News
Are Chromebooks Really The Solution?
By Taylor Kane, Staff Writer Three years ago, if the bag of a middle or high school student opened and overturned, stacks on stacks of paper would spill out. Now, where crumpled pages and beaten folders once were, there is something slimmer: a laptop. Districts in New York like Highland, Poughkeepsie, NYC, and Kingston have…
After a Train Derailment, The Maroon Investigates
By: Parker Reed and Trey Nitza, Staff Writers On February 3, 2023, residents of East Palestine, Ohio were evacuated after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed. Five weeks later, two writers for the New Paltz High School newspaper, The Maroon, Trey Nitza and Parker Reed, interviewed High School juniors close to the derailment, Josh, Mackenzie,…
The Voice Behind The Mic, Annie Delongis
Shelby deJong, staff writer The Main office of New Paltz High school, often bustling with action and commotion, was relatively quiet on Wednesday afternoon, as classes ticked to a close. The time for the afternoon announcements to filter through the intercom of every classroom was drawing near. Annie Delongis, one of the high school secretaries…
Poetry Out Loud Returns to New Paltz!
By: Georgia Schultz, Staff Writer For the first time in five years, New Paltz High School students have the opportunity to participate in the return of Poetry Out Loud. The recitation program is a national arts organization with over 4.1 million participants from over 17,000 schools across the country, and now New Paltz High School…
New York’s Abnormal Winter
By Hanna Beukelman New York state has always been known for its changing seasons. This winter season went 328 days without snow, falling short of an all time record by only four days. Is climate change a probable culprit to New York’s snowless streak, and how does this abnormal season affect the students of New…
Mr. Steven Gratto is Ready to Juggle Every Job That Being New Paltz’s Superintendent Entails
By Lindsey Clinton, Editor-In-Chief After three years and three new superintendents, the New Paltz Central School District is ready to see Mr. Stephen Gratto stick around. “It’s time for a change,” Mr. Gratto said, when The Maroon interviewed him in January, “I’ve been working in this school district [Schroon Lake] for over 7 years, and…
The Importance of Student-Teacher Dynamics
By Bailey Kane, Staff Writer Imagine this: you walk into school and pass your favorite teacher, who then asks you about your day before continuing on. You see the librarian and they do the same, as does every staff member you pass. Now imagine the alternative: you walk into a school full of strangers and…
Mrs. Mallory: The Innovation Zone
Lyla Laffin, Writer Alexis Mallory, an engineering and technology teacher at New Paltz High School, has been teaching at the high school for 17 years. Due to the specialized classes she teaches, many don’t know her, but one would most likely find her working on something inventive with her engineering class in her ice-cold room…
Mr. Cook’s Past Has Prepared Him for the Present
By Beckett Evans, Staff Writer Dressed in a blue blazer, khakis, and a white collared shirt is Mr. Albert Cook, sat calmly in room #162 on a Friday afternoon. He doesn’t shuffle his feet or shift his hands, instead, he sits with perfect patience and calm. This patience and calm has come from over twenty-seven…
The Secret Gaming Lives of New Paltz High School Teachers
And Why Video Games Matter By Trey Nitza, Staff Writer To say that there is a stigma against video games today would be an understatement. The idea of video games being linked to violence and even mass shootings has been prevalent not only these last few years, but dates all the way back to the…
OMG It’s DJ Lo Hex!
Interview with a memorable class of 2017 alumni By Kalle Masseo, Staff Writer Featured Image by Tierney Reed New Paltz, New York- a bustling tourist and college town that’s always up for some fun. Whether at a local restaurant or at a New Paltz High School dance, the crowd’s “fan favorite” DJ Lo Hex always…
Action Jackson, Signing Out!
