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SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 Vol. LX - ISSUE 1

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10 years later: Massapequa High School remembers

The construction site of the soon-to-be-completed 9/11 Memorial in New York City at Ground Zero JENNA FRATELLO//THE CHIEF

Some still say that they can see the smoke rising like it was yesterday. In some minds, it will always be “yes-terday.” But it’s not. It was one decade ago.

One decade ago the world stood still. One decade ago America proved its unity. One decade later was yesterday.

“It really hasn’t hit me,” Meaghan Haskell, a recent MHS graduate who lost her father Thomas Haskell and her uncle, Timothy Haskell, in the line of duty, said “but it’s been a thought in the back of my mind for my entire life.”

Haskell has spent these past ten years growing up with someone miss-ing – physically. But he was there – in her heart.

“I’ve always thought about how much my life has changed in the past ten years and what might have been differ-ent,” she said. “I’ve thought about what my dad has missed, like prom, gradu-ation, and meeting important people in my life.”

These moments make up what every 9/11 victim has experienced throughout the 3,652 days since the Towers fell.

Since, the Haskell family has re-membered their lost brothers everyday. But there’s one day in particular – the annual golf outing in memory of their loved ones favorite past-time.

“I may not have always noticed it, but 9/11 has indirectly impacted each and every one of my decisions every single day,” Haskell said, “and it always will.”

For some families, the only re-liever they know is their voice. For the Pascuma family of Massapequa Park and the Cain family of Massapequa, storytelling is their healer.

The Pascuma family lost husband and father, Michael Pascuma, a stock-broker at the Twin Towers and a well-known Massapequa resident. A stone outside of St. Rose Church of Lima has been resting in Pascuma’s memory ever since. The Cain family lost son, brother and uncle, firefighter George Cain, who graduated from MHS in 1984.

When George’s mother, Rosemary Cain, was asked how she keeps her son’s memory alive, she simply replied, with no hesitation, “I talk about my son.”

Cain volunteers at the 9/11 memo-rial site where she meets thousands of people every year. Each one of them has heard George’s name.

“I walk with them, and I tell them my son’s story,” she said, “there’s a presence there, it is a very sacred place, it’s where they all took their last breath and it feels as though they’re all there with us.”

The Pascuma family also has their own stories to tell.

“For the last five years we’ve been having a big family dinner on the night of September 11,” Melissa

since that day,” Gangi said, “I feel like that was a different life; I think we all do.”

Yet the one thing connecting this before and after sequence is something that will never fade – her father’s smile.

“That’s what keeps me going,” she said, “to know that he was always happy and always smiling is … it’s amazing.”

Gangi went on to describe what she calls “the small things,” the little moments that her father created and appreciated, whether it be listening to Zydeco music in the morning (feel free to Google that), dancing around while making coffee together, or watching him play golf – even if she didn’t like the game.

“I just always wanted to be around him, I’d sit there just to watch him play,” she said, “I’ve passed the golf course since and I still feel like he’s there.”

And just as the Pascuma family has kept their father with them through everything during these last ten years, the Cain family has made sure to do the exact same thing – whether it’s lighting a candle, or placing a Christmas tree in front of the firehouse every year.

“Sometimes it’s just as simple as saying a prayer,” Cain said, “he’s every-where. Pictures of him are everywhere throughout the house, and they will be here throughout the next ten years.”

However, Cain doesn’t know how these next ten years will be, or the ten years after that. All she knows is that her son’s presence will still be alive inside of their home, their family, and their hearts.

“It’s not about 9/11,” she said.. “It’s about the 35 years that he lived.”

Recently, the Pascuma family took part in something the entire na-tion is doing to remember the years the victims lived.

BY JENNA FRATELLOEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Pascuma-Gangi, an MHS alumni said, “we tell stories, and we look back, but sometimes the best thing is to just relax – together.”

Gangi was 23 years old on that day, her brother Michael was 20, and her youngest brother Christopher was a sophomore at MHS. Since, the siblings have spent these past ten years in their own ways – pursuing grad school, be-ginning their careers, and starting their own families.

