“A beacon of truth.” Issue 2, Volume 34 HuntingtonDispatch High School Oakwood and McKay Roads Huntington, NY 11743 06 Homecoming Fallout

DECEMBER Future of school events PHOTO: AARON COHN in jeopardy news in short by SAMANTHA ROLLINS been under the influence of alco- Scholars in the running hol, all of whom were suspended The day after Homecoming, from school. However, many be- Hannah Payne and a studentʼs online away message lieve that more than 12 people Matt Rienzo were recently displayed the following: were intoxicated at the dance. named semifinalists in the “The results are in...300 [stu- “It put me in such a diffi- National Merit Scholarship dents were] drunk, 24 suspended, cult position, because I can only competition. 11 in the hospital.” deal with the visibly drunk,” said Of the 1.4 million stu- While these numbers were Ms. Hefele, who chaperoned the dents who took the PSAT simply hearsay, there is no deny- dance. last October, only 16,000, ing that the annual Homecoming Many students declined to or slightly over one per- dance caused an uproar of con- comment for this article. cent, were selected. troversy when the administration “I thought there were more The criteria for selec- discovered that many students ar- people who should have been tion include performance rived intoxicated. suspended, it was sort of unfair on the PSAT/NMSQT, an “Many more kids were under that only 12 people were caught, essay, and an official rec- the influence than at any other when so many others were just as dance in the past six years,” Mr. drunk,” one remarked.

ommendation from the PHOTO: SAM CONEYS school. Jarrett Stein said. Upon arrival to The administration is not the dance, the administration ob- simply concerned with punish- Eagle Project finished served the behavior and coordina- ing students, but also with the tion of the students and was able The pond and waterfall to determine 12 students to have see FALLOUT on page 2 in the courtyard adjacent to the cafeteria have been completed. The project was designed and imple- mented by Chris Patrikis, Shining in a New Light who is in the process of be- coming an Eagle Scout. Performers showcase their talents in outside venues INSIDE FEATURES by SHANNON LEE CONNORS ny of their friends, Laura Dab- rowski forgoes such pastimes Holiday Performing arts students at HHS are often in order to take part in a unique required to juggle schoolwork, sports, clubs, dance group. Dabrowski, a ju- Gift part-time jobs, and family commitments. nior, is entering her third year However, some have further extended them- with The Polish American Guide selves to take part in productions outside of Folk Dance Company, a multi- school. For these students, the time commit- generational dance troupe. The ment is more than worth the experience. folk dance company performs “It never seemed that anyone minded in concerts at New York Cityʼs What to give p. 4 giving up their time and sacrificing something F.I.T. and Alice Tully Hall, as in their life, because they loved the activity well as festivals in Boston and OPINION so much,” said Josh Blumberg, a junior who Poland. The dance company marches with the Syracuse Brigadiers Drum has been known to meet up to Why ‘no and Bugle Corps. four times a week prior to cru- pass days’ While the majority of Huntington High cial performances, SAM CONEYS PHOTO: School students spend their Friday nights in “I feel that it is completely Lillienstein, Porter, and Meszaros play their strings in LIYO. should Huntington Village or enjoying the compa- worth the seven hours I put in each Friday be- there to work and loves music just as much as be done cause the company is preserving Polish tradi- you do, and thatʼs not something you experi- away with tions, customs, and culture for generations to ence on a high school level,” Blumberg said. come.” Dabrowski said. In a different realm of music, some HHS Editorial p. 6 Dabrowski represents a highly dedicated students participate in the Long Island Youth group of students within the Huntington High Orchestra (LIYO). ENTERTAINMENT School community; those who are willing to “I love it...and it is one hundred percent go to extreme lengths in order to pursue their worth it to be around such an amazing group passions. of musicians,” Senior Aimee Lillienstein said. Juniors Josh Blumberg and Alex Prince She has played in LIYO for the last three years. are members of the Syracuse Brigadiers Drum Seniors Vivian Porter and Samantha Rollins and Bugle Corps. The corps, which is part of and junior Matt Meszaros are also members Drum Corps Associates (DCA), participates of this elite orchestra. in marching band-style competitions with oth- The group practices for three hours ev- er groups from across the country. Rehearsals ery Sunday at C.W. Post, though practices

How to ‘woo’ women; PHOTO: JOLESCH.COM take place every other weekend from January can last for up to four hours before a concert. sort of to April, and intensify to every weekend until LIYO takes part in four concerts each year at Top 10 Tips p. 8 early September. Blumberg and Prince took the Tilles Center, and last year performed at INDEX part in the DCA finals in Rochester on Sep- Carnegie Hall in New York City. fashion...... 7 tember 3rd, where their corps placed sixth out The Huntington Village Theater Compa- entertainment...... 9 of the 16 participants. ny (HVTC) also benefits from the dedication “I do drum corps because you have the sports...... back page see PERFORMERS on page 3 Josh Blumberg blasts for the Brigadiers. opportunity to learn so much...and everyone is The Dispatch 2 DECEMBER06 NEWS Plagiarize at your own risk Teachers turn to “Turnitin.com” to catch cheaters

by HENRY BAUGHMAN on Turnitinʼs server. This going into getting other pro- the fight against it. not only allows for easy ac- grams. Despite its downfalls, the Students beware; Huntington cess but also creates a unique According to advocates of Turnitin service was a relative High School is looking to crack massive database for the pro- Turnitin.com, the primary goal bargain financially, costing the down on plagiarism with the in- gram to search. is to help educate students about school only seventy-five cents corporation of the Turnitin pro- Turnitin does not only plagiarism. Unfortunately, this per student. If only for the data gram. offer a plagiarism detec- may be all that the application is access, this would be a worthy Turnitin has acted as a pla- tion program, but also capable of doing, as in one program. The plagiarism detec- giarism detection service for includes a peer review no instance Turnitin failed tion just an added benefit. over a decade; it is used in scores system, an opportunity to to realize that a fake sub- According to Mr. Florea, of nations, and thousands of do all grading online. mission was taken word Turnitin can greatly help in pre- schools, including Huntington While most teachers for word from an old paring students for “what college High School. While searching the immediately saw the Wikipedia article. Be- will be like.” internet or books to determine the advantages of an cause Wikipediaʼs ar- While Turnitin is far from a validity of a students work has al- online submission, ticles can be modified foolproof solution to the problem ways been an option, this was a many may be re- by anyone, their ever of plagiarism, it offers many ad- very time consuming endeavor. luctant to relinquish changing content is vantages over the manual check- According to Mr. Florea, an their red pen and hard to pin down. Other ing. This program exceeds the old advocate of the program, the goal there are currently techniques of assign- method of “learning the students is to “teach [students] e ff o r t s ment fabrication writing [techniques],” by leaps about paraphrasing.” ILLUSTRATION: DAN RABINOWITZ & LEIF DRACE were also success- and bounds. Turnitin is arguably Some students Another useful fea- Edited by Alexander Chisholm ful. As such, Turni- the best anti-plagiarism system have trouble ture of the program is that tin will not be able to available today, and is a critical turning in papers assignments can no longer be guarentee an end to tool in the schools arsenal against on Turnitin.com lost or misplaced, because plagiarizing, but is a cheaters. everything is backed up significant victory in Administrators deal with Homecoming aftermath

FALLOUT from front page Despite the plans to help the district recover from this turn parents away from sending their children here.” controversial event, many are still concerned about the ef- Parents and members of the faculty feel that if these safety of each student. fect of the dance on Huntington High Schoolʼs reputation. functions were cancelled, then this problem would be “School isnʼt just about books, itʼs about learning...we solved. Mr. Stein, however, disagrees. need to educate the whole child, not just academically,” “Canceling the dance is not the solution, we shouldnʼt Mr. Stein said, adding that students who made poor choic- punish many students for what a few have done,” he said, es on Homecoming night put themselves in danger. Good kids made remarking that no activities have been cancelled yet. Although there has been much negative attention, the “bad choices...they “It is a question of whether we as a building can as- administration is confident that there is a solution to this sure parents of the safety of their students. If we cannot looming problem. “Good kids made bad choices...they embarrassed themselves assure that for the parents, then I donʼt think we can have embarrassed themselves and their families,” Mr. Stein and their families these events,” Ms. Hefele said. said. The administration scheduled an assembly about the For now, the solution to this incident is yet to be deter- risk of alcohol abuse, and there have been rumors concern- mined, but many are optimistic. ing the use of breathalyzers. “We donʼt want to be the school that is only known “If we were okayed to have a breathalyzer...we would for [what happened at homecoming]. Our school is a great have had a wonderful evening,” Mr. Gilmor said. Howev- “This has put the school in a difficult position...it” has place, ” one student said. er, there are no definite plans to use these devices at future given the community a black eye,” Ms. Hefele said. “We Laura Dabrowski and Madeline Jensen also contrib- school functions. want to speak positively of our school...[this event] may uted to this article. Visit our Website! thedispatchonline.googlepages.com

