Key Club event a silver dollar hit page 3

Photography is more than a hobby

page 8

Cross country keeps winning tradition

page 16

Remembering an inspiration The Calhoun community suf-fered a loss when Tyler Seaman, Class of ‘10, passed away recently after a battle with clival chordoma, a type of bone cancer. Tyler made an impact on not only his friends and family, but the school, as well. For the past few years, Halloween at Calhoun has become a fundraiser to raise mon-ey for chordoma research, an idea spearheaded by Student Govern-

ment adviser Tanya DiMambro, who knew Tyler as a student and wished to help. Calling him “tenacious” and a “leader,” Ms. DiMambro said, “When you see a kid who wants to do something for a cause great-er than just himself, you want to help.” In fact, Student Government will continue to raise money for chordoma research for years to come, in honor of Tyler and what he stood for. “He was always such a passion-

ate person. He always did things wholeheartedly,” Ms. DiMambro said, adding that it was his tight connection with his family and his love of music that made Tyler such an inspiration. Fellow classmate from the Class of ‘10, friend, and bunkmate from summers together at Camp Baco, Sam Sklover, also described Ty-ler’s passion for music as one of his most memorable qualities as a person. “Ty’s biggest legacy was his involvement in music. It’s very

Freshmen Caroline Criscoula and Katie Dever enjoy green cupcakes.

In an effort to inform students on going green and being environ-mentally friendly, Calhoun hosted its first Environmental Day.

Teachers of all subjects infused the pro-environment idea into classes, guest speakers were heard, and several fun activities were ar-ranged. “This was a day for the students to get a break from the normal cur-

riculum. The activities in the day were all about pointing out the problems of the environment and what we can do to help fix those issues,” said Ms. Nicole Hollings, assistant principal. Many saw the day as a success, as it had an impact on students. One student in particular is Emily Tenenbaum. “After being spoken to by the guest speakers I now realize the potential dangers that can happen if we don’t start taking action for our mistakes,” Tenenbaum said. As students shuffled through

the hallways they attended actives where they were enriched with ideas of being green. One of the activities was the Earth Balloon, an activity that explained differ-ent topics ranging from being a healthy individual for the planet to informing students on the history of the world. Teachers signed up their classes for various activities throughout the day. One problem, though, was that some students wound up see-ing the same speaker or event mul-tiple times. Other students did not

by Cortina Florez & Dana ReillyStaff Writers

Colts go greenThe new water fountain is eco-friendly and dispenses cold water.

(photo by Tatianna Flores)

(see GREEN on page 5)

by Philippa BoyesEditor-in-Chief

(see INSPIRATION on page 14)

(photo by Dana Reilly)

2 Hoofbeats December 2010 NEWS

Calhoun has a few environmen-tally friendly changes in store for the near-future. In the wake of the successful Environmental Day, the adminis-tration has looked into more per-manent eco- friendly measures to lessen Calhoun’s impact on the world. Starting with the installa-tion of three new water fountains,

these measures will begin to take hold starting this month. The efforts to began with a cul-mination of individuals. Principal David Seinfeld, along with other administrative members, were ap-proached by many staff members, parents, and students asking to turn Calhoun green. As Mr. Seinfeld put it, “It all started to flow and everyone start-ed to get involved.” Throughout the process, a con-sensus arose: Calhoun must put

more effort into environment friendly policies.

The Site-Based committee, sup-ported by the Leadership Class, launched efforts against plastic bottle waste. The class began by selling $8 BPA free re-usable water bottles. Bisphenol-A is an industri-al chemical used in the manufac-turing of many plastics. According to Leadership teach-er Brian Daniels, the project was started by his students who “took it upon themselves to save the planet.” The administration showed their support for this project by approving the installation of three new water fountains to encourage the use of reusable water sources. Previous efforts by students have not been ignored. Mr. Sein-feld openly thanked the students that got involved in the recycling program for their contributions to the school. On top of the already launched recycling program, the school will install a composter to deal with cafeteria food waste. Composters are proven to limit the garbage that ends up in landfills and regulate waste. Robert Kaefer, the AP Environ-

mental Science teacher, added that on top of reducing landfill waste a composter also “limits energy spent on transporting materials to landfills and now provides com-post material to be used in the Cal-houn gardens and greenhouse.” The efforts do not stop there. Mr. Seinfeld is looking into future green installments for the school. On the topic of a solar power op-tion, Mr. Seinfeld said, “I have made some very initial outreach to the New York Power Company over the idea of Solar Powers.” Though admitting that the dis-cussion of alternate energy sources is still in its initial stages, the ad-ministration is bringing the idea to serious consideration. The most prominent variable in deciding if Calhoun can take a further step in its green ambitions is the Power Company itself. This process will involve inspections of the roof and angling that could make or break Calhoun’s chances for solar power. With the process ongoing and more being planned, there is much hope for a greener, more eco-friendly Calhoun.

Eco-friendly plan on the way

Plans are in the works for the construction of a greenhouse to be located in the courtyard near the cafeteria. The project will fulfill several goals: providing Prep students with an additional “hands-on” learning opportunity, serving as a resource for plant science educa-tion, and underscoring Calhoun’s commitment to green living. Science Department Chair Ro-chelle Battersby was a guiding force in hatching the idea and moving it forward. She worked with Nicole Hollings, assistant principal, in securing the neces-sary funding. “[The greenhouse] will ideally be used by Prep students to learn about nutrition—literally from the ground up. They’ll be plant-ing, harvesting, and then cooking and eating the vegetables that they grow,” Ms. Battersby said. Emily Paluseo, chair for the special education department, stressed the importance of the greenhouse for students in the Prep program. “We’re looking to have it be for the Prep Students for several rea-sons,” Ms. Paluseo said. “The Prep health class focuses on healthy eat-ing, as well as life skills, promoting healthy living. It will also help en-hancing social skills among [Prep

students] and other students in the building, like science students.” Several Prep students have worked at Friendly Farms, a small business located in East Meadow. The new greenhouse will be a more accessible way for students to learn the same skills that they did at Friendly Farms. Although the project is intended primarily for use by Prep Students, other classes are more than wel-come to utilize the greenhouse, es-pecially when learning about plant sciences. In addition, the green-house is expected to play a large role in science club. Ms. Battersby said the green-house will help expand the influ-ence of the club, envisioning a kind of mentorship that “instead of ‘Athletes Helping Athletes’ is like ‘Scientists Helping Scientists’.” “There’s a push to have more hands-on learning experiences,” explained Ms. Paluseo. Off-cam-pus job sites for Prep students and the ‘Café de Calhoun’ are prod-ucts of the focus from the Special Education Department to enhance these hands-on experiences. The money for the greenhouse came from last year’s senior class, as part of their senior gift, Ms. Hol-lings said. In addition, the money

collected from selling water bottles and other donations from recent Environmental Day will be used for purchasing materials for the greenhouse, such as seeds and pots. Head Custodian Lenny Hyde will coordinate construction of the

greenhouse. Mr. Hyde has been a major fa-cilitator of green programs around the school, including the courtyard garden. Future projects include generating compost from biode-gradable food wastes from the caf-eteria.

Going greenhouseby Emily WrynnEditor-in-Chief

by Kara IskenderianNews Editor

Winning smiles

The varsity cheerleaders took second place at the Mt. Sinai LICCA competition. The team is led by captains Lauren Lucke, Meg Talty, and Liz Lebeaux.

(photo by Chelsea Gold)

(photo by Tatianna Flores)

Three water fountains will be installed, such as this one, found on the first floor.

News December 2010 Hoofbeats 3

Calhoun shows it cares Calhoun opened its doors (and its kitchen) to host the fourth an-nual Thanksgiving dinner and food drive. Principal David Seinfeld said the event raised about $2,000 and collected canned foods that were given to local families. The money raised goes toward supermarket gift cards. The fami-lies will receive canned foods and gift cards. Over the last three years, the event known as “Calhoun Cares” has raised about $6,000. The Lead-ership Club also collected cans in an effort to help those in need dur-ing the holidays. “It’s one event at Calhoun that’s different from other fundraisers. It is kids and adults making food and coming in to participate,” Mr. Sein-feld said. “It’s nice to feed others, to raise money for people in need. It’s a great thing to do. The Special Education teachers pool money to buy the turkeys. It is really a col-

laborative effort.” Much of the school community and about 30 families gathered to socialize over turkey, corn, and sweet potatoes, while listening to performances by junior Robbie Rosen, the Express Yourself group, and assistant principals Ms. Nicole Hollings, Mr. Terrence Hinson, and others. “The message is the importance of benefiting these families,” Mr. Seinfeld said. “You as students are leaders, and we follow in your lead when it comes to others, especially with community service. When I see all the students doing so much, I feel I need to do my part.” Mr. Seinfeld added that he likes the fact that the school is known for how much it does for others. “There’s always community ser-vice. There’s the World of Differ-ence, Christmas Toy Drive, Giving Tree, Invisible Children. Key club always gets involved with the holi-days,” he said. “The lacrosse and football teams organize St. Bal-drick’s. Mrs. Keri Cinelli organizes the Talent show which raises mon-

ey for scholarships and Sophia’s Cure. We’re used to being a school known for giving to others. “ As for the Calhoun Cares event,

Mr. Seinfeld said that the adults in the building recognize how much students do, so “isn’t it time for us to do something similarly?”

