January 2014 Issue - Sewanhaka Central High School

The Chieftain
SEWANHAKA HIGH SCHOOL - 500 TULIP AVE. - FLORAL
PARK, NY 11001 - VOLUME 25 ISSUE 3 - JANUARY 2013
THE CHIEFTAIN
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF/
INPUT EDITORS
Cynthia Devendran
Bernadette Yu
Marlena Santos
PHOTO EDITORS
Marlena Santos
Arline O’Hearon
SEWANHAKA HIGH SCHOOL
500 Tulip Avenue-Floral Park,
New York 11001
Greetings from the Editors:
Hello Sewanhaka Indians. We hope that all of you
enjoyed our last Chieftain Issue. The holidays is
upon us and the Chieftain staff would like to wish
everyone a very safe and happy holiday season and a
happy New Year! We would also like to take a serious moment to pay our respects to those affected by
Typhoon Haiyan in the Phillipines. Our hearts and
prayers are with them.
CONTENTS
School News...............................................3-5
Local Events..................................................6
International News........................................7
Hot Topics..................................................8-9
Editorial.......................................................10
Sports News.................................................11
Teacher Feature...........................................12
Student Feature...........................................13
Senior Week............................................14-15
2
STAFF
Shaheer Khan
Bianca Thomas
Michelle Ade-Browne
Nayab Khan
Sue Chen
Andreas Pavlou
Brian Cano
Daniel Antohi
Shafaq Khan
Khadeza Uddin
Omar Hameed
Michelle Niles
Marryam Mian
Emily Spring
Sephora St. Armand
Juan Lasso
Eric DeDomenico
Kaeli Gronert
Amna Farooq
Celeste Pipia
Emily Fernandez
Erica Marroquin
Nya Oscar
ADVISOR
Mr. Alfino
PHOTOS
Sam Sivanesathasan
Chieftain - January
SCHOOL NEWS
International Night
Senior High Concert
International Night was again an unforgettable
event. From the roaring audience to the shivering performers, it’s a night that displays culture around the world in
just an hour and thirty minutes. “ I was surprised to see
everyone dancing and I enjoyed that the expectations were
high. In such little time that you
guys practiced, I thought it came
out great!” said Enrique Cano.
There were many clubs involved in
this year’s event. These clubs and
participants celebrated cultures
including Hispanic, Chinese, Indian, Carribean, Greek and more.
“ I think that the kids worked very
hard and all of the teachers worked
very hard as well to make it an
excellent night.” Tatiana Cano said.
“I too had a part in the making of
these performances.” I was doing a
dance called Bachata with Spanish
club directed by Mrs. Bascetta. Our
club included Luis Santos, Marlania
Santos, Jessica Lasso, me and many more students. All of us
were partnered up like the other Spanish clubs. Some others
danced this other cultural dance called Merengue too. Mr.
Gonzales and Mr. Brustman were the ones that organized
this all in our auditorium.
With the help of supportive parents, we were able
to perfect our dance routine daily. “ Mr. Santos helped us
so much if it wasn’t for his help we wouldn’t have been able
to pull off the bachata dance. It was amazing and I had a
nice time performing.” Jessica Lasso’s thankfully responded.
Everything came together nicely, was done correctly and
everyone after the show complemented each because there
were no flaws ini our performances. As per Andrea Gaviria,
“I thought it was very well put together and a fun night
out.” As all the performers saw the audience they were
astonished to see the crowd. The crowd’s enthusiasm for the
perfomances matched the heat inside the auditorium. On
the other hand, the weather outside was much more satisfying as people got out and cooled off. As the night came to
an end, it was like a race to get out. Nicholas Gaviria said,
“The traffic was mayhem but even though everyone wanted
to get out, they let the performers know they did great.”
On Thursday, December 12th students ranging
from grades 8-12 joined together to create a festive night full
of music. The Jazz Band under the direction of Mr. Doherty, started the night off early playing Christmas Carols
and getting the audience into the holiday spirit playing
crowd favorites such as, “Let it Snow” and “Jingle Bells”.
String Ensemble, under the direction of Ms. O’Connor
wowed the crowd with their arrangement of the Beatles hit
“Eleanor Rigby.”
Voices of Harmony, the contemporary acapella
group, under the direction of Mrs. Daloia. performed songs
from the popular movie “Pitch Perfect” including the “Just
the Way You Are/ Just a Dream” Mash-up, featuring solos
by Senior Kaeli Groenert and Junior Eden Medina, as well
a very fun rendition of Miley Cyrus,’ “Party in the USA.”
The Senior High Band added in an international twist on
the holiday with an, “African Bell Carol” and made spirit’s
bright with their piece, “Holiday Extravaganza.” Members of
the Band then combined with the Orchestra for the Christmas Classic, “Sleigh Ride” as well as performing many other
wonderful pieces.
The chorus took the risers and in perfect harmony
sang three pieces; one of which was completely in German,
“Helig Helig” and without accompaniment to back them
up, showing how well each member of the chorus knew
their parts.
Mr. Doherty once more took the stage and directed
the Symphonic Band through two lovely pieces before the
grand finale, combining both the Symphonic and Concert Bands as well as the chorus to have a final medley of
traditional Christmas Carols including “Joy to the World,”
“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” and “O Come All Ye
Faithful.” The final number was a great success and garnered great cheers and reaction from a grateful audience.
The concert was overall a success. Congratulations to all the
student musicians who performed.
Brian Cano
Chieftain - January
Kaeli Groenert
3
SCHOOL NEWS
MODEL UN
Rutgers 2013
Nayab Khan
Sewanhaka’s Model United
Nations club, as per tradition, visited Rutgers University for its annual
Model UN conference that took
place from December 5th through
December 8th. The conference is
one of many in which high school
students simulate actual United Nations delegates. Along with advisor
Mr. Sakowich and chaperone Ms.
