November 2016
Volume L Issue I
John F. Kennedy High School
Homecoming 2016 ROAR COUGARS, ROAR!
A kitchen fit for CHAMPs By: Emma Gold
Photo courtesy of Mikayla Gorelin
JFK Kickline performs at Homecoming on Friday, September 30, 2016, to roaring applause.
By: Jennifer Avezov and Danielle Bagdasarov The week of September 26 was quite a momentous and exciting one for Kennedy High School. On Monday, the lazy student body rolled out of bed and wore their favorite pajamas to school. That Tuesday, Kennedy staff and students showed off their athletic interests on jersey day. Then on Wednesday, the school lit up with students and teachers in their extravagant, creative, and even comical costumes. Some of the most memorable costumes include Male Playboy bunnies, Drake and Josh, and the gorilla Harambe. Also, the winners of the costume contest held on Instagram were; The Pharaoh, Steph Hannah and the squid, Arin Forstadt. Then, the military of Kennedy crawled on all fours into the hallways on camouflage day. To end the week, the Cougars united to embrace their
school spirit by wearing the homecoming shirts, sold by the classes, or other black attire. That Friday, Pep rally opened with Nicolina Torchia’s phenomenally singing the national anthem. Then, each fall sport team was honored with music and acts that would animate the students up for Homecoming. The cheerleaders and kickliners strutted their way around the gym with dazzling routines and lifts. That same rainy and starry Friday night, the homecoming festivities began. Students involved in the C.H.A.M.P program served freshly grilled burgers, while the cheerleading and kickline team pumped up the spirits of many spectators, as well as motivate the football players. Emily Herrera and Ron Lampert were announced the rulers of homecoming and were cheered on by all their subjects. The Cougars played the Indians, of Sewanhaka High School, and won with a triumphant score of 30-16. What a thrilling way to end an even better week.
It’s the place that one passes by and is greeted by the pleasant aromas of delicious delicacies. Fragrances snake through the cracks of the door, waft down the hallways, and are picked up by students and faculty members that walk
This extensive project was tackled after a year and half of planning, curriculum writing, designing, and equipment research and selection. by. What place could this be: the kitchen of John F. Kennedy High School’s own Culinary Hospitality and Applied Management Program (CHAMP). Over the summer preceding the 2016-2017 school year, the kitchen was revamped from a standard home and careers kitchen to a modern, state-of-theart kitchen. Here is an inside look at the newly enhanced CHAMP room. The process of upgrading the kitchen was no small feat. This extensive project was tackled after a year and half of planning, curriculum writing, designing, and equip-
Photo courtesy of Akixandra Wilens The newly redesigned CHAMP kitchen (right), including a Charcoal Broiler and three gas ranges.
For a photo of the homecoming football game, please go to page 6!
Cougar clubs to join Page 2
iPhone 7 Review Page 6
ment research and selection. There were many new pieces of equipment added, like a Charcoal Broiler, which is a 72-inch grilltop used to grill meat and vegetables. Also, three gas ranges with low-boy ovens were installed. These are capable of doing everything from sautéing, sweating, steaming, and boiling, on the top, to braising, roasting, and broiling, on the bottom. Additionally, a fire suppression system was added to the stove. This useful feature automatically extinguishes flames that reach a certain height above the stovetop. Some more additions to the CHAMP kitchen include a deep fryer, a convection oven, and a massive 60 quart standing mixer. Finally, perhaps the most impressive new piece of cooking equipment is the Tilting Skillet, which can cook up scrumptious soups, sauces, and stocks in large quantities. In fact, CHAMP instructor Mr. DiGiovanni exclaimed, “The Tilting Skillet is my favorite [because] my favorite position in the kitchen is being a saucier. It encompasses my favorite skills in the kitchen.” Another newly improved aspect of the room is the technological assets. A SmartBoard was installed, and in the near future, an iPad cart will join the SmartBoard. Mr. DiGiovanni commented, “[The new CHAMP room is] incredibly interactive and laid out perfectly for maximum learning. It’s built for students to hone their technique.” These new technological features further modernize the state-of-the-art kitchen. The project of elaborating the CHAMP kitchen was an immense undertaking that was completed with an impressive result. This kitchen will inspire both current and future CHAMP students to pursue their culinary interests.
Creepy clown craze Page 8
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COUGAR NEWS By: Jennifer Avezov Welcome to a new year at John F. Kennedy High School. Here, we learn in more than just the classroom. Whether you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior there are a variety of clubs to join. Here are just a few: Art Club: In Art Club, students can embrace their creativity, their ingenuity, their curiosity, and their inventiveness, all while working with talented peers. If you don’t mind having hands that are all colors of the rainbow, this is the club for you! Additionally, within Art Club is Photo Club, where students learn how to load, use, and process a film camera. Cougar Crier: The Cougar Crier is Kennedy’s student run newspaper. Members have the opportunity to report on real topics that interest them, edit their peers’ work, and contribute artwork and photography. In our completely unbiased opinion, it’s the best
club out there.
Cougar clubs to join
Culture Club: Culture Club enables students to learn more about various lifestyles of the world while dining on unique cuisines. If you want to enlighten classmates about your culture, you can volunteer to discuss certain music, clothing, food, and other ways of life within your culture. Lastly, near the wintertime there is an annual dinner-movie night. Drama Club: For the aspiring actors, singers, dancers, and even wannabe stage crew members, this is the club for you. There are two shows per year; one is a musical and the other a play. The Cougar Crier will have updates on these productions throughout the school year. Key Club: For those of you who appreciate your community and want to give back, Key Club is perfect for you. This is a great club for seniors in need of community service hours or for anyone who wants to partake
in helpful public events.
case. After months of hard work, two JFK teams of six students each Science Club: go to the Nassau County CourtIf you are passionate towards sci- house in Mineola, NY, to battle it entific topics and enjoy competing, out against other teams from across join the science club! Last year, the Long Island. If you have ever JFK Team made it to the State seen Law and Order and thought, Championships. They will soon be “Maybe I could do that,” then this competing once again at Science is the club for you! Olympiad this year. Certain topics include Forensics, Astronomy, Elec- Math Club: tric Vehicles, Anatomy, etc. Math Club is the perfect club for students who want to solve chalYearbook Club: lenging problems. Competitions If you relish over cataloguing mem- occur once a month and prior to ories or are fond of taking photos that there will be meetings offering of classmates and events, Year- students sample practice questions. book club is the club for you. In the club students are allowed to write, H.O.P.E Club: create designs, and of course take H.O.P.E Club’s ambition is to help photos, in order to encapsulate the the planet. Members of the club year. This yearbook will be very help to recycle, orchestrate cleanspecial and eventful because it’s the ups, and also provide an education50th anniversary of Kennedy High al outreach. School. Good luck with your club hunt, Mock Trial: Cougars! Let’s make this a good Mock Trial allows students to por- year!!! tray lawyers and witnesses while arguing for either the prosecution or the defense in a fictional court
We stand with soldiers By: Alixandra Wilens
institution believes in supporting the work of soldiers, as well as respecting and showing gratitude for their sacrifice. Many Americans do not Adopt-A-Battalion has realize that thousands of U.S. sol- sent a lot of love overseas. Since diers are still stationed overseas in 2004, this organization has shipped the Middle East region, nor do they over 40 tons worth of 10,000 understand that these troops miss care packages, totaling a value of home just as much as any citizen in a foreign country would. The Adopt-A-Battalion program, however, understands this all too well. It works to give warriors in foreign lands little reminders of home. The John F. Kennedy HS Social Studies Department has partnered with Adopt-A-Battalion to show Photo courtesy of ww.adoptabattalion.org American warriors in foreign nations that they have not been for- $500,000.00, but that only covers gotten. the amount of goods sent. The Adopt-A-Battalion was es- group has also sent 22,000 thank tablished in 2004 by Pat and Jack you cards and letters from AmeriParker as a fully volunteer-based can children. The goods and comorganization. It became non-profit fort items sent to soldiers represent, in 2009. The group works through- more than a coveted piece of home, out the year to collect goods and a means by which to build trust with monetary donations in order to cre- residents of the towns and villages ate care packages for U.S. Armed near the soldiers’ camps. Troops Forces members placed in distant share some of the items in the care countries. This gives them the ba- packages received with civilian sic comforts and necessities of denizens in order to make them home that civilians so often take for feel more comfortable about the granted. Adopt-A-Battalion sends presence of American troops, escare packages not only to active pecially when they see U.S. soldiers military, but also to disadvantaged walk through their streets while on war veterans and their families; this missions. These soldiers are proud
to be able to show citizens of for- mission to bring to them appreciaeign nations that Americans believe tion for what they are doing for us.” in trust. We must never forget. If you are looking to donate, consider dropping off one of these items in your Social Studies class when you hear that the collection drive has begun:
DRIVE RUNNING:
• Candy due November 1st** • Toiletries (nothing aerosolized) • Boot Socks (Black or White) **Leftover Halloween candy is acceptable.