For most teenagers, Sunday mornings are spent sleeping in, but for a group of students from Cal-houn and Merrick Avenue Middle School, one Sunday in November

was spent doing much more than laying in bed. The Key Club hosted the annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast which raises funds for the Kiwanis Club of Merrick. The club helps support countless organizations within the community. Some of these pro-

grams include, Toys for Tots, Little League Teams and even scholar-ships for Calhoun students. As the day progressed, people from the community flooded in, and it was almost impossible not to see someone you knew. Mem-bers of Calhoun’s Key Club and

Merrick Avenue’s Builder’s Club helped served commu-nity members who came to support the cause ,as well as helping greet the attendees and organize raffles. A member of Kiwanis, Nor-bert Billig, had some favorable words to say about the event and the Kiwanis club. “After serving on the school board for five years, I was look-ing to something to absorb my time and interest and Kiwanis was the perfect fit,” Billig said. He also added, “It’s a great opportunity to support an organization that does good right within our community.” The breakfast also helped gain new support and mem-bers for the club by showcas-ing the charitable spirit of the students. Volanda Vitulli, a prospec-tive member of Kiwanis, at-tended the fundraiser to wit-ness first- hand what the club has done. After recently moving to Merrick from Queens, Vitulli was “convinced to join after

seeing how well organized” the event was and “watch every-

one work together in order to give back.” The pancake breakfast has been and continues to be a major fund-raiser for the Kiwanis Club and with the help of Calhoun’s Key Club, has been a huge success.

by Julie CicconeStaff Writer

by Ashley McGetrickStaff Writer

Batter up!

Pancake breakfast a great cause(photo by Leah Sobel)

Key Club members do their part to help serve breakfast to students, administrators, and community members.

Sophomore Tim Turner with his mother and a family friend at the dinner.(photo by Julie Ciccone)

4 Hoofbeats December 2010 NEWS

Urban Dictionary defines an athletic trainer as “part psycholo-gist, part first aider, part hydration technician, part relationship coun-selor, part physical therapist.” There isn’t a better definition to define Calhoun’s athletic train-er, Jill Bensen. She’s the woman behind the pre-wrap, the one who listens to concussion complaints, sprained thumbs, even to athletes whine about everyday life. Bensen agreed with that defini-tion completely. “It’s true,” she said. “The thing I feel is most important is that you need a certain personality to be an athletic trainer. You can’t be quiet; you need to be friendly in order for your athletes to trust you. You wouldn’t want a relationship with a doctor that’s all business, and the same applies. Bensen’s job is a crucial part of Calhoun’s athletic department. She arrives at school Monday through Friday, as well as Saturday morn-ings, before sport practices and games. Athletes rely on her to check out their injuries and treat them accordingly, such as taping a shaky ankle or helping them stretch out a muscle that has been bothering them. However, Jill’s responsibilities go pass simple nurse-like duties. Not only does Jill follow up with injuries from the prior day, she also calls parents and recommends doctors and physical therapists. “I develop this trust with my

athletes because I want them to be comfortable enough with me in case something goes wrong. When you know that friendly face will be there to confide in during an injury, it really puts kids at ease,” she said. Bensen’s desire to be an ath-letic trainer began in high school. An athlete herself, playing sports including basketball, softball, and tennis, she was unable to partici-pate in high school sports due to back-to-back injuries. Her injuries were not going to hold her back from embracing sports. “I spoke to my guidance coun-selor who played college football himself,” she explained, “and he suggested athletic training because I love sports and helping others.” Bensen went on to obtain her Bachelor’s degree in science and athletic training from Stony Brook University. Unlike other states such as New Jersey, New York does not require schools to have an athletic trainer. Therefore, it is an advantage and privilege in having someone like Bensen on standby for the athletes. “It’s beneficial having someone there,” she said. “I’m always there, and it’s always good to have some-one there who knows specifically athletic injuries, and can care to them.” Everyday, there is a line out-side the football shed or the nurse’s office, with those waiting for Bensen’s assistance. It varies from the standard injury to the constant complaints about the athlete’s per-sonal lives. No matter the case,

Bensen is always there to wrap an ankle, or give out her best advice. With students vying for Bensen’s attention the moment she enters Calhoun, it’s clear that she is a well respected, and admired part of the Calhoun community. But the rea-son that the athletes love Bensen is because she loves her job. “I’ve always loved sports. I watch them all the time, and I find the medical field interesting.

But, I could never see myself in a white jacket or hospital everyday. I wouldn’t nearly enjoy it as much.” Past her exceptional work in car-ing for injured players, she takes the extra step to establish a rela-tionship with every athlete that enters her shed. “If you’re an athletic trainer who doesn’t like feet, throw up, or re-lationship woes, you’ve picked the wrong profession,” she said.

More than just a trainer

(photo by Tatianna Flores)

by Rachel TysonSports Editor

Fifteen reasons to go to class

Bensen helps football and basketball player John Wigand by wrapping an injury.

Athletes praise Trainer Jill

Before you decide to take a day off because you need a break, you might want to consider that it may affect your average. The district’s attendance policy has been in place for more than 15 years and still many students are not aware of it. According to Assistant Princi-pal Ms. Nicole Hollings, when a student “misses more than five days, you run the risk of getting 15 points taken off.” Considering 15 points is a large amount to deduct, it can cause a 90 average student down to a 75 av-erage, and a high 70s student’s to fail the marking quarter. It may not

seem like a big deal the first time, and some students won’t learn un-til their summer morning at the beach turns into a long, hot day in summer school. There are many circumstances the school takes into play. Based on certain situations not always will your final average sink. Whether you’re sick and bring in a note or have an issue at home, talk with your teacher and school administrators about making up the work. But don’t just think “As long as I make up the work, my grade will be fine,” that is not al-ways the case. There is a difference between missing a full day of school to just one particular class. For example, Ms. Hollings said “If you only

miss first period, then the student will lose the 15 points.” Now, the points wouldn’t come off your overall average of all your classes, it would only come off of that one individual class that the student is not attending. “The minute you go over the minimum level of absences, the minimum risk of 15 points is taken off,” Ms Hollings said. If a student misses 20 days of school, they might be so far behind that they will end up failing the quarter anyway. Junior Kelly Bogart agreed with this policy saying, “It seems to be a relatively fair system that will keep kids from missing school without a good reason.” Have people complained about

this policy in years past? Consid-ering this is Ms. Holling’s first year at Calhoun, she hasn’t heard many complaints, but at Mepham - where she worked previously - students had “raised issues” on the 15 point penalty. “Students need to get to class in order to succeed,” Ms. Hollings said. Indeed, students have to put the time and effort into their school work so they can hopefully have a bright future for themselves. Next time you’re thinking of not going to school, think to yourself, “Can I really not make it through the day?” High school is supposed to be one of the best times of your life, but you wont know unless you go.

by Michele CarrollStaff Writer

News December 2010 Hoofbeats 5

A day in the life: the Registrar’s Stressed, anxious, pink and white cards always in hand, you’ve spotted a senior in the midst of col-lege application season. Though there are seniors ap-plying to various types of schools, they share the same destination: the Registrar’s Office.

