University Neighborhood High School

UNHS Press

Students Shine at UNHS Winter Fest

This year’s Winter Fest was definitely one to remember. From dancing, singing, to a full band performance, many students displayed their talents on stage for the school to witness. It was evident that all who participated put in maximum effort and preparation into this day. We could only imagine how nervous the performers must have been with the large audience that at-tended. Senior Unitus Bright MC’d the event with his charismatic presence, with the help of stage manager Jared Reyes. The Dance Team enter-tained the large crowd with their varied and de-

tailed routines highlighting several student’s talents and many styles of dance, in-cluding Bollywood. We were able to see the musically talented, like senior Mel Searles, who performed his own song that blew us all away, and a breath-taking ren-dition of “All I Want (for Christmas)” by Mariah Carey performed by senior Wil-marie Guillion Santana. The show came to a close with a final dance routine with music mixed by senior Brandon Modeste that left the audience coming out of their chairs in excitement.

As if the performances weren’t enough, Winter Fest would not have been complete without the artwork and set provided by Mr. Sossi’s art club (along with our newest UNHS member, the Panther, still on scene in the lobby!). The Student Government assisted in serving delicious snacks and beverages before and during the perfor-mance and held a raffle for some great gift baskets; students, teachers, and parents walked away with some amazing prizes. The evening was a great way to start the December break by coming together and celebrating the many talents UNHS has to offer. Amazing job to all who performed and thank you Ms. Asch, Mr. Chung, Mr. Sossi, Mr. Fox, and Student Government for making this a night to remember!

Advisor: Ms. Haff

Senior Editor: Owen Chen

Junior Editor: Tyler Johnson

News:

Roy Rivera

Kim Garcia

Jennifer Risa

Sports:

Kevin Chen

Ashley Gomez

Photographer:

Anthony Placido

Entertainment:

Leslie Tufino

Zoe Chang

Aline Martinez

Kim Lallman

Home of The Panthers

Our Team:

Volume 1 , Issue 3

January 13, 2017

Reflection:

Performing in

Winter Fest

Kim Lallman, Sophomore

On December 22nd, we had

our Winter Festival, one of

the most exciting events of

our school year. For me, it

was really exciting be-

cause I performed at the

festival and boy, was it

nerve wracking; when I saw

the crowd, I almost forgot

the dances because I was so

nervous. I messed up just a

little in the beginning of the

show but I feel like I killed

it on the other dances. My

favorite dance was the one

with myself and Uguloy

(Street Divas). It got the

crowd really hyped; it was

all very energetic. All in all,

I had fun and all the dances

were great. Congrats to the

Dance Team and the other

students who performed!

Students performing with help from Mr. Fox.

Wilmarie, Naomi Burkett, and Leondra Sharp perform “All I Want” with instru-

mentals by Mr. Fox, Mr. Chung, and

Brandon Modeste.

Mel Searles performing an original song.

A parent accepting her raffle basket from Mr.

Pagan and Ashley Gomez.

Community News

New T Train in NYC Jennifer Risa, Sophomore

Announced on January 1st,

2017, Phase 1 of the long

awaited Second Avenue sub-

way line is complete. Cur-

rently, commuters are able to

ride the line from 63rd to

96th streets on the Q train.

MTA officials have decided

that when the entire Second

Avenue subway line is com-

plete it will become the T

train. It will travel from

125th Street in Harlem to

Hanover Square in Lower

Manhattan along 2nd Ave-

nue. With the completion of

the T line, we will now be

able to make transfers across

town easily and swiftly. This

is the biggest expansion in

the MTA in the last 50 years.

UNHS Press is All About Nutella®! Kimberly Garcia, Sophomore

Nutella® Bar was developed with the support of the

widely-known Italian marketplace, Eataly. The new

“treatery” has been extremely popular and is known

throughout the world as one of the few places that

provides a menu straight from the imagination of a

Nutella®-lover’s dreams. The beloved chocolate

hazelnut spread is already pretty famous on its own,

but now Nutella® devotees can fulfill their cravings

with classic French confections with a Nutella®

twist—crepes, croissants, gelato, and more. There is

only one place in New York City where you can

find these delectable treats— the Nutella® Bar at

the corner of 23rd Street and 5th Avenue. During

our visit, we got to try the crepe with Nutella® and

strawberries and the

Crostatina “mini tart.”

