AP Capstone is coming for fall ‘16by Mili Shah

Staff Reporter

DECA Triumphs at State CompetitionBy Julia Park

Staff Reporter

Plainview- 3:30A.M Time to put your DECA pants on! At the crack of dawn on March 9th, ap-proximately 135 students arrived at our school to take a six-hour bus ride to Rochester for DE-CA’s annual State Career Conference (SCC). Plainview-Old Bethpage’s DECA chapter is one of the largest chapters in New York. We even have one of our school’s own DECA ad-visors, Mrs. DeLucca, on the state board.

DECA is an “International Association of mar-keting students” which “provides members and advisors with development activities.” The organization helps students apply their knowl-edge of business to realistic scenarios, and provides a professional experience for students who wish to pursue business careers.

At the competition, there are various events that Plainview DECA members competed it. The majority of sophomores compete in “roleplays” since this is their first year in DECA. In a ro-leplay, the student is given a business situation

(in a category of their choice) with several per-formance indicators, the objectives of their pre-sentation. They last 20 minutes with 10 minutes each for preparation and presentation. For soph-

omores and Seniors, DECA competition consist-ed of creating business plans called manuals to present to the judges on the day of their event.

Every year, many student teams from our school move onto the next round of competition which

takes place nationally at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC). It is rare for a sophomore to advance to the national competi-tion. One sophomore, Lauren Sieloff, moved on

this year, and had an outstanding performance throughout both her roleplays and her event examination. She was ranked first place in her event, Principles of Marketing. When asked about her big win, Lauren told the Hawkeye that “DECA [State competition] was an amaz-ing experience, and I look forward to contin-ue taking part in DECA throughout the rest of high school.” Congratulations to Lauren and the many juniors and seniors who made it to nationals! And a special thanks to our school’s DECA advisors, Mr. Ambury, Mrs. DeLucca, and Ms. Tortoso for dedicating their time and ef-fort to make the 2016 DECA states trip mem-

orable.

If you are deciding which classes to take next year, be aware of many new opportunities that are opening up, especially to the underclassmen. With the implementation of a nine period day next year it is essential to be aware of all your options. One new class being offered next year is AP Seminar, a class that falls within the College Board’s AP Capstone pro-gram. The program offers two new types of advanced distinctions in which students can earn: the AP Seminar and Research certificate or the AP Cap-stone diploma. AP Seminar is the first class of the AP Capstone program while AP Research is the second class required. According to the College Board, if a student receives a 3 or higher on the AP seminar exam and AP Research exam, as well as on four additional AP exams, the student will be able to graduate with an AP Capstone Diploma. However if the student only earns a 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research they will receive an AP Seminar and Research Certificate. Ivleen Singh, a POBJFK freshman who has decided to take the AP Seminar next year, explained why she chose to take this class. She said, “I wanted to take a course that would let me pursue research in the social sci-ences and also be able to incorporate literature as well.” She didn’t want to overwhelm herself by taking too many classes, but also wanted to take an AP class, so she chose to combine her English class with her social studies class by taking AP Seminar. According to POBJFK guidance counselor Mrs. Schaffer, AP Capstone classes will be divided between 10th and 11th grade students. She says, “sophomores will have AP Seminar replace their normal English class, and juniors will have AP Research replace their English requirement.”

She also mentioned that during 10th grade students will develop the skills necessary to write a well developed research paper, so that in 11th grade students can reach their full potential in AP Research. Ms. Schaffer shared that both courses will consist of collaborative activities as well as inde-pendent studies to help students gain experiences together and help them mature on their own as well. The social studies chairperson, Ms. Carnesi, believes that the program will be beneficial for students in college and in the workplace because students will be able to learn collaborative skills. Ms. Carnesi added, “in this age of technology, many students lack skills needed to interact with those around them and there have been many studies which prove this.” Since the AP Capstone program is new to the district, teachers teaching the program will be attending a class during the Summer so that they can have an idea on how to set up the course for the coming year. She said that the teachers will then meet together and create a course plan specific for Plainview-Old Bethpage students. The AP Capstone program is different from the other research classes offered at the high school because it fo-cuses more on the humanities than psychology or science. The AP Capstone program will be one of the many AP classes offered at the high school. This program will be able to enrich students’ learning both collaboratively and independently so that skills learned will be carried out through a lifetime. So, you should definitely consider adding this useful program to your schedule.

#BlackLivesMatter MovementPage 4

AP Exam Policy Page 5

POB Seniors Pursue Alternatives to College

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Photo Credit: www.facebook.com

Index

NewsWhat is AP Capstone?, Front PageDECA Triumphs at State Competition, Front PagePOBJFK Students Excel at Math Competition, p. 3What do Students Think of the New SAT, p. 3ASL Students at Islanders Game, p. 4Presidential Candidate Events on LI, p. 4

Opinions/Editorials Why it’s #BlackLivesMatter and Not #AllLivesMatter, p. 4 Primary Season and Identity Politics, p. 5 An Update to POBJFK’s Current AP Exam Policy, p. 5

Features Getting Fit for Healthy Future, p. 6

Bareburger Review p. 6Summer Activities, p. 7Councilwoman Rebecca M. Alesia, p. 7Spring 2016 Fashion, p. 7POB Seniors Pursue Alternatives to College, p. 8A Surprising Factor in College Admissions, p. 8

Arts & EntertainmentThe Truth is Out There: Fans Want their Old Shows Back, p. 9Lexi Pinnata Continues Plainview Idol Streak, p. 10Annual Orchestra Exchange Concert, p. 10Behind the Scenes of the Little Mermaid, p. 10Tri-M Society Remembers Mr. Golbert, p. 11

SportsSpring into Spring Track, p. 11Varsity Boys Tennis 2016, p. 11Athlete Spotlight: Brendan Fitzpatrick, p. 12

Index

ThE*hAwk EyE is published four times a year by the students of the

Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School at 50 Kennedy Drive, Plainview, New York 11803.

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POB Research Shines in National and International Competitions

What do Students Think of the New SAT?

Plainview-Old Bethpage re-search classes have built quite a reputation of success for many years by producing winners in nu-merous esteemed competitions. This year our students have added to that tradition of dedication and passion that has grown over sever-al years in our research programs. Plainview was fortunate enough to have Cori Dauman become a semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search competition, where 300 students nationwide are se-lected based on their outstanding academic merits and research. Her project, “Evaluating the Impact of Informational and Normative Conformity on Decision Making in Online Settings,” was the cul-mination of two years of research and experimentation under the tu-telage of Social Science research director, Mr. Tesar. Our social sci-ence research program also has a finalist, Jordyn Schor, in both the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium and the International Science and Engineering Fair. Schor’s project, “Using Golden Ratio Typography to Increase Cognitive Fluency in Nystagmus Patients,” stems from her own ex-

perience with nystagmus, a vision condition where the eyes move uncontrollably. In addition to the Social Scie-ence winners Plainviews trophy haul also included winners in the hard sciences. Dara Gleeson will also be attending the International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona, with her project entitled “Isolation and Screening of Beneficial Microbes Associ-ated with the Grapevine, Vitis vi-nifera.” Gleeson is a member of POB’s science research program, and she spent long hours work-ing in Dr. Javier Izquierdo’s lab at Hofstra University, sacrificing her summer to benefit the scientific community. Like Gleeson, Evan Lander and Zohaib Ahmad dedi-cated their summers to science re-search at Garcia MRSEC at Stony Brook University and the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Edu-cation, respectively, and they were named finalists in the Interna-tional Sustainable World Energy Engineering Environment Project Olympiad. Although POB clearly has a myriad of successful and hard-working seniors, for the first time

in our school’s history we have regional finalists in the Toshiba ExploraVision competition. Phil Danziger, Grace Smith, and Samantha Frucht are juniors who have worked all year with Mrs. O’Donnell to en-vision a scientific invention to be used 20 years in the future. Their project, “Intra-Neuromuscular Cellular Re-generation Promoter,” is a potential treatment for neu-rodegeneration and tissue damage. We congratulate all the winners and members of POB’s science and social science research programs, and especially acknowledge Mrs.