Brennan, a total of eighteen Sewanhaka students from grades 9-12
participated in the conference. The
conference consisted of six committee sessions, which mostly lasted
from about three to three-and-half
hours. In the end, the delegates
debated for an overall total of about
eighteen hours. The conference was
without a doubt tiring and laborious, but the students were able to
pull through were rewarded for
their hard work during the delegate
social on Saturday night. Students
at the conference were also able to
interact with students from other
high schools – some of which came
from as far as California! Everyone
worked undoubtedly hard, and
there were a total of four individuals
who brought home awards from the
Two delegates posing for a picture during
roll-call
4
conference: Distinguished Delegation for Andreas Pavlou and Harris
Pavlou and Outstanding Delegation for Shaheer Khan and Sidney
Saint-Hilaire. Congratulations to
everyone who participated in the
conference!
Junior Dinner
Dance
Dan Antohi
The Class of 2015 held their
Junior Dance which took place on
November 8th and just may have
achieved reviving a trend that appeared to have died as a Sewanhaka
tradition . Sewanhaka has not held
a Junior Dance since the Class of
2011. The juniors’ precursor to
the grand Senior Prom has been
eliminated due to the inability of
making ends meet from a financial
and social point of view. The Class
of 2015 was not a stranger to these
obstacles either. However, it seems
one obstacle we as a class are immune to was a lack of spirit.
The juniors have been blessed
with a great sense of pride, spirit,
and identity and as the old saying
goes, “Faith can move mountains.”
Besides our unity as a class we, the
15’ers, were also privileged to have
as our advisors two amazing teachers, Ms. Morrison and Mr. Mirsky
that always put the entity of our
class before everything else. Class
Board members and I can vividly
remember half a year before the
dance how our advisors were making dozens of phone calls to ensure
that the financial burden of the
dance would be alleviated as much
as possible. However, before mak
ing one phone call the class board
had to make sure that the student
body was on board with the idea of
a Junior Dance. To find the answer
to this crucial question, a survey
was created and given out in order
to obtain the public opinion. After
counting the surveys the results
were a definite green light, a beautiful ray of unity and ambition existed
in our class.
Before long, the dance was
here and so were seventy of my fellow classmates. The dance turned
out to be simply extraordinary. We
danced, we ate, we socialized, and
most importantly we had a blast. It
was indeed amazing to see an idea
our class board came up with six
months ago finally enter the fibers
of reality. In the end, on behalf of
all my fellow pupils I am proud to
say that our class is truly incredible
and that we all can’t wait for next
year’s prom and rewrite history once
again.
Juniors trying to be cute
Chieftain - January
SCHOOL NEWS
We Survive With Naughty or Nice?
Shafaq Khan and Khadeza Uddin
A Blood Drive
Omar Hameed
Instagram blew up this year
with pictures of people who donated
blood – and why shouldn’t it? Sure, it
got kind of annoying after the 500th
upload, but each of these people did a
great deed for the sake of someone else.
No doubt, donating blood is something
to be proud of. This year’s blood drive
was successful once again, but what’s
more important is the significant effect this blood drive should have on
individuals. Those who donated should
continue blessing the lives of those
in need, but those who did not and
are capable of doing so should realize
the significance of this deed. SOMEONE NEEDS BLOOD EVERY TWO
SECONDS. Yes – it is that serious. If
donors gave three times a year, blood
shortages would be a rare occurance
(the current average is about two). In
addition, if only one more percent
of all Americans would give blood,
blood shortages would disappear in the
upcoming years. Think about it and
be about it. The next blood drive is on
April 8th so go out there and sieze this
opportunity to save a life with ease.
For the past 30 years, Sewanhaka students have been partaking in
the annual Elementary School Holiday
Play. Young actors from Covert Ave,
Clara H. Carlson, and Stewart Manor
attended rehearse daily in the auditorium for several weeks.The Play takes
place at Sewanhaka High School and is
led by the Student Council advisor, Mr.
Tesoro. This year, the play was written
by Marja Dorvil, Shafaq Khan, Sabrina
Nicholas, and Joshua Pichardo. The
play, titled Naughty or Nice, describes
how the Grinch wants to be mayor of
the North Pole. In order to obtain this
position, he enlists Scrooge, Frostbite,
and others to help him kidnap Santa.
Overall, the play helps convey a message of being a good person. The young
actors came with their parents during
rehearsals. A multitude of Sewanhaka students attended to help the
children learn their lines. When the
youngsters were on stage, the helpers
sat behind them or stood in front.
“The kids are so cute and friendly so
it’s fun to help them out,” comments
sophomore Beaty Couloute. She went
on to explain that she believed that it
was unfair that not all of the children
had the chance to get the best parts.
During the first few days of rehearsals, the kids had no idea what the play
was, and what their parts were. The
children from the different schools
did not know each other as well. As
time took its course, the young actors
became accustomed to the stage and
their parts. They also befriended each
other. Madison Gutierrez, a second
Students eating snacks after donating blood grader who plays the part as one of
the reindeers in the play, was happy to
discuss her excitement to
Chieftain - January
Santa
visited
Sewanhaka and
was kind
enough
to take
pics with
young
fans
be in the play and all the new friends
she made. Maya Cherubin, who played
the Grinch added, “I kind of feel
nervous, but very excited! I have a lot
of lines to practice.” When asked her
how often she practices, she replied
that she practiced at least once a day by
herself. One of the young actors, Sean
Andrade, who did a phenomenal job as
Santa Claus, was not satisfied with his
part. He was hoping to be the Grinch
instead. However, Krissy Jorge, who
played the Sugar Plum Fairy, was really
happy with her part. On the day of the
play, butterflies fluttered in stomachs
and hearts beat faster. But there was
no reason to be frightened because
the children were amazing! They went
to the three elementary schools with
students in the play and performed
for their classmates. Then, they came
to perform at Sewanhaka for their
parents. The parents laughed, took
pictures, and recorded memories that
would last.