For Melissa, her daughters have been a reflection of her father each and every day.

“My oldest daughter, I named her Madison Michael for a reason. She’ll say to me ‘Do you miss your daddy?’ or she’ll hold a picture of him and say ‘Do you wish you could take him out of the picture and hold him?’” she said, “And every time the answer is ‘yes.’”

The same reflection is seen within the Cain family every day. George’s nieces and nephew’s, Christopher, Meaghan, and Conor, have taken his adventurous spirit with them through the decade.

“The three of them spent so much time with him, he was the fun uncle that every little kid wanted,” Cain said. “He would take them on all of his adventures, he was a skier, a golfer, a mountain climber – and that stuck with the kids.”

However, there is one child that exhibits the most of George’s full-of-life persona.

“Conor,” Cain said, “I definitely see the most of George in Conor. He is very kind-hearted, he loves everybody, he loves life, he loves the world – just like George.”

These reflections have been the reason for the division of each family’s life: a life before that day, and a life after that day.

“So many things have changed

Tuesday’s Children, a non-profit dedicated to serving the lives of 9/11 families has compiled a personal col-lection of letters, the Legacy Letters, to be published in honor of those lost. The proceeds will support the organization’s counseling, mentoring, health and well-ness programs, as well as the Project Common Bond – its international peace project to end terrorism.

“I wrote one for dad,” she said, “I thought he deserved it.

Peter Gangi, Melissa’s husband, has also believed that writing is a form of healing these last ten years. Through small notes, post-its, or letters, Melissa and her husband will pick up a piece of paper from time to time, and write down a memory that pops into their head.

“We don’t want to forget it, it sounds a little silly,” she said, “but we write it down right away…and we save it.”

Hearing these stories reminded me of a quote that I once heard.

Gandhi once said, “Whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it’s very important that you do it.” As the years pass by, and the pages of the cal-endar get further away from September 11, 2001 each day, remembering might seem insignificant at times – as though it won’t change anything. But that’s okay. Remembering is meant for us to bring back those moments we wish we could, even if it’s just writing something on a piece of paper – even if it’s just for a second. It’s very important that we do it.

Closure may never come, the fear may come back, but the memories remain alive within all of us – the good ones. The ones of a dad’s warm hug, of a child’s smiling face, of the way a mother smelled, of a firefighter beaming in the line of duty – they remain alive. Forever.

THE CHIEF 2SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

Weigh To Go is the way to go

The Good: Restaurant-style service, and a fun atmosphere with meals in convenient containersThe Bad: The semi-long walk down the block The Ugly: $$

The Good: Interesting twists on classic pizzas at a reasonably cheap price The Bad: Limited seating areas and a congested atmosphereThe Ugly: $

The Good: Delicious authentic Paninis in a quaint and warm atmosphereThe Bad: Traditional restaurant-style seating with-out any fixed-lunch menuThe Ugly: $$$$$

The Good: An accommodating atmosphere with a wide variety including the famous foot-long subs The Bad: Finding a seat can be difficult, and some of the sandwiches can cost up to $7The Ugly: $$$

The Good: A close-to-the-high-school location (the closest place!) with variety of lunch optionsThe Bad: The crowds, enough said. The Ugly: $ – $$$

The Good: You get served quickly and the student menu has a wide variety.The Bad: After 1:00 pm they stop serving student specials.The Ugly: $$$

Each $ = approximately $2.50

REVIEW

BY ASHLEY ADLERSENIOR LAYOUT EDITOR

Yogurt might seem like a plain and simple meal, but hold your tongue until you’ve tried the new yogurt place, Weigh To Go, located just one block from the school. With seven machines, two flavors per machine, 33 toppings, and three canis-ters of Ghirardelli syrup, (not to mention the gluten free products, muffins, coffee, slurpees and Ben & Jerry’s) this new yogurt is sure to be a hot spot for health-conscious students looking for a delicious retreat during lunch periods.

