Chieftain - September

the

CHIEFTAINstudent governmentPage 3

new Activities directorms. AmArisPage 12

new teAcher FeAturePage 6

double student FeAture

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Sewanhaka high School-500 Tulip avenue-Floral park, nY 11001 volume 20 iSSue 1

2 Chieftain - September

SEWANHAKA HIGH SCHOOL

500 Tulip Ave.- Floral Park, New York 11001

CONTENTS

Student Government.....................................................3What’s Happening.....................................................4-5New Teacher Feature....................................................6Arts...............................................................................7-8Community.....................................................................9Student Feature............................................................10Teacher Feature............................................................11Editorials..................................................................12-13Entertainment.........................................................14-16Sports........................................................................17-19

THE CHIEFTAIN

EDiTorS-in-ChieFKetsia Saint-Armand

Joseph Platia

InpuT EDiTorSArmaghan Behlum

Mary Jane Dumankaya

PhoTo EDiTorEmtiaz Uddin

LaYouT EDiTorCourtney Balgobin

STaFFNancy Agyeman-Duah

Rheanna CegliaJustin Chen

Stephie-Anne DuliepreMaryam EsmailAnna HarshamAnthony JeanSonnith John

Shahrukh KhanStephanie Saisanas

Elissa SanciKatrina SimonJames WighausJassiel MoreiraChrissy Kellet

ADviSorFrank Alfino

PhoToSAmit PersaudMujtaba Zafar

Yearbook

Greetings from the Editors:

Welcome back for the 2009-2010 school year! We’ll be adding lots of new features to the twentieth volume of the Chieftain. Feel free to stop by the Chieftain office (Rm. 228) and let us know what you think!

Be a part of your school.

Be a part of your Chieftain!

The Chieftain

Chieftain - October

3Chieftain - September What’s Happening

Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year! New grade, new courses, new teachers, new class responsibilities. There are very few times in life that we get a “do-over,” but every Sep-tember students get the opportunity to start again with a new school year. Each student has the ability to look at their final report card from June and

evaluate their grades and academic performance. How will you answer these questions?

Not happy with last year’s grades? See your teachers as soon as you start having difficulties with class work.

Didn’t really study for tests last year? Make a com-mitment to spend more time focused on school work this year. You can’t study for a test in just a few minutes the night before; look over your class notes a little every day so you are not left with pages and pages of notes and class handout sheets to review and study right before the exam.

Only completed some homework assignments last year? This year, push yourself to complete every home-work assignment, every day. Take it one day at a time. Don’t put off doing homework and saving it for the next day—the next day you will just have additional homework assignments to complete.

Didn’t attend extra-help and Regents review ses-sions? This year make yourself a promise to see your teachers for extra-help, attend the homework center after-school and come to Regents review classes weeks before the Regents exams.

All students have the ability to pass their courses, but what determines your final grade is the amount of effort you put into your work. Make time in the day to complete your homework, review your notes and study for your ex-ams. The author Robert Hastings said “The great divid-ing line between success and failure can be expressed in five words:

“I did not have the time.” You must find the time dur-ing the day for your school work in order for you to have a positive school year.

I wish every student a successful school year. Remem-ber the words of General Colin Powell: “There are no se-crets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.”

principal’s corner Student government“We want YOU to be involved!” That’s the attitude

of the 2009-2010 Student Council Executive Board, guided by the new advisors Ms. Deegan and Mr. Tes-oro. President Joseph Platia and the other officers (Vice President Courtney Balgobin, Secretary Ketsia Saint-Armand, and Treasurer Mary Jane Duman-kaya), hope to achieve a year-long goal to increase student participation in school activities.

The only way to ensue students’ involvement is to efficiently inform them of school functions and events. In addition to announcements made in home-room and signs posted on the walls of the hallways, the Student Council Representative system serves the purpose to make sure students know what is happen-ing in school. This year, the Student Government Ex-ecutive Board has announced its new approach that it hopes will increase participation in at our monthly meetings: all meetings will be open to the entire stu-dent body from grades seven through twelve. This will give all students an opportunity to come to our monthly meetings instead of the annual Social Stud-ies department elections whereby two elected repre-sentatives reported Student Council events to their classmates. All Student Council meetings are posted on the school’s calendar and announced well in ad-vance.

This year, the Executive Board is occupied with all Homecoming preparations and will be start-ing the annual Elementary Holiday Play. Volunteers are still needed for the writing of the script and the play itself. If you would like to be a part of this ef-fort, please come to our next general meeting on No-vember 13, 2009 at 2:50 pm in room 301. All Class Board and club members are encouraged to be at our monthly meeting to report what is happening in their class or club.

Chieftain - October

Joseph Platia

4 Chieftain - September

memorial. Mr. Tesoro, as the advi-sor of the club, says he was pleased that it went “from being a nonde-script grassy area to a beautiful monument.” He also add-ed that he hoped that “the memo-rial will pre-vent us from getting into situations where oth-ers will lose their lives because of selfish ac-tions.” Thursday the 24th was the culmination of a year of dedicated work and the fulfillment of a prom-ise to ALLSTATE and the commu-nity that we would get the message

What’s Happening

remembering Those loST

Stephanie Saisanas & Stephie-Anne Duliepre

Paula Curci, Chairperson of the SHS’S Drug Free School committee along with other members of the DFSC committee including Dr. Kevin Maser, Valentina Forgione, Nili Resnick and Vincent Brazill spent several hours writ-ing the grant for and preparing the Re-flection Garden dedication event.

