HMX Bullying Report: Is It Accurate?

While most people associate “fake news” with its ongoing presence in national politics and the mainstream media, incorrect reporting can exist on all levels of media. This is evident in a News 12 reporting of a recent audit done by the New York State Comptroller of 20 New York State schools.

Their story, a segment just under two minutes in length, claimed that five schools in the audit were found to be “not reporting bullying properly to the state.” The schools listed included Ramapo High School, Newburgh Free Academy, Saunders Trades and Technical High School, Lincoln High School, and Mamaroneck’s very own Hommocks Middle School.

Major Gym Renovations Completed

Renovations of MHS’ athletic facilities were completed in September after five months of construction and five years of planning. Bari Suman, the athletics director, led community tours of the new spaces on October 17, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

According to Project Manager Stephen Brugge, the work is “substantially complete,” aside from a few “B list” items that are possible because the project finished under budget.

The facilities are already being used by sports teams and PE classes, and may soon be open to students during the school day. “The dream is that kids can come down after school and work out,” Mr. Toombs said, adding that clubs would also be able to meet there at lunch.

Designing the spaces began years ago. “We all brought different things to the conversation,” Mr. Toombs said, “and the administration was flexible.”

“In the end it would have been better if we built a stand-alone building, but that was not an option because really there was not enough land,” Toombs related. The only expansion was to seal up a cubby on the wall outside the Palmer gym, so unfortunately the new spaces came at the expense of the locker rooms, which were shrunk considerably.

Students Participate in “Movember”

“A man without a mustache is a man without a soul” — Confucius

No Shave November, also known as Movember, is an event held each year to raise awareness and money for men’s health issues, particularly prostate and testicular cancers. The premise is that from November 1st-30th people do not shave or sport a mustache. People set up fundraisers and competitions for Movember, and donate the money to various charities dedicated to men’s health issues. Most importantly, No Shave November brings significant awareness to a serious issue.

A Political Storm in Catalonia Rages On

On Friday, October 27, the regional parliament of Catalonia declared independence from Spain in a 70 to 10 vote.

This comes after the “popular vote” referendum that occurred on October 1, in which the Spanish national police clashed with voters in order to shut down polling booths. In reaction to this declaration, the Spanish government dissolved the Catalan Parliament. The government had the ability to do this under Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which allows the national government to take direct control over a region if its government has “failed to fulfill the obligations imposed upon it by the Constitution or other laws, or acts in a way seriously prejudicing the general interests of Spain.”  

Winter Sports Preview

NBA Offseason Moves Lead to Anticipated Season

As the new NBA season starts to get going, it is impossible to forget how the league dominated the sports pages during the summer.  Coming off an extremely predictable NBA playoffs, no one would have imagined that the NBA offseason would become one the most exciting in recent years.  After the draft in June, the Chicago Bulls kicked things off by trading all-star Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Butler would be teaming up with up-and-coming star, Karl Anthony Towns.  All NBA fans thought this was going to be the blockbuster trade of the summer and nothing else major was going to happen, until suddenly news broke from LA.  

Changing the NHL Playoff Format

Recently, the Southern Professional Hockey League announced that they would be changing their playoff format to a “pick your opponent” style. In the eight team playoff, the top three seeds will now get to pick who they play in the first round, no matter the seed.  This change adds importance to the regular season.  In the NHL’s current playoff format, three teams make it from each division, along with two wild cards per conference, so a team may rather finish one position lower in the standings.  A higher seeded team may have suffered an injury to a key player late in the season, or they may rather finish in a wild card spot rather than in a division spot because they would rather play a team outside of their division.  However, in a pick your opponent format, every team has the incentive to finish in first, because they would get to play the team that they feel they match up with the best.

