The Phantom Voice
Menu
The Phantom Voice
By Ben Papa
It is impossible to walk down any street in Blue Point without stumbling across at least a dozen “Say No! to Seafield” signs. Sometimes, you will see multiple signs on a single lawn. It is obvious that a large amount of Blue Point residents feel strongly about this issue. Seafield is a private drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization with centers located across the country. The closest currently is in Patchogue. Seafield plans to convert the closing St. Ursula convent on Middle Road into a rehab center. In the face of an opioid epidemic, you would think that rehabilitation efforts of any kind would be greatly appreciated. Americans, including Long Islanders, are becoming addicted to and overdosing on opioids at an unprecedented rate. Bayport and Blue Point have felt the effects of this “epidemic” as well. Why, then, is the proposed Seafield center so controversial? Opponents of the rehab center, such as those who protested on Montauk Highway on December 3, argue that installing a rehab center in quaint Blue Point would attract undesirables and lead to a rise in crime, as relapsing patients may be compelled to steal money to buy more drugs. This viewpoint does not take into consideration the fact that Seafield patients would voluntarily commit themselves, and, even if they had been convicted of drug offenses in the past, the offenses would have been nonviolent. In addition, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous have already been holding meetings in Blue Point for years. It is unreasonable to assume that, considering all of this, Seafield would somehow make the community less safe. These facts have been repeated endlessly, but the number of lawns with signs keeps increasing. It is almost as if people fail to recognize the irony of pairing these signs with their Christmas decorations. During the season of giving, Blue Pointers are slamming the doors in the faces of people who need help, not unlike the biblical innkeeper who denied a room to Mary and Joseph. Everyone wants to do something about the opioid crisis, but when action is actually taken, it is almost unanimously rallied against. And if people continue to resist rehabilitation efforts, the overdoses and addictions will continue.
0 Comments
By Casey Curran
Overall season two was excellent, but I do have some things I would change. In season two episode seven Eleven ran off to find her “sister” that was with her in Hawkins Lab. The whole episode is about how she finds her and joins her. I thought this episode was completely unnecessary and didn't add to the plot. The whole episode was about Eleven and never mentioned anything to the upside down or Will. There was no need for this episode. Also I am a big fan of Eleven and I was disappointed that she was kept from Dustin, Lucas, and especially Mike for most of season two. She didn't get to see them until the end of episode eight, and one of the biggest things I was looking forward to was Mike and Eleven reuniting. A new character added during season two was a girl named Max. I felt that she was an unnecessary character. She didn't add anything to the plot and was normally mad or fighting with Dustin, Lucas, or Mike. I felt that she had no purpose to the plot and just really annoyed me. Season two was definitely darker than season one. The mind slayer ultimately takes over Will and possess him. This poor boy was in the upside down for a week, nearly died, and now is getting possessed by it. The upside down is also taking over Hawkins. Hopper was digging into the ground because he wanted to find out why Farmer’s pumpkins were rotting and he ended up getting stuck in the upside down. When he was digging he reached the upside down. In season one you could only access the upside down in Hawkins Lab and a tree in the woods. Now it's all underneath Hawkins. Pretty much everyone forgot about Barb, who was Mike’s older sister Nancy’s friend. She died early on in season one. In season two you meet her parents and they still think she ran away. Nancy doesn't have the courage to tell her parents that she is actually dead. Nancy and Jonathan figured out a way to prove that it was Hawkins fault that she is dead because they covered up that she died and made it look like she ran away. I like that the creators didn't forget about Barb’s death and have everyone know it was Hawkins Lab’s fault. Steve in season one wasn't a nice person. After Will was lost and Jonathan was trying to figure what happened to Will, Steve would call him names and treat him poorly. He even threw his camera on the ground and destroyed it. He also got jealous that Nancy and Jonathan were spending a lot of time with each other. He wrote about Nancy on the movie theatre sign and made her upset. In season two you see a different side to Steve. At the end