1

March 2017

.

Drowsy Chaperone Preview

Volume XXII

Pg. 2 #NoDAPL

Microsoft Office 365

Pg. 3 Long-Awaited Closing of Indian Point

Do Children and Teenagers Still Read

for Fun?

Pg. 4 The Life of an FBI Agent

Pg. 5 Trump’s Cabinet

Pg. 6 Use Your Noodle

Pg. 7 Club Spotlight: Speech and Debate

Pg. 8 Thomas’ 2016 Sports Awards

Pg. 9 The Pleasantville Bowling Team is on

a Roll

Why NFL Ratings Have Dropped Pg. 10

Drowsy Chaperone Preview (cont.)

The Future of the Marvel Cinematic

Universe Pg. 11

Not the Oscars

Pg. 12 Oscars 2017 Crossword

By: Emma Murphy

Anyone who goes to Pleasantville

High School (PHS) knows that the play is a

big deal. Many students, teachers, and par-

ents come together to make sure the play

runs smoothly. This year’s play, The Drowsy

Chaperone, is going to be no different. The

play takes place in a 21st century man’s liv-

ing room. As he listens to a recording of his

favorite show from the 1920s, the stage

transforms around him to reveal a wedding

between characters Robert Martin and Ja-

net VanderGraaf.

This year’s play differs from previous

productions that PHS has performed be-

cause unlike the more serious classics that

have been done in the past such as Man of

La Mancha, South Pacific, and Carousel, The

Drowsy Chaperone is a farce, otherwise

known as a slapstick comedy. “That’s very

different [than directing a classic] because

teaching comic timing is difficult.” Mrs.

Warren explains, “Once in awhile you get a

student who has natural comedic timing and

I don’t have to help them at all but for most

of the students, timing is critical in comedy,

and that’s difficult. So it’s not so much that

it’s different in [directing pieces from a dif-

ferent] time it’s just a different way of di-

recting comedy.”

Even students who are not necessari-

ly interested in performing on stage can be a

part of the show. Gianna Durante, a senior

at PHS, is this year’s stage manager. As

Table of Contents

phsfopa.org

The Debate over Midterms Should midterms exist?

By: Will Blasdell

Although many nearby schools such

as Bryam Hills and Horace Greeley have

phased them out, midterms definitely still

exist at Pleasantville High School. They cur-

rently account for 10% of a student’s grade

in a normal two-semester class. Midterms

usually take place after Martin Luther King

Jr. Day weekend in mid-January, although

this year they were one week later and began

on the 24th.

Midterms are a very controversial

subject at the high school level. Both sup-

porters and critics have reasonable points.

The goal of this article is to examine both

arguments, and help students decide where

they stand.

Argument For:

Many teachers believe that midterms

are an essential part of the learning process.

The most common argument is that mid-

terms force students to review learned mate-

rial. Especially helpful in Math, Science, and

Social Studies classes where material is

taught by individual unit, midterms force

students to re-learn and re-commit infor-

mation to memory. Additionally, the serious

and official nature of the exams parallel the

end of year New York State Regents exams,

which go on a student’s transcript. Perform-

ing under these conditions during the middle

of the year builds confidence in test-taking

for many students. Finally, for the well-

prepared student, midterms can be a great

way to boost a final average in a class.

Argument against:

Despite the aforementioned benefits,

an overwhelming amount of students are not

in favor of midterms. The major reason is

that they are very stressful, especially for

someone taking multiple Honors or Ad-

vanced Placement courses.

The majority of the stress comes from

the idea that, unlike a standardized exam,

there are no practice exams and no real way

to gauge difficulty beforehand. Also, there is

only one week of designated review time dur-

ing which students still face their regular

workloads and sometimes even an increased

workload when they are supposed to be re-

viewing (around three weeks before in some

cases). Furthermore, many students are of

the opinion that the tests themselves are of-

ten made to be intentionally difficult or un-

fair by certain teachers. This is done in order

to offset significantly easier Regents exams

over which the teacher has no control.

Additionally, from the teaching point

of view, midterms are an enormous amount

of work to create and grade. Subjects like

English and Social Studies usually have es-

says that require a lot of time and focus to

grade. Other subject exams, like foreign lan-

guage, are often administered towards the

end of the week, and leave teachers with lit-

tle time to submit grades before the quarter

ends. Finally, the approximately two and a

half week time period consumed by mid-

terms (the review, testing and grading peri-

ods) takes lots of time away from students

actually learning new material. This can

make the time in between the holiday break

and winter break feel extremely short.

Why this year’s play is one you cannot miss

Continued on page 10

2

PANTHER FEATURES

By: Emma Murphy

The Dakota Access Pipeline Project is

an underground crude oil pipeline. Designed

to transport 470,000 barrels of crude oil per

day, this finished pipeline would be 1,172

miles long and run through North Dakota,

South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois. The goal of

the pipeline is to limit the amount of oil that

the U.S. imports in order to meet consumer

needs.

The pipeline would travel underneath

the Missouri River, which is the main fresh-

water source for the Standing Rock Sioux, a

Native American tribe of about 10,000 with

a reservation on the border of North and

South Dakota. The Sioux are concerned

about the possibility of a leakage because

even the smallest spill could contaminate the

tribe’s water supply. They also claim that

the pipeline crosses a sacred burial ground.

Even though the pipeline is not tech-

nically on the reservation, federal law re-

quires that the federal government must ad-

equately engage the tribe during the permit-

ting process.

Many environmental activists along

with the Standing Rock Sioux have been

protesting the pipeline in an attempt to slow

down and eventually stop construction. Ce-

lebrities have also voiced their opinions on

the issue, drawing attention to it. On Octo-

ber 10th, Shailene Woodley was arrested at

one of the protests and was charged with

criminal trespassing and engaging in a riot.

In an article for Time Magazine, Woodley

wrote, “When the Dakota Access Pipeline

breaks (and we know that too many

pipelines do), millions of people will

have crude-oil-contaminated water. I

know it is easy to be apathetic or de-

tached from the reality that fossil fuel

contamination could actually affect

you and the ones you love… But hear

me loud and clear: If you are a human

who requires water to survive, then

this issue directly involves you.”

According to protesters and

tribal leaders, officials have used pep-

per spray, rubber bullets, concussion

cannons, and other unnecessarily

rough tactics when dealing with the

riots.

The tribe also sued the Army

Corps of Engineers in July for violat-

ing the National Historic Preservation

Act (NHPA), which requires the agency to

consider cultural significance of the reserva-

tion, a federally permitted site, and the Na-

tional Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),

which requires them to consider the possible

contamination of waterways.

On November 25th, the Army Corps

of Engineers issued a statement demanding

that the protesters vacate the campsite near

the Cannonball River in North Dakota by

December 5th or face arrest. To replace the

campsite, the Army Corps of Engineers will

create a free speech zone south of the river.

According to the Associated Press, protest

organizers did not intend to leave or stop

protesting as a result of the statement.

On December 4th, protestors cheered

as the Department of the Army announced

that they would reroute the pipeline and not

allow a crucial section to be drilled under

the Missouri River. The Department of the

Army made this decision in the hopes of

eradicating any concerns that the tribe had

about the pipeline possibly contaminating

their drinking water.

On Tuesday, January 24th, President

Donald Trump signed executive actions

which advanced the approval of the Key-

stone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.

Along with these, Trump issued executive

actions declaring that oil pipelines being

constructed in the US should be built using

US materials. By doing this Trump is mak-

ing good on his campaign promises to

streamline approval of the pipelines.