Monetary donations are also welcomed. Checks can be made out to “Adopt A Battalion” and mailed to:
Adopt A Battalion, 9 Clinton Street, Farmingdale, NY, 11735 Donations of goods can be dropped off at the Adopt-A-Battalion collection site at the Knights of Columbus Hall (2 East Gate Road, Massapequa Park, NY, 11762) directly behind Big Daddy’s Restaurant between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. every Saturday. Adopt-a-Battalion President Richard Olson believes that this program is important because, despite Americans’ best efforts, sometimes these brave soldiers “are forgotten, and it’s our
November 1st to November 10th *****
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!
COUGAR NEWS By: Jennifer Avezov
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10/31/16, 2:34 PM
Kennedy student becomes Siemens semifinalist
competition. Only 498 submitters have been selected to be 2016 semifinalists. This competition is It has been the first time in targeted to students who are curia while that a student from Ken- ous about technology, math, and science. These invennedy High School has Zilberman tive students can become a semi-finalsubmitted his compete for more ist for the prestigious compelling research than $600,000 in Siemens competion “The Correlascholarships for coltion; however, Perri Zilberman has done tion Between Debris lege. Kennedy wishes Perri the best of luck just that. Zilberman Disks and Hot with his research and submitted his compelJupiters.” his amazing scientific ling research on “The career to come. Correlation Between Debris Disks and Hot Jupiters.” He, as well as approximately 1,800 other students around the world, submitted his work to this elite
Photo courtesy of The Cougar Crier
Perri Zilberman, JFK senior, is one of 498 students selected to be 2016 Siemens semifinalists.
2016-17 JFK Valedictorian and Salutatorian about:blank
Photo courtesy of The Cougar Crier
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By: Cougar Crier Staff
learn of their tremendous accomplishments. They rank first and Presenting your 2016-17 second, respectively, out of a JFK John F. Kennedy High School vale- senior class of 307 students. Both dictorian, Alixandra Wilens, and young ladies are excited to see what your salutatorian, Rebecca Stekol. else their senior years have in store Both students were very happy to for them.
Valedictorian: Alixandra Wilens (right) Salutatorian: Rebecca Stekol (left)
NATIONAL NEWS Stanford rapist Brock Turner’s family feels threatened By: Brianna Plass
Last January, Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner sexually assaulted an unconscious woman. His sentence should have been 14 years based on his charges, but the prosecutor requested only six years. Judge Aaron Persky gave him a mere six months, claiming that “A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him,” and Turner would “not be a danger to others.” White privilege has been known to grant criminals shorter sentences, and this case is no exception.
This controversial decision has Judge Persky under scrutiny. Californian politicians are calling for a recall vote and a petition to impeach him. Now he will no longer hear criminal cases and has been reassigned to the Civil Division. Stanford has tried to take action to make their school more safe by banning hard alcohol from campus parties. They have also prohibited Turner from ever returning to school grounds. USA Swimming also intervened, banning Turner for life. Turner was released from prison after three short months and was registered as a sex of-
fender in the state of Ohio. After he went home, his father sent out a letter that addressed the situation, describing everything that made Turner a “good kid.” He also argued that his son’s sentence was “a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life.” Now that Turner is free, people have shown up at his parents’ house to protest and rally against their son. His parents have asked the Ohio police to be alert, as they fear for their son’s life. Some protesters had guns and weapons while waiting for him to come home.
Others have shown support and sympathy for Turner and his family, agreeing with his father that even his shortened sentence was too harsh. Turner will continue to serve three years of probation in his home state of Ohio.
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NATIONAL NEWS
By: Gus Gottlieb
During the 2016 Rio Olympics, many medals were given to the women and men from the United States Olympic team. “Ryan Lochte” was a much used name regarding swimming this year, but some people are unsure as to why he became such a known figure. This year in the Olympics, Ryan Lochte claimed to have been mugged on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, which soon after was revealed as a lie. This caused a large outrage to other countries, as well as embarrassment for Lochte and his fellow Americans. Lochte is a multi-medal holder, winning one gold this year in the 4x200 meter swimming race. In total he holds 6 gold, 3 silver, and 3 bronze medals. He is considered to be the second fastest swimmer (the first being Michael Phelps).
Swimming through lies
After this whole phenomenon occurred, most of America looked at Lochte like he was a fraud, and he felt he needed to win us back. The report from Lochte included three other olympians, and his claim stated that they were held at gunpoint in a taxi in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lochte also mentioned that the men who ‘robbed’ them had police badges on them as well. When the surveillance videos came out, they showed that, yes, the four men were held at gunpoint by security officers, but were told to pay for the damages they had caused. Apparently, the four men vandalized a public bathroom, and the security guards told them to pay the money for the repairs. Later, two of the men that had been ‘robbed’ refut-
ed this story, and Lochte was faced with charges of false testimony. After this whole phenomenon occurred, most of America looked at Lochte like he was a fraud, and he felt he needed to win us back. He decided it would be a good idea to join Dancing With the Stars, a TV show where professional dancers dance with famous celebrities to win a prize. Ryan Lochte teamed with Cheryl Burke. While they took the stage and performed the Foxtrot, angry protesters rushed to the stage. The protesters were two men wearing anti-Lochte shirts, and they had rushed to the stage as one of the judges was giving her feedback. The judge herself stopped one of the men, and they were both detained. He claimed how heartbroken he was about the incident and that he just needed to move on. In addition, his partner felt offended but was proud of Lochte.
Photo: Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports Lochte was cheered in his home country of the United States while competing at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil. He would later be condemned for his behavior outside of the pool.
How far we’ve come, how far we’ll go By: Alixandra Wilens
History does not tell every story. Sometimes, pieces of the past get left in the dust as the world turns toward tomorrow. Luckily, the twenty-first century has brought a new search for the stories that previous generations of historians might have either missed or previously overlooked, including the LGBTQ group’s struggle for acceptance in the United States. One significant point on the map of US History relating to this movement is the Stonewall Inn at 53 Christopher Place in Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan. President Obama has chosen to shine a light on their efforts by designating the Stonewall Inn a U.S. National Monument. The Stonewall Inn began its career as a restaurant and tearoom in 1930. Then, in 1966, it was purchased by three Mafia members and turned into a gay nightclub, one of the largest in New York City. It was also the only bar available to gay patrons that allowed dancing. This fact, along with the establishment’s penchant for certain unscrupulous “cash transactions,” made the bar a prime target for police raids already common among gay nightclubs. On June 28, 1969, at 1:20 a.m., eight police officers entered the premises and declared the bar to be under police investigation. In the extended time it took for the police wagon (which escorted prisoners from the scene of their arrests to jail) to arrive, a crowd formed.
