December 2015 - White Plains Public Schools

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White Plains,
N.Y. 10605
White Plains, NY
December 2015
Buddies for the Holidays
MEGHAN WALSH
The Service Learning
class, taught by Ms. Fahey and
Ms. Gerhardt, has done much
to better both the school and
the White Plains community,
and this is only the second
year that it’s being offered to
seniors! “The Service Learning class is a course that tries
to engage in more hands-on
learning; we want to get the
kids involved in our school
setting and in our community,
wherever there is a need,” Ms.
Fahey explained. She went on
to note, “We really want to get
kids more involved, creating
leadership skills and abilities
and owning a certain level
of responsibility.” This class
allows students to learn in an
untraditional way, as many of
the assignments are based on
work in the community and
interactions relating to that
work. The Service Learning
class does follow a syllabus,
“However, the luxury with
this class is that if something
does come up, whether it be
a community need, a current
events piece, or something that
a student is interested in, we
have that flexibility to sort of
marry that to the framework
that we created,” Ms. Gerhardt
detailed. This flexibility does
not occur in your English or
history courses, which follow
rigid schedules, and that is
what makes the Service Learning class so unique. As stated
above, the interactions the
students make do factor into
the grading. “We were assessing the students on how they
interacted with others, speaking skills—who is going up
and presenting to the students.
You’re not supposed to just
stand in the corner and wave.
We want them to interact and
have conversations, and not
just with adults, but with other
students in the classroom,”
Ms. Fahey said. “But that’s
not all the grading is based
upon. They do get a midterm
and a final that is written. And
with the interactions, it’s also
how you carry yourself,” Ms.
Gerhardt added.
“Ultimately, the goal
is you want to foster a classroom that creates skills. It
creates a skill set that can be
applied to whatever may be applied to them in the future, and
that’s how it manifests through
these projects,” Ms. Gerhardt
further explained.
Earlier this fall, Ms.
Pulcini approached Ms. Fahey
and Ms. Gerhardt about having
the Serving Learning class do
an activity with the S.A.I.L.
students. Students from the
Service Learning class were
paired up with the S.A.I.L.
students just before Thanks-
giving to complete an activity.
Together, they put together
Oreo cookie turkeys, following step-by-step instructions.
In addition to constructing
the turkeys, students all went
around sharing what they were
thankful for. “It worked really
well, and everyone enjoyed
it,” Ms. Fahey said. Now, this
pair-up was not a one-time
thing. Within the next few
weeks, another activity will be
done with hot chocolate and
mason jars. There will also be
more interactions throughout
the year, including the Special
Olympics, which will occur
during the spring.
drew in the audience. On top of
that, the cast’s enthusiasm and
passion truly showed in their
outstanding acting.
Hamlet tells the story
of a titular prince of Denmark
who is faced with the death
of his father, after which his
mother weds his uncle, Claudius, who becomes the new king.
Hamlet is soon after visited
by the ghost of his dead father
claiming that Claudius killed
him, and Hamlet’s life spirals
out of control as he seeks to
avenge his father.
The cast and crew
mainly stuck to this source material, but added a few of their
own interpretations to make
quite a unique production;
many parts that would traditionally be taken by males were
instead performed by females,
the lead role included. Senior
Esther Ritchin—who played to
role of Hamlet—recalls, “Playing Hamlet was an interesting
challenge in the most fundamental aspect of the role—I
was a female playing a male. I
had to concentrate on the basic
physical aspects—I spoke in a
lower register, and moved differently.” It was interesting to
see how the Little Theater put
their own spin on a play that
has been performed countless
times in order to truly make it
their own.
Even from just watching one show, it was evident
that the students working on
Hamlet were a tight-knit group
and really loved what they
were doing. Ritchin again recalls, “The cast of Hamlet is
one of the best casts I’ve been
a part of—a supportive, fun
talented group of people.” The
dynamic on stage was nothing
you could have created with
people who weren’t a close
community.
And of course none of
this would have been possible
without all the time, effort, and
hard work put in by the cast,
crew, student directors Abby
Lombino, Jackie Harnaga, and
Daniel Velasquez, and their
dedicated advisor, Ms. Cepler.
Senior Maeve Kraiger, who
played the role of Polonius,
described all the hard work
that everyone put in, saying,
“[The script] was very wordy,
‘cause it was Shakespeare. It
took a long time for everyone
to learn all their lines and every
time we messed up we laughed.
But once we got all the lines,
we were all so proud.”
The Little Theater
once again outdid itself, and
will surely have more impressive productions coming soon.
The Little Theater’s Take on Hamlet
DANIELLE HERMAN
Photo obtained from enotes.
com
This past November,
the WPHS Little Theater put
on a stellar performance of
the Shakespearean tragedy,
Hamlet. The atmosphere of
the Little Theater made each
production intimate, and really
Sports Hall of Fame 2015
GIANNA CICCHETTI
On November 13,
2015, White Plains High
School was host to the First
Annual Athletic Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony. “Tonight
is about the athletes who left
their mark on not only White
Plains High School, but the city
of White Plains. Tonight we
take the time to acknowledge
them and their achievements,”
President of the Hall of Fame
committee, Chuck Stogel,
noted. Other board members
of the White Plains Hall of
Fame committee, along with
Principle Ellen Doherty and
Athletic Director Matt Cam-
eron, were in attendance.