CNN.com

#NoDAPL What is happening the Dakota Access Pipeline?

Microsoft Office 365 Benefits and drawbacks

By: Cate Puglia

Within the Pleasantville Union Free

School District, Microsoft Office 365 is a

new online service that is now available to all

students and teachers. The software allows

one to access many Microsoft applications

online through a school-issued login. Mi-

crosoft allows students to create Word docu-

ments that can be shared with anybody, cre-

ate PowerPoint presentations, and provides

an Outlook email address that can be used to

email anyone, including people within the

school district such as members of the ad-

ministration or students in any grade.

Microsoft 365 includes access to One-

Note, Excel, and Forms. OneNote is an

online version of a notebook that enables the

creator to make a word box anywhere on the

page simply by clicking wherever they want

text. One can also embed files, photos, videos

and more into one central location. Excel lets

users create spreadsheets with data, graphs,

and lists. Additionally, there is a video fea-

ture that allows videos to be uploaded for

everyone to see. Somewhat similar to

YouTube, but only students from Pleas-

antville will be able to view them. Forms

can also be made in order to have students

take online quizzes and surveys. It is im-

portant to note that while working on a doc-

ument, the software automatically saves any

changes made.

SharePoint is a part of the service

that allows students and teachers to share a

Word document, PowerPoint presentation,

or OneNote document with anyone who is

part of the Pleasantville network. Any file

that is created using Microsoft 365 is auto-

matically saved to OneDrive. OneDrive is an

online hub, or cloud, where all files are

saved and they are able to be synced across

all devices allowing a person to access their

documents from their phone or computer at

home.

After emailing multiple teachers, a

general consensus was that despite having

access to the software for months, class us-

age of the program has not really begun.

Many teachers use the email, but find it to

be tedious and more time consuming to navi-

gate. Ms. Byassee, who teaches Entrepre-

neurship, says, “This semester I have started

using Microsoft 365, specifically the Class

Notebook feature, with my Entrepreneur-

ship class. I post notes, articles, and assign-

ments into the notebook. I find it similar to a

binder, but handier for students who find it

hard to keep their physical binder orga-

nized. I like that it is very interactive, stu-

dents can use the collaboration space to ask

each other questions and work on projects

together. So far my students have given

mostly positive feedback regarding the use-

fulness of the program. They like how clear

and organized it is. There is definitely a

learning curve but we're taking the time to

figure it out together.”

Mrs. Sheldon occasionally uses the

program with her AP United States History

class to complete forms. She says, “There is

a ton of potential with it, but as with any-

thing else, having the time to develop lessons

that will make it a truly useful tool” is cru-

cial.

Overall, Microsoft 365 is a useful de-

vice that, if utilized to its fullest extent, can

be very advantageous to the school. The pro-

gram will allow students and teachers be

better connected and will help keep all im-

portant information in one place that it is

accessible to everyone from anywhere.

Photo courtesy of www.lsue.edu

3

How the plant will be replaced

PANTHER FEATURES

By: Melissa Jacobs

In early January, a decision was made

by New York State officials and Entergy, a

utility company, that announced the official

closing of the plant that produces nearly

10% of the power consumed in New York

State. Indian Point is located on the Hudson

River, less than 30 miles north of New York

City, and should be fully retired by 2021. In-

dian Point will continue to operate under its

current license from the U.S. Nuclear Regu-

latory Commission (NRC) until it is officially

shut down.

Governor Cuomo has relentlessly sup-

ported the plant’s shut-

down and is pleased to

know that the “ticking

time bomb” will be seeing

its final days. Both nucle-

ar reactors’ federal oper-

ating licenses have ex-

pired -- Indian Point 2 in

2013, and Indian Point 3

in 2015. Cuomo states that

he has “personally been

trying to close it [the facil-

ity] down for 15 years”, as

it could pose a major

threat to the nearby city,

and is dangerously close

to a reservoir system that provides drinking

water for nine million people. The conse-

quences of a major accident at the plant, like

a radioactive leak, or security malfunction,

could be devastating. According to a simula-

tion done by Sandia National Laboratories in

1982, the worst possible scenario predicts the

maximum casualties at approximately 50,000

deaths, 150,000 injuries and estimated prop-

erty damage of $274 - $314 billion. Cuomo

announced to reporters in June that the con-

tinued operation of the plants “defies com-

mon sense, planning, and basic sanity”, and

that its closing will eliminate a serious risk

for New Yorkers.

Although there are many major com-

plaints in regards to the plant’s risks, the

plant serves as a crucial supplier of energy to

New York State. Indian Point powers the

state, while emitting virtually no greenhouse

gases; replacing it with natural gas plants

would release dangerous pollutants into the

air. According to Indian Point Energy Cen-

ter, replacing Indian Point with plants pow-

ered by fossil fuels would increase air pollu-

tion by millions of tons per year, particulate

matter by more than 1,900 tons per year, and

carbon monoxide by more than 1,100 tons

per year.

The plans for future power replace-

ments are uncertain, but Cuomo hopes for

the institution of clean, efficient energy

sources to make up for the gap created by

Indian Point’s closing. According to Natural

Resources Defense Council, a combination of

energy sources could easily replace Indian

Point’s energy generation capacity. Possibili-

ties include hydropower from Quebec and

wind power from farms across New York.

The state plans to rebuild its power grid to

incorporate these new power sources; power

lines will be built to bring wind and hydroe-

lectric power from upstate New York to the

city. The transition to completely renewable

energy will take years to adapt to. Cuomo

announced that New York state will cut car-

bon emissions down 30% by the year 2030

and require half of the energy to come from

renewables in the same year.

Long-Awaited Closing of Indian Point

The Huffington Post

By: Kaylei Raefski

Reading used to be one of the most

common activities done in both a child’s and

teenager’s free time. However, it now seems

as though children and teenagers do not real-

ly read for pleasure, but rather just do it as a

mandatory assignment for school.

Reading for pleasure is more common

with young children whose parents promote

it as an exciting and beneficial activity. Chil-

dren, and teens too, follow their parents be-

havior; if parents are not reading then nei-

ther are their children. Jordan Shapiro, a

writer for Forbes.com, believes that reading

both at home and in school is necessary for a

proper education. “My kids read on the iPad,

the e-reader, and paper. I make sure of it. I

read to my kids every night. I read with my

kids during the day. I do it because I see it as

a crucial piece of their education.”

Reading for pleasure is not as common

anymore because of new technology and the

amount of homework children have. In addi-

tion to school and sports, children and teens

need time for themselves and for family. Af-

ter school, the daily life of a teenager consists

of a combination of homework, sports, other

extracurricular activities, dinner, studying

and some extra time for themselves. There

does not seem to be time for reading. A stu-

dent at Pleasantville High School

says “With all my homework

and after school activities, I

barely have time to read for

school let alone read for fun.”

A national study by

TheGuardian.com states that

reading for pleasure has

dropped over 10% in the last

four years, as children were cit-

ing the pressure of schoolwork

and other responsibilities for the

decline. A 12 year old who par-

ticipated in the survey said, “I

do like reading, but it’s not at

the top of things I like to do.” In

today’s day and age, reading has

become less of a priority than it

used to be, with the decline of the

print industry, children don’t see their par-

ents reading as much anymore either. This

effectively leads to children not reading as

much. Children’s lack of reading seems to

link to the fact that electronics and devices

are extremely popular. Ayesha, teen writer

for TheGuardian.com states “I feel as if

there’s a direct relationship between advanc-

es in technology and the decreasing number

of young people who read books. I’ve realized

that hardly any of my friends or fellow stu-

dents have time to read anymore. When they

aren’t studying, they’re on social media, so

clearly when they do have spare time they

don’t make it time to read.”