Both were excellent,

but I wish I could have

tried the Brioche with

Nutella®. We really

enjoyed our excursion

and cannot wait to go

back! A proposed T train map plan

provided by the MTA website.. A Nutella® waffle with strawberries

from Eataly’s Nutella® Bar.

New Year, New Me An Editorial by Roy Rivera, Senior

YES! 2017 has rolled in and that awful 2016 is out of here. In some ways many like to think of The New Year as a

fresh start, a clean slate. With this comes New Year’s resolutions. Whether losing weight, being more kind, or just

spending more time outdoors, everybody has had a New Year’s resolution. These always prove super difficult to

keep and work towards. I mean, really, even if you’re trying to lose weight how could you say no to a nice, juicy

bacon cheeseburger? How could you say no to the last slice of pizza, or the last slice of cake? Oh, and spending

more time outdoors? What a joke! Why should I leave my house if I have Wi-Fi and a Netflix series to watch?

Plus, it’s kind of cold out there right now and during the warmer months there are bugs. I think we should all

adopt some New Year’s resolutions that are both obtainable and limitless. Instead of setting your goal to “losing

weight” maybe set your goal to being confident in your body. With this resolution, you don’t have to pour energy

into diets and strenuous exercise but instead put energy into feeling comfortable in your own skin, and if that

includes diets and workouts, then so be it. Maybe we should adopt a resolution that resembles, “This year I want

to live.” This year we should all strive to live. No, not staying alive, but really living. We should do things that

make us feel good. Take risks. Go try that new food you’ve wanted to try, travel to that place you wanted to go to,

talk to that girl that you didn’t have the guts to talk to before. We should be spontaneous. We usually get over-

whelmed with the responsibilities and expectations of life like school, work, and societal expectations that we for-

get to take time out to just live for ourselves free of judgment. We often fail to live contently. We’re so constantly

in a pursuit of happiness that we fail to be happy with the people, memories, and experiences that we already have

but haven’t stopped to enjoy. It’s easy to be happy, once you realize what you have to be happy for. Much love,

many blessings, and Happy New Year!

School News

Deloitte Seniors Visit Seton Hall

On December 9th, six UNHS seniors affiliated with the Deloitte Academy

were given the opportunity to take a college tour of Seton Hall University in

Orange County, New Jersey. As college application deadlines were ap-

proaching, adding another college to our application process would increase

our chances of getting a quality college education.

Seton Hall focuses on business and science and offers opportunities to study

abroad. The campus itself was large and beautiful to visit, regardless of the

freezing weather the day of the trip. Seton Hall also has a great division I

basketball team and won the Big East Conference of 2016. Many of us are

now considering going to Seton Hall in the fall. Thank you, Ms. Pack and

Deloitte Academy, for giving us this opportunity to see this amazing school.

UNHS Takes a Trip to Philly! On December 9th, most of the 11th grade students,

along with some 9th and 10th graders, had the oppor-

tunity to travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for an

all-day excursion. The interdisciplinary trip tied to-

gether what students have been learning in their Eng-

lish and U.S. History classes. Students started off at

the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the famous

“Rocky Steps.” They moved on to the National Con-

stitution Center to watch an interactive performance

called “Freedom Rising” focusing on the reasoning

and importance of the U.S. Bill of Rights.

From there, the group of 90 students split into Team

Liberty and Team Justice. Groups went to visit Independence Hall, where they had the opportunity to see George

Washington’s meeting room and dining hall on the second floor. They visited Betsy Ross’ house, where a Betsy

Ross impersonator greeted them and answered questions that visitors. It was a great opportunity to see a huge part

of history only a couple of hours away from school. We would love to have the opportunity again next year!

The Philly team doing the “Rocky” pose after running up the

infamous “Rocky Steps” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Wilfrido Bautista, Kevin Chen, Ashley Gomez, Malachi Figuira, Lalla Sankara, and Edward

Fernandez pose at Seton Hall.

Students asking “Betsy Ross” questions

about her past.

Team Liberty outside Independence Hall .

Visiting the Liberty Bell.

