College plans for the Class of 2010

pages 4-5

Five must-haves for camp counselors

page 7

Athletes continue playing at the collegiate level

page 14

Leaks plague art wing, labs

Art teachers and students alike were displaced recently as the ceil-ing leaked and tiles started falling in Room B268. This incident may point to a patt ern, as other areas of the building have also experienced leaks. Senior Catherine Ruvolo, an ar-chitecture student, stated, “Teach-

ers said the whole ceiling by the sink and windows completely collapsed.” Ruvolo added that the collapse left “dust and a strange odor throughout the room.” The room was shut down, “dra-matically” aff ecting the students, according to art teacher Michael Goldberg. Mr. Goldberg said the admin-istration was “receptive,” but “no one really knew what to do imme-

diately.” The administration brought in an environmental agency to test the air quality. Said Principal David Seinfeld, “We know the air is not unsafe.” According to Mr. Seinfeld, the school will “continue to replace [damaged tiles] in diff erent areas of the building.” The sink and ceiling tiles were replaced in the art room. However, even aft er all the repairs, there are still plenty of discolored tiles in the room and exposed pipes in the ceiling. “Whenever there’s moisture, mold is always a concern,” Mr. Goldberg said. Many of the other leaks are found on the third fl oor. Science teacher Robert Kaefer ratt led off leaky areas including, “stairwell, the third fl oor hallway, the chem-istry room’s closet, Mrs. Flanders’s room, and [his] room’s closet.” Mr. Kaefer said that the custo-dians att empted to fi nd sources of the leaks on the roof and fi x them, but it was diffi cult to fi nd the sources. That said, “a good number of the

leaks have been repaired,” accord-ing to Mr. Seinfeld. The principal also said that the building has been “much improved since the begin-ning of the year.” Art classes, in general, are more disturbed by changes in location than most other classes. Ruvolo said the architecture class “had to change its course schedule to fi t around what materials [it] had.” Art classes held in the room were moved to other rooms. “While some [classes] found another class-room to be in, one class was held in the cafeteria,” Mr. Goldberg said. The architecture classes had to stop work on their projects, “[jeop-ardizing] the projects because we were unaware if our projects would be damaged aft er the ceil-ing leak,” according to Ruvolo. “We didn’t have a steady fl ow going back into our project since we couldn’t’ work on it for a long period of time,” she added. The eventual answer, Mr. Gold-berg predicts, will be gett ing a new roof. At this time, he said the ad-ministration is handling the prob-lem with “consistent fi xes on the most damaged areas.”

Scoreboard dedication

Mrs. Carol Gies looks on as Mr. Seinfeld speaks at the Ron-nie E. Gies Memorial scoreboard unveiling (see page 15).

(photos by Tatianna Flores)

by Naomi VolkEditor-in-Chief

(photos by Nicole Simmons)

The art wing has had a problem with leaking throughout the school year.(photo by Holly Lavelli)

2 Hoofbeats June 2010 NEWS

Is it bett er to struggle in an ad-vance class or succeed without be-ing academically challenged in a Regents level class? This is the decision that many at Calhoun have to face. A student entering the district is put on an academic track, typically honors or Regents. Although some students tend to mix and match their Regents and honors courses, many stick with their track from 7th through 12th grade. This separation of students has both social and academic conse-quences. Senior Joanna Nazario explained, “I think when you track, it socially breeds people competitively - you’re constantly around the same people.” Academically, students set on diff erent courses face diverse chal-lenges. Those on the honors track take standardized tests as early as eighth grade and end up in AP classes starting as early as their sophomore year. Regents tracked students fol-low a more traditional rout, tak-ing their Regents in their freshmen year or later, and possibly never even taking an AP exam. Tracking through the middle and high school experience not only aff ects a student’s academic life, it has major implications on their high school socialization.

Excluding sports and certain clubs, there may be litt le inter-action between kids on diff erent tracks. Junior Garret Brucia, a self-professed “typical hon-ors kid,” said, “Honors and regulars are completely s e p a r a t e in school. I never see kids on the Regents track.” Similarly, ju-nior Kevin Walsh said, “I’m much more likely to talk to Re-gents level kids; most of my friends are in those classes.” However, guidance counselor Ricky Posner pointed out that electives, along with clubs and sports, provide opportu-nity for honors and Re-gents students to interact. The development of tracks has also led to ste-reotypes of the diff erent students at Calhoun. “[AP kids] measure their success through their GPA. It’s extrinsic motivation, versus intrinsic moti-vation. They do it to beat the kids next to them and put it on a college application,” said Nazario, a stu-

dent in classes of diff erent academic levels.

When talking with students, it’s no secret

that there’s a signifi cant diff erence in the honors ver-

sus Regents classes. Brucia added, “I’m in a regulars class, and it func-tions like a menagerie, whereas my AP class is much more orderly.”

Senior Julia Yu said honors cur-riculums treat students as if they

were in college, and Walsh claimed, “Teachers set lower

standards for Regents level students; they just want

us to get a 65 or high-er.”

On the other hand, Senior

Lauren Levin said the dif-

ference in the tracks “is not

h o w s m a r t

y o u a r e ,

it’s how hard you try.” In order to bridge this gap, es-pecially for students like senior Krystin White, who wish to be challenged more without taking an AP level class, an idea of having

an honors level, between Regents and AP, is one that students seem to support. Some believe that an honors level would be a perfect meeting point between the current tracks. Many schools across Long Island, including Syosset, employ this type of curriculum to serve as a “medium,” as Kevin Walsh put it. Mr. Terrence Hinson, assistant principal to the guidance offi ce, said by not off ering a medium track, students will challenge themselves in an AP course. “By not off ering an honors course it opens up opportunities for AP classes,” Mr. Hinson said. “Even if a kid gets a 1 on the AP level, he is that much more pre-pared for college.” Meanwhile, Mr. Posner said, “We always students to challenge themselves, but we understand re-ality. If it’s right for you, it’s right for you.” Mr. Posner said when students wish to change from AP to Re-gents, it’s “generally more in Eng-lish and Social Studies.” Regarding the idea of honors in 11th and 12th grade English, Mr. Posner said, “I like the idea of it. It’s that middle ground. I really don’t think that’d be a bad idea.” Mr. Hinson admitt ed that “Many teachers and students would like to have an option of an honors track, and many students have shown success in those courses.”

Are we on the right track?by Philippa Boyes & Kara Iskenderian

Managing Editor and News Editor

As the valedictorian of the Class of 2010, senior Jun Luke Foster, fi nishes his time at Calhoun, he answered some questions for the school newspaper.Hoofb eats: Why did you decide to go to Yale University?Foster: I was drawn to the empha-sis on small classes taught directly by full-time professors at Yale, as well as to some of the programs that Yale off ers in areas of interest to me. For instance, they have a program for freshmen that focuses on the literature, history, and phi-losophy of Western Europe and the interactions between the three. Also, I’m hoping that easy access to piano practice facilities and the opportunity to study with profes-sors at their Graduate School of Music will help me continue to de-velop as a musician.

Hoofb eats: What did you enjoy most about Calhoun?Foster: The people. There are a

lot of great people here: students, teachers, and staff , who I’m glad to have met and who I hope to stay in touch with in the future.

Hoofb eats: What do you like to do in your spare time?Foster: Sleep - especially during the college application and audi-tion period. Beyond sleeping, I meet up with friends, listen to mu-sic, and take my dog for a run.

Hoofb eats: What would be your ideal job?Foster: I’m not sure exactly what my ideal job would be, although I think I would enjoy a job where you work with other people to-ward a shared goal.

Hoofb eats: What’s your favorite subject to study?Foster: I guess music would come in fi rst, but it’s diffi cult to rank the academic subjects. I’ve really en-joyed learning about a number of

diff erent subjects in classes here.

Hoofb eats: Do you think you missed out on anything?Foster: It has been tough balancing music, schoolwork, debate, and other extracurriculars with a social life. I certainly haven’t been able to hang out with friends or just relax as much as I would have without those commitments, and some of my friends kid me about what a hassle it is to hang out with me. But I still feel I’ve been fortunate enough to have developed some great friendships and have gott en to know a lot of wonderful people who I hope to stay in touch with aft er high school.

Hoofb eats: What are your plans for the summer?Foster: I’ll be going to a summer program at SUNY New Paltz for piano studies in the early part of the summer. I plan to keep looking for ways of helping pay for college

and summer studies, including giving small recitals, looking for scholarships, and am considering giving (or at least trying to give) piano lessons. Beyond that, I’ll be practicing, maybe gett ing a head start on some reading for college, spending time with grandparents in the city and family and friends at home.

