Poetry is a widespread form of literature in our modern society. Kearny High School embraces the voice poetry provides for a writer by having an annual recital. This year, it was held on April 4th with the help of the poetry club officers and administrators. With 14 writers and 24 poems, the night was filled with students eager to share a part of themselves with the audience. One of the poetry club advisors, Mr. Wiener, was kind enough to answer a few questions.

Q: How long have you been writing poetry?

A: I’ve been writing poetry since I was around 12 or 13.

Q: How did you become interested in writing poetry?

A: I had a great 9th-grade teacher and class.

Q: What is a typical day in the poetry club?

A: We come in and read our original work, and that is really it. It's not a class we don’t have lessons; it is people coming in and reading their original work. It allows students to express themselves poetically; we have done recitals at the public library and in school.

Q: Do you have a favorite poem?

A: Yes, Dylan Thomas’ “Do not go gentle into that good night.” I believe it is the most important poem written in the English language, in any language. It tells you that you only have one crack at life and you better make it right.

Q: How does poetry benefit you and those in the poetry club?

A: There are many answers, but the answer I’ll give you is this. If something is inside of me and I don’t want it there and I make a poem and I write it on paper, I give it away and it is no longer mine.

If you didn’t go to the talent show last week, you really missed out. From exotic dancers to guitar tunes to slam poetry to a slap of emotions across the face, this year’s talent show did not disappoint. The show had it all, the most exciting and upbeat host, Y.O.G.I. and a group of tough judges, it was an incredible night.

With fifteen very talented acts, only three could place as winners. It must not have been an easy decision to make. In third place came a rapper and a poet. That’s right, this guy was able to master the art of rapping and crafted it into poetry. He recited about ten original verses with a rapper-like tone and had the crowd roaring after each one. Up next, in second place was a very gifted dancer who was simply brilliant. He performed a hip-hop routine beautifully. One could see his smile whilst and after the performance; he really does have a passion for dance. Even if he was nervous at the very beginning, his passion took the best of him and he made that stage his home, and that is pure talent. Last but certainly not least, in first place, was Bailey Canela. This act was not expected by anyone, not even him. He was the last performer of the night and still managed to top all the acts prior and took the prize. This act was a slam poetry recitation written by Bailey himself. In it, he went all out and opened his heart, his story, to the audience. Bailey did not have it easy, and he was brave enough to tell everyone in the auditorium. Not only that, he transformed his story into poetry. It was a very touching and well-written rhyming poem, and after every stanza, one could feel his emotion. Bailey had to stop a few times because he was too emotional to continue, but with a room full of a cheering crowd, Bailey got enough strength to continue and finish his poem. It was truly a beautiful act; he deserved to win.

The following is an interview conducted with Mrs. DeLuca:

Q: “What is the best part of being a teacher?”

A: “Helping students critically think about the world through literature and about how sources are presented to us.”

Q: “How do you train your students?”

A: “I make them work hard for exams and prepare them for the worst (by timing them, for example).”

Q: “Why did you choose to become a literature teacher?”

A: “I love to read books and become informed of the world. I believe that reading makes you tolerant and that words are extremely powerful.”

Q: “What do you expect from your students?”

A: “I have high expectations from my students, so I expect maximum effort. At the same time, however, I am fair and firm.”

Q: “What are your opinions on using technology for education?”

A: “I believe that Google Classroom is a helpful application that allows me to easily post assignments and Chromebooks are useful for easily taking notes (for the students), but I would rather read an essay on paper instead of one that is typed.”

Q: “How do you respond to those who don’t like to read?”

A: “I try to read about topics that the students are interested in and vary the subject of the texts that are part of assignments. For example, I might switch between science and historical passages.”

Q: “What are your policies for classes that aren’t AP or Honors?”

A: “I still have high expectations, but they are adjusted. No matter the level of the class, I still expect participation, too.”

Once again, congratulations to Mrs. DeLuca for achieving such a feat.

Overall the senior citizens were very grateful in terms of the dinner and are now able to see the fantastic play of High School Musical. However the night had to be finalized with the need to clean; tons of dishes and tons of wishes.

