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Grover Cleveland
HERALD
Vol. 27, No. 7
Science Olympiad
Page 3
Horoscopes
Page 4
April, 2005
Gym Changes: Good or Bad?
By Andrew DeBlasie and Rachel Munoz
O
n February 1st, students started their
spring semester at Grover Cleveland
High School. Many people were excited because for some this would be their last semester while others anticipated a fresh start.
The majority of students, however, were
disappointed with the new policy concerning
gym, which is no longer co-ed. This means
boys can no longer choose volleyball or seasonal; girls and boys would no longer take
gym classes together.
Many felt this was unfair because it segregated the boys and the girls. Student rumors
suggest that the reason for this sudden change
was because the Department of Education
came to observe Grover Cleveland and noted
that there was too much hallway traffic
caused by gym students. This led to the decision to keep boys on one side of the hallway
and girls on the other.
School is supposed to prepare us for the
real world, and in the real world boys and
girls are not segregated. We work together,
we learn together, and therefore, we should
be able to have gym together. School is a
place where we may socialize.
Senior Eileen Kolesar said, “Since gym is
not co-ed, I feel that there is no longer that
sense of playful competition between the girls
and the boys.” When asked how she felt
about the new policy, she said, “The fact that
they didn’t even bother to ask us only makes
it worse.”
Another senior, Krystal Gonzalez, agreed.
“I feel upset about the recent changes. I feel
like I’m in the 1950’s, with girls on one side of
the gym and boys on the other side,” she
stated.
Martha Carrasco said, “Yes it’s true, we
understand that the old gym policy was a sort
of disruption for school officials, but this new
policy is a disruption for students. Not only
are we not allowed to pick our own gym
class, but we are prevented from interacting
with each other.” She continued, “I can speak
for myself and some fellow classmates when I
say that not allowing students to pick their
own gym class can affect how we play. Since
our gym class is chosen for us, we might not
like that specific activity and so be less willing
to participate in the class. If school officials
wanted less hallway traffic, they should have
applied hallway sweeping, detention, and the
countdown to the bell, rather than take away
our gym choices.”
It’s not only the girls that are
upset with the recent gym changes;
many boys are equally disappointed.
Sophomore Chris Torres explained,
“I don't enjoy gym as much as I used
to. It is unfair that I can’t pick a
sport that I enjoy playing.”
While most students oppose the
new gym policy, some report that
they weren’t affected by it. Senior
Vice President Lisa Fan said, “It’s
somewhat convenient having gyms
picked out for students. When I was
a freshman, gyms were picked out
for us.”
Although most students think the
gym changes seem unfair, they
should consider how great of an
inconvenience it was for teaching on
the first floor.
Mrs. Lewensohn was one of the many
teachers affected by the gym classes being on
opposite sides of the hall. She commented,
“There was noise for the first five and last five
minutes of every period. Some students liked
to ‘peer’ in the door and make contact with
my students. Other students liked to bang
loudly on the door as they passed by and then
run away. When the gym students paraded
down the hall toward the locker room, many
students took that as a signal that the period
was over.”
After the new gym policy was in place, Mrs.
Lewensohn reported, “There are very few
students passing in the hall. It is much easier
to teach.” Mr. Irizarry also felt that “too many
students were walking through the first floor.
Many would be late stragglers who were unprepared for gym. They would walk through
the halls talking loudly, even yelling to each
other while classes were going on. It was very
disruptive.”
Ms. Louis, who doesn’t teach on the first
floor but works in the program office on the
first floor, went on to say, “Sometimes students were noisy, looking into classes and
knocking on the doors.”
Teachers are not the only people that see
a dramatic decline in the hall traffic since the
new gym policy. Roberto Garcia, who has
classes on the first floor, says that since the
new policy began, the halls have been quieter,
the classes on the first floor run smoother,
and the teachers don’t have to stop for a few
minutes and wait until the noise subsides.
Photo by Kareem Nelson
Senior Miguel Lugrono noticed the change
too. Disruptions in class from kids screaming
in the hallways are definitely down. However,
gym is more crowded and there are more
students stuck in one gym class. “Kids are all
over the court, bumping into each other,” he
emphasized. While disruptions may have
bothered the first floor teachers and their
students, Lugrono said that for the most part
it was at the end of the period and did not
last too long.
Whether you agree or disagree with the
new gym policy, keep in mind that first floor
classes were affected by gym disruptions. For
a school to run smoothly, all students must
have the equal opportunity to learn in a quiet
environment. While many disagree about the
new gym policy, one still has to abide by rules.
Blood Drive, 5/11
16 or older.
Pre-register in SA
Student Council Election,
5/18 in your SS class.
Make your vote count!
Page 2 Herald/April, 2005
From the Principal
“I am of the opinion that my life
belongs to the whole community and
as long as I live it is my privilege to
do for it whatever I can.”
KEY Club:
Serving
Our
Society
By Stefani Ponce
and Juljana Taku
George Bernard Shaw
A
s the principal of a large
urban high school, I have many responsibilities
and I have to deal with different issues each and every day.
One of my most important responsibilities is providing a
safe and secure environment for all. For those of you who
have been here with me since 2001, many changes have
taken place to help make this happen.
As we continue to move forward I will continue to
observe what takes place in our school and do what I can
to help make it a school of excellence; where you feel
both safe and are able to learn and mature.
I want to thank all of you who have been a part of
this transformation. Please keep up the “Great
Work!”