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Also view the Dispatch at HUFSD.edu The Dispatch FEATURES DECEMBER06 3 ‘Staccato Stellato’ rocks the house New band teacher brings both experience and fun to music program

by LAUREN CAMPBELL dents in grades nine through twelve. He then decided to take a job in the Sachem School PERFORMERS from front page District, where he taught fourth and fifth Mr. Brian Stellato may grade students. Ironically enough, the per- of Junior Scott Demotta. A member be short in stature, but he is son who took his place in South Hampton of HHSʼs own drama club, Demotta certainly not short of energy. To was Mr. Giachetti, another Huntington band has been participating in the HVTC his students, Stellato brings an un- teacher. for the past ten years and has taken inhibited eagerness and passion for Mr. Stellato came to the high school part in numerous productions, in- music that is contagious. as a mid-year replacement for Mr. Frank cluding Oliver and Gone with the Mr. Stellato started his musical Battista, who went back to Finley Middle Wind. The company produces three life in third grade, when he learned to School to fill a vacated position and direct shows each year and practices every play the trumpet. He went to college at the seventh grade band. Mr. Stellato now evening for one to two months before the University of Delaware, where he ma- directs the senior band and teaches Music a performance. Demotta is an advo- jored in music education. During his spare Theory I. Having taught both beginning and cate for the group. time he plays tennis, works with the march- advanced band students, he prefers teaching “Itʼs worth the time commitment ing band and roots for the New York Mets. high school level students because he can to see the final product. Itʼs amazing Mr. Stellato likes students who are pas- show more of his fun side and talk to them to go from not knowing people to sionate and enthusiastic about what they are more like adults. being friends and putting on a great doing. His major pet peeve is when people “One of the biggest things I strive for show,” Demotta said. do not make eye contact when speaking or is getting my students excited about what The experiences that HHS stu- listening. Thus far, Stellato has a positive theyʼre learning and Iʼm always looking for dents are able to take away from their impression of his new surroundings. new ways to achieve that,” Stellato said. activities are monumentally reward- “I love the school, that the students are ing for the participants. friendly and outgoing, and that the teachers “There is nothing in the world are very supportive,” Stellato said. that I would trade for that moment PHOTO: KELSEY KUNES KELSEY PHOTO: Three years ago, Mr. Stellato worked at [at finals],” Prince said, who plans to South Hampton High School teaching stu- march again next season. Teacher dress code to be enforced

by SASHA LEE HEMMINGS whatever one wants as far as the fire. Everyone wanted to catch a dress code is concerned, it is a glimpse of him to see if the rumor “Teachers and all other dis- way of expressing oneself,” said was really true. While it can be trict personnel should exemplify Mr. Stein. argued thay he was expressing and reinforce acceptable student If teachers do not dress ap- himself, it was in an extreme dress and help students develop propriately for school, it can be manner; students do not expect an understanding of appropriate rather distracting to students. For appearance in the school setting.” instance, how many of us remem- These words from the ber the male substitute teacher that student handbook wore a dress to school last year? seem simple It wasnʼt only distracting to the class that he was a substitute for, but to the entire student body. The

news of a male KUNES KELSEY PHOTO: teacher wearing their educators to Student art will plaster the walls of the art gallery when completed. a dress spread be dressed that way. like wild- Those who did not have him as a substitute can only imag- Creative Renovations ine the distraction and sus- picion aroused as to why Gallery in cafeteria shows local art he would wear something like that to school. on how long Ms. Haacke, Mrs. by EMILY MORTENSEN When interviewed, Worth, or Kott choose to display AND MIKA ADA teachers in Huntington High E W them. Another idea projected for School explained that their the future would be small re- daily outfit choices are ceptions with refreshments that reflections of both their As most students are aware would celebrate the new artwork moods and the weather. of by now, a community room displayed. Mrs. Colica, for example, has been created to occupy two- The outside construction and likes wearing dress pants thirds of the old stage in Cafeteria parts of the interior of the gallery with a sweater or some- A. One may wonder what is hap- have been completed. However, thing comfortable. She pening with the remaining one- there is a lot of preparation that enough, loves flats but wears heels third, A creative embellishment still needs to be done before any- but teachers have to give off a more profes- was proposed by Ms. Haacke and thing can be displayed. The first the responsibility to pro- sional air. Mr. Crugnale also Mrs. Worth, two of Huntington project that needs to be completed vide a good example for students. dresses with comfort in mind. High Schoolʼs art teachers, to use is the sheetrock that will cover the Although the teacherʼs dress code He loves to wear jeans or the leftover space as an art gal- two concrete walls in the room. is not physically documented, khakis with a dress shirt and lery. This gallery would include Because each wall will be made teachers do have an unwritten a blazer, which he feels gives any type of artwork made by of sheetrock, hanging up artwork code of what they are allowed off a more comfortable atmo- students. The gallery would also is relatively easy. The only dam- to wear and what they are not al- sphere in his classroom. host artwork created by art interns age being done is a small hole left lowed to wear. Both teachers and stu- and possibly even artists from the behind from a nail or a hook. In As teachers, they are ex- dents must abide by the community. addition to this, a wall hanging pected to dress professionally and same dress code but per- According to Ms. Haacke, system is being considered. It appropriately for school. “We are haps the teachers have to if a student wants a piece of his would consist of a molding that supposed to be modeling behav- take even more care with artwork to be displayed, he must would run around the ceiling of ior,” said Mr. Bruckbauer. Teach- their choice of dress each write out a proposal addressing the room and track lighting. ers, as role models for students, SARAH SMITH ILLUSTRATION: day. If teachers were to why he wants it displayed. That “All of these projects are are expected to give students a wear outfits to school that proposal is given to Jessica Kott, going to be supported by a grant better idea of what is to be ex- showed too much skin or a senior and curator of the gal- given to [the Arts Department] pected of them in the work force seemed inappropriate, it lery, so she can make a decision by the Huntington Foundation for and in terms of dress and conduct. would send a poor mes- on whether or not to display the Excellence in Education (HFEE) “Should students and teachers sage to the entire school piece. The pieces that are chosen so we wonʼt have to worry too wear uniforms? No, by wearing and the community. will most likely be displayed for much on the funding,” said Ms. two weeks to a month, depending Haacke. The Dispatch 4 DECEMBER06 FEATURES GIFT GUIDE 2006: Ahead of schedule Don’t know what to buy? to her dream. She was able to We have all the answers. accomplish this due to the fact by ELEN DEOLIVEIRA AND JULIANNE CRITELLI that she was on the “accelerated track” of the science and math As the holidays approach, everyone is faced with the dilem- programs, which enabled her to ma of choosing gifts for friends and family. Undoubtedly, the most receive high school credits in difficult decision lies in choosing gifts for the opposite sex. Below, eighth grade. there are some tips and suggestions that will help in your search for This year Monica has to the “perfect gift.” “double up” on Social Studies and English classes since New Suggestions for Girls: York State requires four credits t Chocolates/ stuffed animals of each subject to receive a di- t Jewelry ploma. To receive the four man- datory Social Studies credits, she Tips: is taking AP Economics and AP - As far as jewelry goes, this is a gift better suited for those in a rela- - PHOTO: ELEN DEOLIVEIRA American Government, in addi- tion to AP US History. To fulfill tionship that are willing to spend more PHOTO: LAKECHAMP the necessary English credits she money. When buying the jewelry it is best LAINCHOCOLATES.COM is taking Honors English 11 and to keep it simple. A silver necklace or bracelet with a heart or some- AP English at the same time. thing similar is good enough. Rings tend to imply something more Obviously, Monica has hard- serious, so this would be for someone who you know is “the one.” ly anytime to relax. - For those of you who are in a less serious relationship or are in the “Sometimes it feels like beginning stages of one, you might be looking for something less Monica Thalla is preparing to graduate high school this June, it [the work load] is too much expensive, but equally meaningful. Items such as chocolates and/or even though she is only a Junior. to handle and you want to give teddy bears are just as romantic without the high cost. up” she admitted. “But I have - Something from Build-a Bear workshop that you take the time and missing out on your senior year my mom there to support me effort to make on your own is something that would definitely score by TIMOTHY OʼGRADY could be deleterious. when Iʼm on the edge of a break- points with girls. “Most students go into col- down.” - If you really know the person, you can take the gifts a step further During our scholastic careers lege before they are economi- Despite the fact that Hun- and give them things that you know for a fact they would love to it has always seemed like gradu- cally, socially and academically tington High School is supportive have. For example, girls interested in music might love to have a spe- ating would be a methodical pro- prepared,” Mrs. Croke said. of Monicaʼs decision, the school cific CD or concert tickets (make sure to get two tickets, which leaves cedure. However, there are ways Despite criticism, ambitious is very selective when it comes the option of you being included). for highly motivated students to students with clear paths could to approving early graduation. arrange their schedules so that benefit by getting a year ahead of According to Huntington High Suggestions for Boys: they can meet the credits neces- their colleagues. In many cases, Schoolʼs official “Early Gradu- t boxers sary for graduation before their accelerated students who go ation Policy,” there are several t video games senior year. to schools that do not offer AP criteria a student must meet to t humor gifts

