Half a Million Dollars Plus and Still Counting

Riptide
Want to design our
logo? Send us your
graphical Riptide.
[email protected]
Half a Million Dollars
Plus and Still Counting...
T
he Urban League
opportunities out there
College
Prep
for the able - and the wellProgram
has
prepared, a group that
passed the half
includes this year’s crop
million dollar mark in
of winners.
scholarships this year.
“Because they did their
It attained the
research and met their
milestone with months
deadlines they have
still remaining to reach
walked away with these
its million dollar 2010
scholarships.”
target.
His attention is now
Some $642,000
turned to the future. It
in academic scholarships
is crucial to start the ball
was amassed by just
rolling early, he says.
eight bright students
“My door is open to
who followed a few key
any student, I walk them
pointers.
through
the
whole
“We’re
really
process.”
excited
about
their
Students should really
achievement,” said Mr.
start thinking about this
Harris, who runs the
in tenth grade, as getting
program from Room 105.
the best results cannot be
The
Urban
From left to right: Alyssa Hubbard, Kymberlee Stephens, Emily rushed.
League
College
Prep
“I’ve seen that for
Program was established Cooper and Natashia Brown. See page 4 for complete list.
students who join me in the
at the school 11 years ago,
senior year, the pressures
athletic recruiting, grants and scholarships
with Mr. Harris running it for three years.
to college tours. He also sports a network of meeting deadlines and research can
It acts as something of a one- of contacts throughout the system that be almost overwhelming. Starting the
stop shop for the transition
process early is key.”
he is not afraid to use.
from high school to college.
His ultimate goal is to help as
With the economy “It aims to take the
showing few signs of getting many people who need it.
students through the process
“Right now I am focused on that
any easier, he emphasized from A to Z. From selecting
the need to approach the million dollar mark.”
schools and majors, to being
Mr. Harris, whose motto is “my
college application process signed up for testing, we do it
students are my life” remains confident
strategically.
all.”
“If a school has $100,000 the program will meet the ambitious
The process is never
to give away and five target.
easy, but the program is there to lend a students have met the deadlines, then “I set a goal for myself to raise
helping hand.
$100,000 for ten kids, There’s a real good
they are the ones who will get it.
“It can be intense for some “When the schools have limited chance we’ll meet it.”
students,” he acknowledged. “I do a little funds, it’s so crucial for students to apply Anyone interested in the program
bit of everything to help them through.”
should see Mr. Harris in Room 105.
early.”
He tackles everything from But even in tough times there are
What’s inside this
issue of Riptide?
Our first issue of our
new incarnation
combines, news with
hard-hitting opinion from you the students.
Understanding the plight of
the homeless..... Page 2
“When the
schools
have limited
funds it’s so
crucial for
students to
apply early.”
ROTC - Why I do it and what I
have gained..... Page 2
Toothbrushes, Toothpaste and
Hair Brushes Spell Hope for Haiti
Junior, Corrine
Matlack, introduces
her drive to bring relief
after the earthquake.
I
am running a Haiti Relief Drive
called Hygiene Kits for Haiti. Each kit
requires six items in a Ziploc bag
and will be sent to Haiti through an
organization called Convoy of Hope.
I hope to get the entire school
involved. Along with community
donations for shipping costs ($3 per
bag), students will collect hygienic
items. Each department is in charge of
collecting one item. Boxes will be made
by my group leaders (Sam Sikder, Sam
Walters, Katey Spano, Kristen Racaniello,
Peter Rodriguez and Pat Hoblin) and will be
distributed to certain classrooms that only
host one subject throughout the day. When
more boxes are made, more classrooms
will be available to host a collection box
and perhaps even departmental offices.
We have set a goal for 500 kits approximately 3,000 items. Students are very
capable of this goal. As motivation, Mr. Zimbler
and I hope to arrange an after school event.
Without a doubt, this could be one of the
most successful drives in Riverhead history.
I’m now asking for your support
- students and faculty alike. Not only will
the faculty be hosting collection boxes,
but we want to see them dunked in that
booth! I not only need teachers to promote
this drive, but to participate in the event
after the goal has been achieved. Students,
you’ll have until the day before
break to attain this. Please consider
anything you can do for this drive.
Suggestions are completely welcome!
Thank you so much for your time.
