To honor Hispanic culture and traditions, Comsewogue High School hosted Hispanic Heritage Night on Friday, December 18, 2023, after 3 years without one! The celebration was held in the cafeteria and those who attended had access to a bunch of different delicious foods made by families who attended the event, as well as some refreshing drinks. Many different cultural dances and songs were incorporated and introduced at the event as well. In addition to this, students were given the opportunity to talk to a variety of speakers about possible future careers.

The dance started at 6:00 pm and it was a way to celebrate all different kinds of Hispanic backgrounds and cultures. I have heard about the event before and I have always had the interest to attend. This year, I was finally able to go. It is a great experience and our school did a great job hosting it! I talked to some students and a Spanish teacher here at Comsewogue High School about their take on the night.

In an interview, Spanish teacher Rosa Antelo states that her favorite part about the event was, “Seeing all the students and the community come together in light of this celebration. However, she also thinks that one thing could have been a little different. Mrs. Antelo adds, “We didn’t prepare ahead of time, so the music didn’t work as well as we wanted to”. While this may be true, everyone still had a very good time. Speaking of having a good time, junior Rina Mena’s cultural dance really blew everyone away! The dance was called el baile Folklórico del Salvador which is a folkloric dance from Coatepeque, El Salvador. She states, “It was something that's very important for me and my culture, and I was glad to be able to share it with Comsewogue”. Speaking of dancing, junior Naomi Diaz says that her favorite kind of dance to do at the event was Bachata. She also adds “I think my favorite part was definitely the guest speakers; I liked hearing their stories”. 

While enjoying themselves at the event, the community was provided with a wide variety of different kinds of Hispanic meals and classic favorite Hispanic foods. Everything was so delicious, and there were so many choices! I asked around about what foods were most favored: Rina elaborates, “For me, it was definitely the beans – I’m pretty sure they were Dominican… I just really like habichuelas because they’re different from the beans from where I’m from”. Since there were so many options to choose from, I received different answers and opinions. Naomi reckons, “definitely the tostones!"

Although presented with many different foods and dances, the night had a more significant meaning to those who attended. Naomi explains, “To me, it was significant because my parents are immigrants, so seeing my culture is really nice”. Although meant to be a fun night, the purpose behind it was to create a night where Hispanic families can come together and celebrate their heritage and culture, while remembering where they are from. It is a beautiful tradition, and I hope it continues to inspire those who partake in it.

Comsewogue’s Drama Club is performing Anastasia on February 9th and 10th. This year’s show is sure to be spectacular with the new direction of Ms. Stephens - our new chorus teacher - and the talent of the students involved. From the end of the show the previous year to the end of closing night, constant dedication and work is put into making words on a script into a well-oiled machine; dependent upon each with every cog and person involved. 

As her first high school production, Ms. Stephens describes her experience and the experience of most actors involved when she says “It is probably the most work I’ve ever done in my life, but it’s so rewarding at the same time”. Her job as director ranges from teaching music, casting, choreography, and blocking, to scheduling and managing aspects and working with stage crew and coworkers. 

Bella Kuhlow, a senior and veteran in Comsewogue’s music and drama department, describes a typical rehearsal saying, “We warm up, we get ready around 2:30, and then we start going from there, and then we begin rehearsing songs, scenes, choreography, and more.”

As the show approaches, when we get closer to February, everything begins to come together, but the process also begins to get much more stressful. She describes how our rehearsal schedule changes as it gets down to crunch time when she says, “A lot of the sets are being built, the costumes are being bought, people are learning their harmonies and making sure all the songs are solid, and we run the dances a lot.”

Ms. Stephens summarizes the main reasons why the cast endures long rehearsals, late nights, and hard work when she says  “I do what I do for all of you. And because I love it.”

December Spirit is the event that goes on in Comsewogue High School in preparation for the holidays. All month long, there are many fun activities to participate in such as Admin on the Shelf, Chicken Noodle Soup Competition, Guess That Holiday Tune, and Door Decorating Contests. 

The event planning starts in November and is planned by Ms. Danisi, Mr. Mosca, and the Task Club. The Task club is responsible for planning a lot of the school activities. 

“Ms Bryant came up with “Name That Tune” and I came up with “Admin on the Shelf.” Ms. Danisi says, “Planning starts in November, and everything is ready for when we get back from Thanksgiving Break.” They talk to the teachers about ideas and plans with Mr. Mosca, since December is usually one of the months that drags.

“It’s just a fun way to make the month go by.” Mr. Mosca says. By the end of December, everyone is feeling more excited for the break and holidays, all because of the plans by Mrs. Bryant and Ms. Danisi.