of season one Steve helps Nancy kill a Demogorgon instead of leaving her. Thats where you really see him start to change as a person. He was going to give Nancy flowers because she was mad at Steve and he saw Dustin alone. He helps him find his lost pet that was really a Demogoron. While helping Dustin they really bonded. Steve then helps Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Max to figure out how to stop the mind slayer from controlling Will. He is even a good sport about how much time Nancy has been spending with Jonathan, even though he broke up with Nancy. Another character was also introduced, Kali. She was in Hawkins Lab with Eleven and has the number eight on her wrist where Eleven has the number eleven. She has a special power too. She can make people think they see something, but it isn't actually there. In the first episode of season two it shows Kali is in a van with her friends being chased by cops. The van goes through a tunnel and Kali uses her powers to make the cop in front think the tunnel was collapsing. Even though she was in the episode I didn't like, it makes you think if there are more people like Kali and Eleven because of the numbers. Was there ever a Nine or Ten? By Kevin McGlone
In 1998, the Minnesota Vikings drafted Randy Moss, the best receiver to ever play the game, twenty first overall in the first round. Where he stayed with the team for seven seasons. From there he went on to the Oakland Raiders for two seasons and then the New England Patriots for three years. Then his last season on the 49ers. Throughout his career his highlight reel was phenomenal. Just how dominant he was when he played puts him above any other receiver. His massive six foot four inches frame makes it impossible to cover the jump ball, combined with his breakaway 4.4 second forty-yard dash makes him unstoppable. In his fourteen year career, Moss ended with 15,292 receiving yards and 156 TDs. Owns the league’s single-season record for receiving touchdowns with twenty three in 2007. Has the single-season rookie record for receiving TD, seventeen in 1998. The only players that have more touchdowns (Not a QB) than Moss is Jerry Rice and Ladainian Tomlinson. Tomlinson had many rushing and receiving touchdowns and Rice had a twenty one year career. That being so, if Moss had played for twenty one seasons, I see him getting more than forty TDs in eight years since he had nine seasons with ten or more touchdowns. Including seasons with twenty three, seventeen, seventeen, fifteen, fourteen TDs. His productivity was uncomparable and that’s why he’s the best wider receiver of all time. Luca Gross These days it’s almost impossible to not know who Iron Man, Captain America, or The Hulk is. Comic books have been on the big screen for decades but this modern way of telling these stories really saw true success with the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With seventeen films in just under ten years, and several planned before 2020. With better technology and special effects, these movies really come to life and make it an enjoyable experience for both children and adults. The MCU is the world’s highest grossing franchise, and debatably the most iconic, along with Harry Potter, Star Wars, the Bond films, and even Fast and Furious movies.
The series of movies were not just released all “willy-nilly”, *cough cough* DC… Marvel had these movies meticulously planned their release out in three phases, up into 2018. Phase one began in 2008 with the release of Iron Man, then The Incredible Hulk the same year. Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). All these films leading up to Marvel’s The Avengers (2012). Phase two began in 2013 with Iron Man 3 in the same year, Thor: The Dark World. Followed by Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy, both in 2014. Guardians was a real game changer, bright flashy colors, better humor, and continued to cater to audiences of all ages. In 2015, they released Avengers: Age of Ultron and shortly after completed with Ant-Man. Phase three, which has not been concluded yet, started with Captain America: Civil War in 2016, followed by Doctor Strange the same year. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and the first rendition of the MCU Spider-man in, Spider-Man: Homecoming. The most recent being Thor: Ragnarok in November, of 2017. The final film, before the next team up, is Blank Panther (2018). All of these movies, building up to pretty much one of the most anticipated and speculated over film of any franchise. Avengers: Infinity War, planned for May 2018 after. This film will include almost all of the characters previously introduced. And will just be a crazy movie over all, massive fight scenes, inevitable death of some major characters. And even after this they have four more planned, not much is known about those films though. By Aidan Somers