O’Donnell and Mr. Tesar for their dedication and commitment to all of their students and their work.

By Elizabeth vargheseEditor-in-chief

By Priyanka GeraStaff Reporter

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Can you define effervescent? What about pusillanimous? Until Janu-ary 2016, students all over the nation had to memorize copius lists of vocabulary to succeed on the SAT. However, many of the words that SAT preparation books contain are rarely used in life and are only useful on the SAT. This year the College Board took steps to change the SAT to reduce the need for students to memorize trivial vocabulary, and the new version of the exam began on March 5th. Although many students are aware of the alterations on the new SAT, such as the optional essay or the “no calculator section,” but the question remains to whether or not those changes are to the student’s advantage. Grace Smith, a Junior, was confident about taking the new ver-sion when she signed up for it. Despite the fact that the March adminis-tration was the first of the new exams, Smith was up for the challenge. She loved how the sentence completion questions were removed, reduc-ing the need for so much memorization while studying. After asking her about the new math section (which is now without a calculator), Grace said, “ Math is one of my best subjects, so I didn’t find the no-calculator

section too difficult to complete.” Christian Coleman, also a Junior, took the new SAT in March as well. “I like math, so this section wasn’t ‘hard’, but with no calculator the College Board has to make the calculations easier,” he explained. When asked about the essay, Christian said that the document hadn’t been inter-esting, and that it was hard to maintain focus on the passage after being exhausted from taking the rest of the test. Grace also felt that the essay was a more difficult section of the exam. Many students preferred to avoid taking the new SAT the first time it was offered, but both Grace and Christian did. Grace signed up because she felt that the College Board may give an advantage via a curve to those who took the first of the new tests. Christian took this exam because he did not mind experimenting with the first-released exam, and he had to take the SAT anyways. Though both students had different reasons for signing up , they shared similar views aboutthe changes and approved of the new SAT version. For more information on the changes to the SAT, visit collegeboard.org.

POBJFK Students Excel at Math CompetitionBy:Georgia Xenakis and Talia Blum

Staff Reporters

On February 26th, the POBJFK Mathletes, under the direction of Ms. Tara Finn, went to SUNY Old Westbury to participate in the most impor-tant competition of the Mathletes season: the Nassau Math Tournament. Twenty of our school’s top mathletes, ten upperclassmen and ten under-classmen, participated in a three-part math competition. The event began with a grade-level test as well as a “Mathletics” test that examined their skills in advanced mathematics. After, the mathletes were divided up into groups of five and participated in the team portion of the competition. POBJFK’s mathletes performed outstandingly at the competition with one of the upper division teams, composed of seniors Aaron Meyers, Thomas Bak, Daniel Solnik, Connor Reilly, and junior Talia Blum, mak-

ing it into the top 20 overall. Aaron Meyers and Talia Blum also scored well individually, and reached the top 20 of their grade levels. Mathlete Ja-son Getzler said, “The Nassau Math Tournament, and by extension math-letes, is a great opportunity to put your math skills to the test. The day is a lot of fun and it feels very rewarding to get such tough questions right.” The students of our school are so passionate about math that many of them continued their mathematical adventures after the competition ended. Seven mathletes joined the science research students later that day for the Al Kalfus Long Island Math Fair, where they presented their math-based research projects to students and judges. We had a whopping eleven students move on to the final round of the competition, which is scheduled for April 15. The outcome of these events indicate that the Mathletes will continue to succeed in future competitions.

Photo Credit: Tal Moriah

Photo Credit: twitter.com

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American Sign Language Honor Society students have been educating others in our school about Deaf Awareness. This has been done especially through the showcase in the school’s lobby as well as on a “Can you Read my Lips Table?” on March 16th outside the cafeteria to give insight to fellow students about how it feels to be unable to hear. The students of the ASL Honor Society performed the National Anthem at the New York Islanders game on Wednesday, March 23. Students of the Honor Society have devoted their time in learning how to sign the anthem as well as in their efforts to inform others. Senior Jamie Simon, an ASL Honor Society member states, “[i]t was an amazing experience, especially as an Islanders fan, to be able to walk onto the ice and sign [the national anthem] for our country as well as signing the Canadian Anthem.” In our society it is not often that we are exposed to sign language but “[the audience] really enjoyed [the performance] be-cause it is unique and such a beautiful language.” Islanders staff told the students the impact of their signing as well as how impressive it was. The

students also had a great experience as they participated in the opening ceremony of a national sport and sat in the eighth row from the ice where they were able to see the Islanders win. “All of our thanks go to Ms. Betts, the ASL teacher, and head of the Honor Society for organizing the trip and making it such a great experience.”

ASL Students Sign National Anthem at Islanders GameBy Alyssa Iryamistaff reporter

POBJFK Students, Teachers Attend Pres. Candidate EventsBy Anna Vaynrub, Elizabeth Varghese, and Ilana Luther

Donald Trump Rally Regardless of political affiliation or ardent views for or against constructing a border wall, attending a rally for presidential candidate Don-ald J. Trump was an intriguing and worthwhile experience. The opportunity to witness a po-tentially transformational figure in U.S. politics deliver the rhetoric that has evoked extremely polarizing responses in the American public from just several yards away rather than from an electronic screen was intriguing. The tangi-ble energy and tension among the crowd did not deviate significantly from my expectations of a Trump rally. Clashes between protesters and

supporters were frequent and quite apparent as the crowd of supporters was instructed to voraciously chant “Trump! Trump! Trump!” when they saw a protester attempting to demonstrate. The crowd would also erupt into sporadic applause and hollering of an overwhelming magnitude every time Trump spoke about one of the signature components of his platform, such as his aggressive stance on foreign policy. Though standing for sev-eral hours among an excited and cramped crowd was physically uncomfortable, exiting the venue was even more intense as increas-ingly aggressive clashes were mediated by armed police officers stationed at almost ev-ery block. Though the experience was in vari-ous aspects overwhelming, it was worthwhile for all.

John Kasich Town Hall I had the opportunity to attend John Ka-sich’s town hall at the Paramount theatre in Huntington on April 4th, 2016. Although it was probably not nearly as crowded as the rallies for Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, Kasich supporters on Long Island are plentiful. Both Democrats and Republicans waited on long lines outside of the venue for the chance to see a Presidential candidate that they have seen on TV and online for many months. The town hall was featured on Fox News, and reporter Greta Van Susteren was moderating, asking Kasich her own questions and giving many audience members a chance to pose inquiries of their own. The most memorable moment came when Kasich said, “I happen to be a Republican, but the Republican Party is my vehicle and not my master.” Kasich has been vying to be the can-didate who can bring together the Republicans and Democrats as president. Although he may be the best opportunity for America to do so, his positive outlook appears to actual be serving as a detriment to his campaign. The audience and Van Susteren asked questions for about an hour, and POB’s own Mrs. Robinson was featured on television asking the following, “What role should the United States play in international affairs?” Although the chances of Kasich get-ting the nomination are slim, seeing him speak and connect to Long Islanders was a memorable experience.

