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Julia Johnson On Sunday, October 15th 2017, I had the privilege of interviewing Dorothy Johnson at her home in Blue Point. Enjoying the beautiful afternoon in her breathtaking garden patio, we talked about the Great South Bay Coalition. Our discussion dug deep into the issues and struggles that our community is going through. Her passion for bettering the lives of Suffolk county residents was extremely touching and real. The following is my interview with Mrs.Johnson. Q: How did the Great South Bay Coalition get its start? Dorothy: “ As a Registered nurse, I always felt the shame and stigma placed on this epidemic. But in 2011 I lost my only child, Maxwell, to a heroin overdose. It was devastating. But I had to do something to make a change. Due to the lack of education, I created an organization by the name of “Maxed Out Drug Prevention.” My voice was heard throughout Long Island and most importantly in our community of Bayport Blue-Point. My organization gave me inspiration to take a positive out of an absolutely terrible situation, and open a door to communication by hosting a yearly event “On the Wings of Hope”. On the grounds of St Ursula's center, I planted a tree as a symbol of growth and awareness and serves as a constant reminder of increasing education to the disease of addiction. Every year at the event, we would go back to the tree and see its growth. We could relate it back to our growth as an organization, but more importantly, as a community battling drug addiction. “On the wings of hope” increased community awareness and opened doors for many who have struggled behind closed doors. From this event the Great South Bay Coalition(GSB Coalition), was formed.Through the assistance of MaryEllen Adams, Suffolk County Department of Health, Prevention Resource Center, Gail Feldman, Melanie Holz, Susan Kubelle, Kimberly Hession, Betty Brown, the Youth Enrichment Services and many others, we assembled a team for the coalition. We worked diligently to empower the community to promote health and wellness in an effort to decrease the impact of substance abuse. We all want to make our community a safer place to live and strive to provide education and support to our community. Community members came forward to further raise awareness, give support and promote wellness in the community.” Q:How has your involvement in the coalition impacted you? Dorothy: “I have made a conscious effort to shed the shame and stigma, to educate that addiction is a disease. It has personally impacted me to be able to speak about my son in a positive way by educating the community on a very negative subject matter that no one wants to talk about. Most importantly the GSB Coalition has been welcomed into our schools and local organizations. But most importantly, resources for those in need of support. The GSB Coalition meets monthly which empowers me to be even more involved, before another senseless tragedy happens. I believe education is the best prevention.” Q:What is the Coalition's message/drive? Dorothy: “The coalition is a group of parents, neighbors, educators, professionals, and students who want to make our community a safer place to live. We strive to work together to provide education and support to our families, schools, and community.” Q: Why should people be interested in the Great South Bay Coalition? Dorothy: “Of the 63 counties in New York state, Suffolk county is #1 in opioid/heroin overdoses. Underage drinking and the use of marijuana can lead our youth into further destructive behavior. With the overwhelming statistics in Suffolk County, no neighborhood is immune. We cannot let our neighborhood go down hill. No involvement is too small, everyone can make a difference to raise awareness and give support to promote wellness within the community.” Q:How can others get involved? Dorothy: “The Great South Bay Coalition can easily be reached at these following links.” Email: [email protected]. Website: www.gsbcoalition.org. PO Box: Box 811, Sayville, Ny 11782 Phone: 631-275-1592. “All calls are confidential. The GSB Coalition has many excellent resources on the website. As one of the directors, I knows first hand what it is like to have experienced the hardships of reaching out for help. Please do not hesitate to call to ask any type of question, no matter what it may be. Just speaking to someone who had this unfortunate loss may be helpful.” Q: Do you have any upcoming events we should all know about? Dorothy: “Yes! Our next event is on thursday October 26th, 7pm at the Community Ambulance Company in Sayville “The Great South Bay Coalition, SCPD and Community Ambulance Company presents The Ugly Truth”. Presentations will be given by the SCPD, Community Relations Bureau, Suffolk County Medical Examiner's office, Suffolk County Department of Health and mental hygiene. NARCAN/NALOXONE training with be offered along with free take home kit with a certificate that allows to legally administer NALOXONE. Bring your expired or unwanted prescription medications for a safe disposal by SCPD. All are welcome. Appropriate for ages 15 and older.”