Dear Herald
Dear Herald,
I just got into a relationship with a guy, but his ex-girlfriend is still
in love with him. Should I should step aside and let her try to get him
back or do what benefits me and give this relationship a try?
Perplexed Junior
Dear Perplexed Junior,
His ex-girlfriend is not an excuse for you to not be with him. All that
matters is that he doesn’t want to be with her. He wants to be with you, so
give him a chance.
Dear Herald,
I don’t understand why we are not allowed to pick our gym class.
Last semester, I had gym with my boyfriend, but now I only see him
once a day. I feel uncomfortable with so many girls; it makes me feel
like I’m in Catholic school. Please help!
Irritated Sophomore
Dear Irritated Sophomore,
Sometimes things aren’t the way you want them to be. However, look at
this situation from the principal’s point of view. It would be a good thing for
you to have class with your boyfriend, but school is not a place for that. Try
to see him after school. Think about being in an all girls gym class as if you
are on a team.
Dear Herald,
The Prom is coming and I haven’t asked anyone. I want to go with
the right person, one whom I would have fun with. I’m also afraid that
many girls are taken; some say no or some have financial problems. I
want my prom to be a day to remember. What should I do?
Curious Senior
Dear Curious Senior,
You shouldn’t ask girls to be your date for the Prom, because you’re
unsure of who you want to go with. I believe that you should go by yourself
so you can have a good time. The prom is not only about going with a date;
you can also have fun with friends as if they were your brothers and sisters.
Written by Darihana Lopez
D
o you enjoy helping others? Would you like to receive credit while representing your school and serving those in need?
If so, the KEY Club is for you. This club is a community service based organization that aims to serve the school, the city, and the nation. KEY Club members
dedicate themselves to helping those who need aid or those who can’t afford it.
Members perform community service; they tutor, raise money for charity, walk for
causes, build houses, help out with the school and also play music for the elderly.
Some activities that are planned for the spring include the March of Dimes, Relay
for Life, Walk for Diabetes, and the KEY Club Convention. The March of Dimes is a
community service in which students raise money for premature child births. The
Relay for Life is a fund raiser for breast cancer in which the members walk around
the park all night, while the KEY Club Convention consists of members taking
classes to help them become better members and leaders.
The club president is Albi Skenderi; he organizes weekly meetings and seeks out
new community services. The vice president, Felix Seda, mostly supports and carries
out the president’s decisions, while Alex Nguyen collects dues from the members.
He said 85% of dues go to the Kiwanis, the club’s sponsor.
Mr. Zigler is the club’s advisor; he has served the club for more than five years.
“The students in KEY Club are great and very dedicated. It is my pleasure and
honor to serve as the advisor for the Club,” he commented.
Alex Nguyen feels the club has many benefits. He stated, “Anybody who wants
to make friends or become a leader should join the club.” Alex added, “Those who
don’t like staying at home a lot should spend that time wisely and do service for
others.”
By joining this club, students receive personal gratification and earn community
hours needed for college. As senior Daniella Andor said, “You receive a sense of
pride knowing you can help improve our community.” Another member of the KEY
Club, Annie Montes, explained, “You are able to feel as if you have made a difference and helped someone out.”
KEY Club meets after ninth period every Thursday on the third floor. The
meetings last about 20 minutes. Students who want to attend KEY Club need to
become S.A. members and also pay $15 for the club’s dues.
Albi Skenderi reported that the Grover Cleveland KEY Club was awarded The
Governors Project, the most prestigious award granted to a KEY Club in the New
York District. To receive this award, the Grover Cleveland KEY Club had totaled
the most service hours served for the theme, “Educating Each Other for a Better
Tomorrow.”
GROVER CLEVELAND HERALD
2127 Himrod Street, Ridgewood NY 11385
(718) 381-9600
Principal: Mr. Dominick Scarola
AP, Communication Arts: Ms. Michelle Robertson
Journalism Teachers: Mr. Santaga; Ms. Sedlack
Editor: Eileen Kolesar
Associate Editor: Paul Wozniak
Production Designers:
Anthony Trujillo, Susana Gomez
Traffic Coordinators:
Marsi Beshiri, David Sierra
Advisor: Mrs. Sedlack
The Grover Cleveland Herald is composed of stories about the students and activities
of Grover Cleveland. We ask students their opinions about current issues and hope to
provide a forum of communication for school.
We welcome any letters on the paper’s content. Please drop your letters in
the English department, Room 317.
Science Olympiad Team Raises the Bar
Herald/April, 2005 page 3
By Albi Skenderi
I
magine walking through the
hallway and glancing into Mr.
Cheng’s Science Olympiad
Class. You might see people
studying Astronomy, building
robots that pick up objects
from the floor, people building
towers that have to hold 50
pounds of weight, or people
designing trebuchets* that
must be both accurate and
Mikhail Comia, Ledia Bita, Maria Gonzalez, And Katie
powerful. You might also see
Wangerman getting ready for their Fossil Event.
people using balsa wood to
build airplanes that will fly for
over two minutes.
Well that’s not imagination, it’s Cleveland’s Science Olympiad Team.
It is one of Cleveland’s most prestigious classes that competes against
30 of NYC’s best high schools. Among the 30 schools are Stuyvesant,
Collegiate, Molloy, Cardozo, and Brooklyn Technical.
The coach of the team, Mr. Cheng, led his students to a fourth place
victory in the Regional Competition which was held here at Cleveland
on Saturday, February 12th.