Q & A with Jun Luke Foster

(photo by Emily Begin)

Valedictorian Jun Luke Foster

News June 2010 Hoofbeats 3

Mrs. Ellen Katz has been teach-ing at Calhoun for 28 years, serv-ing as in the esteemed business department, as well as the DECA adviser. This year marks her fi nal year teaching at Calhoun, as she plans to retire as the school year draws to an end this month. Growing up, Mrs. Katz wasn’t sure if she wanted to go into education or

business, so she made sure to take both classes in college to keep her options open. Finally sett ling on business edu-cation, there is no doubt Mrs. Katz has been an asset to Calhoun com-munity, leading year aft er year a successful DECA team, in addition to her marketing, Virtual Enter-prise, and accounting classes. “Everything Mrs. Katz has done during her time at Calhoun has been with one goal in mind: ensuring that her students get ev-

erything out of their high school experience,” said senior Kimberly Brower, president of DECA at Cal-houn and also the president of the New York State DECA chapter. “I have never met a teacher who is more dedicated to her students and her career than Mrs. Katz.” As for plans in the future, Mrs. Katz said, “I have a couple of dif-ferent opportunities. One is to work for Nassau BOCES to per-petuate the VE [Virtual Enterprise] program, or I can teach at a local

college. Possibly, I can work for VE International in New York City.” It seems there’s nothing but ex-citing opportunities ahead for Mrs. Katz, but she still believes it is the students she’ll miss most about leaving Calhoun - the students have always been her favorite part about teaching. Wise last words, Mrs. Katz advises students to always “fol-low your dreams - everything is achievable. Work hard, and it will happen.”

by Philippa BoyesManaging Editor

Goodbye, Mrs. Geller(photo by Tatianna Flores)

A fun and kind teacher, Mr. Ste-ven Spivak will be retiring aft er this year. Many students will hate to see him go, and Mr. Spivak is equally reluctant to leave the dis-trict. Mr. Spivak, a special education teacher, has contributed countless hours to the school and his pupils, and without a doubt, will be dear-ly missed. Started his Bellmore-Merrick career in 1978 at Brookside Junior High School, he began working

as a teacher at Calhoun in 1984. Thinking about his favorite teach-ing memories, Mr. Spivak smiled widely. “I think graduation is the best part, and especially watching the special education students gradu-ate. Some think that some kids won’t get diplomas, and when they do, its just great,” he said. Mr. Spivak said what he will miss about the school is its stu-dents, and “teaching them to be bett er learners.” He said he enjoyed listening, laughing, and enjoying the time he spent with his students through-

out his teaching career. “If you have a bad day, come back the next day and start over!” Calling his time here a “plea-surable challenge,” he explained his job as the challenge of teaching kids, and the pleasure one gets out of it. Aft er retirement, Mr. Spivak is looking forward to spending time in the city and visiting a lot of mu-seums. He also enjoys sailing and traveling. Mr. Spivak especially is infl u-enced by Philip Broth, and “artists who see things diff erently, like Pi-casso.

by Sarika SinghStaff Writer

Special memories for Spivak

For the second year in a row, Hoofb eats won fi rst place in the American Scholastic Press Asso-ciation’s annual newspaper com-petition. In the Newsday High School Journalism awards contest, Hoof-beats swept the top three places in the news writing competition. First place was awarded to alumna Sara Macias (Class of ‘09) for her article, “Seedless,” a piece about the district’s removal of the Bad Seed from the English curricu-lum. Macias also won second place for her cover story, “Don’t blow it!” about the breathalyzers that were to be used at last year’s prom. Third place went to junior Kara Iskenderian and her piece, “Locker room for improvement,” an article about the locker room situation at Calhoun. Also in the Newsday awards contest, Hoofb eats won fi rst place for commentary for a staff edito-rial writt en by senior Kelsey Lee, “A banning by any other name.”

In the American Scholastic Press Association, the paper fi nished fi rst for high school newspapers in the country among papers that serve student populations of 1001-1700. Earlier this year, the Colum-bia Scholastic Press Association awarded Hoofb eats with a silver medal. Last year the paper won a gold.

Hoofb eats fi rst in nation, sweeps news contest

Aft er 24 years of teaching in the district, Mrs. Maxine Geller is get-ting ready to retire this year. Not only is she a speech teach-er, she is also co-chair of the cur-riculum committ ee. She was also the adviser for the Entrepreneur club, which increases the interac-tion among students involved in the PREP program and those in outside of the program through raising funds for several charities. In addition, she mentored new Special Education teachers to bet-ter assist the students in meeting their goals. Although she may be retiring, she’s not about to cut strings from the academic community just yet. Mrs. Geller is planning to continue her educational aid to her pupils by organizing PREP for Life danc-es and sporting events. Looking back at her most memo-rable experiences, Mrs. Geller said, “It’s discovering that students who were labeled as ‘unteachable’ can be taught and eventually earn a lo-cal diploma.” Mrs. Geller said her main objec-

tive was to improve interpersonal communication skills among her students. As for her plans aft er retirement, she looks forward to volunteering her time and teaching skills by pro-moting literacy. She will also take time for herself and travel while exploring new recreational activi-ties. Mrs. Geller advises current or future teacher to, “think outside of the box and discover the hidden potential within every student.”

by Aeryal DavisonStaff Writer

(photo by Aeryal Davison)

Mrs. Katz leaves her mark at Calhoun

Congratulations to

Nicholas Abbaj - Nassau Community College Amber Abdylji - Undecided Martin Abrams - Molloy College Alexandra Acquavito - Nassau Community College Matt hew Alberto - West Virginia UniveristyStefany Alzate - Undecided Lauren Amatulli - Fashion Institute of Technology Francesca Angelini - Undecided Kyle Arabian - Undecided Elizabeth Aracena - Undecided Oscar Arana - Boston College Shawn Asman - Undecided Nicholas Assabi - Nassau Community College Nicholas Astre - Undecided Adam August - West Virginia University Frank Azzara - Undecided Francesco Badalamenti - Undecided Randy Baicich - SUNY Maritime Kurt Baldauf - Binghamton University Blake Baltazar - University of Indiana Alexa Barash - Undecided Alyssa Barresi - Adelphi University Amanda Barry - Undecided Emily Begin - Quinnipiac Univeristy Christopher Behnke - Marist College Jake Behrman - University of Michigan Gina Bellafi ore - Employment Nicholas Bencosme - Nassau Community College Ricky Beneventano - Undecided Daniel Berger - University at Albany Kathleen Berghorn - Marist College Julia Bergin - UMass Amherst Tyler Berk - Ithaca College Emily Bernstein - Kutztown University Zachary Best - Penn State University Vanessa Blair - Undecided Peter Bochynski - Nassau Community College

Kelly Bosco - Southern Connecticut State Mareena Botros - Adelphi University Travis Brands - U.S. Air Force Amanda Breivogel - University of Central Florida Scott Briones - Undecided Adam Brollosy - Nassau Community College Kimberly Brower - Binghamton University Jeff rey Buff alino - Nassau Community College

Edward Burbes - Sacred Heart University Seth Burrell - College of Charleston Thomas Burzynski - Nassau Community College Michelle Calamia - Adelphi University Dana Calderone - Undecided Matt hew Callman - Molloy College Brian Canals - Nassau Community College Michael Cappuzzo - University at Albany Kacie Caprariello - Nassau Community College Samantha Carucci - Undecided Eric Catafago - West Virginia University Krista Catafago - Davidson College Ryan Charles - Quinnipiac University Joseph Chiaffi tella - Nassau Community College Michael Christiano - Undecided Marco Cicchett i - SUNY Oswego Alessandra Cirenza - SUNY Albany Sean Cliff ord - West Virginia University Ashley Cohen - SUNY Cobleskill Douglas Cohen - Virginia Tech Galina Colasuonno - Nassau Community College Anne Concepcion - SUNY New Paltz Allison Connerty - Nassau Community College Timothy Connerty - University of New Hampshire Molly Conway - Binghamton University Ariel Coopersmith - Nassau Community College Amanda Cordiello - Nassau Community College Harry Corradi - Adelphi University Kevin Correa - Nassau Community College Kelli Cosentino - Wagner College Samantha Costa - Molloy College A. Liam Courtney - Undecided Brendan Coyne - Hudson Valley Comm. College Britt ani Crawford - Undecided Kelly Cummings - University of Albany Ariel Dillon Dahan -Nassau Community College Lauren Danese - Nassau Commuinty College Amanda D’Archangelis - Boston Conservatory Caroline Davis - New York University Jessica DeFranco - SUNY Cortland Christie Dejesu - Nassau Community College Angela Delcastillo - Nassau Community College Jacqueline Delcastillo - Suff olkVincent Delcastillo - Nassau Community College Britt ney Delfi n - Quinnipiac University

Katherine Delrosario - Pratt Institute Alyssa DeMonte - Molloy College Kara Dempsey - Buff alo State Danielle Denenberg - Hofstra University Patricia D’Eredita - Employment Alexandra Diana - Adelphi University Thomas Dickson - Undecided Michael DiFiglia - Michigan St. University Camillo DiLorenzo - Nassau Community College Charles DiMaggio - Nassau Community College Maria DiMatt eo - Adelphi University Samuel Dobre - Binghamton University Matt hew Dods - Adelphi University Christina Doster - Undecided Daniel D’Ott one - SUNY Cortland Steven Downey - QSAK James Dragan - Stony Brook University Jennifer Dunne - Undecided Ruthann Eagen - Nassau Community College Ashlee Earle - SUNY Farmingdale Rachel Fabian - Rowan University Michael Fay - Nassau Community College William Fernandez - Undecided Kristina Fiesel - Undecided Kristina Figueredo - Nassau Community College Daniel Finnerty - Undecided Jonathan Fisch - Undecided Stephanie Fitzgerald - University of New Haven Meghan Flood - Hofstra University Alexander Fodor - Undecided Connor Fogarty - Nassau Community College Jun Luke Foster - Yale University Zachary Fox - Nassau Community College Gabriella Franzese - St. John’s University Stephanie Frasca - SUNY Oneonta Emily Freeman - SUNY Cortland Gabrielle Fry - Undecided Stephanie Gaeta - Nassau Community College Anastasios Galitos - City College of NY Gina Gallo - Hofstra University Kaitlin Gallo - SUNY Oswego Nicole Garifo - UMass Amherst Joseph Gavin - Undecided Danielle Genoski - Nassau Community College Stephen Giaco - NYIT Vincent Giaquinto - Nassau Community College Max Glogau - Drexel University Cory Goldband - University of Hartford Patrick Goldberg - Hunter College William Golden - Undecided Erin Green - University of Scranton Patrick Greene - Nassau Community College Allison Greenfi eld - Syracuse University Britt any Greenlinger - Adelphi University Shannon Grimsley - Quinnipiac University Jeremy Gross - USC Matt hew Gross - Binghamton University Paul Grubb - Manhatt an College Michael Guerra - Adelphi University Daniel Haggerty - SUNY Oneonta Alexander Harrison- University of Penn. Courtney Hartnett - Fordham University Kevin Harvey - Fordham University Navdeep Hayer - Queens College

