University Neighborhood High School

UNHS Press

Saying Goodbye to 2016:

A Look Back at the Year’s Events

Advisor: Ms. Haff News: Sports: Entertainment: Senior Editor: Owen Chen Kim Garcia Ashfaq Ahmed Zoe Chang Aline Martinez

Junior Editor: Tyler Johnson Jennifer Risa Kevin Chen Kim Lallman Leslie Tufino

Roy Rivera Ashley Gomez

Home of The Panthers

Our Team:

Volume 1 , Issue 2

December 19, 2016

JANUARY: The year began with many controversies.

The Academy of Motion Pictures failed to nominate any

African-American actors in the major Oscar acting catego-

ries. Artists were in an uproar, and director Spike Lee and

actor Jada Pinkett-Smith called for a boycott of the 2016

ceremony. A State of Emergency was declared in Flint,

Michigan after the drinking water was declared unsafe.

FEBRUARY: Iowa residents were the first voters of the

2016 primary election season. In the Iowa Democratic cau-

cus, Hillary Clinton narrowly won against Vermont Sena-

tor Bernie Sanders, and Ted Cruz defeated Donald Trump.

Justice Antonin Scala died at the age of 79. The Denver

Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in the 2016

Super Bowl.

MARCH: One major event that happened in March 2016

was the Brussels Terrorist attack in an airport on March

22nd. This attack led to parts of the city closing as well as

several airports. In response to the attack, several land-

marks were lit in different colors in tribute to the Brussel

Terrorist attack victims.

APRIL: On April 17th, a father in Oregon was reunited

with his daughter after two years when a friend called to

tell him that he spotted the girl with her mother in a Spo-

kane, Washington homeless shelter.

MAY: 2016 was full of election surprises. One surprise

that was shocking to the United States was on May 3rd,

when Ted Cruz suspended his campaign to be the Republi-

can Presidential nominee.

JUNE: On June 12,2016, a mass shooting at a popular

club in Orlando, Florida killed forty-nine people and

wounded fifty-three others, making it the worst mass

shooting in U.S. history. After this horrific event, nations

showed solidarity by putting LGBTQ flag colors on major

city landmarks.

JULY: After a five-year journey, the spacecraft Juno reached

Jupiter on July 4, 2016, ready to orbit the massive planet.

Here on Earth, Pokemon Go launched and had millions of peo-

ple addicted to the app, wandering to places in search of imag-

inary creatures.

AUGUST: How could we leave out one of the biggest events

of the year? The United States topped the medal table for the

fifth time in the past six Summer Olympics, winning the most

golds (46) and most medals overall (121) as well as its 1,000th

Olympic gold medal.

SEPTEMBER: Starting September 7th, the summer Paralym-

pics were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The United States

took 4th place overall in medal count with a total of 115 med-

als. China however, took first place overall with a whopping

total of 239 medals.

OCTOBER: During this month of spooks and treats in Amer-

ica, “creepy clown” sightings in wooded areas alarmed and

frightened residents of towns and even New York City. It got

to the point that in many towns, age-old laws prohibiting

someone from hiding their face in public were once again be-

ing enforced.

NOVEMBER: President-Elect Donald Trump. Need we say

more?

DECEMBER (SO FAR!): On December 3rd, The U.S. Army

decided they will not allow a pipeline to be built through an

area of North Dakota after months of protesting by the Stand-

ing Rock Sioux Tribe and other citizens who were against this

pipeline.

The UNHS staff wishes all students, staff, and parents

a prosperous and joyful 2017!

Community News

New Nike Store Opens in SoHo Kimberly Garcia, Sophomore

Nike opened a new five-story store, Nike SoHo, on November

18th. Nike SoHo is only a five-minute walk away from the near-

by 6 station on Broadway-Lafayette Street. However, due its

immense size, the new store has broken some policies of the

Building Department. Elected leaders in Lower Manhattan were

not supportive of Nike Soho’s opening. Councilwoman Margaret

Chin stated, “SoHo residents and community leaders will rally

against the broken policies and decision making of the New

York City Department of Buildings that led to the granting of a

Temporary Certificate of Occupancy.” Currently, the new store

is also having issues with the surrounding stores since crowds

have been waiting outside Nike SoHo, blocking other customers

from entering their businesses. The store opening is affiliated

with Nike’s new campaign, “New York Made” along with its

new Stanton Street basketball court, which opened on Novem-

ber 9th.