Fast-tracking to get a diplo- classes decide to graduate early. receive this privilege. These in- PHOTO: E2GAMES.COM ma is not for everyone. Hunting- This allows them to take col- clude a letter from the studentʼs Tips: ton High School junior Monica lege classes instead of electives guardians discussing the reason - Boxers are a perfect gift because Thalla has altered her schedule that would not be as challenging. for early graduation and approval they are inexpensive but can still be so she can do just that this year. Others earn the necessary credits from several authority figures, personal. There are so many options and patterns that can be chosen “It takes extreme and utter dedi- early for financial reasons. like the Principal and Guidance from for all kinds of occasions. Also, boxers can be bought over and cation,” Thalla said. “Once we had a student who Administrator. over; guys can always use another pair. Many times, students with- graduated in 11th grade so that Despite the added classes, - Letʼs face it. All guys like video games. Whether they enjoy sports, out specific goals attempt to she could work full time in order pressures, and extra hours of action, or car games, there are choices galore. For the girls who have graduate early as a way to escape to pay for her college tuition,” study, a studentʼs decision to no interest or knowledge of video games, this may seem like a hard the tedium of high school. Some- said Mrs. Croke. graduate early could be beneficial choice, but any employee at a video game store would be glad to help times these students decide that Thalla is graduating to get to her future. Determined by the (but to be safe, just go with something popular and recent). going directly into college or into a head start on a long academic studentʼs intended plan of action, - For guys that may be just friends or for those little gifts that are a job would benefit them more career. Monica always knew that many high schools, including complementing a bigger one, funny books, t-shirts, or movies are than staying in school. Guid- she wanted to become a pediatri- Huntington, allow select students always a good idea. The same can be applied to girls when appropri- ance Counselor Catherine Croke cian and figured that graduating to receive the special privilege of ate. Also, as with girls, tickets to sports games or concerts are just as discourages this and claims that this year would bring her closer early graduation. appreciated. Pizza connoisseurs seek the best by TIM CRAWLEY AND Speedy service is always a plus. like Tyrannosaurs Rexes gnawing time dy-no-mite. Atmosphere- One of largest on the heads of our prey. Food- Packs a powerful CHRIS AMBROSIO dining area of all of Huntingtonʼs Service- The priciest and the punch. There was a choir of an- It was a dark and stormy pizzerias. Stretches as far as the slowest. It felt like it was run by a gels singing to the artist that made night. We were cold, tired and eye can see. Very clean, well kept horde of greedy sloth-men. this pizza. If Zeus threw sauce in- and multiple hungry, but on a mission, one area with great location. Makes Atmosphere- It was so stead of lightning bolts, it would nail parlors. with the possibility to alter the you feel like youʼre back home in cramped we felt like we were in be on this pizza. Food- The Holy Grail of lo- course of history. This is the sto- an Italian kitchen; or if youʼre not Service- Good pricing; The cal pizzerias. They have sesame ry of two seniors who love to go Italian, it has marble everywhere, cheapest so far on this expedition. seed crusts, which are the equiva- out and enjoy great food. In this pictures of food on the walls and If Zeus threw If Speedy Gonzalez was in the lent in the pizza world to Mina- episode, we will analyze some of smells delicious. pizza business, he would work at tours in the real world (not very the hot spot pizza parlors in Hun- Overall- We felt like we were “sauce instead of Little Vincentʼs. It was that fast. common). tington Village. sent an invitation to the Rosaʼs Atmosphere- Great way to Service- Very quiet, yet very Rosaʼs: Probably one of the pizza party and were welcomed lightning bolts, it impress your lady friend on a hot personal; the library of pizzerias, best known and most popular with open arms. would be on this date, with fresh flowers on every if we may. pizza places in town, this classic Rating- 4 ½ Pizza Slices table. Atmosphere- Very open pizzeria was great. Juniorʼs: Clear cut worst of pizza. Overall- There was great piz- shop, with movies playing for Food- Very good selections the bunch. A very big disappoint- za, speedy service, a little small on our enjoyment. It just made us with many variations. Pizza itself ment, seeing as how the original ” the serving size however. There happy. It was like sitting on rock- had very nice crust, along with Juniorʼs in Halesite is not that a prison cell. It would be difficult was a void in our hearts that we ing chairs made of rainbows on a thick and succulent body. Pizza bad. to zone out the digestive sounds thought Little Vincent could fill, porch of delilahs. was served at perfect temperature, Food- Had we not put garlic of the person next to you, let but his little slices proved inad- Overall- Talk about saving and when it was eaten, it formed a and oregano onto the “pizza,” and alone their conversations. equate. the best for last. The ultimate great bond between the pizza and if we had eaten it blindfolded, we Overall- Oh well, they tried. Rating- 3 ½ Pizza Slices sleeper of Huntington pizzerias. our mouths. would have thought we were eat- Rating- 1 Pizza Slice Stevieʼs: What a find. Pos- Stevieʼs is to pizza what bears Service- Great bunch of true ing warm, wet cardboard. The Little Vincentʼs: The only sibly the best pizza place in town, are to tree-hugging hippie hikes, Italian guys working here. Their consistency was very doughy, as if thing little about this pizzeria is nestled in the midst of a construc- making it worthwhile. eyes are on the prize at all times. it wasnʼt cooked enough. We felt the pizza, everything else was big tion site, a larger Italian restaurant, Rating- 5 Pizza Slices The Dispatch FEATURES DECEMBER06 5 Model UN Club to promote global awareness

by LAURA DABROWSKI AND Connors has established a Model ful opportunity for students to ex- dents involved will MADELEINE JENSEN United Nations (MUN) Club, plore and examine countries that participate in something that has long been ab- students might not necessarily both formal With more than 35 organiza- sent from the roster of Huntington seek out or find in their everyday and informal tions at Huntington High School, High School clubs. studies,” said Mr. Bisogno, an ad- d e b a t e s , junior Shannon Connors has cre- As part of this international visor for Model UN. as well ated a club that will appeal to organization, Huntington High This year the Model UN Club as create students interested in world af- School members will be able to aims to attend an official confer- p r o p o s - fairs and in the dynamics of de- participate in conferences where ence in hopes of becoming better als to be bate. Working with an outstand- world issues will be discussed prepared to enter a larger forum discussed ing board of faculty members, and debated. “It offers a wonder- in future years. At these meetings, c o l l e c - GRAPHIC: SJSU.EDU each school represents a country tively at that they have researched in a both the formal debate centered on in- general as- ternational topics. In addition to sembly and the planning for this event, fundrais- regional forums. ing will be essential to the suc- There will also be an WORD ON important life skills, communi- cess of the group in the 2006- opening ceremony at the 2007 school year due to the fact United Nations and a guided tour cation and compromise,” said that it is not yet supported by the of the building, in addition to a Connors, who is eager to make THE STREET school budget. dance for all of the delegates. students more aware of global Recently the group at Hun- In order to take part in this concerns. Do you think that the alcohol assemblies were tington High School has been conference, the club will most considering partaking in the likely split into committees, such • Model UN- Tuesdays effective and will influence studentsʼ decisions UNA-USA Conference in May. as an economic group, to research at 2:30 in room 211. to drink? Why or why not?. Held in New York City at the certain aspects of the nation it • Advisors: Mr. Bisog- United Nations and Hyatt Ho- is given. These committees will no, Mrs. Haskins, Mr. tel, this meeting will primarily then submit proposals based on Graber, Mr. Leavy, and include schools from New York their focus topic. state and the tri-state area. Stu- “Model UN fosters two really Ms. Tedeschi