Mr. Cheng welcomes challenges and excels at making science fun.
Being a coach for three years in a row, he finds much enthusiasm in his
students. “The Grover Cleveland team has the spirit and the capability
to compete in the State Competition,” he said with a gleam in his eye.
The State Competition takes place upstate, where the top three qualifying high schools compete against the state’s top high schools.
Mr. Pritchard, the AP of the Science Department, commented, “It
was an honor to hold the Science Olympiad Competition at Grover
Music Reviews
Ciara
By Melanie Moses
Ciara’s debut album is “Goodies” and her first single of the same name is
climbing the charts daily. It’s number thirteen on the R&B mainstream chart, number six on the Top Forty, and number twenty four on the Hot R&B as of January
3, 2005. “Goodies” is about ladies letting men know that just because you have
ice and money, it doesn’t mean that you can get any lady you want. The best
dance song is a “1,2 Step” and the worst song on the album is “Looking At You”
because the lyrics are boring and the vocals aren’t as good. As a whole, the album
is decent, however, with Ciara’s talent, a better album was expected. This album
deserves six out of ten Magnificent Melanie Stars.
Eminem
Eminem’s latest is the album “Encore” with his first single, “Like Toy Soldiers,” as the best song on it. On the album, Eminem tries to “erase” the beef he
has with the rap industry. “Even though the battle was won, I feel like we lost it. I
spent too much time on it and now I’m exhausted.” He doesn’t want the beef to
end in tragedy. “I’m not going to let someone else’s coffin rest on my conscience,”
he stated. Some of the other good songs on the album are; “Evil Deeds,” which is
about politics, “Mosh,” is about President Bush, and “Rain Man” is sure to make
some people very angry because the lyrics are very offensive. The album is a
must-have. I give “Encore” nine Magnificent Melanie Stars.
Maroon 5
Singer Adam Levine, guitarist Jesse Carmichael, bass player Mickey Madden and
drummer Ryan Dusick are the four members of Maroon 5. Their debut album,
“Songs About Jane,” sold more than 1,900,000 copies. Their first single,
“Harder to Breathe” was number four on Radio’s Top Forty as of January 2, 2005.
Their second single, “This Love,” was number one on VH1’s Top Forty. It was
also the fist song labeled a platinum download. “This Love” is one of my favorite
songs on the album whereas “Must Get Out” is my least favorite. It is very confusing and it’s about too many different subjects. “Through With You” is one of
those “I hate my ex” songs. Of the twelve tracks on Songs about Jane, I only
enjoyed five, so this album receives five Magnificent Melanie Stars.
Cleveland High School.” As
host, Mr. Pritchard also felt
proud that Grover Cleveland
provided the materials necessary to host the Science
Olympiad Competition.
Luka Krstic, a senior on
the Olympiad team, stated,
Luka Krstic setting up for Mission Impossible.
Photos by the Yearbook Class
“Three years ago we placed
th
\
11 , two years ago we
placed 8th, last year we placed 4th and this year we placed 4th again. It’s
such a positive slope of success and it indicates Cleveland’s growing
strength in the sciences.” Highlights for the Cleveland team were; Luka
Krstic and Nikola Kyachukov who received 1st place in Astronomy and
Storm the Castle, Alex Nguyen and Albi Skenderi who received 1st
place in Wright Stuff, Pirro Cece and Arjon Bala who received 1st place
in the Global Positioning System and Maria Gonzalez and Katie
Wangerman who received 1st place in the Fossil Event.
There were many more victories made by the Cleveland power
house with major help provided by the new members on the team.
Nikola Kyachukova, a new junior said, “Being on the team gives me a
chance to compete with some of the city’s best high schools .The team
has brought mastery to academics for most of the members through
effort and dedication.”
In the end, the competition was a success, as the torch was passed
to the juniors who will return next year to defend Cleveland’s standing
and perhaps even go on to the State Competition. Alexander Nguyen
stressed that “It is a wonderful experience to be a part of the club as
you are surrounded by Cleveland’s brightest. “
* A trebuchet is a type of catapult used to knock down walls of a castle.
Tips for Success
By Diana Alvear and Edwin Tapia
“A
ll of my friends think that I spend most of my time studying.” That’s what senior Delciluz Gaston said. She is
successful because she reads what she really doesn’t understand
and she prepares for all of her tests. She also said that what
makes her successful is her effort and what drives her the most
is desire for studying, and being the best in her class and also in
her family.
Another student, Carlos Matute, is also in the twelfth grade.
Carlos said that all students have the capacity that he has, it’s
just that they don’t sacrifice a little of their time to study in order to be successful. He is academically successful because he is
on the Honor Roll almost every semester and he participates in
extra-curricular activities such as track.
Israel Nunez believes in perseverance. She says, “Persevere
until you get what you want,” She believes that if you try your
hardest at something you like to do and you are successful at it,
the success is the reward for your hard work.
Stalin Beato, an eleventh grader, received many awards for
getting good grades. He said that he feels important when people recognize his work. He also said that, “Being dedicated and
working harder in your classes will make you successful in
them.”
Erika Campoverde, who is in the tenth grade, said that what
makes her successful is working harder and studying for every
test because she is determined to get good grades. She stressed
that a good motivation for her is her family because they encourage her to do better in all of her classes. She said, “In order
to be successful, you have to set your goals and be determined.
You have to study hard in school, be prepared for the future
and never give up for any reason.”
