“This Is It”: The Michael - Syosset High School

The
Volume 52 Number III 70 Southwoods Road Syosset NY 11791 November/December 2009
School Spirit
Strikes Again!
Lisa Fierstein & Scott Gamm
Editors-in-Chief
At the end of October, with
Halloween looming, kids at
Syosset High School took steps
towards expanding school
spirit by celebrating Spirit
Week. Spirit week began by
Seniors sending out Facebook
messages informing students
of the different themed days
throughout the week. The themes
that took place were Pajama,
Safari, Cowboy, Biker/Rocker and
Syosset Spirit day. Just by walking
through the halls you could
tell that both students and teachers
were getting into the fun by
dressing on the respective days.
With all of the people dressed up,
it was interesting to see what all
of the people were wearing and
what they looked like.
On October 21, 2009, Mr.
Dolley, a teacher at Syosset,
dressed up as a cowboy. Not
only did he dress up, he even
brought in two stick horses
into school. Danny Fein, a senior
at Syosset, raced Mr.
Dolley in the courtyard first
period on the stick horses. The
race was over even before it
IN THIS ISSUE:
PULSE BEATS - p.2
began. Danny won by a
mile! Mr. Dolley tried to
encourage his horse
to “run faster” by
whipping the backside of
the “horse” with his hat.
This technique proved
unsuccessful. This race
exemplified some of the good
times had by all during Spirit
Week this year.
As the week went on,
turnout for the days kept
increasing. As more and more
people spread the word, students
and teachers continued to dress
up, even more than the days
before. Not only did Seniors dress
up, a lot of people were getting
involved. Days like this really
unite Syosset students. The week
culminated in Pep Rally, a true
display school spirit. Students
supported their peers and fellow
athletes, cheering and screaming
as captains reported fabulous
seasonal results to the crowd.
This amount of school
spirit has not been seen in a long
time. Hopefully, this spirit will
continue for the rest of the school
year and in events such as Sports
Night and Freshman/Sophmore
Face-off.
Syosset High School Carnival - p.3
Walking with the Sunrise - p.4
Mika’s New Album- Review - p.6
JV Girl’s Tennis: Season in Review - p.8
Yankees Reign Supreme - p.8
Varsity cheerleaders
stunting during their
performance at Pep
Rally
Cheryl Fierstein
It is apparent that Michael
Jackson is making more money
from his legacy after death than
he made while he was alive.
Previously in deep bankruptcy, it
is quite ironic that upon not being
in this world anymore, Jackson
is now richer than he ever was.
Michael came in third on Forbes.
com’s annual Top-Earning Dead
Celebrities list after bringing in
the enormous sum from AEG,
radio play, royalties from album
sales, rights to his name, and
royalties from his stake in the
Sony/ATV music catalogue.
Girl’s Varsity Tennis:
Long Island Champions
Lisa Fierstein
Editor-in-Chief
The Heartbeat
of Syosset
“This Is It”: The Michael
Jackson Tribute Movie
Michael Jackson
in Rolling Stone
magazine
Elena Russo
Staff Writer
i.realone.com
The Girl’s Varsity tennis
team made school history this
year by winning the school’s
first ever Girl’s Long Island Tennis
Championship. In the final
match of the season, the girls
traveled to Oceanside to play the
Suffolk County champions from
Half Hollow Hills West. Syosset
defeated their rivals easily by a
score to 6-1. Special congratulations
are in order for Coaches
Larry Levane and Shai Fischer
for helping the girls throughout
the season.
I’ll admit, I was astonished
and greatly saddened when I
heard the news of the icon’s death
on the radio on the warm sunny
day of June 25th, 2009. However,
I was even more saddened by the
complete glamorization of the
man’s death. Now we are in the
month of December and his death
is still one of the most intriguing
things. People can’t seem to stop
talking about it, as shown by the
approximate 1,330,000,000 hits
on Google pertaining to his death.
Shortly after his casualty, “This
Is It” started coming into works,
a movie dedicated to honor
Jackson’s passing. Upon
watching the TV previews, I
thought to myself, as curious as I
was to see the movie, did I really
want to give more money to the
Michael Jackson Death Fund?
I conformed against my
firm beliefs. I hesitatingly
donated eight dollars and paid for
my “This Is It” movie ticket. In
hindsight, I’m glad I did it. I
don’t care where the money
necessarily goes to, I am just
happy that I was somehow able
to thank the movie for providing
me with what it did, and if that
gratitude had to be displayed in
ludicrous monetary value at the
movies, so be it.
“This Is It” was definitely not
what I had expected. I actually
was not quite sure to expect, for
the previews had provided me
limited information, other than
rave reviews. Was it going to
be another VH1 five-hour long
classic of five hours about the
entire Jackson family and their
upbringing? Would Zac Efron
be playing a young Michael and
document the life and death of
the music prodigy? Would it
be a compilation of his classic
music videos? The answer is
none of the above. The movie
was a graciously put-together
film of the last few days before
Jackson’s death. The documentary
shows audiences the vigorous
rehearsals of the London “This
Is It” Tour scheduled this past
Continued on Page 4
The Varsity Tennis team poses for a picture after winning the championship
Mark Fierstein

2
The Pulse
November/Decmber 2009
The Pulse
2009-2010
Volume 52 Number III
November /December 2009
Syosset High School
70 Southwoods Road
Syosset, NY 11791
(516) 364-5702
Editors in Chief
Lisa Fierstein
Scott Gamm
Managing Editor
Rachel Rosen
Copy Editor
Nick Bonomi
News
Tara O’Connor
Features
Jenessa Abrams
Swathi Anand
Entertainment
Sarah Kurash
Amy Zhan
Opinions
Adam Goldsmith
Sports
Justin Feit
Advisor
Pam Ferguson
Staff Writers
Beverly Chen
Rachel Chu
Bobby Colton
Jennifer Colton
Julia Day
Anthony DiBernardo
Lauren Greenberg
Alison Ip
Alison Kamin
Courtney Kobrin
Jen Jang
Shannon Lai
Dorothy Li
Jillian Mergruen
Cindy Niu
Heemee Park
Cristelle Rabban
Jake Ritter
Zach Rousseas
Elena Russo
Sam Schwartz
Carly Siegel
Samantha Sklar
Alexa Sternschein
Corey Tuck
Simrit Virk
Lawrence Watling
The Pulse is created
using Adobe Indesign CS3.
