Make Way for 2021!

 

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: The Greatest Nintendo Game Ever Made

 By Jeremy Johnson, gaming reporter, December 15, 2020

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was released to the public on December 7, 2018, this being the 5th installment of the game series available only on Nintendo Switch. The creator of both this game and the entire series is Masahiro Sakurai. This became such an iconic game since it’s a crossover fighting game filled with familiar and iconic game series, ranging from Super Mario Bros. to the Legend of Zelda to Sonic the Hedgehog to even Minecraft. The whole point of Smash Bros. is to celebrate the iconic video game series. So, if you want to see your favorite games come together to duke it out, consider buying this game.

Back in 1999, Sakurai thought of the idea of having popular Nintendo all come together in 1 crossover to fight it out. He started small since, in the first Smash Bros game released on the Nintendo 64, there were only a total of 12 characters. Plenty of people got into the game and it was a success. However, many fans requested for more characters to be a part of this series. So, as the years went on, Sakurai created sequels to these games, from Smash Bros. Melee to Smash Bros. Brawl to Smash Bros. 4 and finally Smash Bros Ultimate. When these games were released, more characters were included. The fans were appreciative of the characters and even thrilled about seeing the characters they requested on there. Sakurai wanted lots of people to start playing this game series not just for the characters, but he wanted people to see an original but amazing idea come to life and luckily with the help of many who developed this series, it began to get a large number of positive reviews in the end. 

It was a struggle for Sakurai to work on the game since it took lots of time to develop. He even said during an interview “I work from morning to late nights, even on the weekends and holidays. I hardly have any free time, let alone time to play other games.”

I think people should take the time to play this game and see how much detail and effort was put into it. Anyone that’s a fan of Nintendo of its many iconic characters would want to buy this game. It takes some time to learn how to play the game, but eventually, you’ll understand it. This game is made to be fun and enjoyable for everyone, whether you’re playing by yourself or with others. It can be purchased either at any video game store or online, but I recommend buying it on Gamestop, whether it’s in person or online.

Spirit Week @ WHHS

 Twisted Tuesday!

Left to right: Matthew Olszewski, Mackenzie Cates, and Joseph Tudisco

Thanksgiving 2020

 

Sleep Deprivation is an Epidemic Among Teens

 By Eitan J. Goldberg

Sleep deprivation has been an ongoing issue in America in recent years, especially amongst teens. There are many consequences of sleep deprivation such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, poor grades, drowsy driving incidents, and anxiety to name just a few of the concerns associated with sleep deprivation. 

Today, we are going to speak about how sleep deprivation affects teens academically. According to Stanford University, “The most recent national poll shows that more than 87 percent of U.S. high school students get far less than the recommended eight to ten hours of sleep each night.” Now you might be wondering if sleep is so important then why would 87 percent of teens be sleep deprived? The answer to this is quite complex. There are so many factors that lead to students not getting enough sleep. First off, one of the biggest reasons is technology and the use of social media. This is a big distraction to many students with apps such as Tik Tok has taken lots of time away from students whether they are watching or making or liking various videos, this all cuts into their sleep. 

Another reason is school and extracurricular activities. A lot of time students spend is either in school, sports or extracurricular activities. Some students get home at seven with four hours of homework. This is a major issue. Another cause is time management and procrastination. Many students wait until the last minute to hand in assignments. This causes them to stay up late finishing the last assignment. Many students do not know what they are doing to themselves. There was a study done by Columbia University that found that if you fall asleep within five minutes of hitting the pillow that you are sleep deprived. How many of us do that? There have also been countless studies from universities such as Harvard, Yale and John Hopkins that have proved that sleep deprivation is directly correlated with poor academic performance. Neurologists have explained how the brain needs sleep so your cognitive memory is able to function. This is what helps us remember information, so without it, we would not be able to score well on our exams. 

There are many solutions to this issue. One of the best and easiest solutions is simply getting enough exercise. You should also turn off your phone a half hour prior to going to sleep. Make your sleep schedule constant for example do not go to bed at 11pm on Monday but then 2 am on Tuesday. Finally, if you are having severe issues with sleep deprivation you should contact a psychologist or your doctor as soon as possible.

Say Hello to Your 2020 NYSSMA All-State Champion

 By Keenbelynn Bellande

The students of West Hempstead High School are constantly excelling in not only the classrooms, but also in extracurricular activities. A recent and perfect  example is one of our current seniors, Jonathan Douglas. Douglas arrived in West Hempstead during 10th grade. He made a wonderful first impression on practically everyone. Little did we know this new student would later have a huge impact on both his peers and teachers. 