KHS is home to a variety of talent ranging from vocal talent, athletic, musical, and even literary. Acknowledging such talent, Authors, and juniors at KHS, Giuliana Evangelista and Alyssa Lopez, the authors of the previous Hidden Dimensions novel, held a book signing at the Kearny Public Library this past March 7, 2019. The new addition to their series is titled, Hidden Elements, follows their previous storyline with all new adventure and excitement. Both authors have created a story worth journeying in more and more sequels, prequels, and spin offs. With such capable talent in KHS, there is no doubt the 3rd installment is approaching sooner than expected. Until then, make sure to check out Hidden Dimensions, available on Amazon in paperback, on Kindle unlimited, and don’t forget to read Hidden Elements also available on these platforms. What will be the cost of survival? What is the greater good?

It’s the month of March, winter is almost over, and springtime is just around the corner. Before you get all excited, there is one thing that you may or may not know. The next day we have off is during spring break, which begins Friday, April 19th to April 26th. Throughout the whole month of March, there is no day off, not one. Two snow days have already been used and there is only one left. If it doesn’t get used in March, then it could be used during Memorial Day Weekend which is in May. Now although it may seem like spring break is a long time away, just think of how fast it will go by. As fast as a blink of an eye.

Charlotte is a shy girl, but once you get to know her, she really knows how to get the party started! Some of her favorite hobbies are photography, reading, and writing. Her favorite class is, of course, photography, but out of the four main subjects, she enjoys English the most. Charlotte expresses herself on paper, rather than verbally. She keeps different journals and notebooks for poetry and stories she writes on her own. She shared that it takes a while for the creativity to come to her, but once it does, she is invincible on paper!

Above that, Charlotte also shared that she sees herself traveling the world in ten years. Her favorite colors are black and red and her favorite/lucky number is three (3). She is a sophomore here at KHS and loves many things about the school, like some of the classes and art teachers, but she despises pep rallies. One last fun fact, she loves Riverdale with all her heart. With that, Charlotte said goodbye, but she did leave with an end note of one of her favorite quotes. The source of the quote is unknown, but it is very powerful.

“The confident, can break

The happy, can break

The strong, can be weak”

Miss Gonzalez is the director of the annual spring musical, with the help of Mr. Gargiulo as well. Kearny High School is producing High School Musical: on Stage! and they are excited to see everyone come and watch. The cast and crew have been sacrificing a lot of time into the show and look forward to performing. The banners have been hung up around town so make sure to keep an eye out!

Everyone should come and watch the shows, which will be on March 14,15, and 16 at 7pm. For students and senior citizens, it will be $8 but adults and everyone else pays $10. If you are unable to come, support by following @khshighschoolmusical on Instagram.

This year, you can also support the Kearny High Music Department with funding by buying a bracelet for $2 to dressing down on March 15th, 2019. We thank you for the support in advance and hope to see everyone come and watch our show!

Gianna Nigro is a senior at Kearny High School. Often referred as the baby among her friend group, Gianna only turned 17 in September. Within her four years in high school, she’s made sure to stay active, try new things and overall enjoy herself. Since freshman year, she’s done soccer and basketball. When she got to her sophomore year, she decided to join the track team which she honestly feels was the best decision of her life. She fell in love with the sport and continued doing all three sports her junior year too. Following her heart, she decided to leave soccer during the fall and join cross country. She is excited for outdoor track to start so she could end her high school athletic career on a happy note. After high school, she will continue to run in the cross country and track team of her college. She hopes to run for Ithaca College, which is her number one, but has two other schools she wouldn’t mind attending too. When she isn’t running, she enjoys reading, specifically, the Harry Potter series. She loves to reread them on occasion and proudly belongs to Hufflepuff. Gianna is a part of SGA and also a member of the National Honors Society. She’s participated in 12 Days of Christmas, powderpuff, and Kearny High’s new annual Dance Battle. Counting this year, she has been in Battle of the Classes all four years. Needless to say, Gianna has left her mark at KHS and we wish her the best of luck outside of high school.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, why not treat yourself or your loved one to a nice meal? Luckily, our wonderful town of Kearny has plenty of places to choose from. From Peruvian to Italian, there is a different flavor for everyone to enjoy. Some popular eating destinations around town include:

Mi Pueblito (412 Kearny Ave)

Brasas Brazillian Grill (449 Kearny Ave)

Gem Bistro (10 Schuyler Ave)

Saruku Japan (190 Passaic Ave)

Tops Diner (500 Passaic Ave)

Applebees (175 Passaic Ave)

Peter’s Pizzeria (449 Kearny Ave)

If you or your loved one aren’t particular fans of going out and eating at a restaurant, then why not just eat at home? Nowadays, there are plenty of takeout apps that bring any food you could want right to your door. Apps like UberEats, Postmates, Doordash, GrubHub, and many more are always an option and are great if you want the foods you crave at the comfort of your own home.

