Spring 2018 issue final

Volume LI Issue II

Spring 2018

John F. Kennedy High School

Students battle it out in crab soccer at Class Night. (Photo courtesy of Yearbook).

Class Night 2018 By: Jake Arlia Editor

On Thursday, March 1, freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors alike gathered to represent their grades for Class Night 2018! It was an exhilarating event that kept students standing up on their feet for its entirety.

Each of the four classes had a unique theme and a color to represent its members. The freshmen took their theme from the popular ‘90s TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The Fresh Class of Bellmore decorated its portion of the gym with a variety of elements, including graffiti-style posters, stars, and royal crown paintings.

They stayed true to their team color of white, but also balanced it out with green and pink to resemble The Fresh Prince of BelAir’s opening theme. Opposite the freshmen’s quarter of the gym was the blue “Surfs Up Sophs” theme of the 10th graders. Their area of the bleachers was filled with Hawaiian-esque components such as

tropical flowers and surfboards. In the area diagonal the tenth graders, the yellow caution tape and black decorations of the juniors certainly emphasized their criminal theme.

The 11th graders’ team color was red, and it popped against the dark colors of their jailhouse setting. Finally, the “Seniors and Señoritas” celebrated their last Kennedy Class Night with a Southwest/Mexican theme. Their bleachers were filled with cactus ornaments,“¡Fiesta!” signs, and balloons representing their class’ color of green.

Class Night was kicked off with the dance competition. The freshmen danced to a remix of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song. They were followed by the sophomores’ performance. The juniors wowed the crowd with their dance to a mix of songs, including Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” and Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock.” Last but not least, the 12th graders performed to a series of Spanish songs. Among them was the famous summer hit “Despacito.”

Kennedy’s Security Measues Page 2

The first athletic event at Class Night was the relay race!

Multiple members from each grade participated. It involved students circling around a pole, running, scooter-racing, basketball shooting, and even finding a jelly bean in a pie tin of whipped cream. Following the relay were the crab soccer event and a thrilling round of musical chairs won by the seniors.

And don’t forget about the intense dodgeball tournament won by the sophomores.

The final results of Class Night may have shocked many crowd members! Sophomores came in fourth, juniors in third, and freshmen in second! Ninth graders coming in second place for Class Night is rare and very impressive. Unsurprisingly, the seniors were the champions of the night by coming in first place!

Class Night is an exciting event that brings all Kennedy students together and promotes teamwork and school spirit. Class Night 2018 was no exception!

Rembering Barbara Bush Page 4

Kennedy Stands With Parkland By: Azaria Vargas Editor-in-Chief

On March 24th, the school held a walkout in honor of the Stoneman Douglas shooting along with thousands of other schools around the nation. As one of the organizers of the walkout, I would like to thank all of those who showed their support and discuss the importance of the event.

Realizing that something must be done to address the Parkland shooting, multiple students came together to organize a show of unity. I helped to head the event with Justin Dinya, Jessica Rosen, Robert Silva, Ilanna Abramowitz, and Rachel Katz, and we gained an immense show of support from the student body. This demonstration was crucial to us as a school, not only as a show of respect for the Parkland victims but to recognize the dangers of gun violence, especially in schools. This is something that affects all students, regardless of location, and is of the utmost importance in the midst of the Never Again Youth Movement.

Victory Royale!

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COUGAR NEWS

New Knowledge STEMs from Health and Career Fair By: Emma Gold (Staff Writer) and Stamatia Papazis (Contributor)

The STEM Health and Career Fair was the place to be! The extraordinary event opened up with a Medical Scrabble Tournament. In this special type of Scrabble, participants adhered to regular game rules-- however, they

were rewarded with additional points added for each STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) or medical word that they used.

Spectators eagerly crowded around the match tables, and the energy in the room was immense. When all of the games were finished, Dylan Judd and Jonathan Ivers were

declared the champions-- after all, there’s no match for the combo of a salutatorian and a defending M.S. champion (you might recall him from his R.P.S. victory in the fall)!

Following the intense Medical Scrabble Tournament, students and their families were welcomed to talk to some presenters, professionals

in STEM fields, about their experiences in their specific specialties. These presenters included doctors, engineers, members of the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and more. It was the perfect evening to gain knowledge about STEM and to discover potential career choices.

Kennedy Buckles up for New Security Measures By: Scott Fingeroth Sports Department Editor

Following the devastating incident at Stoneman Douglas on February 14th, schools all across the world have been immediately improving their security standards, and Kennedy is just one of the many. I had the opportunity to sit with Interim Principal Mr. David Seinfeld and discuss the improvements to the school security.

One of the questions that a lot of people are asking is, exactly, what are the improvements being made to the school security systems?

Mr. Seinfeld described the measures as in a “package... in which some have already been put in place. Obviously, we have the security outside when

we enter the building, we hired additional security officers to man the building in the beginning of the day so we have somebody that actually comes in now at six in the morning and we have now another person in for the evening who will be here till ten (as well as security guards on Saturdays when sports are practicing or playing)… we have, as you know, have gone to the use of ID cards, and I’m really proud of everybody doing what we need to do as a community.” Another measure that has been put in is the “Lobby Guard” program, in which any visitor who comes in the building has to scan their driver’s licenses. The computer screen that is near the CHAMP room is also where a new vestibule will be built, where people will be buzzed into the room with the

scanner. They are looking at building it by the end of May, and it is going to be build in all six district buildings (Kennedy, Mepham, Calhoun, Grand Avenue, Merrick Avenue, and Brookside). Finally, all exterior doors that are not the gymnasium doors, the auditorium doors, and the main entrance have been alarmed.

The expectations for students are that there will be the continued use of ID cards, the adjustment to only using the exits in the school that are not alarmed, and the continuation of the drills such as lockdown and lockout drills. Right now, there are no plans for armed security guards or metal detectors for the school, but that is not a definite no in the future for the school. Mr. Seinfeld said that “our primary goal is to make sure that every

student and every staff member is safe, and that’s most important.”

The guidance programs will be another integral part of the improvements to the school’s programs. There is a plan to introduce the new “Kennedy Wellness Center” where there will be an increase in hours and staffing for students and their families to have the opportunities to meet with guidance counselors, school psychologists, and social workers. He believes that “this is the most important piece of that puzzle.”

He believes there is a special relationship among the staff and students in Kennedy, and hopes that the increased protocols, programs, and security will continue to make everyone in the school feel safer.

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COUGAR NEWS There Were Some Rumors in the Town...