“Nope- I donʼt think there is anything you can do about it.” Being funny for money

by LIORE KLEIN fit for McCann. Alex Mayen - Senior “The one major drawback is One of the primary things the commute! The studio is in on studentsʼ minds is money, and Kew Gardens [Queens]. Thatʼs how to go about getting it. Those an hour train ride, costing $10 “No because this isnʼt a not fortunate enough to get regu- each way,” McCann said. stupid high school sitcom lar allowances from their par- When school started, anoth- where some inspiring leader ents often have to suffer through er issue arose—how to balance or teacher will say something mind-numbingly boring jobs that school and work. As the year has and for some ridiculous, have decent pay, but are not the progressed, McCann admits that unrealistic reason the kids least bit fulfilling. trying to keep up with all of his will stop...kids arenʼt going to However, there is always an assignments as well as his job is change their minds.” exception to the rule. Cody Mc- “getting difficult.” Catherine Tacopina- Freshman Cann, a senior at HHS, is one of In spite of the initial setbacks, the lucky few who managed to McCann seems to be very happy find a great job that is actually with his job. “No, because it was a enjoyable. Since last summer, “I love the fact that itʼs con- AIMEE LILLIENSTEIN PHOTO: Cody McCann writes comedy brief assembly and I didnʼt McCann has worked as a mem- sidered a ʻwhite collarʼ position, for Plan Z Media in Queens. learn anything new. All ber of the comedic writing staff where I am a valuable worker be- the people said was that of Plan Z Media, a film produc- cause of [my] talent and creativ- whatever college or university he too much alcohol can tion company that specializes in ity. [It is] much better than my attends next fall. harm you. Wow, like I animation. first job, where I basically moved When asked if he had any tips didnʼt know that.” He first heard about the job heavy objects all day.” for job-seeking students, McCann Joselin Rodriguez - Freshman from a former student, who told In addition, working with advised them to “take advantage him about the position and helped skilled people in his desired field of any opportunities [they] may him get hired. As someone plan- has given him valuable experi- come across and they will find a ning to make a career in visual ence as well as a foundation that job worth the effort they put into “I donʼt think they were 100% arts, this seemed like the perfect will make him a great asset to it.” effective...but itʼs a step in the right direction. Itʼs good that administrators and adults care about us and that they are Want to advertise trying.” Deidre Fleming- Senior here?

The Dispatch accepts “The assembly had some meaning, but what they told us advertisements from was nothing we havenʼt heard before.” businesses, student groups, and other organizaions. Jake Fleisig - Freshman

PHOTOS: TOM LEE The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Reasonable Rates. Large readership. Dispatchʼs staff, nor the HUFSD School Board or any affiliated.

Addtional Notes: 95.4% of the students who responded to this ques- For more information, contact us at tion said that the assemblies were not effective. [email protected] The Dispatch 6 DECEMBER06 pinion No More ‘No Pass Days’

PASS 2006/2007 Staff to Nurse Editors-in-Chief PASS to Bathroom PASS Aaron Cohn to College Connor Kiesel Office Managing Editors Samantha Rollins Mike McCourt Business Editor Art/Photo Editor Denise DelGaudio Aimee Lillienstein Contributing Staff David Kaufman Rachel Hammel Samantha Coneys Kelsey Kunes Sarah Smith Matt Rienzo Tom Lee Liore Klein Ian Kirkpatrick Katie Weller Shannon Lee Connors Margaret Barone Dan Rabinowitz Melanie Malusa Leif Drace Emily Mortensen Alexander Chisholm Emika Wada Lauren Campbell Timothy OʼGrady Sasha Lee Hemmings Elen DeOliveira Laura Dabrowski Julianne Critelli Madeleine Jensen Tim Crawley Isabel Sorrentino Chris Ambrosio Danielle Gershowitz Ryan Jacobs Greta Johnson Jiordan Castle Max Sender Ian Goldstein “But I have to pee!” yelled one stu- concept, it does not really work. The study hall in control. Katherine Beavers Nathan Obey dent in disgust after her teacher told her “nomads” who roam the hallway are not All of these factors not only make Chris Kouttron Brian Teubner she could not go to the bathroom. Why? going to be deterred by a no pass day. it difficult for students, but demean the Stephanie Smoller Greg Everitt Because it was a no pass day. They will still be in the hallways, while whole purpose of no pass days. Teach - Advisor No pass days present an unwar - the innocent kids who have somewhere ers and students have to go to extra Mr. James A. Graber ranted nuisance for both students and to go can not do so because passes are lengths to do ordinary things and these The Dispatch is Huntington High Schoolʼs of- teachers. Students are prevented from not given out. days become a waste. Students are more ficial student publication. Written for the 1100 having any sort of routine to their day stressed because they can not go to the students attending HHS, The Dispatch is dis- and teachers must deal with edgy stu - “The whole purpose of bathroom or accomplish work as they tributed to all students, staff and school com- dents. These days have no concrete pur- no pass days is flawed.” usually would and teachers must ac - munity members at the school free of charge. pose and penalize those who are look - commodate their frustrated students. ing to do no wrong anyway. Having a A better solution to no pass days The Editorial Board is the newspaperʼs deci- no pass day on the day before vacation No pass days make it extremely dif- would be to have hall sweeps each pe - sion-making body, organizing and directing could even promote rowdy behavior, as ficult for a student to function in a nor - riod on days before vacations. It would its operation. The Dispatch staff has adopted some students could feel the desire to mal manner. A student can not stay after achieve the same goals as a no pass day the following editorial policy to express the rebel and go against a rule they feel is class to finish a test because a teacher without penalizing people who just want rights, responsibilities and philosophy of the needless. would be unable to give them a pass. A to carry on their school day as they typi- newspaper for the 2006-2007 school year. On no pass days, bathrooms are teacher could give the student a pass but cally would. More hall sweeps make locked so that students are unable to it would be akin to trying to bail some - more sense than no pass days and do The Dispatch of Huntington High School is a access them. The notion of a bathroom one out of jail with Monopoly money. not require much more effort. Security public forum, with its student editorial board being locked is ludicrous. To go to the Thus, it is difficult for a teacher to give guards would no longer have to spend making all decisions concerning its content. bathroom, a student must be escorted tests on no pass days, knowing that a the day escorting students who are not Unsigned editorials express the views of the by a security guard. Students are treated student who may need an extra minute looking for trouble to the bathroom. majority of the editorial board. like prisoners, having to find a security or two will not have that leeway. Instead, the students who are caus - guard to bring them to the bathroom. On these days, it can be almost im- ing trouble would be caught up in the Letters to the editor are welcomed and will be This is not third grade. Students should possible for students in a study hall to hall sweeps. Thus, the goal of no pass published as space allows. Letters are preferred be able to take a pass and go to the bath- accomplish any sort of work, as passes days, which is to eliminate chaos in the signed, but may be published by request. The room without a hassle. If you have to are not given to the library or college of- halls before holidays, would finally be Editorial Board reserves the right to edit let- go, you have to go. Making something fice. A student must stay in a study hall, achieved. ters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are as simple as going to the bathroom such which is probably even more chaotic No pass days have never made sense subject to laws governing obscenity, libel, pri- a project is an unnecessary aggravation than usual due to the increased amount and still do not. They cause unnecessary vacy, and disruption of the school process, as for all parties. of people. This is not a conducive atmo- burdens for students and create a sense are all contents of the paper. Questions, com- The whole purpose of no pass days sphere for doing homework or college of abnormality in the atmosphere. While ments, and letters to the editor should be sent is flawed. While the idea of keeping applications. It is also an added burden no pass days may save paper, they are to [email protected] or submitted to people out of the hallways is good in to teachers who must now keep a full good for little else. The Dispatch mailbox in the main office.

