HE CHREIBER IMES TPaul D. Schreib er HSigh School Port Washington, NewYork Volume LXTI No. 4 December 2010 5IF$ISPOJDMFTPG .JEZFBS 4DISFJCFS)FBMUI /BSOJB 'FBUVSFT #VEHFU$VUT "%BZJOUIF-JGFPGB8SFTUMFS "& /FXT 4QPSUT 2 THE SCHREIBER TIMES NEWS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2010 I N THIS ISSUE... ! e Schreiber Times N!"#. Editor-in-Chief Mid-year budget cuts p. 3 Sahil Doshi Port Night Out p. 4 Swastika in temple parking lot p. 6 Managing Editor Leah Nash O$%&%'&#. Copy Editor Grading participation p. 7 Laura Werle Drug Surveys p. 8 Less commercial holiday season p. 9 News Editor Matt Heiden F!()*+!#. Assistant Editors Volunteering p. 11 Hannah Fagen Neopets p. 14 Max Kraus Health Awareness p. 15 Opinions Senior Editor A,E. Blake Mergler Narnia p. 17 Editor MTV p. 19 Sophia Ja- e Michael Jackson p. 20 Features Senior Editor S$'+)#. Reid Mergler Gymnastics p. 21 This photograph was taken by junior Gabrielle Davidoff during the summer as part Editor of an assignment for her AP Photo class. She was at the beach in Southold, NY, and Calling the Shots p. 22 Katya Barrett decided to photograph her dog as it came out of the water Assistant Editor A day in the life of a wrestler p. 24 Dan Miller A&E Editor N EWS BRIEFS Morgan Quigley Assistant Editors Natural Helpers club reinstated create new o/ cer positions for the club. toys were also collected in boxes in the lobby Bethia Kwak . e Natural Helpers club was renewed . e new positions will include a secretary, and during health classes. Kyle Manzione this year with a new advisor, social worker a community support team, a fundraising Club members spent time sorting the gi2 s Ms. Adriana Najera-Pollak. In previous support team, and a communication this week, before they were picked up to go to Sports years, this organization had been regarded support team. the event. Editors as a program within the school. With its . e Natural Helpers Club retreat is an . e toys collected will be distributed to Brett Fishbin new status as an o/ cial club, Ms. Najera- annual event designed to introduce the orphans and foster children in Nassau County. Drew Friedman Pollak decided to make several necessary club to potential members and rea/ rm Although many service organizations Will Zhou changes to rede0 ne its image and recruit the goals of the club. Last year, it was held participate in the collection, the Key Club new members. at the St. Ignatius Jesuit Retreat House is usually the main source of gi2 s. Toys will Graphics/Photo “We want to choose people who have a near Christopher Morley Park. be distributed at a holiday party held for the Editor sincerity to help others,” said Ms. Najera- “Before I went on the retreat I thought it children and their families. Loren Giron Pollack. “Members have to be willing to was going to be really weird and awkward Starting a2 er break, the Science Honor help anyone.” but it was actually really fun. rough this Society will be collecting personal hygiene Business Ms. Najera-Pollack’s 0 rst initiative was experience I met a lot of other students I items to donate to the Interfaith Nutrition to create a logo. e new insignia depicts may not have met otherwise,” said junior Network (INN) in Hempstead, N.Y. ese Manager four overlapping circles and seven people Heidi Shin. items will be distributed to underprivileged Paul Tasnady standing together on the inside. Overall, the Natural Helpers are Long Islanders. Assistant Business Manager Natural Helpers are selected in one of grateful that their group is reinstated as a . e English Honor Society has also been Adam Pollack two ways: by recommendation from prior club. running its own drive, to collect books for members or sta- , or by an anonymous “It’s really fun,” said junior Genevieve children through Williamsburg “Y” Head Sta! Assistants school-wide survey. is year, however, Bellon. “Everyone is together in one place Start. It has already collected books, and is Daniel Bialer the club started o- late so no survey was and we meet lots of new people. We learn planning to extend the drive into the new Kaia de Bruin given. about what to do if anyone confronted us year. Kristin Yu “I was inducted in 10th grade because I with any problems they have.” With a greater focus on charity in high was elected by my peers. Natural Helpers ~Eleanor Kim schools everywhere, Schreiber clubs have is a special group. We are picked by our lent a hand to bring some joy for the holidays. peers for our natural ability to help others Club charity drives ~Hannah Fagen and taught how to further help teens. I’m Several school clubs have been at work sure I speak for everyone in the group doing charity work this holiday season. ERRATUM: when I say all of us in Natural Helpers are As part of a drive for