UNHS Sports

School News

UNHS Celebrates the Holidays with Spirit Week The holidays were days away, and students and staff could not wait for the long week off! UNHS channeled all

that energy into our ever-popular Spirit Week! During the last week of school before break, students and staff

dressed up for specifically-themed days. Of course, everyone’s favorite was Pajama Day on Monday!

We also held our annual door decorating contest, which was judged by Ms. Collins. The winners received a

pizza party for their 3rd period class. The 4-WAY TIE for first place this year was: Ms. Pintak’s Peaceful

Snowman, Ms. Haff’s Snoopy Doghouse, Ms. Constantinou’s Wintery Cabin, and Mrs. Kowalsky’s “T’was the

Night Before Christmas” door. Congratulations to all those who won and thank you to all those teachers who

participated in the annual door decorating!

Panthers for the win January 6th!

The Panthers are currently 4-5 for this season in the Manhattan League. Pictured above is the turnout from last

Friday’s game at Basketball City against Institute for Collaborative Education on January 6th. The Panthers won

with a score of 45-42. We are really proud of our athletes and hope they keep up the good work. The next home

game is January 14th, 1:00 P.M. at Basketball City. Everyone should make it a point to come down and support

our school and build up the school spirit!

GO PANTHERS!

Mrs. Kowalsky’s Door

410

Ms. Haff’s Door

403

Ms. Constantinou’s Door

406 Ms. Pintak’s Door

401

Mr. Fox’s Door

510

Photos provided by Mrs. Collins

Calling All Baseball Enthusiasts!

Do you enjoy playing baseball? UNHS has started a base-

ball club that is led by Mr. Chung. The team meets on

Wednesdays after school! Get in contact with Mr.

Chung (room 201) for more information.

UNHS Sports

Entertainment Column

Sing Movie Review: 3.5 out of 5

Sing is a family movie that is filled with many songs you may have heard of before. The

movie is centered around multiple protagonists, each having their own unique struggles

the audience can relate too. The common thread in the film is that each character has a

passion in music. The movie is geared more towards a younger audience; it is highly rec-

ommended that you watch this movie with your family.

Rogue One Review: 4.5 out 5

Any Star Wars or action movie fans out there have probably already seen this film once

or twice since its release last month. Rogue One is a stand-alone movie from the Star

Wars series that is set to have taken place right before Star Wars IV: A New Hope.

Watch Jyn Erso join the Rebel Alliance to find the missing plans that could destroy the

Death Star. This movie sucks you into this galactic world, and the audience relates to all

the characters they introduce. If you have not had the chance to see this movie yet, defi-

nitely make it a point soon!

La La Land Review: 5 out of 5

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone star in a Golden Globe winning musical about two artists

trying to make it big in Hollywood. Stone and Gosling give the movie a classic feel that

brings us back to the 1930-1950s style movie. The acting and dancing performances

were jaw-dropping and engaging to see. Although the movie is quite long (over two

hours), you are drawn into this Cinemascope fantasy world, and you hardly notice how

long you have been in the theater. This movie is a definite see!

Senior Corner

Teacher College Recommendation Deadline: Jan-

uary 15th

Attention all Seniors! FAFSA and

TAP applications are due by

January 20th!

Please complete them!

Seniors! Please submit your senior dues

ASAP. See Ms. Constantinou for more infor-

mation.

Internship Opportunities for the Spring Semester:

Visit www.futuresandoptions.org for more

information!

PTA Update

During our last PTA meeting on January 11, a work-

shop was held by Dr. Alan Schlecter, who helped

the group understand the many unique qualities of

the teenage mind. His main point was that for teen-

agers, reward is the most important thing (rather

than fear). Dr. Schlecter asked the group to consider

the idea that saying, “You’re going to be punished if

you…” can often have less effect than reminding the

teen how good (s)he felt when doing the right thing

so that the feeling of doing well becomes the reward.

The workshop really helped parents understand the

teenage mindset.

For information about our next informative work-

shop, please contact Haydee Rodriguez at extension

3060.

School Leadership Team

Update

During the January 11 SLT meeting, the PTA

shared that 25 parents attended last month’s

workshop on financial aid. Student Government

reported that candy grams and other items will

be sold for Valentine’s Day, and the hallways will

be decorated. Group members reflected on Winter

Fest (all agreed that it was the best ever!), then

planned next steps for future events (i.e. larger

selection of food, earlier ticket distribution for

raffle baskets). Before they adjourned, the group

reviewed the upcoming Regents schedule.