Below is the list of which items will
be collected from each department:
MATH = toothbrushes
ENGLISH = toothpaste
SOCIAL STUDIES = hair combs
FOREIGN LANGUAGE / BUSINESS =
bottles of shampoo
SCIENCE = hand towels
ART / MUSIC / TECH = antibacterial
soap
SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSES =
gallon-sized Ziploc bags.
Our first student art
portfolio..... Page 6
Plus:
An exclusive look behind
the Blue Masques...
Page 3
MM post annis fama de
Latinae morte adhuc
veritatem egreditur...
Page 3
Are you just Facebook
Friends? Page 6
Riptide
Spring 2010, Page 2
There’s a bit more to ROTC
than drill, drill, drill.
individual. I have learned where my
strong points are and how to improve my
weaknesses. My life has become more
organized and structured. Other tasks
in life have become easier to handle as
I have done what has been asked of me.
The tactics and perspective I have learned
have caused me to put more effort forth
during my various everyday activities.
So, is ROTC a mystical power that whips
students into shape? Of course not. Everyone I talked to about the program before I joined told me the same thing, “You
will get out of it what you put into it.” And
this had proven to be true. As with anything in life, if you want to make something of it, you have to work at it. In ROTC
I know I’m not alone, from team jobs to
homework. As everyone knows, the cadets at Riverhead are all close. We know
we have a ROTC family we can count on.
By Faith Tricarico
R
iverhead, what is our occupation? Drill, drill, drill.”
The voices echoed round
Bethel high school gymnasium. We had just won
overall in all three divisions. Bringing
home ten trophies brought a feeling of
pride and achievement. We knew we
had not only made great accomplishments individually, we had come together as a team to achieve the goal we
had set before us. We looked forward
to many more of these competitions.
Originally I joined NJROTC for the
discipline and structure. In the months
since then, I have not only achieved
those goals but many more that I did
not anticipate. The program requires
students to attend an instructional class
as part of their regular school schedule
and wear the uniform most Tuesdays.
In class, students learn the basics they
would need if they were planning on
continuing into a branch of the military.
We learn about honor, courage and commitment. We also learn
basic drills. I like to drill because of the
sense of pride I get when I do well at it.
The maneuvers present the challenge
to always improve and the gratification of seeing how far you have come.
As a junior, high school seemed
to be predictable, but a great deal has
changed in my life since I joined the
ROTC program here at Riverhead. I
have learned many new skills that
provide help with many factors of
everyday life. Yet, while wearing my
uniform around school I see this is a
fact that is all too rarely recognized.
A common but not valid belief
is that ROTC members are a group of,
strictly-structured, early-rising, uniformwearing freaks. Although this is what
some other kids may think, who have
never experienced it, there is no doubt
the program provides many opportunities. These unique advantages include,
not only meeting many interesting new
people, but also being a part of new
experiences not found anywhere else.
And mercifully, the program does not
require you to get up before school -
The
Riptide
Team
Treasurer - Laimis Abromaitis
Art Director - Tanya Rast
Contributing Member - Kim Moreno
Contributing Member - Savannah
Fleming
Contributing Member - Sam Gao
Music Editor - Brittany Meyer
Technical Assistance - Liz Gerosa
Advisors - Mr Faint and Ms Morris
Writing Talent Spotter - Ms Strobel
Contact us: [email protected]
Meets - Mondays after school - Rm 128
Sword at the ready! Senior NJROTC cadets pose in full dress.
“Everyone says we’re
all close in ROTC - and
we are. We all say
we’re each others
family.”
although the hardy souls on the drill
team do brave the chill winter wind to
arrive for 6:25 am drill team practice. Al-
though this is a seemingly dreaded task,
experience has proven it pays off. All
the teammates form a respect for each
other and learn how to work together.
The discipline I’ve learned this year
has taught me to not only be a more
productive student, but a more proactive
citizen and individual. My leadership skills
have improved drastically as the program
has provided opportunities for me to take
initiative and prove myself as a significant
See www.riverheadnjrotc.com.
What ROTC has done
for me.
• It teaches discipline - which has
•
•
•
•
•
spread into the rest of my life
Physical coordination
Strengthens the shouting muscles
Makes you more inclined to listen
Teaches respect of yourself, your
peers and your community
Team work
Understanding is key to
helping the homeless.