One woman fought back multiple times while being brought from the bar to the wagon. Before an officer finally grabbed her and shoved her in the car, she shouted out the crowd, “Why don’t you guys do something?” That woman remains anonymous to this day, but her words, and the sight of her aggressive officer, spurred the crowd into violent action. The ensuing riots forced auxiliary forces to aid the police in exiting the bar, and those riots continued for days afterwards. Such an event awoke something in many Village residents, watching lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals fighting back for the first time in years. More and more people spoke out for LGBTQ rights and equality. Within years, LGBTQ rights groups had been created all across the country, the continent, as well as the continents of Europe and Australia. The Stonewall Riots are often considered to be the origins of the modern gay rights movement. The context in which the announcement came is almost as significant as the declaration itself. June is usually Pride Month for the global LGBTQ movement, but the horrific attack that killed 49 patrons of the Orlando gay nightclub, Pulse, placed the designation in a much more sobering light. President Obama’s proclamation came on June 24, 2016, almost two weeks after the massacre and two days before New York City’s Pride March. Stonewall became a gathering site for mourners in the wake of the Orlando shooting. On a lighter note, Stonewall Inn was also a cele-
bratory location after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage equality. Even nearly 50 years after the Stonewall Riots, the Inn continues to share an indelible association with the LGBTQ community. The Stonewall Inn has gradually gained greater recognition over the years as an important setting in American history. On June 28, 1999, Stonewall Inn and its surrounding area were added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) due to its association with the gay rights movement. On February 16, 2000, the same land was declared a National Historic Landmark. Approximately only three percent of NRHP regions become National Historic Landmarks. It was made into a New York City Landmark on June 23, 2015, and President Obama declared it a National Monument one year and one day later. The President was legally allowed to designate Stonewall a U.S. National Monument (which is federally protected) through the Antiquities Act of 1906, which President Theodore Roosevelt passed in order to preserve Devils Tower in Wyoming, a natural formation prominent in Native American heritage. Stonewall is now recognized both locally and nationally as a site worth protecting for future generations. In 2014, the National Park Service (NPS) launched a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Heritage Initiative to find and incorporate venues connected with the LGBTQ movement into the NPS. Now, the
organization, which recently celebrated a century of service, is proud to welcome the Stonewall Inn as a symbol of LGBTQ participation in the story of the United States. The public dedication ceremony occurred on Monday, June 27, 2016; it was attended Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett, and several other government officials. The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), a non-profit group dedicated to protecting sites of historical value, lauds the President’s decision to add in Stonewall. NPCA President and CEO Theresa Pierno believes that the story of Stonewall, and the LGBTQ movement as a whole, is “a story that needs to be told.” Did those courageous protestors of the Stonewall Riots believe that the United States Supreme Court might ever rule that samesex marriage equality was constitutionally just? If they did, they most likely were not considering it while physically rising up against adversity as one, unified group. They did not fight back with the notion that their actions would have powerful ramifications for generations to come. They were simply sick and tired of being treated like criminals because they saw love as something sex could not define. The U.S. has come so far since those riots, but as the Orlando massacre sadly shows, it still has a long road ahead. This is not a reward for a crusade for equality now ended, but a reminder that equality is an eternal concept, with a right to be preserved as much as the Stonewall building itself.
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POP CULTURE By: Mikayla Gorelin Alicia Keys has been making music for over fourteen years, and she is now one of the judges on NBC’s The Voice. In August of 2016, she caught both positive and negative attention when she didn’t wear makeup to the MTV VMAs. Alicia Keys is such an amazing role model, so why are people bashing her for doing what she does best? Keys didn’t wear makeup to the 2016 VMAs, so what? Why are people sending her hate and making her feel insecure for standing up for what she believes in? By going to the show makeup free, she was mak-
Makeup madness
ing a statement. Why is it such a big deal to not wear makeup? Plenty of girls choose not to wear it on a daily basis. Why should Alicia Keys? As many of her songs suggest, Alicia Keys is a proud feminist. The song “Girl On Fire” blew up the charts and it’s all about breaking free and being yourself. So, why is it so incomprehensible that she didn’t wear makeup but still looked flawless on the red carpet? Keys wrote an article for actress Lena Dunham’s blog, “Lenny,” on May 31st of this year. In it she writes about how she started to “become a chameleon.” She also writes about how she hopes that
she starts a ”revolution” of girls who feel confident enough to live makeup free. Her most memorable statement from Keys’ article written for Dunham’s blog is, “I don’t want to cover up anymore, not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing.” This powerful statement can give girls, no matter their age, a boost to be who they want to be. Many of the haters claimed she was “lazy,” that “she didn’t care enough,” or that “she felt she was superior to everyone else.” That’s ridiculous; standing up for something she believes in and showing off her insecurities does not make you lazy
or arrogant. It should make you feel powerful in your ability to shine through all the negativity in this world. Besides, men don’t ever wear makeup to awards shows! Do we say the same things to them? Of course we don’t, so why shame women into painting their faces? Most of the haters were men; women looked at her in awe and found a new found confidence in them that said ‘maybe we shouldn’t wear makeup.’ That’s why Keys did this: to put a message out. As she sings in her song ‘Brand New Me,’ “It took a long, long road to get here, it took a brave, brave girl to try.”
New on Netflix By: Alexis Krayevsky Most teenagers living in the 21st century are aware familiar with Netflix. Netflix is one of the world’s leading Internet Television networks. Netflix has a duration of more than 125 million hours of television shows and movies. It was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and is now available worldwide for people to stream and watch their favorite programs. Netflix did not begin as an online website in which movies can be streamed; it actually began as a DVD rental and sales site. It only became an online streaming site in 2007. Since then, Netflix has undergone many improvements, such creating its own Netflix app
that can be used on almost any device. This past summer was a big deal for Netflix. The company released an abundance of new movies and TV shows, including season five of Once Upon a Time and Fast and Furious. Since Netflix knows most of its viewers are teenagers or young adults, it knew that the summer break was its opportunity to release new movies and TV shows. The company stated that its customers frequently request new releases. The Netflix Media Center, a website created to guide people and provide information the Netflix streaming website, such as dates of when shows are being released or other information about the software, responded to this statement
by saying, “We have been making deals left and right to give them what they want.” The company has worked very hard to try to upload new movies and TV shows for its viewers. Not only did Netflix acquire movies from other television networks but it has also developed several of its own. Each week this summer, Netflix added about fifteen to twenty television shows and movies. It released classic movies that have been requested as well, such as “Jurassic Park” and “Back to the Future.” Netflix has had a busy summer, yet there is much more to come. Even though most people probably won’t believe this, Netflix is always working to get people’s favorite shows and movies on its web-
site. Netflix has predicted that it will be releasing movies and TV shows at the rate of approximately fifteen movies or shows per day. This has been proposed to update sometime in October 2016. The main priority of Netflix is to add people’s favorite TV shows and movies for its audiences to enjoy. Image courtesy of www.netflix.com
Just listen to the words By: Alixandra Wilens
Dylan in August of 1962. He chose the surname, Dylan, because he found an affinity with the work of poet, Dylan Thomas, including “Do Bob Dylan is living history. not go gentle into that good night.” His songs have influenced Amer- He has sang songs under a myriad ican culture for the past five de- of genres, comprising folk, blues, cades, from “The Times They Are country, rock, and gospel, and he a-Changin’,” to “Blowin’ in the has performed over the years with Wind,” and the Swedish Academy many artists, like Joan Baez, The has taken notice. They have chosen Rolling Stones, and Johnny Cash. to award him the 2016 Nobel Prize He won his first Grammy Award in in Literature, making Dylan the 1973 for Album of the Year for The first musician and songwriter to re- Concert for Bangladesh, and his ceive this prestigious accolade; yet, most recent Grammy’s were won Dylan still has not 100% confirmed within this year for Best Traditional that he will be at the December cer- Pop Vocal Album (Shadows in the emony in Stockholm to accept the Night) and Best Historical Album award. (The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Bob Dylan was born on Basement Tapes Complete). Bob May 24, 1941 under the name Dylan is an American icon unlike Robert Allen Zimmerman. He le- any other. gally changed his name to Robert
Dylan’s achievements as a musician in no way detract from his ability to write powerful, stirring, and inspirational messages. Despite performing utilizing vocals, guitar, keyboards, and harmonica, Dylan is often known for the lyrics of his songs, many of which captured the protest atmosphere of the late twentieth century. The Swedish Academy praises this quality, sharing that Dylan was chosen to be a Nobel Prize Laureate “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” Still, the Academy had to endure two weeks of public silence from their winner before they received a response. In an interview with the Telegraph, when asked whether Dylan would attend the ceremony in which he would
be presented with the award, he responded, “Absolutely, if it’s at all possible.” He made no further explanation of this cryptic comment. Whether Dylan shows up at Stockholm to accept the award, he still has earned a great accomplishment. Over fifty years worth of forcing this country to look introspectively at its present circumstances has culminated in a unique career that no other artist can ever match. Will he be there come December? I’ll let Bob Dylan answer: “The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind. The answer is blowin’ in the wind.”