After speaking with Mr. Tesoro, he
summed it up, “The holiday play is
an exciting act. It brings kids together
which helps them learn together.” He
further explains how children that were
once in the previous plays often help
out in the future when they are high
school students.
Sewanhaka would like to say good job
to all the young actors and thank you
to the helpers!
5
LOCAL news
Bond Bombed
the renovations.
It is clear that not nearly enough people voted
Amna Farooq
for the bond. It could have been mainly due to the lack
of awareness. A student, Erica Marroquin comments, “I
As many Sewanhakans may already know, the
didn’t even know the voting already happened, nevermind
recent bond referendum has unfortunately been defeated. my mom. I knew there was a vote. Everyone knew. But
A few of the improvements featured in this bond if it had I had no idea when it was going to take place. Because
actually passed were: repairing and renovating the gymna- it was such a big deal, I thought they would’ve made an
siums, athletic fields, and auditoriums. The exceptional
announcement, multiple announcements, reminding us
students of the Sewanhaka districts really deserved all of
about it.” This was the case for many students in Sewanthese improvements to make their schools a better and
haka and perhaps throughout the district. There was not
safer environment. There were many people who were
any particularly big attention brought to the bond. The
relying on this bond vote to pass to make the schools of
only thing that would indicate that there were changes trythese communities more advanced and much more safe
ing to be made is if you happen to walk through the lobby
for the students.
and see the propositions on display,
One person who is very
but other than that there was virtuwell known in our school and
ally nothing done by the District
was hoping with all his heart for
to pursue the votes -- no calls, no
this bond vote to pass is Coach
events, no mail home reminding to
Kasimatis. When asked how this
go out and vote. Just like the voter
would have helped our school
turnout, the publicity of the bond
personally, he said, “I think that
was meager to say the least. In hindit would really have helped our
sight, it is frustrating to know that
entire community, in our school,
the vote became such a non-entity, as
it would give the students more
if covered by a blanket, a secret only
things to do during their gym
one of the proposed changes in Sewanhaka Bond Vote the few should know. Although it
periods, the weight room would
could have been a deliberate decision
have been updated, the ventilation could have been upby the Board, afraid that if enough attention was brought
dated and fixed and the leaks in the building would have
to the bond, people might turn out in large numbers to
been renovated.” The one thing that Coach said upset
vote and defeat the $99.5 million bond that would surely
him most was the amount of people that voted. “We have increase property tax.
all these people in this community and we only had 5000 Another member of our community and a signifipeople come out and vote. Whether you are going to vote cant member of our school is our very own principal, Mrs.
yes or no, go out and vote. There are approximately 8500
Lidowsky. She was also discouraged about the results of
students in the schools that this bond affected, and then
this bond vote. “ Well, we were certainly looking forward
there are the people in the community that don’t have
to all of the upgrades and additions that would have been
kids in school and we only got 5000 votes. We only lost by added to Sewanhaka High School, had the bond passed,
less than 300 votes. I don’t feel we had a true vote. I hope so naturally, we are very disappointed. It was discouraging
they try to push it through. I hope they try to go for it
to see that not many people came out to support the
again.” He checked the school website at 5 in the morning bond.” When asked whether there would be a re-vote, she
to see if the bond had passed and was disheartened to see responded, “That is a decision that the superintendent
that it had not. At this time during the interview, assistant would be making with the Board of Education as to where
principal Mrs. Williams walked into the gymnasium and
we go from here. As of now, it has only been a week since
shared that she saw coach heartbroken the other day after the bond failed, so they are still in talking stages as of
hearing this new. This was a truly disappointing outcome
what to do, but I am sure that as soon as they have a
not only for Coach Kasimatis but the whole staff and
decision, they will let us know.”
students alike who would have benefitied greatly from all
6
Chieftain - January
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Typhoon Tops the Scale
Sephora Saint-Armand and Juan Lasso
Super Typhoon Haiyan wrecked the Southeast Asian
region earlier this past November. Though many countries
including Vietnam, Southern China, and Micronesia suffered the wrath of the typhoon, the unfortunate people of
the Philippines bore the worst of it. The Philippine government has reported more than 6,000 people dead and nearly
2,000 are reportedly missing. Forming in the Southeastern
Pacific Ocean on November 3rd, the typhoon gradually
intensified over the course of a few days. Its hardest hit was
on the city of Tacloban, Philippines, which now has nearly
10,000 civilians dead from the natural disaster. The typhoon
has left 3.9 million people displaced and hundreds missing.
It is evident that the aftermath of this calamity
is astounding; this super typhoon also revealed the relief
response and future weather patterns are unpredicatable.
The super typhoon, a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson
scale measured the highest wind speed in recorded history.
It surpassed the previous Hurricane Camille (190 mph)
with 195 mph winds. Relief agencies and donor-developed
nations have only begun to tap the surface on recovery and
reparation for the immense collateral damage; in fact, the
arduous reconstruction task of 16 million damaged houses
is a lengthy three year process. Approximately 2.5 million
Filipinos need basic food and resources because of the storm
and every two out of five people are living on less than 2 dollars a day.