“It’s like the Haagen-Dazs of yo-gurt,” owner Michael Banks said.

Banks hopes to cater to students by showing archives of varsity sports on television and Wi-Fi.

It seems that Banks has thought of

every detail, even down to the pairing of flavors. For example, peanut butter and Hershey’s chocolate flavors can be swirled together, or dispensed separately from the same machine, to create a Reese’s yogurt blend with all the flavor, and hardly any of the calories. For reassurance, nutrition facts and charts are located just across from the yogurt machines.

Here, patrons can find yogurt that’s “tasty, and healthy for your digestive sys-tem,” employee and recent MHS graduate Andrea Keuchler said, “We have different flavors and more toppings which make us stand out from other yogurt places.”

Toppings range from freshly cut fruit, to everyone’s favorite sprinkles and syrup, and with a student discount, be sure to pile on the yogurt, and shed the weight. So as we start off the new school year,

102 minutes that changed the worldBY TOM STRONG-GRINSELL

MANAGING EDITORIt’s a moment in American history

that will never be forgotten. It’s a mo-ment where each and every American will remember where they were when the news broke.

Ten years ago, the United States underwent the most devastating attack on American soil in the nation’s then 225-year history.

The day’s events unfolded through the media - television networks cancel-ling regular programming in order to cover the tragic events.

“To watch helpless, is a horror,” CNN Reporter Diane Sawyer said during live coverage as the events un-folded.

Ten years later, we live in a world with real-time 24/7 internet updates and

social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Though rumors can spread quickly through such sites, they can often be de-bunked quickly and have also provided help in relief efforts and recovery efforts such as in Japan and Joplin, Missouri after recent natural disasters.

“I think before September 11 the world had a certain naiveté, that made the US feel invincible,” senior Stephanie Rollens said. “They grew from viewing the world through rose-colored lenses to taking notice of the raw and sometimes unfortunate and tragic things that could happen to such a powerful nation.”

In modern times the media tends to focus on the sensational and often the negative, neglecting outreach and the better parts of society.

By using these sites information

can be rapidly rellayed from person-to-person, allowing for stories and expereinces to be shared with the push of a single button.

The use of sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube allows everyone to be a “citizen journalist” uploading pictures, videos and thoughts; joining a global conversation that can be viewed around the world.

Though the liability and trans-parency that comes from social media could not have prevented the events that unfolded on September 11, 2001 these sites could have provided more primary sources and more insight from the ev-eryday American. And if nothing else, this technology could have provided Americans with proof that they were not powerless and they were not alone.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010 THE CHIEF 3

Weigh To Go is the way to go

The Good: Delicious tax-free pizza in a spacious area right across from the school. $20 can last you two full weeks of school if you order a plain slice of pizzaThe Bad: Certain toppings can cause the usually cheap prices to nearly double The Ugly: $$

The Good: Tasty assortments and toppings, rang-ing from all-natural yogurt to delicious parfaits, smoothies, beverages, and moreThe Bad: The taste is great, and so is the service—but space can be limited and it can be priceyThe Ugly: $$

The Good: The only coffeehouse by MHS that’s open all day; has a variety of menu optionsThe Bad: Depending on what you order and the size the price could rise up to $10The Ugly: $$$

The Good: Sushi, sandwiches, bagels, and other snacks without long linesThe Bad: No available seatingThe Ugly: $-$$$

The Good: The only Juice it Up location on the east coast of the U.S., and they make great smoothiesThe Bad: Prices are slightly expensive for what you’re buying, and they don’t sell true mealsThe Ugly: $$$

The Good: Great bagels and spacious seating, including tables outsideThe Bad: Long lines and moderate serviceThe Ugly: $$

REVIEW

The Chief Editorial StaffEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jenna FratelloMANAGING EDITORTom Strong-Grinsell

CHIEF COPY EDITORNick Barbieri

COPY EDITORSKaran Chhatpar

Joe ZappaGRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lauren ReisigSPORTS EDITOR

Jon GrantLAYOUT EDITORS

Ashley Adler Jess Graff

BUSINESS MANAGERSpencer Nord

ADVISERElyn Coyle

every detail, even down to the pairing of flavors. For example, peanut butter and Hershey’s chocolate flavors can be swirled together, or dispensed separately from the same machine, to create a Reese’s yogurt blend with all the flavor, and hardly any of the calories. For reassurance, nutrition facts and charts are located just across from the yogurt machines.