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POP CULTURE
How trends have changed in the past five years
By: Danielle Slovinsky
Thinking back on the early 2000’s, when we were all just kids, is a very nostalgic and cringeworthy activity. As we grow and change as people, the trends and fads alter with us. There were many things that we wore, that are not looked at with the same “I need to have this” feeling as they once were. Some of the past trends of the 2000’s were: • Crocs – These are colorful, plastic shoes that are waterproof. These also come with gibits (gems) to put on them. • Heelys – These were sneakers with a twist. At the heel of each shoe there was a wheel. This completely eliminated the need to walk. You probably found people, yourself
included, wheeling around school. • High School Musical – A movie that came out in the early 2000s and has changed over the years. It was a popular movie which many watched at multiple times. A recent version has been released, called High School Musical: Bad Lip Reading, in which the original words are substituted for more humorous dialogue. • Razor Scooters – These scooters could be found in every one of our houses when we were younger. Soon Motor Razor scooters came out and took over another market. We always had to make sure these didn’t bang into our ankles. • Converse sneakers – These have been around since our
parents were kids. For now, Converse seem like the one thing that can’t go out of style. • Chokers – Chokers could be found on many of our necks to this day. The only change is that back then our chokers had peace signs and were rainbow. • Peace signs – Peace signs could be found on all of our shirts, headbands, bracelets, and necklaces. Even as it originated in the 1960s as a gesture of hippie subculture, it evolved to become a fad common in popular clothing. They are rare on much clothing now, however.
day still wearing them, just in different varieties. • Silly Bandz – These were rubber bands that looked like different shapes, animals, and popular objects. Silly Bandz were banned from many schools for various reasons, including trading, sling shotting, and playing with them during school hours. • Brightly-colored jeans – Many girls were particularly fond of this trend. Colors worn included, orange, red, bright blue, and green.
Trends and fads are changing over time. However, we can’t forget • Combat boots – These be- that it was, and still is, us who concame popular 4 or 5 years ago. trol what becomes the new trend. You can find everyone to this
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY The good, the bad, and the ugly: the iPhone 7
By: Gabe Cohen
This September marked the release of the new 2016 iPhone, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. Everyone was very excited for Apple’s take on this year’s phone. With brand new colors and an addition of a dual-lense camera system, the newest iPhone model has proven to be worth the enthusiasm. With the new year coming up, the smartphone industry has already given us a handful of new devices. Apple brought us an extremely slick, new design in their showcase. When looking at the iPhone 7, the first thing you will notice is the clean and empty back-side of the device. Apple has decided to keep the antenna bands IMG_6841.jpg going along the frame of the phone to get rid of the busy look it created on the iPhone 6 and 6s. They
have also chose to remove the classic physical home button, that you can press down, and went with a solid-state home-button, which does not move or press down and only provides a vibration when pressed. Additionally, the device is now confirmed to be IP67, which simply means that it is designed to continue functioning in one meter of water for 30 minutes, and it is completely dust resistant. Lastly, the most controversial part of the new phone is the exclusion of the 3.5 mm headphone jack. As of 2016, almost every flagship device on the market includes an audio jack, which makes people wonder why the iPhone, a very premier and expensive phone, would throw this feature out. Since the audio jack is gone, iPhone users have a few audio options when switching to the iPhone 7:
iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus-which have 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch 3D touch displays. Both will have 12 megapixel rear cameras, including the Plus’s second camera, and a single 7 megapixel front-facing camera. They also include the brand new A10 Fusion Chip accompanied by 2 or 3 gigabytes of RAM depending on the 7 or 7 Plus and will come with IOS 10 straight out of the box. Finally steering away from Overall, the iPhone 7 is an exceptionally good competitor to the the specs of the phone, the iPhone 7 latest flagship devices, in terms of contains unique design that is new to the Apple world that will be acdesign aspects. The second realm in the iP- cepted and hopefully built upon in hone 7 is the tech specifics and the next year’s edition, according to the hardware inside of the smartphone. community’s feedback. The device Starting off with the specs, the iP- is still generally new and still has hone will sell with a base storage not received much feedback, but space of 32 gigabytes, ship10/31/16, in five 4:20inPMthe upcoming months, the tech unique colors--Matte Black and community will see how the new Jet Black being the new ones-- and iPhone does. will come in two variations-- the 1. Buy a bluetooth headset, which can be quite pricey for a quality pair. 2. Buy Apple’s new AirPods for an even pricier cost, but a seamless user experience. 3. Use the included Lightning to 3.5 mm adapter to use your existing wired headsets, but you lose the option to charge and listen.
Photo courtesy of Mikayla Gorelin
GO COUGARS!
Page 7
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY The Roman king and queen reunited
By: Marlee Seifer and Marielena Delgado
Space has been an ever present mystery since the beginning of time. Constantly defying our expectations and predictions, we’ve found it hard to keep up. There is still so much that we simply do not know. Now, Earth is reaching out to the mighty king gas giant with its own, human-made, queen. The Juno probe has journeyed a long voyage to be reunited with the planet whose might and name match those of the King of the Roman gods. It is with this endeavor that scientists hope to gain more insight on the planet that has loomed over us in the sky for millennia. Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. Jupiter is over
1,000 times the size of Earth, and has at least 67 known moons, including Io, Europa, and Ganymede, who, in Greek mythology, are, respectively, two of Zeus’ mistresses and the cup-bearer of Olympus. The late Swiss scientist, Fritz Zwicky said, “Jupiter is so big and its gravitational pull is so strong that man would find it difficult to move about on the surface.” We know so much about Jupiter...but the truth is, we have barely scratched the surface, literally. Now, with the Juno probe, we will finally get some of the answers for which we have been desperately searching. The mysteries of space, and the mysteries of the Universe, are so terribly complex that we could spend perhaps forever searching and not even come close to unraveling all that we seek; yet, it all starts with a first step. This is ours.