Interestingly enough, we have seen social media
websites and search engines such as Google impacting our
way of communication and obtaining minute by minute
information on the aftermath. Twitter and Facebook became
a way for loved ones throughout the world to communicate
the whereabouts and findings of relatives and family members quickly and in a matter of seconds. Relief organizations
such as the Red Cross have collaborated with Dell, and
launched a Digital Operations Center. Government officials
have worked with these super-information and network
organizations to assist in locating, rescuing, and deploying
aid to numerous of the victims through digital mapping and
network status identification.
Philippine’s militaristic response has been slow and
insufficient for the gravity of the predicament. Officials have
attributed the delay due to a lack of troops. They also are not
equipped for the aftermath of Haiyan nor have the provisions to supply the large and displaced population. However,
the Philippines is not alone on this rescue mission. Coun-
Chieftain - January
tries like the US, Japan, China, Australia and numerous others have donated millions of dollars and offered assistance in
relief aid. The current estimation in damage repair is nearly
14 billion dollars -- way over the estimated budget prior to
the storm. On a global scale, the international community is
facing a great dilemma in combating climate disaster knowing the materialistic burden it place on the environment,
acknowledging the cold truth that disasters like this can and
just may recur, and the damage costs just the same can be
exorbitant.
Albeit stiff pledges from developed nations to contribute in environmental relief and development, the cumulative disasters such as Hurricane Sandy and the drought in
the Midwest exceeded vastly the promised financial contribution. This monstrous typhoon has never occurred in Earth’s
recorded history, once again affirming the devastating effects
of climate change. Since the 20th century, the average sea
level has rose 0.8 inches and is predicted to rise nearly 8
inches more by 2050. We could possibly have a level 3 sea
rise by the 22nd century if this pattern continues. Scientist
predict that due to climate change, weather will turn from
bad to worse and could possibly be our demise if the weather
becomes too inhabitable for the human species. Just imagine
having the colossal damage of a natural disaster like Super
Typhoon Haiyan inflicted on the eastern coast of the U.S.
Thousands of family members have lost or are
searching for their loved ones amongst the rubble and
debris of this cataclysmic travesty. Thousands of parents
and children worry about their next meal and government
officials and local leaders are pondering the reconstruction and revitalization of jobs and housing. With all these
surging problems brings us the necessity to respond to them
before they occur, to act preemptively, and with faster and
greater ground. Though disasters have a way of cascading the
struggle and spirit of humanity, we must never forget that
even out of the torrent of a typhoon, what can emerge is a
ripple of hope.
7
HOT TOPICS
When Push Comes To
Shove
Eric DeDomenico
When you think of bullying, you might picture a
young kid being shoved into a locker by an older kid or
someone being called negative names. You might even
see examples of bullying while walking through the halls.
Bullying is a problem worldwide and everyday millions of
people are being bullied whether it’s verbally or physically.
Bullying can put a mental and physical strain on people.
But is bullying a problem specifically with kids and teenagers? Statistics show that 71% of adult workers in the United
States reported uncivilized behavior in their working environment. Most problems you might see on the news or hear
about through the day were most likely results of bullying.
Studies show that those who bully others through their
childhood grow up to become bullies in their adulthood.
Bullying is a huge problem in schools but now it’s becoming an even bigger problem in the adult working environment.
Workplace bullying consists of being constantly
ignored, co-workers leaving a room after you enter, being
yelled at, spreading untrue rumors about a fellow co-worker, being lied to, having your contributions ignored, and
being put down in front of others. “Everyday people get
bullied. Whether it’s in work, or in school. Just look at what
happened in the NFL” said Mr. Kasmatis. He went on to
say, “It doesn’t matter what age or gender you are, it happens to everyone.” Jonathan Martin, an NFL player who is
on the Miami Dolphins reported that he was even a victim
to workplace bullying. Richie Incognito, another player on
the Dolphins is accused of calling Martin names, sending
him racist text messages, and even said he would murder
his family.
8
It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize how seri-
ous bullying can be. Over 3.2 billion students are bullied
each year, and every year the number rises. Approximately
160,000 students skip school each day because of bullying,
and some students even drop out of school because they
are constantly being bullied. Harassment and bullying have
been linked to 75% of school shootings. Before you decide
to bully someone, think of all the possible effects. To you it
might just be a bunch of words, but to the person your bullying it might just be enough to push them over the edge.
One of the biggest effects of bullying is suicide. It’s
not only bullying in school that has serious effects. Workplace bullying can lead to stress, high blood pressure, low
self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. One of the biggest
effects of workplace bullying is post-traumatic stress disorder.
Workplace bullying is also bad for business be-
cause it leads to low productivity, and it becomes a struggle
to hire employees after the word gets out that it’s a hostile
working environment. But bullying is not a problem only in
the workplace; adults have even reported being bullied in
the street by people they do not even know. If you keep up
with recent news you might have heard about the knockout game. This is where people walk up to other people in
the street and randomly knock them out unconscious. This
is an example of bullying. Most of the victims are minding their own business walking down the street when they
are suddenly attacked by someone they do not even know.
Ways to deal with bullying are to recognize and respond.
Bystanders are also encouraged to become “upstanders”.
Bullying is a problem worldwide and if we put ourselves in
someone else’s shoes and really think before we speak we
could make a difference. Your comment can have a bigger impact than you expect, so next time you decide to call
someone else a name, put yourself in their shoes and think
before you speak.
Chieftain - January
HOT TOPICS
New Year... Same You
Erica Marroquin
As I scrolled through one of many social media
outlets, I was not surprised to see the amount of posts
captioned, “New year, new me!” Each new year these
posts run rampant, but inevitably, nothing changes.
“Wow,” I thought, “You look exactly the same as
you did just a few minutes ago.”