The day of the dedication, Thurs-day, September 24, was a beautiful day, and the dedication was attended by over fifty students, teach-ers, parents, adminis-

trators and Allstate reps. The committee chose to

build this reflection garden because in the past, our community has lost sev-eral young lives to alcohol and drug re-lated driving crashes. The ceremony took place to commemorate the 16 teenagers that die each day of alcohol or drug-related car acci-dents. As a result of this unfortu-nate truth, in 2008, the SHS Drug Free School Committee submitted a grant to the ALLSTATE insur-ance company in hope that they would receive a $1,000.00 stipend to build a memorial garden. Sev-eral families that have lost family members due to such incidents showed up to attend the ceremo-ny. Ms. Curci called out many of their names so everyone could si-lently acknowledge the loved ones who have lost their lives. “I felt ac-complished; sometimes you work on something and don’t get result, and the garden is clearly a result of collaborative hard work,” said Ms. Curci as she admired the results of her hard work.

At the end of the 08-09 school year, she requested the help of the Ecology club to begin the actual building of the

Chieftain - SeptemberChieftain - October

out about the dangers of driving while intoxicated or impaired.

That afternoon, Mrs. Forgione’s sixteen bells were heard throughout

the school at the begin-ning of ninth period, officially setting off an event which turned out to be very significant and will not be forgot-ten. The theme here is that 16 teens die each day of alcohol and drug related car crashes; that

number is only the average, and that it varies everyday. Let’s not let their efforts go in vain. Like the seeds, let us begin anew and be more careful with our lives in the future.

Ms. Curci

Dedication Monument and Inscription

A View of the Garden

5Chieftain - September What’s Happening

Student activities FairEvery year, Principal Lidowsky, the Director

of Student Activities, the club advisors, and the club members of Sewanhaka put together the Student Activities Fair. This fair allows students

to see the variety of clubs provided by the school. School clubs are really impor-tant, es-

pecially when filling out college applications, and the time to do so will come sooner than you think. The clubs build character and help you expand on your interests outside of school subjects while having fun in school. Clubs are something to look forward to after and/or be-fore school.

This year, Animation Club, French Club, FBLA, G.S.A., Mathletes, Model U.N., Na-tional Art Honor Society, Photography Club, Sewanhaka Gems, Drama Club, and even our Chieftain set up tables in order to attract your attention.

Many students will not think twice about joining a club. Some do not even realize the significance of the Student Activities Fair. Every year, club advisors and even club mem-bers take the time out of their day, to organize the Student Activities Fair. So please, do not let their efforts go to waste. Join a club! Get in-volved! You can meet new people and discover friendships you may not have had otherwise.

Anna Harsham

marching BandWhile the months of September passed by

filled with tryouts for the fall season sports like football, boys and girls soccer, girls volleyball, and cross-country meets on Sewnahaka’s field, a group full of “Sewanhaka Spirit”—the

Sewanhaka Marching Band—was prepar-ing for the upcoming Marching Band sea-son, which includes the home foot-ball games

and the News-day Festival at Hofstra University

on October 22nd. They will be performing this year’s theme, “A Journey”, and their per-formance will include the songs “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Any Way You Want It”. With the help of the Rockettes lead by Ms. Pan-torno, the Cheerleaders lead by Mrs. Toto, and the Color Guard lead by Ms. Kelly, they have added a lot of extra surprises to be seen only at Newsday. With the guidance of band director Mr. Doherty , this year’s News-day Festival will demonstrate once again for all of Nassau County the talent and enthu-siasm of Sewanhaka High School’s young musicians.

Nancy Agyeman-Duah

Chieftain - October

Drum Major Martine Norgaisse smiles for the camera

6 Chieftain - SeptemberWhat’s Happening

Some of sewanhaka’s new Teachers

Ms. Blondrage is the new Living Environment teacher from Stony Brook as well as the new Junior High Cheerleading Advisor. She enjoyed science when she was in high school and wants to show the students of Sewanhaka that science is fun and

exciting. She loves Sewanhaka’s close-knit environment and is looking forward to teaching here.

Ms. Megherian is the new Earth Science teacher from Floral Park High School and the new District Girls Swim Team advisor. She says she enjoys Sewanhaka’s atmosphere and is looking forward to teaching this year.

Ms. Prucho is the new English Teacher’s Assistant for Read 180 (9th grade). She works with Ms. Crimmins and Ms. Alessi. She likes the fact that the teachers of Sewanhaka know their students pretty well and is happy that the

staff is very welcoming and helpful.

Ms. Poyer is a new teacher’s assistant in the English department who joined at the end of last year. She likes Sewanhaka’s faculty and students and enjoys teaching her 7th and 8th grade classes. She used to teach at Garden City .High School but now teaches at Sewanhaka along

with coaching for JV Girls Basketball, JH Girls softball, and serving as the advisor for the Class of 2011

Ms. Mach is the new 9th and 10th grade English teacher from Elmont High School where she had taught for 7 years. She says she wants to help here students have a great year and believes that they are her favorite part of Sewanhaka. She used to be Elmont High School’s Step Team coach and loves teaching dance.

Mr. Nelson is a new addition to the Social Studies department. He grew up in Queens, attending Archbishop Molloy High School. After high school, he attended Nassau Community College and

C.W. Post University. Mr. Nelson aspires to be an influential teacher, unlike the social studies teachers he had in high school. He is also the advisor of Mock Trial.

Ms. Fitzpatrick was born in Long Island and has grown up with a role model who is close to her heart—her mom. She attended St. Rose and majored in Math Education. Her favorite movie is Rudy, and she enjoys watching anything on ESPN. Ms. Fitzpatrick also

loves to eat anything Italian. Her greatest achievement was trying to push all her kids to pass the regents last year.

She likes to read, and her favorite author is James Paterson. Her favorite actor is Russell Crowe, and she loves baseball. Ms. Herbert attended Molloy and majored in History. Her role model growing up and continues to be her mother. When she first arrived at Sewanhaka High School, she felt “great” and said that “the kids and faculty are very considerate.”

Born on Long Island, Ms. Ruvel enjoys reading, biking, running, and looks forward to going to the gym to work out. Her favorite movie is Forest Gump, and favorite actress is Harrison Ford. She loves eating Italian food, and especially loves pizza.