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Meghan Clayton, Jess Rivera, Danielle Keenan
As the beginning of the first quarter comes to an end, we look back on our time spent at BBP as sophomores and as a senior. We decided to interview seniors here and see what they have planned for the future as well as what advice they may be able to pass down to underclassmen. We wish the best to all seniors below and hope they achieve whatever they set their mind to. How does it feel to be a senior? “It’s exciting to go and start a new chapter in life but it’s also somewhat sad because we’re all leaving and I’ll miss the people I’ve grown close to.”-Danielle Keenan “It doesn’t feel real. The past three years went by so fast!”-Emily Heins “It’s like, peaceful, and like, intense at the same time.” -Alex Adesso What’s your dream job? “Anesthesiologist”-Jake Carrabis “Congressman”-Joe Salaway “Ben and Jerry’s ice cream taste tester”-Haley Giuliano “My dream job is getting to travel the world by sea”-Emily Heins “I would love to be an actor”- Alex Adesso “I want to do something with forensic psychology”- Sarah Koerner What’s your top school choice? “SUNY Cortland”- Danielle Keenan “Hofstra University”-Jake Carrabis “SUNY Oneonta”-Joe Salaway “High Point University”-Haley Giuliano “Maritime College”-Emily Heins “NYU, New York School of Colombia, Tisch”-Alex Adesso “SUNY Plattsburgh”-Sidney Okray “Penn State”- Sarah Koerner “Boston University”- Anonymous What will you miss about BBP? “I like how it’s a small town. I love the beach too.”-Sidney Okray “My underclassmen friends and my teachers.”-Alex Adesso “My team is the number one thing I will miss in all my four years. I've never been so close to a group of dedicated people who love what I love. It's going to be so hard to leave my distance family.”-Sarah Koernor “The people- classmates and teachers- I have grown up with” -Anonymous Favorite high school memory? “DECA states”-Joe Salaway “Oh god… the prom” -Alex Adesso “San Souchi long runs where we talk about deep stuff like aliens and the universe. Also learning about Mr. Holbrook ‘89”-Sarah Koernor What advice do you have for underclassmen? “Work hard at everything you do. Don’t be afraid to have some fun; high school goes really quick.” -Danielle Keenan “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”-Joe Salaway “Do all your work.”-Haley Giuliano “Don’t stress out about grades because it’s not worth it! Everything will work out in the end.”-Emily Heins “Don’t slack your senior year, it counts!” -Sidney Okray “Escape while you can (joking). Just try your hardest because it’ll definitely help you in the long run.”-Alex Adesso “The best advice I can give to underclassmen is is not to stress too much and have fun because very quickly it'll all be over. (Sad I know but HAVE FUN)” -Sarah Koerner “Everything will work out if you do what you’re supposed to do.” -Anonymous Nick Stewart
So far the boy varsity football team record is 3-3 going into week 7 against McGann Mercy high school at McGann Mercy. The boys have faced a lot of adversity this season, and everything that could go wrong has so far. Losing guys to illness, injuries, and lack motivation. But the #NEXTMANUP mentality these boys possess have keep them afloat so far, keeping the record at a steady .500 season. Many on the team have stepped up and embraced new roles when they were needed. One high note, many of the injured reserves have returned. Vincent Grazidei (RB/S), Fran Geraci (RB/S), Tim Niblock (OL/DL), and Saahil Jaswal (OL/DL). The phantoms have struggled with injuries all season so having these additions back are a huge advantage for Casey Curran For the First time ever the freshmen class of 2021 at Bayport Blue Point High School were given each their own personal chromebook to use for school. Each freshmen has the responsibility of charging it at home and bringing it to school everyday. If anythings happens to the chromebook they will be fined over $400. Since students each have their own it's their responsibility to take care of it, but if the chromebook isn't working properly they can bring it to the library for assistance. Each chromebook has a case to improve its durability. The goal is to have the chromebooks travel with the freshmen class of 2021 until senior year. Students use the chromebooks in many classes to follow along with the teacher on the smartboard or to take notes. Teachers use google classroom to post homework and other classroom assignments, which is very useful. Some websites are restricted, so students can't go on anything that isn't appropriate for school. The chromebooks are touch screen, which is a cool feature and can be flipped into different positions. They have an amazing battery life and can last up to 10 hours without a single charge. If a student forgets to charge it, the chromebook won't die on them. These computers are updated instantly, so students don't have to worry about updating it. Also they don't take up a lot of space in backpacks and aren't heavy, which is a necessity because students carry them around with them all day. Chromebooks are made by Google, so every time you login you are also logging into your google account. Many teachers use google drive or google classroom, so it's easily accessible. Students can turn in papers using google drive, so they can’t lose their paper or accidently forget it. This may seem like a con, but closed systems like Apple operating systems and Chrome OS are less likely to get bugs and viruses. This make the devices safer and less prone to malicious software. There is no need to worry about viruses. If you have a school-wide test, website, or program you want used (and nothing else) chromebooks are great for this. With the prevalence of online testing it is a pain to install programs on multiple computers. With a chromebook you can “Push Out” a program to all your devices at once and if you want you can force each one to default to only one application. This feature known as Kiosk Mode can also be set so that users don’t have to have a google account to use it. This can be great for form data collection or testing programs that use a unique login like those from Pearson and McGraw Hill. There are tons of apps in the Google Play for Education store. Some free, some