Since health class is not offered, the SPARK, Ms. Hattie Slaughter, at our school decided to incorporates health into advisory. SPARK is a program that offers individual and group assistance on positive alternatives. Even though Ms. Slaughter teaches the sophomore advisories with regular health lessons, it is not the same as having an actual health class.

According the Department of Education, health class is not mandated for students to take as a specific class, which is why we learn health class through advisory.

Health class should be mandated to take because having health class through other classes is not always beneficial. By not having a specific class dedicated to health it is not guaranteed that you will have a health lesson everyday and it is important for students to learn about health.

“Health class is to inform students on their mental and physical health and to teach good eating and exercise habits. It is also to teach the importance of health. By teaching health poor nutrition, and drug and alcohol awareness are prevented,” said Ms. Slaughter.

According to Ms Pastena only one health credit is required to graduate, so the lessons that would be taught in a traditional health class are taught throughout the four years of advisory.

“Learning about health class in advisory is important because we get to learn about how to live a longer healthy life and the bad effects of drugs,” said sophomore Ashley Heyne.

Ms. Slaughter is not always available to teach health lessons, which is why health should be part of our curriculum. Without a health class students don’t learn proper things they need to know for their everyday teen life.

The few Advisors who are teaching about health are helping their students to become more aware of their bodies. Ms. Orlando’s advisory is currently focusing on alcoholism and drug abuse.

“I think it’s important for students to learn about health because it helps them become aware of their bodies, as well as the poor influences in society,” said English teacher Melissa Orlando.

According to Ms. Pepe, health is an important subject that covers everything from nutrition to issues that teens face in today. It may help students to talk about topics that they may not be able to discuss with their parents or friends. It also can help in knowing the facts on certain subjects instead of guessing.

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Did you know that car accidents are the number one killer of teens in the U.S.? According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in 2008, about eleven teens were killed in car crashes everyday. The Department of Transportation claims that a horrifying six thousand deaths were caused by inattentive drivers that same year.

“That’s a horrifying statistic when you consider that accidents caused by drivers using cell phones, texting, or taking their eyes off the road are entirely preventable,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood when announcing Focus Driven, an advocacy group for victims of cell phone related motor vehicle accidents.

We’re all taught from a very young age to wear our seatbelts and not drive while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. But perhaps the most dangerous distraction while driving is something as common as a cell phone. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 1.6 million teens drive while reading or typing messages.

Texting has become one of the fastest and easiest forms of communication. Even adults and parents have picked up the habit. As fast and easy as it is to type out a text, it’s just as easy to end a life.

“Using a cell phone while driving is a common thing many people do. They don’t realize how dangerous it really is. It’s one thing to pick up the phone while your driving, but when you text you are physically taking your eyes off the road,” said police officer Johnny Pena of the 76th Precinct.

According to a 2009 survey by the Allstate Foundation, 49 percent of teens consider cell phones to be distracting, and think it is the number one distraction when behind the wheel. Yet, 82 percent of teens still admit to using cell phones while driving.

“I have voice to text recognition on my phone. I can just talk into my wireless headset, and a text will be sent to whomever I say in my phonebook,” said senior Corinne Mueller.

Many people are under the misconception that hands-free cell phones are safer than head-held cell phones. However, according to the University of Utah, hands-free phones are just as dangerous because conversations with others delay reaction times.

According to Allstate, cell phones are the most common distractions for drivers. But multitasking drivers have to pay the consequences for their actions. New York is one of six states that ban all hand-held cell phone use while driving, and also one of 19 states that recently put a ban on texting for all drivers.

“Under the new law, drivers can no longer read or send text or picture messages on their handheld device or laptop while their car is in motion. Lawbreakers face fines up to $150,” said William J. Smith, Communications Director at the District Attorney’s Office of the Richmond County.

Mr. Smith also said that in New York, anti-texting fines can only be imposed as a second offense. That means only if the driver appears to be breaking another law, he/she can receive a summons for texting. These summonses, which are issued by the NYPD, are processed by the DMV.

But the price of the lives that are put in danger when a driver is behind the wheel intexticated shouldn’t be compared to a mere fine.