By: Emma Gold Sraff Writer

On March 23rd and 24th, John F. Kennedy High School’s Drama Club brought “To Life” the renowned classic Fiddler on the Roof. In the show, spouses Golde and Tevye navigate through the troubles of life in their hometown Anatevka while attempting to raise their five daughters in a Jewish household. The performance captured the audience’s attention with ebullient dance numbers, impressive costumes, and of course, the intense yet thrilling dream scene! Some other highlights of the show included the captivating bottle dance, the tumultuous wedding scene, and the thrilling introduction of Motel’s new sewing machine.

Also, the pit band musicians plowed through the rigorous score while managing to keep

all of their fingers by the end of the show. In addition to the talented singers, dancers, actors, and musicians, there are a handful of people who helped put the show on the stage. A heartfelt thank you goes out to director Mr. Daniel Sheffield, musical director Mrs. Jeanette Pincus, choreographer Ms. Lois Schiavetta, pit band director Mr. Walter Avellaneda, production assistant Mr. Guy DeMatteis, lights coordinator Mr. Christopher Rosselli, and costume coordinators Ms. Amber Miller and Jessie Maldonado. Despite the snow taking away two days of “Hell Week,” the notoriously grueling yet rewarding last week before the show, everyone involved plunged right back into action to make it happen.

What a memorable production!

Seniors Panagiotis Petrochilos and Nicole Formisano perform in Kennedy’s Spring musical. (Photo courtesy of Yearbook.)

Sixty-Second Hotseat: Mrs. Sapir and Mr. Ma

The Cougar Crier sat down with two of Kennedy’s finest for an in- By: Scott Fingeroth Sports Editor tense, grueling, 60-second gauntlet. The questions were rapid; there was no time to deliberate. Here, the product of those sessions.

Mrs. Sapir

Mr. Ma

Is a hotdog a sandwich? No Did you have a college roommate? Yes, we are still best friends to this date What was your first day of teaching like? I lost all of my photocopies and had a severe panic attack in the copy room, and then I had to wing it the rest of the day Favorite type of food? Pasta Favorite SNL actor, past or present? Chris Farley Least favorite slang term? Basic Did you play any sports in school? Swimming Favorite season? Fall Biggest pet peeve? People who don’t know their grammar If you can teach any other subject, what would it be? Chemistry

Best days of your life? When my kids were born Favorite restaurant? Olive Garden If you were a zombie, who would you go after first? My worst enemy If you could go back and relive your childhood, would you? No If you could have a superpower, what would it be? The ability to fly Movies or TV? Movies Coke or Pepsi? Coke Are you wearing matching socks today? Of course Favorite type of food? Italian Favorite SNL actor, past or present? Eddie Murphy Least favorite subject in school? Social Studies Batman or Superman? Superman

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WORLD NEWS

Mark Zuckerberg, pictured here at Facebook’s F8 Conference, faced Congress’s questions about internet privacy this April. (Photo by Anthony Quintano, used with permission.)

The Zuckerberg Trials

By Gus Gottlieb World News Editor

Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, was put before Congress to discuss the issues of privacy and mishandling of data.

Zuckerberg first created the idea of Facebook in 2005 at Harvard, allowing people to get to know one another and communicate. As years have passed, Facebook has grown extreme popular and is known worldwide for its ability to connect long-lost friends, remind others about birthdays, share one’s relationship status, and so forth. While the idea of Facebook was originally meant for individual people to interact, it became a

source for blogging and large companies or corporations to publish advertisement which others can follow. Because of this, more and more users have been encouraged to join Facebook, as this particular form of social media is seemingly inescapable in contemporary society.

But, like everything, nothing is truly perfect. Allegations of invasion of privacy were targeted at Zuckerberg, where many members of the facebook community have made claims that they were targeted for their political affiliations, race, or overall preferences for ads in both negative or positive ways (being either demonetization, selling of personal information, etc.). Users claim that regardless of

these instances’ negative or positive outcomes, it is still an invasion of privacy, and needs to be addressed and modified.

These allegations became so overwhelming that Zuckerberg was eventually called to Congress to testify against these assertions.

Zuckerberg, grilled with questions for almost ten hours, denied most of these claims that Facebook invades users’ personal information.

However, many of the questions that Congress did ask, Zuckerberg claimed to not have answers to, and stated how he would get answers back as soon as he could. Yet, with that in mind, more than two weeks have passed and still many questions have yet to be answered.

This leads many viewers to ques-

tion if Zuckerberg still plans on telling Congress anything, if so, is it even truthful. With the testimony of Zuckerberg over, viewers are left in one of two states: many, still skeptical, continue to claim that Zuckerberg clearly is lying and is withholding information from the people to save him and his company from getting fined for their invasions, while others believe what Zuckerberg said and continue to use Facebook without worry. No matter which way users feel about this issue, it is clear that further investigation and explanation is needed before all users will feel completely comfortable with Facebook’s information-spreading tactics.

Tribute to Barbara Bush By: Gus Gottlieb World News Editor

On April 17th of this year, Barbara Bush--one of the most influential First Ladies--passed away. Barbara Bush was married to George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States.

Born Barbara Pierce, she was born in New York on June 8th, 1925. She grew up with three siblings, Martha, James and Scott, in New York as well. She met George Bush at age sixteen, when he was still a student at an academy in Massachusetts. About a year later, the two became engaged and Bush went off to fight in World War II. When he returned from his service,

the two married and would have six children over the course of their lives.

Many years later, when George Bush began to become involved in politics, Barbara Bush would join by his side and help him, projecting her dedication to his political pursuits. Eventually, George Bush became the Vice President to Ronald Reagan in his run for office between 1981-1989. After the years spent as Second Lady, George Bush was assigned to be President of the United States, which is when Barbara Bush became First Lady of the United States, a role she embraced from 1989 to 1993.

During the presidency under Bush, many foreign issues were appearing, and President Bush was

famous for his swift and successful victories in other countries during the Gulf War. However, while he was working outside the country, First Lady Barbara Bush worked inside, trying to solve some of the most pressing domestic issues during this time. One of the biggest issues that Barbara Bush wanted to tackle was literacy in the United States. She founded the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy in order to help promote the reading of books, as well as to help stimulate the amount of adults and children in the US that could read.

During her time as First Lady, she also inspired American citizens to read out loud to their children, in order to encourage the next generation to continue their interests

in literature, and ensure they can grow as learned individuals.

Two of her six children, George W. Bush and Jeb Bush, both began to become important roles in politics, with George W. Bush becoming president soon after his father, and Jeb Bush being one of the many candidates in the 2016 election.

After her time as First Lady, Barbara Bush moved to Houston, Texas, with her husband, and continued to help with the public by doing a wide variety of charitable events and going nationwide to help those in need. Barbara Bush sadly passed away at the age of 92 in the comfort of home with the rest of her family.

