a note from the the golden wave - baldwin · trips to south nassau community hospital and mercy...

Saying Goodbye to Baldwin The Golden Wave

The Golden Wave

Inside this issue:

Features 1-3

Politics 4

Issues of Today 4-7

Advice 8-9

Jeans Day 10-

11

Farewell to

Seniors

12

A Note from the

Editor

Thank you all for taking the time to read the Summer 2017 issue of The Golden Wave. I have been a part of this club for all four years of high school, and this year I had the privilege of being the editor. Making this paper has given me priceless memories. Thank you to all my fellow writers and the wonderful advisors of this club (including former advisor Ms. Schmol). I am sure that as I continue on to college, more and more people will see how bright The Golden Wave shines.

Leah Ham

When Ms. Riess started

working at Baldwin, she

was the only woman to

graduate from her college

with a Physics degree, and

then at Baldwin she was

the only female Physics

teacher. Ms. Riess has

been working at Baldwin

for decades. Some students

remember that their

parents, too, were

students of Ms. Riess. A

small list of the activities

she has participated in

include: coaching track,

volleyball, basketball, and

softball at the middle

school; coaching Junior

Varsity softball and

basketball, and Varsity

field hockey at the high

school; working in Human

Relations, the Leadership

Council, the Science Bowl

Team, the Physics Olym-

pics Team, Student Activi-

ties Coordinator, and pres-

ently the Medical Acade-

my. These are just a few

examples of her dedication

and perseverance as an

A Legend Retires by J Fordsman

educator. These things are

also evident in how she

teaches and how she

involves herself in various

clubs and academies. Ms.

Riess has been the catalyst

for the Medical Academy,

hand designing the

curriculum alongside her

colleagues. She organizes

with other faculty to create

specialized field trips on

which students are able to

listen to medical specialists

and other hospital workers

to become more familiar

with opportunities offered

in a hospital setting. She

has been instrumental in

the lives of so many

students, including

students she has not

personally taught. Kelsey

Morris, a graduating senior

said, “Ms. Riess has been

the sweetest person to me

and has always greeted me

kindly even though she

didn’t know me.”

Ms. Riess has never been

my teacher, but

for my first two years at

BHS she organized several

trips to South Nassau

Community Hospital and

Mercy Medical Center that

I participated in. I listened

to speeches from

cardiologists,

pulmonologists and

oncologists who had been

practicing in their fields for

years, even decades. Bryan

Friebel, another graduating

senior, said Ms. Riess is

“..an amazing teacher who

always found a way to

encourage us to strive for

more. She always encour-

ages you to do better, be

better.”

Ms. Riess is not

just an inspiring teacher,

but she also brings a

unique sense of humor to

the science lab.

Continued on pg. 2

The Golden Wave

Continued from pg. 1

Her experience on the third floor has carefully

molded her wit and, as some students said,

“She is thorough in her roasts.” Justin Gransaull

said of her and how she speaks to her students,

“She was the realest science teacher!”

According to Ms. Riess, there have been a

lot of changes over the years. Today there are more

opportunities for advanced study within the AP

curriculum, more hands-on and applied science,

and more opportunities for students to see the real-

world application of the skills they are learning in

the classroom.

Ms. Riess said that the actual teaching is what

she will miss most. She loves watching her students

learn and learning with and from them; the interac-

tion between student and teacher is her key to suc-

cess. She says she’ll definitely miss watching the

light bulb go off when a student finally understands

a concept.

I experienced such an “aha” moment when I

went on a trip to Cold Spring Harbor Labs where I

brewed a mixture of bacteria with a genetic modifi-

cation that would allow them to glow like jellyfish.

This reinforced the lessons I had in biology, chem-

istry, and med tech. Ms. Riess is right!