There was another previous attempt to send a probe to Jupiter, but that effort unfortunately failed. It launched in October of 1989. The former probe, called the Galileo probe, burned up in the process of entering Jupiter’s atmosphere. This is not surprising, considering the fact that since the pressure on the core of Jupiter is so strong, hydrogen becomes metallic. Luckily, Juno is much more successful this time by utilizing a different approach. Instead of entering the atmosphere of the massive planet, NASA decided to make it orbit the planet. The probe took five years to make the trip from Earth to Jupiter. Only four months after entry into orbit, Juno gets a close look at Jupiter’s aurora (a luminous atmospheric phenomenon), which can actually be heard on a radio due to massive amounts of ra-
diation and constant storms. Juno is already proving to be worth the wait. With this probe, many mysteries will be uncovered. There will surely be breakthroughs in the understanding of the Universe just by first understanding more about this great gas giant. Large gas giants like Jupiter, are often seen as a glimpsed into the early begins of a star. That could allow us to further understand the creation of a star.
Upcoming video games YOU should look out for! By: Dylan Torres and Marielena Delgado
Throughout 2016 many different video game titles were released, varying in both developers and genres. Some were great and others were poorly executed in the watching eyes of the critics. However, with this year slowly counting down to 2017 and more titles yet to come, fans everywhere are excited to play, review, and share new memories in the world of digital entertainment. When it comes to video games, the number one source of enthusiasm and all-around awesomeness is conventions. Arguably, the largest convention is E3, where many games are shown off, ranging from family-friendly to blisteringly brutal. One of the most infamous titles in PlayStation history is “God of War,” known for its powerful cast of characters, references to Greek mythology, and its hack-andslash, action-packed gameplay. The latest entry, “God of War 4,” was revealed at this year’s E3 during Sony’s conference. While it looks quite different from the traditional gameplay that was established in the first three installments, fans still went insane when this unexpected game was shown. The game’s release is scheduled for Fall 2017, but excited fans will have a difficult time waiting. In addition to the Sony news from E3, a classic, yet forgotten face is making its way back to the PS4. Not many remember these games, but “Crash Bandicoot,” released in 1996, has been
relatively stuck for a long time. Created by Naughty Dog, known for such games as “The Last of Us” and “Uncharted,” this one-ofa-kind was Sony’s answer to platforming pioneers Mario and Sonic. This nostalgic gaming legend had been a revolution to many genres, including 3D platformers, kart racing, and party games; however, the games struggled to make themselves known during the PS2 era. After his well received racing game, “CTR: Crash Team Racing” in 1999, Naughty Dog’s contract with Universal Interactive Studios expired, resulting in new developers taking the wheel. Some like “Crash Bash” received praise, but others such as “Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex” received huge backlash. The last developers, Radical Entertainment and Activision, still owned the rights to the games, but took a lengthy hiatus ever since mixed reviews from their last Crash title, “Crash: Mind Over Mutant.” Since then, old-school fans have been pleading for more games similar to their platforming trilogy on PS1. Activision responded to the call by announcing remastered versions of the first three games at E3, making it the series’ first new games in 8 years. Interestingly enough, it received the loudest fan reaction of the show, even though it was mentioned for only about 20 seconds. No release date has been mentioned yet, but everyone is anxious to see their retro friend make a reappearance in high definition. Microsoft is no stranger to sequels of big franchises. “Gears of War” has been a huge success, spawning three sequels that all rated
well among critics. Epic Games released information on the fourth game in the series. The game stars the war veteran Marcus Fenix and his son attempting to survive yet another alien invasion along with a group of soldiers both new and old. The game has been officially released to the public for the Xbox One on October 11th, and has a solid 85% rating on Metacritic. A pair of games scheduled to come out later this year are Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. The news so far has already revealed a lot. With a new region based on Hawaii, appropriately named Alola, the games themselves offer many unique features. Both games are set twelve hours apart by default to allow a different way of interaction between the two games. There is also a wifi plaza within the games so players from all over the world can interact with each other. The Pokémon themselves have new abilities and type combinations. Players also have the power to host their own tournaments online. The games are set for release on November 18, and the demo will came out on October 18.
Employees at Nintendo have been teasing their fans with very little information on their next big game of their iconic series, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” Information was scarce throughout several months, and the game’s title wasn’t even released before E3 this year. During Nintendo’s conference, they finally decided to spill the beans on the game, it even had its own hands-on, playable demo. It is scheduled to be released in March 2017, and it may be available on Nintendo’s newest console, the Nintendo Switch. While there are only about three months left in 2016, developers will try to make them count with video games that promise to be of sound quality. During these final months of a year filled with its ups and downs, there will be experiences to cherish, and memories to reflect upon. Most importantly, however, we’ll always have video games to pass the time, whether it be minutes or hours.
Illustration courtesy of Mason Ferraro
Page 8
EDITORIALS
Why all high school students should watch this election carefully
By: Azaria Vargas As one of the most controversial of all time, almost everyone has heard something or another about the presidential election. Most teenagers, however, disregard the information as useless since they cannot vote, and they see Election Day as just another day off, one inconveniently located in the midst of the school week. High school students should be paying much more attention to this political struggle, for it will affect their rights as citizens. Not only that, but within the next four years, almost all current high school students will be eligible to vote and need to be aware of the political climate of our country. The president holds a great role in deciding our country’s foreign policies, social decisions, and his or her administration and judiciary branch. Whether or not our country releases troops are all decided by him or her. Many dismiss this because the president cannot declare war, but troops can still be sent without a declaration, impacting our relations and alliances with other countries. He or she also determines alliances and treaties. Do
you want a president who wants to side with a country you abhore? The impact of the foreign relations are extremely evident, for wars, national security, and the rates of terror activity affect all of us. The rights of citizens are influenced as well, for important topics such as same-sex marriage, racial relations, abortion rights, and gender rights all fall under this category. These issues affect the basic freedoms of most in this country, including adolescents. Whichever individual becomes president will have the ability to change his/her cabinet and nominate Supreme Court Justices. These people mostly make these decisions, and with the death of Judge Scalia this past year, Congress has promised to accept whomever the next president chooses to fill the spot. Secretary Clinton favors a Supreme Court that will uphold marriage equality and Roe v. Wade, securing abortion rights, while Trump opposes those and hopes to overturn them. This demonstrates the absolute variance of how our country will be run with just the change of Commander-in-Chief. These are actions which will affect every citizen in the country, including teenagers.