Members of the Key Club and Supervisor Cardinale before retiring to their homes for the night - cardboard boxes.
By Kim Moreno and
Savannah Fleming
W
hat's it like to be homeless?
Our Key Club answered this
question on October 16, 2009,
by sleeping outside in boxes.
At 6:00pm the students met up
at Riverhead High School and began to
build and decorate boxes that would be
their homes for the night. They played
lots of games outside such as manhunt and truth or dare. They also ate
pizza donated by Carlos' and Carusos'.
They heard from many guest
speakers, like Supervisor Cardinale and
a woman named Beth who experienced
being homeless first hand. When it was
time to sleep, four students chose to
sleep outside, even in the cold weather.
"I thought I was going to freeze
to death," said Sam Gao, one of the students who did not dare face the terrors
of the plunging mercury. "Some of my
friends had an umbrella sticking out the
top of the box but I didn't have one. Next
year, I'm definitely going to go outside."
Not only did they have lots
of fun but they raised about $600
for the Maureens Haven organization. They were also mentioned in
the News Review as well as Newsday.
Riptide
Spring 2010, Page 3
Glimpse behind the masques
By Amanda Gallo
H
ave you ever wanted to be
someone else? Being a part of a
high school theater production
enables you to be virtually any
character your imagination
can conjure. Riverhead
Blue Masques performed
a comedy double feature
this winter that finally
took down the fourth wall
between the actors and
the audience. One of the
plays was about putting
on a school play, breaking
down the process of it all. It
really showed the audience
how much work goes
into
auditions,
rehearsals,
and
nerve
wrecking
performances.
Actors practice just as any sports
team would for the big game. They go
through vocal and body warm-ups,
and improvisation exercises (which are
essential to any performance). A lot of
the performance came from within the
actors; they contributed ideas of how they
visualized the way the scenes would turn
out best on stage. This occured all while
adjusting to the teaching and directing
methods of a new Blue Masques teacher.
To some students, Blue Masques
is like an adventure, a relief, and something
to look forward to. It is something they
grow to love. “The theater is my second
home,” says Brandon Hollborn, a junior
and 3rd year member of the club. One performance, the director will put changes. Various members pull curtains,
of the best experiences is an actor’s first you in a role. For the light crew, it can move wooden trees, chairs, and set
year with the club because everything be particularly tricky with a hundred up the stage. These students also rely
is new to them. The naivety gives them switches and dials to work. During shows on actors to do their part efficiently.
the ability to define what makes the is an extreme challenge because from Opening night comes and evclub worthwhile for them.
eryone is jittery,
“To each his own.”
running about
Being
the
dressing
backstage for a show
rooms, fighting
requires a lot more
for a space in
work, preparation,
the mirror. Acand rehearsal than
tors have butany outside person
terflies in their
would realize. Actors
stomachs and
go through pages of
fall into deep
line memorization,
thought, afraid
including 60 second
they will forget
monologues. They
their lines. But
have to perform
before
show
on stage by themselves,
time, all acnearly blinded by a spotlight
tors and stage
for many viewers. It is easier
crew members
said than done. Putting on
gather,
and
a show takes a lot of time to
seniors thank
The Blue Masques in action. Photo by Stephanie Visek
go over lines ensuring the
the group for
actors don’t stutter or mispronounce the distance the lighting booth from the an amazing time together, because
any character names. This can be stage is, they only hear about 70% of they are a family. Ms. Haughie tells evparticularly difficult when involved what is going on, especially with un-mic’d eryone they will put on a great show.
with
Shakespearian
compositions. actors. They must work with the actors Many people tell us never to
Auditions may be one of the to ensure they play the correct songs forget these moments. They are lifescariest aspects of a show. Your heart during a certain scene, and changing the changing. “You never realize how fast
is racing and you’re working at being lights on a cue given in a specific line. it goes,” says the club’s president, Ryan
a different person, trying to portray Stage crew, run entirely by Beodeker. “Don’t take this for granted,”
emotion to show that you are the best students, also are vital. They ensure that he tells the cast and crew before they
actor for the role. Usually, based upon the actors are standing by for entrances, enter the stage. Silence falls upon the
the way you present your character giving time checks for people changing auditorium, fade to black, heart pounding
in the audition, if the judges like your wardrobes, and importantly: scene out of your chest, and the curtain opens…
Actors
practice
just as
any
sports
team
would
for the
big
game...