The Pulse encourages and
welcomes letters from its readers:
syossetpulse.editorsinchief@
gmail.com
PULSE BEATS
Tara O’Connor
News Editor
November 4- NY
Yankees Earn Their 27th
World Series Title – After a
long, fierce competition with
the Philadelphia Phillies, the
Yankees brought home yet
another World Series title. The
final victory during game six of
the series occurred in the new
Yankee Stadium, where the
pinstriped baseball players beat
the Phillies with a score of 7-3.
Hideki Matsui was named the
MVP of the series. The Japanese
athlete greatly contributed
to the team’s success by acting
as a powerhouse while up at bat.
November 5- Fort Hood
Military Base Shooting –
There was much chaos at
the Fort Hood military base in
Texas when a single soldier
began to go on a shooting spree.
The culprit was discovered to
be Major Nidal Malik Hasan,
a licensed psychiatrist and
member of the armed forces.
Hasan injured 29 and killed 13
innocent people. Hasan was
left in critical condition after
the mass murder, as he was
shot by other officials while
being stopped, but he was
later found alive and is now in
federal custody. It is believed
that terrorism could have
been Hasan’s motive for the
murder rampage, as he originated
from Jordan and may be
considered a Muslim extremist.
November 11- Taylor
Swift Dominates Country
Music Awards 2009 – At
this year’s Country Music
Awards, nineteen-year-old
performer Taylor Swift swept
fans away by being the youngest
person to ever receive the
Entertainer of the Year award.
Along with this honor, she won
multiple other awards, including
Female Vocalist of the Year,
Music Video of the Year for
her hit song “Love Story,” and
Album of the Year. The CMA’s
were co-hosted by singers
Carrie Underwood and
Brad Paisley, and included
performances from Reba
McIntyre, Sugarland, Keith
Urban, and many other
successful country artists.
November 13-
President Obama Declares
9/11 Mastermind to Be
Tried in New York– It was
decided that the main
conspirator behind the 9/11
terrorist attacks will be put to
trial in New York City, where
the center of the tragedy
NEWS
occurred. Many Americans, and
especially New Yorkers,
harbor much hatred toward
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed,
the man who caused so many
innocent people to die on that
terrible day in 2001. A portion
of the American population is
opposed to the idea of the
prosecution in New York, as it
believes that the criminals
should be charged as terrorists
in the courts of Guantanamo
Bay. Also, the nation’s security
may be put at risk if the
terrorists are brought
back into the country.
November 20- New
Moon Takes a Bite Out of
Midnight Sales – The vampire
craze has yet to be diminished
amongst fans of the Twilight
series by Stephenie Meyer. The
latest movie based on a novel
from the best-selling saga was
released at midnight on
November 20 across the
nation. Fans young and old
preordered their tickets so they
would surely be amongst the
first fans to see the hottest new
film. The action-packed flick
starring Robert Pattinson and
Kristen Stewart brought in a
record-breaking $26.3 million
from just one night, rivaling J.K
Rowling’s Harry Potter
and the Half Blood
Prince, which grossed an
estimated $22.2 million in
midnight showings. The
tickets were sold out in
advance, breaking many
preorder records as well.
December
Hideki Matsui at bat during one of the World Series games.
Right: Taylor Swift accepting a
Country Music Award in 2008
bp.blogspot.com/.../taylor-swift-cma
Left:New Moon movie poster
media.nj.com
behindblondiepark.com
O n e B l u e B r a c e l e t
at a Time
Simrit Virk
Staff Writer
In the successful Blue Jeans
for Babies (BJFB) fundraiser,
the Interact club encouraged
donations from the students
and faculty of SHS to sponsor
heart surgeries for sick children
of Uganda. This was the club’s
seventh year being involved
with this specific cause. The club
accepted contributions from
November 18th through the 24th,
before the Thanksgiving break.
Thread bracelets were given as
mementos for the five dollar
donations that individuals made.
The Blue Jeans for Babies
effort is based on collecting
money and donating the
proceeds to non-profit
charities, such as The Gift of Life
Foundation and the Save a
Child’s Heart Foundation,
which are dedicated to helping
families endure and overcome
their children’s heart problems.
Syosset High School
is one of the leading high
school donors to The Gift of
Life Foundation. Recently,
presidents Lindsey Murphy and
Adam Krochak spoke at the
foundation’s kick-off dinner in
order to encourage others to
follow the footsteps of Syosset
High School and donate to The
Gift of Life Foundation.
The Interact club meets
on Wednesdays after school.
The bracelets were made
during the club meetings by avid
members, with the key color of
blue in mind. These mementos
were different from last year,
which consisted of pins cut
out of denim from blue jeans
that the club members had
donated. This year,
bracelets were made because
BJFB supporters who bought
bracelets could leave them
on for a longer period of
time. This year, there was
increased participation from SHS
students and faculty in wearing
the bracelets on the 24th. After
individuals donated a small sum
of five dollars and received their
complimentary bracelet, they
were supposed to fill out their
name on a piece of paper, which
was later displayed in the front
hallway in giant letters that spelt
“BJFB.”
Continued on Page 3

O n e B l u e
B r a c e l e t a t a
Continued from Page 2
The advertising aspect of
BJFB was carried out with many
posters, and even a commercial
that encouraged students and the
faculty in a humorous manner to
make a small contribution to the
cause. Interact members raised
awareness for this fundraiser
as they went around the school
with the bracelets attached to
matching blue slips of paper.
