February 2016 - Lyndhurst Schools

THE
LIGHTHOUSE
Vol. XXIX, No. 4
Lyndhurst High School: 400 Weart Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
Banning
tanning
FDA proposal aims
to keep teens away
from exposure to
ultraviolet light
By Katie McMaster
Tanning for prom or experiencing a
summery glow during the cold winter months may soon become a thing
of the past for high school students
across America.
On Dec. 17, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration announced people
under 18 will be restricted from using
tanning beds. When the FDA’s regulations go into effect, tanning bed
manufacturers could be required to
make health-related warnings clearer
to consumers as soon as possible.
Senior Shayna Southard, who will
be turning 18 in July, said she disagrees with the FDA’s proposal to
restrict minors from tanning because
she does not believe there is a difference in maturity between those who
are 16, 17 and 18 years old. Therefore,
she said they all deserve the same opportunities, especially when it comes
to tanning.
“I tan knowing the dangers, which is
why I try to prevent the dangers from
happening. For example, wearing eye
goggles to protect my eyes,” Southard
said. “I plan to stop tanning in the
summer. It’s not a necessity. I just like
being tan.”
Southard said she hates being pale
and enjoys feeling the heat when she
is inside a tanning bed.
“It reminds me of what the sun feels
like beating down in the summer,”
Southard said. “I know how much
of a struggle it was for prom and not
being able to go tanning since I am
underage.”
Southard said she usually tans in a
bed at Planet Fitness in Belleville. She
goes there about five times a week
and lays in a tanning bed for about 10
minutes during each of her visits.
Like Southard, Senior Shayne Cosme
is against the FDA’s proposed ban on
tanning. Cosme is a regular at Plan-
et Sun in Rutherford. He tans two to
three times a week and spends about
12 minutes in the tanning bed during
each visit.
“I support the idea of tanning. I
personally feel if someone is brought
more confidence from it, and they enjoy it, then why not? Especially since
we can only tan for a few months in
the summer,” Cosme said.
Cosme enjoys laying in the heat and
hates being pale. He expects to continue going tanning even when he is
older because of how much he enjoys
it.
Cosme said he takes precaution to
limit the dangers that come along
with tanning by using bronzing lotion
on his skin and wearing protective
goggles so that his eyes feel no strain.
Junior Marissa Hackett said she has
never been in a tanning bed. She said
she strongly supports the FDA’s proposal.
“Teens are unaware of the possible
consequences. Either they lack the
knowledge or they are too naive and
“It’s not a necessity.
I just like being tan.”
ignorant to realize the safety hazards
that come with tanning and believe
that they are invincible,” Hackett said.
She said there are extreme risks that
come with tanning, which include
severe sun burning, blistering, premature aging of the skin, wrinkles,
freckles and skin cancer.
Hackett also said tanning can turn
into an addiction.
“As it may be relaxing and the results
are noticeable, some people do take
tanning excessively far to the point
where they look unnatural and too
tan,” Hackett said.
She said a ban on underage tanning
would improve the overall health of
young adults and the skin’s aging effects.
“Teens should just be thinking about
the future more,” Hackett said. “They
have to take awareness of all of the
tanning dangers. The FDA’s proposal
is just one more step towards this.”
Tweet tweet
Can the Twitter bird
handle the weight of a
10,000 character limit? | 5
February 2016
Courtesy of Julie Pacillo
Junior Jackie Kelly, Sociology and Economics Teacher Mrs. Bossio and Juniors Gabby Carrion, Ivy Carbone and Amanda Marek (left to
right) prepare activities for the students at the South Bergen Jointure Commision in Lodi.
Students experience academics
outside traditional classroom
By George Rausch
As students enter the high school
at the start of the day, others are on
their way to classrooms outside of
LHS, where they will learn skills and
master crafts meant to help them in
their future careers.
These learning environments are
provided through programs offered
at Lincoln Technical Institute in
Mahwah and the South Bergen
Jointure Commission in Lodi.
A total of 12 students participate in
these programs, with five studying
at Lincoln Tech and seven through
the SBJC. These students spend their
mornings, when other students are
attending their Block 1 and 2 classes,
at their respective schools earning
high school credit through hands-on
learning opportunities.
Junior Dakota Zbuchalski takes part
in the Lincoln Tech program, where
he takes classes to prepare him for a
career in automotive repair.
“At Lincoln Tech, I study the systems
of cars, study how cars work and how
to diagnose and assess problems with
cars,” Zbuchalski said. “My favorite
activity is going into the shop on
Fridays and getting to work directly
with the cars.”
As a first year participant in the
program, Zbuchalski said he has
learned useful skills despite how brief
his involvement has been.
“With my experience so far this
year, I would very much recommend
this program to another student that
is thinking about joining,” Zbuchalski
said.
Junior Amanda Marek takes part in
the SBJC program where she is led by
teaching specialists as she works with
children with special needs.
“We shadow teachers and watch
how they teach and we sometimes
work with the kids,” Marek said. “I
enjoy working with the children
because they’re all really open and
enjoy communicating with someone
their age instead of with an adult.”
She said she decided to take part in
Keep calm by coloring
A favorite childhood
pastime finds an older
following. | 5
Check out “The Lighthouse” on the LHS website!
this program because it would help
further her education in the nursing
field.
“I didn’t know SBJC was the type
of school that it is, but I honestly
wouldn’t change it. I absolutely
love the school,” Marek said. “I’ve
developed more communication
skills and understanding through the
program. I’ve also learned about many
of the different mental disabilities and
what to be cautious with concerning
each one.”
Junior Ivy Carbone, a peer of
Marek’s working alongside her in
SBJC, said her experience has helped
to prepare her for the challenges of
her professional goals in the field of
physical therapy.
“Every student is different, and I am
constantly learning new things about
the kinds of disabilities the students
have,” Carbone said. “The biggest
challenge is having to be extremely
patient, sometimes repeating myself
Continued on Page 4
Diving for joy
Swim team ends its
regular season with a
winning record. | 12
THE LIGHTHOUSE
2
NEWS/FEATURES February 2016
Courtesy of Jessie Bolton
LHS Graduates Emma Flusk, Lucinda Garcia, Angela Sammarone and Christine Murtha (left to right) are former editors-in-chief of The Lighthouse. On Jan. 12 and 13, they spoke to students in Ms. Pastor’s journalism classes
about their experiences in college.
The Lighthouse alumni reflect on life after high school
By Assmaa Elbanna
In Room 234, a new year marked the appearance of familiar faces. On Jan. 12 and 13, former editors-in-chief of The Lighthouse returned
to offer advice and motivation to current staff
members. In a panel discussion held during
journalism classes, last year’s leaders Emma
Flusk and Lucinda Garcia as well as 2012 Graduates Christine Murtha and Angela Sammarone
shared their insights about college.
Flusk, a freshman at Montclair State University,
decided to study closeby so she could commute
and continue enjoying the comforts of home.
“I get a lot freedom while commuting. You
don’t necessarily have to dorm or be out of state
to feel like you are on your own, because you
can definitely feel that way when going to school
fifteen minutes away,” Flusk said.
Majoring in Television and Digital Media,
Flusk said she made schoolwork her priority
during the fall semester.
“In college, it is really important to be on top
of everything. Look at your syllabus, always be
checking your planner and you always want to
be ahead of the curve,” Flusk said.
Garcia is a freshman at Syracuse University
in upstate New York, where she majors in Communication as well as Television, Radio and
Film. Like Flusk, Garcia said academics need to
be a student’s main focus.
“Make sure that you are making time for the
work you have to do for each individual class,”
Garcia said.
She also urged students to get involved in campus events and activities.
“Balance is really important because you are
going to want to have fun,” Garcia said. “You
have to give yourself a break in college because
sometimes it gets overwhelming.”
Sammarone, who is finishing up her undergraduate studies at Fairfield University in
Connecticut, said she made a wise decision by
studying in another state.
“I know it’s a big Lyndhurst High School trend
to stay in New Jersey, but the benefit of going
away to college is something that you won’t
know unless you just try it, and do it and just
take that risk,” Sammarone said.
She said when she was in high school, Anatomy and Physiology Teacher Dr. Dunn encouraged her to advance her studies out of state.
“I cannot thank him enough for pushing me,
because being away in Connecticut has definitely helped me to grow up and to be independent
and to experience life in a completely different
way,” Sammarone said.
An English major with a concentration in
Education and a minor in Digital Journalism,
Educational Studies and Women, Gender and
Sexuality Studies, Sammarone said Fairfield
University has provided her with unique leadership opportunities. She is currently the managing editor of The Fairfield Mirror, the univer-
sity’s weekly student newspaper, and had the
privilege to interview Tim Gunn of the TV show
“Project Runway” at a campus event that took
place in October.
Unlike Sammarone, Murtha did not feel the
college she began attending as a freshman was
a good fit for her. She started her undergraduate
career at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut
with the intention of earning a major in journalism. After her first semester, Murtha transferred
into Quinnipiac’s School of Business.
When she completed her freshman year,
Murtha transferred to The College of New Jer-
“In college, it is really important
to be on top of everything. Look at
your syllabus, always be checking
your planner and you always want
to be ahead of the curve.”
sey and decided to study accounting, an interest
that developed because of an Advanced Placement Microeconomics course she took at LHS.
Murtha has also taken on a minor in pre-law.
While Murtha transferred from a private
school, she said for financial reasons, she would
encourage others to earn an associate’s degree
at a community college before attending a four-
year state school.
“Don’t transfer before getting your associate’s
degree. If you transfer without getting your associate’s degree, your college has the ability to
pick and choose what classes they choose to take
to apply towards your major. If they take your
associate’s, they take it as a full liberal learning,”
Murtha said.
She said because she transferred without a
community college degree, almost none of her
coursework from Quinnipiac could be used toward her bachelor’s degree at TCNJ.
Murtha urged students to stay organized and
focused. She said this begins with the purchase
of a planner and keeping deadlines documented
in a single place.
When it comes to class, Murtha said notebooks are preferable to laptops and tablets.
“Unless you have the best attention span, it
will be difficult to avoid getting distracted,”
Murtha said. “It is easy to start answering emails
or checking Facebook. So, just stick to handwriting notes. It will be more likely that you’ll
retain the information better if you handwrite
it anyway.”
Murtha said first year college students generally have fewer responsibilities and easier
coursework. Therefore, she said freshman year
is a student’s time to excel academically.
“That is your GPA boost. This is your time to
set the tone for the rest of your four years,” said
Murtha.
Gavel falls for final time as mock trial competitions come to a close
By Alyssa Engels
Some students have aspirations of
one day making a career in fields related to law. They dream of days spent
in the courtroom arguing cases and
protecting justice. Other students already reached this goal in high school
by joining the Mock Trial Team.
“High school teams compete and
actually put on a case,” said English
Teacher Ms. DiMaggio, who has advised the team for the past five years.
“They’re given all the facts [and] all
the witness testimony to the police.”
Students on the team are also mentored by Attorney Kenneth Porro,
who volunteers his time to help the
group, which consists of a defense
team and a prosecution team. Both
the defense and prosecution consist
of two attorneys and three witnesses.
DiMaggio said this season, the team
tackled legal issues related to hate
crimes, animal crimes and homicides.
“I like that this is giving students
here a little taste of what it is like to
compete in an academic fashion,”
DiMaggio said, “and show that we
are just as capable as schools in upper
Bergen County.”
DiMaggio said she enjoys the competitive aspect of mock trial.
“I get excited for them, or if the other team hits them in one part, I feel
badly for them, but I get excited when
they go because I’ve seen all the practice they put into it,” DiMaggio said.