The school registrar is responsible for everything from guidance bul-letins to preparing the college ap-plication prep packet for juniors, but they’re best known for getting seniors’ transcripts out to their col-leges by the due date. Irene Pellicane and Kathy Manfredi, the women running the scene, were gracious enough to allow me to observe them for two periods during their busiest time in the middle of their busiest

month of the year. Although the Registrar may re-ceive slack from strained seniors, once seeing what really goes on when students aren’t barging in a panic, there is no argument that the Registrar is slow or inefficient. Ms. Pellicane and Ms. Manfredi are re-sponsible for collecting the official transcript, recommendation letters and Common App forms that ac-

company them, activity sheets, and secondary school reports, and then making sure they are all signed and addressed properly so they are postmarked by each col-lege’s specific deadline. And with the average student applying from 7 to 8 colleges (with a high of 22 total), it can easily get chaotic. After only spending two periods in college app headquar-ters, guidance counselors came in nine times, six students came in,

administrators came in twice, the phone rang five times, and a teach-er came in once. While making sure all visitors’ needs are met, envelopes still need to be filled with the necessities for a college application, but this pro-cess can be easily slowed down. While organizing one particular student’s envelope, Ms. Pellicane said, “I’m supposed to have two letters and two Common App forms, but I only have one Com-mon Form. I’m going to have to call him down.” It is only once the student takes the time out to respond to their an-nouncement and signs the sheet or talks to their teachers writing their recommendation can their envelopes be closer to being sent out. Other problems can include anything from the Registrar’s copy machine breaking down (which is basically their life source, as copies of every transcript, recommenda-tion, etc. need to be sent to each school), to having a hand-written recommendation come in virtually impossible to decipher. Although Ms. Pellicane admits sometimes students can come off as “a little touchy,” this year they are “particularly nice and they un-derstand we work so hard to make sure everything is correct.” “Can we make mistakes? Of course. But [after the 15 years she’s worked in the Registrar] only one transcript was never sent through.” Ms. Pellicane and Ms. Man-fredi both emphasized the biggest chaos-inducer for the office are students who turn in their control cards (cards telling the Registrar to

begin collecting a student’s materi-als) a day or two before the post-mark deadlines. Ms. Pellicane explained that when a student comes in with the due date so close, “It’s a very big problem. When they come in and say ‘You just have to do it’ it’s so unfair because we have to stop the app we’re doing, and then [the person turning their control card in late] get insulted when we can’t help straight away.” When the office is closed to stu-dents, that’s the time Ms. Pellicane and Ms. Manfredi really get to or-ganize all the mail coming in and going out and to figure out what they have to do. The Calhoun registrar, from mid-September to February, and then again in June, is arguably the busiest office in the school. Ms. Pellicane described Mondays as the busiest with so many applica-tions due that Wednesday. Although some students roll their eyes and complain about their transcripts not reaching their colleges yet, they simply don’t un-derstand. I can’t say I speak from experi-ence, only a two period observa-tion. Yet I only needed that short experience to show me how much effort, double-checking, and pa-tience goes into creating admis-sions envelopes to send to col-leges. Next time you see a stressed senior complaining over their tran-scripts or applications in general, don’t sympathize. Tell them if they have any complaints, go watch the women of the Registrar’s Office work for a couple periods.

by Philippa BoyesEditor-in-Chief

get to see any at all. “Many students attended many activities, but some students didn’t so it depended on what class you had. Some had a great amount of exposure,” Ms. Hollings said. “Overall the students had a day away from the regular curriculum so they can focus on how doing little things can make a big differ-ence.” One popular activity was the official groundbreaking of the new greenhouse in the courtyard by the cafeterias. This groundbreak-ing had many attendees and was held by the Special Education De-partment. The attendees included administrators, the choir, and parents representing the Parent Teacher Student Association. The

parents were there to briefly talk about the bulbs they were planting for the spring. These bulbs would blossom in May-April and become beautiful tulips and various other species of flowers. “The science club and various other clubs are taking a great in-terest in helping out with the pro-cess,” Ms. Hollings said. “A new club might even come out of this. It would be influenced off of Ath-letes Helping Athletes. The new club would be called something like, Scientists Helping Scientists.” The choir sang a song about keeping the rainforests green and magnificent oceans blue. Then the all important “green ribbon” was cut. The people who cut the rib-bon were the winners of the poster contest. All the beautiful posters

around Calhoun were designed and created by the students of the Special Education department, as well as many other students. The winners were all sophomores: Adam Knaster, Justin Koehler,

Alinson Perez, Chuck Westnoff, and Peter-John Viccari. They cut the ribbon alongside Mr. Seinfeld, as soon as the ribbon was cut all the attendees clapped in excite-ment for the new greenhouse.

Colts go green

(photo by Tatianna Flores)

(photo by Dana Reilly)

(continued from page 1)

Junior Dani Wolin helps out at the Environmental Day bake sale.

Ms. Manfredi and Ms. Pellicane said they always work hard to make things perfect.

6 Hoofbeats December 2010 Colture

The power nap School. Extra help. Clubs. Sports. Homework. College appli-cations. Food. School. Extra help. Clubs. Sports. Homework. College applications. Food. The life of an average high school senior. In this daily cycle, sleep is no-where to be found. There is not enough time in the day to get ev-erything done and get the eight hours sleep that is suggested by our doctors. Many students, not just seniors, are lucky if they can fit four hours of sleep into their schedule and that just isn’t healthy. So how do we solve the crisis of sleep depri-vation that is turning students into the living dead? Power naps.

Before we can discuss the ben-efits of power naps we must figure out what will happen when you just can’t get nearly as much sleep as they should. Sleep deprivation is much more serious than the av-erage person thinks it is. An inter-esting and accurate definition of sleep deprivation from Princeton University states that it “is a form of psychological torture inflicted by depriving [a person] of sleep.” A power nap is just as it sounds, but it is best explained by the sci-ence crew at Cornell University. According to James B. Maas, a professor of psychology in Cor-nell’s College of Arts and Sciences, “We need three things to stay alive and healthy: nutrition, exercise and - no matter what shape we’re in - adequate sleep. We must edu-

cate people about their own sleep needs - which are usually substan-tially underestimated.” Maas believes that a third of Americans somehow survive on fewer than six hours of sleep. Therefore, Maas coined the term “power nap” - a “20 minute work-day snooze that invariably leaves nappers refreshed and more pro-ductive.” Although Maas bases his study mainly on college students, it works just as well for high school students, especially seniors with a lot on their plates. College-bound senior Kacey So-lotoff, a winter track hurdler, and

AP student, is a self-proclaimed power napper. Solotoff said that, “I wake refreshed and with a clear mind” even after only a 10 minute snooze. Thus, she is living proof

that the power nap is effective for students who frequently have a lot of work and little time. Everyone needs sleep to

function properly but the simple fact is people, particularly high school and college students, are torturing their bodies and even causing themselves to fall asleep while driving. Consequently, they could injure or kill themselves and others just because they didn’t al-low their bodies to get a decent

night’s rest. One argument against power naps could be that people don’t think it is pos-sible to fall asleep in 10 or 20 minutes. This may be true at first but after a few times of power napping “you learn to train your body to fall asleep on cue,” Solotoff said. As for the other argument that you will wake up feel-ing drowsy, that is another myth about power naps. The nap is short enough that you wake up feeling rejuvenated not sleepy. The only thing you have to do is make sure you wake up (perhaps setting several alarms). Getting rest is as neces-sary as food, water, and air to survival. Even in small in-crements throughout the day, sleep is beneficial when you need to focus. Power nap and try to get your zzz’s. You will see a positive difference in how you feel on a daily basis. Besides, think of the dreams you are missing out on while you’re awake.

by Elise GabrieleStaff Writer

A power nap is a 20 minute workday snooze that might help people feel refreshed and more productive.(photo by Elise Gabriele)

“There is not enough time in the day to get everything done and get the eight hours sleep that is suggested by our doctors.”

Colture December 2010 Hoofbeats 7

When a new album is going to be released, it’s no surprise that fans anticipate a leak - an act in which the record is illegally post-ed on the Internet, resulting in its mass spread. While many impatiently await the arrival of a leak, others refuse to listen to it as they believe it is unfair to listen before the official release date. If an individual is a huge fan of the band, they have every right to listen to the music as soon as pos-sible, as it shows a their true ap-preciation and love for the band’s music. However, I also believe said fan should make sure to buy a copy of the album when it is re-leased as well. To me, this is the best of both worlds: the fan gets to hear what the album sounds like as soon as possible, while the band is being financially supported. It’s four years after the release of My Chemical Romance’s “The Black Parade” and the group has emerged from the dark hole it’s

been in as of late to release their new record, “Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Kill-joys,” an album that was one of the most highly anticipated musi-cal release of 2010. As an avid fan of the band my-self, I have been constantly search-ing for the coveted leak of the al-bum with the mind-set that I will listen to it the second I download the leak.