MM post annis fama de
Latinae morte adhuc
veritatem egreditur *
By Kathryn Blasl
I
’ve grown accustomed to receiving
strange looks from adults and peers
alike when I inform them which
language I’ve chosen to study out
of the three offered at our school. As
a student entering her sixth year in
the Riverhead Latin Program, they ask
me why I didn’t pick a more “useful” or
“practical” language, rather than one
considered dead by most of the general
populous. Contrary to popular opinion,
however, Latin is far from dead, and
has taught me perhaps some of the
most valuable things I will ever learn
throughout my entire high school career.
There are many reasons that a
student entering the seventh or ninth
grades would choose Latin. One of the
more obvious benefits one might obtain
from our Latin program is a larger English
vocabulary. That’s right - Latin students
leave the classroom with a wider
vocabulary in a language we all use every
day. Talk about practical. The English
language is strongly influenced by Latin
vocabulary; in fact, 60% of the English
dictionary comes from Latin words! That’s
already an incredible advantage on the
SAT, where recognizing Latin meanings
in the roots and prefixes of the tested
vocabulary has been statistically proven
to raise Latin students’ SAT grades.
Kathryn Blasl gives an
eyewitness account of what
must be the geekiest sporting
events on Long Island - The
Declamtio And Certamen.
“It’s really intense, you can taste it in
the air. Everyone is really studious
and into what they are doing. It’s
not a bad kind of energy everyone is
really excited,” she said.
“Everyone
is
reciting
conjegations and quizzing each
other. They have prepared for this
all year. By the finals everyone is
watching, then performing in front
of a large crowd.”
What did it feel like to win?
“Half is a sense of relief - we have such
a great reputation you don’t want to
let people down. Expectations are
very high. It makes it harder but at the
same time you are more confident.
“You meet a lot of really
interesting intelligent people there
- there aren’t a lot of people in the
world studying Latin. It’s cool to meet
people who are into it like you are.”
Students also walk away from the
program with an enhanced understanding
of English grammar. Because Latin is a
highly inflected language, words take
on different shapes depending on their
grammatical function in the sentence. In
order to understand the various rules of
Latin grammar, it’s necessary for students
to also understand the rules of English
grammar. Taking Latin helps students
to appreciate the distinctions between
“you and me” and “you and I”; “who” and
“whom”; and “we” and “us”, just to name
a few areas of confusion in English.
Aside from the many academic
benefits of studying the Latin language,
the outstanding caliber of our very own
Latin program at Riverhead High School
is, by itself, a great reason to learn the
language. We have one of the strongest
programs on the entire island. We
consistently leave various county-wide
Latin competitions with top honors.
Just this autumn at the Declamatio, our
middle school and high school Latinists
took away first and second place awards
in every division possible, and we hope to
do equally well in the spring, as we have in
past years, at the Certamen competition.
And, of course, everyone adores
Doc and Ms. Custer, the dynamic wifeand-husband teacher duo running
the program. Their fantastic teaching
skills combined with their casual,
welcoming way with their students
make them faculty favorites among
students in the middle and high schools.
*2000 Years Later, Rumors of Latin’s
Death
Still
Much
Exaggerated
Enter Teeny
Awards, Stage Left
The East End Arts Council and the
Westhampton Beach Performing
Arts Center are bringing the program
to East End high schools for its
eighth year. Patterned after the
Tony Awards, this Student Theatre
Arts Recognition program was
developed in 2002 to celebrate
theatre students on the East End.
All public and private
high schools in the five East End
Towns are invited to participate.
Anonymous
volunteer
judges,
selected for their theatre experience
and knowledge, attend high school
theatre productions throughout
the academic year. Then they
nominate five students in a variety
of categories. Nominees attend
a gala awards ceremony where
celebrities, dignitaries, and sponsors
present each winner with an
award, along with a scholarship.
It reinforces the value of
theatre, which poses the question how can you explain, to those who
do not understand, the importance
of theatre in your school? Well,
one of the most desirable qualities
that employers look for is “people
skills.” This is clearly a skill students
gain from being involved in theatre
arts. Self-esteem and confidence is
raised. Students learn teamwork,
as well as how to “think on their
feet,” dealing with unexpected
situations with wisdom and grace.