For the future of the high school, Ms. Riess

hopes Baldwin will learn how to love itself and

spread the good word that Baldwin High School

excels in all subjects, from art to music to sports to

academics. She also hopes that our current

emphasis on the Career Academies expands into

other career paths, and that educators continue to

teach our students using experience and not just

lectures.

Science

One practice she hopes to see

implemented in Baldwin is the use of Individual

Student Education Plans, where students are given

more focused and direct education according to

their needs and wants. This will allow teachers and

students to receive a more comprehensive Renais-

sance education. On a personal note, Ms. Riess is

looking forward to relaxation, but she may eventu-

ally go back to school. Whether she goes back for a

Doctorate, or picks up a few new skills at Stony

Brook, she can’t wait to get back to learning her-

self.

Ms. Riess says farewell. 6/15/2017

Photo credit—Nia Thompson

The Light of Unity

Continue Light of

Unity here to pg. 3

“To catch the reader's attention, place

an interesting sentence or quote from

the story here.”

An informal club known

as "Writers Meet" hosted its

second Coffee House on June 1,

2017, from 3-4 pm in room 617B.

Set up with a Greenwich Village

café vibe, the coffee house is

meant to be a place where creative

and original pieces of writing are

shared. Many people performed

such as J Fordsman, a senior who

not only took charge, but also

shared beautiful pieces of work

with the rest of us. Trevaughn

Allie shared poems that showed

his passion for writing. Adja

Thomas, Desiree Merchant-

Allen, and Jeffrey Fulcher were

all a part of a mini “haiku battle,”

and shared their original writing

on the spot. Aaron Irving shared a

poem he wrote at the coffee

house, impromptu.

Coffee House

by Brittany Monroy

Evan Batsford read a revealing

editorial. I read a poem about the

kids in Baldwin and the music

program. Overall, there are more

names that can be listed, but these

are just a few of the people who

not only attended, but also

brought this event to life. Mrs.

McManus, the teacher who

supervised it all, did a terrific job

motivating us all to get up onto

the little stage and at least read

something. Her patience and

absolute love for writing made the

setting of Coffee House

enjoyable. Mr. Soupios joined in

and read his poem from a college

class as well!

The peaceful ambiance of the

room made us comfortable to

read, and applause took the form

of encouraging snaps. With

today's transition to Common

Core, which leaves little room for

creative endeavors, “Writers

Meet" helps bring back the

originality in writing and

encourages students in high

school to write things they want to

write. The turn-out for this event

was incredible, and we hope to

continue it in years to come. Are

you a writer who wants to

showcase your love for the spoken

word? Then "Writers Meet" is the

perfect home for you.

The Golden Wave

The Golden Wave

America the Terrific

by Elliot McClean

Trump's great, close to ter-

rific, maybe even the best.

He said he'd bring jobs

back to the US and, by

God, he did. Just not the

jobs he thought he would.

Late night comedians have

seen a huge boost in rat-

ings since the election of

the 45th President, and

it's no shock why. All com-

ics really have to do is read

headlines like, "Alternative

Facts” or "The Horrors of

Bowling Green.” Who

would have guessed how

hard being president is? It

would probably be a lot

easier if all the "fake” judg-

es" and the “failing” New

York Times weren't always

getting in his way though.

I mean, can you believe

that some so-called judge

from some island in the

Pacific dared to block

the travel ban? If only

the late Andrew Jackson

could've been here. He

would have put an end

to it just like he ended

the Civil War. But

speaking of Jackson, I

wonder what he would

think of the Press Secre-

tary being an ex-Easter

bunny, because Sean

Spicer's pretty great too.

Holocaust centers! He

clearly meant concentra-

tion clubs. He sounds

more like he's from

“South Park” than the

White House. And what

genius thought it would

be a good idea to mess

with Obamacare since,

to quote the president,

“Nobody knew that

healthcare could be so

complicated.” Yeah, no-

body... I mean, besides

Australia, Canada,

France, Germany, Israel,

Spain, and about a dozen

other countries with uni-

versal health care. At

least Comey gets to enjoy

all the jobs Trump is

bringing back, now that

he's unemployed. I won-

der if Trump is surprised

to discover that firing the

person investigating you

and then screaming, "I'm

innocent!” makes people

think you're guilty. I

guess I just can't wait for

him to start making

America great again.