The 15 inductees that
received the honor of being
inducted into the White Plains
High School Athletic Hall of
Fame were: Nicole Boykin,
Frank Briante, Mal Graham,
Larry James, Harry Jefferson,
Deacon Jones, Dean Loucks,
Glenn Loucks, Champ Marano, Craig Masback, Art Monk,
Dick Nolan, Jason Parker, Jay
Saldi, and Len Watters. These
incredible individuals were a
huge part of building the reputation of the athletic program
they were a part of.
When the inductees
received their plaque, they
all shared one common sentiment: each individual stated
how much it meant to him/
her to be a part of a strong
Tiger Nation at White Plains
High School. All recipients
recognized the impact their
Page 2: The Gun Violence Epidemic
Page 6: Color of the Month
Page 3: Engineering at WPHS
Page 7: Westchester Community College
Page 4 & 5: Songwriters SHowcase
Page 8: Senior Spotlights
beginnings at White Plains
had on their futures. “No matter if I’ve graduated or moved
on with my life, I will always
bleed orange and black” said
Nicole Boykin.
Jay Saldi, a former
NFL Cowboy, stated, “To be
inducted into the White Plains
High School Athletic Hall of
Fame is one of the biggest honors I’ve had related to sports.”
Finally, I would like
to acknowledge that eight of
the inductees are no longer
with us. They will forever be
recognized and in our hearts.
2 EDITORIAL
The Gun Violence Epidemic
DANIELLE HERMAN
On December 2, tragedy struck San Bernardino,
California, in the form of a
random mass shooting. Yet
again, news of gun violence hit
the media, but in this day and
age, hearing about events like
those in San Bernardino has
disastrously become the norm.
From Columbine to Sandy
Hook to Chapel Hill, most
Americans can easily name
countless tragic shootings that
have happened in recent years.
Mass shootings have become
a major and all too common
problem in the United States,
and this shouldn’t be. Gun
violence is out of control, and
the way to fix it is with control—gun control, that is.
Of course all people
who own guns aren’t going to
use them for crime, but when
looking at the big picture, it’s
clear that gun control needs to
be stricter in the United States.
The Huffington Post reports
that across all states and countries, a higher number of gun
owners correlates with a higher
number of murders. Additionally, states with stricter gun
regulations have significantly
fewer incidences of gun violence. It makes sense—shootings can’t happen if the perpetrator can’t access guns.
When compared to
other nations, it’s easy to see
that gun policy in the United
States is out of line. The U.S.
is too lenient with gun control,
and therefore has far more
gun violence than any other
developed country. The satirical newspaper, The Onion,
summed it up best with their
headline, “‘No Way To Prevent
This,’ Says Only Nation Where
This Happens Regularly.”
Despite being satire, the statement brings up a sad truth. The
United States leads the rest of
the world in number of mass
shootings, according to the
Wall Street Journal, and PBS
reports the US is home to only
5 percent of the world’s population but almost 50 percent of
the world’s guns. It is evident
that there is a strong connection between gun ownership
and gun violence, and stricter
gun control is the only way to
reduce gun ownership.
Most other developed
countries, like Canada and
Australia, have very strict gun
regulations. In Australia, it is
extremely difficult for civilians
to obtain firearms. PBS reports
that Australians “must demonstrate a genuine need” for the
type of gun they’re attempting to obtain, and they must
subsequently take a gun safety
course. Similarly, Canada also
requires a safety course and
has extremely strict firearm
licensing requirements. The
United States should look to
situations like these as working examples, for Canada and
Australia’s numbers of gun
violence incidents are nearly
non-existent when compared
to the US.
Overall, gun violence
is a rampant problem in the
United States, and it’s time that
something was finally done to
put an end to these tragedies.
As Americans are continually
scared and saddened by the far
too many mass shootings that
happen, the government sits
back and does nothing. This
needs to change. Stricter gun
control has worked in countless
other places, and its time the
US followed the good example
set forth by other nations.
erly. The Help Board allows
students to sign their names up
for a conference with the teacher during class. This allows
students to speak with their
teacher for clarification about
something taught, or a question about their grades, without
having to remember to hang
back after school. The Expert
Board is one that requires time
to pass before it generates much
substance. The Experts placed
on the board are students who
know specific material very
well and can teach it to others.
The Expert Board cuts down on
how many students sit in class
completely confused because it
produces more than one available teacher. The Parking Lot is
for any and all questions. It can
range from a question about the
material being covered in class,
to what the teacher’s favorite
football team is. Clearly, some
questions take priority over others.