Herald/April, 2005 page 4
Seniors Let Their Hair Down
By Jennifer Morron
T
his year’s senior trip took place on the weekend of March 4th thru
March 6th, at the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, New
York. Students had a lot of activities in store for them over the three
day trip, and what a trip it was!
On the day they were scheduled to leave; seniors waited excitedly in
the school’s auditorium. Buses were due to arrive at 10 a.m., and to
pass the time seniors took pictures and talked amongst themselves.
Once the buses arrived and the students were on board, the senior
trip officially began. After a two and a half hour journey, they arrived at
the Hudson Valley Resort. They were amazed to see an enormous
hotel surrounded by mountains and plains covered with paper-white
snow. Students removed their bags from the bus compartments and
followed their chaperones into the lobby.
After settling into their rooms, students set out in search for fun
things to do. The first activity that was being held was snow tubing.
Students layered themselves from head to toe to ride down a slippery
slope on a tube. Many laughs accompanied the students as they went
down the frozen hills, crashing into each other. After snow tubing, the
frozen students enjoyed a delicious dinner buffet.
The first day ended with an energized party shared by the boys and
girls from two different high schools. There was a little bit of tension
between the two schools, but no conflict was raised during the dance.
The girls battled it out to see who had the best moves while the boys
moved along with the bass of the reggae that was playing by the talented DJ. “This party was great! I liked the music and everything, especially the ladies! The DJ wasn’t
bad at all,” said Benjamin
Rosa.
The following morning, at
seven a.m. sharp, there was a
loud wake up call for breakfast. After the finger licking
food, many students decided
to go skiing. The cost for skiing was about 42 dollars.
Those who did not want to
take any chances on breaking
their legs went swimming
instead, enjoying a warm indoor pool.
The evening sparked up
with karaoke hour. A contest
Horoscopes
Aquarius- (January 21– February 18) Family always
comes first. They are always on your side . Stop shutting
them out and let them know what’s going on in your life. If
you have a problem, most likely a family member has gone
through it.
Pisces- (February 19– March 20) Sometimes you just
need to have your own space to think things through and
better yourself. It’s completely natural. Even though some
people might take this isolation in a bad way, don’t let that
keep you from your alone time. Try showing your family and
friends that it’s nothing personal, it’s just your way of relieving your everyday stress.
Aries- (March 21– April 19) The past few weeks have
been out of control for you and you have let them get that
way. You have to stand up and grab life by the horns, unless
you like being pushed around. Remember, you always have a
voice in your life.
Taurus- (April 20– May20) Although life has been hectic,
it will soon be in the past .Don’t let that one person destroy
your inner self. Go out and have fun with friends, or even
was held for
best boy and
best girl singer.
Students who
participated
included Cyndi
Acosta, who
sang “How do I
live,” by LeAnn
Rimes, Jennifer
Morron, who
sang “I Love
Rock n’ Roll” by
Britney Spears,
Seniors enjoyed lots of outdoor fun on their trip.
Photos by Jennifer Morron
and the winner
of the karaoke night, Ana Morron, who sang “I Will Survive,” by Aretha
Franklin. As the DJ cleared up the stage, he started up the stereo and
began a second party that lasted until 1 a.m.
The saddest day was on the following morning, a Sunday that signaled the last day of the trip. The final wake-up call for breakfast was at
seven a.m. The last scheduled activity to end the wonderful weekend
was paintball. It took place in the woods behind the resort.
After a short meeting to discuss the rules and risks of the game,
everyone was finally able to play. Many students, such as Sara Williams
and Eileen Kolesar found it very enjoyable. “It was fun and I enjoyed it
very much. The best game was Osama Bin Laden, where it was everyone against Ms. Lewis and all her bodyguards. Us, as the assassins, had
to shoot them all down. It was great!” exclaimed Sara Williams.
After the layers of paintball clothing were removed, it was time to
pack and to eat our last lunch buffet. There, we waited for our buses to
arrive to go home. “It was an awesome trip. At first I had thought $220
was too much, but in the end it was worth it,” explained Amanda Hernandez.
She added, “What I liked about this trip the most was the fact that
all the seniors got along so well, like one big happy family. This trip
brought all of us seniors together.”
Mrs. Smith, the Senior Advisor, said, “Despite all the ups and downs
that occurred before the trip, I couldn’t have asked for a better group
of seniors and a better senior trip. The students did a phenomenal job
of representing Grover Cleveland high school and I am very proud to
be the senior advisor for the class of 2005.”
By Genti Qipo and Michael Sumalia
make some new ones. Only when you do this, will things
come in to place
Gemini- (May 21– June 22) Life has it’s rewards and it
seems that you’re getting all of them now. But don’t forget
the people that got you there, as they would not forget you.
These things won’t last long, but your true friends will.
Libra- (September 23– October 22) Hard work leads to
success, so don’t give up trying .Your work will be appreciated even though now it seems like no one is paying attention. Keep it up and you will get that much deserved reward.
Scorpio- (October 23– November 22) Even though it
seems like there’s no way to improve your mistakes, don’t
give up. There is always a way to fix them. Take some time
apart and use it to set up your goals to correct your mistakes before you have no control over them.
Cancer- (June 22- July 22) Lately, you have been working
very hard and mixing up your priorities. Stop putting things,
like your job, in front of other, more important things. High
school and college are your future. You simply cannot ignore Sagittarius- (November 23– December 21) Stop
their need for your attention.
agreeing with what others think about you. You have your
Leo- (July 23– August 22) Recently you have been afraid own life and make your own decisions. Don’t let what othto say what you really feel. Time is running out so use it
ers think about you change who you are. To someone out
wisely. Stand up and express your thoughts because you can there you are very unique .
never know if you are right unless you speak up.