The Fight for Knowledge

by J Fordsman

When I read Anemona

Hartocollis’s article

“College is the Goal. The

Problem? Getting There”

in The New York Times, I

empathized with the

students. Ethan and TaTy

come from broken families

with divorced parents. I

too come from a single

parent family. My father

passed when I was very

young, and our family has

been financially unstable

ever since. I especially

empathize with TaTy, for

whom financial aid and

scholarships do not cover

the cost of attendance at

her school. I am the same;

according to FAFSA I will

receive next to no money. I

will have to fight tooth and

nail for scholarships,

grants, Federal Work

Study, and even the

opportunity for a part-

time job in a flooded

market…

Continued on pg. 5

The Light of Unity

“To catch the reader's attention, place

an interesting sentence or quote from

the story here.”

even with loans, why is there

still a gap? The only gaps

students should face are

those in our knowledge as we

continue to seek it out and

the gaps in our teeth because

we decided we don’t want

braces. Even with the aid

that some receive, where is

the equity? How is it fair that

a top student who only just

misses the mark is

confronted with more than

$50,000 in debt? Had that

same student been from an

upper echelon of the

economic ladder, he would

have faced no such struggle.

How is it fair that our

nation’s brightest and most

vulnerable get the short end

of the stick? Why does the

cycle of poverty get to repeat

itself, time and time again,

when American values

identify us as the most socio-

economically mobile group?

Economic mobility—is that

not what some of the first

settlers came to the New

World for? A chance to make

better lives for themselves

and their children, like the

All this, so that I can go

out into the world and

make sure that no other

student has to go through

the same struggles I have-

mental illness brewing like

black mold in a condemned

home.

Beyond empathy, I am

barraged by emotions such

as frustration, disgust, and

indignation that in the

year 2017, when college is

a requirement for a decent

middle-class job, there are

thousands upon thousands

of students for whom

college finances are a fight,

even a war to wage. We

students from broken

families, from the lower

and lower middle sectors of

the economy, from the

hardest working parents,

from generations of poverty

and financial struggle,

deserve the right to quality

education. Even at reduced

prices and with help from

scholarships, both private

and school provided, even

with FAFSA and TAP,

chances taken by many

refugees we have accepted

into Liberty’s waiting

arms. Chances taken to

ensure a stable livelihood,

yet we still struggle for

the mobility we came here

for, nearly four

generations later.

“

The Golden Wave

The Fight for Knowledge

Continued from pg. 4

“When we make

college more

AFFORDABLE,

we make the

American Dream

more achievable.”

-Bill Clinton

Throughout these halls in

Baldwin High School I have

seen, I have thought, I have

wondered about the

potential that could emerge

from within our students

had they made the effort to

put down their phones.

Technology acts as a barrier

separating our souls from

the real world around us

and robbing us of our true

ambitions. Therefore,

distance from the phone can

offer the clarity our hearts

desire. With separation

from the screen our eyes

can be directed towards the

world around us. Every day

we are surrounded by

friends and family, people

with stories to share and

somber tales to discuss.

Instead of sending a text

message, sit down and have

an actual conversation! As

social creatures, we form

the basis of who we are

A buzz, a ring, and a

beep echo in the distance.

With each second the

ringing grows stronger and

louder. The noise is

inescapable; it consumes

you, it overwhelms you,

and boom it confronts you!

But alas, it was but a mere

text message. Quite

distinct from our

forbearers, the

contemporary culture in

which we are immersed is

like no age before it.

