The Roundup

Junior Outing: Canceled

2009-06-16T10:59:00.001-04:00

By Ariana Farahani

As the seniors bask in the enjoyment of prom and graduation, juniors are busy with the perils that come along with being an 11th grade student. But juniors have always been given an opportunity for celebration apart from senior festivities. In fact, for the past four years the juniors have embarked on what is called “the junior outing.” This outing gives juniors the opportunity to catch a view of some of the most iconic sights the city has to offer, while setting sail around Manhattan.
Students would have enjoyed dinner and dancing, but this year’s junior outing was canceled due to a lack of student interest. Reasons for the cancellation are diverse, ranging from expensive ticket prices to limited capacity on the boat.
With a $110 price tag per student and only 150 passengers allowed on the boat, a majority of the juniors perceived the outing as something they could not get the most out of.
“The trip is ridiculously expensive, especially considering the recent condition of the economy, and the boat can barely fit half of our grade, making it impossible for the whole junior class to enjoy the experience,” said junior Emily Ruderman. “People may get seasick and besides we already went on a trip similar to this in the eighth grade.”
Furthermore, some students believe that an event should have been formulated that was more feasible and perhaps similar to the Senior Banquet.
Junior Raakkel Sims said, “We should have had a dance in the gym – just as fun but not as pricey.”
Ms. Lislevatn and Mrs. Brennan, who were in charge of the event, commented on this idea by explaining, “Why do the same event twice...if there is a Junior Banquet, what fun will there be for the Senior Banquet? The Senior Banquet is a celebration time for the seniors. At Senior Banquet, they announce the superlatives and celebrate the final months of being a high school student. The Junior Outing was unique; a junior banquet would be redundant. Again, the Junior Outing was designed to be something special for the Juniors of High School West.”
They pose a good explanation, and it seems that both those for and against the Junior Outing have valid reasoning, so where does this leave the junior class? The trip was cancelled due to a lack of people attending, even though the deadline for sign up was extended by two weeks.
This cancellation has left lasting damage to the juniors as they’ve lost a sizable monetary deposit, which can have a negative impact during their senior year, as funds for activities may be insufficient. It appears as though the drama following this event has overshadowed its sole purpose. Because for the juniors, when it really comes down to it, being together and being happy for one special night is all that truly matters. The question of whether or not the junior class has missed out is something to think about.

What's Going On This Month!

2009-06-14T23:12:00.000-04:00

Now that the school year is officially over doesn't mean that the newspaper website is done for the year as well. Roundup's website will be undergoing some small, but meaningful, changes as the seniors of 2009 prepare to take their last steps as high school students and the underclassmen step up to the plate to maintain great Hills West traditions.

June 11 was the last day of classes officially, and since then until June 26, finals and Regents exams will pursue. The night of Friday, June 26, is the prom for those seniors and chosen underclassmen and last, but not least, for the HHH district is the graduation that will commence for Hills West at 3:30pm. Of course there will be photos and video of that on here.

So enjoy the changes and get ready for another great school year (but hey, enjoy that summer of yours first).

Photo credit from above: Santi Garzon

The Indian 9/11

2009-01-25T18:15:00.000-05:00

By Nitasha Maindiratta

On Nov. 26, Mumbai was attacked. The seven star Taj Mahal Palace Hotel was destroyed and many residents of the Mumbai area became hostages.

Students regret and mourn the victims of such terrorist attacks, but most have not felt its serious consequences. Some students in Hills West, however, do understand the massacre, for they came in direct contact with it. But if even one student knows what horror the attacks brings, by looking into his or her eyes and seeing the sadness, shouldn't it affect everyone?

Trishna Sharma was one of the few in Hills West that was directly affected by what is now being called the the second 9/11 attack. "When my family and I heard of the attacks, we were completely terrified, trying to reach our family as fast as we could," she said. She had to wait in dread to hear any news of her family. "A day after, my great grandfather in India called back reassuring us. Thank god, the attacks did not affect my family and they are all okay."

Senior Anirudh Maheshwari was also directly affected by the bomb attack, which occurred during Thanksgiving. "I was at home on the Wednesday night before, and I turned on the news. It looked like another random bombing, which, sad to say, I am used to. But this attack became something I felt deeply affected by because the commandoes could not do anything and lives were still in danger. I clearly remember watching TV as we were trying to say what we are thankful for and as we stood silently praying, hearing 'another terrorist killed, there are several left' from the TV," declared Maheshwari.

