The student lead School Newspaper published their second edition of The Spartan Time. The Newspaper club is an academic club that teaches students the importance of good journalism. They follow the journalistic code of ethics to write unbiased articles focused on the district as well the community. You can find the most recent edition on the Seward tab under school links!
Wrapping up Fall Sports!
-By Abby Orlando
Girls JV/Varsity Volleyball
Girls Varsity and JV Volleyball, coached by Natalie Griffin and Gina Emanuele, both had a strong and compelling season this year, both fighting till the very end. The Lady Spartans Varsity team advanced their way to the Section IX
finals, sadly losing to Tuxedo. The Varsity team also held their annual Dig Pink night (along with Senior Night) on the 18th of October. Recognizing seniors Allison Stazeski, Yeliza Valera, and Suri Briceno. From the bake sale, contributed by both volleyball teams, they raised just over $250 for Breast Cancer research! Nonetheless, the team finished off the season with a record of 9-9, playing strongly, and are ready for next year’s season!
Girls Varsity Soccer
Girls Varsity soccer coached by Joe DiMattina finished their season with a 
record of 2-15. Despite the losses, the team played passionately and with spirit. Strong leadership and performance from players Taylor Vogt, leading the team with goals, and captain Stephanie Reicheter. Graduating seniors for this 2023-2024 season are Autumn Gandolfo, Calleigh Perrino, Stephanie Reicherter, Kendall Guerra, Alica Ward, And Angelina Vargas. Sadly unable to make the playoffs, the Lady Spartans are excited for next year’s season!
Boys JV/Varsity Soccer
Boys JV and Varsity Soccer coached by Bill Steele and Mike Barbariantz both had strong seasons this year. Boys Varsity played determined and confidently throughout the season allowing them to succeed into the playoffs! Graduating seniors for this 2023-2024 season are Melvin Cintron Rivera, Marz Garcia, Derrick You, Nick Perez, Daniel Fodera, Nick Santantonio, and Christopher Best. With the numbers to finally make a JV team this year, some players were able to float in between teams throughout the year for each game. Varsity,
making it into quarter final playoffs, sadly fell to Chester in overtime 2-1. But, the Spartans are determined and ready for the next upcoming season!
Upcoming Events
-By Abby Orlando
Best Small Hudson Valley Bands Who YOU Should Know About
– By Cricket Carey
#2: Kingston Kane
BIO: Kingston Kane is a hard rock band from New Windsor, NY. They got together in 2019, and have since released two albums; The Forest of Gold (2019), and In Red (2021). They’re currently composed of four members who all take strong musical inspiration from various classic rock and grunge bands, and they do a wonderful job at incorporating those sounds into their own original material.
MY REVIEW: I have yet to see Kingston Kane in concert, but from what I’ve heard, they’re pretty great at live shows. However, most of the gigs they get are for crowds aged 21+. Nonetheless, I still strongly recommend listening to their music on whatever streaming platform you use. My favorite song by them is called “Unbroken,” and it’s off of their most recent album, In Red.
WHERE TO CATCH THEM NEXT: They don’t appear to have any shows coming up soon, so be sure to follow them on Instagram @kingstonkaneband to stay updated! By the way, they are currently searching for someone over the age of twenty-one and living in the Hudson Valley area who could play bass and sing backing vocals for the band. Be sure to reach out to the band if you know someone who is eligible!
Veterans Day At Seward
By Malina Grove
On Thursday, November 9th, S.S. Seward welcomed a number of local Veterans to our annual Veterans Day Ceremony. The Middle School Student Council organized a breakfast for our guests, and High School Student Council President Stephanie Reicherter emceed the event. The talented Seward Select Choir opened the ceremony by performing “The Star Spangled Banner,” after which Assistant Principal Ms. Collins spoke about the history and importance of celebrating Veterans Day. Multiple guest speakers also spoke about their life experiences, including their time in the service. Following the conclusion of the ceremony, students lined up to shake hands with the Veterans and personally thank them for their service to our country.
SS Seward Drama Club Auditions
– By Shea Fleury
Do you like singing, dancing, acting, or all of the above? If so, the Spartan Theater Players Drama Club is just the place for you! This year, S.S. Seward is putting together a production of the musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” in March of 2024. Auditions will be held after school in room 203 on Monday, November 13, 2023. To audition, all you need to do is sing 32 bars of any musical theater song. Callbacks will be later in the week. This audition is meant to be fun and to show the directors what you can do. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding the auditions, feel free to pay Mrs. Ecker a visit in room 203. This show is bound to be a great one. We hope to see you there!
Red Ribbon Week At Seward
– By Malina Grove
During the week of October 23rd, the PTSA helped students participate in Red Ribbon Week, a week dedicated to the education of students about drugs and their harmful effects. This week included fun themed-days including Hawaiian Day, Band T-Shirt Day, and Wear Red Day. Throughout the week students signed a banner that said: “Be Kind To Your Mind, Live Drug Free” as part of a pledge to swear off drugs. Red ribbons were tied on the trees lining the school driveway and a booth was set up in the main lobby where students could take informational pamphlets about the effects all different types of drugs can have on the body and mind.