Information is abundant

and can be found at the

tips of our fingers. Social

media such as YouTube,

Instagram, and Twitter

help to create a cohesive

and linked world where

you and I are forever

connected in a digital

sense. However, is this

cyber world an advantage

or a disadvantage?

upon interaction- not with

the phone, but with real

people.

Phones and other

technology offer a myriad of

benefits that are important

to living today, yet such

devices can distract from

the experience of inhabiting

Mother Earth in her truest

form. Therefore, look at

technology with neither

disdain nor worship, but

with a view of openness and

moderation.

As the summer

approaches and the school

year comes to a close, enjoy

the plethora of electronics

that compose the world

today, but remember to go

outside and explore the

natural world and all its

wonders.

Mind Over Matter

The Golden Wave

by Ryan Burnett

by Marie Drew

The polar ice caps are

melting. Rapidly. In

fact, the Arctic is losing

13,500 square miles of

land each year since

1979, according to

NASA. Not only is it

horribly shocking that

the Earth is losing its

natural glacier territory,

but it is also losing

many species of animals

as a result of it.

As the Earth warms,

ocean temperatures

warm and the Arctic ice

melts. This is combined

with extreme weather

patterns, an unnatural

phenomenon that is

man made. As global

warming and climate

change increase, the fate

of many beloved species

are threatened,

including that of the

polar bear. The main

problem polar bears are

facing during global

warming is lack of food.

As the arctic ice melts,

the polar bears’ main

prey, the seal, becomes

more and more difficult

to hunt. Lisa Feldcamp

writes, “Because polar

bears’ main prey — seals

— are best hunted on sea

ice. Without sea ice,

polar bears cannot catch

enough seals to eat —

and without enough seals

to eat, they are unlikely

to gain enough weight to

survive their autumn to

summer fast.” Without

food the polar bears are

too underweight to be

able to reproduce. Male

polar bears average 990

pounds while females can

range from 330-550

pounds. They need 4.4

kilograms of fat per day

to be able to function,

and a seal can keep them

fed for about eight days.

But as seals become

more and more difficult

to hunt, polar bears are

losing their main source

of food, which prompts

the question: why can’t

they just eat berries or

other food sources? Since

polar bears need such a

high fat and protein

intake these food options

will never sustain them.

As the ice melts, the seas

are becoming more and

more dangerous to hunt

and swim in as well,

according to the National

Wildlife Federation. It

estimates that about

26,000 polar bears left in

the wild and they have

never faced temperatures

as warm as these in the

past 50 years. It also

predict that two thirds of

the polar bear population

will be extinct by 2050

and that they will

eventually go extinct if

the release of greenhouse

gasses continues to

escalate.

Humans have caused this

problem for the beloved

wild bears. But we also

can do our best to help to

be part of the solution.

The following are

websites from

organizations that work

to protect polar bears.

Please be part of the

change.

-http://

polarbearsinternational.

org/

-https://

support.worldwildlife.org/

(800)960-0993

Polar Bears Struggle in the North

The Golden Wave

We are all so

much more

alike than we

are different.

Timeless

The Golden Wave

by Nya Douglas

time, which is not always a

luxury I have. However, not

staying up late to finish

assignments is a reward

enough for me. Unlike many

of my peers, I am not

allowed to watch television

during the school week so in

my free time I enjoy

unwinding from a long day.

Additionally, many students

are exhausted and can’t

wake up in the morning.

Finishing all your work

enables you to go to bed

early and get a good night’s

rest to be refreshed and

rejuvenated in the morning.

Therefore, students may

have the opportunity to eat

a good breakfast and not

rush in the morning. This

method puts an end to a

lazy and unproductive cycle.

While trying to make

yourself a well rounded

individual you may

experience stress trying to

excel in every aspect of your

life. I learned to balance

cheerleading, having a job,

practicing my violin, and

doing well in school.