Do you ever ask yourself what food could possibly be good to eat in the school cafeteria? Sometimes you just have to stay in, especially in the winter when the weather is cold and you don’t feel like going out for lunch. In the school cafeteria there are multiple choices to choose from. There’s the fast food lane, which includes chicken tenders and fries, mozzarella sticks with fries, chicken wraps, and pizza. Also, there’s a place where you can build your own sandwiches, paninis, and wraps. Next the cafeteria has specials of the day such as:

Taco Meat

Chicken Fajita

Meatball Parmesan

Here are just a few of the many options that you can select here at the school cafeteria. Enjoy!

Victoria is a secret musician! She decided to be brave and open up her feelings to The Kearnian. Her hobbies and secret passions are singing and writing music. Despite the art inside her, Victoria chooses to remain hidden and only engages in her hobbies when the inspiration strikes. When she was younger, Victoria used to take piano lessons, as well. Victoria Populim shared her love and relationship with music to be something that comes and goes, but she simply cannot deny the musician inside her.

Other than her secret dedication to music, Victoria wishes to get into the field of medicine. She is a junior at Kearny High and is currently in the medical program. Victoria is very eager and interested in pursuing something within the field. She rocks the halls with her medical assistant scrub suit and feels proud to wear it too!

Victoria seemed a bit camera shy, as she only agreed on the interview with the condition of her face not being seen. Here’s a last fun fact about Victoria: her favorite color is a mixture between red and purple, similar to a dark magenta. With that, she flew off into the sunset.

January 24th, 2019, was a wild night for Kearny High School. Talents from all grade levels competed for the chance to reign supreme in an all-out dance competition that was held at 6:30pm in the KHS Auditorium hosted by Bailey Canela and Breisly Franco. Wonderful performances, both individual and group, glorified the old genres of hip hop we all loved, and the genres of trap, dubstep, rap, pop, and reggaeton familiar to modern society. Opening the competition with the solo act by 3rd place individual winner, Tyler Fitzsimmons, and closing with a solo act completely latino by Ranphy Cabral. KHS staff voted top 3 individual and group performances:

Top 3 Individual Performances

1. Joshua Antigua
2. Tenzin Topten
3. Tyler Fitzsimmons

Top 3 Group Performances

1. Leslie Ortega, Megan Hsieh, Myckayla Chipelo, and Pedro Correa
2. Gianna Nigro, Lindsey Murdoch, Abigail Rosas, Daniel Zambrano, Sean Martin, Richard Sanchez, and Gabriel DosSantos
3. Karen Velasquez, Leandra Alexander, Zina Fayed

KHS teams with talent of all grade levels, and with the help of the class of 2021, excellent choreographic performances captivated an entire audience for a runtime of 1 and ½ hours. Catch the Lip Sync Battle pretty soon and next years KHS Dance-Off.

This year's Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest took place on Friday, January 11. There were a total of 40 students competing in this event. One of the teachers in charge of the event, Mrs. Deluca, explains the meaning of it: "It's for students to inspire a love of poetry, to find a poem to convey and interpret emotion. It gives students a chance to find a poem that connects what they are feeling." In the end, there were three winners. The first place winner, Sunnie Jones, will get the chance to represent Kearny High School at the regional competition. Second place went to Wendy Gonzalez and third place went to Sarah Pimentel.

The New Year is in effect, and Hollywood shows no sign of slowing down with live action reboots and comic book movies. Since December of last year, there have been multiple trailers for upcoming films such as the live action remakes of Disney’s The Lion King, Aladdin, and Dumbo. Pixar studios released the trailer for the upcoming Toy Story 4 which has a total of 17 million views on Pixar’s YouTube channel. Glass, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is set to be released on January 18, 2019, a comic book styled thriller in Shyamalan’s Unbreakable trilogy. From the Pokemon Company and Warner Bros., comes Detective Pikachu, based on the popular franchise and starring Ryan Reynolds as the titular Pikachu. In the Monsterverse, we have Godzilla: King of the Monsters, set to crush the Box office on May 31. And finally, Comic Book movies set to be released this year are Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man Far From Home, Shazam, a Joker Standalone film, and a reboot of Hellboy. For a brand new year, there’s surely a lot to look forward to in cinema.