MTA Fares to Increase in 2017

Owen Chen, Senior

The MTA has announced that they plan to increase their subway and bus fares in 2017. There are two pro-

posals being presented. One option is to increase the fare $3.00 but raise the bonus cash from 11% to 16%

with a minimum payment of $6.00. The other proposal is to keep the fare at $2.75 and have the cash bonus

lowered from 11% to 5% with a minimum payment of $5.50. Board members will vote in January, with the increase taking

effect March 19th.

School News 9th Grade Visits the Museum of Natural History

On Tuesday, November 22nd, ninth grade UNHS classes had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Natural History for an

interdisciplinary field trip. Students visited the Hall of Biodiversity, the Hall of Ocean Life, the Hall of North American

Mammals, the Hall of Northwest Coast Indians, and the Rose Center for Earth and Space. Students were challenged to com-

plete several assignments that connected the exhibits to what they are learning in their classes. Thank you to Ms. Wright,

Mrs. Kowalsky, Ms. Guzman, Mr. Pagan, Ms. Hidalgo, Ms. Blatt, Ms. Marshall, Ms. Parker, and Ms. Kong for attending

and assisting with this field trip!

Want to see yourself in UNHS Press? Have your teachers submit photos from your next trip to UNHSPress@gmail.com for

the next issue!

MACY’s Celebrates its 90th

Thanksgiving Day Parade Jennfier Risa, Sophomore

The 90th anniversary of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day

Parade was held on Thursday, November 24. The

event had a great turnout, with over ten thousand peo-

ple participating in the parade and over 3.5 million

people attending it. The purpose of the Macy’s

Thanksgiving Day Parade is to provide entertainment

by bringing children and families together during this

festive holiday; this objective has remained intact

since the first parade in 1934. Now it has become a

tradition on Thanksgiving to give thanks to the food

on our table while watching the balloons and perfor-

mances on TV. It is a tradition that will occur for

many years to come.

Find the Panther — Art Club’s New Project

Mr. Sossi’s Art Club started off October by making a papier-mâché

replica of our school mascot, a panther. The structure of this feline

is made to look like it is coming out of the wall. The wildcat will

initially be mounted in the lobby, with its location changing after

time. It will also be dressed up for various holidays. Mr. Sossi and

the club members are working diligently to finish this panther and

make it a beloved permanent fixture at UNHS.

School News

Students Raise Funds to Help The Pulsera Project

During the week of November 14th, Mrs. Lopez’s Spanish classes raised money

for Nicaraguan and Guatemalan communities by selling colorful hand-woven

bracelets and purses made by Central American artists. Each pulsera was a one-

of-a-kind work of art and came tagged with the photo and signature of the artist

who made it, making it easy to feel a connection to the people the buyer was

supporting. Bracelets were sold for $5 and purses for $10. All proceeds will go

back to the Central American communities. In addition to sustaining employ-

ment for nearly 200 artisans in Nicaragua and Guatemala, all funds raised will

also help support scholarships, secondary education programs, human rights is-

sues, environmental projects, and youth shelters. Thank you to Mrs. Lopez and

the students involved for participating in such a colorful fundraiser!

Student Government Announces Spirit Week!

Celebrate Spirit Week during the last week before winter break by dressing up according to the day!

You can also participate in Penny Wars during Spirit Week. The rules for Penny Wars: Throughout the week during lunch

periods, freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors will compete against each other to collect the most pennies. Gallon bot-

tles for each class will be available to donate pennies and other money to SGA.

The objective is for each grade to collect as many points as possible.

The Penny Wars point system will be as follows:

Penny: +1 Nickel: -5 Dime: -10 Quarter: -25 Dollar: -100 Happy Donating!

Monday,

12/19

Tuesday,

12/20

Wednesday,

12/21

Thursday,

12/22

Friday,

12/23

Pajama Day Twin Tuesday Way Back

Wednesday

Dress to

Impress

Holiday Havoc

Right: Unitus Bright and Seth Serrano

pose with our mascot!

(Left to right) Kelcie Schaiffer, Raydania Munoz, Nzinga Stuart, and Kim Lallman pose

with the merchandise they were selling to teachers during their 6th period meeting.