The government also controls our laws and regulates much of the adult world, a fact known to almost all. What many students do not realize is that their policies also have a direct effect on America’s youth. College costs and requirements, standardized testing, drinking and smoking ages, “motor voter” laws, minimum wages, vaccination requirements—all of these are subject to change depending on the winner of the presidency. The president will also be in power for the next four years, a duration during which many of us will be getting jobs and deciding careers. These choices will be dictated by the state of the economy and availability of specific occupations. In addition, almost every current high school student will be able to vote in the next election, and almost every modern president runs for re-election in a second term. Learning the candidates’ policies in their first election is a great way to know what to expect in the next. Elections are also not just every four years, but also every single year. For many of us, next year we will be eligible to vote for local officials and budgets. What many don’t realize, however, is these still affect
Creepy clown craze
By: Jennifer Scharfman Imagine your biggest fear coming to life just weeks before Halloween. Readers, your biggest nightmare has come true. Creepy clowns have been sighted across the country, allegedly making threats towards children and schools, and these threats have come to Long Island. The threats began in Greenville, South Carolina but came without proof. Later there were pictures on Facebook of a scary, blood soaked, balding clown with the caption “I kill for a living.” Many believe that this is nothing more than a hoax like The Crucible or the Satanic Panic of the past. Are the creepy clowns a threat to Long Islanders or just a cruel joke? Many readers will shy away from this article purely because of the frightening clown picture below it. For those of you brave enough to read this article in its entirety, you will be assured that there is nothing to fear. This article will prove you don’t need to be afraid for many reasons. First, there is no photographic evidence to prove this assumption. While the public mania is justified, there is little evidence of clown attacks or sightings to make this a valid concern. How many
us greatly and the views of these local politicians should be observed and judged based on the national political climate as well. So while many say that we can’t vote so being ignorant to the election is justified, it is important to pay attention and recognize that the next president and his or her cabinet’s decision will affect us all on local and national levels. I recommend that teenagers become aware of the different candidates’ policies. Begin to identify with the ideals you support and research politicians and parties who support those same values. Also identify those which you are against, and, since many are displeased with the current pool of candidates, observe what you would wish to see in future candidates. Become educated and do not simply follow what your family and peers believe in. By developing your own political and social beliefs now, you are already well established for the upcoming years when you will have to make the great decisions of who you will vote for.
Illustration courtesy of Amir Mahmoud
pictures of clowns carrying guns or knives really exist on social media? You may be thinking ‘why would someone even start this craze’? While this question is fair, wouldn’t it makes sense that a fear-mongering group would want to scare their audience? Without evidence of such, the clowns are no more the culprits than the teachers as the schools, or one of you reading this article. There’s no reason to be worried about clown attacks. Also, the timing of this craze seems all too suspicious. It almost seems as though there’s an ulterior motive. Who’s really pulling the strings? You may find yourself asking, doesn’t it seem all too convenient that a common phobia such as clowns makes a dramatic entrance into the public eye just weeks before the creepiest holi-
day of the year? The point of this question is that, maybe there’s an ulterior motive behind the massive clown panic. Perhaps the clown panic was created by marketing agencies before the launch of a new movie or a new social media trend. It’s true that the news hasn’t wasted much air time on this story. The news stations would have nothing to cover. There would be no witnesses or people to interview. This craze is nothing more than a few incidents connected to an infamously scary group. Clowns’ purpose is entertainment, and it’s only a few that have given them a bad name. What the public doesn’t realize is, the purpose of clowns is to make children smile. Unlike zombies or vampires, there’s nothing threatening in the nature of clowns. A clown’s goal
in life is entertainment. In ancient times, clowns would be equivalent to a king’s jester. No one found jesters to be terrorizing. For whatever reasons, clowns have instilled a fear in some Americans even before these incidents. There are many suffering clown families that have been negatively affected in their careers because of these implied attacks. There is no proof of these attacks however if there are pictures or videos, chances are they’re fake. Not all clowns are scary, and most don’t intend to be frightening. Perhaps the clowns are the real victims here? Overall, this is a fad and will go away sooner than Pokemon Go or Trivia Crack. Maybe clowns are sick of their creepy reputation and want to create their own reputation. If clowns start attacking people they can create their own future. Whatever the cause is, this is nothing to panic over. You don’t need to grab baseball bats and go clown hunting. No one needs to spend their Halloween nights inside so they won’t be “clown bait.” The clowns have no reason to harass humans. If anything, the clowns are most likely hurt that they are viewed as so scary and vicious. Unless, that’s the reason for this after all.
Page 9
EDITORIALS
Should it be enforced to stand during the Pledge?
By Brianna Plass There are a few true ethical dilemmas regarding the Pledge and other patriotic songs, which concern the fact of whether or not everyone should say them or stand during them. One reason that this is controversial is the words “under God.” This creates a dilemma because not everyone believes in God, and not everyone believes in the same God. Another set of words that create controversy is “with liberty and justice for all.” This statement is untrue, as there is a large amount of racism and discrimination in the country. Football player Colin Kaepernick recently kneeled during “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a football game to protest the violence and wrongdoings against minorities in the United States. The facts about this dilemma include that the nation was founded by a government who made it clear that religion was a neutral factor in the initial development of the country. Technically, the United States was not founded “under God.” Many of the original settlers were religious, but this was not supposed to affect the decisions of the government. As for
Kaepernick, he has been under a lot of scrutiny since the first time he kneeled, and other players are joining him. There has been speculation about his potential removal from the team and the possibility of him losing his endorsement deals. Even high school football players following in Kaepernick’s footsteps have been banned from the team for kneeling during the national anthem. The right answer to this dilemma is to let people do what they want according to what they feel is right. Minorities shouldn’t have to place their hand over their heart and say “with liberty and justice for all” if they believe that it isn’t true and feel the need to defend themselves and their people. Atheists should be able to sit down during the Pledge if their beliefs conflict with what the Pledge preaches. Being forced to say the Pledge every single morning in school conflicts with the ruling of the Supreme Court case Engel v. Vitale. Essentially, the Pledge is a recitation of an appeal created by the government. This case ruled it unconstitutional to create a school prayer in public schools, yet we say the Pledge every day. The idea of Practice v. Belief comes into play when discuss-
ing the ethics of the decision of whether or not to say the Pledge. Some people may think that it’s right to say the Pledge because it has been instilled upon them since they were children. Others believe that it’s right to say the Pledge because they agree with everything it states. Those like Kaepernick believe that the Pledge and other patriotic songs aren’t true; therefore, they don’t rise or recite it when it comes on.
Cartoon courtesy of www.homeofheroes.com
Resolutions to this dilemma include letting people have the choice of what they want to say and do during the Pledge or oth-
er patriotic songs. Another resolution that is more controversial and more difficult to achieve is omitting the words “under God” from the Pledge. This could create issues with conservatives because they usually have a lot of pride for their country, and some are quite religious. Omitting those words could also be unfavorable because people may be stuck in their old ways and may not want to change the wording of the Pledge. It comes down to respect. Conservative people believe that it’s disrespectful to sit during the Pledge or other patriotic songs. In a different view, minorities feel it is disrespectful to stand because they don’t believe in the words of the Pledge, and it shows contempt for the people who have not gotten justice or liberty. A third way to solve this dilemma would be to allow people to do what they want during the Pledge and other patriotic songs. Instead of forcing people to stand or forcing them to sit, allowing people the freedom of making a choice would resolve this dilemma in the best way.
Should we stand for standing for the National Anthem? By Ryan Kaylie Standing for the National Anthem has been a standard in the NFL for years upon years. Whether it’s the large flag in waves of red and white with the corner of navy blue, or the olivine fighter jets flying over the glorious stadiums in grace with bright fireworks next to them, it is truly a sight to be seen. But there has been a change to this, and that change has been made by a regressing back-up quarterback. Colin Kaepernick is a
quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers; however, although he looked good at the very beginning of his career, he eventually fell to being a relatively irrelevant player in the NFL. He wasn’t really relevant until he decided to kneel during the National Anthem, which shocked both fans of the 49ers and Americans in general because nothing like this has happened before. Kaepernick’s reason for kneeling was because of the oppression that minorities in the United States have to face. There had been movements like this before,
like players in the WNBA wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts, but this movement has been bigger than the others. Now many other players are following in Kaepernick’s footsteps, like players on the Seattle Seahawks, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Miami Dolphins. This could blow up to be something bigger or it can just shrink and eventually disappear. Only time will tell.