“When’s lunch?” is a common question among students who are just dying to get out of class and eat after a long morning. When we go out to lunch, where to eat can be a pretty difficult decision. Some of us tend to stick to the same places rather than branch out and try new things. We spoke to several students and they told us what their favorite places to eat were. All the places the students told us about offered a good amount of food for great prices, were close to school, and offered very different types of food.

First on our list is Lily House Chinese food. Although it is a bit farther away from Kearny High School, closer towards Lincoln Middle School, they have a variety of different food options for $5. All student specials come with a soft drink. The options are typical Chinese food options like Sesame chicken and Lo mein.

Next favorite was Vicente’s a Brazilian/Portuguese bakery/eatery. Most people order their Burgers that come with fries and a drink for $5.50. The price varies depending on what you choose to get on your burger. All of their student specials range from as low as $3 to as high as $6. Vicente’s is usually it’s most packed during shortened schedules when students need to get back to school quick as it’s right across the street.

Nino’s Pizzeria is next on our list. Most students order two slices of pizza and a soft drink for $5. Nino’s is farther away, towards QuickChek, and usually fills up very quickly so make sure you give yourself enough time to get there if you plan on eating there.

Hamburgao, a Brazilian restaurant, is another big favorite and is the most expensive on our list. A hamburger from the student specials list and a soft drink is $4.75. Fries are another $2.75. Another favorite is a coxinha (chicken ball) and it costs $2.25. If you want to spend a little more money, you could also get an acai bowl which is the most expensive item. It costs $7.50 plus $0.50 per topping. Because it comes already topped with banana and granola, some would say that the $7.50 price tag is worth it for the amount of food you get.

Last on our list is Subs Galore. They have your typical student special foods like Hamburgers, chicken tenders, and subs. All student specials range from $4 to $7 depending on if you buy a drink or snacks with your order. A favorite among students is their baked ziti that costs $5 with a drink. You also have the option to order a chicken parm with it. Like Vicente's, it’s close to the school which makes it a great place to go to during shortened schedules.

Jaclyn Calderon is an artist! She considers herself a shy, yet lazy person. She sees beauty in all things around her and loves to have fun. Jaclyn is interested in the beauty of nature and in people. “ I am interested in the way people think. My hobbies are reading, drawing, sleeping, watching youtube, and photography.” Jaclyn shared.

Jaclyn was pretty open about her perspective on KHS. “I think KHS is a school that gives many opportunities and do their best to helps the students. Sometimes teachers give a lot of homework and it can be tiring but it’s still fun.” Like any artist, her favorite subject is art. However, her main focus and preferable form of art, at least for now, is photography. She is currently taking Beginner Photography right here in KHS, which is her favorite class.

Jaclyn may be a photographer, but she is camera shy, so instead of giving us a photo of her, she gave us something better. She shared some of her work, which were some drawings she has done in the past. They are posted below, check them out!

Time. Time. Time. All everybody needs is time. Occasionally time can go by so slow or just the opposite. Students, especially, end up always procrastinating and cramming the night before a big test or even waiting the last minute to do homework. With all the work of student’s everyday lives, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are some ways to help manage your time so that you could be productive and get things done effectively.

Eliminate distractions

Remove anything that can distract you such as any electronics. While you are studying turn off your phone’s ringtones and vibrations. Allow yourself to check your phone only once per hour.

Stay Focused

Be in the mental state that is called ‘flow’ – when you are completely immersed and involved in an activity. Flow makes you feel energized and motivated and increases enjoyment of the activity.

Use a calendar or planner

A calendar or a planner are great ways to plan your day. It can help you keep track of your activities and assignments you have for different subjects.

Use a checklist

A checklist is another great way to ensure you stay on task, by listing your tasks and checking them off one by one once completed.

Get organized

Once you have your calendar and checklist set up, you should be well on your way to being better organized. Being organized will save you a lot of time and allow you to manage your time better.

Get a good night’s sleep

A good night’s sleep is essential to making sure your body and mind are rested and fresh for the next day. It can be hard to concentrate if you didn’t get 7 to 8 hours of sleep the night before. Manage your time better by including sleep in the schedule.