Younger children used to read more

frequently because they have the most free

time and least amount of responsibilities.

Older kids and teenagers do sometimes read

daily although some believe that the fact that

they have to analyze quotes and answer ques-

tions ruins the book and the overall experi-

ence of reading for them. Students should

think of reading as an enjoyable activity ra-

ther than a chore.

Do Children and Teenagers Still Read for Fun?

Why reading has become a chore for some students

BRS students participating in Read Across America Day

4

Carmine Esposito, a Supervisory Special

Agent (SSA) in the Special Flight Operations

Unit of the FBI, attended Xavier High

School in Manhattan and graduated in 1984.

From there, he attended Columbia University

and majored in Psychology. In 1989, he was

hired by the United States Marshals Service

as a Deputy U.S. Marshal. In 1996, he left

the U.S. Marshals Service and came to the

FBI. He spent 17 years in the New York Of-

fice and had a three-year respite in the NY

Office Aviation unit. In 2013, he left New

York to take his current assignment.

Q: What does a normal workday look like for

you?

Well, I really don't have "normal"

workdays. That's one of the things I've

loved about being in federal law enforce-

ment. Every day is different. You may be

doing the same kinds of things, but because

there are always so many variables, no two

days are the same.

My unit is responsible for flying

VIP's and FBI personnel around the coun-

try and around the world. We also pick up

extradited individuals from foreign coun-

tries and bring them back to the United

States. We respond to pretty much every

major event that occurs. I've flown the FBI

Director, the Attorney General of the Unit-

ed States, and on one occasion, the Director

of the CIA. I also fly special teams, such as

the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), Ev-

idence Response Teams, Hazardous Device

Response Teams, Laboratory personnel,

etc. to training and operational missions.

I've personally brought subjects back from

Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guantana-

mo Bay, and Jordan. However, we have

been to every continent (except Antarctica -

but I am hopeful!).

The FBI also has aviation units

around the country to do surveillance and

transportation missions. These are mostly

small, single-engine Cessna aircraft, strate-

gically located in numerous field offices in

different regions of the country. From 2005

-2008, I was in the New York Office flight

operations unit.

If I'm flying a mission, the day usu-

ally starts by getting to the airport about

two hours before our scheduled time of de-

parture. I have to conduct a preflight

[check] of our plane. When our passengers

arrive, we help them get their cargo and

personnel on the aircraft. I have to print

out flight plans and do paperwork for my

unit prior to departure… Each mission is

different.

On days I'm not flying, I am usually

doing planning for upcoming trips, or for

training. We do everything from making

our hotel and commercial flight reserva-

tions to filing the actual flight plans for

each leg of our trips. We stay quite busy

with trips, flying approximately 5 missions

per month, on average. The planning can

get quite complex, especially when we go

overseas.

Q: How long is training and what was it

like?

My initial training at the FBI Acade-

my was 14 weeks long. That's what all

agents go through. That was in 1996

though. We went through firearms train-

ing, physical fitness, defensive tactics train-

ing, legal training, practical exercises and

training in specified areas such as orga-

nized crime, white collar crime and counter

-espionage. Today, Agents go through a 6-

month training academy. They spend part

of that time in training with FBI Analysts.

And they cover additional topics such as

cyber crime and counterterrorism.

My flight training has been exten-

sive and is ongoing. My private pilot's li-

cense took about three months to acquire.

After that, I got my Instrument rating,

commercial license, Airline Transport Pilot

(ATP) license and my multi-engine rating.

I've obtained commercial licenses in single-

engine seaplanes, multi-engine seaplanes

and gliders. I'm hoping to start helicopter

training in the next couple of months. I am

a flight instructor as well. I received what

they call "Type" ratings in the Dash-8, the

Gulfstream G-V and the Citation Encore (a

jet I used to fly, but I don't fly any longer).

Two of those type ratings consisted of a

month of training and one (Citation) was a

two-week course.

We attend a lot of specialized train-

ing such as water survival, aircraft upset

and recovery, safety courses, aircraft acci-

dent investigator training and aircraft com-

ponent (avionics) training.

We have yearly check-rides in the

aircraft we fly and we constantly practice

instrument procedures by flying practice

approaches to airports. We also have quar-

terly safety conferences and are constantly

studying our aircraft operational proce-

dures.

Q: What percentage would you say you work

in the field and how long do you spend be-

hind the desk?

I would say that my time is spent

mostly away from a desk. Administrative

duties probably take up a lot time. Maybe a

third behind a desk and two thirds away

from my desk.

Q: What previous experience is required?

For FBI agents, it used to be that

there were four avenues to come into the

Bureau: Lawyers, Accountants, Foreign

language ability and the general category.

For a brief time, there was a pilot specialty

category as well. The military has always

been a good avenue into the FBI. Today, a

cyber background is sought after. The FBI

has changed a lot in the 20 years I've been

here.

We also have a pretty strict drug use

policy and there is a stringent background

investigation as well as a rigorous interview

process, including a lie-detector test.

As for the pilot aspect of working in

the FBI, they no longer require coming into

the Bureau with a private pilot's license.

The FBI will now pay for an Agent, or Sup-

port employee to obtain their private pilot's

license. In the past, they would just pay for

your Instrument rating and commercial

license training. I obtained my private pi-

lot's license on my own in 2004. I earned

my Instrument rating and commercial li-

cense when I was in the New York Office

flight operations unit. When I left that unit

to go back to working gang cases on Long

Island (2008-2012), I independently ob-

tained all of my Instructor licenses (single

and multi engine airplanes and Instrument

instructor), as well as my single-engine and

multi-engine ATP licenses and my commer-

cial glider license. The FBI provided my

type ratings while in my current assign-

ment. On my own time I obtained my multi

-engine seaplane license a couple of years

ago.

Q: What do you think made you qualified for

the job and how long have you been in this

field?

I like to think what has made me

qualified and successful at my job (and in

life) has been my tenacity and imagination.

I have always thought those were the traits

that any good investigator needs. It helps

you to consider anything as a possibility

and the drive to keep going until the job is

done, leaving no stone unturned. Also, oth-

er than wanting to be a professional base-

ball player growing up, I have, more im-

portantly, always wanted to be a "good

guy". I always wanted to be someone that

could be counted on to be there when need-

ed and I've always had a strong desire to be

"of service".

My background is: I attended Xavi-

er High School in Manhattan. It's a Jesuit

high school whose motto is "Service to oth-

ers". I graduated in 1984.

I attended Columbia University as

an undergraduate where I majored in Psy-

chology. I also played varsity baseball for

Columbia all four years. I graduated in

1988.

I was hired by the United States

Marshals Service as a Deputy U.S. Marshal

in 1989. I was just shy of my 23rd birth-

day. After basic training (14 weeks in

Glynco, GA), I was assigned to the U.S.

Marshals Office in the Eastern District of

New York in Brooklyn, NY.

In 1994, I started law school at

Fordham University with your dad and

graduated in 1998.

In 1996, I left the U.S. Marshals Ser-

vice and came to the FBI. I spent 17 years

in the New York Office, working stolen cars

and stolen property cases (mostly involving

Russian and Polish organized crime mem-

bers) and gang and drug cases on Long Is-

land. I had a three-year respite in the NY

Office Aviation unit.

I left New York in January of 2013

to take my current assignment.

