By Kristen Kupper '21 At different points in their school careers, most middle and high school students must take Regents exams. The Regents test if students qualify to graduate high school. Many students, parents, and teachers do not like the Regents exams.
Ms. Durso is a math teacher at Fontbonne Hall Academy. She responded to this question simply by saying, “I feel that it inhibits teachers to teach for comprehension. We as teachers have to teach for a test, and we can’t teach how we want to teach.” She also mentions that students cannot learn for enjoyment anymore, they have to learn to pass these tests. The graduation rate for NYC, when compared to some other places, is low. According to New York State Graduation Rate Data, only 82% of seniors graduated with a Regents diploma in 2017. To compare, according to New Jersey 90.5% of high school seniors graduate with a diploma. Ms. Durso also had something to say about this: “The passing rate is so low. It isn’t an accurate representation if students understand the concepts properly.” If Ms. Durso were given the opportunity, she would abolish the Regents. “NY is the only state that does this. Colleges don’t care. [It’s a] waste of time, and brings on anxiety that [the students] don’t need.” Mrs. Nicoll, P.E. teacher, mentioned that she really does not have an opinion on Regents exams. But she was wondering if schools could give an alternative exam like Xavier and Poly Prep do. I also talked to our assistant principal Ms. Wierzbowski about this matter. She believes that these exams are arbitrary, and wonders what can be improved on. However, she also said to me that she believes that a universal test for students is good and tests the skills of both the teachers and the students. After talking to some teachers, I felt it was best to talk to some people who actually are taking these tests, the students. Maria Scutero is in the graduating class of 2021. She explained to me, “I despise the Regents exams. They are a waste of everyone’s time. They are not helpful for the teachers and colleges don’t even bother with them.” Sophia Cain is in the graduating class of 2021 mentioned “I had a massive anxiety attack during the Regents exams. They make so upset and they give me high blood pressure.” Clearly, this is a complicated issue that the students and teachers of New York have to deal with. Teachers would agree that there should be a certain set of skills that students have a high school should have. We should make sure that the Regents exams accurately test those skills rather than placing unnecessary stress on students.
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By Amal Dawoud '20 As everyone knows by now, there have been concerns that war might stir up from recent events that have been taking place between Iran and the U.S. As a way to cope with the news that there is a chance for mass destruction, the younger generation creates memes about the whole situation.
Just like every other big event, millennials and Gen-Zers have made memes about being drafted into war. Now, I have to admit that a lot of these memes are actually pretty funny and are overall harmless. However there are no real limits when it comes to memes, so sometimes people take the joke a little too far. Plenty of these memes have surged from the app TikTok, which is a famous platform of videos people make just for creative and humorous purposes. One meme created about WWIII included a guy pretending to get his draft in the mail and celebrating thinking the government is giving him a free trip to Iran with accommodations. Now to me that’s funny, as he’s not causing harm and it’s just a joke about being clueless. However, I can say the other memes may take it too far. Sometimes these simple memes can turn extreme and may be insensitive to people. This includes families that have relatives in the army - some girls at Fontbonne are in this situation. So when the memes go overboard, these people may get upset and feel hurt that someone can have the audacity to joke about such a serious topic. This just goes to show that we need to learn as a community what exactly is too far when it comes to a joke. Even though the current world war threat is dying down, there is always a small possibility it can grow once more into an actual problem. This means that memers need to take it easy and understand the unwritten rules of making jokes as a coping mechanism to a serious issue. Some words of advice for the meme lords: a joke is going too far if it might harm anyone or anything in any kind of way. Play it safe, and keep vibing! By Leslie Alhakim '21 On Tuesday, November 26, four juniors that are a part of the new Global Unity Club and Ms. S. went to an Interfaith Thanksgiving prayer service at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. The four juniors who went were co-presidents of the club, Kayleigh McMahon and Leslie Alhakim, and club members Victoria Bruno and Isabella Passanisi. At this service, Auxiliary Bishop James Massa of the Diocese of Brooklyn and Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, held prayer services from both religions. There were readings from the Bible, Hebrew Scriptures, and the Quran. Mayor Bill de Blasio was also present as a guest speaker of the mass.The goal of the mass was to show New York’s diversity in religions and beliefs. Many parts of the mass were spoken in different languages such as Spanish and Hebrew. Co-president of the Global Unity Club, Kayleigh McMahon states, “It was an insightful and interesting service in which I was able to hear parts of scriptures from different religions. It was amazing to see different cultures and religions all under one roof for the holiday.” The prayer service really was a representation of what New York, the Big Apple, really is.