But is that truly moral? Is it okay to expose the musical cre-ativity of an artist to one’s ears before the day in it is expected to be released? I believe so, but to an extent. We can’t forget about the issue at hand, though. Does it truly help or hurt the artist? It most likely does more good than bad. Realis-

tically, the majority of the money that the band makes is off of tour-ing (especially a massively popu-lar band such as My Chemical Ro-mance). Therefore, the leaking of an album only allows current fans to listen to the band sooner, and could even draw new fans into the band due to the prospect of not having to pay for the album. Then again, there are much smaller bands that exist that can-not afford the leaking of their new album. Big bands such as MCR are signed to major labels, and there-fore have massive tours to make up for any small financial losses in album sales; smaller bands do not. If a band isn’t signed to a big label or signed at all, they must rely on CD (and potentially merchandise) sales to make a profit. In a sense, a small, local band that is relatively popular is the worst place to be: the band is big enough to have a leak of their album anticipated, but not big enough to have massive, stadium-arena tours that will sell out and provide them with vast amounts

of money. Ultimately, the moral validity of a music leak depends on the scale in which the band is popu-lar. The bigger the band, the more likely the leak will not affect them and will purely benefit the band. However, smaller bands will not be able to afford such a financial loss. Fans should be respectable and constantly aware of what band they’re taking advantage of, as it can really make or break the artist.

by Ben RossContributing Writer

The end of Music stores iTunes revolutionized the mu-sic distribution industry, causing the decline and extinction of music stores such as Tower Records and many small-scale local shops. The music store gave us a nos-talgic feeling, whether it was buy-ing your first CD or going back to the teenage years. For older music fans that remem-ber going in and looking through actual vinyl albums, the loss of this experience must be even greater. Vinyl used to be coveted, sought after by the biggest music aficiona-dos as collector’s pieces to be trea-sured. Now one must look for a great deal online or in your father’s basement. The stores offered jobs, which in today’s world people need and want. The young and the unem-ployed would appreciate listening to the hottest bands while being paid to sell CDs and old albums. When living in a time when people don’t have time to go to the store or the mall so often, they depend on online shopping. In-ternet access is everywhere, and with other Apple products like the iPhone, iTouch, and iPad who ad-

vertise iTunes, it is bound to attract some people. iTunes’ popularity has only been increasing as they carry more and more music for almost every genre and artist. We

can mourn the unfortunate loss of our favorite CD store, but looking toward the future, we can expect online downloading to be a regu-lar occurrence and maybe even find it odd to go out and buy the CD itself. The cold metallic feel of iTunes is enough to make someone shudder.

This in turn can hurt the artists projected sales. People can now spend $2 on one or two songs they like instead of buying the whole al-bum for a full $12.

Sophomore Maddy Gottlieb said, “I love iTunes. It ensures a great sound without the possibil-ity of a scratched CD that won’t play.” Meghan Haggerty, sopho-more, said, “Although I like having a CD, iTunes makes it so I can only download the songs I like, and they’re not too overpriced.”

However there is one competi-tor willing to step up to the plate creating its own online warfare. Wal-Mart has become the leading source of CD sales and has taken its business online. They use a sys-tem similar to iTunes, where you can download an album or one song. But even this large, powerful company has yet to defeat Apple’s prodigy. Fortunately, the record and CD will never go fully out of style. If you are persistent in your search, there are several existing stores outside of Long Island in the bor-oughs and in New York City. Small dives such as “Gimme Gimme Re-cords” in East Village and “Bleeck-er Street Records” in West Village attract the young, retro crowd in their various selections from clas-sic rock to new wave. There are even some music stores scattered around Long Island. While these stores exhale a fresh breath of relief, the prices can tend to suck the air right from our wal-lets, as the endangered breed of the record/CD numbers are lower-ing, the price is increasing. The question is: are teens still willing to take a train just to buy a hard copy, or has the swift motion of the Internet won the battle?

by Gabby SimonsonContributing Writer

(photo courtesy of Getty)

Long gone are the days when music fans could buy CDs - let alone records.

Should a music leak be plugged?

“Is it okay to expose the musical creativity of an artist to one’s ears before the day it is expected to be released?”

8 Hoofbeats December 2010 Colture

Over the years, photography has advanced so rapidly that your options are pretty much endless. If you go to school to become a fashion photographer, chances are halfway through your college ex-perience you’ll learn that maybe that isn’t the right choice for you, but it doesn’t mean that your hopes of becoming a photographer are crushed. There are so many dif-ferent paths you can choose from; however this doesn’t mean that photography is right for everyone. Photography is an art form that takes a combination of skill and patience. However, the youth to-day is under the impression that simply owning a camera automat-ically makes you a photographer. People who think this way make it difficult for people who aspire to be photographers to pursue their dreams. “I think photography helps

people see the world in a different way be-cause it helps them to pay attention to the little things rather than taking things for grant-ed,” said Linda Seckler, photography and art teacher. Photography has be-come one of the most competitive industries in the art field. With this increase of “faux-tographers” it gets harder and harder to differentiate between camera owners and le-gitimate photographers that actually have tal-ent. Sporting a camera has become a trend, even though some don’t know how to use it or its simple func-tions. Try going up to someone with a Nikon around their neck and ask them about depth of field or shutter speed; if their response

takes too long, or they look at you with a perplexed expression, you can guess that photography isn’t their forte. If you are genuinely passionate about photography educate your-self, get books, go online and learn

how cameras work. The Internet is a valuable resource and it doesn’t take long to find what you need. If you’re really interested, take the time to learn more, and you should see the difference in the photos you produce.

by Ashley CawleyContributing Writer

Some see photography as a person with a camera, but these photos show the skill that comes with experience.

phoTography:more Than a h bby

(photo by Holly Lavelli)

(photo by Ashley McGetrick)

(photo by Ashley McGetrick)

(photo by Holly Lavelli)

Colture December 2010 Hoofbeats 9

All-Star Weekend’s new album, “Suddenly Yours,” has skyrock-eted the young band’s career, and it is now No. 1 on Radio Disney’s charts. The band’s mission state-ment, “We like to have fun. At all times,” is what they live by, and the lyrics to the songs show they are all about fun. Cameron, Nathan, Zach, and Michael started the band while they were attending high school in San Diego, California. Their big break came when they were asked to join Radio Disney’s contest called “The Next Big Thing.” They did not win the competition, but their exposure on Radio Disney led to many showcases with major record labels, which led them to choose Hollywood Records. Hoofbeats recently sat down with Cameron and Nathan before their headlining show in New York City.

Hoofbeats: Who are your major in-fluences for your music?Cameron: We write about what we know. Thankfully, it’s stuff that people can relate to. But also, our families influence us a lot.Hoofbeats: Are there any bands or artists you’d like to work with in the future?Nathan: I’d love to work with Kid Cudi or MGMT. I like them a lot. Cameron: Katy Perry would be cool too. Hoofbeats: How do you guys like to communicate with your fans?

Cameron: Telepathically. Hon-estly, we’re online 24/7. Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter are huge for us. We like to keep our fans updat-ed at least every hour. Nathan: We also communicate through YouTube a lot too.Hoofbeats: What were you guys like when you were in high school?Nathan: I was the coolest guy ever. Cameron: Class clown over here.Nathan: Yea, I was the class clown. I played a lot of sports; my main sport was lacrosse. Cameron: He used to like to pick his ‘fro a lot. I played a lot of video games when I was in high school. There’s this one game called World Of Warcraft. I spent two years of my life addicted to it, so I didn’t re-ally have many friends, but I really liked video games. Nathan: There goes two years of your life down the drain.Cameron: Yea, pretty much.Hoofbeats: How have your lives changed within the past few years?Nathan: We have a really busy schedule from when we wake up early in the morning we’re pretty much working until 12 at night. We’re doing interviews, we’re call-ing fans, we’re signing stuff, we’re playing shows, we’re touring across the country every day.Cameron: We’re playing at high schools, middle schools.Nathan: Our lives can be very stressful and very tiring, but it’s all worth it for [the fans].Hoofbeats: Did you guys have any struggles through your time together? And how did you over-

come them and grow as a band? Nathan: I think the main struggles we would have is playing live. The chemistry on stage, I would say for many artists that’s pretty much how it is when you’re kind of starting from nothing. When you’re starting from the garage and you’re working your way up. So we definitely got a lot better on stage, we got better at playing to-gether, we got better at connecting with the fans, we got better at song writing, a bunch of stuff.Cameron: When we got signed to a major label, that’s when we knew that we really needed to step our game up. It’s now or never so we’ve got to work even harder. So we basically took every aspect of it and got even better.