If we admit to using phones while driving, and we know how dangerous it is, then why do we still put ourselves at risk? It’s not just about drunk driving anymore. There are so many distractions that can endanger not only your life, but the lives around you.

KeeptheDrive.com is a great resource to learn more about texting while driving, and how to be a great driver. It provides real stories and solutions to drive safely. So when you take the wheel, hold on to it. Put your phones down, avoid a crash, and save a life!

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at the Charles Glass Tournament.

Fans sat in seats that lined the small gymnasium of the Erasmus Campus where six schools are housed in Flatbush Brooklyn, the location of our school’s co-ed developmental PSAL wrestling team’s second match.  Team members and fans traveled early to meet the Brooklyn wrestlers, including one female.

“Hip! Hip! Turn in! Half! Half! And drive the leg!”yelled coach Rosario Miano.

Teammates and fans, sitting, jumping, and yelling experienced the intensity of the first match, as sophomore Joseph Raguso used various techniques to put  his opponent on the mat.

The hip toss, arm bar, cross face, and the ankle pick are moves used in a wrestling match to bring an opponent to the mat for the required two minute pin, where the winning wrestler holds his opponent’s shoulders to the mat.

At their first match, Raguso and his other team mates used the same techniques to pin their opponents in the tournament against Port Richmond High School.

Against Port, freshman Eduardo Ramirez used these techniques to wrestle his opponent, and grabbed the win in the first few minutes of his match. Ian Urcinoli and Nicholas Martucci also claimed two more wins, putting our school in the lead with a score of 43 to 28.

At their second match, where the Dragons competed against Erasmus Hall, similar techniques were used to secure another victory.

“The arm bar is when you get your opponent’s arm in the back of their neck and turn him into a choke hold. To chokehold you must stand behind your opponent and wrap your arm around their neck, like stopping blood flow. The cross face is when you make your opponent eat his own arm. When you ankle pick your opponent, you start off using the arm bar then grab the ankle. Then you use your arms and shoulder to take your opponent to the ground,” said Raguso.

Sophomore Sher Mohammad was next up to verse Kevin Sheperd. He walked to the mat with a determined look on his face ready to win his match. Circling one another they grabbed each others heads, slapping at their ear protectors.

As they were circling, Sher  flipped Sheperd onto the mat, then flipped him onto his backside and pinned him down to the floor for three seconds. The winner, Mohammad added another victory for our team.

“My technique was first to just go back and fourth. When you’re up, it’s more of power and technique, more like a fight. That’s how I won my match in the last three seconds,” said Mohammad.

Freshman Benjamin Wasserman was up next to face his opponent,  Mohammed Callahan. They stepped onto the mat, took their positions, and began. Ben head locked his opponent, grabbed him by his stomach, pulling him onto the mat, and rolling him over so quickly that he brought down Callahan in only 56 seconds.

“First, I let him do whatever he wanted. Second, I pushed him with all of my muscle and looked for an opening. I used my shoulder and rolled him over. He made the match easier because he made a mistake by letting loose and stopped using all of his force.  That’s how I won the match,” said Wasserman.

Although the majority of the matches were between boys, wrestling isn’t just for them.  This year, due to Title 9 rules, girls are permitted to participate. Matched by weight class, boys and girls can wrestle each other.

During the first match of the season, sophomore Nick Martucci went up against two girls from Port Richmond and New Dorp High School, and won both matches.

“Versing a girl is hard because it seems messed up, kind of like a double standard because if you beat the girl people think you’re mean, and if you get beat by a girl people make fun of you. I went up against girls and won, and I felt bad because they’re girls. When you go up against a guy, it’s a friendly competition, and it’s cool to beat them because they’re harder then the girls,” said Martucci.

Despite the two recent wins, Coach Miano expects more.  At the end of the second match, he was critical of the fact that the team did not execute the moves they had recently practiced.

“I’m not completely happy with the way this match turned out, but I am happy that Ben won his match, because if he didn’t win, then we would be tied,” said Miano.