This December the next sequel in the newest Star Wars trilogy will premiere. Titled The Last Jedi it will feature the return of one of the most influential characters in cinema, Luke Skywalker. Star Wars first took on the scene in 1977 and forty years later the impact is still monumental. Whether people are debating their hate of the prequels or the new movies, or discussing their general love for the films it’s impact is indisputable. With a predicted $215 million for opening weekend at the box office there will be floods of people entering theatres. One student by the name of Kevin Dean at BBP had this to say about the upcoming movie, “Gonna be phat.” Another kid dubbed Christopher Bacalla stated, “I want it to live up to my Star Wars Expectations, yet shock me.” My personal expectations are relatively high and expect a great movie to come. A key aspect of the Star Wars impact is the Force for Change initiative. The program was started in 2014 by Lucasfilm and Disney. The program works with UNICEF to promote kid power and benefit children around the world. Donations can be made at any time. Currently the charity has raised $2,237,712. By working with UNICEF the focus is placed on malnutrition across the globe and the prevalent issues with undeveloped countries. https://forceforchange.starwars.com/ By Annie Buxton Kate McClure(right), and Johnny Bobbitt(left) standing outside gas station. With the holiday season arriving, people’s christmas spirits are rising to the heights of mistletoe. December is all about giving. The gifts for your loved ones, the smiles you force on your face around the in-laws, all have to be perfect. Kate McClure, 27, after raising over $60,000 for a good samaritan in need, Johnny Bobbitt.
McClure started the Gofundme.com campaign after Bobbitt generously gave Kate $20 to fill her empty tank to the brim. Why was this act $60,000 worthy? The $20 was the only money homeless man Johnny had. She wrote on the fundraising page “Truly believe that all Johnny needs is one little break. Hopefully with your help I can be the one to give it to him.” Sure enough, millions responded sympathetic to the cause, emptying their wallets and spreading the generosity Johnny showed for Kate. As if raising money for Johnny wasn’t enough, Kate also repetively drove up and down the road providing him clothes, cash, and food. The campaign has already had around 2,000 people donate, and the total keeps rising. When asked about her kind acts Kate said “I wish I could do more for this selfless man, who went out of his way just to help me that day.” And with that she did. Johnny bought himself a house with the money she raised, giving him a new roof to live under and a fresh start at life. Kate, Johnny, and many more are perfect examples of what it means to have a selfless heart and kind spirit. Both are definitely making it to the top of Santa's nice list this year. By Vincent Orlando A pair of Oscar winners, Sandra Bullock and Leonardo DiCaprio, are leading the way in stars' donations to relief efforts for those affected by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana, but they're not alone. Numerous other celebrities have pledged sizable amounts to charities. - Sandra Bullock; $1 million to the American Red Cross - Leonardo DiCaprio; $1 million to the new United Way Harvey Recovery Fund - Tyler Perry; $250,000 to Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church, $250,000 to Beyonce's pastor Rudy Rasmus and his Bread of Life organization and is assessing how to donate another $500,000 to Harvey relief - Miley Cyrus; $500,000 to the American Red Cross, Best Friends, the Greater Houston Community Fund and other charities - Solange, all earnings from her Sept. 28 show in Boston to those affected by Harvey, as well as $3 from each ticket from her Oct. 3 show in New York - The Kardashian family; $250,000 each to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army - Country singer Chris Young; $100,000 to the American Red Cross - Fall Out Boy; all proceeds from their Nov. 7 show in Houston would go to Harvey relief - Kevin Hart; $50,000 to the American Red Cross - "Supernatural" star Jensen Ackles; $50,000 to Random Acts - The Chainsmokers; $30,000 to the American Red Cross - Ellen DeGeneres; $25,000 to the American Red Cross and SPCA Texas - D.J. Khaled; $25,000 to the American Red Cross - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, $25,000 to the American Red Cross - Jennifer Lawrence; $25,000 to the American Red Cross - Alex Rodriguez; $25,000 to the American Red Cross - Wendy Williams; $25,000 to the American Red Cross - The Texas Tenors; all of the sales from their new single, "Rise," to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. Megan Alden My mom has had her business, “Meryle’s Cookies” for several years now. During the holidays