Hoofbeats: What kind of music do you listen to?Nathan: Everything. I like a lot of Indie Rock and pop. Anything that’s bass booming, that you can feel.Cameron: I really like Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, and everything Top 40, Drake, Katy Perry.Hoofbeats: If you weren’t in a band what would you be doing, career wise?Nathan: I’d go to college and major in friendship. I’d be a really good friend. It’s good to have a good friend right? A professional friend. Cameron: I was going to college to become a teacher and it would be my junior year right now so hope-fully I would be graduating next year, or the year after that.Hoofbeats: How do you react when you’re compared to bands like the Jonas Brothers?Nathan: I go “WHAT?” No, I’m just kidding. It’s never a bad thing; its never an insult when we’re compared to them. They’ve done so much, they work so hard, they play their own instruments, they’re really talented, they write their own songs. Think of how busy their lives are compared to ours. You’ve got to respect what they do. They relate to their fans, connect with their fans really well. We try to do that by doing public meet and greets by chatting with fans online.Cameron: All the fans of the Jonas Brothers feel like they know their fans on a personal level. They feel like they can relate to them and re-ally know who they are, and that’s one thing that we really want our fans to see. Like on YouTube. If you watch our videos what you see is what you get. We’re all just weird crazy guys. That’s what we really want to show our fans, that we can relate. We’re just a bunch of guys trying to have a good time and we want to invite our fans into the party.

by Alexandra Foley & Nicole SimmonsStaff Writers

All-Star Weekend, seen at a recent New York City concert, hit No.1 on the Radio Disney charts.

(photo by Nicole Simmons)

Suddenly All-Stars

(photo by Nicole Simmons)

10 Hoofbeats December 2010 Editorial

Attention must be paidHow young people deal

with serious decisions is often less than acceptable.

Even more alarming is how our school administration helps — or fails to help — us cope with con-flicts of everyday life. The administration needs to talk to students about prevalent issues more often. Whether it’s teenage drinking, drug use, or bullying, unfortunate events and poor deci-sion making will inevitably hap-pen, but we expect the administra-tion to make the effort to educate the student body, to make a dent in prevention. The “kids will be kids” attitude that the media and many parents take is not preventing alcohol poi-soning. It’s not helping kids cope with tragedies. It’s a lazy excuse to not help. Students recently took a survey, answering questions pertaining to our own actions, and those of our

peers, in regards to alcohol, drugs, and health concerns. While the results of the survey have yet to be disclosed, it’s pos-sible to assume that a sizeable per-centage of students participate in the use of alcohol and other drugs. Why is it that so many teenagers not only drink, but then joke about the fact that they drank so much af-terward? Teenagers will forever make their own decisions, but when it comes to guiding students away from making poor judgments, Cal-houn does not do enough. Although Health classes address common issues among youth and proper ways to deal with them, when serious issues hit close to home, one class is not enough. When our school encounters a tragedy or conflict, the student body deserves guidance provided by the administration.

Alcohol and drugs are certainly not the only problems to plague the student body. There are many grave issues that have yet to be addressed to their fullest extent. Within the past few years our community has been profoundly affected by teen-age suicide. Subsequent to these

tragic events, many students who were deep-

ly affected leaned on each other for support and recovery. Although the school offers grief counseling in the days and weeks following a tragedy, it’s not enough. What needs to happen for our school to finally focus on the dangers of these situations as they arise, rath-er than laying low until the cir-cumstances occur? Where are the school-wide suicide prevention seminars? Yet back in 2008, one major as-sembly was called for an incident

involving rowdy, and some might say harmless, students at a foot-ball game. A select few Calhoun students started chanting “Jewgar Nation” in reference to our Ken-nedy High School rivals. In the fol-lowing days, assemblies were held to chastise the students, most of whom did not attend the football game and had no involvement in the incident. These anti-Semitic remarks should not be accepted, and the administration was right in ad-dressing the problem. However, it begs the question: Why was a one-time remark given so much attention while a suicide that shook the whole school was barely acknowledged? It simply doesn’t make sense. Bottom line: The administra-tion should not selectively choose which topics to address, while leaving other important issues un-touched.

Staff Editorial

Staff Members: Asia Brown, Michele Carroll, Julie Ciccone, Cortina Florez, Bria Forbes, Elise Gabriele, Sara Gerber, Amanda Glickman, Lauren Herschbein, Arooj Iqbal, Holly Lavelli, Ashley Lowerre, Shannon Matzen, Ashley McGetrick, Aidan Meade, Dana Reilly, Rachel Safford, Justin Schmierer, Nicole Simmons, Kushhali Singh, Sarika Singh, Nina Thomas, Alex Topper, Kate Valerio, Jocelyn Yu

Hoofbeats is the official student newspaper of Calhoun High School. Hoofbeats serves to inform its readers of news and events, and as a forum for the students of Calhoun to express their ideas and opinions. Hoofbeats accepts letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit or refuse the publication of submissions. Letters should be sent to the school or placed in the Hoofbeats mailbox. All letters 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 Hoofbeats do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the administrators, teachers, editors, or faculty adviser.

Editors-in-Chief Philippa Boyes Emily Wrynn News Editor Kara Iskenderian Sports Editors Rachel Tyson Tessa Patti Editorial Editor Leah Sobel Colture Editor Julia Martinez Photography Editor Tatianna Flores Faculty Adviser Jason Boland

HoofbeatsSanford H. Calhoun High School

1786 State StreetMerrick, NY 11566

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

Volume 53 No. 2 December 2010

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

The unchosen path

I’ve always had this dream of be-ing a doctor, but have constantly casted it and its clinical frigidness aside in favor of the glitzier, artsy-er music/movie/fashion dream. As a kindergartner, I would of-ten play with this plastic doggie veterinarian kit. I’d give my stuffed labrador, Molly, a toy-syringe shot and quickly grow bored, moving right along to the Barbie Jam n’ Glam Tour Bus. I probably would have kept playing veterinarian if the pre-tend stethoscope was hot pink and bedazzled. I guess I can’t deal with the harsh/dull reality of be-ing a doctor—it’s clearly not as riveting and dramatic as it seems on “Scrubs” and in “Outbreak.” You cannot physically bedazzle years upon years of pre-med, med school, internship, and residency. There’s also the fact that I’ve been paving the way to be the opposite of a doctor since middle school; I’ve immersed myself in all things right-brain. I made a home for myself in drama clubs and choirs, found solace in art studios, and get a kick out of attempting fluency in Spanish. I am unashamed to say that, though I still have four rigor-ous AP classes on my plate, I made the firm choice to omit science and math from my senior year sched-ule. Was this a stupid move? I think not, as I’m pretty much set in a degree and career in the Arts &

Humanities. Of course, even knowing what field I see myself working in is crazy. I’m 17. Most of us can’t even commit to a prom date, no less a shirt to wear to school. Some of my friends want no part of college’s binding, time-killing effect on life. They’d rather be on tour with their band or backpacking across Eu-rope (I’ve always wanted to spend a few years in Spain…). But no. I made sure to bang out college applications early, and with that, I entered the elusive, pre-Senioritis, post-SAT-stress-dis-order waiting game. Don’t get me wrong, I know that the future is alterable, but at many times during the past few months, I’ve lost sight of just how true and beautiful this fact really is. Let’s face it- if were to turn my entire intended life-path upside-down and decide to become a pa-thologist or immunologist, I would have significant trouble trying to find a quality college that would want me. I’d have to go somewhere that didn’t care if I wasn’t an Advanced Science Research star. They would have to overlook the fact that I had something like eight English cred-its (double that of Science), was in showchoir rehearsal instead of Math Club, and had a resume consisting not of internships at medical offices and hospitals, but of roles in Shakespeare and Sond-heim’s greatest masterpieces.

by Amanda GlickmanContributing Writer

(see PATH on page 11)