Members of the club
sometimes even took the
opportunity before a class began
to ask their fellow peers for a
donation. Some members worked
over-time on trying to raise
more money with after-school
donations, which was a smart
idea, as most kids in the
student lobby were engaged in
leisure activities and donated with
more enthusiasm, as they felt less
pressured than if they were in a
classroom.
FEATURES/NEWS
Will the Swine Flu
Ever Go Away?
Stefanie Blanc
Journalism Student
For most of the country, the
swine flu has been a shocking
epidemic. Many people worldwide
have died, both young
and old. The panic started many
months ago, when Mexico first
saw people dying from this
illness. After making its
international appearance, the
swine flu got its official name,
the H1N1 flu. While many
people were able to walk away
from the disease alive and healthy
after being diagnosed, some were
not as lucky. What really caused
this virus to spread so quickly
and wildly? We may never know
the answer to this question.
The virus has been found
throughout roughly 50% of New
York State. Luckily for Long
Time
Senior Lindsey Murphy,
President of the Interact club,
said that, “the generous support
students, teachers, and
administratos demonstrated to
help children they may never
even meet truly defines us as a
school. As I walked through the
hallways filled with people in
their blue jeans [on Friday], I
could tell how much BJFB unites
us. I have no doubt that with
everyone’s continued support we
can raise the $35,000.”
On the last day of BJFB,
several Interact members
accompanied the boy that was
in need of heart-surgery around
the school to introduce him to
the students who sponsored
his operation. The smile on the
little boy’s face, when he gave a
student a bracelet, was bright
and hopeful, all thanks to the
generous donation of Syosset
High School.
The wall across
from the Nurse’s
office decorated
during BJFB week
Lindsey Murphy
Islanders and people from New
York City, cases of the H1N1 flu
have fallen to an extreme low for
the fall, compared to the rest of
the country’s statistics. Doctors
warn that the situation could
change at any time, but those
who were originally hit with the
swine flu may now be immune
to its effects. This, of course, is
slowing the spread of the virus.
Another reason for the
lower infection rates of the
virus may be due to the new
immunizations that are being administered
by doctors. The number
of vaccines may be limited, but
that won’t stop some people from
getting the shot. The official name
for the medication is FluMist.
This particular drug is sprayed up
the nostril, as opposed to being
injected into the veins with
a needle. The first doses are
Syosset High School
Carnival a Success!
Tara O’Connor
News Editor
Rain or shine, the show
must go on! Syosset High School
hosted its annual carnival
next to the football field from
October 23 until October 25,
2009. The exciting weekend
started off with a pep rally for
students at the end of
the school day on Friday.
Despite the cold weather, the
varsity sports teams presented
themselves to the student body,
bringing enthusiasm to all.
The carnival officially began
at five o’clock on Friday
evening. Various people from
Syosset were in attendance, both
young and old. It was common to
see smiles on the faces of those
who showed up, despite the cold
temperatures and the light rain, in
anticipation of the rides and
attractions. This year, the Zipper,
Fear Factory, and the Sizzler were
among some of the rides at the fair.
Many of the student clubs
from SHS set up booths in
order to earn funds to
support themselves for this school
year. They sold baked goods
and items such as books and
gloves. The many dedicated club
members were eager to help
support their organizations.
Saturday, unfortunately,
called for umbrellas and rain
boots, as it poured most of the
day and all night. Students
selling merchandise for
reserved for the people with the
highest risk of contracting the
virus. Doctors’ offices may be
crowded because of the high
desire for protection
against the swine flu.
Unfortunately, many
people are still contracting
the disease. Swine flu is still
taking the lives of people (six to
be exact) this autumn in New
York State. The most vulnerable
are the college students. Here,
young people who are especially
susceptible to getting the virus live
in close contact and have a higher
probability of passing the H1N1
flu on to one another. In the end,
it’s always best to be healthy,
and people should be sure to
take preventative measures so
they do not catch the disease.
clubs were soaked, and the
carnival was forced to close early
due to the disastrous weather
conditions. One sophmore
girl, Stephanie Blumenstock,
helped sell books for the
Syosset High School student book
club and was more than happy to
help out, but was disappointed
because the rain deterred
people from attending the
carnival and buying the books and
bookmarks that she was selling.
Thankfully, as far as weather
was concerned, Sunday turned
out to be a nice day. Those
who planned on skipping the
carnival because of the rain on
Friday and Saturday were able
Seniors enjoying zepole at
the Syosset High School
Carnival
Casey Boguslaw
Students Fear
Losing Summer
Vacation
Zachary Richards
Journalism Student
In November of 2008, Syosset
High School students watched
as the first African American
president was elected into office.
His inspirational mantras
about “change” and “hope” are
what brought his voice out to
the people of the United States.
Many Americans felt he was going
to change the nation in new
ways; most were probably not
prepared when he started to talk
about his plans for education.
In the beginning of summer
2009, President Obama called for
educational reform. He said he
wanted to extend the school year
into the summer and lengthen
the school day to increase the
amount of learning for all grades.
With all of these ideas, there was
much opposition. First off, with
all of the economic problems we
face today, our country could
not possibly afford to pay teachers
for extra hours in the summer.
Another problem is that
many schools do not have proper
air conditioning, and being in a
hot school will make students
irritable and unable to work.
The Pulse
November/Decmber 2009
3
to attend on Sunday instead.
Aside from all the fun
that was shared, some people
expressed their views that
the carnival was subpar
compared to prior years. One
of the sentiments expressed
involved one of the classic
carnival attractions from past
years, called the Gravitron,
not being available this year.
In general, the affair seemed
smaller, with many rides aimed
at younger children. All in
all, despite the poor weather
conditions and fewer rides, the
event seemed to be a success.
Tara O’Connor, a sophomore
who commented about the issue,
thinks that “it is important
for kids to have a break over the
summer, because they are on
work overload during the year.”