Matt hew Healy - Undecided Matt hew Hinrichs - UMASS Amherst Brian Hoch - West Virginia University Connor Hoch - Undecided Robert Hodkinson - Molloy CollegeElif Humet - Nassau Community College Metin Humet - Undecided Michael Iacono - Nassau Community College Bradley Isaacs - Johns Hopkins University Rachel Israel - SUNY Oneonta David Jacobs - New York University Bianca Kaltenbach - Nassau Community College Heather Karlin - Hofstra University Ryan Kass - Cornell University Justin Katzman - Undecided Jeremy Kemerson - Undecided Katherine Kennovin - Ithaca College Eric Kerzner - YAI Danielle Kirby - Nassau Community College

Ryan Kitchener - University of Arizona Craig Knett el - Molloy College Daniel Knipfi ng- Hofstra University Jennifer Kotler - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Eli Kozin - Duke University Livana Koznesoff - Boston University Samara Kravitz - Stonybrook University Alyssa Kurtzberg - Adelphi University William Kuschner - Nassau Community College Daniel Lafata - Undecided Matt hew Lagueras - SUNY Oneonta Nicholas Landi - Mount St. Mary’s College Santino Larios - Undecided Britt any Ledgin - Penn State University

(photo by Emily Begin)

(photo by Juliet Villani) (photo by Juliet Villani)

(photo by Emily Begin)

4 Hoofbeats June 2010 NEWS

Cindy Lee - Stony Brook University Kelsey Lee - Middlebury College Kenneth Leon - SUNY Buff alo Allison Lerner - Binghamton University Lauren Levin - SUNY New Paltz David Levine - Binghamton University James Levine - Boston University Tzvi Lewisohn - YAI Alec Lievre - Nassau Community College Gerard Ligonde - University of Sciences/Philly Lisa Lobalsamo - SUNY Old Westbury Robert Loff redo - Undecided Gabriella Long - Iona College Hayley Lubow - Florida Atlantic University Kevin MacBride - Springfi eld College Anthony Maggiott a -Undecided Alexandra Magliochett i -UndecidedGregory Magno - Undecided Caroline Maino - Nassau Community College

Macaulay Maldarelli -Undecided Britt any Malloy - Nassau Community College Kevin Malone - Five Towns College Michael Mancusi - FREE Justin Mandeltort - University of Michigan Michelle Manfrede - Undecided Jeff rey Mangual - Nassau Community College Jenna Mannion - Employment Thomas Mansmann - SUNY Purchase Michael Manticoff - Undecided Justine Martillott i - Towson University Chantel Mason - Sophie Davis College of NYC Travis Massett i - Nassau Community College Jake Mastrangelo - SUNY Farmingdale

Michael Matzen - SUNY Cortland Nicole Mauro - SUNY New Paltz James McCallen - NYIT Robert McGetrick - Muhlenberg College Thomas McKeon - Nassau Community College Amanda McLoughlin - New York University Jonathan Mekelburg - University at Buff alo Kevin Metz - Nassau Community College Edmund Metzger - Undecided Timothy Metzger - Nassau Community College Patrick Milano -Undecided Magdaleeni Milonakis - St. John’s University Matt hew Montesano - Undecided Ashley Moran - SUNY Delhi Lee Ann Morgan -Undecided Alex Morra - Loyola Univertsity Maryalnd John Mucaria - Undecided Ashley Mulcahy - University of Michigan Richard Mundy - SUNY New Paltz Thomas Murnane -SUNY Buff alo Anne Murphy - SUNY Oneonta Erin Murphy - Undecided Leigh Anne Muscarella - SUNY Oneonta Kevin Nash - Undecided Nicole Naula - Penn State Carlos Navas - SUNY Cortland Christopher Nazario - SUNY Cortland Joanna Nazario - Molloy College Cosmo Nestola - Undecided Melissa Nuzzi - SUNY Oswego Lisa Ohlendorf -Nassau Community College Caitlan O’Shea - Nassau Community College Emily Osterman -Undecided Vincent Pacheco - Nassau Community College

Wesley Paladino - Nassau Community College Anthony Papadopoulos - Employment Carly Paris - Stevenson University Anthony Pellegrino - Undecided Jessica Peloso - St. Joseph’s University Philip Perrone - Cornell University Michael Petassi - Cornell University Danielle Petrovich - St. John’s University Maria Pokorny -Undecided Brian Pollack - Employment Jonathan Preiser - QSAK Daniel Qiu - Cornell University James Raheb - NYIT Jacqueline Ramo - SUNY Buff alo Alexis Ramos - Nassau Community College Louis Rappaport - Nassau Community College Timothy Reid - Nassau Community College Connie Reilly - SUNY Potsdam Anthony Reyes - NYIT Luke Roberti - Siena College John Robinson - Hood College Moises Rodriguez - Stony Brook University Rebecca Rood-Goldman - Clark University Henry Rood-Matza - SUNY New Paltz Rebecca Rosenberg - University at Albany Michael Rosenthal - Employment Jonathan Rosner - SUNY Purchase Liana Ross - Central Connecticut State Holly Rudolph - University of Vermont Oscar Rumaldo -Undecided

Catherine Ruvolo - High Point University Kevin Ryan - Stony Brook University Douglas Ryniker - Nassau Community College Anthony Sacco - UCONN Samantha Sachs - Indiana University Brandon Sackler - SUNY Buff alo Stuart Sacks - University of Miami Joseph Saladino - Gett ysburg College Frank Salerno - Employment Adam Samuels - Buff alo State Richard Santagata - Nassau Community College Kamaris Santiago - Valencia Community College Meagan Sapperstein - SUNY Platt sburgh Victoria Scanlon - Stony Brook University Julia Schifi ni - Northeastern University Matt hew Schmidt - Nassau Community College Carly Schoenfeld - Undecided Andrew Schreiber - USC Jordan Schultz - Ithaca College Stephanie Schwartz - Nassau Community College Nicole Scialdone - Nassau Community College James Sciolto - UNC at Chapel Hill Carla Scolieri - Adelphi University Tyler Seaman - University of Florida Danielle Seifert - Nassau Community College Christopher Serenita - Stevens Institute of Tech. Ariella Serur - Ithaca College Neal Shah - Boston College Sunil Shah- NYIT Brian Sherman - L.I. Business Institute Thomas Simmons - St. John’s University Dean Simms-Elias - Ithaca College Michael Simon - Towson College Joseph Singer - Undecided Sam Sklover - University of Wisconsin Alyssa Slater - Gainseville State College Ashley Smith - Undecided Kathryn Smith - Wagner College Lindsey Solomon - New York UniversityHunter Spector - University at Buff alo Taylor Stevens -Undecided Christina Strezenec - College of St. Rose Jesse Strommer - SUNY Farmingdale

Zunira Sumra - Undecided Nicholas Taborsky - Nassau Community College Anne Tallerico - SUNY Cortland Laura Tejo - Adelphi University Jessica Teves - Molloy College John Tew - Nassau Community College Taylor Thomas - Nassau Community College Tyler Thornton - James Madison University Charlott e Tiff - University of Georgia Amanda Tobia -Nassau Community College Lauren Tolchin - University of Maryland Theodore Topper - Nassau Community College Cory Traustason - Nassau Community College Claire Tucci - University of Iowa Daniel Tyson - University of Iowa Christian Vadillo - Nassau Community College Kyle Vadnais - SUNY Buff alo State Victoria Valentin - Nassau Community College James Valle - SUNY FarmingdaleAly Vanderwalde - New York University Dillon Vaneck - Nassau Community College Darius Vargas - Undecided Nikki Varricchio - Nassau Community College Anthony Vertolomo - Undecided Joseph Villafane - Five Towns College Juliet Villani - University of Wisconsin Christopher Vogel - Iona College Naomi Volk - Brandeis University Kenneth Volkell - UCONN Erika Wagner -Undecided Meghan Walsh - Loyola University Maryland Gabrielle Weil - SUNY Oswego Adam Weingarten - Nassau Community College Erica Weitz - Nassau Community College Corey Werbelow - University of Penn. Deanna Werthauer - SUNY Purchase Krystin White - The Art Institute of NY Erin Yackavage - LeMoyne College Tomer Yoff e - Undecided Julia Yu - New York University Kevin Zimmermann- Binghamton UniversitySierra Zorn - Siena College

(photo by Gina Gallo)

(photo by Juliet Villani) (photo by Meghan Walsh)

the Class of 2010

(photo by Amanda Breivogel)

News June 2010 Hoofbeats 5

6 Hoofbeats June 2010 Colture

It’s lunch time on a sunny aft er-noon. You have 41 minutes to de-vour lunch before your next class starts. But where should you go? You could walk to Dunkin’ Do-nuts, but an iced coff ee and a do-nut won’t satisfy your deep hun-ger. Souper Fry is an option, but their pricey (and let’s not forget greasy) menu can be diffi cult. Via Roma’s pizza is great, but the lines go out the door with students. So what’s left ? How about a place where you can purchase steaming french fries, crispy salads, mouth-water-ing mozzarella sticks, fi lled sand-wiches, and addictive iced tea. Now that’s what your stomach wants. But where can you get such food? There just so happens to be a litt le place on the corner of Horatio and Merrick Avenue, less than a mile from Calhoun. This haven for teens goes by

Boswell’s Deli, or more common-ly known as “the place to get the plastic-wrapped iced tea.” Sure, Boswell’s is not the most sophisticated place, but it has all the necessities any Merokian could need. A place to sit and chat on the curb? Check. Plenty of places to park your car? Check. Some of the nicest employees you’ll ever meet? Check. Boswell’s iced tea is a delicious drink that can satisfy any thirst, whether it is for a basketball player or a computer club member. It’s a taste like no other - not like Brisk or Nestea, but something bett er. Something that tastes just like hot summer days and fun in the sun. Many have tried to copy the great-ness of Boswell’s, but all fail in comparison. Why is this? Rob, manager of Boswell’s, said the reason why students always come back for more is because their iced tea is “all natural, with nothing but tea bags, lemon, and sugar.”

