Breaking News-Beeline Alumni Edition
full circle
by Jordon Spence '16
In October 2013, my guidance counselor, Janelle Lauria, chose me and 20+ other sophomores for an opportunity to join a program called Summer Search. I felt honored to be chosen as one of who knows how many sophomores in my class. We attended a few seminars that went into further detail about what Summer Search is and their objective. Summer Search helps high school students become essential leaders in their communities, develop their character and guide them through the college process with a personal mentor with them every step of the way. One of the major components of Summer Search are the two summer trips they send
Summer Search students on during their sophomore and junior year of high school, respectively. The Sophomore summer trip is a 3-week wilderness camping trip. The Junior summer trip is a choice of either:
1. A more difficult wilderness camping trip.
2. An arts and crafts trip.
3. A college campus trip.
4. A community service trip in Latin America or in the United States.
5. A paid internship.
Naturally, my friend and I were sold on the trips alone and we immediately submitted our applications. Within the following weeks, I was interviewed by Ann, Jason and Bethany about an incredibly personal moment in my life. It was their way of understanding who I was and my mindset. It was an awkward interview since I never really talked about my personal life with anyone before, especially people I just met. And yet, there was something relieving about sharing that information with people who cared to listen.
I went to the Adirondacks for my first trip with 5 other Summer Searchers from Boston and Philadelphia. We were out of our element but we came together as a team, as friends, and as a family to overcome the many trials we faced while hiking and canoeing throughout that trip. I even led my team for a couple of days. With that I developed a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. I pushed myself to accomplish tasks I thought were impossible for me like hiking up a mountain, hiking each day with 60 pounds on my back or safely navigating my team to our next destination. It was a wonderful detour in my life but I was brought back to the real world when those 3 weeks were up. It was back to school and back to the life I left behind for the moment.
I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up for the majority of my time in high school. I was somewhat aimless. I figured I would work an office job since that’s what my mom does. I believed I could do anything if I put my mind to it, but the problem was that nothing was coming to mind. That’s where Summer Search comes in, specifically with my mentor Bethany Nelson. Bethany challenged some of my close minded opinions about myself. She recognized the limitations I was putting on myself before considering the possibilities of what I was actually capable of. Bethany is my third mom in how she guided me with a careful hand, helping me to
recognize what was really important. My second mom on the other hand was also my guidance counselor. Bethany actually echoed some of the things Janelle would tell me before Summer Search. As my guidance counselor, Janelle would assign me classes she believed I would excel in. I used to think she was overestimating me when she was trying to get me to take on any challenge that came my way with confidence in myself. Both Janelle and Bethany helped me to embrace stepping out of my comfort zone and believing in my potential to push past limitations.
In my junior and senior years of high school, I had a teacher named Brian Greenspan. Just like with Janelle and Bethany, Greenspan saw something in me that I didn’t see. Greenspan helped me to discover my passion for English and often encouraged me to improve my reading, writing, listening and speaking skills because he believed I had what it took to be a great leader. When I graduated from Martin Van Buren High School to then attend Borough of Manhattan Community College in 2016, I majored in English with the goal to become an author. I would visit MVB whenever I had free time during college to see Janelle, Greenspan and some other teachers and faculty. Both Janelle and Greenspan had this way of bonding with their students that went beyond a simple student-teacher relationship. We could be ourselves around them. They’d listen to us and talk with us without talking down to us. There were students from up to 10 years ago visiting both Janelle and Greenspan. I wasn’t the only one they’ve impacted. It was even more heartwarming with Greenspan since he dealt with all of the grades since he was COSA, whereas Janelle only worked with the grade associated with her class. Most of the students in the school knew who he was and just about every one of them had a positive opinion of him. Greenspan is also a teacher and in his class, he challenged us to think of unique solutions, have confidence in our beliefs, ideas and goals even if they weren’t popular opinions. He also encouraged us to be open to people who may disagree with us. He made sure we were aware of world history and different cultures. He made sure we were considerate of others, to be respectful to others and to practice good communication skills. And these are only some of the things he taught us. Seeing all this continue to transpire while visiting Greenspan, fueled another passion within me to become a high school English teacher.
Once I graduated from BMCC in Fall 2018, I transferred to Brooklyn College to begin studying as an English and Secondary Education major with a minor in Linguistics. I graduated from Brooklyn College in Spring 2021 and later that year I got a job as a presenter/educator with Elevate Education. I traveled around to different schools in NYC to teach students different skills such as time management, stress management, how to ace their exams, how to work efficiently in groups, amongst other skills. Currently, I decided to go back to where this journey started—MVB—so I can become an English teacher there and be the mentor like Greenspan, Janelle and Bethany were for me. I still have my goal to become an author and I continue to work on it to this day. My once mentors (and still are in some ways) are now good friends I can laugh with about the old days.
In October 2013, my guidance counselor, Janelle Lauria, chose me and 20+ other sophomores for an opportunity to join a program called Summer Search. I felt honored to be chosen as one of who knows how many sophomores in my class. We attended a few seminars that went into further detail about what Summer Search is and their objective. Summer Search helps high school students become essential leaders in their communities, develop their character and guide them through the college process with a personal mentor with them every step of the way. One of the major components of Summer Search are the two summer trips they send
Summer Search students on during their sophomore and junior year of high school, respectively. The Sophomore summer trip is a 3-week wilderness camping trip. The Junior summer trip is a choice of either:
1. A more difficult wilderness camping trip.
2. An arts and crafts trip.
3. A college campus trip.
4. A community service trip in Latin America or in the United States.
5. A paid internship.
Naturally, my friend and I were sold on the trips alone and we immediately submitted our applications. Within the following weeks, I was interviewed by Ann, Jason and Bethany about an incredibly personal moment in my life. It was their way of understanding who I was and my mindset. It was an awkward interview since I never really talked about my personal life with anyone before, especially people I just met. And yet, there was something relieving about sharing that information with people who cared to listen.
I went to the Adirondacks for my first trip with 5 other Summer Searchers from Boston and Philadelphia. We were out of our element but we came together as a team, as friends, and as a family to overcome the many trials we faced while hiking and canoeing throughout that trip. I even led my team for a couple of days. With that I developed a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. I pushed myself to accomplish tasks I thought were impossible for me like hiking up a mountain, hiking each day with 60 pounds on my back or safely navigating my team to our next destination. It was a wonderful detour in my life but I was brought back to the real world when those 3 weeks were up. It was back to school and back to the life I left behind for the moment.
I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up for the majority of my time in high school. I was somewhat aimless. I figured I would work an office job since that’s what my mom does. I believed I could do anything if I put my mind to it, but the problem was that nothing was coming to mind. That’s where Summer Search comes in, specifically with my mentor Bethany Nelson. Bethany challenged some of my close minded opinions about myself. She recognized the limitations I was putting on myself before considering the possibilities of what I was actually capable of. Bethany is my third mom in how she guided me with a careful hand, helping me to
recognize what was really important. My second mom on the other hand was also my guidance counselor. Bethany actually echoed some of the things Janelle would tell me before Summer Search. As my guidance counselor, Janelle would assign me classes she believed I would excel in. I used to think she was overestimating me when she was trying to get me to take on any challenge that came my way with confidence in myself. Both Janelle and Bethany helped me to embrace stepping out of my comfort zone and believing in my potential to push past limitations.
In my junior and senior years of high school, I had a teacher named Brian Greenspan. Just like with Janelle and Bethany, Greenspan saw something in me that I didn’t see. Greenspan helped me to discover my passion for English and often encouraged me to improve my reading, writing, listening and speaking skills because he believed I had what it took to be a great leader. When I graduated from Martin Van Buren High School to then attend Borough of Manhattan Community College in 2016, I majored in English with the goal to become an author. I would visit MVB whenever I had free time during college to see Janelle, Greenspan and some other teachers and faculty. Both Janelle and Greenspan had this way of bonding with their students that went beyond a simple student-teacher relationship. We could be ourselves around them. They’d listen to us and talk with us without talking down to us. There were students from up to 10 years ago visiting both Janelle and Greenspan. I wasn’t the only one they’ve impacted. It was even more heartwarming with Greenspan since he dealt with all of the grades since he was COSA, whereas Janelle only worked with the grade associated with her class. Most of the students in the school knew who he was and just about every one of them had a positive opinion of him. Greenspan is also a teacher and in his class, he challenged us to think of unique solutions, have confidence in our beliefs, ideas and goals even if they weren’t popular opinions. He also encouraged us to be open to people who may disagree with us. He made sure we were aware of world history and different cultures. He made sure we were considerate of others, to be respectful to others and to practice good communication skills. And these are only some of the things he taught us. Seeing all this continue to transpire while visiting Greenspan, fueled another passion within me to become a high school English teacher.
Once I graduated from BMCC in Fall 2018, I transferred to Brooklyn College to begin studying as an English and Secondary Education major with a minor in Linguistics. I graduated from Brooklyn College in Spring 2021 and later that year I got a job as a presenter/educator with Elevate Education. I traveled around to different schools in NYC to teach students different skills such as time management, stress management, how to ace their exams, how to work efficiently in groups, amongst other skills. Currently, I decided to go back to where this journey started—MVB—so I can become an English teacher there and be the mentor like Greenspan, Janelle and Bethany were for me. I still have my goal to become an author and I continue to work on it to this day. My once mentors (and still are in some ways) are now good friends I can laugh with about the old days.
The mvb track and field team: unsung heroes
A TENTH OF A SECOND OR JUST A CENTIMETER CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOLD, SILVER, OR NO MEDAL AT ALL in the sport of track and field! The Martin Van Buren track team is committed to encouraging and providing positive experiences for athletes' athletic, academic and personal growth. The coaches provide excellent guidance in training theory and technique, motivation generated by creating a vision of each athlete’s potential and positively reinforcing that vision, and nurturing the enjoyment and love of the event(s) in which they are involved. We don’t just get athletes to jump higher and longer, or throw further and run faster. The result is a support system that helps student athletes achieve more, and excel in their academic and athletics development, in a quest to achieve the students athletes Track & Field recruiting standards.
Our outstanding team of dedicated coaches are;
Zaman Shah, Indoor head coach and outdoor (boys) assistant. He has been with the team since 2006.
Carrel Walters, indoor and outdoor girls team from 2012. An experienced jump and hurdles coach, she has worked with Olympic and world Junior athletes. She is a world athlete certified level one coach and she is also certified by Olympic solidarity.
Clive Walters, Indoor (assistant) and outdoor boys (head) coach from 2011. Experienced sprints and middle distance coach. Since 2010, he has managed his own Athletic Academy. Clive has worked with Olympic and world junior and senior athletes. He is a level 5 track and field coach with a chief coach diploma certified by World Athletics. He is a USA Track and Field level 3 coach, which is the highest level within the country. Also certified by Olympic solidarity as an athletics coach.
The MVB track team has participated in the prestigious Penn Relays and won their race. The team members over the years consistently qualified for the city championship and student athletes have represented the PSAL in the New York State championship, and won medals. Currently the school has the 2019 city sophomore high jumps winner and runner up on the team. As COVID-19 rates dropped, PSAL Track & Field return to action in May 2021. After an invigorating PSAL six weeks, during this spring session of competition, the girls team won 22 medals and the boys 34 spanning across events such as the high and long jump, shot putt, hurdles, sprints and relays. The Team has a rich history that has been well documented! Follow the team facebook page @Martin Van Buren track and field.
Often times, the gap between winning and coming up short can be decided by purely economic reasons. Since the margin of victory is usually minute, an innovative training program or an additional competitive opportunity can make all the difference. Can you help us?Any contributions and support helps our program greatly. Your contribution will help cover the expenses directly associated with the team development program. You will share in the Team journey by giving the student athletes the resources necessary to be competitive on the grandest of all stages, the Olympic Games. Specifically, your contribution will help cover the following expenses directly associated with: • Top-level coaching • domestic & national competitions • Modern equipment & facilities. On an even more personal level, your gift will impact the day-to-day life of a student athlete in-training. Your gift provides financial stability and lessens the stress of funding training expenses. If you are able to support our program contact us at mvbhsaa@gmail.com
Our outstanding team of dedicated coaches are;
Zaman Shah, Indoor head coach and outdoor (boys) assistant. He has been with the team since 2006.
Carrel Walters, indoor and outdoor girls team from 2012. An experienced jump and hurdles coach, she has worked with Olympic and world Junior athletes. She is a world athlete certified level one coach and she is also certified by Olympic solidarity.
Clive Walters, Indoor (assistant) and outdoor boys (head) coach from 2011. Experienced sprints and middle distance coach. Since 2010, he has managed his own Athletic Academy. Clive has worked with Olympic and world junior and senior athletes. He is a level 5 track and field coach with a chief coach diploma certified by World Athletics. He is a USA Track and Field level 3 coach, which is the highest level within the country. Also certified by Olympic solidarity as an athletics coach.
The MVB track team has participated in the prestigious Penn Relays and won their race. The team members over the years consistently qualified for the city championship and student athletes have represented the PSAL in the New York State championship, and won medals. Currently the school has the 2019 city sophomore high jumps winner and runner up on the team. As COVID-19 rates dropped, PSAL Track & Field return to action in May 2021. After an invigorating PSAL six weeks, during this spring session of competition, the girls team won 22 medals and the boys 34 spanning across events such as the high and long jump, shot putt, hurdles, sprints and relays. The Team has a rich history that has been well documented! Follow the team facebook page @Martin Van Buren track and field.
Often times, the gap between winning and coming up short can be decided by purely economic reasons. Since the margin of victory is usually minute, an innovative training program or an additional competitive opportunity can make all the difference. Can you help us?Any contributions and support helps our program greatly. Your contribution will help cover the expenses directly associated with the team development program. You will share in the Team journey by giving the student athletes the resources necessary to be competitive on the grandest of all stages, the Olympic Games. Specifically, your contribution will help cover the following expenses directly associated with: • Top-level coaching • domestic & national competitions • Modern equipment & facilities. On an even more personal level, your gift will impact the day-to-day life of a student athlete in-training. Your gift provides financial stability and lessens the stress of funding training expenses. If you are able to support our program contact us at mvbhsaa@gmail.com
cubes in space!
There is nothing quite like a challenge that has no limits. In conjunction with the Goddard Space Flight Center of NASA, under the watchful eye of Carol Wang, our STEM coordinator, MVBHS students are involved in an amazing undertaking. Their job is to create, implement, analyze and conclude a real life scientific experiment conducted in outer space. We have 14 of our students working on their own experiments that will be launched into space on RB-6, NASA’s zero-pressure scientific balloon. The Cubes in Space program began back in 2014 and has accepted student experiments from over 70 countries and in this next launch our students will have 9 of the 120 allotted openings on the spacecraft. This is the first time MVB’s own are on board for this one of a kind mission, and is part of Ms. Wang’s ongoing effort connecting the world renowned space agency with our school. Ms. Wang notes, "These projects kept students engaged, their creativity flowing, and their competitive edge alive, especially with remote learning preventing us from physically being in the lab. Their job doesn’t end here though. When the experiments come back from flight, students will have to complete their experiments and compare their results to the controls that remained on Earth. I am so proud of each and every one of our research students. They’ve done an amazing job representing our research program and school community ." Among the experiments being conducted by our team of junior scientists include the effects of decreased air pressure on the strength of metal foam and the effect of temperature, UV radiation and the overall space atmosphere on the elasticity of silicon rubber. This is some heady stuff and its just another day in the life of our students, who continue to reach for the stars.
code:blue
by Aneesah Khandaker
Close your eyes and think of an idea of yours that felt like a “lightbulb” moment, a moment where something just clicked inside you and you just knew that it would work. That’s exactly what I sensed a little over two months ago with the creation of my very first club. My name is Aneesah Khandaker and I started Code Blue, the first Medical Club available at Martin Van Buren High School! My friends and I would often find that exploring the various aspects of the pre-med field by ourselves was, frankly, overwhelming at times; after seeing that quite a number of our students shared similar sentiments, I wanted to create something that would help other students in the school, and so began the story of Code Blue!
The club focuses on exposing high schoolers to a variety of options in the medical field and explore future success together as I love emphasizing the importance of teamwork within the club. My goal is to help our members get the knowledge that will help them in pursuing their desired field after high school and help them improve important skills such as communication, critical thinking, and collaboration. Some areas we’ve already covered in our discussions include the following:
· Various medical careers and the educational requirements
· Medical terminology taught in higher education
· MCAT review and tips for success
My members and I are all very eager to learn as we discuss new topics at every meeting. I love fueling conversations among us and coaxing out their ideas, thoughts, and comments as we’ve been able to hold meaningful conversations while sprinkling in the occasional banter within. I always look forward to hearing their suggestions to improve the club and find programs or activities that stimulate everyone present at the meetings! My plans for future meetings are focused on bringing field professionals and other guest speakers to chat with the members and provide insight on what it’s actually like working in medicine. I hope to run this club and help my members out until I graduate, and hopefully even afterward! Seeing them participate and join the meetings so eagerly motivates me to do better for them and provide them with as much support as I possibly can.
Close your eyes and think of an idea of yours that felt like a “lightbulb” moment, a moment where something just clicked inside you and you just knew that it would work. That’s exactly what I sensed a little over two months ago with the creation of my very first club. My name is Aneesah Khandaker and I started Code Blue, the first Medical Club available at Martin Van Buren High School! My friends and I would often find that exploring the various aspects of the pre-med field by ourselves was, frankly, overwhelming at times; after seeing that quite a number of our students shared similar sentiments, I wanted to create something that would help other students in the school, and so began the story of Code Blue!
The club focuses on exposing high schoolers to a variety of options in the medical field and explore future success together as I love emphasizing the importance of teamwork within the club. My goal is to help our members get the knowledge that will help them in pursuing their desired field after high school and help them improve important skills such as communication, critical thinking, and collaboration. Some areas we’ve already covered in our discussions include the following:
· Various medical careers and the educational requirements
· Medical terminology taught in higher education
· MCAT review and tips for success
My members and I are all very eager to learn as we discuss new topics at every meeting. I love fueling conversations among us and coaxing out their ideas, thoughts, and comments as we’ve been able to hold meaningful conversations while sprinkling in the occasional banter within. I always look forward to hearing their suggestions to improve the club and find programs or activities that stimulate everyone present at the meetings! My plans for future meetings are focused on bringing field professionals and other guest speakers to chat with the members and provide insight on what it’s actually like working in medicine. I hope to run this club and help my members out until I graduate, and hopefully even afterward! Seeing them participate and join the meetings so eagerly motivates me to do better for them and provide them with as much support as I possibly can.
MVBHS’s First Debate Team Experience
by Lesly Orozco
On March13, The MVBHS Debate team went to its first tournament. I was super nervous because I was new at this, and didn’t know how I would respond to the opponent’s questions.
At 10 o’clock, my partner Ahnaf and I went into the Zoom debate room. I introduced myself and made small talk with the judges as we waited for our opponents. Finally, our opponents showed up. They wore suits and carried notepads. I thought they sure look like they know what they’re doing.
The round started and the judge immediately called my name. My heart raced and so did my speech since I tend to speak fast when I’m nervous. Then the crossfire, the part I feared, the part where my opponent and I exchange questions, began.
I went into the debate not knowing how to respond to the opponents’ questions, and that’s exactly what happened. I almost gave up as they asked their questions. Their vocabulary was impressive, and they spoke as if they had been debating for years! I was intimidated. My next thought was we are definitely losing this round and that’s exactly what happened. After the first round, a judge gave Ahnaf and I feedback.
Our next opponents were late to the second round. The judge guessed that they withdrew from the contest. I crossed my fingers and hoped she was right. A little while later, the judge declared Ahnaf and I winners and wished us luck in the third round. I felt so relieved.
Five minutes later, Ahnaf and I were called back to the debate meeting room. It turned out that my opponents had technical difficulties. All the relief that I had turned back into tension. I had a better idea of what to expect, but the crossfire section still scared me. I didn’t know what questions I'd be asked, and I figured that I wouldn’t know how to answer their questions anyway.
The first debater from the other team spoke so fast I couldn't understand a word. I understood the second debater, and after he was done speaking, I was asked to ask a question. I didn’t know what to ask since I zoned out comparing the two speakers. I wondered if debate was really for me. Not everything is for everyone, I rationalized. But how could you quit after your first debate? I had my own debate in my head as we lost round two.
During lunch break, I took a walk and conferenced with Ahnaf and our debate coach, Mr. Castellano. After our meeting, Mr. Castellano texted me and said that he was proud that I was the first freshman to be on the Van Buren Debate team and that one day, I’d be telling my kids about this experience. He was right. I thought what kind of example would I be for my children if I told them that I quit during my first debate competition?
I let my stress go.
I felt a little more confident during the third round. I did my best despite feeling a little lost at times. When I got stuck answering one of the opponents questions, I didn’t stress as much. It helped that Ahnaf was on fire with his argument and his comebacks. Pretty soon, I started chipping in with my arguments, more than I did in the last two rounds. The last debate ended and I went about the rest of my day.
The next day, I saw my coach’s text to both me and Ahnaf:
Congratulations… you two won the first debate in MVB history. You didn’t win the tournament, but you won one match! We can build on this.
I was so happy and more motivated than ever to stay with this learning experience on the debate team. I’m glad that I spoke with more confidence in round three and that I didn’t give up. All in all, I learned two important things: I learned how to debate and I learned that I need to stop giving up so easily.
On March13, The MVBHS Debate team went to its first tournament. I was super nervous because I was new at this, and didn’t know how I would respond to the opponent’s questions.
At 10 o’clock, my partner Ahnaf and I went into the Zoom debate room. I introduced myself and made small talk with the judges as we waited for our opponents. Finally, our opponents showed up. They wore suits and carried notepads. I thought they sure look like they know what they’re doing.
The round started and the judge immediately called my name. My heart raced and so did my speech since I tend to speak fast when I’m nervous. Then the crossfire, the part I feared, the part where my opponent and I exchange questions, began.
I went into the debate not knowing how to respond to the opponents’ questions, and that’s exactly what happened. I almost gave up as they asked their questions. Their vocabulary was impressive, and they spoke as if they had been debating for years! I was intimidated. My next thought was we are definitely losing this round and that’s exactly what happened. After the first round, a judge gave Ahnaf and I feedback.
Our next opponents were late to the second round. The judge guessed that they withdrew from the contest. I crossed my fingers and hoped she was right. A little while later, the judge declared Ahnaf and I winners and wished us luck in the third round. I felt so relieved.
Five minutes later, Ahnaf and I were called back to the debate meeting room. It turned out that my opponents had technical difficulties. All the relief that I had turned back into tension. I had a better idea of what to expect, but the crossfire section still scared me. I didn’t know what questions I'd be asked, and I figured that I wouldn’t know how to answer their questions anyway.
The first debater from the other team spoke so fast I couldn't understand a word. I understood the second debater, and after he was done speaking, I was asked to ask a question. I didn’t know what to ask since I zoned out comparing the two speakers. I wondered if debate was really for me. Not everything is for everyone, I rationalized. But how could you quit after your first debate? I had my own debate in my head as we lost round two.
During lunch break, I took a walk and conferenced with Ahnaf and our debate coach, Mr. Castellano. After our meeting, Mr. Castellano texted me and said that he was proud that I was the first freshman to be on the Van Buren Debate team and that one day, I’d be telling my kids about this experience. He was right. I thought what kind of example would I be for my children if I told them that I quit during my first debate competition?
I let my stress go.
I felt a little more confident during the third round. I did my best despite feeling a little lost at times. When I got stuck answering one of the opponents questions, I didn’t stress as much. It helped that Ahnaf was on fire with his argument and his comebacks. Pretty soon, I started chipping in with my arguments, more than I did in the last two rounds. The last debate ended and I went about the rest of my day.
The next day, I saw my coach’s text to both me and Ahnaf:
Congratulations… you two won the first debate in MVB history. You didn’t win the tournament, but you won one match! We can build on this.
I was so happy and more motivated than ever to stay with this learning experience on the debate team. I’m glad that I spoke with more confidence in round three and that I didn’t give up. All in all, I learned two important things: I learned how to debate and I learned that I need to stop giving up so easily.
The Burning Sands
by Stefon Lowman '98
I remember it as if it were yesterday. In the spring of 1997, I walked into a second-floor classroom at Martin Van Buren (MVB) High School with a few of my friends, acquaintances, and a few students I did not know. I was excited because I loved history and this was the first opportunity that I had to take an African American History class.