UNHS Shows Thanks at Annual Unity Lunch

School News

Jennifer Risa, Sophomore

The Annual UNHS Unity Lunch on November 18 was a complete success. Both students and staff members had an amazing

time celebrating Thanksgiving and other holidays UNHS-style. We were able to create an enjoyable atmosphere by eating

and laughing with our teachers, parents, and peers. The Unity Lunch was held during 5th and 6th periods, and food was made

by parents and staff members. The food was delicious and it was an entirely different experience holding the event in the

festively decorated lobby. Thank you to the staff members, Student Government, Cooking Club, student volunteers, parents,

and other committees who were able to transform UNHS into a beautiful space for celebration. In a way, that is something

we should all be thankful for— the relationship we have with one another! The Unity Luncheon was certainly a success and

we cannot wait for our next big event, the Winter Show on December 22nd.

Students enjoy a lovely homemade meal in the lobby

for the Unity Lunch.

Selfie time! Mr. Fox snaps a selfie with some sen-

iors during Unity Lunch 6th period.

The Unity Tree made by SGA with hands donated by

staff and students!

(Left to right) Ashfaq Ahmed, Roy Rivera, Ashley Gomez, Seth Serrano, and Unitus Bright enjoying the

Unit Lunch festivities.

Students and teachers lining up to receive a yummy Thanksgiving meal donated by Staff and Parents!

Thank you to all who helped out!

Parents of the PTA, Principal Collins, and Student Government advisors Ms. Constantinou and Mr. Pagan

gather in front of the Unity Tree.

UNHS Sports

UNHS Basketball Team Begins the 2016-17 Season

On December 2nd, this year’s Panthers played their first

game of the season at Basketball City. The Panthers took

home their first win again City College Academy with a score

48-27.

Senior Brandon Modeste commented on the team’s first win:

“It always feels good to have a win. Since this is the first

game I was nervous for the team, but we kept our composure

and knew we had support from our family and school. We

needed to represent our school the right way and that’s the

Panther way!”

And the right way they did. Congratulations to the basketball

team again on their first win and we hope for many more!

Team Roster Practice Team

1. Brandon Modeste Carlos Martinez

2. Rodshawn Day Moore Randy Bautista 3. Surendra Sookram Raymond Maldonado

4. DanyJee Jean Pierre Leo Garriga

5. Alex Mesa Carlik Hill-Cross

6. Jehki Lewis Allan Pineda

7. Brandon Lara Tomas Fernandez

8. Erick Paraison Harrison Yam

9. Robert Tinsley

10. Joseph Rosado

11. Acey Anderson

12. Judah Bowers

13. Charles Fields

Senior Reflection:

Boys’ Bowling Team Kevin Chen, Senior

2016-2017 will be the last year of high school

for many of us. It will also be the last year of

bowling for us. Coming from an atrocious 2-9

record from last year, the team was committed

to improving it. Along with our new coach, Mr.

Trunkely, we had our eyes on the playoffs.

Learning to overcome our obstacles, we were

dedicated to improve. With a perfect .500 and a

record of 6 wins and 6 losses, we ranked 3rd

place in our league. While we did not make it

to playoffs, we did improve our record tremen-

dously. I want to say thank you to UNHS and

the Bowling Team for the memories we made

as a team over the past four years .

(Top Row, left to right) Kevin Chen, Zijing Lou, Judah Bowers, Owen Chen, and Mr. Trunkely (Bottom, left to right) Anthony Placido, Surendra Sookram, Harrison Yam, Hoi Chon Chan, and

Ashfaq Ahmed

Go Panthers!

College Corner

Seniors are wrapping up the application process for

colleges. CUNY applications should be completed and

submitted by February 1st at the latest!

Common Applications deadlines have passed for all

colleges (Nov. 15th).

Students should be seeing Ms. Corona with questions and

concerns during 5th and 6th period.

Recommendation Deadline for Teachers: Dec. 30th

PTA Update

On December 6, parents and students attended a work-

shop on how to complete FAFSA and TAP applications.

Presenter Michael Turner walked the group through both

application, informing them of useful information to in-

clude as well as pitfalls to avoid.

Our next PTA meeting is on January 11 from 5-6:30

P.M. in the library. Please join us!

School Leadership Team

Update

On December 6, the School Leadership Team reviewed

and voted to accept the SLT bylaws presented.

Ms. Collins informed the team that our 2016-2017 School

Comprehensive Education Plan was approved by the su-

perintendent; it is posted on our school website.

The team also discussed the initial planning of events such

as the senior trip and the upcoming Winter Show on De-

cember 22.