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WORLD NEWS

By: Ava Collica Staff Writer

#neverforget Movement

The #neverforget movement began as a hashtag to remember tragic events that occurred throughout history. Social media is a great resource to showcase and reflect on these events. Some events under this hashtag include 9/11, the Sandy Hook school shooting, and many more. The hashtag made a resurgence on February 14th, 2018. It was a response to the school shooting in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

This shooting was the 14th shooting in the United States in just 9 weeks of 2018. Both this statistic and the amount of innocent people killed are appalling.

Just hours after the horrific shooting, survivors, as well as people who heard about the event, turned to social medias like Twitter and Instagram to spread awareness about the issue. Because many of these people posting with the hashtag are teens, it drives home the point that teens care about gun violence and gun control now more than ever before. It is important to note that even with it being a little over

a month after the shooting, kids still will not stop fighting for gun regulation laws until a change is made.

A difference between this tragic event versus others is that the #neverforget hashtag was only used for a very minimal amount of time to grieve the losses of the 17 students and faculty. Instead, it was used to raise awareness and publicity on the issue of why this tragedy happened in the first place; gun laws (or lack thereof.) Students that survived the M.S.D. school shooting responded to tweets and comments about the shooting, reassuring people that this was, in fact, a gun issue and

not about the lunatic behind the weapon. The easy access to a gun in Florida angered many teens, but especially the Parkland students.

It is regarded by many that it was brave and mature of Parkland students along with fellow teens around the world to give a retort for the hate they received for being adamant about what they believe in.

Laws on guns are so important in today’s society, and it is a consensus to most that weapons shouldn’t be as easy to possess.

Seniors Justin Dinya, Azaria Vargas, Rachel Katz, Jessica Rosen, Ilanna Abramowitz, and Robert Silva -- the organizers of Kennedy’s Walkout -- stand together at the event, memorializing the lives lost to gun violence and calling for attention to this important issue. (Photo by Azaria Vargas)

Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin By: Dylan Torres Editor As of this new year of 2018, most countries in the world use their own distinguished types of currency, which the societies of said countries run on. The exchange of goods and services helps sustain human lives, as many products on the market are unquestionably responsible for our survival and entertainment.

At the same time, since the end of 2017 up to today, a newer type of currency may end the uniqueness of the planet’s types of

currencies - for the better, and for the worse.

Perhaps one of the most popular topics in all of 2017’s media was the explosion of the cryptocurrency (defined as a digital currency) known as Bitcoin. Its popularity occurred when people realized that one could use Bitcoin to pay for anything, no matter where it is, due to its universality. Although the company was founded in 2009

by Satoshi Nakamoto, it remained a topic of little discussion until its explosion in popularity and stocks in late 2017. The unique features of Bitcoin, as many are aware, are

the exclusion of banking systems and the process of earning bitcoins through “mining”. However, this doesn’t mean that the currency can’t be regulated; the difficulty of this problem is evident in requiring almost every user in order to do so.

The unprecedented explosion in stock value of Bitcoin is partially what made it so well-known to the public. A single bitcoin initially costed almost $20,000- an absolutely staggering high value for any local economy, not just the United States. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, this value has lost more than half of its value. As

of April 2018, the price has declined to the $7,000 range, and it appears to be falling lower and lower. Additionally, since the decline, Bitcoin has been dragged down other cryptocurrencies into decline, such as Ripple and Litecoin.

It is not uncommon to see it gain a fraction of its value back at times, but the decline is very noticeable.

Bitcoin’s value and its presence in our economy and society remains ambiguous, but its once-legendary climb in price has been a turning point for how we handle money in our world.

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WORLD NEWS By: Alexis Krayevsky Editor The Olympics are a time when a country’s nationalism and pride comes out during friendly competition. The Winter Olympics have come, and it’s time for athletes all around the world to compete for gold medals. This year the Winter Olympics were located in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with a total number of 12 sports, including bobsledding, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, short track, speed skating, biathlon, curling, snowboarding, luge, figure skating, ski jump, and alpine skiing.

As for the medals, Norway

Winter Olympics

was victorious with a total of 39 medals. Germany placed second with 31, Canada came in third with 29, and lastly the U.S. finished fourth with a total of 23 medals. The U.S. received 9 gold medals, 8 silver medals, and 6 bronze medals. We earned our first gold medal in men’s slopestyle by 17-year-old Red Gerard. Our second gold medal was won by 27-year-old Jamie Anderson in women’s slopestyle, followed by 17-year-old Chloe Kim in women’s halfpipe snowboarding, which made Kim the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding medal. Shaun White, 31-years-old, won his third gold medal in

men’s halfpipe snowboarding and redeemed himself after losing in the Sochi Olympics in 2014. White holds the record for most olympic medals won by a snowboarder. Mikaela Shiffrin brought home the fifth gold medal in women’s giant slalom alpine skiing, followed by Jessie Diggins, 26, and Kikkan Randall, 35, for women’s cross-country team sprint free. David Weiss received the 7th gold medal for men’s halfpipe freeskiing, and the U.S women’s hockey team beat Canada and took gold for the first time since 1998. Our ninth gold medal was from the U.S men’s curling, for which we won our first ever gold

medal in the sport.

Although this Olympics has ended, the next Summer Olympics will be hosted in Tokyo in 2020. The next Winter Olympics will take place in 2022 in Beijing, followed by the 2024 Summer Olympics, held in Paris. The location for the 2026 Winter Olympics is still undecided, but the 2028 Summer Olympics are coming to the U.S and will be held in Los Angeles, California. As the Olympics have now concluded, athletes are coming back home as champions and back to train for their next Olympics.

Have You Broken Your New Year’s Resolution Yet? By: Stamatia Papazis Contributor

When the holiday season is winding down and the year is wrapping up, we tend to start thinking about what changes we want to make in our lives for the new year coming up. The excitement of the new year makes us feel as if this is a fresh start, and our lives will magically change for the better. Then the holiday break comes to an end, we go back to school, and that resolution goes out the window.

Sound familiar?

Surveys have shown that about 92% of all people who make a resolution for the new year never follow through on it, so there’s a good chance that you’re one of them; especially after nearly half a year has passed since New Year’s.

Most people dream of striving for something unrealistic without thinking about what it’s going to take to make that dream happen. So here are a few tips to help you keep your New Year’s Resolution, or get back on track if you’ve already broken it. You don’t have to wait until next year to start

again. And if you never made Keep a log. one, it’s never to late, so start You’re less likely to give up on now! your resolution when you’ve been keeping track of your progress. For example, if your Start out small and goal is to exercise more, write down what kind of exercise add on.

Between school, extracur- you complete each day. ricular activities, family, and friends, you’ll be much more likely to stick to your resolution in the beginning when it’s not an overwhelmingly huge part of your life. As time passes, feel free to take a step up.

Tell others.