In a traditional classroom, students are in their seats
throughout the period, so they
are not getting up and writing
on different boards. However,
the way the daily schedule is
set up in LATIC classes allows
for this movement. Each day,
students are given a different
schedule that details the tasks
that they must complete for that
day. Some of these tasks can be
completed in pairs, while others
must be completed independently; in many cases, students
have a choice of what task they
wish to complete. There are
also some tasks that are exten-
sion activities if students finish
early. Lessons exist in the form
of the Benchmark Lesson and
Mini-Group Small Lesson. The
Benchmark Lesson is a whole
class lesson and is usually content-based. However, the small
group mini-lesson requires
students to sign up, and there is
a maximum number of students
who can participate. The MiniGroup Lessons can be based
on content if many students
feel uncomfortable with certain
material previously covered, it
might be on how to use review
materials, or it could be on how
to use something for a project,
such as iMovie.
As of right now, there
are several classrooms that are
following this model, including
Health, eleventh grade English
Honors, some Chemistry sections, some Math sections, some
sections of A.P U.S. History,
and some of the engineering
classes. Over the summer, the
district will train another cohort of teachers. By next year,
there will be additional teachers
and subjects taught using this
model.
LATIC is more than
just technology in class, but
not everyone sees it that way.
Many see the iPads and think
that is all that LATIC is—learning from an iPad, not from a
teacher. It will take some time
for everyone, students and staff,
to adjust, but if everyone has
patience and allows mistakes to
occur, then LATIC may become
an excellent way of teaching.
A Look Into LATIC
MEGHAN WALSH
The start of this school
year brought about many changes. One such change was the
development of LATIC classes,
which are Learner-Active Technology Infused Classrooms.
What this means is that instead
of the more traditional method
of teaching via lectures, classes
now incorporate materials such
as iPads and e-clickers.
However, LATIC is
more than just learning from an
iPad. If you have ever been in
a LATIC classroom, then you
might have noticed the multiple poster boards hanging up
around the room. These boards
include the Help Board, the
Expert Board, and the Parking
Lot. Each of these boards plays
a different role in making the
LATIC classes function prop-
The
Orange is published
monthly by the student body of White
Plains High School,550 North
Street, White Plains, NY 10605.
As a forum for public opinion,
The Orange welcomes all letters to
the editor. Although unsigned letters cannot be published, names
will be withheld upon request.
All opinions expressed in the
articles are those of the writers and
do not reflect the views of the administration, school board, advisors
or staff. All unsigned editorials are
the opinions of the editorial board.
Call (914) 422-2154 or e-mail
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Editor-in-Chief
Danielle Herman
Senior Spotlight
Editor
Robbie Schwartz
Managing Editor
Laura Prestipino
Sports Editor
Gianna Cicchetti
Layout Editor
Sydney Teller
Entertainment
Editor
Harriet Rose
Photography
Editor
Revital Aloni
News Editor
Meghan Walsh
Opinion Editor
Alisia Ortiz
The Orange
Advisors
Cheryl Rosenka
Jessica
Rappaport
Final Installment: Fresh Faces at WPHS
MARINA LEBOWICH
In the past two issues of
The Orange, we have introduced
you to some of the new teachers
and staff at White Plains High
School. In this final installment,
we will introduce you to Felix
Nicodemo, Chad Allen, and
Christopher Nolan.
Our first new addition
to White Plains High School
is Physical Education teacher,
Felix Nicodemo. He has his
undergraduate
degree
from
UCONN and his graduate degree
from Manhattanville College.
Before working at White Plains
High School, he worked in the
NEWS 3
Peekskill and Mount Pleasant
school districts. When I asked him
about his experiences at White
Plains High School so far, he said,
“All the staff and administration
have been so supportive and
helpful in my first year at the high
school. I’m very grateful to be
here. The students are great, and
it’s such a pleasure to be able to
teach them every day.” In addition
to teaching fitness, Mr. Nicodemo
is coaching the junior varsity girls
basketball team this winter.
Another
teacher
is
technology teacher, Chad Allen. He
has his undergraduate degree from
SUNY Oswego and is currently
getting his master’s degree from
SUNY New Paltz. Before working
at White Plains High School, he
worked at Chester Academy in
Orange County. I asked him about
his first impressions of White
Plains High School, and he said,
“So far I am very happy here. I like
the size and the diversity of the
school. Chester was a small school,
but the high school I attended was
closer in size to White Plains. So
it’s nice to be in a school similar
to the one I attended. I also like the
numerous opportunities this school
has to offer the students.”
Mr. Allen said that he
wanted to become a technology
teacher because after graduating
high school, he went back to help
with the backstage aspects of their
theatre program. That’s when he
discovered that he was good at
teaching kids how to use tools
and why to build things in certain
ways. So, he decided to make it his
career.
Finally, we would like
to introduce you new special
education teacher Christopher
Nolan. He has his undergraduate
degree from Dowling College and
his graduate degree from Touro
College. He said that he wanted to
become a teacher simply to help
kids. Prior to working at White
Plains High School, Mr. Nolan
taught in the Mattituck district on
Long Island. On his first impression
of the school, he said, “The staff
has been very welcoming and
helpful. The students are great,
and I love the energy here. I’m
really enjoying the opportunities at
WPHS. I have the best students in
the school.”