Who doesn’t love winter break? Christmas, family, food, and most importantly time away from school. These days at first may be amazing but after a few days, they tend to get a little repetitive and boring. But don’t worry! We have some suggestions for making your Winter Break an eventful and relaxing one!

1) Last Minute Shopping and Wrapping

We’ve all done it at least once. We’ve either waited until last minute, or, just completely forgot to buy or wrap one specific gift. Use this time away from school to get your shopping and wrapping done! The last thing anybody would want to do the day before Christmas is run around crowded stores and malls to look for sold out gifts and wrapping paper.

2) Bake or Cook

Over your break, you could make festive holiday foods. Whether it's a classic Christmas cookie or a favorite food from your culture, the holidays entail coming together, usually with food. The Kearnian can even help you with that! Look for Ranphy and Natalie’s articles for recipe suggestions!

3) Secret Santa

Get a group of your closest friends, and do a secret santa gift exchange! The idea is to randomly select a person from your group and buy them a gift. Whoever you get isn’t supposed to know until the entire group gets together and exchanges all their gifts. It's fun, usually cheap, and allows you to make great memories with your friends!

4) Christmas/New Years Party

Who doesn't love a good party? Over the break, throw a Christmas party or New Years party. Whether you celebrate with your friends or your family, it can be a great time with the right planning. And the best part about it is it gives you an excuse to blast ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ on repeat.

5) Travel

You don’t have to travel too far to have a great trip. Take advantage of how close you live to New York City! There's plenty to see and do in Manhattan during the holidays. Visit snowy central park or go ice skating at the rockefeller center. For New Years, go watch the annuel ball drop in Times Square.

6) Sleep In

We all love sleep but don’t seem to get enough of it. Over winter break, or any break for that matter, turn your alarms off and sleep!

History was made in this year's Powderpuff game. From the rain to a fight to the first-ever victory from the juniors it was surely an eventful night! With the final score of 16-24, the junior girls definitely were determined for that dub and succeed in their goal. The juniors brought their “a” game because this was the first ever game the seniors lost in 10 years. Although everyone was rooting for the seniors' things took a turn at the end. Maybe after this year, people will have higher expectations for the class of 2020. This will definitely be marked in the books.

Students such as Alex (sophomore) wishes the girls would play real football instead of flag football in order to get the real experience of football. Bailey (senior) believes that it’s a good thing that Powderpuff is open only for upperclassmen because its something to look forward to for your final years of high school. Although its open only to juniors and seniors some students would rather cheer on their friends participating such as Layla (junior). She says that supporting her friends is the best part of coming to the game because you get a nice feeling of pride and satisfaction.

Now balancing school, sports and adding Powderpuff to the mix was not an easy task. Representing the senior class is Allison who states that finding time to do her school work was difficult because of basketball practice and play practice. Another senior named Camilla found it easy balancing time because she said you have to learn time management and knowing what you can handle. Both seniors were upset this will be their last Powderpuff because of all the memories and new people they met. It's bittersweet because they are excited about college and what life will offer them in the future but they can never experience high school again. Camilla and Alison both advise underclassmen to join because it's a great way to make new friends and should be something you experience at least once.

Experiencing something for the first time is always exciting and that's exactly what Alexis felt. He speaks for the junior class and is extremely happy with the results. He found it pretty easy to manage his time because fall sports had just ended and indoor track won’t start until the Monday after Thanksgiving. He stated that although practice started off messy they all got the hang of it and worked together as a team. Even when people had their hopes up for the seniors to take home the trophy the juniors worked hard to earn their spot as number one.

The Chromebooks that students got have been quite useful for the past couple of weeks. Students use these Chromebooks for many things involving school and it has been a key tool in their everyday lives. But have you ever wonder who or what is behind the camera that you see at the top of your Chromebooks? Many students have said that it could be school administrators who want to monitor or watch what kids are doing and others have said that it could possibly be the FBI spying on us. Some students here at KHS have taken actions to hide the camera so that nobody can watch them while they are on their Chromebooks. For example, some have taped a small piece of paper over the camera and others just simply put tape covering the camera. Although the cameras do cause suspicion, nobody will ever know if people are actually watching behind those cameras.