Contact
the
Teeny
Awards
Coordinator at teenyawards@yahoo.
com with your input and suggestions.
www.youtube.com/
TheTeenyAwards &
www.facebook.com/teenyawards.
Riptide
Spring 2010, Page 4
Did You Foresee The Rise of Ke$ha?
One of our brave respondents.
knew exactly who Ke$ha was, while the
other twenty-six didn’t have a clue.
“I don’t know who she is,” said
Sam Colt when I asked her during eighth
period lunch. But Brenna Cuccia did.
“Yeah, I know her,” she said. “She’s a really
good singer.” Out of the twenty four
students who knew who she was, sixteen
liked her, three did not, and five were
undecided.
I, personally, do not like popelectric music, but I can’t help but sing
“Tik Tok” when it comes on the radio.
And as planned, the first album I bought
in 2010 was Animal.
Rating: 3.5/5
www.keshasparty.com
www.myspace.com/keshaishot
www.twitter.com/kesha
Ke$ha Facts
In the first of a
regular series, our
intrepid reporter
heads to the
lunchroom to
pick up on trends
before they hit the
mainstream.
Mr. Harris’ Tips For College
Application Success
1. Prioritize what is most
important to you in a college or
university.
2. Take a good look at yourself
to create the best impression to
admission counselors.
3. Explore majors that match
your skills and interests.
4. Think quality - not quantity.
5. Don’t rule out schools because
of costs.
6. Be aware of dates and
deadlines.
7. One is good, both are better take the SAT and ACT.
By Brittany Meyer
T
his issue’s artist is: Ke$ha
(and yes, that is a dollar sign).
Pronounced Keh-shuh, Kesha
Sebert is a Nashville-raised
prodigy who is well on her way to
stardom.
Congratulations to the $600K
scholarship winners, from the
Urban League College Prep
Program:
1. Natashia Brown - Forensic
Science Major
Univ. New Haven $50,000
St John’s Univ. $44,000
Alfred State $16,000
2. Emily Cooper – Psychology Major
Assumption College $52,000
Franklin Pierce $52,000
LaSell College $50,000
Univ. of Scranton $28,000
3. Kellie Griffith – Spanish
Education Major
Wagner College $88,000
Assumption College $80,000
Since her album dropped on
January 5th, you must now know who
she is, but what about back in 2009 when you were perhaps still saying her
name wrong, if you were saying it at all?
Towards the end of last year I
went around and asked fifty students
about Ke$ha. Twenty-four of those fifty
She’s had a cameo in Katy Perry’s “I
Kissed A Girl,” co-wrote The Veronica’s
song, “This Love”, and sings back up
vocals for Britney Spears’ “Lace and
Leather”. She also collaborates with Taio
Cruz in “Dirty Picture” and Pitbull’s “Girls”.
If you would like to suggest an artist/band
to be featured in the next article of the
Riptide, email me at BrittanyRiptide@aim.
com
Memories fade to
no
th
in
g
4. Alyssa Hubbard – Forensic
Science Major
University of Scranton $48,000
Alfred State $16,000
5. Michael Kringle – Engineering
Major
University of Albany $16,000
6. Kymberlee Stephens – Athletic
Trainer/Physical Therapy Dominican
College $42,000
8. Learn how to build a better
essay.
7. Nuria Wright – French Major
St. John’s Univ. $32,000
9. Visit the campus and ask a lot
of questions.
8. - Alexandra Budd
Springfield College $28,000
Yearbooks don’t.
Seniors! Make sure
you get yours!
$70. See Ms Olsen. Room 104.
Riptide - Club And Class
Spring 2010, Page 5
From Dance to Dinosaur Bones
French Club
The Club took a trip to the MOMA with
the Spanish club January 6th for Teen
Night. “There was a lot of interest in
the photography exhibit as a lot of the
kids are picture takers themselves. They
seemed to find it inspiring and took a
lot of pictures of themselves with the
artwork,” said Ms. O’Donnell, who runs
the club with Ms. Westfall.
The club watched Le Valet, a madcap
French comedy, and les membres du
club Francais reported that it was
magnifique. The next movie night will
feature Le Diner De Cons.