PANTHER FEATURES

The Life of an FBI Agent

And the challenges that go along with it

fbi.gov

By: Callie Sullivan

5

POLITICS

Trump’s Cabinet

By: Will Blasdell

The primary function of the Presidential Cabinet is to delegate some of the responsibilities of the President. Members of the

Cabinet each head a specific department, from Commerce to Homeland Security to the C.I.A. Additionally, they serve as the

President’s primary advisors on most national and international issues.

Below are the most prominent members of Trump’s Cabinet.

A guide to the men and women who will be advising President Trump over the next

four years.

Mnuchin graduat-

ed from Yale University and worked

at Goldman Sachs for 17 years,

eventually joining the management

committee. He left in 2002 to pursue

a career as the CEO for Dune Capi-

tal Management, where he invested

in several of Trump’s building pro-

jects before joining Trump’s cabi-

net.

Treasury Secretary- Steve Mnuchin

Ross is an American

banker and investor with a net

worth of 2.5 billion dollars. He

specializes in buying out failed

companies and distressed busi-

nesses. Most notably, he bailed out

Trump’s casinos in Atlantic City

around 2002.

Commerce Secretary- Wilbur Ross

Tom Price is a well-known Republican con-

gressman, who has represented the suburbs

outside Atlanta, Georgia since 2005. Before

that, he earned his M.D. from the Universi-

ty of Michigan and ran an orthopedic clinic

in Atlanta for 20 years before running for

Senator.

Secretary of Health and Human Services- Tom Price

Sessions is a 70 year

old senator from Alabama who had previ-

ously served as Attorney General under

Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. He is

very conservative and is opposed to same-

sex marriage as well as illegal immigration.

He was also a strong supporter of the Iraq

War.

Attorney General- Jeff Sessions

John Kelly is a former United States

Marine Corps General, who last

served in the Iraq War in 2009. He

has had a long and decorated mili-

tary career and graduated from

Georgetown University in 1975.

Kelly has stated that he does not in-

tend to carry out many of Trump’s

ideas, including forcing Muslims to

register with the federal govern-

ment.

Homeland Security Secretary- John F. Kelly

After graduating from the University

of Texas-Austin, Tillerson began work-

ing at ExxonMobil in 1975. He worked

up the ranks and became the president

and chief executive in 2006. He has a

net worth of $250 million, but no prior

political experience.

Secretary of State- Rex W. Tillerson

The former neurosurgeon will

oversee fair-housing laws, the de-

velopment of affordable housing

and access to mortgage insurance.

He has stressed individual effort,

not government programs, as the

key to overcoming poverty. He en-

dorsed Donald Trump after drop-

ping out of the Presidential race in

March of 2016.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development-

Dr. Ben Carson

A Republican congressman from

Kansas since 2011, Pompeo is a 53

year-old former lawyer and a gradu-

ate of Harvard Law School. His goal

is to modernize the intelligence agen-

cy and he is not a supporter of harsh

interrogation tactics like waterboard-

ing.

C.I.A Director- Mike Pompeo

McMahon is a 56 year-old Republican, but is best known for being the

CEO and the President of the World Wrestling Entertainment

(WWE) organization from 1979 to 2009. Under her and her husband’s

leadership, WWE grew from a small regional business to an interna-

tional corporation.

Small Business Administration- Linda McMahon

6

LOCAL

Use Your Noodle

By: Michael Bloom, Emma Murphy, & Callie Sullivan

Lo mein is a staple of any Chinese food take-out order. The Pleasantville Post’s esteemed and highly unqualified food review panel (which infa-

mously shut down two pizza establishments) attempts to determine the best place in town for you to satiate your greasy noodle fix.

Important note: The team ordered the house special lo mein from each restaurant. The house special consists of beef, shrimp, and chicken. The house

special is generally the most expensive type of lo mein.

The Pleasantville Post’s Official Lo Mein Rating, Ranking, and Review

On’s

$5.50

Mike: On’s Chinese Kitchen is one of Pleas-

antville's best kept secrets. Any true Pleas-

antville-ian knows that this hole-in-the-wall is

the place to go for Friday night take-out. A sta-

ple of their take out menu is their lo mein (side

note: despite On’s spotty sanitation reputation

among local diners, it is important to note that

they were the only location that had a visible

kitchen). On’s truly lets its food do the talking.

Their lo mein was by far the most unique. It

had an almost charred flavor to it. The meat

was smoky and the noodles were grilled just

enough for my personal taste. My (lo) main

problem with On’s lo mein was the noodle-to-

veggie ratio. There were just not enough noo-

dles to make On’s lo mein my top choice. That

being said, you must appreciate being able to

get a very good, very large portion of noodles

and a can of soda for three dollars less than its

closest competitor.

Grade: B+

Emma: While the inside of On’s may not seem

welcoming, it’s well worth entering to purchase

an overflowing container of noodles that come

at a good price. Each of the flavors stood out on

their own while also blending nicely to create a

unique Lo Mein flavor that can only be de-

scribed as delicious. I disagree with Mike on

this one, and will venture to say that there was

a good ratio of vegetables, to noodles, to well-

cooked meat. However, his assessment of the

flavor was spot on, the lo mein had a nice

charred flavor, as though it had been grilled,

that no other location achieved. On’s Lo Mein

was, in my opinion, the best one that we

tried. #OnlyeatOns

Grade: A

Callie: On’s is one of the more well-known

Chinese restaurants in the area. At a reason-

able price of $5.50, the noodles were full of

flavor and had a very pleasant taste. Alt-

hough the restaurant is not the fanciest, the

food makes up for the poor restaurant exteri-

or. The flowers in the entrance of the room

were inviting and added the decoration that

the small restaurant needed. The shrimp had

a mediocre taste, but the chicken was delec-

table. There was the perfect amount of vege-

tables and meat mixed in and the variety of

tastes was surprisingly delicious.

Grade: A-

Magic Wok

$9.13 Emma: As soon as we transported the lo

mein from Magic Wok to the car, it began

leaking profusely, forcing us to eat the noo-

dles outdoors. While we look excited to enjoy

this meal in the picture, our happy expres-

sions quickly faded after our first bite of gar-

lic coated noodles. I will commend them for

including free fortune cookies and fried

chips, but the actual lo mein was far from

acceptable. While it did contain a good num-

ber of vegetables, as opposed to most other

places we visited, the lo mein was extremely

garlicky and the meat was too tough. It con-

tained so much garlic, in fact, that I wasn’t

able to eat more than a couple of bites before

putting it down. Due to the lack of lo mein I

was willing to consume, I would rather have

spent my money on other items on the menu.

Grade: D

Mike: My earliest memories of the Chinese

culinary arts are all associated with Magic

Wok. Like many Pleasantville families, mine

is loyal to the Wok. When I walked into Mag-

ic Wok to pick up our noodles, I felt a sense

of tranquility and familiarity. The sun was

shining perfectly through the large front win-

dow and I thought that all was right in the

world. When I opened the takeout bag with

its familiar yellow smiley face on the front I

was greeted with a pleasant surprise; Magic

Wok gave us not only an assortment of sauc-

es for our Lo Mein but also fortune cookies

and chips. This was something unique to

M.W. and I feel it reflects how much they

care for the well-being of their customers.

Then, Emma opened the large white carton

of noodles and it proceeded to leak. Unfortu-

nately, this is where my enjoyment ended.

The meat was undercooked, there were too

many veggies, and the noodles themselves

tasted like they were soaked in garlic. Magic

Wok is the perfect place for casual Chinese

dining, just make sure to try other things on

their menu besides their lo mein.