By: Brynn Nelsen '21 During the month of September, our school had an outbreak of a skin infection known as impetigo. Impetigo is defined as a highly contagious skin infection that affects infants and small children that appears as red sores on the child’s mouth and face. Impetigo is spread by skin to skin contact which makes it very easy to spread this infection. This infection was spread throughout the school mainly from contact gained from sports. These sores can be hard to diagnose since they can look like a bug bite or even a bad rash. Since this infection is hard to diagnose, it is even easier to spread around the school.
This infection was spread around Fontbonne in early to mid-September. Once girls in the school heard that one girl had the infection, it became a witch hunt to find out who else had impetigo. The most common area for the infection to be on were the girl’s legs because it was mostly being spread around the gymnasium. While only around six girls had the infection in the school and immediately went on antibiotics once they knew they had it, everyone went crazy. The word traveled around fast, and the girls were going crazy about trying not to get the infection. Many girls were even going to lengths to wear the pants and long sleeve shirts in ninety-degree weather to try and avoid impetigo. The problem with this outbreak was not the infection itself, it was the problem of the girls in our school blowing it out of proportion. While it was true that the infection spread to a few girls who were on the sports team, many girls made it out to be on a greater scale than it actually was. This outbreak was on such a large scale because this school is notorious for a small rumor getting blown out of proportion. Now that the infection is under control many girls don’t even remember it happening. This just goes to show that when the world seems to be falling apart in the four walls of our tiny school, the girls will get over it in a month. By Ann Villamarin '20 On May 24, 2019, Fridays for Future held their second student climate strike of the year. Fontbonne Hall Academy honored this event and its many supporters with a commemorative prayer, a news segment filmed by our talented Journalism class, and environmental initiatives, such as our new bee pollinator garden. We asked our student-journalist Annie Villamarin to share with us her experience at the first Fridays for Future climate strike.
I was lucky enough to participate in the Fridays for Future climate strike on March 15th. I met up with my sister and our friends to fight for political action regarding the destruction of our climate. Students from all over the city met by Columbus Circle on the Upper West side. We brought colorful posters and called out for protection over our planet. There were many news vans, photographers, and police officers present. All the students were peaceful and powerful. We started to march uptown through Central Park and back on the streets. We decided to sit in silence and solidarity on the steps on the American Museum of Natural History. At one point, someone with a microphone and a guitar started singing “Imagine” by John Lennon, which really fueled everyone up again after being at the strike for three hours already. There were student speakers who were courageous enough to share their stories and ideas in front of hundreds of people, including the media. One of my friends, from LaGuardia High School, has spoken at many climate strike events, including the one I attended. She spoke to me about her experience as an environmental activist. Olivia Davis told me, “It’s in our [the youth’s] hands now. Everything we’re fighting for today will change our future and the future of generations to come. We need politicians to hear our voices and realize that we aren’t backing down anytime soon.” It’s important for the youth to express their complaints and frustrations to the world. I hope everyone will come together to save our home. It’s in all of our hands now. By Stephanie Patella '20 On May 13th, 2019, our fellow CSJ school, Bishop Kearny High School, announced its closing at the end of the 2018-2019 school year. The news quickly spread that the reason for our sister school closing is due to declining enrollments over the past few years. It was a very difficult decision for the Sisters of Saint Joseph, but after careful analyzation of the big picture, they felt it was best to close its doors after 58 successful years.