Anirudh, like Sharma, has family living in the city of Mumbai. "Considering they are frail, I was worried about how they would get food because the bombers attacked their favorite market they visit daily. Luckily, they are okay," he said, talking about his very close grandparents. Maheshwari, who feels very deep about the subject, plans to run a Model UN to teach student about the disputes and attacks that people all over the world have to encounter.

Indians throughout the Hills West community spent their Thanksgiving breaks mourning the loss of many. We as students can try to prevent another terrorist attack from occurring. All we need is greater instruction, like assemblies, events, etc, to teach us about the roots of terrorism. It is our responsibility as the next generation to figure out the roots of such hatred and harm, for it is our duty to correct and prevents attacks that may occur in the future.

Girls' Varsity Soccer Goes Strong

2009-01-25T18:14:00.000-05:00

By Max Willinger

The Girls Varsity Soccer program has recently been founded and is only in its’ second year of running. The team had previously been combined between High Schools West and East. Coached by Ericka Verderber, or ‘Verdi’, the girls work as hard as they can to win games. As a result of how new the program is, many underclassmen play on the varsity team because spots must be filled. This year many sophomores and freshmen played on the team along with an eighth grader. Julia DiMaria was pulled up to varsity while presently attending Candlewood. Although the girls record was not as great as they wanted it to be, 3-8-1, the player’s feel that their record doesn’t account for all the talent they have.

One talented sophomore on the team, Christina Carone, states, “Our record most certainly does not portray our talent and we are a great team who has a lot of fun, which is the most important thing.” Carone has played on the team since she was a freshman. During practice the girls participate in drills such as possession, ball skills, shooting and transitioning, and also run. Following a loss is when the most running occurs. But in doing all of those things, the girls have fun playing together.

A few players on the team recognized for their efforts are seniors Francine Kofinas and Charnelle Saint-Laurent. Kofinas was awarded as an all-county goalie. Saint-Laurent was awarded with the All-League for her positions of goalie and forward. Both girls had an outstanding season as their senior season came to a close.

Carone also says, “She [Verderber] makes you play your best and pushes you to your full potential. A coach that has the attitude to win and doesn’t take no for an answer when telling you to push yourself is a great coach.” Other players can also account for a fabulous coaching job by Verderber.

The best part of the season, according to many players, was the game against West Babylon. It was during the last two seconds of the game when it happened. Julia DiMaria, the eighth grader, scored a goal. That part of the season was the most exciting because of all the pressure that was on the shooter to score and she came through.

Overall the girls had a fun season and helped each other into becoming great soccer players and into even grater people.

Swimming Girls Dive to Success

2009-01-25T18:12:00.000-05:00

By Daniella Salvatore

The 54 girls that were on the Girls Hills Varsity Swimming and Diving team have helped contribute to the team's popularity at both West and East. A few years ago, students and faculty members alike did not even know the school had a swimming team, but now they are more than well aware. The team has always been a collaboration of both West and East because there were never enough swimmers to make two separate teams and a junior varsity high school team (the junior varsity consists of middle school swimmers). It was also incapable to have cuts.

Coach Jason has always accepted anyone as long as the swimmer knew the basic strokes and could keep up during practice. However, the number of girls that show up to the welcoming meeting in the beginning of the season greatly increases every year. The team has come a long way with the 2008 season having the largest amount of girls on the team, 54, 22 of which are seniors. This may have to do with swimming's new found popularity due to the Olympics this year and super-athlete Michael Phelps.

Having so many girls on the team leads to chaos and absolute insanity at certain times throughout the season. Because Coach Jason thought he had a large team last year, which consisted of 15 fewer swimmers, he asked Coach Jen, a teacher at East, to coach diving so he could strictly coach the swimmers. Swim meets were crazy at times trying to tell the girls who were in which event and to make sure everybody was doing what they were supposed to be doing. Obviously, with 54 girls on the team, not every swimmer competed in every meet. This left a lot of girls on the bench especially when on average only 3 swimmers were in the pool at one time. However, that leaves 51 girls to be cheering their team on.

The Girls Hills Varsity Swimming and Diving team received one of the highest ratings for sportsmanship every single season. You would think with this many girls there would be a lot of cat fighting, but it was the complete opposite. Everyone was friends with each other and helped each other out a lot. There were a lot of times when the swimmers had the chance to bond and get closer to other girls on the team, especially if they were in your lane during practice. It has also given the team the chance to get to know some of the girls from the other high school. There is a system called little and big sisters where in the start of the season the captains assign everybody a partner. This is when seniors and juniors are paired up with sophomores and freshmen and on certain swim meets the little sister brings the big sister food, or vice versa. The little and big sister system helps to eliminate the boundary of thinking the upperclassmen are superior.

