The Patriot News

After competing in the Spring District Meeting of District 3N, the students of the John Jay High School chapter of FBLA began to prepare for the next big competition ahead of them: the State Leadership Conference, which took place April 13th through 15th. This competition included schools from all over New York state, and contained almost a thousand competitors. Presentations were constructed, tests were labored over, and individual performance events were practiced until they could be recited in sleep. Then, on Tuesday, April 12th, it was time. The students brought their luggage in the morning and spent the rest of the school day in a nervous jitter, unable to concentrate on anything except the fact that they would be leaving for Rochester in a mere few hours. Eventually, that time came and, with only a minor fiasco involving the Ketcham competitors, they were off. Five hours later, after a long train ride, they arrived at the Radisson Hotel in Rochester, and had a very late dinner ...

When Rio was selected as the city to hold the 2016 Olympics, both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Brazil, were very excited; this would be the first time a South American country would host the Olympic Games. At the time, Brazil was a very balanced country. Now, with a little less than 3 months until the world’s most popular and exciting sport event is to happen, many problems are arising. The first problem that that came into light is water pollution. Around August of last year, while testing the water conditions, experts realized that the water is contaminated. They found the waters of Rio to be extremely polluted, mainly with sewage. This is a huge problem because the water that is polluted is where the open water swimming, sailing, rowing, and kayaking events will be taking place. Test events took place in Guanabara Bay later in the year, and there have been reports that many athletes that participated in those test events have gotten sick as a result of the water. ...

John Jay Man 2016 The crowded auditorium buzzed with excitement as the students and parents waited patiently for the eleventh annual John Jay Man to begin. The show was set up by National Honor Society, and all the money made that night went towards the Grace Smith House. The show opened with the hosts, Jake Karst and Vishnu Adapa. Then, the much anticipated John Jay Men were introduced, first with a “Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift parody video, which briefly introduced all 10 of the men. The curtain raised and revealed Michael Flanagan, Joey Smith, Josh Martel, Ryan Schumacher, Eric Wakefield, Matt Benedict, Lorenzo Aviles, Vinny Farina, Kevin Turi, and Dan Fay standing in a line wearing neon colored shirts with corresponding bandanas. They performed a hilarious dance which was choreographed by NHS president Grace Gionta and Anna Difede. Next, each John Jay Man was introduced individually wearing their character wear, which was their outfit of choice that mirrored their personality...

Ferris Wheel If you’re searching for some local, budget-friendly ideas, look no further! 1. Walkway Over the Hudson This 1.28-mile bridge stretches from Poughkeepsie to Highland and provides a scenic view of the Hudson Valley. In addition, it is the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world! Access is free, and parking is only several dollars, which makes the Walkway a great place to go for a walk or jog with family and friends. 2. Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Fewer than 16 minutes away from the walkway, the CIA is a wonderful place to visit. Whether you’re touring the campus or stopping for food, you’re sure to be amazed by student chefs and beautiful restaurants. Though food prices may run rather steep, the exquisite food is hard to top. 3. Splashdown Beach If you grew up in the Hudson Valley, odds are, you’ve been to Splashdown. With moderate prices and a continuously expanding park, Splashdown has been a family favorite for years, and people of all ages ca...

On February 4th, twenty members of the John Jay High School Chapter of FBLA traveled to Carmel High School to compete alongside seven other schools, and over a hundred other students in the 2016 District 3N Spring District Meeting. Here, they would be able to participate in an assortment of competition events, the diversity of which would cater towards a variety of interests, allowing everyone to find something that they enjoy while each event still related back to skills required in business. Examples are Business Calculations for those who enjoy math, and speaking events for people who enjoy performing. Additionally, the competition provided a great opportunity for all of the participants as they would be able to practice skills that they would need later on in life but in a lower risk environment, allowing them to go more freely outside their comfort zones. The morning of the event, the students of our chapter arrived to school already in full business attire, ready, excited, a...

On Saturday, March 12th the John Jay Debate Club hosted their 7th annual Model Congress and it was a great success. A model congress may not seem like the most thrilling thing in the world at first, after all, the actual one appears to move at the pace of a snail, if not slower. However, as a member of the debate club I knew that debates could be extremely fun, and that, added with the promise of extra credit made me decide along with several of my friends that going would be in our best interest. At the event, participants were separated into four committees based on interest: Judiciary which dealt with civil rights issues, Energy and Commerce which was eventually merged with Judiciary, Foreign Relations, and Education and Health. It would be within these committees that people would be debating over bills concerning current political issues such as gun control, health care, the war on terror, and more. At first most people in my committee were quiet as they were still getting...

On March 8th, after school, in honor of Youth Art Month, the art program held “Upstyle Your T” in the library. Designs varied from a skull crop top to a angel with wings. One that stood out was a stormtrooper cut out in the back with the arms and neck cut off of the tee. Ms. Lancer and Mrs. Hooper came up with the idea from Generation T:108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt by Megan Nicolay and Pinterest. Lancer created her own examples and ideas students could get ideas from. Students were given a shirt of their choice, scissors, templates and directions. They were then off in their own world to design whatever and however they wanted while showing off their John Jay Pride. Youth Art Month is to continue all throughout March. Recently the art department carved into yams, making faces, a starry night, and many other designs. This month gave the students a chance to express themselves in work they can call theirs. The “YAM” show is on March 31st at 2pm in the library, showing John Jay’s love...