Capricorn- (December 22– January 19) With all the
Virgo- (August 23– September 22) The time is here. It hard work you have done, you can afford to take a vacation.
is now or never if things are going to change between you
It’s time to relax and spend time with someone you care
and your biggest crush. Take a risk and tell that person how about. That Someone can help you relieve built up stress.
you feel. You never know if they will accept those feelings or
not.
Dress to Impress
W
alking though the hallways of
Grover Cleveland you see many
different styles and colors. A lot of us like to
wear certain types of clothes and name
brands. Some of these clothes are very expensive. The question is why do we dress the way
we do? Do we dress to impress ourselves or
others? I asked freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, what they liked to wear and
why.
Jonathan Torres, a ninth grader, stated
that he buys clothes by name brand and color,
his two favorite name brands; are Enyce and
Akdmks. He said, “I don't dress to impress
others, I dress in clothes that I like and feel
comfortable in.”
Ruby Estevez said her clothes “have to be
cute and it has to look pretty” when she
wears them. Then, she added, “My favorite
name brands are Pepe Jeans and Rocawear. I
like the clothing I wear because it looks nice
on me.”
Tenth grader Rebecca Gonzalez buys
“clothes that are hot and say a message.” She
explains, “The Diplomats store next to the
Barbershop has clothes with 50 Cent and The
Game on them. I like to buy clothes that people will say, ‘That’s hot.’” She once spent $200
on Express jeans and a button down shirt. She
prefers Jordans and Evisu jeans.
Darian Clark, in the tenth grade as well,
said, “Music artists influence me to buy
clothes. If I see it on TV, or people talk about
it, I’ll want it.” His two most expensive items
were his Prada shoes ($400) and Evisu jeans
Herald/April, 2005 page 5
By Belinda Cruz
($300). He reports, “I dress
to impress others to a certain extent, but at the same
time I do it for myself.”
When Andrew Jusino, a
junior, buys clothing, “It has
to look good, and it has to
be the size I wear.” Rocawear and Enyce are his
favorite name brands, but he
prizes his black and red Jordans ($150) and his Spyder
coat ($300). What influences
him? Andrew smiled, “I dress
the way I do because I feel
comfortable with what I
wear and I look good in it.”
Photo by Dawid Baran
Anisa Teodori, also a Cleveland students show that style is personal.
junior, is a motivated shopper.
Angelica Paluch, which is in the twelfth
“I like to buy clothes because I want to look grade, said, “When I buy something, I look for
nice and I like to have a lot of clothes,” she two of my favorite colors which are black and
said. She once spent $160 on shoes and $98 red. Next, I look if it is my style, not too old
on pants. Although her favorite name brands fashioned and not too hippy.” The most she
are DKNY and Versace, she emphasized, “I spent on clothes was $65 for “pants and a
don't feel I dress to impress others.” She said, shirt.” Angelica has no favorite name brand
“ I do it for myself.”
and said, “I buy clothes to feel good about
When senior Jonathan Alvarado goes
myself.” She went on to say, “If I feel others
shopping, he said he looks for the style and
are talking about me, I just ignore them and
design. He purchased his Sean John jeans for
still wear what feels good on me.”
about $85, and his Clippers jersey cost $100.
After speaking with different people, I
He commented, “I look for what I like and if I
found that people dress to feel comfortable or
got enough. My favorite name brands are Sean
John and State Property.” He continued, “I buy clothes because they like the way they
don't dress to impress others. As long as I feel look. The truth is, no one has to worry about
comfortable and not out of place, then it does- what you wear but yourself. Everyone has his
or her own style and looks great!
n’t matter what others think.”
Friends, Fun and Art By Jahaira Rodriguez and Joy Ross
W
ouldn’t you like to explore a
different experience by creating
art with your hands? Water and paint
are the two ingredients that students
use at the Liberty Art Club, which
meets Thursdays with Ms. Edindjiklian.
“You could make whatever you
want. It’s not like you're told what to
make. You make whatever you are
feeling,” says Frankie Mannino. Others
agree with him and stress that they are
free to create any type of art they feel
like doing.
For Andrea Rimbu, who joined the
club this year, it’s an “extraordinary”
experience to be part of this club. “It’s
fun,” she said with a smile. “I do a lot of
things and you get to express yourself
through art.”
The club’s wonderful atmosphere
has been drawing lots of students. Recent attendance varies between 22 and
27 teens. The club is a place where
students feel relaxed and motivated to
explore different ideas in art. The students have a lot of potential and enthu-
siasm. They enjoy learning how to
draw, paint, mold clay and especially
like that they are with friends.
When asked what she likes about
the club, Ms. Endindjiklian responded,
“I enjoy students and their accomplishments.” She also likes to see her students have fun and create different
things. “Taking chances and experimenting are ways that artists develop,”
she commented.
While students have the opportunity
to do several activities, many choose to
draw and others say their favorite activity is doing ceramics. “With the clay,
I like to do whatever I’m feeling at the
moment. For example, if I’m feeling
angry, I’ll make abstract happy molding
faces,” says Ana Talushllari.