I was completely unaware of the, “Cinderella Effect” surrounding the New Year. The ball drops and the
clock strikes midnight-- the glass slipper, that is all your
problems, shatters, and you’re a different person than
you were mere minutes ago. You’re stripped free of your
ball gown-sized burdens and have the chance to start
over again from scratch. Even better, you wake up the
next day with new dietary habits and a whole new personality because, obviously, you’re a brand new person.
I’m sorry to tell you this, but there is no fairy
godmother to help you become that, “new you.” When
you wake up on New Year’s Day, you’re the same person you were just the day before. Adding a ‘plus 1’ to
the year does not elicit a transformation. Sure, you can
be part of the 45% of Americans that set a New Years
resolution, but if you’re solely doing it because everyone
else is, don’t waste your own time. If you’re really ready
for a transformation, you would have set a resolution
not at the beginning of the year, but when you wanted. If
you’re serious about getting it done, you wouldn’t have
to wait to put a label on it as a “New Years Resolution”-it would be done already.
I’m not here to discourage you from setting a
New Years resolution. Go out, be adventurous, make
it a great year. It’s great to set a goal and then reap the
benefits once it’s completed. A fair warning: only 8% of
Americans who
set a resolution actually
complete it.
Just make sure
not to lose your
glass slipper
too early.
Chieftain - Jaunary
Oversized Fitting: Is it Really
a Small World After?
Emily Fernandez
Jacobs, Tisci, Wang and many other (if you don’t
know who they are you need to do your homework) all
understand that the oversized fit.. is the only fit. Well, not
literally, many designers who normally design form fitting
clothing are bring us back to a more casual time... the 80’s
are back. Everywhere we see girls wearing their boyfriend’s
jeans and shirts, and guys with tees normally longer than
usual. Why is it that wearing clothing a few sizes too big
has risen in popularity so suddenly? Junior, Alexandra
Rodriguez, said, “it’s easier, you could pair an oversized tee
with anything and it’ll be comfortable and cute. You could
even wear an oversized shirt as a dress.”
But when did people suddenly turn away from
shopping their size? Well, the oversized fit isn’t only about
shopping your size. Now many designers are designing garments to be oversized, so you don’t have to size up. Even if
you’re shopping for something as simple as a cardigan, you
could walk into somewhere as common as Urban Outfitter
and you’re guaranteed to find an oversized cardigan before
you find a form fitting one. Everybody knows that history
tends to repeat itself when it comes to fashion, (the high
waiste, the denim jacket) and many were waiting for the
day oversized clothing would come back. There are many
advantages to wearing something that doesn’t show off
your shape, one of them being that you do not need to feel
guilty the morning after you eat a ton of fried Oreos. Just
throw on a larger tee and no one will be able tell! When
you do not feel like having fabric hug your body all day
long, the oversized fit is the comfortable, stylish solution.
“He [Rick Owens] started it, back in ‘96, before
the whole thug baggy jeans look, and he switched it from
baggy jeans and fitting shirts to tight jeans and large or long
shirts.”says Senior Anthony Guarino. This trend goes back
to the era of violence and gang trouble, yet fashion found
a way to shift it into something that could be executed by
anyone. It has become the look of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Fashionistas are revered globally for this average
hoodlum look that has been brought back to the runway.
9
EDITORIAL
Social Media: Does it
Make You Anti-Social?
business background to his or her personality and character.
The companies are therefore able to understand the mindset
of its followers and know exactly how to target their best
interests.
Marlena Santos
Due to its worldwide popularity and rapid-fire usage,
Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, these are the names of
social
media
site serve as a modern way of learning about
social media websites that are becoming more and more popcurrent
events.
It seems that in this modern day and age
ular by the second. Whether you are walking in the hallways
more people are receiving their information about events
of Sewanhaka, listening to the radio, or buying groceries at
around the world via the comments made by their friends
the local supermarket, you cannot escape hearing the words
on Facebook and their followers on Twitter. In fact, our
“hashtag” or “Facebook status.” Because of an increase in
own President, Barack Obama, has used social media sites to
the amount of people who own computers or devices that
his advantage. Although in the weeks prior to Election Day
allow the use of the Internet, these social networking sites
only half of the campaign’s targeted youth voters had not
continue to thrive. But do these websites have a positive
listed a phone number, many of them did sign up for a Faeffect on our society or are they creating a distraction in
cebook application and allowed the campaign to view their
everyday life?
friend lists. “The campaign called this effort targeted shar
As many of us know, Facebook, created by Mark
ing,” states Time Magazine’s Michael Scherer, “And in those
Zuckerberg and his roommates at Harvard University, was
originally invented as a way for Harvard students to exchange final weeks of the campaign, the team blitzed the supporters
who had signed up for the app with requests
messages and communicate with each
to share specific online content with specific
other. Today, Facebook, and many of
friends simply by clicking a button.” But is this
the other social media sites, have bemethod of sharing news truly convenient, or
come popular on an international scale.
will it cause a burden to the traditional news;
Facebook itself announced that it is a
are newspapers becoming a dying breed? Many
home to 1.19 billion users and countwill agree that as we move forward we seem to
ing. Many people utilize the sites as a
be moving further away from traditional forms
way to communicate with their family
of reading and learning about the news. Now,
and friends across the globe. “In my
one of many effects of social media
you can just pick up an iPad and download
personal experience I don’t think
the latest copy of the New York Times with
they are bad,” senior Michael Gregori
out
even
leaving
the comfort of your home. Mrs. Zubko
states, “With Facebook, I was able to connect with my cousstates,
“I
believe
we
are moving towards a ‘paperless world’.
ins in Spain and friends that have moved.” However, senior
I think the change is positive because the access to informaAchsah Thomas believes, “Kids should be aware of what
tion is expedited and it will help the environment.” On the
they post and be aware of who their friends are.” Whether
other hand Mrs. Deegan has a hard time believing that we
it is tweeting about your favorite book or posting pictures of
are moving in that direction. “People still like a hard copy,”
summer vacation on Facebook, social networking services
provide an easy way to share the important events of your life she states, “I enjoy being able to flip the physical pages of a
newspaper.”
with your loved ones.
