

10Chieftain - May

The nation is 125 million strong. The people have some of the greatest influences on Western society: scientists and inven-tors, animators and artists. The event was a tragic one. By now you’ve probably heard of the earthquake and ensuing tsunami that struck Japan. On March 11th, the

Tohoku Earthquake split roads, washed away houses, took down power lines, and basically destroyed the infrastructure of the country.

More than a month after the first earth-quake and tsunami, people are still miss-ing. Japan is still flooded and the threat of nuclear emergency is still prevalent. After the tsunami struck, the cooling sys-tem of nuclear reactors began to fail at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. Its effects are far-reaching and very dangerous. Families and villages within a certain radius of the nuclear plant had to be evacuated.

The leak has made basic necessities like food and water at risk of radiation. Radia-tion is still lingering from the World War II atomic bombs, so the prospects of a bright future are dim. But the brave men of Japan continue to soldier on. Japanese engineers had volunteered to stifle a possible nuclear meltdown, each day risking their lives for a seemingly impossible task.

In a time where the masses are expect-

ed to panic, steal, lie, cheat and murder, the Japanese remained calm and mature. In post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, looting, violence and other criminal activ-ities became a common place. In post-To-hoku Japan, there was no looting. Accord-ing to Japanese economist Richard Koo, people hurried home in an “orderly way” with a “high degree of civility.” This civili-ty comes from a long-standing sense of or-

der, respect, and pride for their country. Although a highly ad-vanced country, Japan is deeply rooted in tradition. No disas-ter is too great for the united Japanese people to overcome. Nevertheless, Japan needs all the help it can get. Billions of dollars have been donated by the American people through charitable organizations such as the Red Cross. Even Sewan-haka High School helped con-

tribute to the cause by holding “Make-a-Crane Day,” in which

each English class made dozens of paper cranes. These cranes were then offered to be adopted for a modest amount of a dol-lar. Each dollar went to Japan to help with the reconstruction of the country. Every dollar helps bring back Japan to it’s feet. In times of natural disaster, unity is all we have.

Japan/Oragami Kevin Wang

World News

Debt, a word every American has heard repeatedly for years. The United States Na-tional Debt is more than $14 trillion, and is literally increasing as you read this. Both Democrats and Republicans agree that the deficit has to be reduced. However, they cannot agree on how it should be done. A budget battle between President Barack Obama and the Republican Party, led by Wisconsin’s Paul D. Ryan, continues to take place. Even will the on going hostil-ity in Washington, both parties just wont give up.

Government Budget BattleMatt Salazarulo

President Obama’s goal is to achieve $4 trillion in deficit reduction over twelve years. He wants to make cuts in military and domestic spending and raise taxes for wealthy Americans. That’s what’s caus-ing so much controversy in Washington. Should we raise taxes or lower taxes? There are only so much spending cuts that can be made from certain areas. President Obama is making small cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, but not like the cuts Rep.Paul D. Ryan wants to make. Ryan, and the majority of his party, wants to make huge cuts from Medicare and Medicaid. Abandoning senior citizens and discarding 50 million Americans who are uninsured. In addition, they’re saying no to rebuilding infrastructure and raising college schol-arships, but say yes to giving the rich $1 trillion in tax cuts. “There’s nothing seri-ous about a plan that claims to reduce the deficit by spending a trillion dollars on tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires,” said President Obama. “There’s nothing coura-geous about asking for sacrifice from those who can least afford it and don’t have any say on Capitol Hill.”

It’s understandable why the Republi-can Party is proposing this. They feel that if the rich receive tax cuts they will invest more money into the economy. But how do we know they will invest? We don’t know! When George Bush was president he made the same tax cuts, and all it did was make the lower and middle class suffer and the rich, well... richer! Paul D. Ryan’s proposed tax cuts cannot force these mil-lionaires and billionaires to invest. How-ever, Obama’s plan to raise taxes will force the wealthiest Americans to pay higher taxes. Yes, the President’s budget plan is not perfect. But it’s far more realistic than Mr. Ryan’s plan. We cannot ask the poor and elderly to sacrifice when they barely have anything. Hopefully, the two parties will come to an agreement and stop the United States from falling off a debt cliff.

The episcenter of the earthquake that devastated Japan.