For the most part, in high school I was a good student. I was always respectful to my teachers though I tried my best to fly under the radar. I always turned in my work, but I never gave 100% to anything as a student. I don’t even think I knew how to give 100%. Up until this point, a teacher never challenged me to be more than just an average student. I had never been challenged to be a scholar.
On the first day of class, I sat at my desk making small talk with the students who sat around me. Mr. Johnson stood in front of the class. The bell rang and Mr. Johnson said something like, “In order to pass this class you will have to walk the burning sands!” “The burning sands?” I thought to myself. “What are the burning sands?” I thought as I started to panic. He continued telling us how hard we would have to work to pass his class, making it clear that this semester would be like crossing a sun-scorched desert. I envisioned myself dying in that desert with an ashen face and cracked lips. “Maybe there is still time,” I thought, “still time to get out of this class.” Mr. Johnson continued with a slight inflection in his voice, “You will walk the burning sands. We will all walk the burning sand together and we will get through it.”
On the second day of classes and the days that followed, we did not see the man that threatened us with the “Burning Sands.” Instead, we encountered a man who trapped us in history and time. He taught us about our ancestors and in the process taught us about ourselves. Mr. Johnson challenged our thoughts on American History, and forced us to see our place in it. We became ferocious thinkers. With each class we began to see our value as Americans, our capability as students, and our self-worth as human beings. We were growing. We were being stretched and Mr. Johnson was the catalyst. However, here is the genius of the man. He was not stretching us, instead he was inspiring us and we were stretching ourselves. In his class, we became scholastic Bedouin. Without knowing it we had been crossing the burning sands. We accepted the rigor of the course with excitement because we had been inspired.
A small spark of inspiration can start a wildfire, and once started it is difficult to put out. There are so many stories that I could tell about how Mr. Johnson inspired us to be more than what we thought we were or could be. I could tell you about the time he sent us to the Jamaica Queens library on the weekend to do a research project, then followed up a few weeks later by sending us to The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), on the weekend for another research project to observe African American art. We were inner city kids mainly from Northside and Southside Jamaica (Southeast Queens) and I get the sense that the papers that we wrote were not the learning objective, but vehicles for us to be exposed to a different environment. It was all about inspiring us, and if inspiration was his goal he succeeded greatly.
With aiming to inspire, Mr. Johnson changed my life. One day in class we read Mother to Son by Langston Hughes. I expressed to Mr. Johnson how the poem spoke to me. Mr. Johnson responded by telling me that I was going to write a ballad for homework. “I don’t write no ballads,” I responded without thinking. You see I was from around the way, and a kid from around the way did not write ballads. Mr. Johnson responded in a calm manner, “You will if you want to pass this class,” and that was that. Later that night I struggled at my dining room table to write a ballad; internally I was walking the burning sands. Although Mr. Johnson always insinuated that walking the burning sands would be painful, he also let us know that it was profitable. And it was. By the end of the night, I had my ballad and I was proud of it. Something broke inside this city kid. Beneath the concrete that lined my soul was fertile ground of inspired thought and words to be used to weave them together. Because of Mr. Johnson I discovered that I had a skill for writing poetry. From that point on, I wrote myself out of mediocrity.
Two years later while in college at Florida A&M University the talent that Mr. Johnson helped me to discover, led me to change my major to Journalism and Public Relations and inspired me to create and become the editor of a poetry and art section in my college newspaper called the Creative Mindz. I also became a staff writer in my school newspaper and lived history as a beat reporter during the 2000 elections. Like a snowball effect this passion that Mr. Johnson sparked, led me to my first job at HBO in marketing, and every career decision that I made in my life, ultimately leading me to become a Lead Counselor at a middle school in North Carolina. However, through all this time I never stopped writing poetry. It became my passion.
In 2019, I self-published a poetry book titled, A Million and One Stories to Tell. During the process I thought often of Mr. Johnson and the burning sands. Once the book was released on Amazon, I wanted to find him to show him how he inspired me in my life. I wanted to show him the end result of his work as an educator. After reaching out to some great people I found him. When I got him on the phone, I intended to share with him how he impacted my life. My goal was to pay it forward and in turn impact his life. However, he proceeded to question me about being an educator and asked me what I thought about the current world we live in and how I could influence students as an educator. He also inspired me as a writer and helped me gain inspiration for a second book that I had been struggling with. Just as in the past, over a few short conversations over the phone he forced me to walk the burning sands. Mr. Johnson is a remarkable man who encounters students and turns them into desert dwellers who are fully equipped to walk the burning sands of this life. We were never students to Mr. Johnson. He always saw us as scholars; scholastic Bedouins.
I remember it as if it were yesterday. In the spring of 1997, I walked into a second-floor classroom at Martin Van Buren (MVB) High School with a few of my friends, acquaintances, and a few students I did not know. I was excited because I loved history and this was the first opportunity that I had to take an African American History class.
For the most part, in high school I was a good student. I was always respectful to my teachers though I tried my best to fly under the radar. I always turned in my work, but I never gave 100% to anything as a student. I don’t even think I knew how to give 100%. Up until this point, a teacher never challenged me to be more than just an average student. I had never been challenged to be a scholar.
On the first day of class, I sat at my desk making small talk with the students who sat around me. Mr. Johnson stood in front of the class. The bell rang and Mr. Johnson said something like, “In order to pass this class you will have to walk the burning sands!” “The burning sands?” I thought to myself. “What are the burning sands?” I thought as I started to panic. He continued telling us how hard we would have to work to pass his class, making it clear that this semester would be like crossing a sun-scorched desert. I envisioned myself dying in that desert with an ashen face and cracked lips. “Maybe there is still time,” I thought, “still time to get out of this class.” Mr. Johnson continued with a slight inflection in his voice, “You will walk the burning sands. We will all walk the burning sand together and we will get through it.”
On the second day of classes and the days that followed, we did not see the man that threatened us with the “Burning Sands.” Instead, we encountered a man who trapped us in history and time. He taught us about our ancestors and in the process taught us about ourselves. Mr. Johnson challenged our thoughts on American History, and forced us to see our place in it. We became ferocious thinkers. With each class we began to see our value as Americans, our capability as students, and our self-worth as human beings. We were growing. We were being stretched and Mr. Johnson was the catalyst. However, here is the genius of the man. He was not stretching us, instead he was inspiring us and we were stretching ourselves. In his class, we became scholastic Bedouin. Without knowing it we had been crossing the burning sands. We accepted the rigor of the course with excitement because we had been inspired.
A small spark of inspiration can start a wildfire, and once started it is difficult to put out. There are so many stories that I could tell about how Mr. Johnson inspired us to be more than what we thought we were or could be. I could tell you about the time he sent us to the Jamaica Queens library on the weekend to do a research project, then followed up a few weeks later by sending us to The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), on the weekend for another research project to observe African American art. We were inner city kids mainly from Northside and Southside Jamaica (Southeast Queens) and I get the sense that the papers that we wrote were not the learning objective, but vehicles for us to be exposed to a different environment. It was all about inspiring us, and if inspiration was his goal he succeeded greatly.
With aiming to inspire, Mr. Johnson changed my life. One day in class we read Mother to Son by Langston Hughes. I expressed to Mr. Johnson how the poem spoke to me. Mr. Johnson responded by telling me that I was going to write a ballad for homework. “I don’t write no ballads,” I responded without thinking. You see I was from around the way, and a kid from around the way did not write ballads. Mr. Johnson responded in a calm manner, “You will if you want to pass this class,” and that was that. Later that night I struggled at my dining room table to write a ballad; internally I was walking the burning sands. Although Mr. Johnson always insinuated that walking the burning sands would be painful, he also let us know that it was profitable. And it was. By the end of the night, I had my ballad and I was proud of it. Something broke inside this city kid. Beneath the concrete that lined my soul was fertile ground of inspired thought and words to be used to weave them together. Because of Mr. Johnson I discovered that I had a skill for writing poetry. From that point on, I wrote myself out of mediocrity.
Two years later while in college at Florida A&M University the talent that Mr. Johnson helped me to discover, led me to change my major to Journalism and Public Relations and inspired me to create and become the editor of a poetry and art section in my college newspaper called the Creative Mindz. I also became a staff writer in my school newspaper and lived history as a beat reporter during the 2000 elections. Like a snowball effect this passion that Mr. Johnson sparked, led me to my first job at HBO in marketing, and every career decision that I made in my life, ultimately leading me to become a Lead Counselor at a middle school in North Carolina. However, through all this time I never stopped writing poetry. It became my passion.
In 2019, I self-published a poetry book titled, A Million and One Stories to Tell. During the process I thought often of Mr. Johnson and the burning sands. Once the book was released on Amazon, I wanted to find him to show him how he inspired me in my life. I wanted to show him the end result of his work as an educator. After reaching out to some great people I found him. When I got him on the phone, I intended to share with him how he impacted my life. My goal was to pay it forward and in turn impact his life. However, he proceeded to question me about being an educator and asked me what I thought about the current world we live in and how I could influence students as an educator. He also inspired me as a writer and helped me gain inspiration for a second book that I had been struggling with. Just as in the past, over a few short conversations over the phone he forced me to walk the burning sands. Mr. Johnson is a remarkable man who encounters students and turns them into desert dwellers who are fully equipped to walk the burning sands of this life. We were never students to Mr. Johnson. He always saw us as scholars; scholastic Bedouins.
travel the world: our comfort food COOKBOOK
by Emily Diana '21
They say it takes a village to raise a child. If that’s the case, then it takes the whole world to raise a village.
Friday, March 13, 2020. I woke up extra early for school to get ready for this special day that we had all been anxious for: we were going to Skype with an astronaut onboard the International Space Station. I floated into the auditorium around 8:30am to start taking pictures.
I chatted with the Science Research students who were trying to calm their nerves as they fixed last minute details and reviewed their questions. Guests started arriving. I moved into the lobby to take their pictures in front of the Art Club display I had set up. The guests complimented the display and even took pictures of it. An older couple walked in and, although I had no idea who they were, they politely agreed to a picture. I spent the rest of the day smooshed between press photographers and news anchors interviewing our Science Research teacher, Ms. Wang. That day was surreal. It was history in the making, truly a once-in-a-lifetime unforgettable event.
Sunday, March 15th, 2020. A long period of uncertainty was about to begin. It was announced that schools would be closed until sometime in April. Reluctantly, I put on the happiest face I could muster and recorded the news for our school’s Instagram. I just told them what I knew and that I would keep them informed.
By mid-May, it was confirmed that we would be home for the rest of the school year. Around the same time, I started getting emails about some “cookbook.” I was confused at first but determined to find out more information. After talking to our COSA, Mr Greenspan, he connected me with Steve Wilson, the head of our Alumni Alliance. Mr. Wilson explained the whole thing and I was intrigued.
I learned that the “MVBHS Comfort Food Cookbook” collected over 150 recipes from over 50 countries around the world. Recipes were given by everyone from alumni, teachers, community members, students and families, and people from all over the world. After collecting these recipes Mr. Wilson, along with his wife, Nomi, designed and put together the book. By the second week of June, the cookbook was already being distributed and helping to raise money for the school.
Several former students helped put the cookbook together as well. Kanza Choudhry (2019) designed the artwork for the back cover. Manuela Quiceno (2020), translated the book into Spanish. Avik Kadakia (2017) organized social media promotion and manages the YouTube channel. Our AP Chemistry teacher Ms. Vora--among many other community members--have made videos for the YouTube channel in the hopes of creating a stream of revenue for the book. Students from both the Scholars Organization and the Student Government are working on publicity and content creation for the book.
Donations have been received from thirty four different states across the country. The book has also been distributed in multiple countries around the world including Canada, Japan, Israel, and The Netherlands. The school and cookbook have been featured on WCBS Radio, NY-1 News, an Israeli Radio Program, and in the New York Times. As of October 2020, roughly $70,000 have been raised for students and families in need. The money gets distributed with the help of Commonpoint Queens and Ms. Heather Liverpool. According to Mr. Wilson, “None of this would mean anything if we didn’t have Heather and Commonpoint working with us.” Ms. Liverpool works to identify students whose families have suffered financial loss and gets the money to them. A 2nd-edition of the cookbook is being planned for Spring 2021 to continue with fundraising for the school community.
I already knew we had an amazing group of teachers and community members like Ms. Wang, supporting us through once in a lifetime educational opportunities such as Skyping an astronaut. Working on this project with Mr. Wilson has shown me that our community extends far beyond the school itself. It is fair to say that Martin Van Buren High School has the entire world supporting it.
They say it takes a village to raise a child. If that’s the case, then it takes the whole world to raise a village.
Friday, March 13, 2020. I woke up extra early for school to get ready for this special day that we had all been anxious for: we were going to Skype with an astronaut onboard the International Space Station. I floated into the auditorium around 8:30am to start taking pictures.
I chatted with the Science Research students who were trying to calm their nerves as they fixed last minute details and reviewed their questions. Guests started arriving. I moved into the lobby to take their pictures in front of the Art Club display I had set up. The guests complimented the display and even took pictures of it. An older couple walked in and, although I had no idea who they were, they politely agreed to a picture. I spent the rest of the day smooshed between press photographers and news anchors interviewing our Science Research teacher, Ms. Wang. That day was surreal. It was history in the making, truly a once-in-a-lifetime unforgettable event.
Sunday, March 15th, 2020. A long period of uncertainty was about to begin. It was announced that schools would be closed until sometime in April. Reluctantly, I put on the happiest face I could muster and recorded the news for our school’s Instagram. I just told them what I knew and that I would keep them informed.
By mid-May, it was confirmed that we would be home for the rest of the school year. Around the same time, I started getting emails about some “cookbook.” I was confused at first but determined to find out more information. After talking to our COSA, Mr Greenspan, he connected me with Steve Wilson, the head of our Alumni Alliance. Mr. Wilson explained the whole thing and I was intrigued.
I learned that the “MVBHS Comfort Food Cookbook” collected over 150 recipes from over 50 countries around the world. Recipes were given by everyone from alumni, teachers, community members, students and families, and people from all over the world. After collecting these recipes Mr. Wilson, along with his wife, Nomi, designed and put together the book. By the second week of June, the cookbook was already being distributed and helping to raise money for the school.
Several former students helped put the cookbook together as well. Kanza Choudhry (2019) designed the artwork for the back cover. Manuela Quiceno (2020), translated the book into Spanish. Avik Kadakia (2017) organized social media promotion and manages the YouTube channel. Our AP Chemistry teacher Ms. Vora--among many other community members--have made videos for the YouTube channel in the hopes of creating a stream of revenue for the book. Students from both the Scholars Organization and the Student Government are working on publicity and content creation for the book.
Donations have been received from thirty four different states across the country. The book has also been distributed in multiple countries around the world including Canada, Japan, Israel, and The Netherlands. The school and cookbook have been featured on WCBS Radio, NY-1 News, an Israeli Radio Program, and in the New York Times. As of October 2020, roughly $70,000 have been raised for students and families in need. The money gets distributed with the help of Commonpoint Queens and Ms. Heather Liverpool. According to Mr. Wilson, “None of this would mean anything if we didn’t have Heather and Commonpoint working with us.” Ms. Liverpool works to identify students whose families have suffered financial loss and gets the money to them. A 2nd-edition of the cookbook is being planned for Spring 2021 to continue with fundraising for the school community.
I already knew we had an amazing group of teachers and community members like Ms. Wang, supporting us through once in a lifetime educational opportunities such as Skyping an astronaut. Working on this project with Mr. Wilson has shown me that our community extends far beyond the school itself. It is fair to say that Martin Van Buren High School has the entire world supporting it.
heather LIVERPOOL & COMMONPOINT QUEENS
Commonpoint Queens is a community-based organization operating in the greater New York City area to bring community programming and support to all--everyone from “infants to the elderly”--that need tools and resources. This is where our very own (CBO) Ms.Liverpool comes in: she’s in the building helping students left and right about the programs that best fit their needs. First, let’s take a look at some of the programs available to students:
ACE: Great social and academic support for 9th & 10th graders, inc. trips & more.
SOAR: individual/group counseling, academic & college advisement, peer tutoring, community service, and trips for 11th & 12th graders.
MBK & MSK: Building strong, lasting bridges to opportunity for young men and women, no matter their background or circumstances.
Leaders of Tomorrow: Resources and life-building for students from challenged population
COLLEGE ACCESS: Assistance with the entire college process
Ms. Liverpool and her team of ten associates work hard to learn specific needs of Van Buren students and families. She helps with financial assistance to Van Buren families, and with opening food pantries. She and her CBO have also run arts and culture events and toy drives throughout Queens. Commonpoint Queens and Ms. Liverpool are always here to help and support the students. She remains eager to help students, families, staff, and everyone in the MVB community.
When asked what the greatest challenge she faces as CBO, Ms. Liverpool replied: “Just learning the challenges of the school and how to adapt to the school to meet their needs.” Ms Liverpool was so moved by learning of the hardship so many MVB families faced during the pandemic she has been instrumental in our Give Hope to Help initiative. She and her team do the outreach and the vetting of the families and provides the financial aid that they desperately need. She has taken this a step further with her creation of the Give Hope to Help Food Pantry at MVB.
For Ms. Liverpool personally, her favorite part of her job here is meeting people around the building and having a strong relationship with MVB staff and students. “Seeing all the different programs operating within the school, seeing the team build and collaborate for me, is so rewarding,” she said. “Seeing how the kids have flourished from being open and accessible and seeing how they seek us out because they know we’re here...those are winning moments.” She continued by saying, “when the students are having a good day (or a bad one) and they want to share...there’s so much love and joy and happiness in what we’re doing. and you get the feeling they are ready because you’ve seen that blossom.” Ms. Liverpool has the following message for us MVB students:
“You are the most powerful and resilient set of students I have ever met in this non-profit professional world. I am honored that you welcomed me to the space. I love watching you grow into these magnificent healthy young people you are becoming!”
ACE: Great social and academic support for 9th & 10th graders, inc. trips & more.
SOAR: individual/group counseling, academic & college advisement, peer tutoring, community service, and trips for 11th & 12th graders.
MBK & MSK: Building strong, lasting bridges to opportunity for young men and women, no matter their background or circumstances.
Leaders of Tomorrow: Resources and life-building for students from challenged population
COLLEGE ACCESS: Assistance with the entire college process
Ms. Liverpool and her team of ten associates work hard to learn specific needs of Van Buren students and families. She helps with financial assistance to Van Buren families, and with opening food pantries. She and her CBO have also run arts and culture events and toy drives throughout Queens. Commonpoint Queens and Ms. Liverpool are always here to help and support the students. She remains eager to help students, families, staff, and everyone in the MVB community.
When asked what the greatest challenge she faces as CBO, Ms. Liverpool replied: “Just learning the challenges of the school and how to adapt to the school to meet their needs.” Ms Liverpool was so moved by learning of the hardship so many MVB families faced during the pandemic she has been instrumental in our Give Hope to Help initiative. She and her team do the outreach and the vetting of the families and provides the financial aid that they desperately need. She has taken this a step further with her creation of the Give Hope to Help Food Pantry at MVB.
For Ms. Liverpool personally, her favorite part of her job here is meeting people around the building and having a strong relationship with MVB staff and students. “Seeing all the different programs operating within the school, seeing the team build and collaborate for me, is so rewarding,” she said. “Seeing how the kids have flourished from being open and accessible and seeing how they seek us out because they know we’re here...those are winning moments.” She continued by saying, “when the students are having a good day (or a bad one) and they want to share...there’s so much love and joy and happiness in what we’re doing. and you get the feeling they are ready because you’ve seen that blossom.” Ms. Liverpool has the following message for us MVB students:
“You are the most powerful and resilient set of students I have ever met in this non-profit professional world. I am honored that you welcomed me to the space. I love watching you grow into these magnificent healthy young people you are becoming!”
a conversation with stephanie rosenbaum slutsky
Early in September, the Beeline Alumni Edition caught up with Stephanie Rosenbaum Slutsky and here is a summary of our conversation:
Stephanie, we understand you have a unique perspective as someone who has been a part of MVBHS spanning over fifty years. Can you share with us when you first arrived at the school?
I attended MVB for three years and graduated in 1969. I came to the school after graduating from JHS 172 having grown up in Bellerose.
What was it like back then and how was it different then versus now?
Back then the school was huge and tremendously crowded. We had over 5,000 students and to fit everybody in the building we had to split up into double session, with the juniors and seniors coming to school in the morning and the freshman and sophomores attending classes in the afternoon.
While the building was no different than what we have today (except we now have a football field) It was a very different time in many respects. Teachers dressed up every day with the males in jacket and ties and the females in dresses or skirts. All the students were required to dress up every Friday for assembly.
I also remember so many different classes and some that are no longer taught at the school like Home economics, ceramics, auto shop which was very popular with the boys, drafting and sewing and a wide variety of foreign languages like French, German, Spanish and (Latin?)
No phones, no eating, in classrooms, no headphones or ear buds but one constant is kids still try to get away with stuff, thinking we don’t know what they are up to.
While it was a very different from today in many respects, there are threads of commonality, right?
Yes, back then the times were marked by a serious political divide due to the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement and issues of inequality and the assassination of Martin Luther King had resulted in serious social unrest.
It wasn’t that bad at MVB, and certainly there was growing opposition between groups, but everyone in the school got along. During my time at school we began the first implementation of busing (a controversial policy at the time, designed to integrate the school). It was after the school was integrated that I met and became good friends with Diane, a black girl. We recently met at our 50th reunion and it was good to see her and reminisce. That was a lot of fun and over 100 people reconnected and hug out together. It was fun telling them that I was still at Van.
What sticks out as memories of what your school experience was like?
I loved art in school, and I was also was a booster. We were a group of students who worked alongside the cheerleaders, leading cheers at basketball games. Back then we won a lot. The school had an annual science fair which was a very big event but was nothing when compared to Sing (a class competition with each grade producing their own musical show) which was huge. It felt like everyone was involved. Sadly, in all three of my years our class lost but it was so much fun being involved with all your friends. It took months to make the show and dozens of students worked hundreds of hours to make it happen.
After high school what came next?
I worked at RH Donnelly in their yellow pages (if you don’t know what that is-google it) operation in Manhattan, and NY Telephone and then Factory Eyeglasses.
How did you end up returning to MVB on the staff?
I never imagined I would return to Van but I was a single parent and I learned from Dean Peter Ostroff, who was working at the school, about an opening and March 16 1992 I got connected with Dave Seinfeld (no relation) and was hired at Van under principal Burt Zuckerman.
What have you done in the nearly three decades as an employee at the school?
I have worked as a school aid in a variety of jobs- helping in the attendance office, I did the mail sorting worked in café girls and up by the third floor bathroom, but my favorite job was when I worked the switchboard in the general office for principal Peter Goldfein, I loved that job.
Why do you keep coming back year after year when other have long since retired?
I love the kids and really care about them. They help me feel young and I miss the girls and being their confident, a shoulder to cry on.
When we went to remote learning what were you doing since everyone had to stay home?
During remote learning my focus was on calling home to communicate with parents to encourage the students to stay connected and involved with their schoolwork. But I really miss being in the building and being with all the kids.
Is there a special story that means a lot to you about the impact you have had on countless students?
I had seen Marvin, a junior, sitting all alone in the caf. I spoke with him and guided him to the level up program run by CommonPoint. Once he joined, he got back on track and made friends and I saw him graduate. I felt very good knowing I had made a difference in his Van experience.
When you first came back were any of your former teachers still working?
Mark Comachero, the head of COSA, and Pat Sullivan was still there he was a Spanish teacher.
In closing, any last words you would share with our readers?
Despite all the years, the school hasn’t really changed, lots of energy and plenty of kids are walking the halls and growing up and sharing good times and bad with friends just like when I was a student.
Thank you so much for sharing this incredible journey—be well and stay safe.
Stephanie, we understand you have a unique perspective as someone who has been a part of MVBHS spanning over fifty years. Can you share with us when you first arrived at the school?
I attended MVB for three years and graduated in 1969. I came to the school after graduating from JHS 172 having grown up in Bellerose.
What was it like back then and how was it different then versus now?
Back then the school was huge and tremendously crowded. We had over 5,000 students and to fit everybody in the building we had to split up into double session, with the juniors and seniors coming to school in the morning and the freshman and sophomores attending classes in the afternoon.
While the building was no different than what we have today (except we now have a football field) It was a very different time in many respects. Teachers dressed up every day with the males in jacket and ties and the females in dresses or skirts. All the students were required to dress up every Friday for assembly.