The Liberty Art Club meets in room
232. Students says it’s got a positive
vibe. When asked what he most likes
about the club, Andrew Meyer answered, “The fact that I make art with
my own hands and that I can also hang
out with my friends.”
Students in the Peer Mediation class were all smiles at a party in the
Photo by Rachel Munoz
school library.
The Peer Mediation Class
By Rachel Munoz and Andrew DeBlasie
Conflicts between students are a normal part of daily life.
The most common conflicts in school include name-calling,
rumors, threats and relationship or friendship issues. Mediation is a conflict resolution process that provides students
with the opportunity to talk and effectively resolve their conflicts.
Peer mediators conduct the process by not taking sides or
making decisions for their peers in conflict. The Peer Mediation Class is run by Ms. Raneri. When there is a problem,
mediators work to resolve it. Peer mediation is an extremely
effective way to help others solve their conflicts. Not only will
students have the chance to make a difference at Grover
Cleveland High School, but they will learn skills that will be
helpful in many settings throughout life.
Page 6 Herald/April, 2005
Splish Splash!
I
f you like the water, then you’ll love
the Swimming Club. But if you don’t
like the water, you can learn to like it,
and Mrs. Herbin the advisor of the club
can help you to do that. The club
started up again this spring. It meets on
Tuesdays and Thursday from three to
four thirty at the pool.
Some people might find it interesting
that Mrs. Herbin is no longer a teacher
here, yet she comes back to be the
club’s advisor. According to Mrs.
Herbin, she retired last year because
she became a grandmother and wanted
to spend more time with her family.
Why did she return to advise the
swimming club? She responded, “I miss
the kids and the teaching.” Mrs. Herbin
loves teaching swimming; as a matter of
fact, she said, “It is the love of my life.”
That’s probably why she has taught
swimming for over 30 years.
Her favorite thing about swimming is
how she “loves getting students who
are afraid of the water, and then helping them little by little to become more
confident.”
Mrs. Herbin also uses her free time
as a retired teacher to do Tai-Chi Club,
and advise the C.P.R. and First Aid
Clubs.
Most of the students who have
By Joya Khawaja
joined the swimming club are weak
swimmers, and some of them are there
to get better at it. Sharon Fan, who can
swim, said, “I joined the club because I
like it.”
When the students were asked what
their favorite stroke is, they all had a
different choice. Sharon Fan likes the
breast stroke and Christine Rivas likes
the back stroke, while Robert Feliciano
prefers the freestyle. The students
agreed on one thing: they never get
tired of swimming.
They also swim often; in fact, Robert
said, “I swim maybe twice a week.”
Many in the club want to take swimming up professionally like Robert Feliciano who said, “I will but I want to
get better at it.” Then there are those
like Omar Daniel who said, “It’s a competitive sport, and I’m not up for it.”
Omar prefers to view swimming as a
relaxing sport.
Whether students plan to swim
professionally or not, they want to get
better at it. Mrs. Herbin will help them
get there.
So, join the Swimming Club. You can
exercise, learn how to swim, find out if
you like it or meet new people. There
is still time to join; check the S.A calen-
Music Tech Tips
By Florin Baicu
Do you get the most of your music? Everyone listens to music. Everyone loves music. Nowadays when
students talk about their music they are not only interested in what kind of music someone listens to, but
they are also interested in what they use to listen to
their music.
For many students the internet is now their main
source of music. People are familiar with Kazaa, Morpheous, and Napster.
New technologies let us carry over five hours of
music in our pocket in a size of a tic tac box. A drawback is that when hot new electronics come to market,
their prices are slightly exaggerated for most.
Word to the wise: when something new comes out,
wait a couple of months for the generics to come out
that are just as good as the originals at almost half the
cost.
The downside is this theory is the more you wait,
the better the technology becomes and you’re going
behind. My advice to you is, look into something you
want to buy before you buy it. Research its prices and
compare brands as well as options. It’s only to your
advantage to save money and get exactly what you’re
looking for.
Grover Cleveland students are slowly throwing
away old CD players and investing in iPods or other
players. More people believe that MP3 players are a lot
more efficient in battery life and in storage of music
compared to the CD player, even though there are
many advantages in having an MP3 player over a CD
player.
A Shout Out
to the ESL Classes that helps students to become fluent in English. At Grover Cleveland, we
have students from many diverse cultures who report that
their ESL teachers gave them the foundations for success.
Pictured at left is a an ESL class from last semester.
Photo by Rachel Munoz
The Asian Club Performs By Melissa Veras and Sara Williams
T
he Asian Club hasn’t lost their moves
since their outstanding performance in
the Winter Festival. The club was chosen to
represent Grover Cleveland in a talent show
competing against other New York State KEY
Clubs. The talent show was held March 14th
at I.S.93. The winning school would receive a
trip to the KEY club convention free of cost.
With the help of their club advisor, Mr.
Mahabir, the Asian Club took this opportunity
to perform a traditional ribbon dance for the
second time. The eight girls dressed up in
their black and red Asian shirts, black tights
and fashionable Chinese slippers.
Even though it was a traditional dance, the
girls modernized it with a Chinese techno
beat. It showed true Asian culture mixed with
a side of modern.
The club had received the news about the
talent show at the last minute. They rehearsed
for two hours before the show, perfecting
every move and making sure there were no
mistakes. It was stressful and fun at the same
time when everyone was rehearsing.
Since they were competing against other
schools, the girls felt more nervous then before the Winter Festival. “The Winter Festival
was just for entertainment. There was nothing
to lose then,” stated junior Damaris Villafana.