Bernie Sanders Rally On April 13th, I was able to go to Bernie Sanders’ rally in Washington Square Park. It was busy, to say the least. I arrived about an hour be-fore the event was set to begin and the line had already wound around several blocks. All of the nearby streets were closed off and thousands of people were huddled together, waiting for the event to begin. There were Bernie pamphlets, Bernie pins and Bernie t-shirts everywhere; fans had even made Bernie balloon animals and wore wigs featuring Sanders’ signature un-kempt hairdo. It was an extravaganza with a festival feel and it was like no other political event I had been to. Protesters were sparse, pos-sibly due to the high volume of police herding the crowds. The few I did see chanted and held signs, and there were a few rowdy men wear-ing “Make America Great Again” hats. Around 6:30, the event began: members of Bernie’s campaign staff spoke about how important the voting process is and how we need a president who is willing to fight for the people. They pro-vided information about how to register and the need to pursue grassroots campaign efforts in Bernie’s name. Celebrities who have endorsed Bernie voiced their support. When Bernie came out, the crowd became animated and cheered after every line of his stump speech. Overall, the rally was a great experience, and I would highly recommend that anyone interested in the presidential election attend one.

Photo Credit: Ms. Candelaria

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Varghese Photo Credit: www.democratandchronicle.com

Opinions

The Primary Season and Identity Politics

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The Democratic presidential primaries demonstrate the increasingly agitiated bifurcation of the party into Camp Hillary and Camp Bernie. As the New York primary approaches, we must ask ourselves, the denizens of a predominantly Democratic region: what is causing this division? What are the distinct characteristics of voters who support Bernie or as opposed to those who support Hillary? Generally speaking, there are two kinds of voters. Most voters would like to think they belong in the first group: voters who elect officials based on how well their policy and rhetoric matches with the voter’s moral compass and political views. These types of voters are known as substan-tive voters. However when voters enter the voting booth, many vactually join the second group: those who elect officials based on a demographic feature, whether that be race, gender, religion, etc. These individuals are known as identity voters. The two Democratic candidates represent two distinct demograph-ic identity groups that still have not entered the White House: Hillary is a woman and Bernie is a Jew. These two candidates also exemplify two substanative political camps within the Democratic Party: Hillary repre-

sents pragmatic centrists and Bernie ideological progressives. In this com-munity, there are many who possess each political philosophy and many who belong to each demographic group. So whom will this community support given that women make up half of the voting population and a sizable proportion of Plainview is Jewish? My guess is that this community will rally behind Bernie Sanders. It can be reasonably assumed that the female and Jewish demographics are well established in the Plainview community, and, therefore, Plain-view voters should feel comfortable voting substantively. If a demograph-ic group feels as though it has succeeded politically, it enables members of that group to vote for candidates who reflect their substantive beliefs regardless of a candidate’s race, gender, or religion. Plainview’s many democrats are largely Jewish; they form an ideologically progressive stronghold. So, while many Jews might substan-tively pick Hillary as their commander-in-chief, many more women will vote for Bernie. If Bernie is Plainview’s Democratic candidate, it will go a long way to prove the political confidence of women and Jews in our community.

By Maxwell SchulmanStaff Reporter

An Update to POBJFK’s Current AP Exam Policy We are extremely fortunate that our school gives students the op-portunity to challenge themselves by taking advanced placement cours-es—starting as early as sophomore year. Between AP Psychology, AP Language & Composition, and AP Government (just to name a few) some of my favorite courses at JFK have been AP-level. I am far from the only one who recognizes the benefit 0f AP courses. In fact, POBJFK is ranked #11 on Long Island and #47 in New York by U.S. World & News, largely due to the sheer volume of JFK students who are sit for and pass AP exams. While I see great benefit in having the opportunity to take AP courses in high school, I do think our district’s policy (one that many districts do not enforce) could use improvement. What I am referring to is the policy that if a student is enrolled in an AP course, he/she must sit for that AP exam in order to receive AP credit for that course. I do understand the purpose behind making sitting for AP exams (if enrolled in the AP class) mandatory. Not only does it in many instanc-es provide classes with motivation and direction, but it also improves our school’s ranking (according to several sources). However, I think tweaking this policy would have many positive effects.My first issue with the current policy is a matter of cost. Senior year is perhaps the most expensive year thus far for many students, due to all of the costs associated with the college process. In theory, taking AP cours-

es in high school lightens this burden—as it is generally cheaper to pay for an AP test rather than to take the class in college. However, an in-creasing amount of colleges have begun to decrease the number of high school AP credits they are willing to accept. For example, Dartmouth’s opinion on the subject is that “a Dartmouth education should take place at Dartmouth.” For students attending schools like Dartmouth: not only do they have to pay for a class’s textbooks, but if they took that class in high school, they also have to pay the $90 fee that comes with tak-ing the AP test. In addition, much stress comes with preparing for AP exams. Students should focus on learning to know, not learning for the test. With so much emphasis on the tests, students lose their ambition to learn things just for the sake of learning. I propose a new AP exam policy: the norm would still be for all students enrolled in an AP course to sit for that AP test. However, there should be a procedure put in place through which students can appeal to depart-ment chairs to request opting out of taking a test. For example, I believe that if students have already committed to college and can provide a list of which AP credits their school accepts and which credits their school does not accept, such student should not have to sit for the tests they will not receive credit for. This allows students to continue to challenge themselves for intrinsic value, as well as save money. The Haweye welcomes opinions regarding this issue from students and staff. Submit your letters to Hawkeyeeic@gmail.com.

By Jordyn SchorManaging Editor

Black Lives Matter formed back in 2013 after the shooting of Trayvon Martin by volunteer security guard George Zimmerman, who originally was not charged with a crime. After each killing of an unarmed black cit-izen by a police officer, the movement gained more traction and received more attention. According to ProPublica.org, young black males are 21 times more likely than young white males to be shot dead by a police officer. An informative website you can go to to learn more about this issue is blacklivesmatter.com, where you can get an extensive, detailed explanation of what the movement’s goals and priorities are. A common misconception about the Black Lives Matter movement is that the movement is anti-police. This is not the case. There is a differ-ence between being against an unjust practice such as excessive use of force, and being against the entire law enforcement community. Black Lives Matter wants to change the way the police handle situations that involve people of color. It wants to change society so that people of color do not have to be afraid of the same individuals that white people get to see as a means of safety and protection. #BLM wants to see less corrup-tion and more humanity.Now you must be wondering about the title. Have you recently heard the

phrase “All Lives Matter”? Probably. Do you agree with it? Of course. I mean, who can blame you? All lives DO matter. But the question is–why do we need to clarify that? The whole point of insisting that all lives matter is to take attention away from the issues of racism against black people, and say, Oh, but what about us? Or what about other races? Oth-er races do experience police abuse as well, but Black Lives Matter is a movement to highlight the lack of concern for black lives by the media as well as the police. There are movements for different races, just like there are organizations for certain diseases. Saying “All Lives Matter” is like going to a Breast Cancer Walk and then yelling, “hey, don’t all diseases matter?” No one would do that, simply because it is obvious that all diseases matter. We are living in a time where racism against black people continues to occur, yet people choose to ignore it. It is easy for those who do not experience racism personally to ignore it, which is known as white privi-lege. One purpose of Black Lives Matter is to prevent white privilege from blinding the eyes of white people to racism. It is about time white people start recognizing the fears that black people live regarding the police, and it is time for white people to become a part of this movement. So next time you hear someone say “All Lives Matter,” inform them about the implications of that simple three-word phrase.