I also remember so many different classes and some that are no longer taught at the school like Home economics, ceramics, auto shop which was very popular with the boys, drafting and sewing and a wide variety of foreign languages like French, German, Spanish and (Latin?)
No phones, no eating, in classrooms, no headphones or ear buds but one constant is kids still try to get away with stuff, thinking we don’t know what they are up to.
While it was a very different from today in many respects, there are threads of commonality, right?
Yes, back then the times were marked by a serious political divide due to the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement and issues of inequality and the assassination of Martin Luther King had resulted in serious social unrest.
It wasn’t that bad at MVB, and certainly there was growing opposition between groups, but everyone in the school got along. During my time at school we began the first implementation of busing (a controversial policy at the time, designed to integrate the school). It was after the school was integrated that I met and became good friends with Diane, a black girl. We recently met at our 50th reunion and it was good to see her and reminisce. That was a lot of fun and over 100 people reconnected and hug out together. It was fun telling them that I was still at Van.
What sticks out as memories of what your school experience was like?
I loved art in school, and I was also was a booster. We were a group of students who worked alongside the cheerleaders, leading cheers at basketball games. Back then we won a lot. The school had an annual science fair which was a very big event but was nothing when compared to Sing (a class competition with each grade producing their own musical show) which was huge. It felt like everyone was involved. Sadly, in all three of my years our class lost but it was so much fun being involved with all your friends. It took months to make the show and dozens of students worked hundreds of hours to make it happen.
After high school what came next?
I worked at RH Donnelly in their yellow pages (if you don’t know what that is-google it) operation in Manhattan, and NY Telephone and then Factory Eyeglasses.
How did you end up returning to MVB on the staff?
I never imagined I would return to Van but I was a single parent and I learned from Dean Peter Ostroff, who was working at the school, about an opening and March 16 1992 I got connected with Dave Seinfeld (no relation) and was hired at Van under principal Burt Zuckerman.
What have you done in the nearly three decades as an employee at the school?
I have worked as a school aid in a variety of jobs- helping in the attendance office, I did the mail sorting worked in café girls and up by the third floor bathroom, but my favorite job was when I worked the switchboard in the general office for principal Peter Goldfein, I loved that job.
Why do you keep coming back year after year when other have long since retired?
I love the kids and really care about them. They help me feel young and I miss the girls and being their confident, a shoulder to cry on.
When we went to remote learning what were you doing since everyone had to stay home?
During remote learning my focus was on calling home to communicate with parents to encourage the students to stay connected and involved with their schoolwork. But I really miss being in the building and being with all the kids.
Is there a special story that means a lot to you about the impact you have had on countless students?
I had seen Marvin, a junior, sitting all alone in the caf. I spoke with him and guided him to the level up program run by CommonPoint. Once he joined, he got back on track and made friends and I saw him graduate. I felt very good knowing I had made a difference in his Van experience.
When you first came back were any of your former teachers still working?
Mark Comachero, the head of COSA, and Pat Sullivan was still there he was a Spanish teacher.
In closing, any last words you would share with our readers?
Despite all the years, the school hasn’t really changed, lots of energy and plenty of kids are walking the halls and growing up and sharing good times and bad with friends just like when I was a student.
Thank you so much for sharing this incredible journey—be well and stay safe.
COMING TO AMERICA-THEN AND NOW
MVB has always embraced the new arrivals to our country, providing them the education to pursue the American dream. Here are two students separated by fifty years, yet the stories sound quite similar. Coming from far away, not speaking the language, and not just adapting to high school, but thriving, with the support of the dedicated teachers and staff.
1966
My first Van Buren memory is fear! … pure paralyzing fear. My Aunt Stella brought me to the school during the last week of August 1966, to register me as a new student. As we approached the front door I just froze up and for a few seconds I could not move. My Aunt, being a very no-nonsense type of gal, practically dragged me inside, without any sympathy for my high anxiety. For background, only 2 months before this first trip to MVB, I literally just got off the boat (steamship) which brought me from my native Poland to New York City. I spent my first American summer vacation meeting my many US relatives, discovering the city, and being totally dazzled by my new surroundings.
I was sixteen when I emigrated from Poland, where I already completed three years of high school, with relatively decent grades. And, although I have taken a year of English in Poland, upon my arrival I would give my knowledge of English a 3 out of 100, which grew a bit to about an 8 by the time I first entered MVB. Practically speaking, I knew, at best, a few words and phrases … long way from being capable of attending a proper academic high school. But Van Buren quickly changed all that.
Registering me in the new school was relatively simple and quick. But, determining where I should fit, and what should I study, took another ~4 hours. Recall, I already did 3 years of HS in Poland, and I was about a year ahead of my age group. My Aunt who spoke a very passable Polish for never having been to Poland (and of course, perfect English being a US native) worked hard with several teachers to translate my Polish report cards into English. It also helped that I brought with me a handful of my Polish textbooks which showed what material I have already covered.
By the end of this tumultuous first day it was declared that I will be a Junior. And, my new curriculum was brilliantly simple -- and entirely focused on one overriding objective –- learn English as quickly as you possibly can. I did get to take Math., Chemistry, and Russian like other Juniors, but since I was generally ahead of my VB peers in those subjects, I would concentrate on learning these subjects in my new language. Then came two of my most memorable (and ultimately helpful) courses that semester -- Speech Clinic, and English for Foreigners. (At that time MVB HS was wonderfully set to bring students from other countries, as well as Americans for whom English was their second, or even third language., and get them fluent in English by the graduation time).
In these two special courses I was delivered into the hands of two super-caring, lovable and tough-as-nails Jewish mothers who were totally determined to pound the basics of the English language and speech into the heads and mouths of about 20+ students. Their methods did sometime verge on corporal punishment … like Mrs. Newton “wrapping me on the mouth” numerous times to get my voice box to properly pronounce the words like “the” and “therefore” (an impossible sound for any Slav). I want to be sure to underscore here that what she and Mrs. Rabinowitz did was amazing, and most appreciated by us students, even if it shocked us a bit in the beginning. Importantly, my English was getting quickly better and better. By the end of that first semester I would have given myself a 55 out of a 100 …. long way from fluency, but a most welcome progress.
In the second semester of my Junior year, my curriculum included all the usual suspects, and two truly fun courses – Economics, and Music Appreciation. I was raised in a socialist/communist eco-political system; Economics introduced me to the basic functioning of capitalism. The Music course was just nothing short of unapologetic delight. I was raised on classical European music, and have learned to play some piano. Mr. Santonochito quickly recognized my love for music in general, and proceeded to expose me to the music I new less about – American composers like Gershwin, Copeland, jazz, and most especially the American Broadway musicals. Realizing the need to grow my English skills, Mr. S gave me an old and well-worn record of “My Fair Lady”, a libretto of its songs, and told me to learn all the songs/recitations of Rex Harrison as Prof. Higgins. That also helped a lot, and by the end of my junior year I was feeling much more comfortable with my new language. That is, until I got the PSAT results …. which basically told me I had a long way to go, and by the way, college was not likely in the cards.
By the second semester of my Junior year I was doing especially well in chemistry, and here is where I first met my two archangels – Dr. Joseph Castka (Chair of the Chem. Dept.), and Ms. Patricia Robbins – a teacher who ran the chemistry labs. And these two amazing people just took me under their wings, and proceeded to redefine the rest of my academic life – in high school and as well as college. Just about the time I was deeply depressed about my PSAT scores and poor likelihood of getting to college, these two wonderful teachers really got after me with lots of encouragement and occasional “readings of the riot act”. They insisted that I will go to college, that PSATs were just the first tests, and the ones that really mattered were the SATs which I will be taking in my Senior year.
Importantly, they absolutely insisted on two things. First thing was that at the SATs I not only take the required English and Math., but that I also take the Chemistry exam. And this was a truly brilliant guidance – I aced the Math. and Chem. Tests, and predictably, did poorly in English (esp. the grammar part). While I sent out a bunch of college applications, my two archangels absolutely insisted I also apply to Columbia University in NYC. Honestly, I though they were crazy. On my Mom’s minimum wage salary I could not afford even the subway fare, never mind the tuition and fees, which were more than my Mom made in the entire year. But, what I did not know was that Dr. Castka and Mrs. Robbins were both Columbia alumni, with very close connections to the university.
Well, I did get accepted into several colleges. But what sent me totally over the moon – I was accepted to Columbia University’s School of Engineering. I will never forget the weekend of shear agony I spent reading over and over the acceptance letter, and weeping with fear because the letter offering a full scholarship did not arrive until the following week. (I was told the two letters – acceptance and scholarship - would arrive together). But, I made it, just like my two archangels predicted. Even now, 51 years later, I often offer a prayer of gratitude for those five angels who propelled me on a career I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams. Thank you, Martin Van Buren HS, you completely changed the trajectory of my life.
Today, I am fast approaching the 70th year of my life, and am working on an update to my Last Will and Testament. My education has brought me a very satisfying 30-year career with Procter and Gamble, which also gave me enough money to retire early. When my time on this earth is over, a large chunk of my estate will go to my family. But there will also be a generous bequest going to my High School. I certainly could not have made it without MVB.
Jacek J. Kedziora; Class of ‘68
I was sixteen when I emigrated from Poland, where I already completed three years of high school, with relatively decent grades. And, although I have taken a year of English in Poland, upon my arrival I would give my knowledge of English a 3 out of 100, which grew a bit to about an 8 by the time I first entered MVB. Practically speaking, I knew, at best, a few words and phrases … long way from being capable of attending a proper academic high school. But Van Buren quickly changed all that.
Registering me in the new school was relatively simple and quick. But, determining where I should fit, and what should I study, took another ~4 hours. Recall, I already did 3 years of HS in Poland, and I was about a year ahead of my age group. My Aunt who spoke a very passable Polish for never having been to Poland (and of course, perfect English being a US native) worked hard with several teachers to translate my Polish report cards into English. It also helped that I brought with me a handful of my Polish textbooks which showed what material I have already covered.
By the end of this tumultuous first day it was declared that I will be a Junior. And, my new curriculum was brilliantly simple -- and entirely focused on one overriding objective –- learn English as quickly as you possibly can. I did get to take Math., Chemistry, and Russian like other Juniors, but since I was generally ahead of my VB peers in those subjects, I would concentrate on learning these subjects in my new language. Then came two of my most memorable (and ultimately helpful) courses that semester -- Speech Clinic, and English for Foreigners. (At that time MVB HS was wonderfully set to bring students from other countries, as well as Americans for whom English was their second, or even third language., and get them fluent in English by the graduation time).
In these two special courses I was delivered into the hands of two super-caring, lovable and tough-as-nails Jewish mothers who were totally determined to pound the basics of the English language and speech into the heads and mouths of about 20+ students. Their methods did sometime verge on corporal punishment … like Mrs. Newton “wrapping me on the mouth” numerous times to get my voice box to properly pronounce the words like “the” and “therefore” (an impossible sound for any Slav). I want to be sure to underscore here that what she and Mrs. Rabinowitz did was amazing, and most appreciated by us students, even if it shocked us a bit in the beginning. Importantly, my English was getting quickly better and better. By the end of that first semester I would have given myself a 55 out of a 100 …. long way from fluency, but a most welcome progress.
In the second semester of my Junior year, my curriculum included all the usual suspects, and two truly fun courses – Economics, and Music Appreciation. I was raised in a socialist/communist eco-political system; Economics introduced me to the basic functioning of capitalism. The Music course was just nothing short of unapologetic delight. I was raised on classical European music, and have learned to play some piano. Mr. Santonochito quickly recognized my love for music in general, and proceeded to expose me to the music I new less about – American composers like Gershwin, Copeland, jazz, and most especially the American Broadway musicals. Realizing the need to grow my English skills, Mr. S gave me an old and well-worn record of “My Fair Lady”, a libretto of its songs, and told me to learn all the songs/recitations of Rex Harrison as Prof. Higgins. That also helped a lot, and by the end of my junior year I was feeling much more comfortable with my new language. That is, until I got the PSAT results …. which basically told me I had a long way to go, and by the way, college was not likely in the cards.
By the second semester of my Junior year I was doing especially well in chemistry, and here is where I first met my two archangels – Dr. Joseph Castka (Chair of the Chem. Dept.), and Ms. Patricia Robbins – a teacher who ran the chemistry labs. And these two amazing people just took me under their wings, and proceeded to redefine the rest of my academic life – in high school and as well as college. Just about the time I was deeply depressed about my PSAT scores and poor likelihood of getting to college, these two wonderful teachers really got after me with lots of encouragement and occasional “readings of the riot act”. They insisted that I will go to college, that PSATs were just the first tests, and the ones that really mattered were the SATs which I will be taking in my Senior year.
Importantly, they absolutely insisted on two things. First thing was that at the SATs I not only take the required English and Math., but that I also take the Chemistry exam. And this was a truly brilliant guidance – I aced the Math. and Chem. Tests, and predictably, did poorly in English (esp. the grammar part). While I sent out a bunch of college applications, my two archangels absolutely insisted I also apply to Columbia University in NYC. Honestly, I though they were crazy. On my Mom’s minimum wage salary I could not afford even the subway fare, never mind the tuition and fees, which were more than my Mom made in the entire year. But, what I did not know was that Dr. Castka and Mrs. Robbins were both Columbia alumni, with very close connections to the university.
Well, I did get accepted into several colleges. But what sent me totally over the moon – I was accepted to Columbia University’s School of Engineering. I will never forget the weekend of shear agony I spent reading over and over the acceptance letter, and weeping with fear because the letter offering a full scholarship did not arrive until the following week. (I was told the two letters – acceptance and scholarship - would arrive together). But, I made it, just like my two archangels predicted. Even now, 51 years later, I often offer a prayer of gratitude for those five angels who propelled me on a career I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams. Thank you, Martin Van Buren HS, you completely changed the trajectory of my life.
Today, I am fast approaching the 70th year of my life, and am working on an update to my Last Will and Testament. My education has brought me a very satisfying 30-year career with Procter and Gamble, which also gave me enough money to retire early. When my time on this earth is over, a large chunk of my estate will go to my family. But there will also be a generous bequest going to my High School. I certainly could not have made it without MVB.
Jacek J. Kedziora; Class of ‘68
2020
“Mame Diarra, how are you still going to this school?” is the reaction of my classmate after I told her that I had an hour and a half commute to school every morning. My answer sounded something like “I don’t really know,” but that wasn’t very true. The reality was that Martin Van Buren High School is the place where a lot of the biggest turning points in my life occurred. I always believed that music was going to be the sole focus of my life. Although I was born in Florida, I grew up in Senegal with a family in which everyone was an artist. My dad, Habib Faye, was the musical center of our family. He was a bassist and singer. I listened to music from all genres and fell in love with making sounds. Hence, I started to go to a music academy at ten years old.
When I came to the United States four years ago, one of the first things I did was register to a new music school. I recall Mrs. Fried’s smile at me from behind her set up table the day of my Freshman orientation. She told me about the different things the honor society at MVB Scholars does and I couldn’t wait to be able to be a part of the organization. I didn’t realize at the time, but this was a watershed moment. I tutored classmates in math and science and participated in job shadowing opportunities offered at companies like CISCO. Currently, I am Scholars President and my main role involves participating closely with the planning of the multiple events we have such as fundraisings, bake sales and clothing and food drives.
In Senegal, I spoke French, Wolof, which is the national language, and Al Pular, which is one of the country’s native languages. So, coming back to the U.S., I turned from making sure I use the right gender pronouns for inanimate objects to just using “the” to describe everything. At home, my aunt who I lived with only spoke English which really helped me communicate better in the language. I was in English as a New Language classes during my freshman year, but I didn’t worry so much about the language. For me, I was just learning. I wasn’t made to feel different. My learning was even more seamless with math, mostly because numbers are international. Still, I had found a method to decode words I didn’t understand: writing them down and finding their roots in Romance languages. The first English book I finished reading was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Although I took some pauses at words like « ramshackle » and «exodus », the fact that I read in a language I thought was just for recreational purposes a year before was baffling and prompted me to be more confident in my speaking skills.
I got into honor and AP classes in my sophomore year which is when I joined the Science Research Program. In my personal life, my dad had recently passed away but I pushed through it. During the same time period, I learned about the Questbridge chapter for juniors and after many applications, I was named a College Prep Scholar which distinguished me as a « high-achieving high school junior from a low-income background » (Questbridge website) Simultaneously, nine classmates and I had the opportunity to go to the University of Southern California Wrigley Institute for Earthwatch in the Catalina Islands by the efforts of Mrs.Wang and Mr. Wilson after months of fundraising. The learning began on the boat to the island, with us getting lectures from USC staff and being directed to list any marine mammals we saw on the way. The best part was meeting the incredible people of the institution. I was baffled by their dedication to our learning. How often do sea lions stay at the shores? Why do dolphins travel in packs? How do we reduce negative human impacts on sea life more effectively? Their ability to answer all of my questions in a thought-provoking way from the lab to the lunch table was inspiring to me because it proved that I also could find a passion that I would enjoy doing day in and day out.
My curiosity didn’t stop at that. I joined the Robotics Club, founded our school’s first math club, sang at international festivals, and I was never made to choose. I joined the Girls Who Code chapter at the school through which I had the opportunity to intern at Morgan Stanley and was impressed by the endless possibility of change I could make with computer science. I got to meet several computer scientists from different fields. One thing they all had in common was that they all worked in cybersecurity. At one occasion, we had a simulation with the scenario of a cyber attacker trying to break into the bank’s client's webpage. The other girls and I were separated into three groups and I belonged to the analyst one. Our task was to clarify whether there was a real threat and who the hacker was from the patterns we saw in the number of log-ins in the bank’s website within three hours. Although it was only a simulation, it felt real since everyone was playing along and everyone else’s input helped me see things I didn’t see before they pointed them out. This experience clarified the fact that being a computer scientist was also a career I could look into. So, with the help of two talented friends, I created “Beauty and the Bleach” (beautyandthebleach.info), an informative website about the dangerous use of skin bleaching products. With this website, I was able to discover an activist heart while using computer science.
Another landmark moment was deciding to commit my lunch periods to work in the college office every day during my junior year. As a college leader, I help my peers register for FAFSA, SATs, ACTs, college fairs and other applications. I was fortunate enough to work closely with my college counselor, Mrs. Stamberg and learn about scholarship opportunities like Questbridge. The Questbridge Scholarship which is a full 4-year scholarship. It was a rigorous process that required me to finish my essays, supplements, and financial aid registrations extremely early. On December 2nd, I received the news that I was matched to Yale for a full scholarship. For many students like me, Yale always seems like a faraway dream that you only hear about that will never meet your specific financial needs. We don’t actually think of it as a real place. But the Questbridge process helped me to embrace that dream and not let my obstacles stop me from accomplishing it. I am currently planning on going into Biomedical sciences. MVB allowed me to do things that I wouldn’t think I would be able to do. The lesson I will take away from my four years is that my possibilities are endless. I sang at concerts on Saturdays, analyzed microorganism data on Mondays and coded a website on Thursdays. I found out that my path doesn’t have to be linear, the essential is that I am working to my full potential in whatever shape my interests guide me.
That is why I choose to spend three hours on the New York City public transport every day.
by Mame Diarria Faye; Class of 2020
Mame Diarria's future looks bright. After having been accepted to Harvard, Stamford, Princeton and Yale, she chose Harvard. We wish her well and look forward to her achieving great things. Like so many of our alumni. Just like Jacek.
When I came to the United States four years ago, one of the first things I did was register to a new music school. I recall Mrs. Fried’s smile at me from behind her set up table the day of my Freshman orientation. She told me about the different things the honor society at MVB Scholars does and I couldn’t wait to be able to be a part of the organization. I didn’t realize at the time, but this was a watershed moment. I tutored classmates in math and science and participated in job shadowing opportunities offered at companies like CISCO. Currently, I am Scholars President and my main role involves participating closely with the planning of the multiple events we have such as fundraisings, bake sales and clothing and food drives.
In Senegal, I spoke French, Wolof, which is the national language, and Al Pular, which is one of the country’s native languages. So, coming back to the U.S., I turned from making sure I use the right gender pronouns for inanimate objects to just using “the” to describe everything. At home, my aunt who I lived with only spoke English which really helped me communicate better in the language. I was in English as a New Language classes during my freshman year, but I didn’t worry so much about the language. For me, I was just learning. I wasn’t made to feel different. My learning was even more seamless with math, mostly because numbers are international. Still, I had found a method to decode words I didn’t understand: writing them down and finding their roots in Romance languages. The first English book I finished reading was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Although I took some pauses at words like « ramshackle » and «exodus », the fact that I read in a language I thought was just for recreational purposes a year before was baffling and prompted me to be more confident in my speaking skills.
I got into honor and AP classes in my sophomore year which is when I joined the Science Research Program. In my personal life, my dad had recently passed away but I pushed through it. During the same time period, I learned about the Questbridge chapter for juniors and after many applications, I was named a College Prep Scholar which distinguished me as a « high-achieving high school junior from a low-income background » (Questbridge website) Simultaneously, nine classmates and I had the opportunity to go to the University of Southern California Wrigley Institute for Earthwatch in the Catalina Islands by the efforts of Mrs.Wang and Mr. Wilson after months of fundraising. The learning began on the boat to the island, with us getting lectures from USC staff and being directed to list any marine mammals we saw on the way. The best part was meeting the incredible people of the institution. I was baffled by their dedication to our learning. How often do sea lions stay at the shores? Why do dolphins travel in packs? How do we reduce negative human impacts on sea life more effectively? Their ability to answer all of my questions in a thought-provoking way from the lab to the lunch table was inspiring to me because it proved that I also could find a passion that I would enjoy doing day in and day out.
My curiosity didn’t stop at that. I joined the Robotics Club, founded our school’s first math club, sang at international festivals, and I was never made to choose. I joined the Girls Who Code chapter at the school through which I had the opportunity to intern at Morgan Stanley and was impressed by the endless possibility of change I could make with computer science. I got to meet several computer scientists from different fields. One thing they all had in common was that they all worked in cybersecurity. At one occasion, we had a simulation with the scenario of a cyber attacker trying to break into the bank’s client's webpage. The other girls and I were separated into three groups and I belonged to the analyst one. Our task was to clarify whether there was a real threat and who the hacker was from the patterns we saw in the number of log-ins in the bank’s website within three hours. Although it was only a simulation, it felt real since everyone was playing along and everyone else’s input helped me see things I didn’t see before they pointed them out. This experience clarified the fact that being a computer scientist was also a career I could look into. So, with the help of two talented friends, I created “Beauty and the Bleach” (beautyandthebleach.info), an informative website about the dangerous use of skin bleaching products. With this website, I was able to discover an activist heart while using computer science.
Another landmark moment was deciding to commit my lunch periods to work in the college office every day during my junior year. As a college leader, I help my peers register for FAFSA, SATs, ACTs, college fairs and other applications. I was fortunate enough to work closely with my college counselor, Mrs. Stamberg and learn about scholarship opportunities like Questbridge. The Questbridge Scholarship which is a full 4-year scholarship. It was a rigorous process that required me to finish my essays, supplements, and financial aid registrations extremely early. On December 2nd, I received the news that I was matched to Yale for a full scholarship. For many students like me, Yale always seems like a faraway dream that you only hear about that will never meet your specific financial needs. We don’t actually think of it as a real place. But the Questbridge process helped me to embrace that dream and not let my obstacles stop me from accomplishing it. I am currently planning on going into Biomedical sciences. MVB allowed me to do things that I wouldn’t think I would be able to do. The lesson I will take away from my four years is that my possibilities are endless. I sang at concerts on Saturdays, analyzed microorganism data on Mondays and coded a website on Thursdays. I found out that my path doesn’t have to be linear, the essential is that I am working to my full potential in whatever shape my interests guide me.
That is why I choose to spend three hours on the New York City public transport every day.
by Mame Diarria Faye; Class of 2020
Mame Diarria's future looks bright. After having been accepted to Harvard, Stamford, Princeton and Yale, she chose Harvard. We wish her well and look forward to her achieving great things. Like so many of our alumni. Just like Jacek.