Social media sites seem to be like a blessing and a
In addition to easy communication with people
curse.
On
one hand they provide a quick and easy way of
around the globe, social media also exposes its users to
communicating
with relatives and friends across the globe.
various company advertisements. Recently, the amount of
Via
Facebook
and
Twitter, we are able to find out the events
companies and brands that have social media accounts has
spiked dramatically. There are now about 15 million brands occurring in China within seconds. However, these popular
websites also contain their share of flaws. By adopting these
with a Facebook page. The reason why so many companies
websites we are slowly moving away from the traditional ways
are expanding their advertising to social media sites is because they are going where the people are -- the more people, of past generations. In the future, it seems that the need for
printed newspapers will no longer exist, however, will the
the more exposure and recognition they receive. But what
increase in the impersonal use of “pointing and clicking”
many don’t realize is that these companies also utilize social
make us a better society or an anti-society?
media sites as a way to get to know their candidates better.
Facebook and Twitter help firms look beyond a candidate’s
10
Chieftain - Jaunary
SPORTS NEWS
Boys Basketball
Girls Basketball
Nya Oscar
Michelle Niles
This year the boys are
Daniella Ford working hard
on a roll! Captains Phillip ReThe word
palone, Carlos Booden, and
of the year
Farooq Khan are leading the
for the Varboys basketball team to success
sity Girl’s
this year. The team continually
Basketball
strives to do better every day and
Team of
works extra hard at practice in
Sewanhaka
order to focus fully during games.
is “further”
On game day the boys pour their
- an evident
hearts out on the court to show
motto
their love for basketball. They
given their
know that no one person can win
continuing
the game by themselves, so they
growth evuse their great teamwork skills
ery season.
to win games. On the court, they
From being conference champions
play with their hearts and have
to reaching the final four in playadmirable sportsman ship. Senior
offs, this team is making a name
Dominick Roberge says that “he is for themselves with a newfound
confident that his team will make
respect in the county. “Our team
the playoffs this year.” Their record is young, but has incredible potenis currently 4 wins and 2 loss.
tial. I’ve seen growth every day in
They are determined to make it
practice. The key will be to deto playoffs and most importantly,
velop our reserve players to fortify
especially for the seniors, they are
our rotation. It seems every year we
determined to make lasting memo- have one or two kids that find the
ries. Good luck boys and keep up
confidence they need to contribute
consistently, and the level of basthe good work!
ketball raises with the team accordingly,” says Coach Soupios. Players
are ready to take on the challenges
of the season as well - “we have a
young team this year but with our
coach stressing the meaning of
family; we will really start to come
together and work as one unit”
says senior captain Jenny Pechacek.
Good luck to the girls this season!
Track
Celeste Pipia
This winter season has been a great
deal for the boys and girls track teams.
With two meets under their belt and
good showings in both, they are in
now a great position for upcoming
events. The young team has already
had multiple PR’s (personal records),
a new school record, and a state and
national emerging elite qualifier.
Sewanhaka track has been making
leaps and bounds especially with the
edition of the new coach Mr. Nola.
The boys 4 x 200 team, comprised of
captains Elijah Smith and Jermaine
Gordon along with Brenton Mighty
and Audrique Jean-Louis are clearly
going to be ones to watch this season
after breaking the school records
with a time of 1:37.1. Exceptional
All- state shot putter, Senior Celestina
Pipia, who once again qualified for
the state meet and nationals amongst
the emerging elite, with a best throw
of 39’4 3/4” continues to show her
extensive potential, in her last year at
Sewanhaka High school. Coach Nola
says, “This year’s girl’s team is going
to surprise a lot of the teams in the
conference and county.” Elijah Smith
comments on his last season running
“For the past 4 years I’ve been running track for Mr. Nola and it was
nothing but fun. I’m defiantly going
to miss everyone on the team, it stinks
to leave.” With an anticipated and
successful future, the track team works
hard to leave their name ringing in
the county ear.
Shooting hoops
Chieftain - Jaunary
11
TEACHER FEATURE
Actress in Disguise
Sue Chen and Andreas Pavlou
For most people, a seven dollar Starbucks latte
can work wonders on a groggy Monday morning, but
Mrs. McBrien will be the first to tell you that nothing
energizes you more than giving it all at the job you love.
As a member of Sewanhaka’s English department, Mrs.
McBrien demonstrates to all of us that the teacher-student relationship is symbiotic, bringing joy and riches
to both parties.
Mrs. McBrien wasn’t always a teacher though.
She came from humble beginnings, growing up in
Westbury, New York with her six siblings, and attending Clark High School in East Meadow. As a person
who seeks the hidden joys in any aspect of life, it's to
no surprise that she absolutely loved high school and
her whole experience there. In fact, it was in that very
school in which Mrs. McBrien met one of her greatest
life influences, her twelfth grade AP English teacher.
Her teacher, Mr. Heller, gave his students enormous
amounts of work and pushed each student to reach
their maximum potential. Mrs. McBrien nostalgically
recalled that Mr. Heller used to tell his students, “You
can rest when you are dead!” Oddly enough, Mrs.