By: Danielle CheloskyStaff Reporter

Why It’s #BlackLivesMatter and Not #AllLivesMatter

Features

New Restaurant Opens in Plainview Just Bare-ly Over Month AgoBy:Alyssa IryamiStaff Reporter

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Bareburger, the newest burger joint in town, is part of a franchise committed to serving organic dishes that are free from un-necessary additives. With the recent open-ing in Plainview on 399 South Oyster Bay Road, many Plainview residents are eager to taste the new burger on the block. You might have passed it during the last few months and seen Bareburger being built from the ground up. The Plainview location is one of many nationwide, and there are several other Bareburgers nearby in Forest Hills, Manhattan, Great Neck, Brooklyn, Port Washington, and Bayside. Bareburger has a diverse menu featuring the ability for customers to design their own burgers. The restaurant also offers an assortment of sal-ads, sides, sandwiches, and shakes. Here’s a taste of my experience at Bareburger:Service: Be prepared for a long wait with no designated area for do-ing so. The time spent prior to the food’s arrival was also lengthy although the waiter did present the menu well. Food Quality:Phenomenal fla-

vor; the burgers were juicy and seasoned. Along with this, the food was cooked as requested.

Presenta t ion: Appeal ing and clean cut appearance of the meal.

Restaurant Environment: The res-taurant is small, which amplifies the noise level. This will be fixed when the upstairs level of the restaurant opens. The restaurant is not upscale, but is more upscale than a fast food franchise.Price: The prices were extremely reason-able, being cheaper than a fancier restaurant and more expensive than a location such as Burger King or In-N-Out. ($3.90 to $16.95)Overall Score: A great dinner, espe-cially for a family or at night with friends. They are still doing work even after the opening, which could have been postponed for an extra week to allow the restaurant and staff to truly be ready.

Getting Fit For a Healthy Future As teenagers, we all want to look and feel good about ourselves. We worry about our skin, hair, the clothes we wear and our grades. But many of us overlook a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle: exercise. Exercise is something we can all benefit from. It helps to eliminate the social and emotional stress teens deal with. Experts recommend at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Many teens play sports on a regular basis, which is a great way to get those 60 minutes in. An equally beneficial option is to join a gym. There are a couple of facilities in our area that offer mem-berships to teens, with parental approval. I met with Barbara Sachs-Traina, the Director of Group Fitness & Agency Special Events at the Mid-Island Y JCC. She said the JCC has a lot to offer in terms of exercise programs for teens. The current teen mem-bership fee is $27 per month (teens ages 13 to 19). The monthly fee allows you ac-cess to the fitness center, gym, pool, sauna, and track. There is a swim team, basketball leagues and gaga tournaments. There are many different types of classes offered in-cluding spin, pilates and yoga. There is even a teen boot camp and prom boot camp. These classes specialize in strength training. There are personal training sessions that can be purchased as a package or individually. You are given a free one hour personal training session when you join. If you are interested in a class that is not being offered, they can open a class for you as long as there is avail-

able space and at least five interested participants. A nutritionist is available

to discuss any food concerns you may have. As a member of the Mid-Island Y, I can attest to the fact that Sunday morning is a popu-lar time, so you may have to wait to use the cardio equipment. However, the staff are diligent and limit each person using a car-dio machine to 30 minutes. There is a mix of people of all different ages and athletic abili-ties. I asked Noah Levitt, a freshman at PO-BJFK who works out with a personal trainer, about his experience at the Mid-Island Y. Noah said, “I like having a personal trainer because I learn the proper form for weight training and I learn a variety of exercises to build strength. Having a trainer helps me set goals for myself and it motivates me to go to the gym”. I also spoke with Miranda Cohen, a 9th grader at POBJFK who enjoys the spin and pilates classes. She said “I have been working out at the JCC [Jewish Com-munity Center] for about a year and I love the classes. They also have amazing per-sonal trainers who I have worked with, and they have great equipment and a new locker room.” You may run into many people that you know at the Mid-Island Y, and this can provide a feeling of community and comfort. New York Sports Clubs, which has a couple of locations in the area also offers a membership rate for teens. I spoke with Steven Rappatart, a Membership Consultant there. He told me that the monthly rate for teens is $29.99 with an annual fee of $59. This allows teen access to the pool and sauna. There are no classes designed spe-cifically for teens. Personal training sessions are available by package. The day I toured the facility in Hicksville, it was crowded with mostly middle-aged people. It did not

appear to be that social of an environment. People mostly had headsets on and were not interacting with each other. It seemed to me to be a businesslike setting. Given its location next to the Hicksville train sta-tion, this is a popular gym for commuters. Another option is Dynamixx Fitness located in the Old Bethpage Shopping Cen-ter. I spoke with Maggie, who owns the gym along with her sister. The monthly teen rate is $39.99, which includes access to all cardio equipment and classes. They do not allow weight training for teens. She gave me a tour of the facility on a Saturday afternoon. It was not crowded. The main room for cardio and weights was small. All the equipment was close together. There were a couple of stu-dio rooms where they have classes. I got the impression that this gym focused more on classes than individual cardio and weights. Location may also be an important factor. If you are able to walk to the gym, you may have more opportunities to go. A good strategy is to get a trial pass for the gym you are considering to see if it is the right fit for you.There are many long term benefits of exer-cise. Exercise has been proven to increase bone strength, improve skin, increase relax-ation for better sleep and mood and also helps maintain a strong immune system. So the next time you’re watching Netflix or playing a video game because there is nothing much to do, consider going to the gym, heading to the bike trails, or doing something else to get moving. You will probably forget that TV show by next week, but the benefits of a healthy mind and body will last you a lifetime.

By Emily Chertoffstaff reporter

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It was a rainy afternoon on February 23rd when I interviewed Councilwoman Rebecca M. Alesia in the Oyster Bay Town Hall. I knew little of the Councilwoman’s duties other than that she was elected to lead the municipal gov-ernment. Similar to the “board of directors of a corporation,” the Councilmen and women of the Town of Oyster Bay oversee vital depart-ments of our town: sanitation, animal shelters, building planning and regulations, parks and recreation, community and youth services, and many others. In addition, the Board leads many initiatives and projects such as the One Town, One Book program: Oyster Bay Reads, which is led by Councilwoman Alesia. The goal of this program is to have the entire Town of Oyster Bay read the same book at the same time; kind of like a huge book club. This program was created to promote literacy and increase town unity, and is growing. After I asked the Councilwoman about her responsibilities, I questioned her about the po-litical involvement of youth in our town. Many students at POBJFKHS are interested in politi-cal debates and this year’s presidential election.