Editorial December 2010 Hoofbeats 11

Back< & past

Calhoun prides itself on its tech-nological superiority with Smart Boards, laptops, and flip video cameras, but in reality the avail-ability of this technology is truly lacking. Sure, Calhoun is more ad-vanced than the average city pub-lic school, but is that really a thing to be proud of if you can’t use it? During the day, students try to find a computer to finish a project for a class or to get a head start on homework. First stop: the library, which on most days has “Reserved

for a Class” signs placed on every computer. Next stop: the comput-er lab, which has every computer taken by yet again another class completing a project or a “Closed” sign on the door. Where are you supposed to go? Of course there are other com-puters in the building, but none of them are available for random stu-dents to use. The computers in the language lab and learning center can’t be used unless you are there with a teacher. So there are about three

computers just sitting there taunt-ing you as you try to find another solution. The “computer lab” on the first floor isn’t open to students unless with a class. The other com-puters are located inside class-rooms, and unless you happen to know a teacher who has an off period, an empty classroom, and wouldn’t mind, you are stuck. As of last year, we’ve had a host of new laptops that are kept in the library, but again, students aren’t allowed to use them, even if a class doesn’t have them booked for the back of the library, or if there are extras. So basically, it’s all a matter of luck if you get the opportunity

to use a computer during the day. One possible solution: the lap-tops in the library should be open to students even when they aren’t with a class. More teachers should also opt to use the computer lab on the first floor, since students aren’t allowed to use it. This would free up space in both the library and the computer lab, and then we wouldn’t have as much difficulty finding a computer to use when necessary. Now let’s consider the technol-ogy we do have. Smart Boards are

located in some classrooms, while others don’t even have a white-board. But many of these Smart Boards aren’t so smart. Sometimes they are virtually non-functional, by not turning on or having very delayed reactions, frustrating both students and teachers especially during the ever popular Power-Point presentations. The laptops, both old and new, refuse to log anyone in, and take 10 minutes to load if you do actually get the chance to log in; they waste of most of the period once you consider the time it takes for the teacher to explain the assignment and to sign them out. The laptop cart in the ASR room is rarely fully stocked due to the ones that have to be taken downstairs and fixed. Many of the laptops are also near-ly impossible to use with multiple missing keys and faulty mouse pads. The Internet server itself seems to have gotten slower over the years, and goes down at the most inopportune and inconvenient moments. Teachers can’t do at-tendance, and projects can neither be presented nor complet-ed. Earlier this year, the server went down on the day SAT scores were posted. Every senior I knew who hadn’t gotten their grade by first period was trying to access their score from their phone. Teachers are being urged to take full advantage of the technology, but they are understandably skep-tical since the times they do actu-ally depend on it, it doesn’t work. Teachers also play a version of

musical chairs with the rooms they teach in, so this makes it inconve-nient when a teacher is teaching the same lesson in different class-rooms, with different technologi-cal capabilities. Having to write two lessons plans just because one classroom has a Smart Board, and one has an outdated overhead pro-jector isn’t fair. The outdated VCRs connected to big bulky televisions amuse most of us students. We’re in the age of plasma screen and now even 3D TVs, with DVDs and Blue Ray discs, the idea of rewinding a tape seems so antiquated. Some of the more basic aspects such as the older televisions and

VCRs should be updated. These are things that are much eas-ier to replace and don’t cost as much money as a Smart Board. The entire system needs

to be updated as well. This may be a more dif-ficult undertaking, but this would make it easier to log on and use the internet without getting annoyed, and both students and teachers would be more willing to depend on the technology here.

(photo by Tatianna Flores)

by Asia BrownStaff Writer

Our technology is way behind the times

In short, I’d be screwed, because a college like that doesn’t exist for such a weird, unfocused pre-med student like hypothetical-me. I’d have to resort to lots of transfer-ring, and a grad-school nightmare caused by the transferring, and a med school experience in the Ba-hamas that would lead to my even-tual resignation from the medical world. And a giant pile of debt.

See, that’s just a snippet of the mental battle I wage almost every day. But soon after, I go back to the beautiful place that is the ever-elastic future: the path not chosen, but rather constantly changing. So, yes, I adore the arts and will undoubtedly go into school in Sep-tember as a theatre major. Can I guarantee that this will be forever? Absolutely not. It isn’t my parents pushing me

toward a “fall-back” career, and it isn’t pressure literally boiling up and over in the astronomically-plummeting economy and failure of a job market that my generation is left with. It’s me not knowing what I want, and me being OK with that. Still, you gotta start somewhere, and my glitzy, artsy, music/mov-ie/fashion dream is as good of a Square One as it gets.

The unchosen pathTo submit a letter

to the editor, e-mail the staff at hoofbeatseditor@

yahoo.com.

(continued from page 10)

(photo by Holly Lavelli)

(photo by Holly Lavelli)

12 Hoofbeats December 2010 Editorial

Arm of the law extends past the gates

Admin should have limited rights

The Administration should not have the job of being moral police-men when students are no longer present on school grounds. School officials have no more authority over students outside of the school than employers have over their employees once they leave the work place (unless, of course, someone breaks the law). The sole purpose of Facebook is for socializing with friends, so pictures that teenagers decide to share should have nothing to do with the administration. It’s not about being fair or a few people deciding what is right for all. Stu-dents have the right to freedom of expression regardless of how some people may feel about it. This year’s seniors are celebrat-ing their last year by putting to-gether a montage showing pic-tures of them with their friends throughout their high school ca-reer. It truly is a lovely way to say goodbye and to reflect on the times that they’ve spent here. However, several people have become angry with the selections of photos that are being put into consideration. Some of these pho-tos show students engaging in un-derage drinking and partying. Believe me, I am not an advo-cate for underage drinking, but I feel that once you step outside the school’s bound-aries, you are entitled to your pri-vacy. How you behave is no longer the school’s concern - it is the par-ents’ - as long as you are not break-ing any laws. In other countries, you can’t go outside the “norm” but the won-derful thing about this country is that we have the right to express ourselves freely. In countries such as China there are 30,000 hired Internet police of-ficers who monitor websites like Google and Yahoo to make sure that people aren’t accessing certain information that the government does not approve of. Meanwhile, in Cuba it is strictly forbidden to even go on the Internet. If they can get you in trouble for what you post from home on your own website, what’s next? Some

people in this country believe rap music should be censored for of-fensive language for it could affect impressionable youth. Will you get in trouble for listening to music that’s unacceptable to others? Underage drinking is complete-ly deplorable, but to suggest that teenagers are squeaky clean on their own time is unrealistic. Don’t get me wrong. Calhoun is a wonderful place where the staff is more than accommodating, but it certainly doesn’t give them the right to control their students to the same degree as their parents. It’s the parents’ job to instill good values. No teacher or administra-tor should be snooping around a student’s Facebook, and no one should be punished for what they post on the site. Intertwining one’s private so-cial life with the one they lead in school is most definitely frowned upon. The administration should not be intervening with students’ lives just as students should not be involved with the private lives of teachers. Yes, it’s true that if you join a team, a student may be obligated to sign a contract stating that they are not permitted to drink. If you disobey this policy and the responsibility that comes with

being a part of a team, you risk your position on that team and could face disciplinary ac-tion. Other than that restriction, stating that it is

unfair to show these images is ab-surd. The basis of what our coun-try lives on allows us to openly express ourselves in any way we desire even if it means posting pic-tures that show students in ques-tionable positions with red cups high in the air. How do you want to be remem-bered by your friends and teach-ers once you leave high school? Whether you want to be remem-bered as a jock, a fashionista, a scholar, a cheerleader or a party animal, our county’s first amend-ment gives you the right to do so and thank goodness that it does. Citizens of the United States have the right to freedom of expression; students of Calhoun shouldn’t be denied such a right despite what others may feel about it.

by Julia MartinezColture Editor

It is a huge misconception that the authority of the administration stops at the gates. Students across the nation (and at Calhoun) need to understand that school officials, colleges, and future employers can see any inap-propriate photos that are posted online. For example, as a way to remem-ber their senior year, the gradu-ating class created a Facebook group to upload and tag pictures of themselves. Some people posted pictures with their families, their best friends at a football game, or other nostalgic images that they will never forget. However, the group started be-ing taken advantage of, and stu-dents tagged inappropriate pic-tures even though they knew what these pictures were for. Students were adding pictures of them drinking, partying, and going cra-zy with their friends to the mon-tage. Whether or not these pictures may show an actual bottle of beer, it was obvious what was in the in-famous red cups. Some might believe that posts on Facebook have nothing to do with the school. When the pictures are added to a Facebook group re-questing these pictures for a school montage, it becomes a school af-fair. Even if the people who are add-ing these pictures want to be seen this way because it represents their experience, it’s not fair to everyone else. It’s completely selfish to those

who want to remember their four years at Calhoun with the great so-ber times with true friends. If the student is wearing Cal-houn apparel or a sports jersey, it’s obviously more inappropri-ate. They are representing not just themselves but their coaches, teammates, and entire school. When the All-American football player is chugging alcohol, it tells everyone else it’s an acceptable thing to do. Adding these pictures to the montage promotes teenage drinking and will cause more of a problem in Calhoun when these seniors graduate. The seniors are role models for every other grade, including juniors, and when they are flaunt-ing the use of illegal substances, others will follow their lead. Be-ing in high school we forget the repercussions we face don’t just come from our parents and school. Drinking alcohol under the age of 21 is irresponsible and showing these pictures to the whole com-munity is deplorable. Unless something is happening tomorrow, teens often don’t think about it. So when a party happens and the photos go up that night, kids don’t think about a few years down the road when a potential college or employer is doing a background check. They are too busy worried about how their hair looks in the picture or if they look fat in the picture. When the 20 year reunion rolls around and your children want to see mommy or daddy in high school, think about the kind of pic-tures you want them to see.

by Sara GerberStaff Writer

“No teacher or administrator should be snooping around a student’s Facebook, and no one should be punished for what they post on the site.”

