Photos property of Ms. Kinane. Video by Jenna Levine.
BUTY Club
BUTY Club
By Jenna Levine
Comsewogue’s B.U.T.Y Club is a group of students who are brought together to “bring unity to youth.” The club’s main goal is to create a mutual understanding and respect between all groups regardless of creed, race, color, or national origin.
The B.U.T.Y Club encourages kindness and respect between members of the school and have field trips to become involved in Unity Day, and things alike. Additionally, they participate in fundraisers for organizations such as Ride for Life and Habitat for Humanity.
Three members of the B.U.T.Y Club, William Swierupski, Giovanni Aliperti, and Hannah Kitt all say that they’re raising money for those in need throughout the community. They agree that the best part about being in the club is helping the people who really need it, and doing so with friends.
Ms. Kinane, the club advisor, said, “We go to a build or two a year, depending, and we actually do labor. This past build we planted 16 trees and leveled the ground for sod.” They do this for Habitat for Humanity. She adds on about ALS Ride for Life saying, “Through the efforts of the gym teachers, the honor societies, the sports clubs, and also the B.U.T.Y club raising money, we are able to contribute to ALS fundraising by a couple thousand dollars a year.”
Other places in the area are also working to bring unity amongst youth. Eastern Suffolk BOCES has a program called Council for Unity. This is an anti-gang, violence-prevention program. The Council for Unity is described by the acronym F.U.S.E, which stands for family, unity, self-esteem, and empowerment1.
Additionally, Riverhead holds an annual East End Youth Leadership Summit. At this event they, “Bring together youth and community leaders from across the East End for a day of unity, education, and awareness through the exploration of issues affecting teen lives in our community.”2
As clearly demonstrated by Comsewogue’s B.U.T.Y Club and other organizations on Long Island, there are people who actually care about making a difference and creating unity among the youth. Allowing people of all kinds or backgrounds to work together seems to be the best way to bring unity to the younger generations.
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1 Eastern Suffolk BOCES. (2013, March 3). Council for Unity. James Hines Administration Center
2Civiletti D. (2012, October 23). Council for Unity members attend Youth Leadership Summit. Riverhead High School
A new judge in the court: Comsewogue's Law Club
A new judge in the court: Comsewogue's Law Club
By Hayley Villani
Did you know the Comsewogue has a club that prepares for a mock trial in a courtroom setting and competes against other schools? Comsewogue’s Law Club has been around for many years. The current adviser of the Law Club is Mr. Schauss, but before him was Mrs. McGuinness, and before her was Mr. Botkin. There is an interesting story behind each time this role got passed down, and the Law Club continues to grow as it adapts to new advisers.
“The Famous Mr. Botkin,” according to Mrs. McGuinness, was the original adviser of Comsewogue’s Law Club. However, he got moved up to Dean a few years later and could no longer do the club. Mrs. McGuinness said, “He was nice enough to pass it along to me, and that’s how I ended up doing the Law Club.”
Jay McGuinness, a.k.a McGuinn, described the Law Club as “one of the coolest clubs in the school.” So what does the Law Club do? At the beginning of the year, the club is given a specific case from the New York State Bar Association. They spend weeks in club meetings studying the case and preparing to compete against other schools. Preparing the case consists of developing a defense and a prosecution. This is then presented in front of a real lawyer who comes in and acts as a judge, or sometimes even a real judge.
The club goes to many competitions, presenting the same case all year. If they make it to the top, they could even go to playoffs in Central Islip which is held in a real Courthouse with a real judge. Mrs. McGuinness describes this experience as being “really fun, man,” and the only reason she ever gave it up was that she had two clubs on Wednesdays that had playoffs at the same time two years in a row. She wound up having to pick which playoff event to go to. “It just didn’t feel right to do that during playoffs, that you’re abandoning your team,” said McGuinness.
So, in 2018, she decided to hand off the gavel to the Law Club’s current adviser, Mr. Schauss. The year that Mr. Schauss took over was actually his first year teaching here at Comsewogue. “It was a little overwhelming, but luckily the person who had it before me taught the students very well. Essentially, they taught me most of the things,” said Mr. Schauss.