my mom gets a ridiculous amount of requests for her delicious baked goods. On Thanksgiving she made 37 platters which is a thousand to two thousand cookies. That night I got two hours of sleep, but that does not compare to her who has not slept in several days. Despite that, it is still my pleasure that every day (every holiday) when my mom is busy, I am lucky enough to be able to help her. My mom started her business a few years ago inspired by her grandma (my great-grandmother), and has never stopped since. It all started when she baked me and my brothers and sister some brownies and we told her they were very good. Little did we know that that would make my mom think of the possibility of starting her own business. With the support from my family and I, my mom started baking in an effort to get some extra money in our pockets. She started from nothing. Nobody knew who she was. Although, when she started baking cookies to give to her friends for gatherings, making cookies for my dad to share with his friends at work, and going to markets and selling her cookies there, her name slowly (but gradually) started getting around town. Today her name, Meryle Alden, is well-known throughout this town. Teachers, fellow students, people walking on the streets, so many people order from my mom. I even set up different social media accounts for her due to her popularity. I am so proud of her and it is and always will be an honor to be able to step into her kitchen and be part of all the magic and love my mom uses and puts into her cookies. She is capable of getting 1000 cookies out of her tiny oven in one long night, but one day it will be 2000 cookies out of her huge oven when she opens her own bakery. A bakery that I cannot wait to help her at. By Chris Bacalla
The holiday season cannot truly be the most wonderful time of the year without shedding some additional light on the many altruistic acts that are carried out around the world. The unfortunate reality of a car fire being more eye drawing than its being extinguished is the culprit behind the more horrific and lately, repulsive stories headlining papers much more often than the heart-warming ones highlighted in this issue. Enjoying these stories is not so much being ignorant of the unappealing realities around us as it is ceasing being ignorant of charitable and benevolent actions that are just as common. We should be aware of these to not only restore some needed hope in humanity but also to encourage participation in such actions. One way to do this is through the Project for Awesome. The Vlogbrothers of YouTube are running the tenth annual Project for Awesome on December 15th. For 24 hours, the initial goal of John and Hank Green is hoped to be realized: filling the trending section of YouTube with charity-promoting videos. In addition to the channel’s wide fan base (known as Nerdfighteria) posting videos of a charity that they have deemed specifically important, Nerdfighters are encouraged to make a donation to the Project on the site Indiegogo. 100% of donations are to be donated to twenty or so popularly voted upon charities in addition to Save the Children and last Mile Health. Anonymous matching donations are and have been made as well, helping to yield a total over $2,000,000 last year alone. To accompany these charitable acts is a 48 hour live-stream on which the Vlogbrothers and other YouTubers will entertain and interact with viewers. So, tune in, donate, create a video, or watch others’ on and around December 15th to contribute to something that truly lives up to its namesake! By Julianna Castilletti
Meghan Walsh, is a businesswoman who barely has time for her two children and her husband. She takes her children trick-or-treating and comes upon a very strange encounter of families decorating for Christmas almost two months before the actual holiday. Meg questions one of the ladies that are decorating and she informs her they are doing it for the Locke family, whose little boy, Dax is dying of Leukemia. Meg is curious and reads Julie Locke’s blog on the journey the Locke family is going through. The community's expectations are to provide one more Christmas for Dax Locke a toddler who is in rare form. While Dax is being treated at St. Jude’s everyone at home is preparing for Dax to come home to a decorated neighborhood. This has inspired Meg to look at her own life and priorities. The community comes together to make it the best last Christmas for Dax and welcome him home for the first time in awhile with Christmas carols and all the houses lit up with Christmas lights. This was a huge eye opener to Meg considering she barely had time for her family while the Locker family was facing worse battles. This movie can be found on Netflix and is a good movie for some down time but is also upsetting. I highly suggest this movie to an older age group. |