McBrien was enamored with this concept of working
hard and never being lazy; it made her realize that you
only live once and that you have to make it count.
In the past, Mrs. McBrien has worked in a diverse
field of jobs ranging from theater to your "go to" computes associate. Before Sewanhaka, she worked at a
Montessori school and Herricks High School. Interestingly, Mrs. McBrien was actually an acting and fine arts
major. How does acting tie into teaching? Her explanation was simple as it clearly shows through her passion
and enthusiasm in the classroom.
Mrs. McBrien enjoys meeting new people. Being a teacher, she meets about 150 new students every
year! When asked about her students, Mrs. McBrien
humbly tells the Chieftain that her students have truly
inspired her through their never-ending kindness and
hard work. "Through the hardships they face at home,
they always see the bright side of everything."
Certainly, the love Mrs. McBrien has for her students
12
is mutual. Mrs. McBrien's teaching has been proven
to truly impact her students. Even today, Brithny
Henry, a bright junior still recognizes the impact Mrs.
McBrien has left in her life. "Mrs. McBrien is one of
the easiest teachers to like in Sewanhaka. I personally
remember her as a compassionate woman that was
never caught without a smile or something positive to
say. My favorite part of her class was her philosophy on
individualism and the use of free writing that ultimately
left a mark on me." Three years ago, Kayla Popuchet
was just an innocent little schoolgirl sitting in Mrs.
McBrien’s class. To this day, Mrs. McBrien’s wonderful
smile follows her in her mind; “It isn’t everyday that a
teacher smiles at you even when you forgot to do your
homework. I still remember her smile when I told her
I forgot to buy my measuring up book and she told me,
‘that’s a zero.'"
“Being a parent is the hardest but most rewarding job.” Even at home, Mrs. McBrien's loving
personality shines through. After having her son, she
realized how she could never love anyone as much as
she loves her now two-year-old son Sean. Sean’s love for
airplanes, helicopters, and trucks has even got her into
learning all the different types of trucks.
"Do what makes
you happy, you'll
find success; everyone has so much
to offer." Mrs.
McBrien focuses
on the idea of
being unique and
being who you are,
as we all should.
Mrs. McBrien
always sees the best
in all her students
and everyone being
Mrs. McBrien showing off
unique and being
her pearly whites
who you are, as we
all should.
Mrs. McBrien always
sees the best in
all her students and
everyone she meets.
Chieftain - Jaunary
STUDENT FEATURE
Student by Day, Actor by
Night
Emily Spring
You might know Gokberk Simsek from his radiant stage presence, however underneath that theatrical
persona is a family orientated, multitalented student.
Besides being an avid participant in the school’s various
art programs, Gokberk is quite the family man and yes,
a Turkish nationalist. Gokberk was born on November
4, 1996 in Istanbul, Turkey. As a young boy and an only
child, he came to N.Y. and attended Covert Avenue
Elementary School.
Gokberk, much like many students, had to deal
with moving from two culturally distinct areas. However,
instead of complaining about this transition, he was able
to learn a lot from it. When talking more about his move,
Gokberk explained how similar NY was to Istanbul. But
even with these similarities, there was an obvious underlying struggle for him to adjust to the culture and language
of America. After much thought, Gokberk decided that
8th grade was one of his favorite years only because by
then he didn’t feel like a, “fish out of water.”
Even though so much changed for Gokberk,
family constantly played an important role of his life. “I
always listen to my
parents!” he proudly
stated. When further
discussing his family,
Gokberk opened up
about his mother’s
battle with Leukemia. It was obviously
another rough patch
in his life but at the
end of the day the
experience became a
big part of who he is
today and he would
like to thank his
Embracing the most important
people in his life
mother for being able
to push him to strive
for success. He also credits her, along with his friends, as
the reason for joining the drama club. As for his father,
Gokberk remembers being told to “Represent yourself,
Chieftain - Jaunary
your family, and your nation.” Gokberk remembered this clearly, and
according to his friends
really lives by this.
Nayab Khan, a classmate
of Gokberk, said she
actually “admires his
love and loyalty to his
country.”
The first play
that Gokberk was a part
of was, “The Clumsy
Custard Horror Show,”
Ready for the big show
playing Malforce whom
he described as a, “cool,
bad guy.” His second play the following year was “Up the
Down Staircase,” in which he played the male lead, a narcissistic teacher, Mr. Barringer. Additionally, this year he
starred in “Almost, Maine,” and will be performing in the
upcoming musical “In the Heights.” When asked about
the difficulty in memorizing lines and lyrics he said,
“Memorizing lines is as difficult as memorizing dance
moves; if you have fun doing it and you have a flow going, it is really easy.” A common question among all stage
performers is, “what happens if you forget your lines?”
Gokberk thoughtfully stated, “If you forget you have your
friends to save you. It happens to the best of us…the audience has absolutely no idea unless you make it look like
you forgot…pausing on stage is really a fear for many, but
if you know what to do it can also be incorporated into
the scene.” Gokberk hopes that students with even the
slightest bit of interest in drama gives it a try because that
is exactly what he did, and he ended up enjoying it.
As for hobbies, besides being interested in the
arts, Gokberk is into cartography. He is widely known by
the students and teachers of Sewanhaka for drawing maps
whether it is in the school library or in class. He is also
the secretary of the Robotics club and enjoys playing the
piano.
The stage transformed Gokberk from, “quiet,
nervous, and mainly antisocial,” to a performer that has
learned how to become active and social around everyone. As he prepares to leave Sewanhaka, Gokberk hopes
to attend N.Y.U. where he would like to study dentistry
while also continuing to incorporate the arts into his life.
