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In Tough Political Times, Love Comes First: Opinion Piece

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By Molly Flynn

“In our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president, or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States.” – Kamala Harris’s Concession Speech, November 6. 2024.

The election this year was controversial, to say the least. However, this doesn’t mean we need to fight at the dinner table over our opposing points of view. Just because one party won and the other lost, doesn’t mean we need to fight people or leave the country. 

Many of us just celebrated Thanksgiving. Christmas is coming up. I personally have family members with a range of political views, ranging from extremely conservative to very liberal, yet, at Thanksgiving, we talked about our interests, my dancing, my cousin’s golfing, and not about our political views. Want to know why? Because we love each other regardless of our political ideologies. That’s what you should care about. Now, I have some tips on what to do if the dinner table gets political. One thing I like to do is to tell a joke. This will hopefully distract people and start a new conversation. For example “Why couldn’t the sailor learn the alphabet? Because he got lost at ‘C’” A real knee-slapper. You could also tell your family about something new or exciting that happened to you. Maybe you just saw Wicked, you could talk about that. Hopefully, this guides the conversation into something less controversial. 

Now, I have heard of a lot of people saying that they’re going to leave the country. However, that is a terrible and immature response to the results. Instead of only focusing on the parties of America, we should focus on keeping America as the great country it is. Political parties are one singular part of America. There is so much more. And even if you oppose the current administration, there’s always another election in 2028. 

I will leave you with this fact: There is a 1 in 400,000,000,000,000 chance that you were even born on this planet. We should be grateful for even being here, and even more grateful that the number one thing we’re worrying about is politics. Stop worrying, and think about what you do have, not what you don’t have.

As you can clearly see, we shouldn’t let our political parties interfere with our day-to-day choices, especially how we view our family members. When you’re at the dinner table with your family, don’t forget that you love them for who they are.

Epic Season for Breakers Girls

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By Nora Weber

This year’s soccer season was one of our best in recent memory, with a final record of 5-3-1. We won five games, lost three, and ended one in a tie. The tie came against H.W. Mountz, a team we hadn’t beaten in years. Going into the match, we knew we had a real chance of coming out on top.

Early on in the game against H.W. Mountz, Kayley Kremen scored our first goal within the first 10 minutes. We erupted in excitement, celebrating with high-fives and cheering. Our confidence soared, and we felt sure we could win. But just before half-time, with only a few minutes left, the opposing team scored, bringing the game to a 1-1 tie.

After the break, and a pep talk from Coach Courtney Hammell, we returned to the field determined to retake the lead. Kayley, once again, made an incredible play, dribbling past several defenders and getting into a perfect position to shoot. She fired, and the ball hit the back of the net! We celebrated, but we knew we still had work to do. We quickly shifted our focus to defense, determined to hold onto our lead.

Photo courtesy of Mrs. Vitale

Unfortunately, with just 10 minutes left in the game, one of the H.W. Mountz players made a strong run down the field, evading our defenders and taking a shot. Our goalie made an initial save, but the ball slipped through her hands, and Mountz ran through her, scoring to tie the game once again. Both teams gave it their all in the final minutes, but neither could find a winning goal. The game went into overtime, but despite our best efforts, the score remained tied. In the end, we left the field feeling annoyed that we didn’t win, but proud of our hard-fought effort.

While our games were exciting and full of highs and lows, I think the best part of the season was the bus rides. We had a blast on the way to every game, with Kamila Stewart keeping the energy high with some great hype music. Even when we lost, we always kept our spirits up. The good times and fun we shared off the field were just as memorable as any win or loss.

This season may not have ended with a perfect record, but it was undoubtedly one of our best in years. We learned, we grew, and we had a lot of fun along the way.

Making Art Work! a Q&A with Mrs. DiZefalo

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By Jennifer Hernandez

Here at BBES, we all know that Mrs. Jennifer DiZefalo is a talented teacher, but did you know she is also a working artist, showing and selling her paintings all over the country? Here is a Q&A I conducted with Mrs. DiZefalo via Google Docs earlier this year.