Most kids across the nation will
agree with this statement. Many
kids, especially the ones who are
placed in advanced classes, need
a break in the summer and after
school to obtain any lost sleep
and to prepare themselves for
the next upcoming school year.
Although the president has not
yet addressed the topic again,
most people still think that it
has not yet been put to rest.
Even though people see this
plan negatively, other plans that
Obama is trying to organize are
not as bad. One example is attempting
to reform the “No
Child Left Behind” policy established
by President George
W. Bush. Instead of punishing
schools that perform poorly on
tests, he wants to try to improve
the education process so improvement
can be made. All in
all, most people still feel it is too
early to guess what will happen
with the education reform; only
time will tell what will come.

4
The Pulse
November/Decmber 2009
Walking
with the
Sunrise
Simrit Virk
Staff Writer
All the students and faculty
members of SHS set out on the
morning of October 19, 2009 to
walk around the school fields.
This was done in order to raise
money for Sunrise Day Camp,
a place where children with
cancer can live without the
tension and worries of being
sick. The event marked the
beginning of spirit week,
and most individuals were
showing their school spirit as
they walked in their pajamas.
Each year SHS hosts a walka-thon
as a way to bring in
money for an important cause
in the community. This year
was no different. Sunrise Day
Camp had been featured on news
programs, which students and
teachers were able to see through
advertisements that were aired
during morning announcements
the previous week. Students
also gained information in class
about the event, as they received
sponsorship pledge forms after
hearing about the walk-a-thon
from the Peer Helpers in the
school. Furthermore, flyers were
placed in the hallways. One
student gladly remarked, “I think
that a lot of effort went into it
and I liked the commercials; they
helped make everyone aware.”
The students that donated
money during the charity walk
were happy to help the cause and
improve the lives of sick children.
The Peer Helpers cheered
on students as they walked
around the SHS football
field and the Southwoods
Middle School field as well. The
drop-off boxes for money were
positioned in a way that the
Sunrise Day Camp campers
students didn’t feel
pressured to give
continuous donations, but
the students that wanted to
support the cause could easily
locate the boxes. A colorful
balloon arch greeted the walkers
as they crossed onto middle
school territory, and on the
way back, students were able
to pick up water bottles if they
pleased, which the Peer Helpers
were distributing with smiles on
their faces. The band was also
encouraging the students with
their music and one band
member even admitted,
“….put a lot more effort [this
year] than the effort put into
the walk-a-thon last year.
Located on Long Island,
Sunrise Day Camp allows
individuals living with cancer,
from ages three to sixteen, to
engage in recreational activities
including basketball, volleyball,
golf, swimming and art. They
are able to stay the night at their
homes comfortably. The founder
of this camp is Friedberg JCC, a
non-profit organization that
has previously been involved in
setting up camps, facilities, and
daycares for the elderly and
those who are disabled. The
students of SHS were walking,
even if some individuals did not
know it, to send children with
cancer to this camp. It had been
mentioned that if each student
in the school brought in $3, a
child would have the opportunity
to attend Sunrise Day Camp.
The event provided the
members of Syosset High School
the opportunity to work together
toward a greater cause, to a place,
“where children with cancer find
a new beginning every day….”
www.sunrisedaycamp.org
FEATURES
Club
Spotlight:
Mock
Trial
Hana Baig
Staff Writer
Mock Trial may be one of
the most new member-friendly
clubs offered at Syosset High
School. During the first meeting,
Co-Presidents Jennie Matte
and Susie Rosenberg kindly
guided the fresh faces through
what is classified as ‘useful
information’ in a court case
as well as additional courtroom
terminology. A tradition
that supports the clubs new
Continued from Page 1
Heemee Park
Staff Writer
member-friendly reputation
occurs during the first courtroom
trial in November, where new
members are able to participate
in the actual trial.
Mock Trial is an
incredibly realistic simulation of
an actual trial. It is complete with
stipulated facts, affidavits,
and evidence. Some of the
routine behaviors that occur
during it mimic actual events
that would take place in a
courtroom. For example, the
plaintiff and the defense confer in
different classrooms so as not to
let the other side in on their own
strategy. This club trains its
members to be cunning and keen
by discussing parts of the
evidence or given information
that can be used to help a
certain side. Mock Trial not only
has great intellectual benefits,
but it also has members who are
friendly and become very close
friends. “This is one of the best
things to join here,” says Senior
Rachel Perl, “you meet a lot of
great people.”
Interested in controversial
cases with open-ended answers?
Intrigued by mystery? Love to
speak your mind? Join Mock
Trial, the club where speaking
is encouraged, friendliness is
key, and a sharp eye to capture
key elements is developed. Mock
Trial meets in C-11 on Wednesday
afternoons at 5:30 pm. “It’s
intense,” says Sophomore Sam
Daniels, who has been a member
since her Freshman year, “but so
much fun.”
“This Is It” (continued)
summer that was
unfortunately not able to come
to full commencement. “High
School Musical” choreographer,
Kenny Ortega was not only
Mr. Jackson’s choreographer
for the upcoming tour, but the
director of this movie as well.
Some of the more defining
moments of Michael’s career
are displayed throughout the
duration of this film, taking place
within a span of two months
and reminds audiences why we
always called the man a star.
At age fifty and nearly upon his
deathbed, Michael was fully
capable of dancing as if he was
back in his twenties and not
lip-synching. The concert that
would have crowned his entire
career, “This Is It” shows backstage
footage of his devoted fans,
dancers, band, stylists, and any
other workers for the tour. In
order to revive old songs, certain
music videos are redone with the
idea of having them as a backdrop
for the concert. My favorites
included the remakes of
“Thriller,” “They Don’t Really
Care About Us,” and “Smooth
Criminal,” all that left me
singing and dancing in the
theater, which I believe is quite
the fitting tribute.
Taylor Swift:
a New Sensation
Nineteen year old Taylor
Swift is known throughout the
world as an astonishing country
musician. She has popularized
country music in a way that
has never been seen before, and
she has become an overnight
sensation.