College Basketball Preview

College basketball is back, and it’s time to see some of the young players in the spotlight for the first time. The powerhouses of Duke, Kentucky and Kansas have stayed consistent, but every year there are a few unexpected teams that take them down. Here are some predictions for the 2017-2018 college basketball season:

An Interview with a Chinese Exchange Student

Every September, many MHS students that take partake in the Chinese program host students from the Shanghai Experimental School (SES) for a week. This fall marked the fifth year of the exchange program. Students from Shanghai stayed with MHS students for five days and then continued on to other cities such as Boston and Washington D.C. For most of these students, it was their first time in America. In the spring, Mamaroneck students will have the opportunity to travel to Shanghai for ten days, regardless of whether or not they hosted in September.

All of the exchange students arrived on Saturday September 23rd. Many were jet lagged, and so Saturday was spent resting and preparing for Sunday’s activities. On Sunday, many families went to New York City or visited various fun places in Westchester. The agenda of the exchange students varied between households, but all students attended school on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, they attended workshops hosted by MHS teachers, such as a cooking class, a lesson on American values, and a PACE acting class. The following day, exchange students attended their host student’s classes before heading out to Woodbury Commons for some shopping. Students left on Thursday for Boston.

Little Free Libraries

The goal of the Little Free Library organization is to provide book exchanges to improve reading motivation and deepen community connectedness. Most of the “libraries” are located throughout towns and communities in central locations where they can spread the joy of reading. The libraries themselves are small boxes, similar to bird houses, that are usually decorated. These libraries are located all across the country and can be spotted in Larchmont at Turtle Park and Flint Park.

Club Spotlight: Project EPIC

Two years ago, a chapter of Project Epic was established here at MHS when a group of junior boys formed a board to represent MHS through the foundation’s values. Project Epic was founded by Spencer Cromwell and Srivatsa Dattatreya in 2014. The foundation’s goal is to “Work with volunteers to assemble and distribute backpacks containing Essentials, Provisions, Information, and Care to the homeless. The foundation is referred to as a “team” with an array of working parts. Cromwell and Dattatreya serve as the directors and a list of ten high schools and counting serve as chapters, coordinating with Cromwell and Dattatreya themselves. Since 2014, over 2,414 packs have been distributed and over $53,00 in funds have been raised.

Fun Fall Festivities

Photo Courtesy of Youtube: Storm King Art Center is home to many beautiful sculptures. 

Here are four fall favorites to check out when the temperature drops and the leaves fall…

Storm King Art Center

Located in the historic town of Cornwall, New York, Storm King Art Center is celebrated as one of the world’s leading sculpture parks. The outdoor galleries and large scale sculptures sit on 500 acres of rolling hills, woodlands and fields of native grasses and wildflowers. In addition to its permanent installation of sculpture, Storm King features a variety of special exhibitions from artists such as David Smith and Heather Hart. Storm King’s most well-known and instagram worthy sculpture is Alyson Shotz’s Mirror Fence. Storm King is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm during the month of November and Friday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm during the month of December.

Fall Play Review

The Fall Play, Sense and Sensibility, opened in October. Set in 19th century England, the play follows Eleanor and Marianne Dashwoods’ journey towards love and marriage. Eleanor is in love with the more reserved Edward. Meanwhile, Marianne initially has an affair with the scandalous Willoughby (played powerfully by Sammy Pignalosa and Grant Tucker, ‘19), but ends up loving her polar opposite, the solemn Colonel Brandon. Callie Zola, ‘18, portrayed the shy, lovable qualities of Eleanor expertly, while Lauren Kroell, ‘18, exposed a confident side to the character not often seen. Marianne Dashwood was played by Abby Lee (‘18) and Lindsey Belisle (‘19). Lee gave the character a more serious side, while Belisle played her with a lovable carefreeness.

Lil Pump Reshapes Modern Rap

The rap world’s newest sensation, 17-year old Gazzy Garcia, widely known as Lil Pump, is sweeping the nation with his self titled mixtape, Lil Pump. Mr. Garcia began his rapping career at age 13 when he was introduced to fellow rapper Smokepurpp. The two recorded music and began to gain a following. Pump finally rose to online fame in late 2016 with his vulgar and distorted trap single, D Rose. Pump knows how to keep it short, with most of his songs lasting under three minutes. His success has generated heated debates on how he and many other SoundCloud rappers are revolutionizing the world of rap. However, some in opposition to Pump and his peers believe they don’t deserve the acclaim.