Thanksgiving Debate
– By Sophia LaBelle
Thanksgiving is around the corner, and the debate on which Thanksgiving dinner food item is the best has taken over the Spartan building. I sent out a form for the students and faculty to complete based on their favorite dishes for the holiday, and these were the results:
- Main Course – Winner: Turkey
- Vegetable – Winner: Corn
- Potatoes – Winner: Mashed Potatoes
Epilepsy Awareness
An Essay for the Spartan Times
– By Cricket Carey
We all remember that one kid in elementary school who’d joke about people having seizures.
They’d shake around frantically, laughing and making weird noises, saying
“Ahhhh! I saw flashing lights! I’m having a seizure!!!” But did you, or any of your peers ever take into consideration how immature and degrading that behavior was?
One in ten people experience a seizure within their lifetime. One in twenty-six people have epilepsy. One of those people is my mom. I remember watching her have seizures throughout my whole life, going all the way back to when I was four years old, or maybe two or three— I don’t remember exactly, but I was small enough to think she was turning into a monster, and run to hide under the couch. Now at the age of fifteen, I’ve witnessed her have dozens of seizures before. And she’s not the only one, remember this isn’t uncommon; I’ve known a good handful of other individuals with this condition before. And I always know a seizure or an aura when I see it, so I know by heart how to help a person with epilepsy overcome the situation and return to their natural state.
But what is epilepsy, anyway? What’s a seizure? What’s an aura? And how do you help someone while they’re experiencing something like this?
First off, epilepsy is a condition that causes malfunctions of the brain to occur at random times, which are different for every individual. Some people have epilepsy so severe that they have several grand mal seizures every single day. Grand mal is French for “big bad,” and is pretty self-explanatory. Grand mal seizures cause an unusual state of unconsciousness where the individual is neither awake or asleep. They experience violent muscle contractions in a lack of control over their brain and nervous system, which can also bring side effects like biting one’s tongue or lip, hitting things, and sometimes even having an accident. The other end of this spectrum would be a “petit mal,” French for “small bad.” I’ve watched these happen with a few friends before, just mid conversation; it’s literally just the person freezing for a second, zoning out, their eyes go crossed a little, and then within five seconds they’re back to normal, and easily continue whatever it is that they were doing.
But every case of epilepsy is completely different! My mom has grand mal seizures, but only once a month or so. She also experiences auras before and after a seizure strikes. An aura is a sort of warning that happens in the brain before it’s about to seize, causing the person to be really out of it and not making a lot of sense. These don’t happen to every person with epilepsy, in fact they’re pretty uncommon, but I feel lucky in a way that my mom gets them, because that way we know as soon as she wakes up in the morning what to expect in her behavior for the near future. Her “schedule” usually follows: an aura (zoned out, doesn’t talk a lot, occasional hallucinations), then a seizure (grand mal), then a long nap (several hours), and when she wakes up she still acts pretty unusual (angry outbursts, confusion) but should be back to normal soon. This whole process usually takes one to two days.
But my mom’s typical pattern as shown is just an example. As I said before, every case is different! It’s a spectrum. Some people have dozens of grand mals every day, and others only have one petit mal every few weeks. Either way, I can confirm that for people with epilepsy and their loved ones, epilepsy is indeed one of the most saddening, but also frustrating disorders out there.
So if you see someone having a seizure, what should you do?
The most important factors of your reaction are what you should NOT do. Never put anything in their mouth, or restrain them too forcefully. Also, there’s no need to film it or take pictures, because that’s more common than you’d think, and it’s extremely rude. What you SHOULD do is gently guide the seizing person towards a bed or couch nearby, or just somewhere comfortable and safe without any potentially harmful objects nearby. Remove anything on their head or around their neck, like glasses or a scarf. Make sure they’re lying on their side, with something cushioning their head, like a pillow. Stay with them the whole time, and call 911 if it lasts more than five minutes or if they’ve never had a seizure before.
I know this all sounds like a lot, and I’m sure it feels overwhelming to read for someone who hasn’t witnessed epilepsy in action before, but believe me when I say that we all know someone who’s had a seizure or aura before. I’ve always felt that knowing how to care for a seizure is just as important as knowing something like CPR. This is rare, but epilepsy could even be fatal. Remember that Disney Channel actor named Cameron Boyce? He passed away at the age of 20 because of the disorder. Some potential triggers of seizures in not only him, but other people with epilepsy, include: missing one’s epilepsy medication, drinking too much alcohol, stress, illness, menstruation, a bad night’s sleep, and flashing lights.
That brings us back to the drawing board. Spread the word, educate others! As a society it’s crucially important for us to know how to support and take care of each other. Epilepsy awareness month is November, and its symbol is a purple ribbon. So next time you witness misinformation or jokes being spread about this trivialized disorder of the brain, try to take the time to educate your peers, and defend those who struggle with it. You’ll never know how much of an impact allyship can make.
Our Mission:
To inform, entertain, and keep our audience well versed in the happenings of S.S. Seward Institute. We strive to be reliable, original, impartial, and compassionate to all who choose to immerse themselves in our school’s culture. We abide by the same high standards that any other newspaper would, ranging from The Florida Focus to The New York Times. If there are any questions regarding our newspaper or our intent, please contact any of our officers or our advisor, whose names are listed below.
The Spartan Times is produced by the S.S. Seward School Newspaper Club and advised by Mrs. Moon.
This issue was contributed to by:
Cricket Carey, Malina Grove, Abby Orlando, Sophia LaBelle, and Shea Fleury