Principal Mary Ann Spicijaric, among other CSJ principals, was asked to attend the meeting where the announcement was made to act as an outlet of support and a shoulder to cry on. Faculty, students, and parents were extremely distraught over the heartbreaking news. Ms. S claims that it was “upsetting to see the girls and their parents in continuous sadness.” This also led Ms. S to worry about the fate of Catholic high schools in general. In an interview with Ms. S, she exclaims that “losing the school is like losing the development of other Catholic schools.” As soon as the news was spread throughout the school and the community, Ms. S realized that she wanted to make the transfer process as quick and painless as possible for the Kearny students. Unfortunately, during this process, the age-old rivalry had taken over the better of a few FHA students. A small number of Juniors had taken to social media to post rude comments about the closing of Kearny. Luckily, the situation was handled smoothly as Ms. S organized junior classmates, accompanied by Ms. McNiff, to state a formal apology to the Kearny students. This act of kindness made a positive impact and eventually brought over 70 current Kearny freshwomen, sophomores, and juniors to attend Fontbonne’s open house day. On May 17th, the rising seniors came for a private open house in our cafeteria where Ms. S gave a run down of what it would be like if they choose to become a Bonnie next Fall. Many of the St. John Villa transfers, along with other students who transferred into FHA this year, shared their experience and how they grew to love Fontbonne. The Kearny students asked questions while the transfers took turns answering and explaining what life is like as a Fontbonne transfer student. “Sitting in that room and talking to the girls truly felt forming new bonds of sisterhood,” Villa transfer sophomore Gabriella Salerno exclaims about the meet and greet. Afterwards, faculty chairpersons came down to the cafeteria to discuss classes and share their advice and experience to the Kearny students. It was an informative yet heartfelt exchange that the girls were extremely thankful for. After hearing from the department heads, FHA students split the Kearny girls into groups and sent them on tours around the school. On May 23rd, current freshwomen and sophmores visited Fontbonne to experience the same process. These two days of meet and greets were extremely beneficial and hopefully made an impact on the Kearny girls’ decision making. Even after the unfortunate incident involving a certain number of juniors, Fontbonne, as a community, was able to rise above the negative behavior and lend out a gentle hand to our sister school. Ms. S hopes that through “our similar missions of unity and love, our differences can be overcome and we can become a stronger sisterhood of compassion and strength.” By Stephanie Patella '20 Meals on Wheels is a non-profit organization that began in 1972. First developed on the grounds of Seaview Hospital in Staten Island New York, community activists prepared meals for about 23 senior patients in the rehabilitation center. From there, meals were expanded to four hospitals on Staten Island, including Bailey Seaton and Staten Island University Hospital. Many people would report to these hospitals to pick up food to deliver to the sick elderly patients waiting in their rooms.
In 2002, the Meals on Wheels headquarters opened in Port Richmond, Staten Island, as a way of gaining control over the quality, number, and cost of the meals. Once the idea of delivering meals expanded beyond hospital bedsides, volunteers were extremely enthusiastic to start donating to elders who were stuck at home and unable to prepare or buy food for themselves. In the beginning, Meals on Wheels served about 325 people. Over time this number increased to 1,300 people who are served two meals each day. Due to this tremendous growth, Vice President of Meals on Wheels in Staten Island, Rosann Holt, hopes to “break ground with a 10,000 square foot kitchen” by Spring 2019 to help make more room for the cooks to prepare food and for volunteers to roll out the countless deliveries. Meals on Wheels partners with the Community Agency for Senior Citizens. They act as the case managers, or “social workers,” to determine who qualifies to be a recipient of the meals. The basic criteria to be eligible requires the person to be at least 60 years of age and, most importantly, unable to leave their home to shop or cook for themselves. Before allowing meals to be sent to them right away, the agency will complete an “intake,” where a nurse will go into their homes, evaluate the situation, go over their medical history, dietary needs, and complete an overall wellness check on that person. Once completed, the nurse will send the referral to case management to double check if all criteria have indeed been met. After this 2-3 day process, they will send the referral to Meals on Wheels, informing them whether the person is or is not eligible. From there, meals can be regularly sent out to each person, or they are able to assign when they would like to receive their meals. Each person is entitled to a hot and cold meal. The cold meals include items like sandwiches, apples, and a carton of milk, while a hot meal consists of chicken and a vegetable, taking into account dietary restrictions for each person, of course. If someone requires immediate assistance, an emergency box can be sent to them right away with a mix of both hot and cold meals which should hold them over for a few days. The volunteers are in charge of making sure that when they deliver meals, they cannot leave the food outside the door without permission from the resident of the home. They should always make sure the person is home and aware of the delivery. The volunteers truly act as the eyes and ears of the entire process. Meals on Wheels has been blessed with an overwhelming amount of volunteers who contribute not only monetary donations, but also by making deliveries. Simply put, volunteers are assigned to certain routes for deliveries. They follow the directions provided to them and transport the designated cold and hot meals to the elders listed. There are always at least a dozen Meals on Wheels trucks on standby to deliver meals in areas that volunteers would not usually be sent. However, 80% of meals are delivered by volunteers, meaning there are 48 volunteers across Staten Island making deliveries every day. Before her job as Vice President, Rosann worked for the Seaton Foundation for Learning, focusing on children with developmental disabilities. The foundation eventually partnered with Meals and Wheels allowing the children to get involved in helping to pack or deliver meals. Since then, over 21 agencies, including Community Resources and On Your Mark, have made up a large portion of volunteers delivering and contributing to the success of Meals on Wheels and the overall happiness of elders who receive their food. If volunteers are assigned to the same route, they may start to form a connection with a recipient and assist them outside of delivery days. Seeing the smiles on each person’s face while delivering a meal is just one small and simple reason for the numerous volunteers each year. I myself have been extremely lucky to volunteer and deliver food to elders around my neighborhood for Meals on Wheels. The overall feeling of completing that wonderful deed is an amazing experience that I encourage everyone to take part in. By Alessandra Antonacci ‘20 Every year during the Lenten season, along with fasting, we are asked to give up certain luxuries in our everyday lives in observation of Jesus's journey into the desert for 40 days. This season, we asked our fellow Bonnies what they chose to give up this year in preparation for the joy of Easter. As the Lenten poll closed, there were 71 responses from students over the course of two weeks.
