Nameless Characters On a Beach

by Ryan Charles, senior reporter

Dunkirk is a film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. This film was beautifully shot utilizing many different angles, from the bird's eye views used to capture the beach filled with soldiers to the point of view shots used during the aerial battle scenes.

The plot was a compilation of different perspectives during the evacuation of Dunkirk beach at the end of WW2. There was just one problem, The characters do not have names. I realized this when trying to explain the movie to a friend, I found myself saying things like, “the guy who flies the plane” and “the English sailor.” This lack of development of the characters made it hard for me to fully engage myself in the film, and even harder to explain it to someone else.

Cheerleaders Go to Nationals in Disney World

by Laura Padilla, Freshman reporter

This year the West Hempstead Varsity Cheerleading team received a bid to Nationals for the first time ever in West Hempstead history.

The cheerleaders went to a competition and thought they lost their chance of going to nationals but it seemed that the people who manage the scores got confused and said the team didn't place but really they did and they placed third.

The coaches, Ms. Spano and Ms.Longo, really outdid themselves with these cheer routines. The cheer routines were lively and so outstanding that they earned the girls a trip to Nationals. Not only did the coaches work hard but the team put in so much effort. These girls struggled and practiced every week, they put their blood, sweat, and tears into these routines.

The Woman Behind the Bookshelf

By Harpinder Kaur, Meagan Kinney and Teandra Pierre Lewis

Ever wonder about our school librarian?  In

 our recent interview, we sat down with our school librarian. Ms. Stern, the librarian of West Hempstead High School, discussed how she became a librarian, and she revealed her passion for what she does. Ms.Stern has been educated in Library Science and has a degree from LIU. We also learned that there is much more to do as a librarian than just sorting books.

We had the opportunity to catch Ms.Stern during her 5th-period lunch break. Our first few questions were related to the general topic on how she came to be in the library field. Ms.Stern told us how much she loves being a librarian, especially in a public school. She also mentioned how she likes to teach library methods for students to carry out into the real world, “I like working with kids. I try to teach how to properly research various topics using many methods.”  

Ms.Stern, surprisingly never saw herself working in a library in her early years. One day in college she was given a brochure about becoming a librarian, which she immediately ripped apart. At one point she was working in an office, but she didn’t enjoy it. After a while, her husband told her about an opening as a librarian at Rutgers University. Skeptical at first, Ms.Stern ended up loving the library and then finished college at LIU with a degree in library sciences.

When it comes to working in a library with students and staff, she says, “It’s what you make of it.”

Over time, many changes have been made in education, including the increase of technology. This topic has directly affected the library. Ms.Stern likes the use of technology and thinks it is good for students to be exposed to different types of researching, “It’s a nice thing to go paperless. Going digital is a good way to catch up. If it makes your life easier, I like it”.

Another thing Ms.Stern is realizing is the change in types of books they have. Since technology has risen, most of the research is done on online databases which offer a whole range of different types of information. This directly has an effect on the books offered in the library, especially in the non-fiction genre. Most encyclopedias have remained untouched and now it's time that the library clears out the non-fiction area. After trying to preserve the area for as long as she possibly can, Ms.Stern accepts the change in technology for the convenience it offers to the students and herself.

Many people don’t know the truth about the work and life of a librarian. Being a librarian isn’t as easy as you may think. Ms. Stern has to be caught up with all different kinds of media and make sure the books in the library are carrying out its purposes. Visit the library for research in Science or English or come select the newest bestseller. Mrs. Stern and her assistant Mrs. D’Angelo are there to help everyone.