On the night of November 19th the Kearny Board of Education held a board meeting and this one would prove to be one many teachers and students alike will remember. During this meeting the board was honoring student athletes that had just finished their fall seasons. Most students felt intrigued to stay because many of their former teachers and present teacher were there to fight for their contract. Many of the students that were present noticed that teachers and parents were speaking their minds to board members who seemed emotionless, not reacting to what people were saying. There was one student, though, who spoke out to the members. She described her struggles with health problems and how her teachers never gave up on her and it made her determined to persevere through anything life threw at her. Her speaking up made many people think about how much our teachers do for us and how much they care. The events of this board meeting have prompted many to want to go to the next meeting and speak in support of their teachers. If you would like to support the next Board of Education Meeting it will be the first Monday in December. Feel free to speak your mind on anything you feel is vital about Kearny schools.

Another season has arrived at Kearny High School. With the introduction of swimming and bowling, many sports have begun. Indoor Track, Basketball, and Crew training will start shortly after Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, a massive snowstorm occurred similar to the one from October 2014. This snowstorm severely postponed transportation and blocked off streets due to the various occurring car crashes. Additionally, high school students had a difficult time returning home such as those, who usually ride a bike, would slip and fall faster than kids who walked home. On top of that, all sports had to be canceled for Thursday, but on Friday swimming continued. This snowstorm didn’t only prevent local transportation for the residents, but to the teachers. They had to reside on staying at hotels or face the horrible traffic.

Stress is very common, especially among high school students. Freshmen are just starting out their four-year journey and getting into the flow of things. Sophomores can barely fathom how this year is worse than last year. Juniors are under the pressure of exams and university visits. Seniors are just shocked they have survived this long. Basically, everyone is at least a little stressed, or if not, they will be stressed at some point. Here, stay and read. I have some tips.

Breathe

This first one may seem a bit odd. Obviously, we’re all breathing. It’s what keeps people alive. When we are stressed, however, taking a deep breath can be so soothing. Don’t just breathe for the sake of it. You know when the doctor asks you to take a deep breath to check your heart? Breathe like that. Close your eyes, let go, forget whatever may be happening in the moment, give yourself a second and breathe. It works wonders.

2. Eat well

Life throws a lot at us. It’s unfair, yes, but there is always one thing that will help us relax during these moments. You have no excuse on this one, you literally have to do it to survive. Eat. Eat your favorite foods, or mix it up with some healthy foods. After all, you are what you eat. If you consume enjoyable foods, you will be in a better mood and therefore, have a better outlook on life and your problems. Eating healthy also helps, as it will give you an energy boost and will improve your physical and mental health.

3. Get some sleep

The healthy thing to do is get eight hours of sleep each night. Unfortunately, most high school students don’t have a sleeping schedule. If this is you, take naps into consideration. Set an alarm and take a nap for an hour or two. Sleep helps you de-stress and will make you more productive when you wake up. Naps are truly underrated, try them out.

Whenever you feel defeated or just feel so stressed you are deep down in the dumps, give these tips a try. They will sure help you out in your journey.

It’s official. Halloween is here. And what better way to get in the spooky spirit of these grim hours than to indulge in the latest horror flick, Halloween (2018). The film is a rebooted version of the well known 1978 original directed by John Carpenter, also known for movies like The Thing (1982), The Fog (1980), and Escape from New York (1981). The film grossed a surprising $40 million at the October Box Office in 1978, and $70 million worldwide. In a year of movies such as Grease, Superman, and National Lampoon’s Animal House, one stood above its peers and was considered one of the most revolutionary films in the horror genre. It eventually led to the creation of “slasher films” such as Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Scream.

Michael Myers (not Mike Myers from movies such as Wayne’s World, the Austin Powers franchise, and the Shrek franchise) will forever be the reason as to why people dress as Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Chucky, and Hannibal Lecter. So if you’re looking forward to see the 2018 reboot, or would like to indulge in a horrifyingly well directed, great acted, and shockingly fantastic film, watch Halloween (1978).

Kearny High is changing, not only that, it’s changing for the better. Construction is nearly complete, chromebooks are being carried around and there are new classes and benefits being offered. Perhaps change is not too bad.

One may be overwhelmed with the array of classes offered at Kearny High. There can be a lot that meet your interests and some that really don’t spark any excitement. If and when debating new classes to take, make sure to consider Intro to Tech and Intro to Dance, as those are the two classes Kearny High has added this year. They can be found on the first floor in the old building. If interested, make a quick trip to guidance to ask for room numbers.