11Chieftain - May

World NewsLibyian ChaosKatrina Simon

In February 2011, unrest and chaos erupted in many cities throughout the oil-rich North African country of Libya. After four decades of being under the somewhat considered ‘erratic’ leader-ship of Muammar el-Qaddafi, (there are several spellings of his name) the people of Libya finally took charge. Originally

starting as an organized coop of antigov-ernment, the dispute swiftly spread to the capital of Tripoli. Qaddafi responded with a shocking level of violence never seen be-fore in the midst of other uprisings. After days of collaborating, a makeshift rebel army formed as an alternative to Colonel Qaddafi’s repressive rule. Soon after what seemed like what would form into a civil war occurred, the United Nations Security Council stepped in- voting to authorize military action. In March, forces from the US and Europe began retaliating against Colonel Qaddafi and his government. The attacks caused a proposal to be suggested, removing Qaddafi from power, but this proposal was quickly rejected by the rebels, who still used their forces in trying to gain power. Attacks and protests have resulted many dead and anti-government marches in Tripoli have been intercepted by forces using fighter jets and live ammunition. As a result of the chaos, Libyan authories have cut all landlines and wireless communica-tions, making it impossible to verify on re-

ports. With reports of large scale military operations, Gaddafi is being told by many forces that the escalating violence must be ended immediately. As for the UN, sev-eral Libyan diplomats have called on Gad-dafi to step down. As struggles continue throughout the land of Libya, many ef-forts to overthrow government are occur-ring. The most recent being on April 30, 2011 with a N.A.T.O. airstrike causing the death of Gaddafi’s youngest son and three

of his grand-children. As for being ‘a direct opera-tion to assas-sinate the leader of this country’, ac-cording to government spokesman Moussa Ibra-him, the at-tempt failed, leaving him

unarmed. As struggle and

chaos continues in Libya, the condolences of America are with them as they attempt to reform their government.

Muammar el-Ghaddafi in the days leading up to the revolts

During the early hours of May 1, 2011, an announcement was made that would not only affect America, but the world. President Barack Obama made a late-night appearance in the East Room of the White House. He revealed to us that American military and C.I.A. operatives had killed Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, in Abbottabad, Pakistan. After months of secret planning and training, President Obama ordered for the mission to be put into effect. This operation was so secretive that no foreign government was informed. Bin Laden was tracked down and found in a compound minutes away from a Pakistani military camp. Thirty to

forty U.S. Navy Seals flew on two U.S. helicopters and landed in the secret com-pound. After landing, they stormed the compound, killing bin Laden and four others, including one of his sons. “No Americans were harmed,” Mr. Obama said. “They took care to avoid civilian ca-sualties. After killing him, the military op-eratives took custody of his body.” Muslim tradition requires burial within 24 hours, but by doing it at sea American authorities were able to avoid creating a shrine for his followers.

His death is a huge step for our coun-try’s fight against terrorism. Osama bin Laden was the mastermind behind the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center Twin Towers in Man-hattan and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. After that one day, nearly 3,000 Americans were killed. This is a meaning-ful victory for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. Crowds gathered in front of the White House, in Times Square, and at Ground Zero to celebrate. People waved American flags and sang the Star Spangled Banner. Gordon Felt, a man who lost a family member on 9/1l, said “It cannot ease our pain, or bring back our loved ones. It does bring a measure of comfort that the face of global terror can no longer spread his evil.”

The Council on American-Islamic Re-lations also welcomed bin Laden’s death. Officials said that bin Laden never repre-sented Muslims. He did not just kill thou-sands of Americans, but he and Al-Qaeda caused the deaths of countless Muslims worldwide. President Obama said, “his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.” Al-though the United States has a significant achievement in the effort to defeat Al -Qaeda, it’s not over. Al-Qaeda will con-tinue to try to attack us. Security around the country is at its highest to prevent any retaliation. The United States of America has done a great job of protecting its peo-ple and preserving democracy. God Bless America and Let Freedom Ring!

Public Enemy #1: DeadMatthew Salzarulo

12Chieftain - May

Sewanhaka Question

What would you put in your perfect sundae?