When I was fi ve, I used to make iced tea and sell it for one dollar on the street corner with the same ingredients, but it never tasted like theirs! While they may be known only around Merrick, as all the other Boswell’s on Long Island went out of business, it is arguably one of the most visited restaurants in our community. With some businesses in our town closing for fi nancial reasons, it is always nice to know that a few small businesses may be able to

sustain themselves with the help of loyal customers. Bo-swell’s Deli is one of the few small businesses that seems to be doing well, despite eco-nomic setbacks. “Not only does Boswell’s

provide great iced tea, but they also show how much they care about their customers with the idea of wrapping the drinks,” said junior Alyssa O’Braskin. “It might not seem like much, but it avoids spills that are sure to occur in a high school.” A medium iced tea might be the most popular item, but they also carry an assortment of food that is sure to brighten any day. Kelly Bogart, sophomore, praised Boswell’s, saying, “The service is quick and effi cient. They have good food, and the employ-ees always make you feel wel-come.” At Boswell’s Deli, you’re always sure to fi nd something that can meet your needs. Yet, the real mas-terminds behind the operations are the employees. They come to work, listen to whiny teenagers, and still enjoy their jobs. Most of them are from the area, and there is defi nitely a diff erent vibe that comes from a small busi-ness, such as Boswell’s, rather than a large chain. Although the deli may not seem like a popular spot from the out-side, locals know the taste and quality of Boswell’s menu, which keeps them coming back.

by Leah SobelEditorial Editor

Boswell’s:

How oft en have you seen this picture: a Calhoun student sipping a Boswell’s iced tea aft er walking out for lunch.(photos by Leah Sobel)

cold drinks, warm love

Colture June 2010 Hoofbeats 7

Working at camp all summer: awesome. Missing the items you need: not awesome. Here’s fi ve items any counselor-to-be should defi nitely have.

Spray-on SunscreenSpray-on sunscreen prevents sun-burn without stopping you from gett ing a nice tan. It’s lightweight so it won’t make your bag heavy, and it doesn’t have that overpow-ering smell that many other sun-screens do. Chances are, you’ll be helping campers put their sun-screen on so a quick spray without the messy white goop will save you lots of time.Recommended: Neutrogena Ulti-mate Sport Sunblock SprayCost: $8 to $10.

Comfortable ShortsIf you’ve ever gone to camp or played a sport, you most likely have thousands of these light-weight cott on shorts in your clos-

et. They come in many colors so they match any color staff shirt the camp will throw at you. The cool cott on material won’t make you too warm. Also, they come in tons of sizes and won’t bleed if you wear them in the pool.Recommended: Soff eesCost: $7 to $12.

Flip FlopsWalking to the pool on the hot cement is not ideal, so let these cheap fl ip fl ops protect your toes. Another plus: they come in almost every color so you can match it to your bathing suit.Recommended: Old Navy Flip FlopsCost: Two pairs for $5.

BackpackYou may just be thinking that old drawstring backpack from your friend’s Bat Mitzvah will do but trust me, it won’t. By week two the fl imsy bag will fall apart just as you’re gett ing on the bus. Invest-ing in a bett er bag will make your summer much easier, and you can

always use it next summer.Recommended: Jansport Super-Break BackpackCost: No more than $30.

Refi llable Water Bott leWhile keeping campers hydrated it’s easy to forget to about your-self. A refi llable water bott le will

save you money and assure that you always have water. Plastic disposable bott les run out quickly and you don’t want to be stuck on the crowded bus with nothing to drink. Recommended: Camelbak Classic Waterbott leCost: $10 to $15

Room with the right mate Would you be worried going into college without knowing any-one? With seniors deciding which college to att end, websites like Facebook are enabling people to contact others throughout the

country who will be accompany-ing them to college this coming fall. Facebook groups allow peo-ple to discuss similar interests, ask questions, and fi nd prospective roommates. The question is: Does this social networking simplify the process of fi nding a roommate, or does it add more pressure to search for a compatible match?

Before the world of social net-working, colleges would assign roommates to students based on similar interests. Most people went into college blindly, without previous knowledge of their soon-to-be peers. Horror stories have been told throughout the years of roommates from hell—those with bad hygiene, odd habits, careless behavior, or just stubborn and dis-agreeable personalities. Wouldn’t you want to hand-pick your future roommate? Although this sounds ideal, it’s important to consider how well you can get to know some-one through the Internet. One can scope out possible roommates through Facebook based on pic-tures and small talk, but does that ensure that a pair will be 100 per-cent compatible living together? Online networking seems to re-lieve people of the stress of having a bad roommate by allowing them to choose their own, but it does not guarantee that there won’t be problems. When I decided to att end the Uni-versity of Wisconsin-Madison this fall, I was quick to update my sta-tus on Facebook, notifying friends about my decision, and joined the UW Facebook group. I visited the page for the group daily, curious

to see my future classmates and potential friends. I began adding people as friends and even had a few awkward conversations here and there with girls who seemed pleasant. I decided to take a bold move and announce my desire to fi nd some roommates on the Uni-versity’s public webpage. Lo and behold, a few friend requests and exchanged messages later, I had my roommate and suitemates all lined up. I got a litt le taste of what this fi rst meeting would be like when I went to a Wisconsin Class of 2014 meet-up in the city. There were only girls there from the tri-state area, so I was meeting with a small percentage of the girls in my dorm next year. Nonetheless, the experience was interesting. Through my experiences, I dis-covered that it is not imperative to make friends before actually att ending college. Facebook is a great instrument to use for meet-ing new people, but if you are not victorious in fi nding a room-mate, you have nothing to stress over. Social networking is a handy tool to have in steps of the college search, but it is certainly not a vi-tal key to a social life—the ease of college life and friends will come once you set foot on campus.

by Juliet VillaniContributing Writer

by Alex TopperStaff Writer

Supplies such as camp sweatshirts and bug spray are also necessities for camp. (photo by Philippa Boyes)

Must-haves for counselors

Steep Competition

Senior Bobby McGetrick leaps over the steeple chase hurdle at the Valley Stream Challenge Central meet.

(photos by Ashley McGetrick)

8 Hoofbeats June 2010 Colture

Tamigatchis, Pokemon Cards, Webkinz, and now this. Silicon rubber bracelets are dominating and not even the fashion police can stop this one. Everyone simply cannot resist these colorful, bend-able accessories. The way they never lose their shape leaves me in awe, but many believe they are as stupid and pointless as the newest Ke$ha song. Silly Bandz act as though they are normal rubber bands when being stretched on some-one’s arm, but when they are re-moved, they spring back instantly into their given shape. What is so spectacular about them? Kids across the country are collecting and trading them like baseball cards. Young people are spending up to $5 a pack for them (of course, they could be donating that money to cancer relief or pro-tecting the environment). Aft er reading several general de-scriptions of this new fad, I could not help but notice a patt ern. Most of them didn’t seem to mention anything about teenagers sporting animal bracelets. In fact, several stated that they were targeted for those in kindergarten and elemen-tary school. Not high school. But this doesn’t seem to phase today’s teen youth. Teens are decorating

their arms with rainbows of rub-ber, fl inging them across the class-room, and color coordinating them based off their outfi ts. They have gone mad in the search to collect their favorites and now, due to popular demand, companies have decided to ex-pand their product from zoo ani-mals to trucks, instruments, and every other species in the animal kingdom. Not to mention, the rare fantasy shapes such as the magic genie lamp, dragon, mermaid and unicorn. But it does not stop there. Tye-dye bracelets, and glow in the dark. How adorable. While in class I couldn’t help but overhear one student saying to another, “I’ll trade you my pig for your elephant.” This soon resulted in a heated debate over which ani-mal was worthy of such a trade. And yes, trading. Plus, these bands are practically everywhere. Not only are they all over the school but you could fi nd them in almost any convenience store. Even Mepham High School has decided to take the rubber band craze to a whole new level by sell-ing “Pirate shaped bands” (their school mascot). Talk about spirit. “I think they’ll go down as the ‘thing’ of this generation like we had snap bracelets and tatt oo jew-elry in the 90s, the 2010 generation has animal bracelets,” stated ju-

nior Celine Katzman. Chrissy Ganci, a sophomore said, “I think they are stupid, even though I have a ton. They cut off circulation and when they are be-ing worn they just look like some-thing ugly on your wrist. The ani-mals are cute though” It’s true. Silly Bandz are known to be tight and uncomfortable, yet kids continue to wear them. Is the red indent on your wrist truly worth it? Ben Ross, junior, added, “I think people should do whatever they want do. It shouldn’t be a big deal if people wear them.” But does it become a big deal when kids’ circulation start to slow down to a point where it might even stop in some extreme cases? Some doctors have gone on to warn against teens from embracing this new fad. According to the Ex-

aminer, doctors believe the bands can cause blood clots to form in the veins of the wrist, possibly leading to phlebitis, the infl ammation and clott ing of the vein. Perhaps these rubber bands will be the next topic of warning along-side smoking and drinking for high school students, ridiculous (or silly!) as it sounds. But until that day comes, it’s nothing but fun for Calhoun kids whose Silly Bandz have become such an integral part of their out-fi ts as a watch or a bracelet. Funny as it is, they’ve become stylish. Most agree that the bandz are just fun, a throwback to childhood. And so even though the newest fad of the 2010 era is a complete waste of money and an obnoxious distraction, the only explanation must be that every person truly is a kid at heart.

by Julia MartinezStaff Writer

Are bracelets silly or stylish?