Now this is a very important update coming from Ms. Dorothy Caufield, herself, from the counseling office. All AP students, listen up! Kearny High School has been accepted by College Board to participate in the Fee Relief Pilot Program. Thanks to this, more AP students will be able to take the AP exam, as it will reduce $20 from each student’s fee. The new cost will be $74. Students will be able to register from any computer with Internet access. Visit www.TotalRegistration.net/AP/310655 to register. Keep in mind that this will only apply to you if you do not already receive any financial help offered by the school. For example, if you receive free or reduced lunch, this will not apply to you. Here are some important dates to mark, if interested in registering:

• Feb 25, 2019 at 7:00 am - registration begins
• Mar 6, 2019 at 11:00 pm - registration ends

For more information, please contact Ms. Caufield in the counseling office. Her email is dcaufield@kearnyschools.com.

Ever wonder what to do on school break? Well here are some tips to make this November break (11/05/18-11/09/18) enjoyable! First, sleeping is always a popular activity for many. With all the busyness of student’s everyday lives, a week off of school is a great way to just relax. Another way to spend time on this break is by watching TV or movies. Binge-watching shows/movies is another way to relax yet still enjoy some entertainment. For all those bookworms out there, catching up on some reading may be the way to go. For the artistic people, drawing or creating artwork is always good for monopolizing time. Lastly, if relaxing just isn’t enough, being active by taking walks (if you like the cold weather) is another option. These are all but a few tips of activities to do to make this break not so boring. Enjoy your break!

It’s spooky season--which means it’s the time for wearing creative costumes! From vampires to scarecrows, Halloween truly brings out the creativity of people. Halloween this year will be on a Wednesday, which means you may come to school with your costume. There are, however, restrictions upon what you are able to wear. According to Ms. Richardson, your face must be visible (which means no masks and heavy face makeup), there musn’t be any inappropriate costumes (such as those exposing too much of the body), you may not possess anything that resembles a weapon (whether plastic or not). Ultimately, she must be able to identify you!

I’m sure we’ve all heard our teachers talk about it or at least heard it around. The Prose Fest—it has such a nice ring to it. In case you’re familiar with the event and would like to know more about it, or have never heard about it ever, this is the article to read!

The Prose Fest is an opportunity to go up on stage and recite something from literature, with a 3-minute time limit. Anyone is welcome to participate, as long as it is during their English period. To sign up, all you have to do is talk to your English teacher ahead of time, and you’re in!

I interviewed the mind who inspired the Prose Fest, the one and only Mrs. Astrella. She had a vision to enhance everyone’s day, to provide an opportunity to enlighten others with the gift of literature, and thus, with the help of other teachers, the Prose Fest came about! It only started last year, with the construction and everything going on, a nice, calm period of hearing excerpts and how they inspired others to go up on that stage was truly a nice pause. Last year, students and teachers went up to recite, it was very successful. Inspiring as well—I can speak from experience that the Prose Fest truly inspired me.

According to Mrs. Astrella, she collaborated Ms. Keim and Ms. Viso. Together, they designed the banner that was hung up, along with the bracelet that is awarded to you, if you recite. I, usually being a very shy person, was inspired to go up there, which felt amazing. The picture below is the bracelet that was awarded last year.

I would very much recommend trying out the Prose Fest. Even if you don’t participate, it is still something to look forward to because who doesn’t love a calm period listening to people go up on stage? Any excerpt, from funny to deep to obscure to magical, is enlightening. With the Prose Fest, not only will we be educating those around us, but we will be learning more about ourselves as well.

This year's poetry trip will take place on Friday, October 19, 2018 at the NJPAC in Newark, NJ. Students from other high schools will be attending this event. Students along with Mrs. Deluca, a Language Arts teacher at KHS, will partake in a day full of activities such as listening to other poets and reading their work. Students will get lunch from the food trucks that will be there and hear about different topics that will expose them to more poetry. The purpose for this year's trip is to enable students to hear powerful works of poetry written by others and also show them how other people express themselves and how they feel in their work.

The week of September 24 to the 28th, Kearny High School students were able to show off their school spirit by participating in spirit week! Students were to dress according to themes for the entire week and some went above and beyond to show their spirit and make this years spirit week a memorable one.