Pt./Counterpoint:

(photo by Tatianna Flores)Though these are cups filled with apple juice, should the administration be able to punish students whose Facebook profiles contain pictures of cups filled with alcohol?

Can the school police your Facebook?

Editorial December 2010 Hoofbeats 13

Everyone has their favorite teacher and their favorite subject. But what about the teachers? It’s

obvious they’ve got favorites, too. Will a good student with a high 90 average and a member of one of the school’s teams or clubs have a better chance of being liked by teachers? Or will students who

stand out in class with exces-sive hand-raising and kiss-ing-up win affection? As students approach se-nior year, grading becomes tougher, and being a favorite is one sure way to get those extra points that some of us absolutely crave. What’s not fair, though, is the treatment of kids who don’t like the subject, don’t kiss up to the teacher, but do their work just to get it done. Those kids are pushed to the back of the class, never able to make a connection with the teacher, never being inspired, due to all of that in-spiration being passed along to the kids who actually like the subject (or the teacher). Senior Jeanine Briotte said that when a teacher clearly likes a certain group of stu-

dents the most and always de-faults to them for questions and commentary, there is “no point to participating,” may, in fact, cause students to participate less. The same thing happens in re-verse though. What if you love the subject, but you’re not one of the teacher’s favorites? If you’re look-ing for inspira-tion and looking to excel in that subject, it’s un-fortunate - you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. It’s unfair that teachers keep two eyes on certain students, and turn a cold shoulder to the others. “Having a teacher that hates you is really frustrating because then you get away with a lot less,” said senior Bobby Lemaire. “If you miss a homework, and you’re not a favorite, you’ve got a higher chance of getting that zero, instead of the favorite student, who gets to hand it in tomorrow.” It’s definitely the kids who are able to manage their time the best,

and make the teacher feel as if their subject is superior, who get the best treatment, no matter how misleading their attitudes are. When talking about this sub-ject with many freshmen, fewer students wanted to give a com-ment, in fear that it would be held against them by their teachers.

Some, like Matt Neary, a freshman in hon-ors level classes, claimed to be “one of those fa-vorite kids” and explained, “I

can’t comment to make my situa-tion worse.” Many teachers denied having favorites and some, like social studies teacher Ms. Sharissa Khan, said they hold to a strict “grades and effort” system - making kids responsible for more than just at-tempting to kiss up. Whether you are a teacher’s pet, or you are the one getting the cold shoulder, everyone is affected by favorites, whether they care to ad-mit it or not.

“It’s unfair that teachers keep two eyes on certain students, and turn a cold shoulder to the others.”

The teacher’s petby Ashley Lowerre

Staff Writer

Are they on a longer leash?

(photo by Holly Lavelli)

I’ve spent four years at Calhoun and one thing has become disas-trously clear: girls spend a lot of time on their appearance. Perfecting it, switching it, ad-vertising it. There is nothing wrong with this; if you want to look good, go for it. I am in no way saying we should stop caring about ourselves or our appear-ance. It is what we are giving up for our appearance that astonishes me. The true problem lies in that we are not caring for ourselves; we are caring for others and the opinions they hold of us. Yes, I am talking to you girls who spend your mornings repeat-edly burning off already straight hair or cramming your waist into size zero jeans because to you and to everyone else, zero means skin-ny and skinny means attractive. But what is zero? It says you are nothing, zero does not exist. Zero is a girl that doesn’t think for her-self; it is the absence of opinion or sustenance. Our teenage obsession with looking and acting as people would expect is taking away from our presence – it is lessening our existence and consequently our

impact on this world. Appearance for the sake of others steals away your voice. It embodies zero. Think about how much time you spend in the mornings and evenings preparing outfits and do-ing your hair. Trust me, I do it too. Then compare that to how much time a guy might take on average. Here, within, lies the revelation. If you can honestly say you enjoy spending all that time, then be my guest and continue, but I know that to me and too many others, there are more productive things to do with that time. You might even argue that you enjoy looking good (I think we all do). Then look good for yourself, not for anyone else. It’s time for us to stop dressing for boys or for our friends. Unleash your inner sense of style, or your too frizzy hair. Who cares if your boots are out of style or your hair is dyed pink? If you like it and to you it is pretty, then go for it. It’s not always easy embracing who you are, but it’s far better then being no one. Expel zero from your mind. It is mean-ingless, it is frivolous.

When walking down the hall-ways you see that there are those rare girls who dress for them-selves. See them sparkling in their personal dress. You can see it in their walk, their talk, even their posture. It all announces their in-dividual presence. Whether it is a slouch of boredom or the straight back of an over achiever, these girls stand for something. They are comfortable because they are not trying to fit into another mold or purpose-ly fight it to seem “cool”. These are the girls with power, whether they know it or not. Stop looking at them with envy, be brave, join their ranks. Poet Eve Ensler wrote, “My short skirt is my defiance. I will not let you make me afraid. My short skirt is not proof that I am stupid or undecided or a malleable little girl.” The power of a short skirt is a unique experience to solely the wearer. It is empowering, it is ex-

clusively yours. I dare you to take it: to wear your short skirt, or your ankle length dress or your comfy jeans. Be empowered because you can be and because you will not waste your days blending in. No one was made to be zero, so stop trying to be. Zero is not a worthy goal. It’s a simple message but a life

long struggle. I am not delu-sional enough to pretend that I always dress for myself, or that I don’t care about the so-cial norms. But

I know that every day passes is a day when I will think, act, and be myself. Girls, I ask you one favor. Stop being everyone else. Stop faking it: stop acting like what people want, stop pleasing others, stop trying to be nothing. Just exist as you and that alone will be enough. Be strong, be defi-ant, be independent and above all, find your voice.

Becoming more than zeroby Kara IskenderianNews Editor

“Our teenage obsession to look and act as people would expect is taking away from our presence – it is lessening our existence and our impact on this world.”

14 Hoofbeats December 2010 Sports

Quite a run

Although last season’s results were not great, the boys’ basketball team remains positive and looks to have a great season. Last season the team finished the season 4-13. This year the im-proved team will have five seniors, five juniors, and four sophomores. The team looks to have a lot of height and skill, which is an essen-tial for a successful team. “There is more talent and a higher basketball IQ in the pro-gram now than in any other year,” said Head Coach Jay Kreutzberger. The team will be competing in Conference AA-III. This is differ-ent than last year because based on school population, they were moved into a new division. Last year Calhoun went 1-11 in their conference and look to improve that drastically. Going forward the team will be led by Coach Kreutzberger and Jetster Bates, the assistant coach. The captains, Andrew Leif and John Wigand, will be the same as last year. Coach K said his team is

hoping to make the best of their opportunity this season. “We expect to compete for a playoff spot,” he said. The Colts got off to a great start with a league victory over rival Mepham High School by a score of 50-30. Wigand scored 21 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Dan Trepel also contributed with 11 points. Previously, the team lost a non-league game to Oceanside, 68-54. In that game, Wigand again led the scoring with 12 points. Chad Fuschillo scored 9 and Trepel also added 9 points of his own. The team has a positive out-look and want to use this good start as an advantage as they move through the season. They practice with high intensity and will be striving for an improved record and a winning season. Calhoun faces a tough schedule that includes good teams like, Val-ley Stream North, Valley Stream Central, Freeport, Garden City, Long Beach, Carey, Great Neck South, and Elmont. However, they are ready to take the first step toward redemption. Junior Corey Sweeney (left) looks to pull down a rebound.