Senior Experience shows fashion

Seniors Nick Landi, Meghan Flood, John Tew, and Victoria Scanlon walked the runway in style at the Senior Ex-perience Fashion Show. Mr. Michael Hughes and Mr. Brian Joyce (rt.) also strut their stuff .

(photo by Philippa Boyes)

Most of Calhoun’s students, particularly girls, have donned these Silly Bandz this year.

(photos by Maria DiMatt eo)

Colture June 2010 Hoofbeats 9

The BlockbustersRobin HoodThough the story has been told be-fore, the fl ick is anticipated to be a huge success. Academy Award winner Russell Crowe stars, along-side Cate Blanchett , in this darker version of the 1938 fi lm. The story takes place in the troubled 13th century England, where Robin Hood and his men have to try to stop a brutal civil war from devel-oping.

Toy Story 3Who doesn’t love the Toy Story mov-ies? Pixar is now back with Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and friends for the third hit of this series. For this movie, the gang winds up at a day care center aft er Andy, their own-er, leaves for college. The movie is being promoted with a connection to the 1963 WWII fi lm, The Great Escape, because the movies have many similarities. The anticipation for this movie is really building up and is expected to be a big winner among kids and parents.

The Twilight Saga: EclipseTwilight has become the obsession among tweens and teenagers all over the world. This is the third movie of the series based on the books by author Stephanie Meyer. The admired actors, Taylor Laut-ner and Robert Patt erson, once again star in the movie and fans will once again pick sides between Team Jacob and Team Edward. In this movie, Bella (Kristen Stewart) has to choose between Jacob and Edward. June 30 is right around

the corner and Twilight fans can-not wait for the movie to fi nally hit theatres.

Shrek Forever Aft erThe fourth movie of this beloved series hits theatres with the con-tinuing advancements in technol-ogy, it can be seen in 3D in select theatres. In this movie, Shrek ends up in a completely diff erent world where he and Fiona have never even met before. This fi nal movie of the series was already pre-miered at the Tribeca Film Festival but will hit theatres worldwide in just a few weeks.

Sex and the City 2Enough said.

Indie FlicksBabiesThere is nothing more beautiful than the miracle of life. And Babies follows this adventure in the cases of births in San Francisco, Tokyo, Mongolia, and Namibia. The docu-mentary displays the universal gift of love and aff ection as the screen displays the fi rst laughs, walks, and cries of the newest entrants into the world. The Killer Inside MeAn adaptation of author Jim Thompson’s 1952 crime novel of the same name, this independent fi lm, directed by Michael Winter-bott om, is unfl inchingly scary and a movie any horror movie buff would relish if given the oppor-tunity. Starring Casey Affl eck, as Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford, a small-town lawman leading a secret life as a serial killer in a town being hit with a series of unsolved murders;

throughout the fi lm Deputy Sher-iff Ford does his best to maintain a cool façade while working to cover himself from the suspicions of the locals. Very similar to the runway bandit stories of the head-

lines of today, as the suspicions of Ford’s town grow, Affl eck’s character starts to buckle un-der the pressure.

Happythankyoumor-epleaseActor Josh Radnor of “How I Met Your Mother” makes his debut as a writer and director with this independent c o m e d y - d r a m a about the plagues of growing older and taking control of your life once college ends and

adulthood begins. Sam (Radnor) is a struggling writer who has trouble with long-term relationships. One day while on the subway, he meets Rasheen (Michael Algieri), a young boy who has been abandoned by his par-ents. Sam takes the boy in, which gives him a preview of parenthood but also proves to be more compli-cated than he expected. Happythan-kyoumoreplease opened at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the audience award for Best Dramatic Feature.

CyrusAh, the mid-life crisis. Starring a variety of stars including Jonah Hill, John C. Reilly, and Marisa Tomei, Cyrus is a tale of the oddi-ties of life and how you deal with them. With John’s (Reilly) social life at a standstill and his ex-wife about to get re-married, a down on his luck guy meets the woman of his dreams (Tomei) and her son.

Oscar winner Russell Crowe stars in the latest re-telling of Robin Hood.

by Nicole Simmons &Lindsey SolomonStaff Writers

Summer��Movies

Everyone’s favorite Pixar characters are back this summer for the third installment of the series.

(photo courtesy of MCT)

(photo courtesy of MCT)

10 Hoofbeats June 2010 Editorial

Teachers, give us a breakNote to all teachers: vaca-

tion is not an excuse to pile up a week’s worth of

work on students. Over the last few years, it has become a popular fad for teachers to treat vacations as nothing more than a week to give students huge amounts of work. Hello! Vacation is vacation for a reason. Just like teachers and staff members, stu-dents need the mental break. The few weeks given a year away from school are sacred rests for a hard-working student. Many pupils have found that they receive huge projects, out-lines, and other frivolous assign-ments from teachers in more than one subject. These assignments do nothing more than limit the time students can spend away from high school life. It’s not that were lazy and are opposed to doing work - we just need a well-deserved break. Spe-

cifi cally, a break from good-for-nothing busywork. There comes a point when the work given to students, even when dispersed across the time of vacation, becomes too arduous to complete. We understand that classes, especially those at the AP level, demand students and teach-ers to complete a massive cur-riculum in a short time, so naturally vacation work is vital. That said, students should not be assigned 60 textbook pag-es to outline, or three take-home tests to complete. It is simply too much. Vacation should not be an extended school day. Sometimes the ridiculous amounts of homework given to students leads to a clear and un-avoidable ultimatum: life experi-ence or chapter outlines? While they’re touring Italy with their family during a vacation planned

years in advance, is it realistic to assume that a student is willing to sit in their hotel room, fi lling out a take-home test? Wouldn’t it be more benefi cial to a well-rounded education if students used their vacation time to go out into the real world and see what the plan-et has to off er outside the confi nes

of a desk, lamp, and textbook? Students can

benefi t so much from just a day-trip into the city to see the Muse-um of Natural History. Or a me-ticulously planned journey across the ocean to see the Great Wall of China. Either way, teachers should keep in mind that students have plans that won’t necessarily always allow them to complete their many assignments. It is not like students can just come home and tell their parents, “Sorry Mom and Dad, but I can’t go with you to California on this

family trip you’ve been looking forward to for months. I have too much work.” It is unrealistic to assume that students are going to drop what-ever is going on in their lives to sit at their computers, typing up outlines. We are not looking for homework-free breaks. We are just looking for a lightened load compared to what we are as-signed currently. Whether they are staying at home or travelling the globe, va-cation time is supposed to be va-cation time—not another week for teachers to overwhelm their stu-dents (even more so than normal) with piles of work. Truth be told, if that were the case, we might as well still be sit-ting in the classroom with our friends. We’d rather spend nine hours of work with them than alone, wishing we were actually enjoying our vacation.

Staff Editorial

Staff Members: Emily Begin, Amanda Breivogel, Kimberly Brower, Ashley Cohen, Maria DiMatt eo, John Eyerman, Michael Falbo, Emily Freeman, Jenee Gaccione, Lauren Herschbein, Arooj Iqbal, Julia Martinez, Shannon Matzen, Michelle Prussen, Rebecca Rood-Goldman, Rachel Saff ord, Nicole Simmons, Kushhali Singh, Sarika Singh, Nina Thomas, Taylor Thomas, Alex Topper, Meghan Walsh

Hoofb eats is the offi cial student newspaper of Calhoun High School. Hoofb eats serves to inform its readers of news and events, and as a forum for the students of Calhoun to express their ideas and opinions. Hoofb eats accepts lett ers to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or refuse the publication of submissions. Lett ers should be sent to the school or placed in the Hoofb eats mailbox. All lett ers must be signed and include a contact number for the writer. Some visual material courtesy of the Ameri-can Society of News Editors High School Newspaper Service. The paper also accepts advertisements for a fee, but reserves the right to refuse advertisements for any or no reason. The views expressed in Hoofb eats do not necessarily refl ect the opinion of the administrators, teachers, editors, or faculty adviser.

Editors-in-Chief Kelsey Lee Naomi Volk Managing Editors Philippa Boyes Emily Wrynn Editorial Editor Leah Sobel Colture Editor Tatianna Flores Sports Editors Rachel Tyson Tessa Patt i News Editor Kara Iskenderian Faculty Adviser Jason Boland

Hoofb eatsSanford H. Calhoun High School

1786 State StreetMerrick, NY 11566

(516) 992-1300e-mail: hoofb eatseditor@yahoo.com

Volume 52 No. 5 June 2010

Recognized by Columbia University, ASPA, NYPA, LIPA, and Newsday for journalistic excellence

Dear Rand Paul, please shut up.I mean really, we all know you’re a complete nut, but do you have to make it so obvious? Want to know the worst part? People are buying into this. Bravo, Rand Paul, bravo. You are a stand-up guy, a real model citizen. You’ve really showed us how to be a true conservative. We get it. You want America to have a hands-off government. But do you really think that applies to the Civ-il Rights Act of 1964? Rand Paul said private busi-nesses should have the right to refuse service to anyone they want to, including based on races or ethnicities. He said the federal government shouldn’t be able to force privately owned restaurants to serve people they don’t want to serve, even if it is blatant ethnic/racial discrimination. I know that racism still runs rampant in the world today, but this is just an in-sult. Most people at least try to be subtly racist. Of course, Rand tried to clear everything up later on. “I un-equivocally state that I will not support any eff orts to repeal the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” Well, thanks for that, Rand, but you still said that the Civil Rights Act was basically unconstitutional. You re-ally can’t fi x this. But when all else fails, blame someone else, that’s the mature route.