On Monday our theme was pajama day, which I'm sure many teachers and students were looking forward to. Some rolled out of bed in plain old pajama pants while some came dressed in onesies! Teachers like Mr. Correnti, Ms. Gigal, Ms. Hoehe, Mr. Savage, and Coach Z all wore matching pajamas.

Tuesday was Disney day which gave students the opportunity To visit their childhood for a day. It was mostly a sea of different Disney shirts ranging from Mickey Mouse to The Nightmare Before Christmas.

On Wednesday we were all able to take a vacation for the day, or pretend we did, on Hawaiian day! Colorful, flowery, and tropical attire brightened up the school and some even came sporting leis and grass skirts!

Throwback Thursday is always an interesting one with people dressed in attire from several very different times. The freshman rocked the 60s look, the sophomores the 70s, juniors 80s and seniors 90s. Because some of the students parents have clothing from some of these times, this theme can be a really accurate blast from the past!

And on our last day of spirit week, Friday the 28th, students supported their classes by wearing their class colors. Class of 2022 dressed in green, 2021 dressed in blue, 2020 in red and 2019 in black.

Spirit week is always a fun time and is a great way to show your school spirit. It is an opportunity to be as creative as you want so we encourage you to participate in spirit week next year if you didn't this year and we encourage you to have fun while doing it!

Whether it was from a teacher or a student, you have probably already heard about the chromebooks. Kearny High School has recently been provided with funding for new laptops this year!

The chromebooks are expected to be delivered within the next two weeks or somewhere around the end of September. Once they arrive, they will be distributed to grades 12, 11, 10, and 9, respectively. The new laptops will also be assigned during the English classes. The chromebooks are for the students to be completely responsible for for four years, then they will be returned to the school. During an interview with Mrs. Richardson, she mentioned that the school has been searching for funding for some time. “I love the idea,” said Mrs. Richardson, who is excited to see more modern technology be integrated into our school system. In a world full of technology, it is important to stay updated on learning tools many schools are adopting. The new laptops will make it much simpler to access online textbooks, do research, and type essays.

New laptops are surely going to improve our schools an education by providing us with many useful resources. Incorporating chromebooks is an exciting project that will lead us to a more productive and wonderful school year.

Have you ever thought about writing a book? Well, just writing it is the first step. For people to read the book, it must be published. It may sound like a long, tough process. Writing the book, editing it, publishing it, it almost seems impossible for high school students like you and I. However, two of our fellow peers from KHS pulled it off!

Giuliana Evangelista and Alyssa Lopez are two juniors, and are the authors of the book “Hidden Dimensions.” Both girls were bored in their geometry class one day, so instead of focusing on shapes and angles, they decided to brainstorm ideas for a book. The more they thought, the more inspired they were. Then one day, they had an actual book as a result! According to them, Giuliana was the one who insisted on the publishing. The two authors are members of the Kearnian, as well. If you see them, keep in mind that they are now authors of a published book. Remember, if we fight for what we want, small ideas can become big results! Sometimes not paying attention in class, actually pays off.

The two juniors will be having a book signing on Saturday in the Kearny Public Library from 11am to 1pm. Interested readers will be able to buy the book for $10. Come support Giuliana and Alyssa for their persistence and dedication to publishing “Hidden Dimensions!”

School is back and big changes have been made in KHS. Students were introduced to a new and proved high school on September 6th. Within the school as well as outside the school there have been improvements. The trailers that sat outside of the high school for years are finally gone and have been replaced with new grass and a brick path with customizable pavers available. Upon walking in the school there is a timeline that highlights Kearny High School’s greatest achievements and alumni. Located on the third floor the corner doorways have been repainted with bright red walls and “Kardinal Nation” in bold letters. Students are loving the improvements made to the cafeteria. “Kardinal Kafe” is painted above where students get lunch, and “Kardinal Nest” is painted in bright lettering above the seating area of the cafeteria. Another highlight to the cafeteria are two paintings of successful Alumni of Kearny High School. These include John Harkes who was captain of the men's USA soccer team and Pulitzer prize winner INSERT NAME HERE. Students are giving great feedback to their new school atmosphere; “It finally feels like we’ve got some school spirit” says school president Sean Martin. Thanks to the many new improvements to Kearny High School, we are in for a great 2018-2019 school year!