According to Alesia, Long Island has an “en-gaged group of high school and college stu-dents aware of the political climate.” However, she hopes that more young people get involved in their towns, for example, through the local

Democrat and Republican clubs, campaign-ing for public officials, and reading about local affairs in the newspaper. She advises students that, “especially to those wanting to enter gov-ernment in the future, learning about the politi-cal system now will only benefit you.” Certain

majors like urban planning, economics, histo-ry, and political science can prepare one for a government job. Mrs. Alesia majored in urban planning (with a focus in successful municipal planning in local communities) and minored in quantum mechanics at Connecticut College in New London, CT. She obtained her law degree from Hofstra University and worked in the Nas-sau County District Attorney’s Office and the Town Attorney’s Office in Oyster Bay before being elected as a Councilwoman. Mrs. Alesia has been serving as Council-woman for 6 years and currently lives in Pla-inview. As a mom of a young son (he goes to Stratford Road!), Mrs. Alesia is concerned with the district’s education system and is interested in the college process. To seniors entering col-lege in the fall, she recommends that they “have responsible fun and make good decisions be-cause this time will determine the course of your life.” As for Mrs. Alesia’s political fu-ture, she is interested in thinking about her future endeavors, but is “working locally al-lows (her) to have a great impact on the daily lives of (her) neighbors, friends and family” and she is “proud to represent (her) commu-nity in (her) current role”.

Meet Coucilwoman Rebecca M. AlesiaBy allison kwon

news editor

Not Sure What to do this Summer? Look No FurtherBy Sunwoo Kang & Effie Xenakis

staff reporters Most students’ favorite season is almost here: summer. Summer is a time to relax and take a break from all of the stress caused by demanding school work and other high school activities. However, summer is also a time for people to explore new interests and meet new people at different programs and camps. There is a summer program for nearly any subject that a student could be interested in. Different colleges, such as Stony Brook University and New York University, offer different types of pre-college courses in topics ranging from journalism to biology. These pre-college courses allow the student to get a taste of the rigors of colleges courses and get credits for certain classes. If students want to take a break from academics, they can attend different sleepaway camps. Sleepaway camps, such as Camp Tim-berlake and Tyler Hill, offer an escape from life in Plainview-Old Beth-page and teens the chance to make new friends and participate in fun, outdoor activities. Teens could even attend day camps, such as Kenwall, which also offer a variety of fun activities. Moreover, students can choose to spend their summer helping out in our community. A very productive way to make use of your summer is to vol-unteer at one of various non-profit organizations in our area. Students can choose to do anything from helping out at local animal shelters to serving

food at soup kitchens. Both are rewarding ways to spend one’s summer. Additionally, students can choose to volunteer at a hospital where they can do everything from helping the nurses to talking to patients. Those interested in financial and business fields could further their interests by working at a gift shop, while those with a penchant for entertaining young children can choose to read to young kids that may be at the hospital. All of these volunteer opportunities are not only be satisfying, but are also be a great way to give back to the community. Students can also spend their summers pursuing their interests by do-ing internships or working on research projects. Many students in our In-dependent Research program are encouraged to pursue research over the summer with professors at local universities who serve as mentors. This is a wonderful opportunity for students interested in science to go beyond what is taught in school. Furthermore, students who take classes in our business department have many opportunities to intern with local busi-nesses. Thus, they can experience firsthand their field of interest.POBJFK students should definitely take advantage of the wide variety of activities offered to students over the summer. Whether that be a summer program or camp, these summer activities can help students make good use of summer vacation.If you are doing something exciting this summer and want to write about it for next year contact the editors at Hawkeyeeic@gmail.com

Photo Credit: allison kwqn

As the days grow longer, the temperature is getting warmer. Spring is definitely in the air. The first thing that comes to mind for the fash-ion forward as the season of sweater weather ends is “What am I going to wear?” Fashion designers presented their Spring 2016 lines at the runways last fall in New York, Paris, Milan and LA. Some of their designs were inspired by popular trends from past years, while oth-ers were original designs that the fashion world had never seen before. The question is, which of these looks will actually translate to fun, functional, and affordable clothes that teenag-ers will want to wear at school, parties, and on the weekends?The edgy style that was popular in the ‘90s made a comeback on the runways. The well-known grunge look with baggy pants and tees, leather bomber jackets on top of lace dresses, and oversized sweaters was one of the most

common styles those who attended the event reported seeing. Also shown were overalls, high-waisted jeans and fitted suit-vests with little to nothing underneath them. In my opin-ion, some of the retro looks that may return are not so flattering. One look I do love from the ‘90s, however, is the cropped top. It has been in style for decades, so I think we will see a lot more of it during the spring and summer. In fact, cropped tops are now being paired with long skirts or miniskirts, and are being worn in place of prom dresses. Other looks spotted on the runways include shirts with cutouts on the shoulders and above the chest, off the shoulder tops, and shirts with angular necklines. Denim, including jackets, tops, and jeans are a big look for this season as well. Torn jeans, which have been popular for years, will continue to reign over the fashion world. Also, embellishments such as zippers, laces, and patches may be seen on jeans.

The popular color schemes for the spring are all bright. Peach, green, yellow, turquoise, and coral are hues we expect to see. Prints in-cluding bold stripes zigzags, signs, dots, and numbers as well as jacquard prints for dresses, blouses, skirts, and shirts are expected to be re-ally popular. Another item that I think we will see a lot more of are laced up shirts and shoes. Some great stores to visit to check out these latest trends are Urban Outfitters, LF, The Trendy Owl, Forever 21, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom. No matter what cool styles the fashion world may be loving at the moment, the most important tip to remember is to wear you like and feel comfortable in, and what you think looks the best on you. While fashion trends may come and go, any look that makes you happy will never go out of style.

Spring 2016 Fashion Week TrendsBy: Hallie PankinStaff Reporter

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What do you do when high school’s over? For many Plainview-Old Bethpage students, the answer seems obvious: go to college. Seniors spend the better part of their year filling out college applications, visiting schools, and obsessing over scholarships, SATs, and Naviance - the college planning website. However not all of our school’s alumni continue to college after graduation. There are plenty of other op-tions, including joining the military, traveling the country, taking a gap year or entering the workforce full-time. I was recently able to talk to a few POB seniors about their post-high school plans, to see what alterna-tive opportunities students will pursue after high school. Senior Ingoo Kang says, “About a month after graduating, I’ll be ship-ping off to Marine Corps basic training to become a Marine.” Ingoo plans to enlist in the service immediately after graduating and hopes to become an officer within the Marines Corp. “I want to be part of a greater pur-pose,” he explains. “I may attend college in the future, but it would likely be only to become an officer.” As for his exact role within the army, Ingoo aspires to be a combat engineer. Senior James Mentzinger says, “Next year my plan is to go out and make a movie. I have a couple of ideas I’ve been writing out into scripts

for a few years and I feel instead of putting it off, why not just film one?” James has decided against college, instead preferring to pursue a career in writing and directing his own movies. “I decided college wasn’t for me because I can’t see myself in a class learning how to make a movie, or direct,” he says. Teens opt to go to college primarily in order to secure a job in their chosen field, because these jobs often require a college degree. However, there are some career fields in which experience trumps formal education. “The best way to learn about making movies is by getting the actual experience behind it. Make a movie, and then make another. It’s trial and error,” explains James. “I love working with actors and actresses and seeing the characters and stories become a reality. I couldn’t imagine doing anything different as a career.” While college certainly provides much benefit to students going into any career field, the hefty price tag may outweigh the advantages for those looking to enter the workforce. If you don’t think college is for you, you may want to consider joining the military or pursuing an occupation that does not require a college degree. Their are numerous trade schools on Long Island that help launch careers without the hefty student loan debt.Although POB sends most of its students to college, a 4 year degree is an option but not the only option.