On behalf of The Orange
and the whole school, we would
like to welcome all of the new staff
to White Plains High School.
Development is a seniors-only
class that consists of students who
plan on pursuing engineering in
college. This small class provides
students with the opportunity to
put all prior knowledge to use.
Students are faced with massive
time restrictions, for they have
to present projects by early May,
and they receive few grades other
than their final project. Their current projects could possibly be
patented, which is incredibly impressive. They have an advantage
over students who haven’t taken
engineering classes in high school,
for it’s a very similar environment
to what they will experience in
college.
Mike Troise, who graduated from WPHS in 2013, is currently a junior at RIT at the Kate
Gleason College of Engineering.
Through the Co-Op program,
which enables students to receive
career training with pay at companies like Honda, Southwest,
Apple, and Disney, Troise will
be working for General Dynamics when he graduates from the
five-year program. He believes
that the classes he took at the high
school have prepared him well for
his engineering classes in college.
From a young age, Troise has been
interested in engineering, and as
a result, he “finds himself much
more intrigued about the world
around him.” On November 25,
Troise spoke with the Aerospace
Design and Engineering Design
and Development students and
urged them to take advantage of
the resources provided at White
Plains High School.
Other engineering cours-
es are offered at White Plains
High School as well. Mr. Ferder
teaches Biotechnical Engineering,
a course that encourages students
to utilize basic concepts and ideas
and apply them to solving scientific problems. According to Ferder,
biotechnical engineering itself is a
“blending of science-biology lecture, with a hands-on approach to
problem solving.” He added,“The
course entails learning how to
think,” says Ferder, “which is
something we are all afraid to
do.” Students are required to design, edit, experiment, and keep
notebooks recording their designs,
data, testing, etc. Similar to Engineering Design and Development,
the class is kept small to “maintain
a sense of inclusiveness between
all of the students.” Mr. Garcia
teaches Principles of Engineer-
ing, a course that teaches students
how to utilize math, science, and
technology in solving every day
problems. JETS is an engineering
club run by Mr. Dougherty that
provides students with a love for
math and science to participate
in hands-on experiences that
ultimately help further their understanding.
We students are fortunate
enough to have a school that is
willing and able to provide several engineering courses within
our high school. It is evident that
engineering at White Plains High
School is prospering, and students
are taking advantage of the various resources provided within this
department to further strengthen
their love and knowledge for the
subject.
technology we have in the
classrooms. This technology is
greatly enriching the learning
experience of students here at
WPHS.
Kara Ross, school
librarian and one of the
leaders for this event, said,
“Technology
offers
many
different opportunities for
learning. Students use databases
for research, the Microsoft
Office Suite to produce work
and collaborate on projects.
IPads allow students to use a
variety of apps to support their
studies.
Technology
also
affords people to connect with
others who are not in the same
class or even the same school.”
Not only does this technology
make life easier for students
working on their own, students
are now able to collaborate
without having to make plans
outside of school and can edit
projects side by side. An easier
life for students means an easier
life for parents as well!
The new technology
also offers a fresh perspective
and new ways to learn, which
serves as motivation for many
students that may get frustrated
or bored of the conventional
ways of teaching. For some
parents who might have been
concerned with their children’s
drive to do well, they may
encourage them to get more
involved with the offered
technology after coming to the
tech night. Students are able
to use online resources that
their teacher may have never
exposed them to before. This
also enables kids to see how the
Internet can be educational and
how they can use it to learn and
be productive. As our generation
spends more time online using
apps like Twitter and Instagram,
there is a growing necessity for
an understanding of how these
tools can be positive.
This affects home life
as well; procrastination is a
large issue for many. Parents
that were able to see how the
technology can be positive
and impact time management
may find it easier to encourage
their children to put the screens
down.
Although
there
are many positives to this
introduction, there are a
few downsides as well. The
technology at WPHS does
not always have the greatest
WIFI
connection—which
can sometimes make saving
and producing work difficult.
Despite being a motivator for
some students, others may find it
distracting. It is sometimes hard
to accomplish work when you
are well aware that your favorite
websites are just a click away or
if an intriguing ad pops up on
your screen. It is also important
that families understand when
to tell their relatives to exit out
of Facebook and actually start
working.
However,
the
technology
isn’t
being
introduced to replace all
conventional ways of school,
which was made clear at the
tech night. “We think the art
of conversation and listening
to others is a skill that many
students need remedial help
[in],” said Ms. Ross. IHead over
to whiteplainspublicschools.org
to learn more.
home due to a terrorist attack. It
goes to show that when a threat
is made against a school, in a
post-Sandy Hook society, it creates a panic.