Leo Club
The Leo Club roars again! The club
was resurrected this school year. The
enthusiastic members proved in strong
voice at The Riverhead Senior Care
Center, where they entertained a group
of residents with a lively set of carols.
They recently sold paper hearts in the
cafeteria to raise money for the American
Heart Association.
See Ms. O’Donnell or Ms. Westfall to get
involved in these important works.
Spanish V and AP
Field Trip
Spanish IV students in front of The Hispanic Society of America in NYC.
A party of 50 students
braved the winter cold
to descend on the
Broadway production
of In the Heights - a
musical set amongst
the Latino community
of New York’s
Washington Heights
neighborhood.
“It was great to see
the kids lining up
for autographs and
speaking to the artists
after the show,” said Ms.
Boerum, who organized
the trip. “It took a lot of enthusiasm to
stand out there in the cold weather but
they really loved it.”
BOCES Competitors at the Auto Tech Competition
Varsity Cheerleading
The Riverhead Varsity Cheerleading team
attended the Universal Cheerleading
Associations National High School
Cheerleading Competition on February
13-14 in Orlando, Florida. The event is
televised on ESPN and is an invitation
only qualified event.
Loading up relief supplies for Haiti.
Spanish IV students learning the art of Flamenco dancing.
Ms Stevenson and students at the Museum of Natural History in New York.
Riptide
Spring 2010, Page 6
A Focus on Research
By Meghan Davis
The grant offers millions of
dollars in funding to fully cover the
installation of solar cells able to generate
owner of the Glory electric tour boat in
Greenport. The boat was already friendly
to the bay waters, powered by electric
I
nterested in the environment? The
Research Class may be the most
environmentally savvy class yet to
come to Riverhead High School.
Their mission to improve and protect
the world for future generations is
being slowly accomplished every year.
The Research Class is headed by
biology teacher Mr. Jester and based out
of Room 224 and its own research room.
Their latest project? Learning
how to write a state-wide grant
through NYSERDA, a job normally
reserved for trained adults. The students
investigated the process and essentially
taught themselves how to submit a
proposal by contacting administration
and even obtaining an estimate.
Sound interesting?
Contact Mr. Jester at bob.jester@
riverhead.net or join the Science
Club every Friday in Room 224,
which works in collaboration with
the Research Class and has recently
established a new aluminum
recycling program. Stop by, and
help create a better tomorrow.
Recycling in action as part of Mr Barona’s drive to put used paper to
better use.
enough power to fuel Riverhead High
School, Middle School, and even
Pulaski Street Elementary School. The
proposal is due to be submitted this year.
This is not the first of their
projects to concern an environmental
topic. In October of 2007 the Research
Class began studying alternative energy.
A simple research project led to their
introduction to Captain Dave Berson,
batteries and producing no oil, gas, or
carbon dioxide. The students observed
this unusual vehicle and thought, why
Art Portfolio - Manuela Duran
For
those
Inspiring Footsteps
enthusiastic
By Alexa Markel and
Gabriella Misiano
presenting
S
ince 1950, students from all across
Long Island have submitted their
science projects into the prestigious Long Island Science Congress to be judged on originality, quality, and design. Past project topics have
ranged from exploring energy efficiency
to studies in animal behavior, and have
all been independently
executed by some of
the brightest students
on Long Island. Among
those students are
Gaby
Savaneviciute,
Sandra
Ruttkayova,
and Alicia Kratoville
- members of the Riverhead Research Class.
Gaby Savaneviciute and Sandra
Ruttkayova are working
together on a project
called Thermal Conductivity of Metals Versus Their Common
Alloys. The project involves measuring
conductivity in pure metals and their alloys. The real-life applications for these
findings include looking into situations
where thermal conductivity is a factor,
such as the metals used by NASA to build
space shuttles and stations. These need
to withstand extreme temperatures and
conditions, so it is important to understand how these materials react to heat.
Alicia Kratoville’s project is titled
Analysis of Heavy Metal Levels in C. Virginica
Oysters. By utilizing the Synchrotron Light
Source at the Brookhaven National Lab,
the national research facility, the students
were able to detect the levels and types of
toxins in oyster shells. Their findings have
potential to help scientists in the environmental field. With this research, environmentalists can create a baseline reading
for the level of toxins in oyster shells, and
hopefully reduce pollution in the future.