SENIOR WEEK
Decades Day and Mix-andMatch Day
Michelle Ade-Browne
One of the many senior events that the
senior classes looks forward to is Senior Week.
This year senior Week took place in November
and the days that the seniors participated in
included: Twin Day, Decades Day, StudentTeacher Day, and Mix-and-Match Day.
The days that caused the most excitement were
Mix and Match Day and Decades Day. On
Decades day, seniors choose to dress up in the
typical or well-known fashion statements of
that decade. The decades that the seniors chose
ranged anywhere from the 1920s to the 1990s,
although some were caught in clothing from
even earlier from 1860. Many of the costumes
seen included happy-go-lucky hippies, pin-up
girls, and disco divas. Even the slightly cool
temperature had no effect on the dramatics of
the costumes and outfits worn.
All the crazy ideas and crazy outfits came out
on Mix-and-Match Day. Seniors were wearing
different shoes, shorts over leggings, underwear
over pants, cut-out holes in t-shirts (similar to
Regina George in Mean Girls), and even two
different lipstick colors. It almost was like a
contest to see who could come up with the
most unique and crazy outfit possible.
14
Chieftain - January
SENIOR WEEK
Twin Day...Seeing Double Student Teacher Day
Shaheer Khan
Bianca Thomas
Senior week has once again come and gone. Along with
great memories come strengthened bonds and friendships. One of the most favorite days during Senior
Week is Twin Day. For those who don’t know, Twin
Day is when students dress the same as their friends,
and become... “twins.” A Few of the students that
participated this year were Mudassar Khalid and Ibrar
Javed, Shantel Ghirdhari and Cynthia Devendran, and
Chris Rothwell and Micheal Mosie. Mudassar Khalid
emotionally said, “…twin day is truly a great day. A day
to bond with your friends. It felt great matching with
somebody you’ve known for years.” What makes twin
day even more special is that it is one of the last few
moments that you spend with your close friends. Being
seniors, you don’t know where you’re going to end up
in a year, so spending it with friends only makes it more
memorable. Shantel Ghirdhari said, “Senior week honestly ended too quickly, but it was so much fun. It was
a bittersweet week, realizing that high school is coming
to an end.” Chris Rothwell had a more upbeat attitude,
however, happily stating, “It was great being able to
have fun and spend time with my beloved friends. It
would’ve been more fun with Rory O’Rielly though.”
With this concludes this years’ senior week. With only
a few months remaining for the class of 2014, its best to
say that there is still time. Enjoy the last few months of
school, and most of all, enjoy it with you friends. Good
luck seniors!
Student-Teacher Day is a day when seniors are able to
spend time with their favorite teachers. Many seniors
dress alike with these teachers and wear a nametag
stating who they are supposed to be. The students
then get to either teach lessons for the teachers or teach
alongside the teacher. Student Teacher Day provides a
chance for many of the students get a preview of what it
would be like to be a teacher in the future. “I’ve always
wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a child; I just
love helping other people learn,” said Kristina Genova.
Teaching isn’t as easy as it seems. Kristina was Mrs.
Lagallo, an Italian teacher, for the day. Her goal as a
student teacher was to teach the students how to say the
names of different animals in Italian by using educational games. “Mrs. Lagollo is and inspiration because
handling teenager’s every day is a challenge and she
handles her students very well,” she states. A positive
outcome of Student Teacher Day is that student get a
chance to see what goes on during the work day of an
actual teacher and many senior are inspired to become
teachers in the future.
Senior Minions
Sabrina Spiridigliozzi
and
Celeste Pipia
Chieftain - January
Mr.
Burgess
and
Edwin
Argueta
Ms. Sherwood
and
Michael Gregori
15
January 21, 2013
Barack Obama is innagurated
into his second term of presidency.
December 13, 2013
Beyoncé released her self-titled
“visual album.”
December 5, 2013
Nelson Madela Passes
in South Africa.
February 2013
Google relseases
Google Glass for
Developers
February 14, 2013
“Blade
Runner”Oscar
Pistorius alledgedy
kills his girlfreind,
ruining his iconic
image.
March 2013
A the next generation of flagship smartphones are ushered in, starting with the
HTC One.
March 31, 2013
Basketball player
Kevin Ware severly
injures his leg while
playaing.
April 15, 2013
A terrorist attack on the
Boston Marathon carried out by two Chechen
brothers, sent a shock
around the country.
16
Chieftain - Jaunary
November 7, 2013
Typhoon Haiyan devestates the Phillipines
November 22, 2013
The much anticipated Hunger Games sequel “Catching
Fire” comes to theaters.
October 1- October 16:
U.S. government was shut
down for the third longest
time in U.S. history.
August 25,2103
Miley Cyrus
“Twerks” at the
VMAs.
May 20, 2013
Yahoo announced the
aquisition of Tumblr
for 1.1 billion dollars.
July 12, 2013
Malala Yousafzai spoke at the
UN to call for worldwide access
to education and she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
22 July, 2013
Prince George of Cambridge was born to the
newly wed royal couple.
17
Chieftain - Jaunary
If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big
enough.
-Lowell Lundstrom
AMERICAN SCHOLASTIC PRESS AWARD
NEWSDAY H.S. JOURNALISM AWARD
HANK LOGERMAN AWARD
2009 AND 2010 QUILL YOUNG PEOPLE PRESS AWARD
DR. RALPH FERRIE, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
BOARD OF EDUCATION
David T. Fowler - President
David Del Santo - Vice President
Joseph Armocida
Laura Ferone
Jean Fichtl
Anthony S. Maffea-Sr.
Michael Jaime
Joan Romagnoli
Sewanhaka Central High
School District
A Nationally Recognized
District of Exellence