Tell all of your friends and family about your resolution.

Support always helps. Once they know, they’re likely to keep reminding you to stay on track whenever they see you giving up or forgetting.

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WORLD NEWS

Catalan Conflict in the Kingdom of Spain By. Jake Arlia Editor When you think of Spain, you probably think of bulls, flamenco dancing, the Spanish language, and paella. You may not know that Spain is a kingdom to this day, with a royal palace in the crown capital of Madrid. However, these monarchs have little power over the politics of Spain since the nation is a constitutional monarchy.

Maybe when you think of Spain, you also think of the rich port city of Barcelona and its famous soccer club…

Background: The History Catalonia: A region of the northwest Iberian Peninsula. Its history dates back to the 1000s when the County of Barcelona rose to power alongside neighboring kingdoms, such as Aragon. In 1137, the county became a part of the kingdom of Aragon, and, following the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile in 1469, a part of Spain.

Catalonia was an autonomous community–– meaning, it was able to rule

itself to an extent within the kingdom. This privilege was taken away after the Spanish civil war under the rule of General Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain from 1939 to 1975. After the dictator’s reign, however, Catalonia gained its autonomy once again.

Motivation: Reasons for Seeking Separation

Today, a large portion of Catalonians aren’t happy.

Why? Many do not identify themselves as Spanish at all–– they are Catalonian. They speak the Catalan language; they do not speak Spanish.

They practice customs specific to Catalonia; they refuse to practice some customs specific to Spain.

They wave the

Catalonian flag of independence with pride; they refuse to showcase the flag of Spain.

And of course, Catalans live in Spain’s wealthiest region; they want economic independence as well.

The Latest: Recent Events

On September 11 of 2012, National Day of Catalonia, 1.5 million marched for independence in Barcelona, the Catalan capital.

The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, rejected a call for greater economic freedom proposed by then Catalan regional leader Artur Mas. In March of 2014, the constitution-

al court of Spain ruled that a Catalan referendum for freedom is illegal. In November of the same year, an informal poll took place in Catalonia that revealed over 80% of citizens were pro-separation from Spain.

October, 2017: Hundreds were injured by Spanish police, who attempted to stop a planned referendum for Catalan independence.

The results of the referendum were shocking: over 92% of Catalans voted for their state to become its own republic. Catalonia declared independence from Spain.

Spain did not allow this to happen and forced direct rule over the region. A country has yet to recognize Catalonia as its own nation.

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POP CULTURE

We Love Love, Simon

By: Raven Horowitz Contributor

Love, Simon, a drama, comedy, and romance film, is a highly recommended uplifting movie that inspires the audience to be themselves without holding back. It also exemplifies the fear of not being accepted in society. For main character Simon Spier, a 17-year-old boy attending high school in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, being himself is not so easy. He holds back from who he is as he keeps his sexual orientation to himself and bottles it up inside. He keeps a huge secret from his family, his friends, and all of his classmates; he has yet to tell them

that he is gay.

Simon’s life begins to change when he meets an anonymous online friend whom he relates to and who brings him happiness and a sense of hope. This anonymous online classmate, who goes by the name “Blue,” exchanges emails with Simon, who soon falls deeply in love with this mystery character, who empathizes with and understands him since they are in the same situation. They both share the secret of their sexual orientation and are scared of the reactions from their families, friends, and classmates. Simon must discover who Blue is, and along this journey, he tries to find himself as well.

When their emails are accidentally discovered by another student, their secret is jeopardized as blackmail, high school gossip websites, and a scheming classmate stir the pot. Simon finds himself forced to come to terms with his identity, both to himself and to others, all the while hoping to find the identity of his love interest, Blue.

I give this movie five stars because it was truly inspiring and features a strong lead character who overcomes a difficulty much bigger than the young teenager himself. He overcame an individual-versus-self conflict, as well as individual-vs-society. Simon was brave and courageous as he never

failed to keep going. Though he experienced shaming for his sexuality, he was never ashamed of it himself.

He showed strength towards bullies and didn’t let his sexual orientation be his weakness, rather an incredible strength. I would recommend this film to anyone and everyone because no matter who you are, whether you are Simon or the bullies, it shows you that without love, kindness, and acceptance, there is nothing else left. The movie is uplifting and inspirational while comical at the same time. Love, Simon is a beautiful story of love and acceptance. Everyone should see this film as it takes a new spin on the trite Romeo and Juliet story.

Black Panther Review

By: Max Freifeld

the people got killed by the Black Panther family members. Then Staff Writer it shifts to a third-world country Marvel has had good movies called Wokanda. It has very adover the years. Avengers and Spi- vanced technology and can heal der-Man: Homecoming are just a everybody with a special metal that few. No other movie has been as was mined there. Black Panther successful as the highest Marvel returns to Wokanda and then ofmovie in years: Black Panther. It is ficially becomes king. Soon a conofficially the 10th highest grossing vict comes into play named Klaw. film of all time. T’Challa or Black He has a metal claw made out of Panther, played by Chadwick Bose- Wakandan metal. As the movie man, was the star of an amazing goes on, he loses strength, but then movie. The setting first starts off in but somebody new rises. His name a hotel in Los Angeles, and one of is N’dajaka, played by Michael B. Jordan, who also played Creed

(Image by Bryan K. Ward, used with permission)

in the movie Creed with Sylvester Stallone. He acts as the villain who overthrows the Black Panther, and then he becomes the new king and Black Panther. At the end of the movie, they get into a highly intense fight and the original Black Panther wins. The movie is ended with T’Challa rising to king status again and with the villain dying.

T’Challa speaks at the U.N. near the end of the film as well and talks about the technological advancements of Wokanda. Overall, the movie was the best one I’ve seen in a while, and Marvel should make

more movies like this in the future.

The things I liked so much about this movie were that it had a unique storyline and a new character in the Marvel universe, which made this movie so interesting. When the new Avengers movie comes, out I will be so excited to see how the Panther teams up with all the other Marvel superheroes. If you haven’t seen this movie, I would highly recommend it to you if you’re looking for a high action thriller and a good time at the movies.

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POP CULTURE

Wonder: A Story That Lives Up to its Title By: Whitney Sussman Contributor Reading Wonder by R.J Palacio in sixth grade opened my eyes to a new way of looking at life: it broadened my idea of “the big picture” and allowed me to realize at a young age how fortunate I am to feel loved and accepted by those around me. While I do believe (or so I thought) in the widely professed notion that a movie simply cannot live up to the book from which it

is based on, the movie, Wonder, has markedly changed my mind. August (Auggie) Pullman is an extraordinary young boy who desires what any other 11-year-old would: normality. As he ventures into public school for the first time since being homeschooled for the entirety of his young life, Auggie encounters a new setting that creates situations that challenge his strength with trials such as bullying and abandonment. However, as he meets special individuals and

takes the time to get to know them, he realizes that they’re not too different from one another. Yes, they may not look alike, but they all endure unique conflicts that connects them on emotional levels and their shared experiences with adversity. Auggie learns at a young age, with the helpful influence of his parents and teachers, that kindness is what can bring people together regardless of their differences.