At their next match, the dragons wrestled to their third win. Sophomore Sher Mohammad versed Max Rivera, pinning him in 27 seconds. Mohammad Mousa also pinned Khalil Gibbons in another quick match. Chris Cordero won his match by a tech fall, when the wrestler wins with a 15 point lead. With the wins and five forfeits, our team took the match easily.

“I am very happy with the result of the match, but extremely happy with the amount of people that came out to support us. Our wrestlers fed off of the crowd,” said Coach Miano.

After winning on Saturday, December 19 against Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, our wrestling team currently holds 1st Place citywide for the PSAL Developmental Division.

If you haven’t been to a match yet, get to the next one on January 16 to see our undefeated team take another win.

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Let’s starts from the beginning. The first thing that struck me was even before the aircraft touched the ground at Newark. The first thing I saw when we approached the runway was Ikea, a Swedish business selling Swedish culture. It will be very fun for me to tell my Swedish friends that the first thing I saw in America was ‘Little Sweden’.

My host family, who patiently had been waiting for me for two hours, took me to their house. During the ride, I couldn’t stop being impressed by the roads! The street that my family lives on is as broad as a Swedish highway.

The houses on Staten Island are another thing I have to mention. I had an idea that I would stay in shape by jogging around the neighborhood, but I have given up that idea since all the houses look the same.

One thing I already knew about America was that you wear shoes in your house. When I came into the McLean’s, my host mom, Ryan’s mother, said it was okay to wear shoes. Even though she said that, it is still impossible for me to wear shoes inside. Wearing shoes inside someone’s or even your own home would be to deeply offend the home owners in Sweden.

I went to downtown Manhattan during my first days in America. The houses became bigger and bigger as we went closer to the ferry terminal. When I stood in between the first skyscrapers, I was struck about how small I felt. I am a guy who is taller than average, so I have never felt ‘small’.

Sweden doesn’t have many high buildings, so I was of course extremely impressed. I think it is good to see how small you are as a human being on the earth, but I will probably feel even bigger when I return to Sweden.

The first days in school were really interesting. You must first of all be very proud of your beautiful school. Entirely new, it creates the perfect school environment.

I at once noticed a big difference between Swedish and American people, which I already knew about but hadn’t experienced. The American people are so nice and so curious compared to the Swedish. Swedes, in general, are shy and don’t talk to people they don’t know.

It is totally opposite here. People came up to me, asking me questions all the time, no matter what age and gender.  That is one of the things I like the most about the American society, here it is okay to talk to strangers.

At the bus, at the hockey game, or in school, talking to people is of course, the best way of getting to know one another. I will absolutely miss your customs when I get back to the “Swedish shyness”.

Some rules in your school are very hard for me to learn and use.  You are not allowed to have anything on your head while you are in the school building. In Sweden, we are allowed to have hats and caps on our head at all times; the same thing with cell phones and MP3-players.

Lastly, the thing that is hardest to adapt to is that we in Sweden call our teachers by first name. Therefore, there is no mister, miss, or misses in the classroom.

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This year, the New York City Department of Education has severely cut funding and enacted strict new limits on bake sales in all New York State public schools.

Events such as Breast Cancer Awareness days and the Walk for Devon, not to mention our Insider, have relied on bagel and other baked goods sales for the last two years.

“I believe restricting bake sales will limit the ability of students to raise funds. My biggest concern is supplementing funding for senior dues and our newspaper – I think the new regulation definitely complicates the process for students because it is very narrowly tailored as to what is allowed to be sold,” stated Assistant Principal Mr. Joseph Canale.

The New York State Comptroller’s Office has determined that the DOE was not regulating bake sales, leading to Draconian new standards.

The DOE Chancellor’s Regulation A-812 states that “schools are not allowed to sell any food … that competes with the School Meals Program from the beginning of the school day until the end of the last lunch period.”

And they are serious. “Failure to follow its provisions may result in a directive to bring the school into compliance and, further, may impact adversely the principal’s compliance performance rating,” the regulation warns.

The only thing that’s safe right now at our school is the bagel and muffin sale on Wednesday morning, but all sales must end before the first period bell.