While these students have been
working on their projects for the Long
Island Science Congress, we have been
able to see their hard work first hand. The
work ethic demonstrated by these students has inspired us to
start a project of our own.
Because of recent interest
in protecting the environment, we have decided
to research green cleaning products. The cleaning products available on
the market today contain
chemicals that are harmful to humans and the
environment, most of
which do not yield much
better results than their
green alternatives. Our
plans are to investigate potential substitutes for these products. Hopefully
our research will lead to future projects.
These students have put a great
deal of time and energy into their projects in the hopes of bettering the scientific community and furthering their
own knowledge. They will finally have
the opportunity to gain recognition for
their efforts. By taking on the challenge
of submitting their work into the Long
Island Science Congress, they have demonstrated the type of ambitious individual that all students should aspire to be.
Cleaning
products
today contain
chemicals that
are harmful to
humans and the
environment
not take this concept to the next step?
Nearly three years later, in September
of 2009 - after consulting the Greenport
Village Board, the East End Maritime
Institute, Eastern Energy Systems, and
private contributors and changing the
Greenport Village energy code - the Glory
was fully powered by its own solar cells.
These students’ idea to power
the Glory with photovoltaic bloomed
into the creation of the Glory Solar
Satellite Learning Center, the first solar
powered US Coast Guard inspected tour
boat. Data is also collected from the solar
panels and published on the internet,
including the kilowatts generated and
money saved (and put into a scholarship
for Riverhead students). Students
from all areas of the globe can now
access this data and create their own
research projects from the information.
“We hear a lot about
global warming, but not much
about global learning,” said Mr
Jester. “We
can
change
that.”
The Research Class is constantly
looking
for
new
opportunities
to continue its work making the
world a safer, greener place to live.
budding
artists
and Email
to
out R i p T i d e @ r i v e r h e a d . n e t
there who unfortunately are
too timid or unsure about
their
submissions
artwork
for the world to see, the
newspaper can be a great
way to showcase your work
or any other creative craft.
Riptide
Spring 2010, Page 7
Tanya Rast’s playful take on a Crab Apple combines Photoshop with crustacians as part of Ms Jablow’s Computer Graphics Class.
No, We’re Just Facebook Friends
By Kathryn Hill.
How do you know when you’re just
Facebook friends?
By Tanya Rast.
T
he Internet and other technologies
have made making friends easier
than ever before. The old picking
up the telephone and calling
someone is now replaced by texts, e-mails,
or Facebook messages. Was the old way
of making friends more beneficial? Or is
the new technological way easier and
just as beneficial? Can you really get
to know someone
through Facebook?
Websites such as
Facebook and other
similar sites allow
you to connect with
hundreds of people
by just one click of
the mouse. By friend
requesting someone,
you can access
their profile page.
Information
you
can get from profile
pages includes but is
not limited to: name,
location, interests,
age etc. You can learn
virtually
anything
about
someone,
from one page
they fill out. Other
Facebook features
such as chat allow
you to converse
with anyone on your
friends list. You can
easily get to learn hundreds of things
about person (whether true or not) without
ever having to talk to them face-to-face.
On Facebook you can also join a group
The old
picking
up the
telephone
and
calling
someone
is now
replaced
by texts,
e-mails, or
Facebook
messages.
1. One sure way to know your just
friends on Facebook is if you’ve known
someone since elementary school yet
when you get in high school you never
talk and they randomly send you a
friend request.
2. If your friends with someone on
Facebook and you pretty much never
talk to each other or write on their
wall.
3. There are surely those who only
have a few close friends in school
but end up having a couple hundred
friends on Facebook. Suspect they
don’t even know half of them.
of something you take interest in. Within
this group you may find people from all
over the world who share your interest.
Hundreds of millions of people use
Facebook as a way to connect with others.
Answer me this though; are
Facebook friends as good as real friends?
I say no. You can chat for hours with
someone on Facebook but when you
see them face-to-face, you don’t say one
word to them. When you are friends with
someone in real life, you can hang out and
spend time together. What is the Facebook
equivalent of hanging out? As a frequent
user of Facebook, I’m not trying to criticize
the website. Having real friends though,
the ones you see and not just in Facebook
photos, is more beneficial than only
talking to someone through Facebook.