#wokthisway

Grade: C-

Callie: The hostess at Magic Wok was friend-

ly and helpful, despite the fact that she could-

n’t have been older than 10 years old. Alt-

hough Magic Wok is frequently raved about

by many Chinese food lovers, the lo mein was

less than impressive. The box of noodles was

messy and had a strong smell of garlic, and

the sauce was more on the outside of the con-

tainer than it was on the inside with the noo-

dles. The bag was not the best quality, so the

sauce was everywhere which added to the

mess. However, the meat and shrimp were

delicious and full of flavor. What was lacking

in cleanliness was definitely made up for in

service, as a small bag of fried chips and

duck sauce was included with our order.

While at first I was excited to open my for-

tune cookie, I was disappointed to find the

slip of paper hanging out of the side of the

cookie and a fortune of “Actions speak loud-

er than talk”, a statement perfectly displayed

by Magic Wok’s Lo mein.

Grade: C+

Miyabi

$15.00

Emma: Miyabi was the second best lo mein,

while it was on the pricier side of this list.

The lo mein had a respectable amount of veg-

etables and flavorful noodles. However, the

shining star of the dish was the shrimp. The

mini shrimp were the perfect size and as soon

as you bit into it your mouth was filled with a

feeling of security and happiness. Wonderful

flavors burst from the small pink crustacean

and transport you to a remote island in the

South Pacific. The one complaint that I have

about Miyabi’s lo mein was the greasiness of

the noodles but overall it is a groovy choice

for lo mein.

Grade: B+

Mike: When I eat my Asian fusion, I prefer

to eat it while a huge picture of a woman eat-

ing sushi (could be sashimi, not one to make

assumptions) stares me down. Make no mis-

take about Miyabi’s lo mein, it is the Porsche

of noodles, and it treats itself as such. At a

hefty $15.00 price point, Miyabi’s Lo Mein is

taken out in a reusable plastic container,

something I certainly value in my take out.

As I’m sure both Emma and Callie highlight-

ed, the star of these noodles is the mini

shrimp dispersed throughout. I also was a

fan of the wide, thinly cut beef and chicken.

All these strong flavors are matched by the

butter soaked noodles that ultimately define

Miyabi’s lo mein and put it a step above the

rest. The one fault I had in these noodles was

actually the lack of veggies. The lo mein was

bereft of crunch which can be directly at-

tributed to an underwhelming amount of

vegetables. That being said, if money isn’t an

issue, there’s only one choice.

Grade: A-

Callie: The lo mein at Miyabi was easily the

best out of the four restaurants. The noodles

were flavorful and cooked perfectly, though

7

By: Keon Ansari

The Speech and Debate Club, run

by Mrs. Mancini, can improve many as-

pects of a student's life. This year, the club

has 12 members and meets once a week in

Mrs. Mancini’s room. They have tourna-

ments once a month on Saturdays. Last

year, the club had three members go to the

state championship and recently had stu-

dents go to the national meets.

In a tournament, students debate

two topics, called bills, per session with two

sessions in total. One of the debaters argues

from the affirmative side while the other

rebuts for the negative. As the debate goes

on, they alternate who speaks. The judges

give the students a score from 1-6 for each

bill that they debate. When the students are

on stage, they are graded on their debating

as well as the way they present the infor-

mation.

To prepare her students for this,

Mrs. Mancini teaches them how to walk up

to the stage, how to stand while debating, to

maintain eye contact, and how to ensure

that their voices are not monotone. She also

teaches using a “snazzy” introduction to

grasp the audience's attention and to have a

strong conclusion. All of this is important to

practice as the tournaments are in front of

a live audience.

One benefit for joining this club is

preparing students for public speaking in

the future. Mrs. Mancini explains, “You

learn how to speak in public, and that is

really a lifelong skill that you need as you

get older in whatever type of job you get,

you need to be able to speak in public with

confidence, and it teaches that.” The club

makes students more confident every time

they have to speak publicly.

Tournaments allow students to meet

new people from different schools as well as

become closer with their teammates. Mrs.

Mancini said, “The parents drive, so you

have kids like freshmen mixing with sen-

iors, creating this bond.” She continues,

“Some of the schools we compete against

are noted for their academics, so you get to

meet [intelligent] kids from all over, New

York City, Connecticut, Westchester Coun-

ty.”

Many of the students have vastly im-

proved their skills over the course of their

involvement with the club. Arthur Rogers,

a junior, said, “It has increased my self-

esteem and exposed me to new information

and other points of view.”

Some distinguished few in the

Speech and Debate Club achieve national

recognition. Silpaa Gunabalan was a semi-

finalist in the Yale Invitational High School

Speech & Debate Tournament.

The club does more than teach its

members the useful skill of public speaking,

it prepares students to face certain obsta-

cles and challenges, with confidence and

self-assurance.

Interested students should keep this

information in mind if they want to sign up

next year at the club fair.

LOCAL

Club Spotlight: Speech and Debate

Mrs. Mancini and Silpaa Gunabalan after qualify-

ing for the semifinals at the Yale Invitational High

School Speech & Debate Tournament.

slightly greasy. The mini shrimp were amaz-

ing and full of juicy flavor while the small

pieces of chicken were mouthwatering. One

thing that I was not impressed with was the

lack of vegetables, as the other restaurants

had more of an abundance and variety of

vegetables. Overall, other than the extensive

amount of grease, the lo mein at Miyabi was

delicious and definitely worth the steep price

of $15.

Grade: A

Little Buddha

$15.05

Emma: Although Little Buddha (formerly

known as Lucky Buddha) was more out of

the way than the other three Chinese excur-

sions, we received a large portion of lo mein

that was well worth the price. However, the

downside to the large portion was the con-

tainer: there was no possible way that we

could have finished the noodles, but the tup-

perware took two people to close and an ex-

cessive amount of effort. The noodles were

somewhat plain and they could have included

more vegetables but the beef was cooked to

perfection as it was tender and seemed to

melt in your mouth. But, if you are going to

spend $15 on lo mein there should be some-

thing special about the flavor.

Grade: C+

Mike: Little Buddha is not only a place of

fine eastern dining, but also an entertainment

hub. People go there for the hibachi style of

food preparation. Getting takeout from Little

Buddha would inherently lessen the intended

experience. Whenever I’ve sat down for a

meal at this Thornwood establishment, I’ve

noticed that the lo mein has always been

more of a side dish, something to adsorb and

compliment the flavors of the main meal.

This fact is exacerbated when you take the

hibachi out of the equation. Little Buddha’s

noodles are inoffensive. There is no risk tak-

ing. The lo mein is made of noodles, shrimp,

beef, chicken, and a smattering of vegetables.

The ingredients are each solid on their own

(especially the beef, which was extremely ten-

der and perfectly cut), but they lack the abil-

ity to amalgamate into an ensemble. At a

steep $15.05 price point it’s difficult for me to

tell you that you have to go out of your way

and overpay for these noodles.

Grade: C+

Callie: The lo mein at Little Buddha was def-

initely not worth the steep price of $15. Alt-

hough there was an abundance of beef, pork,

and shrimp mixed in, the noodles themselves

had a plain taste and were nothing special.

The tupperware was also a bit of an incon-

venience, since it took two people and several

minutes to securely close. I can definitely say

that the lo mein seems to taste better when it

is cooked in front of you at the restaurant

instead of in a box to take home. However,

the service was quick, and we received our

food within five minutes of placing the or-

der.