Here, patrons can find yogurt that’s “tasty, and healthy for your digestive sys-tem,” employee and recent MHS graduate Andrea Keuchler said, “We have different flavors and more toppings which make us stand out from other yogurt places.”

Toppings range from freshly cut fruit, to everyone’s favorite sprinkles and syrup, and with a student discount, be sure to pile on the yogurt, and shed the weight. So as we start off the new school year,

keep in mind that just a few doors down, students are welcome to enjoy the exciting side of yogurt that is Weigh To Go.

Best of all, MHS students and staff can get their yogurt at a discounted price of just 40 cents per ounce. Just text “STUDENT” to 516-628-6468.

The Chief makes every effort to print news that is relevant to the student population in a fair and unbiased fashion. Letters to the editor may be sent to

mhsthechief@gmail.com. We reserve the right to edit for grammatical errors. The Chief does not accept anonymous letters; however, names may be withheld upon request.

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JOE ZAPPA//THE CHIEFMHS senior Laura Creavan hard at work

THE CHIEF 4SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

Dear Sophomores, I cannot believe that I am a senior.

These are the eight words that all of you will be saying in three years – except, it won’t really feel like three years. It will just feel like a second or two.

It’s my first night of summer, and I’m sitting at my desk trying to rekindle every anxious thought that I had racing through my mind as I prepared myself to enter MHS as a Sophomore – excitement and nervousness come to mind, of course. Part of myself is still getting used to the feeling of knowing that as you all start your experience here, I, on the other hand, am ending mine. It really does go that quickly – I never believed that when I was a Sophomore. But trust me, it does. And while I can’t give you the mapped-out guide to high school and the cafeteria that Cady Heron gets from Janice in Mean Girls, what I can give to you all is just a simple “welcome.” Okay, maybe I can give you a little bit of a “map,” too.

Let’s see, through extensive and investigative analyzed research, I’ve found that the girl’s bathroom with the best lighting is the one in the Art Wing hallway. It also has the best scenery since it’s facing four art-student produced murals – one for each MHS theatrical production since 2008. I’ve learned that it’s physically impossible to get passed a couple holding hands up the stairway so, the best way to get through the awkward stairway encounter is to

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thechiefonline.com

Confessions of a new studentWhether you’re moving to

Massapequa from one of our neighbor-ing towns or you’re traveling cross country, it’s going to be an adventure. I would know, because last year I moved into Massapequa and was welcomed into a school over four times as large as my previous. I’ll share a bit of my story, and on the way, give you some tips on how to make your new adventure the best you’ve had.

Be confident. In August of 2010 I moved into Massapequa as a sopho-more. I must confess, the entire month until school began, I was pretty nervous; as anyone would be. I was worried about being rejected or labeled as the newbie, and about finding my way around the gigantic campus. As school approached, my nerves began to calm. I realized that if I was too nervous, it probably wouldn’t be helpful when try-ing to meet new friends. I found a new sense of confidence and used this and my full personality to help me make new friends when school began.

Be yourself. The movies and some other people will tell about how going to a new school allows you to re-invent yourself. I feel this statement would be better if phrased; “going to a new school allows you to show yourself off”. If you are reinventing yourself, then are you really being yourself? When I got ready to enter Massapequa High School, I decided that if I was my full

BY JESSICA GRAFFJUNIOR LAYOUT EDITOR

Welcome to Massapequa High School, class of 2014

and total self, it’d be better off in the long-run, because then I will know my friends are my friends because of my personality and because they like me for who I am.