Photo courtesy of Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP at RollingStone
Colin Kaepernick (right) kneels during the National Anthem before a preseason NFL game against the Green Bay Packers. Cartoon courtesy of www.creators.com
Page 10
GAMES
FOOTBALL by Frank Longo | © 2013, The New York Times
ACROSS 1 Number of points 21-Across are worth 6 Chicago team that won Super Bowl XX in 1985 11 Shoulder ___ (protective football wear) 14 Brooklynite’s equivalent of “y’all” 15 Denver Broncos quarterback John who was the M.V.P. of the 1999 Super Bowl 16 Party card game with a large deck 17 Successful forward passes in football 19 Direction from 52-Across to 38-Across: Abbr. 20 Gives the go-ahead to 21 Field ___ (scores made by kicking the football between the uprights during scrimmages) 22 San Diego Chargers quarterback Humphries who played in the 1995 Super Bowl 23 Work ___ appetite: 2 wds. 25 Yards ___ game (football statistic) 26 Like a quarterback who’s tackled behind the 50-Down before a pass is thrown 29 Offensive lineman who’s positioned close to the tackle: 2 wds. 34 Sharp growth on a rose’s stem 35 What Jerry Jones is with respect to the Dallas Cowboys 36 Outcome that’s not permitted in N.F.L. playoff games 37 Suffix with cash or hotel 38 Home of the Braves, in the N.F.L. 40 Former “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” channel 41 Suffix with east or south 42 Gird one’s ___ (prepare for upcoming difficulty) 43 Jack who “could eat no fat” 45 Runs far to receive a deep pass: 2 wds. 47 New Orleans team that won Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 48 Lee ___ Selmon (52-Across defensive end in the Pro Football Hall of Fame) 49 Underside of a foot 50 Scientists’ workshops 52 ___ Bay Buccaneers (winners of Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003) 55 Pitchfork-shaped Greek letter 58 “Rosemary’s Baby” novelist Levin 59 Team that won Super Bowl III in 1969: 3 wds. 62 Org. that includes the Lions and Panthers, but not the Bengals and Jaguars 63 “There ___ stupid questions”: 2 wds. 64 Spelled ___ detail: 2 wds. 65 Igloo inhabitant: Abbr. 66 Play in which a quarterback runs forward with the ball instead
of passing it 67 False ___ (football infraction incurring a five-yard penalty) DOWN 1 Toy company owned by Mattel 2 ___ and lateral (trick play in football) 3 Liquors from Jamaica 4 Supposed psychic gift, for short 5 Slithery fish 6 Place a wager towards, as a team to win the Super Bowl: 2 wds. 7 “A Streetcar Named Desire” director Kazan 8 Like a G.I. who’s gone missing 9 Also-___ (election losers) 10 ___ admin (co. software manager) 11 Action after a kick that rarely turns into a touchdown run: 2 wds. 12 Actress Faris 13 One of four consecutive chances for a football team to advance the ball 18 “By Jove!” 22 Stage scenery 23 Country with the capital Kiev: Abbr. 24 With regard to punishment 25 Pertaining to sentence units 26 “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” novelist Larsson 27 “Holding Out for ___” (1984 Bonnie Tyler hit): 2 wds. 28 Defensive football player responsible for covering a pass receiver 29 Nasal singing tone 30 Rustic hotels 31 Come into possession of 32 Try to bite, puppy-style: 2 wds. 33 Fender dings 35 N.F.L.’er Kreutz who was in six Pro Bowls in the 2000s 39 Overly 44 Flaky bakery treat 46 Signal from a sinking ship 47 Fly like an eagle 49 Frighten 50 ___ of scrimmage (separator of football teams at the start of a play) 51 Dog barks 52 Seabird related to a gull 53 ___ bit (just slightly): 2 wds. 54 Bird that can mimic human speech 55 Org. against fur coats 56 Mix together 57 “That ___ fair!” 59 Rapper with the album “Illmatic” 60 Wallops in the boxing ring, for short 61 Protrude
EASY
Cougar Crier Editorial Staff Editors-in-Chief Alixandra Wilens Melissa Himelfarb Jenn Scharfman
Advisor Ms. Kaitlyn Seigneuray
Principal Ms. Lorraine Poppe
Assistant Principals Mr. Jon LaRochester Mr. Gerard Owenburg Mr. Vincent Pisano
Page 11
GAMES MEDIUM
HARD
SPORTS On the ice: Islander summer and playoff activity By Sean Cohen
Most Islanders fans did not let this bother them as their dedication to the Islanders was evident through the support the team got off the 2015-2016 Islanders NHL Playice. In game one, the Islanders offs scored three goals against Tampa Bay’s star goalie, Ben Bishop. This Round 1 – The future of the was something nobody predicted. Islanders seemed bright at the closBishop is an All-Star goalie and ing of the 2016 NHL season. The he never usually gives up goals Islanders managed to overcome as easy as he did that game. The difficult challenges and emerged next few games were characterinto the playoffs. The Islanders preized by organized plays made by pared to win against their weaker the Lightning and resulted in a opponent, the Florida Panthers. bad defense by the Islanders. The Both teams ended with an average Islanders lost games two, three, amount of wins and losses. Tofour, and five consecutively to lose wards the last quarter of the seathe series. Although the Islanders son, I predicted that the Islanders weren’t successful enough to move would not make the playoffs. They on to the third round, they went on seemed to exceed expectations; well to the second round, which was the at least my expectation and estabfirst time in twenty three years. lished their place in playoff hockey. The first two games of the playoff series against the Panthers showed Offseason Activity that the Islanders were a tough team. In the third game of the se The summer of 2016 ries, the Islanders won in overtime defined the future for Islanders over the Panthers, and the followhockey. Trades, free agency and ining two games ended in wins with jures enabled the roster to prosper only a one goal advantage as well. in some areas “while taking an L” In game six, which ended up being in other places. the final game of the series, Islanders captain John Tavares scored 2016 NHL Draft – The Islanders the game-winning goal in double had a small amount of success in overtime, which took the league by the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. The storm and took the Islanders to the Islanders succeeded by drafting second round. Kieffer Bellows in the first round with 19th pick. Bellows, the son Round 2 – The Islanders would not of former Islander Brian Bellows, have it so easy in the next round. played tremendously well for the The second round led to a series Sioux Falls Stampede of the Unitagainst the Tampa Bay Lightning, ed States Hockey League this past in which it was a series dominated year, and has started his tenure at by the Lightning’s offensive studs. Boston University this school year.
Anatoli Golyshev and Otto Koivula were both drafted in the fourth round, 95th and 120th overall respectively. Golyshev scored 25 goals and 44 points in 56 games for Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, and Koivula scored 26 goals and 58 points in 49 games for Ilves U20 of the Jr. A SM-liiga in Finland. The remaining picks were Collin Adams (sixth round, 170th pick overall), Nick Pastujov (seventh round, 193rd pick overall), and David Quenneville (seventh round 200th pick overall). Team Management – A key moment of the offseason was when Charles Wang handed over 85% ownership of the Islanders to Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky. Transactions – The Islanders were busy during the free agency market. They signed veteran left-winger Andrew Ladd to a seven-year/$38.5M contract. The Islanders also inked veteran winger Jason Chimera to a two-year/4.5M contract. Chimera played the last seven years with the Washington Capitals as he now switches sides to one of the most fierce rivalries in hockey. The Islanders also brought back Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau for one-year/$1.25M. The final new signing of the offseason was bringing in veteran defenseman and former teammate of Islander Johnny Boychuk in Dennis Seidenberg. Seidenberg, who was bought out by the Bruins this offseason, signed a one-year/$1M contract. Unfortunately, the Islanders lost
three fan favorites. Kyle Okposo left New York to join the Buffalo Sabres. Okposo, a former alternate captain was a loyal member of the New York Islanders after being drafted by them back in 2006. Gritty winger Matt Martin also left New York to take a new turn in his NHL career, signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs for four years and $10 million. Lastly, Frans Nielsen also left the team. Nielsen, former alternate captain, did not even attempt to renegotiate his contract with the Islanders and signed with the Red Wings. The Islanders seem to have a handle of their team this year for 2016-2017 NHL season. With the key additions of signing players during free agency has proved that the Islanders have been successful in strengthening their offense and defense. In contrast they have lost some loyal players who accelerated their career through the Islanders like, Kyle Okposo, Matt Martin, and Frans Nielsen. The Islanders have a new approach towards the 2016-17 NHL season, bringing in some new faces and new leaders. The Islanders will continue to “Drive for Five”, as they look for their fifth Stanley Cup and first since 1983. It will definitely be hard letting go of key valuable players to this organization, but it opens up more options for the Islanders. Hopefully this is the New York Islanders year as they continue to fight for another Stanley Cup championship.