A BRAND NEW WORLD
With everyone’s lives tossed upside down by the abrupt lockdown, we asked two students to write an essay on living under the virus and to share their thoughts of what life is like in their new setting. We thought with covid front and center in Queens it would be great to share their perspective on all this as they convey their fears, concerns, hopes and disappointments with the MVBHS community. To that point we were also able to get John C, a long-standing english teacher at the school, to capture his experience in trying to carry on in a virtual world (check Spotlight.) Here are their stories:
Alan’s POV:
Under these troubling times, we as humans are given two options: give into the chaos, or fight against it. Needless to say, I am glad our society has chosen the latter. For many, it is understandably difficult to process our whole situation, and even I myself have found that it is at times challenging to stay positive, but I have hope that our world will make it through these tough times and come out stronger.
Being alive during these times is something to be both terrified and in awe of. In one sense, we are living through an unprecedented event that is unique and unheard of to all, which can be scary, since we often fear the unknown. However, in another sense, the uniqueness of this calamity has given us a fresh look on ourselves as people. Those who have already been doing their duties to service us have only shined brighter as a result and we can only feel more appreciative of their dedication. Even in these trying times, we still persevere and have found new ways to live, which you could say we have always done throughout all of world history. Therefore, while it is easy to focus on the problems we seem to get by the second, I myself like to focus on the positivity I find by the second, as it helps to motivate me to get through the day.
To begin with, online classes have begun, and while school may not be the most exciting topic to be happy about, it is nice to not lose the routine of seeing your friends and teachers, despite all the work you may get. Speaking of the work we get, with online classes continuing our education, many students have begun to come out and speak on how much they miss school, which is refreshing to see, regardless of what led them to make such a statement. I never thought we would come to miss school, but you never really know how good you have it until you don’t. As a senior in high school, it is sad to hear about how we may miss our prom and graduation, but what’s even more sad is the fact that we will miss seeing everyone at our school. Given that this will be our last year in high school, it is disheartening to hear that school may not resume, as we may never get the closure of saying our goodbyes in person.
Yet, without something like this pandemic, we may never have learned to make the most of what we have, and times like these only push us to be more bold in how we live, because you never know what could happen to your future, no matter how unshakable that future may seem. As we come to appreciate what we have, we look to those who we may never have given enough praise to. Our healthcare workers, working tirelessly day and night to ensure our wellbeing. Our essential workers who go out day after day, so that we can stay at home. Our teachers, who parents are gaining a new respect for after being locked in with their children 24/7. Jokes aside, we may come out of this quarantine as more compassionate and kind people, which I look forward to seeing.
Until the day we can go outside, I’d like to talk about what I’ve come to appreciate, while being inside. Being home with my family has to be at the top of my list, since this whole situation has managed to bring us all together. With both of my parents working everyday, I don’t get to see them until late at night, but now that we are all home, we spend our days together, for better or for worse. My dad tells me almost everyday that this quarantine has given him the longest break he’s ever had from work, and also that he loves how my mom can cook us three meals a day now that she doesn’t have to work. It's comments like these that remind me to look at the bright side and it's comments like these that remind my mom that my dad is getting old, repeating himself everyday.
I also think it’s nice that this virus has not only brought our families together, but our world together, albeit 6 feet apart. With our world becoming arguably more and more divided, a common enemy appeared and unified us to band together to keep us apart. That being said, classes are not the only thing being held from home, as talk shows, dates, and even concerts are online now. It’s important to remember that we’re fortunate to be as advanced as we are during this outbreak, since we are able to keep in touch as much as we can. With many falling victim to boredom, who knows what would happen to us if we didn’t have WiFi?
On a closing note, while things may get worse and worse, and our spirits fall further and further down, it’s important to realize that this just means we have that much more room for things to get better. We are all in uncharted territory, but that just means that it is up to us to decide how this all pans out. The future is unknown, and that’s all the more reason for us to live happy, healthy, and hearty lives.
Mame Diarra’s POV:
“Man plans and God laughs.” During these times, I can relate to this saying in more than a single way. Recently, Mayor De Blasio announced that schools would be closed until September (before the governor implied it was not de Blasio’s decision to make). The first thing I did right after hearing that disheartening news was go to my photo album to try to remember the last moments I had with my friends. We are all seniors, and schools closing for the remainder of the year means that we wouldn’t see each other before college. A month before, all my friends were buying their prom dresses, talking about graduation, applying for senior awards, but now everything seems uncertain.
When you enter my room, you may not notice it, but there is a brown guitar sitting at the far corner right between an overwhelmingly big mirror and a bookcase. It is certainly the oldest thing I own. My dad gifted it to me on my sixth birthday. I first took an interest in playing the guitar after years of seeing him play and record in his studio. At that age, it was obvious to me that I was going to become an artist. My entire family is musical. Several of my uncles and aunts sing and play multiple instruments. So, it was just a matter of time before I followed their lead.
When I started high school, this future that seemed already drawn became less than clear. I got interested in things like biology, chemistry and the intricate rules of mathematics. My initial plan to follow music as a career was not a priority anymore. My passion for other things led me to not look at music as an everyday essential. Soon, I would go from playing the guitar for 3 hours to not even noticing when I needed to change its strings. At one point, I was even scared of picking it up. What if I have gotten worse? What if I forgot how to play altogether?
On the first day of the quarantine, I felt completely disorientated. I didn’t know what to do. All the Mondays from the past few years were spent at school and that was the routine I knew, but now I had to find a new one. I decided to pick up my dusty guitar and the first song I played was one of my dad’s songs, “Ayo nene”. This brought me back to the moments when we all gathered in the backyard and competed for whoever could sing and play “What’s my name” by Rihanna the best.
At that moment I realized that my guitar was still here. Music didn’t care whether we were celebrating winning the lottery or if we were trying to survive an apocalypse. Music is always constant, but it’s different because now we need it to find comfort.
As I scrolled through my Instagram feed, I saw that many creatives were also doing the same: using their art to console people and themselves.
This time has brought me closer to the things I truly enjoy. I turned back to the simpler things of life. I now know that music has always been the thing that brings me the most joy even through the darkest times of our lives, even through the times we don’t see an end to. My goal now is to find a balance within all the things I am passionate about and pursue them to the best of my abilities because we don’t know what tomorrow may bring. Still, music will still be here.
Alan’s POV:
Under these troubling times, we as humans are given two options: give into the chaos, or fight against it. Needless to say, I am glad our society has chosen the latter. For many, it is understandably difficult to process our whole situation, and even I myself have found that it is at times challenging to stay positive, but I have hope that our world will make it through these tough times and come out stronger.
Being alive during these times is something to be both terrified and in awe of. In one sense, we are living through an unprecedented event that is unique and unheard of to all, which can be scary, since we often fear the unknown. However, in another sense, the uniqueness of this calamity has given us a fresh look on ourselves as people. Those who have already been doing their duties to service us have only shined brighter as a result and we can only feel more appreciative of their dedication. Even in these trying times, we still persevere and have found new ways to live, which you could say we have always done throughout all of world history. Therefore, while it is easy to focus on the problems we seem to get by the second, I myself like to focus on the positivity I find by the second, as it helps to motivate me to get through the day.
To begin with, online classes have begun, and while school may not be the most exciting topic to be happy about, it is nice to not lose the routine of seeing your friends and teachers, despite all the work you may get. Speaking of the work we get, with online classes continuing our education, many students have begun to come out and speak on how much they miss school, which is refreshing to see, regardless of what led them to make such a statement. I never thought we would come to miss school, but you never really know how good you have it until you don’t. As a senior in high school, it is sad to hear about how we may miss our prom and graduation, but what’s even more sad is the fact that we will miss seeing everyone at our school. Given that this will be our last year in high school, it is disheartening to hear that school may not resume, as we may never get the closure of saying our goodbyes in person.
Yet, without something like this pandemic, we may never have learned to make the most of what we have, and times like these only push us to be more bold in how we live, because you never know what could happen to your future, no matter how unshakable that future may seem. As we come to appreciate what we have, we look to those who we may never have given enough praise to. Our healthcare workers, working tirelessly day and night to ensure our wellbeing. Our essential workers who go out day after day, so that we can stay at home. Our teachers, who parents are gaining a new respect for after being locked in with their children 24/7. Jokes aside, we may come out of this quarantine as more compassionate and kind people, which I look forward to seeing.
Until the day we can go outside, I’d like to talk about what I’ve come to appreciate, while being inside. Being home with my family has to be at the top of my list, since this whole situation has managed to bring us all together. With both of my parents working everyday, I don’t get to see them until late at night, but now that we are all home, we spend our days together, for better or for worse. My dad tells me almost everyday that this quarantine has given him the longest break he’s ever had from work, and also that he loves how my mom can cook us three meals a day now that she doesn’t have to work. It's comments like these that remind me to look at the bright side and it's comments like these that remind my mom that my dad is getting old, repeating himself everyday.
I also think it’s nice that this virus has not only brought our families together, but our world together, albeit 6 feet apart. With our world becoming arguably more and more divided, a common enemy appeared and unified us to band together to keep us apart. That being said, classes are not the only thing being held from home, as talk shows, dates, and even concerts are online now. It’s important to remember that we’re fortunate to be as advanced as we are during this outbreak, since we are able to keep in touch as much as we can. With many falling victim to boredom, who knows what would happen to us if we didn’t have WiFi?
On a closing note, while things may get worse and worse, and our spirits fall further and further down, it’s important to realize that this just means we have that much more room for things to get better. We are all in uncharted territory, but that just means that it is up to us to decide how this all pans out. The future is unknown, and that’s all the more reason for us to live happy, healthy, and hearty lives.
Mame Diarra’s POV:
“Man plans and God laughs.” During these times, I can relate to this saying in more than a single way. Recently, Mayor De Blasio announced that schools would be closed until September (before the governor implied it was not de Blasio’s decision to make). The first thing I did right after hearing that disheartening news was go to my photo album to try to remember the last moments I had with my friends. We are all seniors, and schools closing for the remainder of the year means that we wouldn’t see each other before college. A month before, all my friends were buying their prom dresses, talking about graduation, applying for senior awards, but now everything seems uncertain.
When you enter my room, you may not notice it, but there is a brown guitar sitting at the far corner right between an overwhelmingly big mirror and a bookcase. It is certainly the oldest thing I own. My dad gifted it to me on my sixth birthday. I first took an interest in playing the guitar after years of seeing him play and record in his studio. At that age, it was obvious to me that I was going to become an artist. My entire family is musical. Several of my uncles and aunts sing and play multiple instruments. So, it was just a matter of time before I followed their lead.
When I started high school, this future that seemed already drawn became less than clear. I got interested in things like biology, chemistry and the intricate rules of mathematics. My initial plan to follow music as a career was not a priority anymore. My passion for other things led me to not look at music as an everyday essential. Soon, I would go from playing the guitar for 3 hours to not even noticing when I needed to change its strings. At one point, I was even scared of picking it up. What if I have gotten worse? What if I forgot how to play altogether?
On the first day of the quarantine, I felt completely disorientated. I didn’t know what to do. All the Mondays from the past few years were spent at school and that was the routine I knew, but now I had to find a new one. I decided to pick up my dusty guitar and the first song I played was one of my dad’s songs, “Ayo nene”. This brought me back to the moments when we all gathered in the backyard and competed for whoever could sing and play “What’s my name” by Rihanna the best.
At that moment I realized that my guitar was still here. Music didn’t care whether we were celebrating winning the lottery or if we were trying to survive an apocalypse. Music is always constant, but it’s different because now we need it to find comfort.
As I scrolled through my Instagram feed, I saw that many creatives were also doing the same: using their art to console people and themselves.
This time has brought me closer to the things I truly enjoy. I turned back to the simpler things of life. I now know that music has always been the thing that brings me the most joy even through the darkest times of our lives, even through the times we don’t see an end to. My goal now is to find a balance within all the things I am passionate about and pursue them to the best of my abilities because we don’t know what tomorrow may bring. Still, music will still be here.
A NOTE ON QUARANTINE TEACHING
Imagine raising 130 kids, but you're suddenly uprooted and forced to raise them from afar. You email them all, but they don’t allrespond. Support staff intervenes and finds some, but others are still missing. You teach the students you have, but how many are actually doing the work, you just don’t know.
You video call your children, but who will show up. You wonder about the kids who did all the work before but are MIA right now.
You make some calls: One child is trying to do all the work from an iPhone. Another has no technology at all. Another hasn't been feeling well, and another was admitted to the hospital. You listen to a mother cry as she details a death in the family.
I interacted with the students on YouTube Live because that way, they can't interrupt the lesson. They type questions and I teach. A parent really appreciated it. I did what I could despite my 6-year-old twins throwing fits in the background.
Teaching online is like teaching in class. Some kids do the work and some kids don't. Some kids check in everyday and others hide. At the end of the week, you get waves of homework back. At least the kids are working.
It was easier to reach the kids in school, but it's actually easier to teach them now. There are no students to interrupt your YouTube tutorial and you could mute kids on Zoom a feature we just don’t have when we teach in a classroom.
A wise principal once told me, 'You never want to get to a point where you're working hard and the students are hardly working."
Many students are working harder than ever now, but others have disappeared - and that's cause for concern. Teachers aren't just educators, and, admittingly, babysitters. We're also motivators, and that is what kids miss most. The kids miss the human interaction, but like everyone else, they must adjust.
Life can change drastically, instantly without warning. Students just have to learn to deal with massive change... that and do their homework at the same time.
John Castellano
English Teacher, Martin Van Buren High School
You video call your children, but who will show up. You wonder about the kids who did all the work before but are MIA right now.
You make some calls: One child is trying to do all the work from an iPhone. Another has no technology at all. Another hasn't been feeling well, and another was admitted to the hospital. You listen to a mother cry as she details a death in the family.
I interacted with the students on YouTube Live because that way, they can't interrupt the lesson. They type questions and I teach. A parent really appreciated it. I did what I could despite my 6-year-old twins throwing fits in the background.
Teaching online is like teaching in class. Some kids do the work and some kids don't. Some kids check in everyday and others hide. At the end of the week, you get waves of homework back. At least the kids are working.
It was easier to reach the kids in school, but it's actually easier to teach them now. There are no students to interrupt your YouTube tutorial and you could mute kids on Zoom a feature we just don’t have when we teach in a classroom.
A wise principal once told me, 'You never want to get to a point where you're working hard and the students are hardly working."
Many students are working harder than ever now, but others have disappeared - and that's cause for concern. Teachers aren't just educators, and, admittingly, babysitters. We're also motivators, and that is what kids miss most. The kids miss the human interaction, but like everyone else, they must adjust.
Life can change drastically, instantly without warning. Students just have to learn to deal with massive change... that and do their homework at the same time.
John Castellano
English Teacher, Martin Van Buren High School
The Power of One
I am often asked where my passion came from to create the Martin Van Buren High School Alumni Alliance and propel all its efforts working to advocate for the school, its staff, and our students. In fact, it comes from working with incredibly passionate, dedicated, and inspiring teachers like Carol Wang-Mondaca our program chair/testing coordinator/ science teacher and STEM coordinator. Her title may be a bit lengthy but her impact on our students goes even further. This is a story about “the power of one to transform the lives of many.” as exerpted from an article written by Keegan Dougherty, Senior Expedition Advisor at Earthwatch.
“Do you remember your third-grade teacher? Who will remember you?” Carol was riding the subway on the way to her office job when she read this phrase on an advertisement for the New York City teaching fellowship. Carol was a product of the New York City public school system and went on to college at SUNY. Carol called her husband that day to tell him she was going back to school. Truly.
Fast forward 15 years to the summer of 2018. This is when Carol traveled to the Cayman Islands after receiving an Earthwatch teacher fellowship. Carol was one of just eight teachers selected from New York City public schools who were given the opportunity to reconnect with field biology. The teachers spent a week in the field, working alongside researchers studying the resilience of corals while also learning how they could plan and execute similar field trips for their students. Despite her school’s success in improving its graduation rate during her tenure, Carol admitted that when she applied to the fellowship, she was losing hope in her vocation:
“I was in my 15th year, I was disheartened and uninspired. I felt like I couldn’t teach anymore. I needed to inspire others, I wanted to feel like my impact mattered. It was the research aspect of Project Kindle that I was like ‘Holy Moly! That’s what I forgot about!’ When I got back, I told my school I wanted to teach another class so I would be exposed to more students. I found my way again, I lost my way because I wasn’t with the kids and wasn’t feeling like I made an impact on them.”
The impact of this program on Carol was profound. “By the end of the trip, I knew I had to pay it forward.”
When Carol got back to school, she decided to challenge herself to make a trip for her own students. Never did she pause despite a “lack of experience in actually organizing one and that a trip like this would be cost-prohibitive for the large majority of my students.” Until this point, she had never organized an overnight trip for her students or tackled this kind of fundraising challenge.
Martin Van Buren High School today is a Title I high school, meaning its students are from high poverty and low-income backgrounds. Several of Carol’s star-students’ families had suffered major tragedies, and many did not have the support of one or both of their parents at home. Having grown up in Queens herself where she attended the rival public school, Carol felt responsible to give her students the leg-up she never had. “I never knew about these opportunities. No one ever said ‘here do this, expand your horizons.’ I felt like I was at a disadvantage and there was no way I was going to let my kids have that disadvantage.”
The year Carol planned to take her students on an expedition and selected a Marine Biology program at the Wrigley Institute of the University of Southern California. This meant bringing a dozen people to Catalina Island, clearly no small feat. For starters, Earthwatch granted her a scholarship giving her a $5,000 start. This barely took a dent out of the program cost, airfare, gear, and swim lessons she was budgeting. Staring down a seemingly impossible fundraising goal, Carol was nevertheless undaunted. “When I got back, I was inspired. I felt the will and the desire to go was stronger than all the obstacles,” she said. “That’s how strong of an impact Project Kindle had on me. It was one of those ‘what have I got to lose’ moments. If I don’t give it a shot, it would never happen.” Carol quickly sought help from the people she knew best understood her “pay it forward” mindset.
It started with her husband who took endless trips to Costco to buy supplies for snack sales to raise money, expanded to her assistant principal who found an early promise for funding from the school, to her fellow teachers and friends, to the most passionate deserving students, to her union rep who found a grant, and then to an immensely generous alumni of the school who pushed them across the finish line. Carol took the mindset of the donor who paid for her Project Kindle expedition and had now become the one who transformed many!
I should stop here. Carol is amazing, and she inspires me every day. But she insists everyone knows that she doesn’t want this to be about her. In fact, I had to fib a little bit when interviewing her because she was uncomfortable with me making this story hers. For Carol, it is all about the students. They are the inspiration, the driving force for her to do more.
Many of Carol’s students faced adversity that would make you cry, but nevertheless, they push forward, they work hard, and they make plans for their future. When Carol first sent out the application for participants, she was stunned. “A lot of them haven’t left their neighborhood. That is frightening.”
Can you imagine the courage it would take to travel for the first time? Now compound the anxiety of travelling away from home with the standard anxiety of being a teenager, of packing, of getting on an airplane, and swimming. It sounds simple, but swimming was a huge challenge on its own. Typically, New York City schools don’t allow any swimming on school trips after past drownings, and likely because many students never have easy access to a pool in the city. Carol had learned to swim just nine years before for her health, and now she had to enroll a whole group of students in swim lessons at the YMCA. Carol remembers revisiting her own nervousness about learning to swim when the students first got in the pool. “The kids were at varying levels, some were good and some were petrified of water, and I was sweating because I was watching from the poolside, wanting to keep them company.”
Once the swimming was conquered, it was time to get ready to go. Just before every trip, we have a final “Bon Voyage” call with everyone, and look back at all the hard work they’ve accomplished – all before even getting into the field! It’s hard not to wonder “will the experience be worth it?” In this case, the answer was a resounding “YES!” Carol reserved next year’s dates with the scientists at USC’s Catalina Island campus before even leaving the trip.
“There was a pivotal moment at the beach on the last day when the students had a couple hours of free time and they climbed up a big cliff to see all these coves up the island,” Carol recalled. “You could see that they were touched, and I started crying. I had been telling them, ‘this is what we need to save.’ They knew what I was talking about, but it wasn’t until that moment that they knew what they were trying to save. We tell our kids they are responsible for our earth and limited resources, but that’s meaningless unless they’ve seen it.”
Accomplishing such an impactful adventure as Catalina could have easily been her crowning achievement and she could have simply stopped and rested on her laurels. But Carol didn’t stop there. Not satisfied with the challenge available from the current science curriculum or the resources available at the school, her next mission was to create a rigorous scientific research program at the school. We live in a world today where everyone seems to be talking about STEM, a focus on developing and nurturing a deep seeded interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. But in Carol’s mind it’s all too often just talk.
It’s obvious when you first meet her that Carol is a doer. So in the midst of planning and mobilizing everything to make Catalina a reality she partnered with the Alumni Alliance to do something no other public high school in New York City had done. Her dream was to create a DNA research lab in our school. From her first mention of this bubbling desire to conducting actual experiments in the new MVB Bioresearch lab was just four months, an incredible feat, due to her determination and desire. This year, she is working with another of our dedicated teachers Monika Vora and the Alumni Alliance as we try to round out our scientific research capabilities with a first class Chemistry Research lab.
Now while all this is coming together, Carol refuses to sit still and over this past summer she participated in a most incredible program, as a bio researcher within the NASA Goddard Institute program. While this on its own is commendable as she continually pushes the limits not just for our students but for herself. (The principle of being a lifelong learner is certainly not lost on Carol) But she wasn’t satisfied doing this program on her own so she encouraged (some would say cajoled) one of her students to apply and Syed was selected to also participate in the groundbreaking research their team conducted. In fact, their work was recently chronicled in a published paper that has been accepted by the American Geophysical Union for their upcoming conference, what a tremendous accomplishment!
For those who know Carol, her constant effort to do more is unquestioned. Once she managed to find her way into the labyrinth of NASA, she has continued to fight for our school and our students and this has resulted in an extraordinary feat. Next March we have been invited to have our school link with the International Space Shuttle. What an incredible treat this is-many of our students will truly have the chance of a lifetime to participate in this amazing event. How cool is that!
With all her energy and dedication to our students it’s no wonder we consider Carol Wang something special and are so glad she is part of the incredible team of educators here at MVB. Without a doubt she has proven the power of one to transform the lives of many.
Steve Wilson ‘77
“Do you remember your third-grade teacher? Who will remember you?” Carol was riding the subway on the way to her office job when she read this phrase on an advertisement for the New York City teaching fellowship. Carol was a product of the New York City public school system and went on to college at SUNY. Carol called her husband that day to tell him she was going back to school. Truly.
Fast forward 15 years to the summer of 2018. This is when Carol traveled to the Cayman Islands after receiving an Earthwatch teacher fellowship. Carol was one of just eight teachers selected from New York City public schools who were given the opportunity to reconnect with field biology. The teachers spent a week in the field, working alongside researchers studying the resilience of corals while also learning how they could plan and execute similar field trips for their students. Despite her school’s success in improving its graduation rate during her tenure, Carol admitted that when she applied to the fellowship, she was losing hope in her vocation:
“I was in my 15th year, I was disheartened and uninspired. I felt like I couldn’t teach anymore. I needed to inspire others, I wanted to feel like my impact mattered. It was the research aspect of Project Kindle that I was like ‘Holy Moly! That’s what I forgot about!’ When I got back, I told my school I wanted to teach another class so I would be exposed to more students. I found my way again, I lost my way because I wasn’t with the kids and wasn’t feeling like I made an impact on them.”
The impact of this program on Carol was profound. “By the end of the trip, I knew I had to pay it forward.”
When Carol got back to school, she decided to challenge herself to make a trip for her own students. Never did she pause despite a “lack of experience in actually organizing one and that a trip like this would be cost-prohibitive for the large majority of my students.” Until this point, she had never organized an overnight trip for her students or tackled this kind of fundraising challenge.
Martin Van Buren High School today is a Title I high school, meaning its students are from high poverty and low-income backgrounds. Several of Carol’s star-students’ families had suffered major tragedies, and many did not have the support of one or both of their parents at home. Having grown up in Queens herself where she attended the rival public school, Carol felt responsible to give her students the leg-up she never had. “I never knew about these opportunities. No one ever said ‘here do this, expand your horizons.’ I felt like I was at a disadvantage and there was no way I was going to let my kids have that disadvantage.”