There were also 4 captains picked for this year's season to help keep everything under control. Although having this size of a team was fun and something different than the ordinary, Coach Jason announced at the end of the season that he will be making cuts next year. Even though this is a bad thing for the swimmers, it is a good thing for the swimming team as a whole to show that we have grown to the extent to which we have to make cuts. Maybe a few years down the line there will even be two separate East and West teams and they can compete against each other.

Senior Skit Causes Controversy

2009-01-25T18:05:00.000-05:00

By Adam Feldman

It was a weekend of passion, excitement, anticipation, and most of all, competition as dedicated members of Hills West strived to gain the ultimate satisfaction of winning "Homecoming ‘08". Between creating floats and skits to designing shirts, banners, and bleachers, each student craved the satisfaction of hearing his class become declared the winner. In the end, it was the senior class that pulled through.

Although it was a joyous time for the soon-to-be graduates, speculation immediately arose throughout the minds of many.

Unsurprisingly, many of the seniors supported the judges’ decision. Mary Ciufo, a senior at West, helped build the float and set up the gym for pep rally. She also dressed up for Spirit Week and attended both pep rally and homecoming. "We put a lot of effort into the whole thing and really took pride in our work," Ciufo said. "It's our last year at West and we really put together something great. We deserve to get rewarded for that, especially since we've never done this well in past years."

“I had discussed the points with Mrs. Alexander, and the seniors earned most of them from the float, pep rally decorations, and the skit,” said Taryn Rosenberg, writer of the skit.

Still, many students felt that this decision was biased in some way. Even senior Majid Hamidi disagreed with the seniors’ win. “The junior skit was much better!” Though a few students thought the junior skit was too offensive, Majid didn’t care. “No matter the content, you have to please the crowd. The juniors did just that.”
Bessie Weisman, a junior at Hills West, added her thoughts on the outcome. "I don’t think the seniors deserved to win this year. They weren't as innovative with their country as the juniors,” she said. "Then again, they are graduating, so they should win since this is their last year here.” Weisman was not the only student who speculated that this was a “pity” win.

Though this conflict has not come to a definitive resolution and students continue to debate the true results of homecoming, it is undeniable that the day was filled with fun and excitement, and that this controversy perhaps only added to that.

Students Voice Their Own Opinions on Election

2008-12-18T16:09:00.000-05:00

By Victoria Baptiste

America is a country that has habitually been regarded as the top nation in the world. Yet recently, America’s status as the “envy of the world” has declined greatly. To Democrats, as well as several disenfranchised conservatives and a great majority of the rest of the world, George W. Bush’s controversial two terms as president have signified a rapid decrease in the vibrancy and vivacity that once made this country so incredibly unique and loved.

Yet, it seems as though with the historical election of Barack Obama, the majority of the country is once again invigorated and the majority of the world is happy and hopeful for the future.

The night that Barack Obama won the United States presidency was a night like no other. Many of his supporters sobbed openly in wonder. Others, like me, stared at their television screens in disbelief. As I watched people of all races and ethnicities raise their American flags and chant the optimistic slogan, “Yes We Can”, I could not help but realize once again that American truly is a country where anything is possible.

Although his victory was no doubt one of the greatest moments of American history, as President-Elect, Barack Obama faces challenges that critics claim are impossible to overcome with wishful thinking alone. However, Obama has already proven himself to be an excellent organizer and an effective leader with the brilliant handling of his presidential campaign. As the McCain campaign flung baseless attacks and involved themselves in demagogic tactics instead of focusing on the hardships of everyday Americans, the Obama campaign proved itself to be a steady champion of the rights of the middle class. Thus, Barack Obama won the presidency mainly because of his steady hand in economic affairs.

As President-Elect, Barack Obama has already succeeded in surrounding himself with many of the most astute political and economic minds in the nations. He has also stressed the need to “reach across party lines” and draw from the ideas of Republicans, Independents, and Democrats alike. To many, Obama’s political diplomacy is a promising trait for eventual negotiations.

At a time in history when economic and diplomatic turmoil seem to be threatening the very fabric of American society, many Americans have rejected “old politics” and opted instead for a completely new style of governmental leadership. Although the stakes are challengingly high, these Americans believe with conviction that the President-Elect’s strong message of hope will be the ultimate driving force for true economic, foreign, and political reform.