“The club is a reflection of GCHS. We
wanted to look good so other schools can see
that Cleveland is not just a regular school; it is
a place to have fun,” said one proud junior,
Belinda Lin.
While the Asian Club felt proud of their
work, they were disappointed to lose. However, the students had fun. “It was an honor
to represent the KEY club out of all clubs. I
guess we must have done an amazing job at
the Winter Festival,” stated an enthusiastic
junior, Annie Montes.
Senior Lisa Fan felt happy to perform again.
She explained, “I thought the Winter Festival
would be my last performance with the Asian
club, but I luckily got one last try.”
This is a fun group, so check out a meeting
and you will learn new moves while making
new friends.
Athletes On The Go
Herald/April, 2005 page 7
By Katica Suvacar
I
t is so exhilarating to be a Grover Cleveland athlete. Showing hard work and discipline, these students concentrate on their game
and their grades.
Every year, great new athletes mold themselves
at Grover Cleveland. Tamara Bulatovic, a senior, enjoys playing volleyball on Mrs. Broderick’s
team. She is always energetic and ready to start
the game. She says, “Having the whole audience
concentrating on me and the team is an amazing
feeling. Playing competitively is a moment of pure
happiness. It’s an escape route from all of the
problems in life.”
When it comes to sports and schoolwork,
Tamara can handle it. She states, “Balancing volleyball and school isn’t that hard. I always have
enough energy for both.” Tamara is so passionate
about playing volleyball that she plans to play in
college. She explains, “I realized that I wanted to
play volleyball in college last term. Coach Broderick, showed me how fun the game can be. It’s also
a lot of hard work, but in the end it’s worth it.”
The question is what motivates Tamara Bulatovic?
She replies, “The thought of winning always brings
me back to the court.”
Running for the team — that is what Lukasz
Bialek does for Mr. Pollack’s Boys Track Team.
Lukasz says, “The reason I started running track
was to get into shape and have good stamina and
conditioning.” He is always trying to get his speed
up. He says, “For me the best thing about being on
the team is getting to compete with other athletes.
I also try to improve my abilities in many different
ways.”
According to Lukasz, he has a great coach. He
explains, “Mr. Pollack believes in you and pushes
you to the limits, but also makes it fun at the same
time.” For Lukasz Bialek, running is in his future.
He says, “I think I will pursue this sport in college
because it is the best way to stay healthy and in
shape.”
What is a G.C. athlete capable of? That question could be asked of senior Olga Tomashivska of the girl’s tennis team. Last term, she
was awarded Most Valuable Player by her coach,
Cleveland Comments
by Leo
Mr. Cheng. She started as a
freshman who wanted to learn a
new sport and meet new people.
She is now a great tennis player
who loves the game. She says,
“Every year I get to improve my
skills more and more.”
Tennis can be a fun sport, but
it is also very serious. Olga
states, “It’s important to take
the training seriously. You have
to be one hundred percent focused and study the opponent’s
moves.” Olga hasn’t decided yet
about playing in college. “I’m
not sure if I will play in college.
If I can handle the work load,
then I will definitely want to, “
Lukasz Bialek, Tamara Bulatovic, Radoslaw Wyrwas and Olga
she said.
Tomashivska are four student athletes who contribute to the winning
Radoslaw Wyrwas is
Grover Cleveland tradition.
Photo by Kareem Nelson
captain of the Boys Varsity
Basketball Team. He is one of the many athletes
that puts his “all” into the game. His coach is Mr.
Irizarry. Radoslaw loves being part of the team.
“Frosted Flakes, they’re more than
He says, “Being on the team allows me to make
good, they're GREAT.” One of the
friends and just enjoy the beauty of b-ball.” Ramost favorite promotional characters
doslaw lets himself go on the court. He says, “The
on TV is Tony the Tiger who, along
with his high energy and enthusiastic
crowd inspires me. I play for them. When I’m in
song, make children and adults want to
the game, I can let all my anger out.”
sing.
Schoolwork can sometimes be a challenge. He
The cafeteria staff thought the stustates, “It’s not easy, but I try really hard to keep
dents would find it silly and childish,
my grades up. Being on the team motivates me to
but were surprised to see they found it
do a better job in school.” Radoslaw can always
exciting. In October, a ballot box was
put out for a breakfast promotion
be himself around his coach. He explains, “Mr.
sponsored by our very own school
Irizarry is the best coach ever. He knows exactly
food partner Kellogg’s. Any student
what you need to be a better player. He’s also a
who had breakfast could enter the
great friend.”
promotional raffle to win a mountain
How far will our Cleveland athletes go?
bike. “We gave out bowls with Tony
The answer to that is wherever their dreams will
the Tiger on them, stickers, Frisbees,
take them. They are motivated students with great
and blow up chairs to anyone who
participated just for filling out a ballot,”
skills. For some, playing the game is just a hobby,
stated Jo Ann Brugess, a School Lunch
but for others it’s a way of life. Special thanks to all
Assistant.
of the coaches for shaping these students into the
One of our Grover Cleveland stuplayers they are today.
dents, junior Francis Cho, filled out a
“Tony the Tiger”
Aponte
10 seconds
till
sweeps!
We
got
time.
ballot and was chosen first prize winner of a brand new red mountain bike.
“I was shocked because I never won
first prize for anything before, and plus,
I needed a bike too,” the elated Francis
stated.