The year Carol planned to take her students on an expedition and selected a Marine Biology program at the Wrigley Institute of the University of Southern California. This meant bringing a dozen people to Catalina Island, clearly no small feat. For starters, Earthwatch granted her a scholarship giving her a $5,000 start. This barely took a dent out of the program cost, airfare, gear, and swim lessons she was budgeting. Staring down a seemingly impossible fundraising goal, Carol was nevertheless undaunted. “When I got back, I was inspired. I felt the will and the desire to go was stronger than all the obstacles,” she said. “That’s how strong of an impact Project Kindle had on me. It was one of those ‘what have I got to lose’ moments. If I don’t give it a shot, it would never happen.” Carol quickly sought help from the people she knew best understood her “pay it forward” mindset.
It started with her husband who took endless trips to Costco to buy supplies for snack sales to raise money, expanded to her assistant principal who found an early promise for funding from the school, to her fellow teachers and friends, to the most passionate deserving students, to her union rep who found a grant, and then to an immensely generous alumni of the school who pushed them across the finish line. Carol took the mindset of the donor who paid for her Project Kindle expedition and had now become the one who transformed many!
I should stop here. Carol is amazing, and she inspires me every day. But she insists everyone knows that she doesn’t want this to be about her. In fact, I had to fib a little bit when interviewing her because she was uncomfortable with me making this story hers. For Carol, it is all about the students. They are the inspiration, the driving force for her to do more.
Many of Carol’s students faced adversity that would make you cry, but nevertheless, they push forward, they work hard, and they make plans for their future. When Carol first sent out the application for participants, she was stunned. “A lot of them haven’t left their neighborhood. That is frightening.”
Can you imagine the courage it would take to travel for the first time? Now compound the anxiety of travelling away from home with the standard anxiety of being a teenager, of packing, of getting on an airplane, and swimming. It sounds simple, but swimming was a huge challenge on its own. Typically, New York City schools don’t allow any swimming on school trips after past drownings, and likely because many students never have easy access to a pool in the city. Carol had learned to swim just nine years before for her health, and now she had to enroll a whole group of students in swim lessons at the YMCA. Carol remembers revisiting her own nervousness about learning to swim when the students first got in the pool. “The kids were at varying levels, some were good and some were petrified of water, and I was sweating because I was watching from the poolside, wanting to keep them company.”
Once the swimming was conquered, it was time to get ready to go. Just before every trip, we have a final “Bon Voyage” call with everyone, and look back at all the hard work they’ve accomplished – all before even getting into the field! It’s hard not to wonder “will the experience be worth it?” In this case, the answer was a resounding “YES!” Carol reserved next year’s dates with the scientists at USC’s Catalina Island campus before even leaving the trip.
“There was a pivotal moment at the beach on the last day when the students had a couple hours of free time and they climbed up a big cliff to see all these coves up the island,” Carol recalled. “You could see that they were touched, and I started crying. I had been telling them, ‘this is what we need to save.’ They knew what I was talking about, but it wasn’t until that moment that they knew what they were trying to save. We tell our kids they are responsible for our earth and limited resources, but that’s meaningless unless they’ve seen it.”
Accomplishing such an impactful adventure as Catalina could have easily been her crowning achievement and she could have simply stopped and rested on her laurels. But Carol didn’t stop there. Not satisfied with the challenge available from the current science curriculum or the resources available at the school, her next mission was to create a rigorous scientific research program at the school. We live in a world today where everyone seems to be talking about STEM, a focus on developing and nurturing a deep seeded interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. But in Carol’s mind it’s all too often just talk.
It’s obvious when you first meet her that Carol is a doer. So in the midst of planning and mobilizing everything to make Catalina a reality she partnered with the Alumni Alliance to do something no other public high school in New York City had done. Her dream was to create a DNA research lab in our school. From her first mention of this bubbling desire to conducting actual experiments in the new MVB Bioresearch lab was just four months, an incredible feat, due to her determination and desire. This year, she is working with another of our dedicated teachers Monika Vora and the Alumni Alliance as we try to round out our scientific research capabilities with a first class Chemistry Research lab.
Now while all this is coming together, Carol refuses to sit still and over this past summer she participated in a most incredible program, as a bio researcher within the NASA Goddard Institute program. While this on its own is commendable as she continually pushes the limits not just for our students but for herself. (The principle of being a lifelong learner is certainly not lost on Carol) But she wasn’t satisfied doing this program on her own so she encouraged (some would say cajoled) one of her students to apply and Syed was selected to also participate in the groundbreaking research their team conducted. In fact, their work was recently chronicled in a published paper that has been accepted by the American Geophysical Union for their upcoming conference, what a tremendous accomplishment!
For those who know Carol, her constant effort to do more is unquestioned. Once she managed to find her way into the labyrinth of NASA, she has continued to fight for our school and our students and this has resulted in an extraordinary feat. Next March we have been invited to have our school link with the International Space Shuttle. What an incredible treat this is-many of our students will truly have the chance of a lifetime to participate in this amazing event. How cool is that!
With all her energy and dedication to our students it’s no wonder we consider Carol Wang something special and are so glad she is part of the incredible team of educators here at MVB. Without a doubt she has proven the power of one to transform the lives of many.
Steve Wilson ‘77
Changing of the guard at MVB
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By Steve Wilson '77
Although summers are typically quiet in our New York City schools, it was an eventful period at MVB. Sam Sochet, our principal for the last seven years, and the recipient of Principal of the Year 2019 for Queens, ended his tenure by retiring in August. Then, just before Labor Day, his much-anticipated successor was announced. Tracy Martinez has just been installed as the Principal at MVB and begins her leadership of a school that continues its rejuvenation. Today, we are witnessing a rebuilding of the student enrollment and the continued recovery in our graduation rate this past year. She is now challenged with continuing to build on the momentum and appears well equipped to do so, having been successful as an assistant principal at the Frederick Douglass Academy in Brooklyn after a long history of being an educator within the NYC school system.
We thought it was a fitting time to pay tribute to Sam and introduce Tracy to our alumni community.
Sam Sochet first stepped into the principal’s role at MVB in September 2012. Prior to tackling this daunting assignment Sam had bonafide Queens credentials, having grown up in Flushing and graduated from Jamaica HS. He began his teaching career at Stuyvesant instructing biology and worked his way up the ladder, finally reaching the role of Assistant Principal of science at Thomas Edison.
He had walked into a very difficult situation. Nothing in his career had prepared him for the challenge he was about to take on. MVB was designated a priority school, ranking amongst the lowest 5% of all schools in New York State, as enrollment at the school was at an all-time low and the graduation rate had cratered to 46%. This meant we were on the chopping block, at risk of being shut down, and the clock was ticking. It was safe to say student pride and staff morale had hit rock bottom.
Fast forward to 2018 and we were the most improved high school for our four-year graduation rate from when Sam arrived. We were removed from the ranks of renewal schools and this fall we have our first gain in enrollment in a quarter century. He introduced a number of efforts to help our struggling students like adding Saturday instruction, while continuing to challenge our top scholars with such elite programs as DNA research, robotics, and pre-law. We all wish Sam well in his retirement and are grateful for the efforts from him and all of his staff to get MVB back on a solid footing and prepared to continue its rejuvenation.
Tracy Martinez finds MVB in a very different place but certainly far from devoid of challenges. The school continues to focus on improving academic outcomes and expanding enrollment, but is now forced to do so with less resources. No longer a renewal school has required that the additional financial support we received in this program has now vanished and we need to do more with less, no small feat.
Tracy, a Brooklyn native (no one’s perfect), steps in as principal after a 17-year career in teaching. Her previous roles as a teacher, coach, and assistant principal has honed her instructional skills. But what makes her stand out is her passion and dedication to children. She will bring a level of energy and commitment to raise the bar for all our students to ensure greater student achievement and post-secondary success. She embraces technology and plans to foster an environment of collaboration amongst the staff and throughout the student population.
On the job for just a few weeks Tracy has had to hit the ground running, keeping “the trains on time” while beginning to lay out her longer-term vision for what MVB can be. She has already identified a desire to emphasize improving the instructional core, focusing on student debate and discourse as a vehicle in developing deeper understanding of essential topics and issues. She is also keen to develop and implement programs that will positively impact school culture and community. She has embraced an openness in her communications inside and outside the school. Her approach is best summed up by two quotes she shared with me.
“Be the change you want to see”
“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” Jim Rohn
We are so excited to have her at the helm to steer our school to even greater heights in the years ahead. Please join me in welcoming Tracy to the MVB family and working with her and her team to help make her as successful as we can in positioning MVB to thrive.
Although summers are typically quiet in our New York City schools, it was an eventful period at MVB. Sam Sochet, our principal for the last seven years, and the recipient of Principal of the Year 2019 for Queens, ended his tenure by retiring in August. Then, just before Labor Day, his much-anticipated successor was announced. Tracy Martinez has just been installed as the Principal at MVB and begins her leadership of a school that continues its rejuvenation. Today, we are witnessing a rebuilding of the student enrollment and the continued recovery in our graduation rate this past year. She is now challenged with continuing to build on the momentum and appears well equipped to do so, having been successful as an assistant principal at the Frederick Douglass Academy in Brooklyn after a long history of being an educator within the NYC school system.
We thought it was a fitting time to pay tribute to Sam and introduce Tracy to our alumni community.
Sam Sochet first stepped into the principal’s role at MVB in September 2012. Prior to tackling this daunting assignment Sam had bonafide Queens credentials, having grown up in Flushing and graduated from Jamaica HS. He began his teaching career at Stuyvesant instructing biology and worked his way up the ladder, finally reaching the role of Assistant Principal of science at Thomas Edison.
He had walked into a very difficult situation. Nothing in his career had prepared him for the challenge he was about to take on. MVB was designated a priority school, ranking amongst the lowest 5% of all schools in New York State, as enrollment at the school was at an all-time low and the graduation rate had cratered to 46%. This meant we were on the chopping block, at risk of being shut down, and the clock was ticking. It was safe to say student pride and staff morale had hit rock bottom.
Fast forward to 2018 and we were the most improved high school for our four-year graduation rate from when Sam arrived. We were removed from the ranks of renewal schools and this fall we have our first gain in enrollment in a quarter century. He introduced a number of efforts to help our struggling students like adding Saturday instruction, while continuing to challenge our top scholars with such elite programs as DNA research, robotics, and pre-law. We all wish Sam well in his retirement and are grateful for the efforts from him and all of his staff to get MVB back on a solid footing and prepared to continue its rejuvenation.
Tracy Martinez finds MVB in a very different place but certainly far from devoid of challenges. The school continues to focus on improving academic outcomes and expanding enrollment, but is now forced to do so with less resources. No longer a renewal school has required that the additional financial support we received in this program has now vanished and we need to do more with less, no small feat.
Tracy, a Brooklyn native (no one’s perfect), steps in as principal after a 17-year career in teaching. Her previous roles as a teacher, coach, and assistant principal has honed her instructional skills. But what makes her stand out is her passion and dedication to children. She will bring a level of energy and commitment to raise the bar for all our students to ensure greater student achievement and post-secondary success. She embraces technology and plans to foster an environment of collaboration amongst the staff and throughout the student population.
On the job for just a few weeks Tracy has had to hit the ground running, keeping “the trains on time” while beginning to lay out her longer-term vision for what MVB can be. She has already identified a desire to emphasize improving the instructional core, focusing on student debate and discourse as a vehicle in developing deeper understanding of essential topics and issues. She is also keen to develop and implement programs that will positively impact school culture and community. She has embraced an openness in her communications inside and outside the school. Her approach is best summed up by two quotes she shared with me.
“Be the change you want to see”
“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” Jim Rohn
We are so excited to have her at the helm to steer our school to even greater heights in the years ahead. Please join me in welcoming Tracy to the MVB family and working with her and her team to help make her as successful as we can in positioning MVB to thrive.
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Martin Van Buren High School
opens state of the art DNA/Biotechnology laboratory Scientific advancements have never moved faster than today, and leading the way are advancements in medicine, centered around the study of DNA. Bringing high school students to the forefront of science has been a dream of one of our school's science teachers for some time. Back in 2017, Martin Van Buren High School was accepted into the NYC High School Science Research Pathways (HSSRP) program that sought to help develop new science research programs at NYC public schools. As part of the program, led by Carol Wang, MVB's program director and science teacher, MVB students attended field trips to the DNA Learning Center West and visited the Rockefeller University Research Center as well as attended Big Red STEM day at Cornell University Medical Center and Brain Networking Day at NYU Langone Medical Center. These opportunities only furthered Ms Wang’s ambitious goal-To create a sustainable DNA/Biotechnology Lab on the Martin Van Buren High School campus to further develop of the school’s scientific research curriculum and expose her students to leading edge science. "Doing so would allow our students to engage in high level, hands-on investigations to better connect textbook science with real life applications.” This is a concept called project based learning. Achieving this would be a critical first step towards the the long-term goal to create a sustainable research program for all four years of our student's high school career. The end goal of every student at the end of every year is to participate in the NYC Science and Engineering Fair, which then opens up opportunities to national and international participation, and solidifies their credentials for acceptance into great colleges. Her missions become a reality recently, with the opening of The Martin van Buren High School DNA/Biotechnology, thanks to the support of the school's Alumni Alliance and the generosity of the Casper family. We are proud to have created a state of the art facility, exposing our diverse population to leading edge science. Working in the lab today are students representing every class from Freshmen to Seniors, both male and female, and represent a cross-section of our school demographics from African American to Southeast Asian. These students are not only strong academically but participate in MVB’s extracurricular activities and many are part of the school leadership team. While they all come from differing ethnic and economic backgrounds, they share one common passion—their love for science. |
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ONE OF A KIND
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In her two decades at MVB Cathy had worn many hats and served in a wide variety of roles- Project Arts Coordinator, College Adviser, AP Fine Arts & Business, AP ELA, AP Physical Education, AP Math. But regardless of her title, her mission was always the same-to focus her efforts to create as many successes, large and small, that she possibly could for all her students and teachers. Perhaps her greatest joy was producing shows, especially the musicals that encompassed the drama classes, the band, chorus, stage design, costume design and the dance club. This was never an easy task, but time and time again Cathy would pull it all together, and always in a calm and purposeful way, recognizing that throughout every one of these extravaganzas there were numerous teaching moments.
Her impact on MVB is best described by a couple of our most distinguished teachers. Brian Greenspan (a double alum-class of 1989 and head of student activities at the school today); “Cathy has been nothing but a source of support of my professional endeavors, especially when she served as my direct supervisor for my musical productions, talent shows, and special arts-related events. She always went above and beyond to make sure I had everything I ever needed to make sure these events were successful. She's been required to fill so many different professional shoes over the years, and I never heard her complain; she'd just roll with it and do her best. I have nothing but love and appreciation for Cathy Kross and, while I'm sorry to see her go, I hope she finds peace and happiness wherever she does next. Cathy Kross, thank you for everything you've done for me and for Martin Van Buren High School!”
Next Pam Fried, our beloved head of our scholars program. “Cathy is the first one to lend a helping hand. She does not have to help out with my events, but she always asks me if I need anything. Obviously, she is an integral part of Career Day and the International Festival. I don't know what I will do without her this April!
Cathy has also had so many jobs in this building. While her background may be Art and Business, she has served as an English A.P. and more recently, a Physical Education A.P. and Mathematics A.P. She slides into her new role with grace and always has the best interest of the students as her priority. With one foot out the door, she is still trying to recruit freshmen scholars and get the students off to a good start. She really cares!
I will miss her very much.”
Clearly, Pam is not alone, as we will all miss her. We wish you all the best Cathy and thank you for all that you have given to Martin van Buren these last twenty years.
Her impact on MVB is best described by a couple of our most distinguished teachers. Brian Greenspan (a double alum-class of 1989 and head of student activities at the school today); “Cathy has been nothing but a source of support of my professional endeavors, especially when she served as my direct supervisor for my musical productions, talent shows, and special arts-related events. She always went above and beyond to make sure I had everything I ever needed to make sure these events were successful. She's been required to fill so many different professional shoes over the years, and I never heard her complain; she'd just roll with it and do her best. I have nothing but love and appreciation for Cathy Kross and, while I'm sorry to see her go, I hope she finds peace and happiness wherever she does next. Cathy Kross, thank you for everything you've done for me and for Martin Van Buren High School!”
Next Pam Fried, our beloved head of our scholars program. “Cathy is the first one to lend a helping hand. She does not have to help out with my events, but she always asks me if I need anything. Obviously, she is an integral part of Career Day and the International Festival. I don't know what I will do without her this April!
Cathy has also had so many jobs in this building. While her background may be Art and Business, she has served as an English A.P. and more recently, a Physical Education A.P. and Mathematics A.P. She slides into her new role with grace and always has the best interest of the students as her priority. With one foot out the door, she is still trying to recruit freshmen scholars and get the students off to a good start. She really cares!
I will miss her very much.”
Clearly, Pam is not alone, as we will all miss her. We wish you all the best Cathy and thank you for all that you have given to Martin van Buren these last twenty years.
The value of an internship
One can never underestimate the value of an internship. There is so much to be gained from doing one as it is where the spark for one’s future career often comes from. It also teaches the ways the real-world functions. Teaching such basic skills as being responsible and accountable, taking on tasks and seeing them to completion. Working with adults and functioning in a group environment with superiors and peers are critical capabilities that everyone needs to master. But most important is gaining confidence that they can succeed and believe there is a place for them in the world at large. Being introduced to new experiences and gaining a sense of accomplishment not seen in the classroom all makes these experiences an incredibly valuable opportunity that we are eager to share with more and more MVB students and recent alums. But don’t take my word for it. Here are three students describing their summer internships and how profoundly impactful the experience was for each of them. If you are in a position to offer such a situation to one of our students or recent alums, please reach out to us at mvbhsalumns@gmail.com and we will work with you to find a good fit and create a true win-win for all involved.
This past summer, I was given the opportunity to work at Queens Central hospital in the pulmonary function lab. This internship allowed me to develop skills that are essential for becoming an effective doctor since I worked alongside a pulmonary technician. Most internship at a hospital is mostly clerical work, but my supervisor believed in more than that. He gave me tasks such as emailing specific prescription to specific doctors. He taught me how to read the sleep apnea measure such as the AHI numbers. The AHI stands for the apnea-hypopnea index. Most of the patients that came in the pulmonary function labs were from the age of 40s-80s. During the patient's sleep there is a period of time where the patient is not breathing and that can result in cardiac arrest and maybe death. As an intern, I was unaware of this kind of disorder and now I feel equipped with some amount of knowledge, so when I hear people complain about falling asleep anywhere and having difficulty breathing I can tell one to go see a pulmonary function technician to get diagnosed.
Working along with the doctor, I learned that it is essential to have integrity when communicating with a patient. Being a doctor requires a great amount of humility. As a doctor, you are more knowledgeable than your patient yet you must explain to them the circumstances they are dealing with, which could be very difficult. You may have to deal with angry or hostile patients and you must proceed with respect and empathy. It is about going above and beyond the research, following the code of ethics and doing what is best for the patient. Being a doctor is about helping others as a passion and not gaining for selfish desires. My experience in the pulmonary function room and my success there confirms that I will be an engaged student and ultimately a successful doctor. This environment would keep me challenged, which is important to me. Most of us take our health for granted and don’t realize that there are many people suffering daily from health problems. My experience at the hospital also taught me the meaning of professionalism in the medical field. Sometimes I would take the blood pressure of the patient. I am not certified to take blood pressure manually therefore, I am only allowed to use the machine that does all the work for me. First, I would make the chart for the patient, then I would ask them to fill out the form, after that, I would let the patient know I have to take their blood pressure. My task does not seem difficult at all but it does allow me to perform patient care and practice on my professional skills. It was time-consuming but that’s what is all about being a doctor, sacrificing your time to better the lives of people. There is no minute to spare except on your patient and giving them the best treatment possible. I believe I have grown a lot from this internship and realize the extent I can go through becoming a doctor and serving my patients.
When I was signing up for a NASA summer internship, I actually had no clue what I was signing up for, I was not even expecting a response at all, I didn’t even think I was worth a rejection notice. However, I was invited for a video interview to convince them that I was fit for the position, that I had the motivation and dedication necessary for their needs, and I believe I did not portray the requirements at first. In fact, I had written about wanting to be an astronaut in my childhood days when in fact the project I had signed up for had nothing to do with space, and if I had just paid more attention, I would have realized that the truth, what my parents told me of my childhood of wanting to be some form of archaeologist or paleontologist, would have aided in the position better, for the project had been a paleoecologist’s years long research.
Back then, all relatives who had spent even a day with me knew my obsession with dinosaurs and digging, fast forward about 12 years or so and all the passion had drained from my system, instead of a boy dragging his mother to the library to get more books to read to expand my knowledge, all that remained was an empty husk, an undead zombie simply completing all tasks required by the school and not wanting to do any extra research or exploration simply for the sake of knowledge. Then, a Community STEM Engagement Event took place at Martin Van Buren High School in collaboration with NASA. Mrs. Carol Wang-Mondaca, a science teacher with an unmatched background in Biology, had applied for and obtained a position as a Climate Change Research Initiative STEM Educator at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies. She brought her second life to the school with the help of Matthew D. Pearce, an Education Officer at the Institute for NASA. After attending the event, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a while, chills, that feeling of intense emotion that raises goosebumps along ones back, once again, my passion for science and the advancement of my knowledge was ignited. The project I was so desperately now wanting to be a part of was an extension of what Ms. Wang had done the fall of that year, examining the temporal anthropogenic impact on salt marsh areas in the Long Island estuary. It doesn’t really sound NASA enough to most, in fact when people still ask me what I did at NASA and I reply with “dirt research” they think of it as a joke or assume I’m referring to some foreign planet’s soil and then look all disappointed when I explain what exactly the research encompassed. However, what they don’t seem to grasp is that to expand our reach on the universe and hope to harness other planets, we must first fully understand our own planet and the consequences and results of our interactions with it.
For the first six weeks of my summer vacation, I was waking up at 5 am everyday for a two and a half hour commute from Bellerose to Palisades, a trip that took me throughout Queens, Manhattan, the edge of New Jersey and then back into New York. I would then get home at 7 or 8 at night, exhausted with only enough time to complete my before sleep routine and then crash. It seems like a hassle, not worth the effort and that was exactly the reason why they looked for motivation and dedication in a potential candidate. Would this individual be willing to go through all this trouble for science, would they be willing to wake up early, dedicate their mind and body for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 6 weeks, and get home late for the advancement of research? Although I was almost unmotivated in the beginning of my NASA story, now, after the program has ended and I write a reflection, I can truly say, I miss the experience, my first encounter with a true professional setting where I was viewed as not just another student with whom to burden secretarial tasks, but one who was instructed to complete the same amount of work as others in the field, with more experience and knowledge. I had went into the summer of 2019 thinking I want to be an electrical engineer or a mechanical engineer because of technology and its grasp on humans. But after these 6 weeks of traversing through marshes, collecting soil cores and then running them through Loss On Ignition, X-Ray Fluorescence and Isotope Analysis tests, and finally consolidating all the research into powerpoint presentations, a Scientific Research Poster and lastly, a Research Paper, I can confidently and with complete resolve, claim that I want to be an Environmental or Civil Engineer.
In high school, I loved my publicity coordinator position on the Student Organization. It was my responsibility to update the school calendar, to help distribute flyers and tickets and my favorite part: help planning the school events. I would help come up with a budget, a list of supplies, the itinerary, and so much more. While my peers thought it was so much work, I enjoyed it. Therefore, I did some research on how I could continue doing what I really liked after high school and that's when I found Event Planners. As I read through the job description and responsibilities, I was amazed that a position like that existed! So fast forward, about 2 years later to senior year and I made up my mind to pursue a degree in the hospitality industry. I discussed my possible career choice with Mr.Wilson and a few days later he emailed me about a possible internship opportunity. I would work with the Events Director at Breaking Media. So this summer I spent 6 weeks learning all about planning meetings and conventions. I was able to attend one of their events in Philadelphia! This internship allowed me to get some hands-on experience in planning conventions and learn about all the little things that make an event, a successful one. I also had to learn how to manage time so that I would get to work on time, I had to go to bed on time so that I would be able to get up on time and learned (through trial and error) what office-appropriate clothes are. (Topics not taught in school) My mentor, Ms.Kittredge, was fantastic and made the whole internship better! Since this was a paid internship, I also was able to save up for college over the summer and learned how to budget myself. Had I not had this internship, I would constantly second-guess myself and wonder if I'm pursuing the right career and not know what an office job entails. Therefore, this internship solidified my idea that this is truly the field for me.