Taylor Swift’s performance
at the Country Music Awards
was not one to be missed.
That night, Swift won all four
awards she was nominated for,
including Album and Video of the
Year. Swift became the youngest
individual and first female solo
act to win the CMA’s Entertainer
of the Year Award.
Swift has broken many
records this year in the
music industry, including that
she is the only artist to outsell
Michael Jackson this year. Her
album “Fearless” is the longest
charting album of this century.
She has become a huge sensation
on iTunes, where her songs are
reaching the top spot after being
released for only two days!
Her hit-single “You Belong With
Me” became the first country
song to reach the top spot of the
Billboard Chart in the chart’s 19
year history.
Swift’s concert tour should
not be forgotten. All of the 15
concerts she played in North
America were SOLD OUT.
Tickets for the four New York
shows sold out in only two
minutes. Taylor Swift is such
a growing icon that she is even
included in many video games
for teenagers. We really can’t get
enough of her, can we?
Want to place an
ad in The Pulse?
Contact Mrs. Ferguson
(516) 364-5701

The Pulse
November/Decmber 2009
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The Pulse
November/Decmber 2009
Mika’s New Album: The Boy
Who Knew Too Much
Elena Russo
Staff Writer
Mika. Mika. Mika. The
last we heard of him was when
he debuted his first album, Life
in Cartoon Motion, back in 2007.
He became an instant hit with
his shrilly, operatic pop voice on
his first single, Grace Kelly.
After the release of the
album, the public audience was
very quick to say that this genre
reminded most people of the
late Queen front man, Freddie
Mercury. Both, gay singers,
and both trained in classical
opera which they applied to their
antithesis of opera music
styles, do have their apparent
similarities. However, to
compare a new artist to the
caliber of Mercury, a music icon,
seems a little ludicrous. Nathan
Kim, sophomore at Syosset High
School and quite the Freddie
fans, says, “You can’t compare
anyone to Queen…that’s illegal”.
So with the debate of opposing
views between Queen fanatics
and the general public quick to
state Mika as “the next Freddie”,
Mika’s fame fizzled as quickly
as it erupted…until his second
album, The Boy Who Knew Too
Much, came out on September
21st, 2009.
Most artists would agree
that the second album they
record is more detrimental to their
success than their first album.
Typically, a record label will try
to control the artist and mold
artists into what they think will
be successful towards the public
listeners. An artist’s individuality
is usually compromised on
the first album. However, on the
follow-up/second album, artists
are allowed much more creative
control due to their fame the first
album has produced for them.
The second album gives the
artist a chance to express the
ENTERTAINMENT
Cover to Mika’s new album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much
www.kkbox.com.tw/funky/web_info/
Fashion Flash Forward!
Allison Kamin, Cristelle
Rabban, and Courtney
Kobren
Staff Writers
The magazines are thick
with pages flowing with new
styles and trends for this year’s
winter fashions. Seemingly
endless arrays of styles and
choices are presented to us, but all
of us seem to ask the same question,
“What’s in this winter?”
message to their fans that
they have always wanted to
convey, with their own unique
musical identity. It’s a
daunting task to think about,
with the possibility of having
too much personal control and
not enough restrictions, it is
something that could ruin a
career.
Although I do not think by
any means Mika has ruined his
career with his second album,
I do think he got carried away
with his newfound freedom and
didn’t really know when to stop.
His sound is very similar to that
of his (compared to the second
album) restrained first record, as
shown by the similar artworks
on both album covers, however
it goes a little overboard with
the continuous happy-go-lucky,
dancing songs and shrilly vocals.
The first had more
juxtaposition between melodra-
Boots are the most obvious
fashion trend this season– they’re
not only comfortable, but they
are warm and stylish. A girl’s
individual sense of style
dictates the type of boots she
wears, whether they are leather
or suede, flat or high-heeled.
Steve Madden’s boots show the
most creativity, making them the
perfect choice for school.
Another fashionable item
to add to your “winter-wear”
collection are leather coats.
Tommy Hilfiger said, “this
matic and cheerful songs. In
comparison to his first album,
Dr. John is the new Billy Brown
and Good Gone Girl is the new
Big Girls (You Are Beautiful). I
enjoyed the Imogen Heap feel
Mika put on one of his rare
slower songs, By the Time.
However two songs later, Toy
Boy quickly interrupts the
enjoyment, being too happy
for my taste and sounding like
the score for a Disney animated
movie starring Geppeto.
Of course I will
continue to buy Mika’s albums,
I love his fresh excitement and
similarities to Queen. With
The Boy Who Knew Too Much,
however, I feel as if the boy was
just too energetic and didn’t
know enough about pleasing
audiences. Sorry, Mika.
[leather] jacket not only adds
warmth and functionality
but also adds a rock and roll
edge.” Warm, comfortable and
extremely stylish, leather jackets
are the perfect choice for winter.
Flannel shirts are
gaining ground this winter,
considering their versatility and
wide-ranging selection of
colors. One can choose to tuck
them into jeans, open with a
tank underneath, or worn over
leggings. Every designer puts
their own unique spin on these
Project
Runway
Finale
Jennifer Colton
Staff Writer
Project Runway is a
fashion reality show that starts
with 16 designers and ends with
one designer winning 100,000
dollars to start their own line of
clothing. One contestant is
eliminated each week after a
challenge to design anything
from maternity dresses to
Christina Aguilera concert
costumes. This show is a
major hit, with up to 3.2 million
viewers. Season 6 was the most
anticipated season yet, with a
largely publicized lawsuit for
broadcasting rights postponing
the premiere for 8 months. After
court battles and fashion battles,
Irina Shabayeva ended victorious
and can now start her fashion
career with the help of Project
Runway.
The broadcasting networks
of Lifetime and Bravo fought
long and hard over the rights to
Project Runway. The show
originally aired on Bravo for
5 seasons, but the owner of
the show decided to associate
with Lifetime instead. Bravo,
knowing that they were losing
their most popular show,
brought the matter to court.