The timing was just right for Francis. “Francis eats breakfast every morning. It’s free and delicious,” stated
Giovanna Di Bartolo, School Lunch
Helper. “He’s a sweet and well mannered young gentleman.”
Mrs. La Malfa, our school Food
Service Manager, made sure that the
box of ballots was sent to Vernon
Boulevard, our food and nutrition
headquarters, and luckily for Francis,
she did. “Francis was one of only three
NYC winners.” Congratulations goes
out to our food and service staff and to
Francis; enjoy the bike!
-Tamara Bulatovic
Sports
Page 8 Herald/April, 2005
Tigers Hit Off a New Season
By Ana Valladares and Krystal Gonzalez
S
pring is just around the corner and that means it’s a chance at a
fresh start for the Girls Softball Team. Last year’s record was an
amazing 9-4, and everyone is looking forward to an even better record
for this 2005 spring season.
The team’s coach, Mr. Fitzpatrick, is ready to lead the girls in the
upcoming season. While speaking with Coach Fitzpatrick, we discovered he has expectations to “play hard and win.” He stated, “I need
someone to step up and be a pitcher and I have some people in mind
to pitch, but I’m not certain yet.”
According to Coach Fitzpatrick, a lot of girls were trying out this
season, such as returning players Jillian Miller, Tatiana Diaz, Sharice
Weekes, Joyce Thevenin, Solymar Aquino, Diana Oviedo, Krystal Gonzalez, Sofie Cruz, Kim Donovan, and Trisha Plaza. Newcomers to try
out were Rosemilda Vazquez, Opakar Singh, Crystal Ledey, Shaney
Patalano and Brittany Patalano.
Everyone is looking forward to a new season. One anxious team
member, freshman Shaney Patalano, says, “I tried out this season to try
something new and to play the sport that I love.”
Each new member has a goal in mind for this year’s season. Sophomore Kim Donovan says, “I wish to accomplish making the play-offs
again this year.” Jillian Miller wants to “provide my base running and
my batting skills.” When asked about what contributions she was willing to make for the team, Joyce Thevenin replied, “I’m going to help
the newcomers by practicing with them outside of school.”
In order to find out what other girls will contribute to the team, we
asked senior and four year veteran, Tatiana Diaz, how she would help
the Tigers this
season.
She responded,
“I will
bring a
positive
attitude, my defense and leadership skills.”
After a long cold winter of relaxing and saving up their energy, the
girls can finally have their moment. The 2005 Spring season began on
Wednesday, March 9, and as you can see the girls are very determined
to have a great season and make it to the play offs once again.
Coach Fitzpatrick wants the newcomers to make a major impact
and the veterans to guide
them as well. His motto
for this season is to “have
fun, play hard and win.” As
of press time, the Tigers
have a 4-2 record.
The Girls Softball Team, led
by Coach Fitzpatrick, began
their season in March with
practices in the gym.
Photos by Kareem Nelson
On The Run With the Girls Track Team
By Jared Ciborowski and Mike Bellomo
“W
hat led me into my decision of
joining the girl’s track team was the
fact that I knew I could support the school in
activities that I was good in,” said sophomore
Linda Akeju. Other members echoed Linda’s
reaPPson for running track as well.
The team, whose season started in March,
seems to attract more people each year, although several are first year members. The
current team is composed of Rose Vasquez,
Finnelis Aleman, Shanay Patalano, Brittany
Patalano, Darihana Lopez, Joyce Guo, Linda
Akeju, Darlene Estevez, and Krystal Gonzalez.
Any member of this team will report that just
like every other sport, practices are held, and
they can be challenging.
Runners practice the 300 meter dash after
extensive leg exercises (knee highs, lunges,
and sprints) and abdominal exercises
(crunches). The benefits are many. Darlene
Estevez said, “It has made me see what being
part of a team really is and its made me see
what athletes have to go through in practice.”
These track exercises improve athletic
abilities in other sports such as basketball,
baseball, football, softball, soccer and volleyball. Not all of the runners participate in track
for the sole purpose of developing their athletic abilities. Some members run because
they love to run, just like in the movie
“Chariots of Fire.”
They feel it gives
them the time to
relax and clear their
minds.
Have you ever
wanted the ability
to dribble well, have
a powerful spike, or
time to relax in
your busy life?
Track and its exercises will be the
first step to these
goals.
Krystal Gonzalez,
Linda Akeju runs in a
another track memcompetition.
ber, plays softball,
and volleyball as well. She feels that track has
helped her to succeed in sports.
This year, the team has a new leader,
Coach Garcia, and he seems to be pretty
excited about coaching this team. “We have
an excellent core of the girls that support
each other. That is an extremely important
factor,” he said. Besides track, he has also
coached boys lacrosse and co-ed soccer in his
previous schools. Coach Ciano observed the
track team and felt that “Coach Garcia is
doing a good job.”
Track is a sport of self motivation. Runners
say that if you feel you lack the ability to motivate yourself, maybe track isn't your sport.
However, track will reward you with endurance, speed, and the improved ability to concentrate. While the indoor track season is
over, the outdoor track is just beginning.
So, drop the books, put on those sneakers
and stop by a practice.
News from the SA
Ah, May. It’s finally here; the birds
are chirping; the skies are blue, and
the days give us more daylight. Can
you feel the summer coming? But
wait. First there’s this business of
finishing the school year. Buckle
down and race for the finish line
with one last enthusiastic burst of
academic zeal to be as successful as
you can be.