Her role models have been all her inspirational teachers throughout High School. By 10th grade, Ms. Ruvel decided to become a teacher. She loves to have fun in class, and inspire her students the way her teachers inspired her.

Mr.Nistico is a new chemistry teacher at Sewanhaka High School, but he is not new to the district for having taught at Elmont Memorial for the last 18 years. A Long Island native, he attended North Babylon High School, SUNY Oneonta for his undergradu-

ate and Dowling for his graduate degree. During the summers, Mr.Nistico conducts field research in Anthropology. He particularly enjoys studying the Olmec culture.

Mr.Renart is a new science teacher at Se-wanhaka High School. After graduating from Harbor Fields High School in Suffolk County, he earned a B.S in Biology from Stony Brook University. After spending some time work-ing in sales locally and overseas, Mr.Renart

returned to school to become a teacher. He earned his masters from Hofstra University. Mr.Renart enjoys being outdoors, is excited to be the Class of 2014 co-advisor and reminds his students that everything “matters”.

Armaghan Behlum, Mary Jane Dumankaya & Maryam EsmailMore to come in the next issue!

Chieftain - October

7Chieftain - September Arts

My Worst Fear

You meant everything to me. When everything was cloudy, you made it easy to see.And, when I was confused, you made it easy to beThat sweet guy that looked you deep in the eyes— that was me.

Your friends always said that you deserved better.I brought something to the table, but you brought extra.

I thought it was something I could have forever,But before I blinked my eyes, it was gone so quick.

People used to ask me, “Rahiem, what’s your worst fear?”And I’d reply, “Nothing,” like I really didn’t care.

But that was before I met you.

Because if they ever asked again, I would always say my worst fear was losing you.

But I messed up, and everyone knows, because everyone saw how my worst fear came true.

-Rahiem Tucker-Jones

poems and artwork by Sewanhaka’s Students

untitledAdekunle Ogunlowu For me, art is a way to

forget life. It is a cry in the night, a strangled laugh.

~Georges Rouault

You can be published in the Chieftain too! Submit your poems and short stories to us for a chance to become our Featured Artist.

TelleslationsMadeline Boldyrew

Chieftain - October

8 Chieftain - Septemberarts

Featured poet: Sankha Ghatak

“Poetry, for me, is a means of es-cape. Some people have video games; others have soap operas. But I’d like to imagine that what I’m doing will benefit me—and others—more than “General Hospital.”

MY HEART

I gave you my heart,You gave it a beating.You threw it aside.You left it there bleeding.It healed overnight,but you came in my dreams,and you sliced it in two,split my heart down it’s seams.I picked up the pieces,each as light as a feather.I spent the whole night,sewing them back together,I felt it next morning,as delicate as glass.But you threw it to the ground.It shattered in the crash.I tried to mend it,but it had permanent creases.

-Sankha Ghatak

SOLDIER

In his Uniform He stands at the door

Saying good bye to the family He hopes to see again

Some of his friends come with himHis comrades in Hell

While others must stay behind

On the battlefield he standsWhile around him people fall

Victims of War’s torture and cruelty

He takes a ShotAt a person he does not know

But ends their life None the less

Grief over his LossesAnd his Goal in his mind

He moves forward

Life and Death gamble over his fateWhile Courage and Loyalty become his legs

And Hope becomes his eyes

Memories flashing in his headBattle raging in front of his face

The Soldier fights on.

-Armaghan Behlum

poems and artwork by Sewanhaka’s Students

You can be published in the Chieftain too! Submit your poems and short stories to us for a chance to become our Featured Artist.

Chieftain - October

9Chieftain - September Community

St. vincent de paul’s 36th annual Feast

Elissa Sanci

Chieftain - October

Lights flash, people laugh, and the smells of delicious foods waft toward your nose as you stand and take it all in. Teenagers mill around in groups, laughing and joking with each other while parents chase laughing children around, calling after them to slow down. Excited screams fill the air as children of all ages are tossed around on a few of the rides, and the sweet aroma of freshly baked zeppoles makes your stomach grumble in anticipation.

You are, of course, standing in the midst of the St. Vincent de Paul’s Annual Feast.

The parish residing in Elmont, New York, hosted its first feast in honor of St. Vincent de Paul—whose saint

day falls on September 27—in 1973, and since then, a tradition was born. The feast is a way for the church to fundraise money, but it also serves as a way to get people to come together as one large community.

The feast this year began on Friday September 11, going until Sunday September 13. Then on Friday the 18th, the feast began again and went on until the 20th. This year, it rained the first two nights, but that did not stop people of all ages from coming to buy a bag of zeppoles, or quickly taking one of the rides for a spin.

There are plenty of things at the fair to entertain people of all ages. All of the food provided at the feast, including sausage and peppers, meatball heroes and zeppoles, is home-made. There

are more than enough rides for kids of all ages. The Zipper tends to draw mostly teenagers; in fact, when asked, most of the students of Sewanhaka prefer the crazy, scream-inducing ride over any other at the feast. For those with weak stomachs, or who just do not enjoy the rides, carnival games are lined along the perimeter of the fair, waiting to be played. Squirt the water into the clown’s mouth fast enough to fill up the balloon first, and you might just be the proud owner of a colorful stuffed animal. Once you get to the feast, you do not want to leave!

Each year, students of Sewanhaka can be found having fun at the St. Vincent de Paul Feast, whether it be by the food stands, on a ride, playing a game, or just spending time with friends.

The St. Vincent parish started a great tradition, one that will continue on for many years to come. This year’s feast might be over, but don’t worry—only a little more than 365 days left until next year’s!

Assemblyman Tom Alfano and revelers at the Fair.

10 Chieftain - September

Not many Sewanhaka athletes can say they have made it to the Amateur Softball Association National Champion-ships in four consecutive years and still have enough time to become varsity volleyball co-captain. However, the se-nior Catherine Alyssa Johnson, affectionately known as Ka-tie, has accomplished all of that and more within the small time frame of her 17 years.