Iris Jacob

Laura Guillen2 scoops of vanillaRainbow sprinkles

Hot fudgeHalf a banana

A cherry

Mr. ChenScoop of vanilla

Scoop of chocolateScoop of strawberry

Chocolate syrupMaraschino cherry

A couple of bananas

Brandon VelazquezCookie doughFrench vanilla

CoconutWhipped cream

White chocolates chipsToasted almonds

Skylar ShimanskyCookie dough ice cream

Whip creamA cherrySprinkles

Denise VollmerVanilla ice creamWhipped cream

Rainbow sprinklesA cherry on top

Suzanna DyalChocolate ice creamMidnight madnessChocolate syrup

Hot fudge BrowniesCaramel

Chocolate chipsCrunchies

13Chieftain - May

Entertainment

Capricorn Jan. 20 - Feb. 16Taking things slowly can be a key thing for a developing strategy. Sometimes being patient can lead to a better outcome then rushing into things

Aquarius Feb. 16 - March 11Being cautious does not have to always mean the same as being boring. You can play it safe and have fun

Pisces March 11- April 18An oppurtunity will soon rise and most likely you will be unsure if you should take it. Instead of worrying, take a chance and you’ll be surprised where it gets you!

Aries April 18 - May 13As the weather gets nicer, remember to keep a balance between work and play! You want to enjoy the summer, not spend it in summer school

Taurus May 13 - June 21Talking to a trusted friend is always a good way to feel better about your possibly bad situation. As unlikely as it may seem, they could have the advice you are seeking

Gemini June 21 - July 20It is advised to do something out of the ordinary. A new rush can result in a thrill that might be much needed in your life right now

Cancer July 20 - Aug. 10Pressure is sometimes necessary for you to do work, but overwhelming pressure may be unfamiliar to you. Do not stress and keep working and seek help when neces-sary

Leo Aug. 10 - Sept. 16Luck constantly comes your way, but lately your luck may have fallen. Do not fear for this hindrance in your good fortune is only temporary.

Virgo Sept. 16 - Oct. 30Working with others may be problematic at the moment, so consider going solo for awhile if you need to. Everybody needs time to themselves sometimes

Libra Oct. 30 - Nov. 23You may be telling the truth, but some may not believe you. Remember that hon-estly is the best policy and stick to your word. Remember that lying, although it may please others at times, will not help you in the end.

Scorpio Nov. 23 - Nov. 29Time is of the essence as the busy times come, remember to plan time efficiently and plan priorities accordingly.

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. 20Communication is key. As relationships with friends may become loose and shaky, remember to always keep communication open, for it is the basis of friendship

Horoscopes

By Sabrina Orologio

Katrina Simon

14Chieftain - May

The Sewanhaka boys’ lacrosse team is trying their best in keep-ing their dream alive. When asked what goals the team has for this season, Coach Sakowich said, “This year’s boys team doesn’t have a lot of players, but we do have 8 returning starters. The team has been practicing hard since July. Although the weather was not good this winter, we prepared in the gym twice a week in the morning.” The team’s first game was on March 26, against Elmont Memorial High School. The boys suffered a loss, but the coaches are still looking forward to a great season. This year’s Indians will make the playoffs for the first time since 1998. Attending a Se-wanhaka home game gives a sense of support to these players and at the same time, lets them know that their goal is not impossible to reach.

Boy’s LacrosseNancy Agyeman-Duah

Softball

Sports News

Girl’s LacrosseGina Ragona and Marianella Gimenez

TennisNicolas Weilmann

The girl’s varsity lacrosse team has reached the halfway point in their season. The team record is 6-1-. The girls have worked very hard, practicing before and after school. However, there is still a lot of work to done. “Hopefully with the will to win there will an uprising of great success,” said Coach Brennan. The team strives to earn respect and give respect on and off the field. Senior captains Victoria Casso, Lindsy Montoya, and Amanda Torres are leading the team to a conference championship. And being their last year, they hope to leave Sewanhaka with a Girl’s Lacrosse ban-ner hanging in the gym.

Jaclyn Wisniewski

This is a very successful year for the boys’ tennis team. Due to the boys success last year, they have moved up a division. The beginning of the season was rough, with a record of one win and three losses. However, the team was able to come back and now

Sabrina Orologio getting ready to score for Sewanhaka.