Page 12
SPORTS From a touchdown to a homerun to a minor league deal. On September 8, 2016, TeBy: Scott Fingeroth, Brian line, not a player. Reluctant to switch positions While Tebow’s dream had bow officially signed with the New Needle and Michael Rubinfeld
The baseball world was stunned when former Denver Broncos First Round Draft pick and Heisman Trophy Winner, Tim Tebow, announced that he has officially retired from football. He is now taking a different approach to the sports world by attempting to return to a sport that he last played twelve years ago: baseball. In 2011 Tim Tebow walked out of Mile High Stadium in Denver, with his football future looking brighter than ever. Coming off a stellar wild card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tebow capped off with an 80 yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime. Five years and three teams later, Tebow is still on the field, but now one shaped like a diamond. After being picked in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, it looked promising for Tebow to be a long time starter in Denver. Unfortunately for Tebow, this all changed when the Broncos ended up signing Peyton Manning to a long term deal. Soon after being a starter on a playoff team, Tebow was relegated to the position of backup Quarterback. Thus, Tebow become a head-
and unhappy with his new role, Tebow began to diminish as a player. He was soon after traded to the Jets and became the backup Quarterback for Mark “The Sanchize” Sanchez. After playing with the Jets for one full season, Tebow found no success and was cut from the Jets. In 2013, the New England Patriots signed Tebow to the team, but released him a few short months later. Later on in his career, Tebow decided to call it quits when the Philadelphia Eagles cut him in September of 2015. Afterwards, Tebow pursued a reporting career for the SEC Network to represent Florida University, as well as the rest of the conference. During the middle of the 2016 MLB Season, Tebow announced he would seek a career in the MLB. Tebow held a private workout on August 31st, which allowed any MLB teams interested in attending. Tebow participated in all aspects of the game in order to show off his skills to the scouts. The former star high school baseball player received mixed reviews from the scouts, which included being seen as a “waste of time” to being “better than I expected.” On September 8th, Tebow’s MLB dream was recognized as the NY Mets signed him
come true, there was still a lot of work to be done. With Tebow still being committed to his TV contract, it is uncertain if he will be able to develop properly as a player. Plus, as a single A player, Tebow has a long climb to get to the level of MLB starter. However, if Tebow can prove to be a big hitter, and the Mets lineup keeps hitting the way it is, we may see Tebow sooner than expected. During the month of August, Tebow announced that he would hold a professional showcase in order to try out for all thirty MLB teams. He mentioned that he had hoped to get signed by a team by August 30, 2016. Twenty-eight out of the thirty teams showed up to the showcase. Only the Chicago Cubs and the Oakland Athletics elected not to attend. Tebow participated in a sixty-yard dash, clocking in at 6.7 seconds. He also practiced throwing to first base from right field (his best position), as well as catching “fungos,” or light pop-up hits, while he was in center field; however, the most important part of his showcase was batting practice, which included light batting practice and live pitching. Overall, the batting practice went well and impressed several scouts.
York Mets. On Saturdays, Tebow co-hosts “College Gameday,” a show that gives news updates about college football around the country, which unfortunately conflicts with his new baseball obligations; therefore, he has a clause on his contract which states that he does not have to be with the team during the Instructional League on Saturdays. On September 28, 2016, which was a Friday in Tebow’s first Instructional League game, Tebow stepped up to the plate for the first time in his big-league career, and he hit an opposite-field home run against John Kilichowski of the St. Louis Cardinals. Following his short stay in the Instructional League, hitting .286 with one homerun and two runs batted in in three games, the Mets decided to send him to the Arizona Fall League, a league ran by Major League Baseball that is held annually in Arizona during and following the playoffs to give teams a chance to give their top prospects more practice following the season. While nobody knows where this career will take Tebow, you can never call a baseball game until the last out.
A check on the NHL’s offseason moves By. Adam Bernstein
Over this past summer, many transactions and key signings occurred throughout the NHL (National Hockey League), including the local New York teams (Islanders and Rangers), who lost many familiar players but also added new ones. These changes occurred because the teams continually look to better themselves as well as deal with salary cap challenges. The appearances of the teams are shaping out to be different than last season. As the season progresses, we will see if these changes have improved the teams. The New York Islanders lost some longtime favorites to free agency this offseason; however, they have added some key players who they look towards to improve the team. The New York Islanders signed veteran winger Andrew Ladd, who has won two Stanley Cups with the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks. On July
1st, the Islanders and Ladd agreed to a 7 year, $38.5 million contract. Ladd said "The decision was obviously hockey-related, with having a chance to play with [Captain John Tavares] and just the group that we have. We really think we have a lot of good, young pieces and a great group that has a lot of chemistry.” The next key player the Islanders signed was P.A. Parenteau. Parenteau signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract in early July. Parenteau has played with multiple teams around the league including the Islanders once before from 2010-2012. The last key player the Islanders brought to Brooklyn was Jason Chimera. Chimera is a left winger who signed a deal with the Islanders for 2-years and 2.25 million dollar contract. Chimera has played the last few seasons with the Washington Capitals. Although the Islanders have made some big moves, they have also lost some key players who have meant a lot to the organization. Kyle Okposo has played eight seasons with the New York Islanders as one of their alternate captains. Okposo signed
a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres. Another key player lost to free agency was Matt Martin, who was a physical presence on the team. Matt Martin has played the last seven years with the New York Islanders. Martin agreed to a deal with the four-year, $10 million contract. The last key player lost was Frans Nielsen. Nielsen spent the last ten years with the Islanders as an alternate captain. Nielsen signed a six-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Another team that made some big offseason moves was the New York Rangers. The Rangers have dealt with many issue regarding their salary cap. Because of this, the Rangers lost some big names to this organization. A big trade the Rangers made was dealing forward Derick Brassard to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forward Mika Zibanejad. Brassard said “It’s for sure to be a big challenge for me, but I want some pressure. There is nothing better than playing in a Canadian city, in my hometown. I’m just going to try and embrace the challenge and
just go with it.” Brassard has played the past four seasons with the Rangers. The Rangers have also made a big signing this offseason with forward Jimmy Vesey on an entry-level contract. Vesey has played the last four seasons with Harvard University. Vesey was considered a Hobey Baker award winner in college. Many teams were trying to sign this young player, but in mid-August the Rangers officially signed him. Vesey decided to not go through the draft and was an undrafted late pickup by the Rangers. Despite the key additions and subtractions by the Islanders and Rangers, other big moves happened throughout the NHL, including the deal that sends defenseman Shea Weber to Montreal Canadiens and P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators. Subban has said he excited to join the Predators after meeting some of his teammates. A lot of transactions and signings due to free agency occurred during the summer, which will make for a fascinating 2016-17 season.