Let them know who you are. On the first day, I was terrified, I walked into a sea of students, all of which I didn’t know. My classes were mixed with all

different ages and different types of people. At first I felt it would be nearly impossible to make friends on the first day. As the school day progressed I re-alized that if people knew that I was a new student who didn’t know anyone, people became more eager to talk to me. This sounds silly, but I would literally make it my goal for the first week to let it be known in each class, “I’m new, and I’m Jessica”.

Take your time and find the right “lunch buddies”. Lunch was the scari-est part of my first day in Massapequa. On my first day, I sat by myself at the picnic tables, literally frightened. As the week continued however, I began to talk to different people in my other classes, and by the third week of school I had my “lunch buddies” all set.

I highly recommend that you do not sit by yourself on the first day, look for a group of young girls or guys that you can see yourself being friends with, if

it’s a group of two, or a group of ten. Walk up to the table, introduce yourself (Remember: tell them you’re new), and ask them if you could sit with them. If you get shot down, keep your head up! There are plenty of other amazing and kind students whom will gladly let you sit with them. If you are just too nervous to make the attempt, talk to others in

your other classes and find someone in your lunch period.

Join clubs, but not those. You’ve probably had a million and two people tell you that the best way to make friends is to join a club. Not only does a club look spiffy on a college application, but it does help you to find friends. However, I strongly recommend you don’t join a club that doesn’t interest you. If you end up joining a club that is of no interest of you, it will be just as difficult to find friends as it would be to not join at all. Joining a club that you do not care for will make you bored or aggravated being there, and it will show. Students are in that club because they have a common interest for the club and its activities, if you are not interested in the club and its activities, the other club members will notice your lack of inter-est. Join a club that interests you; and do it quick! Unfortunately, I waited and joined a club in the last semester, which

is fine, but now that I know about all the clubs Massapequa High School has to offer, I wish I had joined more, and I will this year. So, take some time in the beginning of the year and look on the school’s website at the long list of clubs available; there is surely something there for everyone.

All in all, I’m sure whether you’re a sophomore or an upperclass-man, you will have a great adventure in Massapequa High School from start to finish. Remember to be confident, yourself, patient, and informed! Your first day or even first week of school may be uncomfortable, but it gets better, trust me. Good luck and have fun!

simply let them hold hands and avoid making any unnecessary eye-rolls, sighs, or mumbled comments about their attempted stairwell walk in unison – it’s important to always possess proper hallway etiquette. And if you’re just looking to brighten up your school day, the only way to do so is to stop by Coach K’s desk in the main hallway, say ‘hello’ to him, and listen to one of his stories – he’s a legend at MHS.

Aside from that, there’s really only one thing that I want to tell you: don’t waste time. From this day on, you have approximately 1,028 days until you graduate. It’s like in that movie 500 Days of Summer, where all of a sudden

500 days pass by – some good, some not so good – but all of a sudden it’s over – and you can’t get it back. High school is like that. So soak up all the time that you can, and fill it up with whatever makes you happy – this time is one of the most valuable times of your entire life (that sounds scary, doesn’t it?) Actually, this entire building may seem scary at first. Or it may seem like just another school with classrooms and desks and teachers. But it’s not. For most of you, this building will become a new page for you to turn every single day.

And maybe it is a second or two. Maybe it is the second that it will take to get accustomed to the daily walk to the

Cart Lady. Maybe it is the second that it will take to smile at your best friend since first grade in the hallway, or that new friend that you just met in classroom gym. Maybe it is the second that it will take to notice that this building is the place where so many memories will be made. And maybe it is the second that it will take to feel like these next three years are the ones that will take you to new places and new dreams – enjoy them. MHS is your new canvas – learn on it, create on it, laugh on it, live on it. Make it yours.

I wish you all a great three years. I’ll see you around the hallway.

“If you are reinventing yourself, then are you really being yourself?”

BY JENNA FRATELLO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Reprinted from The Chief November 2009