He also said, “The problem with most people from the left is they want to make this an issue about you supporting abhorrent prac-tices which I don’t support.” Hey Rand, just to remind you, no one’s putt ing words in your mouth. You said it. And how about the other gems of wisdom Rand has been impart-ing with us. When asked about the BP oil crisis, Rand said, “I think it’s part of this sort of blame game so-ciety in the sense that it’s always got to be someone’s fault instead of the fact that sometimes accidents happen” Rand, you ignorant fool. I mean really, you would think that they interviewed a child. Ac-cidents happen, but someone is to blame in this case. Some say that if American citi-zens used a litt le less gas, this may have been prevented. Others, like Nancy Pelosi, blame the Bush administration, by saying that “Many of the people appointed in the Bush administration are still burrowed in the agencies that are supposed to oversee the [oil] in-dustry.” Others still blame Obama, but no matt er who is to blame, we can’t chalk up this incident to “an accident,” Mr. Rand Paul. America, we are in grave dan-ger. It’s a sad day when morons like Rand Paul run for senate. It’s a sad day when the Republican Party puts up candidates like him or Sarah Palin. And for the sake of America and its future, Rand Paul, will you just shut up?

by Kelsey LeeEditor-in-Chief

The blame game

Editorial June 2010 Hoofbeats 11

What is history? Is it some malleable concept, subject to the whim of its constituents? Or is it a clear idea, unchanging no matt er who att empts to put a slant to it? If Texas has its way, history may be entirely dependent upon the audience. According to the New York Times, “the Texas Board of Edu-cation approved a social studies curriculum that will put a conser-vative stamp on history and eco-nomics.” That’s right. The Texas Board of Education is att empt-ing to rewrite history to make it conform to the ideals of social conservatives. While these board members say they are att empting to right a left -leaning curriculum, members are proposing changes that include questioning the sep-aration of church and state and a more heroic view of Joseph Mc-Carthy – the leader of the 1950s witch-hunt for communists in the United States. Now why should it matt er to us what the kids in Texas are learning? Aside from the fact that there are 4.7 million students in Texas that would grow up learn-ing a false history, other states will be directly aff ected by the nonsense. The country has un-witt ingly catered to the Texas educational whim for some time. The same textbook (catered to the Texas market) that would be sent to Texas would also be sent to, for example “Michigan and Illinois

and New York.” Yep. New York children are be-ing poisoned by falsehoods that infi ltrated the system not by histo-rians and teachers, but by school board members who chose to ig-nore professional advice and fol-low the agen-da of social conservatives, who outvoted the moderate Republicans and Demo-crats on ev-ery issue. The school board voted directly on party lines – with the 10 Republicans outweighing the fi ve Democrats. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, said that, “We do a dis-service to children when we shield them from the truth, just because some people think it is painful or doesn’t fi t with their particular views.” Sorry, social conservatives. It’s not just your country. It’s my country too. And I have a right to want a future full of educated peoples from around the country. How dare you try and take that away from me. Let us hope that, should these textbooks see the light of day, stu-dents will continue to pursue the truth. And let us hope that many will be privileged to have good history teachers who will take it upon themselves to teach history as it was and not history as Texas wants it to have been.

Volk TalesErasing history

by Naomi VolkEditor-in-Chief

Spill calls for more action, reaction

When a government is not pre-pared to solve an enormous prob-lem, they must improvise and take direct action to solve it and admit failure. It might also help to pre-pare accordingly in case this disas-ter could happen again. British Petroleum, an enormous corporate benefactor to President Obama, is a stain on the face of capitalism. Their blatant disre-gard for the safety of workers and the environmental implications of their actions make me wonder if executives have a shred of moral-ity in their bodies. Readers, let’s take a look at British Petroleum’s inability to properly maintain safe-ty standards on an oil rig and their destruction of the Gulf Coast. The newly infamous corpora-tion British Petroleum has showed us that by ignoring safety tests which indicated that trouble was brewing, and using broken fail safe devices on hydraulic equip-ment (which was clearly in a state of disrepair), you can get cata-strophically bad results. When dis-secting this crisis it is important to remember two things. The fi rst is that this incident was totally avoidable and would merely have required a brief systems shutdown for maintenance. Second, in the face of an environ-mental disaster, BP has decided to att empt to salvage the well with in-eff ective temporary fi xes until they can get the oil pumping into their tankers as it once did. They could logically close the well up perma-nently by destroying it. There is

a time when morally one should concede that taking a multi-billion dollar bath is necessary for the preservation of an entire region’s ecology and environment. It angers me that we have not seen a fervent and angry response from environmental activists (whom I typically hate). When the Exxon Valdez spilled an estimated minimum of 10.8 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s waters in 1989, there was an immediate and pas-sionate outcry on the part of envi-ronmental advocacy groups. The government took action and re-solved the problem to the best of its ability. Why are the activists and gov-ernment offi cials being silent and complacent now in the face of a catastrophe where the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez takes place ev-ery four days? The environmental impacts are clear; the remaining marshlands of the American south

will be further decimated to the point of near non-existence. As an individual who subscribes to the laissez faire theory and a be-lief in the fallacy of governmental regulations in all but the most se-vere emergencies, I would usually squirm to think of a government barking orders at a private com-pany without some sort of legal standing. However, this is a cataclysmic situation where a lackadaisical re-sponse to a situation of enormous magnitude will have unprecedent-ed and disastrous ramifi cations. I say to you Barack Obama: take action to handle this crisis or be the man who allowed a preventable environmental slaughter.

(photo courtesy of MCT)

BP crews clean oil off of the beach at Port Fourchon, Louisiana.

by Michael FalboStaff Writer

(photo courtesy of MCT)

Oil was fi rst spott ed on the Louisiana coast on Wednesday, May 12.

12 Hoofbeats June 2010 Editorial

Are girls running with a double standard?It’s just a sports bra -

get over itGirls in sports bras send

the wrong message If several members of the girls’ track team want to make a good name for themselves, they should want to be known as the girls who are amazing runners and are as competitive as the track boys - not the girls who run around without shirts. As a member of the track team, I feel it’s unnecessary to run without a shirt. Although it would be hard to get the girls to admit this, the main reason for running in only a sports bra is for the att ention. And as a proud athlete, I don’t want us to be lumped in with the girls who run around with noth-ing on and are looked at by some to be promiscuous. Although these girls may not be promiscuous in their teenage lives outside of track, people are known to judge a book by its cover. Fair or not, we are just helping society think that way and not helping ourselves. A day aft er running without their shirts on, the girls heard com-ments from guys and other coach-es that they were a distraction and what was their reaction? The track girls got mad? The fi rst re-action people have if they see a girl running without a shirt is that they are trying to show off . But if people are commenting on their lack of clothing then the runners have to accept the message they are send-ing is the wrong one. Senior Gina Gallo agreed and added, “You have the responsibility as a woman to understand that we have dif-ferent features than boys do, and we need to cover up in places they nec-essarily don’t.” As women we have to show re-

spect for ourselves and prove the stereotypes against us wrong. And let me ask you this: is it ever really that hot out? Is it really nec-essary to take off a thin cott on shirt to reveal a Nike polyester sports bra? You’re still sweating and still confi ned in an uncomfortable, hot piece of clothing. This cancels out the purpose of taking off the shirt. There is absolutely no diff erence between wearing a thin shirt to wearing a sports bra. It’s not like we’re comparing it to running with a sweatshirt on rather than a t-shirt, which would be something to argue. I am very much a proponent of equal rights for boys and girls in sports, academics, and careers, but boys should be able to take off their shirts because they are not a distraction to us. Yes, some girls might like seeing a guy with good abs running shirtless, but girls are way more of a distraction, and boys are way more immature about seeing more skin than usual. Is there a double standard? Maybe. But girls have a responsi-bility to themselves and each oth-er. There’s a place and a time for revealing your body. Calhoun is not that place.

(photo by Kimberly Brower)

by Gabriella LongContributing Writer

Imagine this: it’s burning hot, 90 degrees, uncomfortable beyond belief, and you still have four more miles to run. You’ve been sweat-ing profusely, causing your face to drip sweat and your shirt to stick uncomfortably to your body. The logical solution to the problem is to take your shirt off . Oh, but wait: society has a prob-lem with that. For some strange reason, the idea of a sports bra makes people uncomfortable. They can’t handle the idea of a fe-male athlete with her shirt off . When it comes to running, a shirt can become cumbersome, so several members of the girls’ track team decided to do away with them. In response, many people, including Calhoun coaches, have voiced their con-cerns over such a “horrible of-fense.” How is it that boys can take off their shirts without having to worry about any possible reper-cussions while girls aren’t allowed to? Sounds like a double standard. There is no rule against cooling off , but for some reason girls are expected to follow along with this unfair standard. A prime example of this blunt inequality is the story of world champion soccer player Brandi Chastain. Aft er kicking the winning pen-alty shot during the 1999 World Cup, Mrs. Chastain peeled off her jersey revealing her… gasp, stom-ach. A massive controversy stirred around America. Even though the practice of taking a shirt off in vic-tory had been exercised frequently in male soccer, somehow the rules applied diff erently for women. One might argue that making female athletes keep their shirts on is for their own protection, that revealing our stomachs is ask-ing for trouble. You can say that guys are pigs that are hormonally imbalanced and that girls should not be subjected to the teenage male’s cat-calling and immaturity. In response to these obvious facts I say, thanks but no thanks; we don’t need your protection. Trust me when I say female athletes are

some of the toughest people out there. I speak for more people than myself: we can take care of our-selves. We have thick skin. The picture of poor frail girls is the antithesis of a female athlete. The belief that girls need some sort of protection from males may be taken as cute or caring, but I fi nd it to be an insult. Secondly, it is my body; it is my choice what to do with it. I’m speaking as an athlete competing aft er school - not a desperate teen-age girl showing off her body in a

classroom. If teenage boys want to stare at my stomach, so be it. Just be-cause a boy may stupidly stare at the tiniest hint of bare skin does not mean I will

cover it up to protect “my poor frail self.” I am an equal, and I am just as emotionally strong (but ad-mitt edly less muscular) than most guys. As for the claim that girls in sports bras are more promiscuous, there is simply no connection. Just because we’re showing more skin while competing does not mean that we are inclined to show even more. The purpose in showing our bodies is to cool down and have a bett er workout, not to send out a sexual message. Now I might sound a bit irra-tional to many, but this is just my plea for a bit of equality. Athletes are athletes; they train hard, com-pete and push their bodies to new personal limits. Gender just isn’t a factor. If guys were told they could not take their shirts off , this would not be an ar-gument; we would deal with the heat and sweaty shirts just like ev-ery other athlete. The fact that one group can while the other can not is unjust. It might be the rebel in me, but I feel no need to play by society’s rules just because they exist. As Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, “Ev-eryone has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” Whether it is printed or implied I will not fall victim to this obvious double standard. When the work-out is hard and the heat calls for a litt le bit of extra skin to cool off , I will take my shirt off .

by Kara IskenderianNews Editor

“If guys were told they could not take their shirts off , this would not be an argument; we would deal with the heat and sweaty shirts just like the every other athlete.”