Based on this small sample its clear the value of an internship is priceless. Our hope is to be able to multiply the number of student experiences available next summer so if you have any information or leads please let us know. We have an abundance of students who can grow and learn so much from these opportunities and help an organization at the same time.
This past summer, I was given the opportunity to work at Queens Central hospital in the pulmonary function lab. This internship allowed me to develop skills that are essential for becoming an effective doctor since I worked alongside a pulmonary technician. Most internship at a hospital is mostly clerical work, but my supervisor believed in more than that. He gave me tasks such as emailing specific prescription to specific doctors. He taught me how to read the sleep apnea measure such as the AHI numbers. The AHI stands for the apnea-hypopnea index. Most of the patients that came in the pulmonary function labs were from the age of 40s-80s. During the patient's sleep there is a period of time where the patient is not breathing and that can result in cardiac arrest and maybe death. As an intern, I was unaware of this kind of disorder and now I feel equipped with some amount of knowledge, so when I hear people complain about falling asleep anywhere and having difficulty breathing I can tell one to go see a pulmonary function technician to get diagnosed.
Working along with the doctor, I learned that it is essential to have integrity when communicating with a patient. Being a doctor requires a great amount of humility. As a doctor, you are more knowledgeable than your patient yet you must explain to them the circumstances they are dealing with, which could be very difficult. You may have to deal with angry or hostile patients and you must proceed with respect and empathy. It is about going above and beyond the research, following the code of ethics and doing what is best for the patient. Being a doctor is about helping others as a passion and not gaining for selfish desires. My experience in the pulmonary function room and my success there confirms that I will be an engaged student and ultimately a successful doctor. This environment would keep me challenged, which is important to me. Most of us take our health for granted and don’t realize that there are many people suffering daily from health problems. My experience at the hospital also taught me the meaning of professionalism in the medical field. Sometimes I would take the blood pressure of the patient. I am not certified to take blood pressure manually therefore, I am only allowed to use the machine that does all the work for me. First, I would make the chart for the patient, then I would ask them to fill out the form, after that, I would let the patient know I have to take their blood pressure. My task does not seem difficult at all but it does allow me to perform patient care and practice on my professional skills. It was time-consuming but that’s what is all about being a doctor, sacrificing your time to better the lives of people. There is no minute to spare except on your patient and giving them the best treatment possible. I believe I have grown a lot from this internship and realize the extent I can go through becoming a doctor and serving my patients.
When I was signing up for a NASA summer internship, I actually had no clue what I was signing up for, I was not even expecting a response at all, I didn’t even think I was worth a rejection notice. However, I was invited for a video interview to convince them that I was fit for the position, that I had the motivation and dedication necessary for their needs, and I believe I did not portray the requirements at first. In fact, I had written about wanting to be an astronaut in my childhood days when in fact the project I had signed up for had nothing to do with space, and if I had just paid more attention, I would have realized that the truth, what my parents told me of my childhood of wanting to be some form of archaeologist or paleontologist, would have aided in the position better, for the project had been a paleoecologist’s years long research.
Back then, all relatives who had spent even a day with me knew my obsession with dinosaurs and digging, fast forward about 12 years or so and all the passion had drained from my system, instead of a boy dragging his mother to the library to get more books to read to expand my knowledge, all that remained was an empty husk, an undead zombie simply completing all tasks required by the school and not wanting to do any extra research or exploration simply for the sake of knowledge. Then, a Community STEM Engagement Event took place at Martin Van Buren High School in collaboration with NASA. Mrs. Carol Wang-Mondaca, a science teacher with an unmatched background in Biology, had applied for and obtained a position as a Climate Change Research Initiative STEM Educator at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies. She brought her second life to the school with the help of Matthew D. Pearce, an Education Officer at the Institute for NASA. After attending the event, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a while, chills, that feeling of intense emotion that raises goosebumps along ones back, once again, my passion for science and the advancement of my knowledge was ignited. The project I was so desperately now wanting to be a part of was an extension of what Ms. Wang had done the fall of that year, examining the temporal anthropogenic impact on salt marsh areas in the Long Island estuary. It doesn’t really sound NASA enough to most, in fact when people still ask me what I did at NASA and I reply with “dirt research” they think of it as a joke or assume I’m referring to some foreign planet’s soil and then look all disappointed when I explain what exactly the research encompassed. However, what they don’t seem to grasp is that to expand our reach on the universe and hope to harness other planets, we must first fully understand our own planet and the consequences and results of our interactions with it.
For the first six weeks of my summer vacation, I was waking up at 5 am everyday for a two and a half hour commute from Bellerose to Palisades, a trip that took me throughout Queens, Manhattan, the edge of New Jersey and then back into New York. I would then get home at 7 or 8 at night, exhausted with only enough time to complete my before sleep routine and then crash. It seems like a hassle, not worth the effort and that was exactly the reason why they looked for motivation and dedication in a potential candidate. Would this individual be willing to go through all this trouble for science, would they be willing to wake up early, dedicate their mind and body for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 6 weeks, and get home late for the advancement of research? Although I was almost unmotivated in the beginning of my NASA story, now, after the program has ended and I write a reflection, I can truly say, I miss the experience, my first encounter with a true professional setting where I was viewed as not just another student with whom to burden secretarial tasks, but one who was instructed to complete the same amount of work as others in the field, with more experience and knowledge. I had went into the summer of 2019 thinking I want to be an electrical engineer or a mechanical engineer because of technology and its grasp on humans. But after these 6 weeks of traversing through marshes, collecting soil cores and then running them through Loss On Ignition, X-Ray Fluorescence and Isotope Analysis tests, and finally consolidating all the research into powerpoint presentations, a Scientific Research Poster and lastly, a Research Paper, I can confidently and with complete resolve, claim that I want to be an Environmental or Civil Engineer.
In high school, I loved my publicity coordinator position on the Student Organization. It was my responsibility to update the school calendar, to help distribute flyers and tickets and my favorite part: help planning the school events. I would help come up with a budget, a list of supplies, the itinerary, and so much more. While my peers thought it was so much work, I enjoyed it. Therefore, I did some research on how I could continue doing what I really liked after high school and that's when I found Event Planners. As I read through the job description and responsibilities, I was amazed that a position like that existed! So fast forward, about 2 years later to senior year and I made up my mind to pursue a degree in the hospitality industry. I discussed my possible career choice with Mr.Wilson and a few days later he emailed me about a possible internship opportunity. I would work with the Events Director at Breaking Media. So this summer I spent 6 weeks learning all about planning meetings and conventions. I was able to attend one of their events in Philadelphia! This internship allowed me to get some hands-on experience in planning conventions and learn about all the little things that make an event, a successful one. I also had to learn how to manage time so that I would get to work on time, I had to go to bed on time so that I would be able to get up on time and learned (through trial and error) what office-appropriate clothes are. (Topics not taught in school) My mentor, Ms.Kittredge, was fantastic and made the whole internship better! Since this was a paid internship, I also was able to save up for college over the summer and learned how to budget myself. Had I not had this internship, I would constantly second-guess myself and wonder if I'm pursuing the right career and not know what an office job entails. Therefore, this internship solidified my idea that this is truly the field for me.
Based on this small sample its clear the value of an internship is priceless. Our hope is to be able to multiply the number of student experiences available next summer so if you have any information or leads please let us know. We have an abundance of students who can grow and learn so much from these opportunities and help an organization at the same time.
My cuba experience
by Angelica Onofre
“fulfilling their potential, regardless of their circumstances”
This is essentially what summer search is all about. The impact this program has on so many of the students including myself is so impactful to the point where we are not complete without it. I think many will agree with me when I say how much it’s helped us become who we are today.
As a teen coming from a low-income background, there aren’t a lot of opportunities available right on my front door. I can’t just travel to any place I want, get access to internships from high-end companies, or even have the resources to help me plan what to do after high school. Joining Summer Search has opened up so many doors that it’s still quite difficult to believe that I've been able to accomplish so much with the help of the program. One of the main opportunities that’s offered and is well known for, is the travel aspect. Other than the mandatory wilderness trip that students go to for their sophomore summer which is exciting on its own, juniors have the chance of traveling internationally to not only develop as a person but to learn about others in the world, to get out of their small circle and embrace the way of others.
With that said, when I was told I was going to be in Cuba for my summer trip, I was ecstatic. Going to another country was already mind blowing, but after learning about the blockade the U.S had put on the nation and how difficult it is for American citizens to enter the small nation just added another level of meaningfulness. My entire time in Cuba was truly one of a kind. I was able to learn about their culture, the different views they had in life, as well as learn that many of the world's heritage sites established from UNESCO reside in the nation. Cuba is so much more than a small nation that only speaks Spanish, it’s a nation where everyone knows each other, are not afraid to walk alone in the middle of the night, where the party doesn’t have to stop, in fact it doesn’t matter what a Cuban’s ancestral background is, whether their black, white, Asian, mixed, their still Cuban. The feeling of unitedness is very strong in the nation of Cuba. Not only is the nation very beautiful, it’s given me an idea of what I want to pursue in the future. This experience has made me want to actually have an impact in the world, to help those in need on a global scale. All in all, this trip has impacted me in several ways, shaping me into who I am today, it’s made me realize that there’s so much to the world that I still haven’t seen. I would love to go back to Cuba again and help the communities through several projects. Without Summer Search i wouldn’t have been able to experience such things at a young age.
An adventure of a lifetime-Catalina Island
By Steve Wilson ‘77
What a privilege to accompany Carol Wang’s team of MVB science research students to the Wrigley Institute Marine Research Center on Catalina Island in Southern California in 2019. The trip was absolutely amazing from so many angles. We had access to a staff of leading scientists and specialists that is incredible. On the ferry ride from the mainland to the island we had a world-renowned marine biologist give us a lecture on marine mammals and throughout the ride he was there pointing out all that we saw bobbing in the water and followed up with a lecture at the institute. Our ten students were put on a team to collect data on the presence of microorganisms in the inlet. Our job was to survey and record the conditions in the water. We took samples from the bay and then scrutinized them for presence of various forms of plankton to help populate the database that is studying the impact of the occurrence of red tides.
We also got a chance to examine the marine life in the inlet up close as we went snorkeling and kayaking. While this was incredible, just imagine you have been asked to dive in the water and you can’t swim. That was the case with three of our students and yet they were all brave enough to take the plunge literally and figuratively into the water. It did help that our little expedition was led by Lorraine Sandler, a member of the Women’s Scuba Divers Hall of Fame. She got all our newbies into the water and floating around exploring the underwater treasures that lay before us.
It was hectic on the compound. Every day we were busy from 7 am to 9pm with lectures, field surveillance, data collection and lab work but we did manage to find a little time for some beach volleyball. This was a challenge to all us city folk, playing on sand, but it was a blast.
The diversity of backgrounds, religions, interests and beliefs among the whole group was incredible. As a group of thirteen we cover the globe, from Australia, Guyana, Russia, India, Italy, Taiwan and Pakistan- we are Queens personified, a true polyglot.
Heading up the group were two teachers, Ms. Wang and Vinny Vaccaro, who signed on to help lead this STEM adventure. Seeing them in action has been so inspiring to me. Ms. Wang, the mastermind of this whole trip never stops working for her kids. She is part scientist part tough mom pushing and prodding but always there with a shoulder to cry on if needed. No one protects and defends her students more while she never fails to challenge them at every corner. She is on a mission to motivate them to push harder to get the most out of everything life has to offer.
Her dedication to training these students to become self-reliant researchers was best exemplified when she was away, and it was time to go down to the pier and take water samples and record conditions. Our team of students were a well-oiled machine, each taking a step in the process without any prompting from the adults. Never missing a beat, they came through in the clutch in Ms. Wang's absence.
Then we have Mr. Vaccaro. Teaching 27 years in NYC high schools could dampen the enthusiasm and sap the energy of many an instructor but he has a passion like few others. And don’t get me started on “he’s only a gym teacher”. He is part drill sergeant and part class clown and both attributes have been tremendously helpful getting everyone where they need to be, with a big smile. Caring, compassionate, always looking out for our students well-being. Incredible. We had a minor health issue with one of our kids and Ms. Wang had to accompany the student to the clinic and was gone for a good while. Mr. Vaccaro stepped right in despite not being the science nerd that everyone else was. He was always chatting up with the kids, playing den mother when needed, but still instructing constantly, describing anatomy, helping everyone into the water, pestering us all to stay hydrated, and explaining the importance of electrolytes. And stay far away from the ping pong or pool table when he is around, or you will be asking for trouble for sure.
Its tough to imagine a week that could be as informative and inspiring as this week was for all of them. I have no doubt the deep impact this adventure will have on each of them. I already know what it has meant to me.
For more stories and pictures go to: https://mvb-catalina.blogspot.com/=20
By Steve Wilson ‘77
What a privilege to accompany Carol Wang’s team of MVB science research students to the Wrigley Institute Marine Research Center on Catalina Island in Southern California in 2019. The trip was absolutely amazing from so many angles. We had access to a staff of leading scientists and specialists that is incredible. On the ferry ride from the mainland to the island we had a world-renowned marine biologist give us a lecture on marine mammals and throughout the ride he was there pointing out all that we saw bobbing in the water and followed up with a lecture at the institute. Our ten students were put on a team to collect data on the presence of microorganisms in the inlet. Our job was to survey and record the conditions in the water. We took samples from the bay and then scrutinized them for presence of various forms of plankton to help populate the database that is studying the impact of the occurrence of red tides.
We also got a chance to examine the marine life in the inlet up close as we went snorkeling and kayaking. While this was incredible, just imagine you have been asked to dive in the water and you can’t swim. That was the case with three of our students and yet they were all brave enough to take the plunge literally and figuratively into the water. It did help that our little expedition was led by Lorraine Sandler, a member of the Women’s Scuba Divers Hall of Fame. She got all our newbies into the water and floating around exploring the underwater treasures that lay before us.
It was hectic on the compound. Every day we were busy from 7 am to 9pm with lectures, field surveillance, data collection and lab work but we did manage to find a little time for some beach volleyball. This was a challenge to all us city folk, playing on sand, but it was a blast.
The diversity of backgrounds, religions, interests and beliefs among the whole group was incredible. As a group of thirteen we cover the globe, from Australia, Guyana, Russia, India, Italy, Taiwan and Pakistan- we are Queens personified, a true polyglot.
Heading up the group were two teachers, Ms. Wang and Vinny Vaccaro, who signed on to help lead this STEM adventure. Seeing them in action has been so inspiring to me. Ms. Wang, the mastermind of this whole trip never stops working for her kids. She is part scientist part tough mom pushing and prodding but always there with a shoulder to cry on if needed. No one protects and defends her students more while she never fails to challenge them at every corner. She is on a mission to motivate them to push harder to get the most out of everything life has to offer.
Her dedication to training these students to become self-reliant researchers was best exemplified when she was away, and it was time to go down to the pier and take water samples and record conditions. Our team of students were a well-oiled machine, each taking a step in the process without any prompting from the adults. Never missing a beat, they came through in the clutch in Ms. Wang's absence.
Then we have Mr. Vaccaro. Teaching 27 years in NYC high schools could dampen the enthusiasm and sap the energy of many an instructor but he has a passion like few others. And don’t get me started on “he’s only a gym teacher”. He is part drill sergeant and part class clown and both attributes have been tremendously helpful getting everyone where they need to be, with a big smile. Caring, compassionate, always looking out for our students well-being. Incredible. We had a minor health issue with one of our kids and Ms. Wang had to accompany the student to the clinic and was gone for a good while. Mr. Vaccaro stepped right in despite not being the science nerd that everyone else was. He was always chatting up with the kids, playing den mother when needed, but still instructing constantly, describing anatomy, helping everyone into the water, pestering us all to stay hydrated, and explaining the importance of electrolytes. And stay far away from the ping pong or pool table when he is around, or you will be asking for trouble for sure.
Its tough to imagine a week that could be as informative and inspiring as this week was for all of them. I have no doubt the deep impact this adventure will have on each of them. I already know what it has meant to me.
For more stories and pictures go to: https://mvb-catalina.blogspot.com/=20
Second act
By: Jim Gold '77
Alice Gold, a beloved teacher at MVBHS for over twenty years passed away recently at the age of 88. Here is a tribute written by her son Jim Gold.
She began teaching at Martin Van Buren High School in Queens Village in 1968 and immediately became one of the most popular teachers in the school. In fact, she was a finalist for New York City “Teacher of the Year” in 1988. She taught drama and speech and directed acclaimed theatrical productions from 1971 until she retired from teaching in 1990. She affected so many lives and to this day, has remained in touch with scores of students. When she retired, she didn’t just go off to the book club or just move to Florida. Instead, she decided it was time to chase her initial dream and pursue acting and, of course, succeeded. She made numerous appearances as an extra, as well as performed in a number of off-off Broadway productions. The speaking parts eventually followed, and appeared in a number of high profile shows, most recently in Comedy Central’s program, “The Other Two.” That episode, entitled “Chase Gets the Gays,” premiered last month. Just today, I received two residual checks for her star turn on the final season of “Sex and the City,” where she tried to set Charlotte up with her son. You can view “The Other Two” via on-demand on Comedy Central. I suspect you can view Sex and the City (season 6) via HBO Go or HBO Now, or via Amazon Prime. She also had a rather memorable (though as her son, remarkably disturbing) scene on the red carpet at the Tony Awards in 2009, when Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog, encouraged her to perform an interesting act in front of Radio City Music Hall with a fellow “Matinee Lady.” Concurrent with her acting career, Alice became the voice of the Nederlander organization, the pre-eminent Broadway theatrical producers and theatre-owners. She answered the phones starting in 1991 up until her retirement, which took place on December 14th. Hard to believe she worked at Nederlander longer than she taught at Van Buren.
Alice, like all great teachers, continued to inspire so many long after she left the classroom. She became a fixture on the Broadway theatre scene as an actress, as well as office administrator at Nederlander Productions, Its tough to say which act in her life meant more to her but we know her former students and colleagues at MVB will never forget what she meant to them.
Alice Gold, a beloved teacher at MVBHS for over twenty years passed away recently at the age of 88. Here is a tribute written by her son Jim Gold.
She began teaching at Martin Van Buren High School in Queens Village in 1968 and immediately became one of the most popular teachers in the school. In fact, she was a finalist for New York City “Teacher of the Year” in 1988. She taught drama and speech and directed acclaimed theatrical productions from 1971 until she retired from teaching in 1990. She affected so many lives and to this day, has remained in touch with scores of students. When she retired, she didn’t just go off to the book club or just move to Florida. Instead, she decided it was time to chase her initial dream and pursue acting and, of course, succeeded. She made numerous appearances as an extra, as well as performed in a number of off-off Broadway productions. The speaking parts eventually followed, and appeared in a number of high profile shows, most recently in Comedy Central’s program, “The Other Two.” That episode, entitled “Chase Gets the Gays,” premiered last month. Just today, I received two residual checks for her star turn on the final season of “Sex and the City,” where she tried to set Charlotte up with her son. You can view “The Other Two” via on-demand on Comedy Central. I suspect you can view Sex and the City (season 6) via HBO Go or HBO Now, or via Amazon Prime. She also had a rather memorable (though as her son, remarkably disturbing) scene on the red carpet at the Tony Awards in 2009, when Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog, encouraged her to perform an interesting act in front of Radio City Music Hall with a fellow “Matinee Lady.” Concurrent with her acting career, Alice became the voice of the Nederlander organization, the pre-eminent Broadway theatrical producers and theatre-owners. She answered the phones starting in 1991 up until her retirement, which took place on December 14th. Hard to believe she worked at Nederlander longer than she taught at Van Buren.
Alice, like all great teachers, continued to inspire so many long after she left the classroom. She became a fixture on the Broadway theatre scene as an actress, as well as office administrator at Nederlander Productions, Its tough to say which act in her life meant more to her but we know her former students and colleagues at MVB will never forget what she meant to them.
Summer Search: the program that can take you to the top of the mountain (literally)
By: Safia Mohamed
I’m standing at the top of a peak in Colorado. It’s the most magical and fascinating moment of my entire life. I feel like I can touch the clouds; I’m 6000 feet closer to the sun. It took four days to climb to the top and two days to climb down. There was struggle and doubt for many on the way up but, regardless of their thoughts, we all made it and felt happy that we accomplished this goal. The world we wake up to every day sometimes seems ugly, but from the top of a Colorado peak, the beauty is absolutely outstanding and unbelievable. The trees, mountains, clouds and the sun smiling down on us as if it were as happy as we were when we got to the top of the peak. This feeling of happiness and success is all because of Summer Search.
Summer Search is a program that helps you achieve your goals and places you on a unique path towards success. The program forces you out of your comfort zone by taking you far from home and placing you into the most unfamiliar environments imaginable: deep forests, mountaintops, and __. I didn’t know what Summer Search was until Ms. Lauria, my guidance counselor, introduced it to me. I was nervous when I first heard about it because I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go out of state on my own, especially without my family. But I spent some time thinking about it and told myself, the fact that I don’t want to do it should be the reason that I do. I live by these words to force myself out of my comfort zone, which is how I got through the trip. When I decided I wanted to go, I had to convince my parents, which took some time--about two weeks. There were some tears, as well as back and forth phone calls with my counselor and mentor. In the end, everything was prepared and I was on my way to Colorado.
And I experienced the best three weeks of my life.
Summer Search is available to New Yorkers, and they also have locations in Boston, California, and Philadelphia. In order to get into the program you have to be a sophomore, attend all Summer Search meetings, complete the application and interview process, correspond with your mentor every week, and of course attend the mandatory wilderness trip at the end of your sophomore year. At first, the trips sound intimidating and even scary, but having the experience at the end is definitely worth it. You come back as a different, accomplished person and you might actually want to do it again. I know I do!
I’m standing at the top of a peak in Colorado. It’s the most magical and fascinating moment of my entire life. I feel like I can touch the clouds; I’m 6000 feet closer to the sun. It took four days to climb to the top and two days to climb down. There was struggle and doubt for many on the way up but, regardless of their thoughts, we all made it and felt happy that we accomplished this goal. The world we wake up to every day sometimes seems ugly, but from the top of a Colorado peak, the beauty is absolutely outstanding and unbelievable. The trees, mountains, clouds and the sun smiling down on us as if it were as happy as we were when we got to the top of the peak. This feeling of happiness and success is all because of Summer Search.
Summer Search is a program that helps you achieve your goals and places you on a unique path towards success. The program forces you out of your comfort zone by taking you far from home and placing you into the most unfamiliar environments imaginable: deep forests, mountaintops, and __. I didn’t know what Summer Search was until Ms. Lauria, my guidance counselor, introduced it to me. I was nervous when I first heard about it because I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go out of state on my own, especially without my family. But I spent some time thinking about it and told myself, the fact that I don’t want to do it should be the reason that I do. I live by these words to force myself out of my comfort zone, which is how I got through the trip. When I decided I wanted to go, I had to convince my parents, which took some time--about two weeks. There were some tears, as well as back and forth phone calls with my counselor and mentor. In the end, everything was prepared and I was on my way to Colorado.
And I experienced the best three weeks of my life.
Summer Search is available to New Yorkers, and they also have locations in Boston, California, and Philadelphia. In order to get into the program you have to be a sophomore, attend all Summer Search meetings, complete the application and interview process, correspond with your mentor every week, and of course attend the mandatory wilderness trip at the end of your sophomore year. At first, the trips sound intimidating and even scary, but having the experience at the end is definitely worth it. You come back as a different, accomplished person and you might actually want to do it again. I know I do!
“People were cheering us and they were so welcoming. There were even people from other countries marching with us. Everyone had the same message to deliver, and there was no hate around us, just positive motives and people coming together.” – Anupreet Kaur
MARCH For ‘MANY’ Lives
By: Nile Robinson- Foster
The mass shooting on February 14th, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, was one of the deadliest school massacres in history. This horrific event had a global impact in terms of people’s concern for safety within schools. Knowing this, many local and national activists decided that ‘enough is enough.’ Activists focused not only on gun control for school safety, but on a general scale, noting that gun violence is prevalent as a nationwide crisis. With that in mind, activists, gun control advocates, and most importantly, studentsnationwide organized a national March For Our Lives rally, where people could protest political opposition to gun control.
The March For Our Lives rallies were formed all across the country—from Los Angeles, California to Miami, Florida. The city with the largest turnout was Washington D.C. where an estimated 800,000 people attended. People made and printed signs and opened their homes to accommodate the marchers for the long distances they had to walk. All around the neighborhood, people advertised everything from “free water” to “free hugs” to show community support and alliance with strides made on March 24th.