The first question in the poll asked students if they usually choose to keep tradition by abstaining from the same items each year. Shockingly, 73% of students stated that they in fact give up different items each year instead of keeping one item that they periodically give up. Though the responses for question two, which asked students which items they were giving up, were scattered, it is no surprise that the majority of those who participated in the poll stated that they were choosing to abstain from junk food this season (38%). At a close second, but still in the same ballpark as junk food, 14% of participants stated that they were choosing to give up soda and other sugary drinks. Many of the responses for this question showed that most of the luxuries Bonnies chose to give up this Lenten season pertained to junk foods and desserts, including pretzels, chocolate, french fries, ice cream, fried food, and Starbucks. However, some people also took this year’s Lenten season as an opportunity to rid themselves as bad habits, such as procrastinating (6%) and fighting with family members (3%). Whatever way you choose to prepare yourself for the Easter season, I hope that you all have a fulfilling forty days packed with family time and faith! On February 22, 2019, Fontbonne Hall Academy lost a beloved member of our family - Anthony DiCarlo. Anthony was coach of our Junior Varsity soccer team and assistant coach of our lacrosse team. His wife Maria is an alumna of Fontbonne, and a member of our Board of Trustees. His daughter Maria is also an alumna, class of 2017, and his daughter Daniella is currently a senior here. In addition to being an integral member of our community, he was also a proud member of New York’s Finest. He touched so many of our lives, and I wanted to give the students he coached the chance to express their thoughts and feelings, and say their goodbyes to the man who helped them grow into talented young women: Anthony did everything he could to help everyone! We all love him so much and will miss him every day. Prayers and thoughts are with him and his family. And from her October 27, 2017 article on a JV soccer playoff win: “We also couldn’t have done this without Coach Anthony constantly pushing us … his game plan helped us win the game!”
- Mairead Buckley, member of JV Soccer & Lacrosse, Class of 2021 Anthony was our soccer coach. He helped us on and off the field to become better people. He will be missed greatly and always remembered. - Caroline Gifford, member of JV Soccer and Lacrosse, Class of 2021 Anthony was my and many girls’ soccer coach for two or more years. He was loved by all and supported all of the girls he coached. He always made the girls play to the best of their abilities and helped them improve. Anthony was loved and will be missed by all. - Kathleen Schmitt, member of JV Soccer and Lacrosse, Class of 2021 Anthony made all of us feel like we had a place on the lacrosse team, and everyone felt like they belonged during practices or games. He cared about everyone, regardless of how athletic or talented we were. We all love and miss you, and your family is in our prayers. - Juliann Bianco, member of Lacrosse, Class of 2021 I will truly miss you so much, and I know I am not going to be the only person. You were the best coach that I and my other teammates could have ever asked for. You cared for everyone that you met and especially the girls who played soccer and lacrosse for you. You put your heart and soul into every practice and game. You will be missed by countless people who will take your advice and skills wherever they go. The passion and love you had for soccer and sports were unlike any other. And I will remember that forever. Thank you for all of the memories and good times, I will forever remember them. - Grace Woods, member of JV Soccer and Lacrosse, Class of 2021 Anthony was one of my favorite coaches. He helped me build up my confidence when playing soccer. Anthony and I would make fun of each other and say mean things all in good spirit! I will not have that kind of relationship with any other coach. I will never forget Anthony and always remember him as my favorite coach. - Alia Mansour, member of JV Soccer, Class of 2021 My thoughts are with the Dicarlo family. He will be missed. - Marissa Amendolia, member of Lacrosse, Class of 2020 He was a funny and great person and he will be missed. - Juliana Oliva, member of JV Soccer, Class of 2022 Anthony was one of the more caring and passionate coaches I have ever had. During practices, he would always encourage each and every player to try as hard as they can no matter what and to never give up. We will miss you so much during the next soccer season but we know that you will be watching over every game. - Emma Keane, member of JV Soccer and Lacrosse, Class of 2021 Anthony was our soccer coach. He always made soccer enjoyable and fun. He helped us improve and supported us, so we could play to the best of our abilities and be the best versions of ourselves. We all loved him and he will be missed. - Kaitlyn Potter, member of JV Soccer and Lacrosse, Class of 2021 Anthony was a great person. He had a great personality, and was so funny and kind. He will be missed as a coach. - Paige O’Neill, member of JV Soccer, Class of 2022 Anthony was the reason I continued to play soccer when I wanted to quit. He