The lawsuit did nothing to help
Bravo gain back their show; all
it did was postpone the debut,
making it harder for the
contestants of the show. Since
the show had not revealed
shirts, whether it is changing
up the buttons or playing with
different colors. Flannel shirts
will only get more popular as
the weather turns worse, so
asking for a few for the holidays
wouldn’t be a bad idea.
These are just a few of the
top winter fashions, but that
doesn’t mean there aren’t more.
Experiment with last year’s
leg warmers, a studded belt, or
knee-high boots and you are
sure to find a winter outfit that
who the finalists were by the
time fashion week came, the
three girls had to show their
collections anonymously at
Bryant Park. This severely hurt
their chances of being recognized
and breaking into the fashion
world. The contestants worked
hard and as the host Heidi Klum
said, “it was a little bit sad” at
the finale to know they were not
being credited with their
designs. This major lawsuit hurt
the contestants at Bryant Park,
but the anticipation for the
season was so high that there
were more people watching the
finale than ever before when it
ultimately did air.
The highly expected season
did not disappoint. After fights
in the workroom, tears on the
runway, name-calling, and
accusations of copying, the
Bryant Park collections
impressed the judges immensely.
In the end, Carol Hannah
Whitfeild and Althea Harper
were left empty handed.
Irina Shabayeva, the contestant
constantly in arguments and
on everyone’s bad side, walked
away with the Paris vacation,
the spread in Marie Claire magazine,
and most importantly, the
money and opportunity to start
her own line in the fashion world.
Next time you go shopping, keep
your eyes peeled for the beautiful
and appealing garments made by
Irina Shabayeva, the winner of
Project Runway season 6.
All of the designers
competing in Project
Runway Season 6
images.buddytv.com
makes you feel fashionable and
fabulous! Until next time!
Flannel shirts are popular this winter
images2.pacsun.com

ENTERTAINMENT
Battle of the Bands Preview
Lawrence Watling
Staff Writer
As the autumnal
weather is cooling down to
winter, Syosset High
School’s Battle of the Bands
auditions are keeping the
classrooms in the C-hall warm
and well, loud. Battle of the
Bands, an extremely popular
phenomenon known throughout
high school’s nationwide,
held auditions to decide the four
bands that would make it to the
colossal competition in January.
From acoustic to punk, and
classic rock to alternative, the
bands played songs that were well
known, as well as some originals
that they composed themselves.
Remakes were done of artists
such as Incubus, John Mayer,
The Ramones, and even Miley
Cyrus. Each band performed
two songs and had 9 minutes to
impress the 5 judges who
consisted of the Junior
Student Government Leaders
(Alex Kugelman, Leo
Kuba, Rachel Price, Kimberly
Wilkens, and Kevin Ng). The
Battle of the Band supervisors,
social studies teacher, Rich
Cafiero, and TV/Radio teacher,
Dave Favilla, assisted the judges
in their decisions and were the
keystones to the entire contest.
Each band played in
front of the judges and their
friends, family members, even
simply music lovers; ultimately
The Pulse
November/Decmber 2009
“The Twilight Saga: New Moon”
Abby Mathes
Staff Writer
Twi-Hards unite! As the
new film, The Twilight Saga:
New Moon hit theatres on
Friday, November 20, 2009,
fanatics all across the United
States and Canada waited on
the ridiculously long lines to see
the next chapter in Bella Swan
(Kristin Stewart) and Edward
Cullen’s (Robert Pattinson)
relationship. After an incident
on Bella’s birthday between
Bella and Jasper (Jackson
Rathbone), Edward’s brother, the
Cullen family is forced to move
away, terminating Bella and
Edward’s relationship.
When Edward leaves,
Bella enters a “depression” and
isolates herself by sitting alone
in the cafeteria at lunch and
staying in her room, miserably
looking out the
window all the time. The
cinematography of these
scenes beautifully illustrates
how readers view the scene
in “New Moon” by Stephanie
Meyer. The spinning camera
and seasonal changes out the
window perfectly portray the
empty pages with titles of
months that have passed since
Edward left in the novel. While
in this “depression,” Bella’s childhood
friend Jacob Black (Taylor
Lautner) lifts her mood, and
rekindles the happiness that was
once in her life. Unfortunately
for Bella, Jacob is discovered to be
a werewolf, the natural enemy of
vampires. Bella’s love for Edward
is still very much alive, and a love
triangle is quickly formed.
In the end, “love
conquers all” when Bella choses
Edward over Jacob. A nearly fatal
mistake is made when Alice,
(Ashley Greene) who can see
the future, mistakenly sees Bella
kill herself. This mistake causes
Edward to fall into a depression.
creating a rather aroused audience
that wasn’t afraid to dance and
participate in the bands’
performances. The first band to
perform was a pleasant
acoustic duet consisting of Ilana
Schwartz and Allie Cohen. Their
band, named Table For Two,
performed Simon and
Garfunkel’s, “Sound of Silence”
as well as John Mayer’s, “Say”.
When asked about why they
chose to showcase John Mayer,
Ilana Schwartz said, “He has a
really similar style of music that
we are interested in.” She also
believed deeply in the meaning
of the song: Say what you need
to say, and not be afraid to speak
out against things that trouble
you.
The next band that stood out
was called Doublethink. The band
only had two boys in the band
who go to Syosset High School,
creating a major controversy as
to whether the band should be
able to enter the competition.
After their performance
however, no doubters dared to
open their mouths. The lead
vocalist, Louis Lagalante sang
“Cult of Personality”, which
was originally done by In
Living Colour, while Bryan
McElwain, the drummer, gave
one of the best drumming
performances of the
afternoon. The other band
members included bass
guitarist, Tyler Corey, and lead
guitarist, Andrew Scheinman.
Every person in the room knew
This depression leads him to go
to Italy, and put his life in the
hands of the Volturi. The Volturi
are vampire royalty, and they
control the fate of the vampires.