Opinions in letters are not necessarily those of the staff, nor should any opinion expressed in Letter to the Editor a public forum be construed as the opinion of the administration, unless so attributed. Slang can turn innocent words into someone might be offended, thatʼs not offensive terms, and many people are Itʼs common for what Iʼm talking about. How did “gay” The Dispatchʼs goal is to provide readers oblivious to their ignorant use of our go from “happy” to “homosexual” to with interesting content in a wide variety of language. I joined the Gay/Straight Alli- “people to call someone anything the speaker does not like? areas. Such areas include the news coverage ance (GSA) knowing there was a lot out You can use the word gay as you could of school and community events, as well as there that needed correcting. Not just gay or something ʻgay.ʼ Itʼs any other word. You could refer to some- features on relevent topics. In addition, The marriage or human rights, because there one as a “banana” with a specific inflec- Dispatch will provide opinionated editorials are simpler, basic things that need to be supposed to be funny, tion and itʼs an insult. Using a word that on controversial topics, as well as provide pre- assessed. From where Iʼm standing, right defines an individual or a community as views and reviews for upcoming school and now itʼs the perception of the gay com- but itʼs not. a negative term is accepted, and that is professional sports seasons and other forms of munity itself that needs to be addressed. what is wrong. To correct this is why I entertainment. Being gay is considered something de- joined the GSA. viant by many people in my school. The ” The Dispatch accepts advertisements from lo- faculty as well as the students. Itʼs com- thing “gay.” Itʼs supposed to be funny, - Submitted by Leah Teplin cal businesses and student organizations. Re- mon for people to call someone or some- but itʼs not. Itʼs not even the issue that quests for specific pricing, and examples of past advertising may be requested via e-mail Note to readers: The Dispatch welcomes letters to the editor. Letters through [email protected]. The Edi- torial Board reserves the right to refuse any can be responses to articles or other letters. Please e-mail all to advertisement deemed inappropriate. [email protected] and make your voice heard. The Dispatch p-ed DECEMBER06 7 Do we know enough? Students are unaware of today’s issues that will affect their futures by IAN KIRKPATRICK AND our elderly. At that time the average nos. But the purpose of the web is the life expectancy in the US was 62, creation of a deregulated community RYAN JACOBS and the age for S.S. eligibility was where ideas are spread freely and dis- We are, as students, told to take 65. Thanks to modern healthcare, the cretely. So what is this? A regulated a vested interest in government. US average expectancy in the US is now Internet is not free. In a free world, History and Participation in Govern- 75. The money that was paid to oneʼs freedom is everything. ment are required classes. But the Social Security has been spent by the Iraq, Iran and North Korea: truth is that most students do not have federal government, and not on those These nations, among others, will a taste for politics. In a time when so who paid for it! Now there are simply determine the international political much is happening, political apathy too many people withdrawing money climate for years to come. Iran and is correspondingly rampant. With the and not enough paying. This dis- North Korea have sacrificed the wel- impending collapse of Social Secu- crepancy could result in conservative fare of their own people for an irratio- rity, assaults on the freedom of the privatization of Social Security. nal hatred of the West. In the past few Internet, recent diplomatic situations Today we think of the Internet months, North Korea especially has in North Korea, and the continuing as a global community with limit- demonstrated that they have no scru- conflict in the Middle East, the world less options. We use AIM and online ples and will not hesitate to defy the needs our attention. games to relax and remove ourselves world. They are developing nuclear An important issue facing our from the world, or perhaps access weapons and delivery platforms, generation is Social Security. The the news to delve into its issues- but which could theoretically reach the Bush White House has increased our government regulation may change West coast of the U.S. The Middle national debt substantially. Now at its that. Recently the Unlawful Internet East and the War on Terror are very highest point ever and still increas- Gambling Enforcement Act has pro- important. Many have foreseen that ing, the prospects for Social Security hibited Americans from using online irreconcilable differences between are grim. At its inception, as part of gambling sites. It was created to stem East and West will be our downfall. the New Deal, Social Security was a the $5 billion in online wagers leav- Thus it is our responsibility to means of insuring the well being of ing the U.S. for “.com” foreign casi- take action! All we need to do is get ILUSTRATION: iAN KIRKPATRICK Point / Counterpoint Drinking should be made safer Stop teen drinking altogether

by GRETA JOHNSON by CONNOR KIESEL

Adolescent drinking has been going mode of transportation. Todayʼs society seems to endorse a where children can easily access it is ask- on for centuries, so to say that the adoles- Although some might say that these culture of drinking. A common belief is ing for trouble. cents of the 21st century are the first teen- tactics are promoting drinking, it could that drinking is just something that goes Our society as a whole has a much too age drinkers would almost be an egotisti- not be clearer that policies of Zero Toler- on and a teenage ritual. Thus, some adults lackadaisical approach to the matter. The cal statement. To think that ours was the ance are not working, and teenagers con- and parents allow it to go on. Just because fact that a good deal of students felt com- first generation to arrive at a school dance tinue to get into dangerous situations due it has been going on for a long time does fortable drinking before going to a school drunk is contrary to historical fact. Young to intoxication. not mean it is right. Al- sanctioned event just exhibits the problem. adults that drink know that it is illegal yet cohol is a Teenagers have this notion, which for the they do it regardless. most part is sadly correct, that there are no Adolescents drinking at parties are repercussions to their actions because ev- there to enjoy themselves and their eryone does it. Yes, a few students got sus- friends. No matter what anyone pended for coming to the dance drunk. says or does, it will continue, However, most got away with it and and teens will always find think that they are still invincible someplace to drink. There- to any punishment. fore, there is no point in The only way to stop this trying to completely problem is to take a tough eliminate it. Drink- stance and make teenagers ing becomes a seri- responsible for their ac- ous problem when it tions. Breathalyzers may is abused and when be a hassle but should be it leads people into present so that students at dangerous situations. the school dance are not