encouraged me to keep playing. - Cheyenne Seobarrat, member of JV Soccer, Class of 2021 Thank you for all of your help, kind words and enthusiasm. Thank you for teaching me to believe in myself and not overthink. Thank you for everything you've done for me and many others. Keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers. - Keelin Hammill, member of Lacrosse, Class of 2019 Mr. DiCarlo was a very dedicated man who inspired everyone to work hard and be the best version of themselves they could be as athletes and as individuals. He will be missed by so many. - Kaylie Walsh, member of Lacrosse, Class of 2021 Anthony was the best coach we could’ve asked for. His heart and soul was the game, he didn’t care how good or bad you were, he wanted to get everyone interested in the game. He was truly a great man and will live forever in the hearts of his players and every person he came into contact with. I know he will be on the field and at the games for many years to come with us girls. Anthony was not only my coach, but a neighbor and a friend. I will truly miss him so much. Thank you so much for always believing in us, for all the laughs and memories, rest in sweetest peace coach. - Diana Willoughby, member of JV Soccer, Class of 2021 Anthony wasn’t just a coach, he was a friend. He always knew the right way to cheer us up, or push us to become better players. He took so much action in the Fontbonne community, which we are so thankful for. Soccer won’t be the same without him, and we will miss him so much. - Maeve Murnan, member of JV Soccer and Lacrosse, Class of 2021 Coach Anthony was extremely encouraging and he definitely pushed us to a limit that we never knew we were able to reach. He helped us realize we’re much more capable than we believe. - Liani Kane, member of Lacrosse, Class of 2019 Anthony believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I will forever be grateful for the love I gained for soccer, all because of him. He will be missed by myself and so many. - Sofia Casale, member of JV Soccer, Class of 2022 Anthony was one of the best coaches I have ever had because he believed in everyone and always pushed everyone to work their best and try their hardest. He will be missed greatly. - Kaylee Hermance, member of Lacrosse, Class of 2021 Anthony was a great coach, and an amazing human. He will truly be missed by everyone who knew him. - Colleen Bambury, member of JV Soccer, Class of 2021 Anthony was the best coach. He was so supportive of everyone and made our soccer team feel like a family. he was encouraging of everyone and made sure everyone felt welcome. I am so grateful that I had the honor of calling him my coach. - Madelyn Billows, member of JV Soccer and Lacrosse, Class of 2021 By Joanne Centeno ‘21 Most of us have all, hopefully, had some education on the meaning of Lent. Other than
knowing it begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday, how many of us really understand Lent? I researched it a bit and found that the word Lent means “a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, before Easter Sunday.” In this period, we are asked to observe days of fasting and abstinence. The definition is pretty much what we all probably already knew. So, I decided to go into more detail with what Lent actually means and what is expected of us as practicing Catholics. While we know that Lent lasts 40 days, did you know that it is actually 46 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday? Most people I spoke to thought that the duration from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday is 40 days because truthfully, how many of us would take the time to count calendar days? The breakdown of the 40 days of Lent is that 46 days total, minus the 6 Sundays in Lent is equal to 40 days. On Sundays, we are not asked to fast or abstain. So it is not counted in our Lenten observance. Another aspect of Lent that may not be clear to some is the period of time between Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday where we begin what is known as the Triduum. Triduum is a Latin word meaning “three days.” We are in a period of sadness after Jesus is crucified on Good Friday. We are preparing for Easter Sunday when Jesus rises from the dead. In this time, we are asked to (but not required) to come to the Mass and participate in our parish services. On Holy Thursday, the Mass includes the washing of the feet of usually 12 parishioners. This is to remember how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples the last time he ate with them. On Good Friday, we come to a service where the Gospel is the Passion. The Passion is the story of Jesus being crucified. It is the most solemn day of our Catholic Church. On Holy Saturday, there is no Mass until the Easter Vigil at night. Throughout Lent, many of us give up things we like or try to be kinder to people. On Fridays during Lent, we don’t eat meat. It is called abstinence. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, we are asked to fast. This means we only eat one basic meal. We are not to eat food throughout the day other than that one meal. Another common mistake is that some believe that we are required to come to Mass on Ash Wednesday. It is not a holy day of obligation. We are not required to receive ashes on our foreheads either. It is optional, but encouraged. |