Bella and Alice rush to Volterra,
Italy to prove that Bella did not
kill herself, ultimately saving
Edward’s life. In the book,
Volterra is described as a
beautiful ancient city, filled
with artifacts and festivals that
celebrate the end of vampires
in the free world. Volterra is,
that Doublethink was here to
stay regardless of the critics.
“The guy doesn’t ever wear
socks; that inspires me”, Jon
Cohen exclaims. Those words
of wisdom have its roots in
the battle’s most exciting and
exotic band, Bologna Ponies.
Jon’s younger brother and lead
singer of Bologna Polies, Dave
Cohen, sang Billboard topper
“Party in the USA” and Jason
Mraz’s “Butterfly.” If anything,
Dave shocked the audience, as
absolutely nobody but his band
had any clue that he could belt
out notes. Steven Cowit on
the drums, Nathan Kim on the
lead guitar, Alex Horowitz on
the bass, and maybe the most
versatile musician in the entire
competition, Jordan Cohen who
plays the bongos, alto saxophone
and sings backup, together made
up the large six-man ensemble.
When asked about why they
chose the band name, Bologna
Ponies, Jordan Cohen said, “[the
name] helps us demonstrate our
attitude in music.”
Confused Pancake and the
Baffled Waffles; the name of
one of the more popular bands
to compete in the competition,
contained two members
that went to Syosset High
School but are now in college.
Drummer, Justin Adelman, and
guitarist and backup vocalist, Max
Ash are both in college (Adelman
is a sophomore at Nassau
Community College and Ash is
a freshman at NYU). Max Ash,
who is related to Sam Ash (yes,
ironically enough, the place
where the leaders of the
vampire world live. As Bella saves
Edward and returns home to
Forks, Washington, Jacob’s
jealousy takes over and a small
battle between him and Edward
ensues. After this argument, the
last words of the film will make
you scream in anticipation for
the next film in the saga.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
is set to open in theaters on June
10, 2010. “Twi-Hards” all across
Left: Edward and Bella
performing a scene from the
film
thetwilightfansite.net
Right: “New Moon” movie
poster
www.realmovienews.com
the music store), won Battle
of the Bands last year and the
hype for him to come back to
Syosset was almost as massive
as the band itself. Lead vocalist
and pianist, Brett Burian used
two separate keyboards and
composed the band’s second
song titled, “Untitled.” Bass
guitarist and late addition, Zach
Grossman, provided a solid bass
line and lead guitarist, Adam
Baine, shredded his solos as well as
assisted Burian in the
composition of “Untitled.”
The Muppets can be
considered one of the cuter
bands of the auditions. Each
member wore a different
shirt, displaying their favorite
Muppet character. However, the
guitarists really stole the show.
Lead electric guitarist, Josh
Hyman absolutely tore
up the performance and
instantly earned the audience’s
admiration. Bassist, Zachary
Hammer had incredible stage
presence, and when asked about
his energy, he chuckled, “I
play as if I’m being electrified.”
Other band members included
the drummer, Justin Cristando
and lead singer, Justin Morcillo.
After three and a half hours of
bands rocking out in an enclosed
classroom, the judges made up
their minds on who they wanted
to perform at one of the school’s
biggest events of the year. The
results were released over the
schools announcements and
people were so nervous that
they could barely contain them-
7
the world will once again wait on
endless lines to catch a glimpse
of the love triangle only known
as Twilight. The Twilight Saga:
New Moon is a romantic drama,
with a few funny moments that is
enjoyable for everyone. Whether
you are part of Team Edward or
Team Jacob, go buy your tickets
and support your team as the
fight for Bella’s love begins in
The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
selves. Sophomore Danielle
Rabinowitz was ecstatic before
the announcements were made.
“Oh my god, I was crossing my
fingers the whole time!” Dr.
Schneider read the names of the
winning bands over the P.A.,
and could not avoid the tense upsurge
that swept across the student
body. “The winners of the
Battle of the Band auditions and
the bands that will play in the
Battle of the Bands on January
29th are Doublethink, Confused
Pancaked and the Baffled Waffles,
The Muppets, and the Bologna
Ponies.”
While the named bands
celebrated and their fans rejoiced
in their second period class, the
fans and members of the bands
that did not make it to the
contest sat in shocking silence.
“I thought we were really good”,
said Ilana Schwartz of Table For
Two. The most important thing
that one can learn from not
making it through the auditions
is that just because five judges did
not approve of your performance,
does not mean you are bad. Band
members should be proud of
themselves for going up in front
of people and rocking out. It’s
easier said than done, for sure.
For more information on
Syosset High School’s Battle
of the Bands, see Mr. Cafiero,
Mr. Favilla, or any of the
competing bands. And remember
to mark down Battle of the Bands
competition on the set date,
January 29th! Rock on!

8
The Pulse
November/Decmber 2009
Boys Cross
SPORTS
Yankees
Reign
Supreme
Justin Feit
Sports Editor
On November 4th 2009, the
New York Yankees captured their
27th World Series title, their
first since the Subway Series of
2000, defeating the Philadelphia
Phillies 4-2. Hideki Matsui won
the MVP, becoming both the
first Japanese-born player and
first full-time designated hitter
to win the award. The Yankees
completed a magical season,
winning the most games in the
league.
There were many factors
that helped the Yankees win
their 27th World Championship.
After their disappointing
2008 season, the Yankees front
office made some huge blockbuster
moves. The Yankees
dished out almost $400 million
dollars to their big three: CC
Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark
Country Update
Jordan Matteo
Journalism Student
The boy’s Varsity Cross
Country team is now the
Division Champion with its
last win over Massapequa,
putting them undefeated against
divisional opponents. This was
not the easiest of meets though
because the team was up against
another undefeated team with
runners who were ranked
higher in the division. Despite
the odds, seniors Ryan Healy, Max
Segall and Josh Halpern placed
Teixeira. The Yankees
also acquired Nick
Swisher who, although
coming with a smaller price
tag than the “big three,” played
a crucial role throughout the
season and postseason, even
though he hit a rough patch in
the beginning of the playoffs.