Ms. Collins shared with the group that we received a

$15,000 grant from Henry Street Settlement to enhance our

arts program.

SLT meetings are open to the public, and we welcome par-

ents, students, and teachers to come to these meetings to

stay informed. Our next meeting will be held on January

11 from 4-5:00 P.M. in the school library.

Please be sure to check our monthly calendar

for events on our website,

www.universityneighborhoodhs.org!

Have a recommendation? Email

UNHSPress@gmail.com to submit for the next issue!

Parent News

Upcoming Events

December 6th: Trip for dance classes to Alvin Ailey

SLT Meeting (4-5:00 P.M.)

Financial Aid Night (5-7 P.M.)

December 7th: End of Marking Period 2

9th Grade BioBus visit

December 9th: 11th Grade Trip to Philadelphia

December 22nd: UNHS Winter Show, 3:30-5:30 P.M.

December 26th-January 2nd: Winter Recess!

Looking Ahead: Regents Week (1/23-1/27/17)

Saturday School is Back!

Starting 12/10/16, Saturday will be back in preparation

for Regents Week, which is quickly approaching! Satur-

day Academy is from 8:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. (Pizza

lunch provided!)

Saturday Academy is HIGHLY encouraged. The dates

are as follows:

December 10th

December 17th

January 7th

January 14th

January 21st

Monthly Horoscopes Aquarius (Jan 20- Feb 19): You’re tired and struggling to see the point of some things on the 5th and 6th, but you don’t have a lot of give-up-and-quit in

you, either. Sometimes you just have to keep walking along the path even though you don’t know where it leads. You’ll reach your destination even-

tually.

Pisces ( Feb. 20-Mar. 20) : You love to help others, but you know when you’re being taken advantage of, too. Stand up for yourself on the 1st if no one else

is going to. Be very conscious of what you say and who you say it to in order to avoid miscommunications.

Aries (Mar. 21-Apr.20): There are some rainy day issues to deal with on the 1st, but as soon as the clouds lift there’s a beautiful, hopeful rainbow to gaze

upon. It’s nice to know that when one door closes, another one opens. You have a complete mental picture of what the finished product looks like on

the 7th and 8th, but you may need help getting your project off the ground.

Taurus (Apr. 21- May 21): Get the chance to see things from a totally new perspective on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, so don’t waste it! Not many people get an

opportunity like this, Taurus, and taking advantage of it could mean changes in your life.

Gemini (May 22- Jun. 21): Nobody can get anything past you on the 9th. You’re very astute and aware of everything that’s going on around you, but in-

stead of confronting anyone about any wrongdoing, you cagily keep your observations a secret until you can really put them to good use.

Cancer (Jun.22-Jul.23): You can find inspiration in almost anything on the 18th. Even at your lowest point you can look at the plainest rock and see its

beauty, which is what sets you apart from the crowd and makes you optimistic and hopeful about what the future might hold.

Leo (July 23 - August 22): You have the very best of intentions on the 13th and 14th, so you can’t understand why people think the opposite. It will take

some extra effort to make a good impression in your classes or events you attend on these days, but you can’t stand the thought of anyone not liking

you.

Virgo (August 23 - September22): You leave no stone unturned when it comes to finding out what you want to know on the 20th. Your inquisitive and

beautiful mind can solve world class problems if you really put some effort into it.

Libra (September 23 - October 22): You believe in yourself 100% on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, so there’s very little you can’t accomplish. You that one

person who’s always doubting you? Prove them wrong.

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21): You’re connected with certain people, places, and thing in a special way on the 11th, so don’t deny that there’s a

bond. You might try to shake it off as a simple coincidence, but you can’t run away from what’s meant to be.

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21): You have a lot of questions and not a lot of answers on the 9th. Trivial information is a lot easier to figure out

than deeper topics, but don’t be afraid to dive below the surface to figure out what’s really going on down there.

Capricorn (December 22— January 19): You’re moving at an amazing pace on the 12th, 13th, and 14th, but you may be unaware of your own velocity. If

you notice other people struggling to get out of your way, it might be time to slow down! Your stunning strategies and tremendous tactics show

signs of real progress, which couldn't make you happier.

Want more UNHS swag?

Get custom Panthers gear at the official UNHS online spirit store! Purchase hoodies, hats, bags, T-shirts, sweats,

and more! Visit: www.unhsgear.com.

Fun Page

Please see next page for our December calendar.

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