With a young group, the Mock Trial
Team ended its season 0-3.
“In my opinion, our record is insignificant. We competed against
schools who treat mock trial like we
treat football,” Freshman Susane Morozewicz said. “Although we didn’t
win any of our trials, we worked together, and I believe that is most important when attempting to succeed.”
The team practiced at lunch as well
as some Saturdays and Sundays in
order to prepare for the competitions
that took place at the Bergen County
Surrogate’s Court in Hackensack.
“You’re trying to win. This is just
like a sport. You’re super-competitive,
and you’re going against people that
you don’t know, and sometimes they
make you feel so insecure about yourself,” Morozewicz said.
Explaining the performance aspect
of mock trial, Morozewicz said, “You
must get into character and not break
that character till the end of the trial.
You need to make the other team believe you are telling the truth.”
Freshman Konrad Skwara said he
joined the team because his friend
Freshman Eric Mangru, who is also
on the Mock Trial Team, encouraged
him to join.
This season, Skwara, who aspires for
a career as a lawyer, took on the role
as a detective in a murder case.
“Mock trial helps with public speaking in the outside world,” Skwara said.
“Also, watching the attorneys on the
other team and on our team show[s]
that you have to be persuasive in life,
and you have to be as convincing as
possible.”
Skwara said the best part of mock
trial is answering questions and having a platform to act confident, mean
and dramatic.
“I like fighting. It was really great
and [I] hope to do more in the future,”
said Skwara.
Courtesy of Ms. DiMaggio
Junior Julie Pacillo and members of the Mock Trial Team compete at the Bergen County Surrogate’s Court in Hackensack on Jan. 12.
Pacillo played the part of Jordan Abrams, key witness for the prosecution.
THE LIGHTHOUSE
NEWS/FEATURES
February 2016
3
Limited parking drives students crazy
By Katie McMaster
Without a student lot, parking for school can
be an exhausting and frustrating experience.
The shortage of convenient street parking causes students either to resort to squeezing into
tight spaces or taking up more than one spot
intentionally.
As the year progresses, more and more students are receiving their licenses, making the
situation even more difficult.
“I have had to risk parking into a really tight
spot multiple times when looking for a spot to
park my car. There is always at least one hassle
“I have had to risk parking
into a really tight spot
multiple times when looking
for a spot to park my car.”
when it comes to parking,” Junior Zach Fenton
said.
He said the hardest time to find a spot to park
is in the morning before school.
“The people who live around the school have
not yet left for the day. So, their cars are still
there,” Fenton said.
Students typically rely on Fern, Forest or Weart
Avenues to park. However, the part of Fern Avenue closest to the school is designated for student drop-offs from 8 a.m until 4 p.m.
Senior Amanda Hackett said it bothers her
when people purposely take up extra space in
order to pull out easily. This forces other students to parallel park in tight quarters. Hackett said there is limited availability for student
parking, so students should be considerate.
Hackett said the worst time of the day to find
parking is at the end of lunch. She said this is because not all students leave for lunch. Therefore,
fewer spots are available.
Hackett said she tries to avoid parallel parking
whenever possible because it is time-consuming.
“In order to secure a spot in the morning, I
leave my house around 7:45,” Hackett said. “I always try to park right at the end of the parking
lot on Forest Avenue because it is a short distance from the car to the main entrance, especially in the cold weather.”
Senior Haley Duffy leaves her house by 7:40
a.m. to get her favorite spot on Weart Avenue
in front of the gym. Like Hackett, she likes to
park there because it is close to the entrance and
convenient when bad weather hits.
Duffy said she wishes students would stick to
the same spots every day, explaining that since
students are parking on different streets depending on the day, it is hard to figure out where
parking might be available.
“I hate the parking at LHS, honestly. It makes
the beginning of my day tiring and difficult.
I wish there was another solution because it
would make driving to school a lot easier,” said
Duffy.
Do you struggle to find parking around LHS?
No
Yes
Courtesy of Katie McMaster
In a survey of 100 seniors, 63 said they drive to school. Of those 63 students, 55 said they struggle to find a parking space by LHS. Eight senior drivers said it is not a struggle to find parking by the school.
Black History Month raises A new beginning for
New York Giants fans
awareness about racism
By Megan Rudden
February is Black History Month,
which recognizes African American
culture and the achievements of historical figures including Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X and Rosa
Parks. These activists all encountered
prejudice, discrimination and racism.
Freshman Brian Podolski said racism is not just part of history. He said
it continues to exist in today’s culture.
“Very often you see or hear on the
news about a black man getting shot
by a white officer, and the following
days you hear about all the controversy coming along with it,” Podolski
said. “It has such a negative impact in
society, not accepting others, definitely causing more problems and tension
in the world.”
Podolski said standing up against
racism is difficult.
“People are always going to be prejudiced. No matter how hard we fight
for it, it is just their view on other
people. And although it’s wrong,
we could definitely try, but we can’t
change it,” Podolski said.
A nationwide poll conducted by
CNN and the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2015 found that 49 percent
of Americans believe racism is a big
problem. Thirty-three percent said it
was somewhat of a problem.
In a survey of 78 LHS students,
41 percent identified racism as a “big
problem” and 33 percent said it was
somewhat of a problem.
Sophomore Dalia Afifi also is part
of the majority of LHS students concerned about racism.
“Many times I have gotten comments made about my mother wearing a head cover,” Afifi said. “It’s part
of a religion, and just because people
don’t follow it doesn’t mean it gives
them the right to judge it.”
Afifi said racism is a quality of
closed-minded people who do not
take into consideration another’s personalities and backgrounds. She said
stereotyping is rude and wrong, but
she believes racism is here to stay.
“No matter how many laws are
made, people are entitled to their own
opinions. So, that allows people to be
racist no matter what,” Afifi said.
English Teacher Ms. Burns said she
makes an effort to teach her students
about racism in her classroom. She
said the sophomore curriculum lends
itself to the topic because it includes
“A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine
Hansberry, “Night” by Elie Wiesel and “To Kill a Mockingbird” by
Harper Lee, all of which are texts that
touch on the subject.
“I try to take every opportunity to
engage my students in a discussion
about the issue of racism in the past,
as it appears in our readings and how
it is still a relevant issue in today’s society,” Burns said. “As much as I would
like to see a world in which racism is
completely eradicated, I think there
will always be people with certain
ideals embedded in their thinking
who will consciously or unconsciously pass that thinking on.”
Burns said the United States has
come a long way, but there is still
more change that needs to occur for
equality to be reached.
“It’s a shame people can’t see past superficial things and realize that people are people,” said Burns.
How big of a problem is racism in society?
don’t know/no response
not a problem at all
a small problem
somewhat of a problem
a big problem
0
5
10
15
20
25
Number of Students
In a survey of 78 LHS students, the majority responded that racism is a big problem.
30
35
Courtesy of Megan Rudden
By Stephen Dittamo
When Former New York Giants
Coach Jim Fassel was fired by team
management in 2003 following a 4-12
record season, the Giants knew they
needed a leader who could help them
achieve victory.
With the future of the franchise
at stake, the Giants’ front office
made the decision to hire former
Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Tom
Coughlin. This decision, along with
a draft day trade that landed future
Quarterback Eli Manning, led the
team to five playoff appearances and
two Lombardi trophies.
However, at the end of the 2015
season, following four years without
playoffs and back-to-back 6-10
records, rumors spread that Coughlin
would be fired. In response, Coughlin
submitted his resignation as Giants
coach.
Sophomore Terence Beebe, a lifelong
Giants fan, said it was time to separate
Coughlin from the team.
“We have a great chance to be better
with [Current Giants Head Coach]
Ben McAdoo because he coached our
offense really well. The Giants will
improve this free agency and with
the number of draft picks we have, I
see great success in our future,” Beebe
said.
Beebe said with the Giants’ bad play
recently, the team’s losses were not
entirely Coughlin’s fault. Beebe said
Coughlin should be commended for
his achievements.
“He should be in the Hall of Fame
[for] winning two Super Bowl titles in
four years,” Beebe said.
Like Beebe, Giants fan Freshman
Derin Stitzer said Coughlin deserves
to be in the Hall of Fame because
he was with the Giants for three
of their Super Bowl wins. He was
head coach when they were Super
Bowl champions in 2007 and 2011.
He was also their assistant coach in
1990, when the team took home the
Lombardi trophy.
“That’s pretty impressive,” Stitzer
said. Nonetheless, he said it was time
for Coughlin and the Giants to go
their separate ways.
“The last three seasons have been
a trainwreck for the Giants,” Stitzer
said. “Coughlin says he takes full
responsibility for the horrific season.”
Despite being a fan of Coughlin’s
during his years in New York,
Sophomore Bella Calvi said sloppy
plays have taken a toll on Giants fans.
“The Giants were not prepared for
a lot of games this year and in years
prior,” Calvi said. “The last three years
of his coaching tenure, he was not up
to par with what fans and front office
wanted. McAdoo has a chance to
change the culture of the team.”
However, Calvi said she is unsure
McAdoo is up for the challenge. She
said the Giants may have rushed into
his hiring before considering other
coaches.
“I would need to see the team
practice with him as a head coach
before making the complete decision
that he is the best,” Calvi said. “As
a fan, I hope they made the right
choice.”
Sophomore Mark DiMeglio said
he is a football fan but cheers for
one of the Giants’ biggest rivals––the
Philadelphia Eagles. He thinks the
Giants will struggle in their first year
without Coughlin.
“I don’t believe they will be better
with McAdoo. This is his first time
being a head coach with a good
amount of young players,” DiMeglio
said.
The Eagles are also in the process
of replacing their head coach and
DiMeglio believes Coughlin would be
the perfect fit.
“After [Head Coach] Chip Kelly’s
release, I would want to see more
traditional football played at a slower
pace, and I think Coughlin would be
perfect for that,” DiMeglio said.
DiMeglio
said
Coughlin’s
achievements leading his Giants
team to 102 regular seasons wins and
two Lombardi trophies cannot be
overlooked.
“It will be hard to fill the shoes of
Coughlin,” said DiMeglio.
THE LIGHTHOUSE
4
NEWS/FEATURES February 2016
Streaming apps offer
options to music lovers
Courtesy of Tasneem Chowdhury
Phubbing
The war against social interaction wages on
By Julie Pacillo
You and your friends finally go to
that new, popular restaurant in town,
and it lives up to expectations. But
as soon as your waiter delivers the
main course, your pals pull out their
cellphones to snap a picture of their
plates to share on Instagram. Then,
each person absent-mindedly begins
scrolling, tuning out the company
around them.
According to stopphubbing.com,
a campaign website to raise awareness about the overuse of cellphones,
phubbing is defined as snubbing
someone in a social environment by
looking at a phone rather than paying
attention to the world around them.
The website shares statistics about
phubbing in hopes of shocking its
audience. For example, if phubbing
were the plague, it would decimate
six Chinas, and precisely 87 percent
of teens would rather communicate
through text than face-to-face.
The word phubbing was coined in
Sept. 2015 by Designer and Art Director Alex Haigh, who created posters, decals, wedding place cards and
websites to highlight the scourge of
glazed faces in public settings.
Biology Teacher Dr. Dunn said
the campaign is a great idea, but he
believes it will be unsuccessful unless the philosophy of phone usage
is changed. He said there is nothing
wrong with technology, but phubbing
exudes inappropriate behavior and
poor manners.
“I see it every day happening, and
I’m always amazed that people can
sit at a table right across from each
other, and yet the communication
is through a machine rather than
through each other talking,” Dunn
said. “As much as it’s a tool of infinite wisdom, it’s a distraction from
using that wisdom.”