ILLUSTRATION: SARAH SMITH The best way to deal drunk. A school is sup- with teen drinking posed to be a safe, wel- then is for parents to come atmosphere, and start being realistic for it to host a gym full of about what their kids drunken students is abhor- are doing on the week- rent. end and start making it a It may be impossible to safer experience. stop all teenage drinking; how- There are several ways ever, allowing this detrimental society can help reduce the action to go on is not right. The negative outcomes of teenage change must start at a grass-roots lev- drinking. Allowing adolescents el. Parents must stress to their children to drink under parental supervision from a young age that drinking is some- enables them to have parties in a safer thing they will not allow and there will be manner. If a situation gets out of control, a strict consequences if it occurs. Simply parent can intervene and make sure noth- attempting to make teenage drinking “saf- ing serious happens. Schools can also dangerous er” is enabling the action because under- help decrease some of these problems. It is impossible to substance which many teenagers age drinking can never truly be safe. By taking keys at dances the school can prevent adolescent drinking from happen- are unable to control themselves around. Teenagers may have fun while drink- make sure students do not leave the build- ing and therefore the only other reason- Parents must do a better job of sty- ing but when a friend is sent to the hospital ing with an impaired ability to drive and able alternative is to start looking at ways mieing drinking. It is entirely too easy for or dies in a car accident, then the fun ends. prevent them from putting themselves and to make adolescent drinking safer for the teenagers to acquire alcohol. Teens get Therefore, society must make a greater other students in danger. Additionally, community. Given that society has the alcohol from liquor cabinets that parents effort to enforce the laws against under- providing taxi numbers at places teenag- ability to decrease the amount of drunk leave unguarded. Parents must open up age drinking. If this is not done, than the ers normally go, such as schools, sports driving accidents, rape, and other conse- their eyes and realize there is a possibil- amount of consumption and deaths as a facilities, youth groups, movie theaters, quences of drinking, it is incomprehen- ity that their child is not a perfect angel. result of alcohol will continue to rise, and and gyms will offer a safe alternative sible why it fails to do so. Leaving beer and alcohol around in places the cause of it will not be too hard to find. The Dispatch 8 DECEMBER06 g Fashion h Fashion Mania: What we can all 80’s are back in style learn from Fashion Week 2006 most dangerous show, packing Spandex, knee-highs are year’s hottest look hoards of drunken socialites into a dimly lit room with open flames. by RACHEL HAMMEL thicker than it really is. Ladies, your spandex wardrobe, Zac Posenʼs show, one remember the cardinal rule of go for muted tones of ol- of the most anticipated of the The over the top decade of heels: never buy anything too ive, brown, or burgundy. season, was met with praise. the eighties was famous for its high for you to walk in, or else When wearing leggings, Sean “Diddy” Combs, a fi- oversized sweaters, loud span- you will look like a little girl pair them with a long, fit- nancial backer of Posen, was dex, big hair, and silly power parading around in ted sweater. It is vital that the first to give him a standing suits. Who would ever sug- her mommyʼs sweater covers oneʼs derrière; ovation. While tactless, this gest a comeback for such hei- otherwise the look becomes maneuver did manage to get the nous looking garb? Surprise, distasteful and unbecoming. by JIORDAN CASTLE entire first row on their feet. the eighties are back! Add some cute ballet flats or In keeping with outrageous This yearʼs fall slip-ons, and youʼve got this Olympus Fashion Week was shows and modeling, seven themes and winter seasonʼs hottest look. held in New York from September were noted: I Love the 80s, Ja- f a s h i o n s Remember when 8th to 15th. Bryant Park was con- ponisme, Couture Construction, and bring back you told your mom that verted to a temporary fashion arena Showgirl Style, Going to Extremes, so many straight legs looked with tents. Individual venues can be Space Exploration, and Ethereal El- of the clas- lame? Well, you can as large as 12,000 square feet and egance. For designers never straying sic eighties eat your words now come complete with runway, seating, far from the eighties, this seasonʼs trends that most because the flair is backstage areas, lighting and sound. looks were less Madonna and more believed would out. Be careful This highly publicized event Azzedine Alaia: rich gals lying out never resurface on though: skinny hosts a seasonʼs worth of couture in by the pool. the runway. jeans do not just eight days, and 26 shows. The Designers like Ralph Lauren, Although many flatter all body event itself is not very long, but the Phillip Lim, BCBG, and Narciso Ro- of this seasonʼs trends types, as repercussions are not to be believed. driguez chose whites and metallics are largely based on they slim New York Magazine, a veritable for this seasonʼs coloration. Behnaz eighties fashion, things the lower account of Fashion Week, boasted Sarafpour, who is about to become will never be quite the part of Vena Cava and Brian Reyes as fa- far more well-known with her new same. The new millennium the leg vorite shows. Reyes was a rarity, cit- Target Go International collection, has added more class to gen- and em- ing olive as this seasonʼs color, while chose a different route – designs in- erally obnoxious and unflatter- phasize oneʼs Vena Cavaʼs show offered a modern spired by Charles and Ray Eames, ing outfits. PHOTO: AIMEEthighs LILLIENSTEIN and behind. twist on a twenties garden party; making use of graphic prints and a Something that works Skinny jeans should skim just models lounged at makeshift pic- largely mod styling. great for every body type this below the naval. Sorry, girls, nics and grassy knolls. In contrast to The time for tight skirts and tops, season is knee high boots with shoes. low rise jeans do not cut it this more favorable shows, Luella Bart- alongside wide-brimmed hats and heels. Whether brown or black, Even though year. Short ankle boots, flats, leyʼs show was poorly received. It large accessories, has come. As New just make sure the heel isnʼt spandex is back, have no fear! or knee highs complete the ran late and was clumsily arranged; York Magazine so lovingly spouts, too chunky because this flaw Spandex looks great, as long as outfit. music was a mess of eighties hits and “The decade of decadence marches may cause oneʼs leg to look one does not wear bright col- Thank goodness, the mini- the clothes were a bore. on.” Huntington High School fe- ors. They add pounds and draw skirt is dead! Pencil skirts that Phillip Lim proved to be the males (and the token males) may be Maya Bluestone and Dana attention to body parts such as come just above the knee and comforted in knowing that classy is Macaluso know that the 80s are the thighs and hips. If you real- hug a girlʼs curves make every Above: Zac Posen and Diddy back and better than ever. ly want some color to spice up together at fashion week. PHOTO: CHANNELS.ISP.NETSCAPE.COM back and better than ever. see FASHION on page 9 The Dispatch DECEMBER06 9 ENTERTAINMENT Legendary Dylan makes comeback What’s new fined his generation. Although his like Dylanʼs early folk songs like last two albums were very well “The Times They Are A Chang- received, his writing was not up ing” and “Blowing In The Wind,” to his previous standards. Dylan this is definite buy. Even if you with #2? released many influential albums donʼt like the melodies in the in his early years, and finally has songs, Dylanʼs lyrics are always made yet another great one. something to listen to. The only His new album, “Modern problem with the album is the ‘Jackass’ sequel Times” goes back to his former repetition of a few melodies in days when he talked about the some songs, but otherwise this is better than original typical American man. He mixes vintage Dylan. GRAPHIC: WWW.ALLMUSIC.COM a different type of jazz with his If you have seen the ipod com- ALBUM: Modern Times early sixties folk and the result mercial of him singing “Someday by MAX SENDER feel that the pure comedy was ARTIST: Bob Dylan is an amazingly well-crafted and Baby” then you have gotten a better than the physical, of- by IAN GOLDSTEIN original album. taste of what the album sounds ten painful comedy displayed The album starts off with like. This album is a reminder Mel Brooks once said, throughout the movie. How- Sometimes after an artist has “Thunder on The Mountain,” a of the early Dylan and where he “Tragedy is if I cut my fin- ever, it was possibly the most been around for many years, his fast paced country song. Dylan started out as a musician. ger. Comedy is if you fall in I have ever laughed in a the writing starts to decline because shows his jazzier side with “Spirit “Modern Times” is definite- a hole and die.” That pretty span of one hour and forty-five he no longer has much to say and On The Water.” He then transi- ly one of Dylanʼs best and most much sums up the point behind minutes. forgets to write from the heart. tions to a nice slow paced folk spiritual albums. It is an album his “Jackass Number Two.” As the movie ended, the This is what has happened to song, “Workingmanʼs Blues # 2.” fans having been waiting 30 years The follow-up to the exiting crowd reminisced Bob Dylan the past two decades. Dylan shies away from his for. controversial 2002 “Jackass about their favorite parts of Dylan was one of the biggest art- typical rock and uses folk and the Movie,” features a cast of the movie. Some included ists of the 1960s and 70s and de- jazz to express his lyrics. If you regulars. They includee actor Knoxville being launched by a Johnny Knoxville and a crew 10-foot rocket 50 to 60 yards of former skateboarders and before splashing into a lake. Xiu Xiu creates cornucopia of sound other daredevils like Bam Mar- Another fan favorite included gera, Steve-O, Chris Pontius Dave England, trying to pull shoo-shoo) was created in 2000 with a soft piano played by Greg Ryan Dunn, Dave England and a fake terrorist attack inside a by Jamie Stewart, Xiu Xiuʼs only Saunier, who also produced the taxicab, but the joke permanent member. Stewart is album. The listener is led into a was on him when the currently working with Caralee hook driven “Bishop C.A” and cab driver had been McElroy and Ches Smith. instrumental koto. The darker pre-informed by the This band is extremely dif- side of the CD follows soon after, cast about the stunt ficult to label. They incorporate dealing with death, love and oneʼs without Englandʼs many different sounds and genres perception of both. Stewart takes knowledge. When including rock, punk, folk, exper- a break from fury and rage driven the cab driver pulled imental, and modern classical. metaphor in “Buzz Saw,” where out a fake gun and “The Air Force” is much he explores much finer, potent de- locked Dave Eng- GRAPHIC: WWW.ALLMUSIC.COM more user-friendly than some of tail. “The Air Force” finishes off land in the trunk as ALBUM: The Air Force their earlier releases. Lyrically, with a narrative by Stewart and part of the scene, the ARTIST: Xiu Xiu the content is morose and thick his pitch-swinging vocals. laughter in the the- with metaphor. “The Air Force” “The Air Force” is absolutely ater reached an all- by KATHERINE BEAVERS is no exception, however there brilliant. Expect the unexpected time high as Eng- are several lighter tunes. Though with this band. They will inexora- land screamed like a Xiu Xiuʼs highly anticipated often dark and bizarre, their lyrics bly surprise you. toddler. fifth album has surpassed expec- are intensely beautiful. Another favor- tations. Xiu Xiu (pronounced “The Air Force” begins ite scene was when Ryan Dunn was placed inside of a A ‘Kick, Push’ into the spotlight GRAPHIC: AMAZON.COM shopping cart in a Westʼs huge hit single, “Touch the Lupe with a trippy background, human sling-shot, Sky.” In the fall of 2006, Fiasco containing floating electronics, a 4-foot-7 skater- turned-stunt- and shot ten feet into a garage released his first album “Food books, and items of personal sig- man known as Wee Man. door, which caused Dunn to and Liquor.” This album reflects nificance. While cycling through This is probably the only fall down writhing in pain. Lupeʼs Muslim background and the booklet there are pictures of plotless movie that can get by This movie is consider- growing up on the streets of Chi- children carrying weapons in el- with no complaints about a ably better than the first one. cago. ementary school, along with gang lack of one. The dynamic squad The first movie just a merging When listening to “Food and bangers and drug dealers. This is performs stunts so wild, so of every episode that had been Liquor,” you may be reminded of his representation of how difficult risky and so downright stupid shown on television, while the established artists Kanye West or it was being a child in Chicago in that each scene had to be cov- sequelʼs stunts were complete- Pharrell. This is because many of the midst of this lifestyle every ered with disclaimers warning ly original. GRAPHIC: WWW.ALLMUSIC.COM the tracks were produced/writ- day. Despite the dark message, viewers “not to try this stuff at The downside to this ALBUM: Food and Liquor ten by Kanye and the Neptunes. many of his beats have a happy home.” movie is that it is rated R, so ARTIST: Lupe Fiasco The ninth track, “Daydreamin,” sound to them, and his lyrics Aside from the normal those under 17 may have to by NATHAN OBEY samples a piece of a song called speak of how everything might “Jackass” cast, there were ce- share some of the crude humor “Daydream in Blue” which brings just work out. Overall, Lupe Fias- lebrity appearances from skate- with their parents. Still, this Muslim hip hop artist Wassa- a retro melodic feel to the song. coʼs freshman album is a success boarder Tony Hawk, Grammy shouldnʼt be a problem since lu Muhammad has exploded onto This carries through with track and should mark the beginning of winning rap group Three 6 this is a movie too funny to not the pop and hip hop scene. four, “Kick, Push”, and track five, a prominent hip hop career. Mafia, and Miami Dolphins enjoy. Prepare yourself for a To fans of hip hop, howev- “I Gotcha.” The album contains captain Jason Taylor. sore face by the end, due to ex- er, he is known as Lupe Fiasco. a rich contrast of sounds, which As for the movie, some cessive laughter! He first made a splash in Kanye gives it depth. The cover features

