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Politics...
Politics...
with Meredith Rogers
with Meredith Rogers
On: The War in Palestine
The conflict between Israel and Palestine has become one of the most important events in our world today, but its roots stretch back to the early 20th century, when Britain controlled Palestine and both Jewish and Arab communities claimed it as their home. After the Holocaust, Jewish survivors immigrated to Palestine, which increased tensions with Arabs who had already lived there for generations. In 1947, the United Nations proposed splitting the land into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, but Arab leaders rejected it. The following year, when Israel declared independence, war broke out. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced, creating a refugee crisis that still defines the conflict.
At its core, the conflict is about land, identity, and security. Palestinians want an independent state with land in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Jerusalem, a city sacred to Jews, Muslims, and Christians, is claimed by both Jewish and Arab sides as their capital. These deeply personal and symbolic issues have made peace talks fragile, and the cycle of violence has continued for decades.
The latest and most devastating wave of violence began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic organization, launched an attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking over 200 hostages. Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign in Gaza that stretched on for two years. Entire neighborhoods were reduced to rubble, and more than 65,000 Palestinians were killed, according to Gaza health officials. Beyond the bombings, the war brought Gaza to the edge of collapse. Food, clean water, and medicine were almost impossible to find. In 2024, international agencies such as the United Nations warned that Gaza was on the brink of famine, with children especially at risk. Aid trucks were often blocked or delayed, and when food did arrive, distributing it safely was nearly impossible while the fighting continued.
During this war, America has sent billions of dollars to Israel. Under a ten-year plan negotiated under President Barack Obama, the United States has paid Israel around $147 billion dollars. A majority of this has gone to Israel’s missile defense. American corporations such as Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft and Toyota have also contributed to Israel’s power, through sending resources and funds for weapons. President Donald Trump has called for the Israeli government to pardon Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, despite his war crimes. He also states that Netanyahu asked for “weapons I’d never heard of.”
As the war dragged into 2025, hunger, death, and mass displacement worsened. Global protests called for an end to the fighting, but attempts at negotiation kept breaking down. October 2025, after months of pressure, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar helped broker a ceasefire. Under the deal, Hamas would release the remaining hostages, and Israel will free around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces pulled back from several cities in Gaza, allowing displaced families to return. Israel is still maintaining a military presence in large parts of the territory.
Still, the truce is fragile. Hamas has not agreed to disarm, and Israel insists that its future security depends on it. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, has been mentioned as a possible administrator of Gaza, but nothing has been finalized. Aid groups warn that famine conditions cannot be reversed quickly, and rebuilding Gaza will take years. The sheer volume of debris and destruction is a major obstacle, with UN estimates suggesting it could take decades to fully clear.
This conflict is not over yet. To learn more about the war in Gaza, I recommend reading from a non-partisan news source such as AP News, BBC News, or Ground News.
Homecoming Queen and Court! L-R: Colin Von Bevern, Sabrina O'Connor, Finn Schweizer, Ellie Green, Bella Mashewske (2024 Homecoming Queen), Katarina Martin, Casey Kraeger, Payton Sutryk (2025 Homecoming Queen), Michael Sutryk.
Picture by Mrs. Barkley
Homecoming Events
Homecoming Events
by Nayeli Jayne
The Notre Dame bonfire was held on October 16th and was open for everyone. The bonfire lasted for 2-3 hours and was open for kids to have fun with their friends. Pizza and drinks were provided. We listened to music and we all were optioned to play games with our friends or just roast by the fire. It was the perfect way to celebrate fall, socialize, and make memories that will warm you up even more than the fire itself.
Notre Dame played Newfield for our Homecoming game, but sadly, Notre Dame lost 54-14. The Homecoming Dance took place the next day on October 18th at 7 pm and ended at 9 pm. The Homecoming Dance was only open to grades 9-12. There were cookies and water provided and the students all looked amazing in their dresses and suits. It was a fun time for everyone!
Spirit Week
Spirit Week
by Isabella Smith
The 2025 Spirit Week has been nothing but exciting! From Country Day to Spirit Day, this year's spirit week was one of the best! To start it off, we dressed up as our favorite country first. We saw Ireland, France, Spain, and America. Moving on to Baby vs. Senior Citizen, let’s just say there was quite the age gap. On Wednesday, the 15th, it was color day! From green, purple, white, red, green, pink, and black. The school was an array of different colors. On the second-to-last day, it was another battle, but this time it was Jersey vs. Jersey Shore. From football to hockey jerseys versus fun beach-inspired looks, it was way too hard to declare a winner. Finally, we ended Spirit Week with the traditional Bblue and Gold day. Students were seen sporting the Homecoming 2025 shirts or other Notre Dame attire. Overall, this Spirit Week was filled with creativity, and hopefully you made some new and exciting memories.
Pictures by Mrs. Barkley
Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week
by Isabella Smith
What is your favorite book? Did you say “Harry Potter,” by J.K. Rowling, “The Hunger Games,” by Suzanne Collins, or “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee? Well, fun fact, those are all banned books! These books are banned for many different reasons such as violence or offensive language. However, banning books is a direct violation of the First Amendment. The First Amendment states that everyone has the right to freedom of speech. Now this doesn't allow you to go into a crowded place and scream ‘‘Fire!” But do books really break the First Amendment? The answer is no, and that is because not only does it restrict education, but it also erases history. There are books that are constantly taught and read by people from all over the world in every library. Just because a few people deem these books as ‘inappropriate’ does not translate to banning them in schools. After all, how are children and teens supposed to use their imagination to picture characters and the world? How are you going to teach books with a hidden message when you can’t teach them? The short answer is you can’t teach them. Today, book bans are still going on, and it truly is an unfortunate event. But this doesn't mean that we have to put up with this. What we can do is speak out against this and continue reading these banned books!