Dunn held off on giving his
13-year-old son a phone until he
became a teenager, but Dunn said
soon enough, his son was using his
phone every day and phubbing him.
“For [teens] and my son’s generation, you guys communicate with
it extremely well. So, obviously you
understand each other, and you get
to emote emotions, but most of the
time, I think it’s not as important as
being there in the moment,” Dunn
said.
Junior Gabby Carrion uses her
cellphone every day and admitted
that she has ignored others while
focused on texts, tweets and Instagram. Of all the people she phubs,
Carrion said her mom gets most
annoyed.
“She yells at me and tells me she
is going to take my phone away, but
she never does,” Carrion said. “I
would cry to get my phone back if it
were taken away, because I just need
it. Without it, I am so lonely. I have
nothing else to do.”
Carrion said her eight-year-old
brother is beginning to follow in her
footsteps by using technology in social environments.
“He is already attached to the Xbox
and the iPod and his computer. He
doesn’t have a phone, but he downloads texting apps on his iPod,” Carrion said. “He already phubs me at
the age of eight.”
Junior Kevin McNamara has been
without a phone for three years and
views phubbing as a form of addiction. He said he would not be on his
phone often even if he had one and
would only text to answer another
person’s message.
“People are going to start doing it
way too much, and there’s going to be
no more social interactions without
“I see it every day
happening, and I’m always
amazed that people can sit
at a table right across from
each other, and yet the
communication is through
a machine rather than
through each other talking.”
the phone,” McNamara said. “I use
my computer when I’m home, and
I’m fine. People could live without it
but don’t.”
In a world where technology has
infiltrated all parts of life, communication through the cellphone has
become the norm. Whether texting,
status-updating or just checking in,
everything happens online.
Carrion said phubbing could end
immediately if that is what people
want, or it could go on forever.
“It’s just something we have to deal
with. [Phubbing is] a personal choice,
but it’s a choice that could affect so
many other people,” said Carrion.
Students take
learning to
the next level
Courtesy of Kelly Weckstein
1
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E-mail your poetry, black and white
photography and artwork to Ms. Pastor by
Thursday, March 3 if you plan to participate.
Location: library
When: Thursday, March 24
Blocks 3 & 4
W
ec
ks
tei
n
multiple times to get a response out
of a student.”
Carbone said she would recommend
the program to all students, regardless
of their career aspirations.
“It not only sets you up for your
health and human services career
path, but I learned a lot about college
and how to manage finances when I
graduate,” Carbone said. “The greatest
reward is knowing that the students
love to work with us as much as we
love to work with them.”
by
Ke
lly
Continued from Page 1
Ar
t
People have more options than ever
before for streaming music. While
music might be highly accessible
nowadays, it can be hard to decide the
music app that best fits one’s needs.
Some of the most popular apps
available for music buffs are Apple
Music, Pandora, SoundCloud and
Spotify.
Pandora, which was founded in
2000, offers users selections based on
the artist, song or genre requested.
Users can respond to the station
Pandora created by clicking on
thumbs up and thumbs down icons.
These responses are utilized by
Pandora to better predict the user’s
preferences going forward.
The mobile app version is free with
ads and users have a maximum of
forty hours of listening monthly. The
desktop version is a free, unlimited
service with ads. Paying $3.99 per
month will get you advertisementfree listening on both the desktop and
mobile versions.
Sophomore Anna Henning said
Pandora is her favorite music app.
“I like how you can choose certain
stations to listen to certain bands and
also have the option of skipping songs
that I don’t really like,” Henning said.
She listens to music every day, with
pop rock being her prefered genre.
“The advantages of using this app
are if I watch a fifteen second ad,
it sometimes gives me an hour of
listening without interruptions,”
Henning said.
Spotify, which was founded in
2006, offers users access to a variety
of artists and albums through the
creation of a playlist containing their
favorite songs as well as artists.
The mobile app is free with ads
and is $9.99 per month for ad-free
listening. The desktop version is free
with ads and users have a maximum
of two-and-a-half hours unless they
are subscribers.
Junior Jeremy Luciano said he likes
Spotify best.
“You can pick any song and genre
of music that you want,” Luciano
said. “If you pay for it, there are no
commercials, and you can pick any
song you want, unlike other apps.”
Apple Music, which was released
in June 2015, offers users the option
of combining their purchased
music library with the Apple Music
streaming catalog. This app also
allows for online and offline playlists.
It has a 24/7 radio station available to
everyone. Once signed up, there is a
free three month trial. When those
three months are up, it is $9.99 per
month. The family plan, which covers
up to six users, is $14.99 per month.
Sophomore Amy Mehboob, an
Apple Music subscriber, said it is her
favorite music app.
“It’s convenient and familiar, and
I don’t have to download any new
apps since Apple Music is already
downloaded,” Mehboob said. “The
advantage of this app is that it has a
free trial. So, anyone can try it and see
if they like it.”
She said Apple Music’s drawback is
that not all artists are streamed.
SoundCloud offers the ability to
upload, record, promote and share
music. The first subscription plan
is free and includes a three hour
upload quota. The second is the Pro
subscription for $6 per month. It
includes a six hour upload quota
with a 1,000 download cap per track.
The last plan is the Pro Unlimited
subscription. It includes unlimited
uploads and unlimited downloads for
$15 per month.
The advantages of SoundCloud are
that users can utilize the platform to
share their own audio files and stream
submissions
through
DropBox
without taking up space on their
desktops.
Sophomore Meghan Garcia said
SoundCloud is her favorite music app
because it is unlike any other.
“I listen to music every day
typically throughout the day,” Garcia
said, explaining she mostly uses
SoundCloud to listen to rap and pop.
“This app is my favorite because
most of the songs I like and enjoy
listening to can be found on it, and I
get to use it for free,” Garcia said. “It is
your choice of what songs you want to
listen to. There are also fewer ads than
other music apps.”
Garcia said the disadvantage of
the app is it can be hard to find the
original recording of a song among
so many covers. She said music apps
are important because they allow her
to relax when she feels stressed or
anxious.
“Music apps impact people in many
ways. The most significant way is it
allows people to escape the troubles
of reality,” Garcia said. “The different
options of music apps are very
valuable options.”
P
By Kayla Friend
THE LIGHTHOUSE
NEWS/FEATURES
February 2016 5
Adult coloring books are combatting stress
Coloring isn’t
just for kids
By Julie Pacillo
Courtesy of Kelly Weckstein
Twitter pushes the limit to 10,000 characters
By Teslim Olunlade
One thing that has made Twitter
stand out against its many competitors
is its strict 140 character limit which,
according to Twitter’s CEO Jack
Dorsey, will be changing. Dorsey
broke the news to the public on Jan.
5 through a screenshot uploaded on
Twitter.
“At it’s core Twitter is public
messaging. A simple way to say
something, to anyone, that everyone
in the world can see instantly,” Dorsey
tweeted, going on to say the social
media platform’s users will benefit
from longer tweets.
This change marks a significant
leap away from Twitter’s original 140
character limit. Twitter started off as
a text-based social network where
SMS messages were limited to 160
characters. Twitter dedicated twenty
of these characters to Twitter handles,
according to Business and Computer
Science Teacher Mr. Fuschetto. The
defining feature of this social network
was its short and concise posts.
After Dorsey broke the news on
Twitter, Twitter users replied to offer
both commendation and criticism.
“I don’t really use Twitter much,
but I do follow a lot of people, and
the larger limit will allow for more
interesting and informative content,”
English Teacher Mr. Belmont said.
He said the new character limit
would not entice him to post more.
Sophomore Mitchell Albecker,
who goes on Twitter daily and posts
regularly, has a positive outlook on
Dorsey’s decision.
“People can give out more
information about what they want to,
and they won’t have to do the notes
screenshot thing anymore,” Albecker
said.
Unlike Albecker, avid tweeter Junior
Gia Cammisa has concerns about the
extended character count.
“I feel like Twitter is meant to make
short, simple messages, and if you
have something long to say to your
friends [and] followers, that’s what
Facebook is for,” Cammisa said. “I
feel 10,000 is too long, and no one
wants to read all that. It would ruin
Twitter…. This change will attract
more teenagers that feel the need to
make everything they do public, and
they will enjoy being able to write
more about things people don’t care
about.”
Fuschetto also questions the
company’s decision because people
who use Twitter generally like the 140
character limit, and making a change
to attract additional users is a huge
gamble.
“I feel the platform would face more
harm than reward as the current
user-base might not like the change,
and it won’t be worth trying to reach
a new user-base. Honestly, Twitter
is successful due to its 140 character
limit,” Fuschetto said.
He said he is also concerned about
Twitter’s ability to handle long posts.
“I don’t think Twitter fully realizes
how the 10,000 character limit will
impact their servers,” Fuschetto said.
“Twitter is pushing their servers
through great workloads so you can
receive and send your tweets. Now,
if they were to go through with the
character limit change, Tweets will
only get larger and the stress on their
servers will increase.”
Fuschetto speculates that people
will take advantage of the 10,000
characters, which would require
Twitter to either spread the stress
between more servers or upgrade its
current servers to handle the stress.
According to Internet Live Stats,
a real time statistics website, there
are 500 million tweets per day. The
current 140 character max means
that Twitter could deal with up to 70
billion characters daily. Now, if Twitter
raises that limit to 10,000 characters,
there would be five trillion possible
characters for Twitter to process each
day. So the question remains, will the
bird be able to handle it?
Life hacks simplify everyday tasks
By Erick Estrada Jr.
Life can get stressful, but with some
simple hacks, accomplishing daily
tasks can be a lot easier. This frees up
time and leads to greater efficiency.
Junior Nic Afonso said his life hack
is always successful. He uses a chip
clip on a tube of toothpaste so none of
it goes to waste.
“Everyone struggles getting the last
bit of toothpaste out anyways. So, this
is an easier way of doing it,” Afonso
said. “My grandfather taught me this
trick when I slept over his house four
years ago.”
Freshman Laura Lehman has a
unique technique for making the
most out of a bar of soap. Once her
soap is too small to grasp, she places
the final bits into a stocking. Then she
uses it the same way one would use a
bar of soap.
“I would recommend this hack because it would make showering and
washing hands easier. Plus, you get a
bang for your buck,” Lehman said.
Sophomore Sam Tozduman has an
easy hack for aspiring master chefs. It
is a hack Tozduman has been using
for two years.
“I use a pants hanger to hold up a
cookbook when cooking,” Tozduman
said. “I would recommend this hack
because you don’t have to spend a lot
of money on a cookbook holder, and
you get the most use out of a leftover
pants hanger.”
Tozduman places the hanger on a
cabinet handle so the cookbook sits at
eye level.
Junior Louis Musso highly recommends his technique of using a staple
remover in order to add items to a key
ring.
“It saves time and won’t hurt your
fingers when digging your nails into
the key ring,” Musso said. “Take the
[toothed] part of the staple remover
and kind of maneuver one of the teeth
Coloring books are back, and they
have a new target audience: adults.
As people grow older, they usually
tuck away their coloring utensils and
replace them with more strenuous
activities such as work and school.
However, coloring books geared
toward teens and adults are changing
the way these age groups are looking
at what was once considered a
childhood pastime.
Adult coloring books relieve stress
through intricate patterns that supply
the mind with a healthy distraction,
according to The New Yorker, a news
magazine.
Junior Ivy Carbone said she loves
the three coloring books she received
this past Christmas.