In 2014, for the first
half of the school year, 812
shooting threats were recognized
in America. On the other hand,
in Australia, gun purchasing is
illegal and it certainly shows,
since they have a significantly
reduced number of mass shootings than America.
The shooting at Sandy
Hook greatly changed the hearts
of the people within our nation,
yet unfortunately our gun control
laws have not changed. Nothing
but respect and love goes out to
the families of those who not
only lost their loved ones on the
terrible accounts that took place
on December 14, 2012, but to all
of those who have lost someone
to gun violence.
Engineering at WPHS
ALISIA ORTIZ
White Plains High
School’s thriving departments
provide students with a variety of
opportunities. A flourishing division that often falls under the radar
is the engineering department,
as several of our own students
and faculty are unaware of the
excellent engineering department
within our own school.
Mr. Martinez began
teaching at WPHS in 2011 and
currently teaches Engineering
Design and Development and
Aerospace Engineering. He finds
that teaching engineering provides
him with new challenges daily, as
he states, “I’m always developing
new projects to keep them interested.” Students must take Intro to
Engineering Design before taking
any other engineering classes.
Engineering Design and
Showcasing Technology: WPHS’s Step Towards the Future
HARRIET ROSE
White
Plains
has
always been a community that
is up-to-date on the newest
trends and developments, so it
makes sense that recently our
schools have integrated more
and more technology into the
community. Students are now
using their own cell phones, as
well as school supplied iPads
and laptops, in classes at the
high school. Since most parents
aren’t completely aware of the
technology that is becoming a
bigger and greater part of our
education, White Plains Central
School District recently hosted a
Tech Night for families to learn
about what’s available, and how
and why it is used.
Approximately
60
people showed up to learn about
the exciting new developments
here at WPHS, and they
were even allowed to use the
Editorial: Sandy Hook Retrospect
LAURA PRESTPINO
On December 14, 2012,
our nation received some of
the most horrifying news that
impacted the lives of countless people. At Sandy Hook
Elementary School in Newton
Connecticut, Adam Lanza went
into the school and shamelessly
killed 20 children and six staff
members. As we turned on
our televisions and heard the
news, we watched in grief and
questioned how something this
devastating could take place.
Sadly, three years later, we still
watch in agony as stories regarding gun violence flash across our
television screens. Three years
have gone by without any proper
legislation to deter this violence.
The grief and despair
that this event caused prompted
wide concern regarding our
safety. The Sandy Hook shooting was the deadliest shooting
within a grade school, as well
as the second deadliest mass
shooting by a person in the his-
tory of America. Since then,
555 children under the age of
12 have been fatally killed by a
gun in our country. Despite this
staggering number, there are still
numerous people who believe
that people should be able to do
or have whatever they want.
As of November 2015,
there have been 353 mass shootings in the U.S., and on December 15, every single school
district in Los Angeles was shut
down and all students were sent
6 ENTERTAINMENT/OPINIONS
Beauty Tips For Over the Holidays
MICHELLE MAHECHAL
The holiday season is
approaching. Soon enough,
Christmas morning will come.
You will awake to what appears
to be mountains of presents underneath your tree adorned with
ornaments and lights. You will
sit patiently next to the tree, in
your snowman onesie, waiting
for your mom to take out her
camera. In the meantime, you go
make yourself some hot cocoa
with marshmallows. It is a typical Christmas morning for you.
The holidays are happy times.
They are filled with presents,
good food, sledding, and family
gatherings, as well as the usual
holiday parties that occur all
month long. The different oc-
casions that will snowball your
way will leave you with one
re-occurring question, “What
do I wear?” Don’t worry; below
I have listed possible activities
and what outfits to wear for them.
Sledding is one of my
favorite things to do during the
winter. The small mountains of
snow that form are so tempting
to slide down. However, staying warm and looking cute for
pictures may be harder than not
wiping out on the board. When
sledding, layers are your best
friend. First you have to start
with a pair of fleece legging. In
fact, you can double up with the
leggings. This will keep you nice
and toasty. Next, throw on a cute
cable-knit sweater. Then, put on
a heavier type of jacket, such as a
North Face or Columbia jacket.
Throwing on a knit circle scarf
will be sure to keep you extra
warm, along with your favorite
pair of gloves to add an extra
pop of color. Layer fuzzy socks
over knee highs for a stylish
look that will secretly keep you
insanely warm. A beanie or earmuffs would look adorable with
this look. For shoes, pair some
Timberlands or Uggs with your
look and you are done.
Next scenario includes
Christmas morning. We all know
that we may not all look our best
the second we roll out of bed. I
have a few tricks that will make
you look camera ready as soon
as you wake up. The first one is
to wear a onesie. This is the easiest because your pjs will be extra
cute and onesies are extremely
comfortable to lounge around
in. My second trick is to sleep
in braids. This technique will
tame you hair and all you have
to do is undo the braids before
you make your way down to the
tree. Finish it all off with a cute
and cozy blanket that is totally
Instagram worthy.