Photo provided by MSG Varsity

As the season comes to an end, the girls varsity softball team is looking foward to their first round of playoffs. With a few wins here and there, these girls hope to solidify a win in the first round, and work hard to hopefully conquer a win in the second round. The 2010 softball team came so close last year, with a loss to New Hyde Park, however this year’s team is even more confident, that with a little hard work and dedication, anything is possible. Start-ing catcher Rachel Wisniewski quotes, “I had such a fun season with these girls. I’ve never been part of a team where we could have a hard loss and go home with smiles. I’ll miss this year’s sea-son but I am greatly looking foward to my next two years here.” The team wishes all 7 seniors the best of luck as they move on, especially all county pitcher Monique Roberge. On the varsity team since the 8th grade, she has become molded into an amazing team leader who works hard game by game, pitch by pitch to help her team to victories. Other seniors include Sajeeda Chin, Dylan Riccardi, Christi McLarney, Danielle Lukas, Michelle Mongiello, and Gina Cangelosi, all who have helped the team tremendously and wish next year’s team the best of luck in the 2012 season.

has a record of four wins and three losses. “We have a great team this year,” said Sebastian Pedemonte, a 10th grader who plays 3rd doubles. “We have a lot of fun playing together and have become closer.” Old and new players from four schools play on a united District Team. These boys, led by Coach Soto, have done well so far and have made Sewanhaka High School proud.

15Chieftain - May

Sports News

When it comes to playing ball, the Sewanhaka Varsity Boys Baseball team would rather steal second base than a Ferrari. That is exactly what Coaches Mr. Ryan and Mr. Reece want their players to do in every game of the season. When asked what the goals are for the season, Coach Reece replied “We would like to improve our record of 10 wins and 8 losses from last year.”

The team this year is lead by captains JJ McLaughlin and

Ryan Miller. Ryan Miller said “We need to stop making errors. If we play error free baseball we can stick with any team in our conference.” In addition, JJ McLaughlin wants the team to focus on making it to the championship game at Farmingdale. As for the team’s new players, the coaches are pleased with their performance and said that they are a hard-working group of kids who are going to be the future of the team. This year is the first year that Varsity Baseball has selected sophomores to be on their team.

Coach Reece said that he is pleasantly surprised with the progress of sophomore Brian Murphy who has exceeded the expectations of everyone. The team seems to have a bright

BaseballShahrukh Khan and Mike Zunno

A new season equals an opportunity for success. The Se-wanhaka Varsity Track Team has definitely taken that op-portunity. The boys team, lead by Isaiah Pollack and Der-rick Thompson, has a record of 3-1 and with one meet left,

they have the chance to win a conference champion-ship. “We have a good shot at winning,” said Coach Nola. “The last meet is going to be a nail biter, but if we keep up our training we can do it.” The boys train every-day after school and are set on doing their best to win. The seniors are especially determined and have pushed it to the limit, knowing it’s their last season at Sewan-haka. Senior runners, Brian Wint, Derrick Thompson, Keenan Woods, and Miguel Standford have won in sev-eral events, such as the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. In other events, Isaiah Pollack and Olusola (Shella) Ad-eniran have won in the high jump and triple jump field events. These talented athletes are essential to the team and will be missed next year. However, there is plenty of young talent for the next few years. Sophmores Jerry Bolivar and Kenenna Emekelann are excellent sprinters. They rank in the top 3 in their events. And among our few long distance runners Christopher D’Meza, John Lazo, and Kieran O’Rielly have excelled significantly. With this well rounded team Coach Nola is expecting to send many stars to counties this year and hopefully win a conference championship. For the girls team, this

new season has brought about a lot of change. There are many new girls on the team this season, as well as a new coach, Ms. Gallacher. Ms. Gallacher’s tough workouts and drills have helped the girls progress. Senior captain Johane Accime has performed well in the 100m and 200m sprint-ing events. Junior captain Krishanthi Devendran has done the same in the 800m and 1500m events. While they are succeeding on the track, Celeste Pipia has crushed the com-petition in shot put and discus events. The girl’s team has a few more meets to compete in. Therefore, go out and sup-port your fellow Sewanhaka Indians!

Spring TrackMatthew Salzarulo

Sewanhaka Boys Lacrosse faces the competition.Photo provided by MSG Varsity

future and their record so far is 3 wins and 1 loss. Although they are a small group of players, the Coaches have high hopes for the season and Coach Reece’s main message is short, sweet and to the point: “Be the best.”

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”-Harold R. McAlindon

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