Grade: B

8

SPORTS

Thomas’ 2016 Sports Awards I give my HIGHLY OPINIONATED sports awards concerning the most notable sports

events

By: Thomas Fisher

Biggest Waste of Money:

Brock Osweiler, Denver Broncos

Brock Osweiler spent the 2015 NFL season in Denver backing

up future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. He played

nearly half the season when Manning was injured. The Broncos

would go on to win Super Bowl 50 and months later Manning would

retire. Many believed that Osweiler would be the next starter, howev-

er he signed with the Texans for 72 million dollars (37 million guar-

anteed). The 6’8” Arizona State product became Houston’s full time

starter in 2016. Simply put, Osweiler had an underwhelming season.

He threw 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in the regular season.

Osweiler failed to total 3,000 passing yards. Statistically he was not

overly detrimental, however he was a poor decision maker and most

of the time he did not give the team a chance to win. The Texans’ sec-

ond option, Tom Savage, saw time at quarterback as a result of

Osweiler's injury and ineffectiveness. Although the Texans made the

playoffs from a weak division, and beat an injury depleted Oakland

team, I personally would give much of the credit to the superb de-

fense. There are plenty of quarterbacks who have had worse seasons,

but the standard set by his salary was severely underachieved.

Best Game:

Game 7 MLB World Series

The World Series match-up between the Cleveland Indians

and the Chicago Cubs was one for the ages. Each team was in the

midst of a World Series drought, 68 and 108 years respectively. The

end of the game was a dramatic rollercoaster. After Rajai Davis hit a

homerun for Cleveland to tie the game at 6 in the bottom of the

eighth inning, another run would not be scored until the game was

eventually sent into extra innings. Fans of both teams anxiously wait-

ed for the weather to clear up before the 10th inning. A 17 minute

rain delay occurred, adding to the suspense in the final hour of the

2016 season. Since baseball is the slowest major professional sport,

the length of a game of this magnitude only made the big moment

more climactic.

In the 10th inning, Kyle Schwarber and Ben Zobrist provided

timely hitting. Schwarber would put the winning run on first base

and was relieved by a pinch runner, Albert Almora Jr. Zobrist would

drive Almora home and another run would score off the bat of Mi-

guel Montero. Much of the credit must go to Theo Epstein, the Presi-

dent of Baseball Operations for the Cubs organization. He is the first

Chicago Cubs’ executive to put together a World Series winner and

responsible for the midseason trade for Aroldis Chapman, who was

vital to their playoff success.

Most Exciting Finish:

Villanova’s game winner The North Carolina Tar Heels inbounded the basketball along

their own baseline with under 14 seconds left in the game. Marcus

Paige cut from the corner above the three point line. A risky pass re-

sulted in Paige’s defender falling to the floor. As two Villanova Wild-

cats converged to help on defense, a distorted Marcus Paige heaved a

double clutch shot from beyond the arc, needing 3 points to tie the

game. The shot fell and the Carolina Blue sea erupted in NRG Stadi-

um in Houston, Texas. This shot struck viewers as an instant classic

and an incredible individual effort to extend the game. With the

game tied at 74, Villanova head coach Jay Wright decided to take a

timeout with less than 5 seconds remaining; not to mention the Wild-

cats needed to advance the ball up the entire court. Kris Jenkins

passed the ball to Ryan Arcidiacono on the inbound. Arcidiacono

crossed his opposition and attacked the three point line. The Final

Four Most Valuable Player cut two Tar Heels off and handed the ball

backwards to Kris Jenkins. The uncontested three pointer was good

as time expired. Villanova stunned North Carolina and denied their

hard fought comeback. The combination of the previous shot and the

fact that this was a nationally televised game on college basketball’s

biggest stage makes this one of the most memorable Final Four fina-

les in years.

Major Sports League Rookie of the Year:

Ezekiel Eliott Ezekiel Elliott was drafted out of Ohio State by the Dallas

Cowboys with the 4th overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. The Na-

tional Championship running back was inserted behind the NFL’s

premier offensive line. The result: immediate success. Of the 15 regu-

lar season games Zeke played in, he rushed for at least 80 yards 14

times. Elliott became the first rookie tailback to lead the NFL in

rushing yards in 16 years. The Ohio State product displayed multiple

skills that make him so special as an individual player. Zeke is an

athletic freak with a unique blend of power and speed. His mixture of

balance, patience and vision makes him a threat with serious upside.

He was a key factor in the Cowboy’s 13-3 campaign along with his

fellow rookie, quarterback Dak Prescott who receives an honorable

mention for this category. Dallas lost a home playoff game to the

Green Bay Packers. However, the young core headlined by Elliott

can be highly effective for a number of years.

Most Dominant Team:

University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball The University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball team did

not lose a single game during the 2015-2016 season. Breanna Stewart,

the 6’4” forward, served as a team and statistical leader. Stewart re-

ceived several key awards in her senior season including the Nai-

smith College Player of the Year, the John R. Wooden Award, and

the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. In the Final Four,

UConn defeated Oregon State and Syracuse by a cumulative 60

points to confirm their dominance. With respect to Head Coach Geno

Auriemma, UConn Women’s Basketball is a modern dynasty, win-

ning the past four championships. Their 2016-2017 season is also off

to a terrific start as they are undefeated and continue to add to their

consecutive wins record which reached 100 on February 13th, 2017.

The Chicago Cubs celebrating their World Series victory. (Social Life Chicago)

Marcus Paige launches a three pointer that would tie the game. (Charlotte Observer)

9

SPORTS

By: Thomas Fisher

Of the new group developments in

Pleasantville, none is more exciting than the

Pleasantville Bowling team. The team is head-

lined by a dynamic group of seniors including

Lee Greenwald, Will McFadden, Connor

Brennan, Greg Driscoll, and Gus Trotta. The

group calls Grand Prix in Mt. Kisco its home

lane.

The boys are typically accompanied

by Coach Maceyak who is a team administra-

tor. When asked about their leader, Greg

Driscoll praised Coach Mace “He helps eve-

ryone with their footwork and their form. He

teaches everyone bowling etiquette so every-

one can have a fun time”. Etiquette, or the

code of polite behavior, has always been a

crucial part of bowling in general.

It is important to have etiquette as

well as caution on the lanes. Lee Greenwald

practices safety because the “floor is slip-

pery” and could lead to an embarrassing fall.

Preparation is key for seniors Connor

Brennan and Lee Greenwald. Before each

bowling event Greenwald will “roll up [my]

pants and tuck them into my socks therefore

I don’t trip on my bowling shoes… I usually

kiss the ball before I go and then do my walk

up and throw it at the pins”. Connor Bren-

nan typically reaches for “the wide holed yel-

low ball, 14 pounder. I send her right down

the middle.”

One thing the bowling team would like

to do is test themselves with some serious

competition. Greg Driscoll would like “...our

team to compete against some teams from

other schools so we can win some ‘chips and

keep the legacy of Pleasantville sports going

because that's really what it’s all about.” Will

McFadden would like the team to achieve “an

undefeated season, League Champs, Section

Champs… We are trying to organize some

scrimmages with some other teams… the Sec-

tion 1 competition isn’t what it needs to be”.

Several key members of the bowling

team display great versatility around the

school, as well. McFadden is an All-League

Honorable Mention Football player, who is

proud to display his skills because “It means

a lot to show off all the different skills I pos-

sess as an athlete. Bowling has never been my

best sport, but I’m going to give it all my sen-

ior year”. Greenwald, an honors student, is

able to maintain his standards as a student-

athlete “The word student comes first so be-

fore every week I make sure to get a quarter

of my work done”.