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By Avery Geller

Around the world, dancing, cheering, and jubilation circled the world and the nation, when it was announced on the fourth of November, that an African American man named Barrack Obama would be appointed to the White House. His promise of hope and change from the last eight of years did only impact the nation, but it has influenced the entire international community. Americans once hassled for representing a country run by the Bush Administration now are given hugs on European streets, and in the blink of an eye, the world's opinion of America seems to be on more favorable terms. What is it about Obama's election that is so spectacular to the world? Is it that the man represents policies that are akin to the international community, a more collective, cohesive and stable society, as opposed to the Bush themes of crazy invasions and a looser, more open economy? Is all this fanfare just people being happy that they have another team mate in political ideology?

The Bush Administration was and still is seen as an organization of privateers acting at odds with the moral fibers of the global community, causing unnecessary strife and instability in some crazed pursuit of a perverted American dream of military and political supremacy. Some would even go as far as to claim that the democratic system of the States was flawed, broken, for how could such a villan take power. Alas, the night of November 4th changed their thoughts in a flash, their fear turned to hope as they saw more like themselves, more moderate and sane than his predecessor. Seeing as how America is far right to begin with, as compared to Europe and the world at large, anything in the right direction would be a positive sign to these bystanders. But Obama is not just a step, the man is mountainous leap in their political direction, and they have expressed their cheer as a measure of the man's charisma and international popularity. Furthermore, their recognition that is was the people and public of the United States that brought such a hero to power, has brought about a reverse in their opinions of the American political system, and its voters. Perhaps this is the start of a new age, one of humane pro-activeness and civil cooperation that the rest of the west, otherwise known as Europe, has been breeching this generation. Could this be a a new American era, after eight long years of what many internationals and Americans describe as a failed and reckless administration? Is this a generational shift that Europe has been waiting for the Americans to catch up with, in terms of political evolution? Time has not yet granted the people such a verdict, and time will be a fickle mistress before we see where the new Obama white house will lead the free world.

Even through the ideological differences, opinions and debating, one particular of this election that can not be understated however, as pitiful and pathetic as it should be, is the defeat of racial bigotry, not only in the halls of political party, but in civilian America. It was not just a more tolerant Washington that allowed a man of minority to rise to the top, but the American people, who's country was one of the last to abandon slavery after a devastating civil war, were able to see through the blinds of hate and the irrationality of racism. Their verdict is a testament to how far the nation has come, from a land of belligerents fighting each other at Bull Run and Gettysburg, to a land where the age old saying, "You can be whatever you want to be", is true and proven so, as a creed that has ascended past hate and prejudice. Another component of international approval is stemming from this concrete symbol of our acceptance and civil maturity, having pushed ourselves beyond the boundaries of racism.

No matter the reason, the world seems to be captivated and delighted at the election. America too, so far free of any accusations of detrimental election foul-play seems to be taking the change of power in stride. While no one is going to claim the upcoming years will be easy, most Americans, and most of the watching world, appear to be confident that we are heading in the right direction, even if it's left.

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By Ashley Valla

At the beginning of the election I fell into the category of kids right before the legal voting age who think to themselves, "why does it matter who I vote for, I'm not of age yet"? I then realized that a lot of my friends were able to vote, and that I'd like to take part in their conversations, mostly surrounding the upcoming election. As an opinionated person I wanted to chose a side that I could defend to the death, but with further investigation I found that difficult to do. So this year, I considered myself part of the independent group.

Like every other human, I can be a bit fickle. I will sway with whatever way the wind blows, or in this case with the wind of candidate's ideologies. I didn't want to subscribe to a specific candidate's side too early in the race, so I kept myself at a neutral standpoint right in the middle of the two. Between the pros and cons, it balanced itself to the center for me anyway.

Of course there is the obvious; Obama's acclaimed speaking skills and then McCain's decades of experience. In my social studies class I had the chance to watch parts of bios about both candidates which were very much insightful. I watched McCain's less than fortunate luck in the Vietnam war, and Obama's struggle to find out who he was when he was my age. These videos did help me relate to the candidates on an eye-to-eye level, but I was still not convinced.

Finally I considered their proposed plans for the country. I like Obama's energy and environmental plans, but I liked McCain's economic and war policies. I threw in thoughts like, "who will lead the country in a better direction so that in 20 years I'll be okay" or "what will the new president offer to the independents who are caught in the middle of the Republican and Democratic races"?

In the end I did make a decision, but I believe it was more important to realize that although I couldn't vote, I should still be on my toes in regards to who might be running the country where I live next. I think staying an independent is a wonderful idea, because there are more options when it comes to voting and keeping an open mind. Because in the beginning, wasn't this country based on independence anyway?

Our Mission

2008-12-03T22:18:00.000-05:00

To the left, website manager at work.