The movie vividly brought to life exactly what I inter-

preted in the novel, with excellent casting that portrayed the characters’ physical and emotional attributes precisely. The inspiring and heartfelt plot shares a reminder to both a young and old audience that love, acceptance, and kindness can have immensely positive impacts on your own life, and possibly without notice, the lives around you.

The Cougar Crier Staff Principal

Ms. Lorraine Poppe Interim Principal

Mr. David Seinfeld Assistant Principals

Mr. Jon LaRochester

Mr. Gerard Owenburg

Mr. Vincent Pisano Advisor

Ms. Kaitlyn Seigneuray Editor-in-Chief

Azaria Vargas Pop Culture Editor

Adam Bernstein School News Editor

Sean Cohen

Sports Editor

Scott Fingeroth World News Editor

Gus Gottleib Editors

Jake Arlia, Gabe Cohen, Benji Ferraro, Alexis Krayevsky, Marlee Seifer, Dylan Torres Artist

Mason Ferraro Staff Writers

Morgan Baren, Ava Collica, Analisa Coppa, Gabe Eckstein, Katerina Fakinos, Max Friefeld, Calvin Gibson, Emma Gold, Jessi Grossman, Harris Joslin, Josh Kaye, Panayiotis Milchas, Arielle Pasternak, James Redemann, Jada Spindler Contributors

Joh Gold, Mikayla Gorelin, Raven Horowitz, Jordan Kanner, Stamatia Papazis, Kristen Shindel, Whitney Sussman, Ethan Wainer The Cougar Crier John F. Kennedy High School 3000 Bellmore Avenue Bellmore, NY 11710 email: jfkcougarcrier12@gmail.com twitter: @CougarCrierJFK www.cougarcrier.org

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POP CULTURE

And the Oscar Goes to...

By: Arielle Pasternack Staff Writer On March 4th, 2018 the highly anticipated Oscars took place. This was the 90th Academy Awards, and they were certainly full of memorable events.

Firstly, they were hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the latenight talk show host. This was his second consecutive year hosting The Oscars, so he was prepared to deliver one of the best monologues in Oscars history. His monologue was full of jokes from last year’s Academy Awards. During the 2017 Oscars, presenter Faye Dunaway mistakenly announced La La Land! as the best motion picture; however, the actual winner was the pro-

duction Moonlight. Kimmel amongst other presenters at the Academy Awards used this funny and memorable event as a point of humor throughout the night.

As the night went on, several actors and actresses gave thoughtful speeches. One of the most regarded speeches given was by Frances McDormand, who won an Oscar for Best Actress in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. McDormand delivered a heartfelt and emotional speech about women in the filmmaking industry, and the progress that has been made.

For example, the 2018 Oscars were particularly progressive in terms of women, being that women nominations were announced in categories usually

dominated by men, such as best director and best cinematographer. However, progress still has to be made. At the conclusion of her speech, Frances McDormand left the audience and viewers with one phrase: inclusion rider.

This saying refers to a clause that can be placed in contracts in order to ensure diversity in film. McDormand was trying to spread the word about this important concept by using this phrase.

On a lighter note, Sam Rockwell from Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri started his speech for winning best supporting actor with an anecdote about his childhood. He stated that his dad had picked him up from school when he was 8, claim-

ing that there was an emergency with his grandma. Rockwell nervously got into the car and asked what was wrong, only to come to the conclusion that there was nothing wrong with his grandma, and that his dad picked him up to go to the movies. He then exclaimed that he wanted to thank his parents for their love of movies that inspired him to become an actor. This funny sentiment showcased how something as miniscule as going to the movies one time and inspire a person to a great extent.

From cracking jokes to addressing important political concepts, the 2018 Academy Awards were definitely one for the books.

Fashion That Sends a Message By: Ava Collica Staff Writer This year’s Golden Globes on Sunday, January 7th was, as always an important event for any film lover. The Golden Globes is also a famed event to gawk at the remarkable outfits all of our favorite celebrities wear. This year in particular, a trend occurred in almost all of the women at the annual event: black attire. This point is noteworthy because along with looking beautiful, they also did this to join a movement. The “Times Up” movement was created in part by Mary J. Blige, Allison Janney and

many more in order to support women who stood up and brought forward the issue of sexual harassment in Hollywood. The woman who participated in this movement are not only highly regarded by

their industry and their fans, but they also all want to raise awareness about this colossal issue. An interesting point is that many of the women who wore black to the awards did not come forward about be-

ing sexually harassed, which speaks volumes since these women came together to support a movement that is near and dear to many women’s hearts. It is still debated by many whether or not the black dress will make a difference in terms of the issue of sexual harassment.

In my personal opinion, wearing certain colors of clothing will draw attention to whatever cause is discussed, and it will have people talking about why these celebrities did what they did, ultimately having more people aware of sexual harassment.

Page 11

POP CULTURE

The Return of American Idol By: Morgan Baren and Jessi Grossman Staff Writers After a two-year hiatus, America’s favorite singing competition show has finally returned to airways on Sunday, March 11th, with a two hour premiere. This time around,

sitting at the judges’ table are singing sensations Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. And of course, the show would not be the same without Ryan Seacrest as the host.

In this 16th season there are many new contestants with big dreams and incredible talent with hopes to become the

next American idol. The auditions kicked off in August.

Traveling from Portland, Oregon to Orlando, Florida, the Idol Bus had begun its nationwide search. There have been some changes to the show, as this season, there are alternative ways to audition, rather than in person. The oppor-

tunity to audition was made available online and via social media platforms using the tag: #TheNextIdol. Make sure you don’t miss the action and tune in to ABC Sundays and Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The festival in the desert: Music, fashion, and views abound at Coachella. (Photo by Jesse Persse, used with permission.)

Coachella 2018 By: Alexis Krayevsky Staff Writer Coachella 2018 has came and gone, but not without showing the world the latest fashion trends, and the hottest music of the season. Coachella is one of the biggest music festivals in the world with around an average of 100,000 people attending per day. The festival takes place in Coachella Valley, a desert, in Indio California. Tickets could go anywhere from $429 for general admission, to almost $1,000 for VIP passes which do not include a plane ticket, hotel accommodations, and food and water passes. Coachella consists of two weekends, April 13-15, and April 20-22.