To start off the rally, words of inspiration were spread to students who attended, followed by an astonishing performance by Demetria Devonne Lovato (aka Demi Lovato). Following that performance, students from Newton High School in Connecticut spoke, expressing their solidarity with Parkland. Following Miley Cyrus’ heart-moving performance of “The Climb”, Parkland survivors testified about their experience. One girl, Samantha Fuentes, was speaking about her dear friend whose 18th birthday would’ve been March 24th (the day of the March) and, mid-speech, she collapsed and started vomiting. She then proceeded to get up and yell “I JUST PUKED ON NATIONAL TELEVISION AND IT FEELS AMAZING!” It seemed to rattle the crowd more than ever.
After many other speeches, including one by Yolanda Renee King (Martin Luther King’s granddaughter), the crowd started to disperse, as the event was nearing its finish. But right as things started settling down, the final performance occurred--Jennifer Hudson sang “Change.” The crowd got emotional and many people teared up; this heartful performance concluded the rally and all speech givers and performers made their way to the front of the stage for a final bow. As people left, activists reminded people of one the most important things they could do: “Email, if not call, your local assemblyman/ senator, and let them know that we need change.”
As the downtown Washington D.C. area was being evacuated, people stopped to talk with the press, take pictures with survivors, buy merchandise, and more.
Overall, the March for Our Lives Rally was a powerful, emotional event that rose people’s awareness of a topic that people seriously need to acknowledge. I am truly glad to have been a part of it.
By: Nile Robinson- Foster
The mass shooting on February 14th, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, was one of the deadliest school massacres in history. This horrific event had a global impact in terms of people’s concern for safety within schools. Knowing this, many local and national activists decided that ‘enough is enough.’ Activists focused not only on gun control for school safety, but on a general scale, noting that gun violence is prevalent as a nationwide crisis. With that in mind, activists, gun control advocates, and most importantly, studentsnationwide organized a national March For Our Lives rally, where people could protest political opposition to gun control.
The March For Our Lives rallies were formed all across the country—from Los Angeles, California to Miami, Florida. The city with the largest turnout was Washington D.C. where an estimated 800,000 people attended. People made and printed signs and opened their homes to accommodate the marchers for the long distances they had to walk. All around the neighborhood, people advertised everything from “free water” to “free hugs” to show community support and alliance with strides made on March 24th.
To start off the rally, words of inspiration were spread to students who attended, followed by an astonishing performance by Demetria Devonne Lovato (aka Demi Lovato). Following that performance, students from Newton High School in Connecticut spoke, expressing their solidarity with Parkland. Following Miley Cyrus’ heart-moving performance of “The Climb”, Parkland survivors testified about their experience. One girl, Samantha Fuentes, was speaking about her dear friend whose 18th birthday would’ve been March 24th (the day of the March) and, mid-speech, she collapsed and started vomiting. She then proceeded to get up and yell “I JUST PUKED ON NATIONAL TELEVISION AND IT FEELS AMAZING!” It seemed to rattle the crowd more than ever.
After many other speeches, including one by Yolanda Renee King (Martin Luther King’s granddaughter), the crowd started to disperse, as the event was nearing its finish. But right as things started settling down, the final performance occurred--Jennifer Hudson sang “Change.” The crowd got emotional and many people teared up; this heartful performance concluded the rally and all speech givers and performers made their way to the front of the stage for a final bow. As people left, activists reminded people of one the most important things they could do: “Email, if not call, your local assemblyman/ senator, and let them know that we need change.”
As the downtown Washington D.C. area was being evacuated, people stopped to talk with the press, take pictures with survivors, buy merchandise, and more.
Overall, the March for Our Lives Rally was a powerful, emotional event that rose people’s awareness of a topic that people seriously need to acknowledge. I am truly glad to have been a part of it.
“Seeing all the little kids there at the march really had an emotional impact on me. Just like the people who died, these kids don’t know what’s going to happen, and it’s up to us to take a stand and give them a secure future.” – Summera Shah
Sing! Triumphantly returns to MVB
After a 28-year hiatus, and thanks to a generous grant from Taylor Swift, SING! was performed at the school this weekend. With two performances, the freshman/senior team, and the sophomore/junior team on display over two days, hundreds of students, parents, alumni and staff got to witness the creative talents of over a 100 determined students.
While the first performance, no different that any Broadway show, had a few kinks to work through and each of the teams were faced with serious sound issues, both teams rallied on Saturday. With the support of a dedicated staff of advisors, these kids were determined to smooth out the rough edges from the initial performance. As a result, each group rose to give their strongest showing for the judges and the audience on Saturday.
To critique their performances there was an all star lineup of judges including Frank Toner, the head of the Civic association and an impressive group of alumni starting with Marc Commerceho, a teacher at MVB for nearly three decades who served as a Sing advisor multiple times. Next is Stephanie Hochman, the Sing Commissioner for 1981.
Then we have Glen Hoffman from the class of 1982, a SING veteran who has gone on to become a writer, producer, and director. Adam Goldgell, from the class of 1984, an accomplished chef who has appeared on the Food Network. And rounding out the group, we have two members of the MVB Hall of Fame. First, is Julian Philips who was inducted last year. Julian is an Emmy award winning news anchor, host, and motivational speaker. And finally, Jon Bauman, who was inducted later in the Saturday program.
Saturday’s intermission featured the added bonus of our third Hall of fame induction ceremony, this time honoring two graduates who made names for themselves in their years after MVB, each with a life story that can only be described as unique.
Frist up was Mario Savio, our valedictorian from 1960, who’s story as a civil rights activist was on display in slides and poignantly described by Richard Feinberg, ’65 who drove over 400 miles from his post as professor of anthropology at Kent State University. Richard shared a rich description of a man who’s selfless life of helping strangers catapulted him to the national stage as one of the original freedom fighters and a leader of the free speech movement. After a heartfelt tribute to his inspirational role model, Richard then lead the entire audience on his acoustic guitar in an old fashioned sing-along of a folk song that became synonymous with the civil rights movement, We Shall Not Be Moved.
Then came Jon “Bowzer” Bauman to the stage. Well known by those of a certain age for his role in Sha Na Na, Jon first introduced himself to the mostly unaware audience with a powerful video, highlighting his extensive five-decade career in show business and more recently the political arena. Then, with a combination of stories and his virtuoso skills at the piano (one believed to be the same one he played as a student back when he was musical director of the Senior Show in 1964), he entertained the audience and shared a few life lessons. It was during his comments that we learned there was so much more to his bigger-than-life stage persona as he railed the audience with stories from his training as a classical pianist at Julliard, to his years on the road as Bowzer with Sha Na Na, including a rabble rousing performance at Carnige Hall, to his more recent endeavors protecting the rights of seniors and old time rock and roll artists.
While both honorees would best be described as traveling down completely different paths, in actually they each found a way to give of themselves to the service of those in need and were defenders of the rights of others, a very powerful message that was not lost by our audience, both young and old.
Not to be forgotten, the Club Med raffle had to be drawn. After a successful sales effort that produced enough funds to allow the Alumni Alliance to double the size of this summer’s Lets Get Ready SAT prep program, it was time to determine the winner. We had Phyllis Kushner, our generous sponsor from Your Way to Travel and a former MVB teacher in the very early years of the school, draw the winning ticket, which was announced by our LGR program supervisor, Ms. Stamberg, our college and career advisor. Adding to the magic of the day, the winner was none other that Brian Greenspan, our head of COSA, who immediately fell to the ground in disbelief but will now have a wonderful, and well-deserved, Club Med vacation to enjoy this summer.
After the Saturday performance, our all-star team of judges retreated to the guidance office to begin their deliberations. With all the participants anxious waiting the final results, the proceedings dragged on, as each minute felt like an hour. With shades of “Twelve Angry Men” the decision was a tough one, and like the judges the night before, there was an extensive list of criteria to consider, from set design and music to script flow and, of course, the acting. Finally, a decision was made, all the votes were tallied and the results were finally revealed in a packed cafeteria for all to know. The Freshman/Senior team won by the thinnest of margins, a mere 20 points, from a total of 1100 potential points. While one group was euphorically triumphant, we saw the sophomore/junior team members accept the tough defeat with great sportsmanship and equal determination to hopefully next year avenge this defeat and carry this year’s experience to victory. With the award ceremony immediately followed by an exuberant celebration in the wrap pizza party, it was clear everyone had an experience like no other. SING was back at MVB, and as any alumni who was involved in SING! In the old days it has left an indelible mark on every single student who chose to participate.
After a 28-year hiatus, and thanks to a generous grant from Taylor Swift, SING! was performed at the school this weekend. With two performances, the freshman/senior team, and the sophomore/junior team on display over two days, hundreds of students, parents, alumni and staff got to witness the creative talents of over a 100 determined students.
While the first performance, no different that any Broadway show, had a few kinks to work through and each of the teams were faced with serious sound issues, both teams rallied on Saturday. With the support of a dedicated staff of advisors, these kids were determined to smooth out the rough edges from the initial performance. As a result, each group rose to give their strongest showing for the judges and the audience on Saturday.
To critique their performances there was an all star lineup of judges including Frank Toner, the head of the Civic association and an impressive group of alumni starting with Marc Commerceho, a teacher at MVB for nearly three decades who served as a Sing advisor multiple times. Next is Stephanie Hochman, the Sing Commissioner for 1981.
Then we have Glen Hoffman from the class of 1982, a SING veteran who has gone on to become a writer, producer, and director. Adam Goldgell, from the class of 1984, an accomplished chef who has appeared on the Food Network. And rounding out the group, we have two members of the MVB Hall of Fame. First, is Julian Philips who was inducted last year. Julian is an Emmy award winning news anchor, host, and motivational speaker. And finally, Jon Bauman, who was inducted later in the Saturday program.
Saturday’s intermission featured the added bonus of our third Hall of fame induction ceremony, this time honoring two graduates who made names for themselves in their years after MVB, each with a life story that can only be described as unique.
Frist up was Mario Savio, our valedictorian from 1960, who’s story as a civil rights activist was on display in slides and poignantly described by Richard Feinberg, ’65 who drove over 400 miles from his post as professor of anthropology at Kent State University. Richard shared a rich description of a man who’s selfless life of helping strangers catapulted him to the national stage as one of the original freedom fighters and a leader of the free speech movement. After a heartfelt tribute to his inspirational role model, Richard then lead the entire audience on his acoustic guitar in an old fashioned sing-along of a folk song that became synonymous with the civil rights movement, We Shall Not Be Moved.
Then came Jon “Bowzer” Bauman to the stage. Well known by those of a certain age for his role in Sha Na Na, Jon first introduced himself to the mostly unaware audience with a powerful video, highlighting his extensive five-decade career in show business and more recently the political arena. Then, with a combination of stories and his virtuoso skills at the piano (one believed to be the same one he played as a student back when he was musical director of the Senior Show in 1964), he entertained the audience and shared a few life lessons. It was during his comments that we learned there was so much more to his bigger-than-life stage persona as he railed the audience with stories from his training as a classical pianist at Julliard, to his years on the road as Bowzer with Sha Na Na, including a rabble rousing performance at Carnige Hall, to his more recent endeavors protecting the rights of seniors and old time rock and roll artists.
While both honorees would best be described as traveling down completely different paths, in actually they each found a way to give of themselves to the service of those in need and were defenders of the rights of others, a very powerful message that was not lost by our audience, both young and old.
Not to be forgotten, the Club Med raffle had to be drawn. After a successful sales effort that produced enough funds to allow the Alumni Alliance to double the size of this summer’s Lets Get Ready SAT prep program, it was time to determine the winner. We had Phyllis Kushner, our generous sponsor from Your Way to Travel and a former MVB teacher in the very early years of the school, draw the winning ticket, which was announced by our LGR program supervisor, Ms. Stamberg, our college and career advisor. Adding to the magic of the day, the winner was none other that Brian Greenspan, our head of COSA, who immediately fell to the ground in disbelief but will now have a wonderful, and well-deserved, Club Med vacation to enjoy this summer.
After the Saturday performance, our all-star team of judges retreated to the guidance office to begin their deliberations. With all the participants anxious waiting the final results, the proceedings dragged on, as each minute felt like an hour. With shades of “Twelve Angry Men” the decision was a tough one, and like the judges the night before, there was an extensive list of criteria to consider, from set design and music to script flow and, of course, the acting. Finally, a decision was made, all the votes were tallied and the results were finally revealed in a packed cafeteria for all to know. The Freshman/Senior team won by the thinnest of margins, a mere 20 points, from a total of 1100 potential points. While one group was euphorically triumphant, we saw the sophomore/junior team members accept the tough defeat with great sportsmanship and equal determination to hopefully next year avenge this defeat and carry this year’s experience to victory. With the award ceremony immediately followed by an exuberant celebration in the wrap pizza party, it was clear everyone had an experience like no other. SING was back at MVB, and as any alumni who was involved in SING! In the old days it has left an indelible mark on every single student who chose to participate.
Harmonia (Harmony) Peet is one of MVBs shining stars. A member of the Law & Humanities Institute, Harmony has dreams of working in the world of law and politics. If you glance at our new website,she is seen standing with Mayor de Blazio and Principal Sochet before she opened the Mayoral Town Hall Meeting back in November 2017. Harmony was elected Senior SO President this year and has led the rebirth of two school dances, including one this past weekend - the Spring Dance.
Harmony is a member of MUN1, the inaugural year of MVB's Model UN Class. This year Harmony and her partner Nile Robinson Foster won an Honorable Mention award for her work as the Eritrean ambassadors in the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the "Combating Water Scarcity" meeting at the International Change the World Conference in NYC. More than 2000 students from 25 nations took part in the Conference. It was the first international-level award for MVB's Model UN Team.
Harmony is a member of our Moot Court & Mock Trial teams and was one of 14 students selected to represent New York City, MVB and the USA at the International Moot Court at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The event brought 13 countries from around the world to work with international law firms participating as coaches, judges and sponsors. The case topic focused on three issues of war crimes and required students to participate in multiple-elimination rounds at Leiden University Law School with two international teams emerging as the finalists. Harmony's team was one of those finalists and they took second place at the competition!
Most recently, Harmony was selected as a 2018 QuestBridge College Prep Scholar. She is one of 3,986 students selected from a large pool of over 11,600 high school juniors around the country based on academic excellence, personal qualities, and financial need. This honor makes her a strong potential applicant for the National College Match and to be admitted to a top-tier college with a full four-year scholarship from Questbridge.
Kevin Shult
Assistant Principal of Supervision, Social Studies
Harmony is a member of MUN1, the inaugural year of MVB's Model UN Class. This year Harmony and her partner Nile Robinson Foster won an Honorable Mention award for her work as the Eritrean ambassadors in the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the "Combating Water Scarcity" meeting at the International Change the World Conference in NYC. More than 2000 students from 25 nations took part in the Conference. It was the first international-level award for MVB's Model UN Team.
Harmony is a member of our Moot Court & Mock Trial teams and was one of 14 students selected to represent New York City, MVB and the USA at the International Moot Court at the Peace Palace in The Hague. The event brought 13 countries from around the world to work with international law firms participating as coaches, judges and sponsors. The case topic focused on three issues of war crimes and required students to participate in multiple-elimination rounds at Leiden University Law School with two international teams emerging as the finalists. Harmony's team was one of those finalists and they took second place at the competition!
Most recently, Harmony was selected as a 2018 QuestBridge College Prep Scholar. She is one of 3,986 students selected from a large pool of over 11,600 high school juniors around the country based on academic excellence, personal qualities, and financial need. This honor makes her a strong potential applicant for the National College Match and to be admitted to a top-tier college with a full four-year scholarship from Questbridge.
Kevin Shult
Assistant Principal of Supervision, Social Studies
Summer Search:
Making an Impact
By Steve Wilson '77 and Nomi Silverman
Back in 2013, the MVB Alumni Alliance learned of an innovative program called Summer Search. Despite its name, it is a year round comprehensive program that spans a crucial seven-to-nine year period, giving high school students what they need to develop the personal and practical skills to become college-educated leaders who give back to their families and communities. Summer Search started 25 years ago in San Francisco and now works with young people in cities across the country, including New York.
In 2013, five then MVB sophomores, were accepted to the program and started an odyssey that began with an extensive summer program that sent each of them to remote locations throughout the US for several weeks. In 2014 we doubled the number of MVB students in the program with five more acceptances, and this past summer they went on adventures to such locations as Deer Hill Expeditions in the America Southwest and North Carolina Outward Bound School. Meanwhile our original team of Summer Searchers spent time in such diverse locals as Nicaragua and Peru. In addition to these summer excursions the program has activities year round including networking opportunities at their Annual Gala and YLC Cocktail events and college-prep workshops.
This fall, the team from Summer Search, led by Bethany Nelson, our strategic partnership manager, interviewed a whopping 17 students from Martin Van Buren. She said this was their biggest interview class from any single school so far this year. Even more exciting is this news from Bethany “We are SO excited to accept 15 new sophomores! The students were absolutely incredible throughout their interviews and we accepted every student that met our candidacy guidelines."
Janelle Lauria, the guidance counselor at Martin Van Buren who has spearheaded our association with Summer Search from the very beginning, said that the organization has helped many of the schools’ students develop the skills they need to succeed in high school and college. “Students who had a chance to be part of this program in the past, developed incredible leadership skills and grew noticeably more confident and open-minded,” Lauria said. Being able to expand the program will only deepen the impact Summer Search has on our students.
Rofadden, a senior and three year participant in Summer Search, said about the program, “This trip signified my transition into young adulthood. I came away from the trip with a motto to help me be successful throughout life, ‘the more difficult a challenge is, the greater the reward’.” Sarah, a junior, added, “It was really hard and there were times I felt like giving up. I really didn’t want to go on but I pushed through and finished the trip. Being able to do that taught me that I am stronger than I think I am. If I put my mind to it, I can overcome anything that comes my way.” Based on the experience of both Rofadden and Sarah, the opportunity to have so many more MVB students engage with Summer Search is incredible.
Amazingly, in just three short years, MVB is now one of the largest Summer Search schools in all of New York City. Congrats to our latest group of Searchers. If you are a freshman your opportunity to apply to participate will be announced this coming September.
Making an Impact
By Steve Wilson '77 and Nomi Silverman
Back in 2013, the MVB Alumni Alliance learned of an innovative program called Summer Search. Despite its name, it is a year round comprehensive program that spans a crucial seven-to-nine year period, giving high school students what they need to develop the personal and practical skills to become college-educated leaders who give back to their families and communities. Summer Search started 25 years ago in San Francisco and now works with young people in cities across the country, including New York.
In 2013, five then MVB sophomores, were accepted to the program and started an odyssey that began with an extensive summer program that sent each of them to remote locations throughout the US for several weeks. In 2014 we doubled the number of MVB students in the program with five more acceptances, and this past summer they went on adventures to such locations as Deer Hill Expeditions in the America Southwest and North Carolina Outward Bound School. Meanwhile our original team of Summer Searchers spent time in such diverse locals as Nicaragua and Peru. In addition to these summer excursions the program has activities year round including networking opportunities at their Annual Gala and YLC Cocktail events and college-prep workshops.
This fall, the team from Summer Search, led by Bethany Nelson, our strategic partnership manager, interviewed a whopping 17 students from Martin Van Buren. She said this was their biggest interview class from any single school so far this year. Even more exciting is this news from Bethany “We are SO excited to accept 15 new sophomores! The students were absolutely incredible throughout their interviews and we accepted every student that met our candidacy guidelines."
Janelle Lauria, the guidance counselor at Martin Van Buren who has spearheaded our association with Summer Search from the very beginning, said that the organization has helped many of the schools’ students develop the skills they need to succeed in high school and college. “Students who had a chance to be part of this program in the past, developed incredible leadership skills and grew noticeably more confident and open-minded,” Lauria said. Being able to expand the program will only deepen the impact Summer Search has on our students.
Rofadden, a senior and three year participant in Summer Search, said about the program, “This trip signified my transition into young adulthood. I came away from the trip with a motto to help me be successful throughout life, ‘the more difficult a challenge is, the greater the reward’.” Sarah, a junior, added, “It was really hard and there were times I felt like giving up. I really didn’t want to go on but I pushed through and finished the trip. Being able to do that taught me that I am stronger than I think I am. If I put my mind to it, I can overcome anything that comes my way.” Based on the experience of both Rofadden and Sarah, the opportunity to have so many more MVB students engage with Summer Search is incredible.
Amazingly, in just three short years, MVB is now one of the largest Summer Search schools in all of New York City. Congrats to our latest group of Searchers. If you are a freshman your opportunity to apply to participate will be announced this coming September.
Through My Eyes
Mario Savio: Leader, Activist, van Buren Alum
by Rick Feinberg
Class of 1965
We never met in high school; he left a year before I started. But he was one of our most prominent alumni, and his impact on my life is beyond measure.
Mario—known at the time, I’m told, as “Bob”—Savio was van Buren’s 1960 valedictorian. I recall one Spanish teacher bragging that he’d been the only instructor ever to give Mario a less-than-perfect grade. In fact, his final GPA was close to perfect: 96.6.
As a boy, Mario had thoughts of joining the priesthood. In high school, he began to question rigid interpretations of scripture. He developed an interest in the natural sciences and seemed headed for a career in physics. Still, he never abandoned the commitment to social justice with which he had been instilled.
Between 1960 and 1963, he attended college in New York. In 1963, he moved to California and enrolled at UC, Berkeley. By that time, he’d switched from physics to philosophy. In spring of 1964, he was arrested for his part in a demonstration protesting racial discrimination in San Francisco. A few months later, he joined hundreds of students in Mississippi as part of the Civil Rights Movement’s “Freedom Summer.”
That fall Mario returned to Berkeley, where he and his fellow activists continued to organize. The university responded with a ban on organizing for off-campus political activities, and a series of confrontations ensued, with student activists on one side and administrators and police on the other. On December 2nd, Mario made his most famous speech to an estimated 4,000 students assembled in front of Sproul Hall, the university’s administration building:
There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part. You can't even passively take part! And you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop! And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it — that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!
His speech was followed by an overnight sit-in, leading to the arrest of almost 800 participants. These events were known as Berkeley’s Free Speech Movement (FSM), and they are often credited with ushering in the student movement of the 1960s.
All of this occurred during my senior year at van Buren. As a high school activist, I joined the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), took part in Civil Rights demonstrations, and tutored grade school children in South Jamaica. I was also critical of the US war in Vietnam. Many fellow students shared my views on equal opportunity; but my position on Vietnam, at the time, was not widely embraced. The FSM grabbed national news headlines just as I was searching for a college where I thought I’d feel at home, and Berkeley quickly moved to the top of my list. I was accepted and, in fall of 1965, I moved across the country to begin my undergraduate education.
By the time of my arrival, Mario had left Berkeley. He was feeling somewhat disillusioned about the movement’s direction and the slow pace of social change. He and his then-wife, Suzanne Goldberg, moved to Europe, and he briefly attended Oxford University. Later he returned to California and occasionally took part in Berkeley student politics. That is how I got to know him. We never were close friends, but we participated together in planning meetings and demonstrations, and from time to time he spoke at rallies.
One-on-one, Mario was very different from the eloquent firebrand depicted by the media and his political opponents. He was thoughtful and considerate, and his speech was punctuated by a slight stammer. But, most importantly, his determination to help end human suffering never wavered. Eventually, he returned to school, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics from San Francisco State University, and teaching math and philosophy at Sonoma State. In 1996, he died of a heart attack at the far-too-young age of 53.
While I was never part of Mario’s inner circle, his impact on my life was profound. Because of him I went to UC, Berkeley. Like Mario, I became a student activist—first with the Vietnam Day Committee, then the Student Mobilization Committee to End the War. I came to know some leading members of Oakland’s Black Panther Party as well as US Congressional Representative Ron Dellums. I supported a series of actions to preserve student-initiated experimental courses—an outgrowth of the FSM that came under attack with the creation of “Social Analysis 139X,” a class designed to be taught by Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver. I participated in a “Third World Liberation Front” student strike that called on the university to establish what we would now term a “diversity program.” And I covered the “People’s Park” controversy of 1969 for a nationally-circulated alternative newspaper.