The Roundup has dedicated this website to becoming more interactive for the students of Hills West and our community.

With this website, we look to make it a bit easier for students to find information of what's currently going on in the lives and minds of the people of our school, while of course finding great ways to interest them. We have consistent polls for students to participate in, and anyone interested in submitting work or reaching an editor or adviser may do so at the click of a link.

We're here to speak and inform you, and we'd like nothing more.

Obama Wins

2008-11-10T16:59:00.000-05:00

by Victoria Baptiste

cnn.com
To the left: Sen. Obama and his family stand wave happily
to all of his voters in Grant Park, Chicago.

Grant Park, Chicago was the meeting place for thousands of supporters of Barack Obama. In an emotionally charged atmosphere, Americans from all walks of life, the young and the old, watched as their candidate was announced the 44th President of the United States of America.

Indeed ELection Day on Nov. 4 marked a day of historical precedents. A record number of Americans exercised their civid duty by voting for their new president. The whole world watched in awe as Brack Obama clinched the coveted title of the first African-American "President-Elect" in quite the victory.

As the polls continued to close across the nation, Senator John McCain's chances at winning the presidency chances at winning the presidency diminished rapidly. News networks projected that Obama would win several historically Republican states like Virginia and North Carolina. In addition, he won several crucial battleground states including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida. Well before the votes were finally counted, exit polls and various news reports showed that Obama won overwhelmingly among black voters and young voters, held the majority of female and Latino voters, and also carried a slight lead among white voters. Over 200 years of polical tradition shattered with this symbolic election.

To many, Obama truly symbolizes the nation that the American dream is not exclusive to any race, creed, or religion. His election to the White Huse exemplifies what he called in his victory speech, "the dawning of a new era in American democracy."

Although the race for the presidency has been long and bitter, Barack Obama will face even greater challenges in the office.

CNN Goes Star Wars

2008-11-10T16:35:00.000-05:00

by Alessandra Malito

To the left: CNN hosts election coverage with surprising holograms.

As fans turned on their television sets to the array of Election Day specials, they were all blown away by the electoral maps. NBC held their coverage from Rockefeller Center in New York City, where the ice rink was used as an electoral map. It was organized by staff, instead of being digital.

CNN surprised many of their viewers by presenting holograms, including ones of real people interviewed by Wolf Blitzer.

Playoff Upset, Colts Bow Out Early

2008-11-10T15:52:00.000-05:00

by Greg Picker

To the left: Senior Colts go after the ball in their intense game.

Last year, the Half Hollow Hills West Varsity Soccer Team made an improbably run to the New York State Semi-Finals, which went down as one of the greatest sports achievements in Hills West History. In the fall of 2007, the Colts were the number four seed in the Suffolk County AA Playoffs. This year, as the number three seed, the Colts were awards with a home game to begin the playoffs against the number fourteen seeded Northport.

After the game was pushed back a day due to inclement weather, Hills West hosted the Tigers on Oct. 29. The cold and cloudy afternoon most likely prevented more students from attending the game, but a large crowd still showed up to cheer on the Colts.

Although there were many chances in the first half, neither team was able to get on the scoreboard before halftime. Fifteen minutes into the second half, however, Hills West would strike first. Junior Michael Blumenthal scored off a throw-in by senior Johnny Matzelle to put the Colts up 1-0. Northport's best chance to tie up the score came with about eight minutes to go. After a flurry in front of the net, sophomore goalkeeper Michael Primiano was able to preserve the lead with a diving save. With the crowd chanting down the final seconds of the game, Hills West moved on to the county quarterfinals.

Following an upset of the number six seeded Centerreach, the number eleven seeded North Babylon Bulldogs earned a spot in the quarterfinals against the colts. Just as in the previous game, the first half remained scoreless by both the Colts and their opponents. There was still no score late in the second half, and the game seemed destined for overtime. This all changed with 2:56 left in the game. A North Babylon forwards took a pass, drove towards the net, and put the ball past a diving Primiano for a goal.

In an attempt to tie it up and continue the season, all the Colts on the field were brought up to the offensive half of the field. This gave Hills West a few close chances, including a shot which went off the side of the net with just two minutes remaining. However, the Bulldogs defense held on and upset the Colts. North Babylon's key to the game was being able to limit the opportunities of Hills West senior Stefan Carter, Long Island's leading scorer this season.

Although it ended prematurely, the 2008 season can still be considered a year to remember. The Hills West Colts once again maintained the title of League Champions.

Most notably, Stefan Carter's prolific high school career came to an end. The Boston COllege bound-senior became the all-time Hills West leading scorer this past fall.