Commemorating Mrs. Jackson as she gets ready for retirement By Riley Burdick, Staff Writer To most people, Deneen Jackson is a revered high school math teacher: a friendly, cheerful lady who is always happy to see her students and colleagues. Most of the students have no clue, however, that when she found her place at…
Peer Leadership Volunteers to Help the Middle School Mix It Up
By Raamina Chowdhury, Staff Writer Laughter, conversation, and music emanates from the New Paltz Middle School cafeteria as students gather for lunch, and the auditorium bustles with the shuffling of shoes and playful banter of students at recess. However, this isn’t any ordinary lunch break; on October 25th, New Paltz Middle School students participated in…
A Censored Existence
By Taylor Kane, Staff Writer “A death by a thousand cuts.” This is how former teacher Willie Carver Jr., a gay man, described his experience working for a school district in Montgomery, Kentucky. After working in the district for twelve years, Carver tendered his resignation in June of this year due to continuous passive-aggressive anti-LGBTQ+…
Women Take Center Stage Throughout the Iranian Protests
By Annalina Guido, Staff Writer On September 16th, 22 year old Iranian citizen, Mahsa Amini, unwillingly became a martyr. Taken into custody by Iran’s morality police- a special police force designed to uphold religious practices and standards- for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly, although eyewitness statements objected to the validity of this statement. Police reports…
Embracing Tradition and Promoting Progress: A Conversation With Dr. Simms
By Julia Demskie, Co-Editor-in-Chief Dr. Samuelle Simms spent her first year as the principal of New Paltz High School doing the same thing as her students: learning and adjusting. “Whenever you enter a new space, there’s a lot to learn,” she explained, speaking to a year she described as “enlightening.” Upon reflecting on her first…
Dr. Josefsberg Reflects on His Second Term at NPCSD
By Parker Reed, Staff Writer Dr. Bernard Josefsberg is back for round two. Unlike the first….he is now in the schools. Bernard Josefsberg retired again after leaving the New Paltz Central School District in 2020, only to make a second return to our school to take on the position of interim superintendent once again this…
The Echo Chamber that Divides Us
By Lindsey Clinton, Co-Editor-in-Chief For decades, frustrated parents have taken their concerns and personal agendas to school boards or local politicians in protest of certain books that are read or available in their children’s schools. Many proclaim that schools introduce students to issues or topics at “too young of an age.” Others insist that it is…
The Mental Health Impacts of School That Go Unnoticed
By Mackenzie McPadden-Gambler, Staff Writer High school tends to be a tough time for many people and the mental health of students is often negatively affected by school. Students value and protect their mental health, yet it is frequently pushed to the side to satisfy the many demands of schoolwork. New Paltz High School is…
How has Nostalgia Impacted the Scope of Modern Cinema?
By Raamina Chowdhury In the chaos of the present, nostalgia can be a sanctuary when we just can’t handle the stress of the outside world. A desire to return to “the good old days” manifests in the media that viewers choose to consume, so it’s no wonder that the top-grossing movies of the past decade…
Mental Health in the Latinx Community
by Kimberly Navarro, Writer In recent years, there has undoubtedly been a push to have more conversations regarding mental health seeing as, globally, one in seven 10-19-year-olds experiences a mental disorder. And while it is important to have these conversations, there is a glaringly obvious hole–one that is used to push people of color from…
Technology and the Teenage Brain
By Elise Gingold It’s no myth that teenagers today are trying to cope with higher levels of depression and anxiety than ever before. With new access to unlimited information and ideas, phones have become more of a plunging, never-ending hole of our time. Spending endless amounts of time on our phones leaves us feeling unproductive…
Cooperative Olympics: An Opportunity for Inclusivity in PE
By Shelby de Jong, Staff Writer If you’re a student at New Paltz and were in PE 3rd quarter, you probably participated in the coaches’ “Cooperative Olympics.” You might not be a sporty person, so maybe you groaned when they announced the event, or you exchanged glances with your friends in skepticism. Maybe you were…
New Paltz High School Comes Together Through Unified Basketball
By Julia McCloskey, Staff Writer After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, things are finally returning to normal, and New Paltz High School is proud to announce the launch of its first-ever unified basketball program. Unified basketball is a sports program that allows young adults and children with special needs to participate in structured team…
Coach Tegeler: Behind the Veneer
By Nora Preston, Writer To the side of the New Paltz High School gymnasium, in a backroom office cluttered with sports equipment and the noticeable rumbling of an AC unit, Tom Tegeler sits perplexed as to why a student he doesn’t know well would want to sit down to interview him. Adorned in a cream-colored…
Mr. Newsome: Not Just a Music Teacher
By Anna Adams, Writer Most people know Mr. Newsome as the upbeat New Paltz High School band director who always has a smile on his face. You may know that his primary instrument is the trombone or that he plays music gigs outside of school; but what don’t you know about him? Mr. Newsome sat…
An Unprecedented Leak, A Familiar Conversation
By Julia Demskie, Assistant Editor-in-Chief, Assisted by Nora Preston, Writer The past month has been one of widespread fear, outrage, and mobilization following the May 2 leak of a Supreme Court draft decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade precedent. The leak, the first of its kind in the history of the United States Supreme…
NPHS Junior, Zorian Shepko-Hamilton reflects on the War in Ukraine
By Maggie Heenan, Staff Writer For the past few weeks, opening your phone or any social media app would greet you with the same exact thing: videos, photos, or updates about the war in Ukraine. For most of us, this brutal conflict exists only in our phone screens or on the television, but for many,…
Which Movie is Your Soulmate?