7th Grade Retreat
7th Grade Retreat
by Avaya Schuchardt
A day filled with prayer and fun. Friday, the 3rd of October, the 7th-grade class of Notre Dame High School went on a retreat. First, in the morning, the 7th graders went to Mount Saviour Monastery and stayed for a Mass. The Monastery was built in the 1950s by four monks for the purpose of dedicating their lives to God. After the beautiful monastery, the 7th graders then went to Harris Hill Park. The 7th graders played for 45 minutes, doing things like playing tag, swinging, and hanging out with each other. After that, the 7th graders then took a trip to Bradley Farms corn maze, which was a chaotic experience, but nonetheless, it was a great time! To finish off the 7th-grade retreat, the class ended with a pizza celebration outside of Notre Dame. Then the 7th graders went to the auditorium to watch the Mercy Day Video.
All Saints’ Day
All Saints’ Day
by Monica Shattuck
All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day or Hallowmas, is a Christian celebration on November 1 or the first Sunday after Pentecost. The feast honors all saints, including canonized and everyday people. It is part of a three-day observance that includes Halloween and All Souls’ Day (October 31, November 1st, and 2nd), also known as Allhallowtide. We don't know when the feast started, but a feast for all martyrs was celebrated on May 13 in the Eastern church, influencing the Papal establishment in 609. On November 1, the feast expanded to include all saints and was referenced during Pope Gregory III's reign. Pope Gregory IV later required its general observance in 837. The festival was called All Hallows in medieval England, and the day before is still known as Halloween.
"All Saints' Day." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 2 Nov. 2023. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/All-Saints-Day/5766. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Fang-tastic Halloween Events Just for You!
Fang-tastic Halloween Events Just for You!
by Addison Learn
Upstate New York is notorious for their Halloweens; full of food, fun, and scenery. So if you do celebrate, we at the Maryleaf rounded up some spooktacular shindigs in the area that are sure to give you pumpkin to talk about! Below is a list of fun events in the area taking place the weekend before or on Halloween:
This year, Tagsylvania is celebrating its Un-Sweet 16th Anniversary. Stop by from 6-11PM every Friday and Saturday to see if YOU can survive the four terrifying attractions! If it’s too scary, they have a Kids’ Daylight Frights on the 24th from 1-5PM.
“It’s alive!!” There is a Zombie Prom at Carey’s Brew House in Corning on 10/25 from 6-10 PM. This will be a fun party for all ages where you can dress up, dance, and eat snacks! At the end of the night, a zombie “queen” and “king” will be crowned based on whomever has the best costume.
Trick-Or-Treat at the Windmill on 10/25 from 2-4 PM. The vendors will have candy to offer to the kids. Bring your family and bask in the Upstate NY community!
Make way for the Headless Horseman’s Halloween Hangout, complete with a cookoff, a costume contest, a scavenger hunt, and more spooky surprises! This is being held on 10/25 from 10AM-10PM with a $10 all-day admission.
The Coldbrook Curse is back at Bradley Farms for its 35th “Year of Fear”! Explore the haunted Village of Coldbrook Creek or play in the Undead Shootout with blacklight paintballs every Friday or Saturday from 7-10PM.
Do you love adventure? How about spooky history? Cider and donuts? The Finger Lakes Trails will have all of this on the 23rd and 30th! Check out their website to learn more.
This next one is the Howl-O-Ween Party at Atwater Vineyards on 10/30 from 6-9PM. There will be food, music, costumes, and most importantly: dogs! All benefits will go to the Schuyler County Humane Society.
Finally, if you’re up for an eerie-sistible bash, there’s a Haunting on the Hill party at the Hill Top Inn on Halloween from 7-11PM. There will be a costume contest, psychic and tarot card readings, and a DJ!
Youth Salute
Youth Salute
by Ellie Green
Congratulations to Eleanor Green for first place, Fatoumata Coulibaly for second place, and Katarina Martin for third place in the Rotary Club of Elmira M. Edward Lincoln Youth Scholarship. Anthony Barkley, Malachy Cain, Finn Schweizer, Payton Sutryk, and Anna Utterback were also recognized for being top-ten finalists in this year’s Youth Salute Scholarship. The M. Edward Lincoln Youth Salute was hosted this year on Tuesday, October 7th, at Meals on Wheels. All students who participated in the scholarship were invited to the luncheon for the recognition ceremony. Youth Salute is directly sponsored and organized by the Rotary Club of Elmira and gives students the opportunity to apply for their scholarship during their junior year. To participate, each student must write an essay on a topic of interest, which the Youth Salute Committee will then score, and the top ten finalists are then interviewed by the committee. This scholarship was open to Elmira High School, Notre Dame High School, and Twin Tiers Christian Academy. Notre Dame is very proud to claim all three top representatives of the school.
Annual 8th Grade Holy Shirt T-Shirt Design Contest
Annual 8th Grade Holy Shirt T-Shirt Design Contest
Congratulations to the winner of the annual 8th-grade Holy Shirt t-shirt design contest, Jeremiah Wood! Jeremiah was one of 8 finalists, including Ariella Mallacoccio, Zoe Smith, Skye Pellobello, Sofia Christofaro, RJ Quinn, Michael Parker, and Sophie Sramek. His winning artwork will be used to design a real t-shirt! A special round of thanks goes to our esteemed group of faculty judges: Mrs. McCaig, Mrs. LaVelle, Mrs. Ronsivalle, Ms. Carapella, Mr. Joe, Mr. Pollaro, Mr. Miliken, and Mr. Dibble. Great job, Jeremiah!
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