Lastly, there are the holiday parties. These events occur
every year and are inevitably the
most frustrating to dress for. You
wonder if the party is casual or
elegant, if is themed or not, heels
or boots, etc. There is one look
that you can never go wrong
with. Your favorite pair of dark
washed jeans paired with a sheer
blouse and a bomber jacket.
This look demonstrates class,
but it is also fun and flirty for a
party. The bomber jacket gives
you some edge, but it can also
be replaced with a fur vest for
some chicness. Parties should be
fun, don’t be afraid to try something out of your comfort zone.
During the holidays, don’t forget
to spend time with your loved
ones and make a statement with
your fun and festive outfits this
season!
Bilal, Anna Wise of Sonnymoon,
and many others. These collaborators are not to be discredited, as
they each have a major role in all
of the songs that they are involved
in and they all help shape the
album. In a recent interview with
People magazine, First Lady Michelle Obama stated that President
Barack Obama’s favorite song of
the year was Kendrick Lamar’s
“How Much A Dollar Cost,”
which features James Fauntleroy
and Ronald Isley and is the eleventh track on the album.
We are not the only people who think that this album is
the best album of the year, as it
has landed on multiple albums’
of the year lists at the top spot
including the lists of magazines
such as Rolling Stone, Spin, Complex, Vice, and Entertainment
Weekly. Kendrick Lamar’s To
Pimp A Butterfly is one of the
most impactful and innovative
albums of our generation and is
seen as a classic album to many
hip hop fans. Kendrick Lamar
and his team of collaborators are
a force to be reckoned with, and
although there have been many
other great albums this year, I
believe that To Pimp A Butterfly
is a masterpiece and is truly the
best album of 2015.
Kendrick Lamar’s Album Review
JERRY RONCO AND MARC ANTONIO
The 58th Grammy
Award nominations were recently
announced, and Kendrick Lamar
stands above any other artist with
11 Grammy nominations. This is
a tremendous achievement, as the
only artist to have more nominations in a single night is Michael
Jackson with 12 in 1984.
Earlier this year, Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar released his album titled, To Pimp
a Butterfly, which has been one of
the year’s most popular and critically acclaimed hip hop albums.
This record includes topics such
as black identity, survivor’s guilt,
greed, and self-love, and it forces
the listener to closely examine
the racial tensions and race relations in this country. Lamar took
huge risks with the songwriting,
production, and conceptual idea
behind the album, but he has
proved that the higher the risks,
the higher the reward.
This album takes a
unique sonic direction with production inspired by jazz, funk,
and neo-soul, which all create
a magnificent sound blended
perfectly with thought provoking
lyrics. Various albums only have
a few standout tracks, but every
song on this album is a standout
track and expands on the concept
of the record.
Tracks such as “Alright”
and “The Blacker the Berry” show
the album’s social awareness and
mention the killing of Trayvon
Martin and recent police brutality.
The impact that these songs can
have on people has been shown
in recent videos captured during
“Black Lives Matter” protests
where crowds of protesters chant
the lyrics “we gon’ be alright”
from Lamar’s song “Alright.”
Other songs on the album such
as “i” and “Complexion (A Zulu
Love)” tell listeners to love
themselves and keep their heads
up through life’s struggles.
The album is filled with
various collaborators, such as
Pharrell Williams, Thundercat,
a wearable, toned down shade
of marsala and is extremely
moisturizing. This would pair
beautifully with the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette, a warm
toned eye shadow palette that
comes with 12 complimentary
shades. These products would
make good holiday presents
since they are wearable and
versatile. For a more daring
look using marsala colored
makeup, put a champagnetoned eye shadow on the lid and
line your upper lash line with
the Sephora+Pantone Universe
Marsala Metalshine Liquid
Liner.
As for clothing, a simple marsala-colored shift dress
with layered jewelry and heels
would be the perfect outfit for
holiday dinners and parties.
The Lush ‘Karly’ Shift Dress in
Marsala is sold on nordstrom.
com and can be dressed up or
down, depending on the formality of the occasion. This would
pair beautifully with layered
gold necklaces such as those
sold on Mariana Encheva’s
Etsy shop. Her necklaces can be
customized, so you can choose
which necklaces you want to
layer. She also sells ready-made
layered necklace sets. Bullhead
Denim Co.’s Cabernet Dreamy
Mid Rise Jeggings are comfortable pants in a deep, Marsala
hue and they would contrast
beautifully with white shirts.
For a sophisticated, Parisianesque weekend outfit, pair with
a white cowl-neck sweater and
suede over-the-knee boots. To
dress the outfit down for school,
swap the tall boots for suede
Chelsea booties. Alternatively,
swap the Marsala pants for
black skinny jeans and pair
with a coat in the red-brown
hue—asos.com sells a marsalacolored faux fur trench coat that
is both cozy and trendy.
A classy, Marsala colored tie would complete a guy’s
holiday outfit. Macy’s and other
large retail stores sell ties in this
color from brands such as Michael Kors. For a more casual
look, guys and girls alike can
wear a marsala-accented flannel
from Abercrombie or another
retailer. Pair the flannel with tan
pants to add another warm hue
to the outfit. No matter how you
choose to wear it, Marsala is the
perfect color to incorporate in
your December wardrobe.