Coachella’s first festival was

held on October 1999. Tickets were sold for only $50 in its first year. Although it did not happen in 2000 do to costs being too high, it did return in 2001, and continued up present day. The Coachella music festival always focused on music and arts, and genres that don’t get as much attention.

Coachella; however, was not always a success. The year it first began in 1999, there was a lot of controversy set around coachella and the Woodstock festival, which at the time, was one of the most prolific festivals. Coachella quickly recovered, and has been gaining more and more popularity over recent years.

Coachella is one of the most well known and popular music festival, and therefore,

has an obligation of having the best artist performing at the festival. Although coachella had 167 artists performing, their most popular artists include The Weekend, on Friday as the first headliner, Beyonce on Saturday, and Eminem on Sunday. Beyonce had one of the most attended and popular performances, and the day she performed became coined as ¨ Beychella¨ by her many fans. During her performance she also brought out her husband Jay-Z and reunited with Destiny’s Child. Eminem was joined on stage by Dr. Dre and 50 cent.

Although Coachella is a music festival, the fashion aspect, and what you wear is almost as important. Extravagant coachella outfits can cost

hundreds or thousands of dollars. These styles are usually seen worn by social media influencers, or celebrities. Since coachella does take place in the desert, most people tend to wear shorts and some kind of short sleeve top with sneakers.

Coachella is known for being over the top, with many of its peoples outfits consisting of some type of body glitter, tattoos, mixed in with different types of jewelry.

Coachella was again a success, making over $1,000,000 making it one of the most profitable festival in the U.S.A. This festival continues to be one of the most popular festivals of the year with their tickets selling out in just a couple of hours.

Page 12

POP CULTURE

Fortnite Review

game. The game varies in difficulty By. Calvin Gibson, Josh Kaye, and due to the random match-making, Harris Joslin meaning you could find yourself Staff Writers playing against a first time player or other players who are as good as the Fortnite is a third-person video best players in the world (like Ninja game that you can play solo or or the Myth). This makes the game with friends, in the Battle Royale or extremely addictive because every Save the World modes. The basic game you play, brings a different premise of Fortnite is that you, the ending, different encounters with player, are part the of the 2% of other players, and many different the world’s population that remains skill levels of players. There are a after the world has been struck by variety of locations on the map at enormous storms. You must sur- which you can land, such as Tilted vive in this post-apocalyptic world Towers, Retail Row, Salty Springs, where, by the way, you are being or Anarchy Acres. Battle Royale attacked by zombies. The player is the most popular game mode in must find resources, create weap- Fortnite due to the adrenaline rush ons, build forts, and fight off the it provides, when you are one of the zombies to keep the survivors safe. final people left in the arena. When

Battle Royale is similar to that victory “#1 Victory Royale” King of the Hill, meaning the last banner appears on your screen, you person or team standing wins the get a memory that is unforgettable,

filled with joy and excitement.

Fortnite has also become extremely popular within pop culture recently. Streamers, like Ninja, have attracted many celebrities to play the game. This includes people like Lil Yachty, Travis Scott, Drake, JuJu Smith-Schuster, as well as many more. This makes the game even more popular because many people look up to these celebrities and want to emulate their actions by playing this game too. This game is also very popular because it is played all around the world. In our experience, we have even played with people from Brazil and Portugal. This makes the game internationally known and makes it more available to anybody.

The game is available on multiple platforms including Xbox 1, Playstation 4, PC and even Mac. This

allows for cross-compatibility, so that different platforms can play with each other; for example, PC players can play with Playstation 4 players. This gives people a chance to play with friends with whom they wouldn’t normally be able to play due to different gaming systems.

Lastly, Fortnite is introducing Mobile Fortnite, which will be available on iOS and Android in the future.

This will allow players to play on the go using their mobile phones.

Registration for this was on their website, but it was so popular that the website even crashed. Many look forward to being able to play on smart phones, as well as the constant updates that are coming out for the game.

The Three Big Game Names By.James Redemann Staff Writer Right now, the gaming industry is being dominated by 3 big companies: Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. These producers are always churning out new games and technology for the consumers. Here’s what, “The Big Three”, have been up to.

Sony Scrambles Since 1998, Medi-Evil has been one of the Playstation’s most popular mascots. Now, the adventures of the skeleton hero, Sir Daniel Fortesque, are being revamped for Playstation 4 after years of being off the shelves.

The “Hack-and-Slash” classic will be revived around late 2018 with full 4K support and an HD overhaul.

Nintendo Knockouts Nintendo recently hosted a mini ‘Nintendo Direct’, where they revealed many new games, and updated us on ones still in development. One of the most exciting unveils was that of Dark Souls: Remastered. For those that don’t know, Dark Souls is an Action Role Playing Game originally released in 2011, and was only available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Windows. Now you can relive one of the hardest games of all time in stunning HD on, not only Nintendo Switch, but Xbox One and Playstation 4 on May 25th.

Maximum Microsoft The Xbox One was highly criticized for not having total backward compatibility, making many Xbox 360 games impossible to play on Xbox One. Microsoft is attempting to fix this major critique by scheduling dozens of Xbox 360 games to be compatible with Xbox One. Soon, you will be able to play the entireties of Assassin’s Creed, The Walking Dead, Witcher 2, Street Fighter 4, Super Meat Boy, and many more on your Xbox One.

Page 13

EDITORIALS

Two Sides to Starbucks.... is it Overrated?

By: Arielle Pasternack, Jessi Grossman, Morgan Baren, and Jada Spindler Staff Writers Yes

I wake up at 6:00 and begin to get ready. An hour later I start driving to school.

As I’m driving I see the gigantic green logo and couldn’t resist getting my favorite coffee.

I walk in and stand on the long line checking my watch every minute because I don’t want to be late to my first period class.

Finally it’s my turn. I walk

up to the counter and ask for my drink: “Iced decaf with a pump of caramel.” When the barista asks, I say “my name is Jessi.” Next, I walk to the other end of the counter only to wait another five minutes for my coffee. I finally hear someone call “Jessi,” so that’s when I walk up to go get my coffee.

As I’m grabbing my coffee I look at the cup and notice that my name written as “Jesse.” I mean pretty typical, right? Of course, I take a picture of this and send it to all my friends to make them laugh.

As I am holding my coffee I notice something

I said A-lyssa not Me-lissa. (Photo used with permission)

weird: a cup filled more than halfway with ice, and very little coffee. I couldn’t believe it! Why do they do this? Do they save money? Does it make the customer want to buy another? Are they trying to get rid of their ice? Since I was already on a tight schedule, I was unable to complain or get a refund, so I soldiered on with what I had and went to school. By the time I was able to finally drink my coffee at school, it was all watered down, with what only tasted like a hint of coffee. Because of this, I wasted almost six dollars on something I could have easily made myself-- Starbucks coffee is not just a waste of money, but a waste of time. I easily could have purchased a far stronger, more accessible coffee from Dunkin Donuts in half the time, but by its popularity, you would assume Starbucks could make competent coffee. My whole day was ruined because of this.