Have a recommendation? Email

UNHSPress@gmail.com to submit for the next issue!

Parent News

Regents Exams Are Coming!

Please be sure to see the calendar on

the last page for all Regents exam

dates and times.

PARENTS INVITED TO JOIN THE

CITYWIDE COUNCIL ON

HIGH SCHOOLS (CCHS)

What is the Citywide Council on High Schools?

The CCHS is an advisory body concerned with the edu-

cation of high school students. The CCHS is responsible

for issuing an annual report on how effectively high

school students are served by the NYC Department of

Education and making recommendations for improve-

ments. The CCHS must hold at least one public meeting

per month during which the public may discuss issues

concerning high schools.

Who is eligible to run for a seat on CCHS? You are eligible to run if you are the parent of a student

currently attending a public, non-charter high school. For

the purpose of determining CCHS eligibility, a person in

parental relation to a child is a person who is directly re-

sponsible for the care and custody of the child on a regu-

lar basis in lieu of a parent or legal guardian. If you do

not meet this criteria, you may still be eligible to serve as

the Public Advocate appointee on the CCHS.

How and when can I apply to serve on the CCHS?

You can apply for the 2017 – 2019 term beginning on

February 9, 2017. The application per iod ends at

11:59 pm on March 5, 2017. Please download the appli-

cation at

http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/CEC/GPInformation/defau

lt.html. If you do not have access to a computer, please

call 311 for information on how to access computers at

Monthly Horoscopes Aquarius (Jan 20- Feb 19): The old is gone and leaves room for the new to replace it. There will be opportune time to look at in the near future and plan

steps towards even more personal happiness.

Pisces ( Feb. 20-Mar. 20) : It is a new year with the theme of focus. Not just concentrations, but microscopically finding sources and responding to them.

Aries (Mar. 21-Apr.20): Your desk is stacked with documents covered with work. The start of this week is a perfect time to finish it and get it out of your

way; keep things moving.

Taurus (Apr. 21- May 21): Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a tree? To be so grounded, healthy and tall? You’ll get an inkling of this

feeling on Monday and Tuesday. People will want to sit near you and regard you with awe.

Gemini (May 22- Jun. 21): You’re very interested in how people see you, but you aren’t defined by their perspectives. You’re happy to participate in this

game called life and accepting judgments from others is just a part of it.

Cancer (Jun.22-Jul.23): The choices you make in the near future are either good investments for the future, or they’ll result in consequences you

have to pay for at a later date. Why put yourself in debt over something you only believe in halfway?

Leo (July 23 - August 22): Personality clashes rule the beginning of this month, and it’s an understatement to say don’t get along with anymore

who tries to compete with you on any level. You’re the top dog, and it’s important to you that everyone around you knows it. This may come back in

a negative way so be careful who you try to clash with.

Virgo (August 23 - September 22): Are your fr iends looking at you funny when you break out of your routines in the beginning of the month? You

aren’t going crazy, you just feel like doing things differently. And yes, that’ unusual for you but everybody changes it up sometimes.

Libra (September 23 - October 22): You’re in total control of your destiny for a change, making this month the perfect oppor tunity to go after the

things you really want. It might take you a minute to prioritize, but once you figure out what’s at the top of your list, it’s yours for the taking.

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21):Your legendary generosity is one of your best features but you run the r isk of getting taken advantage of, but

in your mind it’s a small price to pay in order to be of service to the world.

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21): You have a great time chatting it up with both fr iends and str angers alike in the beginning of the month.

Your openness and ability to break the ice make you one of the most popular people in your immediate vicinity and beyond.

Capricorn (December 22— January 19): You’re a great leader in the middle of the month and when you’re put in charge things get done. You’d

rather not delegate the bulk of the workload, but even a superhero like you need help every once in awhile.

Want more UNHS swag?

Get custom Panthers gear at the official UNHS online spirit store! Purchase hoodies, hats, bags, T-shirts, sweats,

and more! Visit: www.unhsgear.com.

Fun Page

Please see next page for our January calendar.

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