“I’ve been coloring since I was a
little girl. I love the designs and the
patterns,” Carbone said. “I think when
I color, it brings me back to a time
when I was young. I have a feeling of
nostalgia when the book is in front of
me and it makes me happy.”
Carbone said she is always at ease
when using her adult coloring books.
“I keep hearing about the books
being therapeutic and perfect for
busy people. I think that’s totally
correct because it takes your mind off
the world,” Carbone said. “It’s also so
perfect because I can do the activity
anywhere I go.”
Unlike Carbone, Junior Conor
Yunis said coloring books do not help
him relax.
“Even when I was a little kid, I
never could appreciate it. Especially
in these books now, the designs are
so intricate. They’re frustrating when
I can’t color in the lines or when my
marker goes right through the paper,”
Yunis said.
Yunis said he would prefer to use
a coloring app in order to achieve
the same relaxation in a neater and
simpler manner.
Coloring apps such as Colorfy
and Pigment provide a coloring
experience similar to that of a
physical book.
Colorfy is available for free in the
App Store. This virtual coloring
book allows its users to view others’
creations and save their own colorful
masterpieces. With Colorfy, users can
even take their own photos and color
them in.
Pigment is another free app in the
App Store. This virtual coloring book
offers a library of over 200 designs
that include images of waves, animals,
doodles and more. Unlike the usual
tap-to-fill coloring apps, Pigment
simulates pencil and brush strokes to
help users achieve a realistic coloring
experience.
Art Teacher Mrs. Almeida said she
does not own any coloring books.
However, she said art in general is
one of the best ways to relieve stress
because it relaxes the mind and calms
the nerves.
“A couple of my friends have books,
and they keep sending me pictures of
things they’ve done because they’re
very proud of themselves. They do
look good actually,” Almeida said. “I
have an interest in coloring, but I’m
more one to make my own art rather
than color in something that’s already
drawn out for me.”
Almeida said those who color in
order to relieve anxiety should rely
on coloring books rather than apps
because the books require more
time and focus, which helps people
unwind.
Senior Gianna Jacobelli said she
owns one adult coloring book, “Secret
Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and
Coloring Book” by Johanna Basford,
which was released in 2013.
Basford’s publication is one of the
top trending adult coloring books and
has sold approximately 1.5 million
copies according to The New York
Post.
“I love my coloring book. I actually
would like to get another one,”
Jacobelli said. “I do believe that it’s a
stress-relieving activity. I mean, I do
a lot of things. I have practice, and
I watch my siblings, but when I’m
coloring, I’m usually not thinking
about that.”
Jacobelli said her favorite patterns
are ones that make her concentrate.
She said she likes to use an array of
colored pencils to reflect the happiness
she feels when she is engaging in this
hobby.
When the days seem especially long
and one’s agenda is cluttered, Jacobelli
said adult coloring books might just
be the answer.
“It’s the best therapy for busy people.
Whether you think you’d like it or not,
give it a shot. It could be totally worth
it,” said Jacobelli.
Courtesy of Erick Estrada Jr.
into the key ring, causing it to open
up, and then you can put whatever
you want on your key ring.”
Musso cautions that when using
this method there are some dangers.
Therefore, one must be careful not to
get his or her fingers caught when using this method.
“I’ve been doing this for about six
years. My mom showed me this technique because she used to break her
nails putting reward cards and keys
on her key ring,” Musso said.
Musso said he believes life hacks like
this one are beneficial.
“Life hacks relieve stress and make
life easier to live,” said Musso.
Courtesy of Stef Cilento
Sophomore Lea So uses Crayola colored pencils to fill in a design in her coloring book.
THE LIGHTHOUSE
6
NEWS/FEATURES
February 2016
Obama pushes for stricter gun laws
By Bernie Consalvo
President Obama somberly took to the podium on Jan. 4 to address the extent of gun violence in the United States.
With tears in his eyes, he spoke about gun-related tragedies including those in his hometown
of Chicago and the Sandy Hook Elementary
School shooting, which occurred in Connecticut in 2012. Obama utilized these examples to
explain the need for additional gun laws.
“We know we can’t stop every act of violence,
every act of evil in the world. But maybe we
could try to stop one act of evil, one act of violence,” Obama said in his townhall address at
the White House.
According to smartgunlaws.org, an informational website about guns, every year in America, there are approximately 31,076 gun-related
deaths. This averages to 85 deaths per day or
three deaths every hour.
Sophomore Alyssa Capasso said she supports
proposals to strengthen gun laws on a state-bystate basis.
“We definitely need laws that control the buying and regulations of guns in our country,”
Capasso said. “But I believe that laws should be
centered more towards state government, as a
person in Wisconsin with no houses near has a
very different circumstance compared to someone in New York City.”
Capasso said more gun laws would be helpful
but would not eradicate all gun violence.
“It will keep guns out of the hands of some
people, but not everyone,” Capasso said. “If
someone really wants a gun, there is nothing
and no one that can stop them.”
Freshman Jon Gino said he is concerned
about the ease with which one can obtain a firearm, but he is concerned that Americans’ constitutional rights are being diminished.
“The Second Amendment still stands today,
but it doesn’t stand as strong as it used to be due
to rigorous laws by the government,” Gino said.
“And the sad reality is these laws hurt the people
who use guns to protect their families the most.”
Obama discussed the Second Amendment in
his speech. He affirmed its place in the Bill of
Rights but said there are still ways gun violence
can be reduced.
“I believe in the Second Amendment. They’re
written on paper. That guarantees the right to
bear arms,” Obama said. “No matter how many
times people try to twist my words around, I
taught Constitutional Law. I know a little bit
about this.”
Despite Obama’s speech last month, the debate
wages on.
U.S. History Teacher Ms. Cesari highlighted
the complexity of the nation’s gun debate.
“Americans should have the right to bear
arms,” Cesari said. “Some gun’s are a problem in
the U.S. and no matter what, something must be
done to stop gun violence.”
Courtesy of Whitehouse.gov and Official White House photographer Pete Souza
In the Blue Room of the White House on Jan. 5, President Barack Obama talks with people whose lives have
been impacted by gun violence, prior to announcing executive actions that the administration is taking to reduce gun violence.
American Dream Complex in the They see me rollin’
Meadowlands set to open next year Public safety concerns arise over hoverboards
By Kislande Joseph
By Kelly Weckstein
For 13 years, the American Dream
Complex, previously known as the
Xanadu, has been a curiosity for all
who have seen it in the Meadowlands.
The unique orange-striped and bluetiled outer appearance has shocked
drivers who ride along the New Jersey
Turnpike for years.
According to The Atlantic Magazine,
this mysterious structure will open
as a center for entertainment and
shopping in 2017.
Italian Teacher Mr. Raguseo had
worked closely with developers during
the early stages of its construction.
He said prior to teaching, he was a
financial analyst for The Children’s
Place stores.
“We were supposed to have a store
put in the Xanadu, and I was in
charge of budgeting for the expenses
for building that store and operating
that store,” Raguseo said. “One of my
tasks every year was to prepare the
annual budget for the upcoming year.
So, every year we were budgeting
for a store in the Xanadu, except the
Xanadu was never built or opened.”
The idea for building a mall was first
proposed in 2003. Due to bankruptcy,
the switching of ownership and
harsh cold snow that piled up on the
building, the project was postponed
for several years, according to The
Atlantic.
Now under the ownership of the
Triple Five Group, which is known
for creating extensive malls such as
the Mall of America in Minnesota,
the largest mall in the United States,
this structure is getting set to open for
business.
According to the American Dream’s
website, the Triple Five Group mall
will have features including an
amusement park, aquarium, Ferris
Wheel, indoor ski slope, miniature
golf course, movie theaters, National
Hockey League-sized ice rink,
performing arts theater and water
park. It is also expected to contain over
400 retailers, services, restaurants and
entertainment options.
While such a structure may prove to
be a fun place for leisure, Raguseo said
he has some concerns as a resident of
Bergen County living in Lyndhurst.
“I wasn’t too happy about the
Xanadu opening because, as I’m
sure you know, there is already a
lot of traffic in this area. So, from a
resident standpoint, I really did not
want it to open, and I was glad there
were always delays with the Xanadu,”
Raguseo said. “I really don’t think we
need another shopping mall so close
to home when we have several in the
area.”
Raguseo said despite potential
traffic, there are financial benefits
that accompany the American Dream
Complex.
“One thing that is positive about the
[American Dream Complex] opening
is that it will create jobs and possibly
jobs for my students,” Raguseo said.
He said if the county needs the tax
revenue to improve roads, schools
and social programs, it may be worth
the inconvenience.
Sophomore Tom Ripp said the
American Dream’s features are
definitely enticing.
“I think it’s pretty interesting that
this mall contains so many different
things,” Ripp said. “The aquarium
is the most interesting because you
don’t really see an aquarium in every
mall.”
Ripp said his favorite aspect of the
plans is the movie theater.
“If it’s a good theater, such as
Kerasotes [in Secaucus], it would be
a closer theater to go to rather than
Clifton or Paramus,” Ripp said.
While Ripp is excited about plans
for the interior of the complex, he
said the outside of the building is
immensely unappealing.
“The exterior is extremely ugly. It’s
just a giant rainbow,” Ripp said.
Sophomore Carmellina Blasi has
a similar opinion about the exterior
appearance.
“I thought this building was massive
and the coloring of the building was
very odd,” Blasi said. “The colors
are very vibrant and do not go well
together.”
Blasi said she is also concerned that
the developers are trying to combine
too many ideas into too small a space.
“I think the mall will start off
successful, but I think as time goes on,
it will die out because the excitement
of the new place is gone,” said Blasi.
Courtesy of Kelly Weckstein
The American Dream Complex is set to open in 2017. It is expected to include shopping,
dining and entertainment options for consumers.
Hoverboards were one of the
hottest Christmas gifts in 2015 and
have been a trending topic on social
media this year because of celebrity
endorsements. However, are these
products really safe?
Sophomore Frida Sanchez said the
boards are not as safe as they could
be due to failures involving the new
technology. Knockoff versions of the
hoverboard, which sell for less than
the $400-$1000 retail price, were
leading to explosions and fires when
they overcharged.
Despite these safety issues, Sanchez
still likes her hoverboard, which she
got as a Christmas gift.
“Although a struggle to get used to,
it can be fun to use. But again, there’s
“They are not safe at all.
I think that it is a good
idea to ban them on the
sidewalks and campuses.”
always going to be some type of risk,”
Sanchez said.
Safety risks are the reason that,
according to ABC, New York has
banned the boards on roadways,
trails and sidewalks. As of this year,
one must have a helmet and permit to
ride in public places.
Some colleges and universities,
including Kean University in Union,
have also banned them on campus.
The hoverboards have brought
disturbing memories of the fire that
took place at Seton Hall University in
2000, which resulted in the deaths of
three students, according to ABC.
“They are not safe at all. I think
that it is a good idea to ban them on
the sidewalks and campuses,” Senior
Briana Thomas said. “Many people
fall off of them, [wearing] a helmet
or not.”
According to Patty Davis, a
U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission spokesperson who was
quoted in People Magazine, in the
three days after Christmas, there had
been at least 39 hoverboard-related
emergency room visits.
Junior Cierra Wartel, who got a
hoverboard for Christmas, likes her
hoverboard but said it could cause
people to get lazy.
“It takes away walking, but in reality,
you will not be riding this up and
downhill or downstairs,” Wartel said.
Her advice to other riders is to
exercise caution, particularly when
using the hoverboard for the first
time.
“If you’re just starting out and never
done it before, get on and off while
holding on to something stationary in
case you lose your balance, and don’t
push the hoverboard over the said
mph on the box because that causes
the hoverboard to become unsteady
and that’s how you get hurt,” said
Wartel.