year. Every girl should own a durable pair a must have accessory for this outfit. you the right to tease your hair within an Fashion for the of hose or tights to wear with their skirts. Tight vests are also a necessary part of inch of its life, but pin straight hair just Admit it; you always knew the power oneʼs wardrobe this fall. Whether it is jean, doesnʼt make the grade. suit had a certain flare to it. Thankfully, corduroy, or cotton, a vest layered with a In fashion, we must remember that ev- masses this generation can wear sleek, stylish skirt man-tailored shirt underneath instantly erything comes full circle; even the dreaded FASHION from page 8 suits minus the masculine shoulder pads dresses up an outfit without compromising eighties. Find which trend works for you and unfitted blazer tops. This yearʼs suit oneʼs comfort. and your body type. Have fun with fashion body type look fabulous and chic. Just look is more fitted and feminine than its On a final note, straight hair is out! and take chances; a little originality never make sure that when wearing a skirt you do intimidating eighties counterpart. A thick Big, curly waves are back and a little vol- hurt anyone. Most importantly, keep this not have bare legs, for it is a big no-no this belt worn around the waist (not the hip!) is ume never hurt anyone. This doesnʼt give in mind: you are what you wear. The Dispatch 10 DECEMBER06 ENTERTAINMENT Dating 101: Top ten tips

by TIM CRAWLEY ments she should receive is about four per minute. This gives you enough time to say about 16 different things about how great Hello potential ladies man; I am sure she looks/ how nice she smiles/ the power you have been wondering the ten best ways behind her forehand slap in the time it to court a young lady at Huntington High takes to walk her from class to class. School? 6) Speaking of walking from class 1) Get her instant messenger name/ to class, make sure you and her have all Myspace site and message her frequently. the same classes together. If you canʼt get If she doesnʼt engage in conversation, your schedules aligned, at the very least donʼt get your hopes down. Try having the you absolutely MUST be waiting outside conversation by yourself for a while until her classroom to escort her. This is sort of she says something. like a dog peeing on a hydrant; itʼs how 2) Always have an interesting conver- you mark your territory. sation topic ready. For example: Charles 7) Assume you have the same tastes Manson, which is the best Star Wars, how in music and movies. Constantly burn to pickle a cucumber, etc. her CDs you think sheʼll dig and always 3) If at any point in the conversation recommend a movie. Naturally, she will you feel like youʼre being annoying, make investigate every film you recommend, so PHOTO: AIMEE LILLIENSTEIN PHOTO: sure to ask her repeatedly if you are. This make sure to have a new one ready every Tim “accidentally” runs into Reisa Berg and Morgan Hughes at the College Center. will show her youʼre capable of change day. and that you care. Try to ask about once 8) Quote Anchorman: The Legend of that girls love men with confidence? Well, a well-groomed face and a good sense of every 60 seconds. Ron Burgundy and Napoleon Dynamite that is false. Women actually love men fashion. 4) Avoid bathing, shaving, deodor- constantly. Chances are she hasnʼt seen nor who they can pity. You should try to make 2) Being devoted only to her. If you izing, and any other form of grooming. heard anything from these movies so try to her feel sorry for you as often as possible catch a fish in the lake, is the lake forever Women like a man in touch with his natu- throw in your favorite line(s) as often as through constant self-loathing and by al- off-limits? No! Try and catch as many fish ral side. If your own body odor is offensive you can. In no time, sheʼll be in stitches. ways saying that no girl will ever like you as possible and sell them for a profit. even to you, thatʼs when nature will take its Trust me, it never gets old. “like that.” 3) Asking her to prom in creative and course and women will be drawn to your 9) If you know sheʼs going out some- romantic ways; Snoozefest ʼ07. Everything musk. where, “accidentally” run into her. Do it Three Pitfalls to Avoid has been done before, so just ask her on the 5) Compliment her every chance you ten more times and sheʼll know itʼs fate. 1) Having classic good looks. Thereʼs phone. Youʼll be cooler than Matthew Mc- get. The bare minimum amount of compli- 10) Have you ever heard the myth nothing girls hate more than chiseled abs, Conaughey in “Dazed and Confused.” Adventures of senior lunch: Taco Bell is closed, so tandem seeks alternatives

by TOM LEE AND nice people, and let you in on ed carbs and saturated fats. Now, to the back of the line. If it were Bell for us this Friday, Tom would STEPHANIE SMOLLER some very random, yet important do we need to tell you where the Amazing Race to Dunkinʼ Do- greatly appreciate a Cheesy Gor- findings. those hash browns go? Yes, the nuts, we would win everytime. dita Crunch, with some hot tama- Where do we go? We certain- 1) Bay Deli is “played out.” love handles. 6) Last but certainly not least, les and relish. Stephanie would ly donʼt know. It is 9:48AM. Even Period. End of story. Thatʼs it. *For added entertainment, we feel dejected, rejected, humili- die for a Chalupa with some re- Blimpie isnʼt open this early. But Itʼs final. Porcoʼs has indeed the jungle gym playground in ated, embarrassed, and flat out fried beans. come on, seriously, what are two taken over, at least in our minds Burger King is a great way to disappointed because Taco Bell is If you would like to join our lonely seniors plopped into “SEN and mouths, as the dominant deli- let off steam while wearing no not open. Therefore, we are shut senior lunch experience, contact LUNCH” to do? Well, desperate catessen on the block. shoes. out of Taco Bell Friday. We feel your local guidance counselor, times calls for desperate mea- 2) Burger King “Hash 3) Napping is always a vi- as though we are missing out on a today! We are filling up fast and sures. Weʼve spent most of our Browns” are delicious as a morn- able option. Power naps puts pep crucial piece of our senior year all spots are limited. We already have time entertaining ourselves, so ing snack. The only bad thing is in your step without that awfully because of those three little letters four people in total! we figured weʼd entertain you that they are loaded with unwant- terrible morning grogginess. plastered before our lunch period: 4) 9:45-10:30 (or 10:39 if we “SEN.” are lucky enough to have a COM- Note- If any se- MUNITY PERIOD!) is the most nior would like awkward time of day for purchas- to purchase ing food items. If you walk into a some Taco food service establishment look- ing for breakfast, you look like a lazy person who couldnʼt get their rear out of bed. But, if you enter a food service establishment look- ing for lunch, you are jumping the gun. Gun jumpers are frowned upon by society. 5) It adds great humor to our morning when we decide to go to Dunkinʼ Donuts (DDʼs) and get there before the Cold Spring Tom Lee examines a suspicious clump of hair during senior lunch. Harbor kids. They are relegated Much like Green Day, the Bay Deli has been “played out.” New iTunes 7 good for Apple, bad for consumers