My $5.60 was a waste. If you take my opinion on this, don’t bother purchasing this coffee -- go somewhere else more reliable or cheaper that doesn’t serve you coffee-tasting water.

No

One of the hardest things to do in the midst of a cold winter is to wake up in the morning. Only one thing pulls me out of bed-thought of purchasing my favorite drink. I spring out of bed and quickly get ready to make sure I can make a stop at Starbucks before school.

When I enter through the doors, I take in the rich scent of coffee. It always seems as though others look forward to their morning drinks as well because of the usual long line. I remain impatient as I stand on line -- I cannot wait another minute to have my hands on the delicious drink.

When my wait is over, I finally reach the register and ask for my vanilla cappuccino. I wait for my drink and socialize with others who are waiting as well. After about two minutes of waiting, I hear my name called. I grab the drink from the counter and head out the door. Once I unlock my car and take a seat, I excitedly take my first sip.

The rush of warmth through my body spikes my energy for the whole day. When I arrive at school, my coffee is still steaming with rich flavor.

As I walked into first period, with a smile on my face, my friends were all jealous of my delicious coffee. Purchasing this coffee easily changes my mood from irritable and tired to energetic and focused. This goes to show that Starbucks is not an overrated coffee chain -- it’s practically a miracle shop that rejuvenates the effects of cold and icy days.

Page 14

EDITORIALS By: Jessi Grossman Staff Writer

Would you get tired from doing sprints and drills on the court for two hours a day? Wouldn’t you also get tired from lifting, tumbling and jumping for two hours day?

Both demanding physical activities,

Is Cheer a Sport? cheerleading is as much of a sport as basketball There are many reasons why people generally think that cheerleading is not a sport, but these reasons are wrong.

Cheerleading is a physical activity that involves a team, rules, and competition to score points in order to win. These characteristics of cheer-

leading also describe other sports.

Rules such as staying in-bounds on a mat also pertain to many other competitive sports. Cheerleading is also a physical workout, and cheerleaders must train hard and get exercise just like other athletes.

It requires whole-body strength in order to lift a person, or balance when being lifted in the air for stunts. Studies also show that the frequency of injuries such as sprains and concussions related to cheerleading is about equal to other sports. Out of all sports, the only sport that ranks higher in the number of serious injuries is football (for girls’/women’s

sports, cheerleading is number one).

On top of the physical aspects, cheerleading should be considered a sport because of the equipment and uniforms needed. Many people might say cheerleading is not a sport because it does not involve a ball. But again neither does track, swimming and wrestling. Cheerleaders instead practice with pompoms, signs, flags, and other equipment. People also argue that it is not a sport is because cheerleaders must try to look pretty by wearing makeup and skirts, and coordinating hairstyles. Cheerleaders need to do these things because in addition to their routine, they are judged on how neat and clean their appearance is. Just as other athletes must wear a specific uniform, cheerleaders have to look the part in their own way.

Cheerleading is a sport that is competitive and challenging, and it deserves the same respect that we give to any other sport.

Left: Kennedy’s JV Cheerleading Team competed at UCA Nationals in Orlando Florida for the second year in a row. (Photo courtesy of JFK Cheer.)

What Role Does Feminism Play in Our Society Today?

By: Kristen Shindel Contributor

Throughout the last century, women have gained more rights than ever before. The feminist movement has ultimately been in successful in providing women with equal rights, pay, and treatment.

In 1920, Congress passed the 19th Amendment, which provided women with the right to vote. In 1963, The Equal Pay Act was passed

by Congress, promising equitable wages for the same work, regardless of the race, color, religion, national origin or sex of the worker.

As a movement, women have been able to overcome the obstacles of restricting societal expectations and gender discrimination. Since the twentieth century, American females have expressed themselves more freely than ever before and continue to do everything in their power in order to make sure their voice remains heard. Despite all of the rights that women have gained, there are some aspects of society

that are still lacking in matters of equality, and we continue to fight for these rights to this day.

The role feminism has played in gaining women’s suffrage throughout the years has made American society more democratic. This is due to the fact that the women’s rights movement has not just provided women with equal rights and opportunities, but also encouraged many other social movements such as “Time’s Up” and “Black Lives Matter.” The goal of the Time’s Up Movement is to expose and end sexual harassment of all women, especially in the film and music industry. A most recent inspiration for this cause was the public revelation of widespread sexual harassment and abuse by film producer, Harvey Weinstein. These sexual harassment allegations gave rise to the Time’s Up movement when more and more women started coming forward about their experiences with sexual abuse within the industry. This movement has gained so much attention that several actors

and actresses supported the Time’s Up Movement at the 2018 Golden Globes Awards in January. Several celebrities present at the event took a stand against sexual harassment by wearing black in an attempt to show their support for the movement to end sexual abuse within the film industry.

In our society today, the most prominent form of protests for greater rights for women and minorities can be found at the Women’s March. The primary goals of these peaceful protests are to advocate a variety of things such as legislation and policies regarding human rights and other issues, including women’s rights, immigration reform, healthcare reforms, reproductive rights, the natural environment, LGBTQ+ rights, racial equality, freedom of religion, and and workers’ rights. People throughout the United States march in cities across the country, such as Washington D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The movement continues to gain more followers in an attempt

to gain the rights not already stated in American law. The impact of this movement has been huge because it has gained the attention of big-time politicians and celebrities and has called for reforms, some of which have been taken into account by the United States government.

If we Americans continue to call for reform and expose problems with legislation, the effect that we, the people, could have would be enormous. It all started with the feminist movement, when women from all different backgrounds united to fight for the rights they were entitled to. The moment women gained suffrage, it opened up new doors to many other reform movements that ultimately have made America a greater, more democratic place, where all people are created equal regardless of gender, race, sexuality, religion, class, or ethnicity. These movements have shown us that we, the Americans citizens, have the power to make the world a better place.

Page 15

SPORTS

The Islanders are Heading Home By: Adam Bernsteim Pop Culture Editor

Ever since the Islanders moved to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the attendance at home games saw a major decrease due to the fanbase’s lack of interest in dealing with the commute. Fans have steadily grown more disappointed towards their local Long Island team, and this caused the Islanders to realize that the primary issue regarding the decrease in attendance is a result of their out-of-reach location. Coincidentally, and certainly in their favor, a new--and more local--venue had been listed for sale for any company willing to purchase it.

The New York Islanders placed a bid on this plot and planned to build a new arena at this location. On December 20th 2017, the Islanders announced that they won the bid for the plot of land. Governor Andrew Cuomo told Newsday, “The Islanders are back where they belong.” Nassau County and the Islanders have agreed to start the construction process at the end of this season.