Courtesy of Jillian Cancela
THE LIGHTHOUSE
NEWS/FEATURES
February 2016 ‘The Winds of
Winter’ delayed
7
By Danny Flusk
George R.R. Martin, the mastermind behind
“Game of Thrones,” announced in a blogpost on
Jan. 2 that the release of his newest book, “The
Winds of Winter,” has been delayed.
Since HBO’s TV adaptation has now caught up
to the books, the release of Martin’s latest novel
was expected to coincide with the new season
of episodes set to commence in April. However,
Martin wrote in his blog that it would still take
months to finish his book.
“No one could possibly be more disappointed than me,” Martin wrote, explaining he had
hoped to finish writing “The Winds of Winter”
before 2016. However, he announced last month
that he still had hundreds of pages left to write.
Junior Kevin McNamara, who has read the
“Game of Thrones” series, said he does not mind
that the TV episodes will air before the release
of Martin’s latest novel. Since the book series
includes details that are not covered in the TV
show, McNamara said watching the upcoming
season will not spoil the novel for him.
“The books have hinted at something that has
not happened in the show, though. So, it is still
farther ahead in some aspects,” McNamara said.
McNamara said he is not disappointed in Martin for failing to meet his deadline.
“He has every right to do with it what he feels
is best. The delay will not negatively affect my
opinion of him as a writer at all,” McNamara
said.
Like McNamara, English Teacher Ms. Burns
said she does not doubt Martin had valid reasons for postponing his upcoming book release.
“Based on the impressiveness of the show—the
intricacies of the plot and subplots, the nuances
of each character—I feel like [Martin’s] process
can’t be questioned. If everyone wants it to be
as good as it has been, let the man do his thing.
You can’t rush genius,” Burns said.
While she has not read the “Game of Thrones”
books, Burns is a fan of the HBO series.
“I tend to prefer a book to a film or television
adaptation, but the show is just so good, I find
it hard to imagine that would be the case here,”
Burns said. “I have enjoyed watching the show
without any knowledge of what would happen.
It made the experience much more exciting.”
Junior Mykolas Perevicius, who follows the
show and book series, said Martin has made a
poor choice in deciding to go ahead with the TV
shows prior to publishing the next book.
“If we choose to watch the new season first,
now we have an image in our head. Reading is
all about creating your own ideas and images for
new characters or events,” Perevicius said.
He has decided to put off watching the upcoming season of “Game of Thrones” until after he
reads “The Winds of Winter.”
Nonetheless, Perevicius said he remains excited about new “Game of Thrones” content and
Martin’s upcoming novel, which Perevicius believes is worth the wait.
“I personally would prefer to have the book
come out later, and be a masterpiece, rather than
sooner and be disappointing,” said Perevicius.
Courtesy of Bobby Giangeruso
Beginning in Season Four of “Full House,” the opening credits showed the Tanner family having a picnic in San Francisco’s Alamo Square Park with Victorian houses
known as “Postcard Row” in the background.
Everywhere you look, there’s a ‘Full House’ fan
By Gina Minervini
Whatever happened to Kimmy and Stephanie?
What about Danny, Michelle, Nicky and Alex?
Do eldest daughter D.J. (Candace CameronBure) and high school sweetheart Steve (Scott
Weinger) end up together? Does funny guy Joey
Gladstone (David Alan Coulier) ever find love?
Do Aunt Becky (Lori Loughlin) and Uncle Jesse
(John Stamos) continue living in a renovated attic or do they eventually decide to move to less
cramped quarters?
These are some of the questions that go through
the minds of those who have avidly watched the
hit sitcom “Full House.” The series—whose final
episode aired on May 23, 1995—continued for
eight seasons and totaled 192 episodes.
According to TV.com, early in its run, “Full
House” received poor reviews for being too
“cheesy,” but it remained popular despite the
criticism. Season after season, viewers of all ages
remained loyal to the sitcom because of its humorous plotlines and quirky characters.
Twenty years after the show’s series finale,
some fans had lost all hope of having their “Full
House” questions answered. This, however,
changed in December after Netflix announced
that it will be releasing “Fuller House.” All 13
episodes of the series spin-off will be available
on Netflix as of Feb. 26.
According to IMDb.com, Cameron-Bure will
continue in her role as D.J. Tanner-Fuller, now
all grown up and a widowed mother of three.
Struggling with her recent loss and now raising
her sons single-handedly, D.J. calls in the help
of her younger sister Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin)
and best friend Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber). This storyline shares many parallels with
the original show, in which D.J.'s father Danny (Bob Saget) asked his best friend Joey and
brother-in-law Jesse to move in and assist him
in raising D.J. and her sisters after his wife’s passing.
Sophomore Eric Remo, who watches “Full
House” reruns at 9 p.m. on Nick at Nite, said he
relates most to Uncle Jesse’s character.
“I believe I'm similar to Uncle Jesse because
of our hair, and we always wanna help out our
friends and family. But if I were on the show,
I would wanna be Danny because he seems so
chill and acts like a father figure at the same
time,” Remo said. “‘Full House’ is a very funny
and relatable show. From the characters to episodes, there isn’t any moment that leaves me
questioning, ‘Why am I watching this show
again? This is idiotic and only for 90s people.’”
Upon first hearing about “Fuller House,”
Remo said he wondered if the announcement
was true. However, when he saw the trailer on
YouTube the day it was released, Remo said he
automatically got “hyped.” He plans to devote
a weekend to watching episodes of the spin-off
upon its release.
Junior Gianna Catelli said she was excited to
learn about “Fuller House” because she will get
to see what happens to the characters when they
are all grown up. Catelli is a loyal fan who has
watched every “Full House” episode, but she
said there is one aspect of the show she wishes
were different.
“I think I’d change how Joey never gets married or ever really has a girlfriend because he's
the best character, and everyone else gets married or is in a relationship except him,” Catelli
said. “Joey is my favorite character just because
of how funny he always is.”
Some “Full House” viewers have followed the
show since the beginning. English Teacher Miss
Rendzia said she has seen every season of “Full
House,” watching it when it originally aired
during her college years.
Rendzia said of all the sitcom’s characters, she
relates most to Danny.
“As a single parent, raising a child by myself,
you always need people to help you, and I am a
little obsessive when it comes to housekeeping,
people not sharing things and things going in
their own place,” Rendzia said.
Rendzia said she was excited to hear about
“Fuller House” because she believes it is going
to be a great continuation of the original series.
“I can't wait to see how the relationships are as
adults between the sisters and Kimmy Gibbler.
I want to see how they become grownups but
don't lose the essence of Kimmy Gibbler being
Kimmy Gibbler,” Rendzia said.
According to Rendzia, the magic of “Full
House” is that it presents a balance of humor
and morality. She said it is a program that is appealing to parents because it conveys important
lessons in a way that kids can enjoy.
“Look at the whole thing about how… family
stays together, how you help each other out and
how you pitch in when times are rough,” Rendzia said. “All the little issues add up to that one
main thought: to stick together through good
times and bad. You are there for each other and
you'll get through it.”
Faculty and students dream of their celebrity valentines
By Francesca Caliguire
Larissa Sales,
Freshman
Matt Sales,
Freshman
Celebrity
Valentine:
Calum Hood
Celebrity
Valentine:
Ariana
Grande
Alyssa
Mezzina,
Junior
Shqipe
Cosovic,
Senior
Zach
Rossano,
Senior
Celebrity
Valentine:
Liam Payne
Celebrity
Valentine:
Shawn
Mendes
Celebrity
Valentine:
Emma Stone
While having a sweetheart to spend
Valentine’s Day with can be fun, fantasizing about a celebrity valentine
can be equally exciting.
Here are some faculty and students
who know exactly whom they would
select as their celebrity valentines:
Rebecca
Rossano,
Sophomore
Tristan
Benitez,
Junior
Celebrity
Valentine:
Harry Styles
Celebrity
Valentine:
Jennifer
Lawrence
Mr. Kropa,
Physical
Education
Teacher
Mrs. Wilson,
Math Teacher
Celebrity
Valentine:
Kate
Beckinsale
Celebrity
Valentine:
Ryan Gosling
Photos courtesy of Francesca Caliguire
THE LIGHTHOUSE
8
COLUMNS
Dream-Do-It-Yourself
Eva’s Beauty Corner
String art state with heart add-on
Crazed over
Kylie Lip Kit
By Jessie Bolton
Valentine’s Day gifts don’t have to consist of
roses or candy. They can be personalized and
made with care. Show your love this holiday
with a string art state, and add a heart in a place
that has special significance.
Don’t have a valentine? Treat yourself to this
piece of art created to reflect your own style and
color choices.
Step 4: Remove the printed map of the state after all the nails have been hammered in.
Step 5: Knot one end of the first colored string
on a nail that traces the state.
Materials needed:
hammer, small brass nails, wooden board at
least half an inch thick, two colors of embroidery
floss, map of state of your choice, multi-surface
paint
Step 6: Connect the string from the nails outlining the state to the nails that form the heart.
Step 7: Once the whole state is filled with string,
knot the end of the string around the nail where
you have finished and cut it.
Step 1: Paint the board and let it dry completely.
Step 8: Next, start the heart by knotting the
second colored string around a nail in the heart
and then cross from one side to the other until
the whole heart is filled in with the second color.
Knot the string around the nail where you have
finished and cut it.
Step 9: To add a personal touch, you can write a
little message in the corner of the board.
February 2016
By Eva Pelidis
There is a saying that a lady should never walk
out of the house without wearing lipstick. Now,
with the Kylie Lip Kit by Kylie Jenner, you will
never want to.
Available in three shades—Candy K, Dolce K
and True Brown K—this liquid lipstick and lip
liner cover all the color bases from soft pink to
neutral tan and deep brown. Released on Dec.
1, the Kylie Lip Kit sold out in minutes and the
product’s website, lipkitbykylie.com, crashed
because of high volumes of cyber traffic.
This led makeup enthusiasts to eBay, where the
Kylie Lip Kit was being resold for up to $10,000,
according to The Huffington Post. Leaving her
fans and beauty bloggers in despair, Jenner
made an announcement that more launches
would be coming soon.
Even before this product’s release, I was hesitant about purchasing the Kylie Lip Kit. However, at $29, the price of the two products included
is fairly reasonable.
After deciding the purchase was worth it, I got
my computer, iPad and phone ready, and with
the help of friends, and especially Softball and
Courtesy of Eva Pelidis
Achieve your Jenner pout with the Kylie Lip Kit.
Volleyball Coach Ringen, I was able to secure
one Kylie Lip Kit in Dolce K on the second
launch date, Dec. 14.
I am happy to say this product stays true to
its promises. According to its website, the liquid
lipstick is “the perfect blend of waxes, silicone
and polymers.” The product’s unique formula
offers high pigmentation as well as long-lasting
results. With its doe-foot applicator, the lipstick
glides onto the lips leaving a luxurious, matte
velvet finish.
As an added bonus, the Kylie Lip Kit has a
sweet, cake batter scent that will win over every
makeup lover’s heart. This liquid lipstick and
liner truly shine above many of my personal lipstick favorites.
Julie’s Book Nook: Literature Review
A book for the brokenhearted
By Julie Cappiello
Step 2: Tape the map on the board.
Step 3: Outline the state with the small nails and
make a small heart of nails in your desired location.
Photos courtesy of Alexa Khantzian
This simple Do-It-Yourself is a timeless piece of artwork that shows home is where the heart is.