When referring to Jonathan, many of his peers described him as, “eccentric, outgoing, and funny.” Throughout his time in West Hempstead, Douglas has not been shy in letting his voice be heard, in classrooms and on stage. In turn, his charisma has inspired many other students toward becoming more comfortable in their own skin and becoming more outspoken. All of these key traits and characteristics have contributed to Jonathan’s success today. 

Recently, Jonathan, led by Ms. Nicole Blier of our Music department, was selected as a member of the 2020 NYSSMA All State Choral Ensemble. The last time this occurred was in the 1995-1996 school year, that's nearly 30 years ago! The big question in need of answering is: How did Douglas and Blier manage to end this 25 year long trend? 

They prepared for this big moment by first attending the All County Music Festival, along with current junior, Sofia Varone. Additionally, they worked countless hours, during and after school, to refine his solo for the NYSSMA festival.  In preparing for the NYSSMA festival, choosing the perfect song was integral to Jonathan’s success at this event. Blier and Douglas were torn between “Se Tu M’ami” written and composed by Alessandro Parisotti and “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from Porgy and Bess. After careful consideration, Blier and Douglas agreed on “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from Porgy and Bess. This piece held historical significance in that it featured an entire cast of trained African American singers which was a rarity at the time. This musical helped many singers of color establish their careers on Broadway. Blier felt that Jonathan’s voice encompassed the emotions and vocal power portrayed in this piece like no other could have.

In order to gain more insight on the day of the audition itself, Douglas described a frightful feeling. He felt as if he was “presented a major opportunity” and did not want to let Blier down after all of their hard work. One major component of that audition was sight reading, the practice of reading and performing a given piece without any prior knowledge of said piece. Regardless of the fact that this component was the most difficult for Douglas to master, he scored a 9/10. Bliers confidence in Douglas never waivered through it all and she wasn’t even slightly surprised when she heard of his success. 

So what will be the next step for both Blier and Douglas? Jonathan is currently searching for the right colleges and gaining scholarships that will help further his career as a singer. Blier hopes all the best  for Jonathan's future endeavours. She hopes to see him pursue a career in music, including musical education, vocal performance, or musical theatre. According to Blier, he holds a lot of potential for whichever career path he chooses. In terms of the music program, Blier wants to continue to get more students involved and participating in the NYSSMA festival. There is a lot of untapped potential for the upcoming underclassmen in the musical program. 

With that being said, Blier left us with some words of wisdom for the aspiring musicians and singers of West Hempstead High School. She noted, “When it comes to music, if you're passionate about it, you can most certainly be successful.” The future of the music program is in your hands, West Hempstead. To quote Douglas, “Don’t hesitate to pursue what you're passionate about.” Take heed of these tips.

WEST HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2020

Class of 2020 Then and Now

Seniors Say Goodbye Class of 2020

messages to the underclassmen

Senior Say Goodbye Class of 2020

LOVE YOURSELF

By Alex Henriquez

                                                                                       

On August 25, 2015 , Phora (Marco Anthony Archer) was shot while driving with his girlfriend on the freeway in Pasadena, California. The car was shot three times and he was hit in the back of the neck. He survived and checked out of the hospital because he was scared something was going to happen. Later on when interviewed Phora said, “ I just don’t want to be looked at as a typical rapper,  I’m trying to spread a positive message. I have hundreds of songs and not one time do I talk about guns or glorify that type of lifestyle.” 


Phora blew up on the scene making music that has to do with what has happened throughout his life. Every song that he made has impacted so many of his fans because they were most likely going through the same things as Phora. Also, his music doesn’t talk about him doing drugs, making money, buying expensive things or bragging about his lifestyle. This is why his fan base is so big now. He wants all of his fans that are going through something such as depression or sadness for example , to feel better through his music. “... That’s all I wanna be, is someone's escape… If I can be something in someone’s life, I’d wanna be someone’s guardian angel.”

Phora has made many albums throughout his career and his most recent album is called Bury Me With Dead Roses which was released on July 26, 2019. It is available on all platforms and you can download the album.