Adding onto what Mrs. McGuinness previously said about preparing for the competitions, Mr. Schauss mentioned that they get a new case each year. He also said that they have to make opening and closing statements and play the roles of lawyers questioning witnesses. “It’s kind of a mix of acting but also debating,” said Mr. Schauss.
The Law Club’s President, Shamal Jahan, also had a lot to say about what it’s like to be a member of the Law Club. Shamal joined the Law Club when she was in tenth grade and she said, “I was really nervous because I had a huge interest in Law, but it’s like a scary career.”
The Law Club actually didn’t get to compete the year she joined, so this year was a whole new experience for her. She describes the feeling she gets while competing as nothing like she’s ever felt before but in a good way. She also mentions how, throughout the year, you get to learn a lot about your teammates— their strengths and weaknesses— and you can really bond with them.
Mr. Schauss and Shamal even started planning for next year. Shamal said that this year was a little stressful because they had just enough people to compete, so they are definitely looking for more people to join next year. They also have some goals for next year as well. “I think really our goal is just to like to get to the top fifteen so we can actually compete,” said Shemal, in hopes of making it to the playoffs.
Video by Hayley Villani
Similar to High School Law Clubs, many Colleges and Universities such as Hofstra University and Columbia University also have very successful Law Clubs. These clubs offer a space where students can learn an ample amount about and deepen their understanding of the Law process while having fun and creating friendships and bonds at the same time.
At Hofstra University, they have the Law Society. The Law Society is offered many opportunities to participate in Mock Trials, Moot Courts, and other similar events where they can compete amongst other teams. They also get to learn a lot from legal professionals throughout these trials, when they bring in guest speakers, workshops, and other events that the Law Society Clubs partake in1. The Law Society also works hard to foster community engagement.
At Columbia University, members of the Law Club are able to attend many debates, workshops, panel discussions, and lectures where they can hear and learn from other students and legal professionals to help prepare them for Law beyond college2. Like Hofstra’s Law Society, Columbia’s Law Club also participates in many Mock Trials, Moot Courts, community engagement events, and mentorship opportunities.
These law clubs go a step further than High School Law Clubs and play a big role in encouraging future Lawyers, Judges, and more so that while Law School may be hard, they can get through it while having fun and be successful in the end.
Over the course of this year, Comsewogue’s Law Club improved immensely. They had their ups and downs, but they gained a lot of new members and grew stronger. “We kinda took this year in stride,” said Mr. Schauss.
No matter how big the club gets, it is always open to new members. In fact, Comsewogue will be offering an actual Mock Trial Class next school year. Mr. Schauss mentions how it would be great to do both the class and the club because “it looks great on a resume, and it’s a great time.”
What was originally Mr. Botkin’s Law Club is still flourishing years later under Mr. Schauss. As each new teacher takes over as adviser, the Law Club changes and improves and continues to be successful. But, this wouldn’t be possible without the students in the club who put in the effort to make the club as successful as it is. So, if you’re looking for something fun and challenging at the same time, join Comsewogue’s Law Club!
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1 Hofstra University. Student Life - Student Organizations | Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. (n.d.). Law.hofstra.edu. Retrieved May 17, 2023, from https://law.hofstra.edu/student-life/student-organizations/
2 All Student Organizations and Journals. (n.d.). Www.law.columbia.edu. Retrieved May 17, 2023, from https://www.law.columbia.edu/community-life/student-life/student-organizations-journals/all-student-organizations-and-journals
Diplomacy Starts Here:
Comsewogue's Model UN
By Riley Candreva
The students of Comsewogue formed a Model UN this February. Earlier this year, sophomore Will Swierupski had the idea to start a Model UN at Comsewogue. The idea gained traction with other students and was eventually given the go-ahead to become a club with Mr. Wessel as the administrator.
A Model UN is, according to the UN itself, “a popular activity for those interested in learning more about how the UN operates.”¹ Members will be given a country to represent in the club. This means that the member must align with the country’s views during club meetings even if the member holds the opposite views. At the beginning of each meeting, members will be given a topic. Then members will be given a brief period of time to research their country’s views on said topic. Afterward, they will get together with other people who represent countries with similar views to their own. These groups will formulate arguments and select two members to go onto the floor and debate the other groups.