Color of the Year: Marsala
REVITAL ALONI
Every year, Pantone
has a Color of the Year. The
color for 2015 is Marsala, but
why? Pantone Color Intelligence answers this question by
saying, “Much like the fortified wine that gives marsala
its name, this tasteful hue embodies the satisfying richness
of a fulfilling meal while its
grounding red-brown roots
emanate a sophisticated, natural
earthiness. This hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing
and translates easily to fashion, beauty, industrial design,
home furnishings and interiors.”
While this color was prevalent
throughout 2015, it is perfect
for December. Marsala mixes
the classic holiday red with hues
of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other
warm spices and scents that are
often used during the holiday
season; think of it as the grownup shade of red.
This color can be found
everywhere, literally. Sephora
has a whole section on its website dedicated to the color. Marsala colored mascaras, blushes,
nail polishes, lip products, and
eyeliners are among the products listed. Bite Beauty’s Luminous Crème Lipstick in Musk is
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13-0016
Correction: In the last
issue, former Principal
Mr. Woodard’s name
was spelled incorrectly.
We apologize for the
mistake.
Building Minds,
Building Futures
Did you know that more local high school graduates choose Westchester Community College
than any other institution? Learn details on more than sixty academic programs that can get
you on track toward a four-year college degree or help launch your career.
914-606-6735 ▪ sunywcc.edu
8 SPORTS
Senior Spotlight: Luis Cartagena
ROBBIE SCHWARTZ
Lu is C ar tag en a is a
versatile player when he steps on
the basketball court. Off the court,
he is a hardworking, friendly,
competitive kid. After his first
two years of starting on varsity at
Yorktown High School, Cartagena
transferred to White Plains to
play his last two seasons in a
Class AA school. He excelled and
started his junior year, putting
up great numbers and earning an
All-Conference Selection. After a
special season, he was gifted by
being placed in the second super
eleven coming into his final run at
a championship.
Cartagena is an
outstanding guard with lightning
quick speed, great range, and top
of the notch handles; he can see the
floor well, and he plays lockdown
defense. He is truly what a coach
looks for when they look for a
player with a great work ethic, as he
attempts to get better every single
day. Sadly, Cartagena suffered a
high ankle sprain and has been out
for the first few games. Despite
Cartagena’s absence, the team
stepped up and won their first game
to a competitive Suffern basketball
team as they played tough defense,
controlled the tempo, and got
a great input from Lamar Noel
scoring a game high 19 points.
Cartagena has been
playing on a very competitive travel
team called Connecticut Elite.
There, he averages an outstanding
21 points per game, five assists,
and shoots over 60 percent from
the field. He has only improved
over the many years he has played
basketball. As he continues to work
hard, get bigger, and get better, he
looks to play at the next level in
college.
When Cartagena returns
from his hopefully short injury,
White Plains basketball should
be an exciting team to watch with
much potential on the court. When
Cartagena was asked about why
he plays the sport, he answered,
“Basketball is my lifestyle; it
has become a part of me and my
everyday life. One day, I hope to be
able to get paid doing what I love
and support my family.” This is no
joke for an all-league player as a
sophomore and runner up for all
section as a junior.
Cartagena explained
his goals very simply and briefly,
noting “My team works hard
every day in order to achieve our
common goal, and that is to go
deep in the playoffs and be able
to play in the county center. We
want that gold ball back where it
belongs.”
White Plains basketball
has a lot of potential with such
a selfless star guard leading the
way. The Tigers hope for the best,
and the school should continue to
cheer on the team and Cartagena.
from anywhere on the court and
compete against any competitive
team or defender. From 20042008, the White Plains girls
basketball team won four straight
section one titles. Since then,
however, there has been a bit of
a cold streak, and the team has
not been able to make it too far
in the playoffs. Last year, after
turning around the program with
help from other supporting and
returning players, Rooney and
the team had a disappointing
loss in the first round and need
revenge.
Rooney is a hardworking
student athlete, as she is putting
up shots and getting better every
day. She also is an excellent
student in the classroom; she has
great time management, as she
performs both academically and
athletically. Rooney continues to
succeed as she plays basketball
all year round for various teams.
Rooney has serious
goals for her team this year. “We
had a rough loss last year in the
first round and now lost a few
seniors, but we are all ready to
step up and play against tough
competition. We will not go
down easily, and my team and
I will do whatever it takes to
keep the season alive and do
well every opportunity we
have,” Rooney explained.
Determination from a senior
guard is key, especially with
more young players on the
team. She has accepted
the role as a leader along
with running mate Kaleigh
D’arcy, and both look to lead
this team to great success
this year.
Senior Spotlight: Kathleen Rooney
ROBBIE SCHWARTZ
Kathleen Rooney is
a two sport, superb athlete.