By using Facebook you are limited to the
information shown on someone’s page.
Can you really tell someone’s true feelings
through chats online? For example two
girls are Facebook friends. They spend
most of their days chatting on Facebook,
commenting and liking each other’s
statuses and photos, but when they see
each other in the school hallway they act
if though they don’t know each other. So
why should we be friends with someone
on Facebook but not in real life? Maybe
it’s easier to talk via Facebook, but what
do you really gain from the experience?
Next time you see your Facebook
friend in the hallway consider saying
hi, instead of when your friends ask “I
thought you two were friends?” replying
with “No we’re just Facebook friends”. In
my personal opinion I think that making
friends by talking face-to-face and hanging
out is a better way to make friends. Sure
you may be shy, or think no one wants to
be your friend, but you can gain a more
realistic and true friendship face-to-face.
4. Say you’ve met someone maybe
once in your life and when you get
into high school they all of a sudden
send you a friend request and you’re
asking yourself “who is that?”. That’s
just a Facebook friend.
5. Sometimes people use fake names
and when they ask to be your friend
you have absolutely no idea who they
are and it might come across as kinda
creepy. That’s a “Facebook Friend” to
watch out for.
6. Another Facebook phenomenon
that a lot of people see on Facebook
now is people saying that their
relationship status is married but of
course not in real life. The one thing
weirder than Facebook friends Facebook spouses.
Riptide Sport
Spring 2010, Page 8
Dance and Yoga for Gym?
A
By Mike Drozd
re most of you sick of the
some-old activities in gym
that have been going on
since kindergarten? Don’t
you think we should expand our everyother day “exercise” with something
less violent? I know I would like to.
Don’t you think it would be nice
for the school to start yoga or dance
seminars
sometime
during our
gym classes? It would
be nice to
actually relax during
the 45 minutes of gym,
instead of
worrying
about your
head being
blown off by
the jock trying to score
in speedball.
The school
should at
least allow a
week or two
of
something less aggressive for the other percent
of the school that doesn’t enjoy sports.
Yoga is a great way to relieve
stress, especially if you’re balancing
school, a job, after school activities, and
the anxiety of your future. Yoga is an
exercise of physical and mental discipline
for achieving tranquility. Doing this in
gym would help the overly-stressed
relax sometime in their school day,
allowing themselves to be in a calm state,
hopefully for the rest of their day. And not
many people have the time to go after
school and take yoga, making it a good
idea to have yoga classes during gym.
Dance is a great aerobic exercise;
it is also a good way to express people’s
emotions. Football and basketball aren’t
the only ways to exercise; dance is a
great way to exercise. Dance requires
the whole body and a good amount of
Scenes from the many sporting activtities at Riverhead High
School. No matter their element, someone will attain greatness.
strength and stamina to keep up with the
rhythms and to stay light on your feet.
Most sports mainly use 80 per cent of the
body’s movements, while dance requires
basically 100 per cent. Most people love
to dance, and they would participate in a
dance class during gym. And what about
the people who need dance in their
future careers? They don’t need to know
how to throw, catch,
or hit a baseball; they
would be much more
interested in the
basics to most forms
of dance to prepare
them. Yes of course
that is what dance
lessons are for, but
most people don’t
have the time or the
money to take them.
Why can’t Riverhead High School
also teach dance?
And why not dance
instead of gym for
those who need or
want it? It will help
those for college.
There are many
different forms of
dance: modern, jazz,
folk, and ballet. The school should be
allowed to teach dance because it is
a great way to exercise; you use your
body to a steady or fast beat in a pattern
using many motions and techniques.
Having a dance team in school is
a good way to expand RHS’s after school
activities. Plus, competitions can be fun.
Doing the same old thing in
gym throughout the year can be annoying. More ways of exercise, including dance and yoga, is a good way to
expand different ways for a person
to have fun and see what they like.
During one of the periods we get
off, it would be nice to try something different, something relaxing.
Allowing yoga and dance
in school is a great way for a good
workout, and a fun time in gym.
Disagree?
Or
wondering
what
happened
to
the
rest
of
the
sports
reports?
Then we need you to write for us!
Come along to the Newspaper
Club.
Everyone
is
welcome!