It will take at least three years to build the 18,000 seat arena in this new location. The Na-

By: Adam Bernstein Pop Culture Editor

From the “Round of 64” to the championship game, sixty-eight college basketball teams compete to be crowned the champions. However, there can only be one champion. This year it was Villanova that would finish off victorious in a hard-fought battle against the Wolverines of Michigan. The tournament was long and filled with lots of upsets, but only four teams could play in San Antonio.

In the Round of 64 there were nine upsets, including Loyola Chicago’s win over Miami (FL) and Buffalo’s victory over Arizona. In addition, for the first time in March Madness history, a sixteen seed upset the number one seed. University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) became the first team to ever accomplish this after defeating the University of Virginia. In 2018, there were no perfect brackets after the first round of the tournament.

In the second round, the

tional Hockey League has stated that the arena will be ready in time for the 2021-2022 season.

The Islanders will invest $1 billion in private funds to construct the arena. The arena will be built by the Oak View Group, an arena development company currently funded by Madison Square Garden. Additionally, Sterling Project Development, a popular real estate firm, will be assisting in the construction of the arena. The groups

will sign a forty-nine year lease and pay $40 million in rent. The arena will take up 435,000 square feet which will consist of retail space, dining village, and a hotel.

There is just one last question that remains unknown; where will the Islanders play next season?

On January 2nd, the National Hockey League told the press they are open to the Islanders playing some games at the Nassau Coliseum and the Barclays Center

for the time being, and in fact, on January 29th, the Islanders announced that they signed a sixty-game deal with Nassau Coliseum in which they will play twelve games there next season, and half of their home games in the two seasons following. Islanders fan can finally have something to cheer about as the future remains bright on Long Island.

The planned site of the Islanders’ new arena. The arena is scheduled to open for the 2021-2022 season. (Photo by AJ Fidelity, used with permission.)

March Madness

Loyola Chicago Ramblers, led by Sister Jean (the chaplain of the men’s basketball team), continued to steal the show with a win over Tennessee. The Ramblers continued their Cinderella story with a last-second shot to advance. The Syracuse Orange managed to pull off a win over Michigan State with another upset. Syracuse was led by Tyus Battle, who recorded seventeen points and advanced the Orange to the Sweet Sixteen. In addition, there were even more upsets, including Nevada over Cincinnati, Florida State over Xavier, and Texas A&M over North Carolina, the 2017 National Champions.

During the Sweet Sixteen round, Kansas State upset Kentucky by two. Kansas State advanced to the Elite 8 for first time since 2010. The Florida State Seminoles shut down Gonzaga and eventually went on to play against Michigan. In addition, Loyola Chicago continued their historic run with a win over Nevada, holding them off by one point. Loyola guard Marques Townes contribut-

ed to the win with eighteen points and a big three at the end of the game.

The Elite Eight consisted of Loyola Chicago, Kansas State, Florida State, Michigan, Villanova, Texas Tech, Kansas, and Duke.

Once again the Ramblers had no problem taking care of business, this time against the Kansas State. Michigan and Florida State got close towards the end of their game, but Moe Wagner and the Wolverines defeated the Seminoles in the end. Villanova blew out Texas Tech with the help from Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo.

The final four shaped up to be Loyola Chicago against Michigan and Villanova against Kansas.

The Cinderella story -- the Loyola Chicago Ramblers’ season-- eventually came to an end. The Ramblers were not able to defeat the dangerous Michigan team, lead

by Moe Wagner, who added twenty-four points and fifteen rebounds to bring his team to victory. The Villanova Wildcats, led by Donte DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson,

once again dominated, this time against Kansas. Villanova went on to the championship game against Michigan.

Villanova’s last championship game appearance was in 2016.

That time, Villanova upset the UNC Tar Heels with a game-winning shot by Kris Jenkins at the buzzer. The Wildcats once again got the job done this year, as they defeated the Wolverines in the big National Championship Game.

Donte DiVincenzo was the highlight of the night as he led Villanova with thirty-one points. DiVincenzo, a senior, played one of the best games of his career in his last game with Villanova. DiVincenzo not only got the win for his school but was also declared the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player. In the past, this award has been given to many greats including Akeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, James Worthy, and Patrick Ewing.

Page 16

SCHOOL SPORTS

Kennedy Sports Highlights By: Gabe Eckstein Staff Writer

During the most recent Winter Sports season, every school team on Long Island showed great perseverance and effort that deserves praise. That being said, our very own Kennedy Cougars accomplished many achievements that stand out from all of the other teams.

The boys’ wrestling team had another great season, finishing with a 9-6 overall record and 5-0 in conference. Led by the seniors Daniel “Gan” Shafran, Boaz Smart, Jake Raedalli, Ari and Lev Bergfeld, and Jack Krug, the team did extremely well and had many All-County and All-Conference players. Shrafran also became the school’s only All-State player, finishing fourth in all of New York for his weight class. Shafran showed amazing improvement with his skills on the state level. Krug, Smart, Mercado, and junior Greg Brach got all country awards.

Boys’ basketball also had

a great season, finishing 10-10 and making the playoffs. The team was led by our star senior, Steven Carlson, who had a great season on both sides of the ball (until his season was cut short by a foot injury). The team was also hurt by an injury to our star defender, Richard Draude. The team faced the adversary very well, and seniors Ian “the closer” Kranis, Matt Kaufman, and Josh Kaplan stepped up to help the team continue on its way to the playoffs. Ian Kranis and Josh Kaplan helped fill the scoring gap after Steve’s injury and helped the team continue to move forward. Senior Matt Kaufman always kept the team’s morale up and was a true leader. He

hopes to continue playing at the next level. Junior Marco Travaglione played a major role in the team as a consistent scorer and defender throughout the season. The team lost in the second round of playoffs to an extremely tough Valley Stream North team.

Girls’ basketball finished with a great 15-6 record this year, earning them a playoff spot. It was led by senior cap-

tains and four-year varsity players Rose Mehani and Rachel Katz. Players Carly Wills, Jessie Estrin, Chloe Demetriades, and Dylan Manger helped the team achieve this great record.

The team started a perfect 8-0 before losing its first game and even appeared on Newsday for its fantastic start to the season.

The girls lost to Cold Spring Harbor in the playoffs in a tough game.

The Bellmore-Merrick Bulldogs had another terrific season, making the state tournament once again. Led by Kennedy players Jonathan Intravia, Vinny Cacciatore, and Frank Karp, the team continued its streak over the past few years by making the playoffs and the New York State tournament.

Another great season in the books for Kennedy athletics!

(Photos courtesy of Yearbook)

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