POB Seniors Pursue Alternatives to CollegeBy Ilana LutherStaff reporter

Every college-bound POBJFK student knows that colleges consider grades, test scores, extracurriculars, etc. when deciding which students they accept. But it may surprise you to know that a growing number of colleges are using big data: massive quantities of information analyzed using computers to find patterns and connections. In the case of college admissions, this information is used to predict which students are likely to: a) enroll in the college if accepted, (this is why colleges love early deci-sion)b) succeed in college and graduate on time, and evenc) donate to the school as an alumn. By looking at trends in the data, college admissions officers are bet-ter able to achieve their goals of increasing their yield (the proportion of admitted students who enroll), driving up graduation rates (which makes more students interested in attending and boosts a college’s spot in na-tional rankings), and obtaining more alumni donations. In other words, colleges want to be more like Harvard and Stanford, with huge applicant pools, super-low admissions rates, super-high grad-uation rates, and thousands of alumni eagerly sharing their fortunes with their alma maters. And many colleges have decided that using big data is the way to achieve that. This may be helpful to colleges, but what does it mean for the college-bound students of POBJFK? Robert Phillips, a professor at Columbia University’s business school, is bothered by the possibility of “the re-jection of qualified candidates because of an algorithmic judgment that they are unlikely to accept.” This leads to an interesting question: should high school students try to game the system by doing things that the

algorithms say are predictive of enrolling, succeeding, and donating? Unfortunately, much of this is out of a student’s control. For example, a report by Eduventures (a consulting firm for colleges) says that one college admissions officer “studied large data sets on current students to determine that, of the 350 high schools from which the institution ac-tively recruited, 31 typically yielded a higher proportion of the students he most wanted to enroll.” The college responded to this big data dis-covery by doubling down on recruiting students from these 31 schools, and saw an increase in both the number of applications received and the average SAT scores of their applicants. Fortunately there are factors that students have more control over than what high school they attend. For instance, students who demonstrate interest in a college by liking the college on Facebook, tweeting about a college, or listing a college first on the FAFSA (the financial aid application) are more likely to enroll in that college. Since colleges want to admit students who will enroll, they might prefer to admit a student who demonstrate these overt affinities. Alternatively, the use of big data in this context could benefit students. Computers can predict which students are most likely to drop out of college by looking at a variety of factors like the distance between home and campus and how much the student’s family is paying to at-tend. A college could respond to this information by providing support services (like academic advising) to students who are likely to drop out. However, this same information can be used to deny admission to stu-dents who are less likely to graduate in the first place. Whether colleges’ use of big data benefits or harms students, it is cer-tainly worth keeping in mind during the admissions process.

Photo Credits: bhbcbenton.comPhoto Credits: www.forbes.com

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By:Amanda ShepsArts & entertainment editor

The popularization of the Internet has completely transformed the tele-vision scene. Many shows are becoming cult classics years after they were first introduced, and gaining fandoms filled with eager new generations of fans. The fandoms of older shows are now double the size [consisting of old fans, new fans, and younger generations who had not been exposed to the show when it originally aired.] As the fan bases of these shows grow, so does the potential for new material to be released. Take Doctor Who as an example. This BBC classic originally aired from 1963 until 1989. It was cancelled for many reasons, mainly being that the head of BBC at the time hated the show, and the fear that due to high budget space movies like Star Wars, the audience would label the show outdated and silly. Over the years, there have been many spin-offs and proposed reboots of the series, while the fandom, filled with people who call themselves Whovians, grew worldwide. Doctor Who became a classic show beloved by space enthusiasts, self-proclaimed nerds, and the average viewer. Even-tually, in 2005, BBC decided to bring back a modernized version of the show, which has been airing with devoted fans spanning over three gen-erations ever since. Doctor Who is not the only show that has been brought back after being cancelled. When Family Guy first premiered, it was im-mediately met with controversy due to the adult humor and topical jokes that it featured. The show was cancelled after its second season due to dis-appointing ratings and the widespread disapproval from many individuals, but it was brought back for a third season after FOX executives saw its DVD sales and the growing ratings of its Adult Swim episodes. Family guy was the first show that created the trend of bringing back television shows. In 2014, Girl Meets World premiered on Disney Chan-nel. This spinoff, which follows the daughter of ‘90s classic Boy Meets World characters Cory and Topanga Matthews, has been positively re-ceived by fans of the original show, critics, teenagers, and kids alike. This may have sparked interest in Hollywood to bring back other shows as well. In August 2014, reports of a Full House revival circulated throughout the media. This spinoff, which premiered on Netflix in February, features all of the former cast members, with the exception of Mary-Kate and Ash-ley Olsen. While students Jackie Lesser and Sydney Winawer were very excited for the long-awaited reboot, they both shared some doubt on the quality of the program. “I think it’s going to be good,” Winawer said, al-though she admitted that “it won’t be like the original.” Lesser agreed, and stated, “I don’t think it will be as good.” Despite the initial enthusiasm of the audience to see the characters they know and love once again, and the show being confirmed for a second season due to its high ratings, the spin-off’s quality has been questioned by many. The show currently has a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, which measures the reviews of critics, and was slammed by various viewers, who labeled the jokes as ‘forced’ and ‘childish.” While Full House was brought back as a full 13 episode series, other shows are being brought back as miniseries. On January 24th, 2016, Sea-son 10 of The X-Files, which originally ended in 2002, premiered on FOX, and was watched by a total of 21.4 million viewers. The show, which fol-lows FBI agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder as they solve paranormal and alien cases together, was originally ordered for only six episodes, but despite the mixed reviews from critics, the eager responses from teenage and adult fans of the series may result in another season taking place. Over the years, the show’s originally small fan base has grown into a large fol-lowing, which is something that has been attributed to the rapid growth of

the Internet by various sources. Jackie Lesser, a POBJFK junior said that social media has turned many shows into cult classics, because “the actors keep in touch with their fans, and they feel connected.” Another show that FOX will be bringing back as a miniseries is Prison Break. The show re-volved around two brothers, one who is wrongfully sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other a genius who creates a complex plan in order to break his brother out of a maximum security prison before the date of his execution. It originally ended in 2009 after four seasons, but after main actors Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell were both cast in DC’S Legends of Tomorrow and audiences expressed reinstated interest in the show, FOX pushed for it to be brought back for a fifth season con-sisting of ten episodes, which will premiere on a currently unknown date sometime in 2016. When asked why so many shows are being revived, Lesser commented.“I think they’re returning because they’ll make money off of it, and it’s a good thing because a lot of people love these shows.” The commercial success of these shows has led to the return of even more beloved shows, like Gilmore Girls and 24. Gilmore Girls, a drama about a mother in her thirties and her teenage daughter, originally aired on The WB [and later The CW], will be revived with original cast members by Netflix with four ninety-minute long episodes. Additionally, 24 is being brought back by FOX with a pilot of what could potentially be the start of a rebooted series. It will feature an entirely new cast, and will be based around a war hero who, after returning to America, is compelled to ask the CTU for help in saving his life, and stopping what could potentially be one of the largest-scale terror attacks on American soil. These are just a few of the many shows that are being brought back, and far from the last. When asked what show they would like to see return, students and faculty members at our school gave answers including Gossip Girl, Zoey 101, How I Met Your Mother, Seinfeld, and Lost. Although pessimists may claim that the amount of shows being brought back serves as evidence of a lack of originality among Hollywood screenwriters, a teacher at our school said, “I think that they’re classics, and people like the old themes and old shows, so why not bring them back? If it was successful then, and you give it another shot, it could be successful again.” Upon the return of so many shows from the dead, the question appears not to be if your favorite show will come back, but when.