The club has stopped meeting for the year and will meet again next year, according to the club’s founder, Will Swierupski, who I recently interviewed. I asked him what inspired him to start the club and he responded, “I like hearing people debate and talk about their opinions and I think this is a very good way of doing that”. I then asked him how he decided on the topics discussed by the club, and he responded, “I take suggestions because I know it’s important for people to be more involved with the club. I really want people to talk about what they think is important.” Finally, I asked him what he thinks of the club’s future, he responded, “I think the future of the club is pretty bright. I think we’ll have a lot more members and I think it’ll be pretty fun.”
Although it was Will’s idea to start the Model UN, he wasn’t able to start it alone. Will had help from his friend, Jiaqi Wang in getting the club off the ground. I recently interviewed her and I asked her what her reaction was to Will’s idea to start a Model UN. She responded, “I was a little shocked at first and I didn’t know if he could actually pull it off and find people to be interested in it, but when he spread the word, he started telling people that it was a debate club and we were going to learn about other countries and disputes. I thought it was pretty cool.” I then asked her what her thoughts on the club were. She responded, “I think it’s a really good way to interact with other people and learn new things about other countries and resolve their issues and how we can strive to better the future.” Finally, I asked her what her thoughts were on the future of the club. She responded, “I think it would be pretty cool if we could participate in competitions outside of school and against other schools, but leaving it in this school district is fine because it’s a good learning opportunity for students to learn social studies that they wouldn’t learn in school.”
For a club to be started in Comsewogue, it needs an administrator and Will made the best possible decision by going to Comsewogue’s AP World History teacher, Mr. Wessel to administrate the club. I was able to interview Mr. Wessel and ask him what his initial reaction to Will’s proposal was. He responded, “In the past, students have talked about it before and initially I said ok if you want to start it. To be honest I didn’t think he would go through with it, but he did and I was pleasantly surprised that he was able to gather a lot
Video by Ryan Flaherty
of people to get involved, he brought international flags. He did the leg work that was necessary to start a club like this.” I then asked him what made him choose to administrate the club. He responded, “I was asked. I get asked to do a lot of different things. Some of them have more appeal than others. I think that in this case, with Model UN, it fits in well with AP World [History]. In addition to that, William had a passion for it, so I had a feeling that it would work this time if we tried it. Model UN teaches skills that I think are lacking [such as] argumentation, oratory, and I think that’s a benefit to anybody who’d be in there.”
UNA-USA agrees with Mr. Wessel here as they state, “Through public speaking, critical thinking, and in-depth research, the Model UN experience allows students to cultivate skills and enrich their global affairs knowledge.”²
While Comsewogue’s Model UN has been put on hold until next year, the club holds an exciting and bright future.
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¹ “Model United Nations | United Nations.” the United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/mun. Accessed 1 June 2023.
² “Model UN – UNA-USA.” UNA-USA, https://unausa.org/model-un/. Accessed 1 June 2023.
What in HUmanity?!
What in HUmanity?!
Written By Aleayah Arman
Comsewogue High School is a "School of Excellence." As suggested on the sign, the students here indeed describe it as exactly that. The multiple Honors Societies in place for student scholars can properly provide recognition and an avenue to express that area of interest and intellect. Humanities " including art, literature, philosophy, and history are important to help us understand who we are, where we came from, and what the future may be"
By studying these subjects, they develop critical thinking skills, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the human experience.
Video by Jenna Levine
While some may think that humanities majors have limited career options, their skills are highly valued in various fields, including education, law, journalism, and technology. In short, pursuing a humanities degree can lead to a fulfilling and rewarding career and a richer and more meaningful life. Enrolling in such honor societies can give you that edge.
The English Honor Society was founded by advisor Mrs.O'Hara to express the importance of English literature through different community events. Founded six years ago, Mrs. O'Hara loves sharing insightful outlooks on English education in and outside school programs. Toward the end of the 2022 school year, Mrs.O'Hara transferred the responsibility of the English Honor Society to Mrs.Casey. Mrs. O'Hara was enthusiastic about the opportunity for new ideas and endeavors for the English Honors Society and its members.