By Olivia Urrico, Staff Writer The Myers Briggs personality test is a personality type indicator based on a combination of multiple psychological theories. After separating these characteristics into 16 personalities, your personality type can be detected by a combination of acronyms. You can find out your personality type by taking the test here. I have decided…
“Unmasking” the NPHS Community
By Julia Demskie, Assistant Editor-in-Chief What does the bottom half of the world’s face look like? Naturally, human brains strive to fill empty spaces with what makes sense to them. Since March of 2020, this has taken the form of creating noses, mouths, and jaws to match the eyes and foreheads seen in passing while…
Feeling SAD? You’re Not Alone
By Parker Reed, Staff Writer Why did the alarm go off when it’s still dark outside? The early morning cracks like an egg on my head, concealing my eyes and trickling off my chin into a pool of lethargy without enough daylight to mark the line between day and night. As a result of variations…
Meet Mr. Burger
Lyla Laffin and Sophie Brassard, Staff Writers For those of you who don’t already have him as a teacher, New Paltz High School has recently welcomed a new member to the Social Studies department, Mr. Burger. He decided to come back to the Hudson Valley after going away for college because “New Paltz seemed like…
Lessons Learned From A Year of Remote Schooling
By Georgia Schultz, Staff Writer After a year and a half of this strenuous COVID-19 pandemic, it has become apparent how influential and critical in person school is to students and teachers. With the COVID cases in New York state having risen, the threat of returning to remote learning has loomed overhead, and it begs…
Gift Giving in New Paltz
By Sophie Brassard and Julia McCloskey Gift giving is often cause for stress as you search for the perfect item for your loved ones. Of course, one of the easiest ways to find a present is online, where all you need is a smart phone or computer and you have millions of options at your…
Ready for College?
By Lindsey Clinton, Co-Editor-in-Chief It’s January, and New Paltz High School seniors have started to wonder if our high school has adequately prepared them for the next chapter in their lives. Thoughts about the classes provided to students as well as their exposure to the surrounding world come to the forefront of the discussion between…
Students Devise New Ways to Cope with Stress
Squirming at a desk for 6 hours a day leaves little time to idle in the bliss of being a teenager. Adolescents are left to wonder, “How do we cope?”
Mental Health and COVID
By Georgia Schultz, Writer On March 22, 2021, all schools in New York reopened for hopefully the final time during the COVID-19 pandemic. The devastation of this virus has caused over 5 million deaths, economic strife, and the unrivaled curbs of social interaction, branding serious impacts and effects on the mental health of teens. For…
Instagram’s Influence on the Female Teenage Brain: What Age is Best to Join Instagram
By Evie Kortan, Staff Writer According to CNN, in the United States, half of kids have a form of social media by age twelve. Although Instagram’s terms of service states that one must be thirteen or older to join Instagram, it’s very easy for younger kids to join because there is no age-verification process. According…
Meeting Dr. Simms: A Conversation with NPHS’s New Principal
By Kendall Lucchesi, Assistant Editor-in-Chief Anyone who has roamed the hallways of New Paltz High School the past four years will tell you one thing with certainty; the door to the main office remains closed. So, when students entered our hallowed halls in September, only to be greeted with a wide open office door, it…
Should 16-Year-Olds Vote?
Andrew Balaban, Staff Writer Senate Bill S366, a New York State Senate Bill currently in the Elections Committee, proposes an amendment to New York election law that would lower the voting age in state and local elections from 18 to 16. The bill also aims to incorporate civics into high school social studies curricula, and…
Leaf Peepers Flood the Streets of New Paltz
By Sophie Bassard and Lyla Laffin, Staff Writers The quaint town of New Paltz is typically filled with college students and residents, but as soon as October hits, streets are clogged with people from all over New York. Once temperatures drop to the 60s and there’s just a hint of red in the trees, tourists…
An Inspiring Legacy: Mrs. Sutton to Retire
By Julia Demskie, Assistant Editor-in-Chief New Paltz High School will lose a glowing, passionate member of its staff at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. Linda Sutton, beloved English teacher, and junior class advisor, has decided to retire after an incredible 33 years. During her time in New Paltz, she has been known to…
Assistant Principal, Mrs. Schneck-Suma, Looks to Break the Mold
By Mason Roepe, Staff Writer After working for 12 years as an art teacher, Mrs. Schneck took a job as Vice Principal at Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls. After three years there, she was excited to come to a smaller school and truly get to know the staff and students. “I think this is…
The Importance of Just One Word
Podcast by Kylie Ayala, Staff Writer March of 2020: everything went dark. Students’ education came to a screeching halt for weeks on end. Our “normal” learning environment was exchanged for Online Google Meets and Google Classroom assignments. Finally back to fully in-person school, students were asked to describe their COVID-19 experience in just one word.…
Back to School Through the Eyes of the New Paltz Staff
By Parker Reed, Staff Writer Mr. Cook Have you seen students lack the confidence to interact with one another? “I have not been able to discern if the issue is a lack of confidence, or just a comfort level with not socializing after being quarantined and adding the masks and availability of phones to the…
Heirs’ Property: “The Biggest Problem You’ve Never Heard Of”
By Andrew Balaban, Staff Writer On December 6, 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Uniform Partition of Heirs’ Property Act (UPHPA) into law. New York is among the 18 jurisdictions to have adopted the act. Its widespread implementation, among other…
The Maroon 