“The new regulations are ridiculous. Participation in extracurricular activities is a huge part of student life. And colleges tend to favor well rounded students who take part in clubs and other school programs,” said Guidance Counselor Ms. Marie Pastena.

Schools all over the city have been scrambling to come up with new fund raising ideas.  Everyone, students and staff, are feeling the stress of the new rules.

Members of our newspaper staff recently attended a press conference at City Hall Park and were able to talk to mayoral candidate Bill Thompson.

“State Regulations mandate physical education, and instead what we have gotten from Mike Bloomberg and Joel Klein is ending bake sales. That’s a mistake.”

But  many  students feel new reguations will have little impact.

“This won’t change how we eat at home,” said junior Ricky Vega.

The number of overweight children in the U.S. has increased by more than 50 percent, according to this year’s DOE sponsored School Nutrition Report 2008-N-15.

However, it’s not likely that cutting bake sales will remediate this.

In the meanwhile, alternative means of fundraising must be explored.

Something must be done.

“Maybe we can have the bake sales if we list the ingredients,” said sophomore Chris Hepworth.

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The revised A-812 regulation states that “only foods and beverages approved by the Office of School Food and purchased through central contracts may be sold to pupils during prescribed times throughout the school day.”

The Department of Education’s primary reasons for the amendment are to promote good nutrition, encourage a healthy lifestyle, and prevent obesity.

These are perfectly valid reasons… for regulating food in elementary schools. But in high school?

By now, we are all mature enough to understand what is healthy and what is not, what will make us obese and what will not, and what we should consume and what we shouldn’t.

We know the difference between right and wrong, yet we all want to decide for ourselves which of the two to do.

Not having the option of eating cupcakes and chips in school won’t be effective in changing teenagers‘ eating habits. Most teens have money of their own to spend on any foods they want after and before school. Wendy’s and Burger King are still walking distance from our school. The stocked vending machines did not force unwilling students to devour junk; they were simply available for use.

The DOE is trying to limit appeal of unhealthy foods, but it would be foolish to rid the school of all negative temptation. Doors are not bolted shut just to avoid the temptation of cutting class.

Putting aside our desire for independence, the regulation is essentially limiting the growth of extracurricular activities. All issues of the newspaper were produced with money made primarily from bake sales, supported with some money from donations and advertisements. The National Honors Society’s main source of income was selling pizza during lunch blocks. Selling boxes of chocolate paid for many students’ senior dues last year. The Chinese Year of the Ox celebration was partially funded by its sales of bubble tea.

“Without permission to sell baked goods, Key Club won’t be as productive as it was last year when we were able to raise funds,” said senior Michael Appelgate, officer of Key Club. “Selling baked goods should be limited to clubs that raise funds for organizations, such as Key Club, and to groups that raise money for the school.”

The student store was rarely vacant during lunch hours. Sure, its inhabitants were sometimes selling food dubbed “unhealthy” by the Chancellor‘s Regulation, but all were hoping to raise money for a truly moral cause.

In these times of economic recession and budget cuts, schools are already receiving substantially less money. With the new regulation, clubs and other extracurricular activities will have even greater difficulty surviving. For now, only the PTA is allowed to sell foods as a way to fundraise, and only after the last lunch period once a month.

For now, we have the food from the school cafeteria and approved drinks from Snapple machines. There’s also the journalism bake sale before school on Wednesday mornings. All other options are out.

Maybe it’s a beneficial and healthful change. But it sure is exasperating when a regulation restricts us from making our own decisions and cuts funding for our beloved clubs, which provide us with valuable learning experiences.

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What school did you work in before?
Monsignor Farrell High School

What is your favorite song?
For now, it’s “Let It Rock” by Kevin Rudolf

What is your favorite movie?
I would say it’s “Happy Feet”

What are some of your favorite books?
Love in the Time of Cholera, Cider House Rules, and Galapagos

What kind of music do you like?
In general, I like the kind that you can sing along with.

What are some of your favorite thigns to do?
Running (I ran a marathon on May 3rd, 2009), anything dealing with the environment or nature, and traveling.