Born in Queens, New York, on August 16, 1992, Katie has always sought to be one of the best. As a catcher for the Long Island Express, Katie and company have yet to take a pit stop. Her team has attended the Amateur Soft-

ball Association (ASA) National Champion-ships for four years. Finish-ing in the ASA top 10 last summer, the Long Island Express has faced down tough opposi-

tion from Boston to Buffalo to Binghamton and come out on top. Asked how she handles the traveling, Katie simply answered that while “[i]t’s extremely difficult to balance at times, the long car rides to practices and tournaments have always been spent on the laptop trying to get some work done. All of the girls on my softball team are students of high academic standing, and we like to help each other at times if someone doesn’t understand something”.

While at home, Katie keeps her abilities at their peak by attending 2 practice sessions and 1 lesson a week. As an AP student, she has excelled academically, attaining a 99% grade point average while being a member of Model United Nations, the National Honor Society, and FCCLA. Sports have taught her “to learn through failure,” and through consistent application of the lessons learned from her mistakes, she now believes that her main goal is, and always will be, “to be the best that I can be with what I’ve been given.” As an aspiring equine veterinarian hoping to attend American University, Katie has truly become one of Sewanhaka’s finest.

outta the ballpark

Anthony Jean

Student Features

wighaus leads the wayA leader leads by example, whether he intends

to or not. For James Wighaus, however, leadership has become an instinct, rather than an intention.

The off-season is never easy for an athlete. They use that time to improve on their game for next season. Over the summer, James went to many camps. He attended a National Underclassmen Combine and got invited to the Ultimate 100 for the top players in the Northeast region. He also attend-ed the D-1 Quarterback Academy which was a one day camp where competitions were held with other great quarterbacks. A huge experience for him was a camp held at Lafayette. Over there, they not only played football, but donated money to children with brain tumors. “That had a huge effect on me, and I felt very happy in helping such a great cause,” said James of the camp.

Although James is a leader on the field, he displays that leadership off the field as well. As an older brother, he has to serve as the role model for his younger sister. As a Peer Help-er, he has to lend a hand to the younger kids of Sewanhaka. When asked about his constant guid-ance, James replied with, “I love helping and lead-ing. I always wanted to be guy that the Junior High kids could look up too.”

James has shown himself to be a true leader. He tries to make people around him be better, whether they are his teammates or the kids who look up to him. Although, James may not be the biggest man in school, his character and demeanor make up for all of that. After all, “It’s not the size of the animal in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the animal,” a quote James has followed to the letter.

Emtiaz Uddin

Chieftain - October

Katie Johnson gets a hit.

Saying the pledge before a game

11Chieftain - September Teacher Feature

meet Your new Student activities Director

Courtney Balgobin

Chieftain - October

Sewanhaka is ringing in the new school year with a new director of student activities, Ms. Daisy Ama-ris. She has been chosen for this prestigious posi-tion because of her hard work and exceptional skills. Ms. Amaris grew up in Queens, New York and attended Cathedral High School in Manhattan. After graduation, she then furthered her education by graduating from Queens College and obtaining a masters degree in Special Education. Ms. Amaris then went on to receive an administrative certificate from the College of St. Rose.

Ms. Amaris is no newbie here at Sewanha-ka High School. She has taught here for ten years! For those who may not know her, she is also the teacher of the Home and Careers, Child Development, In-dependent Life Skills, and Foods and Nutrition classes. Aside from all of that, Ms. Amaris is also the advisor of the FCCLA club and on the Drug Free School Com-mittee. Her aim this year for FC-CLA, is to launch a new focus. She has organized and assisted the Leadership Conference that was held on September 26, 2009. The main focus was “Pre-vention is a Misson.”

Upon inquiring what her goals are for this upcoming year, she

responded, “My goal is to live up to Mrs. Selock’s legacy and to be as successful as her, continuing with Sewanhaka Pride!” Ms. Amaris loves the change because it is such a different experience than teaching. She welcomes the challenge open with arms and is very enthusiastic. She plans on carrying out her job responsibilities to the best she possibly can. Futhermore, Ms. Amaris is a people person who is very easy to get along with. She can relate to many

different people and is very approachable. Ms. Amaris is a mother of one child, her

son Joesph. She is also a Yankees and Gi-ants fan. We at Sewanhaka are very privi-leged to have Ms. Amaris leading us into a bright future. You can find her all around the school teaching, planning, or just giv-ing advice!

Ms. Amaris in the Classroom

12 Chieftain - SeptemberEditorial Chieftain - October

Imagine yourself as an admissions director of a middlebrow university that desperately desires to move up in the rankings of theacademic world. With next year’s freshman class nearly selected, you are choosing between two applicants: the first has very high SAT scores, but little else to separate himself. The second is an student whose scores were average but has a strong background in volunteer work. These two students surely have an even chance to be accepted by this school.

Right?Now, let’s say that two people

have similar test scores to each another and both are heavily involved in volunteering. Which would be accepted?

I believe that everyone has their own reason for volunteering. For most, it is about the genuine joy they feel when helping people in need. However, for some it’s not for the sake of heart; they use the opportunity to further themselves. These people are known as résumé padders.

Volunteering is the noted practice of people working on behalf of others, without being motivated by financial or material gain. Generally considered an altruistic activity, volunteering is intended to promote good or to improve the human quality of life. This may be a technical version of the definition, but it fully justifies what the sole purpose is

all about. As more than just a local topic, volunteering has even caught the attention of our last two presidents. President George W. Bush included his theme for volunteerism at all his campaign trail stops in 2000. It was called “A Thousand Points of Light”. The intention was to encourage young adults to adopt their own spirit of giving. President Barack Obama has also issued a call for the people of America to get involved in their communities, claiming that it is vital that volunteers continue to provide services and to uplift their communities.