Everything Billie Wants

By Daniella Hinnawi

On November 13, 2019, 17- year old Billie Eilish released her new song Everything I Wanted. This song is dedicated to her producer and her very own brother, Finneas. “No matter what happens, we always have been and will be there to make it better,” Billie said in a statement. The song shows a different side of Billie and her meditation on fame. The young singer dives into her feelings about being a global phenomenon,  she sings “I had a dream I got everything I wanted/ It might’ve been a nightmare to anyone who might care.”

On a recent radio show, Eilish says that the song has “so many meanings” and she says what satisfies her the most about the song is that it’s not her crapping on fame. Billie also says, “It’s me talking about how sometimes everything you wanted is not what you actually should. You know what I mean? It might not be exactly how you dreamed it because it is a dream.” Billie recorded the song with her brother Finneas and the siblings went above and beyond for it. She even went underwater to record one of the lines. 

Right now Billie is everywhere, she cleaned up at the Grammy Awards winning 5 awards including, Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Album of the Year. If you didn’t know who she was before, you certainly will know her now.

Tom Clany’s Rainbow Six Siege: Still Going Strong

By Azaan Qamar

Rainbow Six Siege is a must play game available on PS4, Xbox, and PC. If you are an experienced gamer or just new to video games Rainbow Six Siege will be very fun for you. Rainbow Six Siege is a competitive first person shooter that has a unique cast of characters. The game is 5 V 5 with a max of 10 players in a game. The two different teams are attackers and defenders. Attackers are forced to use teamwork and tactical plays to break into the building that the defenders are guarding. They can break in using certain strategies and characters.For example if you play as Thermite he can use explosives to break through reinforced walls that were put up by defenders.This will allow the attacking team an entry point to go take over the building.

 The Defenders on the other hand get characters that can help put up Defensive items or traps to slow down the attacking team or to eliminate them. Defenders have to defend their objective which is normally a bomb site that the attacking team needs to defuse.The butter and bread of this game is their operators(characters) with each character being incredibly unique. Each character has their own readable story, unique ability which is important to your team play, and unique weapons/loadouts. Also to win a round in Siege if one team is eliminated the opposing team will win or if the attackers successfully defuse the bomb site then they will win.This game takes place across a bunch of beautiful maps with such breathtaking graphics. Some of my personal favorite maps are House a simple nice map with quick action, Chalet with a lot of tactical spots and freedom,and Kafe Dostoyevsky with a nice holiday vibe that makes it enjoyable.

The first team to win 3 rounds wins, after every round each team switches sides so attackers become defenders and defenders become attackers.What is fun is that every round in Siege you will have a completely different experience from the last. For example one round you will have a plan with your team and execute it flawlessly then the next round you can have a plan but something can go wrong because of an enemy operator using their gadget to counter your team’s gadgets. This game released December 1,2015 but over the years has become one of the most popular games with a growing playerbase.The thing that makes this game different from the rest is normally a video game that comes out has a year normally before players start leaving, but Siege has a content updates every 3 months adding 2 new operators and a new map to keep the game fresh and enjoyable.They have a yearly roadmap for every year to show what content is coming out.

 

Popular Anime Series: Dragon Ball Z Will Be Arriving On Netflix For All To Enjoy!

BY DK    

The popular anime series Dragon Ball Z may have ended years ago, but it looks like anime fans everywhere can now catch the complete series on Netflix! 

Starting November 15th, 2019, Dragon Ball Z, arrived on Netflix for all to enjoy! Dragon Ball Z is about the adventures of Goku, a Saiyan who crash landed on planet Earth decades ago when he was a toddler. He was then found and raised by his adoptive grandfather. After his grandfather’s passing, Goku spent the rest of his days as a child thriving in the wilderness alone, with only the precious momento his grandfather gave him to remember him: The Four-Star Dragonball. 

Goku grew up making many new friends throughout the years, collecting all seven dragon balls time and time again, as well as saving the world from evil doers along the way. Goku, to this day, resides in his home of Mount Paoz, alongside his beloved wife, Chi Chi, and his youngest son, Goten. His older son, Gohan is now married and supports a family of his own. Goku, alongside his sons Gohan and Goten, and friends, Krillin, Piccolo, Tien, and co. including his long time rival: Vegeta, spend the rest of their days protecting the Earth and its people from evil doers. Dragon Ball Z was first released on Netflix in the U.K, but eventually will be made available to Netflix users worldwide. GoAnime fans everywhere know the famous story, and will surely be stoked to watch their favorite martial arts team: The Z-Fighters “kick butt” and save the day from the comfort of their very own homes!