at a cost, but most pretty easily integrate with Drive. Overall chromebooks are a great computer to use for education and are easily usable for students. Parker Schug At the beginning of October, our community gathered at the Blue Point Nature Preserve to celebrate the life of William Shultz at William’s Chalk the Walk. This past January, 7-year-old William Shultz lost his life to Medulloblastoma. William was a precious child that warmed the heart of every person he met. He had a great impact on our community, never failing to show us a huge display of courage. On this beautiful Fall day, William’s entire family was joined by over 100 people who cared so much for their son and brother, there to support the research of Medulloblastoma. Each participant had the opportunity to buy a four-foot by four-foot box to draw a chalk picture to honor William and his strength, and could enjoy lunch from one of the food trucks parked in the Preserve. Parents and teens volunteered signing in artists, handing out chalk, and collecting donated art supplies for pediatric hospital patients and art therapy. And families had a great time dancing to DJ Rob Drago’s music, entering raffles, and seeing a Batmobile replica. Not only was it amazing to see so many people come together who cared about William, but the masterpieces made with chalk were astonishing. Each drawing was unique and had great meaning behind it. When they were all complete, they covered the entire pathway of the nature preserve, and it was a breathtaking view. Chris Makowski, Marissa Schettino, and Kevin Hahn World Culture club was created this year and the idea was created by the Madame Allen and Señora Devaney. Our first trip is coming up soon. If you like mexican food and New York City, then this trip combines the two things you love. We will be holding a car wash on October 21, 2017 to fundraise for this exciting experience. The carwash is at People’s United Bank in Bayport.If your car is dirty buy a five dollar ticket now! The tickets look like something from a monopoly game but we are a legit club. Next meeting is 10/18/17 and all are welcome to join. See Madame Allen to join the google classroom. Lily Grahn and Olivia Walter
This December, Mr. Prince’s cinema class as well as Mr. Meade’s history through film class will be visiting the National Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, New York. The museum features subjects such as film, television, technology, history and techniques behind many forms of digital art. As an added bonus, the classes with see a screening of the new Star Wars movie: The Last Jedi on its opening day! Steven VanDood & James Bilboa With the beginning of the fourth season of the coach Charlie Peck era, the Phantoms look to win their third league title(2015 and 2016) and second county championship (2015). With the loss of star players, Mike Darby, Andrew Riefenstahl, Evan Harenberg, and Joe Venero, the phantoms aren’t in great shape for the upcoming season. However, with the upcoming of PG Pierce Prendergast and twins James and Eric Sena, with the addition of three returning starters, Kevin Doty, Ryan Lawrence, and Zach Walker, the team has a chance to do some damage in League VI. The team also will be deep off the bench with juniors and sophomores. The team will most likely not improve from its previous years record 11-3, but it will be close. The team is playing in one of the toughest leagues on the island, League VI. Some in this league are defending county champions, Southampton; last year's league champion, Wyandanch; as well as new addition, Amityville. Some other teams in the league include; John Glenn, who is looking to make their third straight playoff appearance and Mt. Sinai who always play well against the Phantoms. Phantoms are expected to go 12-4 in the upcoming season without injuries. The team will be playing its first game at home vs Miller Place on December 12 @ 4:00 pm. #Rollport #ChipChasing
Elizabeth Papa When people think of traditional high school sports, cross country will not always come to mind. It's kind of a kept away sport, as it is not as "glamorous." Yet, at Bayport-Blue Point, I don't think you'd find a tighter-knit group of kids. The Girls Cross Country team have conversations everyday, tucked in 4 mile loops around town. The Boys team is always seen smiling, keeping spirits light as they go through their workout. No other team is faced with such a mental struggle, yet every day these two teams break down the barrier between "I want to" and "I can." This year, the Girls XC team has broken down walls they didn't think were possible. They defeated SWR after years of having lost pretty decently, and are now training to be County Champs; a goal that wasn't always thought to be feasible. Yet, after numerous grueling w/o's at 7 am, some of our best long runs yet, and a full summer of training, the sky looks to be the limit. Going forward, the girls are excited to see what lies ahead. But why take my word for it? take it from the runners: Sarah K: Accomplishing Louise A: a stress reliever Savanna B: Frustrating at times, but motivating Meghan C: Lots of good chang Shannon M: Progress Addie S: it was just... Yes Nina B: Stupendous Maggie: A roller coaster Ciara S: Mystical, haha Cecily: Magical, haha Kate C: It's going well Madison D: I’ve felt myself being more invested Julia A: Different Melody D: rewarding Even Coach Ungaro shared a thought: Ungaro: A lot of hard work, nagged by minor setbacks occasionally. The boys have a different story, yet still an inspiring one. Two years ago, the beloved Coach Kauffman stepped down from his position as head coach. The current coach, Coach Sessa, has since worked with the boys to be able to train to levels that will enable them to not only run fast, but also work hard. While it of course wasn't always easy, their hard, persistant work is paying off, and the boys team is looking at some true potential to move forward with going into Divisions on October 23rd. Some boys from the team commented on how their season has been: Liam D: Improvement Nick V: Teamwork Jeremy M: Improvement Matt N: Cooperation Joe S: Improvement Kyle S: Inspirational Ben P: Resilience Kevin L: Perseverance Matt M: Energy |
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