The Truth is Out There: Fans Want Their Old Shows Back

Photo Credit: www.people.com

Photo Credits: www.disneychannel.disney.com Photo Credits: www.televisionheaven.co.uk

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By:mili shah & dimitra vrosgouStaff Reporters

Lexi Pinnata Continues POB Idol Streak

Annual Orchestra Exchange ConcertBy:Kiana Ziadkhanpour

Staff Reporter

The annual POB Idol was on February 26th, and it featured eight talented contestants: Lexi Pinnata, Amanda Montgomery, Jason Kim-mel, Matthew Orgel, Natalie Towba, Mat-thew Kessler, Chelsea Basedow, and Kevin Lynch. These participants have a varying of levels of musical experience, and are from different grades as well. For example, Lexi Pinnata, a junior and this year’s winner, has been singing since elementary school and has won POB Idol for the past two years as well. Matthew Orgel, a freshman, has a pro-fessionally recorded single, Stained Glass, which is out on iTunes. Matthew Kessler, a senior, wants to pursue a career in music. Amanda Montgomery and Kevin Lynch, both sophomores, won first place in the school talent show for their duet. All of these par-ticipants had something unique to bring to the table, but only one could win POB Idol. What all of these performers had in common is that they had to pick the right song.

How do you know when you’ve found the per-fect song? Amanda says, “asking friends who give honest opinions is a great way to get feed-back and develop your sound.” On the other hand, Lexi says that she really enjoyed the song her A Cappella group (Drastic Measures) per-formed and decided it would be a good fit for her voice. This year, Lexi Pinnata sang Take a Bow by Rihanna, Amanda Montgomery sang In Case by Demi Lovato, and Jason Kimmel sang Feeling Good by Nina Simone. Matthew Orgel sang All I Ask by Adele and Kevin Lynch sang You Raise Me Up by Josh Gro-ban during the first round of the competition. Most of the contestants are friends with each other either through the choir or the A Cappella program at the high school and be-cause of this connection many friends are up against each other. For example, Matt Orgel, Matt Kessler, and Kevin Lynch are in the same A Cappella group, B Sharps. Matt Kessler ex-plains, “We are brothers forever. I don’t seek to compete, I seek to give a fun performance.” Although, Amanda and Kevin sang a duet at

the talent show and won 1st place, these two are now up against each other. Amanda says, “I think it’s weird going up against Kevin, since we are usually a duo. However, it’s healthy competition and we will always support each other.” With such great competition among friends the outcome was unpredictable. “I think everybody is very talented and it’s going to be very hard to advance to the next round,” Chelsea Basedow said, and she was right. The judges, Mrs. LeBlanc, Mr. Marsh, and Mrs. Rogers, all gave the contestants positive feedback and lightened the mood by throwing in jokes every now and then. In the semi final round, all deserving of their achievements, the five contestants chosen to move on were Jason Kimmel, Kevin Lynch, Amanda Mont-gomery, Matt Orgel, and Lexi Pinnata. The final two were Matt Orgel and Lexi Pinnata. In the end, Lexi Pinnata, now a three-time POB Idol winner, won with an amazing final performance of Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys.

Music is a part of our culture that helps us relate to people all around the world. No one believes this more than the POBJFKHS orchestra conductor, Mr. Rubin. Mr. Rubin, says that “music is life, and life is music”, a theme present in both his orchestra and music theory classes. His dedication and emphasis on the importance of music edu-cation is made evident through our school orchestra’s annual participation in an ex-change concert with Elwood High School.

This year marked the twentieth annual exchange concert. This concert was first initiated by Mr. Rubin and Mrs. Geller, the Elwood orchestra conductor, in 1996. This annual event enables students from these two districts to come together and showcase their passion for music by playing pieces together. Only rehearsing together once, merely an hour before the performance, all of the 100+ individual musicians were able to play as one and cohesively blend their sounds to perform complicated pieces. Julia Park, a sophomore member of the orchestra, told me how much she enjoyed this con-

cert. “Coming to events like this really help us make new friends and wonderful music with people we can really connect with.” Orchestra, and music as a whole, is a great way to get involved in community ac-tivities and as Mr. Rubin says, it is a way for students to discover the world and realize that there are individuals just like them that enjoy similar interests in music and the arts. Within our community, music has helped the students of two different districts to join together and work towards a common goal, and hopefully it can also lead to further in-terest in the arts in our own district as well.

Behind the Scenes of the Little MermaidBy Dimitra Vrosgou

Staff Reporter

Most people only think about the perfor-mance of a musical, but everyone knows that musicals require hours and hours of practice to make the show successful. The Hawk Eye got an inside look at what happens behind the scenes of this year’s musical: The Little Mermaid. All cast members are enthusiasticabout their roles in the musical, and they seem to have lots of fun rehearsing, as long as everything’s running smoothly. Members of the POBJFK drama depart-ment include people who have been perform-ing for a long time. “This is my eighth pro-duction at the school. I am the only person in my grade who’s been in all eight shows and I’ve loved every second of it!” said Jen-na Goerke, a senior who plays Ursula and is one of two co-presidents of the drama club. During an off-stage rehearsal, members act just as if they were on stage. Not every member comes to all the stage rehearsals. Each week a schedule is given out that de-scribes which days each student should come.

When drama students were asked to de-scribe The Little Mermaid in one word, they said “Crazy, (in a good way), magical, spectacular, energetic, ex-citing, entertaining, adventurous...” Matthew Sala, a sophomore immersed in the “music world” of the high school, plays Sebastian, the red crab with a Jamai-can accent, in the musical. He, along with the other actors, has amazing enthusiasm and fits his character very well. Lexi Pinnata (Ariel) says, “I think the show was casted greatly... there are people where their per-sonalities match their character exactly.” Even if the actors do not initially fit their character, each one puts in time and effort to “become” their character: “I think ev-eryone’s making sure that they’re trying to become their character, and it’s cool to see their transformation,” Paige Freidman, the co-president of drama says. Even if a member does not exactly fit their character, changes will be made to ensure that each character gets the best representation. Nicole Schwartzberg, one of the dance captains

for the musical, says, “The roles of the six princesses are supposed to be sopranos but the students that were cast are altos , and we then had to transpose the song to fit in their ranges.” Even though the musical initially called for sopranos for those characters, the drama department adapted to the needs of the play given the actresses that were cast. The man behind it all, Mr. Olivari, runs daily rehearsals. When asked how he runs such a big program, he answered, “I’ve been doing it so long I do a lot of work at home, plan-ning - thankfully. And I have so many great people working with me: staff, volunteers, family, friends. It’s great! I have the direc-tion of it, but a lot of the ‘business part’ they take it (work) off of me.It’s a lot of time, no question about it. It’s after school, and you just have to learn how to juggle everything and make plans for your other stuff.” With Mr. Olivari’s and his students’ hard work and dedication, it is no wonder that The Lit-tle Mermaid was performed to a packed an appreciative auditorium this past weekend.