However, being a student

athlete and working is

strenuous and presents

many challenges. To cope

with these obstacles I

suggest that students

prioritize their school work

School is a place that

many students dislike. They

are stressed and

overwhelmed by the constant

pressures of succeeding and

the workload. As a result,

many students search for

ways to excel academically

and eliminate stress. A lot of

students feel as if they are

drowning in responsibilities,

and they struggle to balance

all the demands on their

time. This problem can be

addressed with time

management and scheduling.

Similar to many

students who are in AP and

honors classes, I discovered

the importance of balancing

all my activities. First, I

recommend getting a

planner. Organization is key.

Often students are surprised

when teachers request

assignments they completely

forgot about. To alleviate this

feeling, one should invest in a

planner to lessen

procrastination and

carelessness. Furthermore,

planners also present all the

homework in front of you.

This is beneficial because it

creates order. For instance, I

like to do the shortest

assignment first then work

up to the longest. Also, I am

strongly against after school

naps. This is because doing

your assignments directly

after school allows you to

finish early. I prefer to finish

all my work and have free

and follow a schedule. For

example, I suggest that

students waste no time. They

should attempt to start their

homework during a free

period to lessen the load.

Also, students should start

assignments early on and do

a little each day to prevent

build up. In addition, after

practice most people are

exhausted; students should

shower and eat and then

resume their work. Mental

strength is an important

attribute for student athletes.

It is key to push yourself and

get all your homework done. I

don't advise giving up on

homework because you are

tired. It creates bad habits

and will develop a sense of

laziness. If one finds it

impossible to stay awake to

complete homework, I

suggest waking up early to

complete an assignment.

Finally, cheating is a bad

habit. It fosters dependency.

I hope these tips will be

helpful as you look forward to

September!

colleges’ websites in August

for information.

5. Try to apply early.

Look at the college

websites for specific details

about how each school uses

the Early Action and the

Early Decision options.

Usually you can only apply

to a few schools with Early

Action and only one school

with Early Decision. If you

get accepted to a school

under the Early Decision

process, you have to go to

that school, so think

carefully before choosing

this path. When applying

Regular Decision still try to

send it in before the

deadline. Your college

applications will be out of

the way. A thoughtful early

application makes a great

impression on reviewers.

But don’t forget, enjoy your

summer!!!

Looking back on my

Summer before the start of

senior year, there are some

tips about the college

application process that I

wish I had received. I’d like

to take the time right now

to give the Class of 2018

those tips so that they can

be less stressed out and

less unsure as they move

forward. Make the most of

your journey to college, and

enjoy your last year in

BHS!

1. Ask teachers for

recommendations now!

I’m certain that you are a

great student, especially if

you are reading this

newspaper. However, I

hope that your teachers

had a lot of great students

this year, and if they did,

they will probably have a

lot of people asking for

recommendation letters.

Get a head start! The

earlier you ask, the more

time your teacher will have

to write a beautiful and

well-thought-out letter.

2. Take a closer look at all

of your options.

This means college tours,

pamphlets, and websites-

learn more however you

can. At first, the college

search was intimidating.

I hoarded almost every single

letter I got because I was

afraid of throwing away my

“perfect school.” Make filters

for yourself so you don’t

drown in offers. Which

schools have eight-year career

programs, study abroad for

all majors, or your favorite

sport? Find schools that have

what’s important to you.

3. Start writing your personal

statement in late July/early

August.

And I don’t mean just one

paragraph during summer

vacation-that was the

mistake I made. The

questions for next year’s

Common Application are

already online. Lucky for you,

the questions offer a lot more

freedom, so write paragraphs

for a multitude of topics. Then

choose around three to write

a full essay for.

4. Keep an eye out for

supplementary essays and

other requirements.

Certain schools or programs

ask for more than the

Common Application does.

You might need to answer

more essay questions, send in

a portfolio, or get more

recommendations. Don’t miss

an application deadline just

because you were unaware of

the requirements! Look on the

Dealing with Pre-College “Chaos”

The Golden Wave

by Leah Ham

We are all so

much more

alike than we

are different.