The technical term for a résumé padder is opposite from a résumé builder. A builder is someone who is genuine, and will take the time to lend a hand with any act of benevolence. This differs from a padder, who will simply help for the sake of themselves, just to put it on their résumé. A résumé builder usually is truely dedicated to a club or activity at an early age, longevity of involvement proves activeness to the college he or she applies to. The college can then tell if he or she has been an active member by the amount of hours or years enrolled. Someone who joined ten clubs in their last year of high school because they did not have a single club to their name will be classified as a padder to many colleges. Is it even worth the trouble?

There are pros and cons to the issue of volunteerism that may play a factor in a person’s decision to stay active or to not even bother. Personally, it has always been a pleasure to help out as much as I can for the sake of the needy, or for my fellow peers. A great aspect of volunteering is the ability to earn scholarship money. Of course, academic standings can be a big source of merit scholarships, but helping out locally in your community may earn you the same or an even bigger scholarship. Another great aspect is the fulfillment: the feeling that you have accomplished something, and truly helped someone. This feeling is the result of a solid code of ethics. This and many other feelings that come along with volunteering make it all worth while for the ones who help.

What can a college classify you as? A genuine résumé builder or a lazy résumé padder?

Volunteerism is a key issue in society today; everyone should go out and be supportive in helping their peers and community. You may stand out above the rest when applying for college, but if you are volunteering for the wrong reasons, then maybe you should consider doing something else with your time.

Joseph Platia

volunteerism: genuine or insincere?

13Chieftain - September Editorial

rity forces have on driving down violence in schools.

In his book, Maximum Security: The Culture Of Violence In Inner-city Schools, John Devine makes it clear that uniformed officers and invasive surveil-lance have limited effectiveness in miti-gating violence in schools. Negating the traditional roles of teachers as guardians and agents of moral instruction, modern implements of security divorce a student’s wellbeing and ethical actions from the acquisition of knowledge. Teachers are reduced to information bureaucrats and peddlers of facts, while the students—physically and ethically—are left to the scrutiny of electronic devices and security specialists. The result is not a security sys-tem at all, but an institutional disengage-ment from the empathetic supervision of the student body.

The morning of my SAT, I was a nervous wreck—and understandably so. Palms sweating, legs quavering, trachea con-stricted, and pupils dilated, I staggered through the doors of Campus Magnet High School with the sole objective of find-ing my classroom as soon as possible in order to complete my nervous breakdown. From the admittedly dreary outdoors, I en-tered into an even bleaker lobby, replete with dim lighting—perhaps to heighten the dramatic effect or to give me the feel-ing of being en route to my own funeral.

While my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, I noticed a hazy form take shape through the frosted glass that divided the lobby from the rest of the school. As the line inched forward, I could hear commands being barked. “Take off your belts!” and “No jewelry, ladies!” echoed through my ears as my blood pressure increased at an alarming rate (excelsior, indeed).

And the cause of all this trouble?

A metal detector, of course.

The New York Civil Liberties Union esti-mates that 100,000 students in the New York City public school system alone must undergo similar procedures of being screened for weapons and other objects

Chieftain - October

Security guards. We’ve all seen them. In the hallways, in the lunchroom, by the exits—they’re every-where.But why?

Some will point immediately to the incidents at Columbine in 1999 or Virginia Tech in 2007, or the Middletown, Connecticut shoot-ing of a Wesleyan University student—which occurred in the not-so distant past of May 2009—as conclusive proof of the necessity of greater school security. Certainly, both schools have changed and violence has gained greater attention. At the turn of the twentieth century, who would imagine things like homemade bombs and anthrax being brought into schools? With the safety of human lives being endangered, surely it is practical to implement any and all policies that had even a slim chance of saving human lives. One would have to be a cynic weaned on vinegar to make the claim that increasing security personnel on school grounds does, not in any way, improve the safety and se-curity of schools. But are these additions effective in thwarting violent disasters?

The school safety division of the NYPD—which as of the 2008-2009 school year employed 5,055 School Safety Agents—is equivalent to the fifth largest police force in the country. There are more School Safety Agents, or SSAs, in New York City schools than there are police officers in Boston, Las Vegas, Detroit, and Washington, D.C. New York has a ratio of twice as many SSAs per student than Houston has police officers per citizen. Those who bear the brunt of this expansion of “security” into the school are the students. While an average of $9,602 is spent on students at schools with permanent metal detectors, schools without permanent metal detectors spend an average of $11,282 per student. Funneling money into SSA ser-vices takes funds away from other vital ser-vices, like guidance departments and after-school activities. A system where there are 1,903 more SSAs than guidance counselors deprives both students and administrators of the means to preclude the violence that has caused the NYPD School Safety Division to expand by 65% since 2002.

Furthermore, there is conflicting data on the effects these inflations of school secu-

deemed dangerous in a school environ-ment. However, metal detectors are incapable of stopping the violence that occurs right out of school doors. For high schooler Derrion Albert, that little quirk about metal detectors cost him his life. While walking home from Christian Fenger Academy High School, he was caught in the crosshairs of a battle be-tween two rival groups taking place two blocks from his school. The federal gov-ernment began requiring school safety programs in 1994, and violent deaths dropped from 50 a year to less than half that number. However, violent deaths like Derrion’s have contniued to occur despite these new measures.

Administrators at Christian Fenger Acad-emy now say that they will implement a comprehensive “violence prevention” plan so that such incidents to not occur again, but isn’t that what should have been done in the first place?

At Sewanhaka High School, we’ve man-aged to avoid much of what is described above. But we must remain vigilant and acknowledge our fallible points so that we do not fall down the slippery slope of school security.

What’s really needed to ensure school security is a more personal and humane approach that doesn’t involve overbearing amounts of security officers and invasive technology that turn schools into prepa-ration centers for prisons. The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) has gotten together with several companies and organizations to form the National Safety and Security Council (NSSC). In its Guide to School Safety and Security, the NSSC advocated parental involve-ment as a crucial factor in ensuring school safety. Without parental involve-ment, a school cannot succeed. Without the acceptance of the shared responsibil-ity parents, students, and administrators have in creating a safe environment, the violence in schools will not abate.