Despite being led by a core of senior

athletes, the group is ready to maintain its

undefeated stature with the next generation.

Key underclassmen include Owen Ball and

Tim Driscoll, both juniors. Gus Trotta of-

fered the younger players this piece of advice:

“just keep rolling”.

Why NFL Ratings Have Dropped

By: Keon Ansari

The National Football League’s (NFL)

television ratings for the 2016 regular season

saw an 8% drop as compared to the 2015 sea-

son. An average NFL game dropped in view-

ership from 17.9 million people in 2015 to

16.5 million in 2016. Many are questioning

what went wrong.

The recent Presidential Election could

be one of the reasons that ratings have

dropped for the NFL. Two of the debates

went head-to-head against NFL Primetime

games, reducing the NFL ratings. “Trump is

ratings gold for the news networks," says The

Monday Morning Quarterback’s (MMQB)

Andrew Brandt, however "he is taking view-

ers away from all non-news programming

including, of course, NFL programming."

The desire to watch the drama unfold with

the nominees’ every move lured many view-

ers to news programs, meaning less time to

watch sports.

Since there are only 16 regular season

games in the NFL, each game has more of an

impact on making the playoffs than in any

other major league sports. Furthermore, the

week long wait in between each game only

builds the anticipation. These facts usually

ensure high viewership, but other factors

may have had an impact.

For example, the NFL ex-

panded from eight Thurs-

day Night Football games to

fifteen in 2012. These addi-

tional games might have

caused oversaturation, es-

pecially with many of the

outcomes being lopsided. In

the 2016 NFL season, eight

out of sixteen Thursday

Night Football games were

decided by more than ten points.

Colin Kaepernick might have been

another reason for the ratings dip. Kaeper-

nick sat during the National Anthem in pro-

test throughout the NFL season. Eventually,

taking a knee during the anthem became al-

most a trend with many players participating

in Kaepernick’s form of non-violent protest.

Many, however, were unhappy with that par-

ticular trend. A Rasmussen poll found that

32% of adults were less likely to watch games

due to the Kaepernick-led player protests.

Beyond political reasons behind the

ratings drop, it is possible that

the NFL brand may have been

hurt by their own poor treat-

ment of players with concus-

sions. Furthermore, the NFL

has received much backlash

from their inability to properly

handle cases of domestic vio-

lence. Overall, it seems that the

NFL is becoming less attractive

for viewers.

Many NFL personnel are ques-

tioning what the NFL should do about the

decrease in ratings. Roger Goodell, the Com-

missioner of the NFL said, “Should the games

be shorter? ... We obviously want to take as

much, what we call 'dead time,' non-action

out of the game so that we can make the

game more exciting [so] it's all action. Can

we do instant replay quicker than we've done

it in the past? Should we look at ways to may-

be take some commercialization out of the

game?”.

The one reason why the NFL has not

completely disappeared yet might actually

have been the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys

had five of the six most watched games this

season and therefore helped the league avoid

a ratings disaster. Over the second half of the

season, the Cowboys averaged 23.7 million

viewers compared to last year's World Series

per game average of 23.4 million viewers and

the NBA Finals per game average of 20.2 mil-

lion viewers. Since the Cowboys have a rook-

ie quarterback and running back, they can

almost guarantee huge ratings when they

play in the future. Michael Mulvihill, Fox

Sports’ Executive Vice President of Research

said the Cowboys “have always been the most

popular team. Now we have a resurgence,

and that’s great.”

Advertisers rely heavily on television

ratings to calculate their willingness to spend

money on commercials. With the decrease of

viewers, the NFL is making less money on

advertising, meaning they must figure out

how to boost the ratings, and fast.

Is the NFL going extinct?

Photo Courtesy of Connor Brennan

The Pleasantville Bowling Team is on a Roll The upstart team is primed for a terrific season

10

PANTHER FEATURES

stage manager, she has to “be at every re-

hearsal from like 3:30 to 5:30 or when it gets

later. I might have to sweep the stage and

when we’re doing rehearsal, I have to block

in my prompt book which means that I have

to record every single movement that every-

one does on stage, and I’m in charge of the

speaker, and I’m opening the auditorium and

I keep in contact with all the crews.” Other

jobs filled by students include: Hair and

Makeup Crew headed by Izzy Minerva, Tori

Cahill and Alden Iaconis; Costume Crew

headed by Liz Faulkner, Sound Crew headed

by Steve Wolf and Tommy Fisher; Painting

Crew headed by Sabrina Ipyam; Lighting

Crew headed by Ali Fama; Building Crew

headed by Jack Demaree and Cate Puglia;

and Running Crew also headed by Jack De-

maree and Cate Puglia.

Everyone should come watch the play

on March 10-12th, and March 17-18th in the

PHS auditorium to support the many people

who work hard to put it together. Living in a

small village allows for the student body,

parents, and faculty to join together and

work towards one common goal. This is one

of many reasons why the play is as successful

as it is. You can purchase tickets online at

www.phsfopa.org.

The Future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Drowsy Chaperone Preview (cont.)

By: Michael Promisel

The Marvel Cinematic Universe

(MCU) is one of the highest grossing movie

franchises in all of cinema, grossing over $4

billion. One of the major reasons why this

franchise is so successful is the boundless

wealth of ideas and stories that directors can

take from Marvel’s comic book department.

With the announcement of Avengers: Infinity

War, many characters and concepts from the

comic books are bound to be introduced.

Throughout the movies of the Marvel

Cinematic Universe (MCU), starting with

Thor, a set of magical artifacts, labeled the

“Infinity Stones” have been introduced.

These stones have appeared in The Avengers,

Thor, Thor: The Dark World, Guardians of

The Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Dr.

Strange. In the comics, these stones are known

as the “Infinity Gems”, and gives the user

various powers based on which gem they pos-

sess. The gems revealed so far in the MCU

are the Space, Reality, Power, Mind, and

Time gems. The only one that has not yet

been revealed is the Soul Gem. The powers

that are granted vary by which stone is used;

the Time Gem can speed, slow, or stop time,

while the space gem allows the user to tele-

port between any place in the universe. These

gems will be an integral part of the third in-

stallment of The Avengers, Avengers: Infinity

War. Thanos, the antagonist of that movie, is

in possession of all the Infinity Gems in the

comic book series Infinity Gauntlet, on which

Avengers: Infinity War is based. Other than

the Infinity Gems, the MCU is also likely to

bring in other material from the comics to

the movie theatre.

A character likely to appear

next in the MCU is The Liv-

ing Tribunal. The Living

Tribunal is briefly men-

tioned in Dr. Strange, when

Mordo is showing Dr.

Strange the numerous

weapons in Kamar-Taj, the

place where Dr. Strange is

taught. In the comics, The

Living Tribunal is the sec-

ond most powerful charac-

ter and is responsible for safeguarding the

Multiverse. The Multiverse is the collection of

every single universe in the Marvel Fran-

chise. For example, the comic versions of

Thor and Ironman exist in a different uni-

verse than the Thor and Ironman in the mov-

ies. However, sometimes there are stories that

do not take place in the “main” Marvel Uni-

verse (where most comics take place). An ex-

ample of one these stories is the story Old

Man Logan, which takes place in a Mad-Max

like Dystopian future. The multiverse is likely

to appear in future movies to introduce new

characters.

A set of characters likely to appear in

future movies are the Cosmic Entities. The

Cosmic Entities are physical representations

of different concepts. An example of this is

the character Eternity, which represents

time, or the character Death, which repre-

sents death. Eternity has a brief cameo in Dr.