With all of these huge offseason
moves, the Yankees entered
the 2009 season as the favorites
to win the World Series.
However, the Phillies made a
blockbuster move as well,
acquiring Cy Young winner Cliff
Lee, who was the most dominant
pitcher in the second half of the
2009 season.
Both the Yankees and
Phillies cruised through the first
two rounds of the postseason, and
were on a crash course to meet
in the World Series between
the defending champions (the
Phillies) and the team with
themselves in front of
Massapequa’s second and third
runners, finishing with an average
of 17 minutes for the 5-kilometer
race (3.1 miles). Alex Bertrand,
Jordan Matteo, Will Janiak, and
Joe Jacobowitz finished the race
before Massapequa’s fourth man
could get across the finish line.
The epic combination of runners
led to a Syosset victory.
Summer training has been
around ever since Syosset started
winning the County Championship
race back in 1996, the start
of a ten-year winning streak.
The seven runners that raced in
the best record in 2009 (the
Yankees). After the Cliff Lee and
the Phillies won the first game
in New York, the Yankees won
four out of the next five games,
ultimately clinching the
final game in the newly-built
Yankee Stadium. The Bronx
Bombers were too much for the
Phillies pitching staff, and all the
offseason moves made by the
Yankees proved to be a success.
Many feel that this World
Series win was only fitting.
Senior Nikki Goldberg said,
“It was really exciting to see
the Yankees win in their new
stadium. What a great way to
kick off the inaugural season
of [the new] Yankee Stadium.
Hopefully, this will bring them
a lot of future success in the
ballpark.”
The Yankees ended the
decade the same way they
started it: with a World Series
win. It will be an interesting
offseason for the
Yankees with many
instrumental players just
finishing the last year
of their contracts.
Nonetheless, the Yankees will
enter the 2010 season as the
defending champions, and the
Yankees will be looking for
number 28.
Alex Rodriguez celebrates the
Yankees’ Game 6 win with his
teammates
news.yahoo.com
the County Championship meet
on November 7th were trained to
run at their best, and senior Max
Segall qualified to compete in the
State meet. Max was one of only
five runners in Nassau County to
move on to compete in the State
meet. Although the boys did not
win the County Championship,
the team’s performance this year
was quite impressive.
After the pep rally, the team
could have been seen on the
track running one of the most
important workouts of the season.
Missed it? It is being taped, so it
will soon be available to watch
Syosset Girl’s JV
Tennis: 2009
Season in Review
Jennifer Colton
Staff Writer
The Syosset Junior
Varsity girl’s tennis team has come
a long way since the team was
chosen back in the blazing heat of
August. The team
finished with a winning record,
having faced the toughest
competition on the
Island. In addition to having
played some great tennis, the
team also walks away from the
season having learned valuable
lessons from their coach.
Coach Shai Fisher had
nothing but praise for his Junior
Varsity team this year. He
said, “I loved playing tennis every
day with them as at 17th
member of the team.” Team
camaraderie is a large
part of his coaching
philosophy. Coach Fisher
explained, “Tennis is all about
chemistry. If the girls aren’t
getting along, it will spill
over onto the court.” Having
mandatory practices, team
events such as bowling and team
breakfasts, and even simple
things like bringing in team
snacks have all brought the
group of individuals together
as a single unit. The members
support each other while matches
are played and always are there
for their teammates, win or lose.
When asked what he had hoped
to have taught to the team, Coach
Fisher replied, “Mental toughness,
being able to come back when
you are down, team unity, and of
course, PRIDE (patience, respect,
integrity, dignity and empathy).”
Throughout the season the team
has shown to be diligent students
of their coach’s lessons.
The team was made up of
five tenth graders and eleven
ninth graders. One of the most
online. This workout, along
with many others, is the key step
to building a champion team.
The training schedule will not
differ too much in the last weeks
of the season. Coach Sessa does not
believe in a magical formula
to win; he believes the magic
started back in June when
teammates and new
runners alike cam to start
training for this. Every member
of the Syosset Cross Country
team has improved from the day
they put their running shows
on to the last day they ran this
season.
difficult things for some of the
girls was the adjustment from
being a singles player to
being part of a doubles team.
Coach Fisher helped with this
adjustment by looking for chemistry
between pairs of players.
He also rotated his players into
singles matches and various
doubles matches throughout
the season. Despite the intense
practices, including Coach
Fisher’s lightening fast net drills,
the members of the JV team have
learned about more than just
tennis skills this season. One of
the team co-captains, Ashley
Solowan, said, “I’ve learned to
never give up, no matter if they
[the opponents] are a better team
or not!” Rohini Rudra, a tenth
grader on the team, said that her
favorite part of the season was
“being part of a close-knit team.”
Nothing brought the team
closer than when they gave
back to the community at
Jones Beach, having almost all
members of the team walk
together in the
American Cancer Society
Making Strides Against
Breast Cancer Walk, through
pouring rain and winds
reaching up to 40 mph. The girls
came home drenched and frozen
with a great sense of pride and
compassion.
At the close of the
two-month season, it is obvious
that these 16 athletes and their
coach have evolved into a true
team. As their coach had hoped,
the team learned to fight through
tough competition and stick
together. They have had lots of
laughs, countless tie-breakers
and a few tough losses, but in the
end, the Syosset JV girl’s tennis
team can look back on a great
season.
Interested in being part
of this all-county team? The
season starts every June with
summer training and goes
until mid-November. Can’t wait
to join? Winter track will being
before you know it, with many
different events, and there is a
place you can excel in. Listen
to the announcements or find a
flyer for the meeting place and
be sure to bring your friends!
Cross-country, winter and spring
track teams are a great place to
make new friends, stay fit, and
become part of a legacy.