Blade Runner Runs to Success

Blade Runner 2049 opened in October to immense critical acclaim. The follow up to the classic sci fi original, Blade Runner, the sequel has a gripping, emotional and surprising plot, all while boasting state of the art special effects. It preserved the legacy of the first film while continuing to expand its world and characters. I saw the movie. I loved it. This is a terrible turn of events.

Broadway Returns

The 2017-2018 Broadway Show Season has only just begun. Even though it started officially back in June with the opening of “1984”, several other plays and musicals will be opening throughout the Fall and Winter, as people flock to New York City to see shows for the holidays.

Pete and Liam “Stuff” Themselves

We’re back! In the spirit of the holiday season, we’re here to review our town’s stuffing offerings. Though everyone is quick to claim the best stuffing can be found only around their own dinner table, we went in search of a option that can be found year-round without making your grandmother slave away in the kitchen. We sampled three local and relatively low-cost options, and reviewed them with your tastes in mind. We hope you take our advice into account next time you step out in search of the perfect bowl of stuffing.

Ten Things To Try: Local Edition

 

1. Siren: Right on Mamaroneck Avenue, Siren is a high-end boutique with a vast collection of pieces. This store is tucked away and often unnoticed, but definitely worth a visit. Siren has a wide variety of items, ranging from apparel to jewelry to home decor.
2. Granola Bar: Only a few train stops away, The Granola Bar is located on the top of Greenwich Avenue. The Granola Bar not only has granola, but an assortment of delicious food to choose from, such as baked goods, smoothies, sandwiches, salads, and more.
3. By The Way Bakery: Right around the corner from The Granola Bar, By The Way Bakery is one of Greenwich’s new additions, and one of the best options for baked goods. Surprisingly, this bakery is both gluten and dairy free, accommodating allergies while remaining delicious. By The Way Bakery has many amazing options to choose from, such as cakes, cupcakes, and bread products.
4. Hand Rolled Bagels: Hidden on Purdy Avenue in Rye, Hand Rolled Bagels is the place to go for a quick and delicious breakfast. As the name says, Hand Rolled hand rolls their own bagels every morning, allowing us to enjoy bagels fresh out of the oven on chilly days.
5. Rosemary and Vine: Rosemary and Vine is a cute restaurant in Rye with many healthy options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are very careful to label everything in case of allergies. With their vast menu, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
6. Longford’s Ice Cream: If you want to relive your ballroom days, but understand the Larchmont Longford’s is just not the same anymore, come to Rye for ice cream and an additional assortment of candy. The ice cream is still amazing, just a little farther away.
7. Poppy’s Cafe: If you are looking for a dainty cafe to go to, Poppy’s is the place for you.  You can enjoy a nice, inexpensive meal sitting at the counter. The employees are very courteous and the food is savory. Around the holidays, Poppy’s is covered with decorations that will get you into the spirit. Poppy’s has been located in Rye since the 60’s, and has held its stellar reputation ever since.
8. Diane’s Books of Greenwich: Diane’s Bookstore is tucked away from Greenwich Avenue, but not hard to get to. This bookstore will remind you of your childhood with many old books, yet there is a vast selection of new and unique ones that will be fun to look through.
9. European Boutique: European Boutique is located in Rye, and has a unique selection of clothing and jewelry items. The majority of their pieces are inspired by Spain, Italy and France. They have plenty of pieces you wouldn’t normally find around here, which makes them worth your time.
10. La Fenice Gelateria: La Fenice Gelateria is another unnoticed spot located in Greenwich, and is definitely worth your visit. There, they have chic tables to sit at and a variety of gelato, coffee, and pastries. You can take a quick trip to Greenwich, and enjoy a refreshing gelato after a day of walking around.

Gun Control: Point-Counterpoint

 

The NFL & the National Anthem: Point-Counterpoint