“I liked hurting girls.” The first line is all you
need to read to wonder about the journey you
are about to embark upon. If you are tired of
Valentine’s Day and love laughing at the pain of
others, consider spending your Feb. 14 reading
“Diary of an Oxygen Thief.”
Written by an anonymous author, the book
highlights a self-destructive individual whose
main goal is to function without caring about
the casualties. The novella tells the pathetic story of a misogynist drunk who recalls the terrible
karma of his sad life.
The author recounts the countless times he
would stumble into bars across London, England to meet women just so he could break
their hearts. He tells the tales of the female victims he destroyed before hitting rock bottom.
The novella centers upon the narrator’s struggles with alcoholism and his constant need to
harm others, but the reader can relax knowing
that he is able to make a semi-turn around.
Though he takes steps to get his life on track,
he never makes the crucial decision to seek professional help. This leads the reader to essentially embody a therapist who listens to the narrator’s stories of depression, obsession and hurt.
“Diary of an Oxygen Thief ” is the most disorganized text you will ever read. However, it is
also the most honest. Strangely, readers will find
Courtesy of Julie Cappiello
“Diary of an Oxygen Thief ” was published anonymously by Anonymous Publishing, Inc. in 2011.
themselves rooting for the speaker to pull his life
together. At the same time, there is a feeling that
he should get what he deserves and then some.
Spend Valentine’s Day with this book, and you
will be sure to laugh, cry and feel utterly disgusted... in the most entertaining way.
Monthly Recipe
Gift your sweetheart with these sweet Red Velvet Whoopie Pies this Valentine’s Day
By Jillian Cancela
Valentine’s Day is a day that you can
show your loved ones how much they
truly mean to you. This holiday, express your feelings by creating a batch
of heart-shaped Red Velvet Whoopie
Pies.
Ingredients for Whoopie Pies:
1 stick softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup buttermilk (If you don’t have
buttermilk, mix milk with two teaspoons of lemon juice.)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fresh coffee grinds
2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
Ingredients for Filling:
½ stick butter
4 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup marshmallow cream
11 Oreo cookies
Directions for Whoopie Pies:
1. While preheating your oven to
375 degrees, use parchment paper to
draw multiple hearts, about 2 square
inches using a stencil. After you have
finished tracing hearts, flip over the
parchment paper and lay it flat on a
baking sheet.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat your
butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Then, beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir
in food coloring.
3. In a separate medium-sized bowl,
whisk together flour, baking soda,
salt, cocoa powder and coffee grinds.
This will ensure that the dry ingredients do not have too many lumps.
4. Add the flour mixture into the
creamed butter, alternating with the
buttermilk.
5. Take a plastic storage bag or piping
bag and put the batter in it. Push all
the batter onto one side. If using a
plastic storage bag, cut off one of bottom corners.
6. Pipe the batter on your baking
sheet using the heart-traced parchment paper as a guide. Fill the heart
shape entirely.
7. Bake for ten minutes at 375 degrees.
8. Allow whoopie pies to cool completely before filling them.
Directions for filling:
1. Using a food processor, finely crush
the Oreos. This can also be done by
putting the cookies into a plastic storage bag and rolling over the bag with
a rolling pin.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat together
butter, cream cheese and marshmallow cream. Fold in crushed Oreos.
3. Spoon the filling on one cake then
place another on top.
When the Whoopie Pies are complete, store them in the refrigerator
and remove about an hour before
serving.
Courtesy of Jillian Cancela
These red velvet whoopie pies will fill you
up with love and warmth.
THE LIGHTHOUSE
February 2016 OPINIONS
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editors,
My favorite article in the January Issue of The
Lighthouse was “Girls basketball hopes to hoop
it up” by Kyle Bouteloupt. Kyle’s use of quotes
from various people helped me understand different perspectives. As a freshman on the girls
basketball team, I agree with my coach, captain
and teammates: if we continue to work as a team
and stay positive, we will be extremely successful.
The headline suits the article well because it
is exactly what we, as a team, hope for. Each
day at practice, we work hard on our dribbling
skills, shooting, layups and running. We do this
because, at games, these skills are valuable and
allow us to “hoop it up.”
Sincerely,
Jamie Lynn Connors, Class of 2019
Dear Editors,
My favorite article in the January Issue of The
Lighthouse was “And the acceptance goes to…”
by Assmaa Elbanna. For as long as I can remember, others have always informed me of the importance of staying determined. One’s determination in school is supposed to help the person
acquire acceptances into colleges.
As a high school student, I often worry whether or not I will be accepted into my dream
school. However, Elbanna’s article included var-
ious perspectives and vital insight which led to a
decrease of anxiety.
This article shows how important it is to apply
to numerous schools, talk to those who have experienced similar stress and work hard. Elbanna received quotes from seniors and a guidance
counselor who all expressed their application
stories. I agree with all of Elbanna’s statements
and cannot wait to read her next piece of work.
Sincerely,
Susane Morozewicz, Class of 2019
Dear Editors,
I just finished reading “Uber and Lyft provide
convenience” by Vincent DiTonto, and I really enjoyed it. I think it was a great idea to let
students know about these apps. Many people
in this school don’t exactly live close by, and it’s
great that they could find a lift back so they don’t
have to walk. It could be useful if somebody has
practice and would not want to walk in the cold.
It is a great idea to let everyone know about this
topic.
Sincerely,
Paolo Turano, Class of 2017
Dear Nick Carnevale,
I just read “Boys basketball tips off season
with close score.” I like the introduction of the
passage. The description of the last seconds of
the game was very detailed. I like how you explained the team’s work ethic before the season
started. It seems that the team is determined to
be the best team in the league. The involvement
of the LHS Bear Cave was well explained too.
It appears that Lyndhurst has a very supportive
and energetic student section.
I really cannot disagree with anything mentioned in this article. Everything is very well-explained and relates back to the importance of
the boys basketball team. I feel that the basketball team can make a dramatic turnaround and
get its season back on track.
Sincerely,
Max Vigliotti, Class of 2017
Dear Editors,
My favorite article was “What’s ‘APPening?”
by Nicole Plonski. I really enjoyed reading this
article because it opened my eyes to new ideas.
RetailMeNot seems like a very useful app that
can save my family and me a lot of money. As for
UrbanSpoon, I will most likely not end up using
it, though it is very cool to see what the app store
community is coming up with.
All around, most of these apps were well described, and they definitely all caught my attention. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Rodrigo Nogueira, Class of 2019
Head-to-Head
Safety first, social media later
By Vincent DiTonto
Social networking sites such as Twitter and
Facebook play a huge role in modern life. These
are amazing tools for keeping in touch with
family and friends, especially those one does not
get to see often. However, these social networks
are not for kids.
The most important reason children should
stay away from social networking websites is
that they contain content that is inappropriate
for young audiences.
According to InternetSafety101.org, 12 percent of kids report having “frequently” witnessed cruel behaviors on social networking
sites. These observations cause kids to use bad
language and act in ways that are unacceptable.
Rather than viewing negative content, kids
should be playing outside and enjoying themselves. Allowing a child to stay online 24/7 leads
to a social media addiction that is hard to get rid
of later in life. The last thing a parent wants to do
is instill bad habits.
It is no secret that teens and adults can occasionally take part in drama wars on social me-
dia. These conflicts are even worse when kids
are involved and freely stating their opinions
about various pictures or topics. Also, since little kids tend to follow the older ones, if they see
teens arguing and cursing at one another, they
will follow their example.
Lastly, young people are particularly vulnerable to “catfishing,” when people pretend to be
somebody they are not. Using their false identities, they create conflict and take advantage of
those they deceive.
The Social News Daily, a news website, reports
that 83 million social media accounts are faked
or duplicated. Children suffer the consequences
when they use networking sites that may expose
them to dangerous adults. The results can be
tragic.
The internet can be a dangerous place. By
staying away from social media, kids avoid exposure to unfavorable content, social isolation,
possible addiction, drama and adults with bad
intentions. Those under the age of 13 should be
socializing with their friends and family in person rather than on social media platforms.
Should social media
have a minimum
age requirement?
No
Yes
Courtesy of Vincent DiTonto
In a survey of 84 LHS students, 54 said social media
should have a minimum age requirement. Thirty said
a minimum age requirement is unnecessary.
Head-to-Head
Social media should not be restricted by age
By Megan Starrett
Social media: it’s everywhere and embedded
in our lives. While some may argue that age restrictions for social media participation would
make the internet safer for young children, this
is simply unrealistic.
Young people will always find a way to create accounts on the platforms they want to access. Therefore, it is more useful to educate kids
about how to use social media effectively rather
than try to restrict them.
I will admit that I am guilty of having a Facebook and Instagram account before I was 13
years old, the age these networks formally allow
users to create an account. I ignored the restrictions because it was easy to do so.
Looking back, I still have no regrets about my
actions because social media has allowed me to
obtain so much knowledge about a variety of
topics such as social inequality, mental health
care and current issues in other countries,
which are important but not taught in school.
Social media has a reputation of being a distraction. However, it is also a source of educa-
tion. By being exposed to important, real world
topics at a young age, children can grow more
open-minded and intelligent. Social media can
also lead a person to develop unique interests
and hobbies related to fashion, music and art.
By exposing children to social media,
young people will develop
an understanding of the power of
words. Social media can help youths
become aware that what they post
will remain online forever.
Aside from gaining knowledge, people of all
ages utilize social media to maintain lifelong relationships. Whether corresponding with family or keeping in touch with a friend one met
on vacation or through extracurricular involvements, social media makes it easy to stay connected. Particularly since talking on the phone
is less common nowadays, young people rely on
social media to communicate.
It is undeniable that young internet users
will come across content that is inappropriate
for their age. However, it is important to keep
in mind that these children are going to be
exposed to sensitive material sooner or later.
Generally, this content does not have an impact
on their everyday lives, and kids move forward
without any harmful, long-term effects.
Parents may also be concerned about their
kids using social media as a platform to make
hurtful statements. However, kids are generally
not the culprits. In my experiences, teenagers
and adults are most likely to make inappropriate
comments and start fights online.
By exposing children to social media, young
people will develop an understanding of the
power of words. Social media can help youths
become aware that what they post will remain
online forever.
Ultimately, it is ludicrous to restrict people
from a resource that is so widespread. Age does
not determine maturity. However, even if it did,
it is the job of parents, not corporations, to create boundaries that are appropriate for children.
The Lighthouse
Lyndhurst High School
400 Weart Avenue
Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
201-896-2100
Follow us on Twitter:
@LHSLighthouse
_______________________
Adviser:
Ms. Pastor
Editors-in-Chief:
Nicole Plonski
Ashley Stephens
Staff Directors:
Julie Cappiello
Eva Pelidis
Content Editors:
Jessie Bolton
Assmaa Elbanna
Gina Minervini
Nick Pacheco
Julie Pacillo
Jennifer Wartel
Staff Writers:
Brian Arroyave
Kyle Bouteloupt
Francesca Caliguire
Jillian Cancela
Nick Carnevale
Stef Cilento
Bernie Consalvo
Kristina DeRobertis
Vincent DiTonto
Stephen Dittamo
Alyssa Engels
Erick Estrada Jr.
Danny Flusk
Kayla Friend
Alexis Gerbasio
Kislande Joseph
Katie McMaster
Teslim Olunlade
Nicolette Pezzolla
George Rausch
Megan Rudden
Angelica Santomauro
Megan Starrett
Raymond Valenzuela
Kelly Weckstein
Contributing Photographer:
Adrian Baranowski
Monica Baranowski
Bobby Giangeruso
Stephen Giordano
Alexa Khantzian
Sean Leonard
Contributing Artist:
Tasneem Chowdhury
Opinion articles do not reflect
the opinions of the entire staff, only the
writers themselves.
