On October 18, the Uniondale High School marching band took the field at Mitchel Field. The event has been held for 59 years and has become a staple performance for many bands

across Long Island. This year, 34 bands joined Uniondale High School during a 3-day span to put on a most memorable performance.

Music is an art form that can change in many different ways and still make people feel things differently. Every year, marching band students and families watch the Newsday Marching Festival, an event that combines the art of music with marching. This festival brings bands across Long Island to showcase their talents and entertain people. Bands spend months perfecting their performances, rehearsing to match their music with formations and choreography. The Uniondale High School band has been participating in the festival for over ten years and doesn’t hold out anytime soon. The theme the band chose this year was MJ: The Experience. All music that was played was by Micheal Jackson. Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough, Liberian Girl, Thriller, Working Day And Night, and Rock With You were the selected pieces of music that played when the band took the field.

Besides playing the music, the UHS marched along with the other bands, who also had formations that they did on the field. The bands had a few dance moves incorporated into the

show. The UHS band made different formations on the field while playing the songs. Making different shapes while having a small dance break and playing was amazing to watch.

Mr. Colton Wynter and Mr. Joseph Boardman are the band’s directors. Both have been performing at the Newsday Festival for many years. Mr. Wynter said, “We are as strong as our weakest link.” He uses this quote to help the students understand that they all have a part to play in the band and to ensure they do it correctly. His words impacted the band members as their performance was one to be seen.

The Newsday Marching Festival celebrates the art of music and marching. It brings together bands from across Long Island. It also brings friends and family to witness the greatness of the band they are supporting. The festival is yearly and is in October.

On Monday, September 25th the Uniondale high school would be having its spirit week. Spirit week is each day the students are encouraged to dress to match a certain theme to show school unity and spirit. Tuesday we would wear green for the tragedy that happened to farmingdale. Wednesday we would wear cultural clothing to show our heritage and many students would wear flags around them. Throwback Thursday is a traditional day for Uniondale where we would dress up as people in the past. Friday, which was the pep rally, was filled with enjoyment from all the students. We would have to wear black and gold because that represents the school and we would have less time on each period so that we could have a period for the pep rally. The pep rally was a really special moment, showcasing all the teams for the uniondale high school. The band would also be marching around the school for a pep rally. On September 30th, which is the final day of spirit week,  the uniondale knights, which is a football team for Uniondale high school, would be having its homecoming game against Its rivals, varsity Westbury. Due to the new field being added for the Knights, The game was being held at East Meadow high school.  Unfortunately some of the special events that were planned were canceled due to the weather on that day. The Marching Knights were supposed to perform but were canceled, the parade was also canceled which everyone was looking forward too. Fortunately the Uniondale Knights were still gonna play against the Westbury Green Dragons.

This game was full of excitement from both teams and people were thrilled to see who would come out on top. The game started off strong with the Knights defense wreaking havoc all night long, with players such as Luis Lizama, making a tackle on one of the Westbury’s backs and stopping the ball with such force. The knights ended on a brilliant performance with them beating the Westbury Green Dragons. They ended up winning 23-0, slaying the green dragons and bringing the victory home. “This year’s pep rally was a great event and the football game on Saturday was a great success as we competed against Westbury High School and came out victorious,” said Peter Cardone, Uniondale’s director of physical education, and athletics. 

This year marks the first in nine years that Uniondale High School has hosted a Homecoming Dance. The hard work of The Class of 2024, headed by Sabely Chavez, was behind the night's planning. The dance's theme was Tangled In Lights. The dance committee decorated the girls' gym in vibrating purples and yellow lanterns to resemble Disney's 2010 movie, Tangled. Bryanna Chamaidan donated decorations. There were five tables for people to stand by and leave their belongings, which left the entire center of the gym open as the dance floor.  

The original schedule was shifted from 7-10 PM to 6-9 PM. The start was a little slow as people were late, but the energy grew as the night went on. Uniondale's own Mr. Napoli was the DJ for the night. He is known for his skilled DJ capabilities and played hit after hit. The night was also treated to a delightful performance by The Shed, known for its outstanding performances throughout the last school year. This talented performance is another to add to their already awe-inspiring portfolio. All the music made the atmosphere come alive. Both The Shed and the DJ Napoli were impressive and made the dance a fun place to be.

When people wanted a break from the dance floor, they could walk to the free photo booth. Small props were offered, and people could take pictures to commemorate the exciting evening. If people wanted to sit, they could visit the Little Theater, where there were tables they could sit at and enjoy the snacks that were being sold for about $1. 

The energy only calmed when a slow song started, and the dance floor welcomed the Homecoming King and Queen, Jorge Gomez and Sophia Gomez Medina, to the center. The friends' dance was sweet, and they were soon joined by others dancing around them as well. It was a beautiful moment. 

The music turned louder once more after, and the rest of the night was spent as intensely and loud as it had started. It was a great place to be with friends or a significant other. The Class of 2024 will set a precedent with this dance, allowing this tradition to continue for years.   

Things were exciting at the “After the Knight” college fair in October! Over 80 colleges gathered at the mighty Uniondale High School to enlighten students on post-secondary options. Not only did colleges from the New York State area come, but colleges and universities from across the nation like Stetson University in Florida and Emmanuel College in Massachusetts had shown up on this wonderful night. Other options like the Army National Guard, Marines, and Navy were also present.

Furthermore, the black community was represented through some of the Divine Nine, which are the 9 Black-Greek Letter organizations which explained the recruitment process and the criteria to qualify for such programs. The local Nassau Alumnae Chapter, hosted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. offered a Program called Transforming Young Men into Leaders of Tomorrow, whose goals are “to empower participants with choices concerning their education, college, and career development." Grambling State University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Hampton University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Howard University, and more also came to represent the HBCU culture. 

Mrs. Kane, the College and Career Advisor, and School Counselor at UHS is a part of the planning committee for the District Wide College Fair, says “What I love the most about it is that students of all ages can attend, it brings the district together, and it’s inspirational.”