Mario’s influence on my choice of major and career was equally indirect but no less critical. I started college, as he did, with an interest in natural science—in my case, marine biology. But I soon concluded that the greatest challenge facing humankind came not from nature but from our ability to get along with one another. In my second semester, I enrolled in Gerald Berreman’s “Introduction to Cultural Anthropology,” was exposed to the value of learning about alternative lifeways, and never looked back. Mario, of course, did not direct me to that course or my subsequent career. But without his inspiration I would likely not have gone to Berkeley, would not have taken Berreman’s course, and my life trajectory would certainly have been quite different.
Mario was a polarizing figure at a time when American politics was every bit as polarized as it is now. Yet, whatever one’s political orientation or party affiliation, we can all admire his commitment to improve the human condition as well as his eloquence and courage in pursuing that objective. Long live the memory of Mario R. Savio, Martin van Buren alum!
__________________
Rick Feinberg graduated from Berkeley in 1969. In 1974, he earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Chicago. He has conducted research with Native North Americans and with Polynesians in the southwestern Pacific. Since completing his doctorate, he has been on the faculty at Kent State University. He currently holds national office in the American Anthropological Association.
Mario Savio: Leader, Activist, van Buren Alum
by Rick Feinberg
Class of 1965
We never met in high school; he left a year before I started. But he was one of our most prominent alumni, and his impact on my life is beyond measure.
Mario—known at the time, I’m told, as “Bob”—Savio was van Buren’s 1960 valedictorian. I recall one Spanish teacher bragging that he’d been the only instructor ever to give Mario a less-than-perfect grade. In fact, his final GPA was close to perfect: 96.6.
As a boy, Mario had thoughts of joining the priesthood. In high school, he began to question rigid interpretations of scripture. He developed an interest in the natural sciences and seemed headed for a career in physics. Still, he never abandoned the commitment to social justice with which he had been instilled.
Between 1960 and 1963, he attended college in New York. In 1963, he moved to California and enrolled at UC, Berkeley. By that time, he’d switched from physics to philosophy. In spring of 1964, he was arrested for his part in a demonstration protesting racial discrimination in San Francisco. A few months later, he joined hundreds of students in Mississippi as part of the Civil Rights Movement’s “Freedom Summer.”
That fall Mario returned to Berkeley, where he and his fellow activists continued to organize. The university responded with a ban on organizing for off-campus political activities, and a series of confrontations ensued, with student activists on one side and administrators and police on the other. On December 2nd, Mario made his most famous speech to an estimated 4,000 students assembled in front of Sproul Hall, the university’s administration building:
There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part. You can't even passively take part! And you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop! And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it — that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!
His speech was followed by an overnight sit-in, leading to the arrest of almost 800 participants. These events were known as Berkeley’s Free Speech Movement (FSM), and they are often credited with ushering in the student movement of the 1960s.
All of this occurred during my senior year at van Buren. As a high school activist, I joined the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), took part in Civil Rights demonstrations, and tutored grade school children in South Jamaica. I was also critical of the US war in Vietnam. Many fellow students shared my views on equal opportunity; but my position on Vietnam, at the time, was not widely embraced. The FSM grabbed national news headlines just as I was searching for a college where I thought I’d feel at home, and Berkeley quickly moved to the top of my list. I was accepted and, in fall of 1965, I moved across the country to begin my undergraduate education.
By the time of my arrival, Mario had left Berkeley. He was feeling somewhat disillusioned about the movement’s direction and the slow pace of social change. He and his then-wife, Suzanne Goldberg, moved to Europe, and he briefly attended Oxford University. Later he returned to California and occasionally took part in Berkeley student politics. That is how I got to know him. We never were close friends, but we participated together in planning meetings and demonstrations, and from time to time he spoke at rallies.
One-on-one, Mario was very different from the eloquent firebrand depicted by the media and his political opponents. He was thoughtful and considerate, and his speech was punctuated by a slight stammer. But, most importantly, his determination to help end human suffering never wavered. Eventually, he returned to school, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics from San Francisco State University, and teaching math and philosophy at Sonoma State. In 1996, he died of a heart attack at the far-too-young age of 53.
While I was never part of Mario’s inner circle, his impact on my life was profound. Because of him I went to UC, Berkeley. Like Mario, I became a student activist—first with the Vietnam Day Committee, then the Student Mobilization Committee to End the War. I came to know some leading members of Oakland’s Black Panther Party as well as US Congressional Representative Ron Dellums. I supported a series of actions to preserve student-initiated experimental courses—an outgrowth of the FSM that came under attack with the creation of “Social Analysis 139X,” a class designed to be taught by Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver. I participated in a “Third World Liberation Front” student strike that called on the university to establish what we would now term a “diversity program.” And I covered the “People’s Park” controversy of 1969 for a nationally-circulated alternative newspaper.
Mario’s influence on my choice of major and career was equally indirect but no less critical. I started college, as he did, with an interest in natural science—in my case, marine biology. But I soon concluded that the greatest challenge facing humankind came not from nature but from our ability to get along with one another. In my second semester, I enrolled in Gerald Berreman’s “Introduction to Cultural Anthropology,” was exposed to the value of learning about alternative lifeways, and never looked back. Mario, of course, did not direct me to that course or my subsequent career. But without his inspiration I would likely not have gone to Berkeley, would not have taken Berreman’s course, and my life trajectory would certainly have been quite different.
Mario was a polarizing figure at a time when American politics was every bit as polarized as it is now. Yet, whatever one’s political orientation or party affiliation, we can all admire his commitment to improve the human condition as well as his eloquence and courage in pursuing that objective. Long live the memory of Mario R. Savio, Martin van Buren alum!
__________________
Rick Feinberg graduated from Berkeley in 1969. In 1974, he earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Chicago. He has conducted research with Native North Americans and with Polynesians in the southwestern Pacific. Since completing his doctorate, he has been on the faculty at Kent State University. He currently holds national office in the American Anthropological Association.
ONE PERSON'S JOURNEY
My name is Domonique Moody and I am a proud graduate from the class of 2010. I sat for hours trying to put my experience here into words. I will preface this experience with how I first felt when I knew I was coming to van: ecstatic. To some of the current students, it may seem like an over exaggeration; however I had two reasons. Not only was I a tiny freshman that had a popular sister that was already a senior, but also because Van Buren offered me a second chance. Most of my friends do not know this; however, in junior high school I was involved with a less than savory crowd. I was suspended at least once a year and almost expelled just a week before graduation, putting my diploma in jeopardy.
Fast forward to my first time walking the hallways of Van, I vowed to change. This goal was not hard when you add in teachers that really care. Mr. Johnson never accepted anything less than the best, because the train was always moving. Mr. Mulligan instilled a love of reading, writing and learning that provided a much needed foundation for my success. There was Mr. Leslie who taught us about rocks with raps. Teachers like them motivated me to join the Scholar’s program sophomore year and tap into the greatness within me. I was able to get the most of my years here, joining the Student organization as treasurer. I was able to manage the school’s funds and Mr. Greenspan’s cluttered desk. Frequent visits to Mr. Sweeting or Ms. Lauria to discuss all matter of life was common practice and provided a safe place to relax after classes.
Needless to say Van Buren helped me to blossom, as I went from the bottom of my 8th grade graduating class to the leaving high school at the top. I graduated as Arista Honor Society president, S.O. treasurer, member of the tennis and bowling team along with several other organizations. Martin Van Buren helped me to not only find myself but a family as well that I still keep in touch with. I took what I learned here with me to college. I attended the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, being the first there to attempt a Biochemistry and Medical laboratory Science double major. On May 21st I will be walking across the stage accepting the biochemistry degree Summa Cum Laude. I will be accepting my second bachelors next July after completing a year of clinical rotations at the Cleveland Clinic. I leave as vice president of Alpha Chi Honor Society, secretary of American Chemical Society, treasurer for Help Hope Humanity and the list goes on. Most importantly, I raised over one- thousand dollars as a student ambassador for Panama and will be traveling in June in order to help set up a medical clinic in a low income village. I hope to eventually attend a PhD/Md dual program at Harvard or University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Who knows, I may even be the 3rd Nobel Prize winner from Van.
My name is Domonique Moody and I am a proud graduate from the class of 2010. I sat for hours trying to put my experience here into words. I will preface this experience with how I first felt when I knew I was coming to van: ecstatic. To some of the current students, it may seem like an over exaggeration; however I had two reasons. Not only was I a tiny freshman that had a popular sister that was already a senior, but also because Van Buren offered me a second chance. Most of my friends do not know this; however, in junior high school I was involved with a less than savory crowd. I was suspended at least once a year and almost expelled just a week before graduation, putting my diploma in jeopardy.
Fast forward to my first time walking the hallways of Van, I vowed to change. This goal was not hard when you add in teachers that really care. Mr. Johnson never accepted anything less than the best, because the train was always moving. Mr. Mulligan instilled a love of reading, writing and learning that provided a much needed foundation for my success. There was Mr. Leslie who taught us about rocks with raps. Teachers like them motivated me to join the Scholar’s program sophomore year and tap into the greatness within me. I was able to get the most of my years here, joining the Student organization as treasurer. I was able to manage the school’s funds and Mr. Greenspan’s cluttered desk. Frequent visits to Mr. Sweeting or Ms. Lauria to discuss all matter of life was common practice and provided a safe place to relax after classes.
Needless to say Van Buren helped me to blossom, as I went from the bottom of my 8th grade graduating class to the leaving high school at the top. I graduated as Arista Honor Society president, S.O. treasurer, member of the tennis and bowling team along with several other organizations. Martin Van Buren helped me to not only find myself but a family as well that I still keep in touch with. I took what I learned here with me to college. I attended the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, being the first there to attempt a Biochemistry and Medical laboratory Science double major. On May 21st I will be walking across the stage accepting the biochemistry degree Summa Cum Laude. I will be accepting my second bachelors next July after completing a year of clinical rotations at the Cleveland Clinic. I leave as vice president of Alpha Chi Honor Society, secretary of American Chemical Society, treasurer for Help Hope Humanity and the list goes on. Most importantly, I raised over one- thousand dollars as a student ambassador for Panama and will be traveling in June in order to help set up a medical clinic in a low income village. I hope to eventually attend a PhD/Md dual program at Harvard or University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Who knows, I may even be the 3rd Nobel Prize winner from Van.
|
Scholars Institute
Strive towards greatness The Scholars Institute has the best and the brightest Martin Van Buren has to offer. As part of this elite group, the students are put in all honors classes and given a higher ranked official class. It is no easy feat getting into Scholars. Being part of this organization requires a higher level of commitment from the students. Only the top 100 students in the school are invited to join Scholars. Once you’ve been accepted, your journey as a Scholar has only begun. As a Scholar you are expected to do a minimum of 24 hours of both school and community service. Scholars are also committed to helping their fellow students. Peer tutoring is a very important function of a Scholar. Our institute focuses on being interactive with our surrounding community. In fact, we just finished raising donations for breast cancer awareness and we are ecstatic to inform that we raised over $1600 for this cause. Many of our elite participated in the walk and bring honor and pride to our school. Our devoted Scholars are also participating in the trick or treat for UNICEF program, which has also been very successful in raising multitudes of donations. We hope to continue to further help the community, as well as celebrate all the Scholars for their hard work in making Martin Van Buren, once again, exceptional. Sharon Prasad Vice President of Scholars The Scholars Institute at MVB is a new Alumni Alliance supported program. With the addition of their new adviser, Pam Fried, we are working to help her make MVB -The place Where Scholars Thrive. If you are interested in becoming a mentor to one of our most accomplished students let us know at mvbhsalumns@gmail.com. 
TRIBUTE
Anthony Sanchez We remember with great fondness and much admiration Anthony R. Sanchez, a superb and gifted teacher of Social Studies, whose presence graced Martin Van Buren High School for fourteen years. Tragically, Tony passed away on February 22, 1987. A devoted and talented educator, Tony Sanchez was extremely popular with both his students and colleagues. In class, Mr. Sanchez’s fun-loving manner and enthusiastic personality entertained, as well as enlightened, thousands of students throughout his teaching career. Besides his love of history, Tony enjoyed a life-long passion for sports. Therefore, in addition to being a dedicated and innovative classroom instructor, Mr. Sanchez served as Coach of both the Girls’ Swim Team and the Boys’ Basketball Team. He was also Senior Advisor and a Sing Advisor for many years. Highly respected by all these groups, Tony was an inspiration to everyone. Furthermore, he was a deeply-committed family man and a wonderful friend. We were all profoundly saddened by the sudden and untimely death of Mr. Sanchez, a warm and caring man with a terrific sense of humor. We were truly fortunate, however, to have known Tony Sanchez. He left us way too soon, but our thoughts of what he stood for and how he lived his life will be with us always. We honor Tony’s memory and shall forever think of him with deep affection and special regard. While Tony is greatly missed, he lives on in the hearts and minds of the many, many people whose lives he touched. Jeanette Silver Go to our BLOG Page and write your stories and memories of Mr. Sanchez. Please send notifications of deaths of alumni, staff, or teachers to mvbhsalumns@gmail.com. Newspaper obits and/or photos are appreciated if possible.
What Richard Dellacona Meant to Me
Brian Greenspan '89 I’ve always hated math. I was never good at it, never had the patience for it. One man who knew this was Mr. Richard Dellacona; he was my math teacher Junior year at MVB, and he had to suffer through my immature, non-compliant insolence. Little did I know that, years later, I would develop a love and respect for Richard Dellacona that would stay with me forever. Rich graduated from MVB in 1970, the year before I was born (and I thought I was old, I’d always tease him). At Van Buren, among his many credits, he was on the honor roll, a member of intermediate and concert band, a student-activity representative, and a service monitor. Mr. Dellacona began teaching math at Van Buren the late `70s. In 1988, I sat in the front of his classroom, often staring at his then non-hirsute face (his signature mustache would come years later, something I teased him about first, until I realized everyone liked it!) In his class, my mind was always on triple duty: a third of it was spent struggling to understand the concepts he was teaching; another third was spent wandering to distant places (inside my head); the last third was spent just giving Richard Dellacona a hard time. I would complain, “I hate math! I’m never going to use any of this!” But my number-one gripe to Mr. Dellacona was, “You’re so boooring!” He would always respond with a little smirk, which I always interpreted as an unfeigned I know I am--too bad for you! Years later, I would appreciate his subdued demeanor, for it was his own singular version of charisma. As fate would have it, not only would I gain employment as an English teacher at Martin Van Buren High School 13 years later, but who other than Richard Dellacona would come up to me, that usual, snide-but-kind-at-the-same-time expression on his face, to inform me that the Math department was short one teacher for a remedial math class of repeat offenders. And that teacher would be me. Oh, I hooted and hollered and stomped my foot in protest, but Dellacona’s comportment did not waver, just as it hadn’t a decade earlier, and he patiently assisted me in every step of the process. The class was pretty unruly, but I picked up the material with not nearly as much resistance as I’d had as a student. Most importantly, not a single day went by when Rich didn’t peek his head into the room to make sure I was OK. Truly a class act. No faculty member ever enjoys faculty conferences. We’re usually burnt out from a long day of teaching, anxious to get papers graded, or just itching to go home. No administrator understood this better than Rich Dellacona. When facilitating faculty meetings, Rich always made us smile and put us at ease with his sardonic wit (he’d always start off by saying something like, “I know how thrilled you all are to be here…”. There are two things I’ll always remember about Richard Dellacona. The first was his professional decorum, which was always infused with care and genuine kindness. Be it a stage production, a talent show, or a “Students vs. Faculty” competition, Rich Dellacona was the only administrator who never failed to phone me or stop into my office afterwards to say, “Great job.” He treated everyone that way, just a cut above and beyond the rest. The other thing I’ll always remember about Richard Dellacona was how devoted he was to his family. Nothing measures a man more than how he regards his family, and he worked so hard to make sure his wife JoAnn, Joe his eldest son, Rich, Alice, Maria and Billy were all taken care of. He consistently put off retiring for them, but he also genuinely enjoyed his second family here at Van Buren. His son Joe recalls lecturing his father: “Van Buren was there before you, and it’ll be there without you! Go buy a farm in Sicily! Become a farmer! Sip an espresso in the afternoon, and walk with your wife down the coast in the evening!” But Rich would always respond, “I’ve traveled, I don’t golf…I’ll be bored!” Richard Dellacona possessed the paradoxical ability to make a joke out of everything while never undermining anything serious. He was a true optimist who tried to make the best of everything. And I would be remiss in failing to mention another HUGE part of his life: The Westbury Fire Department. He dedicated so much of his time and life to it; he was the chief for 9 years and even head chief for 3, all the while managing his administrative responsibilities here at Van Buren. Every morning, the first thing I do when I come in my office is look at a photo of Rich taped on the wall across from my desk. This reminds me to try my best to be strong yet sensitive, fun-loving yet serious, in all my interactions with the members of my MVB family. Dellacona was the consummate professional with real heart and soul, a truly beautiful human being. No member of the Martin Van Buren High School Alumni family deserves our respect, honor, and love more than Mr. Richard Dellacona. |
The Adventures of Alpi and Gurpreet
The first day at the NFTE Offices brought such excitement and hope for us. Ms. Melissa, the NFTE Program Manager, began telling us that we have a great opportunity ahead of us, but she also stressed the fact of how hard we're going to have to work. We both didn't mind because we didn't think we would be selected. Once we were chosen, we were going to show how passionate we are about our business, AK Scarves. Our teacher, Ms. McGowan, and our mentors, Nate and Natalie, were so helpful. We faced many challenges during the process because our class started a semester late, but we pushed through because of our wonderful mentors. Without them and our hard work, we would have never made it to the quarter- and semi-finals. Even though we didn't make it to the nationals, we will keep pushing forward and use the new knowledge we learned to enhance our current and new business endeavors. We can't thank the NFTE program enough. This was a very eye-opening experience, and we met inspiring figures such as Al Roth. We will never forget what NFTE gave us and what doors it has opened for us. 
For anyone wishing to buy one of their fabulous scarves, visit their facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/AKscarves
They can tell you how to order them. Zoraida Cordova '05
In My Words Published Author Martin Van Buren High School was a place that let me express myself. An immigrant girl that wanted to pursue a career in the arts, I was lucky enough to have teachers that encouraged my creativity. I made a home for myself in the English department where the Dean let me paint on the walls. The scenes were from my favorite books at the time (the Mad Hatter's tea party from Alice in Wonderland, the balcony scene from Romeo & Juliet, and the bust of Hester Prynne). It was in that English department that I felt at home with my people. Book people. I joined CURRENTS, our literary magazine. I wrote for BEELINE, our newspaper. I was part of the Drama Club, the Soccer team, and by the end of it all, I was Yearbook Editor. It didn't occur to me till this moment, when someone else asks me to remember the great things about MVB, that I realize I LOVED my high school experience. As the years go by, I appreciate those days more and more. When you're fifteen years old and you're angry for no reason and your parents just don't understand, your school becomes a second home. This is why MBV is worth investing in. High school is not just a place where you guess at multiple choice answers (though I'm sure we're all guilty of that). It's where you have discussions about History and how it repeats itself, and sing and dance during a stellar Greenspan production of West Side Story, and learn that every story plot comes from Shakespeare and he stole them from the Greeks. It's a place where you hated Accounting class, but now that you have balance your own checkbook, it WAS pretty handy after all, wasn't it? When I was writing the acknowledgments for my first novel I knew I had to thank the English department, as well as my Social Studies teacher, Mr. David Johnson for setting me on my path. Even now, when I talk to my Class of 2005 friends, EVERYONE has their own memory of Mr. Johnson (all good ones). Thank you MVB. This is why MVB is important. The high school experience is unique to everyone and I want future students to have the same beneficial and rewarding time that I did. MVB FUN FACTS!
Did you know that the school was originally named Eastern Queens High School when it opened in 1955. After a few years, it was renamed after the 8th president. The school was designed by Eliot B. Willauer of the notable architectural firm Eggers & Higgins, architects on the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, as part of the Board of Education's half-billion dollar post World War II expansion program. "As to the Presidency, the two happiest days of my life were those of my entrance upon the office and my surrender of it. " Martin Van Buren THEN AND NOW
Brian Greenspan Student '89 Now: Coordinator of Student Activities Brian graduated from Martin Van Buren in 1989. As a student he says he “excelled at the classes I loved (English, Art, French) and by the skin of my teeth made it through the classes I didn’t care for (Math, Science, Global).” While a student he was not an official member of the Student Organization, but he spent his lunch periods in the Coordinator of Student Activities (COSA) room, hanging out and helping wherever he could. He fondly remembers participating in SING his freshman and sophomore years and because of that he worked very hard to bring musical productions back to Van and he did so in 2004. Brian is very proud of this accomplishment and speaks of it often, taking great pride in reestablishing the significance of the arts at Van. Brian Greenspan, or as the students call him “Greeny,” is the heart of Van Buren. His passion and commitment to our students and school have no compare, making him one of the most beloved teachers in our building. “Greeny has always been someone you can count on. He’s done so much for the school and cares deeply about every single person who walks into his office,” said a 2010 graduate. As COSA, he works tirelessly to provide opportunities for student involvement, and in doing so crafts a pride and love for Van Buren in our students’ hearts. The reason Brian works so hard to bring this to our students is that his heart at Van started beating many years ago when he was a student here. All the students Brian has interacted with should give a big thank you to Sheila Siegel, his 12th grade English teacher. Brian says she is the reason he chose to become a teacher. “Her science fiction elective class was not only fun and enjoyable-it broadened my horizons.” Ms. Siegel allowed him to create and teach his own lesson as a student and he says his career choice “became crystal clear.” He had the confidence to know he could be a good teacher and wanted to recreate the mind-opening experiences he was lucky enough to have while at Van. Brian has worked at Van for the past 13 years and has been COSA for the last 9. As COSA, he runs our student government, organizes all of our after-school clubs, edits both our print yearbook and video yearbook, and does everything else that brings the fun to Martin Van Buren. He often works late into the night and on weekends to put his all into everything he does for the students. The best example of his dedication is the video yearbook. This is always one of the things that students, faculty, and parents look forward to, and Brian never disappoints. He puts hours and hours into this production making sure as many of the graduating students are in the video, creating a recap that the graduates can cherish for the rest of their lives. He also makes sure Van has activities that will attract as many of our students as possible, designing and organizing clubs for all interests. He especially takes pride in having the only WWE club in a NYC public school. According to a 2012 alum, “he and the student organization under his guidance bring life to the monochromatic proving ground of high school.” He is truly the cornerstone of Van, dedicated to the school’s growth and each student’s growth as well. Brian’s influence on our students can be seen in so many ways. He brings out the best in our kids and lets them know they always have someone in their corner to make their day better. A graduate from the class of 2013 said, “I met Greeny later on in high school life, after joining the student organization. I got to spend more time with him and he was always more then willing to help even with the smallest thing. I don’t know how he did it, but he always managed to lighten up my day.” Brian never wants a student to feel left out, whether this means calling an overprotective parent to assure them that their child will be fine participating in an event, or even reaching into his own pocket to help a child pay for something. No matter what it takes, he is willing to do it. Another 2013 graduate sums up all that could be said about Brian so well, “Mr. Greenspan-A teacher that does his job, not because he has to, but because he wants to. Here's a teacher that connects not only with his students, but also with his coworkers. A teacher that is like a father/best friend to me.” Van is lucky to have Brian in so many ways, and his influence on students is one that will never disappear. I can easily see numerous students and alums make reference to him the way he referenced to Ms. Siegel when they are asked in the future why they are who they are now. 
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
ALICE GOLD by Kirby Lindell '73 I had a chance to catch up with Alice Gold -- Speech/English Teacher /Grade Advisor/ Senior Show Director -- recently to learn what she has been up to since her teaching days. I retired from teaching in 1990 after 25 years at MVB. Started a new career as an actress and found success doing stage, film, TV, and voice-overs. I have appeared in Sex & the City, Lipstick Jungle, The Sopranos, Addicted to Love, and Conan O'Brien. Also, the following commercials and voice-overs: Estee Lauder, Acura, Marriott Courtyard, Prudential, Oxford Advantage, San Giorgio, and Comcast. While I enjoy my work, nothing is as meaningful and rewarding as my years at MVB. When I hear from former students and they tell me of their accomplishments, I am gratified to learn that they credit me to some extent. It gives real meaning to my life. I am looking forward to seeing many of my students at Celebration Day and seeing what everyone is up to. Help us make the BEELine Alumni Edition a vibrant conduit between and among the school and the alumni community. Submit your story ideas, thoughts, memories, articles, photos and/or features and we will publish them. Send everything to mvbhsalumns@gmail.com.
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