The Lighthouse is a free forum that
accepts letters to the editors. Letters can
be submitted to Ms. Pastor in Room 234.
However, they must be signed with your
first and last name in order to be
considered for publication.
The staff reserves the right to edit
material and reject any content
not suitable for publication.
9
THE LIGHTHOUSE
OPINIONS
10 February 2016
Question: If you could live in any fictitious world from
a book, movie or show, where would it be and why?
Column
Column
What would
Newman do?
What would
Cecilia do?
Compiled by Ashley Stephens
Compiled by Ashley Stephens
I have a lot of choices here with books, movies
or shows. Now, when I get books as a choice,
right away I have to stretch that to “comic
books.” However, comic book worlds are definitely not places I’d want to live.
Metropolis? Did you see that last “Superman”
movie? General Zod and Superman had a mega
fight and destroyed like every tall building in the
entire city. They laser-eyed each other constantly, threw heavy objects like cars at each other
and engaged in plenty of other acts of destruction. Any time they missed, three or four people
definitely died by an eye-laser or some bus that
was thrown, which was full of innocent commuters who all died being used as a projectile.
New York of the Marvel Universe should just
be renamed “Death Now City” with massive
It would be my utmost dream to live on the
planet Pandora from the movie “Avatar.” I long
for nothing more than a place that lacks all the
bad aspects that plague our world today.
The way of life of the Na’vi, the blue humanoid creatures, starkly contrasts ours. They are
shrewd because they live in harmony with the
world around them and see the true nature of
things when they look upon them.
There’s this Japanese art called Kintsugi where
broken pottery is amended with gold. Those
golden cracks strewn throughout the pottery
make it beautiful. I see this art as a representation of the Na’vi because their resilience comes
from the adversities that line their skins. Therefore, they can never forget the lessons they’ve
learned after gluing themselves back together.
They can collect happiness and fill their cups
with it because they don’t wait for perfect circumstances to find it.
The Na’vi lead simple lives but are much more
content than we will ever be. What I wouldn’t
give to wake up in one of the many hammocks
hung throughout the highest level of the Hometree in which they live. They sleep together in
sizable groups, which evokes a closeness that we
lack today.
And even though they awaken at the crack of
dawn, this wouldn’t bring about dread in me. It’s
Pandora for crying out loud. Who would ever
want to stay asleep?
Becoming a warrior has its many perks, one
of them being the chance to get your very own
Mountain Banshee, those wicked awesome
dragons that we’ve all wanted at one point. Getting a Banshee will serve as my rite of passage
into my clan, but to be honest, I may chicken
out at first since I would have to venture to the
Hallelujah Mountains, find the Banshee that
calls to me and then cross my fingers I don’t die
as I form Iknimaya (a bond) with it by plugging
both of our neural queues together.
This lifetime connection will give me control
over them because we’ll become like one. I believe this is why the Na’vi have such a deep respect for other creatures.
We abuse animals in our world by killing
them in droves without a second thought, but
the Na’vi only kill when necessary and try to do
it in a way that brings the least amount of pain
to them. They understand that the animals are
just as much alive as they are. So, they don’t treat
them as inferior.
The hopeless romantic in me couldn’t help but
take note of the emotional mating bonds between Na’vi couples too. Seeing my parents’ divorce left me with a sense of uncertainty for the
prospects of marriage, but as a Na’vi, I wouldn’t
need to worry because the divine deity Eywa
would look into our futures and prevent the
bonding if she saw that our connection would
only lead to despair.
It’s a definite “no” with real world
shows. I’m definitely staying away
from “Grey’s Anatomy.”
EVERY PATIENT DIES. Every
single one! Now, people have told me
they have seen them save a patient,
but I never have.
alien invasions, psychotic killers that live in
Hell’s Kitchen and heroes that maybe can save
you with a mutant spider-webbing, even though
they unreliably couldn’t save their own legal
guardian. No thanks.
Now Metropolis is arguably a cakewalk compared to Gotham City, but even the best day in
Gotham means a dark and cloudy day of horrible weather. The question of running into homicidal maniacs on a daily basis is not an “if,” but
“how many?” Would I really want to come home
on a “great day,” in a city that’s dark and cloudy
every day, telling my lovely fiancé that, “Yeah, it
was an easy day. I only had to dodge three psychopathic mastermind murderers today!”
Courtesy of Jessie Bolton
Regarding TV shows, I would stay away from
anything animated. Sure, invulnerability to explosives, stabbing weapons, firearms, large falls
to the ground and all the others sound great.
However, why do I have to live in a cartoon
world with all those dangers? Going into other
worlds like “South Park” or “Rick and Morty”?
No thanks. I have enough terrorizing things to
worry about in my current world.
It’s a definite “no” with real world shows. I’m
definitely staying away from “Grey’s Anatomy.”
EVERY PATIENT DIES. Every single one! Now,
people have told me they have seen them save
a patient, but I never have. I’m not a regular
viewer, but why would I continue to watch this
show? If I did, I’d never go to a hospital ever
again because I’d be fully convinced that the
doctors are all trying to “hook-up” with each
other, ignoring my health care and now I’m a
dead man! Thanks, guys.
So we’re left with movies, and now we have
some action of possibilities. Movies can bring
you into a world and then have sequels that can
expand on that world. Two hours to give you
details are always better than a half hour show.
Now, what movie do I choose? Definitely not the
world of my favorite movie, “GoodFellas.” I like
my neck non-slashed.
Hell, I’d even go with a romantic comedy world,
or a “chick flick” world where I wouldn’t have to
worry about insane violence like in “Superman”
or “Batman.” I feel like I’m getting closer now.
Hmmmmmmm, maybe the world of “Step
Brothers”? Hilarious comedy, yet I’m living in
the beautiful setting of California with an option to sail around the world? That sounds good
to me.... Book it! At least I know I will always
have the good old Catalina Wine Mixer to go
to! We all know it’s all about the Catalina Wine
Mixer.... Pow pow!
What would you do?
Every other month, The Lighthouse will invite
a student to write a column that will appear
beside “What Would Newman Do?” If you
envision your words next to Mr. Newman’s,
please contact Ms. Pastor in Room 234,
and explain that you would like to be selected.
L
Courtesy of Jessie Bolton
It would bring me peace of mind to know that
I found The One and that our all-encompassing
love will never diminish. Grieving for someone
who is alive is the worst kind of torture. I would
never want to go through that.
There’s this aura of serenity that hugs the world
of Pandora. At night the forests become aglow
with the vibrant hues of purple, green and blue.
I can see myself sitting on the lush grass and
letting my hands sway gently above the pristine
waters as if I were playing a harp.
My eyes would become wearier and my
breaths deeper as the wind would kiss my skin.
It’s a trance in peace that I’ve only ever got to experience once in my life, which was in the days I
lived in the country of Nicaragua.
The forests wouldn’t glow, but the hundreds of
twinkling stars would illuminate the night sky.
My eyes loved to drink up all the beautiful scenery, and till this day the memories never fade
even though I was a mere child then.
I dream of going back to my home country
and settling there because as nice as the New
York skyline is to look at, the city just doesn’t do
it for me. If I go outside tonight, I won’t be greeted by the stars, but by a sky that’s been blackened by the glow of our artificial lights.
The world’s natural beauty is becoming obliterated day by day. The question that I juggle constantly in my mind is how long will it take before
every single star is completely wiped from the
night sky?
One of the fundamental beliefs of the Na’vi is
that “All energy is only borrowed and one day
you have to give it back.” They treat their lands
with utmost care because they know it won’t be
theirs forever; they owe their future generations
a clean environment.
We gave a big thanks to global warming these
past few weeks for giving us warm weather, but
this rise in temperature has scientists on edge
because they are seeing the trouble humanity is
in, which is an effect of the environmental pollution that we’ve created.
Manmade greenhouse gas emissions trap the
sun’s heat, which ends up melting the ice in
Greenland and Antarctica at alarming rates. If
we don’t take action to reduce these emissions,
then in just a couple thousands of years, our
world will be completely remapped because of
a substantial rise in the sea level. And this is just
one out of the numerous environmental problems our world is facing. In Pandora there is
none of this.
It is my heaven, pure in every sense of the
word. If only I got the chance to wake up in that
world instead of the one I did this morning…
ve has lost its meaning
By Raymond Valenzuela
Valentine’s Day marks a very popular and important day in the lives of many. It is a day when
love seems to fill the air and money becomes
irrelevant.
There are people who believe Valentine’s Day
is a necessary holiday, but in all honesty, they’re
completely wrong. True love does not require its
own special day when affection must be shown
and people must shower each other with gifts.
Instead, people should surprise their loved
ones throughout the year with meaningful actions such as treating their sweetheart to a date,
showing affection or offering a compliment. Everyday acts of kindness speak louder than ex-
There are people who believe
Valentine’s Day is a necessary
holiday, but in all honesty,
they’re completely wrong.
pensive gifts because the little things count the
most in life.
Feb. 14 has become a day of obligation. Peo-
ple do not like obligations because they represent responsibility rather than enjoyment. Consequently, Valentine’s Day has just become an
excuse to receive expensive gifts that don’t have
any real value.
According to a 2009 survey administered by
Angeline Close Scheinbaum, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Texas at
Austin, 63 percent of males and 31 percent of
females feel obligated to give a gift to their partners on Valentine’s Day. This statistic reflects the
common mentality that Valentine’s Day is a holiday of duty rather than devotion.
Valentine’s Day is nothing more than a com-
mercial holiday. In 2014, The Huffington Post
reported that it is celebrated by 60 percent of
Americans and that spending for this special
day reaches approximately $18 billion.
Those who choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day
will not only spend a lot of money to show their
love, but those really overpriced roses that get
purchased will die in less than a week.
Don’t get me wrong. I like to be generous and
show affection to my loved ones, but Valentine’s
Day is completely overrated and unnecessary.
If you really love someone, express your feelings daily, not just when a materialistic holiday
makes you feel obligated.
THE LIGHTHOUSE
February 2016 SPORTS
11
Boys basketball loses traction against rival Rutherford
By Nick Carnevale
It was Jan. 15 and the boys basketball players
were feeling the stress, knowing they would be
going up against Rutherford High School in an
away game.
LHS was the underdog in this matchup since
their record going into the game was 1-8, with
their only victory being against Becton Regional
High School on Jan. 9. Meanwhile, Rutherford
was 6-4 at the time.
LHS ended up losing its game against Rutherford with a final score of 65-35, but the players
walked off the court proud that in the opening
minutes, they proved to be worthy challengers.
The first quarter remained almost scoreless,
and LHS set the pace by owning time of possession. When the second quarter came along,
however, Rutherford began pulling away with
the lead and never looked back. By the end of
the second quarter, LHS’s opponent had a 20
point lead.
“We could have handled their defensive pressure better, had less turnovers, stayed out of foul
trouble and did a better job with rebounds,” Senior Captain and Point Guard Vin Dorio said.
He said LHS could have managed to get a win
if the players had remained calm.
Especially in the second quarter, Rutherford
set a full-court press, meaning that defensive
players covered the entire court. LHS reacted by
becoming anxious, which led to weak shot and
pass selections.
“We were the first ones to score, and the game
went back and forth for a while, but eventually
Rutherford retaliated back too many times, and
we lost,” said Junior Olivia Cairns, who keeps
statistics for the team.
Cairns decided to take on the responsibility of
tracking every point and foul because the winter
is her offseason, and she said she was planning
to attend the games anyway.