by CHRIS KOUTTRON creased the reliability of the software, and video iPod 5.5G to watch movies. added new capabilities, including more file iTunes goes to the movies, but the con- The iTunes store compatibilities and a feature films utility sumer suffers with the price of a new video might as well start under the movies link. iPod and a limited selection of movies that another music and However, do not rejoice over movie are not even in high definition format. The media revolution, downloads, because they start at $9.99 nuisance of upgrading will not linger as the by bringing the apiece. Thatʼs not all; the movies cannot be demand for movies at the touch of ones fin- power of iPods played on the previous video iPod because ger increases. Soon everyone (except the and computers to- Apple came up short in the engineering of PC enthusiasts) will be buying new video gether into a media them. The previous video iPod had a very iPods, fueling and supporting Apples revo- based living room. Apples release of iTunes low quality screen, with a low pixel contrast lution in digitizing the living room. GRAPHIC: IPODTOTAL.COM 7, will bring media and DVD quality mov- ratio and a sluggish graphics processor, and ies into ones home via the Internet. Dubbed an insufficient battery. To overcome this is- Your new video iPod may have as iTV, iTunes 7 is intended to stream stan- sue, Apple has released the 5.5G, which become obsolete with the release dard and “high definition” content from can play more than one clip before losing of the new iTunes movie service. computers and iPods to ones television set. power. Apple is not stupid for doing this Current owners of video iPods will This is possible due to Apples extensive because they will make a profit by having have to upgrade in order to enjoy overhaul to the iTunes website. Apple in- everyone with a video iPod upgrade to a movies in full quality. The Dispatch DECEMBER06 11 HHS Gym Program Unique by GREG EVERITT ness courses, the amount has increased. Last year marked the inception of a dance Your gym class may be very untradi- course which students can take to fulfill tional. Your gym teacher may not ask you their physical education credits. Unlike to change your clothes for gym. You may Project Adventure, this course involves rig- not have as much as touched a ball in gym orous exercise. class lately. “It stretches your muscles, and allows If this is true for you, you are probably you to become more flexible,” junior dance taking a course called Project Adventure. student Sabrina Miles said. The dance This course focuses on teamwork and trust course provides a unique opportunity for exercises, not sports and fitness. All students students to stay fit in a creative way. are required to take Project Adventure for Physical Eduction teacher Mr. Stephen one semester of their freshman year. While Henry believes that more should be done the mandatory Project Adventure course for student fitness. Although he believes does not delve into conditioning, the other that Project Adventure is useful, he says semester is devoted to oneʼs own physical that no one should rely on it for exercise. fitness. “We feel itʼs more important to stress fit- Huntington High Schoolʼs gym pro- ness rather than to just go out playing the gram also now offers students with a choice games,” he said. He also stated that in the in sporting activities. For seniors and ju- future he would like to upgrade the weight niors, traditional gym class is divided into room and allow people to use it after school. two categories: team sports and individual “I think that if we did that with an upgraded sports. This is due to the scheduling of facility it would develop a good relationship equipment usage. The mountain biking pro- and cause positive effects for everybody,” gram is unable to run because of a lack of he said. The new initiatives and active effort available equipment. seek to provide students with a solid foun- In the realm of different physical fit- dation for fitness in an original manner.

RUNNING from back page and went out on the road for every meet and beat great teams, but nobody heard about work out in a weight room on “Condition- it,” Coach Walker said. ing Days.” The team has run as far as Caum- This ignorance was also noticed by sett State Park during practices. Cotter. “Thereʼs a banner in the gym, but no Winter Track is almost a training sea- one seems to know itʼs there.” son for spring track. The team runs through Overall, the boysʼ running teams the high school halls each afternoon during achieve their success through great coach- practice, and all meets are indoors. ing, hard work and raw talent. Coach Walker Last yearʼs meets for the Spring Track claims their performance is solely because team were all away, as the high school track of the boys, but the boys think he plays a was deemed unsafe to use. Despite this, the big part. team was able to win a league champion- “Heʼs a great motivational speaker and ship. “These boys practiced without a track knows a lot about running,” Cotter said. SPORTS Blue Devil Basketball Preview Lady Devils stress defense and speed Boys maintain intense gameplay

Kerry Hicks Kevin OʼNeil & Kailene Abt PHOTOS: AARON COHN & Kashif Clark ding basketball, as the girls will employ a by CONNOR KIESEL ONNOR IESEL fast, upbeat style of play. by C K “Weʼre gonna run, play fast and play Defense and speed are two strengths “This is not a team to walk the ball up super aggressive. Huntington is going that this seasonʼs girlsʼ basketball squad is the floor,” said Coach Reminick. Although the boysʼ basketball team to play exciting basketball,” said Coach predicated upon. “Weʼre one of the quick- The team will also rely upon its defen- boasts a new coach, the teamʼs exciting Schmitz. est teams in Suffolk County,” said Coach sive prowess to win games. Although Rem- style of play will remain the same. After making the playoffs last season, Brad Reminick. inick is not sure when and where scoring The quick, fast-paced approach is the team will be looked at to repeat the The team returns a plethora of players will come from, the team should be able made possible by the teamʼs athletic feat. To do this, they will have to rebound, from last seasonʼs playoff group. Captains to use their speed to score off of turnovers. group of seniors. Rhamel and Shamel defend and play consistent basketball at Kailene Abt, Morgan Hughes and Casey After last seasonʼs landmark success, with Bratton, Kevin OʼNeil, Kashif Clark, and both ends of the floor. Scully will be looked upon to provide lead- 13 victories and their first playoff berth in a Dariel St. Leger are all extremely athletic, Winning a league title is an attain- ership on a night-to-night basis. decade, expectations are high. The road to shown by the fact that they all play nu- able goal but will not be made easy by Along with strong play from upper- success will not be easy though, as league merous sports. stiff competition. East Hampton tied with classmen, Reminick emphasized that the competition is fierce. Huntington is 0-6 The squad of players has new coach, Huntington for the League V title last year underclassmen must also get involved. against Eastport in Reminickʼs three years Mike Schmitz, excited to harness their po- and returns an arsenal of strong players. Although they are only sophomores, Julie as a coach, including a playoff loss last sea- tential. Schmitz comes back to Hunting- The goal for the team though is to win the Forster, Kerry Hicks and Maria Marascia son. The squad will have to beat this peren- ton after 8 years as a coach at Commack. League Championship and have a shot at are all in their third year on varsity. They nial foe to advance further. He brings 35 years worth of experience to Counties. began playing with the team in 8th grade “These girls are looking forward to the Blue Devils. “Iʼm expecting big things from this and have had time to hone their skills be- making the playoffs and taking the next Although Schmitz is new to the team, team and I think weʼre one of the best fore taking on a greater role this season. step. Anything less than the playoffs would he can already see the way his team is go- teams in Suffolk County,” said Coach Spectators will not be bored by prod- be tough,” said Coach Reminick. ing to play. Schmitz. Boys’ Soccer has season to remember Runners ‘can’t get no respect’ Despite tough playoff loss, future looks bright by MIKE MCCOURT have come during their playoff game with Islip, which they lost in a shoot- Through inju- out following four overtime periods. ries, a lack of run- The team captains this year were ners and despite an Peter Palacio, Tyler Balzer, and Matt unusable track, Blue Scott. Scott said that he believed that Devil Boysʼ running he was able to help motivate the team teams have contin- to the playoffs, as well as to help ued to shine through- them get there with an impressive out this past year. Tal- five goals total. He also believes that ent and drive make the the outlook for next season is very Boysʼ Cross Country, Winter PHOTO: JIM HOOPS good, and that the team will almost Track and Spring Track Teams certainly make the playoffs, and pos- a force to be reckoned with. sibly counties, next season. Coach Dennis Walk- Ian Belanger, one of the Coach Pagano is also looking er named Senior Greg best sprinters on the team. forward to next season. He sees the Brunner, Sophomore The soccer team huddles together during their playoff game against Islip. playoff game as a good learning ex- Brian Cotter and Junior Chris Glaser as captains and the perience for the team, and a great way driving force of the Boysʼ Cross Country Team. Junior by BRIAN TEUBNER playoffs,” Coach John Pagano said. to attract new players. He was very Brian Teubner was another leader, but was sidelined by Huntingtonʼs record this year for happy about hosting the playoff game an injury for most of the season. Although the team went Dedication is a word that comes the regular season was 8-3-3, which and the large turnout, with many stu- 1-6, Coach Walker does not think the record was an accu- to mind when you hear about a team was achieved by the momentum built dents there to cheer on the team. rate representation of the teamʼs ability, and credits them making it to the playoffs, and no- up early in the season when they real- Eight of the eleven starters are for their hard work. “Had Teubner been running in more where was this more prevalent then ized that they stood a good chance of coming back, so the team will be meets, we could have finished at 2-5 or 3-4,” he says. in the case of the boyʼs soccer team. making the playoffs. At mid-season, strong and experienced from the Coach Walkerʼs coaching style is very unique; he “The team was much more disci- the teamʼs record was .500. but they start. This which will establish an focuses on different skills in a three day rotation. Heʼll plined this year; everyone on the team went 5-1 in their next six games, sub- early foundation for victory, as the have the boys run short sprints on “Speed Days,” run for had the same mind set and worked to- sequently raising morale. The sea- team can build on the success they as long as 45 minutes at a time on “Distance Days,” and gether in order to get the team to the sonʼs highest and lowest points may have already had.. see RUNNING on page 11