Memorial Day 2021 Issue

positive to have four towns working together
to find a solution.”
Pasquariello also asked about long-term
preventative measures.
“The four towns agree that there should be
sewers all around the lake, and we are making
headway toward that,” DeFillippo said of the
importance of working with the three mayors
of the other towns surrounding the lake
(Mount Arlington, Hopatcong and Jefferson)
to protect the health of the lake.
“The prevention effort continues with
the mayors’ meetings, working with the
Lake Hopatcong Commission and the Lake
Hopatcong Foundation to come up with
projects to help cease HABs,” he said. “And
finding federal, state and regional groups to
find funds for preventative measures.”
With that, it was a wrap for the video. The
interns also interviewed the other mayors, local
business owners, representatives from lakerelated
clubs and the [DEP’s] communication
person, said Pasquariello.
“I was surprised that I got to interview the
communication person,” she said.
With Sinchi at the helm of filming and
Pasquariello on the interview front, Carrion
oversees the script writing. “It all came down to
what we were good at,” Carrion said, referring
to their respective roles. “I’m a good writer,
Matt knew how to use editing programs and
Kailey’s more social, so she does the interviews.”
In addition to producing the three videos, the
interns also participated in regular Zoom calls
with Macalle-Holly and Pete Bedell, intern
advisor with the Morris County Vocational
School District. This is all in tandem with a full
school workload.
The internship has opened their eyes not only
to HABs but also to the challenges that come
with the task of visual storytelling. “There’s
difficulty with scheduling and getting it just
right,” said Sinchi. “It could be nerve-racking
to see mistakes.”
Upon completion, the interviews were sent
to Carrion, who transcribed them and selected
quotes before writing them into a script.
“Nothing really surprised me, but it’s pretty
hard balancing school and college classes this
year and having to edit videos,” she said.
The experience has been equally as gratifying
for Macalle-Holly.
“I am very fortunate to have very dedicated
students for the project, and it has been an
enlightening experience for them,” she said.
So, what’s next for these interns?
Sinchi has his sights set on an environmental
engineering degree at the University of
Connecticut. “I want to help the environment
anyway that I can,” he said. A recent Eagle Scout
recipient with troop 173 from the Parsippany
area, Sinchi credits scouting with shaping his
future. “Scouts helped solidify that with its
‘leave no trace behind’ concept,” he said.
Carrion, too, plans to pursue the
environmental science field, specifically the
educational aspect, at New College of Florida
in Sarasota. “I want to promote awareness
to the environment,” she said. “There’s this
disconnect between what scientists do and
what the public knows.”
As much as she is impassioned by the
environment, Pasquariello, an EMT with the
Jefferson Township First Aid Squad, envisions
a career in nursing and will attend Ramapo
College in Mahwah this fall. “I have an
attachment to helping people,” she said.
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