Junior Michael Carrino, who is a fan of LHS
basketball, goes to games regularly and was
there when LHS played Rutherford. Carrino
said he likes to support his school and friends.
Additionally, he said he finds the basketball
games interesting.
“[LHS] has not [given] up on their season,
and they keep on competing no matter what the
competition is, even though their record is not
where they want to be,” Carrino said.
The basketball team has been struggling this
season, but they have had five close calls thus
far. One of these competitive games took place
on Jan. 14 away against Dwight-Englewood
High School, which is the second seeded team
in its division. Despite Dwight-Englewood’s
good reputation, LHS fought hard, only losing
by 11 points to the private school.
As of Feb. 1, the boys basketball team held a
Girls basketball
stays positive in
tough times
Hockey team is determined to
make an appearance at states
Courtesy of Stephen Giordano
Senior Peter Guerriero dribbles down the court at a home game against Leonia High School on Jan. 26.
By Kristina DeRobertis
The girls basketball team held a record of 5-10
as of Feb. 1, but they are not discouraged. Despite a few hard loses, the team also encountered
several close games.
In an away game against Kearny High School
on Jan. 16, the girls lost by only four points, finishing with a score of 34-38. They also suffered a
close loss on Jan. 5 in an away game against Harrison High School, falling short by three points
to end 28-31.
Boys basketball player Sophomore Andrew Ellis, who attends the girls’ games when possible,
said he sees visible improvement in the team.
“The team gets better every game even if they
cannot see it, I think that their communication
and team skills improve without them even
knowing it,” Ellis said.
Sophomores Grace Cappiello and Makenzie
McMillan, both second year varsity players, said
the team has potential to progress, not only this
season but in the years to come.
“[We] have definitely improved since the beginning,” Cappiello said midseason. “We still
have opportunities to win more games, and we
can still beat the teams that are coming up.”
Cappiello said having a losing record does not
make the girls a losing team. Rather, she said she
focuses on the positive, which is that there is a
lot of room for improvement.
“Because we are not losing that many senior
players this year, we can only become better,”
McMillan said, “and that is what I expect to happen the next two years I am on the team.”
Courtesy of Sean Leonard
Freshman Sean Leonard skates along the ice at the Hackensack Ice House in a game against Tenafly High School
on Dec. 12.
By Alexis Gerbasio
With a record of 10-6-1 as of Feb. 1, the members of the co-op hockey team are in the midst
of their best season to date.
Having secured a spot in the county tournament, in which they took a 1-5 loss to Ridgewood High School on Jan. 13, the players are
focusing their attention on the state playoffs.
record of 3-11. The final game will be on Feb. 26
away against Kearny High School.
Head Coach Jelcic said he wants his team to
compete day in and day out.
“Our goals are to be in every game. If we are in
every game and compete every night, we will be
in a great spot at season’s end,” Jelcic said.
Jelcic said the team’s upperclassmen have had a
positive influence on the underclassmen.
“Our seniors have led by example, and I am
very proud of them. I want them to leave the im-
pression that working hard is how we approach
our game. That is what we want all our players to
believe,” Jelcic said.
Freshman Sean Leonard said he has personally
felt the impact that experienced teammates have
had on underclassmen.
“My teammates have helped me in the fieldhouse with workouts, and they have made me
feel like a part of the team at practices,” Leonard
said.
Newcomer to the team but not to hockey,
Sophomore Tim Meglio, who is a member of the
junior varsity team, said both junior varsity and
varsity have been successful.
“Everyone has been contributing,” Meglio said.
“The JV guys and I have been doing pretty well,
winning some pretty important games but losing some winnable ones.”
Meglio said going forward, the players must
work to improve their ice awareness and teamwork.
“If we all do what we practice in practice, we
can win most, if not the rest, of our games this
season,” Meglio said.
Jelcic said he is not nervous about the loss of
senior players at the end of this season.
“Every year we add more players and lose seniors. We hate to see them go, but we know this
happens. They’re only in high school for four
years,” Jelcic said. “We are losing some great seniors and those will be hard shoes to fill. However, we hope that our juniors step in their shoes
immediately to help our underclassmen along
the way.”
Bowling strikes the lanes yet again with a winning streak
By Nick Pacheco
After dominating the bowling lanes last season at state sectionals and the Tournament of
Champions, the bowling team has stepped up
once again to continue its legacy of success. As
of Jan. 29, last year’s state champions were undefeated at 13-0 in the league. This brings their
winning streak up to 83 games.
The bowlers opened their season with a win
against Becton Regional High School on Dec. 9.
After going down by 95 pins in the first game,
the team went on to win the next two games,
with Junior Captain Ryan Donohue bowling a
268 in the second game.
With the loss of LHS graduates Jordan Lopez,
Daijon Smith and Emily Young, who were all
critical bowlers last year, the team looked to its
youth to step up to fill the vacant bowling shoes.
Junior Naomi Ramos is one such member
who has risen to the challenge, competing along
with Junior Tyla D’Andrea in the Bergen County
Girls Individual Title on Jan. 17.
Ramos said she has worked her way up to the
varsity squad.
“I have stayed focused and just had fun. The
team does the same, and we just have to keep
practicing to keep on winning,” Ramos said.
“Hopefully, the program can reach 100 games.”
Junior Bowler James Podolski said the team
has been fortunate to have continued talent.
“All we need to do is capitalize on our easy
spares and just win,” Podolski said. “Good
coaches and good bowlers keep coming up
through the years.”
Appointed by Coach Balkin, Donohue leads
this group as the captain. Donohue, who has
been a top varsity player since his freshman
year, started bowling when he was three years
old.
He was exposed to the sport at a young age because his father owns Bowl-Rite Lanes in Union
City. Donohue said his main responsibility is to
keep the team motivated.
“I must also lead by example, given that I am
much more familiar with the sport, and my experience has made me much better,” Donohue
said.
Donohue said Balkin has helped make the
team successful, but teamwork is number one.
“Definitely the coach helped a lot, but mostly
the team has helped each other. We keep each
other up when one of us is doing bad, and we tell
each other what to do in order to improve one
another,” Donohue said.
With a title to defend and the Tournament of
Champions right around the corner, the team
must work especially hard in the days to come.
Girls will be squaring off for their biggest event
of the season on Feb. 15 and boys will be closing
the competitive season on Feb. 19.
“Is it going to be tough? Yes. Is it possible?
Anything can happen at the Tournament of
Champions,” said Donohue.
THE LIGHTHOUSE
SPORTS
12 Junior Amanda Marek dives into her 100 meter breaststroke. Marek finished with a time of 1:31.13 against Immaculate Conception High School on Jan. 14 at LHS.
February 2016
Courtesy of Adrian Baranowski
With a winning record, swim team reaches the end
By Brian Arroyave
The competitive swimming season came to a close on Jan. 26,
with the boys closing with a 5-1-1 record and the girls finishing
6-2. Co-oping with North Arlington High School, the team’s record last year was 6-3 for the boys and 7-3 for the girls.
The team is led by Head Coach Frew, who receives help from
Assistant Coaches Mr. Falcicchio and Mrs. Hoyt.
This is Falcicchio’s first year mentoring the team, and he is
planning to continue coaching next year. Even though Falcicchio knows how to swim, he did not pursue this interest in high
school, which he said is a regret of his.
Falcicchio said he agreed to be assistant coach this year because
one of last year’s assistant coaches, Mr. Carucci stepped down.
“It was a big challenge to try to fill his shoes. Plus I knew it
would be a challenge working with Mr. Frew, and I got to work
with the lovely and talented Mrs. Hoyt,” Falcicchio said.
He said he has enjoyed watching the swimmers on the team
improve throughout the season.
“The only way you are gonna get better is if you are dedicated…. People evolve and learn,” Falcicchio said. “You see people
who started swimming [who] weren’t that great, and then all of
a sudden by the end of the season, they’re swimming three times
as good as they started. So, a lot of improvement, and it’s nice
seeing change.”
Junior Zach Dembowski is among the students who has remained dedicated to the sport through the years. He joined as a
freshman and said he enjoys being on the team because it is fun,
competitive and athletic.
“It is a great workout. It works every part of your body. It works
every muscle,” Dembowski said.
Dembowski said this season has gone better than expected.
However, there is still room for improvement.
“A lot of kids try to go in, and they try to just go fast, but you
have to remember the technique, and that’s what’s gonna make
you faster,” Dembowski said. “It’s usually the freshmen who make
that mistake.”
Dembowski said one newcomer who is excelling is Freshman
Matt Sales, who is one of the best breaststrokers and freestylers on
the team. He has been swimming since the age of ten and plans
on returning to the team next season.
Sales said swimming requires a diverse set of skills including
technique, speed and pacing.
“You gotta have a balance of everything because if you have really good technique and you get tired in a lap, you won’t get very
far. If you have a lot of speed, and if you just punch the water until
you can’t do anything or until you get tired, it won’t do anything,”
Sales said. “You gotta have everything.”
Wrestlers push for pins
By Jennifer Wartel
As World Wrestling Entertainment star
Stone Cold Steve Austin’s theme song “I Won’t
Do What You Tell Me” echoes throughout the
gym, Senior Captain Matt DeMarco runs onto
the mat, pumped to take on Becton Regional
High School’s Jordan Colon. Three-and-a-half
minutes later, DeMarco pins his opponent and
points to the Bear Cave in triumph.
Even with such victorious matches as DeMarco’s, the team still fell one point short against
BHS on Jan. 20. Despite having a 1-4 record
in the first five matches of the season, the team
went on to switch gears. As of Feb. 1, they were
10-5.
The momentum changed for the wrestlers on
Jan. 15 when they claimed their largest victory
of the season, defeating Waldwick High School
63-7. This victory carried into the following day
at a home quad match against Kearny, Livingston and Orange High Schools.
Sophomore Jordan DeAbreu said in order to
get more wins, the team needs to work on wrestling for pins and getting bonus points.
“In the beginning of the season, the team was
flat, but now something clicked, and all we want
to do is be on top,” DeAbreu said.
He said the greatest challenge the wrestlers
faced going into the season was the uncertainty
about how the new coaches, Head Coach Collins and Assistant Coach Blumenfeld, would af-
fect the team’s chemistry.
“It didn’t phase us one bit. It made us closer
and stronger,” DeAbreu said. “No matter what
gets thrown at us, we can overcome it.”
Senior Captain Corey Leclerc said that after
“Every single wrestler
is determined to make the state
championship and make some noise.
We all want that ring and work hard
every day towards that.”
the quad match on Jan. 16, he has more confidence in the team.
“We went 3-0 against three tough teams, but
we made it look easy,” Leclerc said.
Leclerc said the team needs to improve on digging deep into matches and not giving up.
Although Leclerc sees room for improvement,
he said the wrestlers are focused and know what
they are working for every time they step into
the wrestling room.
DeMarco echoed Leclerc’s view about the quad
match giving the team more faith in their ability.
“Every wrestler from 106 to 285 looked confident and wrestled the way they should. But we
need to be able to keep it like that,” DeMarco
said.
Courtesy of Monica Baranowski
Senior Captain Devin Yunis wrestles an opponent from Kearny High School at a home quad match on Jan. 16.
DeMarco said the team is set on improving
consistency and wrestling their best each day.
“Every single wrestler is determined to make
the state championship and make some noise.
We all want that ring and work hard every day
towards that,” DeMarco said.
Like DeMarco, Junior Conor Yunis said he sees
a state championship in the future for the team.
“From the looks of the way we’ve been wrestling, with hard work and keeping our minds
right, I have no doubt we can get that ring,” said
Yunis.