(photo by Ashley McGetrick)

by Aidan MeadeStaff Writer

all of the runners coming back, and new runners joining. “Coach never lets us give up. He follows us on distance runs in his car, he’ll yell across the track some days, or

he’ll lead us through pushups af-ter practice,” said Calo. Each year these runners, as well as Coach Hendler, continue to put in the immense amount of time and effort that this season con-sumes because of the rewarding end result. “The varsity runners choose their goals in the beginning of the season,” said Calo. “Last year it was mostly to win Counties, while this year it was to win States.” Goal setting is an extremely important value that drives their team success. As individuals, Cal-houn is not lacking. Senior James Panetta not only received All-State honors, but he was one of the only athletes to run under 16 minutes in the 5K race at Bethpage. As Cross Country finishes their 2010 season, they already have begun looking to next year. The young runners on the team are hoping to make their mark on varsity, and Coach Hendler has a positive outlook as well. “We are losing a lot of amaz-ing runners,” Coach Hendler said. “We are going to be in a rebuilding year, but I expect nothing less than a Country championship from these boys.”

rare to see a non-musician have such a sense for music and its qualities as he did. He spread his love for music like it was literally his job. It was his way of spread-ing the joy he found within mu-sic.” In fact Tyler had a total of 11,723 songs in his iTunes ac-count, amount-ing to a total of 41.3 days, said Tyler’s mother, Diane Seaman. Mrs. Seaman said the most inspirational as-pect of Tyler’s personality was “his courage, considering what he was facing. He got up every day and did what he needed to do. And then he had an incred-ible sense of humor, he was very quick in terms of thought.” Tyler’s bravery while maintain-ing normalcy in his life was some-thing that everyone seemed to be in awe of. Sklover added, “For someone to go through all he did and still act and literally be just like every other person during normal, everyday interactions is

a feat that to most is insurmount-able. Take away all qualities that shone through him during this ordeal, and he was just like every-body else. That’s something to be proud of.” Sharon DeVenuto, Tyler’s guid-ance counselor, agreed that Ty-ler’s strength was something to be admired. “Tyler would always have

the strength to bounce back. He had courage and resilience to work through all the difficul-ties,” she said. Tyler Seaman is not only an example of te-

nacity, but an example for all peo-ple to “just do what makes you happy and do it with passion,” said Mrs. Seaman. His wit and ability to connect and then share music were just two of the qualities which made Tyler such an inspiration to the Calhoun community. Support for Tyler will continue through future Halloween fundraisers, as well as the past talent show, which he was instrumental in es-tablishing.

Remembering an inspiration(continued from page 1)

Rebounding

(continued from page 16)

“Tyler would always have the strength to bounce back. He had courage and resilience to work through all the diffi-culties.”

- Sharon DeVenutoGuidance counselor

(photo by Ashley McGetrick)

Sophomore Emily Callman and the girls’ cross country team has had their own share of success for many years.

Sports December 2010 Hoofbeats 15

Calhoun’s wrestlers. You see them after grueling practices at the gym, out on a run, or working out. It’s exhausting. It’s time consum-ing. And it basically controls their lives. Why do they do it? Eddie Lopez, a junior who has been wrestling for five years now, put it simply. “It feels good to win.” The wrestling team is one of the most prestigious in the school, having many county titles and championships. The team may have lost valuable seniors, as well their old coach, Gregg Muscarella, but this hasn’t discouraged their hopes of making it to the county championships. So far this season, the Colts have started off strong with their first tournament, Hank Paris, at

Bethpage High School. Wrestlers like Dan Piccirillo (3-0) and Sam Gorinksy (2-0) went undefeated. Brandon Drexler and Jesse Picarel-lo also recorded winning matches. This year, Coach Bennett and Coach Bury run the team, and players are taking the transition in stride. “The room has a different feeling without Musc,” said junior Ryan Metzger, “but every coach has his own way of running the room.” Success does not come with-out hard work. Wrestling requires long, gruesome practices and in-tense dieting techniques in order to stay in shape for the matches. “It’s overwhelming.” Lopez explained, “I fall asleep in almost every class.” “I usually fall asleep right after I get home from prac-tice,” Gorinsky added. It’s hard to understand why any-one would want to subject them-

selves to something so strenuous and demanding. However, there’s something behind it all that non-wrestlers can’t seem to see. “Winning is a greater reward in this sport because it’s so difficult”

claims Gorinksy. The wrestling team has many more tournaments coming up, where they hope to continue to succeed as well as prepare for dual meets and playoffs.

Wrestlers motivated to win

(photo by Kate Valerio)

The girls’ basketball team started off their season 2-1 and are already proving themselves as a strong competitor for Conference AA-II. Last season for the girls began a rebuilding year. After losing a few key components to the Colts’ line-

up over the past two seasons, this year the girls have 10 returning athletes that are definitely used to being on the court, and are prov-ing this more and more each day. “Last year we got a new coach, Dave Radtke, so everything changed. We ended up doing pretty well, but this year we have a whole new defense and offense

that seems to be working thus far,” said junior guard Danielle Losee. Losee is joined by senior Ellie Rosenblum, junior Carley Singer, sophomore and freshmen Nora Charidah in the guard position. Also joining them on the court is senior Meghan O’Sullivan, junior Jessica Ruggiero and sophomore Anne Marie White in the post po-sition. Both O’Sullivan and Rosen-blum are the team’s captains and in the past two games have been leading the team to victory. Part of what is giving this team thrive thus far is their commitment to practice and team bonding. The girls are very close both on and off the court which helps them con-tinually put in points. Within the first two games alone, O’Sullivan has had 25 points fol-lowed by Losee close behind with 24 points. Combined, these two players make up about half of the teams total 84 points. The shoot-ing team plays equally well at the post and from the three point line, which is a key portion of their of-fense. This is also what the girls hope to keep up going into games with both crosstown rivals Me-pham and Kennedy. As for expectations, these girls have nothing but high aspirations. Coming off of a semi-successful season last year, the team is ready to compete and go far into the playoffs. “We have a really talented group,” said Losee. “We’ve been

doing well so far so we expect a lot of wins in our future.” The girls’ new assistant coach, Jessica Dbaloa, adds a lot to the team’s dynamic as well. Everyday she is helping the girls realize their potential as a team as well as indi-vidually. “We know what we are capa-ble of,” said Charidah. “We have a lot of returning players, and we an older experienced team. All the girls know what it takes to play at the Varsity level, ad that is what is making us do so well.” The Colts are looking up for the rest of the season. With their con-fidence and dedication, they have the ability to go far into the post season.

Senior Jesse Bader goes to the mat in a recent tournament.

Girls’ hoops off to good start

by Rachel TysonSports Editor

by Tessa PattiSports Editor

Junior Jessica Parascandola runs the floor during a practice.(photo by Ashley McGetrick)

Junior Talia Charidah shoots free throws.(photos by Ashley McGetrick)

For the past five years, cross country has won 54 consecutive quad meets and has taken home five back-to-back Nassau County titles. How is it that boys remain

on top of their game and on top of their competition? It all starts off with summer training. While most kids wake up at noon and watch TV until their brains melt, the Colts were train-ing. This year the boys increased their summer workouts from 300 miles to 500 miles. “We knew that we wanted to be good,” said Head Coach David Hendler. “The boys saw a huge dif-ference from 300 to 500, and they realized that it makes you better.” As the 2010 season comes to an end, it’s not just the boys that have their accomplishments to be proud of. Coach David Hendler, a math teacher, keeps these boys on top of their game from year to year. This past season, seven runners qualified to compete in the state meet. These athletes included se-niors James Panetta, Tim Camp-bell, Brendan Abrams, Casey Bader, Nick Macaluso, Kenny Woo, and junior Nick Haile. Out of the seven, Panetta received All-State honors, while the team as a

whole finished 8th, with only a three point difference from the 6th place team. As a team, the boy’s are proud of how they did, and have no regrets on the season. Last season, Calhoun lost many senior runners, including Bobby McGetrick, and Kevin Harvey who both continue to run for their col-lege teams, however there never seems to be a lack of talent for the Colts. “Ever season I think we’re going to have less success, but they surprise me,” explained Coach Hendler. “The graduating seniors instill a work ethic in the younger kids, and that is what helps them win.” Cross Country takes pride in the fact that they are a very close knit team. The Varsity runners are always the first to include the younger kids in pasta parties and whatever other bonding the team does. This camaraderie follows through as each grade moves up. The seniors are not the only source of motivation for the boys. Hendler has found his own way of motivating his team, which he

explains comes from treating ev-eryone differently. By getting to know each runner specifically, he explained, you learn how they can get their best results. Coach Hen-dler’s runners are appreciative of this quality. It’s part of what keeps

by Tessa PattiSports Editor

Senior Will Fugina

(see RUN on page 14)

Quite a run

X-country’s dominance continues(photos by Ashley McGetrick)

Senior Kenny Woo (second from left) is one of seven runners that qualified for the state competition.

Senior Timmy Campbell