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Cartoon By Ellie Lee

One month following the end of the winter track season, the girls’ track team reunited for spring track.The Hawks runners and jumpers are eagerly looking to build on their winter track successes, such as the talented 4x800 relay team’s appearance at the county champion-ship, an event for which only the best teams in the county qualify. Sprinter Christine Lee says, “Track is a great sport because it allows you to bond [with others and do] what you love while having a great time.” Winter Track team members have grown close, and will grow even closer in the spring. Winning is important, but it is not every-thing. The team celebrates each individual personal best and makes lasting memories at meets. The girls enjoy themselves at practice by sharing food, taking pictures, and helping each other out with homework. The team enjoys traveling to and attending meets, where they are able to cheer on teammates and complete homework assign-ments while waiting for their particular event. Filled with students

who are passionate about running, the track team shares a common goal. As Christine Lee says, “spring track not only gets you fit, but it allows for great friendships to be made.” Hurdler Mandira Gowda explained to me that there are two types of events during a meet: track events and field events. Track events include running distances from 60 meter sprints to a mile-long race. Field events consist of many exciting activities, including shot put, discus, pole vault, hurdles, high jump, and long jump. Vincy Mathew explains that spring track draws more participants since it is not as cold as winter track even though runners practice outside during both season. Mandira Gowda says, “The meets during spring track do not end as late and some events are different. For example, during the winter track season there is no discus. Instead of 55m hurdles at a winter meet there is 100m hurdles at a spring meet.” The team looks forward to gathering together during the spring season to meet new people and challenge themselves to break their personal records.

By Aashka SanghviStaff Reporter

Spring into Spring Track

After a strong 2015 season, things are looking good for Plainview’s Varsity Boys Tennis team in 2016. Last year, the Hawks had a strong record of seven wins and five losses. This exceptional regular season show-ing led to the team’s first playoff appearance in six seasons. This year, many of last year’s top players return to the court with another year of experience under their belt. In addi-tion to returning talent POBJFK Net stars are appreciating the six brand new home courts and expect a return to the playoffs. Team captains Evan Lander and Yu-val Solomon will lead the way in 2016. Land-er is not only an all-county volleyball player and the recipient of the News 12 Scholar Ath-lete Award, but also “one of the star players on the team”, according to Mr. Ventamiglia, the team’s coach. First singles player Yuval Solomon, who started playing on varsity in seventh grade, is playing his fifth season on the team. He is returning off of a dominant ‘15 season in which he incredibly only lost

one set the entire season!!!. For reference, the Solomon won 24 out of the 25 sets he played last season. Last year, Solomon was voted Newsday’s number one high school tennis player on Long Island and made it all the way to the boys tennis New York State finals.

Many other strong players are on the team as well. According to Coach Ventamiglia, some of the team’s other strong players are

Alex Fried, Zach Gorfinkel and David Weiss-man. Coach Ventamiglia also touched upon the age of his team, noting that they have many younger players which bodes well for the future. Mr. Ventamiglia emphasized that in recent years the team has been bringing up many talented players from the middle schools. Having a core of young players is in-credibly advantageous, as it means that much of the team will return for the next season and beyond. This season could really be something special for Plainview tennis. Coach Ventami-gilia discussed the tough competition that the team has in their new division, including perennial winners, Syosset and Cold Spring Harbor, but he anticipates a return to the playoffs, and it’s not hard to see why. This young group of great players led by star vet-erans could bring home a championship for Plainview-Old Bethpage.

By Adam SlomovitzStaff Reporter

Varsity Boys Tennis 2016 Preview

Tri-M Honor Society Remembers Mr. GolbertBy; Emily Shih

Staff Reporter People often describe music as “the decoration of time,” a label which, in very few words, precisely cap-tures what is so compelling about it. Each year, the music honor society at our school, Tri-M (Modern Music Masters), holds a classical recital in which members can choose to perform a solo piece or ensem-ble. The program always consists of a wide variety of pieces: from Broadway pieces to a Mozart clarinet quintet, classical guitar, strings, piano, vocal solos, and even the ma-rimba— the performers showcased them all. The purpose of the recital has al-ways been to raise awareness and funds for the society, but even more so, it is a night for young musicians to show off their skill and adoration for the arts. This year, however, the recital became something more than just a performance.

With the tragic and untimely passing of Mr. Josh Golbert, our district’s Director of Music and Performing Arts, the Tri-M students chan-neled their grief into transforming the recital. On March 22nd, just one week following his death, it was not only a continuation of tradi-tion; it was a fitting and poignant memorial. All the proceeds of the recital, which amounted to over a thousand dollars, went to Mrs. Golbert and their two children. Perhaps more significant, however, is the mere act of dedicating the perfor-mance of music to someone’s memory. At POBJFK concerts, it has become stan-dard to print the adage, “When words fail, music speaks” on the programs. This is an idea we are all familiar with, but it was truly and eloquently demonstrated at this year’s recital; what better way to honor an advocate for the arts than to use song to speak for them? Those who knew Mr. Golbert described him as kindhearted and approachable, as

someone who genuinely loved music with a passion. During the time he worked in our district, he consistently showed sup-port for all our performing students, often seen in the front row of our auditorium and those of the elementary and middle schools. Through his effort, he helped the music de-partment thrive as much as it does currently. If music is “the decoration of time,” then those moments the performers and listeners shared at the recital transformed into ones that will be forever painted beautifully by sound. They will resound many times over in Mr. Golbert’s absence, echoing the art he dedicated his life to. It is comforting to know that no mat-ter what happens, for as long as the stu-dents and teachers of our district continue to practice music education and performance, they will continue to make time beau-tiful, filling these days with song and therefore making each of them precious.

Arts & Entertainment

By Amanda NewmanStaff Reporter

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Meet 6’1’’ point guard Brendan Fitz-patrick (AKA Fitz). This record-breaking senior has not only helped his team, but has changed the Plainview-Old Bethpage boys basketball program forever. Ending the season averaging an astounding 22- points , 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block per game, Fitz has clearly set the bar higher than ever before for all basket-ball players in our town. Among his many achievements as a basketball player, the most impressive is undoubtedly being the first Plainview- Old Bethpage basketball player to hit 1,000 points in his high school basketball career. When asked about his favorite memory from all of his basketball games, scoring his 1,000th point was certainly the obvi-ous choice. With hard work, training, and dedication this goal came almost natu-rally to Fitz, as if he were destined to be the first player in our school’s history to ever achieve this astonishing accomplish-ment. Despite the innateness of this suc-

cess, it is no coincidence that Fitz is easily one of the most dedicated basketball play-ers on Long Island. The most fascinating part of the whole thing is that Fitz was not even deliberately working towards scor-ing 1,000 points. Rather, he was working to better himself and his teammates. When asked how it was like playing with Fitz, teammate Bryan Safer described it as “a rewarding experience” and something he will extremely miss when they both go off to college. You may be asking yourself, why would someone work so hard at something they are already so talented at? Well, Fitz has the answer. He feels that the love of the game is strong enough to push you to your limits, to force you to keep working hard and never settling for anything, and that no matter how good you are, or how hard you work, there will always be some-one out there playing better and working harder than you. You have to do your best to be that person who is working harder and playing harder than everyone else out there.

When watching Fitz play, you can see the fire in his eyes, the dedication in his skills, and the love in his heart. Each dribble down the court reflects the blood, sweat, and tears Fitz has put into this game. With each shot he takes, it is as if you can see the immeasurable hours he spent practic-ing that exact moment to win the game for his team. With each pass he makes, you see the true team-player he really is. Consider-ing that, it is not surprising that Brendan averages four assists per-game! Bryan Saf-er believes that as a forward he needed to be able to rely on his point guard, and there was not one moment where he couldn’t rely on Fitz. Fitz has completely transformed what it means to be a part of the Plainview-Old Bethpage boys basketball program. He has redefined the mere definition of what it means to be a true teammate. This school will always remember the legacy of Bren-dan Fitzpatrick, even after he goes off to play basketball at SUNY Cortland next year.

Athlete Spotlight

Photo Credit: Amanda Newman & Chris Montgomery Sr.

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com