Should girls be allowed to run wearing a sports bra if the boys are allowed to run without a shirt?

Pt./Counterpoint:

Editorial June 2010 Hoofbeats 13

(photo courtesy of Amazon.com)

Never could I have imagined hat a good book could be replaced. That was until the Kindle. Books have al-ways been a big part of my life, and I never imagined they could be compared to video games. But it was when my brother traded in his old Nintendo 64 to make the cost of the amazing Play sta-tion 2 cheaper that I fi rst realized just how outdated the console had become. As an avid gam-er, I learned when to buy products at their best value. But one thing I thought would never be-come obsolete was books. With recent advances in technology, it seems as though that might be happening. Books are now being replaced by e-readers, computers with downloadable books that are revo-lutionizing the way we read. The question is, which is bett er, the tra-ditional book or the e-reader? Books have a certain charm to them: the way paper feels while

reading out on the grass on a hu-mid day, the leisure found in sim-ply curling up with a good book aft er a long day. “I think the Kindle would be easier, but if it breaks you can’t re-

ally continue reading, and a book can never really break,” said junior Alex Salomone. Sophomore Elana Pelosa also seemed to prefer pa-per books. “I would much rather read a book than a computer. The experience is for more re-warding when your reading paper than a machine.”

For a long time I agreed with Alex and Elana. Paper books seemed easier on the eyes and much easier to use. Ju-nior Halli Rosen also held a simi-lar view saying, “I’d rather read a book than a computer because technology is basically used for ev-erything else and we should leave the past for something.” But then I saw the Kindle. When looking at the Kindle I realized it

actually looked like a normal page in a book. I then began to list the standard arguments used against e-reading: it’s too bright, too hard to read, not as comfortable. But for every argument I had against the Kindle, it seemed to counteract. It wasn’t too bright, in fact it was eas-ier to read as you could adjust the brightness, and it was relatively small and easy to read on a whole. The Kindle was even cheaper. Amazon holds an array of books available to cus-tomers complete-ly free. There are more than 14 webpages of free books available to readers. What amazed me even more was that e-books could even be checked out through your local library. I quickly began to worry that books would soon become like CD’s, which, for the most part, have been replaced with iPods and cell phones holding music. However, reading an e-book is not the same as reading for your cell phone or your computer. E-reading can be much easier than reading a nor-mal book when you can holds and reach hundreds of books at your fi ngertips. When going on long trips, traveling or even just when you don’t want to carry a bunch of books around, e-reading can be very helpful.

As crazy as it may sound, I would still personally take a paperback copy of a book over a Kindle if giv-en the choice. Books have a smell to them. They have a unique feel, and that’s something that is not easily replaceable. I may be able to read a book that looks the same on the Kindle, but it wouldn’t feel the same. With books, you can feel it when its humid out, you can hold the edge of the next page while fi n-ishing up their page your currently

reading. You can hold the cover in your hands and just read. Normal books won’t have spe-cial graphics

when you turn the pages like the new e-book version of Alice in Wonderland, but sometimes there is just a particular feel to books that I’ve come to love. To hold a book I love in my hands look at the cover and feel the pages. I agree with Halli. Technol-ogy has taken over so much of our lives that some things should just stay the same. I don’t believe that my paperback copy of Romeo and Juliet will soon become obsolete in the same way that I believe my DSi will. Books are special and e-reading, although very convenient, will never completely replace paper books for me.

by Nina ThomasStaff Writer

“Books have a smell to them. They have a unique feel, and that’s something that is not easily replaceable.”

E-reading is just not the same

Living through the tragedy in Haiti Frantz Hosty is a recent addition to Calhoun, having just moved to the area from Haiti. Frantz shares his story with Hoofb eats. I can fi nally thank you all for your acts of solidarity toward me and toward my country. It is not just the Haitian people who have been aff ected - the victims of the January 12 earthquake belong to nearly 50 nationalities. I do not think there has been, in recent history of humanity, as strong of an example of solidar-ity than the one I have just expe-rienced. My family and I came across great forms of compassion. Although these intense pains are very personal, intimate even, it was good to feel we were not alone. My experience in Haiti aft er the tragedy I can att ribute to the strength felt throughout my na-tion. During the search and recov-

ery of remains of fi ve members of my family, people who did not even live in the neighborhood and whose names I did not know, of-fered assistance. One of them told me he had lost everything and had never searched for corpses before. Me neither, I thought. He taught me that putt ing kerosene mixed with Clorox on the decomposing body greatly re-duced odors. An architect, who I had just met, stayed with me all day, guid-ing us to the best place to search. On the fi rst day alone, two corpses had been recovered. The commu-nity spirit allowed me to bury them in, more or less, a decent cemetery outside Port-au-Prince aft er dark, despite the fi erce indignation of the residents who insisted that we not bury the dead at night. I was apologetic. I did not know.

Foreign media, which covered Haiti 24/7, were probably not in a position to report that local soli-darity, because it was not as visible as international solidarity. Yet it is this solidarity with bare hands that saved most lives and has withdrawn the largest number of

victims from the rubble. It was the solidarity who gave fi rst aid, off ered the fi rst bott led wa-ter, and the fi rst blankets.

I chose to respect the remaining Haitians’ privacy and tried instead to understand what was happen-ing with post-disaster operations and reconstruction. The concept behind it applied to all countries - for the reconstruction of a country will not know success if it is just accompanied by a comprehensive rehabilitation program in pro-vincial towns and rural areas. It

should also build new towns. By focusing on developing re-newable energy sources (solar, wind, biofuels) they could also serve as a catalyst for new invest-ment. If our new communities and cities are adopting strategies that have less negative impact on the environment, our country will become a more att ractive place to live, visit, and invest. In this dream, aid to Haiti would exist not because we are poor, but because we are among the nations and peoples who have a future. In this sense, the reconstruction must prepare our country to be a leader in the new global economy. Would not it be extraordinary if the country that is designated as the poorest in the Western Hemi-sphere become one of the greenest nation in the world? Aft er the nightmare of January 12, I propose to transform into re-ality this utopia, and off er it to the people of Haiti.

by Frantz HostyContributing Writer

“My experience in Haiti aft er the tragedy I can att ribute to the strength felt throughout my nation.”

14 Hoofbeats June 2010 Sports

Athletes graduate to next level Calhoun is known for many things, including the athletic tal-ents of its teams and players. Many of those players will be continuing their athletic careers at the colle-giate level. For senior Jess Teves, it has been her dream to play lacrosse in col-lege since she began playing in third grade. Teves will be playing at Molloy College. She has been interested in Molloy since this past summer, and is really excited for the opportunity. Senior Paul Grubb will also be playing lacrosse next year for Manhatt an College. Grubb was recruited at a showcase last sum-mer and has been looking forward to playing at Manhatt an ever since. Calhoun’s track and fi eld and cross country teams will have three representatives in the New York area. Bobby McGetrick will be continuing next year at Muhlen-berg College in Pennsylvania. The Muhlenberg team has been strong in meets for the past few years and McGetrick is ready for the challenge. Kevin Harvey will be a runner at Fordham. Fordham re-cruited Harvey during his junior year, aft er deciding he wanted to continue to run in college as ear-ly as tenth grade. Harvey said he

“expects to train harder and longer than ever before.” Matt Callman will be joining Teves at Molloy College next year where he has chosen to continue running. Callman has been looking into running in college since early in his junior year and is defi nitely excited to make the transition onto a new team next year. But the college athletes don’t stop at the New York border. Cal-houn will be represented around the United States. Baseball player Tyler Thorton will be at James Madison University in Virginia.

Thorton has wanted to play college baseball since he was young and is eager to have this opportunity to fulfi ll his dream. Thorton was re-cruited, like Grubb, by playing in showcases around the area. Also playing baseball is senior Ryan Kass who will be at Cornell University in New York. Joey Sala-dino will be playing baseball at Gett ysburg College. Other athletes like Mike Guerra, Dan D’Ott one, Mac Maldarelli and Cosmo Nesto-la will be carrying on their careers onto the college fi eld as well. Both

Guerra (Adelphi University) and D’Ott one (SUNY Cortland) will be playing soccer, while Maldarelli will prolong his wrestling career, and Nestola will go on with play-ing football. Many of these athletes said they expect a huge change in the dedi-cation and commitment compared to the teams they have been play-ing on their whole lives. “For my new team, I expect to be training harder and pushed more than ever before,” explained Teves. “I also expect to compete at an ex-tremely high level and with girls that want to win and play as much as I do.” All of the athletes agree that prac-tices and games will be much hard-er than most of what they faced at Calhoun and outside leagues. “I expect it to be crazy with practice every morning at 6:30 and playing with the best players around the country,” said Grubb. Another big change is the bal-ance between school work and playing. The college workload is much diff erent than high school, and the college teams require more dedication. But these athletes are ready for the challenge. “It will take time to learn how to balance school and running,” said Callman. “I have been balancing it for years so I feel it will be a prett y smooth transition.”

by Tessa Patt i & Rachel TysonSports Editors

Grubb is headed to Manhatt an College.(photo by Maria DiMatt eo)

Senior Christina Strezenec is a fi nalist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award. This national award is based on one’s academic excellence, service to the community, and athletics in high school. The students must maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout their previous three years in high school, and must participate in one or more extracurricular school sport. Strezenec’s application was a prime example of all of the quali-fi cations it took to be eligible for the WHSH considering her high grades, her artistic abilities, her self-less community service, and her outstanding athletic partici-pation in both badminton and volleyball. Because of these char-acteristics Strezenec’s application was recognized out of many other well-rounded students’ applica-tions, and has now moved up to a national level.