And no amount of SSAs or metal detec-tors can change that.

Ketsia Saint-Armand

School security—how much is enough?

14 Chieftain - SeptemberEntertainment

horoscopes

Katrina Simon

Capricorn (December22-January 19) With a big event coming up, you may feel as

though you have no time to prepare, and that’s okay. You’ll see that everybody has been short of time lately and you won’t feel nervous at all.

Aquarius (January 20-February 18) Although your workload may seem demanding

lately, a good way to experience a mini vacation could be to daydream. However, don’t daydream too much, or you may forget that it’s only a dream.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Sometimes you have to remember to speak

up. Somebody may try to take control over you and what you do, but you have to learn to speak up and stand up for yourself. Remember, nobody can take advantage of you—unless you let them.

Aries (March 21-April 19) Energy has been flowing endlessly out of

you! Take this energy and turn it into something productive. Join a new club and get involved; your energy will bring you tons of new friends and credit.

Taurus (April 20-May20) Lately, you may have drifted away from a

very close friend. Take any oppurtinity to try and reconnect with them, and you may find that the reason you drifted away was not an extremely important one at all.

Gemini (May 21-June21) There may be some awkwardness between you

and a friend right now. You need to be the one to stand up and to converse with them. Once they see that you do not feel weird around them, you both will go straight back to the way you were.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Remember that school has only just started, so

don’t start to already feel like this year is terrible. The year will get better and you’ll be used to your new workload in a few weeks. Adjustment takes time.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Summer may be over, and you may be stressed

with school lately, but don’t forget to relax. Remember that weekends are for relaxing and being stress free, so stop worrying and go out with some friends next weekend, you’ll be happy to have no schoolwork on your mind for a day.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) People may be changing, and although that is hard

to accept, you will have to learn how to. As much as you may want to change them back, you have to realize that sometimes change is for the better.

Libra (September 23- October 22) A new type of lifestyle may or already has come into

your life. Although change is hard to accept at first, being open and finding as many pros as you can will make this change a good one.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)Remember it’s important to be kind to everyone,

even though it may seem like you don’t need, somebody, you may one day. Soon you may need somebody you once may have done something mean to. Don’t be nervous though, the person will accept your apology and you will be grateful for their help.

Sagittarius (November 22-December21)You’ve been super careful about spending time and

money wisely lately. When a party comes your way soon, remember to take this opportunity to have a fun time, and it’s okay to splurge on a fun time once in a while.

Chieftain - October

15Chieftain - September Entertainment

ZomBielanD iS Full oF liFe

Emtiaz Uddin

Today, most horror-comedy films rarely live up to their hype. As much as we want to see movies that remind us of Child’s Play, The Evil Dead, and Ghostbusters, we keep getting “horrific” films such as Scary Movie 4, The Fi-nal Destination, and most recently, Jennifer’s Body. When previews for Zom-bieland first hit the screen, we thought it looked as if this trend of awful come-dy-driven horror films was to continue.

We were wrong. What makes a real

horror film? Unlike the past, blood and gore is what make a real scary film today. Zombies and monsters just don’t scare us anymore. When we think of zombies, we think of dead people moan-ing. If anything, zombies, today, are more comical than they are horrific. So, if zombies equal comedy, and blood and gore equal hor-ror, what happens when you combine these two elements together? You get a perfectly made horror-comedy film, Zombie-land.

What makes Zombieland different from most movies is its style. When the movie begins, the narrator lets you know about the rules of sur-vival in Zombieland. These rules include, plan-ning your escape, don’t be a hero, check bath-rooms, etc. As the movie progresses we also realize that the characters don’t use their real names, but the name of their intended destina-tions, to avoid any attachment whatsoever. Un-like most horror-comedy films, Zombieland has

a lot of depth in their characters. We learn that the narrator, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), barely has any familiar ties and that he is very unsuc-cessful when it comes to attracting girls. On his way home, he meets Tallahassee, a father who

had lost his son to zom-bies and has a passion for Twinkies. These two befriend each other and later meet two conniving sisters, Wichita and Little Rock. As the only known survivors of “Zombie-land”, the group decides to go on a journey to an amusement park in Los Angeles, where they are encountered by hundreds of blood-thirsty zombies. One of the rules of living in Zombieland, include “not being a hero.” Sur-rounded by zombies, Co-lumbus decides that some rules are meant to be bro-ken and saves his friends from fatality. Zombieland is full of laugh-

ter and suspense, making the film very entertaining. The filmmakers show in-vention and well-tuned comic timing. There is even a cameo appearance made by Bill Murray, who makes the movie even more hilarious than it already is.

Overall, Zombieland is a great a movie and de-serves a solid 90 minutes of your time to watch. With films such as Scary Movie and The Final Destination, it seemed as if the horror-comedy genre was dying, but Zombieland brings it new life and is well-worth 4 out of 5 stars.

Chieftain - October

16 Chieftain - SeptemberEntertainment

Originally a small band formed in the nation of Devon, Muse has be-

come known as one of the best alternative rock bands ever, with albums such as “Show-biz”, “Origin of Sym-metry”, “Absolution”, and “Black Holes and Revelations”. After the release of their fourth studio album, guitar-ist, Matthew Bellamy, bassist, Christopher

Wolstenholme, and drum-mer Dominic Howard, have

teamed up once again in their new album, “The Resistance.” Muse’s “The Resis-tance” takes their strong rock foundation and com-bines it with an amazing classical edge that makes it simply brilliant. Many of their songs from “The Re-sistance” tend to appeal the American listeners. One such song includes, “Undisclosed Desires.” It has an R&B style, which most artists would probably use today. “Uprising”, however, finds Bellamy sympa-thizing with people who consider themselves victims of “Wall Street” greed. The Exogenesis Symphony is one of the highlights of the album. It’s cut into three parts and spans for a total of thirteen minutes, ending the album properly. Muse’s newest album is a delightful combination of songs combining strong electric guitar elements with subtle orchestra notes,

that when put together, equal musical bliss.