Nassau County In the November issue, Natalie Ciappa honored to be there,” said senior Alanna Social Services, Key Club members was incorrectly stated to have attended Bethon. spent much of December collecting toys. Massapequa High School. She attended Ms. Najera-Pollack has also decided to Members brought toys to meetings, and Plainedge High School. Sta! Writers: Victor Dos Santos, Chad Edelblum, Katie Fishbin, Georgia Goodman, Published by the student body of Paul D. Schreiber High School. Letters to the editor Jess Greenwalkd, Eleanor Kim, Minah Kim, Kerim Kivrak, Dan Miranda, Sarah Paul, should be addressed to The Schreiber Times, 101 Campus Drive, Port Washington, New Alexa Pinto, Brendan Weintraub, Hannah Zweig, Hannah Zweig. Contributing Writers: York 11050. The editors reserve the right to refuse, print, edit, return, or not return any submitted material. All letters must be signed by each author. We have a circulation Juliana Beall, Dan Bidikov, Aaron Bialer, Alice Chou, Jacob Eisenberg, Jeremy Eule, of 2,000 copies per issue with subscriptions available for $12.00 per school year. We Katie Garry, David Katz, Celie Sze, Cameron Tait-Ozer, Nicole Zweiner. Cover: Loren accept camera-ready ads or will design ads to your speci! cations. For information, Giron Centerfold: Sahil Doshi, Leah Nash. Backpage: Will Zhou. call our business o" ce at (516) 767-5862. Subscribe to The Schreiber Times! Subscriptions cost $12.00 for the 2010-2011 school year NAME Francis Banta, principal Mail to: Schreiber Times, Attn. Craig Medico or Evelina Zarkh ADDRESS Craig Medico, Evelina Zarkh, advisers 101 Campus Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050 © 2010, The Schreiber Times Make checks payable to: Port Washington Schools CITY STATE ZIP THE SCHREIBER TIMES NEWS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2010 3 School district faces ! scal crisis, but remains a" oat Economic issues at the state and county levels create problems for Port schools is, we have worked together with Assistant at several Board of Education meetings. opportunity to present their cases about BY Hannah Fagen Superintendant Mary Callahan, the Board “$ ere are a lot of things that need state aid and unfunded mandates to the Assistant News Editor of Education, and all of our administrators to be done right now. $ ere are general New York State government. and faculty to build up funds, through " xes that need to be made, which will In the future, although the " nances of A! er years of " nancial prosperity, the cost-cutting,” said Dr. Gordon. “$ e be di& cult under these conditions,” said the district may be uncertain, students eduction system has taken a beating from reserves that we have built up are good for senior Tommy Doyle, a Student Council can rest assured that the district is the current economic climate. Fiscal two more years, which means that even if issues at both state and county levels are the state does a mid-year cut, our strategic now threatening to disrupt the " nances plan put us ahead of the curve, so we’re COMPOSITION OF A $130 of school districts, including our own. okay.” $ e Nassau County and New York State $ ese reserves are collections of funds legislatures are planning to have a mid- that the school district has accumulated MILLION BUDGET year budget cut. Such action would a% ect by under spending on the budget. $ ey the Port Washington school district and can and have been used in the past to pay others throughout Nassau County during for extra costs not originally accounted the middle of this school year. for in the budget, such as the construction “$ e state, unfortunately, is in a " scal of the new track. crisis, so it appears that there is going to “We count on being smart by under $100 be a mid-year budget cut, which would spending our budget and using the state mean that we would get less state aid,” said aid to help build up our reserves,” said Dr. $30 million Superintendent of Schools Dr. Geo% rey Gordon. Gordon. With a decrease in state aid, the school million In order to pay o% their debts, the state district will now have less money to of New York and Nassau County will be contribute to the reserve funds. Although providing less aid to the Port Washington the current reserves can maintain the school district in the years to come. $ ey school district at its current state for the will also be increasing the costs of basic next two years, there is no telling what services. One area that will be a% ected will happen if the economy doesn’t turn is the district’s required contributions to around. employee health plans. $ is contribution “I feel safe knowing my education will has increased by 15 percent, which is an last the way it is now for at least two more extra cost of $2 million.