After winning the division for
swimming and diving last year,
Rooney came into the basketball
season ready to win more games
than the rough season before,
which consisted of only one
win. Now in her senior year, she
looks to not only help the team
get better, but advance in the
playoffs.
After transferring from
Ursuline Academy, Rooney
proved herself in her junior
year by showing she can shoot
Heading Banned from Soccer
GIOVANNI VELASQUEZ
Is it right to change a
basic and fundamental part of a
sport? For those who have never
played soccer, “heading” is a fundamental aspect. This involves
contacting the ball with their
head in order to score, defend,
or control. Being that soccer is
the most viewed, known, and
played sport in the world, many
find heading to be a basic aspect
of the sport. But many concerned
parents, especially in America,
believe that heading the ball is
much too dangerous.
Due to these concerns,
U.S Soccer has banned children
under the age of 11 from heading the ball. Once players are 11,
they can only head the ball during
practice until they turn 13.
There are numerous reasons why heading should not be
banned from soccer. One reason
is that heading is an essential part
in the recipe of winning. Theoretically, if a ball is coming towards
a player in the air at a fast speed
and the goal is behind them, the
player instinctively heads the ball
out of the area.
An argument that has
been made repeatedly is the
concern of concussions. Most of
these concerns are due to the statistics that 627 concussions occur
for girls in high school soccer and
442 concussions occur for boys in
high school soccer. Additionally,
most players report to have two
to three concussions within the
same year. It is also important
to note, though, that most of the
concussions in soccer are not due
to heading the ball. Dawn Comstock, an injury epidemiologist
at the University of Colorado,
observed high school soccer for
nine years and concluded that
although 30 percent of concussions are due to heading, most
are due to players colliding for
the ball on the ground. This just
closes the door for the argument
against heading.
Another reason heading should not be banned from
soccer is that if you change a
basic aspect of a sport, the sport
will suffer. In European culture,
heading the ball is necessary and
is taught to children younger than
five. For all professional teams,
heading is a requirement.
Heading is not a problem
that should be banned for youth
soccer players. Thousands of
concerned parents have argued
that the Neanderthal aspect of the
sport should be banned in order
to prevent concussions and brain
damage.
If heading is so dangerous, why is it universally loved
by most soccer players?
to lose to get the first pick. It
also provides for another interesting fan night where fans and
other viewers can watch as their
team’s future is determined by
the random selection of a team.
The NBA draft is perfect for now
and should not change.
The halting of deliberate loss in the NBA is the main
reason for this draft system.
Since the worst team can no
longer automatically get the
first pick, teams try not to lose
and try to make the playoffs and
compete in every game. This
keeps games more competitive
and interesting, and it makes the
season that much more entertaining. The playoff race gets that
much closer, and there are teams
with positive records that don’t
even make the playoffs. This is
partially due to the fact that they
would rather make a run for their
money than risk not getting a first
pick. The draft is perfect the way
it is right now, and according to
NBA commissioner Adam Silver,
there are no plans to change it.
The NBA lottery day is
also a fun fan night. Many viewers watch as they see which team
gets the first pick and the order of
the rest of the draft. Fans are on
the edge of their seats anticipating which pick their team gets, as
this determines the future of the
franchise. The NBA draft lottery
is another night that puts fans and
viewers in front of the television,
increasing profit and revenue
for the NBA and the network. It
is a profitable event that would
be taken away with a switch to
another draft style. The NBA
lottery should remain the same
and has proven to be efficient and
manageable.
Some people say that
the draft is rigged, unfair, and an
awful system in general. This is
not true. The NBA draft system
is completely fair and gives each
team the correct amount of odds
for the first pick. The worst team
has the highest amount of odds;
the second worst team has the
next highest odds to win the first
pick, and so on and so on. There
NBA Draft System
Know an
athlete
you want
featured
in Senior
Spotlight?
Email
nominations
to:
jessicarappaport@
wpcsd.k12.ny.us
or
cherylrosenka@
wpcsd.k12.ny.us
DANIEL GARELICK
Bear Grylls, a British
adventurer, writer, and television presenter, once said, “Look,
sometimes no matter how hard
you try, sometimes you need a
bit of luck.” This quote applies
to the NBA draft in that the draft
is all luck and chance; anyone
who didn’t make the playoffs has
a chance at winning the lottery
and getting first pick in the draft.
I believe that this system is fair;
giving the worst record team the
highest chance of winning the
first pick is much more equitable.
This system has been working
since 1985 and should remain the
same in the NBA. This system
stops teams from tanking, which
is when a team deliberately tries
is no evidence of the draft being
fixed. The draft is completely
logical and rational. Other people
say that the worst team should
get the first pick no matter what.
However, the thing with that is it
makes the league and games less
competitive, as teams purposely
lose, so automatically giving the
worst team the first pick cannot
work. The current system works
well and is definitely the best
system for the NBA.
The NBA draft lottery
is a great system and works very
well; it will be used for years to
come after. It stops tanking and
provides another fun and intriguing night for fans.