The reSiSTance

Emtiaz Uddin

man on The moon: The enD oF DaY

One of Kanye West’s protégés, Kid Cudi has deemed himself one of the best in the game to-day. His single, “Day’N’Nite” hit the internet al-most two years ago, and has now sold over 2 million digital downloads in the United States. It is also his first single off his first album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day. Unlike most hip-hop albums, Man on the Moon is concep-tual and delivers a “spacey and adventurous feel”, revolutionizing the genre as a whole. Kid Cudi tells a story of a man who comes from the moon and visits Earth. With each song, Cudi chronicles the ex-periences of this man, while a rapper—Common—narrates it. Most of the songs reflect Cudi’s life as well, such as “Soundtrack 2 My Life”, “Alive”, and “Pursuit of Happiness,” which tell how Cudi strug-gled to fit in to society prior to his success. Although Kid Cudi is new to the musical game, he is aware of what it has in store. He knows that he will face obstacles so he ends the album perfectly with “Up, Up & Away”. One line from the song includes, “I’ll be up, up and away, up, up and away, ‘cause they gon’ judge me anyway so whatever.” Overall, the album is great, and though it may not belong to any particular genre, it definitely deserves a spot on your iTunes playlist.

Chieftain - October

17Chieftain - September Sports

Sewanhaka’s comeback2009 is turning out to be an excellent year for the

Boys Varsity Soccer Team. There is so much talent and potential on the team that nothing seems to be impossible for them anymore. Throughout the entire field, from the forwards back to the goalie, this team never feels like it is out of a game, no matter what the score is.

The team did not get off to the best of starts, losing two disappoint-ing games to Manhas-set and Glen Cove. The season did not look like it was headed in the right direction.

After a little practice and motivation, the boys headed out to Clarke. The game ended in a 1-1 tie, but it gave the team the confidence boost it needed for its next game against Plainedge, the number one team in the conference. The game against Plainedge did not give the team a win on the standings, but it gave the team a win in possibilities. Sewanhaka never gave up, and played their hearts out to limit Plainedge to two goals--a team that, until then, had been scoring at least five goals a game.

Key players on the team consist of junior Islam Yussef on forward, senior Gregory Alexis and sopho-more Franklin Alvarez on Midfield, and senior Eric Alvarado on defense.

Coach Anderson said, “From our one-two punch of Franklin and Gregory, and Islam and the skills he has up front, our team has been really taking the ball to the other team’s net. Also, the defense has really stepped up of late. The defense, led by Eric and Richie, has been playing in an outstanding fashion, limiting teams to a few shots a game.”

The playoffs seemed impossible to the team in the first half of the season, who finished in 1-4-1, and the upcoming schedule hadn’t looked good either. The team had two back-to-back games against Flo-ral Park and Manhasset. With back-to-back games

the week would be really tough, but the Sewanhaka Varsity Soccer Boys’ team never put its head down. The team went out against Floral Park giving its all, and as a result, Sewanhaka defeated Floral Park 3-0, a good start to the second half of the season.

“The team went out and played terrifically,” says Coach Anderson. “We never gave up, and everyone on the team played their hearts out.”

The very next day was the game against Manhasset,the team who handed Sewan-haka a 5-1 loss in the beginning of the sea-son. With a lot more confidence and chem-istry, Sewanhaka went out and played an out-standing game. The

boys went out, and like always, they gave it all they had. With a score of 0-0 after the first half, Sewan-haka had proved to Manhasset that they were not the same team. The game ended in a dramatic fashion in a 1-1- tie, Coach Anderson and the team are ex-tremely proud of themselves.

After Manhasset scored, the team never gave up, and played until the end. After a foul by a Manhas-set player, Sewanhaka was given a direct kick, and handed the ball to Islam Yussef. Taking a moment to soak up the pressure, Islam wound up and kicked the ball. The ball met no opposition as it rolled into the net, tying the game with eleven minutes left to play. After the game there were smiles all around.

“We played so well, it seemed like we didn’t even play a game the day before. We have to play all the teams again in the second half of the season, but we are not the same team, and they will not get the same results,” said Islam Yussef.

Sewanhaka is now third in the conference, the once faded dreams of playoffs are now becoming a reality.

Justin Chen

Chieftain - October

18 Chieftain - SeptemberSports

“Live your life so the fear of death can never enter your heart. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home. Hoka Hay!” A speech recited to the team before every game, by captain James Wighaus, the Indians’ football team has really responded. One thing that sets this team apart from previous ones is not just the talent, but the commitment and brotherhood both on and off the field.

The Indians, this season, have many new faces. With a new coaching ensemble that includes Coach Kasi-matis, Coach Roesler, Coach Patterson, and Coach Lamarca, the team has come em-braced new attitude. It is important for a team to play well on the field, but it is even more important for a team to play for a meaning. This season, the team has embraced both brotherhood and togetherness in the locker room, and on the field. When asked about new this attitude, Senior Captain and Wide Receiver John Miller re-sponded, “With this team, we are confident of whoever is out there. If one guy goes down, we know that we can trust our other players.”

Over the summer, the team has put in an emense amount of work and dedication.

They sweat at practice, which takes place five days a week. They train for over three hours, from Mon-day to Thursday, and spend a couple of hours work-ing out in a facility on Friday. When asked about the team’s work and dedication, Coach Roesler replied with, “Nobody who has ever worn purple has paid more of a price than these young men have.”