Varsity volleyball coach Ms. Heather Glick, said, “I fi rst met Christina when she was a sopho-more playing on the varsity team. I remember thinking how fortu-nate the program was to have such a talented player, and right then, it was easy to recognize that she would have a very bright future. Not only does Ms. Glick think Christina simply meets all of the requirements of the award, she knows Christina is dedicated to all aspects of it. “To prove she was a dedicated team player, she worked incredi-bly hard on a social, academic and athletic level to show her commit-ment to her teammates. In fact, she told me early on in the season that she was willing to do anything to help the team,“ Ms. Glick said. Although at fi rst Christina did not think she would ever actually achieve the award her dedication and persistence paid off . “When I handed it in to the of-fi ce I realized I purely did it for the sake of my curiosity and I

thought, hey, why not try it out?” She was right. There is no harm in trying, and her achievement is proof of that. “I’m actually quite thankful I have received the award because it does mean a lot.” Although Christina’s hard work and determination brought her to achieve the WHSH she hasn’t forgott en those who have assisted her along the way. “I owe a lot of people who have helped me in my high school journey. Because of them I’ll be off to college soon with a level head on my shoulders. Without them I would have not received the award and most importantly I would not be the person I am to-day.” Ms. Glick added, “Throughout my interactions with her both on and off the court over the past two years, she has proven herself to be an excellent team captain and leader, a cooperative and respon-sible student-athlete, and a loyal and sincere team player.”

by Alex FoleyStaff Writer

(photo by Jamie Kudler)

Strezenec a fi nalist for Heisman

Christina Strezenec will be att ending the College of St. Rose.

McGetrick is running to Muhlenberg.(photo by Ashley McGetrick)

Sports June 2010 Hoofbeats 15

A new scoreboard was installed on the baseball fi eld in the memory of Lt. Ronnie E. Gies, a fi refi ghter who tragically lost his life during the Sept. 11 att acks. Ronnie E. Gies was a beloved member of the Merrick Communi-ty and the New York Fire Depart-ment who tragically lost his life fi ghting to save lives during 9/11. Mr. Gies was an active mem-ber of the Merrick Litt le League, coaching many of the players who later played at Calhoun. His three sons, Ronnie, Bobby, and Tommy, have played for the Colts as well, and received an immense amount of support from their father. The Gies’ family involvement with baseball within the neighbor-hood prompted his wife, Mrs. Car-ol Gies, to begin a scholarship fund in his name to benefi t the sport. ”The scoreboard means a lot. It’s very heartfelt and special,” Mrs. Gies said. “There are no words to describe how wonderful a feeling this is to see. The boys, not only ours, but the community kids from the team, and baseball, meant so much to Ronnie. So to see his name up on that scoreboard means so much.” The unveiling ceremony was

held prior to a varsity baseball game. At the gathering, the Gies family, as well as friends and co-workers from fi re departments across New York made speeches commemorating Mr. Gies’ dedica-tion and heart in saving lives by risking his own. Aft er saluting the fl ag and dis-playing the scoreboard the festivi-ties were brought to a close with a scrimmage against Holy Trinity. Each year at the Sports Boost-ers Annual Dinner, Mrs. Gies and her sons present a memorial schol-arship to a Calhoun player. This year, the Lt. Ronnie E. Gies Me-morial Scholarship Fund, along with funds from Senator Fuschillo, Dave Denenberg, and the Cal-houn’s Sports Boosters committ ee, all donated money to purchase a new scoreboard in Gies’ name. The scoreboard reads “In Memory of Ronnie E. Gies FDNY 9/11/01.“ The scoreboard does not only mean a lot to the baseball team, considering their previous score-board barely lit up, but it means a lot to the Gies family to have this memorial in their neighborhood. The scoreboard is located in cen-terfi eld behind the home run fence, and not only is it a memorial, but a source of luck to help the Colts batt le through their home games and throughout the playoff s.

by Tessa Patt i and Rachel TysonSports Editors

Remembering a local hero

(photo by Nicole Simmons)

The Colts have ridden a wave of success and are in the Nassau County Finals against MacArthur. Finishing in Conference AA-I with a 10-4 record, the Colts were ready to go into playoff s. Through-out the season, the team batt led their way through diffi cult games coming up with big wins over typ-ical powerhouse teams like Mass-apequa and Bellmore JFK. The fi rst round of playoff s for the Colts were played against Oceans-ide, who the boys triumphed over in the regular season winning both games played 13-1 and 9-1. In Game One of the Class AA quar-terfi nals the Colts came out victori-ous in a tough game that ended at a score of 12-11. Calhoun was chal-lenged by this Oceanside team, but had big hits by sophomore Rob-bie Rosen and junior Jake Thom-as. Solid pitching by junior Joey Christopher helped Calhoun fi nish off the game. In Game Two against Oceans-ide the Colts once again batt led through, winning 9-5. The winning pitcher was senior Jon Mekelberg. Juniors Dan Sullivan and Jake

Thomas, as well as Rosen added to the Colts’ lead with home runs. Sullivan went 3 for 4, pushing the team to a win and advancing them to the Class AA semifi nals against Carey. During the regular season Carey provided Calhoun with two tough games just two weeks before. The Colts got the win in one of them by a score of 11-9 but in the second game of the series, Calhoun lost to

Carey 6-3. That loss did not stop the boys from coming out strong and de-feating the No. 3 seeded Carey in two games. In the fi rst game of the semifi nals, the Colts, led by senior pitcher Mike Simon, won 15-9. Sul-livan hit not just a home run, but a grand slam, while Jake Thomas and sophomores Frank Trimarco and Zach Goldstein added to the Colts 15 runs.

In Game Two, things were a litt le bit closer. With one out in the top of the eighth inning, senior Ryan Kass doubled in Sullivan to take the lead by one run. In the previ-ous inning, Trimarco had a two- run single with two outs to tie the game, ultimately sett ing the Colts up for a victory by a score of 4-3. With this win, the Colts are set to play MacArthur in the best-of-three county fi nals for class AA.

Mrs. Gies with her sons Thomas, Bobby, and Ronnie at the scoreboard dedication.

Finals weekFinals weekColts head to CountiesColts head to Counties

(photo by Maria DiMatt eo)Third baseman Robbie Rosen warms up before an inning - much like the Colts have warmed up in time for the playoff s.

by Tessa Patt iSports Editor

The girls’ badminton team lived up to its high expectations, bring-ing home yet another County championship win. The girls defeated Great Neck South in the fi nals to win their sec-ond consecutive title and the sixth

in the past nine years. Coach Gregg Muscarella, who has been leading the program for nine years, said maintaining such a program is “all about the basics!” The 4-3 win over Great Neck South was a close one, with match-es won by fi rst singles, Christina Strezenec, as well as second singles Elise Meade. Although Calhoun

beat Great Neck South during the season, it was their hardest, and closest game. The Lady Colts used that edge to beat them the second time around. Previous success in an undefeat-ed season didn’t get to the girls’ heads. They knew that, although they were triumphant in the reg-ular season, hard work was still

needed if they wanted to continue their winning streak in Counties. “Our program’s confi dence is high from our past success; we set high goals each year. Sett ing goals and doing what it takes to accom-plish your goals are completely diff erent,” said Coach Muscarel-la. “Athletes have to want to win enough that they will succeed. I wouldn’t say we were expecting to win a County title, but we had the desire to want to win.” The girls continued to hold vig-orous practices all season long, to prepare for the playoff s and Coun-ty championship. “We practiced every chance we could. Coach Musc and Coach Sue Litwin defi nitely made sure that we had as much court time as pos-sible,” explained Strezenec, senior captain. “When we sat out, there was no ‘ifs, ands or buts”; we were always on the court, and we al-ways did our best. Musc says that there is a diff erence between going to practice and practicing, And let me tell you, I learned the diff er-ence from day one.” Although they’ve achieved their goal, this badminton program is no where near fi nished. Even with the loss of a great group of hardwork-ing and spirited seniors, such as Kaitlin Gallo and Alyssa DeMonte, both the coaches and the team alike feel they have the potential to win another title next season. Return-ing players such as Meade, as well as Danielle Augugliaro, Fariha Chowdhury, and Jenna Del Bove will be given the chance to step up and lead their team. Judging on the amount of work this team puts in year round, along with an immense amount of ambition, an-other county title seems possible for the 2011 Calhoun Colts Varsity Badminton team. “We went into the match with pure determination and belief.” said Meade. “When we started the season, we had one goal and that was to win the county champi-onship. Aft er every single match that we’d win, Musc told us that we can’t be satisfi ed, because we haven’t met our goal yet. That [encouraging] mentality drove us through the season and always pushed us to win the next time.”

by Rachel TysonSports Editor

Senior captains Alyssa DeMonte, Kaitlin Gallo, and Christina Strezenec with Coach Musc (inset: the happy bus ride home)(photos by Jamie Kudler)

County champs!County champs!