What do you enjoy about teaching the subject you teach?
Teaching things that can be observed everyday; like the sunrise and sunset.

We welcome Ms. Douris as a new faculty member in our science department!

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On February 26, the senior class will be departing for their senior trip to Honors Haven Resort in Ellenville, New York. Currently, there are about forty students attending the trip, along with five chaperones.

In order to attend the trip, seniors must be in a good academic standing, and have good behavior. This means that seniors who have failed classes or are in jeopardy of failing classes can be told they must stay home. This was announced when the trip permission slips were given to each member of the senior class, so there should be no surprises.

In addition to clothing and other essentials what should you pack? Well here is what you can’t pack.

There will be no baked goods allowed on the trip as well as no open water bottles or beverage bottles of any kind.

Each bag will be thoroughly searched by the school safety agents with the assistance of Mr. Canale. Anyone who is caught with any illegal contraband on their person or in their luggage, including alcohol or marijuana, will be asked to go home, and will be suspended from school. The school will do anything it can to send us safely.

However, once we arrive at Honors Haven Resort, we are not under the complete watch of the chaperones. We are allowed to roam the area and participate in any activities we feel like doing.

There are swimming pools, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, ping-pong tables, as well as movie rooms, and a club on the premises.

Besides those activities, our group will be provided with laser-tag, inflatables, paintball (additional cost), and snow tubing.

The rules when attending are mainly common sense, but will be outlined when we get there.

All meals are included in the cost of the trip. The trip is from February 26 to February 28, and there are a few spots left, so if you have yet to sign up talk to Mrs. Lentini as soon as possible. The trip costs $290, and must be paid in full before we depart. The senior trip is a once in a lifetime thing so consider your decision carefully.

Despite some safety regulations and general rules, everyone is trying hard to make this trip amazing.

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On September 21, 2009, Iran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about a second uranium enrichment facility, already in construction, near the city of Qom.

UN Security Council Resolution 1803 required Iran to cease from any and all uranium enrichment. This includes stopping all research and development of uranium enrichment and centrifuges.

However, Iran is part of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which gives Iran the right to nuclear power. Still, Iran is required to tell the IAEA about the construction of any nuclear facilities. According to CIA.org, Iran has been working on the facility in Qom for years.

“Iran’s decision to build yet another nuclear facility without notifying the IAEA represents a direct challenge to the basic compact at the center of the non-proliferation regime. These rules are clear: All nations have the right to peaceful nuclear energy; those nations with nuclear weapons must move towards disarmament; those nations without nuclear weapons must forsake them. That compact has largely held for decades, keeping the world far safer and more secure. And that compact depends on all nations living up to their responsibilities,” said President Barack Obama in a speech regarding Iran at the G-20 conference on September 25, 2009.

However, according to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and IAEA standards, Iran is required to inform the IAEA about nuclear facilities 180 days before nuclear material is brought into it. Iran is currently compliant to these regulations because according to Iran, it will take months before the facility can be active.

According to President Obama, all countries, including Iran, have a right to peaceful nuclear power that meets the energy needs of its people. However, the size and design of the new facility is inconsistent with Iran’s needs. By doing so, Iran is breaking IAEA rules, and endangering nations around the world.

“I’m not surprised that Iran had hidden these details for all this time, and it is a question of whether or not Iran with nuclear weapons would actually pose a threat to nearby nations,” said history teacher Ms. Tonya Brooks.

In the past, IAEA inspections have found no evidence that Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons, nor does it have the capacity to build one.  Israel, which is not part of the NPT, is believed to be the only country in the Middle East with nuclear weapons.

“The IAEA Director General Mohammed El Baradei met the Iranian authorities in Tehran on Sunday, October 4 2009, and discussed arrangements for IAEA access to the uranium enrichment facility under construction in Qom. Agency inspectors will visit this facility on 25 October 2009,” said Liviu Horovitz from the IAEA.

Iran is now being more transparent about its nuclear intentions. If it continues to be non-compliant with IAEA and NPT rules, the UN may implement stricter sanctions on the nation like they have in the past.

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