Captains of this season’s team are John Miller, Devin McRae, Miguel Ponce, Jeffrey Joseph, John Marco

Militano, and James Wighaus. As leaders,

they have done an excellent job in point-

ing the team in the right direction. Juniors,

such as Brian Wint, Shireem Cobb, Isaiah Pollack, and Keenan

Woods have also been called upon to play big

roles on the team. The Indians defeated Westbury, 42-6. They upset Hewlett, 20-7,

and shut out both West Hempstead, 39-0, and North Shore, 42-0 and

beat Valley Stream South 30-7. With

losses to Lynbrook and Manhasset they

hold a 5-2 record, and are currently seeded third in Conference III. Of course, there

is plenty of room for improvement. When

asked about the team’s status, Coach Kasimatis replied, “We still have a lot of work to do. We have to work harder each and every week. Our

goal isn’t to play up to our potential, but to play beyond it.” With the team’s positive attitude and brotherhood,

look for the Indians to only get better this season.

James Wighaus

hoka hay

Chieftain - October

Sewanhaka’s Defense Emerges Victorious

19Chieftain - September sports

The 2009-2010 school year kicked off with a fresh start for all sports, and the cross-country team was no exception. Many have left and a few have stayed, but that does not stop Mr. Fan-ning from devoting his time to the team and the sport itself. “We are a young team, but I can see our future and I have high hopes for the current JV team,” he says. Running has become a part of these kids, and even if they complain about the pain and head-aches that comes with the sport, they’re no less drawn to it.

Currently there are two returning seniors on the team, Za-kiyah Woodson, captain, and Stephie-Anne Duliepre. Other returning students are, Diomedezekiel Rodrigez (Dio) (11th) , Krashanti Devendran (10th) ,Katrina Simon (10th), Rory O’Reilly (10th). This year there have been a few new additions to the team, with Joslin Kurian (10th), Kiruthyaginin Sivaneasathasan (9th), Binel Babu (12th), Paul Johnson (9th), John Lazo (9th) Kieren O’Reilly (9th), Steven Vargas (12th) and Amyl Zacharia (9th). All these athletes, like to have fun, outside of the sport, on the race path, or even at practice, but they know when to be serious. It’s the case for all of them with no exception; they have a dedication to running that goes beyond simply putting one foot in front of the other. “I feel like we are going to have a good season this year because everybody seems to be very de-termined and our workouts are much harder,” says the captain of the team, Zakiyah Woodson. She is not exaggerating about the workouts and even an outsider can tell this year, Mr. Fanning does not play around. “Did every one stretch...Come on, keep it up, keep it up...You can go faster than this, come on,” are all typical phrases of this coach.

The cross-country runners do not merely go out there and run—and torture themselves—like many believe. There is some-thing much deeper than that, something that pushes them to achieve more everyday. This year should be a very interesting one, and we shall see how these athletes handle the challenge.

going the Distance

Stephie-Anne Duliepre

indahawksSewanhaka High School

has not had a varsity field hockey team since 1978. This year’s team is led by head coach Kelly with the assis-tance of coach Brennan.The “Indahawks” is a district team with girls from Sewanhaka

and Carey High School. The team has 16 girls on it, 9 of them from Sewanhaka. The varsity team has a record of 3-6, an impressive record for a first-time varsity team going up against established powerhouses such as: East Meadow and Massapequa. The varsity captains are Ashley Dudine and Mary Jane Dumankaya. Offence is led by junior forward Michelle “Mong” Mongiello, with the support of juniors Gina Cangelosi and Christi McLarney, and sophomores Jessica Santoli and Gabriella DiPierno. Defense is comprised of ju-niors Mary Jane Dumankaya, Danielle Lukas, and Courtney Balgobin. The team has only one senior, Rannia Alcindor, who is the goalie. The last home game for the varsity field hockey team is on October 21, 2009, against Friends Acad-emy. Come support the field hockey team!

Mary Jane Dumankaya

Chieftain - October

girls volleyballThe Sewanhaka Girls Var-

sity Volleyball team is currently ranked third in Conference VII with five wins and five losses. Coach Mallon leads the team, along with senior captains Ka-tie Johnson and Rosina Rubino. There are six starters on the team who begin every game. They include Cindy Gallardo, Karen Gimenez, Katie Johnson,

Kaitlyn Latorre, Rosina Rubino, and Amy Torres. In their first game against Valley Stream North, Katie Johnson had nine aces and six kills while Ro-sina Rubino added four aces and 10 assists for Sewanhaka (1-0) in a 25-15, 25-23, 25-13 win. When Sewanhaka de-feated Valley Stream Central, Cindy Gallardo had 14 aces and eight kills ofr a 25-11, 15-25, 25038, 25-22 win. While playing Locust Valley, Kaitlyn Latorre had 12 assists and seven aces to lead Sewanhaka (4-0) in a 26-24, 14-25, 25-18, 25-18 win. For seniors Madeline Boldyrew, Cindy Gal-lardo, Karen Gimenez, Katie Johnson, Martine Norgaisse, Rosina Rubino, and Anneka Smith, this is their last year on the team. We wish them the best of luck and great success in their upcoming games.

Rosina Rubino

girls SoccerThe Girls Varsity and Junior Varsity soccer teams are having a

successful season so far. Varsity Girls soccer coach Mr. DeSabato and Junior Varsity Soccer coach Mr. Premisler are very proud of their girls.”I was really excited to enter this season, and although we lost seven seniors last year,” Mr. DeSabato said, “I knew we had several talented players moving up. Our leading goal scorer and some key defenders are once again on the team.” This year’s Varsity Soccer team has been dedicated, and team play has made them a team of winners. They have taken care of business by holding the undefeated title as well as first place. They are striving for the playoffs. Although they have had to work hard to get to where they are today, the Girls Varsity Soccer team seems poised for success. The Junior Varsity season has also been going well. Their top scor-ers, Nicole Rodriguez and Kelly Romero, as well as the team, have made this possible.

Jassiel Moreira & Chrissy Kellet

“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.”-Marie Curie

Sewanhaka Central High School District

A Nationally Recognized District of Excellence

Mr. Warren A. Meierdiercks, Superintendent Of Schools

Mrs. Debra Lidowsky - Principal

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 awardamerican Scholastic press award newSDaY h.S. journaliSm awarD

2009 Quill Young people preSS awarD