The Golden Wave

money, if only a little bit.

She incorporated the age-

old idea, “Everybody gives

a little, it becomes a lot.” If

we can raise 3,000 dollars

annually with only an

average of 200 dollars each

Jeans Day, imagine what

would happen if we raised

300 dollars each Jeans

Day. We could really make

a difference in peoples’

lives through this charity,

and that’s exactly how Ms.

Sisco feels. She said that

being a part of such a

movement and making

such a difference in other’s

lives is a wonderful feeling.

She wishes that others

would get as involved as

the BHS staff is, so that

we, as members of the

Baldwin community, can

provide aid to those in

need. So if you have

something you would like

to propose for students to

do in an effort to raise

money for charity, bring

your proposal to Student

Council, or even to teachers

themselves. Together we

can make a difference.

As high school students,

we understand the

importance of community

service. However, I am not

sure that we fully grasp the

impact it can have on a

community. There are

many community service

projects that raise money

to help others. One such

project is Jeans Day, a

charity supported by the

faculty and staff of our very

own Baldwin High

School. Jeans Day is a

charity created by Ms.

Patty Sisco, a secretary for

Baldwin High School.

This fundraising event

began in 2007 when Ms.

Sisco first arrived at BHS.

Ms. Sisco wanted to raise

money for the American

Cancer Society Breast

Cancer Walk in memory of

her sister who passed away

from Breast Cancer. It

originally began as a

simple idea; teachers and

other faculty could choose

to wear jeans on a given

Friday and donate money

for the cause. BHS adopted

this idea and made it an

official event for staff here

in the school. Since October

of 2007, Jeans Day has

expanded to include many

different causes. Teachers

and other faculty were

asked to wear jeans and a

specific colored T-shirt

representing the particular

charity the school was raising

money for, like pink in the

name of Breast Cancer. If

members of the staff did

participate, they were

encouraged to donate in the

name of Baldwin High

School. Jeans Day is now a

scheduled event, held every

other Friday. Some are even

themed! If Valentine’s Day,

for example, falls on a Friday,

Jeans Day would be held to

support the American Heart

Association. Jeans Day isn’t

only for charities, however. It

could also be extended to

personal matters. The event

could be held to support a

staff member in need or

someone who suffered a

recent tragedy. When asked

about how much money Jeans

Day would typically produce

on an average Friday, Ms.

Sisco reported that each

Jeans Day typically resulted

in approximately 200 dollars

collected from the staff, which

annually adds up to 3,000

dollars. Since this charity has

been running for almost 10

years now, that’s a lot of

money raised for equally

worthy causes. Ms. Sisco

hopes that with more time,

more people will donate more

Jeans Day

The Golden Wave

by Noa Cadet and Leah Ham

The Golden Wave

ARTWORK BY MALIK SOMERS

The Golden

Wave

Managing Editor:

LEAH HAM

Advisers:

MS. HUGHES

MRS. TAORMINA

The Golden

Wave has

meetings every

Monday in

room 612

at 2:45 p.m.

HELP WANTED! Reporters, photographers and

artists/graphic artists are needed.

Your Voice.

Your Student Newspaper.

Farewell to Seniors!

by Sydney Gray

This year our seniors have been

accepted to many colleges and

universities including:

Harvard University

Boston University

New York University

Duke University

University at Albany

University at Buffalo

Cornell University

St. John’s University

Stony Brook University

University of Michigan

University of Connecticut

SUNY Fredonia

SUNY Oneonta

LIU Post

Hampton University

SUNY Old Westbury

SUNY Buffalo State

Delaware State University

Manhattan College

Queens College

Adelphi University

Molloy College

SUNY Purchase

Saint Leo University

Rensselaer Polytechnic University

a note from the the golden wave - baldwin · trips to south nassau community hospital and mercy...

Documents