Within this year, Mrs.Casey has done a fabulous job running the society and providing keen new activities and involvement for the members. " I really love kids that really love English and literature and reading .. and helping others and it's been a lot of fun to see them thrive." Mrs. Casey and Mrs.O'Hara have a lot of fun ideas and plans for the members and the English department, and we can only look forward with eager eyes.
"As relevant to the human environment, with particular attention to reflecting on our diverse heritage, traditions, and history, and to the relevance of the humanities to the current” Social Studies Honor Society's main goal is to get every student to prepare and register to vote before they leave school. Mrs.McGuiness prides herself on creating a fun and immersive style of teaching for her students with history education. We hate to see her leave in the following year, but I'm sure she has great plans ahead for her transfer of responsibilities.
Lastly, especially in this last year, the business department expanded to the greatest of heights, thanks to Mr. K and his team. Who developed its own Honor Society.
Starting this year, the Business Honor Society and, with similar efforts, Women in Business, have shared valued skill sets and personnel with the students to provide not only education on the topic but to prepare them for the working field and the exposure to further help them understand the complexities that different businesses may include, and the efforts and involvement are only going to get better.
The Humanities Honor Societies provide such an opportunity, and we welcome all students to learn as much as they can to follow any opportunity and edge they can receive within their high school career.
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1 (Teaching the Humanities. May 10, 2022)
2 '(Stanford Humanities. "What are the humanities? ''Accessed September 19 (2018).
Video by: Gavin Perlow
Photos by: Anthony Ketterer
A year in the Workplace
by Jacquelyn Cervini
The virtual enterprise class here at Comsewogue High School has been the talk of the year this year. People are already demanding it is put in their schedule for next year, wanting to get a glimpse into the hectic business world that is Virtual Enterprise. By far, the most crowded and lively booth at the elective fair this year was the Virtual Enterprise booth. Even students who couldn’t take it until next year were crowding around and trying to talk to Mr. Ketterer.
Virtual Enterprise is an online experience where students form their own companies at school and try to sell their products to other companies. You then go to in-person sales shows and try to sell your products to other students in person which is a lot of fun! By taking Virtual Enterprise, students test drive potential careers and gain business experience.1
Virtual Enterprise runs like an office system in the classroom. There's a CEO, CCO, CMO, and CFO. Following that in the lower divisions are Human Resources, Marketing, Sales, Social Media, Finance, etc. The two companies that did well this year were Usecure and Simplecycle. They both earned awards at competitions and were recognized by VE staff for their hard work.
The CEO of the company Usecure is Riley Hughes. This was Riley’s second time around in Virtual Enterprise, having taken the class last year. This time though, becoming CEO has taught her that “it takes a whole class to make everything work.” The quote “It takes a village” comes to mind when she says that to run a business and a successful one at that, it does need everyone's participation and effort to push through. Usecure went on to get top ten in the nation for their newsletter and made it to the second round of the business plan competition.
Jack Montoya is the CEO of the company SimpleCycle. Like Riley, this was his second year in the VE class, which made him an obvious choice for CEO. Being the CEO for a bunch of high schoolers can seem a little intimidating, but not for Jack. He loved it! His favorite thing, in fact, about being CEO was “getting to meet all the new people that are part of this firm and really getting close with everyone and becoming a small little family.” It’s really cool to see how close some people get in such a short amount of time from this class. SimpleCycle earned gold in the sales competition and placed in the top 25 percent of all major job competitions.
Mr. Ketterer is the Virtual Enterprise teacher here at Comsewogue, and it is one of his favorite classes to teach. His role as the VE teacher is to oversee the company and make sure everything runs smoothly, as well as step in if help is needed. When asked if students did better this year compared to last year, he said, “ Each firm, each year, is growing. We get returning virtual enterprise students, so each year there's more experience, more knowledge, and these firms get more and more successful as we continue the program.”
This Virtual Enterprise year was definitely one for the books. We had successful firms, and most importantly, memories were made that will last a lifetime. For the returning students in the class next year, have a great year. And to the new students in the class, you made a great choice!
1Virtual Enterprise- How VE Works https://veinternational.org/for-schools/
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