Strange, when Strange is being shown the uni-

verse by The Ancient One, and Death is a ma-

jor character in Infinity Gauntlet. There are

Cosmic Entities other than Eternity and

Death, each representing a different concept.

The inclusion of these characters will allow

the MCU to “raise the stakes” in future mov-

ies that include these characters.

Two other characters likely to appear

in the MCU are Adam Warlock and Kismet.

Adam Warlock and Kismet are artificially

created humans and possess superhuman

strength, speed, and other qualities. Adam

Warlock makes a cameo in Guardians of the

Galaxy, when the pod that he was created in is

shown in one of the Collector’s display cases.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will introduce

Kismet and it is confirmed that actress Eliza-

beth Debicki will play her. Adam Warlock is

also likely to appear in future movies because

he is one of the main characters of Infinity

Gauntlet.

The release of Avengers 3: Infinity

War will bring many characters from the

comics into the mainstream media and

continue the Golden Age of comic book

movies.

What Avengers 3: Infinity War means for Marvel.

Continued from p.1

11

ENTERTAINMENT

Not the Oscars

The Oscars are heralded as an award show that celebrates the best that the film industry has to offer. Unfortunately, some

performances, movies, or even genres as a whole, get completely overlooked by the academy come award season. On top of

that, many terrible movies are not given a spotlight to expose their horrendousness. So, I created my own awards, high-

lighting the best and worst 2016 had to offer.

Pleasantville Post movie critic, Michael Bloom, hands out awards you won’t see at the

Oscars

Best Comic Book Movie:

Captain America: Civil War

Biggest Critical Flop:

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

Most Underrated Film:

The Nice Guys

Biggest down payment on their 3rd yacht:

Bryan Cranston in Why Him?

Most Overhyped Film:

Deadpool

Please Watch This:

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

The third installment in the Captain America franchise takes the prize for best comic book movie

of 2016. The movie pitted the two most popular superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

(M.C.U.), Cap and Iron Man, against each other in a battle of both their ideologies and superpow-

ers. What separates Civil War from the other superhero movies of 2016 was the 17 minute airport

scene in which 12 of the most prevalent superheroes in the M.C.U. engaged in a beautifully di-

rected brawl. The scene was the cinematic visualization of every Marvel fan’s dream. The movie

also did a stupendous job at introducing the third on screen incarnation of Spider-Man. This time

around Tom Holland portrayed a more juvenile and true-to-source-material form.

Batman v. Superman sits at an abysmal 27% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (27% stands for the percentage of critics who would give it a pass-

ing grade). Some may argue that Suicide Squad deserves this award, but that movie did not ruin the two most iconic Superheroes of all time.

From the bloated plot, to the mischaracterization of beloved heroes and villains, to the fact that the name of the film is Batman v. Superman yet

they only fight for 7 minutes of the 151 minute run time (that’s less than 5% of the entire movie), to the ridiculous plot point (spoiler) that Bat-

man doesn’t kill Superman because their mothers share the same name, this film was destined for absolute cinematic failure. As if that wasn’t

enough, they had the audacity to release a 3 hour cut of the movie, marketing it as a more edgy and dark version of the film. Give me a break.

The Nice Guys went completely under the radar. This 1970’s crime drama stars Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, as they team up and take on a risqué

investigation in the smog coated city of Los Angeles. The two actors have an undeniable chemistry that make the film a treat to watch. Unfortu-

nately, The Nice Guys tanked at the box office despite a nearly unanimous critical reception (93% on the Tomatometer). If you’re looking to have

fun and enjoy yourself while watching a movie, The Nice Guys is the one for you.

With a few rare exceptions, generally, movies with punctuation in the title are a sign of bad news. Why Him? continues that disgraceful tradi-

tion. Despite the fact that the movie sports the immense talents of James Franco and Bryan Cranston, it is not able to overcome it’s bland di-

recting and unfunny script. Cranston is one of the most versatile actors working today. His legendary performances as Walter White on Break-

ing Bad and Hal on Malcolm in the Middle will define television for this century, but it is clear that he is just mailing it in here. Cranston clear-

ly desired a handsome paycheck and found it quickly when he signed on the dotted line for this film.

Let me be very clear here, Deadpool is a good movie. It’s a solid superhero flick that conjures more laughs than most. But that’s all it is. It stars a

lead actor (Ryan Reynolds) who is passionate about the role and plays it to a “T”, but the movie expects its audience to look the other way when

it comes to its formulaic origin story for the mere fact that it has a nonlinear plotline. The movie is funny and its humor is well earned, but the

hype far exceeds the product. People describe Deadpool as the second coming of superhero movies - it's not. And, if you go into it thinking that it

is, you will be severely disappointed. Enjoy Deadpool for what it is, but don’t let the inordinate hype ruin your experience.

I would give this award to Everybody Wants Some!! (one of those rare punctuation

exceptions), but I’ve already discussed it in the Post. So, instead I’m picking the

New Zealand, independent-dramedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople, directed by future

Thor 3 director, Taika Waititi. Waititi directed my favorite comedy of 2015 (What We

Do in the Shadows, a mockumentary about vampires living in the modern world) and

once again delivers a piece of comedic gold with this film. Hunt for the Wilderpeo-

ple is a heartwarming tale about an inner-city foster child and his adoptive father as

they shape their relationship on a trip through New Zealand's countryside. My de-

scription of the movie won’t do it justice. Please go out and watch it yourself. I

promise you’ll be swept away by its charm and tongue-in-cheek humor.

12

ENTERTAINMENT

Editor in Chief Cathryn Puglia

Layout Editor Emma Murphy

Staff Keon Ansari

Will Blasdell Mike Bloom

Emma Carty

Thomas Fisher

Isabelle Graj

Melissa Jacobs

Quentin Lupo

Michael Promisel

Kaylei Raefski

Dan Stangarone

Callie Sullivan

Contributors

Advisor Daria Papa

Special Consultants Tom Baffuto

THE NEWSPAPER OF PLEASANTVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

ACROSS

3. Host of the Oscars and hosts his own talk show in Hollywood

8. Film starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt; nominated

for best production design

12. Nominated for best supporting actor in Nocturnal Animals,

also starring Amy Adams

14. This film starring George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, and Scar-

lett Johansson, was nominated for best production design

15. This movie had a combination of famous villains, but they

ended up saving the world in the end; nominated for best

makeup and hairstyling

16. Nominated for best costume design; prequel to the Harry

Potter series, originally a book written by J.K. Rowling that

takes place in New York City in the 1920s

17. Nominated for best picture, starring Amy Adams

18. Nominated for 14 Academy Awards starring Emma Stone

and Ryan Gosling

DOWN 1. Nominated for best cinematography, starring Trevante

Rhodes, tells the story of a boy who grows up realizing he is gay

2. Nominated for best original song, featured in La La Land,

sang by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone

4. Nominated for best actress for her role in Florence Foster

Jenkins

5. Nominated for best writing (original screenplay), starring Ca-

sey Affleck

6. Nominated for best supporting actress for her role in 20th

Century Women, she also starred in the Divergent series

7. This animated Disney film was all the talk of 2016, the main

character’s voice was done by Auli’i Cravalho

9. Based on a true story, nominated for best sound editing, star-

ring Tom Hanks

10. Nominated for best actor for his role in Fences

11. Starring Andrew Garfield, this movie takes place during

WWII, was nominated for best film editing

13. Nominated for best visual effects, starring Benedict Cum-

berbatch

By: Emma Carty

No spaces in multi-word titles