From left, Mrs. DiZefalo works on the Kingsley Street Mural; with her son Henry at the Sea Hear Now Mural 2022; Earth and Air; and Fire and Water.

Q: What are some recent art pieces you’ve made outside of school? And where can we find them?: 

A: I worked in collaboration with photographer Sara Stadtmiller on a mural for the Sea Hear Now festival. We created an abstract version of a seascape. That mural is now on its way to the Asbury Park Train Station for permanent display.

My painting, Earth and Air, was selected to be part of  The Invincible Visible – Transformer Gallery’s 19th Annual Exhibition & Benefit Auction at American University in Washington D.C. last month. I also have paintings at Parlor Gallery in Asbury Park.

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A Fan’s Guide to Stranger Things

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By Olivia Bagdanov

Imagine biking home with your friend. He challenges you to a race, so you go ahead just to be greeted by a seven-foot-tall dark shadow that takes you away into a different dimension.

Have you watched the top 10 rated shows on Netflix, Stranger Things? This popular show just had a season 4, which came out on May 27, 2022. Not so long after that, part two of season 4 came out. Stranger Things has a total of 34 episodes.

The show is about four young boys who find a girl in the woods. Little do they know she has psychokinetic and telepathic powers. Not so long after finding her, they discover a portal to a different dimension that has monsters and dangerous vines like in Dungeons and Dragons, a board game that the boys play. 

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More than a Secretary: A Profile of the Amazing Miss Ramirez

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By Hans Weber

Oliva Herrera, a mother of three, needed help with completing legal documents. She couldn’t think of anyone who could walk her through the process, especially since all the documents were in English, not Mrs. Herrera’s native Spanish. Suddenly, she remembered Ruth Ramirez, the friendly, bilingual school secretary who is a Mexican immigrant, like her.

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Raves for Kalahari: A Waterpark Review

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By Molly Flynn

Have you ever wanted to visit a fantastic waterpark? Or an amazing arcade? You should go to the Kalahari Hotel in the Poconos. The resort is named for the desert in Southern Africa known for its wildlife, which is pretty ironic because Kalahari (the region) is a desert and doesn’t have much water. I will review the shops, food, waterpark, arcade, and more.

One of my favorite parts of Kalahari was all the shops. My favorite was the grocery store.  It had all types of fresh food like muffins, coffee, and other baked goods. It also stocked some of my favorite candies like Lindt Chocolate, Trolli gummies, and Starbursts. Of course, you can find staples like milk, eggs, sugar, and bread. Lastly, it offered cool merchandise like hoodies, hats, and shirts.

Another highlight of Kalahari is the superb food. They have a delicious Italian restaurant called Sortino’s. Some of the best food there is the crunchy bruschetta and the soft onion bread. Another fantastic thing there is the food near the arcade. They have delectable wings and fries. My favorite wings are the spicy, hot, crispy buffalo wings.

Photos courtesy of Liza Flynn

The waterpark is the main attraction of Kalahari. It has some killer rides. My favorite was the Screaming Hyena. You go into a purple tube and on the count of three, it drops you. It’s so fun, but water does go up your nose. Another very fun ride (considered the scariest ride) is the Wild Wildebeest. You go into a clover tube and then it lifts you ten feet on a ring that is sideways. This is one I haven’t gone on because it was closed, but the first VR waterslide is in Kalahari. Lastly, there was the Smoke That Thunders. It is one of the most thrilling rides there! It does three drops, then it brings you into a vast opening, and you rock back and forth.

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Opinion: Give Up the Wall, Trump!

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By Brian Ramon-Miron

The United States, a rich country, a wonderful place where we can be creative, free, and ourselves. We as one are all part of a melting pot of distinct races, religions, gender, and cultures. Most of us are kind and respect each other. We have friends, and lots of people love us. President Donald Trump loves his country. Maybe a little too much. He wants to build a border wall to keep his interests safe instead of making bridges with our neighbors, Canada and Mexico.

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